Chapter 11 – Busted!

A/N: This is for Oxiate – protective brothers galore in this chapter. To everyone else who is reading, reviewing, alerting and fav-ing this story – thank you very much for your continued attention. Apologies in advance to anyone who thinks I'm going over the top with Alex's family here – I just see Eames as coming from a really big, close family, so that's how I write them. Thanks again to everyone for reading.

More asleep than awake Bobby reached out and picked up the cell phone buzzing on the cabinet beside his bed.

"Goren," he mumbled as he flipped the phone open, his eyes still closed.

"Goren? Why the hell are you answering my sister's phone?" A man's voice demanded.

Suddenly awake and sitting straight up, Bobby's eyes shot open and he stared at the phone in his hand as if it were a live grenade. 'Oh shit, I'm a dead man.' Was the only thought he could muster.

Alex's hand reached up and claimed her phone. "Who's this?" she asked, her voice sleepy.

"It's your big brother."

"Well, I could always ask which one," her natural snark defences kicking in, "but seein' as how you're all as bad as each other it wouldn't make much difference, would it, Junior?"

"D'ya wanna explain why your partner is answering your phone at noon on your Sunday off?" Alex's eldest brother demanded. "Not to mention why you both sound as if you just woke up?"

"Ya wanna tell me why you called?"

"Dad wants to know if you're planning to go to their place for dinner. We're at Mickey's, as your place is between here and Mom and Dad's, Dad was thinking he could pick you up on his way home and Mickey could drop you at your place when he heads back here later. Now, you gonna answer my question?"

'This is some fishing expedition, Dad knows perfectly well I'm not home!' "Junior, I'm a grown woman and I do not have to answer to you. It just so happens it's none of your business." 'At least Beth and Sean haven't told anyone what happened last night yet.' She thought, feeling relieved. She rolled onto her back, looking up at Bobby still sitting up in the bed beside her. "Is Beth at Mom and Dad's place?"

"Yeah, Sean got called in this morning, covering for someone who rang in sick, so Beth decided to spend the day with Mom when she went over to pick up the baby. Why?"

"I think I might give dinner a miss. Beth and I had a slight disagreement last night."

"What about this time?"

"Let's just say I don't appreciate our little sister attempting to pair me off with some complete stranger." She didn't even try to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Oh, you mean your 'date' last night?" Junior's amusement was easy for Alex to hear.

"That about sums it up. Does the whole damn family know she tried to set me up with one of Sean's buddies?"

"Lex, you know what this family is like, of course we knew. Beth meant well, but if things went badly you can't take it out on everyone else."

"I'm not taking anything out on anyone, Junior, I'd just prefer to have a day or two to calm down so that I don't end up having another argument with her. Give Dad and Mom my love and kiss Nathan for me. If Beth asks, tell her I'll call her, otherwise do me a favour and just leave the subject alone."

"Sure, Sis, whatever you want. By the way why did Goren answer your phone?"

"I slept at his place last night, no big deal, I'll see ya later, bye." She flipped her phone shut before he could demand a better explanation and dropped it back onto the cabinet. "He's so not gonna buy that." She glared at Bobby from where she lay back on the pillow. "What were you thinking, answering my phone like that?"

"I wasn't thinking, I was still sleeping. I didn't even realise it was your phone or I wouldn't have answered it." He sounded distracted now, all hint of sleep gone. "You do know that Beth will probably tell everyone, first chance she gets, what happened last night at Sal's, right?" He slid down to lay beside her, gathering her to him and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

She nodded, sighing and burying her face in his chest.

"How do you want to handle this?" He knew how important Alex's family were to her; that their opinion of her actions mattered to her. He also knew that with three of her brothers serving on the force and her father a retired cop this change in their relationship wasn't likely to go down well.

"How about we just ignore them, don't tell them a damn thing and hope they go away?" Thinking of Beth's reaction the night before Alex hated to think how her brothers were going to take the news that her police partner of over three years was now her partner in every sense of the word.

