Disclaimer: Standard
Spoilers for the latest season.
Bobby's Medal of Honor is Canon only in my mind and my fiction.
EXPECTING
Chapter One
"You ok?"
Megan Wheeler stared at her salad until her stomach settled. She'd never experienced seasickness, but she guessed it must be something like this.
"Yea…False alarm…"
"My early weeks…I was sick every morning and every evening like clockwork," Alex Eames said gently. "The day it finally stopped I thought something was wrong."
Megan stabbed a tomato. "I wish I had a schedule like that. Although I'm not sick as often…It's the hormones now…And I deep getting hot and cold…"
"That wasn't too bad for me," Alex said sympathetically. "What was bad for me was when the kid seemed to be twice my size."
"I'm not looking forward to that." Megan smiled shyly. "At least I've got someone around who's been through this."
Alex grinned. "Happy to take you through the gory details. Just let me know if you need anything. You happy with your doctor?"
"Yea…She's good…It's just…Not having anyone…" Megan stabbed another tomato.
Alex reached across the table and gently touched the younger woman's hand. "I can't imagine how tough that is…I had my whole family…And Bobby…By the way, you have my permission to borrow him, if you need him. He was really helpful once he got past his fears that something was going to happen. He was reading all these books on pregnancy, and every time he learned about something that could go wrong, I could see him examining me for symptoms."
Megan smiled. "I may take you up on that…Ross is trying, but he's confused. And Nichols…Nichols gave me a pair of yellow booties…"
Alex chuckled. "Oh, those are useful…The kid'll only kick them off…"
"So…How did Goren treat you aside from the paranoia?" Megan chanced a sip of her decaf iced tea.
"Aside from those moments when he was terrified, great." Alex smiled at the memories. "Although when he realized he was going to have to work with a temporary partner, the poor guy looked like he was going to have a root canal."
Megan took a bite of her salad. It actually tasted good, and she was suddenly ravenous. "I heard," she said tentatively. "That was rough…I know Lyn Bishop from some women officers' groups," she added in response to Alex's frown. "I don't have a lot of time for them since I joined Major Case…Bishop was nice enough to me, although I got the idea that she was interested in being part of the Brass."
Alex poked at her sandwich. "I have to be honest with you, Megan," she said carefully. "I was never a big fan of Bishop. I know us girls are supposed to stick together…"
"Hence this lunch," Megan said.
Alex nodded. "And she was good enough at the job…But I always felt she was using Major Case as a stepping stone."
"I have to agree with you about that," Megan said. "I like Lyn…But she's very ambitious."
"And she started off by treating Bobby…Well…She didn't get him and she didn't try to get him. Granted, he didn't make things easy for her, and having me around the bullpen didn't help. But she kept looking and treating him like a freak…"
Megan looked puzzled. "But…I heard her defend Goren once when somebody said something about him…"
"Yea…I'll grant her that…When Bobby was on suspension, Bishop contacted me and offered to help any way she could. I was very grateful for that. She may be ambitious, but she's loyal and willing to stick her neck out." Alex smiled. "She went from staring at Bobby to being like this puppy at his heels. I'm not sure what happened…But there was a case…I know Deakins…Our former captain…"
"I heard he got a raw deal." Megan pierced a piece of chicken with her fork.
"He did…And I can give you those gory details sometime," Alex sighed. "Anyway…Deakins wanted to put Bobby up for the Medal of Honor…Bishop was all gung ho about it…Bobby was…Well, he doesn't handle praise well…And he already has one…"
"I've heard that." Megan looked suitably impressed. "Do you know how…"
"Not a lot…Bobby won't talk much about it besides mumbling about how he was just doing his job. He was grateful that he got it because it got him out of Narcotics. He was really good there, but he didn't like it. He felt like he was getting in the dealers' heads too much."
"That…That happened to me when I worked Fraud," Megan admitted. "And those perps…not nearly as bad as the ones in Narcotics." She took a long drink of her tea.
"You're more delicate than me," Alex said. "When I was hungry when I was pregnant, I'd devour things. You know Richie…"
Megan nodded.
"He got between me and the last bag of Skittles in the vending machine one day, and I think I might've hurt him if Bobby hadn't shown up with another bag." Alex laughed. "Bobby stopped eating around me for a while. I think he was afraid I'd either get sick or steal his food."
Megan giggled. "Nichols ate this massive hot dog with everything on it a couple of days ago. I almost threw up all over him."
"Chocolate milk helped me a lot…And chocolate ice cream…Bobby got me that a lot…'Course, chocolate ice cream still helps a lot," Alex said.
"Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Chip," Megan said. "I've got several pints in my fridge…"
"If you ask, Bobby will bring it," Alex said. "He'll also bring you ginger and herbal teas…All sorts of things…He brought them to me, but only after he'd done his research and knew they were safe. He was good at hiding it, but I caught him a couple of times reading books about pregnancy. It was sweet really. He made sure I took my vitamins. Went with me to some of my appointments. I'm sure some of the nurses thought he was the father. He was great. And he tried so hard not to hover over me and worry."
"I hate that," Wheeler said fiercely. "Nichols does it. Ross does it big time. I'm pregnant. I'm not sick. I haven't got some contagious disease…"
Alex laughed.
"What?"
"Bobby. I got upset with him one day and said something like that. And he said that there was some anecdotal evidence that pregnancy was contagious. That when one woman in a group gets pregnant, other women do too."
"Maybe I should warn people," Megan smiled.
"Well, there aren't that many of us in Major Case," Alex said. "I don't know what you can do about the hovering…Except just keep doing the job…And remember it's not all bad. You can guilt them into a lot of things."
Megan grinned. "Yea…I'm finding that out…It's…It's just hard. I'm trying to figure Nichols out. I think he's like Goren…He's different. He's really good at the job. But he's unusual. And I can't figure out what's going on between him and Ross…Or what went on. All I can tell is that it doesn't seem to bother Nichols nearly as much as it does Ross."
Alex sighed. "Well, Bobby and Ross have this alpha male contest going on. And Bobby's trying not to play it, but every time he tries to back down, Ross does something to ratchet it up again."
"Ross is a good guy…A good boss…But he's…territorial. I think he has to be to deal with the politics…But…You know…" Megan said quietly. "I know a different Ross."
"I think Bobby and I are starting to see that Ross," Alex said.
"Alex…If this is none of my business…" Megan stabbed at her salad. "But…I know you were a surrogate…Was it…Was it…God…That's a stupid question…Of course it was hard…"
"Hard to give Nate up? Yea…It was hard…But the truth is…He was never really mine…And he still is mine in some ways…" Alex smiled. "If anyone can own a kid. My Dad says they're just on loan until they're adults. It hurt, but I tell you…I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
"It's just…I'm not sure…" Megan fought against tears. "I don't know if I can do this…"
Alex reached across the table and gently placed her hand over Megan's. "'Fraid you can't do the single mom thing?"
Megan nodded. "Sometimes I don't think I can take care of myself. I sure don't know how to pick men."
"Look," Alex said. "We're all muddling through…But from what I've seen, you're tough and smart. I'll help you if I can…And I think there're other people who'll help you whatever decision you make."
Megan wiped her eyes. "Thanks," she said shakily. "That's awfully good of you, Alex, especially since you don't know me that well…"
"Logan thought a lot of you," Alex responded. "Ross thinks a lot of you. Bobby thinks you've got a first rate brain and that you don't have prejudices. Everything I've seen and know about you says you're ok. Besides…Us girls got to stick together." She gently squeezed Megan's hand.
"Ok," Megan said. "Ok."
END CHAPTER ONE
