I commented over at FF but I try to comment both places. I loved the story and it was very well written.

Oh geez great story but thats not a good day, for the City of NYC.

Thanks, JRyan! My original plan was to leave it there and go on to a story about season 2 with just a mention about 9/11. But then I had an idea for a story about Bobby and Annie and 9/11. So I'm working on it, but its kind of slow going right now. We'll see if it works itself out in my brain.

I haven't started reading it yet, but I want you to know that this is on my list. I'm hot and heavy into one of my chapters so I can't really read anything else right now.

Oh thanks JC. I really want to know what you think. But by all means finish your chapter--I know there are several of us waiting anxiously. Will some tacos and Triple Chocolate Cheesecake help you write?

I'm working on a sequel, but its turned out to be harder than I thought. And the tacos and cheesecake don't seem to be working for me tonight.

Sequels are hard because you really have to know the first story. There are things in the Colour and the Shape that I read and sometimes don't even realize that I had written it.

You have to take it really slow and really think it out, going over it with a fin toothed comb. At least that's what I do. I should probably have a beta, but I'll do that with the next story that I write.

I finally caught up with this one - You already know that I love Annie and her relationship with Bobby. Keep up the great work and I can't wait to read your 9/11 'episode'!

Thanks so much Judy! It was fun taking the story out of my head and writing it down. I'm working on the 9/11 story, but it keeps growing and growing. I'm just letting it take me where it wants to right now, but once its all done I may have to do some big time editing before I can post it, or it may be longer than Gone With the Wind!

Hurry up with the 911 already before 'Purgatory' airs

Oh I wish! Sorry, but its nowhere near being finished. And I just got a new writing "assignment". The pastor asked me to write a devotional for the church newsletter and needs it by June 15. So Annie may have to wait to finish telling me her story (that girl can talk).

There are so many of us (myself included) in the middle of writing fanfics, maybe we should look into getting a group discount on Merry Maids? So we can keep writing without rl housekeeping chores interrupting us?

I'm ticked right now, cuz I had a great section written and must not have saved it, cuz it's gone and I'm not remembering it! UGH!!!!!!! Bobby's in the middle of a losing battle with the alarm clock, so maybe I should just visit his day for a while and let Amy come back when she's ready........

I'd like to have several chapters ready before I post, but everytime I re-read what I've currently got down, it seems to change a little.......*sigh*...........

We should be able to get a good deal on a group rate for California, Louisiana, Pennyslvania, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, um.....can't think of the others right now.

So sorry you lost part of your story, FM. That would make me really upset. Hopefully it will all come back to you soon.

My daughter's out for the evening so I got KFC on the way home (daughter hates it, the cat and I love it), and Annie is yacking at me, so maybe I'll get some done this evening.

If only my bank account could afford it!!! I'm terrible at housekeeping anyway..........I'm hoping to work on my story again tonight--I've got Eames talking to me, just waiting for Rena and Bobby to add their two cents. . . .

I think it was over in the My Own World thread that JC said: Characters are wierd.
I couldn't agree more.

And how come I can remember one line that someone said in one of these threads weeks ago, but I can't seem to remember my cell phone bill is due the 14th of every month?

I found a free on-line bill service that sends me an email everytime some of my bills are due. Then, I just go to the site, look everything over, and I authorize the release of payments and how much in each payment. I rarely, if ever, forget anymore, no stamps, no late fees. Life is good. Now, if I only had a self-cleaning home.......

I have to share a story and this seemed the logical place. I was at my sister's house this evening and she was telling her sister-in-law about my Annie story. The sister-in-law and my mother said they want me to print out a copy for them to read. I didn't realize that my sister has never watched LOCI. She asked if I named my character Bobby after her husband (who is also Bobby). I told her, "Uh, no....I named him after Bobby on the show. Detective Bobby Goren and his partner Alex Eames." She said, "Oh.....I've never seen the show. I thought you named him after my Bobby." After I left I thought that it would be a little wierd if I had named the hero of my story after my brother-in-law!

"Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need

Mercy drops 'round us are falling

But for the showers we plead"



Annie sang along with the radio while she prepared breakfast. She didn't hear her husband come into the kitchen until she heard his voice in her ear.



"Nice beat, but can you dance to it?"



Annie giggled as she turned to Bobby and found herself engulfed in a very passionate embrace and kiss. She thought she might have stopped breathing for a moment. Bobby lifted his head and smiled down at her, and pulled her into a slow waltz around the kitchen.



"Not bad, for a forty year-old," Annie teased. He had turned forty the month before. However, Annie would also be turning forty in just two more months.



Bobby laughed down at her, went to the radio, and played with the dial. Dean Martin's voice drifted across the kitchen, singing "Sway". "Now that's more like it for a sunny Tuesday morning", he said and again danced her around the kitchen.



They heard giggling behind them and turned to find their five year old twins, Phillip and Andrew, watching them. With their curly, dark brown hair and soft brown eyes, Annie thought again how much they looked like their father. But no matter how cute they were, right now they were threatening to sabotage her morning schedule.



"Why aren't you dressed?" She asked, and then instantly regretted it as they began telling a long convoluted story of a lost toy car and the very important search that resulted in them still being in their pajamas.



"OK, OK, OK! Just go back upstairs and get your clothes on. No more toys, no reading a book, no wrestling on the bed. Get dressed and come back down for breakfast. Is Ally dressed?"



"She's in the bathroom. Ally's always the first one dressed." Andrew told her.



"OK, scoot! And tell Ally to come down for breakfast." The boys ran up the stairs. They could hear them laughing and calling Ally all the way up the stairs.



Bobby backed Annie up against the counter and kissed her again. She laid her head against his chest. She felt the beat of his heart and breathed in the fresh, clean scent of him.



Bobby asked softly, "You were up before me this morning. Are you OK?"



"I'm fine. I just wanted some prayer time."



He helped her finish preparing breakfast and then he set the table while she made three lunches. The kids came downstairs, the twins dressed but not completely buttoned and zipped. Bobby helped them straighten out their clothing and they sat down to breakfast.



Annie smiled at Bobby across the table as the children's chatter filled the room. The last two months since Annie had been attacked and she lost the baby she was carrying had been very difficult. But their family had come through it intact. She had gone to a very dark place in the weeks after the attack and Bobby had been there to help pull her out. If possible, she had fallen even more deeply in love with him. She breathed yet another prayer of gratitude for her tall, handsome husband, and her three beautiful children.



After everyone finished eating, the children were sent upstairs to brush their teeth, comb their hair, and collect their backpacks. Bobby helped Annie clean the breakfast dishes.



Annie told him, "If you and Alex aren't tied up at noon, I thought we could all meet at Sal's for lunch. I'm buying."



Bobby teased her, "Sal's? No tacos?" Tacos were Annie's favorite food—next to chocolate, of course.



Phillip and Andrew stampeded down the stairs, minus their backpacks, and were sent back to get them. Ally came down, dressed and ready for school. Bobby knotted his tie and pulled on his jacket. They left the house together, and Bobby helped to herd the children into the back seat of Annie's SUV. Before she got in, Bobby pulled her into another embrace and a kiss that left her breathless and the children laughing.



"I love you, Annie Paine."



She smiled up at him. "I love you Bobby Goren."



As he walked away towards his car Annie told him, "Call me later about lunch."



