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

A/N: Ok, so first off, I went back and changed some of chapter 17. Not too much…just: When Alex and Bobby were lying together in the same bed, I had Bobby get up and go to the bathroom once. The reasons? I had Bobby put a shirt on…which he hadn't had on since he went back to sleep after coming home from the hospital for the second time. So, I wrote in that when he came back from the bathroom, Alex frowned because he had put a shirt on. Not too long, so no big deal. I just wanted to let you know. That, and I wanted to explain about the mess that was in the bathroom. Originally, I had it that Alex cleaned it up in this chapter, but I changed it. Thanks and sorry for the long authors note.

CHAPTER: 19

Bobby had been home from the hospital now for a little over a day, though, to Bobby, it felt like he'd been home for a lot longer with everything that had happened.

The knife and alcohol incident, the nightmare, having to go back to the hospital for a second time, getting stitched back up, the fainting with the medication and the pain...both psychically and mentally. So much pain...and Alex had been there for me every step of the way.

He looked at the clock as he continued to hold Alex and had realized it was 3:30PM. He closed his eyes, recalling back to the second time, not more than twelve hours ago, that Alex had to drive him back to the hospital.

This ends now. No more shit...no more breaking Alex's heart.

As Bobby continued to think back to the past day, he realized that in all that had happened, Alex had gotten hardly any sleep. Even back when he was in the hospital, eight days ago, he knew she hadn't gotten much rest. He frowned because he knew that it was his doing.

She was too busy caring for me.

She'd ran herself ragged trying to take care of him any way she could, and now, she deserved sometime. Sometime to rest and to be held. Both their schedules so off, but it didn't seem to bother Alex at the moment as she was on the verge of sleep. Bobby titled his head to look at her and then smiled as he continued to clench onto her. He held onto her as if she was his last lifeline, his last hope in life, but the truth was, Alex needed him just as much as he needed her.

"Sleep, Alex." He whispered so delicately. "Let go…" He soothed her, stroking her back as the darkness threatened to sweep him away as well. She sighed and unconsciously grasp onto him tighter. He welcomed the feeling and only hoped that she did too.

Bobby was overexerted with little to no strength left in him, but he would not allow it. He would not allow himself to fall asleep.

Not until I'm sure that she's asleep.

He honestly felt like her guardian and, now that he thought about it further while lying underneath her, who would be around to protect her if he was gone? He knew, of course, that she could protect herself, but he felt personally responsibly for her and it was more than a brother sister kind of feeling.

He promised himself, as well as Alex, right then and there that he would never attempt suicide again. He would not leave her. Never. And he intended to keep that promise. As long as she was with him, he realized that he would be ok. I will be ok. He was needed…needed by Alex.

Fuck everyone else.

He could feel it and deeply exhaled in response. He sighed as he recalled back to when Jo Gage had taken her. His Alex. He shook in response, but it didn't faze Alex since she had already fallen asleep.

"My brave, strong Alex." He whispered and lifted his head to kiss the side of her cheek.

God...watching her petite, run-down body lying on the hospital bed…even though I knew she was ok…it still hurt. It still does. Watching her sleep, I remember briefly pushing the hair out of her face. I wanted to touch her more, pull her against me and never let go…but I couldn't.

Tears silently fell from Bobby's face as he continued to hold onto her with his strong, reassuring arms. He'd never felt so worried, so lost in his life at that very moment. Even more so, he felt selfish. He wouldn't deny the fact that the thought of her gone, lead to him to having thoughts about having a new partner; one that didn't and perhaps would never understand him. Not like Alex does.

I'm so sorry, Eames, so sorry that I could not protect you then. And that was his last thought as sleep overcame him and, he too, drifted off to sleep.

A/N 2: There's a few more things I need to clear up and I figured I'd do it in this authors note LOL. First off, hope you're still all reading…I'm making a few adjustments, so just hang in there. I cut this chapter really short, sorry. It was just a prefect place to stop. I'm not sure I like this chapter, but I'll update soon.

So…I've actually been keeping track (and I mean down to the hour) of what day they're on, what time it is and what happened. Amazing he's only been home for 8 days...and only about 10-12 hours since the second time. So…just to make it easier…I started this fic on Jan 1st (yeah, I skipped Christmas, New Years, etc). Just to keep some things clear, it is now Jan 10th in the story. I like order (Shrugs Shoulders).

-Snyder-