Happy Easter to all that celebrate, to all that don't ... Please enjoy my craziness.

CHAPTER TEN: The Hunt and The end ...

The First Annual Goren Easter Egg Hunt Eggtravaganza

As a child, Bobby dreamed … when he dared to dream … of the perfect home. It was white with a white picket fence. More importunately, the inside of his home would be filled with love, happiness and laughter. When he and Alex bought their new home, the inside was perfect … their was love … they were happy and laughter just naturally followed this happy, loving home. It was the outside that needed work … no picket fence. So to make his entire dream come true, on the week-ends preceding Easter he had enlisted the help of Lewis and Logan to make sure all of the children would be safe. It had taken longer then he had hoped due to weather delays, but the beautiful fence was finished and it was now the perfect home, both inside and out.

He surveyed the yard. taking along his triplets. He was trying to decide where to hide the eggs. He, of course, googled and knew to hide some eggs out in the open for the younger kids and really conceal some for the older kids. As he looked around his newly fenced in yard, he had a thought. He went back inside with the Trips and went to work.

Alex was now in the spirit of the hunt and took over right where her mother had left off many years ago. She began boiling eggs for an egg coloring contest and setting others aside for the egg and spoon race. She had heard from her sister Liz, and Nate was feeling much better. Her young nephew couldn't wait for the hunt! Alex was just as excited, if not more, than Bobby. They had invited, not only her family with all of the nieces and nephews, but also all of Major Case and their children. It was going to be a huge event … with an appearance from the Easter Bunny and all … guest-starring Lewis. Bobby promised to help him at the garage on a week-end off if he would do it.

It was truly going to be an extravaganza of epic proportion!

There was one thing that Bobby wanted to do before Easter and the hunt … one thing for the love of his life and again he called on Lewis for his help.

"Easter Bunny here … how may I assist in your jelly bean needs?"

"I'm happy to hear that you're getting into the spirit of it all."

"I'm wearing the suit as we speak."

"A day early?"

"It's warm an comfy. What's up?"

"I had an idea."

"That can't be good … for me that is."

"Yeah …well... It is a big favor."

"I thought you said idea?"

"Idea, favor … same thing."

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

"Great, see there's this no kill …"

After Bobby and Lewis ironed out their plans for Alex's Easter present, Bobby got back to work on filling plastic eggs with treats and mapping out his hiding places. He was sitting on the floor with the Trips trying to complete his task, but having more fun playing with his babies. Alex came up behind him and joined him on the floor. A Goren wrestling match ensued with the triplets winning three to two. His dream of love, happiness and laughter surrounded him. The only one thing missing in his dream would be found in Alex's Easter basket on Sunday morning.

"What's that stupid grin on your face, Goren?"

"Oh, Goren is it?"

With that question, Bobby took the upper hand in the wrestling match and pinned Alex to the floor. She was laughing, the triplets were laughing and Bobby was smiling … a true happy, honest to goodness smile. He blew a big raspberry on Alex's neck which sent Goosebumps down her spine. Then he did the same thing to each of his children which elicited squeals of delight. He got up, looked back at Alex and winked … that wink … and went into the kitchen to finish his prep work. Alex couldn't wait for bedtime.

Bobby didn't have many friends, but the friends he had were truly the best. They would stand up for him. Stand beside him in the time of need and stay up all night with a crying puppy that he wanted his wife to have in her Easter basket when she woke up on Sunday morning. Lewis was just that friend. He called Bobby on his cell … he was outside his front door waiting for him. Bobby snuck out of bed and let him in.

Whispering … "You better appreciate this. This damn dog cried all night."

"Where did you let her sleep?"

"Out in the garage."

"She was lonely … why didn't you bring her in?"

"I didn't want her to get attached to me. It's bad enough I named her."

"You named Alex's dog? What did you name her?"

"Lilah."

"Lilah?"

"Yeah … it's a Don Henley song. You want me to sing it."

Bobby held his hands up. "No, please, it's too early and I haven't had my coffee yet."

"Well alright, anyway, you don't have to keep the name. I was just getting sick of saying, hey dog, shut up. So I said, hey Lilah … shut up. That was much better."

Bobby shook his head, picked up the dog … Lilah ... and thanked Lewis for his help.

"I'll be back later to help out hide the eggs. Hope she likes her present."

"If I still have my … ah … eggs … then we did good."

"You can keep me out of this. If there's any chance of her cutting off your eggs, then I had nothing to do with this."

Bobby nodded and took Lilah for a little potty break before placing her in Alex's basket … dog crate. When he came back in the house with the puppy, Alex stood there with hands on hips and the Goren grin on her face … she could imitate him pretty good now.

"Good morning honey and and Lilah, is it?"

"Ah, ah … Happy Easter Als!"

"Oh don't you give me those adorable eyes."

"They're the only eyes I have."

"I was talking to Lilah."

"Oh, can we keep her ?… Valentino was getting lonely."

