CHAPTER TWO
"So," Bobby asked cautiously. "You ok? Feeling better?"
"Much better," Alex replied cheerfully. She smiled. "But the next time you put something next to my side of the bed, let me know, all right? I know I've been sick almost every morning for the past week, but that bucket was way too big."
"I…I'm sorry," Bobby said as he stared down the road. "I…I just didn't want you to have to keep running to the bathroom…"
"I understand," Alex said. "But if I had been sick this morning, we would have had a real mess." She shook her head. "The first morning in a week when I haven't been sick and I stick my foot in a bucket."
Bobby looked at her with concern. "You…you're sure you're ok? Should we call Dr. Warren? Go to the E.R.?"
"Bobby," Alex said calmly. "I'm fine…The baby is fine…Falling flat on my butt isn't a tragedy."
Her words eased the waves of tension flooding from him. "But…but…It could've hurt you…and the baby…God…Alex…If…if…"
Alex gently touched his arm. "Bobby…you're going to be a wonderful father…You're wonderful to me…This morning wasn't a big deal…And it was my fault as much as yours, if it was anyone's…I'm the one who stepped in the bucket, after all…" She ruffled the hair on the back of his head. "What's going to happen the first time the kid gets a fever or stubs a toe?"
"I'll be a basket case," Bobby said wryly. "It's just…I'm so nervous…"
"It'll be ok," Alex declared. "My Dad will understand…"
"He knows I'm coming?"
"He knows you're driving me. And he told me to invite you to lunch when he found out," Alex said.
"He must know something's up," Bobby said worriedly. "He's a very bright guy…"
"Yea," Alex said. "I have a suspicion that he was one of those people who knew about us before we did."
Bobby drove carefully. "I haven't driven on the highway for a while," he said thoughtfully. "It's…liberating…"
Alex gently rubbed his neck. "You've had to deal with a lot lately."
He glanced at her. "And you've had to deal with me. Neither of us has had an easy time." He sighed. "Poor kid…doesn't know what he or she is getting into."
"What he or she is is very lucky," Alex said. "To have a mother like you and a father like you." She continued to gently rub his neck. "Look, Bobby…Babies don't know about bad timing…" She stretched as much as she could within the car's confines. "Bobby, do you want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl?"
"I just want the baby to be healthy," Bobby answered quickly. "Although, we would know what to paint the nursery…Oh, God…Alex…We don't even know where we're going to live…We need to get married…To tell people…Look for new jobs…"
"Bobby." She pressed gently but slightly tighter against his neck. "I know…I know…But we need to take things one step at a time…just like we talked about."
He calmed, as he always did when faced with her steady words. "Ok," he said, and his grip on the wheel eased a bit. "But…but, Alex…I do want to marry you…I…I want you…the baby…to know…to know that I love you…That I love you very much."
Alex brushed her hand across his cheek. "And I love you very much, too. And that should get us through anything."
"Sometimes it isn't," Bobby said softly, but Alex sensed her words had calmed him.
"There's the restaurant," Alex said. "Boy, this ride seemed a lot shorter than usual today."
Bobby had never felt so small, in spite of the fact that he banged his head on the car door and stumbled over his feet on the curb. As they entered the restaurant, he realized that Alex had managed to maneuver in front of him.
"She's protecting me," Bobby thought. "I'm such a wimp that my pregnant girlfriend has to protect me."
Johnny Eames sat at a table at the far end of the restaurant. He smiled and rose as Alex and Bobby approached. Bobby suddenly thought that he now knew how someone walking to an execution felt. Mr. Eames hugged Alex warmly while Bobby stood awkwardly behind her. At that moment Bobby realized what a huge, bumbling giant he was, how his hands and feet were large, destructive flippers. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Mr. Eames finally released Alex and turned to Bobby. The smile remained on his face, but a wary look hovered at the edges of his eyes.
"Bobby," he said warmly. "It's good to see you again, son." He shook Bobby's hand.
Bobby recalled that the last time he'd spoken with Alex's father had been when Alex left the hospital after the attack by Jo Gage. He wondered why the older man would think it was good to see him again.
"It's good to see you again, too, Sir," Bobby replied.
