Hey girls! I hope you enjoy the snow that's falling all over our heads!

Here's my entry for this challenge, I hope you'll like it.

I'll use a song as background--Rascal Flatts' 'These Days'--the lyrics will be in red.

*****

Warm Memories

Winter must be cold with no warm memories (An Affair to Remember)

Another cold day was beginning, bringing its burden of problems and sadness... just like each single day since she left town all those months ago, almost two years. This time of year was even harder on him, reminding him of her perkiness and the contagious joy she was showing at Christmas time, singing carols and decorating each inch of the bullpen with colourful Santa’s , reindeers, false gifts and candy canes.

This year the magic wasn’t in his heart—she’d took it with her that faithful day, leaving and empty hole that nobody had being able to comb. How come such a small woman can do such a huge difference in someone’s life? How could I ever told her such a stupidity and let her go? He admonished himself, walking in the cold air, his hands stubbornly stocked in his jacket pockets.

He hated the darkness of winter. Hated getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark and dealing with all that is dark in the hours in between. The season hadn’t even begun but he was growing more and more morose as each day passed.

Entering the coffee shop before he heads to the office, Bobby scanned the room in search for her. It’s useless... she’s gone... he reminded himself painfully. Though, as his eyes made their way to the far end of the counter, a blonde-haired brought old memories flashes as she was making her way out.

Not ready to miss the chance that it could be her, he called her name as he grabbed her arm and turned her around.

“Tara?...”

Hey baby, is that you
Wow, your hair got so long
Yeah, yeah I love it, I really do

*****

More soon...

Welcome to the challenge Annie. Nice start. I'm very intrigued on why Tara left...well, I can guess why she left...but the circumstances under which she left and, more importantly, what is Bobby going to do about it? Now, is this Tara? Or just a look-a-like?

Lynn

Welcome to the challenge, any. I'm anxious to find out if Tara has come back...and where has she been for two years!!!!????

kav

She's been gone for two whole years?!

Why? OKay, well I can only assume why, but still... two whole years? :whimper:

Wonderful start! Welcome to the challenge! Please post more soon!

Lindsy

Tara's been gone 2 years, huh? What a wonderful opportunity for flashbacks!! So . . . how long are you going to make us wait for MORE????

Great start, Any!!!

(my personal favorite snow smiley!!)

Thanks for the kind coments and for reading!

As for why she left for two years, you'll have answers... soon...

Red are song lyrics from Rascal Flatts' 'These Days'.

*****

The familiar voice behind her stopped her in her leaving ; it was his... When she came back the day before, she knew that he was still hanging around, though she didn’t dare to imagine she would run into him this soon... she wasn’t sure she was ready to face him, not yet... But there he was, standing in front of her, not daring to say a word, so she had no choice ; she’ll have to speak first.

Uneasily she managed to say his name. “Hey Bobby!” She gulped the emotion that threatened to invade her heart and soul. “What are you doing here?” That’s a stupid question, Tare! You ask him what he’s doing in a coffee shop? Gee, what a genius you are!... Although she knew that she always had a tendency to lose her mind around him, and things didn’t seems to had changed... “Uh, still works with the team?” She asked even if she knew the answer.

“Yeah, yeah.” The tiny smile he did never reached his eyes. She could read the hurt in them and it was hard for her to bear ; she’d never stopped to resent feelings for him, not really able to put a name on them, but their constant presence in the deepest part of her heart prevent her to get fully involve in whatever relation she was in, keeping her a certain distance away from men.

Yeah, life throws you curves
But you learned to swerve
Me, I swung and I missed

*****

More soon...

Ooh! This give me so much hope!

Lindsy

Welcome to the challenge, Any!!!

I was lucky - I read your first post and had all those same questions, but then I got to read your second post right away!! I'm still wondering if Tara really left because of Bobby (my feeling is yes) and why is she back now (a miracle perhaps)???

Joy

Yikes...it sounds like they are going to have to wade through a lot of past hurts if they want to get anywhere.

kav

Like Kav said, there will be a lot of hurts to get past to get to that happy ending, aren't there, Any? That line troubled me . . .

