Chapter 1
This is the third day in a row she’s left without so much as a “see you later,” Bobby thought as he watched Alex stride quickly to the elevator. As she disappeared around the corner, Bobby jumped up out of his chair sending it flying four feet or so back, grabbed his suit coat, and took off after her. He caught her in the parking garage just as she got to her car.
“Alex!” he said as he leaned on her car, bent over, out of breath.
“What ‘ya do, take the stairs? Try a cardio workout one time Bobby.”
“Look, I know you’re upset. I just don’t know why….exactly”
“Took you four days to figure out I was upset. Small wonder you don’t know why, exactly, it is that I am upset”
“Can we get some dinner and talk? Do you have plans?”
Alex sucked in a breath and paused for a moment. “I don’t know that I’m in the best mood right now Bobby. I’m not sure I feel like hashing it out tonight.”
Bobby’s hand went to his pocket and he fell back against her car. He shuffled his feet for a second and turned back to face her. “Please?” was all he could say.
Alex paused, fought a yes/no battle in her mind and answered with, “OK, let’s walk”
They emerged from the parking garage through the pedestrian entrance and encountered New York at dusk. There was a cool breeze and a full harvest moon. They walked a good five minutes without a word. Booby reached over to put a hand on the small of her back, ushering her to the left at the crosswalk. Another three blocks, and still not a word.
Alex stopped short and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned on one hip and with still a hint of disdain, she quietly asked “Where are we going Bobby?”
Bobby had stopped just in front to face her. He turned to the side and started inching down the sidewalk. As he scooted away, he said almost desperately, “It’s just here, around the corner.” He pleaded with his puppy brown eyes, eyebrows arched, and head nodding in encouragement. Alex could only snort and shake her head. He slowed and waited for her to catch up. When they turned the corner, Alex stopped short again. This time her hands fell to her side and her jaw dropped in reaction to this hidden treasure that only Bobby could know about. She turned her head toward Bobby and her mouth formed the star of “What” but nothing cam out. She turned back to the stunning courtyard overflowing with trees and bushes and fall blooming flowers. Bobby held out his arm beckoning her to enter through the opened iron gates. Under a large oak tree, stood a single iron bench. Bobby walked over to it and took a seat smiling as Alex walked the edges of the garden. The sounds of the city at early evening were barely audible here. Alex stopped in the center of the garden, five feet in front of Bobby.
“What is this place?” she said with a quiet voice.
Bobby stood and walked over to her. He scooted in behind her on her right side and leaned in as he pointed to an old brick building visible over the stone wall at the far left of the courtyard. “That building use to be the state mental hospital. My mom had weekly, sometimes twice weekly visits here for years. I found this courtyard on one of her visits. They used to keep the iron gate we came through locked. They let some of the more permanent residents tend the gardens. My mom stayed here one time for a month or so when I was sixteen. Those azalea bushes were her personal project. Well they aren’t really bushes, I guess” he said almost under his breath as he stepped backed from Alex and looked down at his ever moving feet. Alex turned to watch him. “They’re actually flowering shrubs in the Rhododendron family. They flower all at once in the spring. They have so many stems that when they bloom, they become a solid sea of color”. He jerked forward again and pointed to the shrubs. “Those two have white blooms”. Alex looked over her shoulder. Bobby moved closer. “And that one in the middle is a brilliant red”. For a split second, his chin rested on her shoulder while he pointed. “My mom had me bring it to her. She thought it the perfect punch line to drop a fire engine red azalea shrub right in the middle of two angelic white ones.” When Alex turned back to Bobby he was looking past the shrubs with a solemn smile on his face.
“You’ll have to bring me back in the spring so I can see.”
Bobby turned hi head and looked at Alex, her eyes were soft again, sincere. A quiet moment passed when Bobby suddenly spun on his right foot and came face to face with Alex. “I’m sorry…..I’ve been…..hard on you. This past year, …..it’s been hard.”
“Yes it has. I feel like you don’t trust me anymore, Bobby”
His head shot up. “What?”
“What do you mean, ‘What?!’? You’ve spent the better part of this past year pushing me away. I just assume it’s because you don’t trust me anymore.”
“No, No,” he said frantically, “You couldn’t be more wrong, Alex. It’s just……I………..well, I……..”
“What Bobby?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“How do you think I felt finding out about your mother second hand to Ray Wizenski? How do you think I felt when you told me to ‘Back Off”? How do you think I felt Bobby, when you guilted me into trusting you and letting you go see Mark Ford Brady by yourself? And, how do you think I felt when you tore open Joe’s case with no warning? Yes, Bobby, I would say it’s been a hard year.”
Bobby was stunned. All he could do was stare at her. His mind was racing to the point of dizziness.
“You really had no idea did you Bobby?” And with that, Alex spun on her heels and hurried out of at the courtyard. Bobby didn’t even have it in him to follow. He sank back on the bench, stunned. “How could I have been so unaware?”
Full Version: Working it Out
Chapter 2
“Follow me Bobby! Get up and come after me”, she thought, but she couldn’t, she wouldn’t look back. Alex walked straight back to 1PP, got in her car, and never did look back. If she had, she would have seen Bobby, still on that bench, defeated.
By the time Alex reached her home, the tears had started to fall. “Why do I let him do this to me? That’s it. Alex, my girl, never again. What did I expect anyway, there in that beautiful courtyard, a confession of undying love? I’m an idiot. And, I’m through with this. We’ll just be partners. Get through each case one at a time. I’ll come home and do whatever it is I do when I’m not thinking about him. I’m a strong, independent woman and I’ll be just fine.” She grabbed her bag and forced herself up the stairs. But the sight of an empty house was just too much. She closed the door behind her and slid down to the floor in a heap. The tears flowed freely. “Damn it Bobby.”
At long last, the tears slowed. Alex dried her eyes and made it as far as the kitchen. She let out a sigh and popped the top on a can of Coke. She took a sip, and sat at the kitchen table thumbing through the day’s mail. Finding nothing of any interest, she ran her fingers through her hair and took in a deep cleansing breath. Off to the bathroom she went. “A nice long, hot bath, followed by a cup of hot chocolate, Gladiator (nothing like a little butt kicking to make you feel better) and then bed. I will not think about Bobby” was her last thought before slipping into the tub.
Half way through the movie, the phone rang. She half hoped and half dreaded Bobby was on the other end. The caller ID read Michael McCalister. It was her sister calling. She answered the phone as cheery as possible, “Hey Sis!”
“Hey Alex, what’s going on with you?” Libby asked in just as cheery a tone.
“Not much, long day.” Alex said.
“Uh huh, how’s Bobby”
“He’s fine”
“He’s at your house, isn’t he?”, she said rather mischieveously.
“No, unfortunately, he is not.” The cheery tone was gone and sadness threatened to creep right through. Her sister sensed it immediately.
“You two having trouble?”
“Same ol’ same ol’”
“What do ya’ mean?”
“It’s complicated. Bobby has a lot going on right now.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly. What I do know is that it doesn’t involve me”
“Oh, Alex. Why don’t you just tell him how you feel? I mean, come on, you’ve been pining over the guy for years now.”
“First of all, I have not been pining. Second of all, it’s complicated.”
“Yeah, you said that already. And I’m not buying it. What’s the real hold up, Alex?”
”I don’t know. It’s just….I used to think he cared about me. You know, in that way. I was sure of it even. Just when I thought we had a chance, he told me to ‘back off’. It was last year, at Thanksgiving. I just…… I can’t get past it. You don’t tell someone you care about to back off.”
“Well, why don’t you start there? Tell him he hurt your feelings. Find out if he meant, ‘back off I can’t involve you with this’ or ‘back off, this isn’t going to work between us’. I mean, what have you got to lose, Alex? You’re miserable like this.”
“That’s just it. I’ve got everything to lose. If I can’t have Bobby outside of work, I at least want him with me at work. If I tell him how I feel, and it’s not reciprocated, things would never be comfortable again.”
“Look, all I know is that you can’t keep going like this. You’ve got to resolve things with Bobby one way or another.”
“Yeah…. I know, I know. Now, enough about me. How’s Nathan?”
Alex and her sister finished their conversation and Alex suddenly felt very alone. She still had to quiet her nerves at times. Since Joe Gage, she rarely entered a room in the house without flipping on the light first. She checked her cell phone for messages, of which there were none, and scootched in under the covers. They were cold, and she was painfully aware of the vast expanse of her queen sized bed. There was plenty of room for someone else now that she had truly let the ghost of her husband go. She had been so hurt and so angry at Bobby for opening those old wounds, but in the end, he was right. In opening those old wounds, Alex realized she had never let Joe go. She visited his grave the day after they booked the doctor. She asked Bobby to take her to the cemetery at lunch. He had stayed in the SUV while Alex visited Joe’s grave. She knelt on the dirt in front of his head stone. “We got him Joe. This time we really got him. Bobby helped. I’ve told you about Bobby before. He’s a good man. It killed him to reopen your case. I could see it in his eyes. He knew how much it hurt me too, but he was right, and I think he actually did it for me.” She took a deep breath and felt her lip start to quiver. She looked down at her clasped hands and back up at the head stone. “I have to let you go Joe. I couldn’t do it before. It’s been so hard here without you.” The tears spilled down her cheeks, faster than she could wipe them away. “I love you Joe, I always will, but it’s time. You need to rest, and I need to live. I stopped doing that the day you died. So, I’m here today…… to let you go....... and to let you know, that I’m OK.” She kissed her hand and placed that kiss over his name. She stood and wiped her face. When Bobby saw her heading back to the SUV, he stepped out and stepped forward. Alex stopped just short of his reach and started to cry again. Bobby quietly stepped forward again and, for once, held her without hesitation. She relaxed into his embrace and cried into his chest. He rested his chin on her head and was content in just being there for her. As her sobs began to quiet, they reluctantly parted. Bobby held her hands and gave her a small, comforting smile. At that moment, Alex had thought she could see everything in his eyes. She was sure that he knew this trip was about letting go of Joe to make room for him. She was sure that, in that moment, they both knew.
