Alex POV

I didn't push Bobby any more for details on how they had me covered.

I could have.

And he probably would've told me.

But I just didn't.

I was tired of worrying and strategizing and plotting.

I just wanted to go home and fall asleep in his arms while believing that there really is justice in the world.

Because I know I deserve my job.

And I know I'm better at it than Ross.

So it would only be fair of the powers that be to let me keep it and assign Ross…anywhere else.

"Stanley's not bringing Traci around because of us," Bobby commented as he pulled out some cash to cover our tab.

"Uh huh," I agreed idly as I played with my glass, watching the remaining liquid as it swirled around.

"I wonder if he'll bring her to our wedding," he posed. I looked up and saw him watching me playfully. "I guess he will, huh? I mean, if we're having the wedding, then we'll be out of the closet."

"Are we having a big wedding?" I questioned, enjoying the moment as he settled back against his seat and put his arm around me.

"Huge," he stated. "With an orchestra and an indecipherable ice sculpture…"

"Indecipherable?"

"It'll be a conversational piece. Is it a duck? Or a platypus?"

"A platypus?" I said, now unable to keep from laughing. "Who has a platypus ice sculpture? Or even a duck for that matter."

"What do you want it to be?"

"Non-existent. I don't need an ice sculpture."

"No, you don't. But we'll have one anyway. And an eight-tier wedding cake. And you can wear some ridiculously elaborate white gown…"

"White?" I interrupted. "I'm not sure I can pull that off. Red would probably better suit the symbolism."

"You can pull off anything."

"You're always so sure of me," I replied as I looked up at him. "How can that be?"

"Death, taxes, and Alex. The three constants in the world," he said as he kissed my cheek. "Are you ready to go home?"

An hour later, I was wrapped in his arms, the two of us snugly ensconced beneath the covers.

I could both hear and feel Bobby's steady breathing as he slept peacefully behind me.

But I was wide awake.

Because despite my internal pep talk about not worrying…despite Bobby's assurance that they had some kind of grand plan to keep me in my position…despite Stanley's support…I was still pretty sure that I was going to lose my job.

Things had looked bleak enough leading up to today, considering how much the mayor wants me in that other position, and now with my apparent ties to the mafia…

It almost sounded like a joke, and yet it wasn't.

The Italians love me.

"How's Captain Eames?" Enzo had asked Bobby earlier today.

"She's doing well," Bobby told him.

"Good. You know, we're indebted to her. She took care of Gino, just like she promised."

Because I'd gotten Gino immunity.

He'd learned quite a bit of valuable information about the weapons trafficking business during his short time with Hassan, and even though he refused to talk about Alfredo Toscano, it didn't matter. What he was able to tell the feds about the trafficking business was enough to get him a walk on his part in the accidental death of Joey Banta.

As far as I'm concerned, the deal was justified.

But if the press hears that two Major Case detectives stopped by to see Enzo Lettiere after he'd been picked up on murder charges…they're going to have a field day at my expense.

Although what are the odds of them finding out? I mean, really. So far, I didn't think they were even following me around, so why would they bother to follow Bobby and Mike?

But still, if they do find out, I'll be lucky if Mayor Holt even wants me in the media department, much less Major Case.

Of course that was another consideration.

Do I even want to take the media assignment as the consolation prize?

If I get bumped from MCS, they'll fully expect me to take the liaison job, but what if I just go back to being a detective?

Working for Ross…

And that would mean forcing Logan to find a new partner.

And new regs or not, Ross would never be okay with the fact that Bobby and I are together.

I sighed heavily and got up from the bed.

I wandered through the darkened apartment, this place that was now home due to my assignment of finding Ross' killer.

It was mind-boggling.

I still had to deal with Alonzo, too.

Stanley's new girlfriend was supposedly going to slap a slander suit on her first thing in the morning.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when those papers get served.

But really, she was the least of my worries.

Wyatt and Yuille had nabbed Martha Schuler and in the process, they'd regained their confidence, which was a good thing.

