With Margaritas
Episode: "Jones"
Chapter: 6
By: The Confused One
A/N: Well, we've finally gotten to 'Jones', one of my favorites. Of course I'm not the only one who likes it. I just hope I do it justice. Please enjoy, and remember to review. And, again, if you have any info about transcripts, let me know. Thanks.
Walking into the bar, Bobby was relieved to see her. He smiled slightly. She had a margarita already.
Alex smiled a little when he sat down in front of her with a margarita. She quipped, "You're late."
Bobby smiled again. Leaning back in his seat, he apologized, "Sorry. I wasn't sure if you were talking to me right now. Thought you might be off, washing off the slime."
Alex laughed now. She sipped her drink and assured him, "It's really OK. I did similar things in vice."
Bobby nodded. Sipping his drink, he replied, "Still, I don't want you thinking I enjoyed putting you in that position. I didn't."
Alex smiled. She reassured him, again, "I know you didn't, but it had to be done. I'm really OK"
Bobby eyed her carefully. He finally asked, "You're sure?"
Alex rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink. She tried again, "I'm going to take a nice long bath when I get home, but I really am fine. Though, I didn't particularly appreciate you trying to get rid of me earlier."
Bobby met her eyes. Confused, he asked, "The task force?"
Alex nodded. Leaning back in her seat now, she scolded him, "You're stuck with me Bobby."
Bobby smiled a little now and nodded. He tried to defend himself, "I was trying to look out for you. It would be good for your career."
Alex shrugged. With a sigh, she explained, "Like I said, I don't do this to get noticed. Working with you gets me enough attention."
Bobby nodded. He appreciated and accepted the sentiments. Changing gears, he finally broached the subject he had been avoiding for weeks, "About last time, I don't normally…"
Alex put her hand up and cut him off, "I know you don't, and you don't need to apologize. You needed someone to drag you out of here. That's what a partner does."
Bobby sighed and replied, "Thank you for not, bringing it up."
Alex sighed and arched her eyebrows. She quipped, "You were gone by the time I got up the next morning. I got the message, and there hasn't been a reason to talk about it since. You told me things in confidence, and I'm not the type to go picking at wounds. It stays between us. And if you've spent the last few weeks holding your breath waiting for me to leave, you can let go now. I'm not going anywhere. I've gotten to understand you better than you think I have."
Bobby nodded. Smiling slightly, he was relieved. He wasn't sure when it happened or even how it happened, but somehow she had really started to develop a knack for saying what he needed to hear, when he needed to hear it. He promised, "I'll try to keep that in mind."
Alex stared at her drink now, reminded that she did almost walk away, not that long ago. She was relieved that she had withdrawn the letter. What she had managed to understand now, and didn't then, was that he desperately needed someone to believe in him and stay. The knowledge that she almost left would haunt her, but she knew in that instant that she could never tell him. It would be her cross to bear. She had made so much progress with him. He was starting to trust her, and he'd only push her away and withdraw again if he found out. She wasn't going to let that happen. She wasn't sure she would be able to convince him that she didn't want to leave anymore. She finally replied, "Good."
Bobby sat up straight and commented, "This is beginning to become sort of a thing."
Alex laughed. With a nod, she agreed, "Yeah. It is, isn't it? It's been good for us."
Bobby nodded. He hesitantly agreed, "Yeah. It has."
Alex smiled brightly. She revealed, "I didn't understand you the first few months. I do now, and it helps."
Bobby looked at her quizzically. He questioned, "It helps?"
Alex thought about how to phrase it for a moment. Meeting his eyes, she explained, "It helps me follow your train of thought. It helps me understand your reactions to things in the future. It just, helps."
Bobby nodded. He admitted, "I guess I never thought of you knowing as a positive."
Alex chortled. She playfully responded, "Of course you didn't, but it is a positive. And it's good for you to get it out."
Bobby shook his head. Downing some of his margarita, Bobby replied, "Please. I've done enough drunk confessing for awhile thank you very much."
Alex laughed again. Finishing her margarita, she relented, "Maybe you're right. I was hesitant to ask before, but how's your mom?"
Bobby sighed. He admitted, "She's had mostly good days for awhile now. I haven't been one of 'them' in a couple of weeks. I'm just holding my breath and waiting for her to regress again."
Alex nodded. Giving him a week smile, she replied, "I guess you take what you can get."
Bobby nodded too. Meeting her eyes, he agreed, "Yeah. I do."
Alex stared at the table now. She absently wondered if she should have left it alone. Finally, she offered, "I'm sorry Bobby. I couldn't imagine not having my family."
Bobby shrugged. He confided, "I do have family, just not blood related to them. I have some friends that I'd do anything for, and they'd do anything for me."
Alex smiled a little. She could see that. She knew from his calls and comments that he had quite a few friends. She could see him being that close to some of them. She replied, "I'd like to meet them."
Bobby nodded. He wasn't sure why, but the idea of her wanting inside of his life wasn't giving him the usual sense of dread and panic that it gave him with most people. He liked it even. It gave him courage that he could confide in her more sometime if he wanted or needed to. He hesitantly agreed, "Maybe, sometime."
Alex nodded and accepted what she could get. With a sigh, she stood, replying, "Well, I think one margarita was enough, and I'm still due for that bath."
Bobby smiled. He agreed, "Yeah. I guess I'll see you in the morning."
Alex smiled again. Walking away, she teased, "I'll have to remember you're a size thirteen in the future."
Bobby's eyes widened, till she was out the door. Then he burst out laughing. He should have guessed she'd say something about it at the end. He'd just have to get her back later.
