Chapter 6:

Two weeks passed and Bobbie and Han had found some time to paint her place, but not much. Today was one of the days they had found to paint her room. Jesse and the others declined quickly saying they did enough work at the shop that they were tired most of the time. Bobbie laughed lightly and cracked a joke about how Han should be thankful for her hatred of the color pink.

"You mind telling me what your fascination is with the color purple?" Han asked as he rolled paint onto her walls.

Bobbie looked over at him as her hand kept pushing the handle of her rolling brush in long strokes up the wall and back down. "I'm not sure." She replied.

"Well there must be a reason, your car is the dark purple with lighter purple…" Han trailed off not really getting the symbolism of the brick on her car.

"It's brick wall." Bobbie clarified having figured out his dilemma.

"I don't really get that." Han said.

"You get to comfortable you let your guard down and that's how you get hurt. I see that every day and it reminds me to keep my distance from things." Bobbie explained.

"Even me?" Han asked.

Bobbie stopped panting and brought her arm down to her side and the roller brushed against her tight fitting Levi's bootleg jeans and got some paint near the tare in her knee. She looked at Han and sighed. "Last time I did that a guy threatened to repeat the actions of my father. So yes I keep my distance even from you." She said softly. "Please don't take it personally."

Han nodded. "I wont. You were hurt and it takes time to trust people. I get that."

Bobbie sighed and set her paint roller in the tray on the floor. "I need some fruit. You hungry?" She asked obviously changing the subject.

Han smirked at her knowing full well she was trying to get him off the particular subject. And if it involved food he was all for it. "Yeah I could go for a little fruit."

"I mixed up a fruit salad for lunch this morning before you got her. It's in the fridge come on." Bobbie headed out of her room and down the hall to the archway leading into her kitchen. She grabbed some bowls from the cupboard above the dishwasher and set them on the counter while she retrieved the bowl of fruit from her fridge. Han leaned against the counter close to her kitchen sink and watched as she dished up bowls of fruit for them.

"So what color is the kitchen going to be?" Han asked.

Bobbie giggled lightly handing him a bowl and fork and leaning back against her counter with her own as well. "White. I'm not painting the kitchen."

"Why not?"

"I just don't want every room to be a color. I like my purple and it's not like I can do every room in a different shade of purple." Bobbie explained softly.

"So I was thinking that my I.O.U's were not used that night at the races." Han said.

Bobbie laughed and looked at him amused and incredulously. "Yes they were." She said.

Han shook his head. "No see…that used one of them up, but what do I get for the second I.O.U?" He teased her.

Bobbie hugged lightly in disbelief. "What do you want?" She asked.

"A date." He stated.

Giggling softly Bobbie looked back at her bowl and stabbed lightly at a piece of cantaloupe. "April twenty-seventh nineteen seventy-four. There I gave you a date. What did you need that for?" She said wittily.

Han chuckled casually. "Ha, ha. I mean you and me a restaurant, maybe a casual walk on the beach."

"For a guy who hasn't actually taken a girl anywhere besides his bedroom in a while you sure think you know something about romance." Bobbie grinned at him.

Han smirked. "I wasn't always this way."

"What way?"

"Cars, sex and alcohol." Han replied.

Bobbie sighed. "I dunno."

"Just a date. One night no painting, no guys, no sarcastic flirting, just us being the people we really are." He said.

"I am being the person I really am."

"Not really." Han replied.

Bobbie bit her lip shyly. "Why me?"

"You're different. You don't expect a lot from me, and you aren't throwing yourself at me to say you slept with one of us. That is an accomplishment. " He said only partially kidding.

Bobbie gave a very small smile at the corner of her mouth. Han watched her open her mouth and bit her cantaloupe from her fork in slow motion and he loved the way her lips were so soft and smooth. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her. "What?" Han came to and Bobbie was staring at him questioningly. "Something in my teeth?" She asked.

Han shook his head lightly. "No, no uh sorry I sort of just dazed off for a second."

Bobbie nodded giving him her best drawn out 'right' look. "So where are you going to take me on this date?" She asked.

"You said yes?" Han asked.

"Like five seconds ago where have you been?" Bobbie asking him slightly teasing.

Han put his empty bowl in the sink and looked to Bobbie. "This nice little Italian place just off the beach." He answered.

