Chapter 3~Feeling the Heat

New York City

Lotus' Tea Shop, China Town

Monday, August 8

7:45 pm

.:(0):.

Alex pulled her coat closer around her body, wishing that she could turn the damn seat warmers on but the stakeout was already a go. The car was surrounded by darkness, parked in the only dark corner in practically all of China Town. But they did have a perfect view of the tea shop through its front windows.

"Wish we could have gotten some tea or something warm," Bobby grumbled, his hands in his pockets and a scarf around his neck. Alex had laughed about that. He never wore a scarf—he could hardly stand ties—yet he wore a large grey one that she had gotten him for an especially cold stakeout a while back that happened to fall on his birthday. She couldn't convince the idiot to take the day off, not during a case. And certainly not when the only person he would truly want to spend the special day with was at work sitting all alone in a car, or even worse with another man as a temporary partner.

"Mmm...hot chocolate...or a coffee with lots of sugar and cream..." Alex let out a groan as she thought about the hot drinks that she was currently being deprived of. Bobby looked over at his partner with a teasing glare, the glint in his eyes tattling on him.

"Not helping, Eames," he said, shaking his head.

"I wish there was a way to warm the car more," she grouched, although a smile slipped onto her beautiful face as she met his dark eyes. Bobby smirked a smug little smile at his partner.

"Well...there is one way," he said, wagging his brows. Alex's brows raised a bit, but then she burst out laughing. What Bobby didn't realize is that she was actually considering jumping him right then and there after his suggestion, but what she didn't realize was that Bobby actually meant what he had said.

"Do you want my scarf though?" he asked a little more seriously.

"No, you wear it...it looks good on you," Alex answered softly, looking down in slight embarrassment. Shyly, and highly unlike herself, she added,"Better than good, actually."

Bobby smiled at her compliment, and he adored the look of shy embarrassment she offered him. She looked so cute...and at the same time unbelievably sexy. However, Bobby realized that she looked extremely attractive all of the time.

Hesitantly, and with the nerves of a schoolboy, Bobby reached a hand out and rested it on her knee. She didn't flinch at all when he touched her, and a warm feeling swelled in his stomach.

He could cover the entire span of her leg with his palm, he made the odd observation with a small smile.

Looking up into her eyes, he saw a warm sweet smile that sent a shock of heat throughout his body. The car didn't seem so cold any longer.

He loved that smile, and those eyes...and this woman. He had for a long time now, and for the first time he was starting to believe she had reserved feelings for him as well.

"You know what?" she suddenly said, not breaking eye contact. A crooked smile appeared on Bobby's face.

"What?"

"After this case, we are taking a few days off. Both of us," she declared, covering his large warm hand with her small one. "We can get together, and spend quality time with each other..."she said slowly, watching as a look clouded Bobby's eyes. She watched the intensity grow inside of the dark pools of chocolate. It made her voice quieter and softer. "...get to know each other even better..."

Bobby wanted to kiss her right then and there, not only that but he wanted to touch her and show her how he felt. He didn't want to scare her away with his intensity though, so he softened his look with a loving smile that touched Alex's heart and affected her in a way that he was very familiar with. He couldn't find his voice at the moment so he nodded his agreement to her declaration.

Without much thought, Bobby began to gently caress Alex's leg with his thumb, creating small circles. Alex sighed softly at the sensation that flowed through from his circles of caresses. Her body relaxed completely beneath the ministrations of his careful, loving hands.

Alex sighed inwardly. How she wanted more of his touch...

Bobby suddenly felt Alex's leg move, turning outward and allowing his hand to caress the inside of her thigh. He was surprised. Not because she had done that, but because he had been expecting her to do that. He had known somehow...what had happened to the nervous, self-conscious Bobby?

Slowly, Bobby's circles got larger in diameter and more pressure was applied. He heard the sigh that left Alex's lips, and a feeling of pride and love overcame him.

Suddenly Alex gasped, and her muscles became tense.

