Alex was lying in bed the next morning when she heard the sound of paper sliding under her door. She turned onto her side and saw that the paper came from the connecting door. A smile crept onto her face. Despite her best efforts not to let him get to her, his charm won her over every time. She knew she should be upset with him for ending their conversation so abruptly the night before, but she also knew that he was struggling with sharing his feelings, and that since they still had six days together to work things out she shouldn't rush things.

After a good stretch, she slowly turned onto her side to get a better look at the envelope lying on the ground. She saw her first name written in his handwriting and it gave her a chill. I miss him, she thought to herself. When she got out of bed she felt an even stronger chill due to the temperature she had the air conditioner set at. Her pajamas were a cotton short set from a high end lingerie store so she quickly felt the cold air. She had done a little shopping before she left home and picked up a few things for the trip. Not only did she invest in some new, sexy bras and panties, she also took it down a notch and purchased a few more conservative, but still sexy, pajama sets. What she was currently wearing had a pale blue scoop neck t-shirt and a pair of flowery boxers that were very feminine with a scalloped hem that ran along both the waist and the leg openings. Before she did anything else, she grabbed the soft white robe that the hotel provided, slipped it on, then picked up the note from Bobby.

"Please knock when you're awake."

After using the bathroom she did just that.

He was standing at the sliding glass door to the balcony when he heard her knock. Walking over to the door, he checked himself in the mirror. He was wearing a pair of well worn jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. His feet were bare and he was considering whether he should put on shoes when she knocked again so he decided against the shoes. After smoothing his hair with his fingers, he took a big breath and opened the door.

"I was hoping this was going to explain why you let me leave last night without so much as a 'good night'." Alex held the note up in front of her and he was relieved to hear a friendly tone in her voice. He was also a bit taken aback by her outfit. The robe came to her mid-thigh and he saw nothing but tan legs running down under it. Her hair was in tight ponytail and even with her lack of make-up she still looked much younger than he knew she was.

Realizing she was waiting for a reply from him, he responded, "I totally screwed things up last night, I'm sorry."

She looked at his tired eyes and knew how he spent the last eight hours, "You've been up all night."

He nodded.

Instead of dancing around the subject, Alex went right at it, "You walked away from me...why did you go through all of the trouble to get me here if you not going to talk to me."

Bobby put his head down because he knew she was right. He focused on his feet - a much safer place to look than at her - then he quietly said, "This isn't easy for me...you know...talking about my feelings...my feelings for you. I keep thinking that I'm going to say something that will make you go screaming for the door."

"The only reason I'd do that is if you told me you didn't want anything to do with me."

"That's...not gonna happen...ever."

She waited for him to look up at her then gave him a reassuring smile, "Then stop worrying about it."

He nodded and rubbed his eyes. Knowing she wasn't mad at him allowed his body to start to feel the effects of not sleeping.

Alex took a few steps closer to him. "How about...we start all over. Let's pretend yesterday never happened."

He gave her a tired grin, "I like that idea."

She grinned back, "Good...but let's start over after you get some rest."

"No, no. I'm fine. I don't want to make you wait around for me."

She took his hand and led him into her room and toward her bed. "Who said anything about me waiting?" She pulled the comforter back, removed her robe, got in bed, and then slid over.

He froze in place.

"C'mon Bobby, I didn't sleep too much last night either...we both can use a little shut eye. And besides," she bundled the comforter around her, "I'm freezing."

He looked around the room, "It is like a meat locker in here, Eames."

"I know, I know...so get in."

He sat down on the bed.

"Bobby, do you have a habit of sleeping in your jeans?"

"Uh, no."

She looked at him expectantly "Well?"

"Eames...I'm fine like this."

"The hell you are, get comfortable."

He wanted to, but he was afraid. He had caught a quick glimpse of her short set before she got under the covers and that picture was all he could see at that moment. The thought of their bare legs accidently touching was not something he thought should happen. And if anything like that was to happen, he didn't want it to be rushed or an accident.

