From Here to There, Partners to Married
Disclaimer: I do now own Law and Order CI
Mike sat there at his local pub, the bartender sat an iced vodka infront of him.
"Do I need to call Barek this time Mike?"
"No, I'm only having one." Drinking his vodka, the phone rang and Al picked it up. He walked over to Mike.
"Barek's on the phone, she wants to speak to you if you're here. I told her you were."
"Thanks." He took the phone and listened to his former partner, "What is it Caro? One drink so far and I might have another...hello, Caro?" He hand Al the phone, "she hung up."
"I know why." Mike turned to see Carolyn sitting beside him, she was dressed in a nice outfit. It was nicer then she had ever worn and her hair was up instead of down.
"Hey, can I get two coffees Al, I'm dragging him to a church and I don't want him drunk."
"Yeah," Al took Mike's glass and went to the coffee machine.
"Over my dead body Caro. I'll enter a church when one, I get married or two, I'm in a wooden box."
"Mike, I need you to go. You lost a friend and Rogers says it was...hard on you. One time won't kill you. Thanks Al" As Al placed two cups of coffee on the bar infront of the two.
"No problem Barek. Placing it on you tab, you have a week before you have to pay it."
"I know, I'll pay it tuesday." She looked at Mike who was drinking the coffee, "Mike please come with me. Do you want to know the real reason I want you to come?"
"It might let me make a decision on whether or not I'll actually come."
"My mother is dying and the doctor gives her a year. I want her to think I'm happy. You I know well and I was hoping you could actually help me decieve her. I know, Carolyn Mary Barek is decieveing someone. As my pretend boyfriend Mike, two nights thats all."
"Decieve? What happened to my Caro..."
"Do you want the upside of this plan?" He turned to her and she smiled, "One, you get to kiss me...alot and sleep in the same bed." Mike looked at her and she gave him a look. "Downside, no sex and you have to go to church with me. But know you're doing this for me and I really need this Mike."
"Where in New York City?"
"Albany not New York City, they have a nice size house and we have a room to ourselves. I trust you Mike, don't betray that trust."
"Just us and your parents?"
"Yes, just us and my parents."
"You pay my tab for the church part."
"Fine, I'll pay your tab for the church part."
Albany, Barek Residence
Daniel Barek opened the door to see Carolyn and Mike, he smiled and ushered them in.
"Hi, I'm Daniel Barek."
"Mike Logan, nice to meet Carolyn's father finally."
"Nice to meet someone that Carolyn is so smitten with. She talks about you alot."
Mike looked at Carolyn and she smiled, "well she speaks alot about you."
Carolyn smiled and Daniel shook her head.
"Your room is upstairs, church isn't intil tomorrow Carolyn, why are you dressed like that?"
"For Mama, we grabbed dinner on the way here, is she awake?"
"No sweetheart, I'm going to bed. Goodnight Mike. Goodnight darling?" Daniel kissed Carolyn's cheek and left down the hall.
"This way and I talked because I had to make it seem real." As they walked up the stairs.
"Oh, how did you know I'd comply?"
"I just knew, you can set the bags on the chairs."
Mike closed the door after setting the bags down, he found Carolyn in the bedroom looking at herself, she had changed out of her nice clothes into jeans and a shirt. He went over and stood behind her, reaching up, he removed the pins that held her hair up. Her hair gently fell down and Mike looked at Carolyn through the mirror, she looked at him.
"I'm going to the treehouse, go to bed, I'll be back around one."
"Treehouse?" He looked at her as she nodded.
"It's in the backyard, it's nine and my parents are asleep. It's going to be alright Mike. My father built it for me and my brothers, I want to spend sometime up there. Just go to bed, I'll be back."
She moved around him and he followed her, she said nothing though. They got downstairs and to the back door, Carolyn undid the alarm and opened the door. Mike followed her to the tree. He found a massive play house in the tree. Carolyn started to climb but fell back, Mike caught her and she looked at him as he gently placed her on the ground.