"Bobby!" she said on a gasp, sitting up straight and looking at the tea shop. All he could think about was the way his name sounded when spoken by her so breathlessly. It took him a moment to regain his ability to think properly, and when he was able to he looked to the shop. Lee was gone from his seat in the window.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, shoving the car door open and taking his gun from its holster. Alex followed, jogging slightly from her side of the car and around the front to stand by him.

"He just barely went up the stairs. When I glanced over there, he was at the bottom," Alex explained. Bobby nodded, leading the way across the street with his gun draw and ready. A window breaking from the floor above them urged them to go even faster, bursting into the shop and booking it up the stairs, ignoring the shouts and screams from civilians at the sight of guns.

"Everyone out," Eames ordered before racing after Bobby up the full set of stairs. Punches colliding with bodies could be heard from around the corner, and then suddenly a chair or a table sounded against the wall, splintering.

Bobby looked down at his small partner, feeling a wave of protectiveness overcome him. He mentally kicked himself. This was their job, everyday they were in danger and Eames could take care of herself.

With merely a fleeting look at each other, they rounded the corner with their guns drawn. Alex quickly pulled her backup from her slacks and tossed it to Lee, whom had been let go in the mobsters' surprise.

The Chinese detective quickly trained his gun on the man nearest him.

"Cheese!" he said, mixing his Chinese tongue with English. Everyone's eyes turned to him. Goren didn't react, he was too focused on the mobsters. But Eames raised a brow at this. It seemed nobody knew what to think.

Had the circumstances been different, Alex knew she would have burst out laughing.

"I mean freeze!" Lee amended, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Drop your weapons and get on your knees," Alex ordered, quickly slipping into her bad cop routine. The one that nearly always managed to turn Bobby on.

There were five mobsters, and three cops. They were outnumbered, but two of the five didn't have their guns on them.

"Now!" Bobby shouted loudly, stepping one step closer.

Only a trained eye could have spotted and recognized the glint of a scope and the nose of the barrel of a sniper. Bobby acted quickly, taking a shot at the building across the street through the open window that let in the sounds of bustling China Town.

Immediately after, he dropped just in time to dodge the bullet of the Chinese man with his gun trained on the big detective. Alex shot the man that attempted to shoot her partner, and Lee shot the man zoned on her.

A gunfight broke out, Bobby shooting the last gunman in the arm before he was grabbed by one of the remaining men. He punched one in the gut, but the other tackled him back to the ground.

Seeing her partner in trouble, Alex shot one in the leg that weaved a knife and had a bloody lip and she kicked the other off of Bobby. Bobby quickly got up, facing Alex who had her back to the doorway covered in flowing red curtains. From behind the curtains he saw the silhouettes of five more men. Quickly, he pushed Eames backwards towards the side of the doorway while he hid behind the other side against the wall.

As the first two men entered, Lee took them out with his martial art techniques and Bobby and Alex knocked the next two out. But the last one rushed in with two guns and an arrogant look on his face.

"Juntoa," Lee sneered, wiping the sweat from his face.

Juntoa was a small man, about 5'4, and he didn't have the natural black hair of a Chinese man. It was dyed bleach blonde and buzzed short, a tattoo covering his neck in the shape of a dragon.

His right eye had a pale white scar starting from his brow and ending at his cheek bone.

"Lee, it seems you keep finding me..." he laughed, waving his guns at him and the two Americans.

"This time you won't get away," Lee spat, his hands up for combat.

"Put your guns down," Alex finally spoke, drawing Juntoa's gun towards her. Bobby felt a slight panic rise inside of him and stepped forward.

"Stay there, big man, or I'll shoot your partner," Juntoa said, distractedly looking at a scuff in his nice leather boots. "Let me make this clear quickly...a bomb is ticking in the oven downstairs with enough powder to take out the building and everyone in it. If either one if you attempts to follow me, no one gets out alive. You get me?"

