CHAPTER FOUR

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you."

Zach Nichols held the coffee cup poised in midair. He turned to see Alex Eames examining a report.

"And why wouldn't you drink it?" he asked.

"Taste it and you'll find out."

Zach raised the cup to his nose, sniffed and winced.

"Gomez," Alex said calmly. "Is a very good cop. But he makes the worst coffee I've ever tasted. And since I'm a cop, I've tasted some pretty horrible coffee."

"So why hasn't he been banned from making it?" Zach asked. He stared at the cup as if he couldn't quite believe what was inside it.

"He has," Alex replied. "But he keeps on doing it. He claims he's finally got the hang of it. He doesn't." She rubbed her eyes. "Ok…I'm going to have to get some decent coffee." She looked at Zach. "You want some, Nichols?"

Zach sat up. "Coffee…You want to have coffee with me?"

Alex shut off her computer. "Well…With Bobby gone, you're the resident genius. And I only have coffee with geniuses."

Zach stood and bowed slightly. "I am deeply honored."

He followed her into the elevator. As the doors closed, Alex and Zach saw Captain Danny Ross standing in the middle of Major Case and staring in dismay at them.

"He probably thinks we're conspiring against him," Alex commented.

"Are we?" Zach asked.

"Not me," Alex answered. "As long as he's not in full battle with my partner I'm usually on Ross' side."

The elevator stopped, and several people entered. Alex and Zach were quiet until they stepped outside One Police Plaza.

"There is," Alex said with the authority of someone who'd memorized all the sources of caffeine within five blocks. "A Starbucks over there…There's also a cheaper place over there that's just as good…"

"Cheaper is fine by me," Zach said. "Unless you're addicted to some Starbucks concoction."

"Bobby's suggested that they may put some other addictive substances than just caffeine in their drinks," Alex said. "But that doesn't keep him from buying me one of their largest, most complicated creations when he's trying to make up with me."

"Does that work?" Zach tried to adjust his stride to match Alex's.

"Sometimes," Alex admitted. "You and Wheeler have trouble walking together?"

"We're working on it," Zach replied evenly. "How long did it take you and Goren?"

"About a year," Alex said. "The fact Bobby's left handed didn't help. We banged into each other for a while."

"Great," Zach sighed. "Just about the time we've figured that out, Wheeler will be on leave."

They reached the coffee shop. Zach insisted on paying for Alex's drink. "I'd like some information, actually," he said as they sat down. "So I feel like I should pay."

"About how to deal with Wheeler and her situation?"

"Yes," Zach said. "Did Goren mention…"

"He did." Alex sipped her coffee. "You could do a lot worse than do what Bobby did for me when I was pregnant."

Zach leaned forward. "He didn't seem to think he'd done all that well."

Alex sighed. "Robert Goren is one of the most brilliant men…and has the least sense of what he does for other people."

"I got a sense of that when I talked to him," Zach said. "I mean…It was great talking with him. I think he liked talking with me. But there were moments when I felt like he was apologizing for taking up my time."

"Yea…That sounds like Bobby…"

"Someone did a number on his head," Zach mused.

"And you know about that since you had psychiatrists for parents." Alex spoke more sharply than she intended.

Zach leaned forward. "I'm sorry. I forget sometimes that people's lives aren't always up for my observation. I like Goren. I really do…But there are interesting contradictions about him."

"I'm sorry to," Alex said. "It's just…I feel I need to protect him sometimes…And lately…Well…He's needed some protecting from himself and from some people who should be watching out for him."

"I…Ah…I've heard about that," Zach said sympathetically. "He crossed Moran over a bad cop."

Alex nodded.

"Goren was right?"

"Yea…"

"Doesn't surprise me…Moran was an idiot when I was working with Ross," Zach said. "Some things don't change."

Alex sipped her coffee. "I was lucky enough that I didn't have to deal with him until…"

"You don't have to go into details," Zach said quietly. "Ross told me some of them."

"Thanks," Alex said shakily.

"Just for the record," Zach continued. "Ross thought Goren was right in that case. And he thinks Moran might have wanted Goren to blow that undercover operation."