"Thanks," she started to climb and finally got up to the top before Mike started up to the top. Once both were up, Carolyn opened the treehouse's door. They went in and both sat on the couch in the corner.
"So this is a treehouse? I never had one as a kid."
"I know why, no need to explain." She nodded before getting up and went to the middle of the room, standing under a circlular piece of wood, she pulled the string that hung to the side and the wood moved, an opening was there. Carolyn laid on the floor and starred at the starry sky. Mike followed and laid beside her, looking up.
"How'd he do that?"
"Carpenter remember, he made this whole thing while we were at camp one summer. He takes care of it for my nephews."
"No nieces?" He looked at her and she looked at her.
"It's a family joke that I'll be the one to deliver the granddaughter. Now with my mother, I doubt she'll ever see me have a child, her dream. I was her favorite."
"Caro, what if we struck a deal."
"What Mike?"
"Let's give that dream to your mother. IVF, I'd be a donor, you know me. I don't have to help or I could. I'll help you, I care for you alot."
"Mike, my mother wants me married before I have a child. Now unless you are willing to marry me and live with me the rest of your life without divorce, ain't gonna happen."
Mike looked at her and nodded, her mother had only a year left. Carolyn was his closest friend, she stood by him when no one would. She'd pick him up from bars and that said alot when she'd pick up a very drunk guy and stay the night on the couch while he recovered. She had a weeks worth of clothes in his apartment closet due just to that.
"The stars, ever wonder what is out there?" Carolyn smiled.
"No, God is letting us explore it so he'll let us discover what there is. All things come in it's time, but sometimes I do wonder what wonders the Lord put out there."
"Catholics, they have a religious answer for everything." Carolyn began laughing and he smirked, he made her laugh at least once when they were around each other. That was one lunch a week, equally four times a month.
They laid talking for a while longer and Mike stopped talking when he realized Carolyn was asleep. He got up and went to the couch, a blanket lay ontop and two sleeping bags in the corner. He laid out the sleepng bags and then gently placed Carolyn on one, covering her up. He fell asleep and hour later, holding her.
The Next Morning
Elizabeth Barek stood in the kitchen cooking when Daniel came in, she was determined to stay on her rountine, meaning cooking in the morning, till she could no longer.
"I checked their room, they aren't in there." Daniel nodded and looked out the window.
"They are probably in the treehouse, I'll get them down for breakfast."
Daniel went outside and yelled up to the treehouse, "come and get it, breakfast is ready."
Treehouse
Carolyn opened her eyes at her father's voice, it had come of years of hearing it. She opened her eyes to find herself halfway on Mike.
"Mike," he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Papa's calling, breakfast is ready."
"Oh!" He let her go and Carolyn sat up, pushing the blanket back. Mike watched her go to the window and she began to yell down.
"Papa, we'll be right down."
"Alright."
Carolyn came back to Mike after her father left to go inside. She sat down facing Mike, he smiled and reached over, moving stray hairs from her face.
"Beautiful," she smiled and laid back down on the sleeping bag.
"I thought breakfast was ready."
"My mother cooks a breakfast for the entire PD instead of four. I want to sleep some more, I've only slept a few hours."
"Sleep, I'll tell your father you fell asleep." He bent down and kissed her lips, pulling back and looked at her. He leaned down again and Carolyn kissed him back.
"Come get me later?"
"I will, sleep well." He covered her with the blanket before kissing her again. He pulled the cover back into place.
Kitchen
Mike came into the kitchen to see Elizabeth cooking and Daniel was sitting at the table reading the paper.
"Morning." Mike sat down at the table, Daniel put the paper down. "Carolyn said she wanted to sleep some more."
"Here's some coffee Mike." Elizabeth placed a cup on the table, Mike smiled.
"Thank you Mrs. Barek."
"Liz dear, so how long before you and my daughter become ingaged and have a child. I'd love to have a grandchild before I leave this earth."
"We are still dating, we haven't dicussed that."
