Hey guys, it's me, just thought I would throw some things out there:

#1- I kept reading and although cannon never gave me a name for the nephew, I am following what I've seen most often; Nathan will be his name for this bit.

#2- thank you for reviewing! It's your excitement for the story that keeps me going strong : )

Bobby sat in his room at 6:20 pm on a Friday night in boxers and a t-shirt, his head in his hands. He had only twenty-five minutes before Eames would pick him up to head to her sister's place. Frankly, he was petrified of small children, her father, John Eames, and the likelihood that he would embarrass himself silly.

I'm doing it for Eam- I mean Alex. I am doing this for my partner.

He began to get dressed. Normally on a Friday night they would be buried in paperwork unless Ross took pity on them; however, tonight Alex had insisted that she be given an early out. The captain decided to let Goren off the leash as well, knowing he would get nothing done without her.

Moving to his mirror, Bobby took a moment to inspect: his black jeans and blue short sleeve button down shirt were immaculate, if more informal than his typical suit and signature tie clip.

I hope that this goes…decently.

He was left with no more time to muse as the doorbell rang. He went downstairs and opened the door to see his partner turn around and greet him, eyes smiling.

"Wow, Eames," said Bobby, "you're, um…you should wear skirts more often."

She was dressed appropriately for the early June heat, however it was so untypical for Alex to be wearing a dress of her own volition that he could hardly believe it was his Eames. He thought the simple floral pattern of fusha and lilac along the skirt and bodice secured by spaghetti straps that held together the v-neck frock suited her in more ways than one.

"What are you saying, Goren, that I don't look feminine enough for you?" Alex grinned as he turned bright red. "Do you forget that you're working next to a woman?" He grew a few more shades purple as she began to laugh. "It's okay, I'll let you off the hook this time."

She looked around on the doorstep for a few seconds before he remembered himself. "Oh, come in! I just need to get my coat and we can go."

"Do I get to drive?" Alex asked, and Bobby sensed a trick. He turned from the downstairs closet with a light jacket tucked under his arm and his shields up.

"Don't you always?"

"Well should I? I mean, the way I'm dressed, people might assume I wear the pants in this partnership…oh wait, I'm not wearing pants, am I?"

Bobby chuckled, glad that his partner's spunky edge was back. "Only you Eames, only you."

…..

Half an hour and many witty comebacks later, Goren and Eames found themselves surrounded by a large group of small children. The irony was not lost on Bobby, who wondered if height had anything to do with energy, as all these tiny tikes combined had more than his over six foot frame. He stood in the background, his glass filled with white wine as all of the birthday boy's friends ran around in circles after the clown he had earlier been introduced to as Ben, Nathan's father.

"So, you're my sister-in-law's partner? I remember seeing you at the hospital when my son popped out."

"Yeah, I'm Eam- I mean, I'm Al-"

"Nice to meet you! I'd stay to chat longer but I have to go blow up some balloons," Ben said, winking. "Kids, you know, they're insatiable!"

And with that he had rushed off to another part of the backyard to fiddle with a helium canister.

The truth was that Bobby didn't know much about kids. He never had many of them around during his own childhood, and the few friends that he did manage to keep stayed clear of Frances Goren. He knew it wasn't right to speak ill of the dead, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering through the "what if's" of his youth. "What if" he had a stable father, "what if" he had a reasonably sane mother, "what if" his brother wasn't a druggie and a gambler and a good for nothing dad…his brother…that night…

"Hey partner, why so sad?"

He turned to see his growing focus staring up at him with a plate in her hand with a slice of cake. She handed it to him and then turned to watch the mayhem as kid after kid scrambled for a balloon.

"What do you mean?"

"Most adults don't hide out behind an arts and crafts table at a birthday party," she replied.

"I'm not-"

"They hide next to the alcohol."

Bobby couldn't see her smile but he heard the laughter in her voice. His partner always knew the right words to say to snap him out of a mood, even ones about her. He felt the urge to put a hand on her shoulder but decided not to as her father came his way.

