Liz POV

"You know, it's been four weeks."

"I know."

"Four weeks," he repeated, as though he was amazed with the number.

Mike and I were alone at the table in Pete's. Bobby headed for the restroom as soon as we got here, and Alex hadn't arrived yet.

"Is that some kind of record?" I asked, and then I instantly regretted it.

"No," he said humorlessly.

"Mike, I'm…that was…"

"Forget it."

Why was I having so damn much trouble with this?

Earlier when Bobby came out of my office, leaving Mike in there alone, he simply said, "He's making a call."

"That call?"

"Uh huh. You know, I hope you didn't bust his balls."

"Do I look like a ball-buster to you, Detective?" I fired back instinctively. I took a moment to breathe and then looked up at Bobby and found him watching me with concern.

I glanced over at Mike through my office window and forced myself to give him an encouraging smile and I then looked down at victim number four.

"I'm sorry. No, I didn't, because he didn't do anything wrong," I said quietly. "Did he?"

"You're asking me?" he questioned, and then I instantly felt bad for doubting Mike.

And it's not even that I think he might've played up to that woman.

I know better than that.

It's that I couldn't stand the thought of him thinking about someone else in a sexual manner, even inadvertently.

I mean, he slept with her.

He obviously found her attractive.

"No, I'm not asking you," I said at last.

"Because you already know the answer," he stated firmly.

"Exactly."

I kept my focus on my work and tried not to think about what this woman looked like, or what she was saying to him at this precise moment, or whether or not he was the least bit tempted by the offer I could only presume she might be making.

Because look at him.

I still found it a little hard to believe myself.

I mean, the fact that he loves me when there were probably any number of women in this city who might be…I don't know.

More aesthetically pleasing.

And not quite so bitchy.

"Two strangulations and two deaths by gunshots," Bobby said, leaning over to get a closer look at what I was doing. "What do you think about that?"

"I'd say you're the expert on those kinds of things."

"But?"

"But killers don't usually alternate. They might evolve, but rarely do they backtrack, so…with this latest one being another strangulation….it doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "That's where I am, too."

But even as we talked about the killer, I couldn't get my mind off of that woman, and I'd just been getting ready to hit the lowest of lows and ask Bobby what she looked like when Mike came out of my office.

Although now, sitting in Pete's, I thought maybe I'd hit even lower.

One of Mike's worst fears is that I might judge him for his track record with women, and I'd just delivered a below-the-belt punch.

"I don't want to forget it," I pushed as I grabbed hold of his hand. "You didn't deserve that. I'm…"

"Pissed at me," he said sadly.

"No, I'm not. I promise. I've just got her in my head now."

"Well, get her out of your head, because she's not in mine," he insisted.

"Logan and the doc," Maas said, suddenly appearing at our table and pulling up a chair so that there'd be room for five. "That could be a TV show."

"Yeah, well not one as good as Captain Eames' debut today," I replied, since Alex had walked up behind the deputy chief.

"We're not talking about that," she said dismissively. "Where's Bobby?"

"Bar," Maas pointed out.

I turned to look and saw Bobby walking towards us, managing four drinks at once. He hesitated when he saw Maas and then he turned around and said something to the bartender.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were coming," he said distractedly when he got to the table. "Yours is on the way."

He put all of the drinks down and then sat next to Alex and proceeded to kiss her as though it had been weeks instead of probably only hours.

"No problem," Maas answered, smirking as he tried to look anywhere but at them.

"It's because she's a TV star now," Mike mock-whispered to Maas. "It makes her irresistible."

"She was already that," Bobby corrected as he finally sat back in his chair. He glanced at Maas and said, "Sorry, Stanley. It's been a long day."

"Well, since you called me by my name and we're all drinking, I guess we're off duty, so…you know…have at it."

"Or don't," Mike teased. "You know, some of us grown-ups show a little restraint when we're in public."

"You mean you?" Bobby said on a laugh. "I distinctly remember the very first time I walked into this place – I found the two of you…having at it."

For some reason, I felt my face flush at his mention of that night. Mike and Bobby continued to go back and forth, teasing each other, but I found myself thinking back on that night.

I'd been so nervous about what Bobby would think of me, since he'd learned that Mike and I were dating. And Mike had gone out of his way to help me feel relaxed and secure.

And of course, tonight Mike was being so sweet to remember that this sort of marked an anniversary for us and yet I'd lashed out at him.

That's the way to keep your man, Liz, I thought snidely.

"If you two are done debating the merits of kissing in public, I'd like to go ahead and get the shop talk out of the way," Alex said as she picked up her drink.

She glanced at Mike and then Bobby and said, "You two never came back to 1PP today, so I've got a fax that came in for you from a Detective Coleman at the 7th."