Hi Any! I just catched up your story, seems interesting!!
Looking forward for the next!

Tere

Sometimes people have to do a step back on things to see farward...

This looks familiar, don't you think?

Thanks for the replies and reading again!

*****

The way things went between them hunted him ever since, and now he seemed to had been given another chance to explain, and he knew better to let it pass...

“Care to sit down a while? If you have time, that is,” he hurried to add trying not to sound too pleading.

Gazing him to try to gauge him, she finally nodded. “Yeah... I’d like that...”

The hand he laid on the small of her back to usher her to a nearby table send an electricity shock through her winter coat, making her fasten her pace to end the contact. Sadly he brought his arm beside him. How come I can’t touch her like in the old time? We were as close as friends could ever be... Yeah, I couldn’t stand to stay just friend with her, my heart was craving for so much more... I miss your laugher, your sense of humour... your eyes on me every time you thought nobody was looking around...

Sitting down each on their side of the table, an awkward silence brought a heaviness between them, a painful reality telling them that things could hardly ever be the same again... so many things had been left unsaid when she left... too many regrets were still hidden in deep in their soul...

And the next thing you know, I’m reminiscing
Dreaming old dreams
Wishing old wishes
Like you would be back again

*****

More soon...

So sad! I'm assuming we're going to be granted the luxury of finding out what HAPPENED when she left? You keep hinting around, Any!! We need information, here!!

That was sad

Tere

at least they're together now and talking.

kav

Exactly. That's the biggest step they can make right now.

Lindsy

Regina you'll have the answers, but you have to wait a bit...

Red are songs lyrics from Rascal Flats' song 'These days'.

*****

“Look Tara...” “You know Bobby...” They started simultaneously, laughing at the coincidence that happened several times when they were working together. Somehow, it helped loosen the tension, taking a brick off the tick wall between them.

“Go ahead, Tara,” he offered not really ready to do his confession.

“Uh... What I wanted to say is that... You know since I left DC things had changed... in me I mean... I did a lot of thinking about...” She took a deep breath before she went on. “...about what happened and how I would have liked things to happened... You know what I mean?”

His head nod and his gaze lock on his hand on his laps told her that he did. Although he couldn’t bring himself to hear how her life had changed before he tell her what he had to say. “Tara,” he raised his eyes to look in her pool, seeking courage in them. “...I know what I need to say isn’t what you want or need to hear at this time of your life, but I can’t keep it inside anymore... Since you left, I stopped living... I lost my heart... because you already had stolen it...”

Her eyebrows raised and tears invaded her eyelashes, threatening to fall down her cheeks any second. If only I’d known...

I wake up in teardrops that fall down like rain
I put on that old song we danced to and then
I head off to my job, guess not much has changed

*****

More soon...

Hmmmm . . .

So some things in Tara's life have changed . . . but how MUCH have they changed? Are they big, life-altering-concrete-unalterable-things, or just "I'm going to start taking more chances" type changes?

You're getting awfully secretive, Any . . . been taking cliffie lessons from Lindsy?

I'm curious about what changed in Tara's life?

Tere

I think I'm flattered, Regina.

Now... am I going to like the changes that have happened in Tara's lif or are they going to make me want to cry?

Lindsy

P1-6 – The smile not reaching his eyes should tell you a lot, Tara!

P1-12 – But all those things left unsaid don’t have to remain unsaid, Tara!

P2-17 – Ok, I’m dying to know….what happened? And what changes have occurred in Tara's life? They aren't changes which is going to keep them from getting together are they? B/c if they are....I'm not going to like it!

Btw, great suspense you've got going here, Any! But....don’t leave us hanging out here

Lynn

Here's Bobby's ... confession... Might satiate some of you... for now...!

Red are Rascal Flatts' 'These Says' lyrics.

*****

Studying him through narrowed eyes, blinking the tears away, she let him emptied his heart.

“Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my entire life...” Tara shifted nervously on her chair, focusing her gaze on a spot on the floor by the counter. “...and I regret this decision every single day that pass without you in it...” A nervous chuckle came out of his throat as he continued. “At least when you were working here with the team, I could see you every day... could hear your laughter through the room...”

