Thanks for all the reading and reviewing folks. I guess I'm taking artistic license again. I really not sure what the time span was supposed to be in Frame. I based some of my timeline on outfit changes Eames and Goren made throughout the episode. I sort of assumed when the clothing changed, the day must have changed. With that theory at work, the final questioning of Gage at the end of the ep, had to be on a different day then Goren's two flip outs. Both he and Eames had different clothing on. Plus Bobby is minus a beard. Of course we all know how consistent LOCI's wardrobe and make up can be with disappearing, then reappearing beards;-)

I did screw up the Jo Gage visit. Based on wardrobe, Bobby did visit her the same day he flipped out at work. I'll try to work that into this chapter somehow.

After Bobby gathered some belongings from his apartment, he became rather jumpy.

"What's up Bobby? What are you thinking?" I started pointing the SUV in the direction of my home, when Bobby gazed over at me. He looked…. Well the best word I could use to describe it was frightened.

"Eames….. I hate to ask this of you…But I was thinking."

"What Bobby? What do you need?" I interjected.

"Jo Gage…. I know how you feel about that and I don't expect you to come in there with me. But…."

"It's ok Bobby." I headed the vehicle toward I-95. "Where is she at again?"

"Thanks Eames. I just think she might…"

"Bobby we probably should have talked to her days ago."

Bobby then directed me toward the institution housing Jo Gage, with promises that I didn't have to go with him and face my one time captor and potential murderess.

********

"She bit off her tongue."

I was surprised to see Bobby poke his head in the driver's side window so soon.

"Huh?" I was a tad unsure if I heard him right.

"Jo Gage is on life support. She's in a coma, blood loss from biting off her tongue." Bobby turned and looked out over the parking lot. "Happened right after Declan came to visit for the first time since her incarceration."

"So he lied about that too. What else has he lied about? I inquired. Then I suppressed a tiny urge to smile at the thought of Jo Gage, eviscerating her tongue with her own teeth. A chill passed through me. I knew Jo was more to be pitied. But it's tough to pity someone who hits you, cuts you and tethers you to a hook from a ceiling for twenty four or so hours. Forcing you to listen to the death of another human being. I took a few deep breaths, trying not to let my mind wander to far down that dark path. Bobby must have read my expression. He reached in the window and tilted my chin towards his face.

"Let's get out of here Alex."

"You don't have to ask me twice."

**********

It was dark by the time Bobby and I pulled up to my place. He asked if he could smoke a cigarette before he came inside. I told him I'd make us dinner and maybe he'd like to lay down for a nap while I cooked. I was getting out the fixings for dinner when Bobby emerged inside my dwelling.

"Uh, I'm gonna take a shower first, then I'll lay down. If you don't mind."

"No Bobby. Not at all, help yourself. Lay down when your finished and I'll come and get you when dinner's ready."

Bobby stopped and stared at me for what seemed like a very long minute.

"Thanks Alex."

"No problem Bobby." The weight of his stare caused my stomach to twist a little. You know, under different circumstances, I'd say screw dinner and I'd follow Bobby into that shower. Determined to show him some erotic uses for a loofah, among other things. But since our already somewhat dysfunctional partnership, began it's physical manifestation of yearning on rather shaky ground, at a rather shaky time. I decide to keep chopping chicken breast and vegetables. Steaming rice, instead of my libido.

"Eames, you have another towel?"

Or maybe I would get my chance to at least peek….

"I'll grab you one from the linen closet." I grabbed two towels, just in case. Tapping on my bathroom door, I gasped a little when Bobby opened it a crack. Enough for me to see he shaved his beard. I think he may have been able to see my Adam's apple bob, I swallowed so hard. Tendrils of steam and the smell of soap curled around me. I was internally chastising myself again because I was becoming aroused.

"Uh here." Was all I could manage and I lifted the towels toward him. I leaned a little to the left to try and catch a gander of my partner in the "all together". I didn't want to be obvious but there really was no other way.

