A/N: Post New Beginnings so reading that will help but long story short, Bobby and Alex are in the very very beginning of a relationship. Like it happened a couple days ago. This is the next case after the finale.

An elderly woman stumbled down the streets of Inwood in the early morning hours. She was barefoot, in her nightgown. And she was covered in blood. By the time the local police got to her, a neighbor had figured out the blood wasn't hers. She was unharmed. The cops traced the blood trail back to a small house where the front door was wide open. The police drew their weapons and called out. No answer. Heading inside, they found an elderly man dead on his living room floor, blood everywhere. A middle aged woman lay beside him, barely breathing. The cops knew this community, knew who lived here. And therefore knew this was above their pay grade.

CICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICI

Eames had to park a half a block away. There were half a dozen cop cars, ambulances, the ME, and a closer look revealed the Chief of D's car as well. Eames shut off the engine and stared off in the distance for a minute.

"Alex," Bobby said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Eames brushed off his touch. "I'm fine Bobby," she said sternly.

Bobby was surprised. They'd spent the last few days together without a case, just enjoying each other's company and doing a lot of…touching. They'd tried to nail down how they were going to present themselves to the NYPD without alerting them to their new relationship. It wasn't going to be easy. But here they were, in the privacy of the car, and she was brushing him off and looking stoic.

"Alex", he tried again. "This is two blocks from where you grew up."

"I'm aware of that. Let's just go." And she exited the vehicle. Bobby sighed. He thought they were done shutting each other out. But this case wasn't going to be easy and he had to give her some grace.

As they approached, Captain Hannah was walking towards them. "It's a mess in there," he said, without preamble. "Eames, I understand you might know the family."

Alex nodded. When the text had come in with a murder in Inwood early this morning, bile had risen in her throat and she was panicking. When she saw the address, saw it wasn't her dad, she was relieved. But she still knew the address all too well.

Alex was greeted by several neighbors and police officers as she approached the scene. "I'm glad it's you, Alexandra." "You gotta get these guys, Alex." She hadn't even gotten to the crime scene yet.

Bobby and Alex ducked under the tape and Alex winced slightly at the sight before her. She knew immediately.

"Michael McShane. Retired NYPD," she said. "He worked with my dad. They were good friends."

The Captain stepped in. "A middle aged woman was found with him. Taken to Bellevue." Alex nodded. "Probably his daughter, Michelle. Micky. I grew up with her. She's a parole officer in Brooklyn. What about Linda? The mom. Is she ok?"

Captain Hannah nodded. "Seems like dementia. Took her to Bellevue too, to get checked out. She was covered in blood, but they don't think it was hers."

Dementia. Death. Injury. To all these people that she had considered her family when she was a child. Micky was her best friend til high school when Micky had fallen in with the tough crowd and Alex was prom queen. Regret washed over her for not being a better friend. They sent Christmas cards. But she couldn't think about that now. She joined Bobby who was hovering over the body of Michael McShane who was laying face down in a pool of blood.

"Looks like two in the chest. No exit wounds. Here, let's roll him over." They rolled the body over on his back and found the holes in McShane's chest.

"Looks like a shotgun blast. Close range", Bobby said. "Were there any signs of forced entry?", he called to the cop by the door. The cop shook his head.

"So he lets the guy in, stands close enough for shotgun blasts? This sounds personal", Alex said.

Bobby nodded. "Or, he gets McShane to open the door under false pretenses, pushes him in and then shoots him. Either scenario works. But where do Micky and Linda play into this? Wrong place, wrong time? Other intended targets?"

Captain Hannah came over, pocketing his cell phone. "Michelle McShane is out of surgery. She's awake and asking for whoever's in charge. That would be you. Eames, you go interview Michelle. Goren, stay with the body and get the crime scene processed, time of death, blah blah blah."

Eames and Goren looked at each other. They didn't like to do things separately. Each one had their gifts and they worked better as a team. They had a small conversation with their eyes and it ended with Goren giving her an encouraging smile. Eames headed back to the SUV and Goren turned his attention back to McShane.