"That ashamed of me, Eames? After all this is 'no big deal', right?" his tone was unmistakably teasing, slightly smug even. He knew that what had happened between them in the past … he figured out the timing, was it really less than eighteen hours since this had all started back at Sal's … eighteen hours or so was most definitely a big deal for both of them. She slapped his shoulder playfully, shaking her head in denial of his comment but still refusing to look up.

He gently raised her chin until her eyes met his. "You know they're not gonna go anywhere, they're your family and, nervous as I may be about doing it, we have to face them some time. Erm … by the way, none of the Horde know my address do they?"

She smiled, knowing he was only half-joking in his question. She placed a chaste kiss on his lips before answering him. "Don't worry, Goren, you're safe for the moment. My family have no idea where you live. Of course, between the cops and the lawyer it won't take them long to find out."

She kissed his cheek before pulling away from him and sliding towards the edge of the bed. "Mind if I grab a shower? I do still have a change of clothes here, right?"

As she spoke she stood up, stretching, beside the bed, her back to Bobby. Getting no response she glanced over her shoulder. "Earth to Goren, come in Goren." Her amusement at the fact the sight of her naked body could rob him of his ability to speak clear in her voice. She turned around to face him.

Bobby's cheeks coloured quickly as he stopped staring at Alex's body and raised his eyes to her face. "Will you please put something on?" he shifted, somewhat uncomfortably on the bed.

'Ooh, this is gonna be fun.' Alex's inner voice gloated. "Got a problem with the view?" she snarked at him. "Or some other kinda problem?" She leaned towards him, bringing her hands down onto the bed beside him, and kissed him hungrily.

He pulled back, "I thought you wanted to grab a shower and we really do need to talk …"

She cut him off with another kiss, as one hand came to rest on his stomach, then slid under the covers that were bunched at his waist. She wasn't at all surprised to find he was already hardening again, she continued kissing him as her hand wrapped around him, massaging him gently, encouraging his reaction to the sight of her body.

"Care to join me in the shower?" she asked when she finished raiding his mouth.

"Eames, if we keep going at this rate, I'm gonna be dead before Kev's wedding." He pulled her down onto the bed and rolled on top of her, she managed to continue her 'massage' of him.

"I'm not the one with the 'problem' here." She laughed up into his face. "Besides, I thought men your age were supposed to have kinda the opposite problem when it came to sex."

He smiled, both at her teasing and at the pleasant sensations her hand's action were sending through his body. "I've never had any problem with the opposite effect, thank you very much, but I haven't had a 'problem' like this in years, Alex. In fact, I can't remember when I last responded like this to any woman, in fact, I don't think I ever have." He set to work on her mouth, his lips slanting against hers, running his tongue along her lower lip until she opened to him and allowed him to deepen their kiss.

They both forgot about the shower, and everything else, for a while.

They did manage to make it to the shower eventually, only to have to take a second round of individual showers, after he'd ended up carrying her back to his bed and making love to her again, bodies still wet from their attempt at bathing together which had been more successful as foreplay than as a method of cleansing their skin.

Bobby showered first, giving Alex time to recover from their lovemaking, then he prepared a meal whilst Alex took her shower. Now they sat at his kitchen table, eating the pasta he'd prepared in comfortable silence. As they finished their meal, Alex broke the silence.

"I guess I'm gonna have to head back to my place. I can't really go to work tomorrow dressed like this." Alex looked down at the jeans and t-shirt she wore.

A thought struck Bobby. "How did you get to Sal's last night?"

"I took a cab, Beth and Sean were planning to give me a ride home, or maybe Beth was hoping I'd be heading home with Mitch." She grinned at him, reminding him of why she'd been at 'their' restaurant last night to begin with.

"I suppose I should thank Beth." He played with her fingers where she rested her hand on the table.

"Thank Beth? What on earth for? If she'd had her way I would most definitely not be here with you now."

"And if she hadn't taken you out to Sal's last night, you also wouldn't be here with me now."

