I'd tell you I owned SVU, but I'm under oath right now…
Erin really liked airplanes, she decided.
She figured it made sense. She had always liked the sky, actually. She was always captured by watching it change colors from a royal, pure, cold blue to a fierce, searing, deep crimson. In the evening its rays radiated and lit up the dome of a sky with colors and painted the entire canvas rainbow. Though, she supposed it would be more like a dry erase board, since it was wiped clean every day and given new and fascinating patterns. She would consider herself to be an artistic type of person, so she latched onto those colors.
She guessed that the rainbow thing happened in the morning too with sunrises, but she would never be bothered to wake up and see them. Even her morning runs didn't start that early. She'd always been a night owl.
She liked the bodies in the sky too, day or night. She was always fascinated by how the clouds could look so puffy and solid from the ground, yet she could fly right through them. The clouds wove each other in various patterns to entertain those below with its various and often debatable shapes. People could spy them anywhere, while having a picnic or looking through a window while uninterested at work or in class. They were just little gas particles answering to the beck and call of every bored person, hooking to one another to form something different, something whole.
At least she thought that's how clouds formed. Like she said, she spent too much time looking out the window in Chemistry class to know the exact breeding grounds of a cloud.
Erin was snapped out of this random mind-rampage when she heard the deep-voiced, British pilot over the intercom, silently taking a brief moment to laugh at the coincidence of the origins of the person flying the plane. She remembered telling Olivia in the hospital a couple months ago about how she was moving to Houston, England. She wasn't even sure if there was such a place, but found it humorous nonetheless that she was returning from a Houston of different sorts in Texas.
She had made the executive decision to spend the summer in the Southern part of the US with her father and brothers to help them settle into their new home. She helped them unpack, and it was nice to be with the people she'd grown up with, but stepping out at the New York airport, she knew she was rightfully back home. Her home. Her life was in the city. As much as she loved getting tan and eating some insanely spicy and delicious salsa and chips on the border, she preferred the insanely snowy winters and living off hot dog street vendors and family-owned pizza joints. This was where she was meant to be.
Besides her love affair with snow and unhealthy dietary habits, she was glad to be back for a bigger reason. Well, four bigger reasons to be specific. Not to rag on her father and brothers (which she wouldn't considering she honestly did love them with all of her heart), she had missed four people in particular. And besides one week she had to fly back to testify in the Jones' case, she hadn't seen them all summer. Sure, they'd texted, but they'd all been busy with their own things over the summer. Olivia and Elliot had more cases than ever, Delilah was always going off to pool parties and pageant gatherings, and Chris had gotten a summer job. It was hectic, and honestly, she'd missed the unique chaos that enveloped that bunch.
Grabbing her luggage off the conveyor belt snaking around the waiting area, she pushed her sunglasses onto her forehead and went in search of Olivia. She didn't immediately see her, which she thought was odd. Olivia was always the type of person to be punctual.
She glanced around the food court, and stood on her tip-toes to sneak a peek deeper in the gift shop. Nada. Maybe she was in the restroom or something, Erin figured, and found refuge sitting on a bench. She wasn't feeling too badly yet, but knew she would feel tired later. She never quite understood how you could get jetlag from simply sitting in a plane. Shouldn't you feel more energized after lounging lazily and being waited on hand and foot?
Again, her random thoughts were interrupted by her mouth and eyes being covered from behind. Feeling her heart leap out of her chest, she organized a quick plan of action in her brain. She figured that the hand didn't feel that large, and that she could slightly feel fingernails, indicating the perp was most likely a woman. She decided her best plan of action would be to quickly whip around on the metal bench and prepare to punch, cover or grab, meanwhile preparing to jump over the bench and kick if need be. She didn't want to draw too much attention in case this could turn into a mass hostage situation.
Frantically counting herself down until action she rapidly twisted herself, surprised there was no immediate retaliation from the mysterious person when she moved. Moving her eyes upward quickly to identify the person, for a future lawsuit and in order to plan and make her next more, she was faced with a pair of dark brown eyes.
"Are you kidding me right now, Olivia?" Erin demanded, clutching her chest with her hand, still feeling the hard, quick thumping of her heart and slight shaking of her hands. "Are you trying to kill me?" She prompted again.
