Call Roger

Seven

Everything seemed to happen fairly quickly following the events of that night. In the hours after, Roger went through everything with West and the police, even going through the cameras to see how exactly the intruder had got in. They had managed to catch him right as he was exiting the property.

"He probably followed them straight home from the event," the officer offered. "We'll be charging him and investigating further into why, though my professional opinion is he's probably a troubled, overly obsessed fan. Happens more than you'd think. Especially in this city."

After getting checked out herself, at Rogers insistence, Claire stuck close to Michael, making sure he was alright. After assessing him, the paramedics said he should be fine but they took him to the hospital overnight for observation.

And in the days following, Roger worked round the clock to fix the back door he had shot through and implement even tighter security measures. He called in Owen for extra help. And once the story broke that Claire's house had been broken into and the press stationed themselves outside the gate, he agreed to stay on for a while to give Roger an extra hand.

And as for him and Claire, they knew there was no going back from anything that had transpired between them in those weeks. The incident had brought them closer together, and yet still they knew that the timing just wasn't right.

"I think we both have a lot to sort out in our lives," he told her one night. "You with Michael, me with my family."

He had told her not long after the incident that she had been right. He needed a break. The pressure of everything in his life had been weighing on him more than he realized.

Claire was understanding.

"And here I was thinking you loved all the excitement of the job," she teased, fighting back the emotion shining in her eyes.

He smiled, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

"That's not the thing I loved most about it," he said, stroking her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand and he leaned down and kissed her, pulling her closer to him, not wanting to let go.

On the morning he was to go, they stood at the front door embracing, delaying the inevitable.

"You never did tell me how the movie was," he said realizing he hadn't had a chance to ask her about the premiere.

She smiled, her eyes alight now. "I was proud Roger," she said. "I don't know if it was your voice in my head or me finally looking at the bigger picture like you said and realizing how far I've really come but watching, I felt genuinely proud."

He smiled back at her too.

"I felt for the first time in a long time inspired and excited about all my plans. Like I'm going in the right direction. Like all the leaves of my life are finally turning over. Like things are changing but I finally feel hopeful about it. Like I'm really just getting started."

His smile widened at her words and he embraced her again.

After some time, he knew he had to get going now or he might never leave.

Claire's expression was forlorn once again.

"It's not long," he reassured her. "I'll be back and it will happen for us eventually."

She nodded, tears in her eyes.

"Promise me something Roger," she said.

She glanced up at him and held his gaze. "That even if it doesn't, we'll still be good friends." She smiled, it not quite touching her sad eyes.

"I will always be your friend Claire," he said, his voice full of warmth and honesty.

"And one other thing," she said, still holding his gaze. "If you ever do manage to get your daughter out here, bring her to meet me."

He smiled, staring at her lovingly, longingly.

"Nothing would make me happier," he said before leaning down and kissing her one last time.

Walking to the gate, away from the house and down the same path he had walked up all those months ago when he first arrived, he replayed Claire's words about things changing in his head. And as he walked out, he glanced Duke's paw print still lingering in the dust of their morning walk, looking larger today than the day before. Yes, Roger thought, things were changing indeed.