Legal Tacos
An Elani Short
By Lou
5
She couldn't stop touching; didn't want to.
Not a word was said but everything, everything, was a blatant invitation.
His body moved beneath her.
His hands on her, giving and taking, roughened fingertips bringing so much pleasure.
Dark eyes gazed back at her alight with heat and want; daring her, telling her to take more, to let him.
Her gaze dropped to lips that had fallen open.
She could hear her name over and over, far away then closer and closer until her eyes came open?
Lani knew where she was. There was no needing a minute. She prayed to God that it was the alarm on her phone and not this man in her fa-
Hell.
Eli was kneeling next to her, his eyes tired but ready. Lani couldn't remember falling asleep. She sat up quickly looking down. She still had her clothes on.
"We have movement."
She shot to the window.
"Movement," She snatched up her coat pissed. "The car is gone."
"Won't get far," Eli smirked looking at her in a way he hadn't in so very long.
"What'd you do?" And why did her voice sound like that?
"Bought time."
"Time…time for what?"
His eyes didn't leave hers as he unbuttoned his shirt. Her feet didn't move when he walked toward her, slid the zipper down on her skirt, and helped himself to unbuttoning her blouse. Lani's eyes slid closed as Eli's head dipped toward hers...
A loud sound jerked Lani from sleep violently.
A shot?
She rolled to the floor taking her weapon from the bedside table. Daylight was coming. Eli slept in the chair; his feet propped on the windowsill.
She grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him to the floor, glancing out the window while he stared back at her. When she stood, Eli remained on the floor looking at Lani like she was crazy.
"They're gone. Why didn't you wake me?"
"Why'd you pull me to this hard-ass floor?"
"Thought I heard a gunshot."
"That didn't happen."
"I can't believe this."
"No need to get upset."
"I'd say there's plenty."
"Won't get far," Eli smirked as he picked himself up on the floor. He froze at the way Lani looked at him. "What?"
He hissed, rubbing at his shoulder where Lani punched him. "The hell, girl?"
"Nothing."
"You-"
"Let's move."
"Finally did something right." Trask poked.
"I'm not in the mood for whatever it is you're on today," Eli told her. He'd slept like hell for the past month and some change; sometimes not sleeping at all. All Eli wanted to do was curl up on that uncomfortable-ass hotel bed with his ex-wife and be. He tortured himself with every scenario of what would have happened if he had.
This was exactly why he stayed away from Lani. Things had been going well for them. Then Vegas had happened. He couldn't remember every detail, but he knew what it was to make love to Lani Price, to have love made to him by Lani Price.
It didn't take much to fill in the blanks.
To be loved by her; to be in love with her, was something else altogether.
He didn't "want that old thang" back, but Eli would be lying if he said that he didn't want to see what this new development was; what it could mean.
"Watch yourself, Detective."
"Miss me, Counselor," Eli replied. "You have your evidence, and now your suspect. The ball is in your court. Don't miss the put-back."
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
Lani kept playing the words in her head all the way over there. Her father was more than suspicious. Now he wanted answers.
He'd have them.
Later.
There was something that Lani needed to take care of first.
When she stepped into the station house, she found Paul immediately. He nodded toward the interrogation room where Eli sat alone, lost in thought. She was so focused on him that she didn't see Ciara come in the room behind her, or the three of them, Shawn included, run into the surveillance room.
That resignation that seemed to follow him was wrapped around Eli extra tight today and it hurt Lani to witness.
Even more so today.
They hadn't seen each other in a minute. David's grandparents had been handling pickups and drop-offs. Business had picked up for Lani after the closure of the Xander Cooke/Ted Leraunt case; twice she had to go out of the country, and Eli had found the presence of a drug ring in Salem and was deep in that.
She missed him.
"You know, it stresses me out when you avoid me, too."
"I'm sorry."
"Congratulations on closing your case."
"Thank you."
"Heard you did some work with John Black and Black Patch."
"I did."
"That's all I get?! You work a case with John Black and 'I did' is all I get?"
"You wanted a t-shirt?"
"... There are t-shirts?"
When he grinned she did, too.
"David said that he had fun in Cabo," Eli said to her. "He had question after question about how it could be trunks weather in one place but Long Johns and hoodies in another."
"He didn't say that." Lani chuckled. When he looked at her with his brow rose, Lani corrected, "Yes, he did; and he said it just like that."
"How are you?"
She opened her mouth to reply but stopped when the door came open.
"Seriously?!"
Three heads turned to the sound of the muffled voice behind the glass.
"Brady, what are you doing here?" Lani asked.
Eli looked down at his watch. "Thought you had business hours."
"You got married?"
"Who-"
"I did some digging."
"Why?"
"Now I understand." He said to her. "You were so adamant that something was going on with me and Chloe because you had something on with him."
Eli stopped spinning his wedding band on the table between his fingers. "Who is 'him'?."
"Let me explain something to you," Lani started. "You and I are not together."
"Lani-"
"And I am not Chloe Lane. She may play at being mad at you when you cross the line; don't make the mistake of expecting the same from me. Mind. Your. Business."
"This is my business." He replied. "You cheated on me."
