Chapter 12
Bobby wasn't sure if he could make it through the evening. At 4:00, he'd said goodbye to Eames and she'd headed over to the parcel store. Logan got a haircut and a trilby hat, and was hunkered down in a car a block away, in case anything should go wrong.
Bobby was stuck at 1PP with nothing to do but worry. Maybe it was because of their intimacy the night before, but he was finding it intolerable that he couldn't back her up. Bobby ran his hand through his hair, got to his feet, and went for a walk.
She carried her weapon with her, wearing a windbreaker long enough to hang down past the holster and conceal it. Alex mentally registered everything on the way to the store: every building, every car, every face. If this was going to be her routine time, she was going to be aware if anything was out of the ordinary.
She yanked the door open and was rewarded with the tinkling of the bells. She saw the worker respond to the sound, coming in from the back and sitting at the counter. It was the same man who'd been there the other day. She smiled at him and nodded her head in greeting.
Then she opened the PO Box, found it empty, and slipped an envelope inside. She locked it shut and went back out into the street. Again, on the walk back to the car, she mentally catalogued everything she saw. She quickly got into the driver's seat and they pulled away from the neighborhood. Mike sat up and removed the hat once they were safely away.
"Anything?" He asked her.
"No. I just made the drop. Hopefully he'll check it soon."
"We'll find out tomorrow."
"Yeah."
She returned the car to the fleet and reserved it for the same time the next day. It was an unassuming old sedan, something that would never stand out in that neighborhood. As she'd checked the cars on the street, she'd been proud of Mike's choice. Even the smallest thing could be the thing that drew the line between life and death in a situation like this.
Once the vehicle was returned, she headed upstairs. Her phone rang in the elevator.
"Eames."
"Goren's not here."
She pinched her temples between her fingers. "I'll find him, thanks Mike." Alex ended the call and dialed her partner. He answered on the first ring.
"Eames, how'd it go?" He asked, but only just managed to hide the worry he felt.
"Fine, just a dead drop. I don't know if he's been back there yet. Where the hell did you go?"
"Oh… uh… I'm on the roof. I'll come down, meet you at the squad."
"Okay."
She came in and stood over her desk, organizing the files for the night and getting everything ready for tomorrow. She knew when he'd returned; she just felt him looming behind her.
"You ready?" he asked her.
She glanced over at Ross' office and saw he was gone. Then she turned to Bobby. "Yeah," she said.
Alex watched him move as he worked in the kitchen. They'd come to her place tonight, to give her a chance to pack some clean clothes and just have some time in her own space.
Bobby was cooking them dinner, and although he knew his way around her kitchen, she could tell by the way he moved that something was off. She stealthily entered and sat in a kitchen chair.
At one point, he turned, looked at her as if to speak, then changed his mind and turned back to the stove. Her mind churned as she watched him. Was he having regrets about last night? It certainly wasn't the most romantic beginning for them, starting things off with make-up sex… Then again, it was the time afterward, in his arms, that had meant the most to her. She'd never seen Bobby so peaceful as he was last night. Maybe it was just a chemical thing, his body's reactions to the endorphins in his system… but it really seemed more to her.
"Hell of a way to relax," he said finally.
She answered him with a speechless stare.
Bobby waved his hand around, gesturing to the room. "It's just… not so comfortable, maybe you'd feel better on the couch."
She took her time responding to him. She knew her partner. He could read complete strangers and comprehend everything from their choice of earrings to the reason they sat with their left crossed over their right. He knew damned well why she was in the kitchen.
"Something's bothering you," she said, deciding that was better than don't tell me where to sit in my own damn house.
He was motionless for a moment, and that scared her. Almost as quickly, Bobby turned back to the stove and served up two bowls of soup. He set one in front of her and returned with his own. Then he collected two spoons and she got them both a beer from the fridge.
"Is it last night? Do you regret—"
"Jesus, no, Alex!" He said. He held her hand a moment, convincing her with a steady stare. Then he let go and used his hand to gesture. "It's nothing. I'll be fine, really."
There was a brief interlude while they sampled the soup. Alex's mind was still going, though. She just couldn't let it go. "Good soup, Bobby," She said quietly, postponing what she wanted to say.
He smiled sweetly and swallowed a few more spoonfuls. Watching Alex, he could see she was still bothered.
"I… I guess I just… internalize these things."
"Alex, you've known me for years."
She looked up at him. "But not like this."
He stared at her a moment, balking at the idea that one night of intimacy could change her. He caught himself mid-thought. It had certainly changed him.
She spoke before he had the chance to. "I guess when I'm close to someone… and they're upset… I always take some kind of responsibility in that. You know, either it's because of something I've said or done… or it's my job to make the other person feel better."
He cleared his throat. Being honest with her was as uncomfortable as eating rocks, but he knew he had to tell her. "I… I was worried about you."
This wasn't what she expected. She stared at him.
"Today, when you made the drop. I…" He looked down at the spoon in his hand. "I know you can take care of yourself. I just… I couldn't be there to make sure of that. I didn't like it."
"That's it?!" She finally asked, a smile at her lips.
He shrugged in that shy way of his. His honesty was rewarded when he saw her fully relax and dig in to her soup.
