Bobby and Mike have a talk ... will it do any good?

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CHAPTER TWO: The storm front moves in

Cumulonimbus - A tall dense cloud involved in thunderstorms and other severe weather, aka … Goren

I'm asked to shave and put a suit on to meet with the Chief of Detectives. Ross feels that with the success of the undercover assignment, I will get my shield back. That depends on who's looking at what side of the coin your on. Success to Moran would have been … an arrest and a death … mine. I show up, as asked, shaved, suit. Eames, still acting like her prissy little self, is not speaking to me. Fine! We go through the motions, everyone pretends to be happy, he gives me my gun and shield back. I lumber back to my desk to find Eames shaking Daniels hand and can't help but wonder if they would make better partners. At this point, that would be fine with me. She doesn't even acknowledge my existence. I sit and pull out my top drawer to put away some files and what do I find there? A dead rat! I stand up, pull the thing up by it's tail and wave it in Eames face.

"A welcome back present … for me? I drop it on her desk. She jumps clear across the squad room.

"What the fuck, Bobby!?"

"Good question, Eames!

"I didn't put it there."

"Then who did? You and Daniels were standing here by my desk. So, I'm a rat now? I told you, I didn't look for this. You took a cop down today too."

"I - did - not - put - the - rat - in - your - drawer!"

"Fine, you know what Eames, I'm done! It's so convenient how you forget how I was the one that stayed up with you all those nights after you were kidnapped. That I was the one that packed up your entire house when you decided to move. That I was the one that bought you a cat so that you wouldn't be alone at night … but I'm the bad guy for following orders. I'm the rat!"

I walk away from her before she could admit or deny putting the rat in my drawer again. I know she didn't do it. She called me an asshole not a rat. If my drawer was full of assholes then I know the culprit would definitely be Eames. This was somebody connected to Stout. I'm sure of it. I'm a little worried about it, to tell you the truth. As the elevator closes, I lean back and contemplate my next move. I've damaged my partnership with Eames, not to mention our friendship, beyond repair. I have a mad man after me … he sent me his calling card and if that wasn't enough, the words that Eames said are still resonating in my brain. How are my wounds self inflicted? Was she talking about Tate's? That was something I had to do. She would have done it if were Nate.

"Goren! Goren!"

I look up and Logan is holding the elevator door open.

"Mike, what are you doing here?"

"I think I work here. Are you getting out or are you just gonna keep staring at those clown feet of yours?"

"Oh yeah, I'm leaving."

"Are you back … did you get your badge back."

I fish into my pocket and show it to him.

"Great! I just have to run up and grab something out of my desk. You want to go celebrate? Logan style?"

"How would that be?"

"Scotch and more scotch. New place down near the 2-7. They're calling it, Lenny's Pub."

So, I agree to drinks with Mike. He can drink me under the table … I could use a night out like that. Mike's always good for his stories. I love hearing about his days with Lenny. I only met Lenny a couple of times. He was a straight up good guy. Mike is too, a bit of a loose canon, but look who's calling the kettle black.

I made it to Lenny's Pub first and started without him. Mike would catch up soon enough. I look around the Pub and see a lot of young uniform cops just coming off shift. No way did they know Lenny. Lenny's picture dawns the wall as well as a picture of him and Mike. Mike was just a pup in that picture. Lenny always looked old. It's the job that does that to ya and the fact that Lenny was a recovered alcoholic ... that does it too. Funny that they named a bar after him. The unies look at the pictures but don't really see. They don't appreciate who they're looking at … they just see an old man that the bar is named after. The older cops that come in that knew him, smile at the picture and start right in … "Lenny and I went into this whore house once …" or "there was this one bust when Lenny stepped in horse shit … and he wouldn't say shit even if he stepped in it." It was quite amusing and exactly what I needed … too bad no one will remember me fondly when I'm gone. No bar will be named after me. When and if my name is mentioned once I leave this earth, the next words coming out of some bodies mouth will be … "oh, that whack job."

