The Antagonist

Captain Deakins and Bobby Goren were in his office discussing details to a recent case for the purposes of paperwork when a young officer came crashing through the door. Deakins was shocked and Bobby couldn't believe that the officer was intruding quite so rudely. Deakins was about to shout at the officer for breaking through his door but he saw the urgency on the man's face so instead he said, "What is it?"

"Sir, you're not going to believe this but there is a fight in the break room." He told them both.

"A fight?" Bobby asked, incredulously. Deakins face was a look of shock. They heard a crashing sound and Bobby looked at their Captain.

"What the hell...?" Deakins started as they all rushed out of the office and headed towards the break room.

Needless to say they were surprised when they came into the room to see many officers in some kind of group huddle but were fighting instead of actually hugging. Deakins could see Mike in the middle of that group and the man who'd come to see him, Robert Harris, which surprised him. Bobby could see Alex was on the other side of the room and she appeared to be nursing her head, he could see blood coming from a wound near her eye.

Alex hadn't realised how seriously injured she had been from Rob's first attack, not until she'd begun to feel faint and seen the blood.

"Right!" Deakins began to yell. "That's enough!" He was bellowing so loud that he caught the rooms attention, causing it to almost come to a complete standstill as everyone recognised his voice. The only movement in the room was Bobby going to see if Alex was alright. "What the hell is going on in here?" He shouted loudly, but no one answered. Looking around the room he could see that several officers had slight injuries but Mike and Rob were the ones who were bleeding small rivers. "Right, everyone out. Recess is over!!" Deakins turned to Mike and Rob. "Logan and Harris you two are to see the medic and then I want you in my office." Deakins then looked at Alex, "That goes for you too Alex." Alex nodded slightly and then winced as she regretted that movement.

Deakins stayed in the room to ensure that everyone cleared the room, he noticed the medic walking in and was thankful because it didn't really look like Mike and Rob could actually walk to the medics office. The medic walked over to Mike who tried to push him away, pointing at Alex, "Her first."

But Alex shook her head. Bobby held out his hand to the medic. "I can do her injuries." The medic passed him a first aid kit and then attended to Mike.

"What about me?" Rob asked, pained.

"I have backup coming. They'll be here momentarily." The medic replied. And as if on cue the backup medic arrived, carrying supplies. The two medics nodded at each and the new arrival immediately tended to the injuries of Rob.

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After everyone had been tended to, Deakins had ordered the three of them into his office. Alex had required stitches for her eyebrow and Mike had suffered a hairline fracture in his knuckles. Mike hadn't bothered with whatever Rob's injuries were but it seemed that he'd gotton away lightly because he seemed to have less bandages on than Mike. Mike promised himself that he'd rectify that as soon as possible.

The three of them were sitting in chairs. Alex was closest to the door, then it was Mike and Rob was at the other end. Deakins was standing at the front of his desk, his arms folded and his mood sour. "I want to know why the hell there was a brawl in here?" He looked at Mike and Alex, "This is Major Case, you know we don't allow that kind of behaviour here. And you-" he turned to Rob, "you're the assistant to the chief of D's who, by the way, is not very happy with you." Rob felt himself sink a little into his chair when he realised the damage he could have done to his career but looking at Mike he really felt it was worth it. "I want to know how that started!"

Alex looked down at her hands whilst Mike and Rob looked at each other in disgust. "Harris?" Deakins asked, hoping he'd tell him, "Logan?" Deakins realised it was like pulling at straws. "Eames?" Alex looked from her hands. "One of you had better tell me what happened." Alex looked at Mike, who nodded, saying he was alright with her telling him everything.

Alex sat up a little straighter and began to explain how it happened. "I walked into the break room to see them talking." she looked at Mike again, "And um." she paused for a moment trying to find the words to say it. "Some nasty insults were exchanged and I tried to - uh - prevent a fight by standing in the middle."

"Sir." Mike interrupted, "Alex never hit anyone she was just trying to stop it. Harris hit her and that was technically the word 'go'."

"Actually..." Alex started but Deakins held up his hand. He turned to Rob whilst Mike and Alex looked at each other, annoyed with the way they were protecting one another.

"Harris. You should be aware that you'll be put on report and pending a final decision by the chief of D's himself you could very well be demoted." Deakins looked at Mike and Alex. "You're free to leave this office but understand that I want you to actually leave." Deakins told him sternly, knowing that the chief of D's would discipline him, it was up to Deakins to discipline Mike and Alex. Harris nodded and stood up slowly to leave the room.

Once he'd closed the door Deakins looked at the two remaining and shook his head in disappointment. "I cannot believe that the two of you were involved. Actually, I can't believe you were involved Alex!"

"Captain, she..." Deakins held up his hand again to stop Mike from talking.

"I can truly appreciate you protecting each other but I can't take it like that because I know the two of you have a personal relationship." Deakins sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Just tell me everything, I want to know the truth. Who started these 'nasty insults'?"

"Harris did." they both replied, almost in complete unison.

"What were they?" Deakins asked, and he noticed how Alex and Mike looked at each other before completely turning away from him.

"They're not repeatable." Mike replied.

"They were personal?" Deakins asked and Alex nodded. "Aimed at the both of you?"

"Yeah." Mike nodded.

"Okay, this is what's going to happen. I'm going to interview everyone who was there and then I'll let you know what the decision will be after I've made it." He looked at Mike, "For now, Logan go home, you don't look like you're in a position to do any work. You're both on report."

