Chapter 104

Ryan turned around stretching his hand out next to him, expecting to feel his wife's frame and pull her closer to him, surprised when her side of the bed was empty. He opened his eyes searching the room and just then the bathroom door opened, and Alex walks out with damp hair and a white towel wrapped around her waist.

"Why are you up so early?" Ryan asks sitting up looking at her where she stood in front of the closet looking for clothes.

"I'm going to hospital." Alex replied looking over her shoulder briefly.

"What? Why? Are you sick? Is Phoebe sick?" He rambled trying to figure out why she would go to hospital at this hour.

"No Ryan, relax." She laughed walking over to sit on his side of the bed, without selecting any clothes. "I'm going to see Amber. I can't seem to get her out of my head after what happened yesterday."

"Aleex." Ryan breathed.

"I know, I know. It's against protocol and I shouldn't be doing it but I can't stop thinking about her. I won't say anything if you don't." Alex challenged him giving him a lopsided smile as her eyes twinkled.

"No. That does not work on me anymore." He warned closing his eyes to avoid looking at her but she laid her head down on his chest, pulling her hands around his waist.

"Ryyyyaaaaannnn. I know you have a heart deep down. And I mean if it was anyone you knew I know you would've done the same."

Ryan breathed hard trying not to get side tracked by his wife's skills of trying to blackmail him emotionally in her subtle way. "Fine, you can go."

"See, why you're so awesome." She smiled pressing a kiss in the middle of his bare chest.

"Just, don't get too involved please." He warned looking her in the eyes and she nodded, showing that she understood what he means by it.

Alex finished up getting dressed as Ryan woke Phoebe who was grumpy because her sleep was interrupted. Her father gave her some soft baby chips and allowed her to indulge on a small block of chocolate that he held in his hand, that he held in his hand while she licked it slowly but surely. Getting chocolate all over herself. She was on a sugar rush after that and kept them up for most of the night because her sleep disappeared and she only fell asleep past midnight, playing herself to sleep in the crib.

"Good morning grumpy cat." Alex laughed when Phoebe stood at the edge of the bed head slumped on the bed moaning the fact that no one understands how she feels. Alex picked her up and she immediately laid her head on her mother's shoulder. "It's not my fault that you're still sleepy. You should blame daddy." Alex whispered and Ryan caught the last part of their conversation.

"No, it's not my fault. She could've said no but she didn't want to." Ryan smiled kissing his curly haired daughter who laid on her mother's shoulder. Phoebe expressing how upset she is by babbling away and putting two fingers in her mouth once she finished stating her argument.

"Phooeebeee. I love you!" Ryan said as she and her mother disappeared into the bathroom and the baby laughed loudly causing both parents to join in her laughter.

Alex walked into the hospital and asked the nurse behind the reception desk for Amber's room number. She walked down the hallways following the directions she was given until she stood outside the door. Now uncertain of whether she should go in or rather turn around and leave. Would she even know what to say to her? Because nothing anyone says will make the pain this young mother is feeling any better.

Alex knocked on the door softly and Amber looked up to the door with a small smile when she saw Alex. "Can I come in?" Alex asked and she nodded.

"Hey, How are you feeling?" Alex asked standing next to her bedside.

"I feel numb. I'm wishing he shot me as well." Amber said looking out the window not looking in the direction of her visitor.

"I'm so sorry about what happened, Amber. I can't imagine what you're going through." Alex said sincerely.

"Do you have kids?" Amber asked turning her head to look at Alex. "I'm sorry I shouldn't be asking you these personal questions." She apologized before Alex even had a chance to explain.

"I have a daughter." Alex answered taking a seat on the couch next to the bedside.

"That man who was there with you. The tall one who had Kevin in the hold, do you know him?"

"He's my husband." Alex nodded and Amber smiled at her.

"When the police car drove off with Kevin he came around the ambulance and told me everything will be okay, and that they'll contact my parents." Amber started and took a deep breathe before continuing. "I didn't have the strength back then to tell him not to bother them with what happened. They'll tell me it's the live I choose and they're not going to help me."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked confused standing up from the couch sitting on the bed closer to Amber.

"When Kevin and I started dating they told me there's something about him that they don't like. But I was young and in love and I figured they don't know what they were talking about. I got pregnant and the kicked me out so I moved in with him, and ever since Troy was born he was violent."

Alex was stunned and didn't know what else to say to make this better. "Amber you cannot be alone right now. I'm sure if they know what happened they'll understand." But Amber shook her head as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Let me tell you something. No matter what a child does, a mother will never stop loving her child. I thought when I got married my mom would back off, but she's still reprimanding me. And she does it over the phone." Alex laughed seeing a small smile appear on Amber's face.