“How could I have been so wrong” she said in slightly more than a whisper. One tear escaped out of the corner of her eye. She turned over on her side, away from the door toward the window. The moon was full and the night sky was uncommonly clear. “God in all His wonder” she thought, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
“Follow me Bobby! Get up and come after me”, she thought, but she couldn’t, she wouldn’t look back. Alex walked straight back to 1PP, got in her car, and never did look back. If she had, she would have seen Bobby, still on that bench, defeated.
By the time Alex reached her home, the tears had started to fall. “Why do I let him do this to me? That’s it. Alex, my girl, never again. What did I expect anyway, there in that beautiful courtyard, a confession of undying love? I’m an idiot. And, I’m through with this. We’ll just be partners. Get through each case one at a time. I’ll come home and do whatever it is I do when I’m not thinking about him. I’m a strong, independent woman and I’ll be just fine.” She grabbed her bag and forced herself up the stairs. But the sight of an empty house was just too much. She closed the door behind her and slid down to the floor in a heap. The tears flowed freely. “Damn it Bobby.”
At long last, the tears slowed. Alex dried her eyes and made it as far as the kitchen. She let out a sigh and popped the top on a can of Coke. She took a sip, and sat at the kitchen table thumbing through the day’s mail. Finding nothing of any interest, she ran her fingers through her hair and took in a deep cleansing breath. Off to the bathroom she went. “A nice long, hot bath, followed by a cup of hot chocolate, Gladiator (nothing like a little butt kicking to make you feel better) and then bed. I will not think about Bobby” was her last thought before slipping into the tub.
Half way through the movie, the phone rang. She half hoped and half dreaded Bobby was on the other end. The caller ID read Michael McCalister. It was her sister calling. She answered the phone as cheery as possible, “Hey Sis!”
“Hey Alex, what’s going on with you?” Libby asked in just as cheery a tone.
“Not much, long day.” Alex said.
“Uh huh, how’s Bobby”
“He’s fine”
“He’s at your house, isn’t he?”, she said rather mischieveously.
“No, unfortunately, he is not.” The cheery tone was gone and sadness threatened to creep right through. Her sister sensed it immediately.
“You two having trouble?”
“Same ol’ same ol’”
“What do ya’ mean?”
“It’s complicated. Bobby has a lot going on right now.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly. What I do know is that it doesn’t involve me”
“Oh, Alex. Why don’t you just tell him how you feel? I mean, come on, you’ve been pining over the guy for years now.”
“First of all, I have not been pining. Second of all, it’s complicated.”
“Yeah, you said that already. And I’m not buying it. What’s the real hold up, Alex?”
”I don’t know. It’s just….I used to think he cared about me. You know, in that way. I was sure of it even. Just when I thought we had a chance, he told me to ‘back off’. It was last year, at Thanksgiving. I just…… I can’t get past it. You don’t tell someone you care about to back off.”
“Well, why don’t you start there? Tell him he hurt your feelings. Find out if he meant, ‘back off I can’t involve you with this’ or ‘back off, this isn’t going to work between us’. I mean, what have you got to lose, Alex? You’re miserable like this.”
“That’s just it. I’ve got everything to lose. If I can’t have Bobby outside of work, I at least want him with me at work. If I tell him how I feel, and it’s not reciprocated, things would never be comfortable again.”
“Look, all I know is that you can’t keep going like this. You’ve got to resolve things with Bobby one way or another.”
“Yeah…. I know, I know. Now, enough about me. How’s Nathan?”
Alex and her sister finished their conversation and Alex suddenly felt very alone. She still had to quiet her nerves at times. Since Joe Gage, she rarely entered a room in the house without flipping on the light first. She checked her cell phone for messages, of which there were none, and scootched in under the covers. They were cold, and she was painfully aware of the vast expanse of her queen sized bed. There was plenty of room for someone else now that she had truly let the ghost of her husband go. She had been so hurt and so angry at Bobby for opening those old wounds, but in the end, he was right. In opening those old wounds, Alex realized she had never let Joe go. She visited his grave the day after they booked the doctor. She asked Bobby to take her to the cemetery at lunch. He had stayed in the SUV while Alex visited Joe’s grave. She knelt on the dirt in front of his head stone. “We got him Joe. This time we really got him. Bobby helped. I’ve told you about Bobby before. He’s a good man. It killed him to reopen your case. I could see it in his eyes. He knew how much it hurt me too, but he was right, and I think he actually did it for me.” She took a deep breath and felt her lip start to quiver. She looked down at her clasped hands and back up at the head stone. “I have to let you go Joe. I couldn’t do it before. It’s been so hard here without you.” The tears spilled down her cheeks, faster than she could wipe them away. “I love you Joe, I always will, but it’s time. You need to rest, and I need to live. I stopped doing that the day you died. So, I’m here today…… to let you go....... and to let you know, that I’m OK.” She kissed her hand and placed that kiss over his name. She stood and wiped her face. When Bobby saw her heading back to the SUV, he stepped out and stepped forward. Alex stopped just short of his reach and started to cry again. Bobby quietly stepped forward again and, for once, held her without hesitation. She relaxed into his embrace and cried into his chest. He rested his chin on her head and was content in just being there for her. As her sobs began to quiet, they reluctantly parted. Bobby held her hands and gave her a small, comforting smile. At that moment, Alex had thought she could see everything in his eyes. She was sure that he knew this trip was about letting go of Joe to make room for him. She was sure that, in that moment, they both knew.
“How could I have been so wrong” she said in slightly more than a whisper. One tear escaped out of the corner of her eye. She turned over on her side, away from the door toward the window. The moon was full and the night sky was uncommonly clear. “God in all His wonder” she thought, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 3 (How Bobby spent the rest of his day)
Bobby found himself back at 1PP not exactly sure how he got there. He considered going back upstairs to muddle through some unfinished paperwork, but he knew concentration would be futile. Instead, he got into the SUV and headed home. Once home, he tossed the mail on the table and headed to his bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and took in a deep breath. His arm came to rest over his eyes as he tried to quiet his mind. It was no use. All he could see was the hurt on her face and all he could feel was guilt for having been the cause. He sat up and loosened his tie with a sigh. He kicked off his shoes and stood to change clothes. He chose a pair of well worn jeans and an old faded NYPD t-shirt. Alex had slept in that t-shirt once. It hung down to her knees. It was right after she returned from maternity leave. She was exhausted at the time, they both were. They had left the office at well past midnight. Alex was too tired to drive. It was the first time she had slept on his couch. He had not slept at all. Having her that close was torture. He had held off washing that shirt until long after her scent had faded completely from the fabric. Bobby smiled at the memory of Alex in his t-shirt, but joy was quickly replaced by guilt. He made his way to the kitchen. In the frig, he found nothing to entice his appetite. He looked at his watch. Eight o’clock, Friday night. Lewis would be hosting his weekly poker night at the shop. He and Alex had gone together on several occasions. It was fun watching her interact with his friends. She was beautiful when she laughed. It had been a while since he had even seen her smile, at least at him. Bobby grabbed his old flannel shirt off the back of the chair and headed out the door.
Twenty minutes later, Bobby pulled into the parking lot a Lewis’s garage. He hesitated before going in, knowing he wouldn’t be great company. He turned off the engine and went in anyway. The last place he wanted to be right now was alone with his thoughts.
“Hey Bobby – What’s up man?”
“Hey Lewis” The two men embraced like old friends do.
“Where’s Detective Alex?”
Bobby stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Um, at home …….I guess.”
“You two have a fight?”
“Nah, we’re alright”
“Right” Lewis said. “Grab a cold one and ante up. I’m getting ready to take everybody’s money.”
Bobby smiled and joined the game – five card stud- Lewis’ favorite game.
Several hours later, with one very warm Miller Light still in hand, Bobby excused himself from the table. Lewis watched him walk toward the office. When Bobby came out of the “executive” bathroom, Lewis was waiting. “What gives Bobby?” Lewis stood firmly between Bobby and the office exit.
“What do you mean?”
Lewis rolled his eyes. “Come on Bobby. It’s Alex isn’t it?”
“No.” Bobby said with a little too much tenor in his voice.
“What happened?”
