A/N: I like confident Bobby Goren that we see quite a bit of in seasons one and two, so he's back. This was the hardest part to write so far, so I hope it's ok. I'm trying to write this with as little angst as possible. Feedback is sooooo appreciated.

Working Through

Chapter 4

Before Alex had wrapped the first present completely, Bobby snatched her Santa hat from her head, put it behind his back and smiled.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, playfully.

"Well, the last time I had a Santa hat behind my back, you kissed me, I just thought…." Bobby replied smiling.

Alex got up on all fours and leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Can I have my hat now?" she asked, still on her hands and knees.

"That wasn't a kiss, Eames," he whined.

"Yes, it was," she protested. "And don't Eames me, Bobby."

"No it wasn't," he said still holding onto the hat.

Alex pounced. Her lips crashed into his and they both fell back on the floor with her on top of him holding his hands to his sides. And only when she needed air did she finally break the kiss.

"Wow," Bobby said, almost speechless.

"I was hoping that tonight would end up like this," Alex said, still laying on him with the Santa hat in her hands.

"I didn't know you felt this way," he said, still grinning because he couldn't help himself.

"Now you know. Are you happy or should I get off of you and forget that that is not your badge in your pocket?" she said laughing.

"I feel like it's the best Christmas present I've ever gotten," he said seriously this time.

"Even better than that pencil set I got you last year?" Alex asked jokingly.

"That was a nice pencil set," Bobby said, acting like he was mulling it over.

"It's good to see you like this," Alex said, finally getting off him and standing up.

"What, prone lying on the floor?" he said, getting up and sitting on the couch.

"No, smiling, happy," she said, kneeling in front of him so that her hands were on his knees.

"I…I..I haven't had a lot to be happy about lately. I know that I worried you and I'm sorry," he said covering her small hands with his large ones.

"I love you. I just want to be there when you need me," she said, kissing one of his hands.

"You have been. You've also given me the space to…deal…with losing my mom, and I appreciate that," he added. "And I love you too. I have for a very long time."

"Since when?" she asked almost surprised.

"I don't know when it started, but I realized it when you went on maternity leave," he said looking down into her eyes.

"That was three years ago, Bobby," she said. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I didn't know how you felt about me," he said, brushing hair from her face. "You're just so beautiful and smart and funny…"

"Go on," she said, finally sitting beside him.

"Does it worry you that Ross will split us up?" he asked, worried.

"No, as long as we don't start making out in the break room, I think we'll be ok," she said, taking his hand to reassure him. "It's not like we don't spend most of our time together anyway. Now we just get the fringe benefits."

"And those would be…?"he asked.

"Well, when we're ready, I might let you see me in that green night gown that my sister got me for Christmas," she teased rubbing his leg with her foot.

"I'm ready now," he said leaning over to kiss her.

"No, no, what kind of girl do you think I am, Bobby. We haven't even been on a first date and you think you're going to get lucky, Mister?" she said, laughing and wiggling out of his grasp.

"Come on, Eames, you started this," he said, putting a hand on her thigh.

"Oh, you start that Eames shit again, and I'll end this right now," she said, faking anger.

"Alex…"

"That's better, Goren," she said, sitting down on the floor and cutting another piece of wrapping paper.

"You're really going to wrap more presents?" Bobby asked.

"I have to have these done for tomorrow, now get wrapping," she said, throwing him some tape as he sat down and started wrapping.

TBC