Disclaimer:All of the characters are the property of Dick Wolf. I thank him, the writers, the directors and all the great actors who brought them "to life" for our benefit. Any "liberties" I have taken with them is motivated only by my fond admiration (and a few personal quirks I will seek "help" for).

AN: This story is not set within the accepted "canon" for the characters as it is only officially portrayed by the TV series. So I get to "fool around" with them in ways in which they've never been seen, stretch the limits of that and totally suspend the "reality" that is "fiction" to start with…now there's a contradiction in terms!!!

(And yeah Goren I know the proper word for that is oxymoron…I told you before using a CD as a coaster was a bad idea)

Bobby and Alex find themselves getting some help to solve a mystery…

THE ROOKIE

There were two people on the ground when they arrived.Goren went right to them pulling on gloves. At his side, the aspiring young detective had learned to say nothing. To watch, listen and learn and not to speak until invited to.

"We figure this was what caused the injury" said a uniformed sergeant to Eames.

She looked at the bloody rock "Doesn't look like it's been moved recently…like she picked it up to hit him with it…maybe pushed him and he fell back on it?"

Goren turned the head to get a better look at the back. The man's hair was matted with blood and feeling with his fingers he could sense the shattered bone.

"Fractured skull" he said "And you can see he went down before she did. The way she is half on top of him? Her arm splayed out to the side"

Goren instructed the rookie to take a look around for anything unusual.

"Hey Goren!" said Eames from the top of the slope "We got ID here by the pond"

He walked with long strides up to see her.

She was looking at a driver's licence "She's got to be Gillian Williams, address in the Bronx. Anything on him?"

"Nothing in the pockets" he shrugged "But he's wearing one of those little badges. You know? Like they give you at conferences. Has John written on it"

"Look what I found" said the rookie gleefully as he appeared from behind some bushes.

He was carrying a small bucket. Goren crouched down again and gestured down the slope.

"So what do you think happened here Detective?"

The youngster looked around with a frown and then chewed briefly on his thumbnail in a strangely familiar gesture.

"Jack and Gill came up the hill to fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown and um…um Gill went tumbling after?"

Goren smiled "Good. Well done"

"Ice cream now Daddy?"

"Chocolate?"

"Yay!"

He hitched the small boy onto his hip to carry him back to the car. As she followed, Alex had to admit Bobby might not be raising his son in a conventional way, but it was working. Another case solved.

AN : Next time Bobby and his son will discover "Who Killed Cock Robin" and conclude the mysterious death of Mr H Dumpty was an accident.