She looked between Goren and the Captain. "What's going on here?"

"Is now, okay?"

And just like that, the pieces put themselves together. It was staring me in my face. How did I not know sooner? The advanced information and leads and Ross being ahead of them in their investigation. Not that he couldn't figure things out but he wasn't that good. He got too complacent and that should have been her biggest clue. Although, to be fair, it had been gnawing at her that the Captain was keeping secrets, secrets that could spell danger later since they were investigating their own. She just didn't know what he was keeping from her.

Then there was Goren. He was cagey, short and positively avoidant and preoccupied. She had ignored all the signs excusing it as possibly relationship stuff or just depressive behavior of being out of work and everything that led up this moment. Then, there was the moment outside the diner. It just didn't fit. It wasn't like him not to engage her when she was direct with him. Even when they weren't in a relationship, Goren was focused intently in any of their conversations even when they were fighting. Even more so, because he always had to make it right. He hated when she was mad at him.

"You go undercover and you don't tell me!"

"Those were my orders from the top."

"I can't believe this." God help me. I don't even care that the Captain was here. He was going to get a piece of my mind. Although, I sure had a bone or two to pick with the captain. You do not just let your detectives run into an ambush situation or go in without all the information. That was sloppy. That was dangerous. No matter who's orders! He should have known better. What if we had both been gunned down? We must know the whole play and the moving parts especially if one of our own is inside.

I was furious. The whole fucking department could have it at this point. I had enough of the games and the politics and the kissing ass. I've done it all, expertly, I might add and this is how they repay that. Goddamn men and their egos.

"It was a need to know basis. I'm sorry."

"Eames, Melago is in holding down town. You have a history with her. See if she'll deal." The Captain ushered Eames out to talk with Melago in a weak attempt at deescalation. He knew the mess that was created and he knew it would have ramifications with both Eames and Goren's partnership. Trust was the basic foundation of any partnership. However, he was clearly uncomfortable with the incoming fallout of his and Goren's actions. Not to mention they had to clean up this absolute mess of an investigation.

The quicker we can clean it up, the quicker we could all put this behind them and proceed as normal. Goren would be back. His and Eames partnership will bounce back. MCS would run smoothly. He just had to sort a couple things first.

She couldn't move her eyes away from Goren, in shock and utter betrayal, she shook her head in disbelief. I can't fucking believe this!

"Where's Goren?" Her eyes were focused and furrowed searching out her target. She couldn't be dissuaded that easily. She had a lot of anger to unleash. Captain led her to the two-way mirror with Detective Daniels to observe Goren's interrogation of Stoat.

Interrogation

"You shook my hand. You said you had my back. You lied to me!"

"Yeah. I'm a cop. I'm allowed to lie to criminals." He was no longer a fellow pushed out cop who admired him. He was a criminal and now it was time to get a confession and get him to give up his boss. "You cooperate against Testarossa, you're not gonna see a lot of jail time."

"I'm not a rat."

He was so close to his shield he could practically feel in in his hand. Go in for the kill. "He killed innocent people in cold blood."

"C'mon I haven't seen any innocent people in for long time

"But you see him run drugs. You are gonna protect a guy like that."

C'mon Bobby, you gonna do this to one of your own?"

"That's the thing, Mike. I'm nothing like you. Now, what happened to the six ounces of coke that went missing in the Santana deal?"

"You worked Narcotics. What you never paid an informant with drugs to try and land a bigger fish?"

"No. Have you?" He leaned his body into his space and tilted his head to personify his question. He was tired. This thing needed to come to a head.

"C'mon, who killed Wilson crawford?" He sat there on the other side of Stoat trying to approach him softly to open up.

"C'mon a drug dealer. You know in some circles they applaud that! What are you getting for setting me up? You getting your shield back? Is that your thirty pieces of silver, Bobby?"

"What about the Bennetts? Innocent bystanders killed by a gun from NYPD evidence. Would you applaud that too? Are you that far gone?"

Goren exits the interrogation room, exhausted and out of answers of how to get him to crack. He just felt the enormous weight that the undercover operation had put on him and he had so much to make right but he was so tired.

"He's not giving anyone up." Goren volunteered worried that it may impact him from getting his shield felt defeated. Was this all for nothing? He was desperate and eager to please as if it were a means to an end.