Bobby took a deep breath. His mouth opened, but only his hands began to speak. They were flying wildly around his head like two trapped birds. Then, right on queue, he started to pace. Lewis just leaned against the door and patiently waited for Bobby to gather his thoughts. Bobby stopped and again opened his mouth to speak, but, again, nothing came out. He sighed and started pacing again. This time, when he stopped, it all came flowing out. “I love her, Lewis, but……. I’m afraid I………… I pushed too hard this time. She tried to be there for me, time and time again, but I wouldn’t let her. Every time she got close, I just shut down. Last Thanksgiving I said some things that I shouldn’t have. I know I hurt her. Things were getting better, and then I re-opened her husband’s case. I had to…………..I….. I think she understood that we had to do it, but I should have handled things better. I should have, I don’t know, warned her first or kept her out of it, I don’t know…….. but, I think I really blew it this time.” He stopped pacing and looked to Lewis for an answer
“I thought you two seemed pretty solid at your mom’s funeral”
“We were. At least I thought we were” He started to pace again. Back and forth until suddenly, he just stopped. His expression softened, but he continued to ring his hands. “She stayed with me…………the night of the funeral. Frank didn’t show………….I was so angry. Mom was gone………..I was just so……..sad……….a..and lost. I was setting on the couch in my apartment. I saw her walk past me out of the corner of my eye. Then I heard music………..it was turned down low…………….Ella Fitzgerald. I looked up and she was kneeling in front of me. She put her hands on my knees and gave me the most comforting smile………..She reached for me and my hands just went to hers. The way she looked at me………..she knew…..and I knew…………..everything was gonna’ be OK. I started to cry. I was just so tired …….overwhelmed. It was the first time I had cried since Mom died. She moved to set next to me on the couch. I collapsed with my head in her lap……….When I woke up the next morning, she was still there. She was lying next to me on the couch, still holding on to me………….I swear Lewis, I’ve never felt so safe.”
“You’re in love with her” was Lewis’ only answer.
Bobby started to nod, ever so slightly, and in not much more than a whisper he agreed. “Yeah……Yeah I am”
“This is a good thing Bobby. You and Alex, it’s just right…. And good. What are you waiting for?”
“It’s just…I just……I don’t see how she could love me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Look at me Lewis, I’m a wreck………a train wreck.”
“Bobby,” Lewis said, very matter-of-factly, “You’ve had a lot of bad crap in your life. More than anyone should, but, I really don’t think any of that matters to Alex. She’s been through a lot too. The point is Bobby. I’ve seen you two together. It’s just…….right.”
“So what do I do now?”
“Apologize”
Bobby let out a breath.
“Then stop talking and show her how you feel” Lewis grinned and lifted his eyebrows.
Bobby snorted and shook his head.
Lewis stepped to the right and swung open the office door. “So go.”
“What, now?”
“No time like the present my friend”
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[size="3"]TBC
Bobby found himself back at 1PP not exactly sure how he got there. He considered going back upstairs to muddle through some unfinished paperwork, but he knew concentration would be futile. Instead, he got into the SUV and headed home. Once home, he tossed the mail on the table and headed to his bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and took in a deep breath. His arm came to rest over his eyes as he tried to quiet his mind. It was no use. All he could see was the hurt on her face and all he could feel was guilt for having been the cause. He sat up and loosened his tie with a sigh. He kicked off his shoes and stood to change clothes. He chose a pair of well worn jeans and an old faded NYPD t-shirt. Alex had slept in that t-shirt once. It hung down to her knees. It was right after she returned from maternity leave. She was exhausted at the time, they both were. They had left the office at well past midnight. Alex was too tired to drive. It was the first time she had slept on his couch. He had not slept at all. Having her that close was torture. He had held off washing that shirt until long after her scent had faded completely from the fabric. Bobby smiled at the memory of Alex in his t-shirt, but joy was quickly replaced by guilt. He made his way to the kitchen. In the frig, he found nothing to entice his appetite. He looked at his watch. Eight o’clock, Friday night. Lewis would be hosting his weekly poker night at the shop. He and Alex had gone together on several occasions. It was fun watching her interact with his friends. She was beautiful when she laughed. It had been a while since he had even seen her smile, at least at him. Bobby grabbed his old flannel shirt off the back of the chair and headed out the door.
Twenty minutes later, Bobby pulled into the parking lot a Lewis’s garage. He hesitated before going in, knowing he wouldn’t be great company. He turned off the engine and went in anyway. The last place he wanted to be right now was alone with his thoughts.
“Hey Bobby – What’s up man?”
“Hey Lewis” The two men embraced like old friends do.
“Where’s Detective Alex?”
Bobby stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Um, at home …….I guess.”
“You two have a fight?”
“Nah, we’re alright”
“Right” Lewis said. “Grab a cold one and ante up. I’m getting ready to take everybody’s money.”
Bobby smiled and joined the game – five card stud- Lewis’ favorite game.
Several hours later, with one very warm Miller Light still in hand, Bobby excused himself from the table. Lewis watched him walk toward the office. When Bobby came out of the “executive” bathroom, Lewis was waiting. “What gives Bobby?” Lewis stood firmly between Bobby and the office exit.
“What do you mean?”
Lewis rolled his eyes. “Come on Bobby. It’s Alex isn’t it?”
“No.” Bobby said with a little too much tenor in his voice.
“What happened?”
Bobby took a deep breath. His mouth opened, but only his hands began to speak. They were flying wildly around his head like two trapped birds. Then, right on queue, he started to pace. Lewis just leaned against the door and patiently waited for Bobby to gather his thoughts. Bobby stopped and again opened his mouth to speak, but, again, nothing came out. He sighed and started pacing again. This time, when he stopped, it all came flowing out. “I love her, Lewis, but……. I’m afraid I………… I pushed too hard this time. She tried to be there for me, time and time again, but I wouldn’t let her. Every time she got close, I just shut down. Last Thanksgiving I said some things that I shouldn’t have. I know I hurt her. Things were getting better, and then I re-opened her husband’s case. I had to…………..I….. I think she understood that we had to do it, but I should have handled things better. I should have, I don’t know, warned her first or kept her out of it, I don’t know…….. but, I think I really blew it this time.” He stopped pacing and looked to Lewis for an answer
“I thought you two seemed pretty solid at your mom’s funeral”
“We were. At least I thought we were” He started to pace again. Back and forth until suddenly, he just stopped. His expression softened, but he continued to ring his hands. “She stayed with me…………the night of the funeral. Frank didn’t show………….I was so angry. Mom was gone………..I was just so……..sad……….a..and lost. I was setting on the couch in my apartment. I saw her walk past me out of the corner of my eye. Then I heard music………..it was turned down low…………….Ella Fitzgerald. I looked up and she was kneeling in front of me. She put her hands on my knees and gave me the most comforting smile………..She reached for me and my hands just went to hers. The way she looked at me………..she knew…..and I knew…………..everything was gonna’ be OK. I started to cry. I was just so tired …….overwhelmed. It was the first time I had cried since Mom died. She moved to set next to me on the couch. I collapsed with my head in her lap……….When I woke up the next morning, she was still there. She was lying next to me on the couch, still holding on to me………….I swear Lewis, I’ve never felt so safe.”
“You’re in love with her” was Lewis’ only answer.
Bobby started to nod, ever so slightly, and in not much more than a whisper he agreed. “Yeah……Yeah I am”
“This is a good thing Bobby. You and Alex, it’s just right…. And good. What are you waiting for?”
“It’s just…I just……I don’t see how she could love me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Look at me Lewis, I’m a wreck………a train wreck.”
“Bobby,” Lewis said, very matter-of-factly, “You’ve had a lot of bad crap in your life. More than anyone should, but, I really don’t think any of that matters to Alex. She’s been through a lot too. The point is Bobby. I’ve seen you two together. It’s just…….right.”
“So what do I do now?”
“Apologize”
Bobby let out a breath.
“Then stop talking and show her how you feel” Lewis grinned and lifted his eyebrows.
Bobby snorted and shook his head.
Lewis stepped to the right and swung open the office door. “So go.”
“What, now?”
“No time like the present my friend”
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[size="3"]TBC
Hi Bubba here, thanks for the new story. Looking forward to the next chapters.
Chapter 4
Bobby pulled up outside of Alex’s house. It was 2:03AM. One light was on, in the den. He knew she always kept this one on at night now, ever since the Gages had entered her life. His stomach clinched at the thought of her ordeal. He took a deep breath and looked toward her bedroom window. “If I wake her up, she’ll probably shoot me.” He chuckled in spite of himself. He cut the engine and leaned back in his seat. He remembered bringing her home from the hospital after her kidnapping. She had stopped just short of the door, paralyzed, eyes wide with fear. Her breathing quickened. She was frozen in that spot. Bobby had maneuvered around her stopping briefly at her side to squeeze her arm in an attempt at comfort. He unlocked the door and stepped into the house, leaving the door wide open. It was late-afternoon. Even so, Bobby went through the house turning on every light he could find. He went back to the doorway and held out an open hand to his partner. The movement broke Alex’s stare. She looked at Bobby and then down at his open hand. She hesitated briefly and then reached to take it. He led her safely through the door. Still holding hands, they moved into the den where Jo Gage had blindsided Alex. Bobby had removed the birdcage where Polly had lived and had made sure the carpets were clean and all the furniture was in its proper place. In the den, Alex started to shake. Bobby squeezed her hand and gently ushered her toward and down the hallway. They moved into her bedroom, and Bobby set the duffle bag he was carrying on a chair in the corner. Alex moved from the doorway to the bed. She lowered herself gingerly onto the edge. She sat straight, perfectly straight, and held on to the bed with clinched fists. Her breaths were still coming quickly. Bobby’s heart ached for her, and his mind was riddled with guilt. He sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulders. She turned into him, rested her head on his chest, and started to cry. He put his other arm around her and held her as close as he could. She grabbed his shirt with her right hand and balled it into her fist. She took a deep breath and let out a muffled scream of frustration. Bobby placed his forehead on the top of her head. It was all he could do not to break down with her. He kissed the top of her head and let his chin rest comfortable in the same spot. Her tears began to subside and her hand fell to her lap. She pulled away slowly and started to wipe at her face. The never said a word – they didn’t have to. She stood without looking at him and disappeared into her bathroom. “It was my fault - all her pain - everything she went through - it was my fault.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He ran his hands through his hair and hid his face between his forearms. What Bobby didn’t’ know, was that , in that moment on the bed, Alex had felt safe, safe enough to scream, safer than she had felt in a very long time, the Gages be damned. Bobby heard her pull the shower curtain back and, without even thinking, he charged toward the bathroom. He found her in her underwear, ripping the curtain from its hooks one by one in a blind fury. He stopped just short of her and let her do what she needed to do. With the curtain defeated on the floor, Alex started to sway. Bobby grabbed her just as she bent to wretch. With one arm around her shoulders and one arm around her tiny waist, he guided her to the toilet and helped her to her knees. While Alex lost what little she had eaten for lunch, Bobby knelt with her. He held her hair back from her face. When she was finished, Bobby started to move away in search of a rag to wet for her face. Alex grabbed his arm. “Don’t go” was all she had to say.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Bobby promised. And he meant it, heart and sole.
