A/N: Thanks for everyone who's reviewed. You make my day. I'm glad everyone's enjoying it. Hopefully you'll be please with this chapter. It gives some resolve. Don't know how what will happen in the next chapter. I said it was going to be a three parter, now it's already four chapters long. I'm guessing only one more chapter and that'll be it.

Chapter four

The following day at work, Bobby and Alex were assigned to a new case. Occupied with their work, there was no time to discuss Alex' date or for Alex to provoke Bobby.

On their way back from interviewing a suspect they had gotten a call from Deakins, telling them to go home and rest. They both decided to go for a drink, needing to relax from the case. Sitting in the far corner booth of a bar, Alex and Bobby were quietly sipping from their drinks. They had been here before. The place was relatively quiet giving them time to talk.

Bobby had been curious about Alex' date with Lewis. She hadn't let anything on. She wasn't unusually happy or something like that. No, she was her usual charming self. Lewis' words came back to him. He wasn't sure he should take the chance. He didn't want to jeopardize their partnership. He needed to be sure, needed some sort of sign before he would take the chance.

"I needed this break. What an exhausting day." Alex sighed.

This gave Bobby the perfect opportunity to ask his question. "Late night yesterday?" He tried to make his question sound innocent.

Alex smiled, she was surprised it had taken him so long. "You can say that. Didn't get much sleep." That was all it took to get Bobby to react. He had just taken a sip from his beer and was now coughing loudly. Alex slapped him on the back 'till his breathing got back to normal.

"So… you two had fun?"

"We did." She saw the questions in his eyes.

"Things are serious between you two then?" He dreaded the answer to that question.

"I wouldn't go that far. We had our fun, nothing more, nothing less."

He couldn't believe how casual she was about it all. He knew Lewis really liked Alex. Surely his friend deserved more even if he hated thinking about the two of them together. "How would you describe your relationship?"

"Relationship? I think that's a bit too much. We only had two dates. That's hardly what you call a relationship." After a brief silence where Bobby ordered them another round of drinks, Alex decided to tell Bobby the truth. "We both decided to leave at two dates. I guess it's for the best."

"Was it your choice?"

"We both came to the conclusion it wouldn't work."

"Why not? I thought you two had fun. I mean, yesterday during lunch, Lewis made it pretty clear how he felt about you."

"Things changed, Bobby. Besides Lewis made me see some things different. He can be a real eye opener, you know."

From her tone of voice, Bobby feared Alex might know about his lunch with Lewis. Lewis was his friend, he wouldn't tell Alex about his feelings. Looking at her, he tried to read her, but couldn't. Maybe because his own judgement was clouded or maybe she was just so good at hiding things from him.

Alex decided to push Bobby a little. She already saw he was thinking about her words. "You probably already know this, but I never knew what an insightful person Lewis was. He's a people person. He's easy to talk to and he reads them well. Before you know it he's confronting you with your own feelings."

Rubbing a hand over his face, he decided to bite the bullet. "What did he tell you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What did Lewis tell you… about me?"

"Nothing special, just some things I never knew."

Nothing special? His feelings for her were nothing special? How could she say that? How could she dismiss him like that? He thought he at least had a chance.

"Like how happy you were with me when we first met. Never knew I made such a impression." Alex continued.

Glancing away Bobby whispered. "You always do."

Not catching his words Alex watched him. Was this how Bobby got when he was insecure? She had seen him flirting with waitresses and witnesses, but apparently when it came to his true feelings he got insecure. "Bobby." Alex said, placing her hand on his. "Why do you do this?"

"Do what?"

"Avoid me when things get personal."

"I don't avoid you. I'm still here."

"You're closing yourself off from me. Why, Bobby?" Pausing to let her words sink in, Alex continued a moment later. "Are you afraid of getting hurt, afraid that I will walk away? Or is it that you don't want me close?" Removing her hand, she sat back. She knew Bobby needed to let her words get through to him. He also needed time to form a reply.

He did want her close, he just didn't know how to tell her. Was this her way of saying there was a chance or was she still playing him? He couldn't do this without reassurance. He needed to be sure. The only way he could do that was to take a risk…

"What did Lewis exactly tell you a.. about my feelings?" Bobby asked turning his eyes back to Alex.

"Nothing specific. Why, is there something to say?" Little steps Alex reminded herself.

"I…" Bobby hesitated again. His fingers started tapping on the table. "I mean.."

As his other hand was mid air, halfway through a gesture, when Alex took it in hers. "Relax, Bobby." She said, placing their hands back on the table. "Just… talk to me. I'm not going anywhere." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to relax. After all this was Alex, his partner. He linked his fingers with hers, relishing the feeling to be able to hold her hand.

"I was never sure."

"Neither was I."

"Just… when you started dating Lewis, I… I never thought you'd be interested. Lewis kept on going how great you were. He… he pushed the right buttons. I was jealous. After all he was with you and I wasn't." Remembering his lunch with Lewis he smiled and shook his head. "I tried to hide it, but he told me I was obvious. If Lewis could make you happy, I wasn't going to stand in the way."

Alex knew he was telling the truth. He would step aside it if meant her happiness. It was the kind of person that he was, one of the many things that attracted her to him. "I thought that with Lewis I could forget you. Yesterday at dinner he confronted me with my wandering mind. Ouf of nowhere he asked me why I'd never told you. Guess I was obvious too."

TBC...