Author's Note: This is chapter two. Please read and review. (a very not clever rhyme)
Disclaimer: I don't own CI, but I make no money from CI (or anything else really, my job pays crap) so please don't sue.
Title: Keeping It Together
By: Marion
Chapter 2
Alex was sitting next to Caleb, watching with amusement as he fed himself turkey and cranberry sauce with his pudgy little fingers. They were in the middle of the delicious Eames family feast when Alex's cell phone rang. Praying that it wasn't a case, she excused herself to the kitchen to answer. "Eames."
"Alex…" From the sound of Bobby's voice she could tell something was not right.
"I'm here, Bobby. What's wrong?"
"When they called me this morning I thought I could handle this alone. But I-I can't." He sounded anguished and timid.
"You can't what, Bobby? What's going on? Where are you?" she asked.
"I'm at Carmel Ridge. My mom … she … she died this morning."
Alex sat down hard in a kitchen chair. "Oh, Bobby," she breathed. Her heart ached for him.
"I didn't want to call you and disrupt your family. I'm sorry," he said.
"No, it's fine. I'm glad you called me. Did you drive up there?"
"No. I wasn't fit to drive so I took a cab. But I haven't gone in. I-I can't do this by myself," he said softly.
"I'll be there as fast as I can," she said. "I'm going to go say goodbye to my family and then I'll be on the road."
"Thank you, Alex," he said. "You're the only… Thank you."
"Don't worry, Bobby. I'll be there soon."
Once she got off the phone she went back to the table. "I'm so sorry, everyone, but I have to leave."
"Is it work?" asked her little brother, Sam. "Do you have a case?"
"No, it's not a case. Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Caleb was reaching up for her, having affected an air of petulance at the announcement of her impending departure. She picked him up and kissed his baby cheeks before handing him to his mother. Her father walked with her to the living room.
"What's going on, Alex?" he asked.
"Bobby's mother passed away this morning."
"Oh, dear," said Annette, following her husband and daughter into the room.
"He needs me. Dad, can we switch cars for the night?" she asked. "I need to go get Bobby from out at Carmel Ridge and I don't have time to deal with the green bean casserole mess in my car. Besides, your car is better in the snow."
"Of course," said Johnny Eames.
"Let me make you some turkey sandwiches to take with you," said Annette. "I bet he hasn't eaten, poor man, and you didn't finish dinner."
"Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad."
"You let Bobby know if he needs anything, he can call us," said Annette.
"I will, Mom."
xxx
It took Alex just over two hours to get up to the Carmel Ridge Center for Mental Health. Snow flurries had continued to fall, gathering a couple of inches on the side of the roadway. The traffic wasn't bad and she felt she made good time getting there. She parked and walked toward the main entrance.
She spotted Bobby sitting on a bench outside of the Carmel Ridge Center. He was wearing his full-length wool coat but he had on no gloves nor scarf nor hat. He was sitting very still, staring down at his hands clasped on his lap. He'd allowed snow to collect in his hair and on his shoulders. Despite his massive size, he looked like nothing so much as a lost little boy.
He glanced up at her as she approached.
"Have you been out here since you called me?" she asked.
"Longer," he admitted softly.
"Bobby, it's freezing out here. You're going to make yourself sick," said Alex.
"I barely noticed the cold," he said. "I just couldn't go in there yet."
She dusted the snow off his shoulders and out of his hair with slow and deliberate gentleness. She removed her gloves, then, and tucked them in her coat pocket. She lay her warm fingers against his cheeks. "You're as cold as ice."
It was as though some internal floodgate had been opened. Hot tears flowed in rivers down Robert Goren's face. She put her arms around him, holding him silently while he cried. Bobby clung to her for a time. When his quiet sobs had subsided she leaned back to look into his face. "We should go inside and see if we can find you something warm to drink. There's a cafeteria, isn't there?" she asked.
He nodded. He reached out to touch her face with the chilled fingers of his left hand. "Thank you," he whispered hoarsely. "I-I'm sorry I interrupted your holiday. Thank you for being here."
She took his hand in both of her own. "Bobby, you don't need to thank me and you certainly don't need to apologize. I want to be here. You shouldn't have to face this alone."
The corners of his mouth twitched upwards slightly. "Thank you, Alex."
She rolled her eyes and sighed in mock frustration. "You're welcome, Bobby," she said, standing up. She leaned over to brush her lips against his forehead. "C'mon, lets go find that cafeteria before you get frostbite, you big lug," she said, lacing her fingers with his and pulling him along with her.
Author's note: See, now we're back to support systems and angst. Reviews are good for fanfic karma (and they encourage feedback whore author's like me to write more).