Chapter 23

McKoy watched Goren leave, and then sat there in stunned silence not knowing whether to be confused or… well, he couldn't really describe it. He supposed it ventured away from confusion and more towards his personal take on the situation.

Anything was possible, really. No matter what was going on between them, it certainly didn't seem to have an effect on their jobs. At least, he didn't think it did. He really couldn't say. And McKoy had developed quite the respect for a man who could walk around his words and put the interviewer in a position to bargain…

He got out of his chair and stuck his head out of the door. "Detective Goren?"

Bobby, who was sitting on Eames desk, turned away from his conversation with her and looked at McKoy.

"Could I have another word?"

Bobby shrugged first at McKoy and then at Alex- two very different shrugs- and headed back to the interview room.

He closed the door delicately behind him.

"Why do you feel the need to bargain?" Bobby looked taken aback- he hadn't quite expected this.

"I-"

"You seemed so confident that you were doing nothing wrong. You told me you never lied- and I believe you by the way, though I'm pretty sure you've had at least one drink in your life. You didn't seem to believe that Cognitive Dissonance covered your feelings (because you said so yourself, you never lie- at least not about things like that) and yet you tried to use it as a bargaining tool. Why?"

Bobby had regained himself. "I didn't say that I never lie. I told you that I don't lie. And I tried to use Cognitive Dissonance as a bargaining tool because you presented it as one. I have no desire to lie." Oh great, here goes, opening up now…

"Then you felt you had something to loose?"

"What did I ask for?"

"Your partnership." Bobby nodded and McKoy continued. "So your feelings did grind against what you were saying?"

"No, they didn't. My fee- they were 'grinding' because of what I was saying."

"You felt you still had something to loose."

"Everybody has something to loose, Doctor. I am painfully aware of that."

"I know…" McKoy trailed off, thinking of the family history of Schizophrenia. Was genius truly akin to insanity in this man? "How well do you think you would perform with out Eames?"

Bobby paused. "I can't say."

Bobby left, and McKoy sat there once again in silence. Now he knew.

IAB Directors Office

"Well, McKoy?"

McKoy took a deep breath. "I can find no conclusive evidence that there is any inappropriate relationship that would cause issues in the workplace between Detectives Goren and Eames, and even if there was, the final decision for proper action would lie with their Captain, James Deakins." A vein in Albert Nearing's temple throbbed. Right off, a shrink was reminding him of what he could and could not do. "And I believe that splitting them would not be good for either of them emotionally. This may be due to an inflated dependency on each other, which should in most cases be discouraged, but somehow…"

"Inflated dependency?"

"They are so 'in-tune' with each other that splitting them up would have what I believe disastrous effects on their skills to complete their jobs in such a…manner that you are used to."

"Are insinuating that I would have something to loose by splitting them up?"

"I believe that splitting them up would cause a crater-like break in the excellent record that you bask in."

"How dare y- Have they broken any rules?" demanded Nearing.

"Technically?"

"Damnit McKoy," he said in a threatening manner.

"I can't find any evidence that they have."

"Give me your notes," he spat. McKoy slowly handed the notebook to Albert, who immediately began to flip through them. "The reciepts?"

"All cops go drinking together."

"They carpool-" Albert choked on his words. "The driving...the vicinity...midnight eggrolls!" Nearing was sputtering. All signs pointed towards it, but nothing was conclusive...

"I have the case notes with the plum sauce on them, Captain Deakins gave them to me and vouched for their work."

"Why isn't that noted?" he sputtered.

"I didn't write it down."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," shrugged McKoy.

"Amateurs remember. Professionals write it down," spat Nearing as he thrusted the notebook back into McKoy's hands.

Captain James Deakins' Office

"Yes, thank you very much…I will take that into consideration…Thank you Mr. Nearing…Yes, sir…Bye." Deakins hung up the phone, laboriously got up from behind his desk, and stuck his head out of the door. "Bobby, Alex," he said.

The two detectives got up and walked into his office.

"It seems that I am getting two sets of instructions." Bobby studied his face carefully. Deakins was trying to suppress a smile? "One set from your shrink who says that you two are so dependant on each other that splitting you up would be detrimental to your health, not to mention your job skills, and the other from the Director of Internal Affairs who says that you two are so dependant on each other that you should be split up so you can be allowed to marry," Deakins stopped.

Alex let out a bark of laughter, but quickly reined herself back in control. "Sorry, Captain," she said submissively. Bobby was stopping the single giggle that had escaped. Us, married?

Deakins rolled his eyes. They really were impossible."The point is that it's my decision and I'm giving you the choice. Regardless of what is going on, choose one or the other- and I don't want to hear a word about this in the future." Goren and Eames looked at each other...