Chapter Five:

The next two months passed in a blur of activity. Bo continued to work night and day on the cases piling up on his desk, but mostly on the Marcellano case and Nora had finally fallen into a routine with the kids. Olivia would stop by every other day keeping her up to date on the cases they had pending, and she was planning to return to the office in a few weeks. Gabrielle was sentenced to 15 years in Statesville and they were finally able to stamp Matthew's kidnapping case closed. Bo met with John McBain, and he's been sent to Llanview to work side by side with the LPD.

Susannah flew in from Switzerland, arriving two weeks after they came home from the hospital. She decided to take a six month sabbatical, after realizing that her sister needed her. She had called Nora one day and could tell immediately that something was bothering her younger sister. Nora explained to her that Matthew was still having nightmares, that he refused to go play anywhere other than their back yard, and wouldn't let Nora too far out of his sight.

Susannah spent a few hours a day with Matthew, trying to get him to open up about his nightmares and the fears he insisted on keeping all to himself. Matthew seemed to take to his aunt and after her first month being there, things seemed to be slowly turning around.

The only thing in their lives that seemed not to be falling into place was their relationship. Bo was always at the office and they often found themselves having a hard time coordinating time for just the two of them.

*~*

Nora walked into the station one afternoon, hoping to surprise him with lunch. She stopped by Marcie's desk, spending a few minutes talking to her about her upcoming wedding to Al. She was so happy that both Marcie and Al had found happiness after everything he had been through.

She let Marcie get back to work and made her way over to Bo's office. His blinds were open and she noticed Olivia leaning across his desk pointing something out to him. Nora had no idea why seeing the young ADA in her husband's office gave her a little jolt but it did. She shook the feeling off and knocked on his door before opening it.

Bo looked up from his desk and smiled as he made his way over to her. He kissed her and pulled her into a hug, "Wow, you sure are a sight for sore eyes."

She smiled, her earlier fears forgotten when she saw the love in his eyes. She lifted up the bag she held in her hand, "I was hoping I could steal you away from here for an hour or so."

Bo grabbed his keys off his desk and took Nora's hand. He turned to Olivia and told her that they would pick up where they left off the next day. He was going to go home and be with his family. He gave the same instructions to Marcie, telling her to only call him if there was an emergency. John and Antonio could handle things for him for the night.

Bo pulled a blanket out of the back of his jeep and they both walked to the park. He spread the blanket out under a large tree and pulled her down onto his lap. They finished the cheeseburgers and fries that she brought them. They sat in silence for a little while, him resting against a tree, her head lying in his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the peace and quiet of just being there together.

After an hour they packed up the blanket and went home. Susannah had offered to stay with the kids for the afternoon, knowing that Nora and Bo needed some time alone, they needed time to reconnect. She noticed the looks on their faces when they walked through the door later that afternoon and she knew that her idea had been a success.

They spent the night together watching movies and pigging out on junk food. Matthew had finally agreed to a sleep over at Asa and Renee's the following night and Bo and Nora made plans to finally have the "honeymoon" at Serenity Springs and the Palace that he had given her as a wedding gift. He made their reservations for that weekend.

Later that night, she opened her eyes, squinting to try and make out the time on the clock. He rolled over and leaned in, whispering in her ear, "Go back to sleep, honey. I'll get her."

She collapsed back down onto the pillow, "Thank you; sweetheart."

Bo smiled and pulled his t-shirt over his head, "You're welcome." He leans in and kisses her, "You can always make it up to me later."

He ran out into the hallway just as a pillow sailed over his head. She reached over and picked up the baby monitor laying it on the pillow beside her. She laid there and listened to him as he softly sang to their daughter while he fed her, "I got sunshine on a cloudy day...when it's cold outside I've got the month of May..." she never imagined that she could love her husband more than she did but every time she saw him with their children she fell in love with him all over again.

He came back into the room a half hour later and just as he knew she would, she showed him her appreciation well into morning.

*~*

Bo left later that morning for the office, long before Nora or the kids were awake. Bo walked into his darkened office and turned on his desk lamp, leaving the rest of the lights off. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled out an envelope. He sighed a heavy sigh as he emptied the contents onto his desk. He picked up the most recent picture they had sent him, hoping that he would stop the investigation. He ran his fingers over their smiling faces. Nora was sitting on a bench in the park watching Matthew play soccer. He picked up the phone and punched speed dial “3”. He waited until he heard his groggy voice answer the phone, “McBain its Bo. I want a status report on the agents you have watching my house and my family…Fifteen minutes then…yeah I’ll be here.”

Bo set the phone back in the cradle and picked up the first picture they’d sent. It was taken a few days before Destiny was born. Nora and Matthew were playing in the back yard. The messages included with each photo was the same; If you want your precious family to stay this happy you better heed our demands and end your investigation.

McBain walked in fifteen minutes later and as promised he had a roster of every undercover agent he had watching over the house, from the “workman” working on the telephone lines on the street to the landscapers working in the park across the street. They had a team ready to be assembled if needed once Matthew returned to school in a few weeks. Bo looked over the information and nodded, “It looks like you have everything covered. I want my family safe. I won’t have this SOB hurting my family.

“I think it would be a good idea if we had someone watching your back too.”

Bo shook his head, “No, I can take care of myself. Just watch out for my wife and kids, they’re what’s important.”

“If that’s what you want. Then fine.” John picks the papers up off of Bo’s desk and places them back in a file. He reaches over and picks up another file and hands it to Bo, “That’s everything we were able to get from the last stakeout of their latest shipment.”

Bo looked over at the file and back up at John, slamming the file down, “Nothing, they came up with nothing after an all night stakeout?”

