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

CHAPTER: 15

Alex walked out of Bobby's room with the sensation of accomplishment. A small burden was lifted. For the first time in years, Bobby had finally opened up to her; in some regards, more so than he ever had in their whole entire time as partners. Ultimately, it made her smile.

Bobby had exposed his heart, stretched out his hands towards her and admitted everything. He was straightforward with her, though shattered the entire time, and exposed himself bare in front of her. It wasn't a sexual thing, but a huge emotional accomplishment. This was larger than anything else. Everything that was on his mind and events that continues to horribly haunt his brilliant mind from years ago. He bled to her how he felt. She could tell how raw he was with emotion and it caused pain within Alex's heart.

He confided in me. For the first time, he told me everything. And she sighed and thanked god at the thought.

She then frowned. Her body was rid of the horrible feelings for a few moments, but then other memories began to haunt in return. It never ends. She knew this was only the beginning but she also knew that it was a start.

It took him 7, hell, 8 years to open up to me like this, so patients are definitely one thing I have. With Goren, you won't survive without them and I believe that's where his previous partners failed him the most.

Alex became anxious as she shifted positions on the couch. She had been laying there for about 45 minutes already and soon, she would have to wake up, Bobby. It was nearing around 9:30AM and she wasn't use to this weird schedule that they'd been keeping the past few days, but she knew she had to wake him up to make sure he was ok. She feared that he would have to be put back into the hospital after what he did to himself, but to her surprise, he was healing quite nicely. The mentally part of his psyche was another matter and something she figured she would never truly understand.

She started to relax a bit and concentrate on the good that came from their previous conversation, when she heard screams coming from the other room. Bobby's room.

"NO! Eames, please help me!! Don't. No! God…no, don't let them! EAMES! Please! God, NOOO!"

Alex was in Bobby's bedroom in record time. She figured he had fallen again and was about to yell at him for getting up when she froze. His voice, his screams, his cries for help were piercing her ears and it was breaking her inside. It frightened her even more.

Bobby was still in bed asleep. He was shaking, quivering as he still lied in his bed; the covers tossed in no particular order. Beads of sweat coated his forehead. He was on his back and his arms were at his sides…as if he were chained up. Just like he was when he was at Tates.

Oh god, he's having a nightmare about that place. She deduced as she ran to his side. I wondered when these would start…

"Bobby!"

"Water…" He mumbled and then, "Can somebody get me some water!?" His voice wailed. He continued to mumble unintelligible things that Alex wasn't able to make out and it struck her hard. It frightened her.

"Bobby. It's me, Alex. You're ok. Bobby, open your eyes. I'm right here. No ones going to hurt you." She pleaded with him. "Please, Bobby, open your eyes." She was begging him now.

Alex didn't know what really went on in Tates, and concluded that she'd more than likely never truly know.

Please, god, please!

Bobby continued to thrash his head back and forth, but his feet and arms remained still.

"I'm not crazy. I'm NOT!" He wailed. Not only did it pierce Alex's ears this time, but it also reached her heart as well.

I know you're not, Bobby.

"Bobby! Open you're eyes." She continued to encourage him softly as she listened to the words that plagued his memories. She didn't want to yell at him in fear that he would cower down to her. So, after a few seconds she instinctively reached a hand up and placed it on his right cheek; her palm flat against his face as she rubbed his growing, grey stubble.

This did the trick and Bobby opened his eyes wide after rapidly blinking a few times. Instincts kicked in and Bobby immediately pulled back, away from the unknown person that was touching him. Alex let him pull away. He crossed his arms over his face for protection from any beating that was about to come. He was afraid…afraid of being tortured again by the guards.

"Please, no." He mumbled, though it was muffled by his large arms.

Tears were rolling down his face, both of their faces.

"Bobby…" Alex attempted again and reached for him, but stopped inches short. She didn't want to frighten him anymore than he already was.

That's no guard. He mused. Eames?

Bobby slowly pulled his hands away from his face and took a chance to look at her. Eames. He immediately recognized who it was and started to cry. He desperately reached for her and she met him half way.

"Shh. Shh. Its ok, Bobby. It's me, Alex. I'm here. You're ok. They'll never hurt you again." She choked. "You're in your apartment, in your bedroom."

"Alex…please, please stay with…with me. Don't…please don't leave me."

"It'll be ok Bobby. I'm not going anywhere." She held onto him even tighter. "Never."

"You can't…can't promise that…" He whispered.

She pulled away from him slightly to look into his eyes. They were dark and held something in them that she knew would give him nightmares for years to come.

"I'm not going to walk away from you, Bobby." She said as she continued to look into his brown pools that held so many tears, so many fears. "I said I'd never leave you, and I meant it. I'll stay with you forever, Bobby, if you'll allow me to." Alex said and then pulled Bobby back to her. They held onto each other for dear life for what seemed like hours. Finally, Alex pulled away first and looked towards Bobby's reddened face that was buried in between her shoulder and neck.

"Bobby? I need you to take your temperature, ok? You feel warm."

He nodded in agreement and opened his mouth so that she could put the thermometer in. He never let go of her the entire time. When it beeped, she grabbed it and read it out loud.

"101.5, Bobby, I'm worried. The doctor said if it gets above 102, then you have to go back into the hospital."

"No!" He attempted to cower away from her. "Please, I—I don't like hospitals."

I guess this would be the perfect time to ask him why. It's scaring me how much it scares him.

"Bobby?" She touched his shoulder gently. "Why don't you want to go back to the hospital?"

"I…I don't like them." He shook and she only soothed him more. "I…when I was younger, I spent a lot of time in…in them." He sobbed and directed his glance back to at Alex. "Don't make me go back. I don't like them…and I try to avoid them at all…at all costs. When I started to grow up, in junior high, my…my mom spent a lot of time in them…when she was sick. I felt…I was so young and it..." And he sobbed. He couldn't finish, but there was no need.

"It's ok, Bobby." She cooed. His only response was more shaking.

How could I have not known this? How could I have missed it? How could I have been so stupid?

"Bobby, let me try to get your fever down then, ok? I'm going to go get a cold towel and another ice pack for your head." She stated and started to stand up, only to be pulled back down onto the bed. "Bobby." She looked at him. "I'll be right back." She mumbled and ran a hand through his hair a few times. She tried to stand up once more, only to fail.

She looked down at Bobby who was literally trembling. He was shaking the whole bed and it scared her. She had never witnessed in her entire career as a police officer, anyone as afraid as Bobby was at this very moment. She wasn't use to seeing her big bad partner with his, albeit gentle voice who stood almost 6 feet 4 inches tall, scared. He looked like a little boy with those pleading eyes; a scared adolescent. This wasn't the normal Bobby Goren she knew.

God, help me help him.

A/N: Please review.

-Snyder-