"Dicussed what?" Carolyn came through the door and over to Mike.
"How did you sleep Baby?" Mike smiled as she sat beside him.
"Good, I enjoy the treehouse. What haven't we discussed yet?"
"I was just asking Mike when you two will be ingaged and give me a grandchild. I'd love to have a granddaughter."
"Not there yet Mama."
"Well you better hurry up, I just want my baby to give me a grandchild."
Later
Mike and Carolyn sat in the treehouse while her mother napped and father went shopping.
"All she ever wanted was me to be happy, I am but the thing she wanted deeply was a granchild, especially a grandaughter."
"What can I do to help, I'll do anything. We're partners and friends after all."
"Unless you're willing to marry me and live with with me the rest of your life without divorce, nothing!"
"Friendly marriage."
"Open marriage is not an option Mike." He placed an arm around her.
"No, marriage as friends and to have..."
"NO, Mike I want a marriage with someone who will love me till they die. Love me and our children and risk everything to protect us. One who will give me a kiss each morning when I wake up and hug me when I get home. Hold me after I've had a bad case and tell me 'I Love You' before I go to work and tell me it when we lay in bed together after putting our children to sleep. Someone who would never stray from our marriage and tell me everything."
Mike nodded and knew it was possible he could never do any of that. He was a well know womanizer and marriage wasn't his thing, he knew what marriage was; a hold on freedom. He realized something, if he had the guts to concieve a child, then what was there between them?
"What do you want Caro?"
"Right now, I want you to hold me."
They sat there and finally Mike spoke.
"If I had to choose between a marriage and being alone the rest of my life, I'd choose marriage. If I had to choose between you and someone I didn't know as well as I do you, I'd choose you. When I was little, I thought I'd find a beautiful woman and we'd have the biggest family in the world. I knew I was wrong when I found out my girlfriend had an abortion. I gave up on a family after that, finding the one woman I'd spend my life with, who'd put up with me through everything. Only one woman has done that."
"Me!" She smiled and he nodded.
"You put up with my ragaholic tendenses, drinking and language. I want to know why."
"Mike..."
Leaning down, he kissed her. Taking her head in his hand, Mike lowered her to the floor and ran his hand down her side, stopping at her shirt hem. Carolyn looked at him once they separated for air.
Running a hand through his hair, she brought his head down once again and kissed him.
Two Hours Later
Carolyn lay with Mike, they talked about things from childhood.
"Matthew told our father and Papa took me to church and had the priest pray over me. I was six, I didn't know any better."
"Running around the backyard nude, come on Caro. You knew and you just won't admit it." He ran a hand down her arm and pulled her closer.
"Maybe, I was six, you have to give me a break."
"I'd never let our daughter do that." Carolyn smiled as he said the words 'our daughter'. Was the sex they just had more then sex? Was it his way of saying he loved her?
"Our daughter?" She turned in his arms and looked at him.
"Caro, do you really think I'd have amazing sex and just call it a stand, especially with you?"
"No, but you're planning a life with me after this, it sounds strange."
"Give it time, it'll sink in."He kissed her forehead and rested his against hers.
"I love you, that's why I stick by you." Mike nodded.
"I need to have time to feel the same, I care for you Caro, deeply but I don't love you yet."
"You'll have time."
"Good, I want time." Holding her, Carolyn's cell rang and she moved to her hoddy and found it.
"Barek, no Papa I don't need anything. Alright, bye." She hung up and looked at Mike. "Papa will be home in fifteen."
"That gives us ten minutes alone." He took the phone and placed it aside, kissing Carolyn.
That Night
Carolyn stood getting dressed for church when Mike stepped out of the shower.
"You look beautiful." He kissed her head and moved around her.
"Thank you, you need to change into something nice."
"I have once of my suits."
"Good, I'll be downstairs." She leaned up and kissed him before leaving the bathroom.
After church, which Mike endured calmly and made no comment other then it was a nice church, they went back to the house. Mike went to bed while Carolyn talked to her parents. She later came up and crawled into bed after changing. Mike woke and pulled her into his arms.
