xp_logs | Never did run smooth. Terry/Bobby

Monday: After Tommy's post, Terry spends some time yelling at him. When that doesn't get anywhere she runs off, directly into her boyfriend's arms. But not all is well in the state of Bobby-dom and Terry's bad day continues apace.

Bobby knew he shouldn't be enjoying this--his girlfriend was upset. But God, he couldn't help but smirk, leaning against the wall and listening to Terry yelling at Tommy, saying all the things she should have said weeks ago, as far as he was concerned.

The shouting turned to tear-choked sobs soon enough and right after than the door slammed open and Terry ran out, her face wet and red, her hand pressed over her mouth to still the heart-breaking crying. She paused when she saw Bobby but only for a heartbeat before she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

Bobby had just enough time to wipe the smug look from his face and replace it with guilty concern before he had an armful of sobbing girlfriend. "Shh...what's wrong, sweetie?" he cooed, rubbing her back comfortingly.

Her response was entirely unintelligible, spoken as it was into his shirt but didn't move and in fact just clung to him more tightly. Her hair was coming loose from her braid and stray locks of hair stuck to her cheeks. She lifted her head briefly to glance behind her at Tommy's room then returned to hiding in Bobby's chest.

Bobby sighed and stroked her hair. "C'mon, let's go to my room," he suggested quietly, glancing at Tommy's room himself. The absolutely last thing he wanted right now was to see that little bigoted asshole in the flesh.

She nodded and reluctantly moved back enough that she could walk without tripping him up though her weeping never ceased. She kept within the circle of his arm, hands tangled in his shirt.

Awkwardly, Bobby ushered her to his room, closing the door behind them with a soft click before pulling her tight against him. "It's okay, hon...he's not worth this," he murmured.

"Why did he have t'do this? I tried so hard to... I wanted to hate him. I wanted him gone and I tried and then I thought I could help him. And...how can he do this to me? After all I've done for him, how can he be such a bastard still?" Words poured out in a nearly unintelligible lilt, almost like she was talking to herself.

"Terry...some people just are," Bobby replied, not sure she was even listening to him, but if he ever had a chance to make her see the truth about Tommy, this might be it.

"He's not. I know he's done horrible things but he's not. I knew him before any of yeh. He's better than this, I know he is." Terry broke into a fresh bout of tears, her voice strained at the edges with desperation and sorrow.

Bobby sighed, torn between pushing the matter and calming her down. "He's not the person you thought he was, Terry," he pointed out gently. "The person you thought he was couldn't have done the things you know he did. He fooled you then...maybe he's doing it again." No maybe about it, but the mission was to be gentle, right?

"It just means that he's capable of better. I don't understand why he won't even try." Terry took a shuddering breath and look up at him. "I know that I'm putting a lot on the line for him. I might have already lost Jay and you don't like him any better. But I really thought that he would learn to see how wrong he was. But he's not even sorry. Not at all."

Bobby sure as hell wasn't about to defend the guy. "Maybe you should just walk away while you can," he suggested, kissing her forehead.

Terry rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't. I can't give up on him. I wish I could," she said softly.

"Why not?" Bobby asked, unable to keep a note of frustration from his voice, even as he rubbed her back lightly, comforting her.

But she just shook her head. "I just can't. I can't explain it. I just...I know that he can be better. He just needs a chance." Terry closed her eyes, knowing exactly how lame that explanation was.

Bobby pulled back, catching her hand and pulling her toward the bed. "You gave him a chance, sweetie. He blew it. How many more chances are you going to give him--and what will it cost you?"

"I don't know." Terry looked at him with red-rimmed blue eyes, worry etching her face. "I just...I know I'll have you no matter what, right? I won't lose you?"

"...Of course not," Bobby said, not quite as emphatically as he'd planned to. He sat on the bed and tugged her into his lap. "I'm not going anywhere."

She curled up in his lap, huddling against him, needing the comfort. "Don't. Please don't leave me." Everyone left. It was one of the first things Terry had learned in her life. Everyone left, especially those who claimed to love her.

"I won't," Bobby answered immediately, then added with a small smile, "At least, not permanently."

Curiosity broke through her misery just a little. "Not permanently? Are you leaving temporarily?"

"Well. I mean...we can't stay together constantly." Bobby pressed his cheek against her hair. "There's classes, and training, and...Christmas."

"Christmas?" she asked in a small voice, not calm enough to keep her throat from tightening on the word, wanting to cry.

"Well...yeah. My folks want me home for the holidays." He kissed her temple. "It's only for a week."

"But you'll be gone for Christmas. You haven't gone home for Christmas since the first year you came here." The quiet protest was the best alternative she could manage to the tantrum she wanted to throw. She needed Bobby here for this. How was she supposed to face Sean without Bobby?

"I promised my mom I would, when I stayed for Thanksgiving. I haven't been home since I came back here, in July, hon. It won't be that bad...I'll just be a phone call away, and I'll be back on the second..." Bobby had really hoped she'd take it better than she seemed to be.

She probably would have, had she not already been upset. But it had been a very bad day and this wasn’t helping. "But...Christmas. I wanted to spend it with you and...when am I supposed to give you your present?"

Of course, the timing on the announcement could have been better, now that he thought about it. "I dunno...on Thursday, before I leave? Or after I get back? Either one."

