TREMORS

CHAPTER 1

As always, I do not own any Law and Order Criminal Intent characters. The others, though, are my own and they are providing hours of entertainment for me as they interact with Dick Wolf's fabulous creations. This first chapter is woven in and around "Semi-Detached" and "Great Barrier", and leads into "Eosphorus". I know that two other episodes separated "Semi-Detached" and "Great Barrier", but according to the time stamps in each of the episodes, they happened one after the other, perhaps even overlapping. So that is how they will occur here.

Thank you to spook for her tireless beta work. One of the joys that writing fanfic has brought is the opportunity to talk to other writers and toss ideas around for whatever stories we are each working on. I have to thank squarey for suggestions on how to weave Nicole Wallace's words to Bobby into the alternate universe I have created for him. I hope it works as well as it sounded in my head. And thank you to flashymom as well for an idea that…well, I don't want to spoil it here since it will play out over two chapters. I'll just let you read it and give her credit afterwards.

Sarah Johnson stood looking at the words on the headstone. There weren't many people in the cemetery this early in the morning, although she could see that there was a grave prepared for a service later in the day. There had been a spring rain during the night and the grass was slightly soggy. She hoped that it would not rain again today; funerals in the rain seemed all the more sad.

Anthony Lee Johnson

November 30, 1967-April 10, 2002

Beloved Husband and Father

Those words, true though they were, seemed so inadequate to describe what he had meant to her life, to his daughter's life. Did he know how important he was? Sarah smiled as she thought that yes, he knew. She and Tony had been so close for so long, they knew what they meant to one another.

She sighed as she knelt and laid a single rose on the headstone. This was the second anniversary of Tony's death. She reached out and traced the letters with her finger.

"Well, Handsome," she said, "it's been two years now. I still miss you. Jia Li doesn't remember you, but I've told her all about you. We look at pictures and I tell her stories. But you know people think it's time for me to move on. And I think maybe they are right. I don't know if I'll ever get married again; I can't really picture being married to anyone else. And I don't know if I'll ever love anyone the way I loved you. But I'd like to find out. Because the truth is, I'm lonely without you. Jia Li makes it easier, I think. But….I miss having someone to share all the responsibilities and the joy with. Uncle Jimmy said not to let anyone rush me into something I'm not ready for, so maybe I need to take small steps. Sooo…..I think the first place I need to start is to stop wearing my wedding ring. And I hope that's OK with you."

Sarah slipped the ring from her finger. She looked at it lying in her hand for a moment before dropping it into her purse. She kissed her forefinger and then touched it to the engraving of Tony's name.

"Bye, Handsome," she said softly. "I love you."

She got to her feet and quickly walked away towards the Cadillac parked a short distance away.

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Mike Logan leaned against the stone lion in front of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, looking across the street at the Mid-Manhattan Library. It had rained the night before, but the sun came out and it turned out to be a warm spring day. It was lunch time and he had needed to question a suspect at Riker's Island. On the way back to Staten Island he went by way of the library, as he had so often in the few months that he and Sarah were dating.

He caught sight of her walking up the street and knew that she had gone to the park to eat her lunch. Her dark, wavy hair was pulled back into a pony tail that bounced with each step. He watched her walk up the steps of the library and go in through the heavy doors. He stayed there for several more minutes even though he could no longer see her.

"You are truly pathetic, Logan," he said under his breath.

Heaving a heavy sigh and pulling piece of gum out of his pocket, Mike pushed away from the lion. He put the gum in his mouth, threw the wrapper in the trash, and headed back to Staten Island.

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Alex Eames walked from the kitchen to the living room, stopping a moment to watch Tom Spencer snuggling her tiny nephew, just five months old, in his arms. She smiled at the gentleness of the big man, thinking that she shouldn't be surprised. She had seen her big partner with his children and knew that size didn't seem to be an obstacle to gentleness and tenderness. Tom looked up and smiled at her.

"He's sound asleep. Do you want me to put him in his crib?"

