I don't own the main characters. If I did Ross would have been fired a long time ago.

When Alex woke up, she heard the shower running and went to start some coffee. She was looking out the living room window sipping on her coffee when Bobby walked out from the bedroom.

"Shower's free" He said as he headed to get his own cup of wake up juice.

"Thanks" She replied and turned to head to the shower.

After Alex had left the room, Bobby set his cup down on the counter and said to the empty room in general "Aren't we the happy couple this morning." When Alex came back in to the living room after her shower, Bobby was sitting on the couch reading the morning paper.

"How long do we have before we need to leave?"

"About an hour or so I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well you know, I usually get in early but to be on time we probably have about an hour?"

"Then why the hell are we up so early?"

"It's not really early for me, you could have slept longer. I would have gotten you up in time."

Alex didn't know why but somehow this whole conversation was starting to piss her off. The morning before at her house had been so much more warm and open. They had joked and talked as they made and ate breakfast together. But this morning seemed so cold and unfeeling. She knew she was a little grumpy from the few hours of sleep but still she was feeling like he was shutting her out and she didn't know why.

"Bobby?"

"Ok, here we go." Bobby folded the paper and dropped it on the coffee table before standing up to face her. He had been waiting, knowing she was going to start in again about not telling her about the undercover job.

"What is your problem?" She demanded.

"Look, I have explained why I didn't tell you, OK, do we have to go through it again?"

Alex stepped back away from him. The undercover job had been the furthest thing from her mind. Once he had finally explained his reasons last night she understood. She still didn't like it and still wasn't completely ready to forgive him for how the bust went down, but she understood now why he kept her in the dark otherwise.

"Look Ace, we don't have to ever talk about it again if you don't want to."

"We don't?"

"No, unless there is something else that you haven't told me."

"Not that I can think of."

Alex stepped closer to him again and reached out to lay her palm on his chest. "You were right, they would have used me as leverage if they sensed how you felt about me. I wouldn't have wanted that. Something I had forgotten in the years since Vice is that long term undercover operations tend to be lonely for the one undercover and for those left at home to wait."

"I'm sorry I went off at you like that, I thought you weren't going to let it go and I guess I am a little cross from lack of sleep plus the nightmare."

"I think we both need more sleep but unfortunately we have to be at work."

"Yep, we have us a Deputy Mayor to interrogate."

"oooh, more fun."

They both smiled for the first time that morning. Bobby leaned down and kissed Alex tenderly. "Better?" He asked as he pulled away.

"Almost" She replied, and then she grabbed his suit lapels and pulled him back down for another kiss. This one not so tender. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her tight against him. When they came up for air, she said "Better, now I guess we should go to work before we change our minds.

Since they still had some time to spare, Alex stopped by a coffee house so Bobby could get them some more coffee and some Danishes. They waited to eat though until they were parked in the garage at 1PP. While they were eating Bobby brought up the subject of their partnership.

"Alex, we may have a problem here at work?"

"What kind of problem?"

"Do you know the department's policy on relationships between partners?"

"OH" She said. "I know it is frowned upon but no I don't know what the rule book says. Do you?"

"No, like you, I only know the general rule of thumb. Maybe we should research it before we go public so to speak."

Alex had been leaning against the door while they were talking and eating, so she didn't notice someone walking up to her side of the vehicle. The first she knew anyone was there was when she heard and felt someone knock on the window behind her. Startled, she quickly turned around to find Captain Ross standing there. Rolling her window down she said, "Morning Captain."

"Morning Eames, Goren. Are you two coming upstairs or should we move your desks down here?"

Bobby leaned towards Alex's side of the vehicle so he could talk to Ross. "We still have 20 minutes until the start of shift."

Ross looked at his watch and then back at Bobby. "Oh so you do. I guess I am just used to seeing you already at your desk when I walk in. Well, I'll see you upstairs then."

"Hold on Captain," Alex called out as he started to walk away. "We'll walk up with you."

"What are you doing?" Bobby whispered as she was rolling her window back up.

"We don't want him getting suspicious yet do we?"

"No I guess not."

Moments later they were walking towards the elevator with Ross. During the ride up Ross asked for an update on the Riley Morland matter.

"Deputy Mayor Jackson is currently in a holding cell for assaulting an officer." Bobby said. "We plan to interrogate him on the murder of his fiancé after we clock in."

"Wait a minute Detective, did you say the Deputy Mayor is in holding."

"Yes sir"

"Since what time?"

"Captain," Alex said. "When we were interviewing Jackson last night, Bobby noticed blood on his sleeve and dirt on his pants where he might have leaned against a car bumper. Also we were suspicious of the fact that he was waiting to talk to us at his office and not at home." The elevator opened on the 11th floor. Alex continued updating Ross as they walked towards his office. "We woke up Judge Frampton and got a search warrant for the home of Jackson and Morland. During the execution of the warrant, Deputy Mayor Jackson became agitated and punched Bobby."

"I see" Ross said as he sighed. "Anything else?"

"The search also turned up large amounts of blood on the counter and floor with splatter on the wall. The lab has the kitchen knives and is testing them for trace evidence. Also we caught him in the middle of mopping the kitchen. The mop and water are also at the lab."

"Well," Ross said as he sat down behind his desk. "I can see I will be on the phone or over at city hall most of the morning. Let's wait until we can get the DA over here before we put Jackson in a room."

Alex nodded and they started to walk out of Ross's office. "Goren, stay a minute will you?" Ross asked. Alex gave Bobby a worried glance and he just shrugged at her and shut the door. "Detective, did you give the Deputy Mayor provocation to hit you? Bare in mind I am not doubting you, but given your reputation the Chief of D's is going to be all over this and he is going to be asking the question."

"When we arrived at the apartment he demanded to know what the meaning of this was. Eames told him it was all in the warrant. I lead him aside to so the rest of the search team could enter. I explained that it is standard procedure to search a victims home and that the warrant was to protect his rights. Eames walked back in and asked him if he spilled something in the kitchen and he replied 'wine'. She called over a forensics guy and told him to check the kitchen. Jackson reached for Eames's arm and I reached out and took hold of his shirt sleeve. I pointed out the blood on his shirt and told him we would need to take his shirt if he didn't mind. It seems he did mind. A left hook put me into the wall and when he turned on Eames, her gun was drawn on him. I got up, cuffed him and told him he was under arrest. I then handed him over to a couple of uniforms and had him brought in. Oh, and I believe I called him Jackass."

"Thank you Bobby, I appreciate you going over it again." Ross's phone started ringing. "And so it begins."

Bobby smiled at him on the way out. "Better you than me."