The Other Half of My Heart

For a change Alex couldn't sleep and Bobby was sleeping like a baby. It could have something to do with the fact that she'd worn him out physically, she thought with a smile. Or it could be a release from the great weight his mother had been on him and now he was free. Or it might just be sheer exhaustion.

Whatever the reason, he was sleeping deeply and not dreaming. Alex slipped out of bed, pulled on one of his T-Shirts and sat in the rocking chair next to the bed. She used one foot to set the chair to rocking slowly so it didn't wake him.

How sweet he looked when he was asleep. So relaxed and carefree. Who would have ever thought that here was one of the most brilliant minds in the NYPD, fast asleep, looking like a young boy. The stubble on his chin and the grey hair mixed in his curls were obvious signs that he wasn't a boy, but his face was smooth and unwrinkled.

And inside that gorgeous body was a heart as big as all out doors. So warm, so giving, so much love in one package. Love it had taken years to unlock. Years for him to feel he could give it to her without reservation, without feeling like it would be used as a weapon against him.

Was it any wonder, now that his new captain knew that he was definitely the good guy and not another problem, that he was getting the accolades at work that he'd deserved for so long? That he had the trust and friendship of Mike Logan, who was just as big a pain to the captain, but between the two of them they had the best solve rate ever in the department?

Alex had to admit that she was proud to be a part of that team. She was happy, too, but she didn't need their score keeping to know she was good. Lack of self esteem had never been a problem of hers. She'd always had the love and support of her family.

Anger was her trigger. Anger at people unfairly labeling Bobby a freak or worse made her loose her cool in a big way. She supposed hitting that new detective so hard on the arm that it caused a black and blue mark wasn't the smartest thing she could've done, but he'd asked for it. Ross could have given her unpaid suspension, but he'd only given her a dressing down and a write up.

Unconsciously she rocked faster and it made the chair squeak, making him restless. She deliberately slowed the speed until he settled back down. She imagined what he must've looked like as a little boy. There were pictures of when he was older, but she had never seen any when he was small. Could they regress the photos in the lab like they could age someone on the computer? She'd have to ask. Someone in the lab would try it just for an experiment. Who knows maybe it was a new science? Call it the Eames procedure. No call it the Goren experiment. He deserved that.

She was smiling when he woke up and looked at her. "Why are you smiling?" he asked sleepily.

"Because I was thinking about my heart." She continued to smile.

"Your heart?"

"Yeah, my heart." She got up and pulled the shirt off, climbing back into bed with him. He curled around her and she hadn't realized she was chilly. "I was thinking that in all my life I have never expected to be as close to someone as I am to you. I used to believe that I didn't need anyone else in my life. But I need you and I want you in my life forever."

"I'm not going anywhere." He said softly, teasing her neck with kisses.

"Good, because you can't."

He stopped and asked curiously. "I can't?"

"No, you can't. And you want to know why?"

"Yes."

Alex turned on her back and gazed adoringly at him. "Because you are the other half of my heart."

"I like that." He said and proceeded to kiss her for real.

COMPLETE