A/N: When you read the following chapter and the next just remember this one thing: it had to happen this way. It had to!!

Thanks again and again to the wonderful people who are still reading and review this story! Your comments give me a reason to keep writing.

Rated M, again!!


Bobby's hands stilled as he processed that. He wasn't sure that he heard her correctly. She was curiously staring at him, waiting for his reaction. It took a second, but once it hit him, it hit hard. He bolted upright, bringing Alex along with him. "Wha-what…How?"

Alex looked like a deer in the headlights as her eyes widened with fear as she told him, "My guys were at the club again last night and--"

Bobby tossed the covers back and grabbed his boxers off the floor. Pulling them on he searched through his dresser drawers. Nothing! He had absolutely nothing to wear because he was supposed to have done laundry yesterday and didn't.

"Bobby--"

"Was he leaving or just getting there?" Bobby asked cutting her off as he picked up the dress pants he was wearing last night.

Alex had to think about it but she finally told him, "He was leaving. He had a package when he left."

"Shit," he whispered as he buckled his belt. Bobby eyed Alex and he caught the shirt she was wearing. It was his. "Where'd you get that?"

"It's clean," she said seconds before she stripped it off and tossed it to him. "Why do you have to get him? Doesn't he have family?"

Bobby caught it and quickly put it on before he grabbed a pair of socks out of the top drawer. "His family doesn't care," he absently told her as he left the room. "And you just let them take him?" He picked up his boots and sat down on the couch.

Alex came into the living room dressed in her clothes. "What was I supposed to do? Go to bat for you against my own guys, Bobby! I have to work with them, you don't," she snapped at him.

Bobby tugged on his boots a little harder, hurting his feet as he glared up at her. She was half right. What was she to do? But she had interfered when she promised not to. "That first day, I told you…asked you, to back off, to not interfere with my operation. And I thought I was pretty clear after I had to get Eric away from your guys the other night. I trusted you!" He got up and went to retrieve his cell off the counter.

Turning it on and checking his missed calls, he spotted Alex's calls and several from Eric and another one from the county. Eric had called him from jail. Bobby turned and walked around her to the door.

"And I trusted you to understand where my loyalties are. I have obligations too, Bobby, people I can't let down. Forgive me if my first obligation wasn't to you!"

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and faced her. It was hard to feel upset when she was making perfect sense, but he wasn't exactly seeing reason just then. It was Saturday damn it! One day away from getting out of this and he had to go bail out Eric, if he could even do it. If Eric was leaving the club with a package, he probably wasn't even going to get bail. "Okay, maybe I was wrong to ask you for a little consideration when it came to my side of things." As soon as he said it he regretted it.

Alex's eyes bore into his as she crossed her arms. "That is completely unfair, Bobby," she shot back at him. Alex continued to stare him down; she was completely unfazed by the amount of anger that was coursing through him. "I gave you consideration with everything I've done."

Bobby was starting to shake trying to control his anger as his head was started pounding again. He was so mad he felt like throwing his fist into the wall; instead, he snapped out, "Bullshit. If you did I wouldn't be trying to figure out how to save my operation. Once word gets back to Mack that Eric was arrested after leaving the club, with a package containing God knows what…I'm done."

Alex steadied a glare on him as she told him, "We're on the same side, Bobby. Why can't you see that?"

He didn't know what to say to that. The only thing Bobby could do instead of stare dumbfounded at Alex as he tried to figure it out, he turned and slammed the door behind him.

The slamming of the door still echoed in his head an hour later when he waited in county lockup for Eric to be brought out. When he arrived, he asked to know what Eric had been charged with; there were two charges, one was a minor status offense for the under-age stuff and the other was for possession. Upon hearing that, his chest started hurting as his temples throbbed.

Eric had to stay in jail until his arraignment hearing on Monday. Bobby nodded then asked the in-take officer, "Can I see him?"

She scheduled him for a visit at one-thirty. That gave him twenty minutes. It didn't take long before a guard motioned for him to stand. He followed him to a small room with a single table and two chairs on either side of it and waited. As he slumped down in the small hard chair, staring up at the ceiling, all he could think about was Alex.