Alex actually pouted at his comment, not yet ready to forgive her sister's behaviour of the previous night.

Bobby got up from the table, "Come on, Alex. I'll drive you back to your place so you can get some clothes for work tomorrow."

Alex stood up, heading towards the bedroom to pick up her clothes from the night before. She was halfway down the hall when she realised exactly what he'd said and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Bobby," she spoke over her shoulder, not daring to turn round to look at him, where she could hear him behind her putting his coat on by the front door.

"Yes, Alex."

"What d'ya mean? 'Get some clothes for work tomorrow'?" she tried to swallow around the lump forming in her throat.

It took only a few of his long strides to bring himself up behind her, his arms going around her waist. "Well I could just take you home, if you'd prefer, but I was kinda hopin' you'd stay here again tonight." His tone was gentle, undemanding. He wasn't trying to pressure her, he was simply stating what he wanted from her and she knew respect he would her decision on this, whatever it might be.

"You could always pack a bag, stay over at my place, if you want?" she had her back to him, almost afraid of his reaction to her invitation.

"You wouldn't mind my staying at your place?" He'd slept over on her sofa plenty of times before but he knew this was different. He was only too well aware of the fact Alex hadn't taken her past dates back to what had been her marital home.

She turned in his arms, her own arms going around his waist. "I would very much like you to stay at my place." She stated with certainty.

He smiled down at her and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. "In that case, I'll get some things together and we'll head over there."

It took them a little over an hour to get their respective stuff together and get to her house. It was almost 4:30 by the time they arrived and they were both beginning to feel tired after their broken sleep the night before, not to mention all their physical activity since they'd arrived at his apartment.

After tossing last night's clothes in the hamper in the laundry room, Alex headed to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. Meanwhile, Bobby was hanging his work clothes for the next day in Alex's room. He didn't put them in her closet, not wanting to seem presumptuous, so he hung them on the back of her bedroom door. He hadn't needed to bring over much, just a suit and shirt. They both kept at least one change of casual clothes, plus several supplies of underwear, at each other's homes and their respective bathrooms could easily have been mistaken for those of a couple rather than a single person, having a selection of both male and female bathing necessities. Somehow, without either of them really noticing it, over the course of their partnership/friendship they'd managed to half move into each other's homes.

Bobby made his way back to Alex's lounge, listening to her moving around in the kitchen. He looked around, noticing for the first time just how many of his belongings seemed to have migrated to her home; a couple of old issues of his Smithsonian magazine lay on her coffee table, at least a couple of dozen of the books on the shelves by the window were his, he didn't need to check her CD rack to know that several belonged next to his own stereo rather than hers, the same thing went for the DVD cabinet beside her television. He clicked the television on using the remote he'd picked up from the table as he sat down on the sofa and started flicking through the channels, hitting the key on the remote for 'favourite channels' he realised at least a quarter were the documentary/factual-type channels he preferred, definitely not his partner's first choice of viewing at all. A small smile played across his lips as it finally registered in his brain just how much their lives were already integrated, even outside of work. He found it oddly comforting. He finally found something he wanted to watch and put the remote back on the table, settling back comfortably on the sofa, within moments he was asleep.

Alex walked into her lounge, bearing two steaming mugs of coffee, and stopped to take in the scene before her. Bobby was half-laying on her sofa, long frame stretched diagonally across half the piece of furniture, legs stretched out in front of him, fast asleep. She smiled to herself at the sight of him so relaxed and comfortable in her domain. Of course, he was perfectly used to sleeping on her sofa, having taken up part time residence there over the years they'd worked together. She placed their coffees on the table in front of him, clicked off the television and, stifling a yawn, quietly walked around to join her lover, snuggling down softly beside him being careful not to wake him from his well earned slumber. His arm, which had rested along the back of the sofa, came around her shoulders as if, even in sleep, he sought to bring her closer to him. Sighing contentedly to herself Alex burrowed into the space between Bobby's body and the back of the sofa and, allowing her own exhaustion to overtake her, joined him in sleep.

