Here's chapter 2 of Alex in Murderland. I'll try to update at least once a week, but sometimes life just gets too busy. I'll do my best though. And keep in my mind that reviews feed my mind and can motivate someone to write more. And thanks for reviewing and reading chapter 1. Enjoyt!
ONE POLICE PLAZA, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH
Bobby and Alex sat in front of Ross and Alex could swear she saw the gleaming look return in Ross's eyes. She eyed her partner and he was sitting uncomfortably. Ross looked at them both.
"I have a very special case for the two of you," Ross started, pulling out a file and handing it to Alex. "One or either both of you won't like it," he explained as he looked at Bobby peaking at file over Alex's shoulder, "but I have a feeling you guys need some time away from here," he finished.
"Disneyworld, Sir?" Alex managed.
"Disneyworld?" Bobby repeated as he looked at Alex in shock. "You're sending us to Disneyworld?" he asked as he looked at Ross.
"You heard me right, Detective. I'm sending you two to Disneyworld," Ross said casually as he folded his hands on his desk. "It seems they have Disney characters disappearing from the face of the earth and they have asked for help."
"The Orlando PD asked for help?" Bobby asked incredulously.
"Yes," Ross answered. "Apparently they have a huge murder case going on over there, and they need every available officer. They also need someone the Disney cast members don't know, because they think one of them had something to do with it."
"How in the world are we going undercover there?" Bobby asked. "I'll be Mickey Mouse and Eames will be Minnie Mouse?" he mumbled.
"Not exactly," Ross answered, keeping a straight face. "And you're lucky, because you get a say in this."
"We can pick who we want to be?" Bobby questioned.
"You either go as Beauty and the Beast, or Eames gets to be Daisy Duck and you can be the cast member accompanying her everywhere," Ross couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. "Just let them know when you get there," he finished as he handed them two plane tickets. "You leave tonight at seven," he concluded, getting up from behind his desk and turning his back towards them. This time he couldn't contain his laughter and burst out in a loud laugh. He turned back around, only to find Eames glaring him angrily.
"You've got to be kidding," Alex barked angrily. "Is this some kind of punishment?" she asked.
Bobby knitted his eyebrow together and looked at Alex questioningly. "We'll be okay, Eames," he said. "We'll go home and pack," Bobby said to Ross and he got up.
"But-," Alex started, but she stopped talking when Bobby, unbeknownst to Ross, put his hand on her arm.
"I'm sure you have a lot of packing to do," he said, as he gently traced her arm with his thumb.
"Okay," she said, defeated, and followed him out of Ross's office.
Ross watched them both walk away, a worried look crossing his face. He had expected Bobby to complain, but not Alex. Something was wrong with his favorite detective and it was bugging him. He needed to find out what.
Bobby eyed Alex closely as he followed her to the elevator. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked gently.
Alex sighed and leaned heavily against the wall next to the elevator. "I'll be okay," she said honestly. "I just didn't expect him to send us to Disneyworld," she answered quietly as she got into the empty elevator, the events of the past year catching up with her. She bit on her lip and looked at Bobby sadly.
"I can always ask Ross to send someone else," Bobby said helpfully.
She shook her head. "That would mean explaining to him why, and I don't want him to know," she theorized. "You know why I don't want to go and for me, that's enough."
"If you're sure," he answered gently.
"I'll be fine, but thank you for caring, Bobby," she said sadly.
"Always," he said as he tenderly rubbed his knuckles against her cheek.
"I haven't been to Disneyworld since Joe died," she said.
"It was your first holiday as a couple, Alex, so I think no one would blame you if you sat this one out," Bobby said gently.
"I want to do this," she answered as she looked at him. "I guess I have to confront my demons someday."
"And maybe if everything turns out well, you can take Nate," Bobby said as he put his hand on the small of her back when they walked out of the elevator.
"Maybe," she answered, handing Bobby the keys to the SUV.
"You want me to drive?" he asked furrowing his brows in surprise.
"I'm not in the mood," she said simply, climbing in the passenger's seat.
He nodded his head and left the garage, heading to Rockaway Beach.
JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, 6 PM
Check-in at the airport at taken them longer than normal, because they both had to declare their weapons at check-in and wait while the special sticker had been put on their cases. They were now sitting in a small booth, drinking a last cup of coffee before their plane left.
