A/N: This little drabble is offered as an apology for my sort of 'disappearance' since completing 'Tentacles of Love and Loss.' My computer died and is off being repaired, and I started a new job, working full time for the Denver Zoo. I have acquired a new computer, am adjusting to a hectic work schedule, and I just might have dislodged the writer's block from the middle of the road in 'The Fabric of His Life' and 'Deep is the Darkness of A Starless Night.' Also, be on the lookout for 'Demon Shadows,' a new story soon to begin. It's a crossover with Lie to Me and starts with Goren and Eames already involved with each other. So...enjoy!

It had been a very long day, and Robert Goren was exhausted. He was glad he hadn't driven in to the squad room that morning, although that hadn't worked out the way he intended. He'd hoped to catch a ride home with his partner, but she was long gone by the time he wrapped things up for the night. Sometimes, when working a case, he got so lost in the evidence and the investigation that he forgot that he had a life outside the squad room.

He left 1 Police Plaza after ten and headed for the closest subway station. By the time he transferred from the A train to the G train, his fatigue was catching up with him. Settling in for the 20 minute ride to his stop, he began to nod off, lulled by the gentle lurching of the subway car. He dozed lightly, until someone gently stroked the back of his neck. He jerked awake and a familiar voice whispered into his ear, "Suppose you sleep through your stop?"

"Then I'll have to ride my way back again."

"You might try going home at a decent hour."

"I might," he agreed, holding his hand up above and in front of his shoulder. She slid her hand into his and let him guide her around to sit beside him. As she lowered herself into the seat, he leaned in to kiss her. She melted at the pressure of his mouth against hers as he slid his hand onto her waist and deepened the kiss.

When she moved to withdraw, he made a soft noise of protest and slid his free hand behind her head. She smiled and laughed softly into his mouth, effectively breaking the kiss. Reluctantly, he let her go as she quietly said, "I am not going to make out with you on public transportation, Goren."

"So, where will you make out with me?"

"Oh...your place...my place..."

"The janitor's closet on the ninth floor of 1 Police Plaza."

Her face colored with a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure at the memory evoked by his suggestion. "Okay...once."

"You won't do that again?"

"I won't do that regularly," she corrected.

"How about the one on the fourth floor?"

She couldn't keep herself from smiling. "Changing floors doesn't change the fact that it's the headquarters building," she said.

"How about the courthouse, then?"

"What is it with the high profile buildings?" she asked, still smiling and trying hard not to laugh.

"You should know by now how much I love a challenge," he said, his fingers playing with her hair.

"Just what is the challenge? Me or the location?"

"Both."

She studied his face, falling in love all over again with his boyish playfulness. "I will make out with you almost anywhere," she said softly, her eyes glowing with emotion.

"What are your exceptions, besides public transportation?"

"The squad room," she replied without hesitating. Then she paused to come up with other locations. "Danny Ross' front porch. The lawn of Gracie Mansion. Anywhere in the direct vicinity of the chief of D's or the commissioner."

When she stopped naming locations, he said, "That's it?"

When she hesitated, seeking other locations to list, he leaned in suddenly and kissed her again. Responding to his impulsive kiss, she slid her arms around his neck, allowing him to linger for a bit. When he withdrew, he looked at her quizzically. With an embarrassed smile, she softly said, "Some locations are subject to negotiation."

"I like the way you negotiate." He teased her hair, eyes glowing with warmth. "What about sex?" he wondered.

The first time he kissed her, a sudden, impulsive act that surprised even him, she had been confronted with a rush of powerful emotions that caught her as much off-guard as the kiss itself. She had loved him for years, but she always thought that love chaste...until that kiss. That one simple act of love—and lust—caused her to reevaluate what she felt for him, and it opened the door to something rare and wonderful. She felt true love in a heart she thought no longer capable of it. Since that day, just over four months ago, she experienced the joy of finding something new about him to love almost daily.

He caressed her cheek with his thumb as he waited patiently for her answer. "That is also open to negotiation, but expect that exclusion list to be much longer."

Nodding his assent, he asked, "What about public transportation?"

With a laugh, she nestled into his side, clasping his hand in hers. He curled his arm around her, slipping his hand beneath the hem of her shirt to stroke her skin. With a soft smile, he kissed the top of her head. She had not said no.