The trio sat, and, after ordering—Bobby followed Mr. Eames' suggestion and ordered the daily special without really knowing what it was—an uneasy silence descended over them.
"So," Mr. Eames said, eyeing Bobby and Alex closely. "What's going on?"
Bobby was afraid—afraid as he'd ever been in the Army; afraid as he'd been when confronted by an angry cop with a gun; almost as afraid as he was when Alex was kidnapped. He liked and respected Johnny Eames and desperately wanted the man's good opinion. More than that, Bobby thought he couldn't bear it if he was the cause of a rift between Alex and her family. He had some idea of how important her family was to Alex from watching and listening to her, and his own experiences led him to long terribly for one.
Alex's hand found Bobby's, and they took strength in each other. Mr. Eames saw the move and raised his eyebrows.
"Ah," the older man said quietly. "That's what's going on." His voice lacked any accusation.
"Mr. Eames," Bobby said urgently. He leaned forward but clung to Alex's hand. "Please…please…understand…It…Alex…It wasn't her fault…I…" Bobby ran a hand across the back of his neck. "I…love her…I love her so much…and…"
The waitress' arrival with their food fortunately ended Bobby's stream of desperate words. An uncomfortable silence settled over the table as the waitress placed the plates before them. Bobby stared at his plate as he realized that he'd ordered food that he hated. Alex still held his hand. Mr. Eames sighed and studied his daughter.
"Do you love him?" he asked Alex.
"Yes," Alex answered simply, looking her father in his eyes.
Bobby continued to stare at his plate. "I…I…" he mumbled. "I don't deserve her…but…but…"
"No, you don't deserve her," Mr. Eames said.
"Dad," Alex said fiercely. "You know Bobby…He's a good man…A very good man."
Her father's face softened. "Lexie…You know no man is good enough for you and your sisters…I still have doubts about their husbands, and it's been years and a half dozen grandchildren." His attention turned to Bobby. "Son, do you love my daughter?"
Bobby's head snapped up from his continued contemplation of his plate. "Yes…Yes…I'd do anything for her, Sir."
Mr. Eames looked at Bobby, then Alex. "All right," he said. "If you love each other…And you're grownups…You know what you're getting into…The Department…"
"We know, Dad," Alex said ruefully. "Boy, do we know."
Bobby tried to come to terms with the idea that Alex's father wasn't about to kill him. "Of course," he thought. "He doesn't know yet…" Bobby took a deep breath.
"There…there's something else, Sir." Bobby gripped the table's edge. He glanced at Alex, who nodded encouragingly at him. "I want you to know…We…We want to get married as soon as we can…"
Mr. Eames' eyes narrowed.
Bobby reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small black and white photo. Alex smiled. Bobby had carried the sonogram with him since their last doctor's visit. She wasn't worried about her father's reaction—she trusted him completely. But she knew that Bobby had no tangible reason to share that trust. For Bobby to show her father this photo was a great leap of faith. Holding the photo tenderly by its edges, Bobby extended it to her father, who took it with equal care. He looked at the photo, then at Alex, then at Bobby, and again at the photo.
"I love Alex…I love this child," Bobby said softly. Alex heard the tension in his voice. "I will do everything I can for them…I swear to you, Sir…I will do everything I can to be a good husband and father…Please…I know how important her family is to her…Please…" Bobby gripped the table's edge so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Lexie…" He father asked gently. "Are you all right? Is the baby all right?"
"Yes," Alex said quickly and firmly.
Her father examined the photo again. "I don't know about you, Son," he said as he carefully handed it back to Bobby. "But I've never been able to really see the baby in those pictures. I have to take it on trust."
"I guess," Bobby said in a shaky voice. "We have to take a lot of things on trust."
"Yea, we do." Mr. Eames shook his head. "I don't know what I'm going to tell your mother."
"We'll help you," Alex said. "She'll love him…It may take a while…but she'll love him." Her tone indicated that her mother had little choice in the matter.
"Well, I'll make sure your brothers and sisters are on board," Mr. Eames said firmly.
Bobby released a long, ragged breath he wasn't aware of holding. "Thank you," he said. "I promise you…I will take care of Alex and the baby."