Alex woke with a jolt, several things hitting her at once. Firstly that it was now dark, how long had she been asleep, she wondered. Next was that she was now laying on Bobby rather than beside him, and from the way he was holding his breath he was awake and also aware of, what was for Alex realisation number three, the fact that the front door of her house had just closed. They lay silently for a moment, listening to the conversation being held in her front hallway.

"You do realise if she gets home now and catches us, our lives are not gonna be worth living, right?" Alex smiled and ticked Mickey, the third of her brothers, off on her mental checklist.

"Well make sure you don't leave any evidence behind then, Mr CSU Tech." That was the unmistakable snark of Rob, the youngest brother.

"I can manage it if you can, Detective." Mickey shot back.

"Will you two knock it off, geez, can't you guys be in a room together without turning back into a pair of kids?" Alex's mental pen went back to the top of the list and crossed through John Eames Junior, eldest brother and undoubtedly the mastermind behind whatever was going on here.

"Guys, can we just put the damn garage key back in the kitchen and get outa here, before Alex gets home?" Ah-ha, where there was Junior getting up to something, there was usually his twin brother, Jamie, more often than not attempting to keep the situation under some sort of control.

'Four out of six, at least Paddy and Tim had enough sense to stay out of whatever my darling brothers are up to this time.' Alex thought as she silently manoeuvred off her, she had to admit to herself very comfortable, partner and crouched between the sofa and the coffee table, making sure they couldn't see her as they passed the lounge door.

Junior spoke again, "I just wanna have a little look around, see if there's any sign of what's going on with her and Goren. If what Beth was saying at dinner is true, there may be a situation we have to deal with here."

A derisive snort answered that comment, followed by Jamie's attempt at good sense. "Junior, does it ever occur to you that Alex is, actually, older than your wife. She's a grown woman, she's perfectly capable of making her own decisions about her life."

"She's also a cop and a cop can't take a risk like sleeping with their partner. You don't wanna be involved, fine. Here's the key, you put it back in the kitchen and we'll check things out. Mickey, you take the bathroom; I'll check out the bedroom; Rob, you take the lounge." Junior's irritation with his twin was clear in his voice.

Whilst her brothers had been busy talking in the hallway, Bobby had sat up and was now waiting for a signal from Alex as to what she intended to do. She surprised him by sliding onto the sofa beside him, sitting back, seemingly completely relaxed. Leaning down to bring his mouth to her ear, he was about to ask her what she had in mind when her hand came to his mouth, silencing him before he could speak.

As Rob flicked on the light in the lounge, Jamie's voice echoed through the house, more than a hint of apprehension in his tone. "Guys, the coffee pot's on in here. That means …"

"I'm home," Alex called out as she stood up and turned to face her youngest brother, where he stood frozen in the doorway.

"Lex …" Rob got no further.

"Detective Third Grade Robert Eames, of the 27th Precinct Robbery Squad, what a pleasant surprise. Tell me, Baby Bro, why exactly I shouldn't be arresting you right now for trespass? How d'ya feel about being back in uniform only six months after getting your detective's shield?" Alex's voice as deadly serious.

"Lex, you wouldn't …" Mickey appeared now, attempting to defend his brother.

"Oh, my would ya look at that, CSU Technician Michael Eames. I wonder how your bosses at IPP would feel about your behaviour here."

Mickey blanched, he wouldn't put it past his sister to arrest them and have them all still in holding at 1PP when they were due on shift the next day. Jamie now arrived from the kitchen, his face horrified as he looked at his sister's stony expression.

"Well now, who do we have here? Unless I'm very much mistaken one of the FDNY's bravest, Fire Fighter James Eames. Who is your Watch Commander these days Jamie? Wouldn't want to call the wrong person to report your highly questionable conduct now, would I?"

"Lex, you wouldn't dare …" Junior had finally arrived back from the direction of her bedroom. He didn't hesitate to try and take control of the situation.

