Secret Betting: Chapter 7

By: The Confused One

A/N: Well, I'm back to the drama. I don't think I'm meant to write long comedy pieces. LOL Anyway, as always, enjoy and review. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. smiles

Walking towards the door, they heard Alex talking. Stopping, Mike and Carolyn listened, "Hey, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. We'll talk about it later. Just stay put and rest because you have to get better."

Taking a deep breath, Mike ventured in first. Alex met his eyes and they darkened immediately. Standing, she faked enthusiasm, "Hey, it's Mike and Carolyn."

Carolyn locked eyes with Alex. Smiling a little, she replied, "Hi."

Mike looked over at Bobby and tried to ease the tension and get things away from the bet, "How are we doing?"

Bobby could tell something was going on. There was palpable tension in the air. He questioned, "Better. What's going on with you guys?"

Alex closed her eyes. She knew that the last thing Bobby needed was to get agitated. She tried to brush it off, "It's really nothing important. We'll talk about it when you're feeling a little better."

Bobby hated being treated like a child and said so, "No. What's going on? I can handle whatever it is."

Alex was grateful that Mike and Carolyn had at least, to this point, kept their mouths shut. She regarded Bobby for a moment. Looking at Mike and Carolyn, he asked, "Can I talk to him alone?" She was relieved when they silently left.

Standing outside, Mike and Carolyn couldn't help themselves. They managed to find a spot to listen in without being spotted. They could hear Alex speaking again, "Apparently the squad has a bet on how long before we get together. These two decided to take it a step further. She sent the flowers. Mike was trying to make you jealous by asking me for drinks, and Carolyn, apparently, thought she'd help by making sure you knew about it."

After a moment, they heard Bobby trying to reassure her, "Don't worry about it. Everyone has to have something to help them relax. We're apparently a popular choice."

Carolyn was worried to still hear anger in Alex's voice, "They weren't there when you got shot. It certainly wasn't funny then."

Mike's hand absently moved to the small of her back. Bobby spoke again, "I'm sorry Alex. I really am all right. Look at me. I'm fine. You can let them off the hook."

They could hear Alex sigh. Mike leaned closer. Carolyn closed her eyes and focused on Alex's words, not Mike's proximity and the way he smelled as he breathed down her neck, "When I saw you lying there… I can't lie to you or myself anymore. They're right. The real reason I got angry was they're too close to the truth. I love you, and I know we can't do anything about it. You need me at that desk across from you, not your bedroom."

Turning to face Mike, Carolyn, caught her breath. He was inches from her face. Trying to act like everything was OK, she insisted, "Back up some."

Mike suddenly realized how close he was and how much he liked it. He hesitated before doing what she said. Finally, Bobby replied, "I love you too. I've been afraid to say anything."

Carolyn held her breath and listened for Alex's response, "We. We can't do this. We'll get split up, and I know what you went through before. Believe me, I heard the stories. I even got cornered by a couple of your ex partners to warn me. Then, there was Bishop. I saw that one first hand. They don't understand you. They can't see past their own misconceptions about you. I can't put you through that."

Carolyn closed her eyes. She feared she knew what was coming next. He'd agree and they'd bury their feelings. She listened as Bobby tried to talk again, "Alex."

Hearing rustling like someone was leaving, Carolyn pointed down the hall. They got down a little further down the hall, when the door opened and Alex walked out. She wordlessly walked out. There were tears in her eyes. Closing her eyes, Carolyn murmured, "Well, that didn't go well."

Mike nodded. He tried to keep his distance, realizing how uncomfortable he had made Carolyn before. Racking his brain, he came up with an idea, "We have to convince them that they'd be OK split up."

Staring at him like he was crazy, she walked over and slapped him upside his head. She argued, "Yeah, that's it. See, that way this new plan can blow up in our faces too, make things worse, and get her angrier at us. I think we've caused enough trouble."

Rubbing his head, Mike glared, met her eyes, and replied, "Ouch." He leaned against the wall and suggested, "We just need to find someone else who can work with Bobby and who needs to be split up from their partner too."

Rolling her eyes, Carolyn leaned against the other wall. She retorted, "Oh yeah, because there are tons of pairs in Major Case who fit that description. Count me out Mike. I've done enough damage. I just. I'm going to go try and find her, talk to her. Talk to him, please."

With a sigh, Mike nodded and straightened up. He watched her walk down the hall and smiled. Heading for Bobby's room, he could just imagine how this was going to end up.