A/N: Thank you for your reviews. A little breather form all the angst.

Jack glanced at his watch for what had to be at least the tenth time in ten minutes so he wasn't really surprised when Bobby sighed loudly.

"Have you somewhere else to be?" The Australian asked, his eyes intent on the television screen where his car was leaving Jack's car in the dust, literally.

"Uh, no. Why?" Jack tried for a nonchalant tone, without much success. How could he lose all his skills as a bluffer when he was with his friends it was beyond him. It wasn't fair, really.

"Because you spent the last hour shifting your gaze between the TV and the watch. I really don't know how you didn't make yourself dizzy, yet."

The truth was that he had already made himself a little dizzy but Bobby really didn't need to know that.

"So, what's the matter?" Bobby prodded, pausing the game and shifting on the couch so that he could see his friend's face and the skilful impression that said friend was doing of a fish, a blubbering fish to be more exact.

Jack opened and closed his mouth a couple of times then he emitted a couple of sounds, because those sure weren't words, just to return to open and close his mouth. A knock on the door put a stop to Jack's evident misery.

"Saved by the bell." Bobby commented, shooting a suspicious look to his friend before getting up to answer the door.

Jack turned his wheelchair so that he could see the door and took a deep breath to let it out slowly a moment later. The hard part was behind him now.

"It's D." Bobby informed Jack after having checked through the peephole.

Jack nodded solemnly to his friend and only when the Aussie had turned around again he let the smile show on his face. This was going to be good.
The moment the door was opened the whole team showed up behind D crying "Surprise!". Someone, probably Tara if Jack had to guess, shot a couple of pictures right in that moment. Bobby stood rooted on the spot for quite some time, his mouth slightly agape. Then his face relaxed, a big, dimpled smile showed up in all its glory, and he moved from the door to let everyone in. After each team-mate had hugged him, some more manly than others, Bobby turned around to look at Jack with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Happy birthday, Crash."

###

The party went well, brief but full of laughter. Tara had amused everyone, and herself more than anyone else - Jack was sure - by showing the pictures of Bobby's surprised face she had took at their arrival. He had already asked her a copy of the best one. They had chatted, ate the cake Lucy had made and taken pictures. And Jack had spent the time avoiding being photographed. Not an easy feat. Not with Tara as the photographer, anyway. After an hour Myles, D and Lucy started to leave the party.

"What? So soon? The night is still young!" Bobby protested.

"We have to leave, Bobby. Don't worry, though, your night has just begun." With these words Lucy left Jack's house together with two chuckling agents. Bobby's befuddled expression earned itself another picture.

"What did she mean?"

"She meant that you have a free evening tonight to spend with a beautiful blond agent and, most important of all, out of here." Jack explained.

"Jack, I can't …"

"Yes, you can. Sue and Levi will stay here with me. We'll be fine. You go out and have fun. You deserve it. I know you're going stir crazy here and I don't blame you one bit. I am going stir crazy and it's still my house! Since I couldn't buy you anything this is my gift to you. Take a breath from this house, from your responsibilities and from me. God knows I'm not the easiest person to be around these days. And please, don't say it isn't true. We both know it is."

After a long moment of silence, Bobby finally nodded.

"Thank you, mate. I owe you one."

"Nah."

"We're even then." Bobby corrected.

"Not even close, Crash. Now go out and have fun. I don't want to see your face until tomorrow."

###

"Stop worrying about Jack." Tara admonished Bobby, again, when he checked his watch for the third time in less than an hour. "He's fine. He's with Sue and Levi and two agents are guarding his apartment."

"I know, I know." Bobby said quickly. "I know all this. It's just that in the last two weeks I… he…"

"He's been your responsibility." Tara finished for him. "I know it is difficult Bobby but you need to unwind a little. You're doing a wonderful job with Jack and …"

Bobby snorted and shook his head.

"What?" Tara asked.

"I'm not doing such a good job." Bobby lamented.

"That's not true." Tara protested.

"You don't know it." Bobby said in a low voice.

"I know you. I know you're doing…"

"I freaked out!" Bobby snapped, interrupting Tara and startling her.

Tara swallowed hard and studied his face. He looked tired and stressed and his eyes couldn't quite hide his sorrow. Tara leaned on the table to grasp his hand and braced herself for whatever was to come.

"What happened?" She asked and waited patiently for so long that she was starting to think that Bobby wouldn't answer her at all. At least he had squeezed her hand back. Then, after the waiter had come and left their bill, Bobby suddenly got up and put some money on the table.

