The Temptation Of Goren: Part Two.

(You know the drill. I don't own anyone but Maria and I ain't making money out of this. Wish I was, though.)

The following day, however, proved difficult for Goren. Rather than his usual neat and precise behaviour, Goren found himself being rather clumsy and leaving things unorganised. He was shocked at himself. Even Eames, the one person who knew him the best, noticed.

'That's the third time in so many hours, Goren. What the hell is going on?' Eames demanded as Goren crashed into the side of his desk. He dropped the folders he was carrying on his desk and groaned.

'I don't know. I'm just not myself today,' he mumbled. Eames screwed her mouth up in disbelief, but said nothing. Knowing her partner would tell her when he was ready was enough.

'Maria didn't come home last night,' she said indifferently, waiting for a response from the flustered detective. Goren, who knew she was baiting him, didn't bat an eyelid.

'Oh no?'

'No, she didn't. She was coming home just as I left for work this morning. Said that she had met someone and things had been a little exciting.'

Goren laughed bitterly to himself. Yeah, things had been exciting. Up to the point when he had realised he was sleeping with a woman half his age. But unfortunately for him, she wouldn't leave his head. It was the reason for his clumsiness that morning; he had been having flash-backs to his night alone with Maria. Goren looked at Eames, who was patiently waiting for a response. He shrugged.

'I'm not sure where she was. We went for Chinese after work, that's all I can tell you,' Goren lied smoothly. Eames nodded, a disbelieving look in her eyes and returned to her computer. Goren sighed. It was true that they had gone to get Chinese, but he really didn't want to tell Eames that he had slept with her niece. As for not knowing where she was, well, he knew physically where she was, but not mentally. Groaning, Bobby realised that he was just lying to himself and to his partner. He looked at Eames who, realising he was watching her, looked up and smiled. Goren admitted to himself that he really couldn't keep the truth from her. He leant across the desk.

'Eames, I lied.'

'I know you did. You're a terrible liar.'

'I am not!'

'You are with me. I know you can't keep anything from me.'

'Damn.'

'You going to tell me what you lied about?'

'I know where Maria was last night.'

'So do I,' Eames said bluntly. Goren cringed.

'She was at my place. She spent the night with me.'

'Did you sleep with her?' Eames said, looking back at her computer screen. Goren swallowed. He hated telling people about his private life.

'If you must know, yes I did,' Goren said quietly, waiting for Eames to explode with rage. Instead, she calmly looked up at him with a disappointed look on her face.

'I'll only say this once, Bobby. You had better treat her right. She's nearly half your age, very impressionable and definitely stubborn. If you hurt her, you had better watch your back,' Eames said seriously. Goren looked at her in shock.

'That's it? No "I'm going to flay you within an inch of your life"? My God, you are a real surprise Eames,' he said softly. Eames shrugged.

'But I can't see her again…' Goren began. Unfortunately, Junior Detective Maria Eames had just entered the office.

Goren looked horrified as Maria's face bent into an expression of hurt and shame. With a cry, she ran from the office, attracting the attention of the twenty-odd people who were on the floor. Goren vaulted over his desk and chased after her, calling her name. Losing her in a crowd, Goren leant back against the east wall of 1 Police Plaza and swore softly. Taking out a cigarette from his jacket pocket, Goren's hands trembled as he lit it and took a much-needed drag on the toxins. He looked up at the sky. Why me? He asked the heavens. Why did I have to fall in love, with Eames' niece, of all people!

He took another long drag and reviewed the situation. He hadn't meant it to come out that way. He hadn't meant it to come out at all. But what would Eames have said if he'd just come out with I think your niece is the most wonderful person I have ever met and I want to marry her one day? Bobby shook his head. No, that wouldn't have gone down well. It didn't even sound right in his head. No matter how much it was the absolute truth.

Goren, finally giving up on Maria returning from the throng of people, headed back to the office, where he found Eames tapping patiently away on her keyboard. He slumped down into his chair, mentally exhausted, rubbing his forehead. Eames smiled tiredly.

'You have really done it this time.'

'I know that. She didn't turn around, or even look back.'

'I told you she was stubborn.'

'I didn't mean it to come out that way.'

'I'm sure you didn't, but Bobby, seriously, did you honestly think about what you said before you said it?'

'No. I didn't think she'd be in today.'

'Maria is up early everyday. Says it's because of her early starts at university. You have got to apologise to her, if you ever want to get her out of your head.'

How right you are, Goren thought.

