Eames kept glancing at her partner as she manuvered through traffic on the way to Bellevue. Finally, he said, "Stop it, Eames. I'm ok."

"Are you positive you're up for this?"

He sat up straighter in his seat and looked at her. "Ok, let's have it. Why are you so nervous about this?"

She was quiet for a moment. "The last time you were with him..." She trailed off, still frightened by the memory of what she had seen in his eyes then. There had been no trace of her partner in those eyes. He had retreated to some remote corner of his mind, and she was glad she'd been able to reach him. The thought that the day might come when she couldn't terrified her.

He was afraid that was what had been troubling her. "You have no idea how sorry I am you had to see that. But it's over. I can do this. Trust me."

Trust him. More than almost anything else, he relied on her to trust him, to back him up, even when the world thought he was being unreasonable. "I do trust you. But I worry about you, too."

He smiled. "I'm not fragile. We'll do fine."

"How's your shoulder?"

He had taken the maximum dose of painkiller when he woke that morning but had refused it since. "It hurts, but it's not unmanageable."

"If it gets bad..."

"Then it gets bad. Do not interfere with this interrogation, Eames. Please. We need to nail this guy for all four of these murders. Let me do my job."

Stubborn, stubborn idiot, she thought. But she knew he was right. She laid a hand on his arm and squeezed. She would say no more about it, but he couldn't keep her from worrying. That was something she would always do.

---------------------------------------------------

Stabler was pacing. He couldn't get the rumors out of his head. Half of them said Goren was unstable and unpredictable in the interrogation room. The other half said he was brilliant. Which to believe? He would have opted for the former had he not been in that abandoned building with him yesterday. Goren knew he didn't like him, and yet he took the greater risk so that Stabler could go home to his children. Unstable? Hell, no.

"Elliot?" He stopped pacing and looked at his partner. "Why are you so nervous?"

"This is an important interrogation, Liv. If this lowlife walks, more girls will die."

"Why would he walk? Are you afraid that Goren will screw this up?"

"I don't know..."

"Have you taken the time to even look at his record, El? Four years in Narcotics and he had a 100 per cent conviction rate. He and Eames have the highest solve and conviction rate in the department. If he walks, it's not going to be because Bobby screwed it up."

Stabler studied her. "Why do you stick up for him like this?"

"Because you are being unreasonable. I've talked to his partner. She thinks highly of him, and there's gotta be a reason she does. So far, he has done nothing to make me not like him. I'm giving him a chance, which is more than you have done from the start."

He sighed. "I told you yesterday I was wrong about him. I appreciate what he did. If it wasn't for the dog, he wouldn't have come out of that place alive, and he willingly took that risk so I wouldn't have to. He did that for my kids. That's not something I'll forget."

"Then ease up and trust him a little. We told Captain Deakins we'd let Bobby lead the interrogation, and we have to trust them."

He leaned against the wall. "I'll try."

They looked down the hall as Deakins and Carver approached them, followed shortly by Cragen and Novak. And they waited. Cragen looked at Deakins, who answered the unspoken question. "They're on the way."

"How is Goren?" Cragen asked.

"He said he was okay."

"Have you seen him?"

"No, not yet."

They heard the elevator bell and, moments later, Goren and Eames came around the corner. "Sorry we're late," Eames said as they approached. "We had to drop King off at the squad room."

"Who's watching him?" Deakins asked.

"Logan and Barek."

The captain looked at Goren. "How are you?"

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

Deakins' eyes shifted to Eames, who slightly shook her head. He wasn't surprised. He looked back at Goren. "You're sure you don't want to put this off for a few days?"

"I'm sure." He looked at Stabler and hesitated. "How's your shoulder?"

"Sore, but ok. It was just a flesh wound. You?"

"A little more than a flesh wound, but I'm all right."

"How's the dog?"

"Fine, thanks."

"Are you ready to do this?"

"Yes." He looked at his partner. As long as she was there, he was ready for anything.

Carver said, "As soon as Mr. Sutton arrives, we can proceed."

"Sutton?" Eames said. "The court appointed Sutton? Mr. Carver, he's going to invoke the suspect's right to silence. We have to do this interview."

Carver studied her. "You have been spending entirely too much time with your partner, detective. Mr. Doe has rights that are guaranteed by law."

Goren frowned darkly at him. "And what about the rights of the little girls he killed?"