"I believe you," Mr. Eames said.
"I told you," Alex said confidently as they drove back to the city. "My Dad is on our side."
Bobby stared down the road. "He's…he's a great guy, Alex…I wish…I wish…"
"What is it, Bobby?" Her hand brushed his neck.
"I…just wish…I'd had a Dad like him," Bobby said wistfully.
"Well," Alex said. "You'll have him as a father-in-law."
"Yea," Bobby said. "The kid has some good examples on at least one side of the family."
"Bobby," Alex warned.
"Are you sure?" Bobby asked. "That you don't want the genetic tests…"
"Yes," Alex said firmly. "Besides…You've told me and I've read that schizophrenia isn't genetic…and there's no test for it…"
"Alex…There are other things…"
"Bobby…All babies…They're a gamble. We've talked about this…We're both willing to take a chance…We have to believe that we'll be ok…That we can handle whatever comes along…"
"All right…All right…"
Several miles passed before he spoke again.
"What about the rest of your family?"
"Don't worry," Alex said confidently. "My Dad will handle them."
Two days later a case took them to an uptown station. As Alex spoke with several cops she knew from her days in Vice, Bobby volunteered to fetch their SUV. They had parked on the parking garage's roof, and Bobby shivered in the cold wind as he fumbled for the keys.
"Goren."
The hard, cold voice stopped Bobby's struggles with his keys. He looked over his shoulder to see Alex's oldest brother Mike stride towards him. It was Mike who'd set upon Bobby while Alex lay in the hospital after the attack by Jo Gage. As Bobby braced for an expected attack he remembered that Mike was a sergeant in the station.
Mike Eames wasn't in uniform, and he lurched as he approached Bobby. He stopped abruptly several inches from Bobby, who attempted a calm attitude. His shoulders slumped and his eyes down cast, Bobby made himself as small a target as possible.
"Who the hell do you think you are, Goren?" Mike challenged him. Bobby noted his words were slurred.
"I," Bobby said hesitantly. "I…I don't think I'm anyone."
Mike glared at Bobby, who was at least three inches taller and several pounds heavier than the slightly younger man. Bobby knew Mike was probably in better shape, but all of this information was irrelevant. He would never lay a violent hand on any member of Alex's family.
"You mess with your partner and get her pregnant!" Mike said angrily.
Bobby said nothing.
"Damn it, Goren! Don't you have anything to say?" Mike was in Bobby's face now. "I should just go to your Captain…"
Bobby's head snapped up in fear. "No," he said. "That would hurt Alex…We have to tell him ourselves…" Bobby smelled alcohol on Mike's breath. "I'm not going to get out of this without getting hurt," Bobby thought.
"You didn't think about that when you messed with Alex!" Mike backed Bobby up against the SUV.
"It's all I think about…If I'm hurting her," Bobby said softly. His voice was nearly lost in the wind.
"I know about you, Goren…My Dad's been away from the force…He doesn't know that you're a whack job…"
Bobby blinked.
"You nearly got her killed…You're a stone around her neck as far as her career is concerned…God…Why she hasn't dumped you…" Mike raised his fist, and Bobby braced for his attack. "But she won't even think about it." He dropped his fist. "All this time…She keeps defending you…And now…"
"I know," Bobby said softly. "She…she nearly left once…"
"Why she didn't…" Mike glared again at Bobby. "But my sister is loyal and stubborn. She won't leave you…won't admit she made a mistake…You have to get away from her…"
Bobby shook his head. "I can't do that," he said. "I love her…I have a responsibility…"
"Like you'd be a good father for a kid," Mike sneered.
Bobby winced as Mike stabbed in his most vulnerable thoughts. "Don't you think I know that?" he said in despair. "Don't you think I know my reputation?" He slumped against the SUV. "I don't know why she loves me…I don't know why she's stayed…But she does and she has. I…I know she nearly got killed because she's with me…But I will take care of her and this baby…I will…"
Bobby's words failed to calm Mike—they actually inflamed him. Mike grabbed Bobby coat.
"Don't you understand…You're supposed to be some kind of genius, but you can't even understand this simple idea…She doesn't need you…She has her family…We'll take care of her…She doesn't deserve you."