“Bobby...please...” she said in a hushed voice. It was harder by each second to retain the flow of tears from falling free, rebels ones already had find their path to her neck.
“All I’m doing is ‘being there’,” he mimed the quotation marks in front of him. “I’ve being reprimanded for my lack of professionalism, Tara! I can’t stop thinking of you ; you were the reason why I lived...” he ended in a whisper. When he stopped his tirade to himself, breathing had become laborious, coming out in harsh breaths for both of them.

Punch the clock, head for home, check the phone, just in case
Go to bed, dream of you
That’s what I’m doing these days
Yeah, that’s what I’m doing

*****

More soon...

So wonderful! Now Tara, if you please...

Tere

And this has been going on for TWO YEARS?? Yikes! If I'd known THAT, I'd have been more nervous about National Security!!

Heck I would have gone to DC and tried to console him myself!

It wouldn't have worked for him, but I'd feel better.

So, now what is Tara's news. Am I going to have to try to plan another trip to Washington to console Bobby?

Lindsy

Poor Bobby...Now Tara, how can you be immune to those words? Tell us Any!

Lynn

What on earth happened????????????????????????????????

kav

Thanks for following this story!

Red are Rascal Flatts' song lyrics 'These Days'.

*****

As suddenly as if he was getting out of a trance, he shook his head. “I didn’t have the right to tell you these things, Tara...” he said standing up to leave.

A firm but delicate hand reached for his arm, bringing him back to his seat.

“Can I speak now?” Her eyes were pleading, pleading with all the pain she felt and was praying to be released. So he complied. It’s the least I can do for you, luv...

When she took a deep breath to gather her thoughts, she inhaled his perfume—his strong yet amazing scent that was only his—Tropical Delight.

In her head, it was so easy to find the words!... But as soon as she tried to voice them, it seemed like they were all glued together, saying everything, but the only thing she so wish to tell him. So many times she’d dreamed of this moment, when she’d the chance to set things clear between them. You can do it, Tara... you’re stronger than that... you can do it! She tried to boast herself up.

“Leaving DC was the hardest thing I’ve ever do, whatever you can think about it... You’re right, the events around... ‘the park event’ was one of the reason why I left... but it wasn’t the only one.” Reminding those last few days she passed in DC was hard for her, painful. Though she knew inwardly that letting it all out was the beginning of healing.

“I had fell in love with you, Bobby... and I couldn’t stand to feel guilty about Stanley.” A heavy silent followed her confession. “When he came to take me to this Mexican-Asian restaurant, I could hardly look him in the eyes. It’s the last time I saw him, Bobby—I broke up with him that night.”

Things were getting even more confusing in Bobby’s mind. If she’d broke up with Stan-the-man and he’d broke up with Darcy the next day, why did she left?

Someone told me after college
You ran off to Vegas
You married a rodeo cowboy
Wow, that ain’t the girl I knew

*****

More soon...

Any, that snippet of song was perfect for that post! Talk Bobby doing a double-take!! That was unexpected - for him, anyway. Me? I'm not surprised, but I AM delighted!

I'm officially lost here,

Tere

Any, I've just caught up and am enjoying myself, learning how Bobby and partly how Tara felt!! I just have one question - Tara didn't run off to Vegas and marry a rodeo cowboy, did she?? That would be very unfortunate!!! LOL

Joy

Oh, Any, you can't stop there! Please go on...I'm

on to every word, as is poor Bobby. And if the lyrics are true....she married a cowboy in Vegas????????

Lynn

Oh I hope she didn't marry a cowboy in Vegas.... or marry, period.

I don't even think I want to know though... :whimper:

Lindsy

I didn't mean to imply that Tara LITERALLY married a cowboy in Vegas, just that the song indicates that the girl has done something unexpected. Something, reading between the lines, that would leave Bobby speechless . . .

Although that WOULD certainly be unexpected . . . Please Any . . . continue before I get you (or poor Tara!) in any MORE trouble??

