A/N Wolfmusic gave me some Beta assistance on this fic, however I ended up making changes to the story before she sent the corrected work back. So, whatever grammar mistakes you may come across here, they are mine and definitely not hers. Thanks to everyone who reads. Please consider leaving a review if you read the story and like you. You really make my day when you do.

Disclaimer ~ I do not own 911 or any of its characters.

Athena looked at herself in Bobby's bathroom mirror, checked out the way the strappy blue dress hugged her body and spun round to get a look from the back.

He is gonna flip, she thought.

She couldn't believe how excited she was and how much she looked forward to having dinner with him tonight. Truth be told, she couldn't remember the last time she felt thrilled about just being with a man.

Tonight would be their first night out together in weeks. Both of them had been too exhausted after work to do anything but plop down on the couch and feast on takeout. It was starting to become a routine, but three days ago, they both agreed that no matter what, Kobe San was where they would spend their Friday evening.

She'd had some genuine fun with Aaron when she realized her marriage was truly over. The sex and role-play with him had helped her start to feel desirable again, but Bobby was different. She felt secure with him, taken care of, and appreciated. For all that she was, not just as the mother of someone's kids.

She walked into his bedroom, slipped into her heels, and thought about how unsure she had been about the future once the divorce proceedings first started. She had wondered how she was going to move forward. What was her future without Michael going to look like? Would she be alone for the rest of her life? Would she ever trust someone enough to let them in to get to know just who the real Athena Grant was?

She wasn't sure at the time that she could, but somehow Bobby had surprised her in a way that she could never have predicted. He became a safe place where she could bury her fears, a healing balm for the pain buried deep within her soul, and the source of newfound joy in her life. He anticipated her thoughts and needs, and she was taken aback by how much he seemed to know her.

It was almost six o'clock, and he would be arriving any minute. She scooped up her clutch from the bed and headed for the living room. She cut the TV on and flipped through the channels for a few minutes when her stomach started to growl.

"Oooh," she said, and put a hand on her tummy. She was ready to eat.

It was coming up on eight o'clock and the 118 had been called to assist with a fire at Soltara Gardens in Norwalk. Fire had originally started in one unit but had quickly spread to four. They had successfully been able to evacuate people from adjacent floors, but were now battling the blaze before it could spread further. Renovations were taking place in one of the units that had caught fire. Paint thinners and other chemicals inside had acted as accelerants and had prevented them from extinguishing the flames as quickly as they normally could have.

Bobby felt beads of sweat dripping down his face and wiped at them impatiently. In his pocket, he could feel his phone vibrating for the second time. He silently swore. He knew it was trying to reach him. No doubt she was wondering where he was. He was supposed to have picked her up about two hours ago. They'd gotten the call just as he was about to leave. He sent her a quick voice note saying he would be late, but he hadn't known things would have taken this long.

He hated having to disappoint her like this, especially since it was their first night out in a while. He had been looking forward to a special evening with her. Not that all their time together wasn't special, but he had wanted to take her somewhere nice and romantic, somewhere they could both relax and take their minds off of their hectic schedules.

He looked forward to seeing her at the end of the day. Looked forward to having her in his arms and hearing her talk about everything that concerned her. He liked the way she smiled, laughed, the sway in her hips when she walked. He liked being able to wake up in the middle of the night and find her cradled against his back or chest.

He loved when she hit his arm playfully after something tickled her, the hum she would make after she took her first bite of whatever he cooked. He loved watching her dance around his apartment to old Motown tunes when she did the laundry. He simply loved the way she filled the emptiness that was in his life before she entered it.

He had been thriving at work since he'd moved from Minnesota to L.A.; he had the respect of his team and the local police department they worked with, but he had always felt as if there was a hole in his personal life. People thought of him as a hero, hell Chimney had even called him one, but he never allowed himself to think that way. However, in Athena's eyes, he was. He wasn't sure he would ever comfortably accept that title, especially after the way he'd lost his family, but what she thought of him meant a whole lot.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He knew Athena would be upset; he would find a way to make it up to her. For right now, there was another fire he needed to put out.

10:05pm

After a shower back at the fire station, Bobby quickly threw on some clean clothes and his shoes. The suit he had planned to wear tonight on his date with Athena was still hanging in a suit bag in his office closet. He tried calling Athena as soon as he got back to the station, but she didn't answer. He could imagine how pissed off she must be right now. He grabbed his keys and headed to the backdoor.

"Weren't you and Athena supposed to go out tonight?" Hen's voice stopped him in his tracks on his way out.

He turned to her and shrugged.

"She's gonna kill you!" Her voice and laughter echoed as he closed the door behind him and slid into his truck. He knew she was half-right, but instead of going straight home, he headed to Kobe San instead.

The least he could do was go home with a peace offering.