Alex nodded, moving ahead of him into her bedroom. Tom laid the sleeping baby in the travel crib that had come with him to his Aunt Alex's so he could spend the night. Alex ran a hand gently over his legs and rounded belly encased in his fleece footed sleeper. Tom followed her to the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she told him.

"You know," he said, pulling Alex into his arms, "neither of us has to work tomorrow. Seems like a good opportunity for a sleep over."

"Sorry, you know I'm only allowed one male overnight guest at a time. And he has seniority."

"Lucky guy," he said as he lowered his head to kiss her.

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"Fine!"

"Fine! I'm going to bed!"

Annie had stomped halfway up the stairs before she remembered the children were in bed. She stopped and tried to calm herself before continuing up the stairs. She turned and looked down in time to see the back of Bobby's head as he headed towards the basement and his office.

His office, she thought sullenly, more like his bedroom these days.

She took a deep breath and headed the rest of the way up the stairs. She checked the children's rooms and was relieved to see that they were all sleeping. At least they hadn't heard them arguing this time.

This time. She sighed as she undressed and pulled her pajamas on. The children hadn't heard them this time, but there were plenty of other arguments they had heard lately. It was getting harder and harder to contain them to times and places that they wouldn't be overheard. The things they argued over were almost always simple, silly things. But more and more often they were escalating to the point that Bobby would sometimes sleep on the leather sofa in his office.

The increasing frequency of their arguments worried Annie. It was difficult for her to understand what Bobby was thinking these days, and that frightened her. It hadn't happened before in their marriage and she didn't know what to do about it. Frances still refused to see Annie; at least that was what Bobby told her. She was beginning to suspect that he didn't even discuss it with his mother anymore, that he had simply accepted this as their new routine. She also suspected that he was still angry with her about the rift between her and her mother-in-law. But she really didn't know what he thought about it because the subject had become off-limits; he refused to talk to her about anything having to do with his mother.

He had also been increasingly silent about his work. She was used to the two of them talking about their jobs, sharing what details they could without violating confidentiality. Usually when Bobby discussed a case with her he didn't reveal much more than what she could read in the paper, but he did share his feelings about the case. But he hadn't mentioned work for a few weeks now. When she asked he just told her work was "fine".

It was May and soon school would be out. In June, Bobby was planning to take the twins on a fishing trip while Annie and Ally had a "girls" weekend. In July, the children would be going to camp for a week. It would be the first time for the twins and they were looking forward to it eagerly. Although it was hard to think of her boys being away from her in the woods for an entire week at only seven years old, another part of her was looking forward to having a week alone with Bobby.

He didn't sleep in his office that night. He came in while Annie was still sitting up in bed reading. They didn't speak as he moved around the room getting ready for bed. She tried to concentrate on her book, but found herself watching him. He got into bed and sat next to her; he didn't reach for his book, but sat looking at his hands in his lap for a few minutes. Finally he turned to look at her. She knew he was ready to talk and laid her book on the table next to the bed.

"Annie, I need to tell you something," he began. Annie turned to face him and sit cross-legged. Bobby looked at her and sighed. "Eames and I have been investigating the death of Ray Garnett."

Surprised that he was actually bringing up his work, she said, "That 'shock jock'? I thought he committed suicide."

"He did. But he was driven to it by someone manipulating his medication. We made an arrest this morning. The prescribing nurse from a clinic he went where he had sought treatment for an addiction to pain medicine."

"A nurse?! That's terrible!"

"Yeah, it is." Bobby looked at her for a moment. "I need to talk to you about that nurse."

"What about her?"

"I, uh, played her while we were investigating her. Let her think I was interested in her. I told her about my mother as a hook to get her interested in helping me. And it worked. She gave me information on medications and support groups." He reached over and opened the drawer in the bedside table. He pulled out some papers and handed them to Annie. She looked them over, noting the neat, even handwriting.

"This is all information you already know from your own research," she said, handing them back to him.

"Yeah, it is. But she went to a lot of effort to find this information for me. And talking to her about my mother felt….I don't know….she was so….empathetic."

"Empathetic," she repeated. "Unlike your wife, you mean?"

"Annie…" He reached for her hand but she pulled away and got off the bed, pacing around the room.