Regina's right--you don't have to take the lyrics litterally.
At first I was debating on putting them or not, but the hurting meaning of it made me keep them. Sorry to had let you think she had gone to marry a cowboy in Vegas...


Hope you like this next part!

*****

“Tara... tell me, I need to know why?... Why did you left?”

Sighting the emotions she tried to push aside but never succeed, she let her heart speak for her, knowing that her mind couldn’t manage to do it in the state she was actually in.

“I had to protect us... to protect you.”

He was suddenly thankful to have chose a seclude area of the café to sit with her, letting them the shadow of illusion of some privacy. People didn’t need to know their story—only people need to complete the puzzle of time, which too many pieces had been taken away.

“From what, Tara? Why did you think you had to protect me? I-I don’t understand...”

“And so I couldn’t at this time, Bobby... The only thing I knew was that I couldn’t stay near you another without being able to have you... for me...” More tears made their way down her cheeks, some letting a salty taste on her lips. “I was so miserable, dreaming of you every single second of each passing day, but I knew that this dream was one I wouldn’t been able to make reality with what you’ve told me. The insanity that was invading me...” tears were now falling from his own pools, “I couldn’t bring myself to make you feel as miserable as I was... In my mind you were more worthy than that... more worthy than ...me...” she answered sheepishly, once again avoiding his gaze, a gaze in which she knew she would see pain and guilt.

“Uh, Tara...” he sighted sadness of knowing just how hard it should have been for her to let everything she had aside, all the people she loved behind... for him... Coming beside her, he brought her to snuggle tight in his strong embrace where he never doubted she belonged, at least ever since after he made the biggest mistake of his life, letting her go. “I never left you... and I never will, luv... And now that I’ve find you back, I won’t let you go... ever...”

Me , I’ve been a few places
Mostly here and there once or twice
Still sorting out life but I’m doing alright
Yeah, it’s good to see you too

*****

More soon...

Beautiful Any!!



Tere

Excellent! They're actually talking to each other and making sense!

kav

Now that's a promise that I know he'll keep.

Lindsy

Weather's still so tomorrow will be a perfect time for or ...

Thanks for keeping reading this story!

*****

She was devastated and he knew it. He couldn't push things to fast or she will retreat again and that, he wouldn't support it again. He couldn't lose her again...

Gently almost protectively as to shield the world around her, he stroke her back in light touches. As seconds changed into minutes, she relaxed in his arms, feeling safe, appreciated and ... love... Something she didn't experienced since she left him. Maybe it was God's way to tell her that this was where she belonged?...

Before this thought could be carefully processed in her minds, he raised her chin with his index finger. Bobby'd felt her sobs had diminish, so he took the chance to make her lokk at him. They need to talk ; he needed to see in her eyes what she was hidding so deep and take some of that pain off her shoulder. If she would let him do so that is...

"Tara luv... Look at me, please!"

Not wanting to respond his first plea, she shook her head no. Bobby was ready to stay there forever if needed, he was willing to wait for her his entire life. What's losing a few more minutes or days after two long years? It's better than lose her for good, is it?

"Okay luv, just tell me how long you're staying here? And if it's not too much ask, where you're leaving? You don't have your apartment anymore, right?"

This was a less treatening subject, so she raised her gaze a bit and responded. He could know this. "I'm here until tomorrow night... The bureau has problems with their firewalls, and since I designed them, they asked me to come. I didn't kept the apartment... because I didn't intended to come back," she comfirmed her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm staying at the Jefersonian Hotel."

"Good... I'm glad to have seen you today," he confessed his hand cuping her cheek. Emotion floaded back in both their hearts and souls. He wasn't ready to let her go, but he knew deep down that he had to so she would come back when she felt time has come. Hopefully it would be before she leave the next day...

Letting a single feather kiss on her forehead, he rose to his feet and gave her his farewell. "I'll be here, luv... waiting for you to be ready... if you ever feel like this, of course... Call me if you happen to come around--my phone'll be glad to hear from you...." he joked tearing a shy smile from her lips. "See you, Tara!" And with that, he turned his heals and left.

"Bobby..." she whispered once he'd close the door behind him.

