I decided to add something from Bobby's POV. I actually wanted to end this with a conversation between Bobby and Alex, but when I came to that point, my mind was like, paralyzed. Really, it's stupid to be afraid of my own fic, but the idea of wirting B/A dialogue terrifies me. Sorry. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. Ah, yes, thank you soooo much for all your encouraging reviews!
ladybrin: If you want to see the confrontation between Bobby and Carver, you should watch the episode. It's the last scene.
Bobby was on his way to One Police Plaza after he left Carver's office. Nothing that had happened there really came unexpected. Carver was not stupid, and he was too disillusioned to believe that someone with a potentially successful defense strategy would take a plea bargain on his conditions just like that. That's just human nature. The threat of a long time in prison wins over almost any conscience attack. And Bobby would have been a fool to believe that Carver wouldn't see a connection between his visiting McShale and McShale's taking the deal.
It was a good thing Carver believed him about what had gone on during his visit. He would be much worse off if Carver thought he had threatened McShale into taking the deal. But even though that danger at least had passed, Carver's warning wasn't to be taken lightly. Bobby was not fooled by its soft-voiced, even casual, delivery. There was no doubt in his mind that Carver would go through with his threat. In a way, he could understand the ADA. It could be dangerous if things he didn't know about went on with his cases. So yes, Bobby believed that Carver would make him lose his badge if he did something like that again.
But that was an 'if', and it was within his power to see to it that this 'if' wouldn't happen. Therefore, he didn't have to think about Carver, right now he wasn't the problem. What he had to think about now was his partner. Because Alex – wait, he never called her Alex – because Eames could be a problem right now. Or, more accurately, she probably saw him as a problem.
He was sure that his behavior yesterday had irritated her. Her agreement to give him some time was most likely born out of her sense of loyalty for him. But if he knew her at all, she was angry with him for what she probably perceived as him trying to guilt-trip her into agreeing.
Eames was much more by-the-book than he was. She didn't mind bending the rules a little when it got them results, but in this case the goal wasn't in solving the case. Coming from a cop family, Eames saw issues of guilt and innocence much more clear-cut than he did. That wasn't to say that she was without empathy, or saw the world only in black and white. Anyone who had ever seen her with a victim or a grieving relative knew that she was empathic.
Anyway, the odds were she was pissed at him. He already brought her breakfast, as a peace offering of sorts, but he knew that wouldn't be enough. But he hoped that the news would be enough. McShale had taken the deal and thus negated the need for the information about Melanie Grasso. It was now nothing but a piece of nonessential information, nothing the prosecution had to know.
Bobby distinctly remembered Eames' remark about how they didn't play a game of catch-and-release. Yeah, her biggest concern was that a murderer would go unpunished. Since that wouldn't happen now, she should be okay with it.
A smile crept across his face when he realized that while coming to this comforting conclusion in his mind, he had also reached his physical destination. The smile was replaced by a grimace when he stepped into the elevator and thought of the paperwork that followed every solved case.