"You are more comfortable talking to a murderer about your mother than talking to me? I don't even know what to do with that, Bobby."

Bobby sighed. "I know you don't, Annie. Neither do I. I just thought….you would want to know."

She stood and looked at him for a moment. "Yes, I do. I guess," she said finally.

She got back in bed and Bobby pulled her into his arms. "I love you," he murmured, holding her close.

"I love you, too."

"Do you think you could get some time off work when the kids go to camp?"

"I might be able to. Why?"

"I thought maybe we could go somewhere, just the two of us."

"OK, I'll put in a request tomorrow."

Bobby kissed her and it occurred to her, not for the first time, that they frequently used sex as a way to end an argument. She wondered for a moment if it was the best way to deal with the friction between them. But then Bobby's lips were kissing her throat and moving lower as his hands pulled her clothes off. She pushed her doubts to the back of her mind and relaxed in his arms.

The next day Bobby and Alex caught a new case; a diamond thief murdered in the subway, seemingly by his own partner. They put in long hours over the next few days. On Friday night, Bobby came home late. He was obviously distracted and said little to Annie or the children. He was in his office when Annie went to bed, a common occurrence in recent months. She had just begun to drift into sleep when she felt him get into bed.

"Annie," he said softly. She reluctantly fought the sleep trying to overtake her and turned towards him. "I have to go in tomorrow."

"OK," she murmured drowsily.

"I need to talk to you; are you awake?"

She sighed, opened her eyes, and pushed herself to a sitting position. She waited for him to continue, dreading another revelation like the one he had told her just a few days before.

"Nicole is back," he said simply.

"What?" She was completely unprepared for this particular revelation. "Well, she and her husband live here. I guess she was bound to turn up sooner or later. Did you see her?"

"No, but the description we got from a witness has to be her. We are trying to locate her partner."

"Witness, partner…is she involved in another murder?"

"That's what we think."

"Great," Annie sighed. She lay back down and said, "Now what?"

"We investigate and try to find her. Just….call me if…if you hear from her. OK?"

She nodded. "OK."

The next day, Saturday, seemed endless to Bobby as he and Eames interviewed Nicole's now ex-husband, picked up her partner/lover, sat through the video of his first interview with Nicole, and finally came face to face with her in the squad room. This encounter was different from the other ones that he'd had with her; Nicole seemed different and it concerned him. He told Eames and Captain Deakins, "I smell blood in the water."

Annie didn't work on Monday and she spent the morning cleaning the house. After lunch she went grocery shopping, intending to pick the children up from school on her way home. She was picking through the apples when she felt eyes on her. She looked up to see a familiar face watching her.

"My, you certainly make healthy food choices for your family," said Nicole. When Annie didn't respond she went on, "Your husband is beginning to very much annoy me with his meddling. He couldn't stand seeing me happily married last year, and his interference cost me my marriage. Now he has found that I am quite happy in another relationship and he has set about to destroy it as well. Have you considered, Annie, that Bobby has an ulterior motive for this obvious vendetta against me?"

Annie's mouth was dry. Her previous two confrontations with Nicole had not frightened her; she had sensed that Nicole was only toying with her as a way to get to Bobby. But today was different. She could see it in Nicole's demeanor and in her eyes. She hoped she didn't look as afraid as she suddenly felt. She swallowed and tried to answer calmly.

"His only motive is that of a cop trying to get a murderer off the street."

"Ah, the trusting little woman, standing by her man." Nicole laughed humorlessly. "You keep telling yourself that, Annie. But ask yourself if Bobby has shown this kind of obsession towards any other suspect he has investigated. For some reason your husband can't stand to see me in a relationship and will do anything he can to come between me and the person I'm in love with. Why do you suppose that is? Well, I won't tolerate it any longer. Be sure to tell him that when you tell him about this conversation."

"Are you threatening me?" Annie's heart sped up a bit.

"Oh of course not, darling! That would be a foolish thing to do. Threatening the wife of one of New York's finest could land a person in jail, now couldn't it? I just thought that woman to woman, as someone who understands love and jealousy, you would see how unhealthy it is for your husband to be so obsessed. I'll let you get back to your shopping now. Perhaps we could get together for lunch one of these days. Do take care of yourself and your lovely children."

