Kindred Hearts
By mardel
NC-17

Disclaimer: I just borrowed them for the story they are owned by Segal Productions.


Bobby Hobbes was more than you might at first expect. He was talented in all areas of
counter intelligence. He could handle most weapons with skill, he was capable of self
defense in a hand to hand situation. He was strong, agile and fast. 
So it should have come as no surprise to Claire that he was a wonderful considerate
lover. 
How she had gotten to the point of finding it out first hand is this story.

Bobby had been killed to make the Chinese believe he was dead. Only it was a fake
funeral. She hadn't been let in on the secret. She hadn't know her feelings for him
where as strong as they were until he was gone. She had liked him but she had not
realized she had loved him too. Bobby was someone she could lean on if she allowed
herself to, he cared about her and Darien. He was the type of man you could go to
for help and he would be there. She understood his problems, she thought his ex-wife
a fool. She had been attempting to needle him about his height but it hadn't worked.
He was comfortable with his body size, he was strong she had learned. He had carried
Darien out of tough situations twice now. 
When he came to her lab to thank her for her kinds words at his funeral, she had been
at a total loss for words so she had pretended she was busy. But when she saw him the
next day after giving Darien his injection. She noticed he seemed down. 
" Hobbes would you report to my office please." she asked.
" Did you want something?" he asked on the offensive. 
" I was wondering if you have any side effects from the knock on the head the other
day." She shined her pen light in his eyes to check for pupil action. 
"No, nothing,"
"You haven't been dizzy, head ache, blurred vision anything?" she asked standing very
close to him. He smelled very male to her just then, different altogether from Darien.
Her hand was resting on his broad shoulder.
Bobby was in high alert mode, why was Claire touching him? If he didn't know better
she was flirting with him. Not in a real forward way, just a little. The best way to tell
if he was right would be to touch her back, if she moved into his touch she was. If
she slapped him or moved away she hadn't been. 
"No, why the sudden interest?" he asked.
"I've been lax in my duties lately worrying about Darien, I need to keep in mind that
all of our personnel are important to the success of the I-man project." 
She explained to him and stepped away to return the light to the instrument panel.
"Do you want to take my blood pressure and listen to my heart too?" he asked.
Claire hadn't planned for this to go that far, but she nodded when he asked.
"Would you mind removing your shirt, it won't take long." she instructed him.
Bobby was now more confused than ever he had never had to disrobe for an exam,
Darien always was taking his shirt off, but he suspected it was because Claire liked
to see him shirtless more than anything. 
He removed his jacket, and lay in on the chair, then he was unbuttoning his shirt
when she turned back to face him with the stethoscope in her ears. He pulled his
shirt off and lay it on top of his jacket. Claire was pleased and surprised to see he
was well muscled. His upper body powerful, his waist trim even his arms hard 

and well muscled. He was well accented with dark hair across his chest. 
Bobby was not worried he would look any worse in her eyes with his shirt off. Claire
didn't go for the big muscle bound types anyway. If she even had a preference it was
like Darien long and lean.  
"Three deep breathes please." she instructed him. 
Bobby followed her instructions, and noticed her own hands were shaking ever so slightly.
"You have a strong heart." she told him after listening for thirty seconds. 
She reached for the blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around his biceps. She was 
all business until she was done. Then as she removed the cuff from his arm she 
allowed herself the luxury of briefly caressing his muscle. 
Bobby's eyes flew to her face when she caressed his arm, she was clearly over stepping
her boundaries now. She looked dazed, then she blinked and was moving away.
"You readings are all fine, very good in fact. Thank you." she turned to leave the
office. 
Hobbes needed to move quickly if he was going to take advantage of her laps in 
procedure. " Claire would you have dinner with me tonight?'
"I'd like that Bobby." and she was gone out the door. 


"Darien buddy in all the time you have been here, and the Keeper has examined you.

Did you ever get the feeling she was flirting with you?" Hobbes asked.
"No, can't say as I have. What's up?"
"I think we have a date tonight."
"You think? Don't you know?"
"She said yes, but when I go to pick her up she might tell me to forget it."
Hobbes explained.
"Yeah, she was pretty upset the other day at the funeral. She must be trying to work
out her feelings for you. Hey man don't push you could hurt your chances if she's
kind of on the fence, you know." Darien warned. 
"Yeah, your right, I'll go easy." he nodded.

