Chapter 129

Alex was shocked to find out that she was feeding Roy's children. Ryan comes downstairs and greets their guests friendly as Alex explains briefly that she met them outside. "My new friends, Jason and Jessy." She introduced them to her husband who smiled and shook their hands warmly.

"They're looking for the mother, she works at the Langley's." Alex said and Ryan notices the weird look on her face.

"Yeah that's about two blocks down." He answered as Alex hands them a plate well stacked with food consisting of toast, fried eggs and sausages. She pours them both a glass of orange juice while Ryan check on Phoebe. Alex leaves them to eat and walks over to the lounge area giving her husband a look that says we need to talk.

Phoebe hands her half empty bottle to her father when he sat down on the couch and makes her way over to sit on his lap, getting comfortable before she takes it again drinking the rest of the contents.

"I heard crying and found them on the curb." She explained. "Jason says their mom didn't leave any money like she usually does and they had to share an apple, Jessy was crying because she was hungry." She glanced over at the kitchen counter where they sat eating hungrily and she felt a sense of guilt. She's so used to throwing food away when she only finishes half of it, yet here are two kids who appreciates this small gesture so much. Yes things might be tough a home but they don't want people to pity them. Their sense of pride is what made Alex smile.

"Okay, well that's not a bad thing that you're helping them." Ryan said still missing some pieces of the puzzle. "If their mom is at work where was their father?" He asked.

"In jail. Broke out a few days ago and assaulted a cop lady. That were Jason's direct words." Alex said seeing Ryan's face change.

"Alex."

"Yes Ryan, Roy is father." She said softly seeing his face change as he glances over to them quickly. "I can't punish them for something their father did to me. They don't even know I'm the so called cop lady. And they don't need to either." She added quickly.

Looking over to the kitchen when she heard plates clattering seeing Jason get up and walking to the sink opening the tap so he can wash their plates. "What are you doing Jason?" Alex asked from where she sat on the coffee table.

"Cleaning our dishes ma'am." He explained looking up at her pausing his action briefly.

"Please put that down. It's Ryan's job not yours. Guests do not do dishes in this house." She said and Jason looked between her and Ryan who nodded his head.

"If I were you I'd listen to what Alex just said." Ryan smiled and Jason aborted the cleaning mission he was on.

Jessy got off her seat and walked over to Alex, giving her a long hug that took her by surprise. "Thank you so much ma'am." She said softly leaving the older woman smiling.

"You're welcome, honey. Anytime." Alex said as Jessy smiled shyly fumbling around with her hands. Jason walking over to Alex repeating the gesture of his sister. "Thank you ma'am. I'm really sorry for intruding we really didn't mean to." He apologized again and Alex shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for Jason." She smiled warmly. Phoebe getting up from her father where she laid stretched out across his legs and handed her bottle to Jessy who smiled at the baby.

"I'm ready when you guys are." Ryan said getting up and looks for his keys so he can take them to school, walking to the garage to get the car, Jason turns back to Alex. "Ma'am if there is anything I need to do, if I should work it off I'll come around after school or weekends an…"

"Jason let me stop you right there. You do not need to do any of those things. I helped because I wanted to. And I want to make a deal with you." Alex said looking into his eyes, "if anything like this happens again you come to me and I'll help. Not because I pity you but because I want to help." She said and Jason nodded accepting the terms that at he and Alex are on right now.

Once they were gone Alex cleaned their plates and walked back to the nursery to continue her packing with Phoebe's clothes that she was busy with. Not worrying about Ryan because she knew he'd pack a few things and moan about her big suitcase telling her that they're only going away for a few days not for a lifetime.

He entered when she was busy upstairs, Phoebe entertaining herself with some toys that were on the floor, some occasionally getting in the way of her mother as she steeped on them, swearing inwardly to herself. Ryan watched her from the doorway before he walked into the room further. "Are you okay? And please don't lie to me sweetheart." He said softly walking towards her as takes a seat on the chair of the dressing table, blowing out a long steady breath.

"I don't know how I am supposed to feel right now." She whispered twisting her wedding bands around her finger. "I thought I could handle everything that has happened by trying to suppress it, but then Jason and Jessy shows up and all my emotions are haywire again."

"You want to talk about it?" Ryan asked kneeling down in front of her.

"I can't be mad at his kids for deeds their father committed, Ryan. And as much as I want to be, I actually pity Roy as a person. Those kids are so humble and proud. They have every reason to be mad at the world but they're not." Alex got up and walked around the room.

"When we drove to the school he asked me if there is a way he can replay you for what you did this morning." Ryan told her the conversation they had in the car.

"I told him not to. I hope you did the same." She said quickly turning to her husband who nodded.

