Hank Voight never doubted his, or his team's capabilities to solve a case. After all he had been the one who cherrypicked the members, but he was sure glad when he laid eyes on Olivia Benson and her detectives that chilly Chicago afternoon. It was just that his team was on that case for so long, that a couple of pairs of fresh eyes couldn't hurt. And he was certain that the case was in a good place as long as the New Yorkers were on board too.
He liked Benson. She didn't take bullshit. Not even from him, which was annoying, but life is not easy, right? Maybe he even liked her a bit more for that. But obviously he would deny everything. He certainly could get used to being close, no-no, scratch that, working with her. 'Let me brief you on the case, cause we don't have much time. They are probably planning their next move,' he said as he walked them to his car and he drove straight to the district.
Trafficking ring. Going for college girls. And after the initial sugardaddy business, they pimp them out for real. Five girls missing. Two turned up dead. Their organs missing. The case was definitely gruesome. Starting with the fact that college girls are so desperate that they would consider prostitution in order to pay their student loans. Why was it, again, that she first had to deal with the trash of Chicago before she could even see the attractions?
'I have an idea,' Olivia spoke up after looking at the white board for a couple of minutes in silence. Everybody looked in her direction, and Voight eyebrows traveled north on his forehead. He'll be damned if she solves the case in five minutes. 'Lindsay, how old are you exactly?'
'You're asking if I could pass as a college girl?' Erin stepped front and thought for a second, and the idea didn't even sound so bad. She could see everything first hand, and could wear a wire, and could collect evidence…
'Absolutely not,' Voight rasped from behind Benson.
'Voight, this is not the time to play concerned daddy,' Erin took a couple of more steps closer to him lowering her voice also, and thus basically excluding everyone else from the conversation.
'It's not you, Erin. They emptied the girls out. I would not send anyone from this squad in there,'
'Is this Hank Voight talking?' Lindsay faked a laugh, but she was genuinely shocked. 'We all signed up for this, we all know that it can end any day…' Voight swallowed hard at her words. She was right. But she was also like a daughter to him. And what father in his right mind would send his daughter on a fieldtrip that could end with her dead in a dumpster, her organs cut out. 'If we can't stop them, who will?' She was right again. 'Let me do it. I have two of the best squads watching my back,' Alright.
'Alright,' he growled, not liking at all that Lindsay was right. He took a scrutinizing look at the detectives standing there, his glance landing on Benson. Damn, she's good. And suddenly, he wished she didn't have such groundbreaking ideas as long as it involved his squad. But yet again, that's why he asked for her help. To think of the things he didn't or didn't have the guts to do. He sighed the deepest sigh since Willhite was shot. Right. It's the Intelligence Unit. They are prepared for everything. He strutted into his office and slumped into his chair. It was different when Olinsky and him were playing tough guys. But these kids? He can only hope that they truly know what they are in for.
'Hank?' he heard a soft knock on his doorframe.
'Come in, Olivia,' he said waving to the chairs on the other side of his desk. Maybe he wasn't pissed at her that much. She took a seat facing him and studied his expression for a second. He looked tired.
'You know, that if I could pass as a schoolgirl, I'd do it myself…' she said quietly and it caught his attention. She was a detective, but he hoped he was a bit more difficult to read.
'Lindsay is a good cop,' he answered but he knew there was no way out of this conversation.
'She is, but for some reason you act like a father to her,' she continued and it dawned on Voight that Benson had no idea of his familial ties with Erin. How would she? All her previous visits were hurried, just solving the case, then running home.
'How bout I buy you dinner, and we continue this conversation there. We have long days ahead, and I'd like to get out of here already,' he said and stared into her eyes. Those brown orbs were impossible to figure. Never let her thoughts show in her eyes. And for a second Voight debated if his actions were out of line with her.
'Well, airplane food is not so filling,' Olivia blushed a little bit. She didn't even realize how hungry she was until Voitght mentioned dinner.
'I'll take that as a yes,' he grinned with relief, and pushed himself up from his desk. He grabbed Olivia's coat and her suitcase. 'I'll drop you off at the hotel after dinner?'
'That would be great,' she smiled when Hank helped her get into her coat. 'I'm really glad that the two squads can work together so well,' she said as they walked out of his office.