Mike stiffened beside me and I felt the insecurity bubbling up inside of me, immediately followed by irritation with myself for feeling like that in the first place.

I mean, seriously…what was the big deal?

Is this how I'd act if Carolyn Barek came back to town?

Or if I happened to run into Dr. Olivet?

Maybe.

I don't know, but at least with them, I knew what I was up against.

In my mind, this Detective Coleman was getting exponentially more beautiful with each passing minute.

"Yeah, she called," Bobby told Alex. "Our two vics who were shot, were shot by different guns."

"Okay, well that's different," Alex commented. "This guy's all over the map, isn't he?"

I eased slightly closer to Mike in an effort to show him that we were fine and then I spoke up.

"You know, maybe it's not just one guy. I mean, wouldn't that make sense? Two killers."

"Or maybe more," Mike added with a nod. "Maybe that's why each victim was treated differently."

"Except for the attempts to hide the ID. Maybe it's a gang," Bobby posed.

"Um…let's not say that in tomorrow's press conference," Maas stated. "The last thing we need is for the citizens of this city to think we've got a serial-killing gang running rampant."

"I'm keeping two separate summaries," Alex told him with a smirk. "One for the public and one for eyes only. The gang theory will definitely be on the latter."

"Yeah, well…I know I'm the one who threw it out there, but…gangs tend to exhibit more violence," Bobby said thoughtfully.

"More violence than death?" I questioned.

"The crime scenes are too neat," Mike answered for Bobby. "Our killer is organized. Or killers. I agree with Liz. There's at least more than one."

"How does that change your course of action?" Maas asked them.

"It doesn't. We've got miles of legwork to do just to even start making sense of this," Bobby said. Then he turned to Alex and added, "Oh, and we've got pretty good photos for you to use tomorrow when you go back in front of the cameras."

She sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers.

"I don't even want to think about that," she said tiredly.

"That bad?" I asked sympathetically.

I didn't blame her for hating it.

I like being in my scrubs, down in the morgue.

Oh, and being naked in my bed with Mike.

That's how we'd started this day. He'd awakened me with the gentle stroking of his hand over my hip, and within minutes, I was overcome with need for him.

And he just has this way about him that always makes me feel so…good.

Special and loved.

And maybe I'm being so bitchy to him because I'm scared to death of losing him.

As Alex animatedly recounted her murderous thoughts while being interviewed, I let go of Mike's hand and instead settled it on his thigh.

He immediately put his arm around me and I leaned into him, relaxing against him and enjoying the feel of our closeness and of the laughter that rumbled through him as a result of Alex's tales.

"I mean, he didn't come right out and say that I should put on a pair of fuck-me pumps, but I'm telling you…that was the implication," she was saying.

Bobby less-than-subtly leaned back from the table so that he could see what kind of shoes Alex was wearing, and then he looked at her and grinned broadly.

"Not a word, Goren," she said with a smile.

And he didn't say anything.

Or at least, not out loud.

But he did lean over and whisper something into her ear that had her raising her eyebrow at him challengingly and then she slowly and deliberately looked him over.

Those two are so funny to watch.

I noticed Maas watching them, too, and I suddenly felt bad for him, sitting here with two couples while the ink on his separation papers was still wet.

"Alex tells me you're going to move into her apartment," I said to him.

"That's the plan," he replied and then he glanced at Alex. "This weekend, right?"

"As long as I'm not in jail for killing a reporter, this weekend should be fine."

"How's that going?" Mike asked him. "Have you been talking with your wife?"

"No, but she's calling herself my ex already, so I'd say it's officially over. And I'm okay with it, really."

"How do…certain other people feel about that?" Bobby asked him.

We all knew about his on-going affair with Lisa Casteel, but we rarely spoke of it.

"Are you asking me if Lisa's going to leave Bill now that I'm back on the market?" he asked, and judging by his tone, I already knew the answer.

He seemed sad and somewhat resigned and his attempt to come across as indifferent didn't quite work.

Bobby shrugged and Alex said, "You can say it's none of our business, if you don't want to talk about it."

"There's not really much to talk about," he admitted. "She's been telling me for a decade that if I'd leave Clare then she'd leave Bill, but I never would because of the kids. And now that I have, well…I guess she's changed her mind. I mean, she has been married to him for more than twenty years."

I didn't comment on the fact that her two-decade marriage hadn't stopped her from engaging in an equally long extra-marital affair.

Obviously, Stanley had done the same thing, although his wife had basically just used him and had never actually loved him, or shown him love, so I guess I felt like his straying was justifiable, if there is such a thing.

