a/n: So the last chapter gave some surprising reviews. Believe me I read them all and thought about them all. Bobby going away from NY, is that really OOC? That apparently was a big question. Let me explain how I see it. You don't have to agree, but I would like to explain. I think that the job has always been the most important thing in Bobby's life. I do, however, believe that his love for Alex could take that place. That Alex could become more important than his love for the job. I do agree that being a cop, or let me reprhase, that environnement of protecting people is Bobby. I think that he could leave Major Case and that he could do something else. Maybe join the FBI or something else. I believe that having Bobby not be in the business of 'protecting people' would indeed be OOC. But him leaving Major Case, I don't think that's that OOC. About Alex the general opinion seemed to be Alex has to do something with kids and the idea of her teaching(which several people gave) I really liked. I also think that they could be happy on RI. Still in this chapter no decision is made. I did try to put in some of the words/thoughts the reviewers gave in a way to explain my point of view. I do want you to understand that I try to do something with your reviews and one of the main characters being OOC is big to me. I try very hard not to do that. I listen to your opinion, try to work with it, but still try to listen to my own idea also. I'm going to see where this all is going. And finally in this chapter they admit their feelings and kiss. Yes that took some time, but we got there eventually!

Chapter ten

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"I.. maybe I want to stay…here." He could feel her shadow above him, but for the moment kept his eyes averted. In a way he thought that would make the rejection easier.

Knowing he was avoiding her eyes, she gently put her hand on his cheek and turned his head. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes and was touched by it. "Your life is in New York. You love Major Case, you love being a detective. I am not going to ask you to walk away from that. I wouldn't want you to."

"And if I want to?" He spoke softly.

"You can't, Bobby. I know you. I cannot let you walk away from what you love so much." She spoke just as soft. "I don't want you to give that up for me and Abby. I don't want you to regret that. I don't want you to resent me."

"Alex." His voice had turned to a whisper. Taking her hand in his he placed their hands on his chest. "I've been offered all kinds of jobs ever since I started at Major Case. I can do other things. I'm not bound to New York." With his other hand he cupped her cheek, making her look in his eyes for his next words. Knowing that she would see the truth in them. "I am, however, bound to you."

His words silenced her. She read the truth in his eyes. She could see how much she meant to him. But could she let him do this? She didn't know. She felt the slight pull of his hand on hers and gave him. Slowly she laid down next to him, her head on his chest, her hand still joined with his, their fingers linked.

"Maybe we should both think about this some more. There's no rush." He ran his hand through her soft blond hair. "How about we go back to New York next week? Show Abby around and who knows, maybe she's going to make the decision for us."

"Maybe…" Still that meant that they couldn't both be cops. She was still going to have to look for something else to do. She'd always liked the thought of teaching. She'd even talked about it with Jason. She could do it, teach English. She had the degree. At college her parents had told her to broaden her horizon, not just focus on being a cop.

A long silence fell between them. Both thinking about future changes. Maybe that's why they didn't really notice their current position. They were lying on the pier, Alex along side Bobby, with her head on his chest. Though it was a first for both, it seemed so natural for them to be this close to the other. As if they didn't need words to express how both their feelings for each other were changing. That probably was the beauty of the connection they shared.

"Bobby?"

"Mmm…" Was his content answer. His hand kept running softly through her hair.

"Thank you for being here. I….I don't know if I could have gone through this alone."

"You don't have to be alone, Alex. I'm here, you know that."

"I do."

She listened to his heartbeat. Steady and reassuring to her. Then his earlier words came back to her and she decided to ask. "Bobby." She could feel him turn his head to her. "Are you really bound to me?"

He shrugged as if trying to lessen the importance of those words. As if he was in some way still afraid for rejection. "It feels like it." The hand that was running through her hair, had now moved to her back. "You created a place in my heart for yourself. There's no one else I want to have that. I… I can't really remember when that happened. At first it… it scared me. I'd never felt so much, so strong for another person before. I tried to ignore it, tried to keep it professional. It was no good. When I realized that, I tried to cope with it. And for a while I did. Some time later my… feelings for you became a part of me. Even that was enough. I could settle with feeling like that for you even if you would never return them, because I'd never felt like that before."

He closed his eyes for a moment. He was saying so much more than he planned. Being vulnerable like he was right now, wasn't easy on him. He'd been hurt too many times by people he loved. "You're the only one who can truly hurt me. Not having you with me in my life, is what would hurt me. So yes I would do everything in my power to stay with you, but only… only if you want me too, Alex." That was as close as he got to asking her about her feelings.

Touched by the honesty of his words and the depth of his feelings she slid up until she was face to face with him. Leaning on her elbow she smiled down at him. "Jenny told me to let someone in again. To be precise, to let you in. Told me that all I could talk about was you." Watching her hand drawing an imaginary path on his shirt clad chest, knowing she needed to be just as honest with him as he was with her.

"Who knew that the day I found out I would be partnered with Robert Goren was going to change my life? After Jason it was hard to love someone again. I didn't want to be that vulnerable again. I didn't want to face the possibility of losing again. Clearly my heart didn't agree. I fought my feelings for you, I fought them hard. Being cops, losing you wasn't just a slim chance, it was a real chance and I did not want to loose you. So keeping you at a slight distance was the answer even though your presence warmed me. You have a place in my heart Robert Goren, an importance place. I want you there… and I want you here."

He gave her his shy little boy smile. Why she didn't know, but he was always so sweet when he smiled like that. With his hand on the back of her head, his fingers in her hair, he closed the distance between them. Hesitant at first, his lips found hers. Merely brushing, sampling first before he became more confident. Angling her head with the hand he had in her hair, he had better access. Gently his kisses became more insistent, his tongue teasing her mouth open, hoping she would invite him. And when they first met, when he first tasted her, it was everything he thought it would be and more. Their tongues met, tasted, teased and explored. In no time she was fully on top of him. Even though the kisses were passionate and deep, neither felt the urge to go further, both content with the new step in their relationship. Finally coming up for air, Alex put her head down on his chest, listening to his rapid heart beat and the quick rise and fall of his chest while he regained his breath. His hand snaked under her shirt at her lower back. His fingers gently caressed her skin, not to arouse, merely to keep the connection.

TBC...