Chapter 134

Ryan and Alex sat in the cafeteria in silence, when Caleb appeared looking at them with the same questioning look on their faces when they saw each other there. "What are the two of you doing here?" He asked and Ryan looked up at him. "I can ask you the same." Ryan said and the two of them exchanged their weird handshake, Caleb walking over to Alex's side hugging her. "CJ's here, he had an asthma attack and we're spending a few nights here." He explained seeing a surprised look on Alex's face. "Where are they? Children's ward?" Alex asked knowing that ward way too well since they've spent a few nights there with Phoebe as well. Caleb gave her the room number and she excused herself from the two friends walking to see her blonde bestie.

She knocked on the door softly, Shelby was sitting on a lounger watching TV as little CJ slept. Looking up to see who was at the door, the smile on her face broadened. "What are you doing here?" Shelby asked as Alex walked inside further, peeking under the blanket that CJ was wrapped in to see how he was doing. "I can ask you the same question." The blonde got up and hugged her friend tightly. "You go first." Alex decided and sat down on the couch opposite the lounger.

"CJ made my heart skip a few beats. He had an asthma attack and it seems to be a chronic thing now. They're getting him started on medication tomorrow, and for future when it might happen again. He now has to come in for a check- up every three months so they can monitor his lung function. Your turn." Shelby said looking at her and seeing the expression her friend's face change.

"Simon." Alex started but before she could continue her sentence both of their cellphones went off at the same time, and they checked it. An email from Maranda that the whole office were tagged in giving them the news about their colleague, Simon Asher. Shelby looked up at Alex whose eyes were closed as she bit her bottom lip. "He listed me as his next of kin in case of an emergency, the hospital called about half an hour ago telling me I had to come identify the body." She said softly hearing Shelby draw in a sharp breath.

"I still spoke to him earlier, and I knew something was wrong I just couldn't lay my finger on it." She said twisting her hands together.

"I got your message, and I reminded myself to reply on it but I never did." Shelby confessed the two of them sitting there staring at the baby.

A small smile appeared on Shelby's face despite the tears that were running down her cheeks "who's gonna buy us muffins and coffee now?" Alex laughed dryly sniffing silently, "we kept saying we'll settle his tab but we never did. I still remember him saying he'll never buy us anything again but he'd come back to the office with everyone's orders."

"He still had so much to do, so many plans and then he just decided that his life is not worth living anymore that he took matters into his own hands." Shelby said shaking her head, as her phone rang seeing Nimah's name appear on the screen and Natalie calling Alex, both of them wanting to know if it was true.

Ryan and Caleb made their way back to the room, and found their wives sitting there talking softly, exchanging greetings they got up and made their way home, Shelby promising to keep her friend updated on the condition of her son and when they will be discharged.

They got home, emotionally exhausted and Alex was grateful for Natalie who bathed Phoebe so they can just put her to bed or at least try to, because she had renewed energy levels at this stage. Ryan laid her down in the middle of their bed, not wanting her to be away from the especially not tonight. While he went downstairs to see what his wife was up to, she was busy boiling water to make Phoebe a bottle and some hot chocolate for herself, browsing through her phone and writing things down waiting for the water to boil.

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked over her shoulder catching a glimpse of what she was reading making her jump.

"Natural ways to conceive a boy." He read out loud, looking at the notepad and the things she wrote down from what she should eat and foods she has to avoid a smile appearing on his face. "You're serious about this boy thing aren't you?"

"Yes I am, I can feel you judging me from a mile away please stop it." She said her attention shifting back to her phone in hand and the reading she was busy with. "I'll leave you to it then." He smiled kissing the top of her head finishing Phoebe's bottle and pouring water into the mug where the dry contents of the hot chocolate were handing it to her. "No, you can have that, it's on the lists of food that I'm not allowed to have." She dismissed leaving him standing with the mug in his hand, "which means you can't have it either." She instructed and pointed towards the sink where he had to discard the contents of the mug.

"Okay wait, let's get this straight, I'll have to eat all kinds of weird things that you're eating? For how long exactly?" Ryan panicked seeing the ingredients on the list which means their whole household's monthly shopping will consist of these weird food.