Eli huffed out a laugh. "Them tacos were legal,"
"What?"
"Hm?"
"You always have to be right," Lani spoke quietly. "You were looking for a reason why I would end things with you, and you think that you've found it."
"Yeah, you cheated."
"Can't cheat on someone you aren't with, Brady."
"You're being misguided by whatever you thought was going on with myself and Chloe, led us to this. This is not on me."
"This right here is you trying to excuse you, shift blame because Chloe probably called you on your crap; or your mother did. Doesn't matter. Go the way you came."
"Get out," Eli said bluntly. "I need to speak with my wife."
"We're not staying married. Stop it."
"Get an annulment." Brady shrugged. "You can do that online."
Eli sat back in his seat and smirked.
"This is not minding your business." Lani directed Brady out of interrogation and closed the door in his face. She pulled in a breath and then turned to Eli who sat silently at the table and was back to spinning his wedding ring on the table between his fingers.
"I thought you couldn't get it come off."
He shrugged, watching her. "It came off this morning. I'm not saying that it was stuck because I was stress eating and got a little…puffy, but I have been eating more fruit lately."
Eli moved in his seat when Lani sat across from him surprising her. It shouldn't have made her smile that he was nervous, but, given the situation, it absolutely did. His eyes met hers then his gaze scanned her almost uncontrollably, his throat working when he swallowed hard started a slow heat through her body Lani had to work to cut off.
"I told myself that this separation was going to be a breeze," Eli spoke quietly. "I really should have known better."
"Because we slept together in Vegas?"
"It's more than that, way more. I don't remember all of it, but there are some things that you never forget."
Lani let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I'm pregnant."
The ring stopped spinning.
"You're what?"
"Pregnant."
Eli pointed at the door at a loss for words.
Lani shook her head. "Never got that far."
"Knew it!" Came Paul's muffled voice from the com room. Their heads spun toward the sound. "Leave." Lani mouthed. When she turned back to Eli he was staring at her in shock.
"New it. Pay up, Diggity." Ciara's disembodied voice spoke.
"If ya'll don't get your asses-Really?" Eli asked Lani.
"I'm sensing shock and I don't like it."
"No. I just-I'm gonna stop talking now."
"Smart." They sat in an awkward silence then, "Eli, I have no idea what is next."
"You know that Sheila is going to take credit for this.' Eli told her. "For all of this."
"Be quiet. Don't even."
"If our baby is a girl…"
"Oh hell no." Lani stood pacing.
Eli stood with her. "I'm playing. I'm sorry."
"Play too much," Lani muttered leaning into him and allowing herself to take comfort in his hands running up and down her arms before she made herself pull away.
"Whatever you want we can still do."
"It's too much."
"It doesn't have to be," Eli said to her.
"What do you mean?"
"We'll do the yearlong separation and explain to our son what's happening. David is the only person, other than Dos, who matters in this."
"Dos?"
Eli nodded to Lani's mid-section and then smiled when she was still confused.
"David's learning Spanish."
"Baby number two." She had to smile. "Cute."
"I thought so."
"So…I have an appointment soon," Lani spoke quietly. "Would you like to come?"
That smile.
It did all of the things to her.
"Absolutely."
Epilogue
3 mos.…
"…Married people live together."
This was the 12th time he'd said it. This child was definitely Eli Grant's son.
God.
"Yes," Lani tried again. "But your father and I don't know if we want to stay married."
"If you don't know if you're going to stay married then why did you get married; don't say Black Elvis, Daddy, because that isn't a thing."
"You weren't there," Eli told his son for the four millionth time. "He was 8 feet tall."
"Daddy,"
"He was real."
"Okay, Daddy."
"Okay, David, do you understand what's going to be happening?" Lani asked.
"No," The little boy sighed closing his eyes.
"Is he pr-Are you praying?" Eli demanded.
"David," Lani sighed. This boy really was Eli Grant's child.
"I'm asking God to give me the strength to find sense."
"Lil boy…" Eli was trying so very hard not to laugh.
"It is too late to ask for a sister?"
"...Why?"
"Because my toys are mine and I will not be sharing my Optimus Prime. There has to be a line."
"That's your son," Lani told Eli.
"He's right," Eli replied. "There has to be a line – and while we're here, I have a line. My Doritos."
"Oh, God…"
6mos.
"I wanted you to see this."
Lani aimed her phone at her mid-section where David lay next to her rapidly growing belly.
"Mom says that you didn't want to tell the doctors if you were my brother or my sister," David spoke. "I can see we're going to be difficult. I don't know if I want you to be a little sister now."
Eli's quiet laughter reached their unborn child and the baby started doing backflips that David immediately noticed.
"Oh, now you want to participate?" Their son demanded causing Lani to shake in laughter. "Next time you go to the doctor, you had better let somebody know what is happening. Not necessary foolishness…need some chocolate me…swear to the sky."
"That's your son." Eli chortled.
"I'll own this." Lani laughed.
"Damn."
"You have to go?"
"Yeah. Somebody just put a bullet in Jack Deveraux's daughter."
"Abigail?"
"Gwen."
"Be careful."
