Once Was Enough (Chapter 2)

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing of the sort even remotely related to Law and Order or its characters.

A/N: oh, thanks GoddessPixie for that wonderfully sarcastic review. While you've never been an author to any stories yourself, I bet you leave those type of comments to everyone.


"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Alex shouts after a brief period of silence. She rarely uses foul language, but when she does she is well beyond pissed off. Glancing at her husband she sees that he has the same reaction that she had. Bobby looks closely enough and he can see the aura of anger seething, radiating waves off of her. He's only seen her this angry a few times, he thanks his lucky stars he's not on the receiving end this occasion.

Beth stands there dumbfounded. In her mind, she cannot understand why Alex would deny her anything, at this point she was furious that she was not getting her way. She had planned the events out: she would ask Alex to be a surrogate again, Alex would say 'sure, anything for my sister!', and then she would have a playmate for Nathan. Now those plans were being derailed, and she is pissed. Directing an icy glare towards Bobby, her shrill voice rings in the room.

"How are you going to just sit there and let her talk to me like that? Can't you keep her under control?" Beth snidely asks Bobby.

Bobby lets out a soft laugh. "Me? Tell her what to do? If I try and tell her what to do that would be a death sentence for me. Besides, your sister is her own person and can make decisions without any input from anyone."

A long sigh escapes Alex's lips. "Beth, you are unbelievable! I've spent my entire life cleaning up after you. You were and are always the drama queen who cries and whines when something doesn't go the way you want it to. Did you stop to think when I had Nathan what I went through physically and emotionally? No, you didn't. You were just so happy to have the baby that you discarded me after I had fulfilled your needs."

By that point tears were streaming out of Alex, the sobs wracking her body as she finally let out the pent out anger that had been eating at her for quite a while. Bobby reached over and encircled Alex in his embrace, comforting her and allowing her to let herself cry in to him. She had reached her threshold of tolerance for her sister's actions. With only a few years difference in their ages, Alex was the older sibling. Beth was always getting in to trouble and then she was left to deal with the aftermath. At one point in their teens Alex thought it would be a great idea if Beth learned some personal responsibility. Beth had gotten herself in trouble at school by sneaking in the boys locker room to hook up with one of the football players. Alex had set on the sidelines to let her sister try to explain her way out of this one to their father. The only outcome from that was Alex getting a lecture to look out for her little sister and make sure she doesn't continue to get in to trouble. True, Alex had always been the unofficial 'favorite' of her father, but that didn't save her from his stern lectures and glares.

Tom had whisked Nathan away to his playroom so he wouldn't witness the battle between Alex and Beth. The tension in the room can be cut with a very sharp implement. Bobby is standing firmly behind his wife and any decision she makes. For Alex, the most important part to this conversation is to tell Beth that she'll never be used as a baby incubator again, and that even if she would, she can't because she's currently carrying her own child. Unconsciously placing her hands over her stomach, Alex wills herself to calm down. Hormones flying through her system fuel the anguish and rage she feels right now. Feeling a reassuring squeeze from her husband, she feels the courage to put Beth in her place.

"Beth," Alex begins. "Why are you asking me to go through that all over again? You have NO idea how depressed I was after giving birth to Nathan! If Bobby hadn't been there to pick up the pieces of me, I...I...well, I don't think I'd be standing here."

Bobby stands, stretching up to his full six foot plus height. When he stands near Alex it is as if he is the towering shadow enveloping her in his protection. Coaxing Alex to sit down on the couch, he then stands in front of Beth, looming over her, making her cower. He bends over almost in half, studying her in the most unnerving manner. Beth shrinks back, trying her best to deflect his gaze to any where but her Bobby circles around Beth, taking slow, even steps. He treats her as a suspect, and begins to interrogate her as one.

"Beth...." he starts the 'interrogation'. "Don't you think it's a little unfair to ask this enormous task of your sister? She has already put her life on hold once for you to give you the child you always wanted and couldn't have due to your fertility issues."

At the mention of fertility issues Beth's eyes start to brim over with tears. It always had been a sensitive issue, even when her and Tom had discussed about going to the fertility doctor. Beth cries every time the subject is brought up.

