Chapter 8
Trying to clear his mind, Bobby took a walk. One decision he did make was to take back his transfer request. He didn't really want to move but at the time, it seemed the only solution. He liked the people he worked with. They were family. He smiled as he thought about them.
Lucy—his partner in crime when plotting against Myles. Tara—fun and funny Tara. They'd shared a kiss right after he broke up with Darcy but it was definitely a kiss between friends. Myles—that pompous irritating blue blood that never let you forget his upbringing but he was someone you wanted in your corner in a dangerous situation. D—the stable member of the team who kept the team on an even keel and reminded them through actions that marriage could be a pretty darn good thing.
And Jack—could anyone have a better friend than Jack? He saved his butt more times than he could count—both in the field and off. He was still paying Jack back for the loan to cover his gambling debt but it was an obligation he gladly paid. It just reminded him how good a friend Jack was. Both men agreed their friendship was strong enough to withstand this bump in their relationship.
Finally, there was Sue—the newest member of the team but somehow, she'd managed to become its heart. Her sympathetic manner and innate kindness almost without fail brought out the good in people. He certainly noticed her from the very first day Jack brought her onto the team.
It was time to talk.
ooooo
Sue and Lucy's apartment
9:42 pm
"Bobby!" exclaimed Lucy when she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I know it's late but I've got to talk to Sue," explained a grim looking Bobby. "Is she up?"
"She's not home," apologized Lucy. "She took Levi for a walk before bed." Glancing at the clock, she commented, "In fact, she left about ten minutes ago. Maybe you can catch her."
"Which way?"
"She usually takes a left when she gets out the door."
A brief smile relieved the strain in his face.
"Thanks, Luce."
Quickly, he spun on his heels and headed out to find Sue.
Closing the door, she muttered to herself, "I wish somebody would tell me what's going on!"
--
Walking Levi, Sue stopped in front of a store window and gazed at their reflection in the glass.
"Levi," she sighed, "I don't understand men at all. Jack's kiss was part of the undercover and he didn't want to talk about it. Bobby kissed me and wants to pretend it never happened. Is something wrong with me?"
The reflection of a tall male figure joined hers in the window—it was Bobby. She slowly rotated to face him.
"Nothing's wrong with you, Sue," he said softly. "It's me."
"What are you doing here?" she asked bewildered and still hurt by their earlier confrontation. "How did you find me?"
"Lucy," he said succinctly. "And I'm here to talk." At her look of surprise, he continued with a rueful smile, "Really. I don't think I did a very good job this afternoon."
She studied his face carefully and only saw sincerity. She relented and a tiny bit of the tension of the day drifted away. "Okay." They resumed walking.
"Jack came by," began Bobby. "Seems we created quite a stir this afternoon."
"I know." Sue made a funny face. "Lucy told me when she came home."
Recalling the reason why she went home, Bobby asked in concern, "Are you all right? Headache gone?"
"I'm fine," Sue replied. "I think the strain of the interview and…everything got to me."
Guilt instantly appeared on Bobby's face. He knew he was part of the "everything".
"I'm glad you're feeling better." He paused seeking the right words to begin. "About the other night..." he started.
Sue held up her hand.
"Bobby, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. It was wrong of me to try and force you to talk about something you obviously don't want to talk about," she said earnestly. "We can pretend it never happened if that's what you want."
Bobby glanced sideways at the blonde woman who meant so much to him. Shaking his head, he said, "It's not what I want—it's what I thought I had to do."
Sue stopped suddenly in surprise and studied the serious man before her with wondering eyes. He gathered one of her hands in his. "I never realized how much you meant to me until the day you announced you were applying for that position with the counter-terrorism task force." He grimaces as if in pain. "It was like a punch in the gut."
He added hurriedly, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you. This job is a fabulous opportunity and you should take it if that's what you really want. But...but..." his voice trailed off as he struggled to find the right words.
"But..." Sue prompted him.
"My heart says stay," he said quietly.
She looked at him a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Your heart?" She had to see the words so there would be no misunderstanding.
He took a deep breath. "I don't know exactly how or when it happened but you've become a very important part of my life, Sue Thomas. I can't let you go without telling you that much."
Sue's eyes widened at the meaning of Bobby's words. "What are you trying to say?" she asked softly.
Taking his fate in his hands, he said simply, "I'm in love with you, Sue." He took a breath. "When I came back for my car keys two days ago, seeing you walk through the office...it finally hit me why I've been avoiding you since your announcement. Not very brave of me, I admit, but I couldn't bring myself to even be close to you knowing we'd have to say good-bye someday soon."
Layers of the tension between them floated away as the he explained his recent behavior.
"Ever since the kiss I've been thinking about you," she told him. "It made me really look at my feelings for you. Even at the interview I was thinking about you the whole time. I don't know what kind of answers I gave to Mr. Gates most of the time," she admitted sheepishly.
Bobby smiled at her confession. "And?"
"I care about you, Bobby," she began. "I care about you a lot."
His heart sank. It sounded like the beginning of the "let's be friends" speech he detested.
"And I don't know where this will lead us but I'm willing to give it a try," she finished.
He shook his head in disbelief at her unexpected response. "Are you sure?"
She smiled. "Yes."
"Yes?" He wanted to be sure he heard right.
"Yes," she repeated firmly.
As the meaning of her answer finally penetrated his brain, his mouth slowly broke into a smile.
Holding her face gently in his hands, he promised, "We'll make it work."
Curtain Down
A/N: Sorry for the Chapter Chapter thingies at the beginning. Not used to the new format. Thank you to everyone reading, especially to the people taking time to review. Feedback is always welcome. Bobby and Sue remain my very favorite ship.