Chapter 4~ Rising Action

It had been a week since Bobby had been allowed back to work. Alex couldn't have been happier at the moment. After a run in with Bobby in the shower, she had been relaxed and satisfied all morning. And then to come and work with him again, it was like a dream. Everything was back to how it was before.

Sitting at their desks, the two detectives sat doing their paperwork, conversing easily and freely.

Inside her office, Stevens watched the two interact.

She hated secrecy, but this was all part of a plan meant for good. How did everything get so damn mixed up though?

She watched as Goren stopped his writing altogether and looked up a his partner, and he said something that elicited mocking glare at him. Eames shook her head and laughed at whatever he had said, her lips issuing a retort at him. It must have been a teasing insult because Goren acted like it hurt him, clutching his chest and feigning a hurt look.

The two were talking animatedly when the elevators opened, and chief Moran entered the office with his normal air of authority and snootiness.

Bobby saw the man in the suit, and his smile quickly disappeared, leaving Alex confused. With her brows furrowed, she looked to where Bobby was glaring.

"Look who just strutted in," Bobby said wryly, watching as inconspicuously as possible.

"What the hell does he want?" Nichols asked, passing by their desks towards his.

"He's just here to check up on his newest kiss-ass recruit," Alex muttered, returning to her work in front of her. Bobby looked up from his work and paused in his writing, turning his pen over and over in his large hands.

"I kind of like her, actually," he said quietly, sorting through his thoughts.

At first he had resented her for replacing Ross, but that wasn't her fault. And then she got him back at work ASAP, and that case had been taken care of in record time as soon as Eames and himself were allowed to work together. She hasn't really done anything to make him not like her...

"What?" Alex asked, looking up at her partner with a glint in her eyes. Bobby looked into those smoldering brown eyes.

Nichols seemed to have stopped his work to listen to what Goren had to say as well.

"I kind of like Stevens," he shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching as he watched a spark light in Alex's eyes. Bobby enjoyed the fact that he could get her hot bothered, and not just sexually. She looked unbelievably sexy when she was jealous like this.

"You don't have to work with her," Nichols offered, staring at the windows of the office. "You haven't had to work under her for as long as us..."

"Well...she got me my job back with you, Eames," he said with a shrug.

"Well, she also tried to keep you from it, Goren," Alex snarked back, her lips damn near in a pout. Bobby smirked at this.

"Until she realized we come in a package deal," he smiled at her, letting on that he was teasing her.

"Oh, no, Goren, you're definitely the whole package," she whispered suggestively, tipping him off center. His smile faltered, and he quickly glanced at the clock. 11:00.

"Lunch break, Eames. Let's go, I'm getting hungrier by the second..." he countered, quickly standing and grabbing both of their coats. Trying to hide her look of anticipation and arousal, Alex stood from her seat and allowed him to help up her coat on.

He had never done this at work...

What did he have in store for her?

~(0)~

Stevens showed the chief out of her office with a sigh, looking out across the busy bullpen. Of course, the two she was looking for were MIA.

It seemed her detectives had her on a radar that warned them when she need them. Just yesterday they had finished up a case, technically the first case since Goren was back, and even in that case they were hardly seen by her.

Apparently, Chief Moran disproved of her quick action in reinstating Goren. He had said that it threw everything off, and now the plans had changed. We had to act quickly.

Things would be put into motion tonight. Stevens knew that she was being punished for her actions because now she would have to work under her.

That was going to be impossibly frustrating because she knew that she was more than qualified, but because Goren was back we had to change that. Moran was going to have to make an offer that neither Goren not Eames could refuse.

~(0)~

After a long day of boring desk work, it felt wonderful to lay down in the soft satin sheets of their bed. Bobby draped his arm over Alex's waist, holding her closely to his body. It was only 7:00, but after a nice meal with candles and some Marvin Gaye it was only seen fit to retire to the bed, not for sleep of course.

"What's on your mind?" Bobby suddenly asked, bringing Alex's mind back to their moment. Alex shifted slightly, taking his hand draped over her waist and pulling it to her chest.

"Nothing..." she tried, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing each knuckle.

Bobby let her finish before pulling it away and using it to turn her body towards him, he knew she was lying.

"Alex..."

She sighed as he sat up to look down into her eyes, his body hovering over hers.

"We have been together long enough to know when the other is lying..." he chastised, noting how ironic this felt. Usually it was her giving him this lecture, not the other way around.

"It's just...Ross' funeral is this Saturday," she sighed, fixing her eyes anywhere but on his. Bobby sighed as well, an understanding overcoming him.

"I know..." he said softly, bringing his hand to her cheek and stroking it softly.

"I don't think I will cry, it's just everything is so overwhelming and it makes me angry and snappy. I don't like being like that..." she grumbled, her mood shifting from sad to grumpy. He couldn't help the sigh that fell from his lips.

"I don't like it either," he said lightly. Her glare that she gave him made him chuckle, and he let himself fall back onto the bed beside her. Alex rested her head on his chest.

She quickly became quiet and distant again.

"That's not all that's bothering you, Alex," he said sternly. "Tell me."

"Ugh, why can't you just let it be?" she suddenly burst, rolling off of him and pulling a blanket around her as she sat up. Bobby looked at her in surprise.

"Because you've been like this all night; during dinner, while I made love to you, when we are just laying here... You can't just say nothing made you like this," he answered grumpily, her mood affecting his.

"If you must know, I had a very aggravating talk with the Chief of D's," she barked at him, getting up and beginning to pace the room. Bobby sat up. At least she didn't leave the room, maybe she was willing to talk.

"Alex, you can tell me."

"No, I can't!"

"Can't or won't?" Bobby countered.

"Both."

"Why? Alex, please just tell me."

Her look told him everything, and as she looked away he realized he knew what the problem was.

"It had to do with me," he stated, nodding as he confirmed it in his mind. Alex let out a long breath.

In silence, Alex slowly made her way back to the bed and sat down.

"Bobby, he offered me the Captain's position."