A/N: This is my first time writing a fanfiction and joining any fanfiction platform. So please, just have patience to my little pet project. Constructive comments are graciously accepted by moi, so let me know what you think. I don't own any of the Marvel Thor and Law and Order: SVU characters. I'm just happy to be playing in their respective sandboxes. They all belong to its rightful creators. The only thing that belongs to me are the following: Maiera, the kids, additional characters and the plotline. Thank you.
CHAPTER 1:
If ever there was going to be a definition on what entails to be considered as a bat out of hell at full tilt, then she would certainly be the frontrunner for becoming its poster child, especially with the way she was driving down the busy street of downtown New York. Reckless, fast, and was selectively blind to the danger she is putting herself and others with her manic driving. In fact ,it would be considered as a miracle that not one police cruiser have box her in or better yet yelled at her to pull-over for being a public hazard for the two hours that she was driving.
With a death-grip on the wheel and leaded foot on the accelerator, Maiera, crazily weaved through traffic and made a sharp left on the next intersection , nearly missing a pedestrian who was about to cross the street. "Damn it," she cursed under her breath as she wrestled the steering wheel to steady the van. Looking up to up at her rear view mirror, she caught the man that she almost run over giving her the finger, and was shouting at her with a set of profanities that would –as they say—make sailors blush.
She was about to stop and step out of the van partly out of guilt and mostly by an ingrained purpose of civic duty to try to smooth the ruffled feather of the man she almost murdered but was stopped when her phone blared another set of shrill tones, pulling her back to the nightmare she is in with right now (not the near case of vehicular manslaughter she was currently facing but far worse). She bit her lower lip, as she tried to calm her galloping heart. "No harm, no foul I think," she reasoned out as she glanced again at her would be victim; "If he have lung capacity to shout a whole string of curses without breaking sweat, and was heard from across a block then he should be probably fine."
When her phone didn't stop from ringing and was in fact on the third set of call, she mentally shook herself, and once again stepped on the gas pedal and shoot off towards her dreaded destination.
How any sane person remains calm, as calm as they could ever be when all hell broke loose? Well, to be brutally honest, Maiera was not on any phases of calm. Nope, she is not calm, not serene, and not even remotely peaceful. What she is right now is on the waiting phase. The silence before the storm, the waiting of all emotion to be unleashed, and she was trying so hard to contain all of it until she reached the end of this drive. And then all bets are off. Clinching her jaw and pressing her foot once again on the accelerator, she finally saw the one place she is dreading to be in today. And just to make it worse, the heaven decided to join her fear and fed her anxiety by opening up and drenching everyone with heavy downpour with the loud accompaniment of both thunder and lightning.
Screeching to halt on an open space of the parking lot, Maiera hurriedly yanked out her car keys, grabbed a large duffel bag and locked her car before running towards the entrance of the building that was momentarily lit by a sudden streak of lightning.
The farther her step carries her up through the staircase, the heavier the dread she is feeling, weighing down yet pushing her forward. Pulling and pushing her emotions whichever it thinks it would find its release. A thousand scenarios flashed before her eyes and none of it is helpful to assuage her fear, after all she did have a wild imagination coupled with the predilection of thinking of the worst case scenario. The combination of the two may have been her greatest asset with her job but right now it serves only to fray her nerves thin.
Upon entering the main hallway, she was greeted by the strong smell of disinfectant and cloying aroma of decay and illness that could only be found in hospitals. The lights from the recessed fluorescent fixtures showed the mixture of pallid and wan appearance of its temporary residents wandering around the halls. Hospital staffs and family members weaved through the organized chaos, trying to reach the people that needed to be helped, giving comfort, and guidance, and for some, relief.
It was this blatant show of mortality that finally shook Maiera to her very core. Shattering the protective casing of denial that she wrapped around herself upon receiving the news that afternoon, such realization forced her to rush towards the information counter despite the fact that her legs are now turning into two pairs of jelly. No please God no, she pleaded silently, trying hard not crumble in the middle of the hospital atrium please, they're still children, oh God you have already done enough with this family, do you still need more from us. Please let them be safe, no more please.