Without getting up, he stretched to grab a hand towel from the sink. Without losing contact with Alex, he stretched to wet the towel. Bobby helped Alex lean against the wall and wiped her forehead with the cold, wet rag. She was pale as a ghost, clammy, and she was sweating.
“I’ll run you a bath. You just sit”
Alex nodded and Bobby moved to fill the tub. “Do you need anything for pain?”
“Maybe some Ibuprofen”
Alex had her eyes closed and the back of her head was resting against the wall.
“You don’t want your prescription?” Bobby encouraged.
She gently shook her head “no”. “They make me dizzy. I don’t like ‘em”
“Ok, stay there. I’ll be right back.”
Bobby returned shortly with three Ibuprofen and a small glass of Sprite. Her color was better, and she was no longer sweating. Bobby kneeled in front of her and passed her the meds. He smiled a small, comforting smile and walked to the tub to stop the water. He checked the temperature and put an extra large bath towel in easy reach of the tub. He went back to help Alex to her feet. She made it to the side of the tub and looked at Bobby out of the corner of her eye. She moved to pull one of her straps down off her shoulder and Bobby turned around. He waited with his back to her until he heard her say, “OK, I’m in.”
With his back still to her he said, “I’ll be just outside this door if you need me.”
Thirty minutes later, Alex emerged from the bathroom wrapped in the extra large bath towel Bobby had left for her. He stood to face her. He couldn’t help but scan her head to toe. She had never looked …….fragile……..to him before. It scared the hell out of him. He realized he was staring and started to fidget.
Alex smiled. “I need to get my clothes,” she said shyly and pointed past him to the dresser drawers.
“Oh. Right………..I’ll a……..”I’ll just wait (he pointed toward the den)………..I’ll just wait for you in the den.” He backed toward the bedroom door.
Alex nodded and watched him leave.
Bobby was on the couch reading one of her magazines when she stepped into the den. He hadn’t heard her coming. She watched him for a minute before her eyes trailed over to the place where Jo Gage had struck her. She sucked in a breath and Bobby jumped, realizing she had entered the room. He stood facing her, holding the magazine down by his side. He stared at her for a moment thinking how beautiful she looked in a simple cotton pajama set. It was light blue, a loose fitting peasant style shirt and long, loose pants. Alex broke his reverie. “What are you reading there?”
“What……Oh………nothing.” He dropped the Vogue back onto the coffee table.
Alex chuckled and moved past him to set on the couch. She flipped on the TV and looked up at Bobby. He sat back down on the couch next to her. Alex leaned onto his side. Bobby put his arm around her and shifted so that she would be more comfortable. “Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m good now”
She snuggled into his embrace and, before too long, drifted off to sleep. Bobby carried her to her bed all the while thinking, “If she knew I was carrying her to bed, she’d kick my ass”. He tucked her in and shut off the overhead light, leaving the light on her night stand burning. After a quick shower in the guest bathroom, he made himself comfortable on the couch. He would spend many nights at her house over the next couple of months. He usually fell asleep on the couch, but ended up holding Alex in her bed after on of her nightmares. He slept easily next to her. Although he wished for nothing more than an end to her nightmares, he selfishly looked forward to waking up next to her in the early hours of the morning. Bobby always awoke before Alex did, always content to simply watch her sleep.
Bobby looked back up at Alex’s house. He missed spending time with her there. He missed spending down time with her anywhere. Most of all, he missed Alex. Bobby took a deep breath and hesitated before starting up the SUV. With one last look at the house, he put the SUV in drive and pulled away slowly. He was thinking about how he would make this right. “Tomorrow,” he said out loud, and a small smile escaped to grace his weary face.
Bobby pulled up outside of Alex’s house. It was 2:03AM. One light was on, in the den. He knew she always kept this one on at night now, ever since the Gages had entered her life. His stomach clinched at the thought of her ordeal. He took a deep breath and looked toward her bedroom window. “If I wake her up, she’ll probably shoot me.” He chuckled in spite of himself. He cut the engine and leaned back in his seat. He remembered bringing her home from the hospital after her kidnapping. She had stopped just short of the door, paralyzed, eyes wide with fear. Her breathing quickened. She was frozen in that spot. Bobby had maneuvered around her stopping briefly at her side to squeeze her arm in an attempt at comfort. He unlocked the door and stepped into the house, leaving the door wide open. It was late-afternoon. Even so, Bobby went through the house turning on every light he could find. He went back to the doorway and held out an open hand to his partner. The movement broke Alex’s stare. She looked at Bobby and then down at his open hand. She hesitated briefly and then reached to take it. He led her safely through the door. Still holding hands, they moved into the den where Jo Gage had blindsided Alex. Bobby had removed the birdcage where Polly had lived and had made sure the carpets were clean and all the furniture was in its proper place. In the den, Alex started to shake. Bobby squeezed her hand and gently ushered her toward and down the hallway. They moved into her bedroom, and Bobby set the duffle bag he was carrying on a chair in the corner. Alex moved from the doorway to the bed. She lowered herself gingerly onto the edge. She sat straight, perfectly straight, and held on to the bed with clinched fists. Her breaths were still coming quickly. Bobby’s heart ached for her, and his mind was riddled with guilt. He sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulders. She turned into him, rested her head on his chest, and started to cry. He put his other arm around her and held her as close as he could. She grabbed his shirt with her right hand and balled it into her fist. She took a deep breath and let out a muffled scream of frustration. Bobby placed his forehead on the top of her head. It was all he could do not to break down with her. He kissed the top of her head and let his chin rest comfortable in the same spot. Her tears began to subside and her hand fell to her lap. She pulled away slowly and started to wipe at her face. The never said a word – they didn’t have to. She stood without looking at him and disappeared into her bathroom. “It was my fault - all her pain - everything she went through - it was my fault.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He ran his hands through his hair and hid his face between his forearms. What Bobby didn’t’ know, was that , in that moment on the bed, Alex had felt safe, safe enough to scream, safer than she had felt in a very long time, the Gages be damned. Bobby heard her pull the shower curtain back and, without even thinking, he charged toward the bathroom. He found her in her underwear, ripping the curtain from its hooks one by one in a blind fury. He stopped just short of her and let her do what she needed to do. With the curtain defeated on the floor, Alex started to sway. Bobby grabbed her just as she bent to wretch. With one arm around her shoulders and one arm around her tiny waist, he guided her to the toilet and helped her to her knees. While Alex lost what little she had eaten for lunch, Bobby knelt with her. He held her hair back from her face. When she was finished, Bobby started to move away in search of a rag to wet for her face. Alex grabbed his arm. “Don’t go” was all she had to say.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Bobby promised. And he meant it, heart and sole.
Without getting up, he stretched to grab a hand towel from the sink. Without losing contact with Alex, he stretched to wet the towel. Bobby helped Alex lean against the wall and wiped her forehead with the cold, wet rag. She was pale as a ghost, clammy, and she was sweating.
“I’ll run you a bath. You just sit”
Alex nodded and Bobby moved to fill the tub. “Do you need anything for pain?”
“Maybe some Ibuprofen”
Alex had her eyes closed and the back of her head was resting against the wall.
“You don’t want your prescription?” Bobby encouraged.
She gently shook her head “no”. “They make me dizzy. I don’t like ‘em”
“Ok, stay there. I’ll be right back.”
Bobby returned shortly with three Ibuprofen and a small glass of Sprite. Her color was better, and she was no longer sweating. Bobby kneeled in front of her and passed her the meds. He smiled a small, comforting smile and walked to the tub to stop the water. He checked the temperature and put an extra large bath towel in easy reach of the tub. He went back to help Alex to her feet. She made it to the side of the tub and looked at Bobby out of the corner of her eye. She moved to pull one of her straps down off her shoulder and Bobby turned around. He waited with his back to her until he heard her say, “OK, I’m in.”
With his back still to her he said, “I’ll be just outside this door if you need me.”
Thirty minutes later, Alex emerged from the bathroom wrapped in the extra large bath towel Bobby had left for her. He stood to face her. He couldn’t help but scan her head to toe. She had never looked …….fragile……..to him before. It scared the hell out of him. He realized he was staring and started to fidget.
Alex smiled. “I need to get my clothes,” she said shyly and pointed past him to the dresser drawers.
“Oh. Right………..I’ll a……..”I’ll just wait (he pointed toward the den)………..I’ll just wait for you in the den.” He backed toward the bedroom door.
Alex nodded and watched him leave.