Bobby looked at Alex and saw that her mind seemed to be somewhere else. She had been mostly silent the rest of the day. While packing her bags, Bobby had noticed that she sadly looked at Joe's picture every now and then. They had gone to Bobby's afterwards, where had patiently waited on the couch while channel surfing. He was wise enough to know when to leave her alone and today seemed to be one of those days. But still, he was glad he was going to be with her, so he could keep an eye on her.
She sipped her coffee, looking out of the window, staring into space. She turned her head when she felt a large, warm hand covering her own. "I'm okay, Bobby," she said without waiting for his question. "I'm just, um, thinking, you know," she finished.
"I know," he said softly and shook his head. "I'm here for you if you need me."
She smiled at him, the sad look still simmering in her eyes. "I know."
"Just as long as you remember that," he finished. He took a deep breath and smiled at her. "About the case," he started.
"You want to know how we'll go," she finished.
"I hate it when you know what I'm going to say before I do," he grinned at her.
"I was thinking Beauty and the Beast," she said nonchalantly. "We'll wear a custom, but we'll still be able to move enough."
"I was thinking something along those lines," he agreed and smiled when he saw a small smile gracing her lips. "You're going to make a very beautiful Beauty, Alex," he added as an afterthought.
She stared at him with her mouth wide open and starting the feel her face flushing. "Thanks," she said softly.
He said nothing but just looked at her. "Shall we go?" he asked, waiting for her to follow him.
"This is going to be so much fun, she said sarcastically. "Oh joy," she mumbled.
Bobby said nothing and just smiled.
By the time they had boarded the plane, Alex had grown totally quiet and her mood seemed to have gone down one notch. Bobby knew well enough to leave her alone with her thoughts for now and let her deal with things in her own time.
He was staring out of the window, even though it was dark and there was not much to see, except the flickering light from another plane flying by in the distance and the twinkling of the stars. Alex sat calmly next to him and she had fallen asleep some time ago. From time to time she stirred in her sleep and when Bobby looked at her, he could swear he saw sadness cross her face, even in her sleep. He picked up his New York Times and went back to his crossword puzzles.
Alex mumbled something incoherently next to him and her head fell on his shoulder. She smiled to himself when she moved closer to him. Trying not to wake her, he put the armrest between them in the upright position and took his time to really look at her.
To say Alexandra Eames was beautiful, was saying the earth was round. He had always known how beautiful his partner was, but it was only lately that he found himself thinking about her more and more. He had always had a soft spot for his petite partner, cherishing their friendship. But when these past months he had come to think of her as more than just a friend. He didn't know when it happened, but these deep and growing feelings for her scared him to death. Luckily, Bobby was the master of all masters in hiding his feelings. He couldn't risk losing her both on the job and outside the job. And that's why he decided the best thing he could do was shut up and keep his feelings to himself. But in times like these, when she wasn't looking, and his own guard was down, he allowed himself to look at her the way he always wanted to look at her. It wasn't fair to her, he knew that. But he couldn't help himself to take in whatever he could.
"Stop staring," she mumbled next to him and languidly she opened her eyes. "I could feel your eyes on me," she explained and looked him in the eyes. "I'm okay, Bobby."
"I – I thought you were asleep," he stuttered, putting a stray lock of her behind her ear. Stop touching her like that, he mentally added as an afterthought.
Alex was stunned by his sudden display of affection. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I was, until I felt someone staring at me," she rasped hoarsely, gladly accepting the cup of water Bobby offered her. "Thanks."
He smiled and put the water back on his table. "You seemed, I don't know-," he started, "sad."
"I guess I'm still a little sad," she pondered brokenly. "But ask me again in the morning and I'll feel much better," she explained matter-of-factly.
Bobby tiredly ran a hand over his face and nodded. "Okay."
"We'll start our descent towards Orlando International Airport shortly," a soft voice came over the intercom. "We kindly ask you to return to your seats and put your seatbelt on. Please put your tray tables and seat in the upright position. The current temperature in Orlando is 68° and a soft breeze. Forecast for tomorrow is a very nice 88° and sunshine. We wish you a pleasant stay and thank you for choosing Delta Airlines."
"We're there already?" Alex asked in surprise. "I guess I was really tired."