Maria kept running until she couldn't hear Goren calling her name anymore. Tears burning in her eyes, she veered into a nearby diner, crashing down in a chair and continued to cry. She hadn't meant to fall in love with Goren. Hell, if she had had her way in the first place, she wouldn't have left Australia. But Eames had insisted that she apply for Junior Detective with the NYPD. She said that the major case squad needed new blood. Then she had described her partner and sent a photo. That was the point of no return.

A waitress came over and took Maria's order; a marble mocha with extra chocolate. Maria wiped at her eyes angrily. Bobby had cut quite a dashing figure next to her aunt in the photo; tall in his clean-cut business suit and tie. But it wasn't his clothes or body that had sucked her in. It was his eyes. Those beautiful, intelligent, keenly aware eyes that could spot you lying a mile off. The waitress returned with the coffee and placed in front of the junior detective. Draining half of it in one gulp, Maria thanked and tipped her.

Clutching the cup, Maria reflected on the previous night. She didn't go back to Goren's place with the intention of sleeping with him. That part had sort of just, well, happened. She hadn't planned it. THAT was what scared her. Flirting with the hunky detective wasn't a problem. Intelligence is a trait that isolates people, which was why she and Goren had hit it off. They understood each other.

But sleeping with him? Maria banged her head against the porcelain in her hands. It was stupid and irrational. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. She had always promised herself that she would save her virginity for marriage. Now it was too late. She was sure that Goren had absolutely no intentions of marrying her and, from what she had overheard him saying to Eames, it wasn't likely that their relationship was about to last, either.

Glugging down the remnants of her coffee, Maria paid her bill and set off back towards the office, dreading the inevitable. She knew that upon arrival, Bobby would try and explain his actions and make it alright with her. She shook her head. Well, it wasn't going to be alright. He'd taken her virginity and now he was just going to throw her on the rubbish pile. She wouldn't allow that. She couldn't allow that.

She turned the corner on 1 Police Plaza, quickly stifling a cry as she spotted Goren smoking outside the building. Maria dashed back around the corner, before peeping out and watching him finish the cigarette. He was looking up at the sky, an exasperated expression on his face. Maria felt annoyed. Why should he look tired while I'm going through agony? she thought to herself, but said nothing. Goren squashed out the butt under his shoe and walked back into the building. Following him carefully, Maria stood where the senior detective had. She looked down at the sad, stump of a butt and felt the tears welling up again. She wasn't mad at him, she couldn't be. She loved him with every bit of her heart, however much she had it hidden away. What she was angry about was the fact that she had fallen so heavily in love with him that when he hurt her, she had fallen apart.

Maria looked up at the skyscraper.

No shifty detective is going to stop me doing my job, she thought, entering the building and striding confidently across the lobby and into the lift. Upon arrival on the seventh floor, Maria crossed the floor to her desk in the corner near the blind-covered window. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Goren leap up and follow her to her station. Seating herself, Maria flicked her monitor on and began reading her e-mails from home. Bobby arrived at her desk, shifting his weight from one foot to the other nervously. Maria noted his twitching fingers and decided that although she really didn't want to talk to him, she would hear what he had to say.

'Hey,' he said informally, trying to catch her attention. Maria looked up without a smile. Shit, Bobby thought, but continued.

'I just wanted to, um, apologise for what I said earlier. I didn't mean for it to come out that way.'

Maria leant back in her chair, picking up a biro and tapping it against her left index fingernail. Goren noticed how much she looked like a cobra ready to strike. Realising he was in the lion's den now, Bobby picked his words carefully.

'I, um, really enjoyed having you over last night,' he said with enthusiasm. Maria tapped the pen faster. Bad move, Bobby thought desperately. He wished he could just tell her the truth, but it was obvious that she didn't want excuses for his actions. He wasn't even sure that she still had feelings for him. He backed off a bit. Maria sat up and put the pen down.

'Bobby, I accept your apology, but I will not forgive you for using me like that,' Maria said in a low voice. Bobby noticed how alike Maria and Eames were; they both had a dangerous, low tone that could make even the biggest man crumble. Like he was right now.

'How you used me, slept with me when you didn't love me. How could you do that, Bobby?' she continued, staring him in the eye. Goren swallowed. But I do love you! his mind shouted at her, can't you see that?

'I, um, I'm, er, I'm really sorry,' Bobby stuttered out, barely keeping it together. He turned and left the office, Maria and Alex's eyes following him. Goren stumbled blindly into the bathroom, where he slammed his fist repeatedly against the wall until the tears came. The hulking detective slid down against the wall, allowing the tears to rolls down his cheeks for all the desperation, unrequited love and shame he was feeling. For the first time ever, Bobby Goren felt truly alone.