Roots and Seeds

a Law and Order: CI story

by RoadrunnerGER

Disclaimer: Dick Wolf still has not agreed to sell them, so they're not mine. This is just for fun and practice.

A/N: Thank you for your nice comments. Happy Second Advent! :)

Chapter 7

"I'll go," Fiona said when the doorbell rang. Just a moment later she was back with Carolyn.

"Hello, Bobby," she said, beaming at him. "Mrs. Eames."

"Hey, Carolyn." Bobby was still not really used to calling her by first name. She had left Major Case to go to the U. S. Marshal Service and back then their relationship was purely work based, so he called her Barek. Then she and Alex were kidnapped by Nicole and not long after their rescue Barek got together with Logan. After their wedding Bobby finally had to get used to calling her Carolyn. He managed well, but for unknown reasons it still felt slightly odd. Maybe because she always had that professional air about her that tempted him to fall back into old habits.

Anyway, he smiled down at the baby carrier in her hand where Sierra was sleeping soundly.

"Alex and Ronny are in the living room," Bobby told her.

"Yeah, I saw her as I passed the hall."

"I was about to make tea. Would you like a cup?"

"Tea would be fine, Bobby. Thank you."

Questioningly he looked at Fiona and Helen who both nodded.

"Why don't you go and sit with Alex while I make the tea?" Bobby asked. "You'll certainly have a lot to talk about."

"That's quite possible," Carolyn agreed, smiling lovingly at her daughter.

"Yeah, and as you all are mothers now it most likely will be boring for the poor husband," Bobby teased. "So go on. I'll be alright here."

"You come over, too, and have a drink with us, proud daddy," Carolyn said cheerfully. "You can't hide in the kitchen. If you're not with us in ten minutes I'll come and get you."

"Okay," he smirked and picked up the electric kettle to boil the water for their tea while the women went into the living room.

For Bobby it still was something he had to get used to. Growing up he had often been the one who got ignored, which was not that bad after all because every time he was not ignored by his father he got spanked. When his older brother Frankie did not ignore him he beat the shit out of him. Only mom seemed to care for him, but that lessened when she got sick. It had not taken long for Bobby to realize that she was different from other moms. Once her schizophrenia got really bad little Bobby suddenly found himself in the role of caring for her while his father was either at the race track losing their tight money betting on horses or in bed with a younger woman. And then Frances's delusions worsened and Bobby got kicked around by her, too, when she believed that the devil had taken possession of him. It really was no surprise that Frankie fled home at the first opportunity. Frank senior did not stay much longer and Bobby was left alone with his sick mother. He finished school as best as he could before the need for earning money drove him into joining the army where he ended up in the Criminal Investigation Division. Meeting his mentor Declan Gage there led him to his destination: being a cop.

Given that kind of upbringing a healthy family life was something completely new to Bobby. His first Christmas with Alex's family as her future husband already had been different from the Christmases he had spent with them as her duty partner. Their warm welcome in the circle of family astonished him and made him uncomfortable at first. He had to grow into it slowly. Alex always was there when he needed her… and kept her distance when he needed to be alone for a moment. Bobby appreciated that and loved her even more for it.

Bobby also loved John and Helen Eames and grew very fond of Fiona and Neal, Alex's nephew. He and Collin tended to disagree, but they basically liked each other.

So Bobby experienced for the first time in his life a true family.

Four mugs with a tea bag in each of them were now lined up on the kitchen counter. Bobby filled them with hot water and poured himself a fifth mug with instant cappuccino.

He hesitated to join the women in the living room. Peeking through the door he saw them on the sofa and easy chairs surrounding the coffee table. Alex had put the baby carrier with Ronny on the place beside her on the couch. Fiona sat on the other side, watching the little boy with a fascinated smile. Carolyn perched in an easy chair, Sierra in her carrier in front of her on the table. Helen watched them from the chair on the other side of the coffee table.