"Sorry," Bobby whispered, a feeling of guilt overwhelming him. "I guess that's my doing."
"Stop apologizing for coming to me last night or I'll shoot you," she answered flatly. "I can kill you and get away with it, you know. I know many ways to dispose of a body," she explained. She stretched her legs and felt soft hit her sock-clad feet. She looked down and took the red blanket in her hands. "You covered me," she said tenderly.
Bobby looked away for a second and shrugged. "Uh, I guess so," he whispered. "You were shivering, so-," he explained himself.
"You're the sweetest guy ever," she quipped and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. "How come you are not married and have three kids already?" she asked.
"Alex," he rasped, as he touched his cheek where she had so gently kissed him. "I… I'm-," he tried in an exasperated voice, not getting out what he wanted to say.
Alex took pity on him and offered him a beaming smile. "Thanks." I wonder what he was going say, she pondered curiously. I'll have to be very patient we him, she thought. Her lips curled at the corners into a small smile.
Bobby eyed her curiously. "What's wrong?" he chuckled. "You look like the cat that just ate the canary," he gasped when she squeezed his leg.
"Sorry," she whispered as she snatched his cup of water and took another sip. "Just some funny thoughts, you know," she deadpanned sarcastically.
He squint his eyes and wisely kept his mouth shut. He could handle her angry, mad and sad, but he still didn't know how to deal with sarcastic Alex. Sometimes he was stupid enough to reply, but it always turned out tit for tat. She was much better at the sarcastic game than he would ever be. And it only adds to her charm, he added mentally. "Mood swings," he mumbled softy, not realizing he had said it out loud until Alex looked at him.
"What?" she asked adamantly, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Ah shit," he frowned and crouched down to pick up his newspaper.
She pulled it from his grasp and hit him on the arm with it. "I'm not having mood swings," she grumbled exasperated.
"Ah, Eames," he tried, not finding his words. "I wasn't supposed to say it out loud," he murmured.
"I'd say so," she answered. "Thinking about me much?" she asked flatly, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Bobby stared at her with his mouth wide open, completely left speechless. "And close your mouth dear, you're catching flies," she said casually.
She looked smug, she looked really smug now. One day he was going to wipe that smug look off her face. Maybe-, he thought, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Tit for tat, Eames, he thought, an infectious smile appearing on his face. He leaned over the armrest and kissed her cheek, his soft breath tickling her ear. He casually leaned back in his seat and looked at her.
"Wha-," she mumbled incoherently, her mouth wide open.
"Who's catching flies now?" he asked with a tinge of pride in his voice.
She squint her eyes and pretended to chew on something. "And they taste not so bad either," she said casually, jabbing her finger in his solar plexus. "But you," she said, "you should shave."
Bobby rubbed his hand over the stubble on his cheek. "Sorry," he grinned sheepishly. "I swear I shaved this morning, but it doesn't seem to have helped much."
"Mmm," she mumbled, taking a piece of gum out of her pocket. "You want one?" she asked.
"Sure," he answered and put the offered piece of gum in his mouth and started chewing. "Me and my ears thank you," he stated in mock seriousness. "Imagine I would have popped my eardrums. I would have missed your snoring," he quipped.
"I do not snore," she retorted.
"You do," he responded soothingly, lazily raising his eyebrow. "I couldn't even hear the engine over your snoring," he groaned, miserably failing to contain and infectious smile.
"You," she grumbled as she hit his arm, hard.
"Ouch," he grumbled and he rubbed the sour spot on his arm. "I'm just saying," he whispered and held his hands up in defense.
"You're so fully of yourself tonight. Care to tell me why?" he questioned.
"To take your mind of things," he replied sheepishly. "Did it work?"
She smiled at him, her special Bobby smile as she called it. "I guess it did."
"Good," he murmured proudly, taking Alex's hand and interlacing their fingers. "I hate to see you down," he admitted with a lopsided grin.
"Same goes for me, Bobby," she answered, smiling broadly when he gently kissed the tip of each of her fingers. "Sometimes I wish you would talk to me more," she explained gently. "But then I realize that you'll talk to me when you are ready."
"You know me all too well, Eames," he chuckled and let go of her hand.
The landing went very smoothly and when fasten your seatbelt sign went off Bobby got up and took both his Alex's carry-on out of the overhead compartment.