The apartment was quiet save for the low audio on the TV when Bobby got home. He dead bolted the door behind him and put the two bags of food on the dining table. Athena lie asleep on the couch, her head cradled in a cushion with a throw blanket across her midriff.

He switched one of the table lamps on and knelt over her, smelled the light fragrance of her perfume and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. She stirred a little, and he bent to press light kisses to her neck before grazing her mouth. Her eyes opened slowly and settled on him.

"Hey," she said, softly.

"Hey."

"You just come in?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "You looked so peaceful; I almost didn't want to wake you."

"Hmm…you look tired." She put a palm to his face. "You want me to get you something to eat?"

It was just like her to try to take care of him even though he hadn't shown up for their date. He shook his head and took a taste of her mouth instead. Her lips were soft, sweet, as was the touch of her hand as it moved over his cheek and onto his shoulder.

"That kiss supposed to make up for you standing me up tonight?" she whispered against his mouth.

He kissed her harder then, moved his hand down her back and felt her arch toward him. She opened her mouth underneath his and darted her tongue out. The soft feel of it against his sent a flush over his body and a warmth that rested strongly between his legs. He swallowed hard as their lips finally parted.

"Well," she said. "That's a pretty good start."

He chuckled.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We got a call right before my shift ended. A fire at an apartment building. The team probably could have handled it on their own, but I didn't want to leave them. I'm sorry, honey. I bought take out."

Her eyes followed his to the bags on the dining table. He saw an inquisitive brow shoot up.

"Am I forgiven?"

"Depends on what's in the bags."

When she sat up, he finally saw what she was wearing. It was a deep royal blue sleeveless dress with ruching at the waist and it stopped just above her knee. The low cut in front provided a glimpse of her cleavage. It had to be a new purchase; he'd never seen it before. He felt regret again that he hadn't made it home on time.

"You look beautiful."

She blushed and hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Imagine if you'd seen me with the heels on."

"Well then let me see," Bobby said.

Her heels were beside him on the floor. He rested on his haunches and slipped them onto her feet one by one.

"Stunning," he said, and pulled her to her feet. "Can I have this dance?"

"There's no music," she said.

"There's always music when I'm with you." It wasn't a line, wasn't a lie, but like notes on a piano, his life had been moving to a new tune ever since she stepped into it. It was always playing, light and airy, a soundtrack that promised something new with each passing day.

"Well in that case…"

He slid an arm around her tiny waist, placed one of her hands on his shoulder and took the other in his palm. In the dimly lit living room, they swayed in time together.

"How was your day, honey?" Bobby asked after she lay her head on his chest. He figured she must be just as tired as he was.

Athena thought about the dispute earlier between two neighbours about whose Eugenia evergreens one of them had cut and about apprehending a ten year old who'd stolen some fruit from a bodega.

"Didn't have to put out any fires, so it was definitely better than yours was. But, May is at a sleepover, and Harry is with his father. So, it looks like you have me all to yourself for the rest of the weekend."

"Is that so?"

Athena loved the excitement that reached his eyes.

"Yeah," she said, looking up at him. "Think you can handle that?"

"The question is…can you?"

She felt his hands at her back toying with the zipper of her dress.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"We're not going to dinner anymore tonight. Might as well get you out of these clothes. Come on."

Athena followed as he led her to the bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed. He pulled her between his legs and rested his hands on her hips.

She stepped out of her shoes when he asked her to and watched him move them to the side of the bed. She stood still when he spun her round to zip her dress all the way down and let it fall to the floor. When she stepped out of it, he gently lay it on top of the bed.

His eyes darkened as he looked at her clad only in her underwear. His hands ran down her back, past her hips and over her thighs. Athena moved closer to him when his hands rested on her butt, his big fingers moving over the sheer panels of her panties. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she bent down to kiss him, cupped his cheek as she slid her tongue into his mouth. She nipped at his lips, sucked and pulled while his hands trailed over her back and thighs. They moved to her butt again, splayed across them and she felt herself twitch between her legs as one of them started to move close to her folds.

She hissed as their lips parted. "Wait," she said. "Let me wash this makeup off."

With a groan, he reluctantly let her go and watched her walk away.

"I won't be long," she promised, sprinting to the bathroom.

"I hope not," he said while she washed her face. "I can't wait to get my hands on you."

"Is that so?"

"Oh yeah."

"Here I was thinking you were tired after putting out that fire tonight," she teased.

"Turns out I've got just enough energy to deal with another one."

She could hear him kicking off his shoes when she switched the water off and started to blot her face dry. She heard him take off his jeans and shirt before opening the closet door. While leaning on the doorjamb she watched him make space for her dress and hang it right next to one of his suits. He pushed his boots over a little to create a spot right next to them for her stilettoes. It was the simplest thing, terribly mundane, but it made her tear up.