"Allegedly killed, detective."

"Oh, bullshit. He killed them. We know he did."

"We know no such thing, not until a jury says that he did."

Eames saw where this was going and she didn't like it. They'd been down this road before and it always resulted in her spending too much time calming down an irate and agitated partner. She hated bearing the brunt of his anger at Carver. She was going to nip this one in the bud, so she placed her hands on her partner's arm and pushed him away from the group before he exploded at Carver. "Settle down, Bobby," she said softly. "He can pull you off this interrogation and then I'll kick your ass for provoking him. We'll get him, ok? You know how to get around these things."

"And if Sutton gets off that elevator and invokes?"

"We'll deal with it, just like we always do. Don't let your emotional involvement cloud your judgment. That will throw everything into question. Let's play it by ear. Carver's right, and it's his job to make sure we don't cross a line that will get this case tossed by a judge. You know that. It's frustrating, but it's what we have to deal with. Let's just eliminate that resonable doubt. That's our job."

He nodded. "I know."

They returned to the group. Goren gave Carver a dark look, but he said no more. Carver understood his frustration and his passion, and he wanted to nail this guy as much as the detectives did. But he had to make sure it was done right, so he could get a conviction and make it stick. He was the one who had to deal with the defense. And speak of the devil, here he was, strolling down the hall looking much more confident than he should.

Sutton grinned at the group. "Good afternoon. If you would give me a moment to talk with my client, we can begin."

"You're not invoking right off the bat?" Novak asked, surprised.

"Not yet. I'll let you know when I decide enough is enough." He looked at Goren before he disappeared into his client's room.

So they waited while Sutton talked to his client. Carver and Novak conversed in soft tones, planning a joint prosecution with Arthur Branch's blessing. Deakins and Cragen also spoke together, although Deakins frequently glanced over at his detectives. He had no doubt that Eames would take care of her partner, but he was still worried. Goren didn't look so well. The four detectives remained silent. Three of them leaned against the wall, watching Goren pace, lost in thought. Benson leaned toward Eames and gently nudged her. Eames looked at her, seeing the unspoken question. "He's ok," she whispered. "He's just thinking."

Benson nodded, then looked at Stabler, who still looked uneasy. Seeing the big detective come close to snapping at the ADA did not inspire confidence in him. He'd sure be glad when this was over.

The room door finally opened and Sutton looked at the four detectives. "Mr. Doe will talk to you now, but watch your step." He looked pointedly at Goren. "I will not hesitate to stop this interrogation if things get out of hand."

"Don't worry, counsellor," Deakins replied for the detectives. "Our detectives know what they're doing."

Sutton stepped aside and let the police officers and the two lawyers enter the room.

John Doe was sitting up in the bed, eyeing the four detectives without emotion. His face was blank. Goren looked at him for a long moment, his head tipped thoughtfully to the left. "Uh, Mr. Doe...is that the name you want us to use? John Doe? Or do you have another name?"

"John Doe will do."

"It doesn't matter what we call you. We want to ask you some questions about a couple of things that have happened in the past week."

Doe shrugged. "Ask your questions."

"What were you doing in that building?"

"Getting shot by cops." He looked at the four detectives. "Which one of you shot me?"

"That would have been me," Stabler answered.

He glared at the former Marine and snarled, "Lucky shot." Then he looked back at Goren and indicated his slinged arm. "And that?"

"Your bullet."

"I guess my aim was off. I was shooting to kill."

Sutton bristled at the admission. "Mr. Doe, I must advise you..."

Doe raised a hand at the lawyer. "You just stand there and be quiet. I want to talk to these folks and it's my right to do so. Continue, Detective...uh?"

"Goren."

"Ok, then. Continue, Detective Goren."

"Gunfight aside, why were you in that building?"

"My apartment is being fumigated and I needed a place to sleep."

"Funny. We had an incident occur not far from there, just the other side of the park, actually. A little girl was hurt and we tracked the suspect to that building."

"That don't say much for your tracker."

"Our tracker is very good. Of course, when the little girl recovers..."

"What?"

"When the little girl recovers, she'll be able to identify her attacker."

"That's impossible."

"What is?"

Sutton stepped forward. "I think we're done here..."