"Thanks." Bobby grabbed both towels. He paused for a second. "You looking for something in here?" His lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"Um..no." My eyes averted to the floor and then back up again. "You shaved….I just… it just threw me off a little. It looks good though." I struggled with my words backing up a foot with each pointless stammer I made.

"Thanks. I'm going to finish up now." Goren smirk still engaged. "Come and get me when dinner is finished.

Shit! I had forgotten about dinner and ran into the kitchen to luckily find my rice wasn't burnt.

After another thirty minutes or so of chopping and steaming and I had a pretty decent stir fry at my disposal. I checked on Bobby and found him fast asleep on my bed. I crept closer. He looked so peaceful. His large frame sprawled across my empty seeming sleeping area. Dressed in sweats and a t-shirt and freshly shaven, he looked youthful. I sat next to his slumbering presence. Took my opportunity to take in his beauty, his scent. I felt like I needed to touch his face. I wanted to run my fingers over his full lips. I wanted to kiss him again. I was far hungrier for Bobby than any food that was waiting in my kitchen. The memories of Bobby fingering me to orgasm played over and over in my head. As real as it was, at this moment, last night seemed like another universe.

I couldn't stop myself. I rationalized that Bobby wouldn't mind. He might have been lamenting about relationship confusion today, but he did kiss me first. With that thought as my excuse, I ran my index and middle fingers over Bobby's lips. I traced the backs of those same fingers over his cheek. I ran both thumbs over his temples and forehead. Digging my other fingers into his curls, still slightly damp. Just then Bobby's eyes shot open.

I pulled my hands away like I just touched fire.

"Don't stop." Bobby sounded surprisingly contented. "That felt very nice."

"You know Bobby, I sort of owe you… you know… some nice feelings." I smirked to get the flirtiness of my statement across.

"You don't owe me anything Alex. What I did to you….with you, last night…. Well you don't owe me. That's not what this is about."

I slid my fingers into his hair again. "But Bobby I want to make you feel nice. I actually want to make you feel a lot better than nice."

Bobby sighed and stretched himself. I took the opportunity to lean forward into the bed and lay against him. He wrapped his arms around me and drew my head to his chest.

" I just don't want to screw this up Eames. You are everything to me. You're all I have."

"I don't want to screw this up either Bobby." I pulled my head out of his chest and looked at him. I could see his apprehension starting to return. I gently and quickly kissed his chin.

"You hungry? Cause dinner's been ready for a little while."

"I'm starving."

We both made our way to the kitchen.

********

Over dinner we set up our game plan for dealing with Declan. Bobby thought the best way to get him to finally tell his version of the truth would be to make me the "bad guy". He already resented the closeness Bobby and I had, so we both thought we'd play that card to set things in motion. Bobby was starting to realize that Declan knew more than he was saying. That he may just have had something to do with Frank's death. As dinner and our discussion progressed I could see Bobby was starting to look pained again.

"Are you having a service for Frank?"

A shitty way to change the subject, but I was curious.

"I wasn't planning on anything big. I need to find Donnie first. After all of this crap is cleared up, I need to find Donnie."

"We'll find him." I said as I finished the last of my stir fry.

I felt myself getting tired and wondering where I'd be sleeping tonight.

Then the psychic reads my mind again and I wonder if I have a teleprompter on my forehead that displays my thoughts.

"I bet your beat too Eames. I'll take the couch and you can have your bed."

"Oh for crying out loud Bobby! I had one of the best orgasms of my life in your arms last night. One of the few I've had in the presence of another person in the last decade!" My tone was a little bitchier than I originally meant. "You can and will sleep in my bed… with me. I promise I'll control myself." My tone went from bitchy to sarcastic and I put my palms up in the air to illustrate my point.

Bobby smiled again. This time it was a full on genuine grin.

"Who says I can control myself?"