Spoilers: In the Wee Small Hours, Lady's Man and Loyalty

I do not have a beta all mistakes are mine.

Goren's POV

As Eames...Alex took my hand in hers it felt right. I felt all these years we had been working together finally meant something. She has seen me through the worst times in my life to the best as well. Seeing my brother Frank for the first time in years was one of them, even though he was lining up at a church. Meeting my nephew for the first time was great but under the circumstances was definitely the worst. My mother dying but she did come to the funeral with me for comfort or for closure; I don't remember asking her to come at all.

When Alex went on maternity leave that was one of the first times I ever felt lost. Bishop was nice and all but she didn't understand me. It was strange not hearing any sarcastic comments after we discovered something weird or I did something to humiliate a suspect. Alex did secretly enjoy my acquired taste investigating our cases.

Alex led me to the kitchen and sat me down. She opened a cupboard and got a bottle of bourbon out and ice. I was surprised she still drank bourbon after the Mulroney case, I was so tempted to thump that guy whenever he was near her. I decided not to comment on the bourbon as she poured in our glasses. She sat down on the seat in front of me setting down my drink.

"Thank you," I smiled and took a sip of the alcohol. It's strong and it burns my throat but now I could understand why she needed the bourbon in the first place. She takes a drink of her own and returns the smile.

"So..." she hesitates. "Where do we go from here?" I looked at her and tried to read her face. I always managed to read her but this time I couldn't.

"I don't know, have you eaten?" I suggested.

"No, great idea," she smiled, like she was hoping for a distraction. "Chinese, ok?"

I nodded in response as she left the table and grabbed a flyer from the fridge and the phone off the hook. She took her seat again.

"The usual?" she asked.

"Always," I replied, thinking about how we used to stay at our desks and eat Chinese in the early mornings during long cases. She ordered the food and put the phone back on its hook. She caught me staring into nowhere.

"What you thinking about?" she asked, breaking my train of thought.

"Just...about everything," I answered, taking another drink of bourbon. "It seems like only yesterday we were partnered," I reminisced, I remembered one of our first cases how we were so awkward together and how much I thought I didn't need anyone.

About a year after our first case, something happened, we started to see eye to eye. We started working together as a team, she let me do what I needed to do and I let her drive. I even let her throw in her jokes every now and then, some of them; I didn't understand that well but it made the Captain happy. Also that was when we started to open up to one another a little more and learn about each other. I never realized how important she was for me and I noted that she wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Until about five or so years into our partnership the letter came to surface. Although I wasn't all that surprised about it but it made Alex cry in front of courtroom full of people that judged our partnership. I knew she felt guilty about it but I realized now that she thought she would be able to never tell. She never wanted to break the level of trust in our partnership that we had been building for so long.

As I looked into her eyes all I could now was our future, our future that I would have never dreamed about. All I ever thought about her as my partner but I see her differently. Ever since Jo Gage kidnapped her, she became more than a partner, a friend, a muse, a rock for my sanity. I was so frightened she was dead I would lose myself forever in the darkest of Sebastian's mind. I suddenly felt her hand on mine and looked down at our hands. Her tiny hands wrapped around my large heavy hands. I couldn't believe this woman I've known for nine years chose me. I always thought I would be alone with my thoughts for the rest of my life but now I know I won't be alone.

"You know," Alex said, breaking the silence. "I did mean everything when I fired you... you are the best." I smiled at her.

"I meant to kiss you on the lips," I told her. I saw a flash of surprise in her eyes for a moment and a knot of confusion in her brow. I saw a slight pink in her cheeks as she smiled.

"That would have been unprofessional of you if you did," she giggled softly. It was strange to hear her giggle; it sounded so foreign to me, just as saying her first name will be for now.

"How about now?" I asked, smiled shyly. I didn't really know what to expect from that answer but just as I registered her mouth on mine, I responded, almost like it was natural for our mouths to connect. I felt her tongue exploring mine as I explored hers, just as we both got up the door bell rang. We pulled sprang apart like we were teenagers getting caught by our parents. Alex laughed and grabbed her bag from the bench and answered the door.

"Hey Alex. Night off?" I heard the delivery boy ask.

"Something like that," she replied.

"Did I just interrupt something?" he asked, looking over her shoulder as I stepped into the living room.

"Hey, Bobby," he waved at me. I waved back and he gave me a wink. Alex glanced back at me with a suspicious look. I shrugged.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Brett," Alex replied, sarcastically, giving him money and tip. He handed the Chinese to her. Brett grinned at her. "Thank you," she said, closing the door before he could comment anymore. I put my hands up in defence, sometimes her glare were as bad as her words.

"I didn't say anything," I told her. She rolled her eyes and got out our dinner of the dining room table. She handed me a pair of chopsticks and opened our meals. Although we had meals like this before at our desks but now our relationship had changed it felt so normal and like this was the best thing that would ever happen to me since I met Alex.

End of Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for reading. More coming in the future