Chapter 120

The next morning Alex texted Ryan to let him know she's being discharged today and that he shouldn't forget to pick her up because she can't spend more time there than what is necessary. He figured he'd go past the hospital and bring her back home before he goes to work He can't afford taking another day off and there's probably heaps of paperwork on his desk waiting for him to tackle. He got up and showered quickly making his way downstairs, out of habit he checked the nursery only to see a crib without his daughter when he remembered his mother in law wouldn't allow her to sleep in there if she's in the house. The silence confirming that they're probably still sleeping, and he snuck out of the house to get his wife.

Alex was busy packing the last of her stuff when he entered the room. "Are you sure they're discharging you today?" he asked standing in the doorway.

"There's proof." She pointed to the paperwork that has to be signed and handed in at the nurses station. "And I'm still at home for the rest of the week." She complained because she hoped the doctor would change his mind.

"And, if you don't obey, I'll call the doctor and let him know to have you admitted again." Ryan warned pointing a finger in her direction.

"You are so mean, Ryan Booth." Alex said sticking her tongue out at him, as he picked up her bag and they walked out of the room to hand in the forms and sign the last few discharge papers. "I still love you." He smiled nudging her side. "You can make up for it by buying me a cheeseburger and fries. After my 24hours of IV food that would be amazing." She said when they got in the car and drove off. "I think not. Your mom would kill me and I'd like to be in her good books, so no. You'll have healthy fruits and vegetables." He smirked seeing the look she gave him.

They pulled up to the house and the silence that was there when Ryan left was not there anymore. Between Sita being busy in the kitchen with breakfast and Phoebe unpacking the cupboards where the plastic containers were throwing it on the floor until there was nothing left in the cupboard and Joey nowhere in sight.

"Good morning." Alex smiled walking into the kitchen being greeted by the smells of her mom coking breakfast like she used to when she was a child. Phoebe moving away from her playing when she heard her mother's voice walking towards her with a water bottle in hand.

"Hello Phoebe Grace." Alex smiled picking her up and poking her lips out for a kiss, which her daughter obliged to, but when she saw her father entered she extended her arms towards him and he took her. Alex walking over to the kitchen to greet her mother. "Hi Ma." She smiled hugging her and kissing her cheek. "Hey baby, how are you feeling?" Sita asked, hitting Alex on the hand when she lift up the lid of one of the pots cooking on the stove. "Hhhmm old habits die hard." Sita said smiling lifting the lid so Alex could see.

"Did Joey leave already?" Ryan asked when he didn't see him after a while.

"No, he's in the shower." Sita said taking out plates to start dishing breakfast. "Ryan I packed you some lunch." Sita said pointing in the directions where she put it on the counter, Alex giving her mother a weird look. "You hear that, sweetheart?" Ryan asked smiling like a kid in the candy store. "Ma last time I checked I was your biological child."

"Yeah yeah but I've always wanted a son." Sita shrugged looking at her daughter.

"You hear that, Alex?" Ryan added again smirking in his wife's direction.

"Ryan Booth don't you have somewhere to be? Since the two of you are ganging up on me." Alex said throwing a napkin in his direction.

"Jealousy is a nasty thing. Thank you Sita." Ryan said kissing her cheek and walking over to kiss Alex and then Phoebe before leaving the house to go to work. "Be safe." Alex said when he walked towards the door. Helping her mother set the table for breakfast, walking over to coffee pot to have some coffee Sita stopped her, and pointed to the orange juice on the table. "Fine." Alex moaned leaving her caffeine fix.

When Joey came out of the shower they all sat down together to eat, Phoebe sitting with Joey as he supplies her with some small pieces of scrambled egg, which in turn made her not want to eat her cereal when he tried feeding it to her minutes later she kept closing her mouth pushing the spoon away.

"So, after you guys left last night Ryan and I were thinking." Alex started looking between her mom and Joey. "Phoebe doesn't have a grandfather, and we were wondering, since you and mom are planning on getting married soon, if you'll be willing be her grandfather uncle Jo. No pressure if you don't feel lik…"

"Are you kidding me? I'd be honored." Joey smiled looking at her and then at Sita who he pulled closer in a sideways hug. Phoebe looking up at them on why her feedings were cut short. "I'm sorry, here we go." Joey apologized to her continuing to feed her.

