A/N: First of all thanks for the reviews. And thank you for answering my question about the 's. I really didn't know that and I appreciate the help. Finally Bobby and Alex are back together in this chapter. I can't help myself, even with the angst and all that, I still like a nice hug once in a while. I like it when Bobby's vulnerable and reaches out... or when Alex reaches out. Enjoy and please R&R...I'd appreciate it!

Part three

After yet another night with hardly any sleep, but with beer, Bobby felt even worse than the day before. He knew only one thing, he had to find Alex. She wouldn't be that hard to find. Before he could think about her whereabouts he needed a shower and drink lots of coffee. Then he called Lewis, thanked him for coming and told him he was going to find Alex. Next he tried her cell phone. Like he expected it was turned off. He knew she would have left her apartment. He didn't really know her brothers and sisters. Her parents, that would be her most logical choice. She would turn to the place where she could relax. He knew Alex had a good relationship with her parents. He couldn't remember where they lived. He'd only been there once to pick Alex up. As the smart detective that he was it didn't take him long to find the address of her parents. Grabbing his coat, a bag with spare clothes and car keys he was on his way to Alex.

For Alex it had been the first good night's rest she'd had in a couple of days. She'd slept in and had taken it easy. She'd gone grocery shopping with her mother and helped her father out with the old car he was working on. Bobby had hardly entered her mind. To get away from work felt good.

Nervous he stood at the front door of Alex's parents house. Would she see him or just sent him away? Would she be so fed up with him that she would shut the door in his face? If her parents knew the truth he might not even be allowed inside. Deciding it was better to stop thinking about the possible outcomes, and just face the music, he knocked. Impatiently he waited and a moment later the door opened.

"Detective Goren." Alex' father, John Eames, opened the door.

"Mr. Eames… I…I'm looking for Alex. Is she in?"

"No."

Slightly thrown off by Mr. Eames' curt answer, Bobby tried to form words. "Do… do you know where I can find her?"

"Yes."

This seemed even more difficult than interrogating a suspect. Even suspects gave more away than that. "Can you tell me where she is?'

"No."

"Mr. Eames, I just want to talk to her. I need to talk to her."

"Come on in." John stepped aside to let Bobby enter. He would have let Bobby in eventually. He just felt he needed to test the man, especially after Alex had told him what had happened. The man had hurt his little girl, nobody did that without having him to answer too. He saw Goren hesitantly step inside and take in his surroundings. "Alex is walking with her nephew." He explained as he signalled Goren to follow him into the living room. "I don't know when they'll be back."

"That's okay. Mr. Eames… thank you."

"You're welcome, but don't make me regret my decision to let you in."

"I won't."

"I was working on an old car in the garage. You're welcome to wait here or you can join me in the garage."

"I think I'll join you."

"Do you know anything about cars?" John asked as they stood in the garage, looking at the car he was fixing up.

"Not as much as Alex."

"Yeah, Alex and I spend a lot of time here. Just the two of us whenever I was fixing up a car. When she was little she would sit down on the floor and ask me all kinds of questions about cars and the components. That's when I knew she would make a great detective some day."

Bobby smiled that sounded like Alex. Alex's father continued telling stories about Alex' childhood. They both worked on the car, though John did most of the work.

Alex returned home after her walk with her nephew Michael. Lifting him up from the stroller she took him with her in search of her father. With Michael on her hip she walked to the garage. Her father was probably still working on the car and this was as good as time as any to teach her nephew all about cars.

"Hey, dad." Alex greeted her father as she stepped into the garage. "How's the car?"

"We're getting there. How was your walk? Did my grandson behave?" John asked as he wiped his hands on a cloth. He carefully lifted Michael from Alex's arms.

"What did you do, dad? How did you get this far with the car?" She knew that when her father was immersed in a project he would work very hard, but this was a bit too much. Alex walked around the car to see what had been done.

Bobby who just walked back into the garage saw John with his grandson and Alex walking around the car. He took a step closer to the car, debating whether he should greet her or wait 'till she saw him.

"You've had someone helping you out." Alex concluded as she turned around to her father. That's when she saw Bobby standing next to her father. He was wearing jeans and a button up shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons of his dark blue shirt were open, revealing a little skin.