Bobby was on the couch reading one of her magazines when she stepped into the den. He hadn’t heard her coming. She watched him for a minute before her eyes trailed over to the place where Jo Gage had struck her. She sucked in a breath and Bobby jumped, realizing she had entered the room. He stood facing her, holding the magazine down by his side. He stared at her for a moment thinking how beautiful she looked in a simple cotton pajama set. It was light blue, a loose fitting peasant style shirt and long, loose pants. Alex broke his reverie. “What are you reading there?”
“What……Oh………nothing.” He dropped the Vogue back onto the coffee table.
Alex chuckled and moved past him to set on the couch. She flipped on the TV and looked up at Bobby. He sat back down on the couch next to her. Alex leaned onto his side. Bobby put his arm around her and shifted so that she would be more comfortable. “Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m good now”
She snuggled into his embrace and, before too long, drifted off to sleep. Bobby carried her to her bed all the while thinking, “If she knew I was carrying her to bed, she’d kick my ass”. He tucked her in and shut off the overhead light, leaving the light on her night stand burning. After a quick shower in the guest bathroom, he made himself comfortable on the couch. He would spend many nights at her house over the next couple of months. He usually fell asleep on the couch, but ended up holding Alex in her bed after on of her nightmares. He slept easily next to her. Although he wished for nothing more than an end to her nightmares, he selfishly looked forward to waking up next to her in the early hours of the morning. Bobby always awoke before Alex did, always content to simply watch her sleep.
Bobby looked back up at Alex’s house. He missed spending time with her there. He missed spending down time with her anywhere. Most of all, he missed Alex. Bobby took a deep breath and hesitated before starting up the SUV. With one last look at the house, he put the SUV in drive and pulled away slowly. He was thinking about how he would make this right. “Tomorrow,” he said out loud, and a small smile escaped to grace his weary face.
Chapter 5
Alex awoke later than she meant to. It was 8:30 and she was hungry. She made her way to the bathroom and stopped to look at herself in the mirror. She smoothed the lines she saw in the mirror with her fingers, turned sideways and sucked in her tummy as far as she could. “Aaaaaah” she growled. “When did I get so old?” It’s not that she disliked what she saw. She was still an attractive woman. It was more the fact that, being this age usually came with…….perks. Perks she was sure she deserved. She even found herself longing for them on occasion: children, a husband, a “regular” job with “normal” hours. She lifted her eyebrows with her thumbs and took in her features, first to the left and then to the right. Her hands fell to her side and she let out a big sigh. “Bad mood Bertha” she said to herself in the mirror and headed out of the bathroom to the kitchen.
She turned into the kitchen and flipped on the light. “What the hell?”
There in the middle of her table was a small bouquet of Gerber daisies tied with a yellow ribbon and a note, next to a small white paper sack. Alex leaned back out of the kitchen and scanned the den. Nothing there. The hall was clear both directions as well. She looked back to the table. She started scratching her thumbs with her ring fingers the way she always did when she was anxious. She studied the bouquet from the doorway for a minute before advancing to the table. She picked up the note, careful to lift the top fold with only the lightest touch of her thumb. She was a detective after all. Her eyes immediately went to the signature.
“Bobby”
Without taking her eyes from his name, she pulled out a chair and sat on her folded leg to read the note.
Alex,
You were right, in the garden. I have a lot of explaining to do. Please let me take you out tonight. I want to make things right. More than anything, I want us to be right. I’ll pick you up at 6:00. If you aren’t here, I’ll understand.
Yours,
Bobby
Alex looked up from reading the note. Her heart was pounding. She reached for the daisies and took in their fresh fragrance. They smelled like spring, like new beginnings. Her body gave an uncontrolled shudder. She laid the bouquet back on the table, unconsciously refusing to let go of the note. She reached for the white paper sack. Inside she found two chess pastries, her absolute favorite. She smiled in spite of herself. “Bobby” she breathed. She stood with the note still in hand and went to start the coffee maker. Maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad after all.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
9:30 AM. Bobby was in the SUV heading back to Lewis’ garage. An old favorite, “With or Without You” was playing on the radio. His mind wondered to Alex. “Surely she’s found them by now,” he thought and he looked at his watch. He allowed a faint smile to cross his face. He had no idea how to explain his behavior to her tonight, that is, if she even showed up. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. She had given him plenty of chances in the past. He just hoped he was wrong, that it wasn’t too late. The thought of spending the rest of his days without her was just too much. Losing his mother, losing his brother again to drugs and gambling, losing his grip when Mark Ford Brady entered his life, those losses he could handle. After all, he had been conditioned to handle loss, regret, and disappointment, but with Alex it was different. That kind of loss, he simply could not take.
Bobby pulled into Lewis’ shop and found hid friend working underneath a new Chevy Camaro.
“Wheeeeeeeew”, Bobby whistled as he made his way to the car.
Lewis slid out from under the car. “Nice, huh?”
“I’ll say.” Bobby raised an eyebrow as he ran his hand down the black racing stripe.
“Too bad it’s crap underneath.” Bobby helped Lewis up with an outstretched hand.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think they rushed crankin’ ‘em out.” Lewis tossed Bobby a clean shop towel.
“Soooo, how did it go last night with Alex?”
“I didn’t see Alex.” Bobby circled the car to get a full view.
“You’re such a wuss.”
“No. I went by her house and all the lights were off. She was either gone or asleep so I went home.” Bobby kept his eyes on the Camaro but continued to talk, faster than a teenaged girl. “I left something for her on her kitchen table though early this morning.”
“You broke into her house?” Lewis couldn’t believe what he just heard.
“No, I didn’t break into her house. I have a key. Besides, it’s not like I watched her sleeping or anything. I’m not a stalker. I just left some breakfast on her table and a note.”
“You watched her sleeping didn’t you” Lewis said flatly.
“No! I didn’t…………..I thought about it, but I didn’t”
Lewis chuckled. “So what did the note say?”
“I just asked her if I could take her out tonight. I’m picking her up at six………..at her house……………if she shows.”
“She’ll show”
“I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t” Bobby was now studying his feet intently.
“Bobby, the first thing you have to do is lose the self-pity.”
“What?” His head snapped up.
Lewis had his nose in a box of tools. “You heard me. Quit looking at your feet. Stand still. And tell her you’re an idiot. Tell her the real reason you acted like such a jerk. And then tell her, no, show her, how you feel.”
Bobby leaned against the Camaro and brought one arm to rest around his waist. He brought his other hand to his mouth and started to chew on his knuckles.
“And quit chewing on your knuckles. It’s just weird.”
Bobby dropped his hand to his side and furrowed his brow. “Can I borrow a car?”
Lewis found the wrench he was looking for and turned around to face Bobby.
“A car?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to take her out in the same thing we ride around in at work.”
“OK. Which one?”
“The Mustang.” Bobby and Lewis had rebuilt a 1965 white Mustang a couple of years ago. As kids, it had been their dream car. Some dreams you just don’t let go of. Alex had helped more than a few times with the rebuild. She had accompanied Bobby to the garage on Saturdays and had ended up as greasy as the two of them. It had taken only one Saturday for Lewis to realize that any notion he had of asking Detective Alex out was best left unsaid. It was obvious, at least to everyone but the two of them, that Bobby and Alex were made for each other.
“The Mustang, huh?”
“Yeah, can I take it?”
“It’s as much yours as it is mine Bobby. I’m surprised you haven’t taken her out in it already. I seem to remember Alex making that very suggestion a couple of years ago.” Alex was at the shop the Saturday they finished the rebuild. When Lewis turned the engine over, Alex had let out a giddy little scream. Bobby had pumped his fist and let out a quiet but emphatic “Yes!!” Alex had turned and hugged him in the joy of the moment. Bobby had been too stunned to even respond. By the time he had gathered himself back together, Alex was in the backseat and Lewis was yelling at him to get in. They took a drive up the coast and spent one of the best days Bobby could recall. That night, when Bobby dropped Alex off at home, she had turned to him and said, “Thanks Bobby. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. You’ll have to take me out in the Mustang again sometime, just the two of us.” Bobby had to laugh when he thought back to how he had answered her. “You don’t like Lewis?” Alex had snorted and shook her head. “Goodnight Bobby.”
“Earth to Bobby……….Hello Detective Goren!”
Bobby blinked and looked at Lewis blankly for a second or two.
“Where’d you go man?”
“Nowhere”
“Right. The Mustang’s yours whenever you want it.”
“Thanks man.”
“Yep. I’ll get the keys”
Bobby continued his slow journey around the Camaro. “Crap inside?” he thought with a great deal of disappointment.
“Here you go!”
Bobby turned around and Lewis tossed him the keys.
“She’s out back. Be gentle my friend…………with the Mustang.”
“Yeah, yeah” Bobby said as he threw his hands up in the air and walked out the back door of the garage.
Lewis watched Bobby pull around front and onto the street. “Good luck my friend.” He turned and headed back to the Camaro.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I like character interaction and back story. I really hope you’re seeing what I see when I write it. So much angst with these two!!!
Alex awoke later than she meant to. It was 8:30 and she was hungry. She made her way to the bathroom and stopped to look at herself in the mirror. She smoothed the lines she saw in the mirror with her fingers, turned sideways and sucked in her tummy as far as she could. “Aaaaaah” she growled. “When did I get so old?” It’s not that she disliked what she saw. She was still an attractive woman. It was more the fact that, being this age usually came with…….perks. Perks she was sure she deserved. She even found herself longing for them on occasion: children, a husband, a “regular” job with “normal” hours. She lifted her eyebrows with her thumbs and took in her features, first to the left and then to the right. Her hands fell to her side and she let out a big sigh. “Bad mood Bertha” she said to herself in the mirror and headed out of the bathroom to the kitchen.