"Hang on." He went into his room, went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and returned in a pair of sweatpants and his same t-shirt..

"Tell me again why we're sleeping...uh...together?"

"You complaining?"

"N-no."

"Then get in."

He hesitated, "It's just -"

"This way, I know you're actually sleeping and not just lying in your bed worrying that I left or something equally crazy."

"You leaving would not be crazy."

"Yes it would be...trust me."

Once he was settled in, she pulled her hair out of the elastic and placed it on the nightstand. He watched as her hair fell softly against her shoulders and swallowed hard, trying his best to seem unphased by how pretty she looked. She saw him watching her as she fluffed up her pillow but she chose to ignore the look in his eyes, for now.

"Sleep well, Bobby." She said as she lay facing him.

"You, too." He replied, mirroring her position. He watched her until she dozed off. Convinced she wasn't going to sneak out, he finally gave into asleep as well."

Bobby woke up first. He lay there quietly for quite sometime, listening to Alex lightly snore. Her back was to him, and the comforter she had originally pulled up tight around her was now bunched at her waist. One of her arms, tanned and muscular, was in full view and very inviting.

As he lay on his side, he thought about their lives; the time they spent together as partners and the time they'd been apart. He quickly decided the former was much more preferable than the latter and knew he had to do his best to ensure that is how they ended up.

He let her sleep, but after a while he grew impatient; he wanted to see her and hear her voice and somehow touch her. And if he was being really honest with himself and really bold, he wanted to kiss her again. After thinking back to how her lips felt against his when he stole a kiss the day before, he knew he wanted...no he needed to feel that again. Soon. He wanted that more than anything.

After tugging at the covers and moving around in the bed didn't stir her from sleep, he resulted to clearing his throat and then coughing loudly several times. The coughing finally did the trick and she slowly rolled over to find a smiling Bobby Goren staring right back at her.

"Hi there." He said as his smile got bigger.

"Well don't you look like you're up to something." She was trying not to laugh at how cute he looked.

"It's just that...Alex...I want to kiss you, but...I don't know...is it okay?"

She tried to remain serious but she couldn't stop the smile that began to spread.

"You're laughing at me...that's not good."

"No, no!" She rested her hand on his upper arm, just below his shoulder, "It is good...it's just...I've never had anyone ask me like that. And, well...it's you...wanting to kiss me. It's all just...surreal I guess."

"S – so you want me to...I mean...it's...okay?"

She slowly blinked her eyes and her smile softened. "Without a doubt."

He leaned toward her then hesitated slightly, waiting to see her eyes. Once he knew he had her full attention, he leaned closer and kissed her. As quickly as he did it, he pulled away.

"How was that?" He was nervous as hell, and she knew it.

She moved closer to him and kissed him right back, trying to give him confidence. "Your's was really nice...how was mine?"

He smiled at her, he understood that she was trying make him relax.

"You know," Alex said as she moved her hand from his arm to around the side of his face, "you kissed me once before...it was just yesterday and we were right here in this same bed!"

He laughed gently, "I know...but this was different. This was...planned."

Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her again. It was still a tentative kiss but she let his lips linger on hers for as long as he wanted. He only pulled away far enough to speak, "I could get very used to this."

They spent the rest of the day out on the streets of Stockholm. Since Bobby had been there before he was able to bring Alex around the city and show her its finer points of interest. That night they shared a quiet dinner together and after that they went to their own rooms. It was a good day for them because they spent it together, getting used to being with each other again, and using the time to grow closer with touches and hugs and another kiss before they turned in for the night.

Very early the morning, it was Alex this time sliding a note for him under the door.

"Come in when you're awake, the door is open."

He knocked softly then opened the door to find Alex lying in bed but awake.

She slid over, "Why don't you join me again."

He did his best to hide his excitement.

She felt his hand on her belly before she was fully awake. The sensation made her senses come alive, but she kept her eyes closed and just...felt him touching her. He was slowly massaging her stomach, taking in the tightness of her skin, the definition of her muscles, the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took. He was aware that she woke up but it didn't stop him. He wasn't trying to sneak anything. He was just trying to feel...her.

