Chapter 146

*One week later*

Alex has never been happier to walk into her own house than she was today. Fresh flowers o the dining room table and the house smelled like it used to when she was a child. Laughter coming from the kitchen and she recognizes the familiar voices of her daughter, mother and mother – in law.

Theresa coming from outside with a washing basket where she went to hang out the washing. "Welcome home." She smiled walking over to the kitchen to check on the chocolate chip cookies she was busy baking.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked when she entered the house smiling. "We're the welcome home committee." Sita answered turning down the stove and walking over to her daughter so she can give her a hug. "You guys have done more than enough. Being here the whole week looking after two children." Alex said pointing towards Ryan and Phoebe. "That is what mothers are for, come on sit down now and get comfortable." They commanded, and Alex took a seat on the couch, taking control of the TV remote as Phoebe rushed over towards her mother, getting up on her lap so the two of them can watch some cartoons.

"I missed you so much, bub. Did you miss me too?" Alex asked and her daughter nodded her head vigorously. "Did you behave yourself with Nana and Grandma?" Alex asked and Phoebe looked over to the two women who were working in the kitchen. "Of course she did." Sita answered the question. "And I assume you ate all your veggies?" Alex continued her questions, and Phoebe shook her head. "Yeah, this is why I don't always trust you with them. So we're gonna be eating veggies for the whole week to make up for your missed doses, right?" Alex said rubbing the tip of her nose against Phoebe's.

Ryan came downstairs after he put Alex's bags in the room. "Ryan bring me those clothes, I'm busy with washing." Theresa said and Ryan sighed loudly making his way back up the stairs. "Theresa that's really not necessary." Alex tried but the look her mother in law gave her made her change her mind. "Alexandra Booth, allow other people to do things for you sometimes." Theresa said as she sorted through Alex's clothes when Ryan brought the bag downstairs. Ryan sat down on the couch next to Alex and Phoebe, laying his head on her shoulder. "I need to get to work for a few hours." He said softly looking at her. She knew it was going to come sooner or later since he spent most of the time with her at hospital, and not going to work as often.

"It was only a matter of time before it happened." Alex said softly, laying her head on his. "Are you going to be away for the whole day?" Alex asked looking at Phoebe who tried to get her father's attention while his eyes were closed, putting her little fingers into his ears. "Phoebe." He groaned taking a hold of her hands kissing them softly. "I don't know. I don't even know what is waiting for me when I get there." He sighed sitting up, kissing Phoebe's forehead.

Theresa took the cookies out of the oven, and Ryan made his way over to the kitchen, taking three cookies from the tray despite his mother hitting his knuckles playfully, reminding him of how he used to do the same when he was a little boy. "I need to get to work, until later, ladies." He greeted walking out the door.

Theresa and Sita made their way over to the couch where Alex and Phoebe were sitting with lunch for Alex, and a cookie for Phoebe. Alex wanted to say something but decided against it when she saw how her daughter's face lit up. Digging into the food her mother had prepared, while the three of them are speaking about sweet nothings, enjoying some time alone.

Ryan walked into his office after Liam and Maranda spoke to him and asked about how Alex is doing. "I'm sorry for asking you to come in but the work is not going to complete itself." Liam sort of apologized and Ryan understood what he meant. They had an unfinished case that he was working on with Hannah Wyland, and he didn't even know where they stood on the grounds of the case.

"Is Alex and the baby okay?" Caleb asked when he saw his friend was back in his office,

"Yeah, they're fine. I didn't get a chance to thank you and Shelby for your help. I really appreciate it man." Ryan said sincerely.

"That's what friends are for man, the two of you would do the same for me and Shelby. I'm really happy that things are gonna be okay." Caleb said. "And a little present for the new dad." Caleb said handing Ryan a gift bag. Ryan opening the bag, a white crawler with the words: don't try me, my dad is a special agent. "You owe me a beer." Caleb smiled as he headed for the door when he saw Ryan laughing and shaking his head at the gift he got him.

The paperwork was still on his desk that he tried to get through before the end of the day. But around 3PM he got a phone call, that disrupted his whole day once again. He his human, there is so many things he cannot do. Or the system won't allow him to do because there is a chain of command. The case they were working on last week where the children had to go to foster homes seems to fall through the roof. Initially the plan was to let the kids stay at a relative's house but at the moment it turned into all of them being separated, and going to strangers.

"Hannah what do you want me to do about it? You're the social worker, I'm working for the FBI, there is nothing I can do right now to change the situation." Ryan breathed hearing the woman sigh from the other end of the line. "Yeah, hopeless FBI might I add. You know I've heard people say that the Bureau only work when they have something to gain from a case but I never figured you as the same." Hannah yelled and Ryan had to bite his tongue not to say something to her. "Well Hannah you're welcome to report me if you feel like I'm not doing my job. My boss is Liam O'Connor!" Ryan said and slammed the phone down. Out of everything he had to deal with today there was an ex breathing down his neck about work issues that he can't deal with right now.

"Alex are you okay? Really doing fine?" Sita asked when her daughter finished eating.

"And don't lie to us." Theresa added, finishing her plate of food.

"I'm fine. Really I am. When it all happened I was so nervous and I thought I might loose the baby." Alex admitted softly laying her hand on her little round yet firm stomach. "But I am really really grateful that things went well."

"Phoebe Grace what are you doing?" Alex asked when her daughter seemed to be to quiet. And just like expected she was up to her usual mischief. She pulled at the end of the table cloth and before Alex could make her way over to do damage control the vase with the flowers fell to the floor and broke, water spilling everywhere. Phoebe looking at her mother with big eyes when the vase broke.

Alex got up and picked up her daughter, who started crying in the process. "Phoebe. Calm down nothing happened." Alex coached her daughter, "you just had a fright it's okay." She continued, wiping Phoebe's eyes as the little girl got up and walked over to the coffee table to get her pacifier, putting it in her mouth and walking back to her mother, standing in between Alex's legs, her head resting on her mother's lap as she continues to sob, that were suppressed by the pacifier in her mouth. Sita and Theresa cleaning up the residue of what was left of the vase. "Come on, time for your nap. You're being a grumpy cat when you're tired, bub."

"Are you a grumpy cat Phoebe?" Theresa asked and Phoebe shook her head yawning, hand tangled in her curly hair.

"Noooooooo" Phoebe groaned to the adults labelling her as a grumpy cat. "Come on, let's put you down for a nap." Alex said getting her bottle, and walked up the stairs towards her room planning on taking a nap too, and setting her alarm to wake up just before Ryan comes home, so they can have some family time.

Took a day off, still swamped in work and studies. Hope you enjoy this one.

Lovies-S