Brother's Keeper: Chapter 3

By: The Confused One

A/N: Well, here is the next chapter. I'm finally mostly happy with it, and I hope all of you will be too. Also, hopefully some of the pieces of what happened before will start to fall into place. Please enjoy and remember to review. Thanks. Also, SPECIAL thanks to Infinitystar for reading this over for me.

David sighed with relief as he watched Bobby get out of his car. He approached him as fast as possible, and yelled his name, "Bobby!"

Bobby stopped. Turning to see David, his anger rose again. He bitterly hissed, "What are you doing here? Did I not make myself clear yesterday?"

David took a deep breath. He tried to make Bobby understand, "I'm sorry. I should have warned you I was back in the City first, but I need your help."

Bobby seethed, but he kept himself in check. He spat back, "Good cops died the last time I helped you, David! Why the hell would I even think about helping you again?"

David's breath was shaky. He desperately pleaded, "It's not like that this time, Bobby. I swear. After what happened, I cleaned up. You have no idea how I feel about what happened that day. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. You have to know that. I slipped though seven months ago. I owe them sixty thousand dollars. I didn't have the money, so I skipped out six months ago. I came here, got a job, but Stryker's collector, Kane found me last night. He's going to kill me, Bobby, if I don't come up with the money in the next three days. You have to help me. I swear, never again. I just need this one last bail out."

Bobby clenched his jaw. He wasn't the least bit surprised that David needed another bail out. That was all David ever ended up wanting. Bobby tried to keep things calm and civil. He tried not to let his anger get to him. He finally replied, "I don't have that kind of money, even if I wanted to give it to you."

David sighed. He reminded him, "I know. But mom. Mom does, and you have access to mom's money."

Bobby's anger and indignation rose again, "No! I am not giving you sixty thousand dollars of someone else's money. I'm not stealing that money from mom so that you can pay your gambling debt!"

David, desperate, pleaded, "What do you really owe her, Bobby? She nearly killed you when we were teenagers that time. I was there for you. I'm begging here. I promise to pay it back to her. I'll take care of it. I just need it, as sort of a loan."

Bobby's anger reached its boiling point. Keeping himself from hitting David, he slammed his fists into his car before yelling, "She can't help the things she does and says, David! You know that! You, though! You chose your path in life! Don't you dare stand there and tell me I should steal from our mother because I owe you more! I owe you nothing after last time!"

Alex got out of her car and immediately heard the yelling. She recognized his voice and walked as fast as she could towards it. Seeing Bobby and David staring each other down, she stopped.

David yelled back, "It was your plan and your guys!"

Bobby got inches from his face. He continued to yell, "You don't think I know that? I've never forgiven myself for it, and I never will."

Worried, Alex hurried over and put herself between them and yelled at Bobby, "What's going on here?"

David watched as Alex just stared his brother down. He was impressed. He knew then that he definitely liked her. She wasn't afraid of Bobby. When it became obvious that Bobby wasn't going to answer, David did, "I was asking for some help that he doesn't want to give."

Bobby met David's eyes. He argued, "You want to steal sixty thousand dollars from our mother, to pay your gambling debt."

David sighed. He argued back, "She wouldn't even miss it. She'd want me to have it, and you know it, Bobby. I told you I'd pay it back."

Bobby's agitation grew again. Pacing he argued, "I don't care. I would know. Don't do this to me, David. Don't make me choose between you and mom."

Alex sighed. Turning to face David, she insisted, "You need to go, David. You're not going to get any money from him, and you don't deserve the money. You told me you were clean. I was telling him that!"

David refused to move, despite what Alex said, or maybe it was because of what Alex said. Desperate, he focused on Bobby and tried one more time, "You want me dead, Bobby? He'll kill me if I don't get this money. Is that what you want?"

Bobby flinched and turned on his heel to face David. He visibly calmed down a little and admitted, "I don't want you dead, David. Even after…I don't want you dead, but I won't steal money from mom's accounts."

David saw hope now. After a moment, he ventured, "I don't have the money either, Bobby, and I made him come find me. He won't accept installments. He's going to kill me if I don't come up with the money."

Alex was furious now herself. As far as she was concerned, Bobby carried around enough guilt for things that weren't his fault. He didn't need more. She yelled at David, "Yesterday, you told me you were clean. Now you need money? Don't put this on your brother."

David tried to make her understand, "I've been clean. I. It was one time."

Alex took a deep breath. Remembering that this was Bobby's brother, she knew she couldn't write him off. She couldn't let something happen to David. She wracked her brain for a way to help. She began to reply, "We can figure something…"

David sighed and interrupted her, "Forget it. Don't worry about it. I'm leaving."

Alex watched stunned as Bobby watched David leave. She got his attention, "Bobby... we can't let him go out there on his own."

Bobby continued to stare after David. He knew she had a point, but he had yet to react to her words at all. He was still stunned to see David leave. He wondered if David had changed. David had never backed off before. David had never seemed to care how his problems affected others. When she reached out and touched his arm, Bobby flinched and pulled away. He met her eyes. He could see the worry in her eyes. He finally replied, "I'm sorry. I promise, I'm OK. I'll talk to him, once we get off. I'll handle this. Please… stay out of it. I don't want you anywhere near this."

Alex sighed. Frustrated, she demanded, "What happened Bobby? Why are you so afraid of me helping you? I swear I heard something about, cops. Is that who died? You set up a sting to try to help him? If that's what happened…they were doing their job, Bobby. Please talk to me."

Bobby sighed. He vaguely pushed the questions away, "I can't Eames. You're better off not knowing. Just… please stay out of this."

Noting that he didn't deny her statements, Alex sighed in exasperation. She countered, "You're knee-deep Bobby. I'm your partner, and that means, like it or not, I'm involved. And I'm not walking away from you or whatever is going on between you two. I thought you trusted me. There isn't anything you could tell me that would change anything between us. I promise. What are you afraid of?"

Bobby began to pace again. He pushed her away, "I do trust you. I swear I do, but I'm trying to protect you, and I can't talk about this anymore. We need to go upstairs."

Beyond frustrated, Alex wanted answers, and Bobby wasn't going to give her any. She decided that he wasn't going to tell her, she'd have to find someone who would. She began walking the other way, replying, "I have to take a drive, Bobby. I'll be back."

Bobby closed his eyes. He wanted to call out to her, and make her understand that he does trust her. He wanted to make it up to her, but he knew. To do those two things he'd have to tell her the story, and he couldn't do that. He couldn't tell her the truth yet. He might not ever be able to tell her the truth because of what else he knew. He knew that she'd never forgive him for it, and he needed her. And even though he'd never admit it to anyone but himself, he loved her, and he couldn't let her get hurt, and he couldn't deal with the pain of her walking away from their partnership. He was sure she would if she ever found out the truth. He had been holding his breath for over five years now hoping she wouldn't ever figure it out. He was prepared to hold his breath forever if that is what it took to keep her beside him. Grabbing his things, he headed for the elevators. He was going to have to explain Alex's absence and look up David's address when he got upstairs. He hoped she could just drop the whole mess when she got back. For both of their sakes, he wanted her to be able to let it go. That was the only way he could fulfill his promise to Alex's husband's grave, a man Bobby only met three times.

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Joseph "Joey" Kane started his car. He had watched the scene unfold in the garage from afar with binoculars. He was seething with anger, convinced that David was setting him up. He was convinced that David had met with two detectives to discuss a deal. It was the only reason Joey could see for David to meet with cops. Joey only knew one way to deal with snitches. He was going to have to get ahead of the cops and deal with David first.