Chapter 5 final chapter

A/N I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update. Both my hubby and I have been sick with the flu. Swine or otherwise, I have no idea but today is the first day I don't feel like my head is made entirely of cotton. This is the final chapter to this story but I will be submitting a companion piece called Mysteries of Love soon. Thanks again for all the words of encouragement. Long live Bobby and Alex!!

Two weeks later

I had just stepped out of the shower. We were going to be late if we didn't hurry up. Bobby still didn't seemed to get the concept that the farther you live from the station the earlier you have to get up to make it to work on time.

I snuck into the bedroom where he lay sleeping. He lay on his back with one arm flung out toward my side of the bed. A tiny snore emanated from his beautiful lips. I tried to resist, I really did, but growing up with three older brothers had instilled mischief in my heart at an early age. I crept up to him and then quickly rubbed my wet hair all over his chest and belly. I heard him gasp and felt those arms of steel snake their way around me, trapping me against him.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that, missy" He picked me up and carried me toward the bathroom and the shower and climbed in. He plopped me down on the shower tile and used one hand to push me against the wall and hold me there while he spun the dial of the controls to cold. I screamed enough to wake the neighbors but Bobby just let the cold water pelt both of us. I could feel his hands on my breasts rubbing my nipples as the icy water assaulted my skin. As cold as I was, this was making me so hot.

"Stop Bobby stop! Its too cold!" He shut the water off and spun me around to kiss me.

"How come the cold water doesn't bother you." I pouted at him.

He tilted his head back and laughed. "Practice, lots and lots of practice. In fact, I've been practicing that ability since the day I set foot in Major Case."

"Oh, you been taking cold showers that long? Poor baby, you should have told me, I would have helped you with that."

Within minutes the room felt like a sauna. I tried to remove my mouth from his in protest. He covered it with his hand. "Shhh, I guess we are going to be late"

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"Do you think they believed us?" I asked him later as we lay next to one another.

"Hmmm?" He asked barely awake.

I jabbed him lightly in the side. "That we both got food poisoning and couldn't come into work."

"They'll believe me, I gave the Captain the complete list of symptoms for B. Cereus toxin which is a common food poison pathogen with an incubation period of ten hours or more." He reached over and patted my stomach. "You, on the other hand, merely said you ate something bad and wouldn't be in."

"Tell me, were you the type of kid who held the thermometer up to a light bulb in order to stay home too?" I teased.

"Um, no. The only time I stayed home from school was when my mom was sick."

"My heart went out to him. I snuggled in closer to him as if by doing so I could absorb all of the pain; from the little boy he had been and from the man he was now.

Bobby gathered me in closer to him, staring down at me with those incredible eyes. They were smoky and sultry and I was thanking my lucky stars for sick days and telephones and bosses that don't ask too many questions, when suddenly his expression changed.

"I almost forgot, I have something for you." He leapt out of bed and two long strides carried him out of the bedroom. I lay bemused at his behavior and utterly enchanted with the naked ballet I had just witnessed.

He came back with a rather large box tied with a red ribbon. "Happy Birthday."

I grinned thinking, no matter what was in the box, it couldn't be any better than the man carrying it. "Its not till tomorrow, Bobby."

"Yes, I know," he grinned hanging his head. "But tomorrow, you'll be with your family. I uh,.. I wanted to be first, you know." I couldn't help but smile at the delight in his face. "Besides, I really got you something good and I couldn't wait any longer to give it to you. Go on open it up."

I opened the box carefully, thinking something might jump out at me. You have to remember I had been working with cops for years, I knew their sense of humor.

"Lewis helped me with it," Bobby said with obvious pride.

"Lewis?" I couldn't imagine Lewis the Grease Monkey inside a nice jewelry store or perfume shop. Inside, nestled in a sea of white tissue paper was a remote control race car. I picked it up with the bewilderment I felt showing clearly on my face. "What? Why? Is this supposed to be for my nephew?"

"Look at the card, Eames."

Underneath the toy car was a small envelope. "Oh my God, Bobby! Oh my God!" Inside was a paid voucher for a Formula race car driving school that I had been longing to go to.

Early on in our partnership, it was established that I would be the one to drive. I like to drive and Bobby, well, Bobby gets distracted. One minute we would be looking for a suspect's apartment and the next minute the car would swerve violently around a corner and suddenly I would be subjected to a lecture about the what degree of pitch is neededto determine a true Mansard roof on some old apartment building. But like I said, I like to drive and when I assumed those duties, I told Bobby about the driving school.

"The class is two days with four hours of track time each day but the next three days are all driving with the last day being a real race against the other drivers." He was reclining on the bed with his head propped up on one hand, the sheet pooled around his waist. He expression was anxious but hopeful.

"Bobby, this is too much. I know how much this costs. Its why I haven't done it before now."

"But you do like it?" He asked not taking his eyes from mine.

"What's not to like? I've been talking your ear off about this school every spring." I leaned forward to kiss him.

"Well, there you go." He leaned toward my lips. "Now, I'll finally get some peace!" He ended up with a face full of feather pillow rather than a kiss.