AN: Wow. So it's been like forever since I've updated this story. But this should hopefully round off the story nicely. Enjoy!

Previously...

"Whatever. Anyways, it's your turn Bobby. Tell a story, or sing a song." Bobby tilted his head to one side and contemplated his choices.

"I'll tell a story. Which one do you guys want?"

"How about when you were in the witness protection program?" Seeing everyone nod in agreement, he sighed.

"Okay. It was a bright, sunny day when I went to the convenience store on the corner. That's where it all began."

And now...

Though he had started the sentence with a day that normally would be considered a good day, what he had described was all but good.

Flashback

"Hey Eames. I'm going to go get some stuff from the store on the corner. Do you want something?" Alex looked up from her work to see her partner standing. She considered it, then,

"Sure. Could you get me something cold? This heat is killing me." The heat isn't the only thing killing me today. You're killing me.

"Sure." Bobby usually wouldn't have been in this situation. But with the heat and that tank top she was wearing just was not doing him good. He stood in the elevator with the other cops, each one silently suffering the heat and humidity. The elevator dinged for the ground floor and everyone who was left on the lift filtered out. Bobby turned right and headed down the block to the convenience store. He went inside and moved back to the slushy machine and made two slushies. Moving back towards the front counter, he stopped as he passed the candy aisle and picked up two packs of skittles and a pack of starbursts, then stood there looking at the other candies to see if he wanted anything else. Not finding anything, he went to the cash register and paid for the candy and slushies. Looking down at them, he realized that he was going to have to hustle if he was going to get it to Alex without it completely melting. Receiving his change, he turned and exited the store. Right outside the door however, he dropped some of his change onto the ground. He sighed and bent over to pick it up. Right as he was about to stand up, he got shoved over by a man exiting the convenience store.

"Hey!" He shouted out indignantly. The man was holding a gun in one hand and a bag in the other. The robber glimpsed a flash in the sun and immediately knew that the guy he knocked over was a cop, and that he had gotten a good look at his face. He raised the gun, and Bobby took notice. He started to reach for his piece but just as his hand touched the cool metal, a loud pop echoed through the air. Bobby slid back down to the ground, where a puddle had formed from the spilt drinks. The robber heard sirens and looked to his left, noticing how close to a police department he was. He took off running in the other direction, leaving Bobby bleeding on the ground, his blood mixing with the melted drinks on the ground. In his panic at shooting a cop however, he dropped what he stole to the ground. Soon, the street in front of the store was closed off, and Bobby was rushed to a hospital.

End Flashback

"They told us that you were in the store when the guy came in." Mike spoke up from his seat across Bobby with his arm draped casually across the back of the booth and Carolyn's shoulders.

"Really?" He saw nods around the table. He shrugged. "I don't know why they would say that. Of course, he was standing behind me when I went to pay for the junk. Maybe that's why they told you that." Mike shrugged.

"They also told us that you died in the OR."

"I don't remember much from my time in the hospital, just bits and pieces. I remember waking up after surgery. That and the one thought that I had a lot was that it was weird that I hadn't seen Alex at all." Alex leaned in closer to Bobby and gave him a hug.

"I tried. But they didn't allow me to see your body. I'm sorry."

"Hey. It's not your fault." He looked at her to make sure that she understood. She nodded her head and he leaned back to look at Mike and Carolyn. "Continue?"

"Wait." Everyone looked up in surprise. There stood Captain Deakins. "You said in my office that there was two goons. Where did the other one come from if there was only robber?"

"He was the robber's boss. He wasn't too happy with his minion for losing the money, and even more unhappy with me for causing his minion to fail." Mike tentatively offered a chair to Deakins, hoping that Carolyn and himself wouldn't get into trouble. Deakins gave them a small smile, and Mike and Carolyn immediately relaxed.

"Why did he care?"

"Hmm?" Deakins asked his question again.

"What did the boss care?"

"It was his brother."

"Well that sucked."

"Aptly put, Logan."

"I try."

