Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: The next few chapters will be coming thick and fast. They cover the meeting between Sammi, her grandparents, the social worker, Alex, Bobby and Lil. There was simply too much to make a single chapter, so I had to split it down. Hope you enjoy. :o)
1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York
"Do we really have to go into work this morning?" Alex whined, wrapping herself more tightly around Bobby, who was trying to get out of bed for the second time that morning.
The couple had 'celebrated' the news that the doctor believed Alex's extreme reaction to this pregnancy was most likely a result of her carrying twins by returning to bed, where Bobby had done his best to take Alex's mind off both her morning sickness and the shock of the doctor's conclusion. He had succeeded admirably, to the point where Alex was now of the opinion they should simply 'throw a sickie' and spend the rest of the morning in bed together.
It was Bobby's turn to sigh in exasperation. He rolled over to face her, wrapping his long arms around her.
"Deakins is cutting us a lot of slack, sweetheart. Much as I would rather spend my time here with you, just the two of us rather than having to go to work this morning, and then the meeting with the social worker and the others this afternoon, we both know we have to go in. Remember, you did have to walk street corners for five years to make it to Major Case. You wouldn't want to give anyone an excuse to send you back out there with me playing your pimp would you?" He teased her about one of her comments from the previous evening, when she'd been filling him in regarding Beth's visit.
"Somehow I don't think another stint in Vice is really on the cards, especially with two of your babies about to ruin my figure, at least for a few months." Alex actually managed to pout, despite the fact that she wasn't in the least worried about losing her figure and would probably have turned in her badge rather than go back to Vice.
"You are beautiful." He kissed her softly, then cupped her face in one large hand. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known and nothing is going to change that."
"Hmmm, keep saying things like that, Bobby, and we're definitely not going to make it into work this morning." She returned his kiss, pressing her body against his.
After a moment Bobby pulled back, gently breaking their kiss. "Alex, we can't."
She sighed, unwinding herself from around him and flopping back onto the bed. "I know … I know. You go make me my coffee, as I never did get it last time we got up and I'll grab a shower before we're so late for work that Deakins fires both our asses."
1 September 2004 – Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York
Jimmy Deakins looked out of his office for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Usually Goren and Eames were at their desks by eight o'clock at the latest, it was now fast approaching nine and there was still no sign of either of them. He hadn't heard from them since the previous evening, when Goren had called him to say they'd need some personal time that afternoon for a meeting regarding the custody suit. It was definitely not like his detectives to be clocking in at the 'official' start time, especially if they were going to be having a short workday to begin with.
He looked back down at the reports on his desk, trying to concentrate but having difficulty doing so. Hearing the elevator arriving again, he looked up once more, feeling a sense of relief as Eames walked into the bullpen, closely followed by her partner. He stood and walked over to his office door.
"Goren, Eames, my office, now." He called out, managing not to sound as though he'd spent the last hour worrying about where his detectives were.
As Goren closed the door behind them, Deakins perched on the edge of his desk. "Don't look so worried, Bobby, I just didn't want anyone overhearing what I had to say."
"Captain?" Eames managed to pack an entire question into one word.
"I had an email waiting for me from Child Protection Services when I came in this morning. Just wanted to let you know I'd replied to it, giving them a brief professional history, plus a personal endorsement of the two of you. With you having the first meeting with the social worker this afternoon I figured it was best to get something back to them as quickly as possible." His tone was one of gentle reassurance.
"Thank you, Sir." At least some of the more obvious tension had now left Goren's body.
"Yes, thanks, Captain." Eames echoed the sentiment.
"Okay, I've handed your burglary off to Jeffries and Sinclair, that leaves the two of you working just the double homicide. I know that case is going slow and we're also less likely to have the major on our backs about it, so there shouldn't be any problem with taking time for meetings and hearings." He noticed the glances Goren kept throwing at Eames. "There any developments I should know about?"
"Not relating to the case, no." Eames shook her head, then looked her captain in the eyes. "I spoke to my doctor this morning. My symptoms have been more severe so far with this pregnancy and I was getting a little worried about it."
'Oh god, don't let there be anything wrong with the baby.' Deakins thought. "And what did the doctor have to say?"
"Well, erm, you know my family history. There are twins in both my parents' families. She thinks that's the most likely explanation. Two babies, so double the hormones, so double the physical symptoms." Eames replied.
"She thinks you're carrying twins?" Deakins couldn't help grinning.
"Yeah, twins." Eames muttered, throwing a glare at Goren.
"Hey, you can't blame me. No twins in my family so far as I know." He was grinning again.
"I presume you've spoken to your folks about this?" Deakins asked Eames.
"I called them this morning before we came in. Mom's absolutely over the moon, won't listen to the fact that it won't be confirmed until after I have a scan in a month, and is starting in on knitting, one set plain white, one with yellow trim. Apparently my dear father couldn't stop laughing, said something about knowing the risks with the family record." Eames huffed as she finished speaking.
