Author's Note - I found myself with a serious case of writer's block this week, so I figured I'd reply to everyone who left their name with a review. I really appreciate all of you, especially those who review every chapter, although I love hearing from new people as well.
Sage - I accept your challenge! And I would make the chapters longer if I could, but that's just how they come to me.
KendraC - Now, you didn't hear this from me, but there may be a sequel in the works with a very deserved vacation in it. No promises, though. I'm easily distracted. As to how long this will be? God only knows. It started as a short, 20 pg idea and well... look at it. I can say there will be at least twenty more chapters, judging by my hasty outline
X-Pig - Thank you for your wonderful reviews.
netherfield - Thank you, I was rather proud of that part myself.
Strawberry-ksc - Thank you, those are some of the best compliments I've ever gotten.
thousand-miles - Thanks. And yes, I could just have them admit that they love each other, but then I wouldn't get to write all the fun stuff I have planned for them.
TriStateCopFan - LOL I hope you're not a brain surgeon or an air traffic controller! Maybe I should put a warning on this story: May be hazardous to your concentration. Thanks and I'm glad you like it. I'm working on it RIGHT NOW! Well, not right now, but ten minutes ago LOL.
justawriter - Thank you. I'll try.
08Starbaby08 - Thanks. I'm always watching for more Bobby/Alexness on the show, but I think if they did, unless it was subtle, it would ruin something.
Daiquiri - Thank you so much!
Hope you all like this next chapter as much as the last one.
P.S. The writer's block is gone, so don't worry about next week.
Alex kicked the door open and stalked outside, the chill night air doing little to cool the fire in her blood as she paced back and forth in front of the station. She glanced up as several people, tourists, from the look of them, crossed to the other side of the street to avoid walking past her. Taking a deep breath, she buried her face in her hands ... and screamed. A long, wounded roar of frustration echoed from the dark faces of the surrounding buildings.
Feeling marginally better, she sank down on the front steps and hung her head. God, this sucked. It was the main reason you kept personal crap out of the workplace, to keep the lines, the boundaries, clear and defined. Now, she had no idea where the lines lay, or on which side she stood. Her cell rang.
"Boy did you pick a bad time," she muttered, then into the phone said, "Eames."
"Good evening, Detective Eames." Alex felt a thrill of fear twist in her gut, but no more than she would have if confronted by a large spider. You just dealt with it.
"Good evening, Raum," she replied, brushing her hair out of her face as she raised her head and slowly stood. That smooth voice on the other end of the line chuckled.
"My, my, aren't we clever," he said. "No wonder they gave you a badge. Of course, having Detective Munch's little witch name me must have been some help. Too bad it's the only help you're going to get from her."
"Did you just call to brag, or do you want something?" Alex asked shortly as she mounted the steps to the front doors.
"You're not going inside, are you, Detective Eames? It's such a lovely night."
"It's a little cold for me," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed in front of her. Searching for him would be pointless; the street was dark and a hundred windows looked down on her, not to mention the rooftops, alleys, fire escapes, cars ... and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd rattled her.
"Take one more step, and I will kill you where you stand." It was his cool, factual tone as much as his words that stopped her mid-step. It was as if he didn't really care one way or the other. She put her raised foot down and leaned against the cold metal railing. "Thank you," Raum said. "I just couldn't bear the thought of sharing your attention with Detective Goren. You know how distracting he can be."
"And whose fault is that?" Alex asked.
"Don't blame this on me," Raum said. "Everyone knows the two of you were just dying for an excuse to conjugate your partnership. If not an incubus, then one too many drinks at the New Year's party, or the thought of spending another birthday alone, or just giving in to simple physical need. If you ask me, the curse was a favor; no guilt, no hurt feelings, no regrets, just sweet release." Was he mocking her? She was usually so good at reading voices, but with him, she couldn't tell.
"Excuse me if I don't sound grateful," she said, "but go to hell. You don't know anything about Goren and me."
"I think we both know that's not true," he said. "I'd love to elaborate, but let's save something for the interrogation."
"You plan on getting caught?" she asked, glancing up and down the street. It was a quiet night, for Manhattan; only a handful of pedestrians and some light traffic. Her free hand slipped beneath her jacket and brushed against the cold butt of her nine millimeter. That silky laugh sent goosebumps down her arms.
"Not tonight, Detective Eames, but it never hurts to have a contingency plan. I am well aware of the lengths you and your partner will go to in order to 'get your man'. Your record is quite impressive, or would be, if not for the one that got away ... not once, but three times. That must be frustrating." Alex's heart did a dance inside her ribcage.
"Did Nicole Wallace put you up to this?"
"Oh, well done, Detective," he said enthusiastically. "There's the famous deductive reasoning I've heard so much about. I had begun to think that perhaps it was Detective Goren who found all the clues, made all the connections and solved all the cases, and that you were just window dressing." She had no trouble hearing the mockery now.
"I don't know what she promised you ... you don't seem like the type to be tempted by money or power."
"No, I have quite enough of both, thank you."
"What was it then, her body? Her love?"
"Pleasures of the flesh do not intrest me, Detective Eames," he said condescendingly, "and we both know that Nicole was incapable of love even before I met her."
"So why - "
"There you go again, expecting me to make this easy on you. Nothing worth having is without it's share of work. However, since you did make that astounding connection between Nicole and me all by yourself, I will give you this - When I pulled Nicole out of the river, she was barely alive, and with her very last breath, she said, 'Bobby ... Bobby, you can't do this to me. I'll make you sorry, you and your bitch of a partner, sorry you ever crossed me.' and then she died.