"Just wanted to see if you're still as good as you were. I think it's safe to stay you still got it," she said smiling and laughing a little at the unnecessary panicked reaction, nudging Erin in the side.
"Yeah, well regardless of your intentions, which was executed in a rather cruel fashion might I add, it still wasn't nice," Erin said defensively, turning around and crossing her arms in a petulant child-like manner.
"Sorry about that. Will coffee make it better?" She asked, moving around to look at her face, bending ever so slightly to get on Erin's level. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd grown in the last few months. She could've sworn she was only up to here last time she saw her. Oh my God, she was turning into one of those annoying old people at family reunions. She was glad she didn't share this thought out loud, for it would have faced endless ridicule in the dangerous, mocking hands of Erin.
Erin raised an eyebrow at this proposal. "What kind of coffee is it?"
"Vanilla latte no whipped cream, extra vanilla, milk skim, extra hot from the Starbuck's right," she pointed at a green and crème building "over there," Olivia finished the recitation flawlessly.
"Hm," Erin considered, "I'll taste it and consider if I can ever forgive you for making me so frightened I'm surprised my heart is still in its rightful place and not in my throat."
"Any chance you could spare a hug before pondering this life-altering decision?"
"I'd say it's a good possibility," Erin replied, finishing her sentence as they were actually embracing.
"I've missed you, kid," Olivia said into Erin's hair.
"I've missed you too," Erin replied, and Olivia pulled back, smiling and looking the girl over.
"Well," she said about an arms-length apart, her hands on Erin's shoulders, secretly examining her height. Yes, she was definitely taller. "You look good."
Erin nodded and let out a laugh of her own.
Olivia raised her eyebrows and laughed too in innocence. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just 'you look good.' That's a phrase I normally associate with people who dated all through high school and are now really awkward together. In a situation, say, when they're the only ones placed by the punch bowl at a class reunion."
"What, would you rather I say 'gosh, you look terrible?'"
"No. I wouldn't want you to lie."
"Is it possible that you're even more annoyingly sarcastic than when I left you?"
"You'd better believe it. We're still at the airport, you want to return me? I'm refundable until we pull out of the parking lot."
"No, I guess I'll just be stuck with you. Plus, if you left, I'd have to buy you plane ticket home, and airlines charge a lot. You'd get to be very expensive. And if you live with me, you're also a tax deduction, so I figure the pros outweigh the cons."
"Well, we'll see how you feel in a few days. I bet you you'll be paying to get rid of me. You know, when you'll start to hear me and my snarky remarks in your dreams."
"Nightmares, you mean?"
"It doesn't matter. My presence is a dream come true. And lucky for you, I'm your new reality."
"Joy," Olivia said rolling her eyes in a sarcastic motion, but behind those pupils she was deathly serious. She was glad to be going home with the rest of her family.
SVU
Olivia crocked her elbow up from the steering wheel for her arm to cover yet another yawn. It was five o'clock in the evening, the absolute worst time for traffic, and a drive from the airport that should have only taken about an hour, was pushing three. The interstate was an absolute bear, and the horns and yelling were getting under Olivia's skin. Of course, this probably wouldn't be a problem unless you factored in the fact that she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep in the past couple of days.
There had been a big break on a long, grueling case, one that required all of the 1-6 to team up and work together for several nights. It wasn't like Olivia hadn't pulled one or two or dozens all-nighters, but this one was different. This time she had something else to worry about, and honestly, she had no idea how Elliot had done it for all of these years.
This was the first really big case since she'd adopted Delilah. Sweet, troubled Delilah who Olivia figured out was as lovable as she was mischievous. It wasn't that she was a bad kid, not at all, but she was lost. She had some anxiety and self-esteem issues, which Olivia figured was completely understandable considering her past. It seemed as if she was healing though, slowly but surely. This summer had been a big step for Delilah, Olivia could tell. Even though she hadn't known the girl her entire life, she could tell that she was slowly coaxing her out of her shell. She was being nurturing, something Delilah seemed puzzled by at first, but quickly latched on to and took advantage of it, along with other things. She had everyone wrapped around her little finger.