Either way, it wasn't my place to judge his choices.

"If you don't mind me asking, how'd that happen in the first place?" Mike asked. "You quit your job so that you two could stay together, so how'd she end up with Casteel?"

"Long story short, he went after her because he always felt the need to compete with me, about everything. And once I was out of the federal building, I guess it paved the way for him to make his move."

"And she fell for it?"

"She's…got her flaws," he said after a moment. "Bill's got family money, and she likes the finer things in life, so…"

"She went for the rich cop instead of the normal cop," Mike stated with a nod, and then he hugged me tighter against him and said, "Man, am I glad you don't think that way."

"Yeah, well, if I did, I'd still be married to the chief of EMS."

Maas nearly choked on his drink as he looked at me in surprise.

"Chuck's your ex?" he asked me. "How did I not know that?"

"I don't advertise it. And it was a long time ago. So you know him?"

"By reputation mostly. We've run into each other at functions from time to time. He's always got some young bimbo on his arm."

"Yeah, that's Chuck," I said with a nod. "Always trading up for the newest model."

I hadn't considered that maybe that was why this thing with Mike bothered me so much.

My ex-husband was a cheating dog who was in the habit of finding younger, more attractive bedmates.

And of course that's how it was with Danny Ross, too.

When he and I dated intermittently for that year, he was always searching for someone better, and when he found her, then that's when we'd be off for a while.

Until she'd dump him and then he'd come back to me.

"Well, his loss is my gain," Mike commented.

"I think our waitress got lost," Bobby said, looking around at all of our empty glasses. "Mike, give me a hand at the bar."

Mike pressed a kiss against my cheek and then got up and walked to the bar with Bobby.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Alex looked at me and said, "Okay, what's going on?"

"With what?" I asked her innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, Liz."

I glanced at Maas, and he said, "Oh, um…maybe they need my help."

"No," I said on a sigh. "It's not a secret. And it's nothing, really. This morning, Mike ran into a woman he used to…know. And for some reason, I'm having trouble dealing with it. It's not him. It's me."

"This morning…so someone on the job?" Alex asked.

Not much gets past her.

And since I was being honest, I may as well ask what I want to know.

"Um…really. I can…" Maas began as he started to get up.

"Sit," I said firmly to him, and then I looked at Alex and said, "Do you know Detective Coleman from the 7th?"

"She's the one who sent the fax," she stated. "But no, I've never met her personally."

"Well, that's her. She's apparently interested in picking up where they left off."

"I know her," Maas said.

And that's why I wanted him to stay because I was hoping maybe he did. He'd worked in several precincts over the years and considering his position, he was familiar with a large percentage of the detectives in the department.

Alex and I both looked at him and waited to hear what he had to say about her.

"Um…is this where I'm supposed to say something bad about her?" he asked hesitantly.

I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head.

"No, Stanley," I replied. "The truth comes first. We'll bash her later."

"Oh, okay then. She's um…very attractive. And smart. And she's a good detective. She was a top candidate for Major Case a few months ago. But then the timing of Goren's return filled that spot, and I stressed to Moran that Coleman wouldn't be a good fit for him as a partner and so we brought in Logan, and well…she got stuck in her position at the 7th."

"First off, thank you," Alex said pointedly to him. Then she looked at me and said, "But all of that aside, it really doesn't matter, does it? Mike's with you, and he's happy about that."

"I just wanted to know what I'm up against."

"Up against?" Maas asked, apparently having gotten over being the only man in the middle of a girl-chat. "You don't really think it's a competition, do you?"

"Rationally, no. But I've been burned so many times that the stove still feels hot, even when it's not turned on."

"Look at it this way," Maas said. "If he was going to cheat, would he have bothered to tell you about her? I mean, obviously he was honest about his past relationship with her, and the fact that she hit on him today, right?"

"He's got a point," Alex added. "You and I both know that Mike would never do that to you, but if you need the added reassurance, then ask yourself that. Why tell you at all if he had any inclination to pursue it?"

I nodded thoughtfully as Mike and Bobby came back from the bar with our next round of drinks.

I was completely annoyed with myself for my continued unease about the situation.

And it wasn't even a situation.

I'd turned it into one by being neurotic and it was time for that to stop.

So when Mike sat down, I put my hand back on his leg and as Bobby and Alex and Maas launched a continuation of their discussion about Stanley's love life, or lack thereof, I leaned over to whisper in Mike's ear.

"When you finish your drink, let's go home. I want to celebrate our anniversary."

He looked at me and flashed me a smile that sent a tingling feeling down to my toes.

And then he picked up his glass and tossed it back in one gulp before looking at me expectantly.

"Ready to go?"

TBC...