In silence they got into the elevator and began the ride up to the squad room. Suddenly, she pulled the stop button and rounded on him, hitting him square in the chest with both hands as she shoved him back into the wall. "Damn you, Goren! You scared the shit out of me today! First of all, you're a maniac behind the wheel, and I do not like seeing my life flash before my damn eyes! Secondly, I am not any more fond of getting shot at or watching my partner potentially walk his big stupid ass into a bullet! I want to know what the hell we're getting into, when we're getting into it and why! No more fucking surprises, got it?"

He stared at her for a moment, unsure of whether to reply or not. When he nodded his head, she released him and slammed the button to resume their ascent to the squad. She stormed to her desk and sat down, refusing to look at him. He dropped into his chair, looking at her but not certain if it was safe to speak. She was a small woman, but she was fearless. He had never been dressed down like that by anyone. Finally deciding not to take the chance, he pulled a few forms out of his desk and went to work. Eames sat there for a few minutes before she got up and went to see Deakins.

Goren looked up, watching her go. He hoped he hadn't screwed this up. He liked working with Eames. She was smart and he liked her sharp wit. She wasn't afraid to tell him off, and he knew that sometimes that was just what he needed. He hadn't cared much about keeping a partner in the past, but this one…he really wanted her to stay as his partner.

Deakins looked up as Eames came in and closed the door. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do it, Captain. He almost got us killed out there today. I…I'm done."

"What happened?"

"First of all, he drives like a maniac. He took us out to some god-forsaken warehouse off the BQE, where some nut was holed up with his daughter, shooting at us. I lost five years off my life today."

"Where's the suspect?"

"In custody."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No."

"Did you return fire?"

"No. Goren talked him into giving up with no more shots fired. He's a good negotiator."

"He's a very good negotiator. I'm sorry you had a rough time today, Alex."

"If he had told me what was going on, it wouldn't have been so bad. I at least would have known what to expect."

"You can work that out with him. He's not used to explaining himself, though I guess he should be. One of the biggest problems he has is turning 'me' into 'us,' if you know what I mean. But it's not entirely his fault."

"Well, his fault or not, I do not like surprises, especially ones that can get him or me killed."

"Alex…"

"I tried, Captain. Two months with him is a very long time."

Deakins looked defeated. "If you're sure…"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

He sighed. "Turn in your letter and I'll look for new partners for both of you."

"Thank you." When she went back to her desk, her partner wasn't there. Kind of relieved, she made short work of her request for a new partner. Looking at the letter as it sat on the desk in front of her, she looked again at his empty chair. It was really creepy to watch him at the scene of a homicide…and he was so odd…but he had been very good with that little girl…he could be sweet and gentle. Such an enigma. Shaking her head, she signed the letter and took it to Deakins. "I'm going home, Captain."

He nodded. "Where's your partner?"

"I have no clue."

"Ok, then…have a good night. And, Alex, I do wish you'd think about this some more."

"I'll think about it, but don't count on me changing my mind."

He nodded and she left. Damn. He'd had such hope that Eames would be the one who was tough enough and understanding enough to stick it out with Goren. He was beginning to wonder if there was a detective in the department who could work with him. It seemed as though the path Bobby Goren had chosen to walk was one he would have to walk alone.