A/N: Just A Little fun I'm having. Could be considered a prequel to Beginnings and Endings. Just could't get Logan to stop talking to me.
Disclaimer: Not Mine, Just having fun.
Detective Mike Logan sighed as he looked around the squad room at Major Case. He has been a part of this department for a little over a month, and still felt out of place. More or less this was due to his lack of permanent partner, and therefore still feeling like the new kid. He found the actual work here invigorating and challenging, and was anxious to get cases of his own. Most of the time Deakins had kept him with Goren and Eames, for experienced training, but mostly because they were the only two that could keep him in his place. He also suspected that it was partially for Deakins' own amusement, as there was great comic relief in watching the petite Alex Eames keep a handle on two men twice her size especially when he and Goren butted heads in their cases as they tended to do… A Lot. But aside from their differences of opinion, he and they did form a sort of … well he didn't know what to classify it exactly, but it felt familiar, and so when Deakins told him to sit in with them today he was pleased. It had been a boring day so far. It was mostly going over files and paperwork, so when the ME's office called earlier to go over the completed autopsy he jumped on it.
He walked over to Goren whose head was deep into paperwork and sat at Eames' empty desk. Goren looked up expectantly and Logan could swear he saw disappointment cross over the other man's face briefly, before Bobby nodded in hello and continued the paperwork he was on.
"What I'm not as pretty, I don't get an actual 'Hello'?" Logan asked jokingly?
Logan's antics amused Goren and he gave him a small grin. "No Eames, she uh did a follow up interview with a witness and had an errand to run; I didn't expect her back so soon." Goren explained and gestured to Logan sitting her seat. "When you had sat down I just assumed," he trailed off.
"Well here's the report." Logan tossed it to him. "There really isn't any new information from her earlier analysis."
Goren nodded "We hadn't expect there would be, this case is pretty open and shut,"
Logan's stomach growled.
Goren smiled at him. "Lunch time?"
Logan nodded.
"I'll have the pastrami on rye with provolone, extra dressing, and no rabbit food. Large order of Fries, a strawberry milkshake and a coffee" Logan handed his menu to the waitress.
"Maggie, I'll have the turkey on wheat, light mayo, lots of veggies, and the Chicken Caesar with low fat dressing, water, a second plate and a diet coke" Goren gave his charming grin as he handed the menu to Maggie. Logan raised an eyebrow at him curiously, his lack of a hearty lunch did not go unnoticed.
"Will get these out to you in no time detectives" she smiled politely at them and hurried away."
"What the errand Eames had to do?"
"She had to pick up a dress at a seamstress, and buy shoes."
"Hot date?"
Bobby shrugged "Something about a Gala and a coworker of a friend."
"Does Eames date much?"
"I couldn't really say" He smoothed out the corner of his place-mat that was turned up, and straightened his place setting.
"She doesn't tell or you don't ask?"
"A little of both. She'll usually joke about a bad date after it happens."
"No one serious?"
"There was one when we first partnered lasted about a year, and then maybe one or two that lasted a couple months. And no one serious since her pregnancy."
"She was pregnant?" The waitress approached their table with their drinks and the extra setting.
"Thanks, Maggie." He looked back at Logan. "She surrogated for her sister. Are your writing a biography?"
"No just curious about the two of you. You should hear the stuff I asked Eames about you."
"I already know."
"Figures. Think she'd go out with me?"
"No."
"No, I'm not her type?"
"That, and also she doesn't date cops."
"I'm gonna ask her anyways?" Logan watched Goren's expression carefully as he goaded him.
"Can I watch?" Bobby smiled at him and took a sip of his drink.
"Seriously, you're not jealous at all?"
"You are not a real threat"
Mike smiled. Bobby choked on his water "Detective you walked right into that, threat to you are you saying"
"That's not what I…Do you spend all your free time watching my interrogation tapes?"
Logan just grinned at him
"Please do you not think that I haven't been around the two of you long enough to not see what's between you? And don't flatter yourself, or try to change the subject, I've been doing this a heck of a lot longer than you"
"It isn't what you think. Let's drop it okay?"
"I always wondered why she was the one who lasted." Logan took a gulp of his milkshake.
"What?"
"Out of all the partners that you have had, she was the only one who actually lasted longer than a year."
"We work well together, and we have a lot of respect for each other. Her drive for doing the right thing and not necessarily the easy thing, allowed for her to give me a fair chance, and not just blow me off. And seeing that in her, I was able to open myself and trust someone other than myself." Bobby stared off letting the impact of his own words hit him.
"Ah a love story for the ages."
"It's not." He shook his head
"It's just about the work."
"Yes." Goren sighed loudly, extremely unpleased with the direction of this conversation.
"You guys don't hang out at all?"
"Sometimes…"
"Sometimes, after a hard case, we get a few drinks, or sometimes, if I went up to her apartment there would be a mug for you in her drainer, a few of your things around and an extras set of blankets specifically for you."
"We are partners, we do work on cases at one or the others apartment, you haven't done that."
"Sure, but this is different? I never woke up to them drooling on me."
"It's not at all like that. We are both single, we don't have obligations to husbands and wives, if I get tired I sleep there…on her couch."
"So tell me how many dates you went on this month?"
"What does that have to do with it?" Bobby's hands were wild.