He was lying on his right side, his head on his pillow as if he was still sleeping. His eyes were open but were at half-mast; studying her. They remained this way for quite a while, she was completely still and he was almost the same except for his one hand, gently roaming. The muffled sounds of Stockholm coming to life for the day could be heard beyond the closed sliding glass door. The sun was doing its best to peek through the light-blocking curtain; it cast strange slices of light against the glass coffee table and the wall behind the bed, giving them just enough light to see each other.

His hand, hot and insistent, caressed her into a frenzy. A tidal wave of desire washed over her and she rapidly became more and more aware of just how much she needed him - and just how fast she wanted it to happen.

Knowing she couldn't lay there silently any longer, she rose up and pushed him onto his back, hovering above him long enough to pull his boxers down to just below his knees then she worked off her own panties. In her haste to be with him she only took enough time to slide one leg out of her undies, leaving them dangling off of one ankle. While she was doing that he watched her. Her eagerness surprised him. He knew she loved him, and while he always fantasized what it would be like to make love to her, he never let himself envision her reaction to him sexually. He quickly decided this was a side of Eames he wanted to see more of.

As she moved closer to him again she took a hold of his cock and gave it a steady rub. Just then a sliver of sunlight hit her face and her eyes flashed bright as she gave him a wicked, sexy grin.

"Alex." Bobby growled her name, his voice lower than she had ever heard it.

Her face suddenly became acutely serious; her eyes bore into his as she used the hand that was still wrapped around his cock to slowly guide him into her. Their coupling was slow and intense, and afterward they fell asleep in each others arms.

When they woke up, neither focused on what they did. Instead they went about their day almost as if it didn't happen. Alex had refrained from speaking about it because she wanted to see Bobby's reaction. Bobby didn't speak of it because he was more scared than ever of messing things up between them.

They spent the next few days following pretty much the same routine. It was very calming, and both found it romantic, but as the days went on Alex was beginning to think that the week would end without any resolution to their future together.

On the fourth day, Alex was waiting for Bobby when he woke up in her bed.

"It's time we talk."

"Not yet, let's enjoy the day, we can -"

"I'm not here for sight-seeing, Bobby!" Clearly, she had had enough and he knew it.

He turned on his side and nodded. He had put things off long enough. "Where should we start."

She spoke softly, "What's the first thing that comes to your mind?"

He stared at her for a few moments, trying to decide where to begin. "That last day we were together...in Major Case."

"When I fired you."

"Then...yes...I felt like I saw you, the real you, standing there...right in front of me. For the first time I saw everything you felt for me and honestly I didn't know what to do with it because you...You're...you're normally like a stone when it comes to showing your emotions."

She nodded, "You're right, I've never let you in."

Bobby was on a roll, "I mean, people always assumed that of the two of us, I was the tough one. But we both know that I've let my guard down many times, but you...you almost never did. It would take a lot to get you to, you know, let down your defenses. And that night, standing in the captain's office, you completely revealed yourself to me. I always suspected that you're feelings for me were strong...but that night...I saw just how much I meant to you."

Her head dipped down as she tried to, once again, hide what she was feeling from him. He paused and lifted her chin with his thumb and pointer finger.

When he continued, his voice was low and soothing, "Let me tell you, I didn't know how to handle it. And when I went to leave, you know I almost turned back around. I wanted to hug you again and tell you how I felt about you."

"But you didn't do that."

He shakes his head, "No, no I didn't. As I walked away I thought to myself, 'This is not the place. Go to her another time...maybe even tomorrow."

"And instead, you took off." She didn't mean it to sound so bitter but it did and she saw him retreat. Knowing he was pulling back after her retort she pressed him to continue. It was her turn to not let him run from their conversation.

"Bobby, you asked me to come here, I think it's time you tell me exactly why that was."