Bobby was dressed in his favorite suite when he went to pick Claire up for their dinner.
She had accepted then worried all day about why she had. She was still confused about it
all when he arrived. She was wearing a dress he had once told her she looked really nice
in and she had not wore heels. She was only a few inches shorter than him in her bare
feet it would make kissing easier. (Oh God where did that idea come from)
"I'll be ready in a few minutes Hobbes please make your self at home." 
Bobby looked around the room and then greeted Pavlov her tiny Yorkie.
"Hey there fella, how you doin'?" 

"I hope you aren't starving." she said as she entered the room from the stairs. 
"You look beautiful Claire, blue is definitely your color." he smiled. 
"Thank you, you look very dashing yourself." she smiled back. 

He was hesitant to touch her, he was afraid once he did the spell would be broken.
They arrived at the restaurant and ate with out him learning if it was just to be nice
or if she really did like him as a man. Not as a friend. 
When she was getting back out of the van, she stumbled. Bobby caught her, his strong
arms supporting her keeping her safe. Claire liked that feeling, she hadn't experienced it
in so long, not since she had been a young woman. 
"Easy there Claire." His voice husky and close to her ear. 
"How clumsy of me, please forgive me." she said. 
"Your safe with me, don't apologize." Bobby said, setting her on her feet. 
He walked with her to her door.
"Please come in for a night cap." she offered. 
"Sure sounds good." he followed her inside. 
Claire poured them each a brandy, when she handed him his snifter her fingers touched
his and a jolt of something like electricity hit her. 

Bobby felt it too, but he wasn't going to push. He waited his eyes on her face. 
Claire was suddenly nervous, she wanted him. She knew it now, how she had managed
to hide her attraction from even herself for so long she couldn't fathom. 
"Bobby I didn't realize how strong my feelings were for you until you were gone.
I'm going to make a fool of my self now I'm sure, but I'd like it very much if you
would kiss me." she told him. 
He smiled and took the two steps that brought him close to her, he lifted a hand to her
cheek and kissed her gently, but thoroughly. She responded whole heartily, Bobby deepen
the second kiss and she opened for him. Claire had never experienced passion like this
before from her partner or form herself. He made her crazy with desire from him. 
She hadn't planned to go to bed with him so soon, but she wanted him now that 
she had an idea of what it would be like. 
"Claire I think I'd better leave now." he parted their lips and to some extent their bodies.
He swallowed hard. He was aroused and ready but he would defiantly be pushing if
he went any further now. 
"Just a little longer, Bobby." she pulled him back to her mouth. She wrapped her arms
around his chest and held on tight. Bobby held her lower body close with one arm
and the other was buried deep in her hair holding her head still for his assault. 
Claire suddenly realized he was aroused, she could feel him long and hard pressed
against her own groin. 
"Did I do this," she asked and moved against him. 
"What do you think?" he thrust himself against her, he was fully aroused and hard as
a stone, only hot and throbbing. 
"Make love to me Bobby, but don't make any promises." she asked him.
"Here or in your bed?" he asked. 

She was undressing for him, she was in such a rush now. He was removing his pants
when she chanced a look at him. He was proudly male from head to toe, all hard 
muscle, tight and firm everywhere and magnificently aroused for her. 
Bobby was not concerned with his ability to please her, he had never had a complaint

in that area of his life. Even Vivian hadn't found fault with his lovemaking. 
But she was trembling again, he couldn't understand why. 
"Bobby take me now please." she asked of him. She opened her arms to him 
and he came to her, but he wasn't about to just jump on and pound her into
the mattress. He knew she needed some preparation for her to get more pleasure
from their joining.  He kissed her deeply, and moved against her. He rubbed
his erection against her in such a manner that she was aroused even more. Then he
made sure she was ready by adding to her pleasure with his fingers.  By the time
he was fully mounted and thrusting she was ready to climax. He managed to
bring her to pleasure three times before reaching his own powerful finish. 
Bobby was very happy, and Claire was mindless at the moment. She had never had
sex that was so powerful and pleasurable and earth shakingly beautiful. 

