A/N: Yeah my apologies. This took so much longer than expected. During this chapter I regretted the idea of the date. It was sooo hard to write. In the end I decided to skip some bits 'cause that was better. Otherwise it would have been a bad chapter. But now I think the conversation works. After this, one more chapter... and an epilogue. I'd love to hear ideas for the next chapter because I really don't know what I should let Bobby, Alex and the group do on their last day. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! My thanks goes out to Heather, even though there wasn't much she could add, it's the thought that counts! Enjoy and let me know what you think. Warning: Fluff!

Part ten

She'd had to do some last minute shopping because she hadn't expected to go out on a date, let alone a date with her partner Bobby Goren. She was actually nervous because she didn't know what Bobby had planned and she knew there were still some things to discuss. She made herself a promise, she was going to enjoy this evening, enjoy his company and enjoy the connection they had. She looked at herself in the mirror. She'd found a grey skirt that was slightly longer on the left side. The skirt had a light green flower embroidered on the right side along her right thigh. It wasn't a big flower, but it made the skirt look classy without it being to chic. She was wearing a nice fitting green shirt with an open neck that revealed a grey tank top under it.

Bobby was nervous. He wanted this to be perfect, Alex deserved that. They could act freely here, be their selves, enjoy each other's company and more importantly the change in their relationship. In New York they would have felt… watched. The importance of this date wasn't lost on him. They still had a lot to talk about. Elsie's words from that afternoon had left him with doubts. What if she felt only friendship for him? Not love. What if his own feelings were just friendship and not love? Sighing he decided not to think too far ahead. He had a date with a beautiful and very special woman.

Looking at his watch he grabbed his coat and took a deep breath. They would be all right… more than all right. Knocking on her door he waited impatiently to her.

"Hi." Standing in the doorway she greeted him with a smile. She liked his reaction, his eyes wide, looking her up and down. It was the reaction she'd been going for.

Recovering from his momentary lack of manners his eyes focused back on her. "Hi."

For a moment he was lost in her, her soft smile, her eyes and the way they always seemed to look right through him.

"Shall we, or do you want to stay in?"

His eyes went wide again, she was joking. It was what he needed to remind himself that this was her, there was no need to worry. "Tempting offer, but I made reservations at a nice restaurant." He offered her his arm and off they were.

At the restaurant – a nice little Italian restaurant- they were seated in a corner booth, the only light the two candles on their table. After their somewhat uncomfortable moment in the hotel, they were completely at easy with each other, laughing and joking around. Conversation flowed freely and easily. Both had avoided to talk about the real issue, but knew they would eventually talk about it.

"Who would have thought this conference would get this interesting?" Alex took a bite of her desert.

"I told you it could be interesting."

"I never quite understood why you didn't object more. We both don't like to go to conferences. What was so different about this one?"

He looked at his empty plate. He knew she hadn't been happy with him back then. She'd expected him to back her up and he hadn't.

Seeing the thoughts run through his head, she sighed. Why was he still so hesitant with her? What was it that still held him back?

"Bobby." She said, laying her hand on his. "Why do you keep doing this?" Entwining their fingers she continued. "What are you scared off? Do you think I won't like what I hear and I'm going to run off? Don't you know by now that I'm here to stay? What will it take for you to let me in?"

"I'm sorry… I don't want to hurt you."

"Why are you so convinced you're going to hurt me?" She waited patiently for him to explain. She knew he needed time to sort through his thoughts.

"I don't know if… I'm not sure you are going to like what I have to say."

"Try me." Pausing a moment to finish her desert, she asked again. "Why didn't you object?"

Letting go of her hand he toyed with the napkin. "I thought it would be nice to spend time with you."

She smiled even though he couldn't see it. "Now the world didn't end, did it?" She joked.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He finally looked at her.

"Do what?"

"Use humor when things get personal for you." This time it was Bobby who kept his eyes on her and it was Alex who looked away. Standing up, Bobby quietly sat down next to her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear he continued. "It goes both ways. I'm not going anywhere, Alex. You can let me in. Nothing's going to happen… I… I won't leave your life like your husband did. I intend to stay."

He had appeared again, Robert Goren – the profiler- reading her like no one else could. Humor and sarcasm had always been her way out when things got personal. She'd known a long time that her tactics didn't fool him. He'd never called her on them, until now that was.

It was her biggest fear, to be left alone again, grieving for another love lost. She wasn't going to let that happen again, that was a promise she'd made to herself a long time ago. That was before she met Robert Goren and before she started to realize she had feelings for him. At first she'd fought them hard, not wanting to give in. Eventually it was no use, he'd taken up a too big of a place in her heart. Still she had been careful, being vulnerable again, to open up and share her life again was going to be a big step. Was she ready to take it? Was she ready to share her life and heart again with a man?