Reluctantly everyone in the room nodded, but they didn't lower their guns.

"Juntoa, the FBI is waiting just down the street," Alex suddenly said, reaching for the radio in her pocket.

"Don't..." Juntoa said, smirking wryly at her,"say anything that will get anyone killed."

Bobby glanced at Alex. Juntoa had a remote to the bomb, he could set it off whenever he liked. They weren't going to get out of this alive.

"Good bye, detectives," Juntoa smiled wryly, backing out the door and through the curtains before disappearing out a window onto the roof of the building next to him.

"Eames, get out! Get out now!" Bobby urged, shoving her towards the stairs. Lee was right behind them as they took the stairs two by two, quite a feat for little Alex. They ran as quickly as they could down the stairs, relieved to see the customers had evacuated the building. Voices could be heard in the kitchen, however, and Alex veered to the right and burst into the food preparation room.

"Eames!" Bobby yelled, but he followed her without hesitation.

Multiple Chinese young women stood with round, pretty, but very surprised pale faces.

"Bomb! Everyone out. Now!" Alex ordered firmly, herding the young women towards the kitchen exit into the dark alley. Bobby heard the first sign of the bomb, it had been activated. With more force now, he pushed the women, including Alex, out the door.

The young women ran down the alley, tears streaming down their faces and sobs escaping their mouths.

Alex wanted to make sure every one of the girls were out as the chefs followed Lee, but Bobby pushed her away from the door, urging her to run. Seeing the wild look in his eyes, she complied and they had barely taken three steps before a wave of heat hit them and a sound flung them to the ground as the air went up in flames.

Bobby quickly pulled Alex to him, covering her with as much of his body as he could without smashing her.

"Eames?" he asked, and he looked down to see her eyes closed and a small cut running down her temple. "Eames?!"

"Detective Eames?" A voice scratched across the radio holstered to Alex's hip. "Detective Eames, what the hell is happening? Detective Eames!"

Bobby fumbled with the clip on Eames' pants, but he finally got it off and put it to his mouth.

"Agent Corey, this is Detective Goren. We need a bus down here now," he said looking around, a few of the girls and chefs had minor burns and scratches, but his partner he was most worried about. A few seconds went by before an answer came across.

"Detective, the medics are on their way. What the hell happened?" Corey yelled into the radio.

"He planted a bomb—Eames!" Bobby stopped as his partner stirred, eyes flashing open. Quickly she sat up, her hand against Bobby's chest, and she looked at the fire then to his eyes.

"Oh my God, Bobby. Are you ok?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes fluttering slightly as a headache began.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bobby answered, nodding vigorously. He cupped her cheek with his warm hand, stroking the side of her head. "What about you?"

Alex leaned into his touch, a smile surfacing on her face.

"I'm fine, just got a small headache."

The sirens first alerted them of the medics' arrival. Refocusing on the job at hand, Bobby stood up and took Eames' hand to help her up. At first, she was dizzy and leaned heavily on him.

"Eames—"

"I'm fine, I just got up too fast after that," she said, waving it off as she regained her balance and supported herself on her own two feet. Suddenly, and with much protest from Alex, an MT rushed her to a bus.

Lee approached the large detective cautiously.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his head down. "No one should have gotten hurt."

"No one was killed, that's what matters...and the money wasn't in the bag we sent you in with. That was the FBI's doing, but now..." Bobby stopped, not quite sure why it was so easy for him to share his hunches with this man. Maybe it was because Lee was also an outsider, a misfit, in most people's eyes.

"Now what?" Lee asked, valuing Bobby's opinion.

"More will be demanded..."

"Han will pay anything for his little girl. He wants her back, and so do I...I am her mentor, and I love her like a niece..." Lee said somberly.

Bobby nodded, his hands and his pockets and his eyes glazed over as he stared at nothing.

The next hour, the medics attended to and dressed the victims of the explosion. And when Ross pulled up in his black SUV, Bobby could tell a storm was brewing. A glance at Lee told him that he was thinking the same thing.

