Chapter Two

Bobby and Alex are involved. And there are consequences.

Now that I have your attention (g)

"Alex...Baby..."

Alex blinked. Bobby loomed over her. His eyes were full of concern and he was gently shaking her.

"Wake up, Alex, you're having a bad dream...C'mon...it's all right...I'm here..."

Alex stared at him, and touched his chest. There were no ugly bullet holes, no streams of bright red. She stared at her chest and stomach. There were no expanding circles of blood, no scarlet drops on her hands.

"Bobby," she cried and threw her arms around his neck. She pulled him down to her.

Bobby rolled on his back so that Alex lay on top of him. His right arm pressed her against him; his left hand stroked her head. Her hair was wet with sweat; her T-shirt soaked. She was trembling and struggling not to cry. "I don't know what to do," Bobby thought. "I'm the one who wakes up with bad dreams...she's the one who does the comforting." He pushed down rising tides of guilt and panic. "What she does always works," he thought. "Just do what she does."

"Alex," he said softly. "It's all right...it was a dream...it wasn't real...you and me, right here, right now, we're real." Alex relaxed her grip slightly as he spoke. "It's ok, baby, just breath. You're safe here...I'm not going to let anything hurt you..."

Alex slowly unfolded herself from Bobby's grasp and sat on the edge of the bed. Bobby's soft voice kept murmuring to her and his hand slipped beneath her shirt to rub her back. "My God," she thought, "is this what it's like for him? The dream, and then...it's hard...to feel this weak...this helpless..."

She turned to him.

"Better?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"C'mon...let's get you out of that wet shirt." He sat up and helped her peel off the shirt. Alex shivered and Bobby wrapped himself around her. She reveled in his warmth and strength.

"Why," Bobby's voice was muffled by his speaking into her hair, "don't you take a shower, and I'll get you something nice and cool to drink."

"Ok," Alex thought her voice sounded weak and childlike. Her legs were weak, and Bobby helped her to the shower.

"I'm sorry," she said before she stepped under the water.

"It's ok...more than ok," Bobby answered. "It's nice to play the protective male."

Alex gave him a wan smile.

As Alex showered, Bobby stripped and changed the bed. "Don't push," he told himself. "This may be something she doesn't want you to know...she's entitled to her own thoughts...let her tell when she wants and what she wants...Just do what she does for you...be there for her...let her know you love her...don't judge...don't be afraid...or at least don't let her know you're afraid."

Alex finished her shower and found a shirt and underwear waiting for her on the sink. She slipped on the clothes and ran a comb through her hair. She emerged from the bathroom to meet Bobby coming down the hall with two glasses of iced tea.

"Decaf," he said. "Lots of sugar, lots of lemon." He handed her a glass and followed her into the bedroom.

Alex sat on the edge of the bed and sipped the tea. It was blissfully cold and sweet. Bobby sat next to her and curled his hand around her free one.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

End Chapter 2

I told you you'd hate it. (g)