Summary: A ransom leads to a very long weekend for Walker and Alex
Disclaimer: I do not own them
A/N: First attempt at a Walker fic, be nice
Chapter 36
Walker felt helpless day after day as the testimony went on and on. Each day he saw Alex crumble beneath the harsh reality of what had happened to her, and each day he learned a little more what a strong woman she was for having endured it.
Walker had been relieved when Alex passed the morning sickness stage, and was able to eat again, but as of lately her appetite had gone again from stress. She was too far along to wander off into the mountains with to get away, and the only place she truly felt safe was the ranch.
They had two days left of hearing testimony before the jury would go to deliberate Chuck Culliver's fate, and Walker hoped he would be sentenced to death, but somehow death seemed to good for the man who had dared to harm what was most precious to him.
It was on the last day of testimony that Walker dreaded even waking up. Once he had gotten up and showered he went to wake Alex to find her sitting on the bed, tears rolling down her face.
"Alex, what is it? Are you in pain?" Walker asked, running to her side, kneeling down in front of her.
Alex shook her head, but she couldn't find the words to say what she was feeling.
"Come on Alex, talk to me, we can work our way through this, I promise."
Alex only sobbed louder and all Walker could do was to pull her close to him and hold her tight until the tears stopped. It was only after she had stopped, that he pulled her chin up to meet his gaze.
"You do know that you can tell me anything, don't you?"
Alex stared into the eyes of the man she loved, and all she saw staring back was truth and honesty. Before she could lose her courage she asked him what was on her mind.
"How is it you can love me after all of this? How is it that you are not repulsed at the sight of me? I wake up each morning and can't find the courage to look at myself in the mirror."
"I love you Alex. I love your heart, your body and your soul. I love the way you look in the morning when you sleep, I love the way you smile, and when you cry at those cheesy movies, and I love you for just being you. I couldn't possibly ever fell anything but love and admiration for what you went through. Do not doubt yourself Alex because I don't."
"This is why I love you Cordell Walker, because no matter how bad I fell about myself, you remind me what life is all about."
Walker left Alex so she could get dressed, and then they both drove down to CD's for a bite to eat before court.
"Sorry, I can't be there with you today Alex, but the fire inspector is coming today, and if I miss the appointment then he said he could close me down."
"Don't worry about it CD."
"How about I make it up to you by fixing you the best batch of omelets Texas has ever seen."
"Sounds good to me," Alex chuckled.
CD returned ten minutes later with an omelet that covered the entire plate, stacked with ham and cheese and bits of bacon inside. He set one plate down in front of Alex and one in front of Walker.
"Hey, Big Dog where is my plate?"
"Jimmy, I swear you ate three sandwiches an hour ago. You know you are worse than the rats out in the dumpster any kind of food you see you eat."
Trivette was about to retort that statement but instead his gaze fell on Alex who was pouring ketchup onto her omelet. As if that wasn't enough she then poured mustard on it, chopped up two pickles, and then glopped on a spoonful of mayonnaise.
"You are wrong Big Dog," Trivette said, pointing towards Alex's omelet. "There is no way I would eat that."
After they finished breakfast Walker and Alex left for the courthouse telling CD to come over for steaks at the ranch around seven. CD agreed to meet them there, and both of them parted ways with a smile.
Inside the courtroom Alex sat, tapping the desk with her fingers. It wasn't enough that she had to go through another day of hell, but now the omelet she ate was churning in her stomach. Maybe the glob of mayo she thought was unwise. She didn't have time to ponder it though as the side door opened and Chuck Culliver was led into the courtroom.
"This court calls Alex Walker to the stand."
Alex stood, the omelet feeling as if it was coming up, but she tried to push down the nausea. "Only two more days," she told herself, and she turned to smile at Walker.
Walker had been staring at her all morning. She looked so sexy to him. The natural glow of motherhood agreed with her, and now even at five months she looked just as good to him as the day he met her those many years ago.
No one saw Chuck Culliver slide the pen into his hand to write the note with, but as Alex passed near his table he got her attention.
"How about you and me finish what we started sweetheart. How about I give you what I know you have been craving since the last time we were together."
Alex glared at Culliver, her stomach twisting in knots, and a cold sweat breaking out on her brow as she tried to still her stomach.
"I get it, you liked it when I played rough. You liked being beat didn't you, turned you on. I know it did me."
Alex couldn't hold back any longer and soon she found herself retching on the floor in front of the defendant table. Walker stood up to help her, but Alex's knees buckled and she fell on top of Culliver's lawyer. That was all the opportunity that Chuck Culliver needed, and in seconds flat he had Alex by the throat, the pen held to it.
"Back off! All of you back off, or so help me God I will kill her."
Walker drew his gun as did the bailiff, but the sound and sight of the weapon only made Chuck Culliver laugh. "You think that you can kill me fast enough Ranger? Or are you willing to take the chance that I won't turn in the slightest killing your wife and these bastards growing inside her?"
Walker froze for a split second. "Leave her alone Culliver or so help me I will kill you."
"Not before I kill her, now why don't you get the nice bailiff over there to toss over the keys to these handcuffs, and we can both be on our way."
Walker nodded to the bailiff and he came over to release Culliver's handcuffs. "The shackles too, I am not stupid."
Once free Culliver leaned over and ran his tongue along the side of Alex's face. "She tastes as good now as she did before."
"You will not make it out of here alive Culliver, I state my life on it."
"Your life, who the hell wants your life Walker. I personally think it is much more fun to take all the things you care about away, and make you live, just like you did me."
Walker watched as Chuck Culliver dragged his wife through the judges chamber door. His mind blinked into a place it had not been in thirty years, not since he had been in the jungles of Vietnam. There he had one mission kill, and that was what he intended to do to Chuck Culliver.