"That kind of strength impresses me, Detective, and if there's one thing I connect with, it's strength, and revenge."
"So, this has nothing to do with you," Alex said. "This is all just a favor for a dead woman you pulled out of the river."
"You said it, not me," Raum replied with a chuckle. "Now, let's see what you do can do with it. Good bye for now, Detective Eames." Alex stood on the steps with the cell to her ear, eyes scanning the darkness. With slow and deliberate movements, she hung up the phone, slipped it back in her pocket, and headed inside.
"So Nicole is dead," Bobby said for the third time as he paced back and forth behind Alex's chair. She had relayed the entire conversation between her and Raum, but that seemed to be the only part he was grasping.
"Yes, if this guy can be believed, then she is dead, but Bobby - " She slid her chair back into his path. " - he has no motive. He's exacting the revenge of a woman he pulled from the river and watched die, against two people he's never met. This guy is insane."
"Not insane, Detective Eames," Dr. Huang said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "From what I've heard, I would say he shows many characteristics of Antisocial, as well as - "
"Narcissistic Personality Disorder," Bobby said. The doctor's smile disappeared as his thunder was stolen. "Disregard for the law, for the rights of others, no guilt, no remorse, feelings of superiority, contempt, self-importance - "
"Is that all you do, talk about yourself?" Stabler asked as he strolled into the squad room, Olivia just a few steps behind. His lip was still swollen and the beginnings of a bruise graced his jaw. She looked pale, threadbare, burnt-out.
"We got another call from Raum," Alex said quickly, shooting her partner a warning look. He pulled over a chair from another desk and straddled it, resting his forearms on the back, as he was wont to do. Tonight, though, Alex had to tear her eyes away and take a calming breath before she could continue. She quickly explained what they had learned, noting the haughty I-told-you-so look on Stabler's face when she mentioned that Nicole was dead. When she finished, she glanced toward the front of the building. "Where's Munch and Fin?"
"John wanted to talk to the victim's friends," Olivia answered, "to see if they knew who might have done this or what she was calling to tell him."
"What was the crime scene like?" Bobby asked. Olivia and Stabler exchanged glances.
"Damnedest thing I ever saw," Stabler said, shaking his head. "The body was ..."
"Twisted," Olivia said, "like a rag doll."
"But without so much as a bruise. No blood, no sign of a struggle, no weapon, nothing."
"Did either of you notice a ... a scent, something out of place on or near the body?" Stabler stared at him, nonplussed.
"You did not just ask if I sniffed that corpse," he said, then turned to Olivia. "He didn't - did he?"
"Look, either you noticed something or - or - or you didn't," Bobby said, that predatory gleam in his eye again. "It's okay if you didn't, it doesn't mean that you're a bad cop or anything ... " Stabler took a step toward him and Alex jumped to her feet between them.
"Back off, Detective," she said, her voice low and steady as she faced him down. For a second, it looked like Stabler was going to go right through her to get to Bobby, then Olivia stepped up and took her partner by the arm.
"Come on, Elliot, he's not worth it." He glared over Alex's shoulder like she wasn't even there, the he reluctantly let her lead him away. Alex rounded on Bobby to find him still watching the angry detective.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded, swatting him on the arm. "Are you trying to get me killed?" He looked up at her, shock plain on his face.
"What? No - Never -"
"Then stop picking fights with people."
"I fail to see how who I fight with is any of your business," he said, rising to his feet. Not since they'd first started working together had she felt small around him; half the time it seemed that they both forgot he was nearly a foot taller than her, but now he was using every inch to distance himself. He even stopped slouching.
"You're my partner and that makes it my business. It's my job to watch your back and keep you from getting your ass kicked." Bobby laughed, loud and sudden. Alex didn't see what was funny.
"You think he could kick my ass?" he asked, bending his body toward Stabler.
"Honestly, I think I could." He fixed her with a dark, intense stare. "You're big, Bobby, but you're not a fighter. I got three older brothers; I know how to take care of myself." He leaned down until he was right in her face. The incubus reached out and caressed her cheek, bringing a gasp to the very edge of her lips before she was able to bite it back and keep her silence.
"Prove it," he said, his breath a moist and bitter coffee scented kiss against her skin. She felt lightheaded as she stood there, so close, the curse coursing through her blood like a burning poison, sapping her strength, her will power, stealing away her reasons for fighting, for resisting. She knew jumping him right then and there was a bad idea, she just couldn't remember why.
She stepped back, even though every fiber of her body was screaming for his touch.
"This isn't the time, or the place," she said, trying to keep her voice from trembling - and failing. "Let's work on solving this case and getting you un-cursed, and then, if you still want proof, I'll beat the living hell out of you." She matched him stare for stare, unblinking, letting him read the conviction of her words in her eyes. He finally turned away, muttering something about coffee as he lumbered out of the room. Once he was gone, Alex collapsed into her chair, about half a breath away from a complete breakdown.
"You okay?" Olivia asked, coming over to perch on the edge of the desk. Alex shook her head.
"He's a completely different person," she said. "I don't know what to do." She could feel the tears prickling her eyes, but she blinked them back, only to have Olivia's hand grip her shoulder in companionable support. Then she lost it, the tears running silently down her face.
Disclaimer - Law and Order: CI and SVU, and the characters protrayed therin, are the property of Dick Wolf and Assoc., but Detective Sledge is all mine, Mwa ha ha ha! Er, ahem ... please don't sue.