Law & Order Criminal Intent

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I OWN nothing & CLAIM nothing!

Summery: In the first chapter.

Bobby opened his mouth to speak. "Don't ask me what I'm doing here, I don't even know." She said, cutting him off. "I got all the way to the airport, but I just couldn't bring myself to get on the damn plane." Bobby smiled. "I'm glad you didn't."

Alex watched the next morning as her partner came in, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "You dog, you slept with her, didn't you?" "Nope, we just talked." Bobby said, his grin growing wider. "She's really making you work for it, isn't she?" Alex said dryly as a passing detective handed her a fax. "It never ends, does it?" She said as she passed it to him.

"Same MO as your other three, we thought you'd want to pile on." A fellow detective said as he & Alex observed the body from above while Goren poked around it in that classic way he always does.

"The femoral artery is cut with what looks like a nine-inch switchblade; the poor girl was violated as she was bleeding out." Dr. Rogers said as they all looked over the body. "Any semen or DNA?" Bobby asked. "Our killer used a condom; the only thing I found was spermicide." "& we're sure it was the same person?" Deakins said. "I'm putting my money on it by the way she was killed & violated." Bobby said. Bobby was pleasantly surprised when he got back up stairs to find Esmeralda setting at his desk. "I heard about your troubles nailing this guy down. I got with a friend of mine from the FBI & here's what we came up with." She said as she handed him the file of information. "This is good, this is very good." He said as he passed it to Eames. "Apparently, our guy likes to launder money, too." Alex said in Deakins office that next morning. "Edward Warner, huh? Nice put-together on this file." "Thanks to Esmeralda." Alex said, Bobby rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly at the mention of her name. "I'll call Carver & get the warrant set into motion." Deakins said as he picked up the phone.

"Mr. Warner! It's the police!" Bobby yelled through the door, when there was no answer, he blasted it open with a powerful kick & they prowled inside with their guns drawn. Suddenly, there was a noise from behind them; Bobby whirled around as two flashes of light tore through the darkness. Alex watched in horror as the perpetrator's bullet pierced her partner & friend's body, at the same time, she heard a gurgling yell & a thud from somewhere in the dark spilt-level condo. "Bobby? Oh god, are you okay?" Alex said as she pulled his jacket off to check him over, the bullet had gone through & through his left shoulder. "Let's get you to the hospital." Alex said exasperatedly as she got onto her radio.

Bobby's facial expression lit up as Esmeralda walked through the door, shaking her head. "Goren, what am I going to do with you?" She said as she sat on the side of his bed. "Doctor says I'm going to be fine, no major damage, no worries." Bobby said with a smile, Esmeralda smiled as she ruffled his hair fondly. "Hey, I'm just starting to get used to having you around, I wouldn't want to lose you now." She said as he pulled her into a kiss.

"You didn't really have to do this." Bobby said as they walked through the elevator into the damp, cold parking garage, their breath suddenly silvery on the air. "I want to, Doc says that you should take it easy, how are you going to do that without any help?" "Well… I don't think that you're the right person to be coming home with me if I want to take it easy." Bobby said, a mischievous grin playing about his handsome features, that combined with a couple of days worth of stubble made him almost irritable. "Come on, no riding home on the subway for you." She said as she took out a set of keys, Bobby stopped dead in his tracks as a black mid-nineties model Porsche 9-11 turbo came into view around the nearest pillar. "Well? What do you think?" Esmeralda asked needlessly as Bobby caressed the front fender of the car lovingly. "I… I don't know what to say." He said, Esmeralda laughed at his priceless reaction; he was eyeing her car as though it were a naked woman standing in the parking lot. Esmeralda shook her head as she began to wonder how those hands would feel like on her body.

"I wouldn't have imagined you to live so modestly." Esmeralda said as she stepped into his apartment, her intoxicating scent of roses filling his nostrils. He walked up from behind, wrapped his arms around her & began to caress her neck. "A-aren't you supposed to be taking it easy?" She said, her voice quaking slightly as her passion level rose as he gently turned her to face him. "I've done nothing but think about you ever sense our talk the other night." He whispered into her ear, she shivered with desire at the feeling of his soft words tickling the hairs on the back of her neck. He brought his lips to meet hers & the spark of attraction they had been skirting around for so many months suddenly erupted into an inferno. He lifted her right off her feet & carried her into the bedroom, never breaking the kiss they had engaged in & before Esmeralda knew it, they were on the bed & halfway undressed. Bobby suddenly felt hesitation in her embrace & withdrew immediately. "I'm sorry, it's just… god how do I tell you this…" She trailed off as she looked away shamefully. "What?" Bobby said as he took her hand in his. "I've… I've never had sex before." She said blatantly, Bobby drew back further in shock. "Never!" He said, astounded. "I know, its weird, me being thirty five & all. When I was young I was so focused on my career that sex just never crossed my mind." She said, Bobby squeezed her hand gently. "Esmeralda, I love you, you know that. But if you don't feel comfortable or ready then we don't have to." Esmeralda smiled lovingly at him as she placed her hand on his cheek. "Thanks for being so understanding, but I don't think there's anyone I'd rather lose it to." She said as she took hold of his undershirt & pulled him back on top of her.

End of chapter 4