This was intended to be a nice, short little thing. Although apparently I can't write nice, short little things.

CHAPTER TWO

Alex considered Bobby's offer. Her hair fell across her face, and she looked young and vulnerable. "Ok," she said and turned off her computer.

Bobby grabbed their coats and again tried to shield Alex from prying eyes. She seemed to welcome his protection as they walked from Major Case to the elevator, rode to the lobby, and left the building. As he waved for a cab, Bobby wondered where he should take Alex.

"Please," she said as if responding to his thoughts. "No place near here. Or near my house…I don't want to run into anyone…"

"Ok," Bobby said. A cab stopped, and he opened the door for Alex. He slipped into the back seat next to her and without thinking gave an address to the cabbie. There was a heavy silence for several moments.

"I wonder how he got into my house," Alex finally said. "There wasn't any sign of a break in…"

"Unfortunately," Bobby said. "He could use his job in several ways to get in…If he was dressed as Gabby…But I bet he'll want to tell us how he did…Show us how smart he is…"

"I just moved," Alex lamented. "I can't move every time…" She sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. "I hadn't had time to put a security system in."

"I'll help you with that," Bobby said. At that moment he would've happily promised to permanently guard Alex's home for the rest of his life, or at least as long as his body allowed. "I've got an old Army buddy who runs a security firm…And there's the company Deakins works for…We'll get you the best…"

"Well…as long as I can still get in," Alex said.

Bobby glanced at her, and Alex smiled at him. It was a sad and weary smile, but it was a smile, and it was for him. The cab stopped, and Bobby paid the fare before following Alex out of it. She stood staring at the bar in front of her.

"Uh…I don't know if you remember it," he said, mentally kicking himself. "If you want to go somewhere else…"

"No," Alex said after a moment. "This place will be fine."

They found a quiet booth near the back of the bar. Alex mentioned that she was a little hungry, and the waitress suggested the chicken nachos.

"The chicken makes them healthy, right?" Alex said.

They sipped their drinks and nibbled the food in silence for several minutes.

"I remembered this was a nice place," Alex said.

Bobby stared blankly into his drink. "Oh, Eames," he finally said. "I…I forgot…I mean…I haven't forgotten that night…I'd never…I never could…Forget that night…It was one of the best…The most wonderful…I…But I forgot we…I…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Even after everything I did to you? All…All that blood on your sheets? You never did tell me how much I owed you for cleaning or replacing them," Alex said quietly.

Bobby continued to stare in his drink. "I…I don't want you to think…To think that I…Now of all times…That I…That I have any intention…"

"Bobby." Alex gently placed her hand on Bobby's arm. Its warmth spread and flowed through him. "It's ok. I know you didn't mean anything by coming here."

Bobby looked up into her eyes, which were warmer than his Scotch or the touch of her hand on his arm.

"We…We've never talked about that night," he ventured.

"Things got so crazy…"

Bobby nodded. "And I…I never thought I had the right to bring it up…"

"I didn't think I did either," Alex said. "I felt as if I'd used you…"

"Used me? After everything I've done to you, you can use me any way you want," Bobby said. "And…And it's not like I didn't get anything out of it."

"Maybe we could call everything even now." Alex ran her finger around the rim of her glass. "You…You were so good to me during this case, Bobby. Did…Did Ross talk to you about taking me off…"

"No," Bobby said. "I think he knew what my answer would be. And he knows I don't work well without you." He sipped his drink. "I don't think Mulrooney expected that…"

"What…"

"Well…First, that you'd be assigned to the case. And then that you'd stay on the case. And, most of all, that you'd be so strong…And professional…"

"And that my partner would back me up and stay strong." Alex's words shone like diamonds in Bobby's ears. "I bet you really wanted to bust his chops."

"He wasn't one of my favorites even before I knew what he was. I hated the way…the way he treated you…and looked at you."

They finished the nachos. Their drinks continued to arrive, but at a slow pace. Bobby hadn't felt so warm and comfortable with Alex in a very long time; she seemed calm and at peace as well. It wasn't that the traumas of the past years were forgotten, but as if Alex and he had accepted them, dealt with them, and were ready to go on.

"I wish we would've found some sign of the wife's body," Alex said. "Not necessarily to prove Boz guilty, but to give her family something."

Bobby nodded. "I…I looked at the case. It's really hard to get a conviction without a body, but that one…A good prosecutor would have gotten it. He would've helped that witness and mitigated the damage of her mistakes. Planting that letter…In the jury's eyes it threw the entire prosecution's case into doubt. That lie destroyed a lot." Bobby took a drink. "That must have been awful for you…Especially on your first case back after…"

"Yea," Alex admitted. "I was surprised Deakins still wanted me for Major Case after that. I knew he'd had to fight for me because I was young and a woman and what happened with my Dad. But Deakins listened to my story and believed me."

"Must've put you in the spotlight," Bobby said sympathetically. "And not in a good way."

"Yea. But I think it helped when Deakins partnered me with you."