Eames took in his pathetic display as he pandered to appease the chief. What the fuck is this? Did he bang his head on the way in? Goren wasn't a policy man. He wasn't a kiss ass. Was he that desperate to get back that he sold his very essence to be a department yes man? Is that the new Goren? 'Cause hell if I am partnering up with that Goren. Hell, regular Goren wasn't looking too well either.

"Whether they cooperate or not, Stoat and Melago are going away. Feds are making this a RICO." This reassured him, for the time being.

Goren and Eames kept making eye contact then looked away. Eames was buzzing with the adrenaline of her anger. She may have been a little adrenaline high from their bust as she hadn't calmed her shaky nerves all the way but when she got wind of what they had been keeping from her, well that ignited it all over again. Her lips were thin. Her arms folded over her body and she couldn't stand the sight of her partner. She was betrayed.

Captain Ross was unable to take a hint at the tension that was palpable in the room. His phone received a phone call from the Chief of D's which gave them a break, and the room to themselves.

Goren stood to the left of the two-way mirror, shameful like a dog that realized he displeased his master, tail between his legs and avoidant eyes. There was the thick smog between him and Eames. He knew there were miles of landmines and no recon of the right path. Either action at this point could blow them both up, professionally and personally.

Eames began to walk out of the room, unable to contain her frustration before Goren stopped her by calling out her name.

"Eames. I'm sorry."

"That's all you have to say to me?" She darted her head forward from her body in a confrontational style. She walked closer to him. "I could have blown your head off back there. Eight years, I've had your back and I don't even get the courtesy of a phone call." As tiny as she was, Eames was a formidable threat when angered. Her Irish blood boiled at his attempt to placate her and move forward as if the ends of his betrayal justified the means to getting his shield back.

"I was trying to protect you."

"Since when?"

"There were rules…"

She shook her head in disbelief and looked down laughing at the ridiculousness of the words that were coming out of his mouth. "Rules. You've got to be kidding me. You managed to get word to the Captain. You contacted the Chief of D's but just not your partner." I should have been your first call. Everyone knew but me.

"This was my only way back. I mean...how else am I gonna get my shield? You're not getting it."

"I get it. I get it." She spat out in a louder tone. "You're the genius and I just carry your water, right?" She never felt so insignificant as she felt in this moment.

He shook his head obviously realizing she was just trying to hurt him and bait him into a bigger argument and that she wasn't going to listen and accept his rationalization.

"You have any idea how many times I lied for you, covered your ass?"

"I was in a deep hole here."

"And who's fault was that? All your wounds are self-inflicted." She shouted at him. She knew he had some personal stuff that absolutely was not his fault but she could not help but cut him with her anger, especially since he seemed to get himself into trouble and expected her to immediately get him out.

He stepped back, turned a quarter of his body as to walk away but instead brought his body back to the same spot. He let out a frustrated breath and shook his head. "I tried not to drag you into this one." He stated while glancing down before bringing his eyes back to hers. landmines. No way out.

"What would you have done…" as the words came out, her armor broke just the tiniest bit showing him the most important reason she was hurting, if only for a flash of a second. Her vulnerability was almost too much to bear and she was damn sure keeping her composure. It brought her back to her anger, "if I hadn't burst through that door." She lowers her voice a bit. "If it wasn't me. You'd be dead" She replied as if the words themselves left a bitter taste in her mouth of a scenario she didn't want to think about. Doesn't he get it?! I would have lost him. I would have lost another person in my life that was important to me and that I let in. I couldn't stomach the idea of him playing fast and loose with his life if I was going to be the one to pick up the pieces after. It would wreck me.

He opened his mouth, then closed it and his eyes for a second contemplating how to respond to what she just said. He held in a breath that started to press against his chest and form a lump in his throat that caused his mouth to dry and become gritty like sandpaper. He hated fighting with her. He let out the breath and looked down. He brought his eyes up slightly shaking his head, "I didn't look for this." Please forgive me. I never intended to hurt you. The words were trapped in his mind knowing the sound could not rectify the pain she was feeling.

"You could have fooled me, Detective. I hope it was worth it." You know damn well you did. This was your golden ticket, consequences and personal relationships be damned. She stared at him while she walked out the door, leaving him to think about what she just told him.

Goren stayed behind uncomfortable. He knew this wasn't the end of it. He only hoped that she would hear him out and understand that it wasn't his intention of hurting her.