Literally everyone.
This summer had been a big step not only for Delilah, but for Olivia as well.
Now Olivia had never intentionally been anti-social, it was just that she was always so career-driven and stubborn that she never really went out, and had only close acquaintances, not really anyone she could call a friend per say. She had been loosening up a bit, going out with some co-workers for reasons other than business. She had gone out for a girls' night to the movies with Alex, she'd been out to dinner with Huang, and she'd even went to Melinda's niece's birthday party. She'd actually permeated friendships. The pageant experience had changed her in many ways. She learned there was more to life than just work, and as much as she still loved and valued it, she learned that there was still light in the world she saw sometimes as only a dark place.
Besides just gaining some friends, she'd also gained some knowledge, and interesting relationships. She never thought of Casey Novak as really a people person. She'd admit they'd had their ups and downs. And she won't lie, the first impression of her was a snarky little ginger with sarcasm and a major chip on her shoulder. But their relationship had grown from coffee and drinks a couple times of month to more like sisters.
It started on a night where Olivia had gotten a call at three in the morning. It was an important lead, and it couldn't wait until later. Helplessly, she racked her brain for what she could do with Delilah. She considered dropping her off at the Stabler, well-Stabler minus Elliot- residence, she decided against it considering the awkwardness that would no doubt ensue. She and Kathy had always been neutral forces, they were never BFF's, but they never exactly despised each other either. They just danced around each other when need be.
Seeing no other plausible option, she attempted to call Alex, who she'd always been closer to, only to no avail considering Alex was visiting family in Chicago that weekend. The one weekend she decides to take off, and it just happens to be the time Olivia needs her. Reluctantly she picked up the phone and called Casey if she could drive over quickly. Surprisingly, there were only a few snappy replies and limited strings of cursing, and Novak complied in all of her pajama glory. When Olivia returned in the morning, she was a bit shocked to see Casey and Delilah at the table, spoons in hand and cereal bowls in front of them, talking and laughing together.
Casey and Delilah had grown surprisingly close. Thinking this an odd couple, Olivia was at first rendered speechless, but then decided to let it go, thinking about how Delilah could use another influence in her life instead of simply her sole provider. She decided not to disturb the interesting bond and take a step back and let things work out.
And that wasn't the only relationship she'd done this with.
Not only had Olivia gained some female friends, but also gotten a little closer with some of her male ones.
They were taking it slow of course. It'd been over ten years, an entire decade, why rush it now? And with Olivia starting her family and Elliot struggling to keep his above water, they were each dealing with their own demons and attempting to fight their own battles. However, that didn't mean they totally ignored each other. They had been to dinner a few times, gone to the movies, taken some walks. Again, they were taking it slow, but to say the least they were both very satisfied with the good, albeit a little bit sluggish, progress.
"Olivia?" Erin questioned, snapping Olivia out of her haze of reflection over the summer months.
"Yeah?" She glanced over at the teen in the passenger's seat.
"You look…exhausted."
"Yeah, well," she said, pausing to yawn, "I am a little tired."
"No seriously, when's the last time you slept, you look like you're about to crash."
"Why do you suddenly care so much about my sleeping habits?"
"Because if you crash, the car crashes, and by default I crash, which I don't really think sounds like the way I'd choose to spend my Sunday afternoon. Do you want me to drive?"
"What?" Olivia said with a smirk.
"I asked if you wanted me to drive," Erin defended, irked by the sarcasm, and knowing Olivia had heard her clearly the first time.
"Um, no."
"Why not? I have my permit."
"Uh, because, like you said, I too wouldn't like to crash today."
"We are not going to crash. I'd be just as good a driver as you. You know someone who hasn't slept in seventeen hours has the equality of impairment to someone with a .05 blood-alcohol level."
Olivia raised an eyebrow, "Are you telling me my blood stream consists of five percent alcohol right now?"
"No, I am not. I indirectly said I would be better."
"Oh, so on a normal day, you're just a good a driver as me?"
"Yup."