He didn't know if she was going to forgive him for his outburst. It was the truth, what he said before he had left; this could destroy everything he had worked for over the past year. But, he was being unreasonable at blaming her, yelling at her for it. The person he really blamed and was angry at was himself, and Eric…Stupid kid. Why couldn't he have just gotten out when he first told him to?

What was wrong with people? What was wrong with him?

Over a year of doing this job, being around these people, he was in too deep and too emotionally involved. Fin had been right, it may not have been the typical type of corruption that he was involved with, but it was still corrupting him none-the-less.

"Bobby!"

Bobby sat up in the chair as Eric was brought in. He waited for him to be seated and the guard to leave before turning his attention to the young kid.

"I knew you'd come." Eric grinned at him with relief and gratitude. "Did you get me a lawyer?"

Bobby took a deep breath as he shook his head 'no'. "Does Mack know?"

Eric shook his head. "Not yet." He bolted toward the table and leaned over it, close to him and whispered, "I didn't tell the cops where I got the stuff. I told them I had it before I went into the club, they believed me. So…it's okay."

Bobby rubbed a nervous hand over his mouth and nodded in understanding.

"I'm no rat, Bobby. I'll do the time. This is my first offence, so if I can't get probation, I'm only looking at four years, two with good behavior, then…I'll be out." Eric nodded to himself. "I need a good lawyer, Bobby. You could ask Mack to get one of his guys for me, right?"

As he watched the kid across from him, Bobby couldn't help but feel his interest in helping him slipping further away. In his mind and heart he felt something shift inside of him. It was a painful shift, but it was one that he would endure as he needed to feel it. He had to be certain of a few things first before he let himself feel completely what it was that was turning in him. "What if you do get probation, what will you do?"

Eric looked at him like he was talking in some language he couldn't understand. "What'd you mean? If I get probation, I can still work for you, right?"

"How're your classes working out?" Bobby asked instead of answering.

Eric looked away and shrugged. "Good."

"Good, it's going good? So, when you get out, or get probation you'll…finish them?"

"Yeah," Eric said a little defensively. "I can get the classes done and still work for you. I can still work afterwards too, like on the side when I'm not at the shop."

It was gone. That was all he needed to hear as his eyes closed. All the amount of need and want and hope he had in helping set Eric straight was gone. Bobby lifted his eyes up to be staring into the eyes of the young man. And that was what he was, a man, who made his own decision to be in this life. There was nothing he could do to help him, not now and maybe not ever. At that moment, he couldn't remember what it was that made him think that he ever could have set Eric straight. "You had no…intention of," he felt his anger rise up as he looked down at the table. If he kept looking at Eric, he would snap. "Of leaving this?"

Eric had that confused look again. "Why would I? Yeah, working on cars is nice and it'll be a legit job to have to get my family off my back, but I was always planning on staying with you guys. Look, my bail will be posted on Monday. You got me, right?"

Bobby gave a curt shake of his head as he stood up. "I can't help you."

Eric stared up at him in confusion and fear. "What'd you mean?"

Bobby held up his hands at the anger that he saw clouding Eric's eyes. He turned and knocked on the door.

"Bobby! What'd you mean? I don't understand? Why won't you help me? Bobby!" Eric went to grab him and Bobby grabbed his hands before he could get them on him.

He held Eric's hands in his as he stared down hard at the young man. Where there was once empathy and understanding in Bobby's eyes there was now nothing but resolute apathy. "I tried, but…You did this to yourself, Eric. I've done all I could, but you just don't see it, and unfortunately, neither did I." He spoke mostly to himself, muttering the words as it all hit him.

Eric was shocked as he dropped his arms when he saw the guard at the door. "Bobby, please," he pleaded.

The door opened and before Bobby stepped out, he told him, "Call your dad, and get a lawyer."

"Alex!" Bobby yelled through the door. He knew she was there since she wasn't at his apartment and her car was parked out front.

It had been a couple of minutes since he arrived and started knocking on her door. She wasn't going to answer. His fist pounded the door again, the side of his hand ached with each bang against the door. Please, please open the door. Alex…honey, please. Bobby dropped his head against the door as he slammed his hand on it one more time. She's not going to answer.

He closed his eyes and breathed heavily against the door. There was a noise on the other side of the door and then the sound of the locked being turned made him freeze. Bobby barely had time to lift his head and shift his weight so not to fall forward before the door was yanked open.

