Hey guys, I'm back. I'm sorry about regularly going missing, I've got allot going on personally and it's hard find time to write. It's been difficult for me to get back into the fics that I've already started so I'm starting a new one. Hopefully it will help me refocus and get new ideas for my others. I would like to thank those of you who have expressed concerns about my healing process through messages and comments. You guys are the the best!
So... let's dive right in!
Noah and Frannie don't exist in this fic. I apologize to those who might be disappointed, but they just didn't have a place. As always I hope you enjoy, leave me comments out suggestions, they're greatly appreciated!
The week had been long and tiring. The squad had caught a case early in the week that has caused their days to blend together. Unable to go home unless it was for a change of clothes, the squad had spent four days and nights at the station, taking turns sleeping in the crib for only a few hours at a time and showering in the locker room showers. It had been all hands on deck until the case had been solved.
"Sunday night thirteen year old Madison Landry was kidnapped a block from her apartment while walking the family's dog. Witnesses told police they saw the girl being dragged to a car parked nearby by two masked men while another waited in the car. Earlier today we received reports stating that the girl had been found alive by detectives around five thirty this evening. I'm here to speak with the law enforcement that worked this case." The report standing outside of the hospital spoke into the camera facing him. He then saw Lieutenant Benson approaching the doors and quickly confronted her.
"Lieutenant, what condition was Madison found in?" he asked, shoving a microphone in her direction.
"I really can't speak on that at the moment, I'm on my way to speak with her. Excuse me." She replied trying to focus on Madison and the questions she would ask her.
"What took your team so long to find her Lieutenant?" Olivia stopped in her tracks and turned to face the reporter, fixing him with a glare that could kill.
"My team spent countless hours working this case, following every lead, knocking on hundreds of doors. We worked tirelessly, and we found her alive. If you reporters would report the facts instead of false information, perhaps we would have found her sooner instead of tracking down every call that came in as a result of your poor reporting. So if you'll excuse me, I have more work to do." With that she walked through the doors of the hospital to meet up with the rest of her team and speak to Madison about what she had been through in her four days of being held captive. As she entered the waiting room she met the other members of her team, but her eyes fell on one in particular. Icy blue eyes met her chocolate brown ones and held them for a moment before someone spoke.
"Nice interview Liv." Fin snickered.
"Fuck those reporters. They have made this whole process much more difficult. I would've said more if I hadn't been in a hurry." She said, completely missing the shocked looks on the detectives faces at her use of a word she routinely scolded them for using. "Have any of you talked to Madison?"
"No, the doctor wanted to check her over before we spoke with her. He was afraid our questions would further upset her. She's not doing great Liv." Amanda said sadly.
"But she's alive, so she's got a chance." She replied before turning to her male detectives. "I want you two to go back to the house and see what you can find there. Bag everything, I don't care what it is. I want everything I can on these guys."
"We got it Liv, come on Carisi." Fin and Carisi exited the hospital, leaving Olivia and Amanda alone in the waiting room.
"So, uh, how ya holding up Liv?" Amanda asked.
"About as good as possible I guess. 1PP is breathing down my neck and after my little Live TV Tantrum I'm sure I'm going to have them on me even more." She said, running her fingers through her hair, suddenly realizing how tired she was. During their extended stay at the precinct, Olivia had often skipped sleeping in order to allow her colleagues to rest instead. "And I'm really tired." she laughed.
"Look Liv, I know you're the boss. You've got all the pressure on you to keep the squad in line and close cases, but you've got to take care of yourself first. All the other stuff can wait. You're more important than all that bureaucratic bull shit."
Olivia was ready to cry. She was exhausted, in every way possible. It was true, she had been running herself ragged trying to live up to expectations of a unit leader. She often stayed hours later than anyone else on the squad to ensure that no mistakes were left unnoticed in paperwork, double checking, triple checking things. She had no social life at that point, her life revolved around work.
