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 reviews. It was a challenge to combine it with "Frame" but it was fun, too. I'm glad you like it. Enjoy.

Chapter 15

They were up pretty early to drive to Pittsfield. Bishop was wondering what they might find there. If they found anything at all. Her temporary partner just assumed that Nicole wanted them to go there. He took the postmark and followed that lead. But what were they supposed to do in Pittsfield? Had Bobby an idea already? Did he know more than he let on? It seemed like that. Well, if she was honest with herself that was nothing new. He often ran ahead with his thoughts and had to catch up with the investigation then… She sighed.

"What are we going to do?" Bishop asked as they entered Pittsfield. She did not really expect an answer. Bobby leaned against the window and seemed to be sleeping.

"We are going to Melville's house," he told her without looking at her. "It should be marked. It's famous after all."

She nodded and looked out for any sign indicating the direction to Herman Melville's house. When she finally spotted one she followed it turning to the right and heading straight down the road. She stopped in front of a pretty timber house, with yellow painted walls and white ornaments. In the front yard blossomed a variety of flowers.

A woman was working in the garden and when she saw the detectives approach she put her watering pot aside and pulled off her gloves.

"Welcome to our inn," she greeted Bobby and Bishop, smiling amiably.

"I'm Detective Bishop," she introduced herself, flashing her badge.

"I'm Detective Goren," Bobby added.

"Oh, Mr. Goren!" the landlady cheered excitedly. "We have the honeymoon suite ready for you… and… your package arrived. I left it in the room." She opened the front door to lead the detectives in. Through a narrow hall they went to a room in the back of the house and unlocked the door. Striding in she said, "We were expecting you earlier, but don't worry. You're just in time for wine and cheese."

Both detectives entered the room after her. The old fashioned furniture fit the old house and made the room look quite comfortable. On the big four-poster bed sat a big white box. Checking its label they found that it was addressed to the inn care of Robert O. Goren. Thoughtfully Bobby rubbed his chin.

"Could you excuse us for a minute…?" he politely asked the landlady who nodded and left the room. Bobby closed the door behind without taking his eyes off the package. Bishop also still stared at the box.

"It's addressed to me from Donny," he said tonelessly.

Watching Bobby stand close by the bed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and back, made her uneasy. They did not know what was in the box. He looked as if he wanted to go ahead and open it. He got a pocket knife out.

"Why don't we wait and…?" Bishop said when she saw him reach out for the package.

But he had already cut the tape that held the lid closed and pulled it open. There was a Styrofoam cooler inside. Its lid had a red handle and Bobby used it to lift it up.

"Oh, my god!" Bishop gasped, pivoting around and stepping back from the bed. She pinched her nose shut to prevent herself from breathing in the smell coming from the contents of the box. She had to fight to keep herself from choking.

Bobby just stood beside the bed and stared at what he had revealed. They would have to call the police and the local coroner.

Inside the box, on a thick bed of ice cubes, lay a human heart.

xXx

"I can't reach Declan," Bobby said, putting his cell phone away. He sounded worried and that on the other hand worried Alex.

"How often did you try?"

"A couple of times…"

"How often, Bobby?" she pushed.

"Twenty seven."

"Mail box?"

"Nope. The cell phone is on, he just doesn't answer it." He fidgeted around, trying to keep himself from getting his own phone back out. Without success.

"Twenty eight," Alex remarked dryly.

Bobby noticed a hint of sarcasm in her tone. Alex barely knew Declan Gage who had been Bobby's mentor when he was with the CID and later when he returned to the United States, too. It was Bobby's honest opinion that Declan was a brilliant profiler, but he rather lived with and for the murderers he was chasing than for his own family. Declan's daughter Jo had become a serial killer just to get an opportunity to talk with him in interrogation. She had yearned for becoming the next object of his studies to finally spend some time with her beloved father.

Pervertly, Bobby thought, it worked. Declan probably spent more time with her in her prison cell to interview her than he was with her on the rare occasions that he visited her.

One of the women Jo had kidnapped had been Alex. Jo had abducted her from her house in the Rockaways and left her hanging tied from a hook in a cellar. Alex managed to free herself and alert a passer-by of her captivity.

It had been hell for Bobby.

The race against time in finding Alex before she would be tortured to death left him on the edge and beside himself. It had been the crucial test for Bobby and Ross, who had just succeeded Deakins as captain of the Major Case Squad, and secretly Bobby thought that nothing could shake the new captain if he survived the long hours he had to endure him, out of his mind with worry for his partner.

Alex just had met Declan during the investigation and knew that he was a friend of Bobby, but she had no personal relationship to him. Actually Bobby believed to sense that she resented him his friendship with Bobby. After all he was Jo's father.

Bobby was a little surprised. He did not know her to hold a grudge for such a long time.

Beep, beep, beep…

"He's still not answering," Bobby said and snapped the phone shut with a huff of frustration.

"Maybe he is talking with one of his serial killers," Alex suggested. "And the cell phone's lying in a box at prison, ready to be collected after the interview."

"Yeah, probably." Bobby did not sound convinced, but he put the phone away.

In the morning Bishop had stopped by at the Eames's house to pick up Bobby for their drive to Pittsfield. In the late afternoon Alex then came for him to One Police Plaza. Now she was about to park in the parking garage catty corner of the hospital. Once she stopped and killed the engine she took a deep breath and alighted from their car. Then she got the baby carrier from the backseat.