"Yes Ryan. We're in this together, and besides it's just until we found out the sex of the baby." Alex shrugged looking at her list of food satisfied when she came to the end of the webpage.

"Oh, and I'm ovulating tomorrow and the day after that, no pressure I'm just saying." She shrugged getting a water bottle from the fridge, walking in front of him as she pokes her lips out and he kisses her a few times before she made her way upstairs, leaving her husband in awe at how quick things moved since they last discussed the second baby, not that he's complaining on the contrary.

Alex walked into the room seeing her daughter jumping on their bed. Phoebe looked up seeing her mother and paused her actions waiting for Alex to say something but when she didn't she continued. "Phoebe please stop jumping on the bed you're gonna hurt yourself" Alex warned disappearing into the bathroom after making her daughter sit on the bed.

Her words were barely spoken five minutes ago when she heard a loud crying from inside followed by her husband who rushed up the stairs picking Phoebe up from the floor.

"What did I tell you little miss? What happened?" Alex asked inspecting her daughter for injuries besides the bump on her head that will turn blue in the morning.

"Where's it sore?" Ryan asked and she pointed to the bump on her head. "Okay let's kiss it better." He opted kissing the bump on her head. "Is it better now?" He asked and she nodded.

"Time for bed." Alex decided to avoid any more accidents extending her arms towards her daughter who clung onto her father once her crying subsided.

"My dada" Phoebe said refusing to go to her mother.

"I knew that. And I'm your mother and I love you. Phoebeee." Alex tried but none of her actions worked and she left the two of them who seemed to gang up on them.

The next morning they walked into the office, neither of them knowing what to expect but the usual tone that there was in the mornings wasn't there today. Everyone walked around with somber faces, giving stiff smiles instead of the usual good morning greetings. Alex walked into the office and came to a halt when she had to enter the door downstairs where they worked, feeling her husband's hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be here, no one will blame you." He said squeezing her shoulder slightly but this was something she had to do. "No I need to be here, this just makes it all so real that he'll never sit as his desk again." She whispered walking into the office. Everyone stood against the wall or around the office, no one sitting down at their own stations, staring at Simon's desk.

Natalie saw Alex enter and gave her a long hug, "guess we'll have to pay for our own breakfast now." She smiled as her eyes became teary. Maranda soon entered and everyone's eyes shifted to their boss. "Meeting in the briefing room." She said and left the room again, everyone following her joining the rst of their team.

"It is unfortunate that we have to meet under these circumstances this morning. Last night one of our Agents, Simon Asher drastically took his own life. I'd like to ask you to think of his family in this difficult time and respect their privacy. Also, there is counseling available, it is not a shame to reach out and talk to someone. The memorial service will be held downtown, starting at noon. You don't need to come back to the office after that, we can continue our normal schedules from tomorrow onwards. Thank you." She dismissed the meeting and went her way, usually whenever a briefing session was over there'd be some mumbling and weekend news but this morning there was silence that spoke louder than words could as everyone made their way back.

Alex stood in the foyer of the church starring out in front of her, wearing a black dress. "Hey, are you okay?" Shelby asked walking up to her friend. "Who can be on a day like this?" Alex asked turning around as the two of them hugged each other, as the rest of their friends arrived.

"You guys ready?" Caleb asked and they walked inside. Everyone dressed in black, they took their seats, Alex walked up to the wooden casket with the Jewish Star on it, running her hand across the star as tears fell from her eyes. "I see you" She whispered, walking back to take her seat next to her husband bowing her head as Ryan takes her right hand in his squeezing it gently.

Hey guys I want to make them trying for another baby as fun and interesting as I possibly can since we didn't have much of that with Phoebe. Also I wanted to close the chapter on Simon so I sped things up a bit so we can move forward and they can be doing FBI things ago. Side note, I drank a bunch of horrible tasting herbal teas which actually helped because I feel much better than I did yesterday (so grateful for that.) Also, I had to re watch episode 1x22 to help me with the last part of the chapter where it was Simon's memorial.

Another side note, my laptop crashed halfway through writing this so I lost half of the chapter and had to re do it based on what I can remember I hope it wasn't too much of a let down as I'm not really satisfied with it.

Lovies-S