She turned into the kitchen and flipped on the light. “What the hell?”
There in the middle of her table was a small bouquet of Gerber daisies tied with a yellow ribbon and a note, next to a small white paper sack. Alex leaned back out of the kitchen and scanned the den. Nothing there. The hall was clear both directions as well. She looked back to the table. She started scratching her thumbs with her ring fingers the way she always did when she was anxious. She studied the bouquet from the doorway for a minute before advancing to the table. She picked up the note, careful to lift the top fold with only the lightest touch of her thumb. She was a detective after all. Her eyes immediately went to the signature.
“Bobby”
Without taking her eyes from his name, she pulled out a chair and sat on her folded leg to read the note.
Alex,
You were right, in the garden. I have a lot of explaining to do. Please let me take you out tonight. I want to make things right. More than anything, I want us to be right. I’ll pick you up at 6:00. If you aren’t here, I’ll understand.
Yours,
Bobby
Alex looked up from reading the note. Her heart was pounding. She reached for the daisies and took in their fresh fragrance. They smelled like spring, like new beginnings. Her body gave an uncontrolled shudder. She laid the bouquet back on the table, unconsciously refusing to let go of the note. She reached for the white paper sack. Inside she found two chess pastries, her absolute favorite. She smiled in spite of herself. “Bobby” she breathed. She stood with the note still in hand and went to start the coffee maker. Maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad after all.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
9:30 AM. Bobby was in the SUV heading back to Lewis’ garage. An old favorite, “With or Without You” was playing on the radio. His mind wondered to Alex. “Surely she’s found them by now,” he thought and he looked at his watch. He allowed a faint smile to cross his face. He had no idea how to explain his behavior to her tonight, that is, if she even showed up. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. She had given him plenty of chances in the past. He just hoped he was wrong, that it wasn’t too late. The thought of spending the rest of his days without her was just too much. Losing his mother, losing his brother again to drugs and gambling, losing his grip when Mark Ford Brady entered his life, those losses he could handle. After all, he had been conditioned to handle loss, regret, and disappointment, but with Alex it was different. That kind of loss, he simply could not take.
Bobby pulled into Lewis’ shop and found hid friend working underneath a new Chevy Camaro.
“Wheeeeeeeew”, Bobby whistled as he made his way to the car.
Lewis slid out from under the car. “Nice, huh?”
“I’ll say.” Bobby raised an eyebrow as he ran his hand down the black racing stripe.
“Too bad it’s crap underneath.” Bobby helped Lewis up with an outstretched hand.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think they rushed crankin’ ‘em out.” Lewis tossed Bobby a clean shop towel.
“Soooo, how did it go last night with Alex?”
“I didn’t see Alex.” Bobby circled the car to get a full view.
“You’re such a wuss.”
“No. I went by her house and all the lights were off. She was either gone or asleep so I went home.” Bobby kept his eyes on the Camaro but continued to talk, faster than a teenaged girl. “I left something for her on her kitchen table though early this morning.”
“You broke into her house?” Lewis couldn’t believe what he just heard.
“No, I didn’t break into her house. I have a key. Besides, it’s not like I watched her sleeping or anything. I’m not a stalker. I just left some breakfast on her table and a note.”
“You watched her sleeping didn’t you” Lewis said flatly.
“No! I didn’t…………..I thought about it, but I didn’t”
Lewis chuckled. “So what did the note say?”
“I just asked her if I could take her out tonight. I’m picking her up at six………..at her house……………if she shows.”
“She’ll show”
“I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t” Bobby was now studying his feet intently.
“Bobby, the first thing you have to do is lose the self-pity.”
“What?” His head snapped up.
Lewis had his nose in a box of tools. “You heard me. Quit looking at your feet. Stand still. And tell her you’re an idiot. Tell her the real reason you acted like such a jerk. And then tell her, no, show her, how you feel.”
Bobby leaned against the Camaro and brought one arm to rest around his waist. He brought his other hand to his mouth and started to chew on his knuckles.
“And quit chewing on your knuckles. It’s just weird.”
Bobby dropped his hand to his side and furrowed his brow. “Can I borrow a car?”
Lewis found the wrench he was looking for and turned around to face Bobby.
“A car?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to take her out in the same thing we ride around in at work.”
“OK. Which one?”
“The Mustang.” Bobby and Lewis had rebuilt a 1965 white Mustang a couple of years ago. As kids, it had been their dream car. Some dreams you just don’t let go of. Alex had helped more than a few times with the rebuild. She had accompanied Bobby to the garage on Saturdays and had ended up as greasy as the two of them. It had taken only one Saturday for Lewis to realize that any notion he had of asking Detective Alex out was best left unsaid. It was obvious, at least to everyone but the two of them, that Bobby and Alex were made for each other.
“The Mustang, huh?”
“Yeah, can I take it?”
“It’s as much yours as it is mine Bobby. I’m surprised you haven’t taken her out in it already. I seem to remember Alex making that very suggestion a couple of years ago.” Alex was at the shop the Saturday they finished the rebuild. When Lewis turned the engine over, Alex had let out a giddy little scream. Bobby had pumped his fist and let out a quiet but emphatic “Yes!!” Alex had turned and hugged him in the joy of the moment. Bobby had been too stunned to even respond. By the time he had gathered himself back together, Alex was in the backseat and Lewis was yelling at him to get in. They took a drive up the coast and spent one of the best days Bobby could recall. That night, when Bobby dropped Alex off at home, she had turned to him and said, “Thanks Bobby. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. You’ll have to take me out in the Mustang again sometime, just the two of us.” Bobby had to laugh when he thought back to how he had answered her. “You don’t like Lewis?” Alex had snorted and shook her head. “Goodnight Bobby.”
“Earth to Bobby……….Hello Detective Goren!”
Bobby blinked and looked at Lewis blankly for a second or two.
“Where’d you go man?”
“Nowhere”
“Right. The Mustang’s yours whenever you want it.”
“Thanks man.”
“Yep. I’ll get the keys”
Bobby continued his slow journey around the Camaro. “Crap inside?” he thought with a great deal of disappointment.
“Here you go!”
Bobby turned around and Lewis tossed him the keys.
“She’s out back. Be gentle my friend…………with the Mustang.”
“Yeah, yeah” Bobby said as he threw his hands up in the air and walked out the back door of the garage.
Lewis watched Bobby pull around front and onto the street. “Good luck my friend.” He turned and headed back to the Camaro.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I like character interaction and back story. I really hope you’re seeing what I see when I write it. So much angst with these two!!!
Chapter 6
Bobby pulled up in front of Alex’s house at 5:55 PM. He shut off the Mustang and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He had worried all day about what to say to Alex. He had reservations at a nice Italian restaurant in the city. He thought he would dive into the heart of the matter over a glass of wine. He had gone over and over it in his mind, but had refused to practice in the mirror. He didn’t want to see the desperation he was sure plagued his features. Bobby stepped out onto the curb and looked up at her house. It seemed very – still. He froze. He hadn’t actually considered that she might not show. Bobby started to think. “What kind of man forces a woman to retreat from her own home?” He paused. “A man like my father,” was his next thought. Bobby moved to physically shake those thoughts from his head. He put his hands in his pockets and headed for her door. He rang the doorbell……………no answer. He peeked in as best he could, but saw no movement in the house. The lights were on, but it appeared, that no one was home. He could feel the disappointment start to stir in the pit of his stomach. This time he knocked…………still, no answer. “She’s really not here,” he thought as he peaked into the house again. He stepped back from the door and his chin dropped to his chest. “I’ve lost her” was his only thought. Bobby was standing at the door, lost within himself, when a distant, familiar voice broke through. Bobby blinked as if being roused from a deep sleep. He instinctively turned toward the voice. “What?” he said with a trace of hope.
I said, “Nice car.”
Bobby stared at Alex in wonder. She looked beautiful in her pink fitted sweater and gray slacks. Her cheeks were flushed and she was smiling. Bobby’s lips were parted as if someone had hit the pause button mid-sentence.
“Bobby?”
Bobby took in a breath and, without taking his eyes off of her, he gestured toward the car with his thumb. “It’s the Mustang we worked on together.”
“Yeah, I recognize it. Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just……………nothing,” he trailed off.
“Thanks for breakfast by the way.”
“Your welcome. Lewis said you would either shoot me or arrest me for B&E when I got here tonight”
Alex chuckled. “I probably should”
Bobby smiled, a real, genuine, just for you smile that Alex had not seen for a very long time. She could see him start to relax. He made his way down to the bottom step.
“Where did you come from………just now?” he asked in a quiet, uncertain voice.
“Oh, I’ve been setting on the back porch. I heard you knock.”
“I thought you were gone.”
“Why do you always assume the worst from me Bobby? Have I ever let you down?”
“No….no, you haven’t”
Bobby started to look down at his feet again, but Alex made a quick move toward him and forced him to hold her gaze.
“Bobby,” Alex said within a sigh as she took his hand and pulled him down onto the step to set with her. She put her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder. “What are we gonna’ do about us?”
Bobby laid the side of his head on top of hers. “I don’t know. You have any ideas?”
“A few” she said very matter-of-factly. She lifted her head and turned to face him without letting go of his arm. “But, why don’t you start.”
“OK,” Bobby said with resolve. He put his hand over hers and looked to the sky for help. He stood and soon began to pace, back and forth in front of her steps. She could only smile and wait for him to gather his thoughts. He stopped suddenly and looked at her. “Are you cold? Do you want to go inside?”