"There's nothing wrong with trying. And I promise you that's what we're going to do to get a hold of them and explain the situation to them." Alex said to Amber.

"Thank you Alex." She whispered and Alex pulled her into a hug trying not to shed some tears herself at the thought of this young mother who just lost her child and has no support system to help her through it.

Alex pulled into the parking lot ten minutes late hoping no one noticed. "Hhhhmmm, are you and Ryan getting freaky again since you're both late?"

"Can't we ever have a normal morning without the four of you turning it into me and Ryan having morning sex?" Alex asked. If it was the first time she hung out with her friends she would feel offended but she wouldn't trade them for anything.

"I don't know what it is with these people, Alex." Nimah said shaking her head as if she wasn't part of this discussion, causing all three of them to laugh.

Alex got to it and started asking around for information on the relatives of Amber from the thers who didn't go onto the case with them but who were on standby. Nimah and Natalie informed her that they found her parents but no one informed them on what happened yet. Kevin was still in custody and no one was assigned to start interrogating him yet, but it had to be someone who was on the scene and out of everyone who was there none of them wanted to do that task. And usually in a case like that the one Maranda or Liam picks doesn't have much of a choice but to do it anyway.

"Did someone call Amber's parents?" Natalie asked but everyone in the office shook their heads. Shelby looked at Alex but she shook her head indicating that she knows what the blonde is thinking but she's not about to do the hard part and inform grandparents that their grandson passed on because he was shot by his father.

"Ryan, Kevin's downstairs are you going to talk to him?" Maranda asked walking into his office. He shook his head trying to look busy with something and that he cannot be disturbed right now but he couldn't fool her. "Thank you for doing it. Take Haas with you."

"Uuuuhhh quick hypothetical question. If I happen to hurt Kevin, or who knows maybe even end up shooting him, will I lose my job?" He asked shrugging and Maranda smiled.

"Yes, you will. Why do you think I'm sending Hass in there with you? Hopefully the two of you will be able to keep each other sane and not do anything I wouldn't do." She answered walking towards the door. "I expect the report on my desk before the end of the day."

Ryan and Caleb walked down the hallway towards the interrogation rooms, their victim sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. Starring at a spot on the table not looking at the two men who entered the room, neither of them bothering to sit down.

"Do you know why you're here Kevin?" Caleb asked arms folded across his chest, his colleague standing next to him with his hands in the pockets of his black suit. Kevin didn't answer but nodded his head.

"Why did you do it?" Ryan asked not beating around the bush, starring at the man sitting in front of him. Kevin mumbled something and shrugged, the two men's patience wearing thin since they wanted to get through this as quickly as possible but it this is how it's about to go then they're stuck here for some time.

"Why did you do it, Kevin?" Ryan asked hitting a fist on the table, causing Kevin to jump a bit and sit up straight looking at him.

"Because Amber's a whore! I just wanted to find out if Troy was really my son but she refused to do DNA tests. So I shot her just to show her I mean business. I mean she kept saying I'm the only man she's ever been with but you can't trust women these days, am I right?" He asked smiling slightly up at Caleb and Ryan but the looks he got in return made his smile disappear.

"If that's what she told you, why would you doubt it?" Caleb asked not expecting him to answer. "Why did you kill Troy?" Caleb continued.

"I didn't mean to! I shot Amber and when she was hunched over he ran up to her and the next shot I fired hit him. I..I didn't mean it." Kevin tried but he knew they didn't believe him.

"Look, I'm sure the two of you are married, and if your wives were whores you would've done the same." He tried to justify and Caleb breathed loudly balling his fists.

"He's not worth it, Caleb." Ryan tried calming his friend even though his blood was boiling and he felt like punching Kevin just like Caleb wanted to. "That'll be all." Ryan said and walked out of the room, Caleb following. Ryan headed for Maranda's office not handing her the report since she was watching the events on the computer screen in her office.

"It's fine, I made my own notes based on what I've seen." She dismissed before he even started telling her. He nodded his head and walked back to his office.

Downstairs they got a hold of Amber's parents after it took them some time. They live two hours away ad were reluctant to drive down at first, but as the story unfolds and they were informed about everything that happened they agreed to be at the hospital within the same day. And the team felt as if they did their good day for the day even through it had to be under these circumstances.

Hey guys! I felt like the case wasn't concluded in the previous chapter I wanted to wrap it up in this one. Hope you enjoy the read and thank you for reading.

Lovies-S