"Let's get out of here." He said, not letting Tara's hand go. Once they were in the car he rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "Yesterday he asked me if I could help him with a couple of new exercises for his legs and I thought why not? They had seemed pretty simple when Manny had made him do them."

"Where was Manny?" Tara asked.

"Manny comes in the morning but every afternoon Jack does some exercises for his upper body on his own. Manny approves." He hastened to add the last sentence when Tara frowned worriedly.

"Ok. So, you helped him." Tara said to get back to the conversation and what was eating Bobby up.

"Yeah. It was the first time I helped him with this kind of things and when I grabbed his leg I… I freaked out."

"Which means?"

"I froze up for a moment then let go of his leg, let it fall on the bed like it burned for heaven's sake! Then I got out of the room!" He answered, the disgust at his own actions evident in his voice.

Tara winced and asked the obvious question.

"Why?"

"It was cold, ice cold. Lifeless. There wasn't any tension… It was just a dead…thing." He swallowed. "I think that it's the first time I really realised what Jack's conditions were… which it's stupid because during these two weeks I witnessed first-hand how Jack's life has changed… It's just that… no one should be so cold… not unless they were… Oh Gosh…"

"Did you return?" Tara asked after a minute of silence disturbed only by Bobby's ragged breathing.

"What?" The Australian asked, confused.

"Did you return?" She repeated. "To help Jack?"

"Obviously!" Bobby replied, his expression slightly incredulous. "It's not like I could leave him there without any help!"

"Did you freak out again? Did you leave him again?"

"No. I stayed there but…"

"Then you did everything you could." Tara tried to reassure him.

"No. You don't understand."

"Then help me to understand." Tara begged. It hurt to see him hurting so much and she wanted to help. If only she knew how…

"He couldn't meet my eyes. He let me help him but he didn't talk, except for telling me how to help him. He didn't look toward me, not once, during the rest of the day. No wonder he wanted me out of his house."

"Now you're being silly. Jack didn't want you out of his house. He wanted you to have some time just for you. I won't say that what happened didn't upset Jack but you're friends and I'm sure he has already forgiven you." Not that there was something to forgive. Bobby wouldn't accept that reassurance, though. Of that she was sure. Like he wouldn't accept the highly likely idea that Jack wasn't mad at him but just, unjustly, ashamed of his condition and even guilty for putting his friend through all this, the very reason why he didn't want anyone with him.

"Do you really think…" He was hesitant, uncertain. And he shouldn't. A couple of weeks ago he wouldn't have been so unsure of himself and of his friendship with Jack. Another thing to thank Capono for. Aaargh! She wanted one hour alone with him, just one!

"No. I know it." Tara assured after a moment to control her voice and swallow the lump in her throat. "I can even prove it! Do you want to see?" She asked, brightening considerably.

When he nodded slowly she opened her purse and took the camera out. She fiddled for a moment with the device then smiled widely handing the camera to Bobby. She gave him ten seconds to observe the only photograph she had managed to take of Jack where he was smiling softly to something that had the whole team in fits, his gaze on Bobby, and a fond expression on his face. Then she sighed dramatically.

"Now could we please stop talking about Jack?" Sorry Jack. Sorry Jack. Sorry Jack. "I feel neglected. And to think that Jack told me you were pining for me!"

"Oh! He told you this, didn't he?" Bobby asked with a slight smile while handing the camera back to her owner.

Tara nodded and smiled mischievously.

"He told me that he needed a night without you calling for me in your sleep in that lovesick pitiful voice of his. I'm quoting." She added, arching her fingers in the air and smiling broadly when Bobby blushed.

"I don't pine." Bobby muttered, starting the car.

Tara giggled, causing a smile to appear on Bobby's face, softening and relaxing his features. Tara leaned over and kissed Bobby on the cheek, right on the dimple that had appeared a moment before. Bobby turned his head toward her and she kissed him gently on the nose then on the mouth. Bobby shifted on the seat to lean toward Tara and envelope her in his embrace. Soon he was peppering her neck and face with soft kisses, his hands messing up her hair, the car sputtering a little and forgotten.
The sound of a horn nearby startled them both and brought them back to the reality of a cold and quite uncomfortable car.

"Keep that thought in mind." Bobby breathed then put the car into gear and pushed on the throttle. He lowered his right hand and it was immediately grasped by Tara's smaller and warmer one. "Happy birthday, indeed." He whispered, widening his eyes when Tara giggled.

"Yep, you said it out loud." Tara confirmed, laughing when Bobby's face turned almost crimson.