“No” she said softly. “Not yet.”
“What is that look?” he wondered as he studied her face. Alex had the slightest smile on her lips. Her eyes were soft, “anticipating what?”
He broke away from her gaze and started moving again, shuffling his feet.
“Alex…………….you’ve never let me down. You’re not the problem”
Alex stayed silent and let him talk it through. She watched him moving back and forth in front of her. She had seen him do it so many times at the office, but she had never appreciated the grace with which he moved. It was like an eighteenth century waltz. She could imagine him in a line with other suitors moving in time with the music across from a line of young ladies in long flowing gowns. Soon the partners would come together in a beautiful waltz but, for now, the ladies watched in anticipation while the men moved closer. Alex was brought back to the here and now with his abrupt stop. He dropped his hands to his side and inhaled a deep cleansing breath. He sat back down on the step next to Alex. She put her hand on his knee for support and patted his leg in encouragement. He looked at her hand for a second. It was enchanting – small, yet strong and steady. It felt like a lifeline and he took it. He placed her hand in his and kept it covered with his other hand – amazed at how it disappeared between his much larger hands. Alex laced her fingers between his fingers and studied the connection herself.
Bobby began. “When you were gone………the first time, on maternity leave,…………I was………..frustrated, most of the time………agitated………….anxious for you to get back. I was even angry at you for being gone. Then I realized, it wasn’t anger ………… …………..It was fear. I started to realize just how much I depend on you.” Bobby never took his eyes off of their clasped hands. He took in a breath and squeezed her hand before continuing. His voice was darker when he spoke. “When you were gone the second time…………..when Jo.” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He turned to look at her. “I couldn’t breath………… I couldn’t……………I’ve never felt that kind of terror before.” He had to look away. The guilt and the fear that he carried from that event in their lives was still too much. Even now, his respirations increased and his pulse quickened. Alex could feel him struggling next to her.
“Bobby,” she said in barely more than a whisper as she brought her free hand to his cheek. “Ease down. I’m here and I’m safe.” Her thumb moved lightly from the corner of his lips to the corner of his eye. “I don’t blame you for what happened. I never have. Do you remember when I told you that I didn’t scream? She wanted me to, but I didn’t. You said that saved my life. I didn’t scream, Bobby because you told me not to. It was your voice that I kept hearing in my head. I just kept thinking about you, about getting back to you. You gave me the strength I needed to get the hell out of there.”
Bobby started to shake his head and Alex dropped her hand to her lap. “You saved yourself Alex. I was worthless until I knew you were safe.”
“Yeah, I did save myself. And I’m proud of that fact. I’m just saying Bobby, you and I, we’re a team. We’re more in tune than most married couples I know. We’re bound to have ups and downs. I just want to get through this “down” time and get back to good.”
“Yeah, me too………….. Alex, I’m sorry that I told you to back off. I was wrong to take it out on you. I….I didn’t want you to see how much I really need you. You were doing so well, even after Ray Wizenski. I could feel myself slipping. I didn’t want to take you down with me so I pushed…………….I pushed hard, and I was wrong.”
Alex gave him an understanding smile. Bobby continued.
“The line……………..the invisible line between us. It started to blur……….. then my brother showed up………… He knew. It took him a half second, for as long as it had been since I had last spoken to him, he knew………………He asked me what I was waiting for. He started talking you up to my mom. It planted a seed. I couldn’t get it out of my head……………….. The only thing I knew to do was push. Asking you to trust me when I went to see Mark Ford Brady, that was unfair.” Bobby again looked down at his feet. “But I knew you’d let me go…………….. Alex,” he said as he stood to move around. “Alex, there’s something I haven’t told you.”
Her brow furrowed with worry from the look on Bobby’s face.
Bobby looked down at his hands and back up at Alex.
“When I went to see Brady………………….he baited me………………he used my mother……………..my weakness…………he baited me, and I took it, hook line and sinker.” His voice was frantic.
“What happened Bobby?” she asked with the clear intent of finding out.
“I tried to kill him, Alex. I put my hands around his neck. I shoved him against the wall. I was gonna’ kill him. The guards, they were gonna’ let me.”
“What happened Bobby?” she asked slowly, again with resolve.
“I stopped……….. He told me to go ahead…….to do it. He said I had it in me……. That’s when I stopped. I knew what he meant and I decided, in that instant, that he was wrong. If someone like you could believe in me………..like you do, who was he to say who I really am………...”
Alex started to shake her head. “What are you not telling me Bobby?”
It was uncanny the way she could read him. He knew he had to tell her. It was now or never. “He and my mother……….they had an affair. But, I………….I think things must have changed in the end. Frank said he remembered a man, he called him “Uncle Mark”. He said he came around when Dad was gone. She went to visit him one weekend. When she came back, everything was different. She was different. Something happened between them. Something bad…………. He was evil……………..The night my mom died, she told me she was never sure…………about me……………about who………which one.” He had stopped moving. He looked like a lost little boy.
Alex stood and moved at an even pace to stand toe to toe with Bobby.
“Now you listen to me.” There was anger in her voice, not at him, rather, for him…… anger coupled with sheer determination. She accented her determination with her right pointer finger as it made contact with his chest and stayed there with even, steady pressure. “I don’t give a damn who your father is. Brady is no worse than what you already thought you had. I’ve watched you fight that demon time and time again. You’re a product of what you’ve overcome, Bobby. You are what you’ve made of yourself. You have more compassion in your little finger than most people carry in their entire being. I’ve never met anyone who feels more for their fellowman than you do. I refuse to let you equate yourself with either of those men. I’m proud of you Bobby. I’m proud of who you are and what you stand for. You think you can’t do without me. You think I’m some sort of anchor between you and your sanity. I’m not Bobby. I rely on you as much as you rely on me. And that line you mentioned, the one you said that started to blur. I can’t even see it anymore. There is sooo much between us Bobby, most of which I couldn’t even begin to put into words. There’s just no room for anyone else. It’s too late.”
“Yeah, you said that already”
“What?”
“At the FDA offices……. I asked you if you still worried about me tainting your career……if you still thought about making captain. You said it was too late.”
“It is too late, Bobby. But that’s not a bad thing.” She took one step closer and gripped his forearm to reassure him. “I wouldn’t trade you for any of it.”
He didn’t plan it. He didn’t even think about it. For once in his life, he just let it happen. He cupped her face in his hands and held her eyes with his. He slowly closed what little distance was left between them. He paused. Her lips parted, ever so slightly. It was all he needed. In the next moment, his lips were on hers, just a brush at first, but when Alex lifted her hands and gently bunched the bottom of his shirt in each one, he kissed her with all the need and want he had kept in check for far too long. He started to pull away. She pulled him closer. It was a long, lingering kiss - one they had both waited far too long to share. He moved one hand above her ear and into her hair. The other hand dropped to her shoulder and moved to wrap her in a tight embrace. Alex slid her hands up his back and held on for dear life. When they broke apart, Alex was afraid to open her eyes. She was afraid she would see an apology in his. Bobby placed his forehead gently on hers. Still holding on tightly, he broke the silence. “Are we OK?”
Unlike the time before, Alex responded with a breathy but heartfelt, “Yeah, we’re good. We’re very good.”
Bobby lifted his head from hers and Alex opened her eyes. There was no apology on Bobby’s face, no fear, and no regret.
Fini
So, what did you think? This was my first attempt at fanfic. Heavy on the shippy side I know, I can't help it. I would never want to see these two together on screen, but my mind does tend to wonder!
Bobby pulled up in front of Alex’s house at 5:55 PM. He shut off the Mustang and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He had worried all day about what to say to Alex. He had reservations at a nice Italian restaurant in the city. He thought he would dive into the heart of the matter over a glass of wine. He had gone over and over it in his mind, but had refused to practice in the mirror. He didn’t want to see the desperation he was sure plagued his features. Bobby stepped out onto the curb and looked up at her house. It seemed very – still. He froze. He hadn’t actually considered that she might not show. Bobby started to think. “What kind of man forces a woman to retreat from her own home?” He paused. “A man like my father,” was his next thought. Bobby moved to physically shake those thoughts from his head. He put his hands in his pockets and headed for her door. He rang the doorbell……………no answer. He peeked in as best he could, but saw no movement in the house. The lights were on, but it appeared, that no one was home. He could feel the disappointment start to stir in the pit of his stomach. This time he knocked…………still, no answer. “She’s really not here,” he thought as he peaked into the house again. He stepped back from the door and his chin dropped to his chest. “I’ve lost her” was his only thought. Bobby was standing at the door, lost within himself, when a distant, familiar voice broke through. Bobby blinked as if being roused from a deep sleep. He instinctively turned toward the voice. “What?” he said with a trace of hope.
I said, “Nice car.”
Bobby stared at Alex in wonder. She looked beautiful in her pink fitted sweater and gray slacks. Her cheeks were flushed and she was smiling. Bobby’s lips were parted as if someone had hit the pause button mid-sentence.
“Bobby?”
Bobby took in a breath and, without taking his eyes off of her, he gestured toward the car with his thumb. “It’s the Mustang we worked on together.”
“Yeah, I recognize it. Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just……………nothing,” he trailed off.
“Thanks for breakfast by the way.”
“Your welcome. Lewis said you would either shoot me or arrest me for B&E when I got here tonight”
Alex chuckled. “I probably should”
Bobby smiled, a real, genuine, just for you smile that Alex had not seen for a very long time. She could see him start to relax. He made his way down to the bottom step.
“Where did you come from………just now?” he asked in a quiet, uncertain voice.