"Bobby that was amazing." she stroked a hand over his chest. He was laying
beside her now. His breathing returned to normal. 
"Your just saying that." he was on the defense now for some reason.
"No, you were fantastic, you are fantastic. Your also magnificently built, why have you
been hiding all of this from me?" she asked. Stroking a hand over his hard chest again.
"I'm not hiding from you. You never looked my way once in the past year." he admitted.
"You never showed the slightest interest in muscles,  how would I know you
like them? How would I let you know I have any, come to work naked one morning?'
"I have looked your way, I've been fighting my feelings for you for months now."
"I thought you were just mad at me." Bobby confessed.
"I'm sorry, I like them on you, your beautifully balanced all over from your broad
shoulders to your powerful legs." she praised him. 
"Claire stop saying that just relax here with me." he told her. 
"Why do you want me to stop, haven't you ever heard these complements from
 ladies before?" she pushed forward.
"Sometimes, but never from anyone that mattered. You don't have to praise me
Claire." he told her 
"I don't have to, but I want to. You are amazing Bobby Hobbes I've never been so
satisfied in my life. Your gentle, caring and strong. I'm glad I finally admitted
to myself and you that I care about you. I hope we can spend a lot more time together."
'I like you too, and I can agree on that I want to spend a lot more time together."
She settled into him, resting her head against his shoulder. She wanted to store
up the memory of him holding her, so that when he was gone she could remember.
Bobby sighed and relaxed as much as he ever did, he liked the feeling of her pressed
into his side, her head on his shoulder, her hand stroking over his chest absently.
Claire made him feel needed, but she made him feel manly somehow that was
different from his other partners. If was probably because he valued her opinion.
They stayed in each other's arms until the small hours of the morning.
"I think I'd better go, how do you want to handle this at work?" He was expecting her
to tell him it was not going to continue.
"I think Darien can know, but the official wouldn't like it. So only in front of Darien."
She kissed his chest before he left her. 

Bobby kissed her again deeply, then he scrambled from the bed and dressed in the
darkness of her room. 
"I'll see you in a few hours." He came back to the bed to kiss her one last time. 
She pulled him down to her in the bed again, and he had to pull himself away
finally. "Bobby you didn't mind my touch tonight, but what about later?"
"It's fine, I like your touch, just don't sneak up on me. I'll see you soon."
He kissed her hand. 

Darien was surprised when Hobbes told him they had become intimate but he was
happy for them both. He just hoped it was a lasting relationship. 
Bobby waited for Darien to get checked out, then he moved closer to Claire and
kissed her. She welcomed his attention, curving her arms around his back and shoulders.
"Good morning." she whispered. 
"Claire you look beautiful this morning." he touched her face. 
"Thank you, but that's your doing."she nearly purred. 

"Guys I'm glad your happy but Eberts is coming." Darien walked back towards the
two to help shield them from the door. 

"We have a assignment to follow people today, so we won't be back until this evening."
Bobby told her. 
"I'll see you both then." she smiled. 

Darien had been expected back from his little mission to collect information. Hobbes
was waiting but he was about ready to go in to look for Darien. He was half way to
the exit door when Darien became viable. 
"Little help here buddy," He said as he became viable again, he was bleeding and he
needed help getting to the van. 
"Hang on Darien, I'll get you back to Claire in a couple of minutes. He was wrapping  
his bleeding arm with his spare shirt and his belt to keep the pressure on. 
He was back to the Fish and Game building in minutes. But Darien was out cold.
He had to firemen carry him inside. He was yelling for Claire as soon as he was inside
the building,
"Help me, here put him on the table. How was he injured?"
"I don't know he came out bleeding, then he passed out." Bobby told her. 
"He needs his shot first, then I'll stitch his arm up." she prepared his shot, then cleaned
his arm, it looked worse than it was. She only needed three stitches to close the wound. 
Darien was hooked up to fluids to be on the safe side and he woke up before she was
done stitching him up. 
"Lay still your fine, you lost some blood. Do you know what happened?'
"Yeah, I was leaving the building when the alarm went off, I was climbing down a 
fire escape ladder and I slipped." Darien explained. 
"I can't let you go anywhere alone can I?" Bobby Hobbes shook his head. 
"Well you'll be fine, just let me finish these fluids." Claire patted his arm. 
"I'm going to turn in the stuff you brought out, I'll make our report." Bobby

told them both and left. 

He was relieved Darien wasn't hurt seriously. He turned in the papers and data disks,
Fawkes had liberated from the building. 