Mike slides in the booth across from me.

"What do you think of the place?"

"It's great Mike. Are you a silent partner?"

"Very. No money, I just provided a few pictures and some input as to what Lenny might like."

"Who owns the place?"

"A bunch of old retired cops that worked with or knew Lenny over the years."

"It's a nice tribute."

"Yeah. Enough about the bar. When I went up to the eleventh floor, I heard about the rat."

"Yeah, I figure Stout has something to do with that."

"Then why did you accuse Eames?"

"Because I'm pissed off at her."

"Good reason."

"It seemed it at the time."

"She wants a new partner. She and Captain Ross were talking after you left. You really pissed her off."

I look around the bar again. Everyone is drinking, the volume has turned up a notch, laughter is in the atmosphere and my partner and I hate each other. I wave to the waitress for another round.

She approaches our table and of course she knows Mike.

"Doll, bring the bottle, it's one of those nights."

She looks over at me and smiles. Yeah, one of those nights.

"If she wants a new partner, then I guess that's that."

"That's that!? You're not going to fight for her?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Mike. She's my partner … soon to be ex."

"Lenny and I would get into it every once in awhile. I was no choir boy myself … I know, I know, hard to believe, but we would work it out."

I can't help but laugh … Mike a choir boy.

"Hey she's made up her mind. It's not like she hasn't threatened before."

"But she took it back. This time she's serious. Ross said no. The last six months have been hell on his solve rate … you're his golden boy and he knows it. The Goren and Eames dynamic duo back together again. No way is he splitting the two of you up. He told her that she needs to get over it … she stormed out of his office and nearly knocked me over. I got the whole scoop from Pete."

"What did they do with the Rat?"

Mike starts laughing … to the point of tears.

"They took the damn thing to forensics. Can you imagine … finger printing a rat?"

Okay, so maybe Mike can't drink me under the table.

"Maybe they're checking his stomach content … you know, what his last meal was."

"Checking for skittles?"

Now we both start laughing. We clink our glasses and down our scotch, still waiting for the tall brunette to bring us our bottle.

"Seriously Goren, you need to make things right with Eames. I know she can be a bitch, but she's your bitch and you guys are good together."

"She's my bitch?"

"Okay, that didn't come out right, but you know what I mean."

"No, you didn't hear what she said to me Mike. She blames me for keeping her out of the loop. Her words were like a knife cutting off my dick for Christ sakes."

"Yeah well, women are good at emasculating us."

"Not anymore … I'm not taking her shit or anybodies else's for that matter."

"See, that's your problem Goren, she's been busy playing the referee between you and Ross. You need to see the forest through the trees, brother."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Deak let you and I do our thing. You and your magic gut me … well, I chase my tail until I catch it. Ross hates that shit. He has a different style of managing. Eames believes in you and she ran interference for you … you stabbed her in the back by not telling her what you were up to."

"I COULDN'T TELL HER!"

Mike puts his hands up. I know he knows … I'm just frustrated and sick of hearing it.

"I get that … you need to make her understand and stop being such a dick. You wanted your badge back, so get back to work."

I leave the bar feeling restless, anxious … what will the next case be like?

OOooOOooOO

A missing husband case, you need both of us on this?

As soon as the words come out of her mouth, I turn around and head for the elevator. Over my shoulder I say to captain Ross …

"She's right, you don't need me. She did fine without me the last six months."

I wave my hand over my head but Captain Ross stops me.

"Detective, I want my best team on this. She's an old friend … I … I need you."

I turn around and look at Eames.

"My senior partner doesn't."

"I'm still the boss here … get to work and stop acting like children."

So I get back to work … just like Mike suggested. I'm not going to let my bitch boss me around … there's a new Sherriff in town. If the magic gut speaks, she better listen or I may just hand her my water.

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A storm front called the flu has moved into my head, I hope this chappy turned out okay ... let me have it! Thanks for reading, Judy