Doe threw back his blanket and got out of the bed. Goren didn't move. He got right in the suspect's face. "What's your lawyer afraid of, Mr. Doe? He doesn't want you to continue. We've got a witness who can nail you to the wall, dead to rights. We have another one from Wednesday morning, too. That's two witnesses..."

Doe swung his fist, connecting solidly with Goren's jaw and sending him back into his partner. Stabler jumped forward and grabbed the suspect, who screamed, "You're lying! There were no witnesses! Those kids were dead when I left them! I made sure of it! Just like last time! I don't fucking make mistakes!"

In an attempt not to slam into Eames with his full body weight, Goren had shifted as he fell and landed directly on his injured arm. He stayed where he landed, trying hard not to pass out from the pain. Eames hit the floor hard, but she got right up and scrambled to his side. Benson had gone to help her partner, and they were holding on to the still struggling and screaming suspect. Deakins and Cragen had knelt beside Eames at Goren's side and the three lawyers watched. Sutton was shaking his head and grumbling, "I hate it when Goren interrogates my clients."

Eames gently laid her hand on Goren's shoulder and leaned down. "Bobby?"

"Give me another minute, Eames." He waited until the pain faded to the point where he knew he would no longer pass out or puke. "Ok," he managed.

Deakins and Cragen helped him up. He left behind a smear of blood on the floor; the sling on his arm was quickly turning red. Deakins looked at Eames. "Get him down to the ER and have that arm taken care of now. We've gotten what we need from Mr. Doe."

He let her guide him out of the room, but halfway to the elevator, he stopped and turned to look back toward the room. "'Just like last time.' Last time? Eames? Did you hear what he said? He said 'just like last time'."

"Calm down, Bobby." She pulled him back around to face her. "Listen to me, dammit. We'll get it all figured out. But right now, we're going down to the ER to get your arm taken care of. Doe is not in any shape to answer more questions and you're not in any shape to ask them. He's not going anywhere. We've nailed him on these murders. Now come on." When he hesitated again, she leaned closer and reminded him, "You promised me."

That did it. He looked at her and conceded, continuing to the elevators with her. "Make sure they compare his DNA to any cases with similar MOs, solved or not."

"All right. I'll make sure it gets done."

They took the elevator to the ground floor and followed the signs to the emergency room. A nurse came over to them as soon as she realized the red coloring in the sling on his arm was blood. Eames sat with him while they worked him up for surgery, but he didn't do much talking. They started an IV and gave him something powerful for the pain, so she sat quietly and let the interrogation replay in her mind. She didn't remember Doe saying anything about last time, but she trusted Goren's memory that he did. It must have been right after he'd punched him and sent them both crashing to the floor. When they came to take him to surgery, he was already unconscious, but she'd kissed him anyway and walked with him as far as they would let her go.

Not long after she settled herself in a chair to wait, Deakins arrived with Benson and Stabler. The captain gave her a fatherly smile. "You look lost, Alex."

"He wasn't doing so well when we got here," she commented. "The pain was wearing him down."

"They'll get him patched up. He'll be ok. Now, how are you doing?"

"I feel better now that he's getting his arm taken care of. What happened upstairs?"

Stabler replied, "Sutton's going for a psych defense."

"Of course he is."

Eames sighed heavily. "Did any of you hear Doe say anything about 'the last time'?"

Benson nodded. "After he freaked out and punched Bobby, he screamed something about leaving the kids dead just like last time."

"Bobby was concerned about it, but I didn't remember him saying it."

Stabler gave her half a grin. "You were busy bouncing off the floor. I'm surprised he heard it."

"He doesn't miss much." She looked at Deakins. "We need to ask the MEs to compare Doe's DNA to other cases with similar MOs, solved and unsolved."

Deakins nodded. "I'll call as soon as I get back to my office."

Stabler regarded Deakins carefully. "You put a lot of stock in Goren's hunches, don't you?"

"I've learned that he's usually right. He has a good instinct, and he knows what he's doing."

"I see that." He walked over to where his partner sat on the other side of Eames. Deakins smiled at his detective. "Is he still more than you bargained for when you decided to stay for the long haul as his partner?"

She smiled back at him. "Bobby is never what I bargained for. But he makes me look forward to coming in to work every day. I never know what to expect, and I love that about him."

"You get enjoyment and I get ulcers," the captain smiled. Eames laughed. Yes, that was her Bobby. Pain and pleasure. And she wouldn't want him any other way.