a/n I see my disclaimer didn't make it to my first chapter...Let me interject: have not, do not and will never own. Thank you for the reviews, they were greatly appreciated!

Law and Order: Criminal Intent

High Maintenance

Chapter Two

Donuts

Goren parked his SUV alongside the curb in front of Eames' apartment. He removed the key from the ignition and stared at the front of the building. The drive seemed shorter than normal to Goren, whose mind had been searching for the right way to approach Eames about taking some time off. He did not yet have a solid argument and every scenario he considered ended with her fist making contact with his face.

Exiting the vehicle, Goren started up the short sidewalk. As he reached the concrete steps, his attention focused on the bushes to the right of the wrought iron railing. Newly planted flowers lined the front of the knee-high bushes. Goren thought the area looked too disheveled to have been placed by a knowing hand. He followed his gaze, carefully stepping through the grass. The roots of one of the dark red flowers were sparsely covered in dirt. The other two, simply dropped in their respective hole. He noticed several small piles of dirt that followed out of place divots. The shallow holes wound around the bushes, stopping under the front window.

"Hey." Startled, Goren looked up to see Eames standing in the doorway.

"Hi," he answered, a slight tinge of embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

"Do you want to come in or would you rather lurk in the bushes a little while longer?"

"I would, uh, I would like to come in." Goren returned to the steps taking the two in one stride as he followed Eames inside. "Here are your keys," he said digging into his pocket.

"Thank you." Eames reached for his outstretched hand. "I'm sorry to make you drive all this way just to drop off my keys."

"It's not a problem." He watched Eames as she reached for her trench coat. Physically, she appeared to be in worse shape than the day before. His newest concern unfolded as he watched her struggle to put on her coat. The look of concentration on her face far exceeded what was necessary for the task of putting her arms into the coat sleeves. "Do you want to ride with me? I'll let you drive," Goren smiled.

"No, thank you, though. I have some errands to run after work." Eames tightened the belt of her coat then dropped her head and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Goren asked moving to her side.

"I forgot my holster. I'll be right back." After Eames left the room, Goren moved to the front window and pulled back the sheer white curtain. From this angle, he could not see much of the newly planted flowers. He tried to stand on his toes, resting his fingers on the window ledge for balance.

"What the hell?" Goren looked down at the tip of his index finger, now covered in damp dirt. "Hmm." He rubbed his thumb and finger together as he slid the window to the left. A small patch of dirt trailed over the window track and over the outside sill.

"All right, I think I'm…Bobby, if you like those flowers so much, dig them up and take them home." Goren looked at Eames, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, Eames. I was just…Your window was unlocked," he said gently tapping the latch.

"Okay. So lock it." Eames joined Goren's side and closed the window, flipping the latch with a roll of her eyes. "Case closed."

"When were those flowers planted?"

"Oh, seriously, Bobby."

"Are you missing anything besides your-your keys?"

"Can we just go?" she hissed.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." Goren dropped his head and nodded. "I'm sorry." Eames grabbed her purse. "It's just that you have dirt all over the track of the window and on the…"

"Bobby." Eames set her purse on the end table and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She watched with growing impatience as her partner slowly slid his fingers over the window frame. His body maneuvered into awkward angles as he tried to see the places he touched. Eames knew Goren too well. She could follow his abstract process of thought. Without allowing him the chance to say the words, she countered his theory. "I think I would know if someone had broken in through the front window," she stated crossing her arms in front of her.

"Not necessarily, Eames." Goren passed his hands over the window once more then moved towards her. "The screen," he started, tilting his head to one side. "It can be easily popped off. And if the window was left unlocked," he continued, gesturing towards the window, "someone would have no trouble getting in." Eames closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She stared at Goren for a long moment before speaking. "Do you want to check to the other windows, too?" she asked softly.

"Can I?" Goren's eyes brightened with his partner's growing understanding. He took a step closer to Eames expecting to follow her lead. Putting her hand up to his chest, she stopped his movement and pushed him backwards.

"Get out of my apartment. Now." Goren opened his mouth to argue. "Out, Bobby," Eames said, cutting off his retort. Goren sighed as she again shoved him. He moved to the door, holding it open for Eames as she gathered her purse from the end table.

"You were mocking me," he stated plainly. Eames stopped in the doorway looking up at her partner.

"Yes, I was." Brushing past Goren, she headed to her vehicle.

"Eames?" he called as he closed the door behind him. "Captain Ross wants donuts for the entire department. "

0-0-0-0

"Captain? I'm told you have the Waterton report."

"Yes, I do. Close the door, Eames. Have a seat." Doing as he ordered, Eames settled in a chair across from Ross and sighed inwardly. He handed her the folder and a pen, watching her carefully. "Aren't you going to read the report before finishing your signature, Detective?"

"Uh, Goren said it was complete." Eames dared a quick glance at Ross and then finished signing. She handed the folder to her captain and stood hoping to make a quick exit.

"Not so fast, Detective Eames," Ross said pointing to the chair. "You were late this morning."

"Yes, Sir," she said taking a seat again.

"Why?"

"I overslept," she answered not meeting his eyes.

"You know, Detective, things have not been quite right with you lately. I know you have some time coming. Since the Waterton case is finished and nothing is on your plate at the moment…" Eames stiffened and looked up.

"Is that an order, Captain?" she challenged. Ross caught her eyes with an intense gaze before answering.

"Not yet. Keep the suggestion close in mind, Detective Eames."

"Yes, Sir." Eames left the office, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Is everything all right?" Goren appeared at her side, offering a cup of coffee.

"Yeah," she answered taking hold of the mug. "Thank you. I'm sorry that I forgot about the coffee I promised you earlier."

"Oh, that's all right. I take some solace in the fact that you have to drink this crap, too." Goren smiled and took a seat at his desk and signed into his e-mail. "I am pretty disheartened about the lack of donuts, though."

"I'll take you to Krispy Kreme later," she said sitting at her own desk. She opened the drawer and pulled out a handful of folders.

"Hmm. Well, this is interesting." Eames looked up from her folder and raised an eyebrow. She watched as Goren continued to stare at the computer screen, lips moving as he read to himself. After a few moments, Eames tossed her pen at Goren to get his attention.

"Care to share?" she prodded.

"Oh. Cameron Dickson was released on parole last week Tuesday."

"Who's Cameron Dickson?"

"He was one of the five bosses we busted from the E Street drug ring."

"Back when you were working in Narcotics?" she asked, interest peeked.

"Yeah. Dickson was the last one arrested. It took us almost four years to bring it down."

She nodded, now recalling a few details. "He was the only one to be brought in alive, wasn't he?"

"Grant and Stevens died in a shoot-out three months into the investigation. About a year later, Anderson committed suicide as we tried to arrest him." Goren leaned his elbows on his desk. "Two years later, Tiny was fatally shot as he was getting into the squad car."

"Tiny?"

"Well, there's one in every group," Goren said smiling briefly. "When Dickson was brought in, he spilled everything. Within the first week, we knew the names of E Street's runners and their main clients. We raided and cleaned up all seven labs. It was a very successful, thorough bust."

"He offered all this information to you?"

"We barely had him in the interrogation room before he started talking." Goren stared at the computer screen again.

"Strange."

"Anyway," he started absently, "he's out on parole. Twelve years in prison for drug trafficking then paroled on the DA's request."

"The DA?"

"Apparently Dickson has been giving police information to bust several other rings."

"You scratch my back…" Eames said shaking her head.

"Yeah." Goren closed the e-mail. He glanced at his watch then looked at Eames. "It's almost noon. Hungry?"