Set after Betrayed. I've watched that episode at least a dozen times, but this time it suddenly inspired me (same goes for Untethered, I'm working on a story for that epi as well).

Spoilers for Purgatory.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, damn it.

It was her silence that was killing him.

"I hope it was worth it, Detective". Those were the last words she had spoken to him. Well, other than the complete blow-off "yup" that she managed to utter as she grabbed her coat and dashed out the squad room and out of his life. Those were the words that woke him up every night in a cold sweat, panicked that they would be the last ones he would hear from her.

After Alex left the observation room that day, she quickly requested, and was granted, vacation time. He spent the first two days showing up to work, expecting her to be there, and when she didn't show he didn't feel it was his place to ask Ross about it. But by the third day, he got up the nerve. That's when he learned she was on leave for two weeks.

He tried to call her only once. He knew she wouldn't answer, and when the call went to her voice mail, he hung up. Then he felt bad he about hanging up, so he almost called back to leave a message saying he was sorry for hanging up, but then he thought better of it. His last apology failed miserably, why would this one be any different?

He had two thoughts that were making her absence bearable; she hadn't requested a transfer, and he believed that once they had a case to work on, their partnership/friendship could begin to heal. So when Ross' call came about a missing person, Bobby couldn't get out of bed fast enough.

"A missing husband case? You need both of us on this?" Her words shocked him and he couldn't help but look at her with stunned disbelief. Then when she walked away from him as she went to speak to her, his disbelief turned to anger. He'd just about had enough.

The drive out to the lot where Woody's car had last been seen was tense to say the least. He had decided before they got in the SUV that he needed to say something. After all, there will be no healing until they talked it out. It had to start somewhere. "Is this the way it's gonna be from now on, Eames?"

"Excuse me?" Her caustic tone, coupled with her death glare, gave him his answer. But for him, it was unacceptable.

"Look…we need to talk about this."

"No, we don't." She didn't look at him, she just kept driving.

"Yes. We. Do." He couldn't help but hold his breath as he waited for her response to his insistent tone.

His persistence seemed to have warmed her icy demeanor, but only slightly. She wasn't expecting that from him. She figured he would try to sweep the Testarossa incident under the rug. In the nearly two weeks since their confrontation, he only called her once. She had thought that he would chalk up that message-less call to 'trying', and then move on. So when she attempted to shut him down, and he pushed back on her, she felt a little less angry; a little more hopeful that maybe they might be able to repair…whatever the hell someone would call their relationship.

"Not now."

They were only two words, but he heard it, the change in her voice; she was softening. He gave a quick nod, "Okay." Then he slowly let out air out of his lungs.

The rest of the ride was quiet, both lost in their own thoughts. He was trying to focus on the case, she was left to continue her contemplation of just how to define their relationship. She'd been aware for some time that Bobby had grown quite attached to her. But at the same time, the more attached he became, the more he closed himself off. She understood it, but it did frustrate her because as much as she tried not to let it happen, she was having the same problem that he was. Her feelings for him had changed over the years; and she never expected to feel the way she felt.

There was something about Bobby that wouldn't let her walk away from him. There was something about Bobby that pulled her to him. As their partnership went on, he'd established a firm hold on her; mind, body, and heart. So his recent betrayal nearly destroyed her, and she had no choice but to cut ties with him for a while. She was trying to use those two weeks as a type of detox; a fourteen day Bobby Goren cleanse. She thought it was working, but hearing him fight for them to talk about what happened undid just about all the progress she thought she had made in purging him from her soul.

After their brief conversation in the car, and the investigation in the abandoned yard, Bobby felt a change in their chemistry. Just as he had hoped, the case was bringing them the comfort of the routine and rhythm that their partnership thrived on. Then their time in the bodega, questioning the shopkeeper, further buoyed his optimism.

"You're exactly right, Eames." Her head shot up and she looked at him in confusion as he continued. "No, I'm just sayin', you're…you're right."