Bobbie smirked at him. "Sometimes I don't get the male species and you are not making it any easier."

"It's not my job to make it easy for you, it's my job to keep you on your toes." He joked. Bobbie giggled lightly setting her bowl in the sink and headed out of the kitchen back to her room to finish painting.

Two days later:

Bobbie and Han stood in the center of her room admiring their handy work. "That's all the rooms." She said.

Han smirked he put his hands on her shoulders from behind and pushed her towards her bathroom. "Good now take a shower and put on something casual but nice."

"Why?" Bobbie asked.

"We're going out like you agreed." Han responded.

"Tonight?" Bobbie asked incredulously pulling away from his push and turning to face him.

Han grinned. "Tonight. Go." He said backing her into the bathroom and then shutting the door. He heard the shower come on and smirked to himself. He went out to his car and got a duffle he had packed and headed into her place. He changed in her spare room throwing his dirty paint covered clothes in his bag.

He wore black not too baggy jeans, a light blue button up casual collared shirt and black boots. About twenty minutes had gone by and Bobbie's bedroom door opened and she came out. Her hair was in two french braids, she wore light make-up keeping her features natural mostly and a pair of black dickies girl slacks and a white tank with a purple crocheted peasant top over it with of course light purple lo top converse chucks.

"Ready?" Han asked standing from her beanbag chair offering her his arm. Bobbie link arms with him and nodded.

"I guess so." She said.

Restaurant:

After getting to the restaurant and ordering Bobbie now sat across from Han in the soft lighting of the small little Italian restaurant with a great view out the window of the sparkling night ocean. "How did you find this place?" Bobbie asked.

"I use to date a waitress." Han replied not even really thinking about it.

Bobbie nodded. "Right." She drawled.

Han looked up at her and shook his head quickly. "No, no I mean I actually dated her. It was right after I started working at DT before everything really started getting simplistic." He said.

Bobbie understood giving a small nod. "You should know you are the first guy to ever take me to a restaurant." Bobbie said.

"Really?" Han asked.

Bobbie nodded. "Yeah. Kyle always came over with fast food or I cooked, and in high school I only had three boyfriends and none of them had a brain in their head." She giggled.

"Well than how bout I throw in dessert as well?" Han joked.

Bobbie grinned at him. "Wow dessert. You really know the way to a girls heart." She teased.

Han grinned jokingly and chuckled. "Yes I do. There's this great little bakery that's open late on the way back towards the fort."

"I don't live near the fort." Bobbie said.

"Well you do, there's a few ways to get there from here."

Bobbie smiled. "Ok fine, but I should warn you I'm not a big sweet eater."

"Oh really what are you?" Han asked.

"Well I had fruit for lunch and I'm having a chicken Caesar salad for dinner. You figure it out." She mocked him lightly.

Han smirked at her. "You aren't strictly a health nut are you?" He asked.

Bobbie giggled shaking her head no. "No I'm not, but I prefer fruit to sweets and the salad is because I'm mildly diabetic. I can have burgers once and a while, but anything with tons of carbs or sugar I should steer clear of." She told him.

"Ok than we'll stop at the market and pick up some fruit for dessert. How do you feel about strawberries and sugar free whip cream?" He asked smirking at her.

"I have a feeling the whip cream wouldn't make it as far as the strawberries." She said looking at him a small impish glint in her eyes. Han stared in shock and Bobbie started laughing. "Not like that you perve." She said. "I'm not big on whip cream."

Han nodded taking a deep breath unnoticeably as he did so. "Oh, well just strawberries than." Han said.

Bobbie smiled. "That would be sweet thank you." She said earnestly.

The waitress came with their food and set their dishes in front of them. "Is there anything else I can get you?" She asked politely.

"I'd love a strawberry Italian soda." Bobbie said. The girl nodded and then looked to Han.

"I'm fine with water thanks." The waitress nodded and went off to get Bobbie's drink. She returned with the drink, left it and went off to other customers. "What exactly is that?" Han asked looking at the milky looking drink.

Bobbie put the straw in the beverage and passed it over to him. "Try it." She said. Han took the cup and sip from her straw and passed it back to her.

"So what is it?" He asked.

Bobbie giggled. "It's carbonated water, half and half and strawberry syrup."

"It's ok." Han shrugged.

"It's more of a chick drink." She said jokingly.