Alex stared up at him and she looked pissed. She eyed him and finally sighed heavily and went to close the door.

Bobby dropped against the door-frame and with his right arm stopped the door from being shut in his face. "Alex."

She stopped just inside the door with her hand on it, pushing it hard against his arm.

"We have to talk."

Alex peered at him through the slit of the door. "I think you've said enough."

Bobby was getting impatient; his fist clenched as he tried to steady his rapid breathing and aching pulse. "Please, let me in."

"There's nothing you can say--"

"I didn't get Eric," he told her, cutting her off. Bobby saw the confusion in her eyes as he shifted up against the door, trying to get closer. "I left him there."

"Why?"

Bobby rested his head on his right hand that was pressed on the door. Did it really matter 'why'? He didn't like having to justify his actions or explain something that he thought was personal. "Not out here." He looked into her eyes as he asked, "May I come in, please?"

Alex looked reluctant to do so, but she moved away and out of sight. The pressure on the door was gone.

Bobby slowly pushed the door open and stepped just inside the door before he shut it. She was walking into the kitchen and his eyes followed her retreating form as she disappeared around the corner. The nervous energy in him was spiking as he glanced around the apartment as he debated on whether or not to take off his jacket or not, or to sit or stand, or to follow her…

He tugged off his jacket and placed it over the back of the couch as he moved toward the kitchen. Bobby kept his head down and eyes diverted to the floor while he took a couple of deep breaths. He was horrible at this relationship stuff, never knowing what to do and always worrying if he was doing it right. The truth was that he didn't like confrontation, so he always tried to avoid it until it got overwhelming that he either exploded or shut completely down; that eventually would end up driving his girlfriend away. Then usually after an argument he would stay gone until she came to him or until he was drawn out by pure desperation after a couple of days, whichever came first.

Alex was standing with her back to him as she prepared a drink. From the smell he knew it was tea. She turned to face him and he looked away, back to the floor as he crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

She was waiting on him to start, but he didn't want to say anything even though he knew he had to. Bobby felt so uncomfortable and uneasy that his hand shook as he rubbed it along the back of his neck. This could end in so many different ways, and it was entirely up to him how it would go. With what he said or did now would either keep them together or break them up. It was too painful trying to figure out which outcome he wanted most. He knew what would be the easiest.

"Did you do it for me?" Alex quietly asked him before she took a sip of the tea.

Bobby was surprised that she spoke first, but if she left it up to him they would be standing there all day. He shook his head 'no'. "No, but…you did, uh…you reminded me of why I was here to begin with. I…I got, lost. Somewhere along the line I got lost."

Alex didn't say anything as she continued to look at the steaming cup instead of at him. That helped; it made him feel a little less like he was being watched and criticized.

"I had hope," he found himself continuing. Bobby had never felt like explaining himself before, but he did now, with her. That feeling confused him even more as he rubbed his knuckles across his mouth as he was attempting to get his thoughts in order. "I hoped that something good might come out of this…awful situation. I…uh, I put that hope in the wrong person."

"Eric."

Bobby flinched at the name. "Yeah. I realized, that, um...even though he's young, he's…he can't change, won't change. Not as long as I'm always there, bailing him out. Some…people, they need to be…" he rubbed at his head as he felt the hot wave of pounding electric pain shoot through it. Wincing, he ran his hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Uh…" his thoughts were getting harder to grasp onto as the pain increased, his pulse was skyrocketing under his massaging fingers. "Eric, he had to…see that he, uh…he had to stay…" his breathing was coming in ragged gasps of air.

"Bobby, are you okay?"

He turned and leaned against the counter, gripping the edges as his chest tightened. Bobby's eyes clenched close and he saw sparks as pain shot up his chest and radiated in his head. Feeling a hand on his forehead, he jerked back.

"You're hot and sweaty again," Alex told him. Her hand smoothed down his face to his neck, feeling his pulse. She was timing it and after a moment told him, "Your pulse is 110 and climbing."

