Title: Domestic Bliss
Author: AerythRavencroft
Pairing: Goren/Eames
Spoilers: Season 3 Episode 1
Rating: K
Disclaimer: These character are not mine, I'm just playing with them, please don't sue, I have nothing to give.
Summary: Just a fluff piece that came to mind after hearing Sheena Easton's 9 to 5, written from Alex POV.
XXXXX
The sound of the alarm was loud waking me from sleep, the only other sound the soft tap; tap; tap of rain on the window. I take a second or two to let sleep drift away from me before sitting up in bed, running my hands across my face. I reach over and realise I'm alone in bed. I grab his discarded t-shirt from the floor and pull it over my head. I make my way across the room and come to a stop in the bedroom doorway, he's standing on the other side of the apartment silhouetted by streetlight filtering in from the large kitchen window he's staring out of. I take a moment to imprint the image in my mind then walk up to him and lightly place my hand on his back.
"Penny for your thoughts." I ask quietly
He doesn't say a word, just puts his arm around me and hugs me to him, then drops a kiss to the top of my head. I don't say anything knowing he's trying to gather his thoughts into something coherent, so we stand there in comfortable silence watching the rain pour down the window as the horizon slowly becomes lighter as the sun rises behind the clouds.
"I was just wondering..." he starts slowly placing a hand on my very pregnant belly "about how things would be if this was our child and not your sisters."
I turn into him and wrap my arms around him, "I wonder about that too sometimes, I would love to carry your child, but we've spoken about this. We agreed that we didn't want kids."
"I know, I know, between the danger our job holds, the hours we keep, it would be unfair, it just bugs me to see you like this and know that it's not our baby that you're carrying….Is that weird?"
I chuckle against his chest, "It is a bit strange isn't it…there's still time for us, when we retire."
"Hmmph, we'll both be senior citizens by then, I don't see us conceiving, let alone raising a child at that age."
"Well just because this isn't our child, doesn't mean we can't love Peanut as if he wasn't. There won't be any other child who is more loved by his Aunt and Uncle."
By now we know that the child I'm carrying for my sister is a boy, they have yet to decide on a name so we've taken to calling him Peanut.
"Damn straight" he kneels down and places both hands on my belly. "You hear that Peanut, we love you to the moon and back." He places a gentle kiss on my stomach between his hands then stands up again.
"I'm sorry, I let my mind wander away from me."
"Don't apologize it's normal, especially for people like us who've made the conscious choice not to have children…we'll always wonder."
Together we stand arm in arm watching as the rain lets up and the sky starts to lighten, in the bedroom we hear a second alarm sound.
"You'd better go and shower otherwise you're going to be late." I lightly berate him.
He nods and kisses the top of my head again and heads off to the bathroom. I busy myself in the kitchen whilst waiting for the coffee to brew. I've just finished pouring coffee into his travel mug when he comes out of the room freshly showered and dressed in a charcoal grey suite, blue shirt and maroon tie.
I hand him his mug and straighten his tie. He leans down and kisses me. We walk together to the front door and he grabs his binder and keys from the small table there.
"Be safe." I tell him as he walks through the door and into the hallway.
"Can't wait until we can leave together again…I miss spending all day with you."
"Me too" I reply "now go or you'll be late."
He turns and walks toward the elevator, I watch him until he disappears behind the closing elevator doors. I go back into the apartment, close and lock the door behind me.
I lean against the door and sigh, I hate being stuck at home while he goes to work, it worries me that his temporary partner won't watch his back. I push away from the door and resign myself to do the little housework that my current state allows me.
I busy myself for the rest of the day and then start dinner for two, not knowing if I'll be eating alone. I've just placed his plate in the oven to keep warm when my phone rings.
"Hi, honey."
"Hey beautiful."
"You on your way home?"
"Yeah, I've just left the precinct."
"Ok, I've just put dinner in the oven, it'll be nice to eat together for a change…drive safe, love you."
"Love you too."
I hang up the phone and decide to set the kitchen table. It's rare that we get to eat a cooked meal together so I want to make it special, usually we grab take-out or pull into a diner after shift, since I've been on maternity leave I've taken to cooking, more for something to do than an actually enjoyment of the task. Most nights he comes home well after I've gone to bed and we both end up having dinner alone.
I've I dig out a table cloth, placemats and a set of candle sticks. Once that's done, I grab a bottle of beer for him and an iced tea for me.
I have a shower and put on one of my more flattering maternity dresses, instead of the sweats and t-shirt that have become my custom attire since going on maternity leave. I've just come out of the bedroom when I hear his key in the lock. I greet him at the door and he takes a moment to take in my appearance.
"You look lovely." he says and kisses me soundly.
"Hello to you too." I step back so that he can enter the apartment properly.
"You hungry?"
"Famished."
"You go change and I'll get dinner on the table."
I place our plates on the two set places at opposite ends of the small table, light the two candles and put the radio onto a smooth blues station, the soft music floats through the room. He joins me at the table and pulls out my chair for me, once I'm seated he sits down opposite me and pops open his beer, taking a long swig.
"Tough day?"
"Yeah."
We sit and talk about his case, his partner, then everything and nothing, just enjoying the rare time together. Once the conversation has run dry, he clears the table then helps me out of my chair. He doesn't let go of my hand instead he gives it a tug toward him and I gladly follow.
We slowly sway to the music.
"I never would have thought that this would happen to me." He says quietly.
"What?" I ask a bit confused.
"Domesticity" he chuckles "for a long time I thought it was something not meant for me…but here we are…happy in our own little bubble in our own little corner of the world."
I take a moment to ponder his words and realise he's right. After my husband died, I never thought I'd find love again…but here I am dancing in the arms of the man I love in our kitchen.
I say our kitchen but that's not technically true, yes I've moved in with him, but I still keep my apartment, for appearances sake, if the brass had to find out about our relationship there'd be hell to pay, we've managed to be discreet for the last year and I'm sure we'll be able to keep it that way, we're both good at keeping work and our private lives separate.
"I can't help but wonder when our bubble will burst" he says then, his mind wandering again. "How long it's going to take the boss to figure out we're together and rake us over the coals."
As usual we're totally in synch, his thought mimicking my own.
"Let's not think about that now, let's just enjoy it while it lasts and cross that bridge when and if we get to it."
He doesn't respond, just holds me tighter to him, I don't know how long we stayed dancing in the kitchen but when I stifle my third yawn, he insists we go to bed.
The pain in my abdomen was sharp and wakes me from sleep, it fades and I settle down again, my movements haven't woken him, his soft snoring loud in the otherwise silent room. I can't seem to get comfortable and my restlessness eventually wakes him just as another pain shoots through me. He doesn't miss the hiss that escapes me.
"You ok?" he asks switching on the bedside lamp.
"Yeah, I think so…I just can't get comfortable."
He's not convinced but doesn't push it. I get out of bed and head to the bathroom. I'm hardly through the door when my water breaks.
"Uh honey." I call trying to keep my voice calm.
"Yeah" he says behind me, I turn to face him smiling.
"I don't know about when our bubble will burst but I think Peanuts has."
He looks at the floor in disbelief, "It's time?"
"It's time."
FIN