Han gave her a smile and then they both started eating. Half way through the meal Han looked up from his plate of chicken Parmesan and noticed that Bobbie wasn't eating. "Is it ok?" He asked.

Bobbie nodded to reassure him. "It's perfect. I'm just full."

"You barely touched it." Han said.

"I at half, I'm just not a big eater." Bobbie told him.

Han looked at her skeptically. "You sure?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm sure. I'm full couldn't eat another bite if I tried." She said. "Besides I'm saving room from dessert." She joked smiling at him.

Han put his fork down and raised his hand for the waitress. She came and he asked for the receipt and after paying they went down onto the beach. Pondering the idea of cheekily asking for hand holding Han looked over at Bobbie who was staring out at the water as they walked along the damp sand the water crashing over their bare feet.

Bobbie's mind really wasn't in the mood for this night, sure she had done well but some stuff was bothering her and it wasn't that she couldn't talk about it more like she didn't want to. She put her free hand in her pocket and carried her shoes with the other. "So something on your mind?" Han asked softly.

Bobbie looked over at him and sighed looking away. "Nothing that I'm gonna bother you with." She replied.

"It's no bother, besides you've been quiet the last ten minutes and it's slightly unnerving." Han said.

"There are three days I never forget. The day my father was sentenced and went to prison, the day I moved in with the Beckley's and the day I told my father off."

"So which is today?" Han asked thoughtfully.

"The first one." Bobbie whispered. "Every year on this day I usually lock myself in my room and just stare into nothingness remembering that day."

Bobbie sat with her Uncle and Jesse while the judge gave his decision on sentencing. "James Michaels you are here by sentenced to twenty-five years to life without chance of parole."

A smile broke out on Bobbie's face. "Uncle Jake how long is twenty-five years?" She asked softly.

Her uncle looked down and gave her a weak smile. "A long time sweetie, he wont ever hurt you again." He said kindly.

Bobbie let a few happy tears run down her cheeks as she stood and ran over to Max Beckley and gave him a hug. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you so much."

"That day went down in my journal as the second best day in my life." Bobbie said softly.

"What was the first?" Han asked.

"The day I got a real family." She replied earnestly looking up and giving him a small smile. "And it was a plus that Dad let me keep contact with Uncle Jake and Jesse. They would come for Sunday dinner every other week until…"

"Jesse never said what his father went in for." Han commented.

Bobbie shrugged. "To tell you the truth I don't really know."

"You never asked?"

"No. Uncle Jake saw us once in the jail and told us that people would say things, especially since my father was already in prison, but not to believe everything we heard and that was the end of it. He told Jesse to watch out for me and vice versa." Bobbie explained.

"But Jesse left." Han said.

"I told him to. He came to visit me a few nights after the final sentencing and we talked. He said he wanted to go, but he didn't want to leave me behind. I told him to go, that if he didn't the weight he carried would consume him."

"That's pretty deep for a teenage girl." Han joked.

Bobbie gave a meek smile and looked down and watched as the water lapped over her bare feet, getting the bottoms of her pants wet. "I knew what it felt like. It took me years to stop feeling like everyone was talking about me. I didn't want that to be Jesse."

"I can understand that." Han said softly.

"I had to grow up a little faster, but life was ok for the most part and by time I hit high school no one really knew about what had happened. Although for a few months my freshman year I kept finding 'dirty little whore' written in permanent marker on my locker. I usually just had the janitor wash it off, but one day I was in a really bad mood and I found it again and I went straight to the office and told them to take care of it or I'd call my father and see what he could have done about it."

"What happened?" Han asked.

Bobbie sighed. "Turns out some psycho very Christian woman told her daughter that I had seduced my father and then lied about it when things got bad. This woman was seriously wack, I met her when we had the parent/student, principle meeting."

"Wow." Han said.

Bobbie nodded. "I know. Dad told the lady she didn't know what she was talking about and he didn't know where she got her facts from, but she was in the wrong. She kept cursing me under her breath and saying horrible things like I was demon spawn and worse. My father filed a complaint and she was evaluated later on and sent to a psychiatric hospital."

"And her daughter?"

"Principle told her if she didn't stop bothering me he would expel her from school because it was harassment. He suggested I press charges and have a restraining order brought against her, but I chose not to. Parents control you for so long and it wasn't her fault her mother told her those horrible things or that she believed them. As a child you are inclined to believe what your parents tell you until you're old enough to think otherwise."

