A/N: This is an AU in that this takes place post Suite Sorrow, and Suite Sorrow takes place after A Person Of Interest.

Chapter One

"I know that anger. Should've seen it coming. I should have known, I should have known," Bobby Goren was pacing the crime scene. The woman had killed her father after he committed the ultimate sin against her. The weight of these sins was heavy on his shoulders.

Alex Eames watches her partner pace. She didn't regret the death of the man on the floor's, or how the sting had gone so awry. She only felt for the man in front of her; the gentle giant that paced and berated himself for not predicting human behavior. She knew tonight was going to be another of those long, painful nights where he doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, and spends the entire night condemning himself for imagined failures. She had been there before, and had left him to his own devices. After that last night, she promised herself that the next time she would not leave him on his own.

After leaving Bobby on his own for a few more minutes, Alex decided it was time to go. She came up behind him, touching his arm gently. "Come on Bobby. It's time to go."

Bobby looked at her, pain and remorse showing through his usually closed face. He silently nodded and let her lead him out of the room.

Alex stood outside Bobby's door, taking a deep breath to prepare for what she might find. She had known this day would come, had even started to plan for it months ago. She was nervous though. She wasn't sure at all as to how Bobby was going to respond. She thought she knew how he felt, and was very sure how she felt. It was an opportunity to take it to the next step. She just hated that she felt like she was taking advantage of the situation to push it further along.

Of course, it was always possible that he had some leggy brunette in there, licking his wounds. And she would knock and look pretty foolish when he opened the door. But there weren't any sounds coming from inside, and she had a pretty good idea that he really was alone.

Alex knocked on the door. Her hands were full with food and other little supplies she had set aside for just such emergencies. There wasn't any answer. She knocked again.

"Go away," came the drunken voice inside.

"Bobby, I am not going away. I've got a lot of stuff here, don't make me get out my key. You will regret it. Open the door."

"You weren't invited. Go away."

"Since when do I have to be invited? I came to join you in your private pity party, watch your self-flagellation in person. Bobby, open the goddamn door!"

She heard him lurching across the room and heard the deadbolt slide open. Then she heard him walk away from the door.

Great, she thought. This is starting out really well. She opened door, supporting the Italian take out against the wall, and used her hip to push the door open. She carried all her loot into the room, and closed and locked the door. She looked around, taking in what she had so bitchily called "his pity party." It wasn't pretty.

Bobby sat on the couch, head leaning back, eyes staring at the ceiling. The only reason he could see the ceiling was the single lamp that left most of the apartment in darkness. The room reeked of cigarette smoke and scotch. He must have drunk a lot already to have the room already smell like it. His only acknowledgement of her presence was to reach across the table to pick up another cigarette and to light it.

That was enough for Alex. It was time for the pity party to end. She walked over to the couch, took the cigarette from him, and put it out in the ashtray. Bobby looked at her, surprised that she would actually do that. Now that she had his attention, she started to talk to him. Sitting next to him on the couch, she dove in.

"Bobby, it's time for this to be over. Nothing that happened today was your fault. You don't have to keep up this whipping of yourself. I'm here now, I'm not going any where."

Bobby looked at her, drilling down into her soul through her eyes. She didn't flinch. She wanted him to see how she felt, her love, her support, and her desire to help him move on. Bobby saw all of that and more in her eyes, and he caved in. His shoulders slumped forward, and tears started sliding down his face. Seeing this big man cry was almost more than Alex could take. She took him in her arms and held him while he cried. Tears drifted down her face as well, responding to his pain and anguish. There was no place else in the world she should be right now.

After what seemed like an eternity, but what were probably just a few minutes, Bobby stopped crying and sat up. He took in Alex's tears, and reached up and traced them with his finger. "Why are you crying? Why are you here?"

"Oh, Bobby. You can be so dense sometimes. I'm crying because I hate seeing you ripping yourself apart like this. I'm here because I promised myself I wouldn't let you do this again. After Croydon one night, and then having Nicole Wallace show up the next, I watched what happened to you, and I left you to deal with it alone. I hated seeing what happened to you, how you beat yourself up, how you never slept. I care too much for you to allow that to happen again. So here I am."

"So here you are crashing my pity party," Bobby smiled slightly.

"Yes, well. I also come bearing food and a few other goodies. Things to help you relax and let go, to stop beating yourself up."

"Food sounds promising. You already took away my relaxation method by putting out my cigarette."

"Oh, but there are other ways to relax, Bobby. I guess I'll have to teach you," Alex was feeling much more confident and a little snarky.

"Ok, you win Alex. What did you bring for dinner?"

"Not so fast Bobby. First, you smell. I love you, but you do, so you go take a shower. Get rid of the scotch and cigarette stench off of you. Brush your teeth too. I'll deal with getting it out of the apartment."

Bobby started laughing. "A shower it is, then." Bobby got up from the couch, his head a lot clearer now. "But what did you bring? It smells like Italian."

"It's from your favorite restaurant and favorite food… chicken parmesan. Gina was not too happy to see me getting take out that included your favorite. I feel a little sorry for her, pining away for you as she does."

"I doubt that Gina is pining away for anyone," Bobby responded on his way to the bedroom.

"Hmmm… and Bobby, make it a long shower. Take your time." Alex had lots of preparation to do before he came out of his shower.

As soon as Bobby had closed the bedroom door, Alex started in with her plan. She threw open the doors to his balcony to start airing out the cigarette smell and tossed the contents of the ashtray. She started setting out candles that would help with both the smell, and setting the mood. She went to the stereo and put on her "Alex's Mix" from her iPod. It included jazz, Nina Simone, and Marvin Gaye and Barry White. It was hours worth of music so it should provide entertainment for the evening. She then turned her attention to setting out the dinner.

By the time Bobby exited the bedroom, Alex had everything in place. He walked out into a completely transformed room and gasped.

Alex came walking out of the kitchen carrying two glasses of wine. She looked at Bobby and smiled. Bobby walked towards her, looking around the room that was completely lit in candles, lite jazz floating on the air. It was perfect. She was perfect. And best of all, the events of earlier had been banished from his mind.

TBC...