New Changes
Abbie Carmichael came out of her bedroom in a floor-length black sheath that fit her tall, tanned body perfectly. "Oh, my God." Nora Lewin said, looking up from where she was reading Austin a story. "Jack's gonna go crazy."
"Pretty!" Austin clapped his hands, grinning at his mom.
"Thanks, sweetie. Thanks, Nora. Are you sure you don't mind staying?"
"Of course I don't mind. Nervous?"
"Not really. I've met Arthur before and I've been to these things before. I am a little nervous about meeting Serena and I never thought my first official date with Jack would be to one of these things." She fastened her pearl earrings, making sure her long dark hair was still swept up into a tucked French braid.
The doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Nora said, handing Austin back to Abbie so that they could say their goodnights, more than anxious to see Jack's reaction when he saw Abbie.
Jack McCoy waited nervously on the doorstep. He and Abbie had been seeing each other for a couple of months, at first just on Saturday, and then every time they were both off. This was the first time they'd gone out in public again and he was nervous. It reassured him to see Nora and, suppressing the urge to hug her, smiled nervously. "Is she ready?"
"Oh, yeah. Come on." She led Jack to the living room where Abbie was sitting on the couch, careful not to muss herself, and reading her son a book.
Jack froze when he saw her. She was always beautiful, but tonight she literally took his breath away. Austin saw his dad and smiled at him. "Momma pretty."
Jack tried not to laugh, but couldn't hide his grin. "Yeah, she is. Can I borrow her for a little while?" Austin nodded seriously.
Abbie stood. "You have my pager and my cell phone, both will be on vibrate, if you need me."
Nora looked at her. "This isn't the first time I've babysat my godson."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. If I had a child, I'd be just as worried. Go. Have a good time. Both of you." She ushered them out.
Jack and Abbie looked at each other on the stoop, not sure whether to protest or laugh. Laughter finally won over. "My son's right. You're beautiful." Jack said, gently touching her cheek.
She kissed him. "Come on. Let's get this over with." They walked to her Tahoe, hand in hand.
*****
Serena Southerlyn stood with Lennie Briscoe and Ed Greene on the sidelines of the room. "Where's Ben?" Ed asked.
"Had to work. What about Georgia?"
"Same. What about you, Old Spice?" Ed asked his partner.
"Nora said she'd rather stay home with Austin." Not that he blamed her, but he missed having someone with him. It wasn't that he and Nora had a relationship like the others, but, excluding Jack, she was his best friend and they usually went most places off work together.
All eyes turned to the door where Jack and Abbie walked in. "Wow." Serena managed to say. "That's her?" She asked as Lennie headed off towards his friends.
Ed nodded. "That's Abbie." He liked Jack, in some ways they had a lot in common, but he still didn't see what a woman as beautiful as Abbie saw in Jack.
Lennie hugged her. "Hey."
"Hey, Len."
"You look great. How's Austin?" He asked, proud of his godchild.
"He's great. Misses you. Wants to know when you can go to the zoo again." Lennie smiled.
Lennie, Jack, and Abbie walked back over to Ed and Serena. Jack looked fondly at the assistant who had become like a second daughter to him. "Serena, this is Abbie Carmichael. Abbie, Serena Southerlyn."
Serena froze, suddenly knowing just why Jack had had a hard time getting used to her or even liking her at first. Abbie was gorgeous and, from the way Lennie and Jack acted around her, she was beautiful inside as well. Abbie smiled at her. "It's nice to finally meet you, Serena. I've heard a lot about you."
Serena wondered exactly what she'd heard. "I've heard a lot about you too, Ms. Carmicahel."
"Abbie."
"Abbie." Serena repeated. She watched Jack's face when he looked at Abbie, saw his hand holding hers. Abbie was exactly what Jack needed when he got out of the office, so he could relax and not worry about what everyone needed from him. Suddenly, instead of being a little jealous and very awkward, she liked the other woman.
"Abbie."
Abbie turned when she heard a voice behind her and grinned. "Mike."