While Alex observed him, Bobby observed her. In her casual clothes she seemed so different. She was also wearing jeans, black jeans, with a light grey sweater on in. He took a step closer to her, needing to feel her presence.

She shouldn't have been surprised that he was here. After all she'd expected he would find her. Still she felt thrown off. In a strange way though she immediately felt comforted to have him by her side again.

"I'll leave you two alone." John gave his daughter a look and with an affirmative nod from her, he went back into the house with Michael.

Both Alex and Bobby were hesitant about what to do next. It was Alex who tried to lighten the mood. "Could you keep up with him?" She asked, pointing to the car.

"Hardly, he was very patient with me. He… he's a good man. He really loves you."

Smiling, Alex nodded. "I know, he's the best."

"He told me how you two would work on cars together. How you, when you were little, just sat with him while he worked on a car, asking all kinds of questions." Bobby hadn't moved since he'd seen Alex. He didn't know if she would want him to close the distance between. Seeing as she'd taken a few steps back, he guessed not. "How's Michael?" He asked, pointing to the door where Alex' father had gone through.

"Good. I missed him." There was still a trace of melancholy in her voice when she spoke of her nephew. It had gotten easier over time, but sometimes she still felt the pain of giving him away.

Bobby didn't miss the hurt that crossed her face, even though she tried hard to push it aside. Though they hadn't really talked about it, he knew it had cost her a lot to give away the child she'd carried in her womb for nine months. He was trying to think of something to say to get her mind off Michael when Alex's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Let's cut the small talk. We're both not good at it." Crossing the floor to her father's work bench, Alex turned to Bobby and leaned against it. "Why are you here?" Looking at him she tried to catch his eyes, but they were downcast. That with the slumped shoulders made him appear as a defeated man. "You know I needed more time. You know I wanted to be alone." She didn't say it, but from his flinch she knew he'd heard the words 'she didn't want to be around him'. "We need some time apart." Expecting his objection she spoke again before he could. "And almost 24 hours isn't what I meant."

He listened to her carefully. In her voice he didn't hear any annoyance with him. They knew each other well so she'd probably already prepared for his arrival. Still even now, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't find the right words. So much was inside his head, he needed her to bring order to it, like she always did.

His silence didn't surprise her, but it didn't make things easier. She couldn't do all the talking. He was going through something and she couldn't figure it out on her own. If she could, things wouldn't have gone this far. "I can't do this alone, Bobby. If you're not going to talk then you'd better turn around and go back to your apartment. This isn't just about you. I need to reconsider some decisions too."

And again he flinched for he heard the true meaning. 'Reconsider her decision to be his partner'. "Bobby." Her voice was suddenly very close by. For the first time he looked at her.

She gasped, seeing the pain and insecurity in his eyes. "What's going on with you?" She whispered, gently placing her hand on his chest. Out of nowhere his arms were suddenly around her, pulling her against his chest. He clung to her like his life depended on it, yet there were no tears, no sobs. She did the only thing she could do, she hugged him back, simply holding him to her.

She didn't know how long they had been standing there when her mother suddenly walked in on them. "I'm sorry, Alex." Her mother, Julia Eames, apologized as she watched Alex and Bobby separate from each other.

"It's okay." She saw Bobby taking a few steps back. Taking a deep breath she focused on her mother.

"Would you like us to cancel our appointment with the Novaks?" Earlier that morning Alex's parents had made plans to visit their friends, the Novaks. Alex had easily agreed, glad to spend time alone with her nephew and have the place to herself.

"No, of course not." She knew how much her parents were looking forward to it. "Go, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Julia looked from Bobby back to Alex.

"Yeah."

"Okay. We'll be leaving shortly then. You gonna come inside soon?"

"We'll be right there."

"Do you want me to put Michael to bed?"

"No, I'll do it."

"Okay." Julia gave her daughter a small smile before she left them alone again.

After making sure they were alone again Alex closed the distance between her and Bobby again. She didn't stop near him, but walked passed him to the door. "Let's get inside, okay? We can talk after my parents are gone and Michael's asleep."

TBC...