Notes: In this story, Alex has two brothers and a sister. Older brother, Michael, Older Sister, Elizabeth. Younger brother Johnny jr. Elizabeth is married to Mark and have Nathan. Michael is the firefighter married to the nurse with three kids. They don't have names yet.
This story takes place late season 3 -season 4, nathan should be under a year but at least 6 months.
Alex walked towards her family home, her keys in her right hand and her partner by her left. Alex hesitated in front of the door.
"You ready. Bobby, if they are too much and you need to leave, just tell me okay. I won't be offended."
"I'm sure they are just fine. Are you nervous?
"I mean there's a reason I don't bring many people by."
"Alex Eames, nervous." He smiled, shaking his head, "I thought I'd never see the day."
"Oh, shut up." She playfully punched him in his arm without much force.
"So, violent. I wonder what your family would think of that."
"See and I was worried about you. Maybe, I'll just let you suffer the Eames wrath."
The barrage of noise and loud talking hit their ears immediately as the door swung open. Three kids ran and played over the house. Alex's youngest nephew was nestled in his father's arms for a feeding. Mr. Eames was stationed in front of the TV watching the game and smoking in his favorite lounge chair.
"I kid you not," liz stated.
"I don't believe you," Michael responded unconvinced.
"What don't you believe," Alex questioned feeling out of the loop.
"Lex! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." He immediately hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Have you started drinking already?"
"Am I as I live and breathe, Irish, why do you ask me these questions?"
Alex laughs, "Do we have to feed into stereotypes?"
"Here, you are not drunk enough for this conversation. Join me little sis."
"Why the fuck not." She downs the cup of liquor and laughs as Michael throws his arms around her.
"There's my little sis who can out drink anyone."
"Geez is that all I'm good for?"
"That and babies, apparently."
"Oh joy. Good to know where my value is."
"Oh are you getting soft on me, Lex?" Then, immediately turning his attention to the hulking presence beside her, "Who's this?"
"Goren, my partner. Here you go," she said passing Bobby a beer. "If you are going to survive today, you might want to get a head start.
"Goren? Wait, did I hear about a Goren? I'm sure dad has the Intel on the rumor mill." Bobby looked to his feet.
"Hey go easy. Try not to scare him away. I don't want to have to start over with a new partner. Oh and by the way not everything you hear through the PD Grapevine is true." She rubbed her face with her hand. I am so not ready for all this.
Boby whispers to her, "Don't worry, I don't scare easily."
"Oh just you wait. The Eames clan hasn't finished with you yet."
"Oh so, it seems Liz and Mark ran across something when they were going through some of the boxes from the move. They found a tape."
"A tape. Okay, what's the big deal?"
"My little sis, so naive, it was what was on the tape."
"Let me guess someone having sex."
"Oh, not just anyone."
"No!"
"Uh huh"
"Who was on the tape?" Goren asked, unable to follow where the conversation was going.
"You want to tell him, Lex?"
"I can't." She covered her face from embarrassment.
"Our parents."
"Oh."
"I'm not going to be able to look them in their faces, now," Liz mused.
"Was it bad?" Alex asked but it was one of those questions you ask but know the answer as soon as the words leave your mouth.
"Maybe, I'll get the faces out of my head but the noises." She emphatically spoke louder, "Dear god, I have nightmares."
"Liz, do you really need to take the lord's name in vain? You know that upsets your mom."
"Yeah, what about all that smoking, dad?"
"Don't get fresh. I don't care how old you are, I'm still your father."
"I wasn't the one who was fresh." She mumbled under her breath followed immediately by boisterous laughter by both sisters.
"Lex, help me. I am not going to survive this night."
Alex hugged her sister, "I'm just thankful I'm not in your shoes."
"Thanks. You are absolutely no help."
"Do you think it was when...?" she trailed off looking in Johnny jr's direction.
"Very likely."
"You think they would be too old to be having sex nonetheless filming it."
"Well, sex is a natural pleasurable experience. I think it would be agist to think those urges go away with old age," Bobby suggested.
"Easy to say that when it isn't you're parents," Liz countered.
"I guess, that's fair."
"So, what are you going to do about the tape?" Alex questioned.
"I don't know but if i bring it back, it's like acknowledging that I've watched it and ya know they might want to talk about it."
"Or you keep it and live with a sex tape of mom and dad in your house?" Alex laughed "Who's little Johnny making out with over there? She's new."
"Flavor of the week."
"Poor girl doesn't know what she has coming."
"Let me continue making my rounds. Where's mom?"
"In the kitchen."
Alex hugged her father before making her way to the kitchen.
"Hi mom."
Her mother was hunched over the oven checking on her ham.
"Alexandra. How are you? I feel like I don't see you anymore. Always so busy working." Mary pulled her into a tight hug then stepped back a little and squeezed her cheeks. "Oh, who is this?"
"Mom, this is Bobby."
"Hello, Mrs. Eames."
"Where you find this one, Alexandra? I like him."
"Oh.." Goren started before Eames saved him.
"No, mom. He's not...He's my partner at work."
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I should have known. Alexandra doesn't bring many guys back home to the family."
"Yeah, that's because you guys gang up on them and scare them away."
"Dear, the good ones don't scare easily."
Alex looked at Bobby and smiled.
"Do you need any help, mom?"
"You want to help? Oh no. You go out there and have some fun."
"Are you sure?" Bobby added as he stepped back giving her an urging sideways glance "I make a mean Colcannon."
Mary arched her eyebrow in surprise and smiled.
"Yeah, mom. He is full of surprises."
"Yeah, okay. If you don't mind."
"Not all all," he responded as he began mashing the potatoes.
