Redemption

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Bobby leaned against a tree, enjoying the comforting shade it provided for his emotional state. From that spot, he watched Danni's conversation with the child. He hadn't caught everything sign, because their hands were moving so fast that it was hard to keep up, but he got what was important. A grin graced his lips at the smile he saw on her face. It was good to see that expression on her features again. He's been wracking his brain to find a way to help her mourn, but it didn't seem like there was much he needed to do. She'd helped herself without even thinking about it and without his help altogether.

"Penny for your thoughts?" a familiar voice asked.

He didn't need to look at the woman's face to see who it as. He would recognize her voice anywhere, though he'd stopped wishing to hear it over a year ago. His eyes closed in exasperation as his hand slipped into the pocket of his black dress pants. His fingers laced around the trinket that resided in the folds of fabric and squeezed it to give him strength. This was the last thing he'd wanted to deal with today, but he needed to face the music and the former owner of his heart. "Hi, Darce," he said nonchalantly. He figured he had scared her off with his moment of anger the other night and for a second, he wished he had. But, he needed to apologize. He still wanted Darcy as a friend, though he wasn't sure what she would think about that.

Already, her fingers were gently fidgeting with one of the buttons on his jacket like she would do when they were still dating. He cleared his throat and straightened up his stance so she would release the button. She did, but now she was gazing up into his gorgeous blue eyes with a look that used to melt his heart. It amazed him that even that wouldn't sway him to turn to the dark side and make her his again. He only had eyes for Danni, now and that made him smile. "Darce, about the other night," he began, but not knowing where to go from there. The apology just wouldn't cross his lips. Maybe it was because his 'agent sense' was tingling and telling him she was up to something. Luckily, she didn't give him the chance to continue.

"What you said really hurt my feelings. I pride myself on being the best journalist I know how to be. I was only doing my job." Her arms were crossed over her chest and her gaze had turned angry.

"I know and I apologize… This has been hard on all of us, Danni especially." When he'd said his girlfriend's name, he wasn't surprised to see her become puzzled. After all, he'd never mentioned her by name before.

"Danni?" she asked with a quizzical look.

With his head, he motioned in the direction of his girlfriend who was speaking to Martone, most likely about the merging of the two teams. A smile graced his lips when his eyes connected with the now sparkling blue eyes that belonged to the love of his life. She gave a smile of her own in his direction. "My girlfriend."

Darcy's gaze followed his and she stared daggers at the woman who was back into the conversation with her supervisor. She looked back at Bobby with a loud scoff. "She's a cop, Bobby. I thought you didn't date cops."

His smile widened. "I didn't, until I met her. She's got a fire that I've never seen in anyone before… not even you." He hadn't meant to say that last part aloud, but he hadn't been able to help himself. It was a good opportunity to knock her down a peg or two.

Her expression showed shock, but she shook her head to remove it. "Whatever. I didn't come here to talk to you about her." She added the extra emphasis on the word 'her' to show her irritation. She wanted Bobby to know how much she still cared for him, but she figured there would be some difficulty with this other woman in the way.

"No, you came to talk about us," he added with a cynical tone, before it vanished and sincerity took over. "Darce, look, I don't want to be on bad terms with you. You were a great friend and I want that to continue."

She wanted to explain to him about how she'd made a mistake and wanted him to take another chance with her, but she could sense how sincere he was about it and was beginning to understand how much he had changed. "I'd like that," she answered softly with a small smile. "So, while we're being civil, can I ask you a question… on the record?"

"You can ask, but I'm not certain if I can answer," he teased in his usual humorous tone, which she couldn't help but accept and smile at.

"Now that Stern is gone, who's going to take over his team? Is a new lieutenant going to be put in his place or are they just going to remain as is?"

An unsure expression crossed over the Aussie's features. He wasn't sure if he should answer that question. It was on everyone's lips, but as far as he knew, no one had been given the answer. Martone probably wanted to wait to address the press on the issue, but when he would do that, Bobby wasn't sure.

"I can answer that," said Danni as she confidently approached them. Her smile still remained on her lips as she wrapped her arms around Bobby's waist in a thankful embrace. She looked at Darcy with sincere interest, but not with hate or anger.

"Is it Tal? I've heard some rumors that it might be." Darcy honestly didn't care how civil the cop was being to her and how she looked at her without a care in the world. She'd taken Bobby away from her and that meant there was no way she could like her. But, there was something about her that told her that there was no way she could despise this woman. She was confident, beautiful… and in love with the Aussie. The reporter's heart constricted. She wasn't the only one who looked that way. When Bobby had said that he loved his girlfriend, she didn't believe him, but the look he'd had in his eyes at this moment told her volumes upon volumes about his love. She knew she would never have another chance with him and she had to accept it. Just as long as he didn't get hurt, she knew she could live with the fact that she let the best thing in her life go when she moved to LA. "It is, isn't it?" She was eager with her questioning. At least, now, she would be able to meet this illusive Tal.

The couple exchanged glances and shrugged. After all, it was part of the truth. "I suppose you could say that. By the way, I'm Detective Danielle Talbot. My friends call me Danni, but my teammates call me Tal." She held out her hand to shake the reporter's hand, but she got no indication that she had even been heard. "You must be Darcy. It's nice to finally meet you. Bobby's told me so much about you."

She never thought it was possible, but for the first time in her life, Darcy D'Angleo was speechless.