Olivia sighed. "All right, but only because I'm tired, and I imagine it's the only way I'm going to get you to shut up," Olivia said, exiting the busy street and pulling into a practically vacant parking lot. "All right, get in here," she said, stumbling to the other side of the car. "And stop walking like that. You're practically skipping; it's annoying."
"Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Erin said, hopping into the driver's seat. "Keys?" She asked, sticking out her hand.
"Here," she said, handing her the keychain. "And I didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed; I didn't wake up at all this morning since I clearly didn't sleep. Buckle up."
"Cool with the nagging, mother, I'm getting there," she said, snapping the seatbelt into place. "And sleep deprivation is no excuse for rudeness."
"Oh I think it is. Adjust the mirrors."
"Again, way ahead of you," Erin stated, bending the mirror slightly.
"Is your seat adjusted?"
"Yes."
"And your foot can easily reach both pedals?"
"Uh-huh."
"Are you-?"
"Hey, Olivia?"
"What?"
"Not trying to be rude here, but I've driven a car before. Now if you don't feel comfortable, I'm not going to force you to let me drive, but I really do think I can handle it."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Sorry, I'm overreacting."
"It's okay. So do you want me to do donuts out of here or anything?"
"I dare you…no scratch that, knowing you, you'd probably actually do it."
"Ugh, you're no fun."
"Yeah that's why."
"It is."
"Mhm."
Erin backed the car out of the parking lot and started on the last leg of the ride home, making a move to turn the radio on.
"Excuse me, but I get radio privileges," Olivia proclaimed.
Erin scoffed. "And why would that be?"
"Because I'm the passenger."
"Says who? Whenever I'm the passenger you say they're yours since you're the driver. So which is it?"
"That's a trick question; they're always mine since I'm older."
"Great reason."
"Oh, I know."
"Thank God we have the same taste in music. I swear if I have to listen to more garbage about money and drugs like I did all summer with my brothers, I would probably drive this car into a large body of nearby water."
"Oh, I know. Delilah likes that kind too. Trash," Olivia said, disgusted, thinking about it.
"Complete crap," Erin agreed. After a few minutes she looked over to see Olivia wide awake in the passenger's seat. "You can sleep you know."
"Can not."
"Why?"
"Because I might have to grab the wheel."
"Wow, thanks for all the faith you have in me. I can see this relationship is really based on a trust."
"Look kid, I just want to get home in one piece."
"I'm not going to kill anyone!"
"Sure."
"I won't!"
"Don't get emotional; it'll impair your driving. Emotional people have ten percent of alcohol in their bodies," Olivia mocked in a snooty voice.
"Oh shut up. And that fact didn't even make sense. Mine did. Mine was from a credible source."
"You call Wikipedia credible?"
"It was Cha-Cha Answers, thank you very much."
Olivia chuckled, "Even better."
"I know my stuff."
"Except the rules of the road."
Erin glared through the middle mirror and stuck her tongue out of it, seeing that Olivia's eyes were closed and resting against the window.
"Eyes and tongue on the road, please."
Erin sighed. She could never win.
SVU
"Good morning, sunshine, we're home," Erin said, tapping Olivia on the shoulder as she pulled into the parking garage she used for her apartment.
Olivia yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I feel asleep?"
"No, your eyes were just closed and you were snoring."
"Well I was just confirming that I actually could have slept with your crazy driving," she said, stretching.
"Looks like that nap did you no good on the official rating of the grouchy-meter."
"I'm just playing around with you."
"I know. You wouldn't dare insult me for real."
"True," Olivia said, helping Erin grab her luggage and shut the trunk of the car.
"So why didn't Delilah come with you to pick me up? She doesn't miss me?"
Olivia laughed, "Oh she misses you all right. You're the only thing she's talked about for days. She's sleeping over at a friend's house tonight though. As much as she wanted to be there for you, she got a better offer."
"Pity."
"Don't worry; she'll be back tomorrow, probably gabbing in your ear about what a fun year you're going to have together."
"I can't wait."
"Yeah, it gets irritating after a while, don't worry. But now she'll have someone else to blab to too. I'm glad she's starting to show more of herself though. At first I wasn't so sure she was going to like it here, but she's becoming more outgoing. At the very least it doesn't seem like she hates it here," Olivia said, unlocking the apartment door.
