Author's Note: This is a sequel to my fic "We Don't Hug." I got such wonderful reviews that I had to write a companion piece. Thank you all for the response to "We Don't Hug."
Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I can't seem to pimp them out for money, so please don't sue me.
Title: Two Way Street
By: Marion
"Is she feeling well?" Captain Danny Ross asked quietly, walking over to Detective Robert Goren who was standing in the doorway of a conference room watching his partner. Alexandra Eames was sound asleep at the table, her head pillowed on an open case file.
"Physically, I think so," said Goren. "But I don't think she's been sleeping well at night."
"I suppose after her ordeal, lost sleep is normal," said the Captain.
Bobby nodded.
"Has she talked to you about it?"
"About what happened to her?" Ross nodded. "A little, when she first escaped. Nothing since we closed the case," said Bobby. "I sat by her bed in the hospital long enough to know she's been having nightmares."
"Well, she's no good to me sleep deprived," Ross said gently. "Why don't you two take off a little early? I'll see you Monday."
"Thanks," said Bobby, continuing to watch his partner sleep. After a minute or two, he went into the conference room. "Hey, Eames," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle shake.
She blinked up at him groggily.
"Captain said we could start the weekend early," said Bobby. Eames sat up and stretched, popping several vertebrae. "What do you say I take you out for coffee, sleepy head?"
"Mmm… sounds good," she said, smiling at him.
Together they cleaned up the files strewn on the table in the conference room. Then they got their coats and headed to a nearby coffee shop. Once there, they ordered and settled in a booth near the back of the place.
"I know you're sick of people asking, Eames, but are you okay?" Bobby asked after a moment.
"I'm fine, Bobby," she said. She smiled at him in what she hoped was a reassuring manner and patted his hand.
"You haven't been sleeping well," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Do you ever sleep well?"
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, searching her face for the truth.
"I'm fine, Bobby," she repeated. "It's getting better. I'm sorry I fell asleep at work. It won't happen again."
"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about you," he said.
"Don't. I'm okay. Really."
"All that stuff you said to me about being part of my support system …" he began. "That's a two way street, Alex." He looked down at his hands, feeling a little out of his element. "I know you already have support from your family. I just want you to know I'm always just a phone call away. If you need me, just tell me and I'll be by your side as fast as I can." He ran a hand though his hair to relieve his mounting nervous tension.
"I appreciate it, Bobby. Thank you. But I'm really all right."
"If you ever need to talk … or anything …"
"I'll call," she said, patting his hand again. He seemed reassured by that. That her poor, flustered, corpse-sniffing partner was worried about her did not surprise her, but it warmed her heart a little to hear him voice it.
Bobby paid for the coffee and they had an amicable conversation about work and their respective non-existent weekend plans (save Bobby's usual Sunday visit to Carmel Ridge). They parted ways outside of the café, Bobby heading for the subway and Alex for the garage at 1PP.
xxx
Robert Goren was actually asleep when the knock at his apartment door came. He sighed and tried to pretend he hadn't heard it. The knocking came again, more insistent this time. He rolled over to look at his clock. 2:17AM. Who on earth? he wondered.
Bobby rolled out of bed and pulled on his discarded pants. He stumbled sleepily to his door and looked through the peephole. He was instantly awake. He pulled the door open.
"Hi Bobby, can I come in?" asked Alex.
"Of course," he said, stepping back to grant her entry. "Are you okay?" Something was up. She looked small to him in a way that had little to do with her stature. Though the fact that she was wearing sneakers instead of heels increased the difference in their heights a few inches.
"I'm fine," she said automatically, yet one look at her face betrayed her distress.
Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Right. You're fine. That's why you're here after two in the morning."
"Is it that late? I didn't realize. I'm sorry. I'll go," she said, heading back to the door.
"Eames! Wait a second. I don't mind, I only meant that you're not fine if you're here instead of at your parents' house asleep." She'd been staying with her parents in the weeks since the kidnapping at their insistence. He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back to him. She sighed, looking sad and frustrated. He felt his heart clench. "What's wrong?"
"Its stupid. I should go."
"Alex, please talk to me," Bobby pleaded.
"I went home, to stay. I thought I could handle it. I'm tired of living at my parents' house, ducking my mother's concern and her attempts at fattening me up. It was no big deal. I was so sure I was ready…"
Bobby took her hand and led her to sit with him on the couch. "There's no shame in not being ready. It's barely been a month."
"One month, 11 days," she said, looking at her hands. She picked intently at a hangnail on her left hand until Bobby took both of her hands in his.
"You're going to draw blood if you keep that up."
She shrugged but continued not to look him in the face. "Its not like I hadn't been home since it happened. I appreciate the mini-blinds and the shower door, by the way. You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to. Your little brother helped me put them in."
The corners of her lips arched upward for a second. "Maybe it was that people were always with me," she said, her forlorn expression returning. "Or it was daylight, those times I went back. I was fine when I first got home tonight. Last night," she amended. "The sun was still up, thanks to Ross' act of charity. I haven't been afraid of the dark since I was four.
"I tried so hard to stay … until I just couldn't. And sleep … was just out of the question."
She tugged her hands away and resumed picking at the hangnail. "Damn it, Bobby I feel so stupid. I have an irrational fear of my house." She sniffled. Tears were beginning to seep from the corners of her eyes. "And I … I miss my bird. I want my life back the way it was before … before…" She was looking determinedly down at her now bleeding finger, trying to hide her face, her weakness, from her partner.
He reached for her, tugging her gently toward him. She buried her face against his chest and he wrapped his big arms around her. Her tears soaked into his cotton T-shirt and he murmured soft comforts to her as he rubbed her back.
He'd never seen her cry like this before. Even since the ordeal with Jo Gage she hadn't once let him see past her tough outer walls. He'd seen cracks in her armor before, but now the armor was gone, her body shaking with quiet sobs.
"I'm sorry," she said, pushing against his chest to free herself from his grasp. "I shouldn't have… I should go."
"Alex…" he kept a firm but gentle hold on her arms.
"I didn't mean to unload on you. You weren't supposed to see me this way."
"It's all right, Alex. I'm glad you came to me."
"I don't like feeling this way. I just feel… so pathetic."
Bobby lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "It's not pathetic," he said. "It's human. You're allowed to be human."
"I'm supposed to be the tough stable one," she said, smiling just a little.
Bobby laughed softly, his big hands gently wiping away her tears. "I haven't said this enough… I can never say it enough. I'm so glad you're okay." His eyes were damp. "I would be lost with out you."
She put her arms around his neck and lay her head against his shoulder. "You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?"
"I should have known better," he murmured, squeezing her gently. He felt her smile against his neck.
"I could get used to this," she whispered. "Being held by you."
"You probably shouldn't encourage me," he said smiling.
She laughed. She sat back and faced him. "Can I crash on your couch tonight?" she asked.
"Of course," said Bobby, reaching out to tuck an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. "You can stay here as long as you like."
Author's Note: Well, I hope you like it. I'm planning one more piece in this little series, set around Thanksgiving. I just can't decide whether to make it a chapter fic or not. And I can't decide how shippy I want to go with it. Thoughts? Anyway, remember that reviews are good for your fanfiction karma. Until next time.