A faint sound of something that fell in the bathroom made the parents rush over there. They should've known silence is the sign of something dangerous going on wherever their daughter was. When they entered the bathroom, Phoebe got the toiletry bag that Alex was busy packing on the closed toilet seat. Bottles and tubes of moisturizers fell out and one bottle fell open. Phoebe sitting on the floor digging her hand into the white cream smearing it all over herself and on the floor. Making lines as she wiped it with her little hands on the white tiles. Thinking the moment is too adorable to simply let it slide, Ryan got his phone out and snapped a quick picture of his daughter despite the look of horror on his wife's face.

"Dada." She smiled up at her father whose face matched the smile his daughter had although her mother's face had a different outlook. .

"Phoebe Grace Booth." Alex said calmly taking the almost empty moisturizer out of her daughter's hold. Phoebe looks up at her mother with big eyes that soon started sparkling as the tears came. She had no idea why her fun was cut short.

"Not everything is toys for you to play with Phoebe. And you can't cry every time you don't get your way, it doesn't work that way." Alex reprimanded her daughter who now seemed to cry even more after her mother spoke to her. Ryan being the middle man, picked her up getting his own clothes dirty in the process as he kissed her.

"It's okay." He said over and over again, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"Ryan you can't keep letting her come to you for comfort, she's going to have to learn at some point." Alex said from the floor where she was cleaning the lotion mess.

"But you're being too hard on her, she's only one. How old are you Pheebs?" He asked and she put up one finger.

"One of us has to be hard, because it certainly isn't going to be you. I don't want her growing up spoilt and having bratty manners which results in everyone dislike her." Alex stated her side of the matter. In the meantime Phoebe stopped crying and wiped her face with her little balled up fist getting a mix of snot and tears all over her face.

"Who made you cry?" Ryan asked and she looked down from her father's arm pointing towards her mother who was busy on the floor. As much as Alex was upset about her toiletries that little action made her heart melt and she laughed, as the father and daughter pair disappeared to get cleaned up.

Once everything was done and in order Ryan packed the car and they locked up the house getting ready for their trip. They weren't even out of town yet when Phoebe fell asleep at the back sitting in her car seat. Alex and Ryan were still in the middle of a conversation and when she didn't respond to what he said anymore, he looked over seeing her fast asleep, her head resting against the window. About ten minutes away from Sita's house he woke her up, and she looked around her confused trying to figure out where they were. Glancing to the back seeing the little rascal still asleep with her pacifier in her mouth her head leaning to one side.

They pulled up in front of the house and Alex stretched herself out when she got out of the car, before opening the back door and getting her sleeping daughter out. They barely even made it to the front door when the door swung open revealing a smiling grandmother.

"Shouldn't you two be off on your own somewhere?" Sita asked looking at her son in law and her daughter, taking the sleepy Phoebe from her mother, as the girl laid her head on Sita's shoulder.

"Hello Ma." Alex smiled and hugged her mother, as Ryan repeated the gesture and closed the door behind them.

"Phoebe girl." Joey came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a cloth that he threw over his shoulder, clearly busy cooking up something. Phoebe lifted her head at the mention of this familiar name and lifted her arms towards her grandfather who picked her up and she laid her head down on his shoulder again. "You're not happy to see me?" He asked rubbing her back but got no response from the little girl.

"She woke up just now so she needs a few minutes to recover." Ryan explained.

"What are Ryan and Alex doing here? Didn't we only invite Phoebe?" Joey asked Sita jokingly who shrugged "you know they always invite themselves." She laughed hugging Ryan as they made their way into the kitchen, Phoebe now fully awake on Joey's arm.

Their initial plan was to spend the night there and leave in the morning but seeing that it was still early the option of driving another hour to the hotel didn't seem to bad. Joey had prepared lunch and they all gathered around the table eating and chatting away. Alex promising her mother that their wedding talk is still bound to happen and that they will continue it when she and Ryan returns.

"Phoebe behave yourself bub. And Ma and uncle Jo please don't give her everything she cries for." Alex pleaded knowing her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Our house our rules. At Grandma's house you can do everything isn't that right?" Sita asked tickling her and she laughed loudly. "Drive safe and let us know when you get there." Joey says as Ryan and Alex gets in the car after saying goodbye to their daughter and the adults. Some alone time is just what they need to get their marriage back on track, before the whole ordeal happened.

Hey guys! I had trouble posting yesterday that's why the previous chapter was posted this morning. And here is another one (two in one day I'm sure you guys won't complain.) Also the event I had planned for chapter 130 is now moved for a bit later due to the plot twist (I'm sorry really I am especially if you were looking forward to it, but it will still happen.) Here's another one hope you enjoy.

Lovies-S