All he had done from the moment they had started to see each other was make room for her in his life. It never felt as if she was wedged in and had to find her own spot like she sometimes felt she had to with Michael, but it felt as if Bobby made space for her because he felt she belonged in his life.

I love him.

The words were screaming in her mind, coming up her throat and dangling on the tip of her tongue.

I'm in love with him, she thought again. So much.

The depth of emotion hit her much harder than she was prepared for.

He was staring at her, had been for a few seconds, and by now he could tell that something was on her mind.

"Come here," he said.

She slowly moved to stand in front of him. He was wearing only his boxers, and though she was still in her undies, she felt stripped bare in front of him. His fingers unhooked her bra, drew her panties down and then he took his boxers off.

Now he was as naked as she was. He had leveled the playing field before she had even asked him to.

On her tiptoes, she tilted her head up to kiss him, clutched at his face, his chest, wherever her fingers could reach. Her hands moved over his chest and through the fine hairs that covered it all the way down to his navel. Her hands eased softly over his dick that was now springing firmly to life.

He planted kisses on her neck, her shoulders, and then her lips while she gasped at the touch. As always, he allowed her these soft kisses, her gentle pecks, and then he took control, enveloping her in his arms until his demanding kiss left her breathless and panting.

Athena started to shake. She rested her forehead on his chest. She had to tell him, couldn't keep it in any longer.

"What is it, Athena?"

Desire was momentarily cast aside as Bobby looked at her with worried eyes. He cupped her cheek and waited for her.

"I love you, Bobby."

Athena felt the air shift.

She knew her confession raised the stakes in their relationship so much higher. She felt too open, too scared, and she wanted to run.

Bobby saw the uncertainty in her eyes and realized she was afraid. He didn't want her to take the words back. He had wanted to say it for a while, but he hadn't wanted to terrify like she was now. He knew what they had was new to her, and so he had made himself take his time. Made himself move when she felt it was safe to move, walk when she was ready for the next step. Now that she had been the first one to take it, he couldn't, wouldn't, let her stand out on the ledge alone.

"I love you, Athena," he said, quietly. "I love you. You're safe with me. Okay? You're safe with me."

"Okay."

He kissed her softly, and this time he wanted to savor the taste of her love for him on his lips. So he didn't rush, he moved his lips slowly, sweetly, making each movement linger and burn. He teased the inside of her mouth, darted his tongue out to slide over hers and then eased it out over and over.

He felt his excitement build, heard her breath quicken and felt the impatience in her energy. His fingers ran a heated trail over her spine; hands settled on her hips and brought them closer to his own. By now, he was hard, his desire for her was steadily building, but before he entered her, he wanted to have the pleasure of her taste in his mouth.

When he led her over to the bed, Athena started to kiss his chest. He had planned to kiss her from head to toe, but she had turned the tables on him. Her warm tongue seared his nipples, blazed down over his chest and lingered right above his belly button.

When she fell to her knees to lick at his manhood, the only thing he could do was inhale sharply. The sensation of her mouth as she moved so expertly over him was a sweet sample of ecstasy. He softly kneaded the skin at the nape of her neck, cupped her cheek and did his best not to let his knees buckle.

"You like that?" she asked slyly as she ran the tip of his dick over her lips.

"You know I do," he groaned.

She took his length into her mouth again. He threw his head back while his fingers bore into her shoulder. The soft warmth of her mouth was so close to bringing him to a climax, but he stopped her.

She groaned in protest as he drew her upward, but he kissed her hard to silence her.

"No," he told her. "I want to come inside you. But not before I get to touch every single inch of you first."

True to his word, Athena felt as if Bobby's sole mission was to make her wild and dizzy from passion. He had said he planned to deal with another fire tonight, and he hadn't lied.

She moaned as his lips moved over her nipples, bit her bottom lip as they moved over the taut drum of her stomach, licked at her thighs and then made her buck her hips against his mouth when he parted her legs.

She ran her fingers through his hair and dug her nails into his shoulders. He slid his tongue over her labia, circled her clit and made her so wet with desire that she could barely control her breathing.

"Bobby."

She was so close. So close to coming, but he stopped.

She groaned, not liking that he'd stilled the sweet movement of his tongue over her. The feeling was too good, too sweet, and she hadn't wanted him to stop.

Bobby picked her up with ease and sank onto the bed positioning her atop him. He held her hips and slowly lowered her onto his cock. He remained still underneath her, waited for her to move, leaving her in complete control.

Athena thought she was taking control as she guided his movements and his strokes. She thought she was taking control when she placed his hands where she wanted them to be, pressed her mouth to his and took kisses as she pleased. However, with each movement, touch, kiss and moan, she realized she was giving herself away. Surrendering to the love she professed to him and what it meant for them going forward.

She wasn't taking control of anything, but her love, her heart, were all his now, and she trusted him to keep her safe as he promised she would be.