Bobby pushed her hand away and straightened. Opening his eyes, he glanced sideways at her. At seeing the depths of her worry in those loving brown eyes, he leaned down and slammed his lips against hers. She was stunned at first but pressed her lips right back. Sliding his tongue along her lips, she parted them and let him deepen the kiss. His hands roamed over her back and down to her thighs; gripping hard, he lifted her up against his waist.

"Bobby," Alex got out when the kiss was momentary broken when he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his hips as she breathed out, "Wait, you're not--"

Bobby knew she was worried about him but he felt fine and his want of her had sparked when he saw how concerned she was for him. No one had ever cared for him as deeply as what he saw in her eyes. The passion he felt for her was enough to set him on fire as he pushed her against the wall in the hallway and grind himself into her. "I'm fine," he reassured her before he recaptured her lips, sinking his tongue back home into her welcoming mouth.

Alex had either believed him or gave up the fight because she pulled him closer against her body as she drove her tongue nearly down his throat.

Their teeth clicked together as they painfully kissed each other but they didn't care. Bobby was achingly growing within the confines of his pants as he continued to grind into her, creating a furious friction between them. Alex was pulling at his shirt. She finally managed to get it up over his head once he realized that he had to move his arms from where they were massaging and gripping at her thighs and ass in order for her to take it off him.

He needed her, needed to be inside of her. Bobby broke the kiss and breathed deeply against her neck and chest as his right hand moved from her thigh to the front of her jeans. Once he got it unbuttoned and the zipper down, he reached inside and rubbed at her wet center.

Alex moaned as her head dropped back to the wall, exposing her neck to him. Bobby kissed, licked, and bit at the skin, marking her and creating whimpers and soft pleas in his ear. Sweat was dripping down from his forehead as he felt his whole body quake and shiver from a restricting pain that shot through him. Groaning, he pushed the pain away as he backed away from the wall. He let Alex down long enough to yank her jeans and panties down her legs; she kicked them off her feet as she unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants. He watched her fingers tug his zipper down before disappearing inside his boxers.

His breath caught as he felt her fingers tease over his head. She gripped him as best she could before working her hand up and down, making him grow harder and longer in her palm. He gasped and panted deeply as he leaned above her against the wall, feeling the heat spread through his body as he willed away the pain that was threatening to erupt from him.

The urge to have her suddenly rushed through all the foggy pain and confusion in his mind. Lifting her up again, Bobby steadied her against the wall before easing her down on him. In two quick hard pushes, he was buried deep within her slick hot walls. He wanted to take her hard and fast, make her ache and hearing her scream. He wanted to feel the pleasure and the pain as he fucked her, wanted her to feel it with him.

He gripped her thigh and ass hard with his right hand as his left gripped her hair. Alex yelped and gasped as he drove himself up hard and deep into her as he did yanked her head back. His un-relentless rhythm was rocking her hard up against the wall as he pounded roughly deep inside her walls. Her breathing was tense and strained in his ear as he sucked hard on her neck before biting down. Bobby felt her fingers tighten and pull at his head and then nails scratch down his back before dragging up along skin, digging in deep against his shoulder blades.

His responded by grabbing her ass tighter, scraping his own nails across her skin as he pushed in harder and faster to the point of pain as he slammed against her. She choked on a sob as her thighs quivered and tightened against his hips. The pleasure was building in him; his legs were shaking with the urge to buckle as the fire that felt like lava poured upwards from his legs to his groin and pass his chest all the way to his head. He was feeling dizzy as white hot sparks flashed behind his clenched eyelids.

He was so close and she was so hot and tight, twisting and clenching around him trying to squeeze the very life out of him. He vaguely remembered hearing her breath hitching before she released as muffled scream against his shoulder as everything tensed and exploded within him. His fingers clawed at the wall as he jerked once then twice into her as she bucked hard into him. He felt more than remembered shooting his cum deep in her. Her juices surrounded him, covering his pulsing member, making him feel warm and satisfied.

When he finally opened his eyes, Bobby realized that they were on the floor and he was resting against the wall with Alex in his lap. Her head was resting against his shoulder. How did that happen? He rubbed his hand up under her shirt, smoothing over her back as he asked a little breathlessly and numbly, "Did I hurt you?"

Alex was quiet for a moment, causing him to panic as his hand stilled on her warm skin. "Only in many, very good, ways," she finally answered before placing a kiss against his throat.