“We were there all night Bo. They never showed.”

“It’s unacceptable. Something doesn’t feel right, something’s off. It’s like they know ahead of time that we’re going to be staking them out.”

“I thought of that and I’ve put one of my most trusted agents on it. If we have a leak he’ll find it.”

*~*

Nora woke that morning to the same empty bed that she’s woken up to for the past several months. She reached out and pulled his pillow tight against her, inhaling his scent, relishing in her final moments of solitude before her morning began. She looked over at the photo of the two of them from their wedding and thought about the weekend away they had planned, even if it was just the Palace.

Nora glanced over at the clock, noticing for the first time that she had slept later than she should’ve and that Destiny never woke up for her bottle. Nora threw back the covers, throwing her robe on as she ran down the hallway. She pushed open the nursery door and found her sleeping peacefully in her crib. Nora laid her hand on her heart, reaching out to run her fingers over her wisps of red hair. She walked past Matthew’s room and found his bed empty. She heard laughter coming from downstairs. She walked downstairs and found Susannah and Matthew sitting together on the floor playing a game. Nora walked over and sat down on the couch behind them, tousling Matthew’s hair, “Hey there, champ.”

Matthew looked back at his mother, “Hey mom. Aunt Susannah and me are playing a game and I’m winning.”

Susannah looked up and winked at Nora, “I can see that. So Suze, did Destiny wake up earlier?”

“Yeah, and I fed her her bottle and put her back down. I was up when Bo left this morning. He said that you had had a late night and asked me since I was up if I would listen for her.”

“He must’ve turned the baby monitor off,” she thought to herself. She turned her attention back to Matthew, “Matthew, do you have everything ready for your sleepover at Granma & Granpa’s?”

“Yep.”

“Well go get it and bring it down here. I’m going to go upstairs and get dressed and then I’ll drive you over to Granpa’s.”

“Okay”, Matthew said as he jumped up, his game with his aunt quickly forgotten now that it was time to go to Asa’s.

Nora knelt down on the floor to help Susannah clean up the game, “Are you sure you’re up to watching Destiny all weekend?”

“I’m looking forward to it. Honestly, Nora. You and Bo go and have a good time. Let him pamper you and you two take some time just for yourselves.”

Nora leaned in and kissed her big sister’s cheek, “Thank you, Susannah…and I don’t mean just for this weekend, I mean for everything you’ve done, for Matthew, for all of us.”

“I’m glad I was able to be here for you and believe me it’s been good for me too.”

The two sisters embraced as an excited Matthew came running down the stairs. He stopped short when he noticed his mother wasn’t dressed yet, “Moooom, you said you were getting dressed.”

Nora stood up and tweaked his nose, “I’m going now, buster. I’ll be right down.”

Nora dropped Matthew off at Asa and Renee’s, leaving explicit instructions for Asa that Matthew had enough toys and that Asa shouldn’t buy him anything. Nora left; knowing deep down her wishes had fallen on deaf ears. She stopped by Logans and picked up a few special items for their ‘honeymoon’. She went to Serenity Springs and indulged in the day of pampering that Bo had specially ordered for her. Just before six that night a limo pulled up and she was taken to the Palace.

Bo opened her door and helped her out of the limo. They walked over to the elevator and made their way up to the 12^th floor. They walked down the hallway towards her old suite. They paused outside of the door for a moment. Bo reached out and laid his hand on her cheek, “I love you, Nora and I’m so sorry that I haven’t said it as often as I should.”

She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, “You don’t have to say the words Bo. I see the love in your eyes every time you look at me; I feel it every time you touch me. I see the love we have in the faces of our children. ”

Bo leaned in, her back pressing against the door as his lips made their way to her neck. He reached around and slid the key in the lock, his other arm wrapping around her to steady her as he pushed the door open. He kicked the door closed, his lips never leaving their place on her skin. The candles were lit, the music was playing; everything had been set up just the way he had asked for it to be done.

Much like their last honeymoon they rarely left the bed. They ordered room service, watched old movies and made love all night long. They finally emerged from their room on Sunday night and went down to the restaurant for dinner. They sat out on the terrace at a private table for two. They held hands across the table, they laughed and they danced under the late summer sky. People would walk passed the terrace doors and they would smile at the couple that was so obviously in love.

They walked through the hotel lobby hand in hand, stopping when they saw Renee walking towards them, “Hey you two.” Bo and Nora each kissed Renee on the cheek; thanking her for making sure every thing in the room was perfect, “I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time.”

“Wonderful doesn’t cover it, Renee. It was…magical.”

Bo leaned in and kissed her quickly on the cheek, “I’m going to go around and get the car. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, honey. I’ll be outside in just a sec.”

Nora snaked her arm through Renee’s and they walked together towards the entrance. They stood outside talking as she watched Bo walk towards his car. He turned once and waved, she blew him a kiss before turning to continue her conversation with Renee.

Nora was just about to say good bye to Renee when they were thrown backwards by the explosion.

A few minutes later Nora stood up; looking around in a daze. A crowd had gathered. Suddenly it hit her and she began running towards the parking lot. She pushed her way through the crowd. She pushed passed the row of police officers, but just before she could make it to the burning vehicle she was pulled backwards. She turned and began hitting the chest of the person restraining her, “Please let me go. Now! Let me go. I have to get to him.”

“Nora, you can’t…”

She looks up at who is restraining her, “Let go of me, Antonio, let go of me.”

“Nora…Nora, it’s too late…he’s gone.”

Nora looked up at Antonio, with tears running down her face, and all she could do was shake her head…she turned and looked back over at the flames pouring from his car, and suddenly her world turned black.

TBC