"Robert Goren, what a surprise!"

Oh fuck.

"I was wondering if we'd ever see you again!" he said as he rumbled over and reached his hand out to grab Bobby's and give it a firm shake. "How have you been?"

"Well," he said, looking over at Alex nervously.

"My daughter said you went on a vacation for a few months, traveling through Europe. You're lucky Ross let you off, I'd be sad to let my daughter's partner go!"

Thank you, he thought silently, glad that his partner had kept things discrete.

"Yeah, it was amazing," he said. "I'm just glad to be back, though…I missed being a cop."

"I'll bet, a mind like yours! Look, I was wondering…some of the guys decided instead of going to a Yankee's game we were gonna play this chess tournament. Could you give me a hand later tonight? They're betting an entire case of- oh, hi Anna!"

And just like that, Johnny Eames left to greet his wife. Alex looked back up at Bobby, who finally exhaled, sighing a deep breath of relief. The look that was washing off of his face made her break down in laughter.

"What's so funny?" Bobby asked when he saw his partner falling into a fit of hysterics.

"Nothing! Abso-lute-ly no-thing!" She almost fell to the ground, her arms wrapped securely around her sides for fear they would cave in.

"Jesus, I never thought you found your dad that amusing…"

"Actually," she said, straightening up with a mile wide grin, "it was one hundred percent you." She looked down to see that she was yet again in the company of another visitor.

"Hey Nate, how's it going?" She asked as she bent down and rubbed his head.

He looked up with a hand rubbing one eye while a telltale light blue iris peeked out of another. "Who is he?" Nathan asked, pointing bleary eyed at Bobby.

"Oh him?" She motioned, raising her hand to rest on her nervous partner's shoulder. "This is Bobby, he's my friend."

"Oh." The five year old turned his head away shyly.

"You may not remember him, but he remembers you. Bobby saw you in the hospital when you were as big as his hand."

Nate's focus snapped back on the man before him. "Really?" he asked.

"Really really," said Alex.

Nathan stepped up to the man who was at least three feet taller than him bashfully and said, "Hi Bobby."

Robert Goren, equally as nervous, bent down and took Nathan's hand, giving it a light shake. "Hi Nate, nice to see you again."

…..

Goren and Eames walked out of the house to the street where the car was waiting. They were laughing and smiling over Nathan's delight in Bobby's balloon animal skills.

"How did you learn how to do that?"

"In high school when I played basketball we'd have fundraisers to pay for equipment; I think you can guess who played the clown."

They reached the car and Alex began digging through her purse to find her keys. While examining the depths of her bag she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

"I really did enjoy that," she heard her partner's voice say. "Thank you for inviting me."

She turned to face him, keys in hand. "I didn't want to go alone." She turned back around and stepped a foot towards the driver's side door.

"Besides, I missed you."

That phrase and her step were all it took.

She felt firm hands grip her sides then wrap around her waist, and before she had a chance to protest, his lips were by her ear. "How much did you miss me?" she heard him say as his breath tingled at her cartalage.

"Bobby, I…" she said breathlessly.

He kissed her neck first, snaking his movements down her spine and over the round of her shoulder to her collarbone, then towards her throat. His hands roamed around her waist and under the bump of her breast. His breath left her skin flushed from heat.

She had lost all rememberance of place, time, and space as soon as he began touching her, and subconsciously leaned into his embrace. The feeling he left upon her body was so gentle and studious, as if he had watched her a thousand times to place everything just right…

…and he had.

Bobby was enjoying feeling and touching her everywhere that the low neck of the dress would allow and the bodice would support. He wanted to stroke every possible part of her body while making her feel important, feel lo-

Just take Eames to a motel and get it out of your system!

And once again, Bobby pulled away.

"We should get going," Eames heard as withdrawal from her partner's touch set in.

"Um…"

What the hell? What are you doing to me Bobby?

"Okay."

She got in the car and quietly dropped him off before heading home to take a confused and cold shower.