"Oh she does, but she'll keep pretending she doesn't because she knows you're insecure."
"Don't joke; I'm actually being serious for once."
"I can use derision because what you're proposing is preposterous. I'm sure she loves it here."
"I just," Olivia stuttered, putting the suitcase down next to the table, "I want to be able to give her everything she used to have. I mean before this she lived in a mansion, and got manicures, and had a chef. Now, what, she lives in an apartment with me attempting to paint her nails and gets take-out? I mean I just want to her to feel comfortable and compensated, and I don't know if you're too far off. Sure she seems fine, but what if she's not happy here? What if this decision was selfish and she wishes she was in a different arrangement?"
"Oh my God, just sit down."
"What? No."
"Sit," Erin said, pointing at the couch. Olivia dragged her feet over to the sofa, obviously still too tired to argue. "I thought we'd been through this before."
"We have, but now I'm having second thoughts, doubts, it scares me that I'm not doing what's best for her."
"Olivia, you're cracked, okay? This whole thing," she said her fingers forming a loop around in the air, "is insane. You're crazy. You said yourself months ago that she'd be getting something she never got. You can offer her stability and kindness and an example, things she's never had. Things that are actually going to matter in ten years. Those are the things that make a person; those are the things that she actually cares about. Delilah loves you; she was always wide-eyed around you even before she knew who you were. It's even more obvious that you love her, and I think that she knows that. And that's way more important than a house or nail polish or caviar and filet minion. Okay?"
Olivia took a deep breath. "Okay," she said non-committed "Sorry for the rambling, I just, I get these feelings like I'm not doing enough, you know?"
"I know. And I think it's normal to feel like that. This is all still new to both of you and you still need time to adjust. But I think from the seven days I saw, and from knowing both of you beforehand, that it's going to work out."
"Thank you," Olivia said sincerely.
"You're welcome. And if she doesn't know that, I can always beat some sense into her," she said punching her fist into her palm. "That's right, knock in the loving feelings!" Erin said in a low voice.
"How about we just put in a movie," Olivia suggested.
"I suppose that could work."
"I get to choose."
"No way! You got music privileges!"
"And I have the power to take away all your privileges."
"On what grounds?" Erin crossed her arms.
"Um, a million counts of being sassy a couple months ago," Olivia convicted.
"Phish-posh, the statute of limitations ran out on those long ago," she waved the thought away.
"Well you also never finished being grounded a couple months ago either, so technically…"
"Objection," Erin said, raising her pointer-finger, "I don't see how that is at all relevant. That was like forever ago."
"Doesn't matter, it's still an open case," Olivia argued.
"Stop badgering me and choose a movie," Erin said, exasperated.
"Really? You're just letting me win like that?" Olivia asked, surprised.
"If it means that much to you"
"It does," she said popping in a movie and joining Erin back on the couch, sloppily throwing a blanket over the two, and lazily placed her arm around her shoulder.
"I know I said this earlier, but I'm really glad your back, kid."
"I didn't say this earlier, but it's good to be home," Erin said before letting jet-lag envelop her.
Stop! Sequel time! *Does M.C Hammer dance.* That's right folks, I'm back. Are you excited? I know I am! Sorry about the uneventful first chapter, but it's going to get more intense and action-packed, I promise. So stay tuned! Sorry if this seemed out of character what with Olivia and Casey's friendship and anything else. But I love the idea of Casey and Olivia as friends. And in my defense, Olivia and Alex went ice skating this season, so I don't think it's that big of a stretch.
I can't guarantee updates won't be sporadic, but my goal is to crank out a chapter a week for y'all. But again, not promises, and I apologize in advance.
Thanks to my amazing beta Lady Riss (and TangoSVU who will beta in the future) who proofread this on REALLY short notice…I'm talking less than 24 hours, folks!)
By the way, this is posted today since 'Pageantry' was also posted on March 3rd. Just a fun fact for everyone! Kind of goes full circle, you know?
I hope you liked it and it gets as good of feedback as the first! I'm so psyched for what's to come! As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read, and reviews/PM's make my life! Make sure you buckle up because this is going to be an awesome ride. =)