"Night Baby." He kissed her head and Carolyn smiled.
"Goodnight Mike." She placed her head under his chin and closed her eyes.
Next Morning
Carolyn woke to a kiss on her forehead, she smiled.
"Morning." She opened her eyes to she Mike looking down at her.
"Hi, how did you sleep."
"Good, nice to be woken up that way."
A Month Later
Mike found Carolyn making dinner when he walked into his apartment.
"Hi Baby, what is it?" He kissed her forehead and she smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"You never cook, what is going on. I can profile you Caro, don't make me."
"I'm pregnant," she smiled and he looked at her.
"Pregnant?"
"Yes, as in a baby makes three, well four. It's twins."
"Oh my God, are you serious?" He placed his forehead against her's and held her in his arms.
"Yes, I found out today, twins Mike. We don't know if it's girls or boys or both yet, that'll be in three months."
"Your mother is going to go crazy, she'll have grandchildren by you before she dies."
"You have something you must do, marry me or atleast we need to be engaged by the time they arrive."
"I know Baby, I know. I love you, so much."
"How do you love me?" She had to question him due to the situation.
"I love you for your heart, grace, faith, love for others. Your laugh and smile and most of all, you're the mother of my children, the woman I want to marry."
"Just checking, I love you too. Dinner's almost ready."
Mike placed a hand on her stomach and then looked at Carolyn, he kissed her quickly before letting her go back to cooking.
Mike soon found that the joys of pregnancy were just a hard on him as they were on Carolyn. Month two, three and four came with morning sickness, but that was the down side. The upside was they found out the sex and another surprise.
"Dad, it's good to see you here with Carolyn." As the doctor came into the room.
"No, all the way with her and the pregnancy."
"So, Dr. Mitch, can we find out the sexes?"
"We can, any problems so far?"
"Morning sickness constantly, I get to work late and my captain's about ready to fire me."
"You mean us both." Mike looked at her and she smiled, the doctor looked at the two. "I stay with her through the constant trips to the bathroom."
"Well in my six years, you are the first to do that. Most men stay away from the bathroom when the morning sickness comes. So are you ready to meet your twins?"
"We are, we're hoping for atleast one girl." As Carolyn laid down, Mike kept his hands on her, one on her head and the other held her hand.
"This will be cold, so this is your first ultrasound other then the finding?" Moving the scope around.
"Yes, so what do we have?" They looked at the screen, Mike squeezed her hand.
"Two girls...and a boy?"
"What?" They both responded in unison.
"He's in this corner right here." Mitch pointed to the screen and they looked at him. "He's the smallest, but it's possible by look, I'm not completely sure, that you will have identical twin girls."
"Identical?" They looked at Mike and Carolyn smiled.
"Two girls and a boy, my mother will be thrilled."
"I was wondering why you were so big at four months, now I know why. What is the pregnancy range of delivery for triplets?"
"Thirty to thirty-four weeks, I will admit around five to six months, if I find a problem, I'll put you on bedrest and if need be, in the hospital till the scheduled C-Section."
Both nodded and looked at each other, Mike squeezed her hand. "I'll be here Baby, I love you."
"I know, I love you too."
"Shall I give you ultrasounds?"
"Many, my parents and family will want them and Mike may want to show them around his squadroom."
"Do you have names?"
"We had one for a boy, no girl names yet." Mike took the ultrasounds as Carolyn cleaned her stomach of the gel. She was eighteen weeks and beautifully large. They assumed it was due to twins not triplets.
"Make your next appointment in the front."
They left and Mike looked at the ultrasounds, his son and daughters were in his hands.
"What do you think of the name Mackayla?"
"Isabelle and Isabella, they are forms of Elizabeth. One in French and the other Itailan."
"My mother would like that, what for middle names?"
"Madilyn and Madison."
"What if they aren't twins?" Carolyn looked at him and he smiled.
