CHAPTER 31

Alex pretended to concentrate on the form in front of her. It was a trick she'd perfected in recent months, but her frequent glances at the interview room where Bobby and Huang met undercut her current efforts. She couldn't see the two men, no matter how she tried to twist or turn her body. After what seemed several house, Bobby finally emerged from the room. He was grim and white faced, and his limp appeared worse than when he'd entered the room. He seemed to be carrying a heavy weight. Huang, equally grim faced, followed Bobby. Alex was torn between wanting to rush to comfort Bobby or to confront Huang. As she was sitting in the middle of the Major Case Squad, neither move appeared to be a wise one. She waited for Bobby to reach their desks. Around his large bulk, she saw Huang enter Ross' office. She turned her attention to Bobby, who stared at some point behind her chair.

"Eames," he said in a low, tightly controlled voice. "I…Please…I need to talk to you."

Any anger Alex felt towards Bobby melted away in the face of his willingness to speak to her.

"Could we," Bobby continued. "Get out of here…"

"Neutral territory?" Alex asked.

"Yea…And one without so many eyes…"

"You got it." Alex turned off her computer. "But no serious talking in the car. We don't want any accidents."

He obeyed her. He said nothing as they rode in the elevator, walked to her car, and for the first blocks of the drive.

"Eames…Where…"

"I thought a place near your house…"

"I thought we said neutral territory…"

"It'll be neutral," she said. "But close enough to your house so you can retreat."

"You're pretty confident," he said. He tried for a light tone, but a tremor in his voice betrayed his tension.

"Bobby." Alex carefully maneuvered her car around a slow truck. "Whatever it is we're going to talk about…And I've got a pretty good idea what it is…I'm not going to abandon you."

He was silent for the rest of the trip. Alex thought she could hear the debate between his head—which knew he could trust her—and his heart—which was scarred from all the abandonments he'd suffered in his life. Alex found a parking spot near a pub they'd visited in the past. It possessed several nooks and crannies where it was possible to have a private conversation. Bobby silently followed her to one of those corners. Alex spoke to the waitress as they passed the young woman, and a plate of appetizers and a pitcher of soda quickly appeared on their table. After the waitress left, Bobby found himself wishing he'd let Huang speak to Alex.

"I thought," Alex said as she poured two glasses of soda. "We should stay away from alcohol."

"You…You can have it if you want, Alex," Bobby said. "It…It doesn't bother me…I really don't miss it as much as I thought I might."

"So," Alex said after she took a drink. "What is it? Gage…Or Linley and Caldwell?"

"Both." Bobby saw anger cross Alex's face. "Gage…" He decided to lead with what he thought would upset her the most. "Is dying. Huang told me…If I go to see him…He probably won't recognize me…But…I need to see him…No one…" Bobby swallowed. "Alex…I couldn't really explain this to Huang, and I don't think I can explain it to you…I can't explain it to myself…But Gage was a good man…I owe him so much…"

Alex sat quietly for several of the longest minutes of Bobby's life. "All right," she finally said. "But I'm going with you. Just like I'm going with you when you speak to Linley and Caldwell."

"You're a good detective, Alex Eames," Bobby said after a moment.

"Do you know that talking to them will help people?" Alex asked. "How do you know they're not just using you or getting some kind of sick thrill from this?"

Bobby took a long drink. He was starting to feel very tired, and hoped the caffeine and sugar would help him. "I…I don't really know," he admitted. "Huang…He thinks that Caldwell is trying to use me…But Linley…He's obsessed with me…I'm the one who got away…In return for me showing up, Linley says he'll talk about his victims. Tell where their bodies are…"

"And you have to do this because you're you." Alex appeared resigned to Bobby's decision.

"Uh…Yea…That explains it as well as anything," Bobby said. "I…I expected you to be a lot angrier about this."

"I am angry," Alex said softly. "But I love you because you're you. I can't ask you to change…"

Bobby's head fell into his hands. "You love me…You take care of me…And all I do is hurt you…"

"Don't," Alex said. Her hands reached for Bobby's. "Don't blame yourself. I want to help take care of you. And you aren't doing this to yourself. Other people are doing it to you."

Bobby looked up at her. "I want to get all of this over with," he said quickly. "As soon as I can. Then maybe I can get back to my life…And…And start one with you…"

"That gives me a great motive too," Alex said.

A great weight left Bobby's chest. "Ok…Ok…" He took a deep breath. "I'll see Gage first. He…He may not have much time…But…I don't want you to see him with me…There's too much…"

"All right." Alex's voice indicated that she clearly did not think this was all right, but that she would go along with Bobby's wishes. "But I'm right outside the door."

Bobby nodded. "And…I don't want you to go in with me with Linley and Caldwell."

"You're telling me not to do my job?" She controlled her voice well.

"No…No…It's just that…Like Gage…You'd be a distraction…I'd be afraid for you…I'm sorry…"

"Maybe," Alex said thoughtfully. "I'd show them that they have no control over you…That you don't belong to them."

Bobby considered her words. "No…Alex…You can't…Can't…"

"Dangle myself in front of them? Like you're doing?"

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. "Alex…I…I can deal with it for me…But you…You mean too much to me…

"And you don't mean that much to me?" Alex asked gently.

Bobby's head fell into his hands. "Alex…No…Please…I…I…"

Her hands tenderly held his arms. "Take it easy, Bobby. It's just an idea. We're not in some competition over who loves each other more. But I think we might mention this idea to Huang and other people. But we need to get past Gage first."

Bobby wearily raised his head. "We…"

"Yea." Her right hand gently brushed his cheek. He shivered but didn't pull away. "You and me," she continued. "We're a team. Partners. Together.."

Bobby closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "It…It's not going to be easy."

"No," she admitted. "But WE can do it."

"Ok…"

END CHAPTER 31

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