I'm working on California Crossover, but it's going very slow, I hope to update soon.
In the meantime, here's an update of this fic, I'm having fun with it, pretending this is what's going on with them. Fin comes for a short visit in this chapter, maybe you remember him, he was on the show since season two (the writers clearly don't).
Fin finished his speech, he wasn't a fan of giving lectures but a case they'd worked on in New York got a lot of attention and they were invited to share the story in a few other states. At least Fin got LA so he could visit his former partner. People thanked him when he was done and started leaving the room. He smiled at Amanda who's been waiting by the door, she talked briefly to another detective as he walked toward her.
"See you tomorrow Rollins" the man said and left.
"Great to see you Fin"
"Amanda" Fin smiled and gave her a hug.
He hasn't seen her since she left New York and he was happy for the opportunity. He had to admit her leaving caught him by surprise. It started out with her spending a weekend away, she didn't tell anyone where she was going and when Fin questioned her about it she just told him she spent the time resting. It was a pretty lousy excuse but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
But two weeks later she was gone again, not telling anyone what she's been doing. This time he was a little worried, Amanda has always tried to act like she was in control of everything and he didn't like her keeping secrets.
"Tell me the truth Amanda" they were in his car, about to drive to the station "where have you been? I don't like this secrecy"
"Secrecy?" she gave him a clueless expression "I just want some privacy"
"Hey" he looked straight into her eyes and decided to be straight with her "tell me it wasn't about gambling"
Amanda looked genuinely surprised but why wouldn't he think something like that? She disappeared for another weekend, didn't talk about it. She had to tell him the truth.
"It's not like that" she replied "I was in LA"
"LA?" he was about to ask why when the answer popped into his head "you and Amaro? I thought you two were over"
Amanda shrugged, she thought it was over too, after everything they've been through they decided to be friends. They talked a bit since he moved to LA and one day he offered her to come by for a visit. She's never been there before so why not? He would show her some sights, it could be fun.
She got really excited about visiting him, she tried to ignore the tingles and butterflies in her stomach. When Amanda saw him waiting for her she stopped for a moment, she had to take a breath because it suddenly overwhelmed her, but in a good way. It made her heart swell with happiness and she wasn't sure what was going on. She walked to him and he didn't say anything, not even a 'hey' he just kissed her and she kissed him back. It was a cheesy cliché moment, the one you see in overly sweet movies, only with a different soundtrack. They didn't care though, they allowed their tongues to dance together and their hands to explore the other's back. He drove her to his house and the only sight she saw that weekend was his body. She had no complaints.
"You're gonna have to visit again, I wanted to show you some places" he drove her to the airport and waited with her.
"I liked what you showed me this weekend" she kissed him and hoped to get lost in the kiss, maybe she'd miss the flight "but I like the idea of coming back"
She flew there again and this time they were able to part from the other's skin long enough to eat out. A couple of weeks later Nick was in New York to visit his mother and made sure to visit Amanda, he didn't need a tour of the city and was fine with spending long hours in her bed.
But weekend and phone calls weren't enough, and when she said 'miss you' she meant that her body ached without him and when Nick said the same words he meant everything felt empty without her.
She was lying in his bed, covered with his body, their mouths attached when he suddenly pulled away and looked into her eyes "I love you" he smiled.
She smiled at him "I love you too"
"Stay" he asked, as if it was the easiest thing in the world, as if she didn't live so many miles away. But in that moment the answer was clear.
"Ok" she pulled him into another kiss.
They had to figure some things out but after a while she moved to LA, moved in with him and never looked back. A while later Ethan joined them and she couldn't remember how things were before that.
The only thing she did miss was Fin, he was a good partner and even a better friend to her.
"How do you like it here so far?" she asked as they walked out of the station.
"Not planning to move, if that's what you're asking" he chuckled "but it's not the same without you"
"Oh" she tilted her head a bit and smiled "I miss you too. Come on, I have to pick up Ethan and we'll drive to my place, I can offer you a beer"
They talked during the drive to Nick's mother's place and Amanda parked the car "be right back" she said.
Fin watched as she walked into the house and a few minutes later she walked out, holding a car seat in one hand and a little boy on the other. His arms were wrapped around her neck and he kissed her cheek and laughed. Amanda placed the seat on the ground and opened Fin's door.
"This is Ethan" she said and looked at the boy "remember I told you a friend of dad and mine is coming for a visit?" the boy nodded "this is Fin, say hey"
"Hey" he smiled and waved.
"A wave?" Fin stepped out of the car "you parents didn't teach you about the fist bump?"
