Disclaimer.always the same. so, the new chapter is here...R&R as always!

HEART ISSUES

Few minutes after Alex left, Toni was still looking outside the window, wondering what to do about her and Logan, not knowing that Logan, who was at Luciano's with her older sister, was doing the same thing, as well Alex, who was walking down the dark streets, in a night full of life and lights; she, without thinking, ended in front of Bobby's apartment: maybe it was a sign, to convince her to make her move before it was too late, or maybe it was just the fact that she took too much wine. She looked at the door, and at the enlightened window of his living room, remaining immobile and speechless, thinking at the many times she found herself in that room, with him, about how she felt those times. Those times, was different, because during the last few months everything was changed: after she saw Bobby and Tony together, that very first time, she felt so jealous, and was forced to admit that was jealous of him and that she felt something for her partner, something strong and deep, and somehow, she astonished realizing that, although she and Bobby had almost everything and were almost like a married couple, she wanted more. She didn't want to be like his wife. She wanted to be it, really, with all her fibers, all her being.

When silent tears started to escape from her eyes, Alex decided that was finally time to leave, but once she gave her back at his front door, she felt someone gently grabbing her for an arm, as for asking her to stay, to stop to run away. She turned, just to see that he was an unsure and casual (he was simply wearing a jeans and a t-shirt) Bobby who was asking her, with not words but just his physical language, to stay.

"Hey" he didn't let her go, but simply did an half smile.

"Hey" Alex was doing his same expression, not knowing what to say, to add, to do.

"I… I was smoking on my balcony, when I saw you staring at my door. Are you all right, Alex?" his eyes were becoming darker, sadder, more worried. Alex was lost in them, she wasn't paying too much attention at what he was telling her, and it took her a while to realize that he told her he was smoking when he saw her, something quite strange, since he just smoked when he has some big problems, like when he was stuck on some strange or difficult case, and she knew they weren't stuck on any case, to be honest, they had no case at all. So, if it wasn't for work, what was his problem? A couple of minutes later, when the both of them were still speechless, Alex noticed that he was looking at her in a strange way, and remembered that they were trying to have a conversation.

"Alex, are you all right? Do you want to come in for, I don't know, a cup of coffee, or some water?"

"No, I'm ok Bobby, really"

"No, you are not, and we both know it." He looked damn serious. In 7 years, it was the first time she saw him that way, and she had to admit that he was scaring her a little.

"Bobby, I'm ok, really. Everything's all right." She tried again to go, but, again, he stopped her, taking his partner detective for the same arm he took before.

"No, you are not ok. You are hiding something from me, and I want, I need to know what's happening."

"Bobby, I repeat you, I'm all right. For once, you had the wrong impression, that's all." She tried to escape from his vice, but he didn't allow her to.

"Alex, let me help you. Tell me what's wrong." Suddenly, he changed. No more he was rude, but sweet and worried; Alex wasn't still able to face him. Lowering her eyes, she started to cry, as he put sweetly his big and warm hands on her pale face, to dry her tears.

"Alex, please – he told her, as he bent down to look her in the eyes, while she was just crying more and more – from a couple of months you are acting in such a strange way."

"There's nothing you can do to help me."

"I'll find a way to fix it, if you'll tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong, Bobby, really" she took again control of herself, and took some big breaths.

"Alex… - he looked in her eyes, a little annoyed by her behaviour -TELL.ME.WHAT.IS.WRONG.WITH.YOU."

"THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME, UNLESS YOU THINK IT'S WRONG THE FACT THAT I LOVE YOU!" she shouted, crying again. Speechless, Bobby went to sit on the first step in front of his door, and, taking a cigarette from one of his pockets, he started to smoke, hysterically; Alex followed him, speechless as he was, and suddenly she remembered why she didn't want to tell him how she felt, to avoid to ruin everything between them.

"How long?" he just asked her, still hysterical.

"I… - she started, but then she paused, not knowing what to say, exactly, her eyes were shining, her smile the most bright he had ever seen on her in years of knowledge – it's hard to tell you when I exactly understood that I was in love with you. You know, the more I worked with you, the more I liked you. and then, when I had Nathan, you were so good with me for the whole time of the pregnancy, and then, when I had him, when I had him in my arms, I... - she smiled, remembering how she felt at the time – I don't know why, but suddenly I stated to wonder about could be have a family with you. I.. I think that was the moment I started to look at you in a different way, to think that maybe you weren't just my partner or my friend, but something different, something more."

"Alex, I…"

"I know, Bobby, you don't know what to say, and you want to keep things on this level."

"Alex, I know exactly what I have to tell you, but you stopped me before I could even start to tell you – he told her smiling, and, bending down on her, he sweetly kissed her on her lips, gently but yet with a certain passion, leaving, this time, Alex speechless – Alex, I know I feel something for you from the first time I saw you, that moment in which I understood you were the only one able to deal with me, and who wanted to deal with me, over all."

"Bobby, you never told me…."

Again, he smiled at her, with one of his flirtatious smile "Well, neither you did" he added, placing an other quick kiss on her lips, taking her shoulders under his protective embrace, when they both went to sit on the same step he were sitting on before.

"What do we do now?" she looked in his eyes, a bit sad and worried. She knew too well the rules of the department about relationships with partners, and how they were forbidden.

"Alex, we do, or at least, we try to do – he answered her, sweetly, smiling and caressing her chin- what normal people do: we go out together, we dated, we stay together, and we try to make it work."

"But what if…."

"No buts and no ifs, Alex. If we started with them, we can end it here and now. I told you that I was going to fix your problems, and it's exactly what I'm going to do. I swear, Alex, whatever will happen, whatever will take, I'll do my best to make this story work".

Like it? hate it? tell me what you think of my story! Next:duty calls again!