He started to shake his head but she stopped him, "If you don't talk to me now I'm leaving." She meant it, too.

"I'm sorry, I'm just...afraid."

"Of me? Or of us?"

"You, of course!" He tried to joke but she wasn't finding anything funny. Then he got serious again. "You know Alex, you're the only person who's ever made me feel like a coward."

"We both know you are not a coward, I'm not buying it."

"But it's just...I don't know how to start."

"Say what's on your mind. Don't think, just say it to me."

He lay there silently for a couple of minutes, trying to find the right words. She was patient with him because she knew it was hard for him.

"I tried this the other night and I failed miserably, but I'm going to try it again. I want to ask you what you're looking for from me. But I'm terrified of your answer...because I know what I can offer you, and I'm afraid it's just not going to be enough."

She gave him a tender smile. "Bobby, just know that I love you no matter what you say to me."

"I know you do...and I'm sorry."

His response completely through her off guard, "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Loving me has cost you...a lot. It's cost you the possibility of finding someone...getting married again...children...it's caused you stress with your sister and I'd imagine your whole family...they must not have liked you being tethered to me all these years. At work it's cost you promotions and now it's cost you your job. I tend to think these are all a huge price to pay. "

"I don't regret any of it."

"I know you don't and that makes me feel even worse...you'd probably do it all again. And for what? For me? For this?"

She was getting exasperated with him. "Look, I'm going to tell you what I told Liz. Simply put, what I need from you is...you. I need you to share yourself with me. Share your life, your happiness and sadness, your hopes and fears, your triumphs and failures. But what's most important to me is that you do it because you to want to share those things with me. If you do it only to placate me, it will never work." She leaned into him and looked right in his eyes, "I need you to let me in, Bobby." She lifted her hand to the side of his face and tapped her finger against his temple, "Let me into here," then the she moved her hand to his chest and laid it over his heart, "and into here."

He didn't take his eyes off of her. He felt himself ease up with every word she said.

"Honestly...do you think you can do that?"

"Absolutely." His quick and certain response surprised her.

"But Bobby, you've never done that before with anyone. How can you be so sure...so quickly."

Her hand was still lying on his chest, over his heart, and he rested one of his hands on top of it. "Well you've always been here, so that part is easy." She smiled at his words as tears welled in her eyes.

Then he lifted her hand back to the side of his head and rested her finger against his temple again. "And I've been waiting for a long time to let you in here, to stop running away from you."

"You trust me enough to do that?"

He nodded without hesitation. "I trust you, Alex. I love you and I trust you."

"I love you, too, Bobby."

He heard her words and felt her love, but still he felt uncertain about this being what was best for her.

"Is this really what you want? Am I really what you want?"

His question threw her; she couldn't believe he still questioned her. "Where is this coming from, Bobby. Don't you know the answers to those questions already?

"Humor me. Are you happy, Alex?"

"You make me so happy, Bobby. I love you."

"All I want to do is make you happy for the rest of your life. I know I can't promise you that it will happen, I know I'll do something every once in a while to really piss you off, but I will always mean well, and I will always work hard to make you happy."

"Just knowing that you're trying – no matter how wrong it may go sometimes – is all I need. If you love me, and show me that you do...if you care about us...it's all I'll ever need from you."

TBC

a/n: There will be one more chapter after this one. I'm very sorry for the long wait between chapters, I'm usually much better about updating. I won't bore you with details, but I was completely stuck when I had chapter 4 written and then my computer crashed. After that every word was a struggle as I tried to re-create chapter 4 and then move on. I leaned heavily on ladybluedevil86 and she didn't disappoint (although she's probably sick of me at this point). Her edit of this chapter helped me get it posted and she also gave me a great idea for the last chapter. I had planned on having this whole thing done by 5/1, but clearly that is NOT going to happen. Also, I've steered clear of FF for a while so I could concentrate on my story and I think that I may have missed saying thank you to some reviewers. So, thank you and I'm sorry if I didn't send you a personal thank you!