“Oh, I’ve been setting on the back porch. I heard you knock.”
“I thought you were gone.”
“Why do you always assume the worst from me Bobby? Have I ever let you down?”
“No….no, you haven’t”
Bobby started to look down at his feet again, but Alex made a quick move toward him and forced him to hold her gaze.
“Bobby,” Alex said within a sigh as she took his hand and pulled him down onto the step to set with her. She put her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder. “What are we gonna’ do about us?”
Bobby laid the side of his head on top of hers. “I don’t know. You have any ideas?”
“A few” she said very matter-of-factly. She lifted her head and turned to face him without letting go of his arm. “But, why don’t you start.”
“OK,” Bobby said with resolve. He put his hand over hers and looked to the sky for help. He stood and soon began to pace, back and forth in front of her steps. She could only smile and wait for him to gather his thoughts. He stopped suddenly and looked at her. “Are you cold? Do you want to go inside?”
“No” she said softly. “Not yet.”
“What is that look?” he wondered as he studied her face. Alex had the slightest smile on her lips. Her eyes were soft, “anticipating what?”
He broke away from her gaze and started moving again, shuffling his feet.
“Alex…………….you’ve never let me down. You’re not the problem”
Alex stayed silent and let him talk it through. She watched him moving back and forth in front of her. She had seen him do it so many times at the office, but she had never appreciated the grace with which he moved. It was like an eighteenth century waltz. She could imagine him in a line with other suitors moving in time with the music across from a line of young ladies in long flowing gowns. Soon the partners would come together in a beautiful waltz but, for now, the ladies watched in anticipation while the men moved closer. Alex was brought back to the here and now with his abrupt stop. He dropped his hands to his side and inhaled a deep cleansing breath. He sat back down on the step next to Alex. She put her hand on his knee for support and patted his leg in encouragement. He looked at her hand for a second. It was enchanting – small, yet strong and steady. It felt like a lifeline and he took it. He placed her hand in his and kept it covered with his other hand – amazed at how it disappeared between his much larger hands. Alex laced her fingers between his fingers and studied the connection herself.
Bobby began. “When you were gone………the first time, on maternity leave,…………I was………..frustrated, most of the time………agitated………….anxious for you to get back. I was even angry at you for being gone. Then I realized, it wasn’t anger ………… …………..It was fear. I started to realize just how much I depend on you.” Bobby never took his eyes off of their clasped hands. He took in a breath and squeezed her hand before continuing. His voice was darker when he spoke. “When you were gone the second time…………..when Jo.” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He turned to look at her. “I couldn’t breath………… I couldn’t……………I’ve never felt that kind of terror before.” He had to look away. The guilt and the fear that he carried from that event in their lives was still too much. Even now, his respirations increased and his pulse quickened. Alex could feel him struggling next to her.
“Bobby,” she said in barely more than a whisper as she brought her free hand to his cheek. “Ease down. I’m here and I’m safe.” Her thumb moved lightly from the corner of his lips to the corner of his eye. “I don’t blame you for what happened. I never have. Do you remember when I told you that I didn’t scream? She wanted me to, but I didn’t. You said that saved my life. I didn’t scream, Bobby because you told me not to. It was your voice that I kept hearing in my head. I just kept thinking about you, about getting back to you. You gave me the strength I needed to get the hell out of there.”
Bobby started to shake his head and Alex dropped her hand to her lap. “You saved yourself Alex. I was worthless until I knew you were safe.”
“Yeah, I did save myself. And I’m proud of that fact. I’m just saying Bobby, you and I, we’re a team. We’re more in tune than most married couples I know. We’re bound to have ups and downs. I just want to get through this “down” time and get back to good.”
“Yeah, me too………….. Alex, I’m sorry that I told you to back off. I was wrong to take it out on you. I….I didn’t want you to see how much I really need you. You were doing so well, even after Ray Wizenski. I could feel myself slipping. I didn’t want to take you down with me so I pushed…………….I pushed hard, and I was wrong.”
Alex gave him an understanding smile. Bobby continued.
“The line……………..the invisible line between us. It started to blur……….. then my brother showed up………… He knew. It took him a half second, for as long as it had been since I had last spoken to him, he knew………………He asked me what I was waiting for. He started talking you up to my mom. It planted a seed. I couldn’t get it out of my head……………….. The only thing I knew to do was push. Asking you to trust me when I went to see Mark Ford Brady, that was unfair.” Bobby again looked down at his feet. “But I knew you’d let me go…………….. Alex,” he said as he stood to move around. “Alex, there’s something I haven’t told you.”
Her brow furrowed with worry from the look on Bobby’s face.
Bobby looked down at his hands and back up at Alex.
“When I went to see Brady………………….he baited me………………he used my mother……………..my weakness…………he baited me, and I took it, hook line and sinker.” His voice was frantic.
“What happened Bobby?” she asked with the clear intent of finding out.
“I tried to kill him, Alex. I put my hands around his neck. I shoved him against the wall. I was gonna’ kill him. The guards, they were gonna’ let me.”
“What happened Bobby?” she asked slowly, again with resolve.
“I stopped……….. He told me to go ahead…….to do it. He said I had it in me……. That’s when I stopped. I knew what he meant and I decided, in that instant, that he was wrong. If someone like you could believe in me………..like you do, who was he to say who I really am………...”
Alex started to shake her head. “What are you not telling me Bobby?”
It was uncanny the way she could read him. He knew he had to tell her. It was now or never. “He and my mother……….they had an affair. But, I………….I think things must have changed in the end. Frank said he remembered a man, he called him “Uncle Mark”. He said he came around when Dad was gone. She went to visit him one weekend. When she came back, everything was different. She was different. Something happened between them. Something bad…………. He was evil……………..The night my mom died, she told me she was never sure…………about me……………about who………which one.” He had stopped moving. He looked like a lost little boy.
Alex stood and moved at an even pace to stand toe to toe with Bobby.
“Now you listen to me.” There was anger in her voice, not at him, rather, for him…… anger coupled with sheer determination. She accented her determination with her right pointer finger as it made contact with his chest and stayed there with even, steady pressure. “I don’t give a damn who your father is. Brady is no worse than what you already thought you had. I’ve watched you fight that demon time and time again. You’re a product of what you’ve overcome, Bobby. You are what you’ve made of yourself. You have more compassion in your little finger than most people carry in their entire being. I’ve never met anyone who feels more for their fellowman than you do. I refuse to let you equate yourself with either of those men. I’m proud of you Bobby. I’m proud of who you are and what you stand for. You think you can’t do without me. You think I’m some sort of anchor between you and your sanity. I’m not Bobby. I rely on you as much as you rely on me. And that line you mentioned, the one you said that started to blur. I can’t even see it anymore. There is sooo much between us Bobby, most of which I couldn’t even begin to put into words. There’s just no room for anyone else. It’s too late.”
“Yeah, you said that already”
“What?”
“At the FDA offices……. I asked you if you still worried about me tainting your career……if you still thought about making captain. You said it was too late.”
“It is too late, Bobby. But that’s not a bad thing.” She took one step closer and gripped his forearm to reassure him. “I wouldn’t trade you for any of it.”
He didn’t plan it. He didn’t even think about it. For once in his life, he just let it happen. He cupped her face in his hands and held her eyes with his. He slowly closed what little distance was left between them. He paused. Her lips parted, ever so slightly. It was all he needed. In the next moment, his lips were on hers, just a brush at first, but when Alex lifted her hands and gently bunched the bottom of his shirt in each one, he kissed her with all the need and want he had kept in check for far too long. He started to pull away. She pulled him closer. It was a long, lingering kiss - one they had both waited far too long to share. He moved one hand above her ear and into her hair. The other hand dropped to her shoulder and moved to wrap her in a tight embrace. Alex slid her hands up his back and held on for dear life. When they broke apart, Alex was afraid to open her eyes. She was afraid she would see an apology in his. Bobby placed his forehead gently on hers. Still holding on tightly, he broke the silence. “Are we OK?”
Unlike the time before, Alex responded with a breathy but heartfelt, “Yeah, we’re good. We’re very good.”
Bobby lifted his head from hers and Alex opened her eyes. There was no apology on Bobby’s face, no fear, and no regret.
Fini
So, what did you think? This was my first attempt at fanfic. Heavy on the shippy side I know, I can't help it. I would never want to see these two together on screen, but my mind does tend to wonder!
QUOTE (tigervet @ Mar 9 2008, 05:25 PM) 
Chapter 2
[/size]
Half way through the movie, the phone rang. She half hoped and half dreaded Bobby was on the other end. The caller ID read Michael McCalister. It was her sister calling. She answered the phone as cheery as possible, "Hey Sis!"
[size="3"]
[/size]
Half way through the movie, the phone rang. She half hoped and half dreaded Bobby was on the other end. The caller ID read Michael McCalister. It was her sister calling. She answered the phone as cheery as possible, "Hey Sis!"
[size="3"]
okay that is like my uncle's full name lol.
Just wondering if anybody thought this was worth reading? I have a follow-up should I post or is it crap? 
Very good and emotional story. I loved it.
QUOTE (cifan70 @ Mar 15 2008, 01:38 AM)
Very good and emotional story. I loved it.
yess wow
i loveee it:)
QUOTE (cifan70 @ Mar 15 2008, 12:38 AM)
Very good and emotional story. I loved it.
Thank you!!
QUOTE (vincelover78 @ Mar 15 2008, 12:42 AM)
yess wow
i loveee it:)
i loveee it:)
And, Thank You!!!!
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