Bobby followed Alex onto the airplane and once everyone was settled in their seats the plane took off and they were soon in the air headed back towards Mexico City, where they would connect for their flights to DC.

It had been a rather awkward past day and a half. They had barely spoken to each other. Bobby was tired from the exhaustion of an adventure he was entirely too old and out of practice for. Alex felt awkward for her role in the entire thing. She had been dragged into it, as it were, totally confused about the entire world she had found herself in. Then there was the completely different matter of Marjorie's death…

"Bobby?" she asked quietly. He had his headphones on and was watching the in-flight movie, which was in Spanish (but that didn't seem to phase him). "Bobby?" she said again, a little louder. Still nothing. She gently pushed on his arm.

"Hmm?" he said, removing his headphones.

"Did Marjorie know you before your first mission?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Because. What she said about the second mission and actually having a goal to accomplish. It made it seem like all the other ones were for her…entertainment, I guess?"

"They might have been," he said non-chalantly. "Wouldn't put it past her."

"And then…the way you two looked at each other. I could see it in her eyes, Bobby. I could tell she… I could tell. And then it just made sense- that the heists were just an excuse to get to you…If the first was just to get to you, then she must have known you before then."

"I guess." Non-committal.

"That doesn't interest you? That she knew who you were? And she did all this just to get you? (And then) Get back at you?"

"It doesn't matter. She's dead now. It's over. You killed her."

"She asked me to, Bobby!" Alex sounded pleading. "She looked into my soul and told me she'd rather die than be disappointed by you again! What must have gone through her mind, Bobby? All those times?" She paused. "What if that happens to me too?"

That got his attention. "What?" he asked, straightening up and looking at her.

"What if you do something to piss me off? Let me down during a case? Or break my heart? Would I rather kill- or be killed- than not have you the way you were?"

He wrapped his arm around her should and pulled her in an embrace. "Eames- I would never do that to you."

That would have to do for now. She nestled into his arms and sighed, closing her eyes. He held her like that for the rest of the flight. Even when his arms fells asleep, even though he had to use the bathroom, and even though he got a pang of hunger when the food and drink cart passed by- he declined it all and just held her while she slept. He rested his cheek on her forehead and gazed out the window as Mexico City came into view.


Alex Eames walked confidently into Gary 's office at the Smithsonian, reached into her bag and delicately removed the Margo Sapphire and sat it on his desk in front of him.

He looked up at her in shock. "Who are you? How did you get this?"

She laughed. "I'm Alexandra Eames. I'm Bobby's partner. He's just outside."

He let out a sigh of relief, got up, shook her hand with earnest, and then picked up the Sapphire off his desk. Just then Bobby walked in.

"Goren! Well done."

Bobby didn't look as happy to see him. He shot Gaz a glare and the director turned to Alex and said, "Will you please excuse us for a moment?"

She looked to Bobby and then sauntered out, closing the door behind her.

"What's all this about, Goren?" he asked.

"This," he said, taking the Sapphire from Gary. "My partner got dragged into this mess. I won't let it happen again."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have told her about it," he replied, indignance rising in his chest.

"She figured it out! All on her own! She read the damn magazine, just like everybody else, and she figured it out!" he said, leaning in close, speaking heatedly, but never yelling.

"She's a very smart woman, then."

"Yes! She is! And I will not let this happen to her again. We are going home. I am going back to work, and I want you to find someone else. I'm almost 50 years old- it's time to find someone else."

Gaz looked at him for a moment and then said, "You'll miss it."

Bobby stood up straight and adjusted his suit jacket. "Yes, I will."

Gaz continued to look at him. "You really think you can change for her?" he asked sympathetically.

"I already had."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. "And then you got called in-"

"-And then I got called in."

Gaz smiled and then said, "She is pretty… we're gonna miss you Goren."

"Not as much as you missed that," he said, giving the Sapphire back to Gary. Gary just smiled because he knew it was true. "Same Hotel?" Bobby asked. Gary nodded. "And we leave 5 days." It wasn't a question.

Gary smiled. "Gonna show her the museum?"

Bobby nodded and the two men stared each other down before they both broke down in a smile. "Come here, Bobby," Gary said, before taking him into a hug. "You take care, now."

"I will." Bobby let go and turned to leave, and just as he had his hand on the door handle Gary spoke up again.

"How would you like to be paid this time? You should have a lifetime supply of coffee left over from last time."

Bobby smiled. "I do. Eames has a lot of it too." He paused and thought. "Got any rings you wouldn't mind parting with?"

Gary smiled knowingly. "I think we've got something."


The End! Thanks for hanging on! I know it was so long before my last few updates. Thanks for all the great reviews! Cheers!