"Excuse, Hi. Good evening," she greeted the hospital staff at the information counter, voice cracking with emotion. "I'm here for the Craver children; they were brought here by the EMT and 16th Precinct of New York City Police Department around two this afternoon."
"Hi," one of the older staff, a woman around middle fifty greeted back as she smiled at her warmly. "And you are my dear?"
"They're guardian. Maiera Shen," she answered while giving her ID to the woman. After reading the details on her ID the woman started to check down the hospital data base from her computer station. "They are at the sixth floor room 632 and 643. The children just got-" Maiera did not wait for her to finish, with a hasty thank you, she practically flew towards the waiting elevator and pushed the sixth button.
"For the millionth time Carisi, I already contacted her," a petite blond woman admonished a tall and lanky man who was standing beside her. "And before you could start again, I already called both her mobile phone, her landline, office phone, and even her home phone. Nobody is picking up."
"Hey don't bit my head off, Rollins," the man replied as he rubbed the short stubble on his face with frustration. "It's just that it's been almost been seven hours after the incident and we couldn't contact any of the children's father, and one of them just got out from surgery."
"Surgery?" a voice asked from behind them. "What surgery? Sonny, what do you mean by surgery?
Both Carisi and Rollins turned and saw a petite woman in a drenched charcoal pan suit and a red blouse, hair barely held with an ornate buyao, and carrying a big duffel bag, barrelling towards them from the newly opened elevator. What made them speechless is not about her dishevelled state, it is the fact that the woman who is front of them, allowed them to see her in any form less that her usual state of orderliness. Well at this point, one must say that they should cut her some slack, but still.
"Mai," a soft voice spoke out. "Please come with me okay."
Maiera looked at the person who is now gently holding her arm, completely stopping her from barrelling towards Amanda and Sonny. It was her friend, Sergeant Olivia "Liv" Benson. She gently herded her towards a bench not far from the rest of SVU detectives. "Liv, what happened?" Maiera asked again, fear lacing her voice. "What did Carisi means by surgery? Where are the kids?"
When the brunette detective still couldn't answer her, Maiera got agitated and started to growl in frustration. "Damn it Liv! Just still me alright. Where are the kids?"
"Thomas and Anabeth are fine Mai," Olivia replied softly, trying hard to calm Mai down. "Fine," Mai scoffed with irritation "really Liv, since when do you sugar coat things for me, tell it to me straight well you. I know you-no , I know all of you better than this?"
"The kids were involved a shot out at central park. Uni was trying to apprehend a member of sex traffic ring who escaped during the raid. Idiot cut through Central Park, have the brilliant idea of emptying a .45 in public to deter the police, tried escaping, emphasis on tried, was eventually caught when Carisi tackled him near the pond," a voice rang out from Olivia's left.
"What!" Mai exclaimed in surprise, hands shaking. Turning from her seat, she immediately saw a man with a goatee, and a perpetual frown on his brow, Detective Fin Tutuola . The detective arched his brow, silently telling her, well, you asked for it, I'm just giving it to you exactly how want it to be delivered.
"Anabeth was busy playing near the duck pond; Thomas tried to protect her sister. Covered her up with his body as best as he could but the perp was still playing catch me if you can with police with the loaded gun. It was only later-it was only later when the paramedics arrived that we learned that Anabeth was shoot on her left calf, the reason why she stumbled and in turn force Thomas to cover his little sister. Big brother has a dislocated arm by being a hero to his little sister."
"And before you start you mama bear rampage," another voice joined in completely cutting her upcoming tirade. "Annabeth is out of surgery, it was a success. Bullet was a through and through. She is in her room resting with Thomas. Both are sharing the same room."
At this moment Maiera was on verge having a mental breakdown, tears were streaming down her eyes, and she doesn't care if was in front of her friends. All she cares right now is that both children are fine and safe. She was about to stand and heed for the kids' room when something hit her, sluggish consciousness. -well it was two somethings really. She then looked up at the last person who joined the group—well make that three something. "Fin thanks," she said, teary-eyed. "I can always count on you to go straight to the point, although, to be honest I expected that approach from Mr. Court Shark over here, but thanks nonetheless."
