A/N- This is my first attempt at fan-fiction...so... please don't be too cruel :)
Disclaimer- As we all well know, Dick Wolf owns the world (or at least the parts that are near and dear to my heart). So, of course, I'm making nothing from this. I did copy one scene (dialogue wise). The rest is my mess.
Work It Out
Home of Rachel Martin
Phoenix, Arizona
Friday August 25th, 2006
6:45am
That Friday started like any other day.
Rachel got up at 5:00am and went about her usual morning routine.
After her morning jog and subsequent shower, she dressed for work and made her way into the kitchen for her first cup of coffee.
After she poured herself a second cup, she filled her travel mug and set it next to her briefcase; the same briefcase she'd had in her previous life and one of the only items she'd been allowed to bring with her into her new life.
She fixed herself a quick breakfast.
As she sat down at the island in the middle of her kitchen to eat and read the morning paper that's when her life, once again, was turned upside down and inside out.
At 6:45am, the doorbell rang.
Rachel froze like a rabbit, everything suddenly moving in slow motion.
She set her mug down and dropped the paper onto the counter.
The doorbell rang again.
She glanced over at the microwave and made a mental note of the time.
Whothe hell is here this early in the morning? And why?
When the doorbell rang for a third time, Rachel realized whoever it was, was not going away.
She left the kitchen, walked down the short hallway and through the living room to the front door.
Her sky blue eyes widened as she peered through the peephole. "What's happened now?" she asked as she opened the door.
Mary Shannon and Marshall Mann stood on her front step, poker faces firmly in place. "Mind if we come in?" Mary asked.
Rachel stepped back from the door and allowed her visitors to pass.
She closed the door and followed them into the living room, taking a seat in an overstuffed chair as the duo took seats on the couch.
"What's happened now?" she asked again slight exasperation in her tone.
Mary and Marshall exchanged looks as Marshall reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a batch of paperwork folded in thirds.
He passed the papers to Rachel a sly grin starting to spread across his face.
"It's over. You can go home," Mary explained as Rachel opened the papers and started to read through them.
"Connors has been extradited to Ireland and Velez…uh…he…died during intake in prison Monday," Marshall continued.
Rachel looked up from the paperwork with a questioning look on her face, "Define… 'Died'. There's something in your tone, Marshall."
"Apparently, he had an accident in the shower. Much like Jeffery Dahmer did back in the early 90's. If you get my meaning," Marshall smiled.
A sly, knowing grin spread across Rachel's face, "I see. So… how soon can I go…um…uh…home?"
"We can leave as early as this afternoon if you'd like. I'm guessing you probably won't feel too bad about not giving notice at work. The process has already been started to unfreeze your assets. It will take a couple weeks to finish all the red tape bullshit but we are putting a rush on it, if that's any consolation. I don't know if you were ever told but the bulk of your personal belongings were placed in storage right after you entered the program, courtesy of your mother and the feds," Mary explained.
A dark shadow quickly passed over Rachel's face at the mention of her mother.
"Once we arrive, we can help you find a new place and we'll even get a team together to do the heavy lifting," Marshall offered with a smile.
"I know this is a lot to take in all at once but are you ready to go home…Alex?" Mary asked using Rachel's real name for the first time in almost three years.
Special Victims Unit
16th Precinct, NYC
Saturday September 9th, 2006
9:00am
"I thought you got blown up," Munch smirked as Elliot entered the squad room.
"Yeah, well, why put me out of my misery, you know?" Elliot replied as he approached Munch and Fin.
Fin laughed, "Welcome home, man, glad you're okay."
"Thanks." Elliot glanced over at his and Olivia's adjoining desks and frowned, "What's with Liv's desk?"
Fin and Munch looked over confused looks upon both their faces.
"It's a little early for spring cleaning," Munch quipped as the trio noticed her desk was suddenly devoid of all her person effects, pending and finished case files.
It had been stripped down to the bare bones; only the phone, lamp and computer remained.
"Where's Liv?" Elliot called out to Cragen as their Captain entered the squad room from his adjoining office and the trio crossed closer to Olivia and Elliot's desks.
"Temporary reassignment," was Cragen's vague answer as he approached the three detectives.
"Where?" Elliot asked.
"I can't say."
"She still working with the Feds on that eco-terror case?"
"Can't say."
"How long's she gone for?"
"Real estate is at a premium around here. We need the desk for your new partner," Cragen explained and began to make his exit from the squad.
"My temporary new partner." Elliot corrected.
Cragen turned around and paused, "Okay." He nodded to the trio and took his leave.
Elliot, Fin and Munch stood there for a moment, as their Captain's words sunk in, staring at one another in confusion.
Munch finally spoke up, "She wouldn't leave without saying anything."
Elliot went to his desk, picked up his phone and dialed.
"That's something my partner would do, not yours," Fin joked.
After a few seconds, Elliot pulled the phone away from his ear and reset it so that it was on speakerphone, "What is this, a joke?"