After breakfast Alex wanted to help her mother clean the kitchen but Sita refused. So she sorted through laundry but even that was cut short by her mother, ordering her to go sit on the couch or lay down but not to work. Joey had to leave again today because he had to be at work the next day. Greeting the girls in the house, telling Alex to look after herself and that he doesn't want to come back in a few days having to see her in a hospital bed again.

"Phoebe girl. I'll see you in a few days when you're one year old okay?" Joey said kissing her curly hair as Sita walked him out.

"You have a grandpa now." Alex smiled looking at her daughter really happy that Joey agreed to it. "What are you going to call him? Papa Jo? It has a nice ring to it don't you think?" She laughed at Phoebe's expression. Sita offering to take care of Phoebe while sending Alex to bed until lunch time at least.

At work when Ryan entered and walked past the office downstairs where Alex worked he was stopped before reaching the stairs when Natalie stopped him.

"Ryan, is Alex home?" She asked without greeting.

"Good morning to you to Shelby." He smiled seeing how irritated she got when he didn't answer her question right away. "Yeah she was discharged this morning." He answered and she nodded walking back to the office. "Enjoy your day." He said after her and she just waved a hand in his direction.

"Okay, Alex is home. Are we going to go over there during lunch?" Shelby asked the rest as they were looking through the internet at birthday party ideas.

"With some ideas for Phoebe's party?" Nimah asked getting more and more excited as she's looking though the pictures.

"Ryan, I have something I need you and Caleb to look at. A case that went South and turned out not to be true. For this you'll have to go down to prison to check it out." Liam said standing in Ryan's office doorway, as Ryan texts his best friend to come upstairs.

"Long story short, someone got 5 years jail time for a crime he didn't commit. What the crime is and who the victim is I'm not going to tell you, because that'll just spoil the fun. Enjoy it." Liam said handing them the case files and they looked at each other.

"Is Alex's 24 hour morning sickness a thing of the past now?" Caleb asked getting looking at his friend as he got behind the wheel putting on his seatbelt.

"It wasn't morning sickness. But yes she's home now. Thanks for your concern doofus." Ryan said shaking his head at the blonde, as they drove towards the prison wondering and guessing between each other what this mystery case is all about. They rolled up in the parking lot showing their badges as they walked past security and identifying themselves, as they were showed to a room waiting on whoever their victim is.

A young man dressed in the prison uniform with handcuffs on around his wrists enters the room. The officer leading him to a chair and he sits down, holding his hands out so the officer can unlock the cuffs, Caleb and Ryan standing up shaking his hand introducing themselves.

"Joshua Greene." The officer said. "Turned 18 two years ago, did time for a rape crime he didn't commit." The officer informed the two men, and they nodded, shifting their attention back to the young man behind the desk.

"Care to elaborate on that Mr Greene?" Ryan asked and he leaned forward.

"I told the court I didn't have anything to do with it. I never touched that girl, she was like a sister to me. I am her cousin… was her cousin." He corrected himself quickly. "There was a graduation dinner one night I was on my way to college the week after. I got a football scholarship for the four years that I would've been there." He started rubbing his hands together blowing out a long breath.

"I was outside at the grill with my friends. But before that I went inside because my mom called and then I used the bathroom. I have no idea where Tasha came from she was somewhere in the house. Rushing out screaming and crying some of her clothes torn yelling that I did it." Joshua continued holding his head in his hands.

"And you weren't close to her?" Caleb asked, and he shook his head.

"I swear I didn't touch her. My mom raised me and my three other siblings by herself and I was the first one of the family to go to college. She always said she's not raising thugs, Tasha making that accusation send my whole life in a downward spiral. My mom gave me a look I'll never forget, she opened the door and stood there waiting for me to walk out, and closed it behind me. I tried explaining that I didn't do anything but no one listened. " The young man reminisced re telling his story for the hundredth time to strangers.

"The police found me out on the streets I can't even remember where I was walking to. I told them the same thing they didn't believe me, so I just accepted it. I have a criminal record for something I didn't do. No one will hire me. My mom didn't come visit me since that night, in fact no one has." He said the last part in barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry to hear that man. Do you know why we're here?" Ryan asked and he shook his head.