Alex began chopping the cabbage.
"Where did you learn to cook?"
"Oh, I got this one. There was a girl he was trying to impress."
"Am I becoming predictable?"
"You predictable, hardly."
Goren laughed, "No, actually. My buddy in the army taught me. We were deployed. St. Patrick's day and he wasn't with family. He was homesick so we did the best to cheer him up."
"How nice," Mary responded, "You were in the army?"
"Yes. I was in Germany at the time."
"Frontlines?"
"For a bit" Mary did the sign of the cross saying a silent prayer for the dead. "but actually got reassigned to CID."
"My Johnny would love to trade stories with you."
"Yeah, dad likes to gossip. He's worse than a girl that way."
"How did I do ?" Bobby asked as he spooned a bit of mixture to her lips for her to taste.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
"Now, thank you for your help but go enjoy yourselves. It's not often I have you all together at once."
"Maybe you should get out there, mom."
"Oh, I love cooking for you all. Besides, it shouldn't take much longer."
Finally, Johnny jr. was by himself and Alex rushed on the chance to greet him.
"Johnny!"
"Lex and let me guess, Bobby."
"I see the Eames gossip mill is good and thriving."
"Yeah, I ran into mom when I went to sneak some food."
"You know, you're the only one she let's get away with that."
"Yeah, that's cause I'm the favorite. Anyway, she was going on about this guy. Guess he made a good impression. Is it true you were in the Army."
"Uh, yes it is."
"That's awesome. I bet you left a trail of broken hearts. Girls like guys in the army."
"You thinking of joining, little brother?"
"No. No way, I'm not built for that."
"You sure, Army would make a man out of you," Bobby encouraged.
"Mom would have a heart attack if jr. enlisted. You think she worries now. We would never hear the end of it."
"So, any tips?" Johnny jr. asked nudging Bobby in the shoulder.
"Yeah, no. A young attractive guy like you doesn't need any tips from an old geyser like me."
"Aw c'mon you were in the army, you telling me you didn't leave some broken hearts along the way?"
"It seems you are doing alright." His eyes traced to the young blonde who was sitting on the couch, where johnny jr. was making out.
"Yeah, I don't think that's going to work out."
"Johnny! She seems like a perfectly okay girl and you are going to break her heart."
"What, can I say, it's not in the cards."
"You know you're a mess, right?"
He just shrugged his shoulders before turning back to Bobby.
"So, come on, army. I bet you had them falling at your feet."
"Uh."
Bobby glanced at Alex, hesitant.
"I'll let you boys talk."
"So, now that she's gone, you didn't leave a trail of broken hearts?"
"I didn't say all that." He laughed
"So you like my sister."
"What, no it's not like that."
"It's okay, Bobby. Many guys do but few actually catch her. She's a picky one."
"Standards aren't a bad thing, Johnny. You'll learn in time, crazies run the gambit."
"Well, there was this turkish girl I met in Germany. I Studied the quran for her."
"You converted to muslim?"
"No, I just read the book to impress her. It was actually quite a beautiful piece of text."
"Yeah, okay. I'd give my mom a heart attack if I tried that. She'd be rushing me to church to get a second baptism."
"She's really religious, huh"
"What about you, Bobby? Are you religious?"
"Uh..no. well i was a catholic even served as an altar boy but eventually it lost the luster and it didn't really fit in my life anymore."
"Well don't let my mom hear you. I think she has some holy water stored away, she'd probably try to re-baptize you right here."
Alex had been peeking at Bobby since she left him with Johnny jr. Johnny gave him a beer and they were laughing like old friends. She smiled. It was nice to see him this way. Maybe, I shouldn't have left him with Johnny. Last thing I need is Johnny rubbing off on him.
"Okay so you read the quran for this one girl."
"Amira. Beautiful girl and I wanted to get her attention."
"So..what happened?"
"We went on a date well, date is a loose term. She mostly just showed me around but we did sneak away for a bit. "
"Uh huh."
"I think she was enamored with me being an american."
"Still."
"Yeah, those days were fun. You know when you're young and not ready for a commitment but it can get lonely." He busied himself by fiddling his hands around the neck of the bottle. "Eventually, you want that one girl that you can settle down with who knows you inside and out."
He glanced at Alex watching as she took to playing with Nathan on the floor. She had a big smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile too. Then he put the beer to his mouth and drank the rest.
"She's gonna ask about what we talked about, later. Isn't she?"
Johnny just winked at him.
"Just downplay the player vibes would you? I'm not that guy anymore."
"You really really like my sister. You know she doesn't usually bring guys around. So, the fact that you are here, well it says you're important to her."
Bobby nodded, "she's important to me, too. Best partner I've had."
Alex looked back at the boys once more and caught Bobby's eye as he glanced in her direction. The two smiled at each other before Alex made her way over to rescue Bobby.
"The two of you have been chatting up a storm, anything I should know?"
"Guy talk, nothing you need to worry about." Bobby replied
"Uh huh. Johnny don't you give this guy any ideas. I actually think he's one of the good ones. I would hate to find out you've corrupted him somehow."
Johnny nudged him, whispering, "told you."
"Told him what?"
"You got ears like an elephant, you know. I told him that you are very bossy."
Alex arched an eyebrow at Bobby who refused to say anything and threw his hands up as if to say, I'm not touching that one.
"I am not!"
Bobby let out a small chuckle.
"You agree with him, don't you?"
"I think, it makes you great at your job. Someone has to reign me in"
She playfully slapped his arm.
"What ouch. She also has a violent streak."
"Yeah, that she does. God-forbid you don't agree with her."
"Johnny, Liz has a tape she wants you to watch, I think it's your birthday."