Chapter 7

His feelings for her were so intense, he couldn't speak when they made love. All of his emotions came out in some kind of physical expression. He kissed and caressed every inch of her. They lay intertwined for some time, quietly breathing as their heartbeats slowed.

This was how things should be. This was how they were before, when romance was new. This was how they created a life.

"I love you, Bobby," Alex finally said. Please stay with me.

"I love you, too." I'm sorry for everything I've ever done.

"Bobby, I'm glad… I'm glad you're home."

He replied by kissing her deeply, caressing her slowly until his hand stopped over her womb. She placed her hand over his and stared into his eyes until they kissed again.

"How you doin'?" Logan asked, leaning on his palm on her desk.

"Good, Mike. Really good. Thanks." Alex gave him a smile and he realized he hadn't seen her this happy in a long time.

He smiled back. "I'm glad, Alex. You… you be careful, though."

"I'll be fine, Mike."

Logan headed to his own side of the squad room just as Bobby returned from the bathroom. "What'd he have to say?" he asked, a little sharp in his tone.

Alex gave him a gentle, weary smile. "He was just checking on me."

Instead of replying, Bobby took two long steps in Logan's direction.

"Bobby…" Alex said with a frown.

He turned back, kept his voice soft to reassure her. "I'm not going to cause any trouble. I'm just going to talk to him."

Alex closed her mouth and watched him walk away. His words said one thing, but his stride told another story. She closed her eyes with a sigh and spun her chair back around so she couldn't watch.

"Hey, Logan."

"Goren."

"You know, Eames… she and I—"

"I know."

Bobby's head jerked in surprise. "Oh. You do?"

"I know you knocked her up and then put her through the wringer. I'm just keeping an eye on her. Somebody has to." Logan's voice was a low growl.

Bobby's face screwed up in anger. The more he spoke, the higher his voice rose in pitch. "Look here, she doesn't need you or anybody else looking after her. And for the record, you don't know anything, you son of a bitch!"

Mike would have taken it further, but he could see her from where he was standing. He stared at Alex's back and kept his mouth shut. He'd said his piece, anyway.

Bobby was still angry, but he maintained control of his temper. "You just… keep your distance."

Logan just folded his arms and glared at Bobby, who walked backwards, maintaining eye contact until he was a good stretch away. Then he spun around and returned to his seat at his desk.

Alex was unhappy. She sat, quietly smoldering in her chair.

Bobby tried to ignore it for as long as he could, but her disapproval got under his skin. All of a sudden, he got to his feet. He hovered a moment, and then was gone, down the hall to an interview room, with his binder in his hand.

Alex rolled her eyes and threw her head back. Here we go again.

The conversation happened in the car on the way home. "I'm sorry I upset you," he said.

She checked her rearview and side mirrors and then spared him a glance. "Bobby, these constant apologies are meaningless."

"You'd rather I not?" He didn't miss the look of exasperation in her glance. "But I am sorry, Alex. I never want to upset you, or hurt you, but no matter what… I always do."

"Bobby, I asked you not to."

"No—"

"Bobby!"

He was quiet, and his cheeks burned.

"I told you Logan was just looking out for me."

"You told Logan you were pregnant."

She jerked the car back into the lane, and her moment's inattention scared them both. They were quiet a moment.

"I didn't tell him who—"

"Who else could it be, Eames? Besides me and Mike," he sputtered as he said the man's last name, "Lo-ogan, who would have fathered your child?"

"Oh, Jesus," she said in frustration. "I've had enough of this today, Bobby."

Again, silence prevailed. As she eased the car into its parking spot, he said, "Did you tell anyone else?"

"No."

"I told Lewis."

"Oh. Okay."

"You didn't tell your sister?"

"Not yet. I haven't spoken to her since… since… we had words." She killed the engine. Alex covered her mouth as she yawned.

Bobby climbed out of the car quickly and walked around to open her door. He steadied her as she got out, keeping her from slipping on the icy driveway. For a few minutes, the anger was forgotten.

He helped her with her coat, and he made hot water for chamomile tea. She changed out of her work clothes while the tea was steeping, and he wondered what the argument with Liz had been about. He couldn't help but think it had been about him.

"Thank you, Bobby," she said, as she took a sip from the cup.

He saw the weariness in her face. He wanted to apologize again. He gave her a shy smile, then headed down the hall to change his own clothes. Once out of her sight, he let the frustration seep through.

Why did he always do this? No matter what, he always thought he was doing the right thing, protecting her somehow, and it always, always turned into a quagmire.

What was so wrong about confronting Logan, anyway? Any guy would do the same!

But it had been wrong, because it had upset her. And now he had the added guilt of a rift between her and her sister…

Bobby scrubbed his face with his hands. Instead of stripping down to his shorts, he changed into jeans, a holy t-shirt, and an old hoody. Then he went out to break the news.

"I-I'm pretty wound up," he said. "I'm gonna go out, get a drink or something."

She blinked twice and then stared. He didn't miss that she was biting her lip.

"I'll be back, Alex, I promise. Can I get you anything before I go? Are you hungry or anything?"

"Just go, Bobby."

He knew as soon as the words escaped her lips that he'd screwed up again. But she'd given him permission to go, and that exonerated him. So he kissed her cheek and bundled up in his winter coat and hat and headed out the door.

Alex leaned her forehead against the fingers of one hand and stared at the framed print hanging on the wall.