Han sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"It's not right the way the world treated you. It's not fair."

"It's not fair you ended up in foster care, but it happened because it brought you to where you are today. You're happy right?" Bobbie asked.

Han nodded. "Yeah."

"And the world might have been cruel to me, but I made it out alive and look at me now." She smiled. "Everything happens for a reason."

"How can you have such a positive outlook on life?" Han asked.

"Because I had a negative one for to long. And then one day I freed myself of the chains that kept me back from really living." Bobbie said. "Like I've said Bobbie Alexandra Michaels is gone, but in her place is someone different, someone better with memories that wont go away, but those memories are what make me glad I'm alive."

"I love your optimism." Han smiled.

"Thanks. I wasn't always that way and sometimes I have my days where the glass is half empty but I like my life. The good, bad, indifferent it's still my life and I'm still living it." Bobbie said. "Like right now."

"What do you…" Han was cut off when Bobbie threw her shoes further up the beach grabbed his wrist and pulled him out into the water. "Bo!" Bobbie released him and he fell into the water fully clothed getting soaked from head to toe.

Bobbie giggled standing in the wading water up to the middle of her thighs. "Carpe diem." She said smiling. "My mom says it a lot. I was just curious." She said sarcastically.

Han stood slicking his hair back. He trudged threw the water towards Bobbie but she started to back away. "I'll carpe diem you." Han said he grabbed her by the waist real quick and fell sideways into the water. When they came up they were kneeling in the shallow.

Bobbie laughed lightly with Han as they both wiped the water from their faces. When they stopped wiping they noticed how close they were to each other. Bobbie froze when she saw Han stare and then start leaning in. Her heart started racing and she was having conflicting emotions in those seconds. On one hand she could pull away, but on the other she had grown to really like Han. He was different from other guys she had dated.

Han pressed his lips lightly to Bobbie's surprised that she hadn't pulled away from him. She even kissed him back. Her lips were intoxicating and he couldn't get enough of her kiss.

Bobbie allowed her eyes to close when she felt his lips touch hers, there was no use denying that she liked him so she kissed him back. A soft moan escaped from Bobbie into Han's mouth. He pulled back a bit and Bobbie opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. "What?" She asked softly.

"I didn't mean…" He stuttered.

Bobbie gave a small pressed smile. "Its ok. Trust me if I was uncomfortable you'd know." She giggled softly.

Han let out a soft breath. "Good."

Bobbie stood up to her full five-six and held out her hand. "Come on." She said. "It's late and we should probably get out of these wet clothes." Bobbie said.

Han took her offered hand and stood up. They walked their way out of the water grabbed their discarded shoes and headed back to the restaurant to get the car.

Bobbie's House:

Bobbie walked in the door laughing as she dropped her keys and hit the button on her answering machine sitting on the table just in the door. "Come on." Bobbie closed the door behind Han as he walked in duffle in hand.

"I'm gonna barrow your…"

"…three unheard messages. First message sent today at five forty five p.m. …"

"Hey baby girl, you know who it is. Give me a call." They heard Tej.

"Next message sent today at six thirty-two p.m."

"I'm looking for Bobbie Michaels, this is det…" Bobbie hit the skip button.

"Message skipped. Next message sent today at nine thirteen p.m. …"

"Hey Bo…Bobbie it's Kaci. I talked Tej into giving me your new number. Uh something came to dad's place today for you and I really thought we should send it. If you'll just text me your address I can forward it. And I uh, just want to say I'm sorry." Bobbie looked at the answering machine sullenly.

"Bo?" She turned to Han and he gave her a small smile. "I'm gonna barrow your guestroom."

Bobbie nodded. "I'm gonna go change too." She said softly.

They both went down the hallway breaking off into separate rooms. Bobbie changed into some Bermuda cut fleece sweats and a white tank. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun on her head and left her room. She passed the guest room and saw the door still shut so she went and grabbed her Blackberry 7100i mobile phone and turned it on. She went to the answering machine and played the messages again. She skipped Tej's call straight to the second.

"I'm looking for Bobbie Michaels, this is detective Ryan with the Miami police department. If you would please give me a call back it would be much appreciated thank you." Bobbie deleted the message and went to the next.