They each got in and drove off in opposite directions. Annie and the kids to the school and Bobby to One Police Plaza. She watched his car in her rearview mirror until he turned the corner.


As Annie maneuvered through traffic, she listened to Ally telling joke after joke to Phillip and Andrew, eliciting gales of laughter with each one. The sillier the joke, the more they laughed. Their laughter reminded her of their father's infectious laugh and her mind drifted back to the first time she heard it, the day twelve years ago when she first saw him.



It was a slow morning in the Emergency Room and Annie was checking each of the rooms to make sure they were fully stocked. The triage nurse found her in the supply room.



"Annie, we have a guy with a laceration to his right forearm. I put him in Sixteen."



"OK, I'll check him. Where's Dr. Ford?"



"In the cafeteria having coffee, I think. I'll have him paged."



Annie took the chart. As long as she was in the supply room, she decided to pick up a suture kit rather than use one that she had just put in the room. She was looking at the chart as she entered the room.



"So, Mr. Lewis, how did you…." She stopped in mid-sentence as she looked up and caught sight of the tall, dark-haired man standing next to her patient. She momentarily forgot her patient as she met the smiling brown eyes of his friend. He was very tall, well over six feet. His dark hair was short, but not short enough to eliminate the curls lying against his head. He was wearing well-worn jeans and a gray tee shirt that had streaks of grease on it. It seemed like forever that they stood there looking at each other. Finally, Annie blushed and pulled her gaze away from those mesmerizing eyes and back to the man sitting on the gurney.



"Let's just take a look at this." She removed a neat pressure dressing and asked, "Who bandaged this for you?"



"My man, Bobby, here. He knows how to do all kinds of things. Probably could take your appendix out if he needed to."



Annie glanced back at the other man, and then turned so that her back was to him. The sight of him was too distracting. She wasn't used to reacting like this to men, certainly not while she was working. She had always been completely focused on her patients. Until now.



After she removed the dressing, she looked at the eight centimeter laceration on his right forearm. It had bled quite a bit, but that had slowed thanks to the dressing. The wound was dirty with grease, but the edges were nice and even.



"OK, you are definitely going to need stitches. But I'll get it cleaned up first. It's pretty dirty, Mr. Lewis. How did you do this?"



"Bobby was helping with a '67 Mustang I'm restoring. I, uh, slipped while I was tightening a bolt and my arm hit the fan. Bobby wrapped it up and brought me here."



The other man—Bobby—didn't say anything, but he moved so that he could see Lewis' arm and watch what Annie was doing. She was a little unnerved feeling his eyes on her. She deftly cleaned the wound and opened up the suture kit, laying everything out on a sterile drape and covering them with another. Meanwhile, she asked Lewis questions about his medical history and previous injuries. Bobby still hadn't said anything, but he watched her every move closely. She could feel herself blushing and glanced at Lewis to see if he noticed. But his head was turned away from his arm to avoid looking at the wound.



"Are you allergic to any medications, Mr. Lewis?"



"Not to any medicine, but I think I'm allergic to needles and to the sight of blood."



Bobby laughed then and the sound startled Annie. Bobby reached over and lightly punched Lewis in his uninjured arm.



"C'mon man, don't be a wimp."



"Easy for you to say. You're not the one sitting here waiting to get your arm sewn up."



Bobby laughed again. Annie very much wanted to hear his laugh and his voice again. But she couldn't seem to think of anything to say to him. She didn't know what was wrong with her and felt like he must think she was a complete idiot.



Dr. Ford came in and talked to Lewis, asking many of the same questions that Annie had asked. While he sutured the wound, Lewis was silent and kept his eyes tightly closed. Bobby, however, kept up a steady stream of questions for the doctor. Dr. Ford told Lewis to return in a week to have them removed, and then he left Annie to finish up. She wrapped the arm and gave Lewis instructions to keep it clean and dry. She left and came back with two syringes.



"Mr. Lewis, since you don't remember when your last tetanus vaccine was, Dr. Ford wants you to have one today. And this is an antibiotic. Your arm was pretty dirty and we want to make sure it doesn't get infected. The vaccine will go in your arm. But the antibiotic needs to go in your hip."



Lewis began to protest loudly. Bobby laughed and told him, "Drop your pants, Lewis. Just get it over with. Maybe the pretty nurse will give you a lollipop."



Annie smiled as Lewis followed orders. She gave him the injections as he again kept his eyes closed tightly. She went to a drawer and pulled out two lollipops. As she handed Lewis his discharge instructions, she also handed him a lollipop.



"This is for being such a good patient." She turned to Bobby and extended the other lollipop. "And this is for being such a good…..helper."



Bobby smiled at her and she thought her knees might buckle. He reached out for the lollipop and wrapped his hand around hers and held on for a few beats. Annie stood frozen to the spot. She forgot there was someone else in the room. Actually, she forgot she was even in a hospital; all she could see was Bobby. Then through the fog that her brain seemed to have become, she heard one of the other ER nurses yelling something down the hallway.



"Code Blue Trauma Three!"



Annie snapped back to reality and pulled her hand from Bobby's. As she left the room, she told Lewis, "You can leave now. Be sure to come back in a week to have those stitches removed." And she ran down the hall to Trauma Three.





End Chapter 1

Oh, I'm so in love with this new part of Bobby and Annie's story already. And we get Lewis too - cool!

Even though, we know there's gonna be storm clouds on the horizon.

I'm loving it! Especially loving the line "what no tacos?" I mean, we survive off tacos around here! Great job ciaddict!!!

::looks around::

Next section up yet?

Annie pulled the SUV into the drop-off area. As the children were gathering their pack-backs and kissing her goodbye, Ally told her, “Mommy, I have soccer practice tomorrow after school.”



“I remember. I’m off work again tomorrow so I’ll take you. I thought we would go to the park after school today, OK?”



“Yay!” All three children loved the park. They got their things and climbed out. She waved to them as they turned to run into the school. Then she pulled out and headed for home.


Annie stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few things. As usual, although she just ran in to pick up a few things for dinner, she remembered other items they needed and began to fill a basket. Now that she had begun remembering the day she met Bobby, she couldn’t stop the memories as she pushed her cart up and down the aisles.



After the Code Blue (they were able to save the man and transfer him to ICU), traffic through the ER picked up for the next few hours. Annie kept busy and didn’t have much time to think about the enigmatic man who had brought his friend in earlier. Or why she was so fascinated with him. She had just finished discharging a patient, when the receptionist called her over.



“Annie, there’s a man out in the waiting room asking for you.”



“Did he say who he is or what he wants?”



“No, he just asked to speak to Annie Paine. But I think he was here earlier. Tall guy, really cute. Maybe he wants a date,” Tina teased.



Annie rolled her eyes and walked out to the waiting room. She saw him immediately. He was sitting in one of the chairs, entertaining a little boy who looked to be about three years old. A woman, whom Annie presumed to be the boy’s mother, was lying across two chairs holding her head as though she were in pain. Annie watched Bobby playing with the little boy. They were using paper cups from the water cooler as cars and trucks, and had used the old magazines on the table to create a highway. Bobby said something to the boy that caused him to laugh. He had changed out of the dirty clothes he had been wearing to work on the car, into clean jeans and green tee shirt.



The woman’s name was called and she got up to follow a nurse to a room, taking her little boy with her. Bobby stood as he told the boy goodbye and then he saw Annie. He smiled and walked over to her.



