A/N: I DO NOT own any part of the Law & Order franchise, or the rights to the song Rolling in the Deep by Adele.
Rolling in the Deep
Jodi felt her feet hit the pavement hard with each landing, and inhaled and exhaled evenly as she made her way down the street.
Alexander was beside her, their breathes falling in synch as the two jogged three miles and back to his apartment.
Up above, the sun shone brightly, illuminating leftover snow and smashed gum on the New York sidewalk.
"Race you to the stoop." Jodi said, looking over at him and grinning.
Alexander said nothing, only inhaled deeply before taking off.
"CHEATER!" Jodi screamed before sprinting as fast as she could behind him.
She had just caught up when he veered into her, knocking her into a tree and sprinting up his front steps.
"Son of a bitch!" she exclaimed, falling down onto he butt and right into the freezing snow.
"And we have our winner!" Alexander screamed from the top of his stoop, hands in the air.
Several passerby looked up at him with concern before walking away. Jodi stood up, rubbing he tailbone before brushing the snow off of her.
"You're a dick." Jodi breathed, leaning over to catch her breath. Alexander winked in return, before jogging in place.
"I need to make a phone call. I'm going to walk this off I'll see you in a half."
Alexander nodded, before jumping in place.
Jodi began walking away, pulling her phone out of her pocket and looking at it.
No missed calls. John had not even bothered to call her. It wasn't the fact that he did not that upset her so much as the fact that he didn't for the kids. Her heart was aching for her children.
There was also the fact that she had awoken at 3AM and sprinted into Alexander's bathroom to find her shirt completely soaked.
In the heat of everything she had nothing she needed. She had left her breast pump back in her dressing room, and was forced to wake Alexander in the middle of the night to try and explain what exactly had happened.
They had to be down at the theatre in a few hours to begin rehearsing for the night's upcoming show. Normally there would not have long practices before a show, but there were going to be things to clean up from the opening night.
Sighing, Jodi made her way back to Alexander's home, before making an ultimatum to herself. She was going to see her kids, and that was that.
John stood up quickly, holding the girls in both arms as he heard the sound of a door opening. The dog was barking wildly, and his heart began to pound in his chest as he wondered who could it be.
Walking across the living room, he hid behind a wall turning his head slightly only to find Jodi, kicking snow off her shoes.
Even better.
Sighing, he hesitated for a moment before stepping from around the wall.
As soon as she heard his footsteps, Jodi looked up, like a deer caught in the headlights. Freezing, she stared at him for a moment before walking forward, her jaw clenched harshly.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have another show tonight?" John asked. Part of him was seething, the other part just wanted to fall to the ground and beg her forgiveness.
"I came to see my kids." she all but hissed, walking over.
Andrew was sitting on the couch, giggling loudly as he played with some of his toys. Storming past John, Jodi walked over to the little ginger-haired baby and pulled him to her chest, whispering in his ear.
For a moment, John felt his anger subside as he watched her. So tender, so caring, so gentle. He smiled, looking down at the girls.
"When's the last time you fed them?" she asked, her back still to him.
"About fifteen minutes ago. We're almost out of milk though." John replied.
Jodi nodded, before kissing Andrew, holding him tenderly and turning around.
"I should be home around midnight if everything goes well." she said quietly.
John nodded.
"I'll make you something for dinner." she continued, before setting Andrew down and leaving the room.
John remained standing, before one Ophelia began to cry. Quickly running over to the couch, he set both girls down before giving her a small toy to play with.
She ignored it, her face reddening as her cries grew louder.
"Come on, what's wrong?" John asked, picking her up and feeling her bottom. She wasn't wet, and he had just fed her.
Jodi came rushing into the room, and put Andrew down on the sofa before scooping the little girl up out of John's arms.
"I don't know what's wrong with her she just started crying." John shrugged.
Jodi turned her back on him, kissing the girl repeatedly and patting her back lightly before the unmistakable sound of a baby's burp came through.
"Did you burp her?" Jodi asked, turning around.
"Um..." John began, as she already knew the answer.
She gave him the smallest of smiles before putting the girl down and leaving the room again.