"Something Polish, how about Mareka, Marek is Polish, right?"
"My brother's middle name."
"And an 'a', Mareka and Mara, Elizabeth and Eloise."
"I like them, it's defently Michael James Logan Jr. for the boy?"
"We, actually you decided on that."
Squadroom, Next Day
Mike looked up to see Megan Wheeler sitting down.
"You aren't due back for another three months!"
"Well, another guy stepped in and I came home, thank God for that. So, what trouble did you get into."
Alex came over and she sat at the edge of his desk. "Hand them over Logan, let me see."
"Fine,"he opened the drawer and pulled out the ultrasounds. "These two are the girls and that is my son." He pointed to one of the ultrasound.
"I thought it was twins?"
"It was till me and Carolyn went in and we found out we have two daughters and a son."
"Wait, your former partner Carolyn Barek." They looked at Megan and nodded.
"Yes, I'm engaged and we're having triplets."
"Oh." Mike looked back at Alex.
"Do you have names yet?"
"No, well not for the girls, for sure. If their identical it will be Isabella Madison and Isabelle Madilyn Logan. If they aren't, it'll be Mareka Eloise and Mara Elizabeth Logan. For sure, the boy will be named Michael James Logan Jr., Carolyn made it clear."
"She's stubborn, is she big?"
"She's having triplets, of course, but she is beautiful." He took the ultrasounds Alex handed back to them, he placed them in the drawer.
"I complained about being fat, has she?"
"No, probably because I tell her she's beautiful each morning."
Months Five and Six went by with no problem but at thirty-four weeks Carolyn's water broke and she was taken to the hospital. She was put on bedrest.
"We're gong to keep you on bedrest for a week, for their development. We will then deliver next Tuesday on Christmas. They will stay in the NICU for a few weeks then they can go home."
After the doctor left, Carolyn looked at Mike.
"Mike, I was scared, I still am."
"Hey, we'll get through this, all five of us." He kissed her forehead and hugged her.
"Can you call Mama and Papa?" He nodded and pulled out his cellphone. "Tell them they'll get their grandchildren on Christmas Day."
"I will Baby," he dialled in the number and Daniel answered. 'Daniel it's Mike, me and Carolyn are at the hospital...no she's been put on bedrest. No the doc said they won't deliver for another week. Carolyn wanted to tell you that you'll be a grandfather on Christmas Day...yeah, that's when they'll deliver."
Carolyn smiled and watched Mike talk to her father, they had become close as her mother's health fluxuated. The family hoped for a transplant but it seemed hopeless that a new heart would come by the time she died. She lived each day as if it was her last, but they all knew it was true, she'd die before one came. Her mother smiled when she heard her dream of a granddaughter would come in twins. Most of the family had yet to meet Mike and it was decided to have a fmaily reunion slash baby shower after the triplets' arrival. The whole family would come and see the family joke had panned out, Carolyn had delivered the first granddaughter, a second had followed her sister.
Christmas Day
Carolyn laid awake as the doctors preformed the C-Section. Mike was with her, a hand on her head and the other holding her hand.
"And Baby A is here, it's a girl." He handed the baby off to a nurse as their first daughter cried.
"She has your lungs," Mike looked at Carolyn as she made the comment, she smiled.
"But your beauty." He kissed her head as they pulled their second daughter from her warm space of her mother's womb.
"She's got the powerful lungs, Baby A and B are identical twins. Here comes Baby C, a beautiful baby boy." Mike looked at Carolyn as they heard their son's cry, she smiled.
They weighed the triplets and Mike watched from Carolyn's side as they announced the official findings that the two girls, Isabella Madison and Isabelle Madilyn Logan were indeed identical twins. Mikey or Michael James Logan Jr. was the baby of the three and assured to be Mama's favorite, atleast to Mike's suspections.
"How much do they weigh?" Mike looked at Carolyn and smiled.
"Isabelle is four pounds, one ounce. Isabella is three pounds and seven ounces and Mikey is three pound, twelve ounces."