"Ah, at last, the leader of the gang puts in an appearance. Sergeant John Eames Junior, following in his father's footsteps and bringing the force into disrepute it would seem!" Alex went directly for the low blow with her eldest brother, well aware of his feelings about their dad's forced retirement and subsequent misguided actions.

"Alex, you have to …"

Alex's glare stopped Junior in his tracks. "I have to what? Excuse your behaviour? Why exactly are four of my brothers wandering around my home, uninvited at …" she paused, unwilling to break the look she was currently throwing at her eldest brother in order to check the time.

A familiar voice came from directly behind her, "8:30", Bobby supplied the necessary information.

"Thanks, Goren." She still didn't look away from her brother. "… uninvited at 8:30 on a Sunday night?" she finished asking her questions, and waited for answers with her arms crossed over her chest.

Mickey was the first to try and explain their actions. "Look Alex, it's really not as bad as it seems. Dad asked me to drop your garage key off on my way home. He forgot to put it back this morning and wasn't sure if you had a spare." He stopped short as he realised that next he'd have to explain why there were four of them here and why they'd been searching her house.

"And it takes four of you to hang a key on a hook in my kitchen?" She emphasised the final word, not needing to point out to them the fact they'd been spread out through her entire house.

Junior decided enough was enough and brought the conversation to the point he wanted to make. "Fine, you caught us fair and square, but we're just worried about you. Dad said you weren't home this morning, he answered your phone this afternoon and Beth told us what happened last night." Junior glared over his sister's head directly at her partner.

"And how exactly does that explain what you're all doing here?" Alex demanded.

Bobby simply stood to the back of his petite partner/lover, taking in the scene as it unfolded. It was quite something to see; Alex, all 5'2" of her in her bare feet, demanding explanations from four of her brothers, all of them over 6' tall. He knew Alex didn't need any help from him to handle this situation but he did feel a need to show his support for her, hence his current position directly behind her which, unfortunately, put him in line of the looks being thrown by Junior at the moment.

Junior was no more inclined to back down than his sister. "Exactly how do you explain his suit hanging in your bedroom?"

"Not to mention the fact that his stuff is all over your bathroom?" Mickey chipped in, earning himself a glare from Alex.

"How long has this been going on, Alex?" Jamie couldn't stop himself from asking, as the implication of Mickey's 'search results' hit him.

"Bobby has been staying here on a regular basis since six months after we became partners. Why shouldn't he keep a few things here? It makes life a lot easier when we pull a late-nighter. I keep stuff at his place as well, it doesn't …"

Rob cut his big sister off, "Beth told us what happened at the restaurant last night, Lex. Put that together with the fact Goren's stuff seems to be all over your house, then the fact we arrived here tonight to find the house in darkness and the two of you doing god only knows what in the lounge with the lights offs. You gotta admit, it doesn't exactly convey a picture of innocence."

Alex couldn't keep her face straight any longer, the idea of her brothers searching for 'evidence' of her and Bobby having an affair, when she had absolutely no intention of denying their relationship was something she found incredibly funny. Her sudden peal of laughter took all five of the men in the room by surprise.

"Oh, Rob … 'doesn't convey … a picture … of innocence', that really … is priceless." She gasped out the words through her laughter. She turned away from her brothers and half collapsed against her lover, his arms automatically going round her as she leaned her body against his for support.

"I guess this means I don't need to call for transport?" Bobby asked, as he rubbed one hand down her back, trying to settle the convulsions of hysterical laughter running through her body.

She shook her head, unable to speak. After a couple of minutes she straightened up, smiling at him and finally managing to get her laughter under control. "Nah, I think I'll let 'em off this time." She turned to face her brothers again, Bobby's arms still around her. "Next time you guys decide to carry out an illegal search you might want to ensure your subject is not actually on the premises before you get started."

She looked at her brothers; Jamie's face clearly showed his relief, Mickey and Rob looked confused, Junior still looked angry. None of them looked in the least bit amused.

"You think this is funny, Sis?" Junior's voice was tight as he tried to rein in his temper.