"Did you get her from the no kill shelter?"

"Of course I did. I have all the paper work. Lewis named her for the night. You can name her anything you want."

"I love the name Lilah … she looks like a Lilah."

"Are the babies awake yet?"

"No, not yet.

"So, can we? The fence is up and the Trips will love her."

Bobby held her up and looked into her big puppy dog brown eyes. She licked his nose and both Bobby and Alex had a laugh together.

"Am I gonna have to fight her for your kisses?"

He leaned over and kissed Alex's nose.

"There is not a female on earth that you have to fight for my kisses, well, maybe two and they're still sleeping."

Alex took Lilah from Bobby and he wandered off to make coffee. Alex found her "basket" filled with puppy toys and puppy needs. She and Lilah bonded while Bobby started his big day.

Mike and Carolyn came by early to help with Easter dinner. They had a lot of mouths to feed along with the hunt. Lewis arrived with his costume hidden and Alex's parents arrived to supervise and help watch the babies. Bobby had been hiding eggs most of the morning, but it was time to start cooking. Alex Lewis and Mike took over where Bobby left off and Carolyn and Bobby started to prepare Easter dinner. Alex put Lilah down to roam and Lilah was finding the eggs … mayhem ensued as Mike and Lewis started chasing a very fast Lilah, all over the Goren backyard. Bobby watched through the kitchen window and laughed his head off. He grabbed his camcorder and captured it on tape for posterity.

Major case detectives that were on duty came by to grab some dinner and watch the main event. Others brought their families and couldn't thank the Goren's enough for the invitation. The fenced in Goren yard was full of children of all ages and all sizes. Even the parents were getting into it.

Captain Ross watched the festivites, shaking his head. "Eames, this is fantastic! The kids are having a blast. Even my teenage boys are having a good time, and we're not even Catholic."

"I think today is day for just being Captain … you know, being alive and well. All of us. Happy, together in one place enjoying each other's company."

"Well said, Eames. Where is your other half?"

"Hmm, Lets see … she looks around the perimeter of her yard … I think that's his derriere near the shed. He's helping one of my nieces find some eggs. She's not having any luck."

"Crawling around like that … he's never gonna get up tomorrow morning."

"You'd be surprised at how flexible my husband is , Sir."

"Aunt Alex, Aunt Alex! I found ten eggs so far! Lilah helped me … she sniffed them out. Uncle Bobby thinks she should be a police dog."

"Yeah Nate, if we run into a candy store bandit … Lilah will be on the case."

"Awesome, did you hear that Lilah? You're gonna get a badge like Uncle Bobby!"

"See that Captain, I'm chopped liver since I married Bobby. I gave birth to him, but he prefers Bobby."

Captain Ross looked up to see all the kids surrounding Bobby. They were all laughing and having a good time and Bobby looked like a kid himself. All of the torment of the past two years, the pain and mental anguish had vanished. He looked ten years younger.

"He does seem to have a way with kids."

He could admit to himself that he was a little bit jealous, but he was also happy for Alex. A happy Goren meant a complacent Goren. A complacent Goren meant less headaches for a busy Captain Ross … he hoped.

Wheeler came by with Jeffries and Volts, they all said touché to Goren … he just grinned and handed them a plate for food. Alex held her egg coloring contest … Logan won. Bobby joined in on the spoon race and broke more eggs than he normally did while making omelets. Lewis arrived in his Easter Bunny costume and wowed the crowd with a juggling act … eggs of course and handed out candy to all the children. He lost ten pounds in that suit. The triplets were held and spoiled by everyone. Of the Goren Triplets, John found the most eggs and was awarded an FBI badge from Carolyn. He used it as teething ring. Haley and Tracy let him do all the work and then took all his eggs. Bobby made a comment to Alex … typical women, he said … she smacked him. Logan said, no, just like their mother … Alex chased him just like he chased Lilah some time earlier. Bobby caught that on tape too.

After putting the Trips to bed and getting Lilah settled, Bobby and Alex collapsed.

"Wow Als, what a day!"

"You really pulled it off."

"We, we pulled it off."

"Yeah, but it was a group effort."

"Agreed, I couldn't have cooked all that food without Caro's help and Lewis made a great Easter Bunny."

"You know, I think Trace knew it was him. She kept reaching for him."

"She really does love Lewis."

"Isn't that odd."

"Why? He's my best friend. I love him like a brother … like … well … you know what I mean."

Alex rolled over to face Bobby and rubbed his chest.

"I know. He's your co-conspirator."

He smiled … it's a smile she knew well. She got up on her elbows to look into his eyes.

"I know that smile Goren. What are you and Lewis up to now?"

"We were talking about The Forth of July. What do you think of "The Goren's First Annual Big Banging Forth of July Event."

Alex reached into her night stand and pulled out her pink furry cuffs and dangled them in front of Bobby's face.

He can still con his wife.

Thanks for reading ...til next time, Judy :)