Gradually the answers had come to her. Still there had been Bobby to take into account. She hadn't known how he felt. She had her suspicions, but she needed to be sure. During this conference she'd gotten his answer, he did have feelings for her. Now the only question left was if they were going to take the chance.

"I'm not the only one who's apprehensive. You try to hide it, try to reassure me, but you need reassurance too. It's okay, I'm not leaving." He softly kissed her temple and leaned forward to try to catch her eyes. He saw she was holding back tears. His comments hit home hard.

"I.." He wanted to apologize again, he didn't want to hurt her.

She didn't want to hear his apology again, not when he hadn't done anything wrong. "Don't apologize, you're right. I needed to hear that." Taking a deep breath she tried to control what his words had evoked in her. "Just give me a moment."

Putting his arm around her shoulder he pulled her body against his, hoping it would give her comfort. He signalled the waiter for the cheque.

They walked back from the restaurant to their hotel through a beautiful park. "Do you remember when we first met?" Alex asked him, taking his hand in hers.

"I do." He smiled.

"You were shocked, but tried to hide it."

"So were you."

"You weren't what I expected." She laughed.

"Neither were you. I had so many doubts, wondering how long you were going to stay. I didn't make things easy for you. I tried to chase you away, to avoid… everything again."

"I knew how much you wanted me to stay. I didn't know you well, but I saw it in your eyes." When she had first met him she'd seen a eccentric detective who held a certain doubt in his eyes. At first she thought he doubted her abilities. Soon she figured out he doubted the viability of their partnership.

"I never thought it would turn out like this." He said squeezing her hand.

"And what is this exactly?" Alex decided it was time to really talk about it.

Stopping and turning her around towards him, he simply look at her. "This.." He started, tracing her jaw softly with his finger. "..is special to me. You are special to me."

She wanted to ask him something, but he silenced her with his fingers on her lips. Alex had told him to stop hiding, to let her in and it was time he did so. "I've thought about Elsie's words. Thought about partnership, friendship, relationship and love. I love my job and I love our partnership. I don't want to lose either. Friendship and love… Elsie got me thinking."

For a few seconds he was silent, trying to collect his thoughts. "We spend so much time together and we have such a close friendship. Am I reading too much into this? Am I confusing friendship for love? What if that's true? Maybe my feelings are mixed up?"

This wasn't what she'd expected. He was actually going to say it would be better not to act on their feelings. She really hadn't expected this. She wanted to turn away from him, not wanting to face him when he told her.

Seeing her turn away he quickly placed both hands on her shoulders. She felt tense and he realized how she'd interpreted his words. "I'm not… just listen to me. Hey… look at me." He said softly, lifting her head up with a finger under her chin. He saw the insecurity in her warm brown eyes. Wanting to erase her worries he wrapped her in her arms. "I know what I feel and I know it's not mere friendship. Day after day you created a place inside my heart that I hadn't discovered yet. But you're there and there's nowhere else I want you to be. I know what I feel and I know that it's real. What we have is real."

She felt his back muscles tense under her hands. These next words were going to be difficult on him. Her heart had skipped a beat when he said she had a place in his heart. She knew it wasn't easy for him to say this to her and she cherished his words.

"I… At first I wasn't sure what to do. I knew what I felt, but also knew the risk. The job, our partnership… but most of all my heart. Everybody I ever cared for or was important in my life has walked out on me. They all left… and it hurt… it still hurts."

Taking a deep breath he tried to control his emotions. "I considered the pain of losing you to the pain of having you in my life without telling you how much you meant to me. In the beginning the choice seemed easy. I wanted your friendship and our partnership in my life. I thought I could live without the need to take you in my arms and simply hold you, to wake up with you in my arms. For a while I could live without those things, but as time went by I realized my feelings for you were growing stronger and I wanted to more. I am convinced we can make it work. We can deal with our work. We'll be professional. Elsie's words, Alex… they didn't make me doubt, they made me see things clearer." Taking a small step back he took her hand in his and placed them on his heart. "Here is where you belong. In my arms is where I want you to be, Alex. I…I don't ever want you to leave."

"Come here." She whispered before she pulled him to her, brushing her lips over his several times, nipping, tasting and feeling before she deepened the kiss. Bobby's reaction was immediate, he wrapped her arms around her and pulled her body against his. Their tongues met passionately and sparks flew. Alex ended the kiss when the need for air got too much. Touching his lips she smiled at him and softly said. "I love you, Bobby."

"I… I love you too, Alex." Cupping her face in big hands he kissed her tenderly, conveying everything he felt at that moment.

TBC...