A/N: Thank you for all the great ideas. I am going to go with Alex's apartment because it does seem appropiate. However, someone did point out to me that the angst got the better hand of the fic. I promised myself not to get into the angst and yet got so caught up in the writing and the arguing that I forget that. I now realize that the angst got a bit too much. That needed to change and because of that, there's this chapter. And I wanted to put the four of them in yet another environnement. I chose a tennis game. I know it may seem like all is forgotten, but it's not. There are still the undertones, but I needed some kind of reconsilliation to get Bobby and Alex to talk. It's a bit sudden, but I worked on it so it'll hopefully won't be too sudden after you've read the chapter. Enjoy! And thank you to the person who suggested the handcuffs. You made my day. How shocked would people be if I had gone with that!

Part nine

Alex and Bobby had left the office separately. Deakins had let them, knowing neither would be of any use. He hoped they would work it out. He hadn't seen the conversation, he'd only heard Goren's swear and the thump from the table hitting the floor. Then he'd seen Goren grab his coat and stomp out. Five minutes later he saw Alex grabbing her coat and walk out of the bullpen.

Carolyn and Mike had seen the exchange. They'd talked about the conversation each of them had had with their new partners. Clearly Alex and Bobby had both come to a different conclusion and they had just witnessed the result of it. Mike and Carolyn decided to take control again. They had the rest of the day to work out how. Clearly they didn't want to be in the same room together anymore. How to get them together without giving one of them the chance to walk out? That would be tricky. The setting would have to be perfect.

"What date is it today?" Carolyn suddenly asked her partner.

"It's the 18th."

"We've got our game tonight. Remember, we agreed to it like a month ago."

He remembered. They had agreed to play a game of tennis. Alex and Bobby convinced that they could beat Mike and Carolyn. "You're right. Do you think they wanna play?"

"We're not going to give them a choice. To be on the safe side we'll change partners. Don't want Alex to start beating him with the racket."

Not wanting to risk that neither would show up for the game, Mike picked Bobby up and Carolyn Alex. It wasn't that difficult to get Bobby to come along. He wanted to talk to Alex. Alex, however, was a different story. Carolyn practically had to drag her out of her apartment.

The four of them stood on the tennis court. Bobby was in all black, black shorts and black t-shirt. It matched his mood perfectly.

Alex couldn't help but notice his lovely strong forearms. She'd always thought she saw too little of them on the job. Focus, she told herself. You are mad at him! Letting her eyes wander downwards she focused on his legs. They seemed strong legs, though a bit pale. Especially with the black clothes emphasizing the contrast. This was going to be the only look she was going to allow herself. Maybe this match was a good idea. She could blow off some of that anger that had built inside her and having Bobby nearby to do that, was a bonus.

Bobby smiled, he was watching Alex closely and caught her watching him. As she looked up he winked at her. He wasn't going to give up on them. He was going to fight for their friendship like she wanted him too. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. He was surprised Carolyn had gotten her here. He would try a different approach this time, throw her off guard. Maybe he could weaken her defences.

"Let's make things interesting." Mike suggested. "The couple that loses buys the winners' drinks for the rest of the evening."

"You call that interesting?" Carolyn chimed in. Surely he could come up with something better.

"Then you think of something." Mike shot back, turning his racket in his hand.

Going over several options in her mind, Carolyn couldn't come up with something better. "Fine, drinks it is."

"Good, then let's get going. Come on, Alex. We'll kick their butts!" Mike grabbed Alex's arm and walked her to their side of the court.

After a couple of minutes of practice swings they were ready for the match. The toss decided who was going to begin. Alex and Mike won and they agreed Mike would serve first. He served hard, but Carolyn was able to return the ball. Alex volleyed the ball with ease back on the court. Bobby, knowing Alex as well as he did, had already moved forward. With a backhand shot, the ball flew passed Alex, missing her only just.

"That all you got, Alex?" His plan was to provoke her, to get her to talk. Knowing her the way he did, he knew that eventually she would react.

Shooting him an evil glare, Alex ignored his comment and stepped to the left side of their field. Standing at the net, she kept her eyes on Bobby. Mike wanted to show off, let Goren know he had no chance. He threw the ball up and pushed off, hitting it perfectly in mid air.

Bobby had trouble returning the ball. He could give it no direction and it went straight for Alex. It was an easy point to make. However, she wanted to get back at him. Intercepting the ball at the net, she hit it, directing it at Bobby's leg. The ball hit the ground right in front of him, but bounced back against hit leg. Direct hit!

"That all you got?" Alex eyed him. His reaction, a warm smile, confused her. Had he forgotten the conversation they'd had this afternoon?

