Later That Night
The reunion was supposed to start at six but they didn't arrive until seven. She was dressed in a knee length black dress that actually had some flow to it. Bobby thought it was a nice change from her work clothes. He was in a normal work suit. They took their guns with them for caution only. His was strapped into his under his suit jacket and hers in her purse. With all the problems they had with people in the past they couldn't be too cautious.
The music swelled as they walked in. A high school boy was taking coats. They gave him their coats and moved to go inside.
"Alex." Rodney said as soon as she saw her. "You will never believe who's here! It's Elliot Grant, that jerk you dated back in the day."
"He did go to this school Rod he has a right to be here." Alex told her friend, logically.
"Yeah, well, wait 'till you hear what he's saying. He says, Ally and I never broke things off right. I bet she's still in love with me. God, what an asshole!" Rodney spat out.
"Bastard! Hey Bobby, why don't we play this up?" Alex said gesturing between the two of them. She hated when people called her Ally, it made her feel like a child again.
"That could be fun." Goren grinned. They went through the second set of doors that lead to the actual reunion. An old school hip-hop record was blasting.
The music changed to a fast swing song.
"Alex, you used to swing in high school, Bobby, what about you?" Rodney asked.
"Ally, wanna dance?" A man asked before Bobby could reply. The man took Alex's hand before asking and led her out on the dance floor.
"That would be Elliot." Rodney told him.
Goren let Elliot have this song, but when it ended and another swing song began Bobby cut in. He didn't feel bad; Elliot only knew the cheesy, two feet on the floor moves. "Elliot, sorry, but may I cut in?" Bobby asked.
Elliot looked puzzled and Bobby took Alex and pulled her close. Then he started to dance. His mom's dance lesson idea when he was younger, paid off.
Bobby swung Alex around, over, and under his body expertly.
Alex executed each move with precision also. They didn't realize a circle had formed around them until after the song had ended.
They got a resounding applause.
Bobby grinned at Alex and slowly put his mouth down on hers. The electric between them was as powerful as lightening. Bobby kept kissing her and Alex responded to each one. They finally broke apart.
To Alex this was like a dream come true. How many nights had she spent wondering what it would be like to kiss him like that?
Bobby was just as shaken as she was by the kiss.
They walked off towards the table Rodney and Max were at.
Bobby caught Elliot's threatening stare. Goren could sense the evil in his eyes. He pulled Alex closer and held her waist even tighter.
"Not involved, huh?" Rodney whispered into Alex's ear when Bobby and Max went to get them drinks.
"Drop it, Rod!" Alex told her friend in a hissed whisper.
They all mingled with the other guests a bit. They stuck to the cover story. Bobby could tell Alex didn't like these people. He knew by now that she had only come for Rodney's sake. Goren kept her close until she was called up on front stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I know you want to dance and talk more but the time has come for traditions. I would now like to invite Rodney Cavanaugh up here to give out the awards." A short balding man said from the microphone on the front stage.
Rodney walked up to the stage.
"Rod was the homecoming queen. Cavanaugh was her name before she married Max." Alex explained to her partner.
"Personally, I would like to invite Alex Eames up here to help me hand these out. As most of you know the class voted on category's such as most changed at 6:30. The ballots have been tallied and the results are in." Rodney told the assembled group of former classmates. Alex had already reached the platform and was standing beside Rodney when it all started.
The man who presided over the festivities that night was standing to the left of Alex. He was the mayor and had the honor of putting the reunion together since he had graduated with this class.
Alex saw the unmistakable glint of a gun with the corner of her eye. She followed the path that the gun was pointed in. It was the mayor.
Bobby saw it too. He was already pushing through the crowd and was making to tackle the man from behind. The man was Elliot Grant.
"Gun!" Alex shouted and dove into the mayor. She heard the stunned gasp of the crowd. The surprise of her weight on him made the mayor fall to one side just as the gun was discharged.
The shot missed. It hit the wall.
Bobby dove into the Elliot from behind just as the second shot discharged. Elliot was taken down and handcuffed by Bobby in seconds. A local police officer in the crowd took over. Bobby didn't know where the second shot had hit.
Alex did. It had hit her in her left shoulder.
Bobby ran towards her. No one had seen what had happened yet. They were all still staring at Elliot. Bobby grabbed her off the mayor and shouted. "I've got an officer down! Let's get some help over here!"She was unconscious. Someone who was a doctor in the crowd rushed forward. The woman took her from Bobby's arms and started to check over the injury.
"She's alive!" The doctor shouted. "Get an ambulance here, now!"
The officer who had taken over Elliot was now holding him off to the side.
"Sir." The officer shouted. "Can I have your name, and why on God's green earth were you carrying a gun and handcuffs with you? Aren't you a psychologist?"
Bobby sighed. He removed his badge from his pocket and held it up."Detective Robert Goren, NYPD." He told the officer. "Charge him with attempted murder as well as assaulting an officer and attempted murder of an officer."
"But he didn't harm you." The officer said obliviously puzzled.
"No, but he shot my partner. Detective Alex Eames." Bobby sighed.
"Wait, you mean, Alex...you're serious?" The officer looked at Bobby with wide eyes.
Bobby didn't respond he went over to the gurney that Alex had been placed on by the paramedics. He took her hand and stayed by her side as they went to the hospital. He had heard the unmistakable murmur of the crowd when he announced his and Alex's actual line of work.
"New York City Detective Saves Mayor's Life." Bobby read, aloud, as they walked to the Java Joint, the next morning. They still had two days left until they left to go back to the city. Bobby had bought that morning's paper just before leaving to go to breakfast.
"I don't want to talk about it Bobby." Alex grumbled. The bullet had only grazed the top of her shoulder, so she only wore the sling to keep the pain down along with its movement.
They walked in and the stares that they got made her nervous. She sat down in a booth and Bobby slid in next to her. They were waiting for Rodney and Max to join them.
"Hey, Alex, um...you know I love you, right?" Bobby asked her.
"Bobby you told me last night when I woke up. Yes I know." Alex smiled. "And I love you too." She thought back to last night. He had looked so worried, or so the nurse had told her, when she had not woke up right away. He had blurted out the declaration of love right after she opened her eyes.
She and he had got in late and slept in until noon. Bobby thought about how that kiss on the dance floor had affected him. He would have never blurted out the declaration of love last night if that hadn't happened. He didn't think that Alex would ever look at him that way or even love him back. Apparently she did.
He leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. Rodney and Max walked in at that moment. They looked at each other and smiled.
"I never thought they'd get it through their heads that they loved each other." Rodney told her husband.
Max smiled at her and turned back towards the couple. "Love works in mysterious ways, dear. Mysterious ways indeed."
FINIS