Part 15

Alex glanced over her shoulder, from where she was making coffee. She narrowed her eyes at Bobby. "Are you staring at my ass?"

Bobby smirked. "You bet."

She rolled her eyes, turning back to the coffee maker. "Bobby?"

"Mhm?"

"Tell me about your mother."

"That came out of nowhere."

Alex turned around, fixing him with a stare. "It's come from six years of being partners, Bobby."

"You know about my mother."

Alex took her coffee, sitting down at the table. "Fine."

Bobby sat down opposite her, his own mug in front of him. "That's one of those 'fine's' when it's not really fine. Why do you want to know?"

She fixed him with a glare. "You know, out of all the stupid things you've said over the years…I think that's the one that's hurt the most."

He looked at her, having no idea what she was on about.

"Why do you THINK I want to know, Bobby? Did it ever occur to you that as your partner, as someone who lo…cares about you, I might want to know?"

"You mean like you told me about your husband?"

"He doesn't directly affect me day-to-day."

"Like hell he doesn't."

Alex looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, Alex. You told me why you transferred from Vice."

She fixed him with an ice-cold stare. "Back off, Bobby."

"So you can ask me questions that hurt, but I can't ask you questions that hurt?"

"I already told you everything," she replied. "God, what more do you want from me?"

"The truth."

"I TOLD you the truth," Alex said, exasperated. "You wanted to know about my husband, I told you. Unfortunately, I can't provide his death certificate for you, but you'll just have to take my word for it."

"I don't want to see his death certificate," Bobby mumbled.

"Oh, that's a relief."

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I just…I don't deal well with talking about my mother."

"I don't deal well with talking about my husband," Alex told him.

"Point taken," Bobby nodded. "I'm sorry."

Alex sighed. "I'm sorry too. If you don't want to tell me about her, it's okay."

Bobby paused. That phrase had been worded carefully…it sounded like a very scary trick. He sighed. And he was going to walk right into anyway.

"What do you want to know about her?"

Alex looked up at him again. "You're going to tell me?"

"Whatever you want to know."

A smile slowly spread across her face. "Thanks."

Bobby grinned back at her. "I like it when you smile."

Her eyes widened for a moment, but she soon relaxed. "Want to get a drink?"

"I thought you wanted to know about my mother?"

"I do. But I thought we both might need a drink."

Bobby nodded. "You're not wrong there."

Armed with drinks, the two returned to the living room, each sitting down on one of the big plush chairs.

Bobby said nothing for a few moments, and Alex kept quite, giving him time to talk.

"I was seven when I worked it out. That she was different. No one told me what it was, but I knew she was different." He sighed. "She would be in and our of her delusions, sometimes not even registering I was there. Sometimes when she did, it wasn't exactly a favorable realization."

Alex watched him silently; inside her heart breaking for him, yet outside remaining strong for him.

"I started to take over looking after things in the house. A lot of the time she wouldn't realize things needed to be done, and someone had to do it." He took a sip of his drink. "I'm starting to sound like a pity party."

"You're not," Alex assured him. "I just…I guess I was jealous when Nicole seemed to know more about your family than I did."

"I didn't tell Nicole any of that," Bobby reminded her. "She found it out herself."

Alex nodded. "I know."

"Irrational female jealousy?"

Alex glared at him.

Bobby grinned back. "Sorry." He sobered for a moment. "Are we okay?"

She glanced sharply at him. "What do you mean?"

"You and me. This. What's happening between us."

"I'm okay." Alex sighed. "If you…"

Her statement was cut off by gunfire heading into the room. Bobby's eyes widened and he pushed her down, his body covering hers.

"Stay here," he hissed, moving off her.

Alex's eyes were filled with fear as she watched Bobby crawl his way over to the window. "What the hell are you doing?" she growled.

Bobby ignored her and slipped his gun out from his ankle holster.

Alex was surprised. She had known he had brought his gun with him…she hadn't known he was wearing it.

"Goren…don't you dare," she hissed at him.

He glared at her, putting his finger to his lips. "Just stay down and do what I told you," he whispered fiercely back.

Alex's eyes widened, and then she glared back at him. He'd never spoken to her like that before.

When she saw Bobby prepare to look out the window, she turned away.

"Not again…" she whispered. "Please…"

She heard a couple of shots and then nothing. The next thing she knew, Bobby was by her side.

"Alex?"

Alex turned to look at him, noticing that Matthew Graham had entered the house. She shoved Bobby away from her.

"Leave me alone," she growled.

"What the hell happened here?" Matthew asked. "I heard shots."

Bobby gave one last look at Alex, who got up and left the room.

"Emily and I were just sitting here, and the next thing we knew, shots were coming through the window…"