AN: So now that school is out, I have more time to write, unfortunately, my Chromebook bit the dust, so I'm having to use my mom's PC to edit and publish, (I do a lot of writing on my phone, so I can at least do that, but that also means there's some spelling check that didn't happen). Any time I get on the PC also has to go to studying for AcDec, researching a new computer, and anything else that I need to do on the computer.

Chapter X

Outside 1-6 Presencent

Thursday, September 21th, 2000

11:00 AM

Olivia greets us at the door.

"Shit! Another case?" I ask.

"No, I just thought I might give her," she motions to Rossi," a more proper introduction than what I could give her in the squad room, it's a madhouse in there."

"When isn't it?"

"Well, you've certainly got a point there, but Hung and Melinda are here and we've got two guys on ice for two different cases, one of them is Lily's, so I'd say it's a bit crazier than normal."

"I thought you weren't bring him in until one?"

"No. We're starting the interrogation until one, we picked him up about thirty minutes ago, but we figured giving him a few hours to squirm wouldn't hurt."

"Okay, are Munch and Fin here?"

"Yes, but Stabler isn't, Dicky might have gotten in a fight, he'll be back later."

"Doesn't the school tell you why they're calling you in?" Rossi leads.

"They called his wife, his wife called him and told him to meet her there, won't give him any details, probably because she's afraid he'd be pissed."

"That's probably smart, Sabler is world renowned for his temper." I joke

"Let's go in"

On the elevator ride up I introduce them, when the doors ding open we're welcomed with the buzz of the squad room. I see patrol cops running into the elevator we just evacuated, the air is scented with cigarette smoke, garbage, and body odor.

"What's that smell?"

"Sorry, we had a canvas this morning, it hasn't aired out yet." answers Olivia.

Cregan walks over to Liv and they motion towards us. He walks into the middle of the room.

"Everybody listen up!" The boom of his voice causes the entire room to freeze, including the rookie escorting a guy, who looks like he could very well be Munch's uncle to a cell. A senior officer motions for him to carry on with his precious task.

"As you are all well aware, Alex won't be with us next week, so the person taking her place has dropped by to introduce herself."

All eyes turn to me and Rossi.

She whispers to me "You didn't say anything about this"

"I had no idea he was going to do this"

Olivia finally breaks the awkward silence "Everyone, this is Jessica Rossi, she's gonna be working with Donnelly to cover for Alex, so let's look on the bright side, we still don't have deal directly with everyone's favorite bureau chief!"

The room erupts with laughter. Jessica then introduces herself and once she finishes, I pull a repeat performance on a desk, Munch 's megaphone ready,

"Now, Rossi's will be working under Donnelly's supervision in the courtroom, however, Donnelly is trusting her on her own here. She's new at this, help her out or Donnelly will come down here." I lower the megaphone and then remember something.

"Oh, yeah, and anyone who's paperwork for this week is not on my desk before noon Friday, is going to get it. I need it to prep for next week."

"Turn in your paperwork people, Dismissed!" Yells Cregan

I sit on Munch's desk, glaring at him over my glasses, the megaphone dangling from my left hand. Olivia asks if I need help, in a voice low enough that no one else could hear her.

"I'm making a point, Munch is a week and a half late on his DD-5s." I whisper back.

He comes up to me.

"Something I can help you with, princess?"

"Yeah, turn in your paperwork. Today." I say sliding off the cluttered desk, shoving the megaphone into his gut.

` "Everyone else's isn't due till tomorrow." he whines

"Everyone else's isn't so old it's decomposing." I retort.

As he sulks and presumably gets to work, Stabler walks in beaming with pride. This being the exact opposite of what I was expecting, I hurry over to find out what's going on.

"She didn't tell me because she wanted to surprise me," he tells his partner. "Dickie got A honor roll last year, there was some clerical error so he wasn't recognized at the ceremony last year. He got called to the principal's office and they gave him a certificate and everything."

"That's great El!" Liv smiles.

Rossi is talking to Finn, when stabler notices this he asks if they caught a case while he was gone.

"No, that's Jessica Rossi, she's filling in for me next week. She came in to meet everybody ahead of time." I explain.

