Hello all. I felt bad for not having Bobby/Tara in my "Come Find Me" story, and this idea just came to me tonight, so I've decided to post it as well. It is going to have some sad moments (and potential triggers), so be prepared for that. I'm planning some angst and some romance. I'm planning twists and mystery. I may or may not throw in some Jack and Sue moments, but ultimately, this is a Bobby/Tara story. Enjoy! :)

Bobby had a small smile on his face as he listened to his coworkers jabbing at Jack for his latest mishap on a case. He wasn't fully paying attention because he was thinking about something else, or rather, someone else.

"All I can say is, when someone is undercover, I need to be given a hint because I really thought she was involved," Jack defended himself.

"I heard she took you down hard," Tara smirked. Bobby glanced her way, catching her eye as she laughed. Whether or not she noticed, he didn't know. She had carefully slid her eyes away after meeting his for a millisecond. Things had been awkward between them since their date and since Stanley came back into the picture almost a year ago. Bobby regretted not opening his mouth, and now he got to watch the two of them date and be in love. It was slightly sickening.

"Do I need to get the frozen peas?" Sue asked, smiling at Jack. He tilted his head back, groaning.

"No," he answered.

"Still, she almost dislocated your arm. I think you should get someone to look at it," Myles pointed out.

"It was a small throw," Jack argued. "Nothing got dislocated. Nothing got damaged."

"Just your ego, mate," Bobby finally chimed in. Jack gave him a glare in return.

"Well, I'd love to stay and keep making Jack feel bad, but I've got a date," Tara said, gathering up her things and getting ready to go. Bobby felt his insides clench a little. It never got easier.

"Bye," Lucy said with a knowing look. Bobby peered at her curiously. What did she know? Tara blushed in response as she left.

"What was that about?" Jack asked, seeing it too. Lucy checked to see that Tara was gone.

"Stanley is gonna propose!" Lucy squealed. Bobby dropped his phone with a clatter, but no one noticed because Sue had gasped in surprise and Myles had made a verbal exclamation. Jack, however, saw Bobby's face. Bobby avoided his gaze. No one knew what had happened between him and Tara, and he wanted it to stay that way.

"Good for them," Bobby said after a moment, collecting his things too.

"How did Tara find out?" Sue asked. Bobby tried not to hear, but it was hard to miss.

"She found the ring in his briefcase apparently when she was looking for a pen. So she says anyway," Lucy laughed. "I think she's suspected he was going to ask for a while now."

"See you tomorrow," Bobby said, heading out.

"Wait up," Jack called. "I have a feeling this is gonna get girly." He hurried after Bobby, and they got into the elevator together.

"All right," Jack said once they were inside. "What's wrong?"

"Hm? Nothing," Bobby shook his head. "Why would there be something wrong?"

"I'm not stupid, Bobby. Your reaction to Tara getting engaged was obvious you're not thrilled about it. Why not?"

"I'd really rather not say."

"You like her?" Jack prodded, knowing he was hitting it on the head.

"You like Sue?" Bobby challenged, making Jack wince a little. He knew it was obvious to everyone, even Sue, but he wasn't brave enough to voice it yet.

"You first," Jack argued. Bobby just looked at him.

"I'm very happy for her," he said as the doors opened. He pulled ahead, walking fast.

"Liar!" Jack yelled after him. He didn't chase after his friend. He knew Bobby needed some space.

...

"Hey, son. It's your old man. Just calling to talk. I'll try again later."

Bobby listened to his biological father's message and sighed. He'd been avoiding Mac's calls for a while, and he wasn't sure why exactly. They had started trying to have a relationship, so why was he dodging the guy? Bobby didn't know anymore.

"Hi, Bobby! It's Mum. I'm just calling cos I miss you. We'd really love to see you soon. It's been too long. Dad says hi too. Anyway, I'm sure we'll be talking soon. I love you. Buh bye."

Bobby smiled. He was planning on calling her when he had time to spare. Tonight was as good as any. He was disappointed when it went to their machine.

"Hey, Mum," he said. "I guess you're out. Just calling you back to chat. I miss you both too. Let's plan for a visit soon all right? You can come see D.C. and meet my friends. Call me when you're free. Love you."

He didn't know why he hadn't invited his mum and stepfather over to the States to visit. He'd always just gone home. He figured the city would be too much for them since they lived on acreage and their town was small. Bobby missed home often. Sometimes he missed it so much he ached. His clock read seven, and he wondered if Tara was freshly engaged yet. He decided to go for a walk to get his mind off of it. Once he was in the fresh air, he still felt no better. It was his own fault, really. He'd turned Tara away because of his stupid idea that he'd make it work with Darcy. That was a big let down, and Tara slipped out of his grasp like water. He'd never get the chance again. He came across the pool hall, and he hovered for a moment. Something deep inside of him shifted, and he knew he had to keep walking. He moved as a man came out of the building on his phone.

"Booth..."

Bobby glanced back at him for a second before moving forward. Seeley Booth. The man was a fellow FBI agent, and apparently he liked to play pool. Bobby wondered if he had a gambling addiction too. Shaking his head, he carried on. Then, he stopped suddenly, feeling his heart sink. There in front of him walking were Tara and Stanley. They were laughing and ducking their heads into one another's. Bobby felt sick. He turned his back to them, hoping they hadn't seen him. He charged back the other direction, desperate to just get away. He didn't stop until he was back at his apartment. Wondering if his night could get any worse, he noticed his machine was blinking again.

"Damn," he muttered. Missed his mum again. He pressed play and went to pour himself a glass of water.

"Bobby Manning? This is Detective Munroe from the Alice Springs Police Department. I need you to call me right away..."

Bobby dropped his glass with a clatter and ran for the phone. He dialed the number the detective had left, his hands shaking.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello," Bobby said. "This is Bobby Manning. You called?"

"Yes. Thanks for getting back to me."

"What's happened?"

"Mr. Manning, I'm afraid I have bad news..."

Bobby barely heard anything else after that except for the word "parents," "fire," and "dead."

"Are you all right, sir?" Detective Munroe asked gently.

"No," Bobby answered. "No, I'm not all right."

"Do you have someone who can stay with you?"

"I...I can call someone."

"Do that. I expect you'll be coming to arrange the funerals?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay. I'm very sorry, Mr. Manning."

"Bye," Bobby said, hanging up. He felt numb. He stared blankly at the wall, hoping he would wake up and find out this was a horrible nightmare. When he didn't, he fell to his knees and broke down sobbing. He'd never felt so alone.

Feel free to leave some feedback. Yes, I threw in Seeley Booth randomly because I like connecting those two for some reason haha. He won't be making any more appearances, though. I apologize for the emotional storyline so far. I couldn't remember where Bobby was from exactly in Australia, so I picked Alice Springs. If it's wrong, oh well lol. Thank you for reading!