Bobby glanced at her a second time. Alex's mother looked quite content, relaxed and in absolute peace with her life and the women across the room who were part of it. Something Bobby had searched for all of his life. He never knew the feeling of security and safety upon coming home from a bad day at school, or after a fight with older kids. His family was not the sanctuary it was supposed to be. Before he could relax in his room he had to make sure that neither his father nor Frances were in a mood and if they were he had to carefully avoid them and make himself as invisible as possible, do his chores and be as inoffensive as a piece of furniture. Peaceful times Bobby spent at another's home: Lewis's.

The thought of Lewis made Bobby smile. His friend had completely surprised him with the fancy bed he had made for Ronny.

He must have begun building it when I confided to him that we already knew the gender. Bobby chuckled. Alex would freak if she knew that I showed the ultrasonic scan to him. If the girls find out about that they'd never let me live it down.

Looking at the pots he decided that the color of tea was right and took the bags out. Then he placed the mugs together with a bowl of sugar and teaspoons on a tray and carried everything into the living room. There he put the tray down on the coffee table and dealt out the mugs.

"Thank you, Bobby," Helen said as she accepted her tea from him and offered him a wide smile.

"Anytime," he said, returning her smile wholeheartedly.

"You're a peach, Bobby," Fiona smirked. "If I wouldn't have Collin…"

"Hey! Are you flirting with my husband?" Alex exploded in mock protest.

Fiona beamed at Bobby and said with a mischievous wink, "Some flirting should always be allowed."

"It is, Fiona, it is," Bobby played her game with her. "As long as we eat at home." And with that he winked at Alex, pushing her tea mug into her outstretched hand.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Alex purred and kept the mug hovering over the tray until Bobby put four teaspoons of sugar into it, too. Smirking broadly she rewarded him with a blown kiss.

"Good that you're too young to be flirting, sweetie," Carolyn said to her daughter.

"She's espoused to Ronny anyway," Bobby chuckled, remembering his talk with Mike the previous day.

"What?" gasped Carolyn.

"What?" panted Alex.

Now Bobby laughed out loud. "Just kidding. Mike teased me with our kids flirting with each other yesterday."

"Flirting?" Carolyn scowled. "How are they supposed…"

"When they're in high school," Bobby added, still chuckling. Taking his cappuccino he settled down on the other sofa. Sipping contentedly he mused that his life now was anything but bad. Then he remembered Naomi and the shadow she cast over their perfect life. Bobby followed the conversation of the women only peripherally until he heard Alex say, "I think he's tired. I should feed him and bring him to bed."

She rose from the couch and picked up the baby carrier with her son. Ronny yawned widely.

"Did you already see the room Bobby has prepared for him?" Alex asked. "He wouldn't let me in. Said it was a surprise."

Bobby smirked.

"Now, go ahead," he said. "It's finished."

"You sure?" Alex teased. "I don't want to step in just to land my foot in a paint can."

Goodheartedly Bobby laughed about her joke. "It's all done. Go and be astonished."

Tilting her head to the side in a way not unlike Bobby's Alex scowled at him.

"You're hiding something," she said.

"Me? Never!" he protested and smirked.

So Alex pivoted around to go and climb the stairs.

"Well, let's go and see what Bobby has done," Helen said, slapping her thighs. She resolutely got up and strode after her daughter.

"Oh! My! God!"

Alex's shriek had also Carolyn and Fiona jump up and storm up the stairs.

"What's wrong?" Fiona demanded to know, her voice high with worry.

"What did he do?" Carolyn panted.

Too bad that I can't see her face, Bobby thought as he got up now, too, a small smile playing around his lips. Then he followed upstairs. When he reached the children's room the women stood in the middle letting their gazes wander around the room.

"This is incredulous!" Alex panted, finding Bobby standing under the doorframe and raising her hands in a helpless gesture at him.

Ronny's carrier stood at her feet and Bobby feared that Alex would trip over it when she stepped toward the cradle, but she easily avoided it. So Alex first examined the cradle beneath the window, the changing table and cupboard and the curtains. Then she turned to the rest of the room. The main lamp was a pretty titan and glass frame in different shades of blue that shone its light at the ceiling, so that it was bright but still indirect and inoffensive to the eyes.

Another highlight was the easy chair in the right inner corner. A low table stood beside it where Alex could put anything down from a pacifier, over a mug of tea to her current favorite book. Right now Alex could not withstand and sank into the soft chair.

