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.

Chapter 11

"Oh, no! Really?" Alex doubled over with laughter. "You can't be serious!"

"I mean it," Carolyn insisted. "She said he looked like a pregnant earthworm."

At once Alex dissolved into laughter again and Carolyn laughed with her.

Mike glanced at them from his post near the window. He was not happy being here, having to put up with two women who seemed to still be plagued by a surplus of hormones. For him it looked like they were on speed. But he had promised to stay and so he would stay.

If he would need a psychiatrist afterwards he would send the bills to Bobby.

They were interrupted by the baby phone that alerted them to one of the babies crying. As they could not yet distinguish the voices both women went upstairs to check on Sierra and Ronny.

So Mike was left alone with Nat King Cole, an open red wine bottle and left over pizza. Staring out of the window he took a swig of his beer. He scanned the street and noting that nothing suspicious could be seen he went to the sofa and grabbed a slice of pizza.

Inwardly he chuckled as he chewed on the cold dough with artichokes, onions, feta cheese, and covered with cheese about how much he enjoyed cold pizza, something his wife would never understand. Well, she did not grow up with his mother.

Then dark thoughts clouded his mind. They trailed back to Nicole Wallace. Ever since Bobby had told him that she left the hospital with the help of a still unidentified stranger he felt uneasy. It was not that he was scared. No, he was not scared of the petite Australian. But she definitely taught him not to underestimate her. If you were dealing with Nicole Wallace you had to reckon with anything.

She not only abducted Alex but Carolyn, too, and made Bobby and me chase her to the amusement park. There she shot at me with a tranquilizer dart and knocked me out just so that she could control Bobby who was then forced to take care of me. Then I woke up naked in chains, got groped by Nicole, and was injected with a poison to make Carolyn play her perverted game.

Mike shuddered.

No, you can't say that I'm especially fond of her.

Once he had devoured the remaining three pizza slices he returned to the window. Just in time to see a familiar car pull up to the curb in front of the house. He watched his colleague get out and come up to the front door. They met in the hall.

"Hey, Bobby," Mike greeted. "Everything's calm. No sign of her."

"Good. Thanks, Mike."

"No problem."

Bobby hung his coat on the rack and was about to go into the living room when something about Mike stopped him.

"What?"

Mike frowned. He seemed to contemplate what he wanted to talk about before he said, "So what exactly do you expect Nicole to do?"

Shaking his head Bobby replied, "Nothing. I don't know what to expect from her. That's why I'm being rather paranoid… better than being sorry."

"Yeah, I get that." Mike followed him through the living room into the kitchen. "But seriously, what could she do? I mean, she just had surgery."

"That didn't stop her from escaping the hospital," Bobby snapped, looking around searchingly. "Where are they?"

"Upstairs with the kids."

"And you're here?"

"Should I go, too? Alex was already suspicious enough without me acting like her shadow. She already noticed that we didn't intend on leaving before you're back home."

"Thanks, Mike."

"Yeah, yeah… you're welcome," Mike groaned. "You may deal with the girls now."

"I will."

Bobby was just about to go upstairs to see if Alex and Carolyn were ready to come back down and have a talk when he bumped into them on the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, Bobby," Carolyn said.

"Hey." Alex let him hug and kiss her gently, but when he let go, she pushed him back and strode purposefully into the living room where she dropped on the sofa. When Bobby followed her and sat on the other couch she glowered at him for a moment before she vented her anger.

"Okay, first of all, Caro, Mike, I appreciate your company." Alex favored both with a genuine smile before she ripped into her husband. "But would you now please tell me why they really are here?" She gave him five seconds to respond before she continued, "I guess they, as young parents themselves, have better things to do than to baby-sit me and Ronny. So spit it out! Now!"

Sighing Bobby knew that he could not put it off anymore. Of course he knew that he had to talk about his worries, he just had thought they could do that over a nice bottle of red wine…

"Bobby!"

When she became like that it was better to surrender immediately.

"After I got the call from the hospital that Nicole woke up from the coma I went there about two hours later and was told that she was gone. Someone picked her up. So far we have no trace of her or her partner."

Alex hmphed at him.

"What about the baby?"

"Naomi still is at the hospital. Nicole went with her sidekick alone."

"And you wanted Caro and Mike to stay with me why…?"

"As moral backup when I come home and tell you."

"Bullshit."

Mike chuckled and Bobby glowered at him.

"Sorry, I just thought I could get a laugh out of you before I ask you to move out of the line of fire until we have caught Nicole and her partner."

"Now that sounds more like you," Alex grumbled. "And what would you like me to do exactly?"

"Maybe you could move to your parents' home until Nicole's found."

"And? Will you lock me in there at our room and put a guard on the door?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. "No, Alex. I just thought you wouldn't be alone the whole day and be among people you love and trust." He paused. "And people I trust. I know you can defend yourself. And when your father is close by it's all the better."

Now it was Alex's turn to roll her eyes.

"And if I don't want to go to my parents?" she challenged.

"As you can't be back on duty yet I'd have to trust Mike and Falacci to find Nicole."

"And what about you?"

"What about me? I'd stay home with you."

"Bobby!" Alex exploded. "I don't want to be pampered. I can take care of myself! You said it yourself!"

"Prevention is better than cure. Do you think I like the idea? But we have no idea what Nicole is up to. I don't want you to get hurt… or worse."

Sucking in a sharp breath Alex swallowed her sharp reply. She could see by his expression and the fire in his dark chocolate eyes that he reacted out of worry for her and their son. As much as she did not want to be patronized, she did not want to hurt him either. And she did not want to endanger their son. Ronny. What if Nicole really tried to get to them? She could not take that risk.

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll call my mom." She saw Bobby's eyes lighten up. "And you'll make sure that you'll get her by the end of the week."

"I'll do what I can."

"No, you'll get her! And you'll take care of yourself, too, you big oaf. If she gets the better of you and you get hurt, you'll have to deal with me!"

"I will get her," he promised, having the dim feeling that he should not refer to her other points.

"Oh, yes, you will. If you don't I will. The bitch has challenged you too often. This is the last game she'll play with you."

Though he knew that she could be snarky Bobby was surprised by the venom in Alex's voice. She was magnificent in her rage, like a lioness defending her pride. Oh, he loved that woman.

"Okay, who's for wine and Italian dinner?" Bobby asked.

"You're cooking?" Alex asked.

"Sure."

"I'm in."

"Yeah, count me in, too," Mike said.

"We already had pizza," Carolyn scolded.

"And? Where's the problem?"

"The love handles growing around your middle?" Caro teased.

"Which love handles?" Mike protested and pulled up his shirt to reveal a seasoned but far from fat upper body."

"You will have love handles if you don't change your diet!" Caro chuckled.

"But Bobby will be cooking. You don't want to miss that, do you?" He gave her puppy dog eyes and finally she caved.

"Okay, okay. We'll stay for dinner. Men!" She rolled her eyes in Alex's direction, indicating Bobby and Mike with a jerk of her head.

"Yeah, it's easier to guard a bag of fleas," Alex agreed and joined Caro's laughter.

"I'll help Bobby," Mike declared and followed his friend into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Carolyn shouted after his retreating form, "you go and help Bobby exterminate the six pack of beer I've spotted earlier, and I'll keep Alex company!"

Alex laughed. Despite the bitter start it promised to become a nice evening.

tbc…