Disclaimer: Sadly enough, I don't own anything. This is written for pure enjoyment only and no profit to be gained!

Rating: Back to Rated T.

Special Thanks To: B R Cary, chlark4, cifan, Darin's-Sis, Daystar Searcher, deliriousdancer, dogmum, Gypsy5, Humor In A Bittersweet Life, likeit, LuminousIntensity, mtm, poetrygrrl39, rindy713, samgoren, Serienjunkie 91, Starlight63, superfelix, The Mominator, Yazzmin, and Yazzmin14.

CHAPTER: 9

After what seemed like hours, Bobby and Alex finally pulled away from each other. They held each others gaze for a few seconds until Bobby reluctantly turned away from her and shut the water off which was now lukewarm. He quickly turned back to look at Alex whom was staring directly at his ass.

Busted.

"See something you like?" He asked smugly.

"Most definitely." She said and on her tippy toes to kiss him while she ran her hand over his ass once more. She couldn't get enough of it. She couldn't get enough of him.

As he pulled back he whispered, "You're amazing, you know."

And with that he turned and opened the shower door. Alex thought he was going to walk out of the shower without her, so she latched onto his hand. He turned back around to look at her.

Not a chance, Alex. I'm not leaving you that easily.

She looked him straight in the eyes and murmured, "So are you." She smirked and placed a few feather light kisses on his chest. She didn't want to let him go. She didn't want to be apart from him.

With that he picked her up in one swift motion and started to head out of the shower. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist again and looked at him questioningly. She wasn't going to question him though; she'd stay this way for the rest of her life if he asked her to.

As he stepped out of the shower he noticed she was looking at him curiously.

"What? Just because I'm old and fat doesn't mean I can't carry you." He said sarcastically.

She knew by the tone in his voice, however, that he meant every word he said. She knew he didn't think too highly of himself.

"Bobby, you're not—" But her words were cut off as his lips crashed down on hers just as he made it to the bed.

He laid her down gently on her back, not once breaking the kiss, until he stood up to look at her. For the first time, he allowed himself to really look at her. What he saw made his eyes water. The fact that she was still here with him made his feelings unravel. She was completely exposed to him and she didn't try and hide any of the emotions running through her. His tough exterior, those brick walls he'd spent so many years building were long gone. He no longer felt the need to block her off entirely from his life. He felt…

Free.

So very free all of a sudden.

Alex reached for him just then. She wanted to hold him before he got lost in his head.

"Come here, Bobby."

And he did. There was no where else he'd rather be.

He crawled on the bed and hovered above her; his knees on either side of her petite body.

"What's wrong?" She asked. He looked worried, hesitant, and sad perhaps.

And he couldn't help but smile.

"We keep asking each other that a lot, especially lately, don't we?" She nodded and waited for an answer. "I can't…" He said and buried his face into her hair.

She wrapped her legs around his solid waist once more and pulled him down almost completely on top of her. His forearms were the only thing supporting his weight now.

"You can tell me."

"I…I'm not supposed to."

"Who told you that?" She became very serious just then. "Who said you couldn't talk to me? You know you can tell me anything, Bobby."

"But this is…this is different." He murmured.

His eyes were red and puffy from the tears that continued to run down his face and he had this expression on his face that would've made her break into a million pieces for sure if he wasn't holding onto her.

"Bobby—"

"Alex, I'm so sorry. God, I'm s-sorry. I was…I couldn't…I was so lost without you." He blurted out.

"Bobby, what are you talking—"

"I've been…" He shook his head and tried to gather his thoughts. "Ross made me go and see psych services after you were…were kidnapped. He t-told me not to mention it to you."

Note to self: Kill Ross.

"Why did he make you go?" She was slightly confused.

"I…I didn't exactly take the case very well…" He admitted and damn him he was ashamed.

Tiny pieces of the puzzle were filled in for Alex. She got it. She understood him. If that were to happen to him, if he was kidnapped she knew she too would fall apart. She could only imagine how numb he felt; how hopelessly lost he felt as he tore the city apart looking for her. No one ever told her any of the details of what happened while she was held captive. Anytime she tried to bring it up, people, Ross mainly, would avoid it and change the subject. She always wondered about Bobby…

Bobby…

"Oh, Bobby."

"I'm seeing the same shrink as you. I've talked to her about it. A lot. I told her things…how I was feeling at the time and…and how I feel now. She told me not to tell you or talk to you about it right now. I asked her a few times, but she kept telling me you weren't ready. After a while, I dropped it. She told me you were still coping with things. That y-you were trying to deal with your own problems and that I…" He paused and buried his head in the nape of her neck. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry." He mumbled against her neck.

"Bobby, no…"

He pulled his head back up with all the strength he had left. She knew that the liquid dripping down his cheek wasn't from the shower water.

"It just…I was so fucking scared, Alex. Declan said to accept that you were dead and I felt like taking my gun out and shooting him right there on the street just for saying those words."

"Oh, Bobby, come here." She said and wrapped her arms around him. It didn't take much on her part to pull him down.

This time Bobby fully collapsed onto her. He could no longer hold himself up. He just wanted to forget, just for a little bit.

