Lisa's Choice Ch. 10

A simpsons Fanfic
Disclaimer: This is a dark story that is also Older Lisa X Sideshow Bob. It is slightly AU and takes place in a more "realistic" version of the show. This also takes place 9 years in the future.

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Lisa leafed through a book not quite interested in it. Being left alone in Bob's apartment left an anxious pit in her stomach and every tiny noise put her on edge. A half-eaten sandwich sat on the table forgotten. Around noon she had attempted to eat something, but found herself not hungry.

"What have you gotten yourself into Lisa?" She asked herself. They couldn't stay in Springfield, not if they wanted any normal sort of life. Something better than what passed as normal in the dumb town she called home. She amused herself by imagining what sort of jobs they could do. Together they could do anything; maybe they could go into theater together. Bob certainly had the voice for it. One idea kept popping up in her thoughts.  She had always had a natural inclination towards solving mysteries. Every major and minor mystery in Springfield that had been solved she had been part of. Robert and Lisa, P. I had a nice ring to it.

The knocking on the door was almost too soft to hear the first time. Lisa thought she had imagined it until the second and louder knock. She didn't move from the couch, she waited unsure of who might be on the other side of the door. There was a soft click as a key slide into the lock.

"It's just me Lisa. I'm coming in." The relief was instant at the sound of Bob's voice. Before the door fully opened Lisa was up. Before she knew what she was doing she had wrapped her arms around Bob. He felt sturdy in her arms. All she wanted to do was keep her head buried in his chest, but when he didn't return the hug Lisa let go. Bob didn't look her in the eye as he shut the door behind him. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What's wrong Bob?" Slowly he turned to face her, and she thought she saw a slightly purple hue on his cheek. "Is that… are you hurt?" Before he answered he sat down on the couch.

"If you think I look bad you should see the other guy." The attempt at making a joke fell flat and Bob lapsed into silence again.

The hurt look on Bob's face tore Lisa's heart apart. He looked so sad and vulnerable that a twinge of guilt struck Lisa. She had a slight idea what might have happened, and couldn't help thinking it was her fault. Maybe Bob thought she was going to storm off, since he hadn't said anything more and just sat there with his head down. She slipped her hand into his while using her free hand to lift his chin up. Though he didn't fight her, his eyes stayed downcast.

"I'm so sorry Bob." His gaze immediately flicked up to meet hers. Guilt overflowed from them and Lisa found herself suddenly the one looking away. Bob lifted his hand and placed it over her hand on his cheek. Holding it in place. With a heavy sigh he brought her hand down until he was holding bother her hands together.

"No Lisa what happened is my fault. It was foolish to think Bart wouldn't be able to find me and I wasn't prepared to deal with him. Though he struck the first blow I lost my temper and broke my promise to you." Of course Bart would have gone after Bob, Lisa thought to herself. She had been so worried about her own safety that she hadn't given a second thought to Bob's.

"I should have trusted you in the first place. Making you promise such a thing wasn't fair. What happened exactly?" After heaving yet another heavy sigh, Bob let go of Lisa's hands.

"Not much to tell. Bart took me by surprise and pushed a few buttons. I lost my temper and struck him a few times. He threatened to go to the police about me attacking him, if I didn't. . ." he let his head fall into his hands. "I don't want to go back to prison Lisa. I know I don't talk about it, but spending ten years in prison was no easy task. Not even for the obvious reasons you would think. Ill-breed men of ill-tempers are not fond of those who are smarter than them."

"I understand. We both lived in our own prisons." This brought Bob's attention out of his own wallowing in self-pity. "Please Bob you have to tell me though, what did Bart what from you." Lisa suddenly found herself in a tight embrace, without much thought she found herself returning it.

"He wanted you to go back. I didn't give him an answer, just asked for more time. What good more time will do, I don't know. I don't know what to do Lisa. I won't allow Bart to scare me into sending you back, but I don't think he was bluffing. If I don't send you back they'll send you back by force." A hot feeling filled Lisa, one she hadn't felt in a long time. The world was beyond unfair, after finally finding something worth caring about Bart was going to take it all away. The guilt and fear were washed away by her anger. She pushed out of Bob's embrace so she could look him in the eye.

"I will not go back. Enough is enough; I am done being the victim and allowing Bart to ruin my life."

"Lisa?"

"We have to leave. We both know how incompetent the police force is in this city. Bart can spread all the lies he wants, but once we are gone they won't be able to find us." There was no other way, as much as it scared her to leave her home completely behind it was the only real answer. "Tonight. We have to leave tonight."

"What will we do for money though Lisa? Understand I want to yell yes, and take you away with me forever. But I'm an ex-felon, and you are supposed to graduate in a few weeks. You're still a minor."

"I'm an adult now. It was my birthday a few days ago." Lisa shook her head to keep Bob from apologizing. "Besides, you must have a few contacts who could make up some fake I.D's. Together we can do anything. Let's move to a big city, the kind no one looks twice at their neighbors. Hell we could be P.I's solving other people's problems. We are both smart enough and we would be together." Bob looked a little unsure, but Lisa had never been surer of anything in her life. Grabbing a fist full of his shirt she pulled him down and kissed him. Bob returned the kiss, tenderly. By the time they pulled away Bob had a dopey smile on his face.

"I'm going to have a hard time ever telling you 'no' aren't I?"

A huge grin spread across Lisa's face.

"Why would you ever want to?"