Annie didn't move as she watched her walk away. She watched through the large windows as Nicole got into a car and drove away. Annie left her basket of groceries in the produce aisle; she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Bobby's number as she headed out of the store. By the time she reached her SUV, she had told him everything Nicole said. She told him that she was on her way to pick up the children from school. Annie's description of Nicole's words and her manner confirmed the assessment he had made after his encounter with her a few days earlier.

"Bobby," she said, "this was different from the other times. She just seemed to be playing with me before. This time she scared me."

"I think you and the kids should go to Connecticut. Today, as soon as you pick the kids up. Don't go home, just drive to Grandpa's." He hesitated a moment, then added, "I need to know you're safe, Babe."

"I know," she said softly. "Do you...do you think she might be following me now? Waiting for me to pick the kids up?"

"No, I don't think so. I think this was just a warning. But if you see anyone following you, call me right away."

"OK, I will. I love you."

"I love you, Annie."

So, for the second time in just over a year, Annie and the children headed for Connecticut because of Nicole Wallace. Annie called Grandpa while she waited for the children and told him they were coming. She explained the reason briefly and said that they would talk about it more that night when the children were asleep. It was difficult to know what to tell the kids. They asked questions she couldn't really answer truthfully. She didn't want them to know the real reason for their unexpected trip to Grandpa's; she didn't want them to be afraid.

Finally Ally asked, "Are you and Daddy getting divorced?"

"What?!" This wasn't a question Annie had anticipated. "No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Well, you and Daddy yell a lot and now we're going to Grandpa's and it's not even a weekend. Suzy's mommy and daddy yelled a lot and then her mommy took her to her grandma's house and then her mommy and daddy got divorced."

Now Phillip asked, "If you and Daddy get divorced, who will we live with?"

"Tommy lives with his mommy one week and then lives with his daddy one week," said Andrew.

"Suzy says that's called a 'fifty-fifty split'," Allie added knowledgeably.

"And Sam lives with his mommy and goes to visit his daddy sometimes on weekends," continued Andrew.

"Carla's daddy doesn't ever come to see her," said Phillip.

"Laura lives with her daddy 'cause her mommy moved far away," Allie confided.

"Daddy and I are not getting divorced," Annie said emphatically. She wasn't sure that fear of their parents getting divorced was much easier for them to live with than fear of a killer coming after them. "We argue sometimes and sometimes we are too loud, but that doesn't mean we are getting divorced. The four of us are just going to visit Grandpa for a few days to make sure he is OK. I want to check on him because of his heart attack last year. Daddy has to work and can't come with us. That's all there is to it."

Thankfully that seemed to satisfy them and they began talking about school and friends. They stopped for dinner on the way and Annie was glad that they all fell asleep for the rest of the drive. At least she was glad at first. But she began to miss the sound of their voices as her mind had the freedom to think about Nicole and worry about Bobby.

On Tuesday Bobby and Alex uncovered a plot to kill Nicole's ex-husband. They didn't have enough evidence to arrest her, but they did uncover the fact that she had a child who died. On Mr. Carver's suggestion, they brought her in on Wednesday as a material witness. After artfully steering the discussion to children and pregnancy, Alex left Bobby alone in the interrogation room with Nicole. As he questioned her about her supposed infertility Nicole once again demonstrated her ability to hone in on a person's biggest insecurity.

"People like you and me just aren't fated to have children, Bobby."

He understood all too well her taunt that he was fooling himself to think that having children meant he could ever hope to be a good father. Although he didn't consciously think about it often, since Ally's birth he had lived with the fear that he was no better than his father, that he would fail his own children.

"Well don't count me out yet," he replied.

He hoped he had managed to keep his face from showing that she had scored a hit. He revealed to her the documentation of first the birth of her daughter, and then her death. He hammered her about the abuse she suffered as a child, then about her jealousy of her own daughter. As he described how the little girl's father might have stroked her hair and she might have placed "little baby kisses on his eyelids", he thought about Ally doing that very thing when she was three years old. Nicole's rage at him drove her to return to the vulnerability that she had first discovered in Bobby.

