Part 7

Bobby stared at the fire for a while, finally turning to look at Alex, who had been silent since she had returned from the kitchen. "You know, it's your turn now."

Alex looked up at him, confused. "Huh?"

"I shared with you. Now it's your turn."

Alex sighed, looking up at him. "What do you want to know?"

"You told me that your first husband died in the line of duty."

"Yes."

"How?"

Alex looked at her hands. "I was in Vice, David was in homicide." She smiled slightly. "We had this thing that if there was an officer down broadcast over the radio, either ourselves or our partners would send a call over the radio to let each other know we were okay." She paused. "And one day he didn't call to tell me he was okay. His captain asked me to come down to the hospital to identify his body." She paused again. "I'd never seen a grown man cry before, but his partner was. His head was in his hands, sobbing."

"I'm sorry," Bobby said.

Alex turned to look at the fire. "It's okay. Nothing you could have done."

Bobby watched her for a moment, his ability to read people working in his favour. "Something tells me there's more to that story."

She sighed and looked over at him. "You're going to keep bugging me until I tell you, aren't you?"

Bobby nodded. "I can't help it. I have a curious nature."

Alex looked down at her hands. "I was pregnant. Eight weeks. I found out that morning, but I wanted to surprise him with dinner that night." She leant back on the seat. "I didn't tell him, and I miscarried two weeks later. The doctors thought it might be stress." She sighed again. "Anyway, after I lost the baby and David, I decided to move from Vice. I needed a change, and I couldn't stand the sympathy looks people were giving me. Sometimes they thought I needed to be pitied and others they thought I was unhinged." Alex looked back up at him. "And then I met you. So now you know the whole story."

"Alex…"

"No pity, remember?"

Bobby sighed. "Fine, no pity. I just…I'm sorry."

Alex smiled sadly. "So was I."

Bobby moved onto the couch next to Alex. "Thank you for telling me."

Alex looked at him, surprised. Her face softened. "You're welcome."

Bobby's hand reached out, his fingers caressing her face in the most gentle of touches. Alex's eyes widened, before her hand went up to cover his.

"Bobby…"

"Yoohoo!"

Bobby pulled away, swearing as he realized that they had been interrupted. "I'll kill her."

Alex took a deep breath as Bobby got off the couch to go and answer the door. They had been so close to crossing the line, and after talking about her dead husband.

She rolled her eyes. Fantastic.


"Clara's here, isn't that nice?" Bobby said through gritted teeth, as Alex approached the front door.

"Evening, Clara," Alex murmured.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything," Clara smiled, trying to see past them and into the house.

"Was there something we could do for you?" Bobby asked.

"Actually, I came to invite you to a little party. I thought seeing as it's your first week in town, you should meet everyone."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Everyone?"

"Well, your neighbors of course! Everyone is dying to meet you!"

"They are?"

"Well, sure! We like our little bit of new blood every now and then."

Alex's eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm kidding! We won't eat you alive!" Clara teased. "Although I can't say the same about some of the women about Ben here. He's a mighty fine specimen!"

Bobby frowned and Alex unconsciously placed a hand on his arm.

"Well, he's taken," Alex said, her hand rubbing up and down his arm in an affectionate gesture.

"Of course he is," Clara nodded, smiling at the gesture. "Well, how's Friday night for you folks?"

"Fine," Bobby replied. God, if Alex would just keep touching me like that…

"Okay then. Night Ben! Night Emily!" With her mission accomplished, Clara headed back to her house.

Alex slipped her hand away and headed back into the main house.

After closing and locking the door, Bobby followed her. "Alex?"

He found her in their bedroom, getting her night clothes.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Our friendly neighbor interrupted us."

Alex looked up at him. "Not tonight. Please."

Bobby looked confused.

"Bobby if we…if we started anything…he'd be on my mind. Him and Emma and…" She took a deep breath. "I'm not saying no. I just…I'm saying I need time." Alex looked up at him. "Please."