And Bobby and Logan had caught two of the six FBKs. The acronym now seemed more appropriate as Facebook Killers rather than the Five Boroughs Killer, but whatever…I've always hated nick names for killers anyway.

Catching two out of six killers wasn't enough. We needed to catch them all, and we still had one unidentified girl.

Not to mention this latest with Enzo.

"My girl was stepping out on me," he'd said to Bobby. "And now the cazzone is dead. But I didn't do it."

"Then why do they say you did?"

"Because. I got a little bit of a jealous streak, you know what I'm saying? But I didn't do this. I ain't saying I wasn't thinking about doing it. I'm just saying I didn't."

"Because you were at choir practice, right?" Logan had prodded.

"No, because the mope was stabbed, right? Not my style. Too messy."

"You're a bomb guy," Bobby had pointed out.

"Oh, sure, but that's messy for the victim. Knives are messy for the killer. Catch my meaning?"

"You're saying it can't be you because if you'd killed him, you would've blown him up."

"Right."

So Mike and Bobby were going to help prove his innocence based on the cause of death.

And they were going to put a man back out on the streets who had possibly killed in the past.

Except that we don't know for sure what he's done in the past and there's no proof of prior crimes, and he's not wanted for anything.

So why in the world should we let an over-zealous detective charge him with murder if he's innocent?

We shouldn't.

Even if it means I take a damaging hit at an inopportune time.

Which is why when Bobby asked me if he should back off, there was no way I could say yes.

"That rule of yours goes both ways, you know."

I startled and turned around to find Bobby standing in the kitchen doorway.

"I don't like waking up alone," he continued as he came towards me. "Can't sleep?"

"No. There's just…too much."

"Uh huh," he agreed, wrapping his arms around me. "But we've been here before."

"Really?"

"Okay, well not exactly right here. But we've been in tight spots and we've always come out on top. And at least this time, no one's trying to kill us."

"True," I hummed.

"Remember our little fantasy?" he asked in a rough tone.

"Which one? We have so many," I replied coyly, already feeling better than I was moments ago.

When I was alone, I reminded myself.

How many examples did I need to offer myself of how much better I am with him than without him?

I was tempted to blow off work tomorrow and drive to a no-wait state and get married on the spot, NYPD be damned.

And really, if I blew off work, I'd be throwing away the police department anyway, so it would kind of kill two birds with one stone.

"Don't be dirty-minded," he chastised, although as he said it, he slid his hands down over my butt, squeezing lightly.

"You're the one who mentioned a fantasy."

"Our career fantasy," he corrected. "We'll move to Italy…

"You know what my fantasy is?" I interrupted, now suddenly feeling sad and serious because I was so damn close to having it all and yet I could feel it slipping away.

"Tell me."

"You and me, working our jobs as they are now. And the two of us being married. No reincarnated Ross. No vindictive Alonzo. No rabid press. Just us in Major Case. Is that really too much to ask?"

"No," he answered simply. He moved his hands up to my cheeks, tilting my face up towards his. "No, it's not."

He kissed me purposefully, almost encouragingly as though he was trying to lift my spirits through the force of his love.

And maybe it worked.

Because Monday morning, I felt determined.

Whatever happened at the meeting would happen.

Thanks to Denise, we still had at least another week before any of the proposed changes would be permanent, which meant I had at least a week of fight left in me.

I dropped Bobby off at the corner and then drove to 1PP.

Once in my office, I tackled my inbox with renewed vigor, but after only a minute, there was a knock on my door.

"Captain, we got the priest," Granger said after he opened the door.

"What about the second victim?"

"Poison. The death was delayed, and it messed with the TOD and the COD, but it's tough to fool Rodgers. She nailed it."

"Good, so…"

"Warrant. It's on the way, and then we're going to pick him up."

"Nice work, Detective."

He smiled at me and stepped away, only to bump into Yuille.

"Captain?"