"Anyway, you mentioned that the bullet that hit," she paused for a while, still shaken by what she learned, and with a deep breath she continued on. "—that hit Anabeth was a through and through and she is now resting with Thomas, then how come the staff downstairs informed me that there are two private rooms for the Craver incident, another thing where the hell are their nanny when this all happened, heck, where the hell is Brandon?"
"Well, it's like this Mai," Amanda explained, her southern drawl more evident as she tried to calm the young woman in front of her, who is about now jumping from one emotional state to another, giving Amanda a mental whiplash. . "The other room was for the man who saved both Thomas and Anabeth this afternoon. When both the kids were pinned down in cross-fire, a man dove to save them, like Tom he covered them with his body before dragging the kids to safety. Unfortunately, he received a bullet wound like Beth and was sent to OR and is now resting in a room across from the kids, you know for better monitoring from both doctors and police."
"And for the second and third question, like you, I am also interested with the answers," ADA Rafael Barba answered while handing a silk handkerchief to Mai. "So what do you know about the family's nanny?"
Mai gratefully accepted the handkerchief and started to wipe her tears dry with it. "All I know is that both Cora and Brandon hired a nanny five months ago from one of those legal agencies that cater to such services."
Carisi walked forward and opened an app from his phone. He immediately scrolled down the screen until reaching a certain picture. "Is this the same nanny from five months ago?" he asked as he showed the photo to Mai.
She peered down the picture and saw a teenager with sunken eyes, nose rings, and black hair with pink highlights glaring down from the picture. Mai shook her head in the negative. "No. The last one was fortyish, brown-haired, hairstyle was a severe bob, eyes were blue, and was Russian. Her name was Tatyana-Tatyana Kurnishkina." She pointed at the picture to emphasise her next point. "Cora would never hire someone like her. She looks -well—she looks not like any nanny that I know of to put it nicely. All governesses and nannies of the two children were usually from the same mold you know, intelligent, caring, mature and motherly. So you why are interested?"
"Tom might have told us that for a month now, cookie cutter nannies were no longer hired by dear old dad." Amanda answered with a frown. "In fact according to Tom, Mr. Craver hired random teenager to chaperone them during play dates but most often than not both kids were left to their own devices since the newly hired nannies were a no show."
"He did what now!" Mai was already seeing red right after she heard Rollins explained that both the kids where practically abandoned by their dear old father and was in the mercy of questionable characters hired by said father. "If I'm going to see him, I am going to tear him a new one."
"Join the group kid," Fin added. "It will be a long line. We've been calling him since two and when we could not contact him, we tried to reach you. You are the next person to call on the emergency list."
"Mai, how come Rollins and Carisi have a hard time contacting you?" Benson asked, trying to calm her down again.
"I just arrived from Germany today, flight was delayed; it was Michael, Max's butler who informed me about the incident and the call to come here in Mercy."
"How did Max handle the news?" Benson asked again.
"He is out of the country. Michael is the one who is holding down the fort. And I will not tell him yet as to what happened with the kids. He would drop everything, come back home, hunt and skin Brandon, on or before he is going to have a coronary while working himself into frenzy on how to actually hunt and skin the bastard, thus making the hunting and skinning a mote point in the endeavour." She growled her answer, anger replacing her fear. How could a father be reckless and disconnected with his children she just simply could not understand, well who is she kidding. It is Brandon that they were talking about, with him everything is possible.
"So where is the new nanny when all of this happened?"
"Stoned a few feet from where it happened." The shoulder that Benson was holding immediately stiffened.
Benson couldn't help but glare at Tutuola, You just have to incite her to into a bloodbath. Fin only shrug his shoulder in silent response to Benson's question.
But before Mai could get into her mama bear rampage as Barba pointed out before, The ADA immediately shove another photo to Mai. "How about this guy? Does he look familiar to you?"
It took a while for Mai to calm herself down, from boiling rage, she somehow manage her anger to simmering controllable hate before looking at the picture. What she saw was a picture of man lying on a bed, asleep. Slick long black hair made a strong contrast to the hospital crisp white sheet. Handsome in a not traditional sense, strong prominent cheekbones, and crescent brows atop closed eyes, pale-no more on an alabaster skin. In short, the guy was eye catching even if he is asleep but for the life of her, Mai couldn't recall who he is. "Nope, Sorry Counselor, never seen the guy before, why?"
