Visitation
This story takes place in the early 1980's. The loose timeline :Roughly six months after Jack's first marriage ends. Prior to his EADA appointment, while he is working with the infamous, Diana Hawthorne. Clare Kincade is not in the story, but has replaced Paul Robinette. Elizabeth Donnelly has left SVU, not as bureau chief, but as a Jr. ADA, to accept a promotion to Senior ADA in Oragnizaed Crime/Racketeering. This is years prior to her becoming a Bureau Chief.
She checked her wristwatch impatiently. The final decree says 9:30, she thought, watching as her daughter amused herself with the olive colored IBM Selectric. The three year old was oblivious to the fact her father was almost an hour late for his scheduled visit. Happily, she typed on the keyboard while her mother unpacked boxes and settled into her new office in the Organized Crime & Racketeering division of the New York County District Attorney's Office.
The woman pulled a name plate out of a box marked Desk. It read: E. McCoy: Assistant District Attorney. The item promptly went in the trash. The last thing she wanted to be called was McCoy. The new plate would be arriving soon. At least the name on the door was right. New name. New office. New start.
"Hey! Betsy Ann! Got a hug for Daddy?" The blonde haired angel sprung from the desk and into her father's arms. "Ready to go to the zoo?"
The girl nodded excitedly," Oh yes Daddy! Mommy says there are baby bears! Can we visit them?"
"Of course we can, honey. That'll be our first stop, I promise," he said catching a lethal look from his ex wife. He picked up his daughter and gestured towards the window," Nice, Liz. I hope a bullet doesn't mare the view."
She took the child from his arms and walked back to the desk, "Mommy needs to talk grown up talk with Daddy. Why don't you type me another letter and we will be right back." The little girl knew what "grown up" talk meant.
She whispered," Mommy, pleeeease don't make Daddy go. I want to see the bears."
"Honey, Daddy won't run out on you." she turned to McCoy," Will you Daddy?"
"Don't worry baby, were going to the zoo. Promise."
Once the office door closed they moved several feet away. They knew from experience their little girl had big ears.
McCoy looked down at his ex wife and waited.
"Just full of them aren't you," she spat.
"What would that be?'
"Promises. God, Jack, you're an hour late! I realize bedding Diana Hawthorne is your activity of choice these days - "
"I didn't know you cared, Liz."
"Don't flatter yourself counselor." without missing a beat," I don't care if you screw every woman between here and Centre Street. Oh. Wait. You've already done that haven't you?"
McCoy moved toward the door," We're not having this conversation."
Donnelly blocked his path." I swear if you break our daughter's heart I'll hail you back into court so fast you won't know what hit you. Not only will I break you financially, I will make sure the next time you see your daughter she will be wearing a cap and gown."
"Don't threaten me Elizabeth," he said barely controlling his temper.
She moved within inches of him and met his glare with one of her own," It's not a threat, Jack. It's a promise. I keep my promises."
"Jesus, Liz," he said exasperated. "There was wreck on Broadway. Traffic was a mess. I didn't plan it."
"Jack. Please. It's all over the building." she said quietly. She knew damn well he had left the building with Diana Hawthorne the night before. It was unavoidable. God knows how many well meaning "friends" had been updating her on the increase of late night meetings between her ex husband and his second chair. "I don't give a damn who you sleep with, but our colleagues, apparently do. God, Jack, can't you be discreet? If -" she stopped herself from saying "if not for me" - her pride wouldn't allow that. She wasn't about to admit the misery she felt each time she heard a new rendition of the Jack & Diana saga. She collected herself quickly finishing, "If you still value your career-"
McCoy moved passed her and put his hand on the knob. "I'm not a monk Liz. You of all people should know that. I stay out of your personal life. Stay out of mine. Are we done here,?" He opened the door without waiting for a reply." I'll have her on your doorstep Sunday, by noon, as per the custody agreement."
Presumptuous son of a bitch ,she thought as she angrily snapped back, " I suggest you call before you just drop by on a Sunday morning."
He turned back to her, involuntarily giving her the reaction she wanted, in his face a flash of jealousy and surprise. She walked passed him ashamed at the pleasure she derived from the petty victory.
"Diana Hawthorne??" Sally Bell winched as Liz nodded. She finished breaking down the last of the boxes and sat across from Liz. She picked up the last of the egg rolls. "She's a baby!"
"Twenty seven. Danielle Melnick felt obliged to tell me that." Donnelly said with a sigh. "A year older than I was."
"Still….Jack's what? Forty?"
"In November."
