Disclaimer: I don't own Law & Order Criminal Intent or its characters…

Author's note: This took quite a bit longer to post than I had originally anticipated. I think it was because I was hesitant to write Goren, being unable to do him justice. Fortunately, he's not the focus of this fic, so no delving deeply into his character is required.

Just A Little…

Game

"Four in the corner pocket, seven-side," Bobby announced matter-of-factly before he bent over to line up the cue and expertly execute the prediction. The billiard balls clanked audibly as they ricocheted off one another, and the two targeted ones sunk into their designated pockets. He smiled at his opponent, whom returned it in the form of a half-hearted wince.

Detective Robert Goren considered his next shot. He could win this game without much effort, but he needed more time than that would provide. His opponent, the other male Major Case detective, would no doubt call it a night, having become fed up with his showmanship at playing Pool. And Bobby was just ready to bring up the subject he had been sent on a mission to recover information upon. It would require time to tease the information out of his reticent opponent, especially if he didn't want him to catch onto the ploy.

"Six, corner," he called. He lined up the shot confidently, then missed purposefully. Instead of sinking neatly into the corner pocket, the six-ball caught the edge of the pocket and bounced back with enough force to send the quiescent billiards into haphazard vectors. He stood back up and looked to his opponent.

Detective Mike Logan gave his opponent, and apparently drinking companion for the night, a suspicious, scrutinizing look. There was no way that Bobby Goren could've missed a shot that easy. The man was a genius at everything he did, not to mention observant. He had probably even only ever watched people play Pool before, but here he was kicking Mike's ass. Then again, maybe he wasn't all that quick; the man seemed to have one large blind spot, his partner, Alex Eames. Goren took that woman for granted, but who was Mike to interfere?

However, the detective was up to something…but what? Mike shrugged in response before deciding on the shot he'd take. He took a swig of the beer he was currently working on, fortification to help him endure whatever Goren was up to, which he guessed included talk. Walking around the pool table, Mike set his beer on the edge, and bent over to line up the shot. He pulled back the cue and-

"So I hear Carolyn Barek is quite a woman."

The unexpected comment startled Mike and he messed up the shot. He rose to his full height to match Goren's towering figure and stared the man down.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Maybe this wasn't the best approach to take…Bobby was beginning to have second thoughts about potentially getting on Logan's bad side. The man proved to be a more than competent detective, and not nearly as dense as he sometimes pretended to be. Bobby couldn't risk him seeing through the rouse. Feelings could get hurt that way, not to mention Alex would be pissed at him if he told on Barek. He simply had to use his temper against him. It was the only weak spot Bobby had been able to identify in Logan.

"Nothing," he offered the not quite infuriated, but could very possibly soon be, man. He had to make him angry but not too angry. And he had to keep him from thinking this was about him. But Bobby couldn't force it. Let him bite…

Bobby acted as if he was attempting to shrug off the earlier comment, and moved to take his next shot. He contemplated saying something to Logan as he prepared to pocket the five, and if he was lucky, on the rebound nudge the six-ball that had 'eluded' him earlier into the corner. It was unnecessary however, for Logan apparently felt motivated to pursue the point as Bobby executed the play.

"Where'd you hear that? And why did you feel the need to mention it to me?"

Oh, great! He's already suspicious. Having righted himself again, Bobby smiled at Logan. It was good to know he was as smart, probably smarter, than he had given the man credit for. He took a swig of his own beer, trying to decide how to proceed. He would already have to direct it away from Logan, since the detective had caught that the intention was towards him.

"Honestly?" Bobby asked, knowing he was about to lie and not flinching a bit. He probably had been a detective for too long, if playing a specious role came so easily to him.

"Please," Mike told the other man, the underlying message being 'tell me or I'm about to become really angry and try to kick your ass, even if I'm not sure I'll win.'

"I'm thinking about asking her for a date."

Mike simply stared at the other man without speaking for several minutes. Finally he seemed to come to a decision.

"No you're not."

Bobby couldn't help smiling again. Definitely more adept than I gave him credit for.

"You wanna try again?" Mike offered. It was not a suggestion.

The pool game had been basically forgotten. The two men simply stood there staring one another down. Bobby was too busy deciding how to complete his task without revealing too much, exposing Carolyn's feelings and reservations. Mike was too preoccupied being confused and pissed over being toyed with.

"Okay," Bobby conceded. "You got me. You want to know the real reason I bought you a beer?"

"You're not getting off the hook now," Logan replied coldly. The two went to sit at the bar. "Spill it."

"Alex was worried," Bobby supplied. "Carolyn's really upset and apparently it's because of you."

"Oh great," Logan cursed. "I knew this would happen."

Bobby gave him what he hoped was a sincere sympathetic look. The kind he gave suspects just wouldn't cut it, for if the other detective could see through him so easily earlier, he'd most definitely read into any false empathy badly.

Mike sighed heavily. He might as well tell the man. He knew Goren wasn't one to let things go, especially if Eames was likely to keep harassing him about it. Besides, maybe he'd know what to do. The Great Detective Goren was supposed to have some sort of special insight into how people worked, so maybe he could tell Mike what the hell was wrong with women!

"We went out, got drunk," Mike explained. "We woke up together the next morning."

Bobby studied his face for a moment. It was guilt he witnessed, written all over the tortured man's face. Logan was confused by his other emotions; it was hard to read how exactly the man felt about Carolyn Barek, even when Bobby had first mentioned her name. But the remorse, the sense of responsibility for the situation was apparent.

"You feel like you took advantage of her," Bobby suggested.

"I did take advantage of her," Mike asserted. Goren nodded his head, but offered no immediate response.

"Does she believe that?" Bobby asked, already certain that she didn't…at least from what he could tell from their interactions he had observed, and what Alex had told him. "Did you two talk about it?"

Logan sighed and drank some more before responding. "We did talk about it, that morning. She said that we were 'okay.' And stupid me, I believed her! God, I hate women sometimes!"

Bobby didn't know how to respond. He could tell Logan what he knew to be Carolyn's feelings on the matter, but convincing the man would be another story. Besides, that would be a betrayal of the woman's confidence, in both Alex and himself, not to mention a betrayal of Alex' confidence in him. However, the most important factor, in Bobby's mind, that prevented him from easing the other man's pain and confusion was the notion that this was something Carolyn should take care of herself. She had to be the one to straighten out her relationship with her partner, no matter how much Bobby wanted to aide the pair.

Detective Robert Goren ordered another round of drinks for he and his sort-of friend, and offered the man all he could, commiseration over the perplexity that was women.