John watched her as she left.
Last night he had gotten together with George, who had assured him, although what Jodi was doing was not healthy, he did not think she was going to hurt their kids. The only thing, was that she might seriously hurt herself. The only option would be seeing a psychologist, and hoping she would agree.
Sitting down on the couch, he grabbed all of his kids, looking down into their large eyes.
He loved her so much. He loved them. This was his family. His everything. And he would do anything to help her.
"So what exactly are we supposed to be doing here tonight?" Olivia asked, stepping past Fin into the luxurious townhouse that belonged to John and Jodi.
"I need you to watch the kids until I get back. I'm going to go pick Jodi up after her show, and take her somewhere to talk. I'll call you to let you know where I'm on my way back."
"But what am I supposed to do?" Olivia asked nervously. She had never actually taken care of a baby for a long period of time. Let alone several of them. Besides, she had promised Calvin she would be home in time to help him with his homework.
"They're kids Liv, not rockets."
At this Fin laughed, remembering the days when his own son could have very well been a rocket with the way he had defeated his diaper. Walking over to his godkids, he smiled.
"Hi." he said sweetly. Andrew looked at him, before breaking into tears.
"Okay, I have to go, bye." John said quickly before slamming the door behind him.
Olivia looked down at the other two infants, who simply stared at her. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
"God, I thought that was the end. I can't believe Samantha actually tripped over her own feet during the Pas de Deux. I mean, that's one of the biggest scenes in the entire ballet! Everyone knows it!" Jodi exclaimed, removing her makeup and wincing as she rubbed her skin raw.
Behind her, Alexander continued to remove the pins holding up her extravagant updo.
"God, even after high school girls are catty." he replied with a chuckle.
"What? She fell!" Jodi exclaimed, looking up at him in the mirror.
"Don't pretend you weren't happy about it." Alexander retorted.
"Of course not, she wiped out in front of all the most important people in the city. Why would I be happy about it?"
"Because you've constantly referred to her as "that ogress" since day one."
Jodi slammed her things down on the counter beneath her, and turned around to look at Alexander before laughing.
"Okay. You're right. And no, girls actually don't ever grow up." she shook her head, turning around again before gasping.
In the reflection of the mirror, standing in the doorway, was none other than John, holding a bouquet of flowers.
"John?" she turned around, trying to see if he was really there, or if her mind was just playing tricks on her.
He shifted back and forth, holding the roses nervously in his hands.
"Hey."
"...Hi." Jodi stood up, completely astounded to see him there.
"Um...these are for you." John held out the bouquet, like a nervous teen on prom night.
Jodi walked forward, still in her costume and pointe shoes.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I came to see you. I was wondering if we could go somewhere after this. You know, to talk."
"And I'll be leaving now." Alexander said, clearing his throat.
He stepped past the two of them, before giving Jodi a look that she knew meant to come find him if things went wrong.
Closing the door behind him, the two stood there in silence, before Jodi took the flowers.
"Where are the kids?" she asked.
"With Fin and Liv. I figured that now was as good a time as any for them to start spending some time together."
Jodi said nothing, only nodded before clearing her throat uncomfortably.
"So...will you come with me?"
Jodi looked up at him and nodded. She'd rather they live in a cold household then have to get a divorce not long into her first marriage.
"Yeah. I need to take all this stuff off first though." she shrugged, before turning around and walking over to her dresser.
"Let me help you." John said, stepping forward before grabbing the top laces of the corset she wore.
She twitched beneath him, and she felt John recoil for a moment.
"Sorry." she sighed. She hadn't had him touch her in so long.
He said nothing, and began to undo the laces of her corset.
After he reached the bottom of the garment, Jodi slid out of it, stepping out of the stravagant tutu that was attached.
She was virtually naked in nothing but a white thong and her tights. Taking them off, she got rid of her shoes before grabbing her clothes and putting them on.
Leaving her eyelashes, eye makeup and lipstick on, Jodi turned around and grabbed her purse.
"Okay, I'm ready she said."
Following John, she pulled the pins from her hair and closed her dressing room door behind her, wondering just what the near future would hold, and what it would mean for them.