A little angst, a little fluff, and a court date...

Chapter 27

Carlos POV:

I sat up that night, watching Steph sleep. Her breath was steady, her face soft in sleep, making her look younger. She was more than I deserved, a better woman than I deserved. Not that she needed to know that. A lesser woman would have walked away from me.

She had taken this extremely well. Helping me weigh all of my options and supporting me in my choices. I was extremely lucky to have her, and I knew I needed to step up and take care of the problems we were facing because of my past.

She had pointed out today that I wouldn't tolerate one of her ex's meddling in our relationship and it struck me that she was right. I wouldn't tolerate it. She had given me time to figure out what I wanted to do about it.

Steph shifted in the bed, and I watched as her brow furrowed. She reached towards me.

"Carlos," she hummed. I slid her over to me, her leg thrown over me and her arm wrapped around me. Her head tucked in under my chin. She sighed in contentment as I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight.

I kissed her forehead as I laid awake. My mind went to this afternoon, when I came out of Lawson's office. Steph holding a gun under Jeanne Ellen's chin. I was just as shocked as I was proud. It had taken a few hours to get everything sorted at the station, before they would release Steph.

I drifted off sometime and woke up to Steph's lips on my neck. Her body straddled mine, hands roaming. "Babe," I groaned softly.

She smiled up at me. "Carlos," she hummed, sitting up.

"What're you doing?" I asked, grabbing her hips as she tried to grind against me. She pouted looking down at me.

"Well, if it isn't obvious then I must be doing something wrong." She scoffed. I chuckled softly. She tried to resume her ministrations, but I kept her still.

"I just figured you would still be angry," I told her as she leaned down to kiss me.

"Angry about what?"

"Our fight."

"Carlos, that wasn't a fight." She laughed softly. "An argument yes, raised voices, but not a fight. If we were fighting you would have known."

She reached down to stroke me, my hips bucked up and she grinned. I wanted so much to just give into her. Any other man would have let it drop but I hadn't yet.

"And what spurred this on this morning?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "I can't want my husband?"

Her thumb brushed over the head of my cock, and I moaned softly. "It just surprised me, waking up like this."

She stopped to look at me. "Are we really not that spontaneous anymore?" She frowned. "Are we going to start scheduling times to have sex? I didn't know getting married would do that."

I rolled her onto her back, bracing myself over her. "That's not what I meant. It's just been... almost four weeks now. Since the day you left for Russia."

She smiled up at me. "And I've missed you, missed this, missed us. This isn't just a physical act for us, Carlos. It's a connection, a way to be closer to each other. The day it becomes a chore or just sex is when we have an issue." She paused and then smirked. Her leg hooked over my waist, bringing my hips down to hers and she notched me inside of her. "So, is it just a chore for you now?"

"Never," I growled, my lips claiming her. She kissed me back, her lips plush against mine, the kiss hot and hard, passionate and claiming. God! I had missed this, missed her.

My face came to rest in the curve of her neck. "I love you, Babe," I told her, laying kisses across her neck and shoulder. My teeth nipped her skin lightly and she moaned softly. Her hand tangled in my hair bringing my lips to her, as our hips rocked together.

"I love you, too," she whispered against my lips. I rolled us, bringing Steph on top of me. She settled the rest of the way down on me with a moan.

"Let me look at you, Babe," I told her, one of my hands finding her hip to move her to the rhythm I wanted and the other cupping her face, my thumb tracing the apple of her cheek, then her jaw line. She leaned into my touch, her eyes sliding closed.

Her hips started to speed up, I grabbed them to keep her steady as she moved. I would never tire of the sight of her above me, riding me, claiming me as hers. "I wish we could stay like this." I told her as she drug her nails lightly over my chest. God that felt so good!

"People might frown upon that." She smiled down at me. "We're both pretty important people."

"Fuck 'em," I growled, rolling her back over. I thrust deep into her, causing her to gasp and arch up into me. Legs wrapped around my waist, nails digging into my shoulders, head thrown back… she was perfect.

I slowed my thrust, and Steph growled. "Carlos, don't tease."

I chuckled softly. "Just trying to stay spontaneous."

She glared at me, and I thrust into her again, grinding against her. That did the trick. Her hips met mine with every thrust. Steph gasped as she began to spasm around me, I groaned as she tightened, my hips stuttering.

I rested my body lightly on top of hers. Most of my weight is on my forearms. I brushed the hair off of her wet forehead and kissed her temple. I rolled her on top of me, feeling the need to hold her close and not let her go.

She sighed, settling into my arms as the AC blew cold air over our hot sweaty bodies. "One of these days I'm going to tie you to the bed and ride you." She told me. "You never let me stay on top.

I let out a bark of laughter. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Babe," I told her. She sent me a mischievous grin.

Tank POV:

I woke up to delicious smells coming from the kitchen and an empty bed. I grinned that she had made herself at home. I searched for a set of boxers and pulled them on, before walking into the kitchen.

Elena stood with her back to me, cooking. Pancakes sat high on a plate, another filled with sausage, and she was finishing up some eggs. She hummed to herself as she moved around the kitchen; my shirt hung from her small frame, almost swallowing her. What I wouldn't give to see this sight every morning.