"Ooh, you've seen nothing yet. I got a whole lot more." Bobby didn't miss a beat.

The game progressed steadily. Both teams won their service games. It was 5-5 sets and 30-30 in Alex's service game. She was serving against Bobby. She didn't have much power to put into it and went for a curve ball. Bobby had no problem with it. With ease he returned the ball to her. The ball went back and forth between just the two. Each hit increased in power. Bobby knew that strength wise he would win. The ball hit the ground mid court, Bobby quickly ran up to it, pushed off the ground and hit the ball hard with his forehand. It went straight for Alex stomach. Realizing there was no way for her to escape, she quickly put the racket in front of her stomach to avoid the ball. Angry at him for aiming at her body she yelled at him. "Watch it , Goren!"

"Just showing you that I am prepared to fight to get what I want." He referred to their argument.

"Didn't even know you knew how to fight." She snarled at him.

"I'm going to fight, Alex. I'm not ready to give up yet." He knew the others could hear him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was Alex's reaction. She'd stopped in her walk to the other side of the field. He saw her take a deep breath. Good, he thought, at least some of what he was saying was getting through to her.

She won the next point and at 40-40 she was up against Bobby again. Just like before the power of their hits grew as the ball went back and forth.

"Should we go and sit this one out?" Mike asked Carolyn as he watched the game progress.

"At least neither one has seriously injured the other."

"Yet." Mike added. He walked closer to the net and saw how Alex had a difficult backhand shot to make. But it gave Bobby the perfect change to win the point and he did exactly that with a drop shot, the ball dropping to the ground just behind the net.

"Really Alex, you disappoint me. Thought you had more in you." Alex mumbled something Bobby couldn't quite get, and he assumed that was probably for the best.

She was not going to let that remark pass by without some sort of revenge. She served again, knowing they had to make this point. She went for Carolyn's backhand, her weak side. Getting the ball back she hit it to Bobby's side. Not missing a beat he hit the ball with a nice forehand. Alex returned, placing the ball in the left back corner, making Bobby run for it and giving her the opportunity to run to the net, ready for a great volley. Bobby reached the ball just in time and seeing Alex and Mike at the net he tried to lob the ball over them. Because of his speed, the ball missed the accuracy and went down earlier than expected. Alex had the perfect opportunity for a smash. She did exactly that, smashed it hard in Bobby's direction. The ball bounced from the ground hard against his thigh, only missing his crotch by a few inches. Bobby groaned and fell to his knees. The ball had hit him hard.

"Wanna see more? Want me to try again, this time hitting jackpot?" She could play dirty if the situation called for it.

"Remind me to never piss her off." Mike said, looking at Goren laying on the ground.

"You okay, Bobby?" Carolyn approached him when he still hadn't gotten back on his feet.

"Do I look okay?" He groaned carefully getting up, his thigh hurt. He needed to keep Logan's words in mind. He should have known by now that when it came to winning games, Alex almost always won. Deciding that standing at the moment wasn't a good idea he kneeled on the floor.

Seeing he really was in pain, Alex crossed the court to their side. Just like before things had gotten out of hand. That is what they did to each other, keep pushing until the other couldn't push back anymore. "I'm sorry, Bobby." She apologized, crouching down beside him.

For the first time since the fight the two detectives were in close proximity. Mike and Carolyn guessed the game wasn't going to continue. They quietly left, leaving the two alone to deal with the pain and unspoken feelings.

"Remember how I relieved your backache after that basketball game?" He felt the pain starting to ease.

Alex nodded, knowing exactly what he'd done and the consequences of that one massage.

"Wanna massage me now?" He wiggled his eyebrows, knowing all too well she knew what he meant.

And for the first time in weeks she laughed in Bobby's presence. "Wouldn't you like that."

"Don't think I'd object." He quickly got serious again. This was his chance. His chance to try to mend things, his chance to show her he still cared. He wasn't going to let it pass him by. If he didn't do anything now, he might never get the chance again. He'd risked too much already. Gently he cupped her cheek in his big hand. "I've missed you, Alex." He softly said. "I wanted to fight, I… I just thought you didn't want me too." He raised her head, making her look in his eyes.

"I can't do this alone, Bobby." She whispered back at him.

"I know, just… let me try." He pleaded with her.

Why hadn't this happened a few days ago? Why couldn't he have said those words to her earlier? If he'd told her he wanted to try, wanted to work things out, things wouldn't have escaladed the way they had. She gave him a slight nod, she didn't think she could even refuse. She wasn't ready to give up hope again.

"Thank you." He took her hand in his and linked their fingers, needing to feel her to reassure himself that she was still with him.

TBC...