A New Dawn

A/N This story follows after God Rest Ye, which follows The Line That Must Not Be Crossed. Hopefully you don't need to read those to enjoy this one.

Alex opened her door wide, and saw Bobby's look of surprise.

"Oh, uh, you're going out, uh, sorry."

She looked down at her running shorts. "Gotta start back sometime. I figured New Year's Day was a good time."

"You're feeling up to it?"

Alex shrugged. A week ago, she'd been down with the flu. The truth was, her energy was still a little low, but she was hoping running would help bring her back to normal. "I figured it was time to try." She looked at Bobby. He'd been sick, too, a couple of days after she had it. "How are you?"

It was Goren's turn to shrug. "I'm okay," he said. "I thought I'd take the Mustang out for a spin, maybe get some breakfast. I was hoping you might come along."

She smiled a little. "Brunch, maybe? After my run?"

Bobby stuffed his hands in his pockets and nodded. "Okay."

"I could meet you somewhere."

"N-no, the… the ride, it's… it's part of the ritual. I-I-I do this every year."

Alex smiled even more. "I'll call you when I get back, then."

Now Bobby smiled. "Okay."

…..

The Mustang smelled like leather. Alex scanned the dash and not a speck of dust was to be found on it. "You cleaned it, too?"

"Every New Year's Eve, she gets detailed. Every New Year's morning, she gets a cruise."

"For how long?" Alex asked.

"I actually bought her a couple of days before New Year's. I've been doing this every year since."

Alex grinned. She knew of several New Year's rituals: staying up and drinking a toast, sharing a kiss, watching the first sunrise, eating pork, kraut, and black eyed peas… leave it to Bobby to have his own unique way of celebrating. "Do you make resolutions?" she asked.

Goren shrugged. "Not really. I do a lot of thinking, a lot of… reflection. I suppose that results in something, even if it's not a formal resolution." He glanced over at her. "Do you?"

"Yeah, you know, keep the house cleaner, make more time for myself or for family, that kind of thing. I usually don't get past March before I fall into my old habits, though."

"That's why I don't make resolutions." He gave her a quick half-smile. "Don't need any more failures in my life."

"Oh, Bobby…"

"No, it sounded worse than I meant it. But… you know, you don't wanna get your hopes up about something and, you know… March comes, and you have to, you know…"

"Yeah. I know."

They rode in silence for a few minutes. It was approaching 10:00 a.m., and people were starting to stir after staying up to greet the New Year. Bobby pulled in to a hidden lot and they climbed out of the car. He held her door for her as she got out, and carefully locked and closed it. They walked to the diner together, his hand brushing against the small of her back occasionally.

He ordered eggs and bacon, and she ordered a veggie crepe. They chatted easily, enjoying the food, and then grew quiet. At last, Bobby said, "It's gonna be a good year, I think."

She looked up and caught his smile. "I hope so, Bobby."

"Alex, you know what I said, about how I do a lot of thinking?"

She nodded.

"I've been thinking a lot this year about… about that line… you know, that line between us."

She thought back to a conversation a week ago. She'd been sick as a dog, and he'd come over to take care of her. They had agreed that the line between their professional lives and their personal lives was always shifting. Her voice failed her, and her reply came out a whisper. "Yeah?"

"Alex, I…" He paused, looked down, wiped his hands on his napkin. As suddenly as he'd looked away, he returned his gaze to her. "I love you."

She froze in place. Her jaw dropped, but she didn't say a word. She gripped her fork so tightly that her skin started to turn white.

"I've thought about it a lot. I thought you should know."

Slowly, she regained control over her frozen joints. Alex straightened herself in her chair until her back was pressing against the cushioned back of the seat. "I-I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel." His eyes were fixed on hers.

"God, you really mean that."

Bobby pulled a face. "Of course I mean it. Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?"

Alex almost chuckled. "Settle down, Bobby. I didn't mean anything by that. I guess I'm just… amazed. You really don't expect anything in return."

"Expect? No. Hope? Sure I do." His cheeks flushed slightly as he gave her a grin.

Alex's hand shot out and grasped his as if it had a mind of its own. His flesh was hot against hers, and for a moment she was distracted by the soothing sensation. "I love you, too," she admitted. She almost chuckled again. "And what are we supposed to do about all of this?"

He lowered his head and shrugged one shoulder. "Don't have to do anything," he muttered. "But we could."

"We could what?"

Those brown eyes locked on hers again. "We could. Love. You know, starry nights and candlelit dinners and, well, intimacy."

Her own eyes were starry for a moment as she entertained the idea. Then her snarky disposition got the better of her. "And wondering if we're giving each other enough attention and all the rules of relationships and the burdens that come with it."

"So… we make our own rules." Bobby glanced around the room as he continued. "I mean, I don't… care… if you spend time with me every day or not. I love you, Eames. I don't even expect you to love me back. So how the hell can it go wrong? We just, you know, throw away the damn rule book. If I feel like touching your hand, I'll touch your hand. If I feel like kissing you, I'll kiss you. Simple as that."

She smiled down at her plate and then met his eyes again. "Sounds pretty nice." Bobby's warm hand shifted, wrapping itself more securely around her smaller one.

"It's a new year," he said quietly. "Maybe we should try it."

She stared at him for at least a full minute. Then, seemingly without resolving anything, they rose and made their way out of the diner.

Smalltalk filled the air between them as they walked around to the Mustang. Ever the gentleman, Bobby opened her door for her. As she turned to lower herself into the seat, she paused, her face just inches from his. Alex closed the distance between them. His mouth was warmer than his hand, and he was as hungry for the contact as she was. They disengaged with a smack of lips.

In the moment after, Goren unwound with a slow grin. Alex smiled too, and her hands slipped against his chest as their lips met again.

A/N 2: I know many of you are disappointed that I haven't added to The Road to Emmaus in a while. A lot has been happening. Ms. CherylWB passed away a couple of months ago. She was an inspiration to me, and a great support. She was always blessing me with ideas or motivating me with feedback on my fanfic stories. I miss her dearly. There are other things going on in life right now, too, and TRTE is one of those stories that takes a greater investment of time than the ones that just pop out of my head. I hope you will continue to be patient with me. I will continue writing, that I can promise. And I have every intention of finishing TRTE, when I have the time and the focus I need to do it right. As always, I thank you all for reading and for all the support you've shown me through reviews and private messages. I wish nothing but the best for you all, and I am always glad to hear from you!