This is my little ship-filled homage to Frame. I feel like Frame could have been a two hour episode. There seemed to be a lot of stuff we didn't see. Told from Alex's perspective, mostly cause I suck at Bobby-perspective, we'll see what was going on in her head while Bobby's life crumbles around him…again.

I don't own em', just take them out to play on occasion.

So things were approaching normal again, or whatever one would construe as normal in these parts. Bobby still wasn't the Detective Goren of seven years prior. But I didn't expect such impossibilities. He'd been through a lot of changes in the last two years. If anyone knew what the death of a loved one could do…. Well…

Then it happened again. Storm clouds clung to that man like nothing I'd ever seen before. Just when I thought the rain was done falling, they found Frank Goren flat on his back, several stories below his bedroom window.

I didn't know about Frank's death until Bobby called Ross to explain where he'd been today and why he hadn't made an appearance at work yet. It hurt a little to know Bobby felt he couldn't just call me and tell me what happened. But, that was the dance we did this past year. Bobby experienced tragedy, and he made sure to exclude the one person who might help him deal with it. I'd always find out anyway, then Bobby and I would play a game of run and catch up. He'd always let me catch up eventually, then act like he'd never caused me to run in the first place.

Frank's death was no different. I called Bobby as soon as I found out. He was on his way back to 1PP.

Catch up!

I made sure I met him outside. There is no way to gage how he's going to deal with this…..

*********

Sometimes these days, Robert Goren seemed gargantuan to me. That's not a slight about his current weight issues. Bobby was always a big guy. All the crap of the last year seem to drape itself across his frame, making him seem like King Kong to me on occasion.

Today was one of those occasions……

I tried my damndest to dig my way through the atmosphere of his pain. Standing next to him in the confines of the elevator, I felt three feet tall and Bobby wouldn't really look at me much.

"We'll make sure there is a real investigation." I affirmed. You'll be at arm's length, but I'll keep you up to speed." I tried to sound reassuring while I kept switching my gaze between Bobby's drooping shoulders and his blackened irises.

He nodded in acknowledgement and I knew I was going to have a grand time staving off Ross when it came to controlling Bobby.

*********

You know, there are a million and one blondes in this world, yet for some reason when the investigation started toward a blonde being involved, my first thought was Nicole Wallace.

Maybe Bobby isn't the only one around here who is psychic. Or maybe I've just spent too much time pirouetting in his shadow.

Bobby eventually vocalized my thoughts about Nicole once the autopsy results came back. Compressed into the pathology quarters with Rodgers, I watched as Bobby learned Nicole seduced his brother with the promise of drugs and oral copulation. Then she drugged him, later tossing him out a window like yesterday's trash. I gazed off toward M.E. Rodgers tray of dissecting tools and thought about Frank's last moments. Probably the best head he ever had. Likely because Nicole was wishing and feeling like it was Bobby. I'm sure she gave a champion's performance, knowing this was as close as she may ever get to devouring Robert O. Goren himself….

Bobby's voice snapped me back to reality. His repetitive proclamations of Nicole and her involvement were causing my nerves to rattle a bit. Not again, I think. Not this woman flogging Bobby's soul again. Her own pathetic excuse for love, twisted and brutal, hurting people to get close to him. Now hurting the people "close" to him.

Once upstairs I take my coffee black, I need the energy, because I now realize this is going to be a long week.

Hope y'all liked this. Next chapter about the Gwen Chapel visit in Phoenix coming soon.