His hand continued to massage over her back that he knew was hurting from being rubbed and rocked hard against the wall. It was nothing that a long soak in a hot bath couldn't cure, or a great massage that he was trying to accomplish with one hand. The other hand, his left, was throbbing as he ran it through her hair and over her face.

Cupping her jaw, he tilted her head back and placed soft kisses against her swollen lips. He didn't know how long they sat there on the floor holding and kissing each other, but once his back started hurting from being pressed up against the wall, he shifted forward and clumsily got to his feet, pulling Alex up with him.

"Gotta work tonight?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

"Hum-huh," she mumbled into his mouth as he kissed her again. Alex smiled up at him once the kiss broke. Her hands were running up along his back and then down under the waistband of his pants.

Bobby liked the feeling that she desired him just as much as he desired her, and that she wasn't afraid to show it.

"Do you?"

Bobby didn't, but with what happened to Eric, he had to go and talk to Mack to make sure that Sunday was still a go. He nodded a little as he took in the dreaminess of her eyes that always followed when they had sex. She looked like she was flying high just then. It made him smile. "I'm not supposed to but…" he trailed off, leaving it unsaid. They didn't need to go there again.

Alex frowned slightly as understanding and a little hostility replaced that dreamy look. "I really am sorry about that."

Bobby let out a deep breath and instead of saying anything about it, bent down and kissed her one last time before stepping away. "You should start getting ready." He gathered up his shirt and her jeans and headed to the bedroom.

In the few steps it took him to walk to her bedroom, it was enough time for him to feel something other than the after-effects of their love making, because as soon as he stepped into the room his chest exploded with a wave of tensed pain. He dropped the clothes on the bed and smoothed his hands over his chest. Running a hand over his head and to the back of his neck, he felt that he was still hot and sweat was covering his skin. He shivered as the cool air in the room attacked him. Stumbling in his steps, he landed on his stomach on top of the bed.

"Okay?"

Bobby took a shaky deep breath and let it out, feeling his chest quiver. "Fine, just tired," he lied as he covered his head with his arm, blocking out the sunlight that was burning his eyes. "Uh, go 'head and take a shower first. I'm going to rest for a while."

He closed his eyes as the pain ripped through his chest and head. Swallowing hard, he nearly choked as his throat constricted. Bobby gasped, letting out a strangled breath of air. Tears stung at his eyes from the pain as he rolled onto his back thinking it would make him breathe easier. It only made it worse as he sucked in a deep breath of air that rippled in aches all the way down to his burning lungs.

Sitting up on the side of the bed, he felt the tightness ease slightly. Fear was clenching at his heart and mind as he tried to figure out what was wrong with him. He had an idea, but he couldn't afford to have that happening to him now. He was being stubborn and irrational, he knew, but hopefully he still had one more day to go before this was all over. And then he would get checked out and have whatever this was taken care of.

Glancing at the clock, Bobby groaned and pushed himself off the bed. He didn't have time to wait around for Alex to get out of the shower. Pulling his shirt over his head and refastening his pants and belt, he headed into the living room. Finding a pen and piece of paper by the phone, he jotted down a quick note and took it back into the bedroom, placing it on the bed.

Bobby grabbed his jacket and slipped out of the apartment. He made sure that it locked behind him before heading down to the street. He decided to walk home as his body ached and shook from the cool air and the constant movement. A ringing startled him a block from his apartment, and he searched his jacket and pants for his cell phone. It was Sanders. Why was his captain calling? "Yeah?" His voice sounded strained and rough in his ears.

"Goren? Are you okay?"

"Fine, Captain. What's up?" Bobby stopped walking and leaned up against the wall to a corner market.

"I'm having a meeting at eight at the warehouse. I want to make sure everything goes down smooth tomorrow and that we all know how it's going to go down."

"Is Fin going to be there?"

Sanders became silent and Bobby clenched a fist in his jacket pocket. "No, he's out of this now, Goren. I'll introduce you to Fin's backup guy when you get here."

Bobby closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. Just what he needed, to be placed in the hands of some unknown cop who he had no idea if he could trust or not, but…what could he do about it? Absolutely nothing. His jaw flexed and locked causing his voice to sound tight and tensed as he said, "Okay. I'll be there."