“Hi,” was all he said as he stood in front of her.



“Hi. Did you forget something?”



“No. I just...,” he hesitated and seemed shy all of a sudden. “I just wanted to buy you lunch. You know, to say ‘thank you’ for what you did for Lewis.”



Now it was Annie’s turn to be shy. “That’s not necessary. You know, the hospital actually pays me to do those things.”



Bobby laughed and seemed to relax a bit.



“I know. I would just really like to have lunch with you.” He smiled down at her and leaned a little closer. “Please.”



Annie considered his offer. She was always professional at work and did not become personally involved with anyone she met there. She had once dated a resident, but that made working with him so uncomfortable that she decided she would never again date anyone she worked with, and certainly never a patient. While Bobby was not a patient himself, she felt like she had a professional relationship with him that made even having lunch with him out of bounds. But there was a voice in her head insisting that she very much wanted to sit and listen to his voice and hear his laugh again.



Bobby didn’t say anything else, he just waited. Finally she told him, “OK, I’ll have lunch with you in the cafeteria. But I’ll buy my own. And I’m not sure when I will be able to take my lunch. It might be another hour.”



“I’ll wait,” he said. He smiled at her again, walked back to the chairs, and picked up a magazine. He settled into a chair and opened the magazine.



Annie was right. It was an hour before things slowed down enough for the nurses to start taking lunch breaks. She went to the waiting room and he was still there, seemingly engrossed in the two-year old women’s magazine he was reading. He got up as soon as he saw her and they walked to the cafeteria in silence.



When they finally settled at a table and began eating, Bobby asked her, “So, do you come here often?”



Annie laughed and relaxed a little.



“As a matter of fact, I don’t. I usually bring my lunch and eat it in the break room so I can read.”



He asked, “What are you reading?”



“Today I brought ‘A Is For Alibi’, by Sue Grafton.”



“You like mysteries.”



“Among other things. I usually have about three books at any given time that I am reading.”



Books. She couldn’t believe she was talking about books. He must think she was incredibly boring. But he was hiding it well, he actually seemed interested as he asked, “So what else are you reading?”



“Well, there’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, and a book of poetry by Robert E. Howard. Do you read much?”



“My mother was a librarian, so I grew up with lots of books and I read a lot. Right now I’m reading some case studies on serial killers.”



“Really. Serial killers? That sounds gruesome. I hope you don’t read them before you go to sleep at night.”



Bobby laughed and said, “Actually, I do read them at night. Its research for my job. I’m in the Army, with CID.”



“CID? What is that?” she asked.



“Criminal Investigation Division. I’m studying profiling.” He explained that he studied psychology and case studies to try and get into the minds of criminals, in order to find out their identities and what they were likely to do next. Annie smiled at how animated his face became as he talked about his work. Profiling was obviously a passion for him.



All too soon, Annie’s thirty minute lunch break was over. Bobby walked her back to the ER. Before leaving he asked, “Can we have lunch again tomorrow?”



She felt a thrill of pleasure that he wanted to see her again.



“OK, but no guarantees on when I’ll be able to take a break. And….if we are going to have lunch together again, maybe I should know your last name.”



“Goren. Robert Goren. My friends call me Bobby. I’ll see you tomorrow Annie.”



She watched him walk out of the ER. She sighed and turned to go back to work.



Bobby showed up early the next day and again sat patiently in the waiting room until Annie was able to take her break. It seemed easier to fall into conversation with him this time. He asked her about her job and her family. She told him that her parents had moved to New York when she was one. When she was eleven, her parents were both killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver and she went to live with her father’s father in Connecticut. Bobby’s eyes softened with sympathy and he covered her hand with his and squeezed lightly.



“I’m sorry”, he said softly.



“Thank you. That was a hard time. But I couldn’t have asked for a better Grandpa. He is the sweetest man on earth and will do anything for me. He didn’t know much about girls, since his only children were my Dad and my uncle. But he tried. He even bought me my first sanitary pads. He went to the drugstore all by himself. The woman who worked there told me about it later. She said he was so red and embarrassed, but he didn’t leave until he asked all kinds of questions about which ones would be best for a young girl.”



Bobby laughed and said that her grandfather sounded like a good guy. Annie tried to question him about his family, but he seemed uncomfortable talking about it. She managed to get out of him that his mother was a librarian, his father was a salesman, and he had an older brother. He grew up in Brooklyn and his parents divorced when he was young. It sounded as though his family was still nearby, but he was a little vague.



Again her lunch break flew by much too fast. They had finished eating and Bobby was drinking a cup of coffee when he asked, “Same time tomorrow?”



“I don’t work tomorrow.”



“Good, then how about dinner? And this time I buy?”



Annie hesitated. “You mean….a date?”



“I think that’s what it’s called”, Bobby smiled and it was hard to resist.



But she hesitated. “I don’t date patients”, she said.



“Good. I’m not a patient.”



“Or their family or friends.”



“I’m not related to Lewis.”



“Friends”, she reminded him.



“Yeah……….about that. I’m not really friends with Lewis. In fact I had never seen him before yesterday. I was just walking down the street and heard him yelling for help, so I ran in, saw that he was hurt, and brought him here. You know, a Good Samaritan thing. Not friends at all. Actually, I don’t even like the guy.”



Annie’s laugh drew attention from neighboring tables. He was determined; she had to give him that. She smiled as she looked at him, considering the wisdom of going out on a date with someone she knew so little about.



“OK, a date. But there is something you need to know about me. I don’t eat meat. I don’t drink alcohol. And I don’t have sex.”



Bobby choked and spit a mouthful of coffee on the floor.



“Uh…sorry?”



“I said”, she repeated slowly, “I don’t eat meat. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t …..”



“Y….Yeah, I got that part”, he interrupted.



He looked at her incredulously, and then grabbed a napkin to wipe up the coffee he had spit on the floor. Annie sat and watched him calmly. Finally he sat back down in his chair. He asked her, “Do you tell that to every man who asks you out on a date?”



“Yes.”



“You don’t date much, do you?” he deadpanned.



This time more heads turned at Annie’s laughter. “No, actually, I don’t. Not too many men are willing to abide by my rules.”



“Rules?”



“Yes, rules. See, I don’t expect you to remember everything I tell you about myself. But I do expect you to remember those three things. And to respect me enough not to try to change my mind about any of them. I never say ‘no’ more than once. If I have to say it once, it will be the last time we go out.”



Bobby just sat and looked at her. She wished she could read his mind, but she had no idea what he was thinking. This was where most invitations died and she had discovered the hard way that most of those who made it past this point had a difficult time believing she really meant that she would only say no once. Some men saw her “rules” as a challenge and tried their best to get her to change her mind about the alcohol and the sex. True to her word, she had never gone out with any of them again. It seemed like time stopped while she waited for Bobby to answer.



Finally he said, “Pick you up at seven?”



Annie sighed in relief. She hadn’t realized until that moment just how much she wanted to go out with him.



End Chapter 2

Another great chapter, ciaddict! I'll be glad to see the next chapter!

I reviewed chapter 1 over at FF. No distractions. I have so much trouble reading fics here for some reason. I am awaiting chapter 2 over there. Also easier to read format at FF. jmo.

oooohhh, keep it coming....

"and a book of poetry by Robert E. Howard." - I love this kind of *wink, wink, nudge,nudge* blending in of bits of VDO history.