"Who helped you concoct this theory, your mother?"

"In her wildest delusions she never spawned anything like you, Nicole."

He left the room then as her lawyer brought in her release papers. He overheard her furiously telling the lawyer to get Ella released as well, to do whatever was necessary to keep Bobby away from "my girl." He was glad that Annie and the children were in Connecticut, but couldn't squelch the worry about Nicole using them to strike back at him. Ron Carver was able to pull some strings and arrange for the local police to send a squad car to sit outside Grandpa's house, as they had just over a year earlier.

The autopsy report from Australia of an unidentified child showed just how depraved Nicole was, with the broken arm and neck testifying to Nicole's rage against her own daughter. It gave Bobby and Alex the leverage they hoped would turn Ella against her as they confronted her the next day with the information. As he and Alex sat in the surveillance van that night, they heard Nicole find the small microphone they had hidden in Ella's pocket, and the sounds of the two women struggling. Running up the narrow metal stairs of the warehouse, Bobby's foot slipped on one of the steps and he went down hard on his right knee. With Alex and the uniformed officers behind him, and adrenaline pounding in his ears, he barely registered the "pop" and the pain that flashed through his knee. He pulled himself up and continued up the stairs at a dead run. They found a broken window, signs of a struggle, and a lot of blood.

By the time he got home late that night, his right knee was swollen and painful. He wrapped an ace bandage around it, elevated it on pillows, and put ice packs on it. He hoped it would resolve itself within a few days. His camping trip with the twins was just over a week away and he didn't want anything to interfere.

The next day Ella's body was retrieved from the water and Dr. Rodgers concluded Nicole had killed her before she even entered the water. She also concluded that the amount of Nicole's blood that was found made it unlikely she would have been able to survive any length of time in the water. Bobby's suspicion that Nicole had set the whole thing up and faked her own death nagged at him. But nevertheless he called Annie and told her it was safe to come home.

Almost before he could catch his breath, he and Alex were off to a new case. The kidnapping of a famous atheist and her granddaughter, and the subsequent murder of the grandmother, made this a high profile case that the mayor insisted go to Major Case. He managed to get home before the children went to bed, but knew that this case was going to involve long hours if they were to make any progress before his weekend fishing trip.

As he hugged and kissed his wife and his children, Bobby kept silent about his knee. He knew that his nurse wife would immediately call the doctor to schedule an appointment, who he suspected would recommend he cancel the fishing trip. With Nicole's taunt that he wasn't meant to have children still fresh in his mind, he was determined not to disappoint his sons. He decided that if his knee didn't improve by the time he returned from his weekend with the boys, he would go see the doctor. In the meantime, he needed to keep Annie from seeing his swollen knee or knowing that he was in pain.

He dressed for bed in the bathroom, slipping on sweat pants to cover his bandaged knee. He joined Annie in bed and told her all the details of the investigation of Nicole, his interview with her, what they had found at the scene, and Dr. Rodger's conclusions. But he also explained his theory of how Nicole might have faked her death. Annie listened quietly, facing him in the bed with her hand resting on his chest.

When he finished, she didn't say anything. She leaned forward and kissed him, gently at first, then deepening the kiss and moving closer to him. He reveled in the taste of her and the feel of her against him. But he realized that making love to her would mean undressing, and Annie would see his knee. Reluctantly he pulled away, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and sat up. He didn't look at her as he stood, finally turning to her as he reached the door.

"I…I'm sorry, Babe. I need to do some research on this case Eames and I caught today."

"What?"

He watched the emotions flicker across her always expressive face. Surprise, followed by disappointment, then confusion, and finally hurt as she realized he did not intend to make love to her that night. He resisted the urge to return to bed and erase that look, to make it right.

"I need to spend as much time as I can on this case so that I don't leave Eames in the lurch next weekend."

He waited for her to respond, but she simply stared silently at him. Concentrating on not showing any signs of a limp, Bobby turned away and walked out of the room.

End chapter 1

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