"I'm working late on Thursday. That's when I'm recording." This sucked. This sucked a lot. Terry covered her face with her hands and took several deep breaths. Why was this happening to her?

"...Shit." Bobby sighed and hugged her tight. "Well...Friday morning, then? I can wait a little while before I go..."

Terry twisted and wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want you to go. I want to be with you."

"...I promised," Bobby said softly, nuzzling her cheek. "I have to go."

"So just go for Christmas. Don't stay away for a whole week." She wasn't usually this clingy and it was irritating her that she was right now but that wasn't going to change her pleas even a tiny bit. "Come back on Monday and we'll have Christmas then."

"Terry. It's my family. I promised my mother a week for Christmas, in exchange for not going for Thanksgiving. I should have told you sooner, but...it just never came up."

"You should have asked me. Thanksgiving is a stupid American holiday anyway. You could have gone then and I wouldn't have to spend New Year's Eve alone." Terry pouted at him, face inches from his.

Bobby winced. "Maybe I can come back on Saturday. Or maybe Clarice can 'port me back here for the evening--I can tell my mom I don't feel good and am going to bed early..." God, he was really too old to be sneaking out of his mother's house, but it was better than the alternative--facing her.

Terry didn't let up on the pout. "I just think that you should be with your girlfriend at midnight since you won't be here at all for Christmas. But you can do whatever you want to do. I'll be okay."

Bobby couldn't tell how much of her attitude was teasing, and how much was real, but he didn't like it, either way. "I didn't know I had to run it by my girlfriend when I wanted to see my parents," he replied, a distinct chill entering his voice.

Terry shrugged, her pout vanishing, replaced by frown. "I didn't know that your girlfriend didn't matter enough that you would forget to even mention that you wouldn't be around for a week during the holidays." She pulled out of his grip and stood up, folding her arms across her chest.

Bobby matched her frown with one of his own. "I've been busy, and you've been working...I'm sorry that I've had other priorities on how to spend what little time I get with you, these days." He barely managed to bite back a retort about sharing her with Tommy, too.

"Maybe then you should spend less time copping a feel and more time talking to me! We used to talk. We spent years talking. Now it's like we don't do anything but," she waved her arm at the bed. "And you thought it was a good thing when I got my job!"

"...This is the first time I've heard you complain!" Bobby got to his feet, barely managing to keep from raising his voice to a yell. Terry did enough entertaining the mansion with shouting matches for both of them, after all. "And I did think it was a good thing! I mean, I do! I just...oh, never mind! What does it matter, anyway? I'm just some sex-crazed perv, apparently!"

She backed away, staying out of his reach. "I wouldn't complain except that you think that sex is more important than telling me anything anymore! What else haven't you told me because you didn't have time? I didn't know that I was going to lose my friend when we started dating." Quite suddenly, but not really unexpectedly, she burst into tears again.

Bobby stared at her, slowly sinking back onto his bed. "...Shit."

Utterly miserable and sick of everything, Terry turned away and went to the door. She rested one hand on the doorknob but couldn't bring herself to open it, leaning against the doorjamb instead, shoulder tense and trembling with her tears.

Bobby closed his eyes, covering them with his hand. "...I'll call my mom," he said quietly.

She shook her head and scrubbed at her eyes which felt like sandpaper thanks to all this crying. "No. Yeh should go. Enjoy your holidays and we'll just...we'll figure things out when yeh come back. There's no reason for yeh to change yer plans."

Bobby looked at her for a minute, then nodded and looked away, feeling lower than low. "Yeah. Okay."

Terry turned back around, putting her back to the door, her hand still on the knob. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have torn into yeh like that."

Bobby shook his head faintly without looking at her. "No, you were right," he whispered, and that's the part that really got to him. Every word she'd said was true, when he stopped to think about it. They didn't talk anymore--he was so happy to see her, to kiss her, every time they had some free time--and he let himself get carried away, caught up in the feel of her, the smell, the taste...and he'd ignored what had made him fall for her in the first place. "I owe you a huge apology, Terry."

"Yeh don't owe me anything. Yeh aren't the only one in this and...well, it's as much my fault, now isn't it?" But she didn't go to him, just watched him from across the room. "I've no right to put this all on yeh. I love being with yeh, Bobby. And I let us fall apart just the same."

Bobby nodded slowly, still staring at the wall opposite her. "I guess we'd better figure some stuff out, huh? I'll try to cut my visit short," he said quietly, sadly.

"No, don't." Terry sighed and leaned her head back against the door. "Yeh should stay the whole time. A day or two won't matter and yer family will want to see yeh. Just...so long as yeh call me...I miss talking to yeh."

"Every day," Bobby promised, finally looking at her, his eyes shining.

Terry half-smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Bobby."

"So am I." He got to his feet, crossing the room slowly. "I didn't even realize."

Terry stepped forward to meet him. "It's...we'll fix it. It doesn't matter now. Mother of God, I've made a mess of today. First I fall apart on yeh then I yell. Yer girlfriend is mad, yeh know."

Bobby pulled her against him, burying his face in her hair to hide the fear that crossed his face. "I knew that years ago," he murmured, breathing deep, inhaling the smell of her shampoo, her skin...of her.

She leaned against him, arms around his waist. Letting his strength support her. "I love yeh. Even if I am a little mad."

"I love you, too." Which had a lot to do with why he was so scared, now. "...Even if you are a little mad."