Apart from her own two sets of twin siblings, her father had identical twin sisters and her mother's family had a long history of fraternal twins. Johnny Eames had been right in his comment about her knowing the risks, amongst his grandchildren so far there were already two sets of twins, both identical, one set were the middle two of Junior's four kids, the other set were Tim's two children. Alex knew she really should have given the possibility more consideration before she'd started trying to get pregnant but the increased chance of having twins had simply never crossed her mind. She'd been more concerned about the fact she was going to have a child of her own, and excited at the prospect of having a child with Bobby, she hadn't given the prospect of conceiving twins a second thought.
Deakins didn't quite manage to suppress a snigger at the thought of his old friends' reactions to their daughter's news, which earned him a glare from Eames.
"Bobby's right Alex you can't blame him for this one." Deakins managed to squelch down his amusement and arrange his features into a businesslike mask of seriousness. "Now, how about a report on how this murder investigation is going?"
Bobby and Alex spent the next five minutes giving Deakins an update of their case, which as the captain had already observed was definitely going slow. Then the pair returned to their desks and the latest stack of phone records they needed to go through. The rest of the morning went quietly, allowing them to leave the office at noon to make their way back to Brooklyn for their meeting.
1 September 2004 – Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York
"Bobby, Alex, come in." Nicky Giovaissi opened his apartment door and stepped back welcoming the two detectives into his home. "Leah and Sammi will be back soon, but we thought it might be best if we had a little talk first."
"Hi, Uncle Nicky." Bobby greeted his daughter's grandfather, whom he had known since he was a teenager.
"Mr Giovaissi." Alex nodded, in greeting.
"You can either call me Nick or Nicky, Uncle Nicky if you like, although most of my nieces and nephews have dropped the 'uncle' by now." Nicky corrected Alex, smiling softly as he did so. Alex smiled in return, trying to hide her apprehension at the situation they all found themselves in.
Nicky showed Bobby and Alex through to the lounge, getting them settled comfortably on the couch.
"Do you want coffee?" Nicky asked, he couldn't help noticing that Bobby is fidgeting, obviously nervous about the meeting and probably the talk as well.
"Actually, Nick, could I just have water?" Alex replied, resting a hand on Bobby's knee, trying to calm his nerves a little.
"Sure, no problem. Bobby?"
"Coffee's fine, thanks Uncle Nicky."
By the time Nicky returned from the kitchen with a tray loaded with coffee fixings, and water for Alex, Bobby was up and pacing. Alex gave a slight shrug, he'd been on tenterhooks ever since they'd left the office and she knew there was no way he was going to be able to keep still for very long.
Nicky sat down opposite Alex and started pouring coffee for himself and Bobby.
"Uncle Nicky, has Lil given any explanation as to why she never said anything? You know, about Sammi and me?" Bobby was hoping that Lil might have been able to give her parents some sort of reasonable explanation for her behaviour.
"Not to made any sense, Bobby. She said she was afraid of how you might react but I can't believe you'd ever have given her any reason to be scared of you." The older man looked up at Bobby as he continued to pace.
"I … I don't think I ever did." Bobby shook his head, still bewildered at the idea of Lil having any reasonable excuse for keeping Sammi's paternity a secret for so long.
"I'm sure you didn't. Look, son, she's not making any sense when it comes to Sammi at the moment. If I'm honest she's never made a lot of sense when it comes to Sammi. Leah and I have just about given up hope of her ever being any sort of real mother to her child. It's been getting harder for the two of us recently. Since my diagnosis … I guess Sal and Tina will have told you about me having angina … well I've been having to slow down a little. Taking care of the baby so much of the time and worrying about what Lil's gonna do next hasn't been doing me much good and Leah's been worrying herself sick in case I have a real heart attack." Nicky paused, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yeah, Uncle Sal told me about your scare. I'm sorry about all this. I mean it must be putting even more stress on you and Aunt Leah." Bobby came to a halt behind the couch where Alex was seated and she automatically handed him the coffee Nicky had poured for him.
"Actually, it's strange, Bobby, but I feel less stressed about this than I ever thought I would if Sammi's father ever 'came out of the woodwork'. At least now I know who her father is. I always had my doubts about Jeff, with the way he ran out of Lil so sudden. I mean he'd known for a few months about the baby and suddenly he just up and disappeared like that, something just seemed off about it. Lil claimed he'd gotten cold feet about the whole fatherhood deal but, I don't know, it just never quite set right with me. A guy doesn't hang around for the first four, five months a woman's pregnant and then change his mind, not if you ask me anyway. And the two of you had been together so soon before she had Jeff move in with her and yet he never mentioned you at all, as if he didn't even know about you. I guess I should have been asking questions a lot sooner but Lil was always so set on saying Jeff was Sammi's father. I don't know, maybe I coulda saved us all a whole heap of trouble if I'd said something sooner but you know how high-strung Lil can be and she's only gotten worse over the years. When Sammi started asking about who her father was a few months ago and Lil just blanked her on it … well I knew then that something was definitely very wrong. I know I should have come to you then, especially knowing what we know now, but I guess I didn't want to rock the boat any more than need be. I was just starting having the medical tests and Leah was worrying herself silly about my health and trying to take care of Sammi properly … well let's just say that getting into things about Sammi's father with Lil on top of everything else didn't really seem like a good idea. I'm sorry, Bobby, I shoulda said something sooner. Hell, I shoulda said something when the baby was born." Nick, who had been looking down at the table throughout most of the time he'd been talking looked up at Bobby.