'They learn from their sergeants,' he smiled at her. And he was right. She could work with him. He reminded her of Elliot a little bit too much. But he was certainly a good man. She realized that the first time she met him. And because she knew the wood he was carved from way too well, she also knew there was no way he was a dirty cop. And within seconds he enjoyed all her trust. Something that rarely happened in Olivia Benson's life. She found a person she could trust.
'Hey Sarge,' grinned Atwater at them when they reached the detectives preparing to leave the squadroom too. Olivia looked at Hank not sure who the young man was talking to. 'My bad…' he giggled holding his hands in the air, 'Sergeants,' he said putting extra emphasis on the s. 'We're going to Molly's for a night cap, I figured maybe you'd wanna join us?'
'Listen people, I don't want anyone showing up hangover tomorrow morning. We roll out early in the morning. Thanks Kevin, but we're going for dinner with the Sergeant,'
'I'm hungry,' Olinksy chirped in to the dialogue
'See you tomorrow, Al' Voight laughed as he walked down the steps with Olivia.
'Come,' Voight stood up in the middle of dinner. He took her to a nice little restaurant where they make really good deep dish pizza, and frankly Benson couldn't have been happier with the pizza. Well, maybe if he let her finish it.
'Where?' she asked wide eyed. 'I haven't finished my pizza yet,' Olivia protested but Voight didn't seem too fazed about her complaint.
'But you're not starving anymore either, right?' he held up her coat smiling a devilish grin.
'Aren't you a real gentleman,' she groaned getting up from their table and abiding his stupid idea of leaving dinner in half. 'Where are we going?'
'Last time you were here, you said you wanted to see more of Chicago. Tomorrow all hell will break loose, then after the case you'll be rushing home, so I figured I'll show you something while I can,' he said putting his arm around her shoulder as they were walking to his car.
'Now?' she looked at her watch checking the time. It must have been around eleven already.
'It won't take that long. Just trust me.' he said. Olivia shot him a look but said nothing further.
'This is beautiful,' she whispered glued to the window, completely taken aback by the view. Chicago at night, from a hundred stories high, was breathtaking. Not that New York wasn't beautiful at night, from either of her highest towers, but for some reason that was different. That was her home, in Chicago, she was only visiting. 'What is this place?' she asked turning around and leaning against the window.
'I don't know,' the Chicago sergeant shrugged his shoulders.
'So how did you know it existed?' she kept on poking for some answers. Voight stared at her for a second, then a tiny smile appeared on his face. 'It was a crime scene…' and he said it if that was the most natural thing on Earth. Well, they were cops after all.
'Ever the romantic, Hank…' she giggled at his admission and only then did the word she use hit her. Why did the place have to be romantic? Were they on a date? She was desperately ignoring the suggestive thoughts in her mind and looking for something else to say. But thank God for Hank Voight.
'What? You just said it's beautiful,'
'It is beautiful,' she said turning around to take one more look at the city.
'It is beautiful,' he repeated her words but when she turned to face him, he was not looking out the window, but instead right into her eyes. A chill ran over her and she said the first most logical thing that came to her mind right then and there. 'You said you'd drop me off at the hotel?'
'Right,' he said, and with that Voight snapped out of his daze. It really seemed like she was cool, but maybe his receptors were not working so well as when he was younger. So he took his defeat with his head held high, and promised that he wouldn't say another word. He knew that if he pissed her off, she would just take her detectives, get on the earliest plane to New York, and they could for sure announce the case cold. But it was really fine. She wasn't the first and neither the only woman to brush him off.
Except that the long elevator ride down, and the silent walk to his car, she spoke up: 'You know what was wrong with that place?' she asked like it was a question to be solved.
'You could still smell death in the air?' he asked and she had to smile.
'I'm a simpler girl than that, Voight. Give me some credit,' And the girl had jokes. He was nothing short of amused.
'So what bothered you there?' he asked turning to face her. He had to keep the conversation going. He was just dying to see where she was going.
'I could kill for a glass of good whiskey right now,' Olivia answered mirroring his position.
'Well, lucky you, I happen to have some at home,' now they were just staring into each other's eyes. 'Or we can check your hotel room,' he crooked an eyebrow asking only out of curiosity.
'Let's go for sure,'
He'll be damned. Olivia Benson just gotten herself invited to his house, and not even pretended to be subtle about it. 'Home that is,' he laughed a little and immediately started his car. His receptors weren't wrong after all.