He nodded. "Okay. But Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Soon we're going to finish what we started."

With that, Bobby headed into the bathroom for a shower.

Alex couldn't suppress the shiver that went through her. What a promise!

Alex walked into work the next day, feeling self-conscious of the dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't slept well the night before, always conscious of Bobby's deep breathing beside her.

Damn, it had been too long since she'd had that. The man she loved lying next to her, deep in sleep.

Get a grip, Alex.


"Emily!"

Alex turned around and smiled as she saw Emma waving at her. "Hi."

"You came back."

Alex nodded. "Sure did."

"I'm glad."

Alex sat down with her at the table. "Really?"

"Sure. You're nice."

"Thanks."

"Are you really just a volunteer here?"

Alex was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You just don't seem like one, that's all. You're different." Emma shrugged. "It's no big deal. I don't think anyone notices." She grabbed her bag and pulled out the next Harry Potter book. Shyly, she passed the previous one over to Alex. "Thought you might wanna read it."

Alex tried to ignore the bruises that she saw on the girl's arms as the sweater rode up. "Thanks. I'd love to."


"You want to do what?" Federal Agent Mike Connors cried into the phone.

"We just want someone to make Emma safe," Bobby answered calmly.

"This is a federal operation. Child endangerment is not a federal jurisdiction…"

"I am one step away from walking out that door and going down to arrest the bastard myself," Alex growled.

"You have no jurisdiction," Mike replied.

"The kid has injuries, Connors. And the community knows what's going on in that house," Bobby explained.

"Then let them do something about it."

"Don't you care?" Alex asked incredulously.

"Care? I care about two NYPD cops that I have to keep from getting killed! Need I remind you that you almost busted open a Narcotics case and now the freakin' drug lords think YOU'RE the main enchilada?"

Bobby wrinkled his nose. "Who uses that main enchilada thing anymore?" He shook his head. "Connors, my partner can be very frightening when she wants to be. Since I'm stuck here with her, wouldn't you rather we both come home in one piece? She might take her frustration out on me."

"Hmph. You should be so lucky."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Bucko! Are you going to do something about this or do we have to?"

"God, please don't," Mike said. "Look, I'll get someone onto it." He sighed. "Meanwhile, on the family front. The Eames family is doing well. Goren, your mother is doing fine too. Anything else I can fix for you?"

"Yourself," Alex muttered under her breath.

Bobby crossed his legs in sympathy. "No, Connors, we're fine."

"Fine."

Alex arched an eyebrow as the dial tone echoed. "He's cranky."

"Yeah, probably diaper rash."

Alex smirked then leant back in the chair. "What did you tell your mother? About where you were going?"

"I didn't tell her. The day before she went, she had one of her episodes." Bobby leant back in his chair. "I told the nurse to tell her I had the flu and I'd be back as soon as I could."

Alex looked at him. "The flu? What if we're stuck here for over a month? Do you really think she's going to buy the flu?"

"She's rarely in reality these days," Bobby said, rubbing his face. "And when she is, she doesn't have the world's greatest memory."

Alex paused. "I'm sorry."

Bobby stood up. "So, what did you tell your family?"

Smooth subject change, slick, Alex thought. "I was going out of town and I didn't know when I'd be back."

Bobby nodded and headed into the kitchen. "This whole keep tabs on everyone the drug lords might visit thing better work."

"It's another way of catching them. If it works, I'm all for it."

"And if it doesn't?"

"I'm trying not to think of that."

"Good plan." He handed her a piece of paper. "The guy I work with, his wife wants to have us both to dinner. Apparently, you're supposed to ring her and have some mysterious conversation regarding when and where." He grinned at her. "And no setting it up like a stakeout. We're not cops anymore, remember?"

Alex glared at him. "I can do it. All I have to do is act like Clara, right?"

"Heaven forbid."