Mike nodded slightly and looked at Alex, who was beginning to look a little pale. "You okay?"

Alex smiled and looked at them both as their faces showed their concern. "I just feel a little woozy. I'll be fine after I have a drink or something."

"Alex, get something to eat and then try to do as much paperwork as possible before you go home." Deakins told her and she gave him a small nod. They both stood up and left his office, as soon as the door was closed Deakins was rubbing both his temples. How did the day turn into this?

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Alex was sat at her desk trying to do her work but she was feeling incredibly tired and she felt like she had a headache the size of the tri-state area. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, and then tried to continue her work. She looked up to see Bobby looking at her with concern. "Eames? Are you alright?"

Alex nodded, stifling another yawn. "I'm fine."

"What made you get into a fight?" Bobby asked, after the curiosity that had been a small flame was now threatening to burn him. He'd been sitting there all afternoon wanting to find out what started that fight.

"Hey!" she said, pointedly looking at him. "For the record I wasn't fighting... I was caught in the middle." Alex yawned again and she put her face into her hands, desperately wishing she was in her bed because she could feel herself falling into sleep right at her desk.

Actually, she must have fallen to sleep because the next thing she knew a hand was on her arm. She pulled her face away from her hands and saw Deakins semi-crouched beside her. "Alex, go home."

She shook her head, "No, I can do this." she was determined to finish her work, knowing it would just be there tomorrow.

"I'm sure Bobby will do some of it for you." Deakins told her, looking at Bobby 'telling' him he'd be doing some. Bobby nodded. "So why don't you go home and get some sleep?" Alex finally nodded, realising she'd managed to find a way to get Bobby to do her paperwork, although she hadn't intentionally chosen that method and she doubted she choose it anytime soon either. Standing up she grabbed her coat and bag and smiled at them before leaving the office quietly and quickly. "You think she's alright?" Deakins asked Bobby as they watched her reteating.

Bobby nodded, "I think she just needs to sleep." He looked at Deakins, "What started that fight?"

Deakins sighed, "Apparently it was personal." he told him as he turned and walked back to his office. Bobby watched him do so and then turned back to where he'd last seen Alex, walking down the coridor, although she had now gone.

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Alex had gone home and slept like she said she would but she hadn't slept for long when she suddenly felt this unnerving feeling in her stomach that something was wrong. Getting out of bed she went to the bathroom to see if it was her injury that was making her feel ill but it wasn't. Looking around the room she realised she was just being silly but at least she didn't feel like she was on deaths doorstep anymore.

But she still had a bad feeling and she couldn't place it. She sat back down on her bed and tried to think about what it could be. The only thing she could come up with was that she hadn't gone to see Mike to see if he was okay. Looking around the room one last time she decided to go and see him, even though she knew he'd probably be asleep. Sighing she quickly changed and rushed out of her bedroom, grabbing her keys, cell and coat she rushed out the door and into her car.

Reaching his apartment building she got out of her car and headed for the main door. Finding his number she rang his buzzer and waited for an answer. She didn't wait long but the only answer she got was a deep croaky sound of the words 'it's open'. Worried a little she went into the building and headed straight for his apartment.

When she reached it the door was ajar, frowning she walked inside and the first thing she noticed was that it was a mess and the second thing she noticed was that Mike was no-where in sight. "Mike?" she called out for him but she didn't get a response. Her worry growing she closed the door behind her and walked straight through the apartment looking for him. She found him in his bathroom, propped up at the sink, seemingly in pain as he was trying to stop his nose from bleeding. "Mike?" she walked over to him and he tried to smile for her but it didn't come out like a smile. She grabbed the cloth from his hand and ran some cold water onto it then she put it back onto his nose.

"You seem to have new injuries." she noted as he stood back from the sink once his nose bleed had stopped.

"Yeah." he muttered, sighing hard.

"What's going on?" Alex asked, concerned for his well-being since it looked like he'd been in another fight.

"Nothing." he said walking out of the bathroom. Alex sighed and immediately followed him after picking up some more gauze.

"Don't protect me, Mike. I want to know what's going on!" She told him, allowing her voice level to rise a little to show her frustration. Mike sat down on the sofa and looked at her.

"So it's okay for you to protect me but not the other way around?" he asked, she could tell he was in a bad mood "Alex, I'm gonna protect you that's just the way it is."

Sighing, she walked over to him and handed him the gauze from the bathroom. "Fine." she gave in only because she didn't want to get into an argument in the middle of the night. "But you have to let me protect you too and that starts with you telling me what the hell is going on." She looked around the room, taking in the broken furniture and small patches of blood. "He was here, wasn't he?"

"Yeah." he nodded slowly, giving in and deciding to tell her. "He thinks I've ruined his career." he pulled a face of disbelief. "Go figure!" he shrugged, "He came in with the intention of starting that first fight just to get back at me!"

"Get back at you for what?" asked Alex, confused. Mike looked at her but he seemed hesitant to answer that question. "Mike? Please tell me?"

"You don't really need to know, it's just bad history..." he started but she touched his arm to stop him, he looked down at her hand and then back at her face.

"Tell me anyway." she told him, insistant. Mike nodded and looked at her, trying to find the words to explain to her what had happened without taking too long to do so.

Alex simply waited for him to start.

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TBC