"Can we see them?"
"They are going to the NICU Baby, you'll see them in a few hours, I'll see them once they move you to your room."
"I love you Mike, I thank God that you are the father of my children."
"I thank God you dropped into my life and I do love you too Baby." He kissed her and smiled, Carolyn smiled at him.
She looked at the door and Mike knew the last thirty-five weeks of carrying their children had made her have a connection that he would never have and also now she felt empty after the C-Section.
"I'll call your parents later, after you're moved to the recovery room." She nodded and smiled.
Two Hours Later
Mike stood looking at his daughter, Isabelle, she was beautiful but tiny. The girls had his eyes and Carolyn's hair, Mikey had her hair and hazel eyes.
"Hi Isabelle, we're going to call you Madi and your sister will be called Bella, atleast for now."
Walking to the other incubators, he looked at Madi's twin and Mikey. He smiled, they had something of Carolyn in them all, he began to seep tears, his children were before him. Mike went to Carolyn's room, Daniel was there with Elizabeth, she was in a wheelchair.
"Hi Liz, Daniel." He walked to Carolyn and kissed her head. "They are beautiful, Dr. Mitch says about two to four weeks and then they must meet requirements."
"I just can't wait to see my girls." They looked at Elizabeth, "what are their names?"
"Isabelle Madilyn Logan, we call her Madi. Isabella Madison Logan, we call her Bella, and Michael James Logan Jr. or Mikey."
"No Elizabeth?"
"No, Isabelle and Isabella are forms of Elizabeth. Isabella is Italian and Isabelle is French. Mike decided on them, after you."
"Thank you Mike," Mike smiled and nodded his head.
Seven Weeks Later
Carolyn and Mike could finally take the triplets home, Mikey had developed some breathing problems so he had to stay a while longer and the twins developed the same problem two days before they were cleared to so they couldn't go home. It lasted three weeks and finally they could all so home. Mike planned on dropping Major Case to show their friends the triplets. Helpping Mike with the carseat, she carried Mikey while Mike took the twins. Alex tapped Bobby's shoulder as they entered the room.
"Logan, what's this you brought?"
Mike placed the carseats on his desk and Carolyn placed Mikey's carseat on the floor.
"Eames, Goren, Wheeler. I'd like to introduce my fiancee Carolyn Barek and our children, Madi, Bella and Mikey."
They all looked at the sleeping infants, Wheeler looked at him.
"Wow Logan, you did the impossible. You're settling down...with a cop no less."
"Logan..." They turned to see Ross with Carolyn's captain, James Reedy.
"Sir?"
"Meet your new team member, Julian Crush and his partner..." They saw a guy wave but his partner was no where in sight.
"Where's his partner?"
"Barek..." Ross went over and took Carolyn's hand, "welcome back to Major Case, your partner Julian Crush."
Mike looked at Carolyn and they both smiled.
"I figured three infants need both parents so...why not have them both in the same squad."
"Thank you Cap."
Nine Years Later
Mike looked at his son, he sat at the table with his grandmother.
"Time to go Mikey, Mama will be expecting us. Where are your sisters?"
"In the treehouse Papa, bye Grandmama." Mikey hugged her and she smiled.
"Bye Mikey, thank you Mike. I enjoy having the kids around, especially after Daniel died of stroke two years ago."
"You're welcome Liz."
The real Christmas miracle was that Elizabeth recieved a heart four days after the triplets were born. Carolyn said God had blessed her greatly, Mike agreed.
Getting home, Mike found Carolyn cooking as she reviewed a case file. He placed his arms around Carolyn and kissed her head.
"I love you!"
"Mama, Grandmama let us play in the treehouse."
"Really, was it fun?" She hugged each one of her children, they all pulled back at a kiss. "Dinner is ready, wash up."
Later after the kids were in bed, Mike lay holding Carolyn in their bed. "I love you you know."
Carolyn smiled and cuddled up to him, "I know." She closed her eyes and fell asleep, her husband followed.