"Where's the patience?" Bobby asked 
"He refused to use a bed pan, he is visiting them men's room." Claire smiled at Bobby.
He understood that she wanted him to kiss her then, as they were alone. 
Bobby covered her mouth with his, the kiss was tender and hinted at passion. 
Claire was pressed against him completely, she was experiencing a deep need for 
physical contact where he was concerned. 
"You want me to meet you at your place?" he asked, his voice deep after her
response to his kiss. 
"Yes, I'll be done here soon, if you'll see Darien home then come over, I should
be ready for you." she smiled. 
Bobby was standing with both arms around her, one hand spread wide over her
back, the other at her waist. She was the one that was holding their groins in
contact so close she could feel him. 
"Claire now is not the time for that, give me some credit for control." he was 
not aroused from sheer force of will. 
"I'm sorry but you seem to bring the need out in me." she lifted a hand to his    
face, passing her thumb across his cheek bone.  "Your eyes are so full of desire
Bobby, it makes me wish we could be together sooner." she kissed him then.
Darien returned to find Claire and Bobby lipped locked. He excused himself.
"Sorry, guys but this thing is about empty can I go home now?" 



"Bobby, I've wanted you all day, I've never experienced this feeling of need."
She told him as soon as he arrived at her place.
"Your horny Claire, it's never happened before?" he laughed.
"I don't think I'm, what you said, I just know I need you." she kissed him deeply.
Bobby allowed her the first kiss, then he retook control of the situation. He would
have to trust her completely for him to allow her control during sex. It was one
thing he couldn't change about his personality. 
"Do you want to go to your bed room?" he asked removing his jacket. 
Claire was already wearing only a robe, and there was little or nothing under it.
"Do you have a favorite location?' she asked and kissed his jaw, then began to
unbutton his shirt. 
"Almost anywhere except in a car, or somewhere that I have to rush." he inhaled
sharply when she covered his nipple with her mouth. Claire licked at him until
he was aroused and taunt. 
"Did you have an plan for this evening?" he asked, his teeth clenched as he removed
his shirt and threw it on the chair. 
"I want to touch you Bobby, your so beautifully built, so hard, so sculpted." 

She caressed his chest with both hands drawing them up from his ribs over the
hard plane of his pectoral muscles and out the length of his arms to the swell
of his biceps. 
"You do make a man feel appreciated Claire." he watched her face as she stroked
her hands over him. He was fully aroused by this time but she was for once not
rubbing herself against him there. 
" Of all the men I have known , you are the most comfortable with himself,
your build is maintained as a matter of fitness, not as a tool for attracting ladies."
She told him. "Not that you have any trouble in that area I have come to learn."
"Now that was in the line of duty, those stories." Bobby told her. " I may have had
some success with women in the past, but only in one night stands. And considering
my other physical characteristics, having big muscles wouldn't make much difference."
He told her. 
Claire stopped, " Please clarify that statement?"
" Most women aren't much attracted to a guy who is kind of short and bald." he stated
bluntly. 
"Most women are fools, your the exact height of the average male in this country. 
Just because Fawkes is a bean pole." she protested his comment. 
"Claire, as long as you like me the way I am, that's all that matters." he buried his
hands in her hair and lowered his mouth over hers. Now she moved against him,
she could feel his hard erection, she rubbed herself against him as they kissed. 
Bobby liked the contact, he rocked into her so she could feel him better still. She was
the one to push forward, she unfastened his fly and pushed his pants to the floor.
She took his throbbing member in her hands and stroked him from base to tip, he
moved into her touch, his hips lifting. Bobby groaned as she stroked him. 
Claire had never been so needy that she wanted to feel his hot length before he mounted
her and rammed it deep. She pulled at his swollen organ, he was easily the largest
she had ever experienced. Even his testes were high and large, it was no wonder he
exuded such virility. 
"Claire if you don't ease up, there won't be any thing for you to"
"Oh," she released her grip of his penis and it swayed to it's own position about half staff, as he was fully in need of release and heavy.
Claire lay back on the couch and reached for him, "Come to me" she begged him.
Bobby mounted her in one long hard thrust, his mouth covering her cry of surprise.
He felt enormous to her, even though she was wet and ready. 
"Bobby your so big, it feels so full." she told him while arching into his trusts.
 " I'm not hurting you?" he asked and slowed his pace.
"No, it feels wonderful." she told him. 
Bobby wasted no time she was more than ready, and he sent her over the edge to
pleasure quickly, then he built more need in her for him and rewarded her with 
several more powerful climaxes. Claire cried out again and again with her pleasure. 
She was writhing under him, completely satisfied, when he took his own finish. 
He had prolonged his own end so long that it hurt when he finally came. He took
a moment to jerk out his own release, his cock still hard as he ejaculated forcefully.
Hobbes slide free of her and lay beside her, he was finished for the time being.