"So anyway, we're just going to avoid the boring time I spent within the WPP, because it's boring, and skip to the part where I'm actually back in the city."

Flashback

"For Pete's sake! Why can't I go to the freakin' bar?! It's not as if it would be a problem now! You said that you got the two idiots!"

"We just want to make sure that they don't have anyone waiting in the wings to take you down once you show your face again!"

"But I look different from what I used to look like! My eyes are a different color, my hair is a different color and length, and I talk completely different from how I used to talk! I wouldn't even have any alcohol! How's that?!"

"Fine!"

"Fine! When can I go?"

"Wednesday."

w

Wednesday rolls around…

w

Bobby walked into the bar and looked around. He breathed deeply and moved farther into the bar, his eyes moving around, settling on the other patrons one by one. Eventually, his eyes settled on a small women sitting at the bar and he smiled. 'This is why I wanted to come here.' He made his way over towards where she sat and stood looking over her shoulder.

"Does my drink fascinate you?" She turned to face me, and seeing as I didn't look all that familiar (if one looked really close, they would immediately tell that it was me, but that was neither here nor there) I decided to be bold.

"I was just seeing what you liked so that I could buy you another."

"And?"

"Club soda." The man that was sitting on the bar stool next to her stood and left, so I took the opportunity to sit next to her.

"What brings you here on a wednesday night?"

"It's the only night I have off." Not exactly true, I fought tooth and nail for this night off, so they decided that they should give me one night off a week.

"Ouch. That sucks."

"Yea, well. I'll live." Like I said earlier about my appearance: that is neither here nor there. "How 'bout you?"

"I had today off." I smiled slightly, glad she was even willing to talk to me. I tapped my fingers on the bar to time how long it took for her to ask the obvious question.

"How come you're not drinking?" Bingo! I smiled and retorted,

"I could ask the same to you."

"I asked the question first, now answer." I leaned forward as if to impart a great secret unto her and said,

"I'm not allowed." I leaned back. "If you want to get technical, I'm not even supposed to be here."

"Are, like, you in trouble with the cops or something?"

"Nope. Why would I be talking to one if I were?" She struggled with herself for a second, then her face turned passive.

"How d'you know I'm a cop?" I only smiled at her.

"I know because..." I was rudely interrupted by my stupid shadows.

"John!" I rolled my eyes and stood up.

"That's me." I stood up and started to walk away, but was stopped by a hand on my arm. "Yea?"

"I enjoyed talking to you." I smiled.

"Likewise." And I left, making sure to glare extra hard at my security detail as I passed them.

End Flashback

"For that stunt I pulled by talking to Alex, I was 'grounded' and told that I couldn't go back until next, next Friday. Which apparently was more convenient, seeing as you said that you couldn't back it back to the bar the next week."

Flashback

I decided to go to the same bar seeing as that was where I saw her the first time. I looked at the bar first and saw that she wasn't there, so I decided to look around the rest of the bar before declaring the night a lost cause. Luck was with me, and I spotted her sitting with Barek and Logan in the back. I moved towards the bar and ordered a club soda and told the bartender to deliver it to the pretty little lady in the back, and then I stood behind some other tall guy at the bar. Once I was sure the drink had been delivered, I made my way to where she was sitting.

"Hi." She turned to face me.

"Hey."

"...he's here."

"Let me introduce you to my friends." I nodded. "This," She pointed at Barek. "Is Carolyn." Logan got the same finger treatment. "And this is Mike."

"John. Pleasure to meet you. And you are?"

"She's Alex. Would you care to join us?"

"I would love to." I settled myself down on the chair next to Alex and plopped my drink on the table.

"Coke again?"

"The same rule is still in effect from two weeks ago...unfortunately.".

"Why can't you drink? Are you an..." Logan suddenly stopped talking for some reason.

"Job policy. We could be called at any time to come in. Wouldn't want to be drunk or hung over." I looked down at the table and realized that I was behind in the game. "Looks like you guys need some more. Let me get it."