"He's the guy who saved the kids, problem is we couldn't find any IDs on him, nobody seems to know him. No family to be contacted, No record in DMV,AFIS and other database, including facial rec." it was Carisi who answered instead, who finally sat down beside Benson on the bench, looking tired and worn.
"And?" Mai prompted. She knew that there is more to this that just being the afternoon hero who saved the day. God it's like having a root canal with these guys. You need to pull out everything with controlled force.
"Let us just say that we want to just cross our t's and dotted our i's before everything else," Amanda explained. "It's just the he was dressed in this weird costume and Comicon was already over and most importantly he managed to try strangling the perp when said perp head butted Carrisi and tried to escape. "
"He manages to strangle said perp, emphasis on word try," Carisi objected, still miffed about being head butted by the pimp. "He could have successfully chocked him to death if he did not suddenly collapsed due to his bullet wound. Man, he raised that guy a foot or so off the ground with only one hand wrapped around the man's windpipe with ease.
"Adrenaline could do that you know."
"Not with this guy. It seems normal for him, like his being doing it for years."
"So what you're saying is that you're suspicious with the guy who just saved my niece and nephew?"
"Left no stone unturned. The sex ring run deep and wide than we imagined."
"So you are practically saying that, what? The guy who was into child sex ring managed to receive a divine intervention, grow a conscience and suddenly jump in the line of fire and go against his partner, and even help in the arrest of said partner?"
"Look, what I'm saying is, we don't know the guy, I am thankful for what he did for those two little munchkins but it doesn't change the fact that the guy is strong, strange, and unknown. John Doe might not be safe,"
"He's not yet dead Carisi! Pump with sedative after operation, yes, maybe concussed, but he is not dead, sheesh. Can't you just call him Mr. something or other. He is not on a Melinda's table yet and you are already calling him a Doe.
The blond man raised his hands in surrender. "Look, sorry, I just got this vibe that he can't be trusted okay."
"How about we all go home and sleep on it. Guy must just drop his wallet in the park or was pickpocketed, with all the commotion this afternoon; it could be possible if he just lost it." Benson reasoned out. "We investigate, follow the evidence, if the guy does pop during that time then we asked him."
"And if he leaves?"
"I'll take him. He will be in my custody. He did save my niece and nephew, it's the least I could do."
Everyone turned and looked at her incredulously. Mama Bear mode is on, yet she is willing to allow a stranger to get in her inner circle. An inner circle that holds only her most trusted friends and family. They are really thinking that I'm off my rocker by now. Maybe I am, but it's a calculated risk I could take. I just have to ask this guy a few questions before doing deciding anything further.
When Mai did not say anything else, the rest of the group just accepted as it is for now. For all the years she's been with them, Mai never did something without a reason. "Mai, you should go see the kids. Call us if you need us okay?"
Mai nodded. "Thanks Liv. And Liv let me the one to tell Cora about this okay?"
Benson just nodded. "Hug Noah and Jesse for me okay," Mai said to the two departing mothers, Olivia and Amanda.
"We will. We will drop in tomorrow."
"To interview the kids, and sleeping beauty," the rest of the squad groaned in protest. "Give it a rest Carisi."
"Fine"
When Mai saw that the rest of the squad have already walked down the hallway towards the bank of elevators, she suddenly stopped Barba from joining them. "Counselor, I might need help with the processing of the change of guardianship with Tom and Beth, and a restraining order for one Brandon Craver for the future, preferably ready within this week."
"Battle plans already?"
"The change of custody is already being filed by Cora; I just need it to be iron clad before Brandon makes his move. I just need a judge who could see past my dear brother-in-laws snake charm."
"Let it not be said that you my dear is a shrinking violet." Barba nodded to her request before joining the squad. "I might not condone with Carisi's puerile antics about our sleeping hero but there is something about our guy that gives me pause, so please be careful.
If you are interested, the girls on the fourth floor might need some help tomorrow. They've been through a lot."
"I will. I'll be there after I settle my affairs tomorrow. Thanks."