She couldn't believe Kaci had called and/or the fact that Tej had given her the number. A small kiss on her bare left shoulder brought Bobbie out of her stupor. She turned the answering machine off and turned towards Han.

"One kiss and you think you've got free roam." She grinned.

Han smirked at her and leaned in as she shoved her cell into her pocket. "Then let's make it two." He said wickedly and captured her lips in another passionate kiss.

Bobbie pulled away a moment later. Han watched her tongue snake out and lick her lips. "Uh I like you I do it's just too…"

"Fast?" Han asked. Bobbie nodded gently.

"I'm sorry." She said.

Han shook his head. "Don't be. It's ok."

Bobbie looked at him and gave him a small smile. "Oh what the hell…" She said and wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him in for a flaming kiss. When the need for oxygen became to extreme to ignore moments later they broke away panting for air.

"Wow." Han whispered.

Bobbie gave him a dazed smile. "Yeah." She said softly. Han reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell and slipped it into her hand. "What?" She asked.

"Call you know you want too." Han said with a small smile.

Bobbie sighed. "Do I? I haven't really decided." She said softly.

Han nodded. "Yes you do."

"But it's late." Bobbie said.

"Than leave a message."

"What if it has to do with Jim?" Bobbie asked.

Han looked at her. "Than it's important you know."

"Are you going to keep coming up with answers to everything I say?" Bobbie asked smiling light heartedly at him.

Han laughed softly. "Yes."

"Fine." Bobbie walked into him back to a beanbag chair and he sat and she sat huddled together in his lap as she dialed information.

Han watched as she brought the blackberry to her ear and rested the other side of her head on his shoulder picking at his shirt with her free hand. His arm rested around her waist loosely and his other hand lay on her thigh. "Miami Florida." Bobbie said after getting the machine.

"What listing please?" Asked the operator.

"Miami Police Department." Bobbie said.

"Thank you for calling information. Have a nice day." The phone switched to ringing and someone answered.

"Miami police department how may I direct your call?" Asked the female receptionist.

Bobbie sighed. "Detective Ryan please."

"One moment." Bobbie heard the unmistakable sound of being put on hold and then the call was switched over.

"Hello?" Came the male voice from her answering machine.

"Hi my name is Bobbie Beckley you called me." She said.

"I was looking for Bobbie Michaels." He said.

"Bobbie Michaels doesn't exist anymore." Bobbie said insistently.

"Right. Ms. Beckley I have some news about your father."

"Jim. He is not my father."

"He's requesting to speak with you specifically. I wouldn't normally be inclined to actually follow up with this, but he has information pertaining to a case I'm working." Detective Ryan said.

Bobbie laughed softly to herself. "And that is my problem how?" She asked.

"You're father has information on a man we've been looking for, for years and he will only trade the information if you come speak with him in person." Detective Ryan told her.

Bobbie swallowed hard. "This man what did he do?"

"Raped and murdered five woman in the last fifteen years."

Bobbie sighed again. "Look I've spent years trying to regain normalcy, I refuse to let my father ruin that. How can you even be certain he has anything to tell? Maybe he's just using it to see me, and personally I don't want him to. I just don't I'm sorry don't call me again." Bobbie ended the phone call and tossed it to the floor.

"What did he want?" Han asked.

Bobbie lifted her head and gave him a sullen look. "Apparently my father has information on a murdering rapist that he's keeping to himself until I come and see him."

"Wow." Han said softly.

"I'd do anything but go and see him to help out." Bobbie said. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Han shook his head and kissed her forehead gently. "No."

"You sure cause I feel like a bad person. I mean I can't stick out a five minute visit with that man so the police could get some…"

"Bo you are not a bad person. If it were me I'd have said no too."

"Really?"

"Really." Han said thoughtfully.

Bobbie gave a weak smile. "Ok. I have late hours tomorrow night, so I should probably get to bed." She said softly.

Han nodded. "Yeah I should probably get back to the fort."

"Or you…could stay with me." Bobbie said looking into his eyes.

"I can do that." Han whispered.

Bobbie gave a small smile. "Why are you whispering?" She asked whispering herself to mock him.

"I'm not quit sure." Han replied chuckling softly.

Bobbie giggled lightly wrapping her arms around his neck. "Carry me?" She asked softly.

""Anywhere." Han replied. He stood up cradling her to his chest and walked back to her room kicking the door closed behind him.