Okay, this one's already gotten two negative reviews on FF.Net. I wrote the thing in like five minutes. I think the whole thing is kinda bizarre.

I dreamed these characters one night, then Dick Wolf stole them from my dreams. Legally I don't own them. Spiritually they are MINE MINE MINE!



Johnny Eames. He remembered the name, of course. Back when he’d been a cadet at the academy, the name Eames had become somewhat of a cautionary tale. Even an outsider like Goren had caught the whispers. “He was double dipping.” Okay, fine, but what’s that? “He takes bribes.” Something more tangible, more understandable. “Hey Goren, there’s your future. Not gonna be able to take the heat, gonna get caught with your hand in the ole cookie jar, eh?”



Maybe, he’d always think. He didn’t so much doubt himself as he did his peers’ respect for him. He realized the effect an outsider status can have on the human psyche. It at times made him want to quit. But then, he knew it would. It had always been like this, even as a military cop. But, it was something to be proud of.



He never suspected he would have that. Nor the accolades he garnered for being, in spite of all expectations, a good officer, then detective. He never thought he’d forget the high of leading a six-man team in the arrests and convictions of twenty-seven perps. Now, that was a rush.



Johnny. Johnny Eames. What a funny name. It didn’t really work, was his own opinion. Funny. From what he heard of him, he’d been a stand-up cop. It must have hurt his family, to have that sting attached to their husband, father, brother. What had made him do it, was the job simply too boring? Had it lost its thrill?



He had a kid in the service, someone named Alex. Poor guy, with a father like that for everyone to remember.



The night he’d gotten transferred to Major Case, he’d read over the letter he’d received from the Chief of D’s. “Your partner from now on will be Alex Eames.” He still remembered, with deep shame, the bitterness he felt at reading that. They’d stuck him with a crooked cop’s son. Probably a bit crooked himself. So, that’s what they really thought of him. Setting him up to fail. Not good enough to be a straight cop’s partner, not even in Major Case.



All these years later, as his partner, his touchstone, his role model and his friend slammed the door after her—her!—for possibly the last time, he remembered bitterly his thoughts that day. He thought she’d be the one to let him down.

This got bad reviews?! Why? I think it's fantastic. It's a great twist on their partnership and a great look inside his mind at the end of Purgatory. What's your name over there again? I'll have to go leave a good review for you.

Awww! *blushes* Thanks a bunch, ciaddict. I guess folks don't like how I treat Goren in my fics. I've already killed him twice, now I've got a rep as a Goren-hater!

My handle there is "Pterryfan," by the way.

You KILLED him?! I don't know if I can handle that. I have read a couple of fics where he dies or commits suicide (and I think, but can't be sure, that InfinityStar wrote those). It's gut-wrenching, but I didn't get the impression that she was a Goren-hater. We fanfic writers are always hurting poor Bobby anyway.

I just posted a review at ff.net, unsteady. Please don't be discouraged. You have a gift with your stories and I think you capture Goren and Eames beautifully. When I read this, I HEARD Bobby's voice, which is what I gauge the talent of the author by.

What a unique view this story takes - Goren's doubts about being partnered with Eames because of her father's reptuation being tainted for 'double dipping'. No one has ever thought of that before, I don't think, not even the LOCI writers!

We always hear about Eames' doubts and that Goren is an acquired taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bobby's take on their 'new' partnership.

And, can I hire a 'social secretary' to remind me to review at more than one place, please? If I review at the mod board or ff.net, I rarely review elsewhere - and as an author myself I devour reviews and know how important they are. I just forget to visit more than one place...

Uhhhh...Eames' father wasn't dirty. He was accused of "double dipping" after he retired. Evidently you're not allowed to earn money from the city (pension) while working for the city, hence "double dipping."

Nice work, Unsteady. You have a way of getting people to really examine the relationship between Goren and Eames, and look beyond what we may want to see. I've always enjoyed thinking about the questions you pose on the main forum, and I've enjoyed your fiction, even if it sometimes feels uncomfortable . . .



Whether Eames' dad was considered a "dirty cop" or whether it was a matter of being caught taking both a salary and his pension is probably neither here nor there for the purposes here. What counts is the fact that what he did was a "no-no," and is what he may be remembered for, despite an excellent career otherwise. So then, aren't we left with the inevitable school question, "Aren't you Jimmy Smith's little sister?" The rep follows you around, whether you're anything like your sibling or not. Here too, you have to wonder about what Eames' reputation might really be in the shadow of her dad's choice. As far as the show is concerned, she is considered above reproach . . . but would that be reality? I'd like to hope that her co-workers and the upper brass would look only at her and her career when dealing with her, but . . .

Again, thoughtful work, Unsteady!

Right...and we do know that his reputation was known, at least to some. In Bedfellows, the ex-cop chauffeur made a crack about Eames' father. He apologized, but it shows that what he had done was known...and it was known that she was his daughter.

Hmm....this brings up an interesting point that I never thought about before. We know that she kept her maiden name when she got married...I wonder if that was before or after her father was caught "double-dipping"? She could have easily changed her name and distanced herself from her father. But she didn't. She chose to be known as Johnny Eames' daughter. Interesting.