They made their way across the parking lot of Lanewood Elementary. It was recess. The air was a cacophony. Screams and laughter and the discordant squeak and squawk of metal swing sets and merry go rounds met their ears. Alex looked out over the grassy yard at the little bodies in colourful coats and rubber boots. To be young she thought. No idea about the realities of life. No concept of the kind of sick and entitled people that she met everyday. Maybe she and Bobby were making a difference. She really hoped they were. The young voices at play floated, following them out over the sea of cars until they clambered into the SUV and slammed the doors with a loud solid thunk. It cut the joyful sounds so abruptly that to Alex it felt as though someone had clapped hands over her ears. And it was just her and Bobby inside their little cabin of solace, the Ford Explorer was a world of their own.

"As motives go losing a municipal election isn't exactly sexy." She turned to face him before leaving the lot, her knee resting behind the gear shift. He mirrored her minus the leg. It was impression time.

"No and I can't really see a trustee breaking out a hunting knife and taking down the local kindergarten teacher. What do you think? A grudge?"

She shook her head. They both knew people had comfort zones even in murder. It was doubtful that a Haverford resident had perpetrated this crime. Not impossible, but doubtful. "Everyone seems so squeaky clean and earnest." she said with disgust. And he laughed.

"You've been on the job too long."

"Tell me about it." The job was in her pores now, under her fingernails, she could practically taste the job, it was a bit bitter.

"It'll be worthwhile to go to the Yoga studio. It seems like it was one of the pillars of her life. I'll bet it's a petrie dish of bodily fluids and intrigue. Maybe we'll find that affair we've been after." his lips quirked.

Eames nodded. An affair would push this along, sure, but affairs were also complicated. "Careful what you wish for."

"Yeah and I'm starting to like this vic."

"Really, why?"

"I don't know, maybe because she works with kids, advocates for them." he thought of his own messy childhood. He could have used a champion. "But she likes yoga so we're about to see her flakey side." He reached behind and pulled the seatbelt across his chest and secured it with a sharp hard click.

"I like yoga." Alex said softly.

"You?" he was surprised, really surprised. His head went back, his eyebrows went up at least half an inch.

"Yeah, hot yoga, for 6 months now. My sister got me on the bandwagon. I go with her and sweat my guts out once a week."

"Sweat." he repeated.

"Drenched." She nodded, then decided to add "That's the point. Being nearly naked in intense temperatures." His look was priceless. And she was enjoying this innuendo so much. "The sweating and stretching detoxifies. Bet you didn't know your partner was so trendy did you?" she said delight in her eyes.

But he was fixated on the word naked. Naked ... Eames. He drew in a sharp breath at the thought "I can't see it, you and yoga."he said at last rubbing his palms across the navy blue fabric of his trousers, his warm eyes probed hers. She saw amusement there, and she was right, he was happy with this small insight into her private life.

Bobby knew his partner was a bit of a fit freak. She liked her sugary treats, but he also knew she went to the City gym three or four times a week, she also ran on her off days. Her popping biceps had drawn his eye more then once, so he deduced that she liked weights and strength training. That fit his image of her. Eames pressing iron. Eames pushing the limits, adding an extra ten plate to her free weights. And he also knew that last year during their time away from the force she'd been training for a half marathon. Eames in sweats pounding the pavement. Eames dodging and zipping around pedestrians on a busy New York street. But yoga? He figured she would have opinions about yoga 'types'. It seemed like such trendy hobby. Not to mention gentle and introspective. Not that Eames wasn't introspective or gentle. But she was all about the job, being pumped, being strong, being sharp, being respected and up to the task. Knowing that he couldn't completely read her, knowing she had secrets, knowing that she could meditate and move with slow soft steadiness, knowing he couldn't predict her behaviour after all this time filled him with something. Hope. Strange, but it filled him with hope.

"Well believe it buddy." she kidded him "I'm very flexible." Whoa TMI Alex.

"I'll bet." he said and she wished she could liquify and drain out of the car, what he must be thinking. Instead of giving in to the desire to bury her face in her hands, she pushed past that bizarre note. "It's one of the 5 principles of physical fitness." she gripped and squeezed her own shin as she spoke.

"What?"

"Flexibility. I've been working out for most of my life and never gave it much time in my routine until now."

"Something in common with our vic." he mused "Maybe we'll get something at..." he flipped through his notes "Namaste Yoga." She turned and engaged the engine and he reached out to program the GPS.

"Maybe."

Before putting the car in gear she glanced at him once more, he was still looking at her with some new emotion. She gave him a small smile, something she rarely did without irony. And he smiled back warmly. In the spirit of this new friendship she reached a single finger out and impetuously dabbed at his cheek.

"Eyelash." she murmured. It was simple contact. But something exciting happened in that moment.

Her voice faltered "M-make a wish." she held out her finger.

"Sure." he closed his eyes and tilted his head back then leaned in and on a puff sent the lash sailing away. She felt his warm gusty breath on her lips and chin. Suddenly he seemed very very close. She turned quickly and slid the car into drive.

She'd touched him. She felt a zing.

She never did that.

Well, at least not when you aren't being fired or quitting, respectively.

And she certainly never touched his face. But today felt different. Today it felt like he'd wanted her to. And today she had wanted to. She gripped the wheel tightly steering the car out and onto Mulberry Lane.