"You've grown complacent and gained weight, you don't go out of your way to flirt with the darlings at 1PP anymore, and since I've started here it's only been today, the day she has a date, that you ordered something light off the menu."
"How do you know who I flirt with, and stop trying to infer things about me, you are not that good of a profiler"
"No, but my gut is always right. And those ladies at 1PP like to talk, seems like you have them all eating out of your hand, but they said for the last year or so you've been off the market. They thought you got married and didn't tell anyone."
"So I'm getting older, my hair is greyer, I'm not as fit, what does it matter if I enjoy the company of my partner, over some one night stand with whom I'd have to go out of my way to impress and spend money, not to mention time and energy, so that what, I get a good lay. That just doesn't excite me any more. It's not what I want anymore"
"So what if Alex decides she wants something more than company. What if this guy tonight is everything she's looking for, everything you won't give her?"
"I'll come hang out on your couch."
"Will you? I bet your partner is thrilled to know she's just a stand by."
"She's not, we have this connection, we are in sync with our work, we get along, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. To move what we have that way is risking everything we worked on. If she needs to have a warm body in her bed, I can live with not being that guy."
"Wow, I can't believe you can rationalize not wanting something better with 'what we have is so good', it's bull. I mean you know that either if you do something or not eventually in the grand scheme of things your partnership will end."
"And we can't still be friends then?"
"Is that what you would really want? To just be crazy Uncle Bobby to her kids at Thanksgiving dinner?"
"That's not…" Bobby tried to get out, but Mike raised his hand to cut him off.
"And aside from all the fun that would be, I think I also need to point out, that one way partnerships end, especially in our line of work, is death, and be it hers or yours you want to tell me right now that you'd have no regrets with this relationship between you right now if one of you were to…be gone in an instant."
Bobby hung his head defeated and with no real comeback.
"Why are you doing this? Playing the death card, trying to get me to admit things, what are you trying to gain here?"
"Look, I've just had a lot of regrets in my life, my life is slowly turning around for the better, and I think that other people deserve a little happiness. You and Eames, as much as we get on each others nerves, are good people, great cops, I just like to think that you deserve something more from this crappy world we live in."
"You're just lucky it isn't snowing outside, because I'd swear I just hopped into Dickens's A Christmas Carol." A tap at there window brought them out of a discussion, they smiled at each other and then at the window where Eames was obviously enjoying startling to two grown men. Both motioned for her to join them, a brunette standing next to her meagerly waved.
"Just tell me I'm not wrong, and I'll drop it for now."
"You want me to voluntarily make your head bigger, by admitting your right?"
"We could continue this conversation if you want, in the present company that's making its way into the diner as we speak."
"Fine, you're not wrong, but I'll also state for the record that I admitted it under duress."
"Good enough for me, who's the hottie a sister?"
"No, I don't know her, but it looks like we'll be finding out."
"Gentlemen, it looked like quite a discussion there. I hope you two aren't at each other throats."
"Wouldn't it be unsettling if we weren't?" Bobby grinned at her.
She nodded and smiled at him. "I suppose."
"Hello." Logan offered to the women next to Eames. She smiled back at him.
Eames gestured to the women next to her. "Sorry, where's my head. Detective Mike Logan, this is former FBI Agent Carolyn Barek, your new partner. And this is my partner Detective Robert Goren."
They shook hands and exchanged greetings. The women sat down. And Maggie came over with the Goren's and Logan's meal.
"Is that for me?" Alex grinned at her partner, both touched and amazed at his ability to know her.
"That connection you have is sick, is what it is." Logan said, than to Barek who already stole a fry "Want to share?"
She nodded at him
"Another Plate Maggs." He said to the waitress.
"And another milkshake too." Barek added
"You'll fit right in; I thought you weren't starting until Monday."
"I stopped in to fill out paperwork, and get my id made. Eames was there and the Captain introduced us. He asked were you guys were so we could be introduced, Alex said she had a hunch."
"Yeah with these two its less like a hunch and more like telepathy. It's really is creepy." Barek raised an eyebrow at him. He countered her "Wait till you see them in interrogation."
Barek smiled at him. "I'm going to go wash up, where's the ladies room?"
"I'll show you, I was heading there myself." Eames stood up and went off with Barek following behind her.
Bobby started separating the food onto the second plate, and Logan followed suit as Maggie had just appeared with the requested items for Barek.
"Man did I get lucky." Logan smiled at Goren as he took a bite of his sandwich.
"She's your partner, there are rules."
"You're one to talk.And you break like what, five rules every day in the interrogation rule."
"I haven't crossed any lines." Goren drew out the lines with his hands.
"I'll just say it one last time. I don't see what's stopping you."
"We haven't really considered her feelings."
"And here Deakins was going on about your genius yesterday, how can you not realize it, her feelings for you are as strong as yours. I think the brass needs to re-evaluate your first-grade status."
"Your a real comedienne." Bobby laid his head in his hands obviously over ruled with conflicting emotions. He looked up at Mike a look of pleading on his face. "Can we stop having this conversation now though? Please".
Logansimply nodded and picked at his fries as he waited for their partners to return. He was a little shocked with the desperation in the other man.Apparently he hadenter the Gorenpsyche a little to far. He was fortunate that he had done this withEames so close.