Alex stared into her coffee as Zach's words settled in her mind. "You don't think that…The Chief…He's a cop, for God's sake! You don't think he wanted Bobby…"

"I think he wanted a problem to go away," Zach said quietly.

"Oh…God…I…I almost made it go away," Alex choked.

"I think Moran underestimated you and Goren," Zach said. "A lot of people seem to make that mistake."

Alex managed to recover her voice. "I hope you never become a perp."

"I've heard the rumors about Goren…and me," Zach said quietly.

"They don't seem to bother you," Alex answered. "They do Bobby."

"I was raised to have a very high sense of self esteem," Zach said. "I get the impression that Goren didn't have that."

"Yea," Alex said cautiously. "You're certainly like Bobby in one way. You get people to tell you things they don't want to…Even when they know better."

"I'm sorry," Zach said. "I do it without thinking. One of the major reasons behind one of my failed marriages. At first she thought it was great to have a husband who knew what she was thinking."

"How long did that last?" Alex asked.

"Oh, about two years…The divorce took longer, I think."

"I would've liked some thinking about what I was thinking," Alex said. "My husband did that only occasionally."

For the first time since they'd arrived at the coffee shop, Zach looked uncomfortable.

"You know what happened?" Alex asked.

"Yea…Uh…"

"It's ok," Alex said. "You won't upset me by talking about it. The thing is…I've been partners with Bobby a lot longer than I was married." She smiled. "Bobby probably cares more about what I think than my husband did…" She sighed. "See…I did it again…Told you more than I intended. You must be very good at interrogations."

Zach smiled. "Wheeler said the same thing about Goren. Also said he was very sweet to her."

"If we ever need to tag team a suspect," Alex said. "I'm going to suggest to Ross that you and Goren do it."

Zach grinned. "Might scare the suspect out of his skin. As long as Goren and I don't try to impress each other."

"Where is your partner?" Alex asked.

"Doctor's appointment. I…Uh…offered to take her, but she took a raincheck. She did seem to appreciate it."

"I'm sure she did," Alex said. "And I'm sure she'll give you a call if she needs help. Just be sure that you answer her then, if you really mean to help her."

"Oh…I do mean it…I do…" Zach sat up straight in his chair.

"Well, just remember I'll be watching you." Alex tipped her coffee cup towards Zach.

"And where's your partner?" Zach asked.

"He also has a doctor's appointment," Alex said.

"Nothing serious, I hope…"

"No…Just a follow up…" Alex said calmly.

Zach decided against pursuing this line, although he wondered if this appointment had something to do with Goren's suspension and the requirements of his return.

"I guess that wish Wheeler I'll just try to follow Goren's example," he said. "Goren told me he was just around when you needed him. I gather it was more complicated than that."

"Considerably," Alex said. "He did a lot of research. I think he knew more about pregnancy than I did before everything was over. He hovered until I called him on it. He still hovered after that, but he was better at hiding it."

"Yea…Goren mentioned that…"

"I appreciated it. I appreciated him trying to stop hovering and the hovering." Alex smiled. "But what was really great…" The smile disappeared. "Bobby came to see me in the hospital after the baby was born…You know I was a surrogate for my sister?"

Zach nodded. "I was very impressed by that."

"It wasn't that hard. I wasn't that brave…I got pampered beyond my wildest dreams for nine months," Alex said.

"But giving up the baby…"

"That was tough," Alex admitted. "But I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I helped my sister and her husband. And Nate…It's hard to say what we are to each other, but whatever it is, it's great. But right after his birth…" Alex bit her lip. "My family…They were wonderful…But they were occupied with Nate…And then Bobby showed up and…I'm not going to say he saved my life or anything like that because I wasn't that bad off…But he made things a lot better just by being there." She looked at Zach, who could barely meet her gaze. "And that's what you can do for Wheeler. Just be there and make things better."

"That can't be as simple as it sounds," Zach said. "I'm afraid I'll be there and make things worse."

"You'll muddle through," Alex said. "It's what we all do. Muddle through…"

END