I'm here.

Disclaimer: I (sadly) don't own Designated Survivor

A/N: Sequel to "Don't Touch Me!" It was his voice… he was really there…

Enjoy!

"Alex!"

It was his voice, his deep familiar voice that pulled her from the brink she was. "Tom!" she whispered his name, the same name she was calling again and again those past hellish days. "Tom!"

"I'm here Alex, oh baby I'm here." He whispered as his arms wrapped around her shaking shoulders. Alex opened her eyes not really sure that he was there, so many times she had dreamed that he was there holding her tightly, like right now, only to wake up alone, tied to that freaking chair.

"Is… is that really you?" she asked, her voice frail like a frightened child and broke Tom's heart in millions of pieces. "Of course I'm here." He whispered while hugging her closer "I'm really here" she felt his tears on her destroyed shirt soaking the fabric as he tried to hide away from the prying eyes. Alex tried to bury her face on his shoulder, the bullet proof vest a barrier between them, she tried to get them to come off, but she was so tired her hands wouldn't really cooperate "You want the vest gone?" he asked her softly "Yeah." This time she managed to her one of her hands up to his shoulder but still couldn't get it to come off. "Hey, hey, hey." Tom took her hands and held them in his, "I promised Mike I'll keep the vest on till we're back in the car, he wouldn't let me come otherwise. I'm so sorry." He could see she was distraught and so was he.

"Okay" she bit her lower lip, and he knew that was her way of stopping the tears "I'm here" he said again kissing her softly on the temple

"I thought I'd never see you again." She whispered, and he froze, his lips still touching her skin, his hands holding hers. She thought she'd never see him again, she didn't expect to get out of this alive…

"I thought so too." He admitted, it was hard, probably the hardest thing to admit but he did, because he hadn't lied to her about how he felt in the past and he wasn't going to start now.

A/N: Hey… the hardest has yet to come. TBC