"How do you think she feels, Beth? Would you yourself want to go through what your sister went through?" Bobby doesn't give her a chance to respond, he continues on. "Do you know how deeply depressed she was? I don't think you do. You weren't there to pick up the pieces when she fell apart! You were so selfish in your actions and used her like some baby incubator! All you could think about was having a child of your own. You never felt the physical and emotional hollowness she felt! How would you feel if you carried a tiny life for nine months and then had it ripped from your hands and you will never again feel the movement inside you, that connection that only a mother could feel?"

Beth is left speechless...almost. She stares blankly at her sister. Alex is sitting on the other couch, head in hands with the tears flowing freely down her face, soaking her clothes. For the first time Beth saw how greatly Alex was affected by going through the surrogacy. That realization is cut short when Beth almost screams in frustration. She needs to get these plans back on track and she needs another baby NOW.

"Aren't family members supposed to help each other out in times of distress and need?" Beth bellows. Throwing her hands up in defiance she tries to approach Alex and literally shake some sense in to her. She is halted by Bobby stepping in between the two sisters. Placing his hand on Beth's shoulders he gently pushes her back as far as he can to get her away from his wife.

Tom chooses that moment to walk back in the room. He had finished getting Nathan to sleep and decided to come back in the living room to help his wife with the conversation. The scene he happened upon was not what he had expected to find. He comes up to Beth, and practically drags her back, holding her arms at her sides so she won't lash out at anyone. He is looking at Bobby in disbelief and Bobby decides to give Tom a recap of what had transpired to get him up to speed. Tom shakes his head at his wife's actions. In the beginning of this whole mess about Nathan, he was on his wife's side when asking Alex to be a surrogate for them. During the pregnancy however, he witnessed how this whole thing was making Alex depressed and how it affected her life and her job. By the end of the pregnancy Tom was starting to regret asking his sister-in-law to carry their baby for them. Beth could be so selfish some times and it made Tom feel disconcerted.

Bobby takes a seat next to Alex and leans in to whisper in her ear. She perks up and softy remarks that with all this fuss she had forgotten to mention the one small detail. Looking up at her husband, one stare between them says more than words ever can. 'You want to tell them or should I?' his eyes seem to ask her. 'I'll tell them.' her eyes respond to his inquiry.

Clearing her throat Alex looks over at Tom and Beth to get their attention. "Beth, Tom. Even if I wanted to undergo this immensely important 'commission', I couldn't...because I'm carrying a child of our own. I'm pregnant." Bobby grasps her hand and squeezes it to remind her that he is there for her when she needs him to step in and handle Beth.

Beth's head snaps up and the look in her eyes says it all. She is furious that Alex will not carry a baby for her again. "What is wrong you, sister? You think that just because you don't have fertility issues means that you can go and pop out kids of your own?!"

Even Tom is taken aback by Beth's words and behavior. He is embarrassed beyond belief. He feels for Alex though, he knows all the history between the two sisters and knows that Beth can be one hell of a bitch. He knows at this point that there is no redemption for Beth. He stands and grabs Beth by her arm trying to drag her out of the room. Beth pulls back, inciting a tug of war of sorts. Chaos is the only word able to describe what is going on in the house at the moment.

While trying to pull his infuriated wife away from her sister, Tom tries to play peacekeeper. "I really want to apologize for her behavior tonight. I have no idea why she is acting like this! I know she can be kind of brash and crude, but tonight is just unbelievable. I'm really sorry Alex. I'm against asking you because of what you went though last time."

"Apology accepted Tom. I know how Beth is. She always thinks of herself first and then every one else last. She's never cared about my being or what I go through for her." Alex says, grinding out every word trying to keep a hold on her emotions.

Bobby lifts his head up, his thoughts collected. His voice is low, sounding dangerously intimidatory. "Beth, this is the absolute last time that we will be over here at your house. No longer will we have contact with you. Tom can bring Nathan by for visitation with Alex, as she still has the right to spend time with the nephew she gave birth to. Do you realize that you have one other sister, and 3 sister-in-laws?" Beth nods her head at this. "Then why do you keep coming to my wife for favors? She put everything on hold once to give you a child. Never again will she do so."

Showing no signs of calming down Beth continues to rant on. "She had her chance at a family! You should have popped out the kids when you were married to Joe, not with this....partner of yours!"


A/N: So: Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Drop a line the review section!