"Always."
Her breath caught in her chest and not just because of Eli Grant's smile, or that stupid sexy ass wink he had a habit of throwing unconsciously. It was because he was wearing his wedding ring. For the first few weeks of their "marriage", he hadn't been able to get it off then, when he did, he hadn't worn it again that she saw; and then spent a lot of time together.
Now he had it on.
When David was with her, he still called him every night to talk to him before bed, but now, he made sure to talk to her, too.
He came over at least twice a week to eat dinner with them and help her out. He was looking for a bigger place so the kids would have room when they were with him and was really considering moving back into Martin House. It was full right now, but with two of the tenants moving out, Eli was talking about making the two spaces one big suite, even though the Julie of it all gave him pause.
He loved his grandmother, but "damn she is a lot," he'd said to her so many times.
There was a crash and Lani had to maneuver out of bed. "David Abraham Grant? There had better not be Nest Quik on my floor!"
She couldn't sleep.
There had been a damned stand-off and an officer was in critical condition. Eli wasn't answering his damn phone.
Her heart dropped at the intercom buzzing.
"Yes?"
"Lani, baby, open the door."
Relief made her lightheaded and Lani had to gather herself before she made her way down the hall and opened her door to a bloody and bruised Detective Grant.
"I told you to be careful."
Eli picked Lani up, their lips finding each other. Vaguely she heard the door close shut behind them. They couldn't stop touching.
"We need to talk." She barely got out.
"We are absolutely about to."
It wasn't the sexiest sex with their child down the hall, but it was damn sure satisfying.
She held his hand in hers later tracing the wedding band on his finger. When she looked at up at him Lani found Eli watching her.
"Explain."
"Does it need explaining?"
"Yes."
"This year…It's been hard." Eli admitted. "I can't be the only one."
"You aren't," Lani replied. "We worked hard to have some kind of normalcy for David. Things were getting ready to change before we went out there and changed them."
"Facts."
"We were ready to be more than just David's parents. We were, possibly, about to open our worlds to new people. I was not expecting Vegas. We've been working for this new nor-"
"What if…what if this was supposed to happen; finding our way back?" Eli asked. "What if we are those new people? Our worlds have changed over and over. The walls have been coming down. This separation isn't working anymore; it never worked the way that it was supposed to. I don't feel-"
"Separated?"
"Not even a little bit. Do you?"
Lani shook her head. "No. I feel like a woman in love. I need you to know that this isn't about David or this new baby. You are an amazing father, but that's not why I love you, it's not why I want you; that – it's extra. It's…"
"Different."
"Better."
"I don't feel separated, Lani. I never did." Eli told her. "I knew what this was supposed to be, and I tried to keep it that way, but no matter what I did, I fell in love with you anyway. You're the mother of my children, but that isn't why I love you; it isn't why I want you, it's not why I need you."
"We're doing this?"
"Marry me."
"Why did that sound like an order?"
"Ohhh, you wanted me to ask. Okay. Let me try this ag-"
"They're already-You're already married!" David called through the door. "Granddad, can you come and get me; I'm scared. No, because they don't make any sense. Two plus two is not seven. They're seven! I need help…"
"Will you marry me, Eli Grant?"
"According to your son-"
"Oh, he's my son now?"
"Marry me, Eli."
"Yes."
1 Month Before Due Date…
David stared at his parents. Abe and Valarie vibrated with hilarity behind him, waiting.
"What is this?"
"Hm?"
"David,"
"Where'd this other baby come from?"
"Oh. Lord." Valarie gasped. Abe's stifled laughter was contagious. Eli opened his mouth to speak but couldn't.
"Well?" The little boy asked. "That doctor said baby, not babies. The picture didn't show two babies. Was the machine broken?"
The door came open and the doctor stepped in.
"You need glasses?"
"David Abraham?!"
"Uh…what?"
"Dal…Dalton." David sounded out. "Do you need help seeing, Dalton?"
"No?"
"You're not sure if you need help to see? How many fingers?"
"D.A., alright,"
"No, Daddy, because Dalton and his machines said that there was one baby. It's two. One. Two. Girls. Does this place always use broken machines on people? You can go straight to jail for using broken machines on my mama. I am not prepared, and I want answers. Why you tell my mama that it was one little baby when it's little babies, Dalton?"
"Excuse him," Lani sighed.
David had his little face buried in one hand, and with his other arm outstretched, he pointed to the door.
"I'll come back."
"Don't."
"David," Eli said more sternly. "You're going to apologize."
"I'm sorry you can't see, Dalton." The little boy rolled his eyes. "I don't even know which baby I was talking to. Now I have to start over. Okay, JuJu, Ree, first of all, you're late. Don't be ru-" David's eyes got big. "Is this why you didn't want to tell the doctor who you were? Was Dalton the doctor? Never mind. Don't touch Optimus. Don't touch my cars. Leave Spiderman alone. Black Elvis is not a thing, it's daddy foolishness…"
Eli shook his head.
"My own child…just cooking me."
"Sorry, babe."
"You're loving his."
"Oh, every bit." Lani smiled. "Aren't you?"
"Absolutely."
~End