"I know that," Bobby whispered. "I know…"
"Send her away!" Mike shouted. "You go away!"
Even though he expected the blow, Bobby was surprised when Mike's fist appeared in front of his eyes, followed by the blow's force, and hard pain. The blow spun Bobby away from Mike, and he saw his reflection in the car's window. A small drip of blood formed at his nose's edge. As a second blow caught him just below his right kidney, Bobby wondered if he would ever be in a fight where he had a chance of winning. He waited for the next blow, mentally betting whether it would be at his face or his body, when he heard a yelp.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alex shouted.
Bobby turned to see her standing in front of her shocked brother, who clutched his left side.
"Lexie…" he gasped.
"How dare you!" she yelled. "You know he won't fight back." She glared at Bobby, who wished he only had Mike Eames' blows to deal with. "For one thing, he's not that stupid…He could…should…charge you with assault. And I may just have him do that."
"Alex," Bobby said hesitantly and through the pain of a swelling lip.
Alex quieted him with a look. "And…" Although Alex was nearly a foot shorter and one hundred pounds lighter than her brother, she managed to back him up against a post. "Bobby loves me…really loves me…Enough that he won't fight members of my family…How can you tell me you love me, Mike, if you do this to the man I love?"
Alex shook with fury. After several seconds, she walked to Bobby's side. He stared at his feet, but she tenderly took his chin and raised his face. She pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the blood from his face.
"You ok?"
"My pride is a little bruised," Bobby said. He took the cloth from her. "Thank you. I really don't want to charge your brother with anything."
"All right," Alex conceded. "But he's getting the cleaning bill for that."
"I guess I'd be lucky to get by with that," Mike said cautiously. "Lexie…I…I'm sorry…"
"I'm not the person you should apologize to," Alex said severely.
Mike shuffled his feet. "I…I'm sorry, Goren…It…It's…She's my little sister…I…I worry about her…"
Alex made a sound in her throat that caused Bobby to feel considerable sympathy for Mike Eames. "You might want to quit while you're ahead," he said."
"I think you're right," Mike said ruefully. He was nearly sober now, and fear of his sister replaced his anger towards Bobby. "I'm sorry, Goren…I gotta stop talking to people after I've spent the day celebrating with my squad." He extended his right hand. "Ok? Truce?"
"Only if you call me Bobby." Bobby took Mikes' hand.
"Done. Bobby." They shook hands.
"You know I'm not going to be that easy," Alex said sternly.
"I know," Mike said nervously. "But…Would you…At least…Not tell Dad about this? When he told me about…He warned me not to cause trouble…"
Alex smiled sweetly and evilly. "Only if I have to."
Mike sighed. "Thank you…and you, Bobby…I…I need to get back…"
"You shouldn't have any more to drink," Alex said quietly. Bobby sensed he watched an ongoing scene between the brother and sister.
"I won't…I promise," Mike said. "See you…and Bobby…on Sunday?"
"If we get this case cleared up," Alex answered. She stepped up to her brother and hugged him. "You take care of yourself."
"You too, Lexie." Mike turned and disappeared into the stairwell.
Alex and Bobby wordlessly entered the SUV. "You ok?" she asked as she maneuvered the car through the garage.
"Just embarrassed," Bobby replied. "My pregnant girlfriend had to protect me."
"Only because you're too brave and strong to fight," Alex commented. "Mike's lucky I'm pregnant, or I really would've kicked his butt." She deftly steered the SUV in the late afternoon traffic. "One of my family's gory details," she said calmly. "Mike is a great guy until he gets one or two too many drinks in him. It's never been a huge problem. We can get the keys from him. We know to cut him off at family events. He's never touched his wife or his kids. And it's never been bad enough…But with potential brothers-in-law…" She glanced at Bobby as they stopped at a red light. "You're not the only one he's "talked" to."
"Gee," Bobby said after a beat. "I thought I was special."
Alex smiled woefully. "You are special," she said. "The good news is, if we've got him, we've got my family."
"That's worth a lot of bloody noses and embarrassment," Bobby said. "Now if we can just deal with the NYPD…"
END CHAPTER 2