"I think it's funny that you got caught so easily. What isn't so funny is that you would behave like this to begin with. How I conduct my life is my business, Junior. This is not 'a situation you have to deal with'. Who I choose to have a relationship with and the extent of that relationship is, quite simply, none of your concern."

"None of our concern? Alex, cannot be serious about this. You've just pretty much admitted that you've been having an affair with your partner for most of the time you've worked together; that you've kept it secret from your family this whole time and you expect us not to be concerned?" Jamie countered, his voice slightly disbelieving.

"Where do you get that we've been having a secret affair throughout our partnership?" Bobby asked, his voice showing none of the tension Alex could feel building in his body.

"Well Alex did just admit you've been sleeping here since six months into your partnership." Mickey answered, his voice showing the same confusion as was written all over his face.

"Sleeping on the sofa." Bobby growled, straightening to his full height and allowing his own annoyance with this whole situation show for the first time.

"So, the two of you expect us to believe that you're only friends?" Rob sounded as confused as Mickey.

Alex glanced up at Bobby before responding to her brother's question. "Only friends hasn't covered this relationship in a long time, guys. You know a partnership, a really good partnership, goes beyond being only friends. This has been an exceptional partnership ever since I figured out how to keep up with Bobby and his theories. This man has become my best friend. He supported me through having Nathan when he really didn't have to. How we choose to allow this relationship to develop isn't really anyone's business but our own but as you're all here you may as well know." Alex leaned more firmly against Bobby feeling the tension ease from his body as she spoke. "I love Bobby, very much. I've been lucky enough to find someone I can trust, who trusts me completely and I'm not about to let that go just because it goes against the flow with our family."

All four Alex's brothers looked at her then at Bobby, exchanging glances between themselves before Junior spoke again.

"Goren, you're willing to let her do this? To let her risk being estranged from the whole family because of you?"

"How long has it been since anyone let or didn't let Alex do anything?" Bobby met Junior's eyes and held them.

"So you're going along with her on this?" Junior countered.

Bobby tightened his hold on Alex's waist. "If I were to tell you that your sister is my entire world. That I love her more than I've ever loved anyone in my life. That even before now I would have died to protect her without giving it a thought. That I want nothing more than to make her happy, as best I can. Does that make any difference at all?

Alex felt a shiver of desire run through her body at Bobby's words. She pushed her impulse to turn in his arms and kiss him aside, concentrating instead on reading the expressions on her brothers' faces. She could see that Jamie, Rob and Mickey were, at least, willing to listen; Junior on the other hand looked as determined as ever.

"I think it's time you guys left." She stated simply.

"And he's staying?" Junior asked.

"Yes, he is."

Resignation, if not acceptance, crossed the faces of the four brothers. Alex and Bobby both knew this wasn't the end of the matter so far as dealing with her family's reaction was concerned but right now they wanted nothing more than to be alone again.

Jamie took the lead, resting a hand on his twin's shoulder before speaking. "Come on guys, it's gettin' late. There's no point arguing with Alex when her mind's made up, we all know that." He turned and walked out into the hallway.

Rob and Mickey turned to leave, Junior hesitated a moment longer before turning to follow his younger brothers towards the front door. There were none of the usual calls of goodnight between the siblings.

Alex listened to the door close before turning to face Bobby.

"This isn't going to be easy." She stated.

"So long as we're both sure about this, does it really matter how difficult it is? Your family will come round, Alex, they love you too much not to." Bobby spoke against her hair.

"You sound awfully certain about that."

"I am." He placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. "As certain as I am that I love you and always will." He felt her shiver again.

When she spoke this time her voice was heavy with lust. "Show me, Bobby." Her hands moved up to his neck, bringing his face down to hers.

He didn't need her to ask him twice. Scooping her up in his arms her carried her through to her bedroom and showed her, yet again, exactly how much he loved her.

A/N: Hope that wasn't too confusing :o) More BA to come in the next chapter and how they handle the situation at work.