Author's Note: Ah, distractions. Good for you, bad for my nano novel.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dick Wolf, et al. I am borrowing.
Title: Keeping It Together
By: Marion
Chapter: 11Alex flopped down on her bed when she returned home. She could here the water running in the master bath. Good. That bought her some time to think. She dialed Lewis's number. "Hi, Lewis. Is it all right if I come over for a few minutes?" she asked.
"You're always welcome. How's Bobby?"
"Complicated. I'll be there in ten." She hung up the phone and quietly headed back out to her car.
xxx
"Hi, Alex," Lewis said as she came into his garage. "What's up?"
"Bobby is going to be so pissed at me," she began sullenly. "I found Richard."
"Where is he?" asked Lewis, wiping his greasy hands on a rag and coming out from behind an old mustang.
"He's at Rikers. For embezzlement."
"Shit."
"Yeah. So I went to see him," she said.
Lewis's eyes widened. "How did that go?"
"He wasn't what I expected. He seems genuinely remorseful for the ill will with Bobby."
"Yeah, well, he was an asshole."
"And he has a kid," said Alex. "Her name is Ivy. She's 11 and in foster care. Bobby doesn't even know about her."
Lewis let out a low whistle.
"So, any advice on telling my partner I went to see his brother?" asked Alex.
"Yeah. Don't."
"But what about Ivy? Don't you think he'd want to know about his niece?"
"Good luck, Alex. I really don't know what to tell you. Richard is just a subject I don't bring up."
"Thanks, anyway, Lewis," she said, heading for the exit.
"Sorry I couldn't help." As an afterthought he added, " I'll tell him if you want."
"No, I'll do it. I appreciate the offer."
xxx
"Oh, good, you're back," said Bobby. He was heating up leftovers in the kitchen. "Lunch will be ready in a minute."
"Sounds good," she said.
"So where did you run off to this morning? I thought for a second I'd gotten too cuddly during the night and you'd made a break for it," he said, taking a plate out of the microwave and replacing it with another.
"Not hardly. I had a meeting. Mike called to remind me," she said.
"At work?"
"I'll finish lunch. You go have a seat."
"I've got it," said Bobby. "What'd you have to do at 1PP the day after Thanksgiving?"
"I didn't say I went to work. We'll talk about it once we sit down to lunch," said Alex, looking anywhere but Bobby.
"Okay," he said, confused. He took the second plate out of the microwave and handed it to her. "Let's eat."
They sat across from each other at her kitchen table. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
"I went to Riker's this morning," Alex said finally, looking at him to gauge his reaction.
"You went to see Richard," Bobby said stiffly.
"You knew he was there?"
"I figured. He sent me a letter with that return address. I sent it back."
"He's sorry about your mom. He asked how you were."
"Look, Alex. I really don't care what he had to say. I wish you hadn't gone," he said.
"I knew you'd be angry," she said, stabbing a piece of turkey with her fork.
"Then why did you do it?" he asked coldly. He set his fork down and got up from the table.
"I thought he needed to know," she said. "And he told me some things that you need to know, so please sit down and listen."
"I said I don't care what he had to say," said Bobby. He headed for the door, grabbing his coat on the way.
"Bobby, wait!"
"You really shouldn't have done that," Bobby said evenly. He opened the door.
"You can't just run away!" Alex called after him.
"Watch me!" he shouted back, shutting the door.
Alex ran to the window in time to see him jog down the street in the direction of the subway. She sighed heavily. That hadn't gone well at all.
Author's Note: Storm's a brew'n. As always, reviews are nice and they help keep me distracted. I even looked at a map to make sure subway lines ran to Rockaway Beach (Where Eames lives). Talk about distracted.