.:(0):.

New York City

One Police Plaza

Tuesday, August 9

9:00 am

Alex exited the elevator on the 11th floor, carrying her black overcoat over her arm. She was feeling much better after a good night's sleep and a refreshening shower.

Alex always strived to look good, even while having to follow a practically male dress code for a typically male job. However, after yesterday's events she found herself trying even harder to dress nice for a certain someone.

Last night she had escaped the events without a concussion and merely a tiny scratch easily concealed by makeup. The worst injury was the bruise on the back of her head, which was slightly tender.

She was cleared to work by the MTs and she had a familiar yearning for her partner to be near her, putting an urgency in her step.

Bobby heard the staccato rhythm of heels entering the squad room, and he immediately looked up. His gaze met a beautiful sight, and he smiled at the familiar beauty he had become accustomed to seeing.

Alex's hair was tucked behind her right ear, a diamond stud twinkling at him. She wore a navy blue blouse with the top three buttons undone. Bobby tried not to stare at the valley between her perfect breasts. Quickly, he moved onto the next piece of clothing to inspect. Her grey slacks fit tightly around her behind, as always and he had been noticing this for years. Her perfectly shaped, toned legs were defined and her curves were inviting his touch. She was raised a couple inches by grey high heels. He never knew why she wore those uncomfortable things, but damn was she graceful in those. She could chase a suspect in them if she had to and still outrun Bobby.

"Bobby," she smiled, putting her coat on the back of her chair. She then noticed the delicious aroma of coffee and pastries, and her stomach rumbled softly. Sitting down in her chair, she smiled graciously at her handsome partner in his dark grey suit. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Bobby answered, a genuine smile on his lips, which wasn't easy considering the Captain had yet to lecture the two of them. Alex had barely taken a bite from her strawberry pastry when the Captain's office door swung open, and Agent Corey stepped out. The man nodded at Ross before leaving in a huff.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she asked in a low voice, ducking her head in a conspiring way.

"He's been here since I came in. I'm sure he is complaining about us," he answered, shaking his head. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Great..."

"Eames, you and your partner in my office now!" came a loud voice.

Simultaneously, Goren and Eames stood from their desks and walked towards the Captain's office with confidence.

As the last one entered the room, Ross closed his door and stalked around his desk.

"Well, FBI is trying to pin this on us. You two are damn good detectives, and it most definitely was not you guys. However, an agreement was made that you two are valuable to this case and finding the girl. In order to appease the Feds' spoiled superiors, Inspector Lee Ping will be going back to Hong Kong. Your two, however will treat this as your top priority. Am I understood?" Ross asked, his hands on his hips.

"Yes, sir," Eames answered. "We both do."

"Good. You two are good to go, but if another explosion occurs I won't be able to deal with Moran," Ross said, waving them away. Without another word, the two detectives left the office.

"What the hell do we do next?" Alex asked, her arms swinging angrily at her sides and she strutted back to their desks. Bobby lagged behind just to enjoy the scenery.

"We continue our investigation, but we won't be able to get close to the Consul. Not without Lee, and we also will need Lee to translate. We need him, Eames," Goren sighed, straightening his tie before he grabbed his coat and began towards the elevators.

Alex looked up in confusion, her eye brows knitted together.

"Bobby?" she asked, but didn't receive an answer. Watching him walk to the elevators, Alex contemplated what he was doing. With a sigh, she realized what he was doing. Snatching her coat off the back of her chair, Alex chased after her partner.

"Which flight?" she asked, watching as Bobby checked his phone. He had called in a favor.

"431, Gate E. Leaves at 10:30," he answered, tapping his foot as the elevator descended to the parking garage.

"Let's hurry then."

A/N Pretty happy about this chapter, and I hoped it pleased you guys. Thanks for the reviews so far, they make my day and make me want to write even more. Keep giving me your input! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!