Ethan shook his head, looking a bit confused.
"Make a fist" Fin raised his hand and demonstrated and Ethan followed his moves "and now a bump" he gently touched the boy's hand and moved his hand away "good job"
Ethan seemed delighted by this new gesture and wanted raised his tiny fist at Amanda "fist bump" he said and Amanda humored him.
"Let's go home" she kissed him.
"I have a dog" Ethan told Fin when Amanda let him out of his seat, before they walked into their home.
"I know Frannie" Fin smiled "we're old pals"
Ethan looked at his mother, searching for a confirmation and she nodded "Fin is a very good friend of mine and daddy's"
"Me too" he said.
"You are a very good friend of dad and mine too" she ruffled his hair and they walked inside.
Frannie greeted the three of them and Ethan hugged her. He sat down on the floor and took his shoes off, throwing then around while Amanda brought Fin a beer.
"So what's going on in SVU?" she asked, handing him the cold bottle.
"Same old" he said and took a sip "Carisi is still not done with school, I call him new guy once in a while just to piss him off"
Ethan ran to the couch and climbed on it "this is my horsie" he showed it to Fin.
"Wow" he looked at it "cool horse"
"Yes" Ethan nodded and took his toy back, walking back to his room.
"You're gonna get a little show now, all of his favorite things" she smiled.
"He looks like a little Amaro" Fin noted.
"Good thing" she chuckled "that's the only way I know we didn't take the wrong baby from the hospital"
Ethan was back with his favorite book and showed it to Fin "this is Annie" he pointed at her and flipped a few pages "this is the end" he ran back to his room to get something else, leaving the book between them.
"He's just so happy, who would have though that's what's gonna turn out from Nick and me"
"You looked in the mirror lately" Fin asked "you're happy" he meant it, he had seen her in her worst and she seemed so far from it now, it was clear things were going well for her. Amanda deserved it.
"My cows" Ethan sat down on the couch and pointed at his feet.
"Cool slippers, you have them in my size?" Fin joked but Ethan took one off and gave it to Fin "I doubt it's gonna fit me, but thanks little man"
"No, I'm a boy" Ethan corrected him. Fin smiled and Ethan took his book and rested his head on Amanda's lap as he looked at the pictures.
"So what's going on with you?" she asked, playing with Ethan's hair.
"Working hard, sometimes" he winked "Ken's moving back to New York soon"
"He's been in London for the last couple of years with Alejandro, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, but they are coming back, his mom's happy"
They talked for a while, Ethan was running around from the living room to the couch, showing Fin different things.
"I was a baby!" he said proudly and showed him a picture, it was him in Amanda's arms, his first day home "see?" he pointed at himself.
Nick came back home not much time later and exchanged a quick hug with Fin "great to see you"
"You too man" Fin said.
"Daddy look" Ethan rushed to him and Nick picked him up "bump!" he made a fist.
"Who showed you that?" Nick asked.
"Fin" he lowered his hand and placed his head on his father's shoulder.
"How long are you staying?"
"I'm not, my flight leaves in a few hours"
"You're not going to have dinner with us?"
"Not gonna have time" Fin shook his head "but it was great to catch up a bit, meet this little guy"
He had to leave after an hour and said goodbye to Nick and Ethan, Amanda was driving him to the airport "stay cool" Ethan gave him a hug.
"Bye Fin" he got a kiss from the boy and they left.
"Weird seeing Fin after all this time, ha?" Amanda sat next to Nick as they had dinner.
"Yeah, it's been a long time, I think the last time I was even in New York was before mom moved here"
"You know" she took a bite of the roasted vegetables and glanced at Ethan who was placed a carrot in front of horsie, he'd eat it last "I thought about the first time I told him about us, he was worried something was wrong cause I wasn't talking too much about my days off and I had no choice"
"Remember the first time you came for a visit?" he smiled playfully and moved his mouth closer to her ear "when I met you at the airport...took you home"
"How can I forget" she winked.
That day he came to the airport way too soon, he just wanted to see her and couldn't sit and wait. Nick had no idea what possessed him to invite her for a weekend in Los Angeles, but every time they spoke on the phone he wanted more.
When Nick noticed her walking through the crowd, with her carry on bag he stopped thinking, he just saw her. He kissed her the moment she stood in front of him, there was nothing else he could do, wanted to do, needed to do. They haven't left his house once they got inside, spent the entire weekend with their clothes scattered on his living room floor, barely parting from each other.
"We can recreate it, if you feel like it" he placed his hand over hers.
She kissed him "what do you think?"