He snapped the phone shut and crossed the street and turned toward the apartment building. He only had enough time to get in a shower and take a short nap before he had to get back up again.

Bobby made it to the club just a little before five. Alex wasn't there yet but she had called him while he was asleep, telling him that it was okay that he left and that she would see him tonight. He was suddenly doubtful that they would see each other that evening.

Rick gave him a weird look as he entered through the front door and went over to the staircase. "Whatcha doin' here? I thought Mack gave you the night off."

Bobby refused to answer Rick as he took the stairs two at a time. The aspirin he had taken earlier was trying to work. His heart beat was still pumping fast throughout his body, making his head feel hot while his pulse drummed in his ears. He rasped on the door to the office before pushing it open.

Mack looked up as he entered, his eyes narrowed as he approached the desk. "I thought I gave you the night off."

Bobby cut through the chit-chat and asked, "We still on for tomorrow?"

Mack leaned back in the chair and looked him over. He sighed as he crossed his arms behind his head. "You've been to see Eric."

Bobby didn't have time for this game of 'who controls the conversation'; he just needed to know the damn answer. "Yes, I did. And he knows nothing and told them nothing."

"But I'm still down a quarter of a million in my product."

"You'll get it back with interest tomorrow if we're still on," Bobby told him as he pushed down the urge to pace the room. He gripped the back of the chair and leaned closer to his boss. Eyeing him, he tilted his body sideways as he asked him a little annoyingly, "Well?"

Mack smirked at his antics and shifted forward, bringing his arms down on top of the desk. "That's funny, when you do that, at least I think so. When you do it to other people who don't know you, is it supposed to make them uncomfortable?"

Bobby breathed out and gripped the chair tighter. Mack was deliberately not answering him. "I came all the way here on my day off to make sure that when I show up tomorrow it won't be just to make sure they locked up--"

"You left Eric in jail, Bob."

That stopped him in his tracks. Bobby stared at Mack as he tried to figure out why that was such a bad thing. When he came up with nothing, he shrugged out, "So? My mother left me in jail when I was twelve. Look how well I turned out," he said dryly. "He'll be fine, and it might do him some good, but the most important thing is that he didn't rat us out. Did he?"

God, he was suddenly praying that after he left that Eric didn't open his mouth and take a deal. He was so wrapped up with what was going on within him and what he thought was the best thing that he completely forgot to consider the damn consequences of leaving Eric behind.

Mack let him sweat for a moment before he told him, "No, he didn't."

Bobby remained stoic, not letting the relief show as he raised his eyes. "Then what's all this about?" His patience was slipping with each passing minute that ticked by.

The change in Mack sent a wave of dread through him. Bobby watched as the older man looked down at his desk and slumped back in the chair. "Eric got into a fight with a rival gang member. They rushed him to the infirmary but it was too late…His lung collapsed and they couldn't save him."

Bobby felt numb and disgusted as guilt clenched his throat so tight he couldn't speak. Eric…was dead? Oh, God, it was his fault. He left him there. His hands fist the chair as he struggled to keep his emotions from overwhelming him. It was hard to think about anything else as Eric's voice pleading with him filled his mind. God damn it! He pounded the chair down on floor and dropped his head into his out-stretched arms.

"I'm sorry, Bob."

"Are. We. On?" Bobby forced the words out of his throat as the anger that he was feeling nearly crippled him.

"Yeah, we're still on."

That was all he wanted to know. Bobby straightened as he regained his control. He couldn't feel anything as he gave into the numbness that spread down his body from his head.

"Look, I know how much Eric looked up to you and--"

Bobby pushed off the chair, sending it rocking forward against the desk as stalked to the door. He didn't give Mack time to finish what he was saying before he slammed the door behind him. Everyone stared at him as he hurried down the stairs.

Ashley Townsend was suddenly next him and he felt like telling the young woman off, but he didn't. "I just heard about Eric, Bobby. I'm--"

Bobby walked right by her, nearly knocking her over as he pushed open the back door and stepped out into the parking lot. Running his hot sweaty hands over the top of his head he breathed out deeply as he felt the world beating and kicking him to the ground. It was never enough. No matter what he did, it would never ever be enough.

TBC…