"Alex—"

"Bobby, we can get through this. I'm still here, see?" She said and she felt him clasp onto her tighter. "And I'm not going anywhere." She said on rubbed his lower back.

I'll hold onto you for the rest of your life if you want me to.

"But that's not fair to you. You have your own things to deal with."

She shook her head.

"Bobby, you're mine." She said and her words shocked him. He was still getting used to the idea. "And I'm yours if you want me to be. We can take care of each other. You can come and talk to me. You can tell me what's going on through your head because…" She paused and took a deep breath. "Because when I was tied up, when I was gagged, all I could think about was you and that alone got me through it." She admitted and stroked his back lightly. "Screw what the shrink has to say. We'll do what is right for us. I never want to be alone again, Bobby."

Bobby couldn't take it anymore. Her words were killing him. He rolled over on his back and took her with him. She was now lying on top of him and he had his two large arms wrapped around her petite form. He whispered into her hair and held her as tight as he dared to.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be there, Alex. I'm so sorry that happened to you. You'll never be alone ever again. I'll be here. I'm sorry. I Just…I only wish that it was—"

"No, Bobby, don't you dare say it."

"Yes, Alex. If it would've been me instead of you, then you wouldn't have to deal with it. You deserve so much more f-from me, from life." He murmured and kissed her cheek.

"And you think you don't deserve the happiness everyone else deserves?" She questioned.

His answer was delayed. He became deathly silent and Alex knew she didn't need to ask again. She knew what his answer would be. She decided to try a different approach.

"Do I make you happy, Bobby?" She asked and placed her head on his chest. She immediately felt his arms tighten around her.

"Of course!" He said a little too eagerly. "You make me feel like I'm the luckiest man alive." He admitted. "I just can't help but feeling like any second I'm going to wake up."

"Bobby…" She said and lifted her head up to look into his eyes. "Being with you gives me the same feeling inside. I don't know how to describe it but know I never want to be with anyone else."

Bobby's heart soared. "And I never want to be with anyone else. I love you, Alex."

"I love you, too, Bobby."

By this time both Alex and Bobby were crying and neither one of them were trying to hide it. They weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy. Bobby only pulled back slightly when he felt her shiver slightly.

"Are you cold?" He asked tenderly.

"A little." She admitted,

"Here." He said and pulled back the covers partially so that she could slide underneath them. "Don't worry, they're clean." Bobby half-joked. He then quickly turned and crawled underneath them as well. They were in each others arms once again within a matter of seconds.

They both knew that this was deeper than just sex; their relationship was built on trust, understanding, and respect. They needed comfort and just for a little bit, Bobby could forget about everything going on in the world and be content in life. And just for a little bit, Alex could forget about everything else and just focus on them. They needed each other for their own reasons of course, but when you got right down to it, the outcome was the same; they knew this was the only place they wanted to be.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"Never leave me."

"Never."

"Promise me, Bobby." She said. "I don't want this to be just a one time thing." She murmured and looked at him in the eyes.

That was the first time Bobby had ever thought that she quite possibly needed him just as much as he needed her. He never thought of that possibility before and it upset him that he hadn't.

"I promise, Alex, with all my heart." He kissed her lips tenderly and then added, "As long as you don't leave me because I don't want this to be a one time thing either. I want this to be forever. Just…don't leave…"

"Never, Bobby. I promise." She said. "As long as we have each other, nothing can happen to us because together we're strong…" She murmured and her voice drifted off.

"I never want to let you go." He murmured and felt her tough exterior crumbling around him. "I'll keep you safe, Alex. I promise." He said and it was his turn to reassure her.

"I came over here to help you, to comfort you…and look what you're doing. You're doing it for me instead."

He shook his head. "We're comforting each other." He said and she could see nothing but pure love in his eyes. The more she looked, the quicker she melted into him. When she glanced up one more time to look into his eyes, she finally realized how defenseless this man truly was.

"I kept asking myself if it was over. I kept wondering if you would ever see you again and now, now I can't help but feel as though this is a dream…" She whispered.

"I promise you that it'll never be over between us, but this, Alex, will always feel like a dream to me."

And that was all the reassurance she needed.

It's not over yet. It never will be.

"Love you." She whispered once more before she laid her head back down on his chest. Her eye lids felt heavy all of a sudden.

"Love you, too, Alex. Now go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

Promise?

Promise.

And after the reassurance they both needed so desperately came, they final fell into a light sleep. Their last thoughts were of each other and their new life together. They knew there were a lot things that needed to be sorted out, that needed to be talked about, but all that could wait because they final got what they so desperately wanted: each other.

And for the time being, it was all they needed.

The End.

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

-Unknown

A/N: Well, sad in the beginning but fluffy in the end (more or less)! I hope this worked for you guys. I was so damn tempted to write another sex chapter. I've been so damn angry lately, which is good for you readers out there because the angrier I am, the more sex I write!!! LOL Anyway, I'm leaving on vacation this Thursday and won't be back until August 5th so I wanted to post this before I left. It's definitely not my favorite chapter, I feel like something is missing, but it'll do for now. Thanks!

Until next time,

-Snyder-