Mike Logan grinned at her. "Slumming?" He teased her. "I haven't seen you since you moved up."
"Lot of projects."
Jack, not able to get along with Mike well, kept silent, and Ed and Serena stood there, not knowing who he was, so Lennie finally spoke up. "Mike, this is Ed Greene and Serena Southerlyn."
Mike nodded. "You replaced Rey, right?" He asked Ed who nodded. "Wear a flak jacket when you go out with this guy." He indicated Lennie.
"You were the one who had the death wish and punched the politician." For anyone else to say that would have irritated Mike or even angered him, but Lennie was the only one who could get away with it.
"Ms. Southerlyn." Mike grinned at Serena. Aside from Jamie, Jack had the tendency to get the best-looking women for assistants. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She nodded, not really sure who he was. He was cute though; something about his smile was contagious, like a little boy who smiled to get out of some mischief. "You were Lennie's partner?"
He nodded. "Over eight years ago." He'd left only a few months before Claire had died and, for a little while, that unsaid comment hung in the air over Lennie, Mike, and Jack. Abbie seemed to know that and squeezed Jack's hand slightly.
"We need to go talk to Arthur. Excuse us." Jack said before he and Abbie left.
"I think I'm going to head out. Cover me with van Buren?" Ed asked his partner.
Lennie nodded. "Say hi to Georgia." Ed nodded and left.
"So what are you doing now?" Lennie asked Mike, always wary of that question when directed to Mike.
"I got out of Staten, transferred to Special Victims."
"With Cragen?" Mike nodded. "Good. If anyone can keep you out of trouble, he can." He worried about Mike's quick Irish temper and ability for trouble.
A cop from the 27th pulled Lennie aside for a bet and, instead of walking away and finding other friends, both Mike and Serena stayed there. "Was he still like that when you were partnered with him?" Serena asked, smiling.
Mike nodded. "Yeah. Lennie never changes, thank God. Jack was like that too. Unfortunately, he never changes either."
"Abbie seems to make him happy. I've never seen him get serious about a woman before."
Mike nodded. "Before Abbie left, there was a few years there we.well, anyone who cared.worried about him." He still didn't like to admit that he cared anything about what Jack felt or thought of him as almost a friend.
Serena nodded, brushing a blonde strand of shoulder-length hair out of her face. "Claire, right?" Mike nodded. "No one really talks about her, but she'll be mentioned some times." She paused before asking the question. She'd asked Lennie once and he'd gotten this look on his face; she'd never asked again. "Did you know her?"
Mike nodded. "I worked with her for two years before they transferred me to Staten Island."
"Jack must have really loved her."
"It was hard not to. It's strange; she and Abbie would be nothing like each other, probably wouldn't even like each other, but Lennie considers them both daughters and Jack's crazy about them both."
She nodded. Feeling like she was intruding on Jack's personal space, she changed the subject. "Why did you get transferred? If you don't mind me asking."
He looked at her. Something about her allowed him to feel comfortable talking like this to her. "I punched a politician."
She smiled, looking away, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as she tried not to laugh. He grinned; she looked so cute when she did that. "You wanna go somewhere and talk?"
She paused. She usually would say no, but he was a friend of Lennie's and he was a cop and something in her seemed to be predisposed to trust him. She looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied, no one would really mind if she went somewhere and talked with him. "All right."
Abbie saw Jack frown. "What?" She followed his gaze to where Mike and Serena were leaving together. "Oh, God, Jack, give it a rest. When's the last time you were around him?"
"He just gets worse."
"You know, he might say that about you." She joked, trying to lighten his mood. "She's a big girl. You can't protect her from everything." She knew that he felt like Serena was his daughter. "He's a good guy, Jack. Both Lennie and I think so. Besides, it's not as if she's marrying him or anything. She's just talking to him."
He nodded, turning his attention back to her, getting caught up in her beauty again. They'd been there for two hours, putting in an appearance; they could leave if they wanted. "You wanna go get some coffee or something?"
"Why don't we just go home?"
He loved hearing her say that; he'd missed those words. "All right."