The guy just waves his hand to say goodbye and joined the squad who were waiting at the elevator banks. She waited until the light on the panel indicated that the entire squad have arrived at the ground floor before breathing deeply and walked towards the room that housed her niece and nephew. Mai took another series of deep breathes, trying hard to control the morass of emotion she is having before entering the room. When she finally wrestled her emotions to a state of being stable, she slowly plastered a smile, and opened the door, greeting the two children warmly as she entered the room.
Unbeknownst to them, the man that they hailed as the afternoon hero was already wide awake and was gleefully listening with their conversation inside his room. So this Midgardians are not as bunch of fools as I remembered them be, compared to the rest of the entire population who is living in this backward realm, these few people I could manage to tolerate. Their innate ability for survival helps them realize that they are in the presence of a being stronger than them. Be careful indeed.He chuckled amused by their different understanding of his person.
His critiquing of the entire human race was halted when he listened once again to the conversation outside. Bright emerald orbs were now lit with irritation and barely controlled anger as he continued with his eavesdropping. To associate him to a doe was ridiculous. Normally such creatures were connected to the Greek pantheon of the gods, especially that annoying cunt that run around the wilderness busy hunting and punishing men for looking at her the wrong way. In what part of his godly stature could this ignorant mortal have the audacity to associate him with the female half of the species of jumping, cotton tailed, dole full eyed, and frolicking creatures? I take back what I said about this mortals, not one have any saving grace from being trampled on by the might of a god.
His internal monologue was somehow disrupted when a sharp reprimand was issued from one of the females in the group. "He's not yet dead Carisi! Pump with sedative after operation, yes, maybe concussed, but he is not dead, sheesh. Can't you just call him Mr. something or other. He is not on a Melinda's table yet and you are already calling him a Doe." The reprimand reverberated in the air and caught him off guard. Someone was defending him; someone who does not know him is actually standing up for him. A tiny fraction of his consciousness felt glad that someone is actually trying to be on his side, as far as he could remember, it was only his mother, Frigga, who was there for him when he was mocked by the other Asgardians, and that include his oaf of a brother Thor, and his friends, and even his fa- and even Odin, the Allfather. Yes, ignorant mortal I am not a doe—wait what? Again he stopped with his monologue when he managed to process the rest of the sentence he just heard. What does she means by "on the table yet", "dead "and "doe", are this stupid mortals still practicing the barbaric rituals of cannibalism? Surely not! He pondered on the context of what was said and came to a conclusion that a John Doe is an identity given to someone who is not known but for how many times he tried he could not really fathom as to why said unknown person must be placed on a table owned by someone who is called Melinda.
Deciding that it was a practice that lowly mortals do, he left the topic to rest and listened once again to the conversation outside.
"And if he leaves?"
"I'll take him. He will be in my custody. He did save my niece and nephew, it's the least I could do."
Upon hearing this statement the man became more intrigue by this one particular mortal. Why collect such burden and responsibility. Especially for someone she doesn't know. Could it be that this particular mortal has yet the moral decency that others of her kind lack? He must admit that the group surrounding this particular mortal have also strong moral compasses and integrity and that is because it is required of their job. But this woman is different. As far as he could discern from entering the mind of one mortal in the group, this female, is not in the front line, unlike the brunette and the blond. Mama Bear mode is on, yet she is willing to allow a stranger to get in her inner circle.
The man chuckled again when he hears the thought of the person he is reading. Indeed, I agree with you, this mortal should be wary as to whom she offer shelter for she might invite a wolf in sheep's clothing.
After a few minutes of listening in, he noticed that he was becoming drowsy. Damn that woman and her concoction, he groused, as he slowly becomes relaxed and on the verge of losing control of his consciousness. I will repay in kind as to how you treated me, a god should not be tied down with these infernal tubes and wires mark my words mortal…
But no matter how he tried, god or not, Morpheus still decide on the time you joined his realm of dreams. And the last thing that the man with green eyes thought before he joined the realms of dreams was the line "I'll take him. He will be in my custody. He did save my niece and nephew, it's the least I could do." And his silent warning of "one must be careful as to whom you gave shelter."
AN: So what do you think? Constructive criticism is welcome.
Highlights: Context in conversation is everything.