Disclaimer: If you've seen them on the show, they belong to Dick Wolf, not me. Maybe someday he and I will work something out . . .
What if it was Elliot who went undercover at Sealview with Olivia instead of Fin?
"You can't let her do this," insisted Elliot. "It's dangerous."
Captain Cragen shrugged. "You know how stubborn Olivia is. Elliot, we'll cover our bases. Fin is going to go undercover as a prison guard. He'll look out for her."
"No," said Elliot suddenly.
"Elliot, this isn't your decision."
"No. Let me go undercover with her."
The captain peered at him more closely. "Elliot, are you sure you'll be able to handle it?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Elliot, you're going to be there for backup, nothing more. In that prison, you're going to see a lot of things you're going to want to stop, but you can't react. Ever. You need to keep your cover at all times, even if it means letting someone else do something you know is wrong."
"I can handle it."
He still looked a bit sceptical, but finally the captain nodded his consent. "All right, Elliot. I'll tell her."
* * *
"Kathy," said Elliot that night, lying in bed beside his wife. "I have something to tell you."
"Mmm?" she mumbled sleepily. "What is it?"
He took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I'm going undercover at Sealview. I'm going to be a prison guard."
Kathy sat up straight in bed, now wide awake. "Why?"
"Someone's been raping the inmates, Kath. We need to find out who."
"We?" Kathy's tone was laced with suspicion. "What are you not telling me?"
He sighed. "Olivia's going undercover as an inmate."
Kathy raised her eyebrows. "For how long?"
"I don't know," he answered. "Hopefully not too long."
With a twinge of bitterness in her voice, she conceded. "You be careful."
Well. That was easy. "I will be."
* * *
They arrived at Sealview three days later. A feeling of apprehension washed over Olivia as she followed the other inmates off the bus. Elliot was going to be there, which made her feel slightly more comfortable, but she knew they would be unable to interact. Seeming too close would blow both their covers and jeopardize the operation.
The guards ordered the women to take off their clothes and shower. This was the most humiliating thing thus far, but Olivia knew this was just the beginning. If "real" prisoners could do it, so could and would she. This was indignity number one, but she knew there would be more to come.
She faced the wall and started to slowly undress. It wasn't that she was embarrassed about or uncomfortable with her body, but she'd always been a modest person. The male guards raked their eyes hungrily over the exposed bodies getting into the shower and Olivia swallowed her protests. She knew in her heart that this was wrong, but as George Huang had told her, she simply could not react. It would blow her cover.
So she tried to cover her body with her hands as she climbed into the shower, shivering as she felt the cold water cascade over her body.
When they were done showering, the women dressed in their orange prison jumpsuits then the guards gave them a full body search. Olivia almost jumped when she saw that Elliot was one of the guards who were to search them, and shook her head slightly at him when he reflexively moved close to her. He seemed to catch himself and his eyes hardened.
One of the guards told Olivia to spread her legs. Indignity number two, but out of moral instinct, she protested, "Wait. Shouldn't a woman be doing this?"
"Shut up," ordered the guard dismissively. She winced as he ran his hands up and down her legs and thighs, squeezing her butt with one hand. "Someone's been working out," he leered.
Olivia clenched her fists and whirled around, grabbing the guard in the police hold that she used on suspects daily. "Don't you touch me like that!" she hissed.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp object ram into her arm and fell to the ground, crying out clutching her elbow in pain. Oh, my God. Her eyes widened as she realized that she just blew her cover. Normal, non-police officer inmates did not try to restrain prison guards, no matter what they did.
Her elbow was bleeding where the officer had hit her with his night stick. She was used to pain, but this pain was different than the kind of pain she'd experienced as a detective. Sure, sometimes a suspect would snap and hit her; she'd been shot at and attacked more times than she could count. She'd looked death in the eye without blinking and lived to tell the tale. But this – and to add insult to injury, when she looked up into the eyes of the officer who'd struck her, she saw that it was Elliot.
Do you think Elliot and Olivia will be able to cope with the assignment? Will Elliot be able to numb his protective instincts in the interests of keeping their cover? Review for chapter two to find out!