I agree the reading is easier over on ff.net. But the interaction over here is more interesting.

hi mommy, could i hang out here and read your story? my girlfriend and i had a fight. could you spare some bucks for kfc, please?

Thanks TCIF! Spook has beta'd the next chapter, I just need to make the corrections and "tweak" it. I have another project to work on tomorrow, but I'm hoping it won't take too long and I can get back to Annie.



I read your review and thank you very much. I posted the 2nd chapter over there a little while ago. I know what you mean about it being easier to read over there. I started reading Ross's Romance here and finally just went to ff.net to read the whole thing.



Thanks FusseKat! I put a couple of VDO references in the story just because it made me smile. I don't want to go overboard and make it cheesy, but its fun to slip them in here and there.



Sure you can hang out here, and here's some money for KFC (that was my first job in high school!). Now call your girlfriend and apologize.

I like both the chapters! You are so good. Makes me scared to post mine......I have all these scenes play out in my head, then start to put them on the paper and they don't seem to come out as well......

*sigh* guess I'll keep trying.....

Thanks for more good stuff to read.

You already know how much I love Annie - in different realities, she and Charli would be great friends, I think. I enjoy how you're doing episodes per season and am anxious to see the direction your 9/11 story goes.

I'm working my way through the fics to catch up as time allows and will be back later to finish reading chapter 2.

Annie carried the groceries into the kitchen and put them away. She looked at the clock and saw it was almost nine. She wanted to get some cleaning done before she met Bobby and Alex for lunch, so she turned on the TV for company. As the television flickered on, all thoughts of cleaning fled. While the attack on Annie just over two months earlier had changed her family forever, she was now witnessing events that would change the world forever.



Annie couldn’t believe what she was seeing on the television. She sat down and watched in shocked silence. There was the World Trade Center with smoke pouring from it. The news said that a plane had flown into the north tower. There seemed to be a lot of confusion as to what kind of plane it was. As she sat transfixed by the images, a large plane came into the camera view and Annie watched in horror as it flew directly into the south tower. This couldn’t be happening.



She picked up the phone and called the Major Case Squad, worried because the World Trade Center was only about a mile away from One Police Plaza. She asked for Bobby and he came on the phone.



“Are you alright?”



“Y…Yeah, we’re OK. Babe, I can’t talk now. We have to get over there.”



Annie felt a tingle of fear. He was going down there?



“Be careful, Bobby. I love you.”



“I will. And I love you.”



She sat transfixed by the TV. The phone rang and it was her supervisor. She said that the hospital was enacting their disaster plan and calling in all off-duty personnel. Annie told her she would be there as soon as she could.



Since moving in next door, she and Janey had made arrangements for Janey to take care of the children in case of a disaster that would require both Annie and Bobby to work. She went next-door to Janey’s and found her in front of her television. She explained that she was being called into work and Bobby was already on the job.



“He works really close to the World Trade Center, doesn’t he? Have you talked to him?”



“Just briefly. He’s OK, but his squad is heading over there.”



Janey assured her that she would pick the kids up from school and keep them as long as necessary. Annie ran home and changed into her work uniform. She called Bobby’s cell phone since she knew he had probably already left the squad room. It went directly to voice mail and she left a message that she was going into the hospital. Then she headed to the hospital. On the drive in, listening to the news on the radio, she remembered her first date with Bobby.





Annie found herself having to apologize to all three of her roommates as she got ready for her date. Numerous times she had made fun of them for being “in a tizzy” while preparing for a date, and now she found herself in the same situation. All day she found it impossible think about anything else. She changed her clothes three times, eliciting gales of laughter from her roommates. It was not like Annie to act so “girly” when preparing for a date. But this was different. She finally decided on a simple blue dress. She usually wore her long blond hair in a French braid, but her roommates overruled her on that and insisted she wear it down.



By the time the doorbell rang, she was so nervous that she considered telling him she was sick and canceling. She opened the door and all thoughts of canceling fled. He was wearing a blue button-down shirt, with the top button open. He was smiling down at her and she thought he must have the most beautiful smile in the world.



“Do you mind walking”, he asked, “The restaurant isn’t very far.”



“I don’t mind at all.” She grabbed her purse and ignored her roommates’ giggles as she closed the door firmly behind her.



As nervous as she was, once they were on the street walking, their conversation flowed easily. Annie was amazed at the number of topics that Bobby was interested and conversant in. He stayed close to her as they walked, but didn’t touch her. She found herself wanting to reach over and take his hand, but resisted. Once again she was surprised at the giddy, high school girl feelings she was experiencing. She had not dated much and had only been in one relationship that lasted longer than six months. She had not felt like this with any of them.



Finally Bobby stopped in front of a restaurant and said, “This is the place.” Annie looked up and burst out laughing when she saw that he had brought her to Tony’s Bar and Grill. Bobby watched her with amusement.



“Is this a problem? Did I break a rule?”



“Well, let’s see. You bring a teetotaling vegetarian to a place that is known for its alcoholic drinks and grilled meat. No, no problem at all”, she laughed. “Actually, I guess I deserved that, didn’t I? I admit I was a little bit of a brat about my ‘rules’, yesterday.”



“I know an Italian place not too far from here. We can go there.”



“Oh no, this is fine. I can go into a bar and not drink alcohol, and into a steakhouse and not eat meat.”



Bobby leaned close and spoke with his mouth almost touching her ear.



“And where can you go and not have sex?”



Annie laughed again and linked her arm with his, pulling him towards the restaurant.



“C’mon Mr. Carnivore, let’s eat. I sure hope you brought plenty of money because I’m starving.”



The food was excellent. Annie noted with amusement that Bobby seemed surprised at the amount of food that she ordered from the “side dish” section. They talked about music, art, books. Annie never tired of talking about books and hoped she wasn’t boring him. But he seemed to be enjoying their conversation. He laughed easily and frequently. She noticed that he stammered occasionally when he was explaining something. Somehow it made him even more appealing. Over dessert (Triple Chocolate Cheesecake for her, Apple Pie A La Mode for him), Bobby asked the questions she had been expecting.



“I can guess why you don’t drink alcohol—because of your parents, but why no meat?”



“You’re right about the alcohol. I’ve never had a drink and never intend to have one. And the meat? I just think that humans weren’t intended to eat dead animals, and I think we are healthier if we don’t. Is that too ‘New Age’?”



Bobby smiled at her. “No, I respect that. And the sex? Is that a religious thing?”



“Sort of. At least, in the beginning it was. I was raised in church and when I was in high school I just accepted what they taught about sex only being for marriage. I don’t really go to church much now, mostly when I go home to visit Grandpa. But working at the hospital, I see the sad results of promiscuity. Teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS. Whether there is a God or not, it just seems to me that having sex with only one person that you are committed to being with for life makes a lot of sense. I know that isn’t a popular belief, that ‘safe sex’ is the big emphasis. And believe me, I’ve given that lecture hundreds of times, and I’ve handed out tons of condoms. But the truth is there isn’t anything as ‘safe’ as abstinence, followed by a strictly monogamous relationship.”



Bobby leaned closer and asked, “So are you saying that you will only marry a man who has never had sex?”



Annie laughed. “I’m not that naïve. But I would be concerned about how much, um……’experience’ he has had, how consistently he used protection, his medical history, and most importantly, the likelihood of him being monogamous ‘til death do us part’. Do you think that’s too unrealistic?”



