A/N: My apologies it all took so long. My inspiration was simply gone and when I finally got the idea, I still didn't feel like writing it down. I started this weekend and now it's finished. So this is a fun chapter and I want the next chapter to be romantic. I also realize I need to finish this fic soon...I'm guessing one or two more chapters, but that will be it. Next update will take a while, this time because I'm participating in a Lyric Wheel Challenge and I'm writing a fic for that. The new fic will have angst...Alex angst mostly. So no update for this one, but expect one for the Lyric Wheel. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Again sorry it took so long!

Part eighteen

It was the weekend and it was one of their regular girls night. This time at Alex's place and Carolyn had a little surprise for her friend. She and Mike had agreed that he and Bobby would come crash their party. Things were going well between Alex and Bobby, but they didn't seem to spend much time together.

"Want some more wine?" Alex asked, getting up already to go to the kitchen.

"Sure." Looking at her watch, Carolyn guessed her friend's surprise would arrive soon.

Handing the wine to Carolyn, Alex plopped down on the couch next to Carolyn. Dory, the purple fish with amnesia problems, was lying on one of the turtles. Dory's countdown was disturbed by a sudden loud knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Carolyn jumped off the couch.

Alex, focused on the movie, heard footsteps and guessed it was her friend returning. "Who was it?"

"Two handsome guys." Mike replied. He looked around the living room and decided to take a seat on the chair left of the couch.

Looking up Alex saw Mike walking to her chair and Bobby smiling at her. "Hey." He softly greeted her.

"Hi." She smiled at him. It felt good to be back on track with him again. This week things had been great although they hadn't spend any time alone. She'd thought about asking him to dinner, but had decided against it. She patted on couch, indicating he should sit next to her. Carolyn walked back into the room with beers in her hands for the guys. She didn't mind that her seat had been taken by Bobby. She sat down on the only other chair left in the room.

"Finding Nemo… interesting movie choice, ladies. Feeling kinda daring huh?" He couldn't help the teasing. It was what he did and he enjoyed it. Besides if Alex decided to play the game, he enjoyed it even much more. He looked at the couple on the couch. Both had gotten comfortable. Bobby leaning back, Alex next to him- not quite touching- but her hand was covered by his between them, their fingers entwined.

"There's a lot you can learn from this movie, Mikey." Alex did not disappoint him.

"Right. Like?"

"Well if I have to tell you, where's the learning process. You gotta figure it out on your own."

Carolyn and Bobby both shook their heads at the usual banter between Alex and Mike. "Can you imagine how they are at a crime scene? It's gotta be awful." Carolyn said to Bobby, who'd been her partner for a few weeks now.

"It's surprising that they get any work done." Bobby laughed at the woman next to him.

"Oooh shut up." Alex though there was no trace of anger in her voice. She stabbed Goren in his side with her finger for the remark.

"Let's do something. I don't feel like watching Finding Nemo. Okay?" Mike asked the others. Not getting a negative answer he stopped the movie.

"What do you wanna do?" Carolyn pored Alex's glass full again and then hers.

There was a long silence between the four detectives before Alex ended it. "As long as it's not spin the bottle or…"

"Truth or dare!" Mike shouted.

"Or truth or dare." Alex finished mumbling. "You look grown up, but seriously, your behaviour tells us otherwise. Why would we play truth or dare?"

"No, it could be fun. I mean we agree to… keep things civil and we'll have more mature questions than when we were teenagers."

"But that's no fun!" Mike whined.

"What do you say, Bobby?" Carolyn asked, ignoring the other man's whining.

Bobby shrugged. "All right."

"You're agreeing?" Alex was sure Bobby would refuse to play the game. Now she was in a bit of a jam.

"What, can't handle the pressure, Eames? Afraid of the questions? Or the dares?" Bobby knew how to get to Alex. She would want to prove him wrong.

"Fine. Bring it on."

"Cool. And like I said, we keep things civil as well with the questions as the dares." She gave Mike a pointed look and he held his hands up in surrender. "Who wants to start?"

"I'll go." Alex quickly said. "Mike, truth or dare?"

He was going to regret his previous remarks. She was going to make him pay. He was glad they'd agreed to keep things civil. "Truth."

