Title: Enough
Show: LOCI
Pairing: Bobby and Alex.
Disclaimer: Sadly enough, I don't own anything. This is written for pure enjoyment only and no profit to be gained!
Rating: T
Spoilers: "Lady's Man."
Authors Note: I was re-watching all of season 8 and I decided I had to write something about this episode. I mean, c'mon. This killed me! I loved this episode; one of my favorite episodes of the season. I'm going to try and write this all in present tense btw.
Note: I started writing this about 9 months ago and I'm just now getting around to posting it. I'm working on a story that is post "Loyalty" Part 1 and 2, but I don't know when I'll get to posting it.

Summary: My take on what happened after the screen went black in "Lady's Man."

CHAPTER: 1

Alex and Bobby are back at their desks finishing up their paperwork. The ADA, Kevin Mulrooney, is locked up; he'll more than likely be locked up for a very long time.

It's over. It's finally over. The case is solved; at least that's what it says in the report. To Bobby, however, it doesn't feel like it. It doesn't feel over. There's something unnerving him as he signs his report at the bottom. He closes the file and looks up and across his desk and glances at Alex.

Her.

She's the reason why he's so agitated. She's the reason why he's so fucking worked up over this.

Alex.

And he knows she's numb; he's numb, too. He wishes he could be numb for her and take all her pain away. He's hesitant to even think of the word weak, but she looks weak. She truly does. And the thing that scares him…she looks lost. The thought unsettles him deeply. He's not use to her looking so weak, so vulnerable. She's supposed to be the strong one.

Alex, come back to me.

He wants her to look up at him but she's staring down at the papers in front of her. And she feels weak; she does. She's too tired to move from this very spot. She looks like she's reading over what she wrote, to any other cop in the squad room it would look that way, but Bobby's knows her too well. She's staring at the paper in front of her but she's miles away. She wants to be miles away.

Just come back to me.

But she can't. She can't escape her mind at the moment; she can't escape this case.

Bobby suddenly stands up and heads to Ross's office. He's gone no more than a few minutes; Alex hardly notices.

She's still gone.

"Alex…" Bobby says and somewhat startles her when he softly places his right hand on her left shoulder. He's barely touching her; it's just enough to let her know he's still here. That he's not going anywhere. "Let's go." He says and pulls his hand away before it lingers too long for her liking.

She looks up at him finally and then glances back down at her paperwork amazed at the lack of words written down.

"I'm not done—"

He shakes his head. He'll have none of it.

"Doesn't matter." And it really doesn't. "We can leave. I finished my report and for now, it's enough." He answers her in a low voice. "I talked to Ross." He says in a much quieter voice this time. "We can get out of here."

With little resistance, she starts to pack up her things. He's astonished by the lack of rebuttal on her part. Bobby's surprised she's not yelling at him for going behind her back and talking to Ross. He's surprised she's not screaming at him, shouting from the top of her lungs that she doesn't need his help.

A lot of things seem to amaze him lately.

Hmm. That was too easy.

He looks her over once more and notices how exhausted she looks. She gives in easily because she's weak in the sense of being tired. She so fucking emotionally drained that it's not even funny.

As Bobby watches her for a split second he wonders what's going on in her head.

If only I could read her mind like so many people think I can do.

Satisfied that she's packing up her things, he walks over to his desk and does the same. Within a few minutes they're heading out of 1PP and towards the elevators.

Once they're in the elevator, alone Bobby looks over to Alex.

"Have a drink with me." He says and suddenly Alex feels like she's back in the first year of their partnership. But as soon as she looks up at him and see's his aging face, his gray hair, the weight he's put on, the darkness under his eyes, she realizes that they're eight years into their partnership and a lot has changed.

She wants to argue and say 'no.' She wants to be left alone and just cry herself to sleep. She wants to go home and forget about everything…but then she quickly remembers that going home would remind her of everything.

He was in my home. He went through my drawers. My clothes. My—

And then she hears Bobby's voice pulling her out of her thoughts.

She's grateful for it because she doesn't want to think.

"Eames?" He questions. His voice is so soft. The look of concern is written all over his face. He doesn't pity her, he's just concerned. He see's her shake and reaches to touch her elbow. He's mere inches away from it when she looks him in the eyes.

She nods and whispers, "Okay."

He sighs somewhat relieved and lowers his arm back down to his side.

Bobby drives them to the bar. He was bewildered when Alex handed him the keys when they reached the SUV. It was at that point that he really noticed how exhausted she was; how much this fucking case took out of her. He watched her almost helplessly as she climbed into the passenger seat.

As he pulls out of the 1PP parking garage he looks at her out of the corner of his eye. She's staring out the side window, watching the world as it passes her by. He knows that's what she's thinking. He knows her almost too well. He knows those feelings because he's been there before; more times than he dares to count. He doesn't want nor has he ever bothered counting the number of times he's stared numbly out the window while Eames drove off to wherever. He remembers a time when he didn't care where she drove as long as she kept them moving because it kept him thinking. He always feared what would happen to him if she wasn't there to keep him…stimulated, mobile. It was so like him, he knows, but nothing like her. It somewhat scared him that the roles were reversed because he's honesty not sure how to deal with it.

"Eames—" He says slowly. "If you're too tired to go out, I understand. I just…" Want. The word 'want' never passes his lips, though. He stops himself short of saying it.

She looks over to him. He looks nervous, unsure. She shakes her head at him and doesn't question what he was about to say. She already knows.

He wants to make sure I'm okay.

"Let's get those drinks." She says as she turns her head and gazes back out the passenger window.

A/N: Well, like cifan said, I too am not ready just yet to tackle "Loyalty." I have a Loyalty fic I've been working on since it ended, but I still can't (sad look).

Anyway, let me know what you're thinking. Please be patient with the update since I'm still very busy with school.

-Snyder-