Stabler squirms like a frat boy confronted with DNA evidence, he then asks with a lump in his throat "Oh, yeah, how are you doing?"

I regret telling all of them about it. Yes, they're my team, hell, they're my family, and yes, they constantly talk about sex abuse and other crimes involving intimate parts but this, this is different I'm not another victim. There isn't some guy they can hunt, no criminal I can make sure never sees the light of day again, none of us can do anything. Granted, he wouldn't be so awkward if I had some kind of a spinal tumor causing the exact same pain, but that doesn't change the fact that this is just different from what they deal with.

In our line of work we think about what would happen if we were attacked, Olivia and I have probably intellectualized our own assaults a hundred times. The boys have wondered how'd they'd react if we suddenly found ourselves in the role of "victim". Olivia has thought about what she'd do if anyone of got shot, as have I and the rest of our team. We've thought through any act of violence that a person could inflict upon us, but not this. They never wondered what they'd do if any of us was sick. This is so different because there's no way to get justice.
I answer as if I'm oblivious to the connotation of his queary. In part because I don't want to cause him to become uncomfortable and in part because with all the events of this morning I haven't bothered to think about how I'm feeling.

"I'm doing just tickety boo."

"Tickety boo?" His face was quizzical, machine Olivia's

"It's british slang for fine or okay." That was the advantage of practically memorizing the dictionary, it made it very easy to change the subject.

"Cabot, you're such a show off." He jokes back, presumably having forgotten about my predicament.
I began to think about the real answer to his question, and realize that the stabbing sensation has returned, and that I'm probably about to vomit.

"Rossi" I yell, "Come meet Stabler."

As they talk I break off into the bathroom and vomit, after about 15 minutes Olivia finds me.

"Unlock the stall." she commands.

"I'm a little busy here." I call back as I wrench

"Are you decent?" She refuses to back down

"Yeah." I respond back resting my head on the cold bowl.

Olivia crawls under the stall.

"Here," she says pulling back my hair.

I curl up tighter.

"Do you need to go home?" She asks.

"No, I forgot to take my pills, I just need to stop throwing up long enough to keep them down."

"Would a heating pad work? Munch still has one on in his desk from when he broke his leg, well he used it on hi back which he injured in the same incident."

"Yes actually, it would. How's Rossi?"

"Chatting with Hung, let's get you to the cribs. Can you walk?" She asks

"Probably."

As we open the door, Warner walks in, "What's going on?"

"Quickie." Olivia says dryly.

Before Mel can shoot her a look, I decide to tell the truth. "I forgot to take a midol when it was time, so now I'm in so much pain I'm throwing up. I think I'm doing a bit better now, so I'm going to lay down in the cribs for a few and take a pill."

"Oh, honey." She responds.

"I'm assuming you want me to be discreet."

"If you can, I don't care if you tell Munch."

"I'll go take care of that, you wait here and then I'll help you upstairs."

"What's this with Munch?" Asks Melendia

"He has a heating pad. Remember his accident, he still has the heating pad in his desk, he's such a pack rat." Explains Olivia.

"I could help you upstairs, so you could lie down sooner." Offers Menidia.

I graciously accept. As we make our way up the stairs to the room lined with cots, I overhear Olivia and John.

"John, I need you for a moment." Olivia calls.

"Sure Liv, what's up." He calls back.

"Can I borrow that heating pad on your desk."

"Of course. Might I ask why?"

"Alex needs it."

"Why does Alex need it?"

I can feel Olivia's glare without seeing it.

"Oh, is this for the-"

"Yeah, she really needs it."

"Take good care of her, Liv."

"Will do, Munch."

Melendia places me on the bed and whispers that Olivia will be up is. She plugs in the heating pad and I see a red glow when it's switched on. She places it on my abdomen, and I thank her. I pull a pill from my pocket.

"You're sure you don't need to go home?"

"Yeah, once this kicks in I'll be ready for lunch." I respond.

I look to my watch to see that it's currently quarter till noon,

"Just come get me at quarter past, I'm gonna take a nap." I tell her.