But he had been known to perform sexual feats repeatedly during the night if
the lady was so inclined as to want him still. He was ever ready for sex, and if it was
for Claire he would please her with his last breath if nessicarry. 
"Bobby Hobbes, I'll say again your amazing." she stroked her hand over his shoulder.
"Thank you, but it's because you wanted me that it was good." he told her.   
"I did want you, but your skill is what has me melted into a puddle." she sighed. 
"I want to satisfy my partner." he kissed her hair and settled her against him. 
"You even want the touching afterwards." she commented.
"I'm good at many things Claire but I can't share most of them with people."
He whispered to her. 
They slept together, and he slept soundly for the first time in ages. Claire was stroking him when he woke, it was not yet dawn. 
"You don't have a morning erection like other men?" she asked. 
"Sometimes, but not if I was active the night before." he stretched, his arms over his
head his body flexing under her. 
"So if I'd like morning sex then I'm going to have to work for it?" she asked. 
"No you don't have to work for it, you just have to tell me." he rolled her under him
and moved his now growing erection against her. 
Claire arched up into him, he felt like he was fully ready for her already. 
"Your amazing, and your talented, and I love you more than I thought was possible
for me to care about anyone." she kissed him deeply. 
"Your just saying that because your horny, and I have what you want." Bobby moved
against her pressing forward. 
"I'm not, but I'll  convince you of that later." she arched up for his entry. Bobby took his
time and used long strokes to build their mutual pleasure, he finish only a few seconds
after she cried out her climax. He knew he had been paying almost no attention to her
other areas of sexual pleasure. But she had not seemed bothered by his lack of attention.
He lowered his mouth to her breast now, and teased each nipple to a hard peek of desire.
She was ready for him to mount her again. But his lower body was not even touching 
her as he caressed her. 
"Bobby, please I need you again." she moved under her talented mouth. 
He stroked a finger over her, to prepaid her for his next contact. When she realized
he was going to use his mouth she panicked. 
"No, please stop." she pushed at him, and sat up. 
"Claire easy, I won't do something you don't want." he moved to sit beside her.
He embraced her from behind his arms wrapping around her. Her back pressed into
his hard chest. "Why did you stop me?" he asked, concerned. 
" I don't want that, please don't ask me to accept that from you." she sounded close to tears. Bobby hugged her closer, and kissed her ear. 
"I won't ever ask you to do anything you don't want to do, sweetheart." there he had
said it, he'd let out that he loved her. He never had called Vivian that endearment. 

Do you want to tell me about it?' Bobby asked worried she had closed down.
Claire loved the feeling of him surrounding her, but she couldn't explain to him
about her past. 

"I can't tell you." she finally answered. 
"OK, then do you want me to leave?" he asked his arms still holding her. 
"No, Bobby I'm not rejecting you. I just can't explain." she turned in his embrace and
looked into his dark eyes .
He nodded, feeling like she didn't trust him to understand her trouble in the past. 
"Your beard grows quickly." she stroked her finger over his jaw. 
"Yeah, tons of hair on me just not on my head were it should be." he joked. 
"I like the other places" she kissed his jaw and moved to pull on her robe. 
" Can I take a shower?"he asked watching her.
"Yes, of course there are towels in the cub bard and soap on the side." 
Claire made coffee and took her own quick shower once he was done. 
Bobby poured her coffee and stood resting against the kitchen counter waiting.

"I'm sorry about before, I promise not to stop you in mid stream like that again."
She apologized. 
"You have every right to stop me if I'm doing something you dislike. If you would
warn me ahead of time I'll avoid repeating my mistake." Bobby was calm.
"Bobby I love you, I know you think I'm just saying the words, but I feel it too.
Explaining won't make us any closer, the only other thing I have trouble with is
being held down." she told him.
"I only have trouble with is lies, and I like to be in control, it's fine if you
want to start things off, but don't expect me to be passive, it's not something I
can allow." he told her. 
"No, your never passive, but your gentle and caring and wonderful Bobby Hobbes."
Claire moved to look into his eyes again, there were darker than ever and worried.
"Your alright?" he straightened away from the counter. 
Claire nodded, she wanted him to hold her, but that always got her started it seemed.
Bobby knew she wanted something from him, but it would be wrong at the moment
to offer her anything but comfort. 
"I'll see you at work, I have to pick up Fawkes." 