"What really happened between you and the nurse when we met you about a year ago? You never told us."

"She moved on." Mike sighed, he'd liked her, but it just didn't feel right. "She needed to focus on her studies and I didn't fit into that picture." Not one to dwell on the past, he quickly moved on. "My turn. Bobby, truth or dare?"

Surprising everyone he went for the dare. He even surprised Mike so much that he couldn't come up with a challenging dare. Bobby had to juggle three oranges for two minutes. That was hardly a dare for him. As a child, with not much to do and not many friends he'd had to find ways to entertain himself. Juggling stuff had been one of them and oranges were easy to juggle.

Now it was Bobby's turn. He could ask Carolyn or Alex a question. He decided on Carolyn. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"First love of your life."

The question was unexpected. She would have never guessed Bobby would be the one to ask such a question. "Euuhh… Johnny, I was seven, he was eight and I thought he was great." She smiled, remembering those days. "Alex, your turn. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What do you look for in your significant other?"

Alex sighed, Carolyn the ever romantic. She should have expected a question like this. "Someone who I can be myself with, who shows me he cares without smothering me and who needs me in his life." Not skipping a beat she continued. "Carolyn, truth or dare."

"Truth."

She wasn't going to take it easy on her. Nope it was time to be a little daring. "Are you or aren't you attracted to Mike?"

Mike immediately turned his head to his former partner, his eyes wide. Carolyn blushed, but quickly recovered, shooting Alex an angry glare.

"Yes, but.." Carolyn quickly said, hoping it would divert the attention of her admission.

" that doesn't mean anything because Mike's an attractive guy. You found him attractive too."

This remarks caused Bobby's head to spin to Alex. This was interesting. So she found Mike attractive? Interestingly enough that really didn't do that much to him. No jealousy at all.

Not wanting Mike to react Carolyn decided to ask Bobby the question. "Truth or dare, Bobby."

"Dare."

"Ten one handed push ups." Okay, so the dare wasn't that interesting, but better than Mike's.

Standing up, Bobby didn't know if he could still do that. Back when he was in the army it wasn't a problem and though he still exercised, he wasn't sure if he could do ten one handed push ups. "Let's see."

He got down, put his hands and feet on the ground. Feeling in balance he put one hand behind his back and started with his push ups. Carolyn counted out loud. One to six went easily, after that it got more difficult, but Bobby got to the ten.

Alex knew what he was doing. He was choosing the dares because he did not want to let the others get to know him. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did and she wished he would see that none of them would break his trust. She sighed and knew Bobby heard her. Looking up she saw his questioning eyes on her.

More than an hour later they were still playing truth or dare and Bobby still hadn't chosen for truth. Alex wanted Mike and Carolyn gone because she wanted to be alone with Bobby. Maybe they could play their own truth or dare. That could be fun.

"Truth or dare, Alex?" Carolyn asked. She still had to get back at Alex.

"Truth."

"What's the wildest, most erotic fantasy you've had about Bobby."

"What?" Alex glared at her friend. She was so not gonna share the fantasies she had about Bobby. Clearly Carolyn was getting back at her. Next to her Bobby sat up straighter and she could feel his eyes on her. "I think it's time you two go home."

"You have to answer the question." Mike pointed out.

"Nope, we agreed to keep things civil and I don't think this qualifies as civil. Besides it's late. I wanna go to sleep."

Recognizing Alex's tone, she was practically dismissing them, they agreed. After clearing away their stuff, they grabbed their coats. "You coming too, Bobby?" Mike asked, waiting at the door with Carolyn for him.

"I…, euuuhh…" He looked from Alex to the door. He didn't want to leave. He wanted some time alone with her, but did she want him to leave? Unsure of himself he shifted on his feet and shuffled his feet.

"He's staying." Alex dared her friends to say anything at all.

"But I thought you were tired. Bet you're not going to get much sleep with him around." Carolyn laughed.

"Yeah, little sweating up the sheets, huh?" Mike added.

"You're just jealous. Maybe Carolyn can help you out."

Not wanting to get into things again, Carolyn grabbed Mike's arm. "Let's go and leave the two love birds alone. Goodnight guys, sleep well!"

TBC...