Well, hey girl you’re late
And those planes, they don’t wait
But if you ever come back around
This sleepy old town
Promise me you’ll stop in
To see an old friend
And until then

*****

More soon...

You know, I think Bobby's playing this right. He's let her know how he feels, and now he's put the ball right back in HER court to do with what she will. Great post, Any!

Oh dear, Tara he loves you. You love Bobby. See, it's simple. Now go play nice.

Christmas is such an emotional time and you have a perfect setting, but hopefully new beginning for Bobby and Tara.

Bobby's decision is so brave!

Tere

Okay -- maybe he's playing it right, but it's making me nervous. I always vote for a good kiss-her-senseless-strategy in dicey situations like this.

kav

A kiss... not for now, at least... but maybe you'll like what's coming...

Red are Rascal Flatts' song lyrics 'These Days'.

*****

Alone in her hotel room, Tara let the memories of the morning floated back in her head, remembering each single word of Bobby’ confession.

“Since you left, I stopped living... I lost my heart... because you already had stolen it... I can’t stop thinking of you ; you were the reason why I lived... Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my entire life... and I regret this decision every single day that pass without you in it...”

Then souvenirs of the past came back, bringing her to a time where it was so good to laugh with him... to share her joy and pain with him... to simply being near him...

She knew that ever since she’d left she had the same regrets as he had felt, cried the same tears as he had and missed the same closeness as he had so craved for. Maybe it wasn’t too much of a coincidence that she was here at this time of year... her favourite time of year... Could it be that He’d send to Bobby?

Lost in her thoughts, she realized just how stupid the reason why the bureau had called her was—anyone would have been able to find and solve the problem, had they look at the main server in the first place. And why did she felt the urge to go into that specific coffee shop at this specific time? There must have been a reason... was her final silent conclusion.

Taking the phone on the night stand, she signalled a familiar number—a sequence she used to pushed often in the past...

I wake up in teardrops that fall down like rain
I put on that old song we danced to and then

*****

more to come...

I think Tara's onto something. There's a purpose in everything, isn't there? Sometimes we just need a little help, a gentle nudge, to reach out and grasp what we're meant to have . . .

Yes Tara! Call him!


Tere

Oh I have the feeling that this is a very good thing that Tara's just done. And I agree with the others. I think Bobby handled it all very well by letting her choose what she wants.

Lindsy

I'm glad you approuved Bobby's tatic!

*****

Things were slow in the bullpen--they just closed a huge drug dealer case, which happened to crisscrossed with a firearms big name in its middle, sending them on a brand new urgency to find the culprits. Only remains the pile of paperwork to complete--everyone's favorite part... or should I say, Randy Pitts' favorite part?...

Jack had been surprise to see Bobby coming late that day, but didn't argued ; he knew his friend was still dealing with Tara's departure. It's being so long and he's still greaving... If only I've known that his feelings for her were so strong... he sighted. Sending him a deeper glance he saw a sparkle... a sparkle that used to be there, but had disapeared a long time ago...

"You okay, Crash?" He couldn't help himself but wonder.

"Yeah, yeah never better!" And somehow, Jack could only believe his friend. Something had changed in him... but what? He couldn't tell.
---
He was ready to spend another dull evening, shifting chanel every now and then to find another sport game to watch, when his cellphone rang. Checking the calling number and don't recognizing it, he answered with a careful low tone. "Manning." Silence. He knew someone was on the other end, because he could hear breathing noice in the receiver. "Bobby's speaking, who's there?" As if he was illuminated by some High-comer-light, he knew who it was...

"Hi Tara luv... I'm glad you called."

Hesitating, she knew she had to say something. "Hi... uh... I need to see you Bobby... Can you come now?... No-no! I'll come, it'll give us more privacy to talk about... what we have to talk about, you know what I mean?"

He so had missed her rambling...

"I can't wait to see you, luv..."

That was what he was waiting for so long, that he wasn't near to spoil this moment... not the second time around...

I wake up in teardrops that fall down like rain
I put on that old song we danced to and then

*****

The end is near... more tomorrow!

Tere

Yay she needs to see him!

Lindsy