“I think that you are the only one who can decide if your standards are unrealistic.”



Bobby held her hand as they walked back and he seemed to be in no hurry. They sat on a bench and talked for what seemed like hours, but it was only eleven o’clock when they arrived back at her apartment building. Standing on the sidewalk in front, Bobby turned to face Annie.



“So this ‘no sex rule’, does it include no kissing?”



She blushed and hoped it was too dark for him to see. “No, it doesn’t. Kissing is allowed.”



“Good”, he said. He cupped her chin in his large hand and leaned towards her.



“But you should know that you have an audience”, she told him.



Bobby stopped and looked up at her apartment. He saw three giggling female faces in the windows. He looked back down at her smiling face. Annie laughed and took his hand.



“C’mon, I know a better place.” She led him into the lobby of the building, down a short hallway, and opened the door to a storage room.



“Is this better”, she asked.



Bobby grinned at her. “You seem to be well-acquainted with this room. Have you been here often?”



“No, I just have three roommates who have told me a lot about it”, she laughed.



Bobby laughed with her. He put his hands on either side of her face and lowered his head. His lips touched hers gently for a moment before touching his tongue to her lips to part them. As the kiss deepened Annie closed her eyes and reached up to put her arms around his back. She felt the solid strength of his muscles through his shirt. He moved his hands from her face and pulled her close. Annie lost track of time and began to wish they could stay like that forever. Finally Bobby threaded the fingers of one hand into her hair and gently pulled her head back as he ended the kiss. She opened her eyes and looked into his. His brown eyes seemed darker now. She closed her eyes again as he gently kissed each of her eyelids. He placed gentle kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, her throat, coming back at last to her lips. Again he held her tightly against him as his tongue explored her mouth. She sighed as the kiss ended. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his eyes closed.



“I think…” His voice sounded husky. “I think you should go upstairs now.”



“I think you’re right”, she whispered, and sighed again.



They pulled away and Bobby took her hand. He walked with her up the stairs in silence. At her door, he turned and gently kissed her.



“Can I see you tomorrow?”



“Yes”, she said without hesitation.



“I’ll pick you up in the morning, around ten. OK?”



She nodded and he kissed her again before she opened the door and went inside. Annie was instantly surrounded and inundated with questions. She tried to escape to her bedroom. But since she shared a room with Janey she couldn’t keep her out, and Janey let Sue and Emily in as well. They all piled on her bed and insisted on details. Annie told them about the evening, and finally they were satisfied and left her alone. She fell asleep that night thinking about Bobby’s smiling brown eyes, his laugh, and the kiss in the storage room.



Bobby arrived promptly at ten the next morning. He took her to an art museum, where they discovered that they had very different tastes. Annie loved the impressionists, Bobby preferred more provocative paintings. They each patiently and politely explored the other’s choices. They bought lunch and ate it sitting on a bench in Central Park. It finally occurred to Annie to ask why he had so much free time.



“Don’t you have to work? Or is the Army paying you to spend the day with me”, she teased.



He chuckled and answered, “Actually, I’m on leave for two weeks. I’ll be going back to Korea a week from today.”



Annie froze with her sandwich half-way to her mouth. Korea? He was leaving in a week? Well, of course he was. She had to have known he was too good to be true. Men like Bobby—tall, handsome, smart, funny, appealing—did not just wander into the ER every day. Or into her life. And if they did happen to wander in, they certainly did not stay.



Annie sighed. The thought occurred to her that at least she hadn’t known him for very long, hadn’t fallen in love with him. Now that she knew he wouldn’t be around for long, that this was nothing more than an entertaining way to spend his time on leave, she wouldn’t be hurt when he left. She became aware that her hand was frozen in mid-air and that Bobby was watching her with a curious look on his face. She swallowed and took a bite of her sandwich.



“Is something wrong?” Bobby was still watching her.



“No, nothing.” She smiled at him and continued eating. “Tell me more about your family. You said you grew up in Brooklyn. Do your parents still live there?”



“Yes, they do.” Bobby hesitated as though there was more he wanted to say. But he didn’t say anything else about his family. Instead, he said, “After we finish eating let’s take a walk, OK?”



Annie considered pressing him for more information, but she let it drop. After lunch they took a long walk and that evening he took her to a theater showing “Citizen Kane”. Although she knew he would be leaving soon and she would probably never see him again, she decided to just enjoy the time they had together.



The next week seemed to fly by. Bobby spent every day with Annie. On the days that Annie worked, he would show up at lunchtime and when she got off work in the evening he would be waiting to take her to dinner and walk her home. On the days she didn’t work, he would pick her up in the morning and spend the entire day and evening with her. Every evening he walked her to her door and kissed her goodnight. His kisses were soft and sweet, never as intense as that first kiss, and he never suggested going to the storage room again.



On Bobby’s last night before returning to Korea, Annie tried to be cheerful but couldn’t shake a sad feeling at the thought of never seeing him again. He was leaving first thing in the morning, so this evening was the last she would see of him. As he walked her to her door, she waited for him to say goodbye. But without saying anything he backed her up against the wall and kissed her as deeply and passionately as he had that first night. She put her arms around his neck and responded with just as much passion. When the kiss ended Bobby held her tightly against him, his breath warm against her ear. When he finally spoke, his voice was almost a whisper in her ear.



“Annie, if I write to you, will you write back?”



She nodded her head against his shoulder, afraid to say anything.



“Can I call you?”



Again she nodded, not trusting her voice. He held her face between his hands and tilted her face up to his. He looked into her blue eyes for a long time before lowering his head for another kiss. He pulled away almost abruptly. He smiled down at her and slipped a card into her hand. It had an address to write to him.



“I’m going to miss you, Annie Paine’, he said and then he walked quickly away towards the stairs. He had already started down the stairs when Annie finally found her voice.



“I’m going to miss you too, Bobby Goren.”



And then he was gone.



End Chapter 3

Oh, that's so sad! I've been there, having the long-distance relationship thing, and I've felt exactly like that when our time together ended.........

That kiss in the storage room, tho........::TRIPLE THUD!!!:: Then, my hubby called in the middle of my reading that paragraph, and I just wanted to reach out through the phone and kiss HIM that way!

I can't wait for chapter 4. I love how you're telling us how they met. Really cool!

Thanks Flashymom! I think I have chapter 4 almost ready to send to Spook. Then I've got to get busy on the the rest of it. The "how they met" part is done, although I think it needs some tweaking. But I'm still working on the 9/11 parts.

I love it! Of course, the whole kiss part ::THUD:: and ::THUD::. Especially since I haven't had time to even kiss the hubby lately!!!

Oh my! Just the thought of Bobby Goren kissing me like that ::THUD::

I think The Hubby and I could use a storage room like that.....

Wishing I was Annie, Love this story.

I love your Annie Story.

Is the next chapter here yet ? ::looks around::
no...okay i have to wait then.Can i sit down and wait here?

I get in such a hurry when I post another chapter that I keep forgetting to say thank you to my beta--Spook. Two sets of eyes are definately better than one! Thank you, Spook!




Annie heard on the radio that another plane had crashed into the Pentagon. There were unconfirmed reports that a car or truck bomb had gone off at the White House, but there was confusion about the veracity of those reports. Annie whispered a prayer for the rescue workers, the survivors, the families, and for Bobby. She tried once to call him from her cell phone, but it wasn’t working.



