A totally fluffy ending. Thanks for the many kind reviews.

Chapter 13

She moved quickly, almost breaking into a run. He moved towards her with equal speed, but stopped a few feet from her.

"Wow," he said warmly. "You look great."

He smiled, and a wonderful glow flowed through Alex. She thought he'd taken care of himself recently. He'd lost weight and gained muscle. The most striking change was the full, bushy, graying beard covering his face. His hair was a week or two past needing a haircut, and riotous black and gray curls covered his head. His jeans and black T-shirt hung loosely on his frame.

"Do I look that frightening?" Bobby smiled at her, and Alex realized she'd stared at him for several minutes.

"No…no…far from it…" She stepped closer to him. He smelled wonderfully of Bobby. She desperately wanted to touch him to prove that he was real, but she knew any touch would start a fire only he could put out. "It's just…I…I'm so glad to see you…But I didn't expect you…"

"You're beautiful," Bobby said. He looked at her as if he couldn't believe she was real. "But you look tired. Rough case?"

"No case." Alex shrugged. "We chased our tails for a few hours and then the Brass kicked it back to the locals."

"I haven't missed that sort of thing," Bobby said wryly. "But I've missed you," he said huskily.

Alex's heart dissolved. "Inside," she murmured. "We need to get inside."

Bobby followed her as she hustled into her building. The doorman lifted an eyebrow when he saw Bobby, but Alex quietly said, "An old friend of mine. Haven't seen him for a while." The presence of others in the elevator prevented her from jumping into Bobby's arms, but it also prevented her from saying what she wanted to Bobby.

She rushed out of the elevator, pausing only to glance quickly behind her to make sure Bobby followed her. Her hand shook so much that Alex found it difficult to get the key in the lock.

"I…I'm sorry…I'm making you nervous." His voice was soft and gently. "It…it took me a little time to find this place…It wasn't your directions…They were fine…But I got lost someplace…And being a guy…I wouldn't ask for directions…"

Alex sensed he was trying to calm her, and it worked. She finally managed to get the door opened. Bobby followed her into the apartment. He looked around the room. "This is nice…but….humpf!"

Alex kissed him hungrily. She shoved him against the wall with so much force that one of the pictures fell from the wall. They wrapped their arms around each other.

"Bobby," she whispered huskily. "Please…make love to me…Now…I need you…Please…"

"Alex." He breathed her name. "Are…are you sure about this? I…I haven't…I ran away…"

"Shut up," Alex said as nicely as she could. "We can talk about it later….It doesn't matter…"

"It does matter," Bobby said. He held at arms length. "I…I think I have a better idea of who I am…Like I wrote you…I don't know entirely…But I do know where I'm happy…where I think I belong…" His dark eyes shimmered, and Alex could scarcely bear to look in them. "I…I belong with you…wherever you are." He stared at his feet. "It's not fair…to put this all on you…But…if you…"

Alex pulled his face to hers. "I love you," she said. "I belong with you…I love you…"

They were starved for each other. They kissed and touched desperately. They banged against the couch, and Alex tried to pull Bobby down on it.

"Alex," he mumbled. "I've been in a car for five hours…I'm not a kid…If I'm going to make love to you without my body cramping…I need some room…"

She spun and guided them to the bed. "Good thing this isn't far away," she whispered against his surprisingly soft beard. She pushed him down on the bed.

"Your bed…It's new…It's smaller," Bobby gasped.

Alex yanked his shirt out of his jeans. "Good to see that your skills haven't gone, Bobby." She pulled the shirt over his head. "You look great," she said admiringly and skimmed a hand across his chest.

"I love you, Alex."

His large hands reached for the bottom of her shirt. He pulled it up and over her head. She leaned forward and kissed him. Bobby fumbled with her bra. He managed to unsnap the clasp, and Alex shed it. He gently rested his head between her breasts, and she thrilled to fill of his soft beard and hair against her skin.

At her groan, he tried to pull away. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"It's fine," she smiled. "It's this fur on your face…"

"I was going to shave it off," Bobby said. He rubbed his face across her breasts, and she shivered with pleasure. "But when I decided I wanted…needed to get to you…I just wanted to get here…" He smiled. "And I confess I hoped to do this." He nibbled at the spot where her throat and chest and shoulders met. "Enjoy the fur while you can…It'll be gone soon…"

The frenzy they both felt when they saw each other eased. They reveled in each other's touch and body. They sensed that they were together now, that neither would leave. They helped the other shed their clothing and luxuriated in the sight and smell and touch of their bodies. After some time, Bobby gently turned Alex on her back and slipped a pillow beneath her hips. She spread her legs to welcome him, but he kissed her on the mouth.

"I remember everything about you," he murmured against her lips. "Your smell, your touch, your taste." He kissed and nipped his way down her neck and chest. "But even the memories…They're nothing compared to being here…Knowing that you're real…that you…" He looked into her eyes as she arched up to meet him.

"Love you!" Alex cried as he entered her. "Love you…Bobby…Bobby…!"

"Alex…Love you…Love you…so…oh…Alex…Alex!"

Gasping, they lay intertwined, neither really sure where the other ended or began, for several moments. Neither wanted to break the spell around them.

Alex stroked Bobby's hair. "Happy…no much more than that," she thought. "Joy…peace…everything…More than I've ever felt…even with Joe…"

Bobby rested with much of his body covering her, but his weight and bulk comforted her. She felt no pain, no fear, no heaviness crushing her.

Bobby stirred and raised his head. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "Oh, Alex." Her name was a prayer in his voice. "How could I ever think…" He moved cautiously so that he lay beside her. "How could I ever think that I had to go away to find myself, when I was right here…here with you…"

Alex blinked and felt tears cascade down her cheeks. Bobby reached for and pulled her to him. He drew the sheets over them.

"What was it you said?" Bobby asked when he could trust his voice. "The day of my Mom's funeral…That endings could be beginnings?"

She nodded.

He smiled at her. One of his large hands tenderly cupped her chin. "It's usually Alpha, Omega—the beginning and the end—not Omega, Alpha…"

She snuggled to him.

"Omega, Alpha, uh?" she smiled. "Well, we do seem to get a lot of things backward…"

"Yea," he said softly. "But this is a wonderful beginning…"

END