It was a new carrier. While Ronny's was dark blue and lemon yellow Naomi's was black and bright red. At the same time as Bobby had been in Pittsfield Alex had met with Carolyn, both pushing their baby buggies through Manhattan, getting into a shopping rush as they searched for baby clothes and other necessities for Naomi.

When she now walked beside Bobby to the hospital Alex was nervous. It had been the most natural thing to go home with Ronny. She had carried him to term and had everything prepared for him until he arrived.

She was not Naomi's mother.

Thinking of Naomi's biological mother chased chills down her spine.

Alex did not regret her decision and she really planned on becoming the best mother on earth for Naomi as well as for Ronny, but she also hoped that she would not be reminded of her ordeal each time she looked at the little girl. She had not seen her yet. All she knew was that her name was Naomi and that she was Bobby's daughter.

That had to be enough. That and that she was raised by Bobby and her. They had to make the difference. Love had to make the difference.

"Bobby?" Alex suddenly asked as they rode the elevator to the children's ward's floor.

"Yeah?"

"If Nicole gets arrested and, hopefully, finally sentenced… do you want Naomi to know who her real mother is? Would you want her to go and see Nicole?"

"Why do you ask? Do you want to keep the truth about her origin from her?"

"Not forever," Alex said just as the elevator doors opened and walked straight ahead toward the two doors with the letters children's ward above.

"What does not forever mean?" Bobby was not ready to let that subject go.

Right in front of the doors Alex stopped, turned to Bobby, and said in an earnest tone, "It means that we shouldn't tell her before she's coming of age."

"She might ask."

"Why would she?" Alex challenged. "She would never have a reason to believe that I'm not her mother. Why would she ask for the truth?"

"Someone who is not as careful as we are might blab," Bobby told her, thinking not without any reason of Penelope and Josephine. "You didn't expect twins, Alex. Your family will want to know where the second baby is coming from."

"My parents and Fiona already know about her."

For just a second Bobby was surprised to hear that her sister knew it, too. Helen and John, sure, but he had not expected Alex's sister to know… yet. Well, they are very close, even more so since Alex gave birth to Neal. So why am I surprised? Maybe because our family life was anything but that close? He sighed.

"What?" Alex grumbled. "Do you think it was wrong to tell Fiona?"

"What? No!" Once more Bobby was taken by surprise. Why did she…? Oh, the sigh. "I just followed a train of thoughts," he explained. "I was not sighing because you told your sister about Naomi. Actually I think that it would be a good idea to invite them all for dinner and talk with them all." He saw her frown at him skeptically. "Whenever is good for you, that is. Two kids sure will demand all our attention."

"You can talk," she threatened, poking his side. "You're at work all day."

"So that you can stay at home."

"We can switch any time," Alex challenged playfully. "Just let the doctor clear me for active duty and I'll be back with a vengeance."

"I'll endorse that plan any time, Alex, and I'll happily stay with the kids. But don't you forget something?"

"What?" Her brows narrowed over her sparkling eyes.

"I can't breastfeed Ronny and Naomi."

Alex gaped at him in amused shock before she burst out with laughter.

"I take it that's what breast pumps are for," she panted, still chuckling.

He scowled at her indignantly and trailed behind as she pushed through the doors into the children's ward.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Goren!" the nurse greeted him. "I heard that little Naomi will leave us tonight?"

"Yes, we are here to take her home," he replied.

"I assume you are Mrs. Goren?" she asked turning to Alex before Bobby could introduce her.

"You're assuming right," Alex replied, bristling a little, not even knowing why.

"Then c'mon. We'll sign the release papers and then you can take your little angel with you." She hurried ahead to the nurses' station and Bobby and Alex followed her.

Am I mistaken or did she sound a little sarcastic when she spoke about the little angel, Alex wondered and dismissed the thought. Her nervousness increased with every yard they got closer to Bobby's daughter. Guess I'm a little oversensitive.

Then the papers were signed and the nurse led them to the infants' room and to the bed where little Naomi lay sleeping.

"I always wonder if she can sense you," the nurse said to Bobby. "Each time you're around she's silent."

This time I'm not mistaken. "Why do you emphasize that?" Alex demanded to know.

The nurse raised one eyebrow at Bobby first before she answered Alex, "She's got cholic."

Now Alex glanced up at Bobby questioningly who shrugged.

Great.

Alex looked at the baby. Naomi appeared peaceful in her sleep. A fluff of light brown or dark blond hair curled on her head and when she woke and looked up at the adults sleepily her big eyes were just like Bobby's.

Automatically Alex smiled.

"Helly, Naomi," she purred, gently pulling the blanket aside. "You're coming with us tonight. Do you know who I am?"

Bobby watched her with fascination. Her smile was broad and she radiated love like a heating furnace would radiate warmth.

"I'm your mommy," Alex said and reached into the cradle to pick Naomi up. Gently she laid her in the baby carrier and strapped her in, telling nonsense to her.

"Ready to go?" Alex turned to Bobby.

"Yep."

As they left the hospital and walked back to their car Bobby could not help but look around furtively, searching for any sign of Nicole Wallace. He could very well imagine that she knew that he would take Naomi home and that she was standing in the shadows of an entrance for example, watching him and his daughter leave.

Bobby actually could not shake off the sensation of being watched. His instincts rarely were deceptive. So he kept his guard up all the way to their car and even on their drive home to Alex's parents.

tbc…