"Thanks." I got up and made my way over to the bar. Once there, I turned around and watched as Alex stood up and exited the bar, with two men hot on her trail. I decided that it would be wise to follow as well.

"Maybe not sweet thang, 'cause you're damn fine looking and me and my buddy would like it very much if you came with us." I came out to hear one of the guys talking to Alex and then saw him grab her arm. That was all I could take.

"I'm giving you three seconds to remove your hand or I will forcibly remove it myself." My voice echoed throughout the street. "One."

"Make me." 'With pleasure' seemed to be the main thought running through my head.

"Two...three." I moved quickly and easily removed the man's hand from Alex's arm. They both could brawl, and the main one managed to catch my ribs, but my shadows quickly came to my aid. My first priority was now to check on Alex. "Alex? Are you okay?"

"John?" She didn't sound to good, so I moved towards her and grasped her lightly by the arm.

"Come back into the light."

"What about those guys?"

"Don't worry about them." I lowered myself down to her height to look into her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright?" Apparently, that was the trigger to the floodgates. She started sobbing, so I stepped forward and pulled her into my chest.

"I want my partner back!" I'm sorry Alex. "I want Bobby." I wish that I could just tell you that I'm right here. After a while, I heard something odd.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?" I let her go and bent over and picked up her cell phone off the ground and put it up to my ear, only to pull it quickly away. 'Holy crap, that guy's loud.'

"It's for you."

"Hello?" I listened intently to find out who she was talking to.

"I'm fine dad. I'll come over later and explain everything."

"Yeah dad. I promise. Bye." I heard Logan and Barek come barreling out of the bar.

"Alex! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." We were questioned for a while, then eventually, all the people that were left standing outside was just Alex and I.

"What are you thinking about?" I looked over at Alex.

"You ever want to be someone else?" I noticed that she looked confused, so I elaborated. "Be able to leave your past behind and just start new. Not have to worry about anything except where you're going, or what you'll have for dinner. You ever wonder?"

"When my husband died, I felt like crawling into a hole and staying there for a while, but I didn't. It hurt so badly, and I thought that it was the worst I would ever to had felt. I was wrong. About a year ago I lost my best friend and partner, and that hurt a hell've a lot worse. That time was when I felt like my job wasn't worth it. He died just like my husband, in a robbery gone bad. I've had peace with my late husband since the end of my first year with Bobby." She smiled. "Something about him helped me settle myself." She laughed. "Everyone said that I was his rock, but he was also mine. But to be someone else? It's not worth it. I'm trying hard to just be myself." I saw her wipe her eyes. Throughout her whole speech, I longed to pull her into my arms and say, 'I'm here. I'm right here.' But something held me back. "I barely even know you yet I just spilt my life's story onto you."

"It's alright. I like listening to you." I really do. I just wish you knew who I really was.

"This is for me." I nodded. "Thank you."

"Anytime." I watched her get into the car and raised my hand as she drove off. I turned to my shadows when the car turned the corner and said,

"That's it. I want out." They both nodded…

End Flashback

…"And the rest, as they say, is history." Alex leaned over and squeezed him in a hug.

"Even if you were another person then, you still comforted me." Bobby smiled down at Alex, then looked at the rest of his friends seated at the table. "I'm just glad that you're here now. That's what matters."

"I think this calls for a toast." Everyone looked at Mike. "To the things that matter!" Everyone raised their glasses to his toast and sipped their beers. Deakins shifted a little.

"Ok, who agrees with me that we're descending into a cheesy hell?" Everyone broke into laughter at the whole situation.

"I have a solution."

"Yes Carolyn?"

"Why don't we have Mike do some more karaoke." Immediately groans came out of Bobby and Alex and Carolyn broke into hysterical laughter. Deakins looked between his best detectives and said to himself,

"What the hell?"

AN: The End! I left it there, because I have feeling that if I went any further with it, it would be like kicking a guy when he's down...just too much. So I leave whatever else happens to the reader's imagination. Whoever reviews will be loved more than air...so please review!