Chapter 25

"You did a really good job in there, Bobby. I don't think anybody else could have done it."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Me either." He gave her a knowing glance, and she reached out for his hand.

Alex wondered if maybe he was finally going to talk about it. She parked a block from his place, and she saw him stretch when he rose up out of the vehicle.

She put her hand around his waist and they walked back to his building. Bobby invited her in with a shrug, and she followed willingly. "It isn't," he started, "I haven't had a chance to clean."

She just stared at him and grinned. "You're kidding, right?"

With a smile, he bent his head down and shook it. Alex made herself comfortable at his kitchen table, hanging her purse off a chair while he emptied his pockets in all the usual places.

"You wanna talk about it?" She asked tentatively.

He shrugged, but he joined her at the table. "Some of the time," he said, "I felt like I was talking to my brother. Like I finally got to tell him…"

Just when Alex was eagerly anticipating more, Bobby stopped talking. He rubbed the back of his neck, then picked up her hand and played with her fingers. "I loved him, you know?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"I never forgave him, for what he did… for what he didn't do…for all of it."

She frowned.

"I wanted to forgive him. I think maybe tonight I did."

Alex's frowned flipped into a crooked smile. "I think that's good," she said. "I think maybe that's what you needed." She kissed him on the lips and then pulled him into a hug. Bobby buried his nose in her long hair and let his hands roam freely.

He was up early. He trimmed his scrappy beard and took a quick shower. Bobby saw the sun trying to creep into Alex's eyes, and he adjusted the curtain to give her a little more time to sleep in peace.

He made a pot of coffee and sat down in front of his laptop.

Dear Kathy,

I got the confession. I had the thought afterward that it was kind of like playing all sides of the table. There was so much about this man and his family that was similar to mine, and there were so many issues I had to ask him to face, that I had never fully faced myself.

I think I answered every question I asked of him in my own mind. And I heard myself talking about love and trust and forgiveness. And I don't know, I think something changed in me.

I've spent all this time feeling cheated and sorry for myself, and I guess I forgot to feel sorry for them, too. Frank never asked for the kind of life we were given. Or my mother. She was embarrassed by her illness. She would talk about it sometimes, in treatment. She said they treated her differently when they read the word "schizophrenic" in her chart. No, given a choice, she wouldn't have chosen the life she had.

Declan asked me, when I had him in interrogation, if I thought it was all my fault. I told him I'd thought that, and he said it wasn't. He said I did everything I could for them, and more, but they failed me.

But they didn't fail, either. Mom, and Frankie, they were just doing the best they could, too.

I guess none of us really has a choice, not unless we're of sound mind and body and of a certain age…

I have a nephew, Donny. Frank's son. I don't know where he is right now. He was serving a year on a trumped up charge and escaped prison. He's on the run, now.

I have him, and I have you and your family. That's all the family I have left. And then there's Alex. That's Eames. She's my closest friend, did I tell you that?

It was tough, this case. But I'm happy now. I'm feeling like I'm not so alone anymore.

Have a good day, Kathy. Thanks for everything.

Love,

Bobby

He hit "send" and he sat back in the chair to sip his coffee. He'd wanted to tell her more about Alex, but email wasn't the most private thing in the world. He couldn't take a chance that someone on the Force would find out about them. Friendship was fine, but to talk about more than that would be to jeopardize everything.

Maybe he would visit Kathy again in person. Maybe she could come to New York, and meet Eames face to face. Bobby caught a glimpse of the clock and got to his feet. He walked back to the bedroom to wake up Alex.

She was still naked from the night before, and had burrowed into the mound of sheets and blankets to keep warm. Bobby sat gently beside her and stroked her hair with his hand.

Alex stretched and rolled, and his hand slid to her neck and shoulder.

"Good morning," he said softly.

"Mmmm…" Alex smiled, but she didn't open her eyes.

"I was going to cook you breakfast," he said, still caressing her.

Alex opened one eye to peek at him.

"Are you hungry?"

She smiled and pulled one hand out of the covers. She wagged her index finger, beckoning him closer. "Hungry for something," she said happily, and kissed his neck.

Bobby smiled, a broad smile that showed all of his teeth. He bent down and kissed her cheek, and both of her hands poked out of her cocoon to wrap around his neck.

The blankets slipped down, and he saw her bare torso. Bobby's hands were on her.

Alex was self-conscious about her morning breath, and she avoided kissing his lips. She turned her head, giving him access to her soft neck, and she pressed her lips against his collarbone.

"Ohhhhh," Bobby groaned as he nuzzled against her. "Alex, I…" Painfully, he forced himself away from her. "I'm hungry. Really hungry."

Alex sighed. "Oh."

He stole a kiss at her lips and smiled. "I'll meet you in the kitchen. Coffee and eggs, ten minutes."

Alex raised her hand to cup his cheek, with pure affection in her eyes. "Deal," she said, and Bobby got to his feet. He lingered long enough to scan her naked body with his eyes, and then left the room.

She came out after a shower, dressed and ready for work, except for the makeup. Alex wasn't self-conscious anymore. She took Bobby by the chin and gave him a deep kiss, distracting him from the pan on the stove.

He had a hard time pulling away from her, but he managed to move the pan of eggs just before they would have burned. He turned off the burner and turned to kiss her again, a boyish grin on his face.

"You're happy this morning," she smiled back at him.

"You're beautiful," he said, still finding his lips drawn to hers.

"We don't have time," she protested, and he moved her hand to his groin. She pulsed with desire, and caressed him there, but forced herself to pull away. "Bobby," she protested.

"It's just paperwork," he said. "It can wait."

"We'll catch a new case."

"Only if we're there. Nichols and Wheeler will get the next one." Every time he spoke, he moved in again and overwhelmed her with his hands and his kisses.

"The eggs are getting cold," she said.

"I'll buy you a donut." His hand slid into her pants, and she lost the argument.

At ten a.m., Alex was already filling out forms when an entire box of donuts was placed on her desk. She looked up at him and smiled.

Bobby grinned and handed her a napkin so she could make her selection. Then he chose one, too, and closed the lid of the box. He sat down and took a bite of his, then leaned over and took the report off her desk. He read it over while he ate.

They saw Ross walking briskly through the bullpen with a file folder in his hand. He went right past them and dropped the file on Wheeler's desk, briefing them on their new case. Bobby glanced over at Alex and smirked.

She gave him a knowing look and licked some icing off the side of her thumb, unwittingly teasing him. His expression changed, and he tried hard to suppress his longing.

A/N Thanks to all of you who have been reviewing. I find reading the reviews to be very motivating when I'm writing, and sometimes I get ideas from your reviews, as well, either for the current story or for a future one. And I do pretty much write as I go with my stories, so what you have to say could very well shape the story! Please take the time to tell me what you think!