The look of confusion on her face gave way to dawning. She got was he was really saying. She nodded and walked away, but as he followed her across the street, he couldn't help it when he added, "But we still need to have that talk."

She turned back to him and he was rewarded with the first genuine smile he'd seen from her in months. His heart pounded out a few extra beats while his stomach swirled around, and as much as he didn't want to seem too eager, he smiled back at her.

They had been watching video footage of Avery at her ATM. They were sitting against their desks and their legs were so close that he would swear he could feel heat coming off of hers. Then the captain came in and told them that they were off the case. Then Eames was handed a report and while Ross was walking away, and while she was still looking down, she casually leaned her hand up to Bobby and pressed it against his arm to get his attention. She got his attention alright. Aside from undercover work, he could count on one hand the number of times that she'd intentionally touched him. He responded by leaning in and reading over her shoulder. Feeling the need for more contact, he tried to lean his shoulder against hers but she was already standing and walking so he followed behind her. They tried to convince Ross to let them continue their investigation, and luckily he said yes.

After a confrontation with Roy, and an interview with his mistress, Goren and Eames were really hitting their stride, and then they were off to Maine to interview Avery's family.

On their way back to New York, they were somewhere in the middle of Massachusetts when Alex unexpectedly pulled off an exit.

"Coffee break?"

"More like an 'us' break."

He did a double take at her and he suddenly felt very anxious. He pushed for this talk to happen, but he wasn't expecting her to choose right then to take him up on it.

"You sure? I mean, we can wait until we're done with the case."

She heard the edge in his voice and waited until they were at a stop light to answer him. "I think this is too important to put off any longer, don't you?"

He licked his lips and looked out the passenger window for a while in silence. Then he pointed to somewhere off to his right, "There's a park over there." Alex was relieved to hear his reply. She was afraid he had changed his mind about talking all together.

She had thought about having the talk before they got to Maine, but decided against it only because she was afraid of the feelings this talk was going to dredge up. Lately when it came to her and Bobby, Alex felt like she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve. So the thought of having an emotionally charged conversation with him, one where her feelings might be exposed, then being alone with him overnight, did not sit well with her. Instead, she managed to keep a professional distance from him on the way up to Maine, but she felt it was important to clear the air before they got back to New York.

Bobby, on the other hand, didn't know what to think of Alex. He had noticed that even though the frigid air between them was thawing, she was still having a hard time making eye contact with him. All he was getting from her were brief glances and she did most of her talking while looking in another direction. He didn't know what that meant from her. But, he was desperate to regain their connection, so he shook away his apprehension about the impending talk and braced himself for whatever she felt she needed to say. He also silently encouraged himself to speak his mind as well. What worried him the most was how he would handle if it became apparent that their conversation was heading in a personal direction. He wasn't a stupid man, and he knew Alex wasn't stupid as well. There were markers that, over the years, both had subtly left for the other. Sometimes it was a look, or an unnecessary extra touch while undercover that made the other aware of an undercurrent that simmered between them. Whatever it was, it was why he worked so hard to get his badge back, and it was why she was hurt so badly by him not letting her in on the operation. It was also what he thought might be exposed by them as they settled into their little spot in the park, somewhere in heart of Massachusetts.

The day was bright and the heat from the sun felt good against her skin as she stepped out of the car. There was gentle breeze that kept the temp from feeling as warm as it should have, but it felt nice just the same. She had had her leather jacket on, but as she stood up in the parking lot, she took it off and left it in the car. She had on a long sleeved black shirt with a with a scoop neck, a pair of black jeans and her wide black belt. Her heels brought her up to the height of his shoulders as she stepped around the car and along side of him. He opted to leave his sport jacket on but undid another button on his shirt as he led through the lot.

Since it was in the middle of the week, the park was quiet. There were only a couple of moms there with their kids, and a man sitting at a table having his lunch. They walked through the playground and passed the man, then they found a path which they followed along until they came to another picnic table that was in a small clearing. She began to slow down, indicating she didn't want to walk any further, so he leaned against the end of the table, spread his legs wide, and took a deep breath.

TBC…