"Can you forgive an old man for being too much of a coward to risk losing his granddaughter? I was never sure what Lil might do if I confronted her about it. Much as me and Leah did for her and the baby, there were times I thought she might just cut and run, taking the little one with her, if I tried to get the truth out of her about it."
Alex was stunned at the revelation that Nicky had suspected for years that Sammi might well be Bobby's child but, from what little she had seen of the man's daughter, she could easily understand why he had never chosen to confront her about the possibility. She could feel the tension in the air between the two men, as Bobby digested what his 'uncle' had said and Nick waited for Bobby to respond.
"I can understand … at least to a certain extent … why you never said anything, Uncle Nick." Bobby had now resumed pacing. "It's just so hard … I mean after all this time … finding out this way."
"There's nothing I can say to you, Bobby, except to say that I'm sorry. That doesn't make up for the time you've lost with Sammi, I know, but I am truly sorry."
Bobby finally sat back down beside Alex, taking her hand in his. "Uncle Nick, you aren't the one who should be having to apologise for this mess. It's Lil who's been in the wrong all this time. I don't hold any of this against you. You and Aunt Leah have always done the best you can for Sammi and I'm grateful for that. Now we need to figure out between us where we go from here."
Nick stared at Bobby, amazed that the younger man could overlook what he saw as his own cowardice in failing to confront his daughter.
"Nick, don't look so surprised." Alex squeezed Bobby's hand as she spoke, hoping to reassure both men, one with her words, the other with her unspoken gesture of support. "You've known Bobby a long time. You should know he's not the kind of man to hold a grudge. You couldn't know for sure that Lil was lying to you and your wife about Sammi's paternity. I haven't had a great many dealings with your daughter but from what I've seen I wouldn't say she's a particularly stable person. Confronting her, trying to catch her in the lie … well it could have made things a whole lot worse. Like you said yourself, she could have taken Sammi and run away. We see the messes people make of their lives in our line of work all the time, Nick, it's never easy when kids are involved. You made your best call, based on your judgement of the situation. You did what you felt you had to keep to Sammi safe."
"You mean you can see why I never said anything?" Nick looked from Bobby to Alex and back.
"I can." Alex nodded. "It can't have been easy for you. Juggling Lil's behaviour and Sammi's needs. Taking care of Sammi all this time. Never knowing when Lil might decide to simply drop the baby on you and your wife at a moment's notice. On top of that having to keep quiet about your suspicions as to who Sammi's father was. It's no wonder you have angina. It's a miracle you haven't had a major heart attack with the amount of pressure you must have been under all this time."
"Uncle Nick, honest I can let this go if you can. What matters now is making sure Sammi is properly taken care of. I know we spoke about me and Alex getting custody but we need to know how you and Aunt Leah really feel about Sammi living with us. I mean, you don't really know Alex."
Nick waved a hand, silencing Bobby. "You think I haven't been hearing about your partner all these years. If I had to listen to one story from Sal and Tina, I had to listen to a million."
Alex and Bobby both blushed.
"Look, Bobby, you're a good man. I always said you'd come good despite your father and I was right. Forgive me for saying this, and I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but Bill Goren was a poor excuse for a father in anyone's book and don't ever get me started on what I thought of him as husband, let alone a man. But you, Bobby, you came good in spite of him. You do right by your mother, you try to help Frank out when you can, you never forget the people who cared about you when you were a kid. I know how you helped Tina out when Sal had that accident a few years back."
Alex looked quizzically at her partner. Bobby shrugged.
"It was nothing special, anyone would have done the same thing."
"Bobby, you took a month's leave from your job to help my sister and the boys run the restaurant while Sal was laid up with that broken ankle. That's not nothing special."
The conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Nick looked at the clock on the mantle.
"That'll be the social worker. I just want to say a couple more things before I let her in. First, so far as me and Leah are concerned, we'll back you and Alex all the way when it comes to getting custody of Sammi. My granddaughter deserves the best chance she can get at having a decent life and so far as we're concerned, that chance lies with the two of you." Nick looked Bobby straight in the eye as he spoke. "Second, if it comes down to losing Lil or losing Sammi because of this, well there is no choice. Lil has made her own decisions, the only good one she made was not having an abortion when she found out she was pregnant. We talked long and hard about it and there were a lot of tears shed over the past couple of night about this. We've already lost our daughter, the child we tried to raise isn't the woman we know now. We don't intend to lose our grandchild. Last, we haven't told Sammi yet about you being her father, we wanted to do it together, with you."
As Nick finished speaking, they all heard voices in the hall outside the apartment door.