Chapter 11

The moment of release sent him hurtling into oblivion. They were one. The strongest desire of his entire life, granted. He lay back, eyes closed, unable to speak.

Speech was unnecessary. Their natural telepathy had just been catapulted to the next level. She lay on his chest, quietly panting, silently praying along with him that this moment would never end.

He held on as long as he could, but his body silently retracted itself, and both he and Alex felt an immense sense of loss when their union was severed. He compensated by drawing his arms tighter around her.

He fell asleep.

Alex had a hell of a time waking him up in the morning. Bobby, exhausted from his long work hours, relaxed by sexual climax, and tranquil from being at her side, was out like a light.

She showered, made coffee, and breakfast, trying sporadically between to get him to stir. At last, she crawled on the bed on her hands and knees and gently pressed her lips to the nape of his neck.

He stretched and sighed, and she did it again. Bobby turned over, and she savored his smile.

"You're going to be late for work," she said.

His smile faded. He groaned and forced himself to open his eyes. "What time is it?" He asked.

"Eight a.m."

Another groan, and she silenced him by kissing his lips. He opened his eyes wide and looked her over. Although she was dressed, he realized he was naked, and last night was no dream.

Bobby sat up. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Last night," he started.

"Last night was incredible." Alex still felt she was linked with him. She touched the pads of her fingers against his. They both stared at their hands, until she finally said. "I have to go. I'll meet you there, later?"

He kissed her hungrily, and she finally pulled away and hurried out the door. Bobby flopped back against the pillow, misjudged the distance, and cracked his head against the headboard.

"Ow!" He cried, and rubbed his hand against the knot as he forced himself to get up.

Everyone knows you should never compare lovers. It's not polite, and God forbid a previous one was better than the current one, you could end a relationship before it even started. But Alex found herself thinking about the previous night, and thinking about nights with Joe, and a handful of others she'd made love to in her life. Mostly she thought of Bobby, and she thought of Joe. Because of all her lovers, they were the only ones she could honestly say she truly loved.

What had transpired last night with Bobby had been different than anything she'd ever experienced with Joe. While her guilty mind wanted to say it wasn't "better" than sex with Joe, in a way, it was. It was real, and it was now, and that in itself made it better.

It wasn't just sex. What had happened with Bobby was metaphysical. She thought of that old Leonard Cohen song: "… I remember when I moved in you, the holy dove was moving too, and every breath we drew was Hallelujah…"

Yeah. That was what last night was. A Hallelujah.

Once she got to work, Alex grabbed a cup of coffee and switched on the computer. She checked her phone messages while it was starting up, and then she opened her email.

There was one there from Captain Wells. With a knot in her stomach, she clicked it open.

TO: AEames MCS. NYPD .NET

FROM: MWELLS VCS. NYPD .NET

Eames, I don't know if you were aware, but I just found out. Giordano was paroled 10-18-2011. I hope you already heard about this, but I thought I should send the word just in case you haven't. Take care, Eames.

Cap

Suddenly, Alex Eames felt a migraine coming on. She started to take a sip of coffee, but instead decided to hold the cup against her forehead.

She was still sitting like that when Captain Hannah walked by. "You all right, Eames?" He asked.

She removed the cup and rubbed at the red spot left behind on her forehead. "Uh, yeah, Captain. Thank you."

"Where's Goren?"

"He's on his way," she said.

"Come see me when he gets in. I want an update."

"Yes, sir."

It took another day of working separately, but by 5:00, Alex and Bobby were able to come together with some real information to share about the case. They holed up in the interview room, surrounded by the photos from the investigation.

Bobby sat across from her, smiling, until something in that telepathic connection zapped in a message that something was wrong. "What is it, Alex?" He asked.

She stared into his rich brown eyes and said quietly. "Giordano. The man who… raped me. He's free." She realized as soon as she said it that he already knew.

"Probation," Bobby nodded.

Anger flared up inside her. "You KNEW?"

"I only just found out."

She folded her arms, scowling at him.

"Yesterday," he added, as if that could possibly make anything better.

"You WHAT?"

Bobby's hand went straight to the knot on his head. He heard the anger, the yelling, but only registered a handful of the words. "something in confidence," " investigate me," and "last night?!"

He snapped to attention at those words, and suddenly he was filled with a fury of his own. "Last night has nothing to do with it!"

She tightened her grip on her own arms and stammered, "How can I possibly know that?!"

He smeared his hand angrily through his curls, making a section stand on end. "You… You believe what you want, then!" He paced to the door and back, twice. "I love you." His voice was stern, angry. He walked out, closing the door a little too hard behind him.

No one in the office knew why they'd argued, but everyone could read Goren and Eames' body language. There was no mistaking that the star detective team had just had a falling out.

A/N The song "Hallelujah" has been covered by almost everyone, and the verse I quoted is the verse most likely to be deleted when someone covers the song. Look up the original or find the entire lyrics and read them. It's amazing poetry.