Abbie Carmichael came out of her bedroom in a floor-length black sheath that fit her tall, tanned body perfectly. "Oh, my God." Nora Lewin said, looking up from where she was reading Austin a story. "Jack's gonna go crazy."
"Pretty!" Austin clapped his hands, grinning at his mom.
"Thanks, sweetie. Thanks, Nora. Are you sure you don't mind staying?"
"Of course I don't mind. Nervous?"
"Not really. I've met Arthur before and I've been to these things before. I am a little nervous about meeting Serena and I never thought my first official date with Jack would be to one of these things." She fastened her pearl earrings, making sure her long dark hair was still swept up into a tucked French braid.
The doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Nora said, handing Austin back to Abbie so that they could say their goodnights, more than anxious to see Jack's reaction when he saw Abbie.
Jack McCoy waited nervously on the doorstep. He and Abbie had been seeing each other for a couple of months, at first just on Saturday, and then every time they were both off. This was the first time they'd gone out in public again and he was nervous. It reassured him to see Nora and, suppressing the urge to hug her, smiled nervously. "Is she ready?"
"Oh, yeah. Come on." She led Jack to the living room where Abbie was sitting on the couch, careful not to muss herself, and reading her son a book.
Jack froze when he saw her. She was always beautiful, but tonight she literally took his breath away. Austin saw his dad and smiled at him. "Momma pretty."
Jack tried not to laugh, but couldn't hide his grin. "Yeah, she is. Can I borrow her for a little while?" Austin nodded seriously.
Abbie stood. "You have my pager and my cell phone, both will be on vibrate, if you need me."
Nora looked at her. "This isn't the first time I've babysat my godson."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. If I had a child, I'd be just as worried. Go. Have a good time. Both of you." She ushered them out.
Jack and Abbie looked at each other on the stoop, not sure whether to protest or laugh. Laughter finally won over. "My son's right. You're beautiful." Jack said, gently touching her cheek.
She kissed him. "Come on. Let's get this over with." They walked to her Tahoe, hand in hand.
*****
Serena Southerlyn stood with Lennie Briscoe and Ed Greene on the sidelines of the room. "Where's Ben?" Ed asked.
"Had to work. What about Georgia?"
"Same. What about you, Old Spice?" Ed asked his partner.
"Nora said she'd rather stay home with Austin." Not that he blamed her, but he missed having someone with him. It wasn't that he and Nora had a relationship like the others, but, excluding Jack, she was his best friend and they usually went most places off work together.
All eyes turned to the door where Jack and Abbie walked in. "Wow." Serena managed to say. "That's her?" She asked as Lennie headed off towards his friends.
Ed nodded. "That's Abbie." He liked Jack, in some ways they had a lot in common, but he still didn't see what a woman as beautiful as Abbie saw in Jack.
Lennie hugged her. "Hey."
"Hey, Len."
"You look great. How's Austin?" He asked, proud of his godchild.
"He's great. Misses you. Wants to know when you can go to the zoo again." Lennie smiled.
Lennie, Jack, and Abbie walked back over to Ed and Serena. Jack looked fondly at the assistant who had become like a second daughter to him. "Serena, this is Abbie Carmichael. Abbie, Serena Southerlyn."
Serena froze, suddenly knowing just why Jack had had a hard time getting used to her or even liking her at first. Abbie was gorgeous and, from the way Lennie and Jack acted around her, she was beautiful inside as well. Abbie smiled at her. "It's nice to finally meet you, Serena. I've heard a lot about you."
Serena wondered exactly what she'd heard. "I've heard a lot about you too, Ms. Carmicahel."
"Abbie."
"Abbie." Serena repeated. She watched Jack's face when he looked at Abbie, saw his hand holding hers. Abbie was exactly what Jack needed when he got out of the office, so he could relax and not worry about what everyone needed from him. Suddenly, instead of being a little jealous and very awkward, she liked the other woman.
"Abbie."
Abbie turned when she heard a voice behind her and grinned. "Mike."
