Chapter One

Detective Robert Goren sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If I'm going to keep doing these case reviews," he thought. "I'm finally going to have to get glasses." He smiled wryly. "I'll review as many cases as Ross wants. I'm back in the office. I've got my gun and my badge back. I'm still a Detective First Grade. In a few days I'll be working with Eames. I'll do whatever it takes." He returned to his close examination of the files.

A knock at the door interrupted his intense work. Bobby looked up to see a smiling Alex Eames holding two cups of coffee.

"So," she asked. "How's the prisoner?" She placed one of the cups on the table in front of him.

"Not feeling that much imprisoned," Bobby answered. "Thank you." He took a long, grateful drink. "Wow." He shook his head. "I haven't had it that strong for a while. 'Course, I haven't needed it that strong for a while."

Alex smiled at him, and Bobby realized he hadn't felt this warm and happy for a long time.

"You keep plugging away," she said. "And don't make any one mad at you. I'm looking forward to getting my partner back."

"Your partner is looking forward to getting back," Bobby answered genially.

"Well, wish me luck," Alex said. "Logan and I have a follow up this morning."

Bobby frowned in thought. "I thought Wheeler was back…"

"She is," Alex said. "But Logan and I caught a couple of case while you and Wheeler were away." She sighed. "We were just covering…but this is one of those political ones where every t has to be crossed and I dotted."

Bobby smiled sympathetically. "How's working with Logan?"

"Not bad," Alex said. "Not all like his reputation…" Her voice died away.

Bobby smiled sadly as Alex stared at the floor. "I guess," she said. "We know something about reputations and their relationships to reality."

Bobby twirled his pen. "Yea…"

"He's a good guy and a good cop," Alex declared, giving Logan her highest praise. "He…he thinks you got a raw deal…Although he didn't think what you did was the smartest thing he's ever seen."

"There are times I'm inclined to agree with him," Bobby said. "Was Logan, by chance, one of the cops who sent testimonials for me…"

"He was," Alex said cheerfully.

Bobby twirled his pen again. "And did Detective Alex Eames have anything to do with organizing those?"

Alex flushed. "She might have," she said deliberately. "But it wasn't hard for her to find people willing to give them." She looked at the clock and seized the opportunity to flee. "I gotta go…Patience isn't one of Logan's virtues."

Bobby waved a large paw. "Ok…and…thank you, Eames."

Her hand hesitated on the door's latch. "You…you're welcome."

"Be careful out there," Bobby said.

"You be careful in here, Goren," Alex said. "Watch out for those nasty paper cuts." She waved her hand as she left.

Bobby smiled, looked at the pile of files in front of him, sighed, and returned to his work. Roughly an hour after Alex's departure, a knock on the door interrupted Bobby's examination of a photograph. Blinking, he looked up at Captain Danny Ross.

"Detective," Ross said in a determinedly neutral tone.

Bobby wished that for once Ross would acknowledge that he had a name. "Captain," Bobby responded in an equally neutral voice.

"You've made some progress." Ross nodded at the files.

Bobby, surprised at the work he'd accomplished, glanced at the files. "Yes, I guess I have…and I…I may have…"

"Solved them all?" Ross said with a smile.

"Possibly," Bobby said after a beat. "But I'm not sure the ADA's office will agree with my conclusions."

"Well, we'll make every effort to convince them." Ross studied him for a moment. "Goren…"

"So," Bobby thought. "He does know my name."

"I want you to know," Ross continued. "You are wanted in this squad. I wanted you back. I want to be clear about that. The opinions of the Chief and some others in the Brass are not held by everyone." He grimaced. "Not even by some of the Brass. If it was up to me, you'd already be back on the streets with Eames. But…" Ross shrugged his shoulders. "There are political appearances…"

Bobby twirled his pen. "I…I understand, sir. I…I'm just grateful…Thank you…"

"Look, Detective," Ross said as he laid his cards on the table. "I doubt we'll ever work completely calmly together…Too much alike…Too alpha male…Too smart…"

"Too angry," Bobby said.

"Yes," Ross said after a moment. "But whatever our personal conflicts…You're a great detective. You make this department, this squad…Me…look good…" He smiled. "Most of the time. Just know. I want you here. And so do a lot of other people."

Slightly stunned, Bobby watched Ross leave. "Well," he thought. "This has been an interesting day…And a good one…" He mused briefly about what his psychiatrist had told him. "Opportunity," Bobby thought. "This is an opportunity to start again…to see things differently…" He smiled and returned to his work. In a few minutes he was again lost in it, so lost that he was oblivious to the jump in activity in the office a few minutes before noon. Bobby's head shot up when a white faced Ross burst into the room.

"Goren," the Captain began.

"No," Bobby thought. "Eames…"

END CHAPTER ONE