Alex laid down in the bed as he listened to Hope talk about him, it was almost like he placed him on a pedestal and Alex didn’t think he deserved that.  He just did what no one would do for him when he needed help, not until his parents came in the picture.  “People don’t do that, but they should.  Someone finally help me or I would be like you right now.  With no place to call home.  I am just returning the favor.”  Alex really did not look at it like a big deal, just doing something that was right.<br/><br/>Alex rolled on his side so he could look at Hope as he told him about deserving love and that if he would just let him.  Well you can’t tell a person who they can and cannot love so who was he to tell Hope no.  But he didn’t want Hope to get his hopes up that Alex could return it.  Hell he wasn’t even sure he loved his parents.<br/><br/>Alex could see that Hope was done with his soup and things so he took the tray and placed it over on the table by the door so Ms. Jones or Jamie will pick it up later then Alex went back over and crawled into bed with Hope.  Once again he was lying on his side looking at Hope.  He looked so sweet and innocent and the kid had no idea that Alex already knew about what happened to him.<br/><br/>“Hope, you can love me all you want.  Who am I to stop you really?”  Alex said as he brushed some hair out of Hope’s face, “But I can promise you I can love you back, I don’t know how to love.  I only know what to do with money to make people feel better.”  Alex said with a sigh.  The only reason Alex thought he didn’t know how to love was he never really thought about the things he did as loving gestures.<br/><br/>Alex then pulled Hope down next to him holding him close to his body and he sighed into his neck, “I don’t look at you as broken, just as you look at me as someone to love.”<br/><br/>Alex was really hoping that maybe they could get past what had happened to Hope.  Maybe Alex could get Hope to go and visit Dr. Flynn and work through the issues without him having to tell them to Alex.  Alex was not good at working through his own problems let alone helping someone work through their own.