"What the hell is he thinking?" Sally laughed at the sideways glanced she received," Okay, Liz, I know what he is thinking. But come on…I worked with her, when she was interning, at Harper & Bryce. She's an opportunist. No scruples. No conscious. I can't believe Adam hasn't seen through her, even if Jack can't."
"If I know Adam, that's why he assigned her to Jack. Diana has potential. Maybe Adam thinks, if she works with Jack, she'll figure out you can be ambitious and have ethics. Besides, she started working with Jack not long after I made the lateral move to SVU. That was right after Jack & I got serious. I know Jack was all business then, but once the marriage fell apart…once he was out of the house…" her voice trailed off as she took a bite of the fried rice on her plate.
"Yes?"
"Sally, he was raw. We both were. Even now, the divorce has only been final… what six months? What he's doing…. it's classic Jack. A drink in his hand and woman on his arm. A beautiful, more than willing, assistant who's been oh so supportive through his divorce. Like Jack could ever resist that? Too bad Ben's already replaced Paul Robinette. Adam would have had a good reason to transfer Diana. No chance of a sex discrimination suit. Ben would have straightened her out, or send her packing."
Sally nodded in agreement. "True. I probably shouldn't tell you, but…well, Jack called me right after you had him served. You're right. He's easy picking for Hawthorne. God Liz, he was a mess."
"Really. And what did you do,"she asked her friend, well aware of the history Sally Bell and Jack McCoy had.
"What do you think I did? I did what any red blooded woman would do…"she said with a grin, pausing for effect. " I gave him a kiss for old time's sake and told him to stop being an ass and call you! Maybe I should have told you the same thing."
Donnelly let out a sigh. "Filing for divorce wasn't a decision lightly made, Sal."
"I know, Liz. But, you two were so good for each other-"
"When it was good. But Sally, when it was bad. It was really bad. We're both so driven. Maybe if I'd been practicing longer, I would have been ready to stay at home and raise Betsy. That's what he needs. A woman that will handle the domestic responsibilities, while he focuses on the professional ones. Where's the sweet and sour?"
Bell pushed a carton towards her, "Liz is that really fair? I mean, you told me yourself he is wonderful with Elizabeth Ann. We both know, he knows how to treat a woman…he must have been a dream husband."
"Jack is a great father. When he's focused. Today wasn't the first time he got his priorities confused. But it better be the last," she paused. "Sally, I know you wanted this once. A marriage and children with Jack. It sounds like the perfect life, before you actually live it. The sad fact is, I stopped being Jack's lover, the day I became the mother of his child."
"Liz?"
Seeing the shock on Bell's face she hurriedly added, "Oh, not literally. But… God, I don't know, maybe it was the age thing. I mean, nine years isn't a huge difference, but it is almost a decade. Maybe it's a Catholic thing. I think my Dad was that way with my Mom, too."
"What way?" Bell asked curiosity overriding tact.
"Oh, Jack can talk the talk,"…"Oh, Liz, I would never ask you to give up your passion…of course you should keep working", "Liz, we're partners in this marriage". But when it came down to reality …every time I went out to Riker's, he had a fit. Once, Don Kragen had to pull him off a suspect because Jack was watching me conduct an interrogation. He was killing him before an I.D.. It was a rape/homicide. The guy got mouthy and I got mouthy back. He came at me… Jack stormed in. He went nuts. Sally, I thought he was going to kill the guy. If it hadn't been Kragen with us, Jack would have been charged with attempted murder."
"But Liz, Jack was always protective-"
"Protective, but not obsessed. I'm a District Attorney. I have to see criminals. I mean, that's why I went to SVU. I wanted to avoid that kind of scene. What we do has an eliminate of risk. Jack could accept that before the baby. Not after. Protection became suffocation."
"What about now? Your promotion to Senior ADA? How's he reacting to you going to OCR?"
Donnelly chuckled," Let's just say his passionate side has been aroused."
"I'll bet. SVU is rough, but you're bound to run up against the "Five Families" sooner or later, here."
She shrugged her slender shoulders," He tried to bully me into turning it down. Said I was putting "undue risk" on Betsy Ann.'s safety. Like being a Senior ADA in Major Felonies makes his life a bastion of safety. "
"Wow, did he actually use it in court?"
She shook her head," No. Jack blows a lot of smoke my way, but he's not about to take his daughter away from her mother. That's not Jack. Now he just plays wiseass when he gets the chance," she said glancing at the window.
Sally spoke carefully," Liz, what about private practice? I mean, I'm not judging but-"
Donnelly waved her words aside," I'm a prosecutor, Sally. I could never do defense work. It's not who I am. Neither was being Mrs. John James McCoy."