I walked up silently behind her and wrapped my arms around her. She shrieked, her elbow thrown back into my ribs, the hot spatula in her hand nailing me in the thigh. I cursed stepping back, and Elena looked just as shocked as I was.

"Pierre! I'm so sorry, baby. I've told you not to sneak up on me!" She exclaimed, moving the pan off of the burner, before walking over to me.

I chuckled softly, "I'm fine. It's my fault my dumb ass didn't listen to you."

She sank to her knees in front of me, examining the welt that was now on my thigh. "It is your fault." She drawled. I always loved when she got worked up, her accent became more prominent, and it never failed to do things to me.

"Wow!" Les called from the entry of the kitchen. "That's not what I needed to see. I just came for food."

I glared at him as Elena scrambled to get up. I shook my head. "It's not what it looks like." She blushed.

"That's what all the kids say." Les grinned. Lena sent him a glare that had him backing down.

"I brought coffee," he announced.

"We have a perfectly good coffee maker," I started.

"He went to see if he could catch his new crush at the coffee shop," Elena smirked at me. I'm pretty sure I saw Les start to blush.

"Crush?" I asked.

"Yeah, there's this pretty schoolteacher that goes to the same shop as him. Steph told me about her. She's supposed to be a real vixen from the way Les talked about her. Barely gives him the time of day. He's been working on her for almost two weeks now, and she's not budging." Lena grinned.

I chuckled. "Good luck, man." I told him.

He glared at both of us. "Last time I tell Steph something," he grumbled.

I handed Elena a plate and got myself one.

I nudged her towards my room when our plates were full. Les catcalled after us. "I need to get my own place," I muttered.

Lena laughed softly as I closed the door behind us. "Well, you've got two roommates. This place doesn't exactly make a good love nest."

"Speak for yourself. You have two roommates too," I told her.

"The easiest solution would be for us to get rid of our roommates," she told me.

I laughed as we settled back against the headboard. "We could get a place together." I suggested. I felt her shift slightly to crane her neck back to look at me.

"Do you want to?"

I raised an eyebrow looking down at her. "Do you?"

"And not get interrupted every time we try and get a few minutes together? Yes." She grinned. "Do you think this is the next step?"

"I do," I told her honestly. She smiled at me, and I leaned down to kiss her.

XXXXXX

Steph POV:

I bounced my foot on the smooth marble floor. Normally I could hide my nerves but there was too much at stake this time. Carlos's hand rested on my knee to still the bouncing. I smiled weakly at him.

"Sorry."

"I'm nervous too, Babe." He brought my hand up to his lips to brush a kiss across my knuckles.

The judge had taken a recess to make a decision on who would retain custody of Julie. Rachel's lawyer had tried to bash both Carlos and me, bringing up that Julie was conceived during a drunken one night stand, but not the fact that Carlos was drugged.

I knew Rachel wouldn't tell her lawyer about that, or he would make sure it didn't come up. Carlos was glad it didn't; he had stated many times he didn't want it to become public knowledge. While we both wished there was something that could have been done, there was no proof to do anything. We had to take our wins where we could get them.

She might not be able to be locked up for that, but she could be for child endangerment. Lawson had presented his case with deadly precision, delivering blows to her case, devastating ones at that. Video proof went a long way, along with statements from her neighbors.

The bailiff stepped outside the judge's chambers. "If you'll join the judge," he said. Carlos and I stood, Lawson appeared. Rachel, Ron (her boy toy), and her lawyer joined us as we walked in.

We settled on two different sides in front of the judge's desk. He sighed and took his glasses off. The stenographer waited patiently.

"I'm ruling that Mr. and Mrs. Manoso receive full custody of Julie Rose Manoso. Ms Martine, you have been deemed a danger to your child and therefore will only receive supervised visits. Visits will be supervised by a state case worker and arranged through the case worker. You'll be allowed one a week. You must contact the case worker three days in advance if it needs to be changed.

"You will not pester Mr. Manoso or his wife to see the child extra or for a longer time. Charges are being filed against you for child endangerment. Bailiff, if you would, please take Ms. Martine into Custody." Judge Winters motioned.

Carlos squeezed my hand and I sent him a relieved smile. Rachel started to fight against the bailiff as he tried to cuff her. Eventually she was cuffed and led from the room, as Ron and her lawyer followed her. After exchanging a few words with the judge, the door opened to reveal a social worker holding Julie.

I was in front of her before Carlos was. Not from lack of trying, but I almost trampled him. She smiled at me and laid Julie in my arms. Julie cooed and I grinned.

"Look at my little girl," I said, smothering her face in kisses. I didn't realize I was crying until Carlos wiped the tears off of my cheeks. I held her to me, and she gurgled up at us. Carlos kissed her forehead, his own eyes watery.

Lawson walked us out and we secured her into her seat. Carlos and I got in and the both of us kept peering back at her. When we got home, the guys were waiting for us. Tank was the first, picking her up from the carrier. His nose tucked into her neck, and he breathed her in.

The giggling baby was passed around and cooed at. Carlos wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder, as we watched Bobby complain about Les hogging Julie.

I laughed softly and he kissed my temple. "Thank you, Carlos," I said softly.

"For what?" he asked, his lips brushing my temple.

"For giving me a family," I told him just as softly, this time my voice cracking with emotion. He kissed my temple again and held me to him.