"Well we found some new evidence on your case that proves that you're innocence. And a confession from your cousin, and her mother." Ryan said but Joshua shook his head.

"With all due respect, I don't want to hear what they have to say."

"Hey man, just hear them out, and once you still feel the same after that that's what we'll write in the reports." Caleb said and nodded towards the officer who opened the door again, as Tasha entered the room. Ryan and Caleb both getting up from their seats shaking her hand allowing her to sit while they stood up.

Joshua stood up when she entered walking towards the door, holding his hands out towards the officer so he can put the cuffs back on but Tasha stopped him. "Please don't leave just hear me out." She said and he turned around looking at her.

"I'm sorry. I was jealous you were the star child of the family and it felt like everyone else forgot about the rest of the cousins and were only focused on you." She said looking up at him.

"If I may ask how did you get the relevant paperwork and evidence to back up your version of events?" Caleb asked her.

"My mom is a nurse. She manipulated some things in a routine check up for rape victims to make it look as if it was true. Police didn't question anything, we gave them Joshua's name and the judge ruled in our favor."

"Wow that's some messed up shi.." Caleb said but Ryan nudged him in his side stopping him in the middle of his sentence.

"Josh please talk to me, I'm ashamed of what I did. You didn't deserve any of this I'm s…"

He didn't say anything he just looked at her. "Saying sorry is not going to make up for the two I've spent here trying to convince the world that I'm innocent, but no one believes you. I haven't seen my mom since that night! Whenever I call home she doesn't answer. Do you have any idea what that feels like!?" He yelled as his eyes glistened with unshed tears slamming his cuffed hands on the table.

"Hey, easy man." Caleb said walking over to him putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Are we done?" He asked looking at Ryan and Caleb who nodded and the officer took Joshua back leaving them with Tasha in the room. Finalizing their statements with the needed evidence they handed a copy over at the reception desk and took the other one back to work.

"Man, that was some messed up shit." Caleb said again when they got outside

"You said that already." Ryan looked at him.

"Yeah but you wouldn't let me finish." The blonde smiled as they walked towards the car.

Sita walked up to Alex's room seeing her tangled up in the covers, sleeping soundly walking further into the room she pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. Writing a note and pasting it on the fridge that she and Phoebe are going out to the park, so she'll find it when she wakes up. They barely left when the doorbell rang and she got up, seeing the note on the fridge and then went to open the door, greeted by three smiling faces.

"You not about to be sick all over us right?" Nimah asked not walking further past the doorway until Alex answered her question

"You're in the clear, Nimah." Alex laughed. "Your sister really is the nicer one."

"Whatever." Nimah said throwing a shoulder over Alex hugging her.

"So, we came here with some ideas, and to bring you food, but mostly ideas." Natalie said putting the two pizzas on the coffee table while taking out the pages she printed of some of the party ideas for Phoebe's birthday in a few days.

"How many kids are we talking about? Guys she's turning one she won't even remember it." Alex said paging through all the themed ideas.

"Let me stop you just there. 1st birthdays are a big celebration, and if you won't do it aunties and godmothers will take care of it." Shelby said grabbing a slice of pizza. "Since these two won't get a move on on tying the knot I'll plan birthday parties."

"Ooohhh speaking about tying the knot my mom and uncle Joey are going to get married. And they want to do it in court." Alex said just then the door opened and Sita entered.

"Hello ladies." She greeted putting Phoebe down. "Our park exhibit were short lived, due to the wind outside." She said.

"Sita, what is this about getting married in court?" Natalie asked looking at her and Sita in return looking to her daughter for confirmation and she nodded.

"Not on our watch, we'll plan the whole wedding if we have to but no court." Nimah seconds Natalie's statement. "I told you so." Alex sung joyful as her mother walked away smiling.

Hey fam! I'm home for two weeks so that's why I've been updating daily, from tomorrow on I'll have to get studying again so then the updates might not be as frequent. I'm trying to stay one chapter ahead but it doesn't work because I get tempted to post it as soon as I'm done. Not the ordinary cases we always have to be honest I'm running out of creative ideas for cases at the moment. Thanks for reading.

Lovies-S