Now complete ... Disclaimer as always. Don't own them just playin with them! Thank you to all that have put this story on alert status ... hope the end doesn't disappoint.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER THREE ... THIS IS THE END.

Once again in Eames POV

I'm telling my Dad on you

When we arrived back at 1 PP, our usual routine was to go over what we had and what we needed … I was not in the mood to work with him … the feeling was quite mutual. We went our separate ways. Liz called … pre-planned, then Dad … also pre-planned. I took both calls in the conference room and told them what went down. Liz laughed it off, calling it a lovers quarrel, Dad yelled at me, saying that he remembered McNabb and what an ass he was. Why in all these years, did I never come across him? My father was completely on Goren's side saying that he never should have agreed to this charade to begin with … the poor guy had been through enough without me adding to his stress. I couldn't believe my ears until I realized how high schoolish I had been acting. I should have just confronted Bobby and told him how I felt … not the love thing but how he had been acting towards the families and our victims. The love thing can wait … another eight years if need be. I sat and thought about what I had done … in other words … I put myself in time out. I was shuffling through some evidence … lab data, when the door opened … it was John Eames.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I was right downtown when I called you … where's your Partner?"

"I don't know … around."

He sat down across from me … he gave me that look … the one that he gave me when my dog died. I didn't need to see that look … not now. I was pissed off at what Goren said but I already missed his presence beside me … damn him.

He looked around the bullpen and spotted Ross, he got up and went to talk to him. I had introduced them once before so he decided to go say hello … fine with me … I'm too old for the lecture that he was about to give me. Bobby made an appearance an approached my father with caution … he mouthed something to me … I couldn't quite make it out but I could have sworn it was, "I'm telling my Dad on you." What a jerk … my Dad was on his side not mine … this is high school! He shook my father's hand and sat at his desk … seemingly uninterested in my Father's made up illness. He proceeded to sit at my desk. I guess that's okay … it does say Eames. The three men start talking and look in my direction, then start laughing … how pissed off am I at this moment? Very! First of all, Ross and Bobby are not buddy buddy, they do not laugh together! Second, my Father better not be laughing at me … the next Eames family gathering … for him … will be very uncomfortable. The girls stick together and the brothers watch out for their sisters, even when it comes to our parents … there are more of us! I get up and storm off. Childish … yes. What's wrong with me? I'm in love with my Partner … I just recently found out … I'm a little crazy. So sue me.

I went into our break room … there's this carmel macchiato type blend that's to die for there … I was in heaven for about five minutes. Goren walked in looking for me and ruining my coffee break.

"Can we talk?"

"What about?"

"Your Father's illness."

"You mean, my family drama?"

"No, I mean … if you want to talk … I'm listening."

"Who are you … Frasier?" That wasn't called for … he probably doesn't even know who Frasier is and lets face it, there is no illness.

"Who's Frasier?"

See.

"Never mind."

"I'm sorry Eames … apparently, I've been a dick … at least that's what your Dad said you called me. I'd liked to make it up to you."

"My Dad got that wrong, I called you a dick head. How do you plan on making it up to me?"

"Talking, eating, drinking … you know, like the good old days."

"When was that … exactly?"

"2005."

"Oh yeah … BR."

"BR?"

"Before Ross."

Bobby not only smiles but lets out a healthy laugh … maybe I'll get my Bobby back after all and maybe I do care … a lot.

We get back to work on the case only to be stalemated by McNabb and his henchmen. He wants Homicide on the case not Major Case … we had to turn the file over. Bobby wasn't surprised … I was pissed … what a bastard. It made me want to do research into Bobby's old case. I could see Bobby thinking about it.

Fifteen years earlier …

If you put Sacco back on the streets, you might as well sign our death certificates McNabb!

You should have thought about that before you entered the building without a search warrant Detective Goren.

What kind of BS is this McCoy, we had probable cause and any first year attorney knows that!

Settle down Tutuola.

Settle down? Settle down! … Bobby and I have been under cover and away from our families for months trying to bring down this lowlife piece of shit. If you let this … this assistant DA of yours ruin our case … we're dead men.

I'll tell you what McNabb … when Fin and I turn up dead … send my Mother and Fiancé flowers you fucking idiot.

Yeah pay my kids college tuition while you're filling out the sympathy cards.

Come on guys … let's step out into the hall.

Jack, you have to do something about this.

I plan on it … I'm taking McNabb off the case … he's too green.

At Kelly's Bar and Grill

"… and that's how it went down with McNabb … his first big case and he botched it. Jack took him off the case … no evidence was thrown out and Sacco is still in jail to this day."

"So, you were right and he was wrong?"

"Basically."

We were having a good time … too good and too many Margaritas when he asked me again about my Father's illness. I guess I had too many and I spilled the beans about my plan to get the compassionate Bobby back. I was laughing … way too many Margaritas and he was not. When he lied to me … or should I say … did not inform me of what he was doing … that wasn't his fault … I know that now. What I did was deliberate and childish … he had every right to be mad … very very mad.

"Your Father told me that he wasn't sick … I already knew."

"Hey, wait one minute Goren … you had a Fiancé?"

"Don't change the subject Eames."

"I like this subject better."

"And why's that."

"It puts you in the corner and get's me out of it."

He got up and left me with my snark and the check! Bobby's not back yet and I think a little bit of me is starting to leave the building as well. Maybe we can't get back to the old Goren and Eames, maybe too much water passed under the bridge.

I grab a cab home and find Bobby sitting in my living room … we still have each other's keys. I was shocked to say the least … I thought we were done … if not forever at least for the night. He starts in right as I walk in the door.

"I was engaged then I wasn't. Narcotics was hell on my love life … on my life."

"I'm sorry … about everything."

"Do you know what the common causes of divorce are?"

"Not really."

"Lack of commitment to the marriage, lack of communication between spouses, emotional abuse, inability to deal with each other's petty idiosyncrasies among other things."

"Yeah so."

"Kind of sounds like a Partnership … doesn't it?"

"What are you saying Bobby?"

"I'm saying … I don't want a divorce Eames … I want a commitment … another eight years. I want us to communicate more. I want us to stop pushing and pulling at each other and someday, I hope that when you don't put the cap back on the tooth paste … I'll be able to deal with that."

"You said among other things … what are the other things?"

"Sexual Incompatibility and falling out of love."

"I'm not worried about either one of those two things."

"No, me either … I'm worried about the cap on the tooth paste … that drives me nuts."

"I hate to tell you Goren … but … we're already there!"

fin.________________________________________________thanks for reading_________________Judy.