"I know, I know." She said quietly with a nod, holding in the exhausted tears that threatened to escape. Amanda placed a hand on Olivia's arm and squeezed reassuringly and once again their eyes met. Something had been building between them for a while now, but it had never went further than shy glances or a lingering hand on an arm or lower back.
"Detectives?" a nurse said, breaking the silence. "You can see Madison now."
Once they were in the room with Madison and her parents, Olivia switched back into cop mode.
"Hey Madison. I'm Lieutenant Benson, this is Detective Rollins. We met earlier, before you were brought here. Do you remember?" Olivia asked after shaking the girls parents hands and taking a seat next to the hospital bed. Madison nodded.
"Great, is it alright if we asked you some questions?" again Madison didn't speak, but merely nodded her answer. "Alright, let's start on Sunday. Can you walk us through that evening?"
"After dinner I took Lola for a walk around the block. I was almost back home and I heard someone yell my name so I turned around. There was a man walking towards me, and Lola started barking at him so I got scared. I turned around to go home but there was another guy coming towards me from that way. The first guy grabbed my arm and said Where do you think you're going you little bitch? And Lola bit his leg, but she's so small he just kicked her off." She started crying and twisting her hands together. "Then I saw the car pull up and I tried to scream but nothing came out. I was so scared, I wouldn't let go of the leash so they ripped it out of my hands. Lola tried to help me and bit one of them again but they kicked her really hard and she fell over. I started crying and I tried to fight them off but I couldn't. And then I was in the car and they tied me up they hit me and they.." she was crying hard at that point, hardly breathing between loud drawn out sobs.
"Alright I think that's enough for now detectives. She will answer all your questions, but I think for now she should rest." Mr. Landry said, worried for his daughter.
"I agree, it's late. We can speak with her tomorrow after she's had some time to rest and process some things." Olivia said standing and handing her card to Madison's father. "If you need anything in the meantime don't hesitate to call me, anytime." She smiled briefly before walking to the door with Amanda right behind her.
"Thank you for finding me." Madison said quietly.
"You don't need to thank us sweetheart. We're glad we found you too." Amanda smiled, soaking for the first time since entering the room. They walked out of the hospital together in silence.
"So do you want me to go meet with Fin and Carisi?" Amanda asked as they approached their vehicles. Olivia looked at her watch.
"No why don't you head home. It's almost eleven and we could all use some rest. I'll call the guys and tell them to head home as well." She smiled at Amanda for a moment before realizing that the blonde wasn't moving towards her car, but towards Olivia's instead. "What are you doing? I said you could go home."
"Well, I figure you could take me to my apartment and hopefully it will make you want go home too. I have a feeling you're going back to the precinct, and honestly Liv, you look like shit you need to sleep, and maybe eat something that doesn't come out of a vending machine." She said resting her arms on the roof of the car, and her chin on her arms.
"Well, you look like shit too Rollins." Olivia said with a smile. "Get in."
The drive to Amanda's apartment was quiet. Both women were exhausted and more than ready to get home. Olivia had called Fin and Carisi to tell them to go home for the night and not to come in to work until ten in the morning at the earliest.
"I'm finally realizing just how tired I really am. I think I'll take your advice and go to bed." Olivia said as she pulled up to the curb outside of Amanda's apartment building.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I need food before I go to sleep tonight. I feel like I've been living off of potato chips and shitty coffee." She laughed, her hand resting on the door handle but not yet opening it. "Do you want to order some food, come up to my apartment, maybe have a glass of wine or something?"
For a moment Olivia didn't answer, she was afraid she would immediately say yes if she didn't think about it for a second. She looked over at Amanda who looked hopeful as she felt tired. She thought maybe it would be inappropriate to go to her apartment and most likely fall asleep there the moment she felt comfortable, but she decided that didn't really matter.
"You know what? Sure, let's get food and drink wine. What the hell." Her stomach fluttered when she saw the wife smile spread across Amanda's face.
"Great, I think we could both use some down time that doesn't involve trying decide who gets to sleep next." She laughed as she stepped out of the car. "How does Chinese food sound?"
"That sounds perfect."