Title: Chapter 6 Rainy Day Gettaway
Rating: K+
Summary: A fun day out leads to more.
Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, I know they're not mine. What's your point.
It had been raining for the better part of a week when Bobby piled the three of them in the SUV and started driving. Alex didn't question it, and Travis was too wrapped up in his gameboy to care. An hour and a half had gone by when Travis finally started getting antsy.
"Mom, Uncle Bobby, where are we going?" He asked in a whine that only a seven year old can perfect.
"Someplace fun, hopefully to break us out of this rainy weather mood we've all been in. I guess we can stop for breakfast though" Bobby answered finality in his tone that said 'I'm not discussing this'. He had noticed that Alex seemed almost as fidgety as Travis for about the last 25 minutes. Oh well, they were almost at the IHoP they'd have breakfast then it was off to the indoor amusement park.
"Mom, can I take my gameboy inside with me?" Bobby was beginning to regret giving the toy to him.
"No Trav, I'm not going to have you ruining a perfectly nice toy with syrup." Alex answered getting out of the vehicle.
She could tell Bobby had something on his mind, he was too talkative. For the normally introspective man that meant he was trying to work through a problem. Travis wasn't helping much talking about a Pinewood Derby the Cub Scout pack was having. He seemed almost as if he wanted to ask Bobby to help him with it but didn't know how. Alex figured it was probably a father/son event.
"Are you allowed to bring the kit home to work on? I can help you put it together if you want." Bobby offered. Seeing Travis' face light up made Alex's day.
"Are you sure Uncle Bobby, the derby's in two weeks and I'd like it if you could be there. You can come to mom." He offered almost as an afterthought. Bobby had been toying with something under the table for almost 10 minutes when the check came. As he reached in to his back pocket for his wallet he slid something across the table to Alex, it was a velvet jewelry box.
"Hold onto this for me, would you Alex?" He asked pulling a credit card out to pay the bill. Alex stared at the box for several seconds before taking it in hand to open. Inside was a ring with a bright blue stone set in it, a small diamond flanking either side. Alex was both speechless and breathless. Had Bobby just proposed?
"Well what do you think Alex, what do you say we make this right? This thing we are feeling is bigger then both of us. Marry me, and we can share it." It wasn't anything like he had planned but it was par for the course for them. When she finally got her wits back about her Alex slid the ring onto her finger and smiled at Bobby. The waitress broke the silence as she picked up the check and card.
"That's a gorgeous ring, what's the stone?" Eyeing it from every angle Alex wasn't sure her hand was going to bend all the ways the girl wanted it to.
"It's called London Fog Topaz. I wanted something different then a diamond, and this one called to me." Bobby said in way of an explanation. The waitress walked away mumbling something about wishing she could be so lucky.
Leaving the restaurant a short time later Alex kept looking at the ring feeling as though she was in a dream. Never in a million years after Mike died did she think she'd be getting married again. With Bobby she had come to expect that her life wasn't going to go as she'd once planned. It was going to take some getting used to, and what were they going to tell the department. This particular thought she had to voice.
"Bobby how are we going to make this work, there are rules against this." The implications that they were going to be split up weighed heavily on both. Then the light bulb moment came.
"I've been hearing rumors that Barek is looking to transfer out of Major Case. I'll offer to pair up with Logan, I know his style, you'd do better breaking in a whole new partner. We can do this Alex; I can deal without you as a partner if I know we get to leave together at the end of the day." Bobby answered as they left the parking lot and headed toward Long Island and the rest of their day out.
Three hours later Bobby was proud of his choice. Travis had spent two rolls of quarters in the arcade. That was after a round of mini-golf where Alex had kicked but and taken names. Bobby hadn't done too badly for himself, who'd have known he was a Ski-ball wizard winning several large stuffed animals. They watched from a viewing gallery as Travis took part in Laser Tag making both proud as he stayed in the game almost till the end. In much higher spirits then any of them had been in for a while, they left the funplex late in the afternoon. Spending the evening in explaining the changes that were going to be occurring to Travis.
First thing Monday morning they went to have the talk with Deakins. They were prepared for anger from him, not happy frustration.
"So now that you've gotten your act together you're leaving it up to me to tell the brass. Gee thanks guys, don't you have a case to work. I'll figure out what to tell the boys upstairs. Finish this case up then I'll make the switch in partners. Just don't let this effect how you work. I am happy for you both, and I expect an invitation to the wedding." He finished jokingly.
They buckled down and got to work knowing they had dodged a huge bullet by not hiding this from the captain. He was on their side and would do everything in his power to make this easy on them.
End chapter 6. On ward and upward to wedding plans now. Taking a mini poll, would you the reader like to see the planning or just the finished product? Let me know by way of review. Thanks for sticking by me with all the writers block I've been suffering. Please let me know what you think of this chapter.
