Another full night of restless, dream-haunted sleep left him feeling miserable, physically and emotionally. What the hell was he killing himself over? Losing another damn partner? He was used to that. But, no, this partner was more to him than that. This partner was his balance, his anchor, his sanity. This was a partner unlike any he'd had before. This partner completed him. And that was all just on the job. In his personal life, she had become...he had no idea how to classify her. His best friend? That seemed like too little. She was more than that. His body seemed to have a clear picture of what it wanted and he had no clue how to turn the damn thing off. That was more than a little irritating to him.

His thoughts went back to the conversation he'd had with Denise last night. She was going to miss dating him...yet she wasn't breaking anything off. She was accepting something. She was accepting Alex, not as competition but, something...different. He didn't even know how to classify that conversation. I'm glad something kicked you in the ass about her. Kicked him in the ass? How about steamrolled him into the ground and then backed over him? He felt completely floored, and he wasn't sure why. He'd kissed his partner. His adrenaline kicked up several notches, not because he was still freaking out about kissing her, but because he was remembering the kiss. Dear God...Now what?

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It was after lunch and he still wasn't taking her calls. They had a case to solve, and if they went the rest of the weekend without talking, tomorrow was really going to be uncomfortable. She knew him too well. He would be sullen and withdrawn..the very definition of difficult. After Friday night, she simply was not in the mood to be ignored by him. Idiot. They were not going to get much done on the Cressmoor case if he was brooding and distracted. Okay, she was going to give him one more chance to answer the phone and then she was going to go over there and talk to him.

She picked up the phone and dialed his number. When it went to voicemail, she slammed it down and said, "That's it, Goren. You're dead meat."

She took a shower and spent longer than usual trying to decide what to wear. She had to be careful. He was in a tenuous place and she didn't want to send him over the friggin' edge. God, he could be so much work sometimes. Sighing, she calmed herself down. Yes, he could be a lot of work, but in the end...well, he was well worth all the effort. There weren't many men around like him. Thank God. Half-genius, half-blithering idiot. Who'da thunk it?

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He got out of the shower and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Picking up his phone, he closed his eyes. Another missed call. Pressing the button to see who it was, he wasn't surprised she'd tried to call him again. Was he ready to talk to her yet? He was on the fence about that now. He was getting to the point where he wanted to talk to her, but he couldn't get past being afraid to talk to her. His dreams of losing her because of that kiss were still too vivid. But..she hadn't belted him. And she hadn't been the one to step away. No. He was the one who initiated the kiss and then freaked out about it. He really had no idea how she felt...well, wait...that wasn't entirely true. She'd seemed...receptive. More than receptive. She...he sighed again and closed his eyes. He really had to stop doing this to himself.

Leaning over, he picked up the phone and almost dialed. Then he changed his mind. What was he going to say? If he apologized and she didn't want an apology, he was going to be in even more trouble. If he didn't apologize and she wanted one, well, he'd probably get his ass kicked. Was this enough to send her packing? He was beginning to wonder. Maybe not. After all, she did keep trying to call him. He couldn't see her calling him to ream him about kissing her. She wouldn't walk away over the phone. No, she'd take care of all that with Deakins. And he was now having trouble seeing her do that. Now all he was seeing was her face, in the subdued light of the rooftop. Shit.

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She stopped outside his apartment door. Was she really doing this for the case? Hell, no. She knew her partner. She was doing this for him. If she waited until tomorrow...who knew what condition he'd be in with this unresolved issue hanging between them. Her mind went over a call she'd received just before she left her place, and she shook her head. Idiot, she muttered under her breath. What the hell was she going to do with him? Only one option came to mind. The only viable option she had when it came to him. She was going to love him. She simply had no choice in the matter. Shaking her head again, she knocked on the door.