She walked into the ER and was stunned by the silence. There were 2 or 3 people in the waiting room. None of them seemed to be seriously ill or injured and were waiting patiently to be seen by a doctor while watching the television. The few patients in rooms already were quiet and subdued, as were the nurses and doctors as they treated them. The television in the doctor’s lounge was on and turned up so that it could be heard in the hallways. Someone had brought in a small portable TV and put it at the reception desk. Everyone who was not with a patient was gathered in one of those two places, transfixed by the images.



Annie went to the lounge and put her things in her locker. She stood for a moment watching with two other nurses as smoke poured from the two towers. As they watched one of the towers collapsed, seeming to implode on itself, causing a huge gray cloud to billow up around it and spread outward. Annie heard gasps around her, she heard the news reporters talking excitedly, but all the sound seemed to come from far away. Her only thought was “Where is Bobby?”



She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Bobby, but her phone still was not working. She ran to the reception desk to use the phone there. She dialed his cell phone, praying that his would be working. But she got a recording that her call could not be completed. She dialed several times, but the call would not go through. She tried calling One Police Plaza, thinking that even if he wasn’t there, someone would know where he was. But again no calls were going through.



She knew there was nothing more to do about finding Bobby except pray, which she did silently and constantly. She went to work, concentrating on the patients. With the rest of the staff she watched on TV as the second tower fell. Then there was the news of an airplane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania, with speculation about whether it was related to the first three. Periodically she went to the telephone and tried to call Bobby’s cell, Alex’s cell, and 1 Police Plaza. But she was not able to get through.



The staff waited for an influx of wounded patients from the site, but it stayed quiet all morning. Even the normal traffic through the ER seemed slower than usual. As they waited, they all watched the horror unfold on television. And Annie remembered how hard it was to be separated from Bobby when he was in Korea.



True to his word, Bobby did write to Annie nearly every day and she wrote back just as often. Annie wrote about everything in her life; her job, her roommates, Janey’s engagement, her grandfather, the books she was reading, movies she saw, every detail of her life, past and present. Bobby’s letters were filled with information about his work, his research, his exploration of Korea. But there were few references to his family. He called her once a week. The calls were disappointingly short due to the long distance charges but Annie looked forward to them. In every letter and every phone call they told each other how much they missed one another and how eagerly they looked forward to Bobby’s leave.



It would be six months before he could take leave again and he promised to come back to New York. Six months seemed like a lifetime but finally she was waiting at the airport for him to arrive. She couldn’t believe how natural it seemed to have him there again and how easily the two weeks fell into a pattern. Annie worried that eating out every day was too expensive, so they had dinner at her apartment most evenings. Sometimes she cooked, sometimes Bobby cooked, but mostly they worked together. Having time alone was a problem since she had three roommates and Bobby was staying with Lewis. But they spent a lot of time in the park, walking or sitting on a bench.



Of the two weeks that Bobby was on leave, there were three days that they were not together. He said that he needed to spend time with his mother. Annie had hoped he would introduce them, but he made no mention of having her meet his family.



The two weeks sped by and he was gone again. It was harder to say goodbye this time. Annie knew she was falling in love with him, but Bobby never said anything about his feelings for her, except that he missed her when he was away.



They began another six months of long letters and brief phone calls. Bobby told her about a profiler that the FBI had sent over to assist in a hunt for a serial killer. He was excited to be working with and learning from the famous Declan Gage.



Annie kept busy with work and with helping Janey with plans for her wedding. Annie was to be her maid of honor. She was happy for her friend, although it meant she would be losing a roommate. Janey was one of the first friends she had made when she moved to New York to go to nursing school.



As the date got closer, Annie realized that Bobby would be back in New York on leave. She asked him to be her date and he agreed. She requested the entire two weeks off from work and made plans to take Bobby to her grandfather’s house in Connecticut for a few days before the wedding.



The first three days of his leave, Bobby spent with his mother. It was torture for Annie knowing that he was in town but she couldn’t see him. He called her every night, but she wasn’t sure if that made it easier or harder. His reluctance to discuss his family or let her meet them concerned her. But she believed that eventually he would open up.



The morning they left for Connecticut Bobby showed up at her apartment with his suitcase. When she saw him at her front door, tall and handsome in a black tee shirt and jeans, she couldn’t help throwing herself into his arms. He laughed and held her tightly. He held her face between his large hands and tilted her head so that she was looking into his eyes. He just looked at her for a long time, as though he were trying to memorize every feature. He lowered his head and kissed her for a long time.



They were driving to Connecticut in Annie’s small ten year old car. When Bobby saw her car, he looked at her incredulously.



“A Pinto?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”



Annie said, “What’s wrong with a Pinto? It’s old, but it runs great and gets good gas mileage.”



She laughed at Bobby as he folded himself into the car. It was definitely not designed for a 6’4” man. Annie entertained him with stories of the family members he was going to meet during the drive to Connecticut. As she drove down the tree-lined street, she had the same feeling of home-coming that she always had when she came to visit Grandpa. And as the two-story yellow farmhouse that she grew up in came into view she got misty-eyed. Bobby noticed and reached over and squeezed her hand.



“Brings back memories, doesn’t it”, he asked.



“Oh yes. Grandpa has lived in this house all his life. And so did his father. His grandfather built it.”



“It’s beautiful.”



As Bobby got out of the car and opened Annie’s door, Grandpa came out of the house. He stood on the porch and watched them as they came up the steps. He hugged Annie and then turned to shake Bobby’s hand.



“Grandpa, this is Bobby Goren. Bobby, this is my grandfather Earl Paine.”



“Well, it’s good to meet you, young man. Annie must think a lot of you to subject you to this wild bunch.” Her grandfather had planned a barbeque and she could hear the sounds of people in the backyard.



“I’m very glad to meet you too, sir. Annie has told me a lot about you.”



Just then the door slammed open and her two cousins, Jack and Bruce, burst through. They and their sister, Marian, were more like siblings to Annie than cousins. Jack caught Annie up in a bear hug, while Bruce introduced himself to Bobby. Marian came around the house from the backyard with Uncle Tom and Aunt Jeane. Introductions were made all around, then Aunt Jeane shooed everyone to the backyard while Annie and Bobby took their things upstairs.



Annie showed Bobby the guest room and then showed him her childhood bedroom across the hall. Grandpa hadn’t changed anything since she left and Bobby smiled at the stuffed animals on the bed and the various high school awards.



“Math whiz and choir. Your grandfather is proud of you.”



Annie sighed, “I’ve tried to get him to redecorate this room, but he won’t. So, are you ready to face the throng? They’re noisy and sometimes rowdy, but not too dangerous.”



Bobby laughed and told her, “I’m ready.”



She took his hand. He pulled her close and kissed her before they headed down the stairs and out the back door. The rest of the afternoon and evening was a blur of family, laughter, stories, singing, food, and children running underfoot. By the time everything had been cleaned up and everyone had left, it was late. Grandpa said goodnight and went upstairs. Annie and Bobby settled down on the comfortable, padded love seat on the deck. He pulled her close and she leaned back against his broad chest.



“So you survived your first Paine barbeque. Everyone liked you a lot. I’m going to have to keep an eye on a couple of my younger cousins. They are already lusting for you.”



Bobby laughed. “Your family is great. Do they get together like this a lot?”