"Awww, is that cool!" she exclaimed as she pushed herself backwards, making the chair rock. It was perfectly balanced and easy to move with little effort. So it would soothe both, mother and baby, when Alex sat in it to feed her little boy.

"I'm quite certain that I know who made the bed," Carolyn smirked at Bobby.

Barely taking his eyes off Alex Bobby winked at his former co-worker. He always had liked Carolyn Barek Logan. She was a fascinating woman, as attractive as her mind was witty and she was a brilliant profiler.

"No one less than the famous Lewis body-shop owner, car tinkering best buddy of Bobby famous Major Case Squad New York detective who's helplessly in love with me," Alex chuckled, stretching languorously in the chair. "But you chose this one, right, Bobby?"

"Yes, I did," he smiled, happy that his surprise had the desired effect on her.

"The bed's taking the cake," Fiona laughed to herself. "Do you have any idea how Lewis made it?"

"He told me that the base is a children's bed he bought. All features are still functioning. You can add bars as long as Ronny is too little and might fall out of the bed. Lewis has made a second frame to attach the car body he made from glass fiber. I have no idea, though, how he made it. But he always was a genius with cars."

"Yeah, he is," Alex agreed. Then she chuckled. "I'm so glad that you popped the question when you did. Lewis always made sure to let me know that I wouldn't forget him. Imagine what might have happened if you wouldn't have asked."

"Oh, my god," Bobby panted in mock shock. "Don't plant such images in my head!"

"I don't need that imagination either," Helen said, looking at Bobby compassionately. She wondered if he knew that all the time.

"He never let me forget it, either," Bobby smirked. "Lewis was in love with you from the moment you accompanied me to his body shop and showed off your knowledge about cars… but, he also told me the moment he realized that you were more for me than my duty partner that he would stand back."

Alex smiled at him lovingly. "You really are best friends."

"Forever."

There was something in his smile. Alex thought that he was lost in reverie or memories. She knew that his relationship with his childhood friend was something really special. He loved Lewis. She suspected that he might love him more than Frankie. Bobby and his brother did not have a healthy relationship. His gambling addiction stood in stark contrast to Bobby's profession. If she was honest with herself Lewis certainly had been a better brother to Bobby than Frankie ever was or would be.

A wide yawn of Ronny caught all adults' attention.

"I think I should bring him to bed," Alex said. "I'll come downstairs when he's settled, okay?"

"Sure, Alex," Fiona said. "We're in the living room."

She, Helen and Carolyn left the room while Alex held back her husband with a quick gesture.

"Come here, Bobby Bear," she said and spread her arms wide to welcome him in an embrace. "This is awesome."

"Really?"

His slightly insecure tone almost made her slap him.

"Yes, really," she grumbled. "It's perfect." And reaching up for his neck she pulled him down for a kiss. It was brief and chaste, their lips barely touching, and yet it sent chills down both their spines. Alex felt the jolts it caused and chuckled. One glance down confirmed that he reacted not that differently from her. "Is that a promise?" she teased, reaching out for his obvious excitement.

Sucking in a sharp breath Bobby squinted down at her over the tip of his nose.

"If you want me to…" he said, leaving the decision to her.

Alex sighed. "I'm not sure if it's such a great idea, though it is tempting."

Bobby smirked.

"Some cuddling is always within the possibilities, right?" he winked at his wife. Wife. He still had to get used to that.

"I do hope so," Alex chuckled, stretching to reach him.

As he enveloped her middle she wrapped her arms around his neck and they deepened the kiss. This time they did not hesitate. There was no hovering anymore. Their lips pressed together, moving, teasing the other with the tips of their tongues, until Bobby granted Alex access and their tongues danced around each other, exploring their oral cavities.

Then Ronny demanded his share of attention, finally making himself noticed with distinct wails. Only reluctantly his parents broke their kiss.

"That's the wrong moment, my son," she scolded him lovingly.

Bobby smiled and that smile held the earlier promise.

"I'll take you up on that," Alex threatened good-naturedly and ushered him out of the room.

tbc…