"John." Lexie said with some urgency in her voice and he was instantly
worried.
"What happened Barbara?"
She laughed. "Nothing, well something but it isn't bad. I promise to tell you all about it later but right now I need a favor."
"Ok, what?"
"I need for you to pack a bag for Max and bring him to Midway."
Carter was confused. "And then what? Drop him off? What is with the cloak and dagger stuff?"
Lexie laughed again. "It is nothing like that. We are headed to the airport right now and we have a connecting flight in about two hours. So I need him to be at the gate."
"Ok, hold on, a connecting flight to where? And who is we?"
"Tacoma and Robert." She answered in a rush.
"You and he made up?" John asked skeptically.
"No, we are still fighting and he has kidnapped me and brain washed me into giving him Max also." She said sarcastically.
John sighed. "A simple yes would have sufficed Barbi."
She laughed. "Sorry. Can you bring him John?"
Carter shrugged at the phone. "What am I gonna say, no?"
Lexie gave him the gate information and Carter went to get Max's stuff together. He wasn't sure how he felt about Romano and his sister getting back together. On one side he wanted her to be happy. And to everyone's surprise he seemed to make her truly happy. But the person who had known Romano for too many years came out in him. He had never liked the guy. He had nothing in common with him and really had no desire to find out if maybe they could even get along. But he had no choice. He wanted some sort of normal family life and if Romano would help him to achieve that than he would grin and bear it. And if Romano could give Barbara and the kids a good, happy life than he could try to get along with him. He had no idea what had caused the fight between them. Barbara had been very private with details and John knew that she was probably protecting Romano. But he knew that they loved each other and so for now he would let it go.
He got Max's stuff and then went to find Max. He was swimming in the pool with Gamma sitting under the shade of an umbrella watching him. Gamma was instantly in love with the little boy. He reminded her of Bobby when he was at that age and she decided that she would spoil her first great grandchild rotten. Max was bobbing around with his swim floats on and was dying to go under water but Gamma was not about to take that chance until a proper swim instructor was called out to teach him everything he needed to know.
"Hey Kiddo." John called out as he walked along the path to the pool. He walked over and kissed his grandmother on the cheek and then knelt down next to the pool.
"Cawter, swim, swim!" He yelled back. John shook his head.
"Sorry buddy, your mom just called and you are going on a trip."
"Barbara called?" John nodded at Gamma. "Well what did she say?"
John shrugged. "Not a lot, just that she and Romano are picking Max up on their way to Tacoma."
"Tacoma? What is in Tacoma? And she and Robert are back together?"
"I am just as in the dark as you are. I was just asked to get Max to the airport in about an hour."
Gamma made a disapproving face and John put his hands up. "Hey, don't kill the messenger."
John got Max out of the pool, gave him a bath and took him to the airport. They had a few minutes before Barbara and Robert's flight arrived so John bought Max a toy in the gift shop and helped him open it.
"Is Daddy commin?" Max asked with hope in his eyes.
"Yep, both your mom and your dad." John was not sure how comfortable he was with referring to them as his parents but Barbara had assured him that the psychologist had given it his seal of approval.
"John!" Barbara called to him as she and Romano made their way down the concourse. Max heard her voice and leaped up.
"MOMMY!" He yelled and ran to her. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight. Carter walked over and handed Max's bag to Romano and the two men exchanged a nod.
Lexie put Max down and Robert picked him up. "How is my guy?" He asked and Max giggled.
"I missed you daddy."
"I missed you more." Robert hugged him tight and kissed his forehead. "You ready to go meet my mommy?" John looked at Barbara and she smiled at him.
"Long story." John nodded in response. "Thank you so much for bringing him and for taking care of him for me. I owe you big time."
"Yes you do." John laughed. "Ok, well, you guys have fun and call me once you are settled in." He looked at his sister to let her know that she was going to have to tell him everything.
"I will." She replied and her eyes told him that she would fill him in as soon as she could.
Robert caught the exchange and was surprised that he felt a pang of jealousy. Carter and Lexie had always been close and at times they seemed to be able to read each other's minds and he had noticed that they almost seemed to be able to have entire conversations without saying a word.
Their flight was called and John shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, I guess that is you guys. Have a safe trip." He ruffled Max's hair and smiled at his sister.
"Thanks again sibling." He nodded and walked away.
"Ready?" Robert asked and she nodded. She was about to meet the woman that had made Robert Romano who he is.