Bobby was worried now about Claire, he wondered if there was anywhere he could
find out about her past. He file at the agency wasn't anywhere he could access it.
Eberts wouldn't share any info about her if he had any, and Darien had known
her less time than he had. He knew only one of her parents was British and she
had attended school in France and England but that was about all. Everything
else he knew was recent history. She had never been married, and as far as they
all knew she didn't date. Until now she had been a complete mystery to him in
her personal life. 

"You don't look as happy as I though you would." Darien said when Hobbes 
picked him up as usual. 
" I'm thinking, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good, can I help?" Darien offered. 
" I might ask you to lift some information for me, if I can't find out what I need
from other sources." Bobby told him.
"Sure bubby, I haven't done any breaking and entering in a while." he smiled.

"Agent Hobbes if you could come with me." Eberts greeted Bobby as soon as he
entered the building. 
"I'll catch you later." Darien waved as he headed for the lab. 

"What's the problem Eberts?" Bobby hated having anything to do with him.
"This report you submitted yesterday about the information gathering case.
It's not up to your usual standards."
" Is that an insult or a complement?" Bobby asked puzzled. 
"Your reports are usually brief and to the point, but this report was only one page
of information. Could you perhaps provide a little e more detail?" He handed
Bobby the report, only Bobby noticed that the file was larger than the report
he had handed in the day before. 
"Sure I'll get on it at once," Bobby took the file and headed for his office. 
He opened the file and found a copy of Claire's background investigation.
Either she had asked Eberts to leak the information to him so she wouldn't
have to explain or even her house was bugged by the agency and he thought
he was being helpful. 
Bobby exhaled and began to read, she had been raised in a series of schools,
her father was the British officer, her mother a American nurse. The had
both been career driven so she saw them only on special occasions. When 
she was awarded a scholarship to the French Medical College at the age of 17,
she was unprepared for the advances she received from her male collages. 
One in particular had a mesmerizing effect on her, she began an affair with 
him that ended badly when he left for a research position in Australia. 
Claire had attempted to file charges against him the summer before he
was reassigned, charging him with physical and mental abuse. But the French
had waved it all off, as a young women's imagination. 
The rest of her file was the report of her career as a doctor and recruitment by the
agency when she was only twenty seven. She had been studying with a collage of
Fawkes's brother in the same light bending techniques. Claire was the closest thing
to an expert there was on the Quicksilver project.  

Bobby was boiling the anger by the time he finished reading. She had been ignored
when she had looked for help. It was no wonder she kept such a control on her feelings.
The last time she had attempted to be open about her private life the door had been
slammed in her face. There was a short hand written note at the end of the file that
stated that she had received counseling for abuse. That was one small thing in 
favor of the agency. But now he understood, at least in theory why she didn't want

to discuss this with him. He was almost afraid to be with her again, afraid he would do
something that made her remember. Bobby slammed his fist into the nearest wall. 
Then was sorry he hadn't waited until he could go to the agency gym. He could take
out some of his frustrations on the bag. 
He reached for the phone, " Eberts, do I have some time this morning or are we 
expected somewhere soon?"
"The official was called out unexpectedly this morning, your briefing is not until ten."
"Thanks I'll be in the gym." Bobby thanked him.

Bobby was dripping with sweat when Darien found him still punching the hell out
of the big bag. 
"Hey, partner take a break. What's gotten in to you?" Darien came to stand a foot from
his friend. 
"That information I needed, it wasn't good." he returned to hitting the bag. 
"Hey, hold on there Bobby, your worn out. Rest up a minute." 
Bobby stopped and started to untape his hands. They were bruised and starting to
swell slightly. 
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Darien asked. 
Bobby walked to the bench near the wall and slumped down. 
"I don't know if I can handle this Fawkes, abuse to anyone is hard for me to take, but when it's to someone I know." he buried his face in his hands. 
"Abuse, who what are you talking about? Claire?" 
"Yeah, but it was a long time ago. I'm not sure I can be who she needs now man, she
usually makes me lose control and what she needs is complete control." Bobby told 
him. 
"Hold up, Claire was sexually abused?"
"Yeah, when she was seventeen, she's been in counseling and she's dealing with it, but
she didn't tell me about it until I did something that set her off. I would never have
done anything if she had let me know before, I didn't know." Bobby looked up at
Darien his eyes wet. 
"Take it easy Bobby, she didn't seem upset when I saw her a little while ago.
Darien sat next to him. 
"Listen Bobby if anyone can keep control of himself when the chips are down it's you,
your the master at staying clam when the shit hits the fan." 
"This is different."
"No, control is control man and you are the one who knows how it works. It might 
mean putting your own needs on the back burner for awhile, is she worth that kind
of sacrifice?" Darien already knew the answer to that one. 
"Yeah, she's worth way more than that. Thanks man." Bobby stood and moved towards
the shower room. 