“Well, a few times a year for the entire bunch, like today. But my aunt and uncle and cousins spend a lot of time with Grandpa. I get up here at least once a month. How often do you see your family?”



“I keep in touch with my mother and see her as much as I can when I’m in New York. I don’t see my father or my brother very much. We aren’t big on family reunions.”



Annie started to ask more about his family, but before she could Bobby began pointing out the different constellations. She took the hint and let the subject of his family drop. It made her sad that he wasn’t very close to his family. She couldn’t imagine not having lots of family to share her happy and sad moments with.



The sound of his voice and the feel of his arms around her and his chest against her back made her wish they could stay there forever. Finally Bobby whispered in her ear that they should get some sleep. They walked upstairs and outside Annie’s bedroom door, he held her close and kissed her. She put her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.



“I’m so glad you’re here. I really want you to like my family”, she whispered.



Bobby hesitated before placing a kiss on the top of her head and telling her, “I’m glad I’m here too.”



Annie woke long before dawn and quickly got up and dressed. This was a tradition for Annie since she had moved to New York. Every time she visited Grandpa she would get up early on her first morning home and go to the beach to watch the sun rise over the ocean. She hesitated outside Bobby’s room, but didn’t wake him. As much as she wanted to share this with him, this first morning was for her alone.



She drove to her favorite spot and parked her car. She took a flashlight with her because it was still dark, and a blanket to sit on. She made her way down to the beach, spread out her blanket and sat down. She sat in the dark, inhaling the fishy, briny smell of the ocean and listening to the sound of the waves. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the waves lapping on the shore. A familiar feeling of peace filled her. She had always told Grandpa that she could hear the voice of God in the sound of the waves. While she didn’t consider herself very religious these days the ocean still had the same effect on her.



She sat and watched the sun come up, then picked up her blanket and headed back to Grandpa’s house. Grandpa was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee when she returned. He smiled and filled a mug with hot water for Annie, her preferred hot beverage. They sat at the small kitchen table and watched the early morning sun filtering through the trees in the backyard.



“You like this boy a lot”, Grandpa said.



Annie laughed. “He’s twenty nine years old, Grandpa. Hardly a boy. And yes, I do like him a lot.”



“Young man, then”, Grandpa chuckled. He was silent for a moment and then said softly, “You’re in love with him.”



Annie could never keep anything from Grandpa. The few times she tried to lie to him when she was growing, he always knew. He told her, “I can read your face like a book, Annie.” This was the reason she was so terrible at playing poker. Her expressive face always gave her away, a fact that her cousins had no scruples about exploiting. She sighed as she thought how much she hoped Bobby couldn’t read her as well as Grandpa could.



She didn’t answer Grandpa, but he didn’t seem to expect her to. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Grandpa asked, “Does he love you?”



“He hasn’t said anything.”



“He will”, Grandpa said. “I’ve been watching him. He opens doors for you. I like that. When he’s in a crowd he looks to see where you are every few minutes, he watches you when he thinks you aren’t looking, and he smiles whenever you smile, even if you are across the yard and he doesn’t know what you are smiling about.”



They heard Bobby coming down the stairs. Grandpa insisted on making breakfast for them, so afterwards Bobby and Annie sent him out while they cleaned up. Annie spent the day showing Bobby around her hometown. It was a small town and it seemed that most of the people in town knew Annie and wanted to meet her “young man”. She showed him the high school she attended, the library where she had spent so much of her time, the diner where all the high school kids still hung out, the small local historical museum.



That night, Bobby insisted on taking them out for dinner. They ate at a small Italian restaurant. Bobby had Veal Parmigiana, Annie had the Fettuccine Alfredo, and Grandpa had Spaghetti and Meatballs. Everyone had Tiramisu for dessert. They talked and laughed through dinner. Grandpa told stories about his days working for the Post Office, his experiences in the Navy during WWII. Bobby talked about his work with CID and profiling. Annie didn’t say very much, she just enjoyed listening to them. She was happy that Grandpa and Bobby seemed to hit it off so well.



The next day Annie took him to her uncle’s ranch. Bobby had never ridden a horse before, but he was a quick study. He listened carefully to all of Jack’s instructions and followed them to the letter. Annie’s aunt packed lunches for them and they went on a long ride with Jack, Bruce, and Marian. It felt good to be on a horse again, and to be with her cousins. Most of all, it felt good for Bobby to be part of it. They rode down to the beach and had lunch there. Jack and Bruce vied to see who could tell the most embarrassing story about Annie.



Back at Grandpa’s, Annie made dinner for the three of them. Grandpa was having some friends over for poker and invited Bobby to play with them. Before the others arrived, Bobby and Annie went for a walk. They held hands and talked. She found out to her shock that Bobby didn’t care for the beach. But he assured her that being with her and her cousins had made it enjoyable.



When they got back to the house, Grandpa’s friends were there ready to play. They invited both Annie and Bobby to join them and she played a few hands. But, as always, she lost to the great amusement of all the men at the table. She laughingly scolded them for not being very gentlemanly and excused herself. She insisted Bobby stay because she could see he was enjoying himself. She got a book and curled up on the couch in the living room. She listened to the men talking and heard Grandpa asking Bobby about his plans for the future.



“You seem to be doing well in the Army. Are you planning on making a career of it?”



“I thought I was. But lately I’ve been thinking that I might leave when my enlistment is over. I’m thinking of joining the NYPD.”



It made Annie smile to think of Bobby being in New York permanently. The sound of the men’s voices, interspersed with laughter, gave her a warm feeling of being home. These sounds, and these men, had been a part of most of her childhood. She read until the men left and Grandpa went upstairs. Bobby got a book, joined her on the couch, and put his arm around her. They sat and read in silence for a while. Annie became sleepy and Bobby repositioned her so that she was lying on the couch with her head on his lap. As he read, he absent-mindedly ran his fingers through her hair.



Annie sighed in contentment. She was very sleepy now. She laid her book down in front of her and closed her eyes, thinking it was just for a moment. As she dozed off she whispered, “I love you.” She didn’t feel Bobby’s hand freeze or how he tensed.



The sun was shining and Grandpa was in the kitchen when she woke up the next morning. She was on the couch with a blanket over her. Bobby must have covered her last night. She stretched and thought about the last few days. They were leaving today and the next few days would be busy, preparing for Janey’s wedding. She got up and went upstairs to shower and dress. When she came down, Bobby was in the kitchen with Grandpa. They ate breakfast, but Bobby was quiet this morning.



As they put their things in the car and prepared to leave, Grandpa came out to hug Annie. He shook hands with Bobby and said, “It was good to meet you. I look forward to seeing more of you.”



Bobby replied, “Yes sir, it was good meeting you too.”



He was quiet on the drive back to New York. She tried to draw him into conversation, but finally gave up and they rode in silence. At Annie’s apartment, Bobby carried her suitcase up for her and then said he couldn’t stay.



“Is anything wrong? You’ve been so quiet today.”



“No, nothing’s wrong.”



“I’m going to be busy with Janey for the next few days. But maybe we can go to lunch or dinner?”



“It’s OK, I know how busy you will be. I think I’m going to spend a few days with my mother.”



“See you for the rehearsal dinner?”



“Sure, I’ll pick you up at 6:30.”