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to…um…can I come in?"

I nodded at him and then got up from my chair and walked around to the front of my desk while he came in and closed the door behind him.

"What's going on?" I asked him, since he stood uneasily in the center of my office without making eye contact and yet wasn't saying anything.

"It's Christy. She called me a few minutes ago."

I waved my hand towards the chair and he moved over and sat down while I nudged a hip up on the front of my desk.

"And?"

"She is pissed. You filed a slander suit against her?"

Stanley's girl works fast, I thought.

"She told a reporter that I'm having an affair with Detective Logan. Did she think I wouldn't fight back?"

"I don't know," he said. And then he finally smiled. "But I'm so glad you did. You know it's because of her that those reporters keep asking you about me, right? She still thinks she can get me fired."

"I can handle a few reporters. And after your work on the Schuler case, I don't think anyone has any doubts as to your qualifications for being here."

"I just…I really appreciate how you've stood by me, and I'm sorry that you're dealing with so much because of me."

"Don't take it all onto yourself," I told him. "You sound like another detective I know. Trust me…the meeting this morning would be happening with or without you."

"It's still crap," he said vehemently. "And if there's anything that you need for me to do…"

"I know. Thank you," I told him.

He gave me a nod and then headed for the door, and when he opened it, there was Alonzo on the other side.

"Big surprise, finding you in here behind closed doors," she said snidely to Yuille. "Maybe it's you and not Logan who's sleeping with boss."

"Maybe I'll add another count to the suit," I retorted as I walked across my office to meet her in the doorway. Yuille looked back at me, seemingly awaiting further instruction, so I motioned for him to go back to his desk and then I turned back to Alonzo. "Go ahead. Pick another detective and make another false accusation. I'm sure my attorney will love having more ammunition."

"The suit is bullshit and you know it."

"What's bullshit is how you even got up here," I corrected as I eyed her visitor's pass. "Did you sleep with the desk sergeant to get approval?"

She stood with her hands on her hips as she tried to stare me down, but I've dealt with worse than her on a regular basis. I held my ground until she eased her position slightly.

"I can't have a lawsuit right now," she said bitingly. "I'm in a custody battle."

"Then you should've thought of that before you started feeding information to Channel 7."

She glared at me a moment longer and then closed her eyes and said, "Can we go in your office please?"

It wasn't how I'd imagined spending my morning while others were a few floors up, deciding my fate, but I stepped back and let her inside before closing the door behind her.

"I've got two minutes," I stated. "What do you want?"

"I want you to drop the suit."

"I'm sure you do. Why should I?"

"Because. I'm done. If you want to screw the entire department in your office, then you can have at it and I won't say a word."

"You're not winning me over."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's…hard to swallow my pride."

"Do it or don't, but you've got one more minute before I have you escorted out of the building," I said firmly.

"Look, like I said. I'm in a custody battle. I can't afford to get tied up in another legal mess, not to mention the fact that my ex will use it against me."

I continued to stare at her, and she finally lost some of her arrogance.

"Please," she said quietly. "I know I don't deserve your sympathy, but…I've been going through a really bad time, and it was easy for me to use you as the root of all of my trouble. I know that's not the case, and…I'm sorry."

"Okay," I said at last.

"Okay?" she asked in surprise as though my agreement was the last thing she thought possible.

And maybe I was going easy on her, but really, the suit wasn't my idea in the first place.

I just needed her off my back, so if she was going to leave me alone, then I'd let it go.

"Yeah, sure. Consider it dropped."

"Okay. Wow…um, thank you."

"Don't mention it. Really," I said as I reluctantly held out my hand to shake hers in a truce. "And lose Theresa's number, will you?"

"I will. But you know…she called me this morning."

"What did you say?" I asked warily.

"Nothing. She wanted to know if I knew anything about you being in bed with the Italians."

Okay, so maybe somebody is following Bobby and Mike.

Which means…if they know about them meeting with Enzo, then what else do they know?

TBC...