Hobbes returned his file to Eberts and the copy was destroyed only minutes later. 
Claire had asked him to slip her file to Bobby, he hadn't asked questions he owed 

her more than a few favors from a terrible ordeal of his own in the past. 

Darien and Hobbes spent that day with only a few hours of surveillance to their
credit. When they returned to the office it was quite, most of the other employees
had left for the three day weekend. 

"Claire are you still here?" Darien asked as he entered her lab.
"Yes, hang on a minute, I'll be right with you." she was in the back of the lab.
Bobby was with him, but he was silent for the moment. He wasn't sure what came
next between him and Claire. 
"You two look tired, nothing interesting today?" she checked his arm. "I've made
the reagent up for your next shot. But I'll be away for two days, there is a conference
for medical researchers in Atlanta this weekend. Do you want me to give you a shot now
as a preemptive measure or do you want to wait until you need it?' 
"Will it work that way?" 
"I believe it will, if your getting close to needing one." 
"If tomorrow's as dull as today was, I won't need a shot until next week."
"Bobby can always give it to you, it's up to you."
"I'll wait." Darien answered. 
"Fine, stay out of trouble." she nodded to him. 

"Bobby, would you drive me to the airport?' she asked. 
"Sure if you want me to. When is your flight?" he smiled half heartedly at her. 
He was feeling like she was dumping him, even though he knew it wasn't her style to
run from a confrontation. 
"I really do have a medical conference in Atlanta." she told Bobby.
He just stood there disappointed. 
"Do you really think I'm running from this?' she turned to look at him.
"No, your running from us."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, perhaps I'll just take a cap to the airport." she turned back to her paperwork. 
Bobby wanted to take her in his arms and promise her she would never again have
that terrible lost, scared panicked feeling. But he knew it wasn't with in his control.
"Claire I'll drive you, and I'll be here waiting for you when your ready." he told her.


She was running, but it was all so strange the feelings Bobby brought to the surface.
She had been alone for so many years now. She had been sure she would never feel
that way about a man again. She had tried a few times with nice men, she had met
in graduate school and at hospitals. But there was never the passion again. She was
sure that had been robbed from her. 
Then Bobby had made love to her and it was all back, the need the passion. She 
could hardly be near him without wanting to touch him. She adored his voice,

his eyes, his manner. The fact that he felt he needed to protect everybody. His talent
for knowing things even before she knew them. The only time that had broken down
was that morning. At no other time had anything he'd done reminded her of her past.
"You could come with me." she offered as he pulled into the parking area at the 
airport.
"I have work tomorrow." he told her.
" You could take a day off, your entitled."
"I could if it was an emergency." he took her bag out of the side door and locked up.
"I'll be here when you get back." he half smiled. 
Claire felt silly now, she didn't have to go to this conference. She doubted she would
be able to concentrate on the lectures.  When they called her flight only minutes after
she checked her bag. 
"Come on Claire the gate is this way." he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the
gate. He pushed her towards the line of waiting people for the metal detector and showed
his badge to the guards. Who passed him through. 
"Bobby not so fast, I'm not as fit as you are." she gasped for air. 
He slowed down and checked his watch, she had a few minutes to spare. 
" Why do you say that, it's Darien more you type, long, tall and lean?' he teased her.
He though she did like men more his type, but he didn't mean to challenge her word.
"If you want the truth, neither of you is my type, but then I've decided to alter my
preferences. I like dark men, eyes, hair. I like the rough feel of your body hair under
my hands. I like the strength Bobby. And I love you." she kissed him quickly.
He pulled her back to him, before she was gone and kissed her deeply, so she would
know he would be there for her when she needed him. 

 

13