"What happened Barbara?"
She laughed. "Nothing, well something but it isn't bad. I promise to tell you all about it later but right now I need a favor."
"Ok, what?"
"I need for you to pack a bag for Max and bring him to Midway."
Carter was confused. "And then what? Drop him off? What is with the cloak and dagger stuff?"
Lexie laughed again. "It is nothing like that. We are headed to the airport right now and we have a connecting flight in about two hours. So I need him to be at the gate."
"Ok, hold on, a connecting flight to where? And who is we?"
"Tacoma and Robert." She answered in a rush.
"You and he made up?" John asked skeptically.
"No, we are still fighting and he has kidnapped me and brain washed me into giving him Max also." She said sarcastically.
John sighed. "A simple yes would have sufficed Barbi."
She laughed. "Sorry. Can you bring him John?"
Carter shrugged at the phone. "What am I gonna say, no?"
Lexie gave him the gate information and Carter went to get Max's stuff together. He wasn't sure how he felt about Romano and his sister getting back together. On one side he wanted her to be happy. And to everyone's surprise he seemed to make her truly happy. But the person who had known Romano for too many years came out in him. He had never liked the guy. He had nothing in common with him and really had no desire to find out if maybe they could even get along. But he had no choice. He wanted some sort of normal family life and if Romano would help him to achieve that than he would grin and bear it. And if Romano could give Barbara and the kids a good, happy life than he could try to get along with him. He had no idea what had caused the fight between them. Barbara had been very private with details and John knew that she was probably protecting Romano. But he knew that they loved each other and so for now he would let it go.
He got Max's stuff and then went to find Max. He was swimming in the pool with Gamma sitting under the shade of an umbrella watching him. Gamma was instantly in love with the little boy. He reminded her of Bobby when he was at that age and she decided that she would spoil her first great grandchild rotten. Max was bobbing around with his swim floats on and was dying to go under water but Gamma was not about to take that chance until a proper swim instructor was called out to teach him everything he needed to know.
"Hey Kiddo." John called out as he walked along the path to the pool. He walked over and kissed his grandmother on the cheek and then knelt down next to the pool.
"Cawter, swim, swim!" He yelled back. John shook his head.
"Sorry buddy, your mom just called and you are going on a trip."
"Barbara called?" John nodded at Gamma. "Well what did she say?"
John shrugged. "Not a lot, just that she and Romano are picking Max up on their way to Tacoma."
"Tacoma? What is in Tacoma? And she and Robert are back together?"
"I am just as in the dark as you are. I was just asked to get Max to the airport in about an hour."
Gamma made a disapproving face and John put his hands up. "Hey, don't kill the messenger."
John got Max out of the pool, gave him a bath and took him to the airport. They had a few minutes before Barbara and Robert's flight arrived so John bought Max a toy in the gift shop and helped him open it.
"Is Daddy commin?" Max asked with hope in his eyes.
"Yep, both your mom and your dad." John was not sure how comfortable he was with referring to them as his parents but Barbara had assured him that the psychologist had given it his seal of approval.
"John!" Barbara called to him as she and Romano made their way down the concourse. Max heard her voice and leaped up.
"MOMMY!" He yelled and ran to her. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight. Carter walked over and handed Max's bag to Romano and the two men exchanged a nod.
Lexie put Max down and Robert picked him up. "How is my guy?" He asked and Max giggled.
"I missed you daddy."
"I missed you more." Robert hugged him tight and kissed his forehead. "You ready to go meet my mommy?" John looked at Barbara and she smiled at him.
"Long story." John nodded in response. "Thank you so much for bringing him and for taking care of him for me. I owe you big time."
"Yes you do." John laughed. "Ok, well, you guys have fun and call me once you are settled in." He looked at his sister to let her know that she was going to have to tell him everything.
"I will." She replied and her eyes told him that she would fill him in as soon as she could.
Robert caught the exchange and was surprised that he felt a pang of jealousy. Carter and Lexie had always been close and at times they seemed to be able to read each other's minds and he had noticed that they almost seemed to be able to have entire conversations without saying a word.
Their flight was called and John shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, I guess that is you guys. Have a safe trip." He ruffled Max's hair and smiled at his sister.
"Thanks again sibling." He nodded and walked away.
"Ready?" Robert asked and she nodded. She was about to meet the woman that had made Robert Romano who he is.