"Yea…I probably hurt you even more…"

Alex's hand shot out and seized Bobby's arm. "Don't," she said severely. "We talked about this when you came back. You made me a better cop…A better person…If I'd met you a few months earlier, Mulrooney would never have been in the equation. I'd have talked to you."

Confused and embarrassed, Bobby stared at their hands. "I…I don't know about that. I'm not sure about how good of a shoulder I could…or can…give you…"

"A great one, Bobby," Alex declared. She slowly released his arm and leaned back in the booth. "I bet in high school you were the guy all the girls went to talk to about all the boys who hurt them."

Bobby thought of all the times he had comforted some girl. Frank told him he should use this situations to score with a girl, but the most Bobby ever did was to linger for a few moments in a comforting hug.

"I…I was so pathetic," he said. "Even the gay kids came to me…" He tried to smile, but Alex saw the pain in his eyes.

Alex leaned forward. Her hand hovered a few inches from Bobby's face. "That doesn't surprise me. That sounds like the Bobby Goren I know."

Bobby blinked and slowly moved back. "Uh…Eames…What's happening here?"

"I'm not sure, Bobby. But whatever it is, I think you don't have to call me "Eames"."

The waitress appeared. Bobby started to think it might be a good idea to stop their alcohol consumption, but Alex ordered another drink for each of them before he could protest.

"I really don't like bourbon," Alex said. "Never liked the taste. My Dad always drank Irish whiskey, so that's like mother's milk to me. But Joe…Joe drank bourbon…Good stuff…" She turned her glass in her hands. "There was this good bourbon left in the house…Gifts from people from when Joe was alive…I wasn't going to let good liquor go to waste. I didn't want to give it away. It was hard enough giving away his other stuff. I started drinking it. Probably too much although there's still several bottles around. I even took it with me when I moved."

The waitress appeared with their drinks. Bobby sipped his; Alex took a long drink of hers.

"I'm probably drinking too much right now," she said. "But at least I'm doing it with a man I know I can trust."

"Thank you," Bobby said. "Thank you for trusting me."

"I think," Alex continued. "I think that's why I'm so angry. I trusted him. I told him things about Joe and me. Nothing really intimate. I think I blubbered a lot and repeated a lot of stuff. But I thought he was listening to me because he cared and was a good guy…And…And he was just using me…As a cop and a person."

"I…I don't know if it'll help," Bobby said. "But…I don't think he intended to use you at first. It's just the case…When he thought it was going bad…He did the wrong thing and blamed you for his mistakes."

Alex took another long drink. "Boy…They sure find me, don't they? Weak ones…They can't do the right thing when push comes to shove."

Bobby couldn't find any words of comfort for her. He couldn't remember how many times he'd watched her go out with a man he thought totally wrong for her, or how many times she'd appeared at her desk in the morning with the sad eyes and tight frown that indicated the previous night's date had been a disappointment, or, worst of all, how many times she'd come in the office or arrived at a crime scene with the red eyes and hunched shoulders showing the signs of a break-up. Bobby knew he wasn't good enough for her, but he knew he'd treat her better than these men.

"Like Peter," Alex said. "The sign language translator…Didn't know if he was a cop or not…Wouldn't stand up for himself…"

"He…He was in a tough spot," Bobby said feebly.

"Bobby…You couldn't stand the guy…"

"I…I was frustrated…by the case…"

"What about?" Alex asked carefully. "Was it really the case? Or that he was interested in me?"

Bobby wished he could drill a hole in the floor and disappear into it. "I…I didn't mean…I…I'm sorry…"

"You did a pretty good job of hiding it," Alex said. "You always do. This case. I knew you didn't like Kevin the minute he showed up. And then…When everything came out…And you had to ask that question…I'm sorry I snapped at you. You were just doing your job. And you asked as gently as you could."

Bobby's head spun. "I…I gotta change to something without alcohol," he mumbled. He rested his head in his hands. "This…This is wrong…I…I'm supposed to be helping you…Listening to you."

"I wished it'd been you," Alex said, as much to herself as to Bobby. "You wouldn't have let me drink so much bourbon."

Bobby risked raising his head and looking at Alex. She huddled back against her side of the booth. Her silky blonde hair fell across her face, and she again looked terribly young and vulnerable. Bobby wanted to wrap his arms around her. He wanted to tell her how brave and strong she was, and how much he admired and cared for her.

"I wish it'd been me, too," he heard himself saying. "I would've treated you better. I would've listened. I would've…" He choked. "But…when you needed me…I…I didn't…I'm no better…"

"No!" Alex said fiercely. Several of the bar's other patrons turned to look at Bobby and Alex. "No," she said softly but with equal fervor. "You're nothing like any of them." She leaned forward."Oh, God, Bobby…I…I need some air…And coffee…I…Please…Bobby…Get me out of here…"

Bobby yanked out his wallet, pulled several bills from it, and threw them on the table. "C'mon," he said. "Let's get out of here."

END CHAPTER TWO