"What?" Munch asked.
As soon as the question left his lips, an automated recording filled the room, "We're sorry, the number you have reached has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please check the number and try your call again."
Home of Alexandra Cabot
413 W. 87th St. Pent. C
Saturday September 30th, 2006
11:30am
It had been five weeks since Alex had arrived back home, New York City.
Within a couple of weeks, the Cabot estate had been fully restored and Alex had found and begun moving into her new home.
Alex had wanted to return to her old neighborhood and was lucky enough to find a beautiful penthouse less than ten blocks from her previous address.
She now also lived only a couple blocks from someone she considered one of her very best friends in the world and quite possibly the love of her life, Olivia Benson.
I wonder if she's even thought about me since the last time we saw each other. Damn, I've missed you Liv. I hope I'll get a chance to finally make things right between us.
The intercom's incessant buzzing snapped Alex from her thoughts.
"Yes," she answered as she pressed the button on the intercom.
"Ms. Cabot, there's a Ms. Carmichael here to see you. Shall I send her up?" Oscar, her building's security man, inquired the hesitance obvious in his voice.
Alex couldn't stop the smile that quickly spread across her face, "Absolutely, Oscar. Send her right up."
Abbie Carmichael was the first person from Alex's old life that she would be seeing since her return.
Yet, she still wondered how Abbie, of all people, knew she was out of the program and back in New York. Guess I'll find out the answer to that soon enough.
A few minutes later, Alex answered the knock on her door, opening it to reveal the one and only Abbie Carmichael.
"Get in here," Alex grinned as Abbie entered the penthouse and pulled her old friend into a warm hug.
"Damn, I gotta admit, you look fan-fucking-tastic for a dead woman," Abbie laughed as she released their hug, taking a step back to give Alex the once over.
Alex laughed, "Thanks a lot. You don't look too bad yourself, cowboy. How the hell did you know I was here?"
"That's my Cabot, cut right to the chase. I'm workin' in DC now and I've been keepin' my ear to the ground since the Connors trial. I took a couple of personal days as soon as I found out you were back in the city. How long have you been home?"
"A little over a month. I was in still in seclusion the first couple weeks while I had to finish all the paperwork and find this place. Everything's finally all in order but it still just feels so… surreal, you know what I mean? Can I get you something to drink?"
"Beer, if you have it, would be great. And yeah, I can understand what you mean. Not first hand, of course, but I can sympathize," Abbie replied as she made her way over to the couch and took a seat.
Alex went into the kitchen and grabbed each of them a beer, returned to the living room and joined Abbie on the couch handing her one of the beers as she passed.
"You are the first person from before that I've seen since I got back. It's great to see you by the way."
Abbie took a long pull from her beer and gave Alex a skeptical look, "You mean to tell me you haven't talked to or seen Liv yet? You only live a couple blocks from the woman now. Hello?"
"I've been overwhelmingly busy. I'm not avoiding her, so don't even start that. I just haven't had the chance yet. I'm only just now coming up for air. They definitely didn't mention how hard bringing someone back from the dead actually was in the Witsec brochure. It's been a pain in the ass, believe me, but it's worth it," Alex explained with a chuckle.
Abbie chuckled as well, "You're a lawyer Alex, you should've known to read all the fine print. So… you finally gonna suck it up and tell her how you really feel or are you gonna continue with the harry high school bullshit?"
"Talk about cutting to the chase, Christ Abbs. That's certainly not going to be my opening statement but yes, I am gonna finally tell her. After everything I've been through…" Alex let her thought trail off as she let out a deep sigh.
She finished off her beer and sat the empty bottle on the end table. "I lost everything Abbie, everything. My job, my home, my friends, my Mom…They wouldn't even let me go to her fucking funeral, Abbie. Can you believe that? She died thinking that she'd out lived me. It breaks my heart. I'll never forgive those assholes for not letting me…" The tears silently poured down Alex's cheeks and she made no real effort to stop them.
Abbie moved over to Alex and held her close while she cried. "If it's any consolation, it was an absolutely gorgeous event. (She purposely avoided saying the word funeral) You would've been so proud. It had all the grace and elegance you'd expect. She looked beautiful and stunning. Everyone that could be there was there. It was the definition of utmost class, Alex," she said quietly as Alex's tears finally subsided.
"Thank you, Abbie. That means a lot, truly," she replied and Abbie gave her one last squeeze and rose from the couch. She grabbed their empty beer bottles and headed for the kitchen to toss them.
"Soooo… you were sayin' that you've been 'overwhelmingly busy', which tells me that you haven't had a chance to go out and live a little, right?" Abbie asked as Alex re-emerged from the kitchen.
Alex glanced up at her curiously as she wiped the last remnants of her tears away, "Riiight. What are you getting at, Abbs?"
"Go get dressed. I say it's high time for some retail therapy and some lunch. Come on, Cabot. Let's go," Abbie nudged Alex off in the direction of what she assumed was Alex's bedroom.
TBC...