Annie watched Bobby walk towards the stairway with an uneasy feeling. He had been so quiet all day. She wondered if he was angry about something, but couldn’t think of any reason that he would be. She considered running after him and asking if she had done anything to anger him, but decided against it.



The next three days were a flurry of shopping, decorating, fittings, and lunches. The four roommates spent every night talking, laughing, and remembering the fun they had shared over the years. Annie called Lewis’ apartment once, but Lewis told her Bobby had gone to stay at his mother’s apartment for a few days. He offered to give her the phone number, but she told him, “No thank you. I’ll be seeing him in a few days anyway.” Bobby had not given her his mother’s phone number, so she felt uncomfortable getting it from Lewis.



On the day of the rehearsal dinner, Annie was busy all day with last minute details. As Maid of Honor she was determined that Janey would have the wedding of her dreams and not have to worry about details. The rehearsal in the afternoon was typically hectic and disorganized. Janey was frazzled and worried that the wedding would be a disaster, but Annie assured her that it would all go without a hitch. She crossed her fingers as she fibbed about how confident she was about that.



She was the only one home when the doorbell rang at 6:30. Annie opened the door and Bobby stood there looking so handsome in a suit and tie it took her breath away. He smiled appreciatively at the sight of Annie in her green dress. But even as he smiled she realized that whatever had been wrong the other day was still on his mind. He leaned down and kissed her lightly. They held hands as they walked to the garage and Bobby held the driver’s side door open for her to get in. He was silent on the drive to the restaurant. She desperately wanted to ask him what was wrong, but decided to wait until after the dinner.



Bobby was quieter than usual during dinner, but made an effort to join in conversation and to laugh with the others as family and friends told stories about the bride and groom. He only asked Annie to dance once, but even then he seemed distracted. She asked him if they could leave early, saying she wanted to get as much sleep as possible because the next day would be so busy. He readily agreed and they said their goodbyes. At the door to Annie’s apartment, she turned and looked up at him.



“Bobby…..” She suddenly wasn’t sure what to say. She took a breath and started again. “Bobby, is something wrong? Have I done something to make you angry?”



He looked at her and didn’t answer for a long moment. Finally he said, “No, no, you haven’t done anything and I’m not angry. I’m sorry if I haven’t been very good company.”



Annie reached up and rubbed her fingers along his tie clip. She took hold of his tie and tugged slightly, telling him, “If there’s something wrong, you can talk to me.”



Bobby put his forearm on the wall above Annie’s head and leaned close to her. He kissed her lightly and said, “There is something I want to talk to you about, but now isn’t the time. After all the wedding stuff is done and things calm down, we’ll talk.”



He started to pull back, but she tightened her grip on his tie. She used the tie to pull his head down and kissed him again. She touched her tongue to his lips and pushed to part them. Bobby hesitated for a moment, then he parted his lips and let her tongue explore his mouth. Annie let go of his tie and put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He slid his arms around her waist and held her tightly. Bobby responded as the kiss became more heated and passionate. He moved his hands up to her face as he pressed her back against the wall. His lips moved from hers and he began cover her face with kisses. He kissed her eyes, her cheeks, her ears, and moved down to her throat and the sensitive hollow there. The thumb of his left hand moved to lightly caress the skin along the square neckline of her dress. She shivered at the feel of his thumb as it moved across her skin. His hands went back to her waist and he pulled her closer. His lips moved down to the neckline of her dress. He used the tip of his tongue to follow the trail his thumb had traced across the top of her breasts. Annie threaded the fingers of both hands in his hair. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. She arched her back slightly to increase the contact of his tongue with her skin. Her breathing was shallow and rapid. She knew she had to stop this. Bobby’s kisses retraced the path back to her throat, her face, her mouth. He took her bottom lip lightly between his teeth, teasing her with his tongue. His mouth covered hers and his hands moved to her buttocks. He pulled her hips tightly against his own. She could feel his response to her and tightened her embrace.



Bobby ended the kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his head next to hers, his breathing warm and ragged against her ear. They stood like that for several long minutes. Annie could feel the rapid thudding of both their hearts. Finally Bobby whispered, “I have to go” and pulled away. She dropped her arms and watched as he turned and walked quickly down the hallway to the stairs without looking back. She leaned back against the wall for a moment before unlocking the door with shaking hands.



She went to her room and sat on her bed. She felt cold and couldn’t stop shaking. She regretted having started that entire episode. She hadn’t meant to mislead him; she didn’t play those kinds of games with men. She was serious about not having sex and about not giving second chances. Never before had she wavered in her principles, and it frightened her to realize how close she had come tonight to tossing those principles out the window. She knew that it was Bobby who stopped her from going too far and she felt ashamed.



She wondered if Bobby had become frustrated with her “rules” and wanted to stop seeing her because of it. And why not, she thought. It was obvious that he was not in love with her and so their relationship was not going to progress any further. Why would he continue to see her, knowing that letters, meals, and walks were all that they would ever share? There had to be many women who would be more than happy to sleep with him. Of course he had no reason to waste any more of his time on her. He had introduced her to a former girlfriend when they ran into her at a restaurant one night. Irene was tall, leggy, brunette, and a stockbroker. Annie had felt short and dumpy next to her and wondered if Irene was more Bobby’s “type”.



For the first time in her life, Annie considered relaxing one of her rules. But even as the thought occurred to her, she knew that she couldn’t do it. If sex were the only way to keep Bobby, she would rather lose him. She lay back on the bed and let her tears flow. By the time the girls returned from the rehearsal dinner, Annie had cried herself out. She had taken a shower, changed into her pajamas, and put a cold washcloth over her puffy eyes. If they could tell she had been crying, no one said anything.



This was the last night the four would be together as roommates and they stayed up late, in their pajamas, eating ice cream. They talked about Janey’s future with the man of her dreams. Once they had all finally gone to bed, Annie lay awake thinking about Bobby. She had begun to think he was the man of her dreams. She realized that she had allowed herself to fall in love and it broke her heart to think that he didn’t feel the same way. She finally fell into a restless sleep.



End Chapter 4

Aw, you're welcome, ciaddict! I love the sneak peek! And I love Annie.

So goood! These chapters can't come fast enough for me. But then I don't want it to end either...

Great chapter!

Thanks to Spook for catching my boo-boos!





A few patients trickled in as noon approached. There were some minor injuries to people on the outskirts of the area after the collapse of the buildings, some cuts from broken glass, a whiplash from a car accident. There were several people, who came in with respiratory problems from the ash, dust, and debris in the air. But for the most part, it remained quiet in the ER.



The televisions were on continuously. Annie and the rest of the staff could not resist watching the footage of the planes, the burning buildings, and the collapse of first one, then the other tower. The images were shown over and over until they were seared into Annie’s brain. She was actually relieved when a patient came in so that she had a reason to stop watching.



The news crews that were able to get to the site showed the efforts to find survivors among the rubble of the destroyed twin towers. There were NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority officers, paramedics, nurses, and doctors. Always, Annie watched carefully to see if she could find Bobby, Alex, or anyone she knew from Major Case. But she didn’t recognize anyone.



There were reports that rescue workers, both fire and police, were in the buildings, trying to evacuate people when the towers collapsed. There was no word on how many there were or if any had escaped. Annie had a knot of fear in her stomach that Bobby might have been in one of those buildings, but she refused to acknowledge it. When her coworkers expressed concern, she smiled and told them that she was sure Bobby was fine. She thought that if she