Mike Logan grinned at her. "Slumming?" He teased her. "I haven't seen you since you moved up."
"Lot of projects."
Jack, not able to get along with Mike well, kept silent, and Ed and Serena stood there, not knowing who he was, so Lennie finally spoke up. "Mike, this is Ed Greene and Serena Southerlyn."
Mike nodded. "You replaced Rey, right?" He asked Ed who nodded. "Wear a flak jacket when you go out with this guy." He indicated Lennie.
"You were the one who had the death wish and punched the politician." For anyone else to say that would have irritated Mike or even angered him, but Lennie was the only one who could get away with it.
"Ms. Southerlyn." Mike grinned at Serena. Aside from Jamie, Jack had the tendency to get the best-looking women for assistants. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She nodded, not really sure who he was. He was cute though; something about his smile was contagious, like a little boy who smiled to get out of some mischief. "You were Lennie's partner?"
He nodded. "Over eight years ago." He'd left only a few months before Claire had died and, for a little while, that unsaid comment hung in the air over Lennie, Mike, and Jack. Abbie seemed to know that and squeezed Jack's hand slightly.
"We need to go talk to Arthur. Excuse us." Jack said before he and Abbie left.
"I think I'm going to head out. Cover me with van Buren?" Ed asked his partner.
Lennie nodded. "Say hi to Georgia." Ed nodded and left.
"So what are you doing now?" Lennie asked Mike, always wary of that question when directed to Mike.
"I got out of Staten, transferred to Special Victims."
"With Cragen?" Mike nodded. "Good. If anyone can keep you out of trouble, he can." He worried about Mike's quick Irish temper and ability for trouble.
A cop from the 27th pulled Lennie aside for a bet and, instead of walking away and finding other friends, both Mike and Serena stayed there. "Was he still like that when you were partnered with him?" Serena asked, smiling.
Mike nodded. "Yeah. Lennie never changes, thank God. Jack was like that too. Unfortunately, he never changes either."
"Abbie seems to make him happy. I've never seen him get serious about a woman before."
Mike nodded. "Before Abbie left, there was a few years there we.well, anyone who cared.worried about him." He still didn't like to admit that he cared anything about what Jack felt or thought of him as almost a friend.
Serena nodded, brushing a blonde strand of shoulder-length hair out of her face. "Claire, right?" Mike nodded. "No one really talks about her, but she'll be mentioned some times." She paused before asking the question. She'd asked Lennie once and he'd gotten this look on his face; she'd never asked again. "Did you know her?"
Mike nodded. "I worked with her for two years before they transferred me to Staten Island."
"Jack must have really loved her."
"It was hard not to. It's strange; she and Abbie would be nothing like each other, probably wouldn't even like each other, but Lennie considers them both daughters and Jack's crazy about them both."
She nodded. Feeling like she was intruding on Jack's personal space, she changed the subject. "Why did you get transferred? If you don't mind me asking."
He looked at her. Something about her allowed him to feel comfortable talking like this to her. "I punched a politician."
She smiled, looking away, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as she tried not to laugh. He grinned; she looked so cute when she did that. "You wanna go somewhere and talk?"
She paused. She usually would say no, but he was a friend of Lennie's and he was a cop and something in her seemed to be predisposed to trust him. She looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied, no one would really mind if she went somewhere and talked with him. "All right."
Abbie saw Jack frown. "What?" She followed his gaze to where Mike and Serena were leaving together. "Oh, God, Jack, give it a rest. When's the last time you were around him?"
"He just gets worse."
"You know, he might say that about you." She joked, trying to lighten his mood. "She's a big girl. You can't protect her from everything." She knew that he felt like Serena was his daughter. "He's a good guy, Jack. Both Lennie and I think so. Besides, it's not as if she's marrying him or anything. She's just talking to him."
He nodded, turning his attention back to her, getting caught up in her beauty again. They'd been there for two hours, putting in an appearance; they could leave if they wanted. "You wanna go get some coffee or something?"
"Why don't we just go home?"
He loved hearing her say that; he'd missed those words. "All right."