Story: The Aftermath
Fandom: Law and Order: SVU
Author: hippolover1326
Chapter: 10 (Beginning)

All characters belong to Dick Wolf.

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Cragen didn't want me to go back to work, but Claudia had technically cleared me, so I went anyway. Liv kept trying to check up on me, but I always directed the questions back to her. It sounded like her and Cassidy were getting pretty serious, like meet the parents serious. Nick's mom is nice, I thought. I'd seen her at the precinct once, the day Nick had gotten yelled at by Don for making a scene with his wife.

Later, I was at home in my empty apartment. Nick asked me if I'd ordered furniture and stuff while I'd been staying at Olivia's. I told him yes, but I hadn't been able to do it. I sat on the carpet. All I had in my entire house was a suitcase with some clothes I'd kept at the precinct (Munch had almost been tactful enough not to mention that I showed up at work wearing the same three or four outfits), a chair, a fork, the bedframe, my toothbrush, and the cloth cover that goes over the arm of the sofa. I couldn't understand how Kim got the stuff out. She took a freaking armchair! And here I was saying she'd never planned a damn thing in her life...

There was a knock on my door. My hand instinctively went to the gun on my hip. I was still a little anxious to be back in my apartment. I opened the door. "Nick?"

He looked around. "I was right," he noted simply. "I thought about it, and this is none of my business, but furniture costs a lot, and you financial situation isn't ideal. Plus, you acted a bit...hostile toward your mom in the hospital. I figured you likely wouldn't be borrowing money from her. So I came to check up on you."

My face flamed. "Nick..." but he was right. With Murphy and McCourt in jail, I didn't owe the 20K anymore. But I was still practically bankrupt. My paycheck went paying back the landlord and car dealership. I didn't have the financial means to buy unnecessary items, like, oh, I don't know, a bed? Maybe a table?

"It's okay," he told me. "I'm not judging you. I just figured you'd need help. And, I wouldn't want to stay alone, in this apartment, if I were you."

I nodded, gesturing to the sofa cover which strategically covered a blood stain on the carpet that CSU hadn't been able to get off. Jeff's of course. I didn't have the money to clean it, and I didn't want to see it every day. I didn't exactly feel too...guilty for killing Jeff, but I wanted the whole incident behind me. Not very likely, of course, seeing as I didn't even have a bed or a TV.

"Maria's in DC," Nick went on, "and Zara will be here in a week. You can come stay with me - if you want," he finished quickly.

My breath hitched. "Really?"

He smiled. "Really."

"Will you tell me what you know about Kim?"

"I would if I could, but we don't know anything more about what happened, except a witness who saw her talking to someone in a green hoodie."

"Whoever did it must be very good," I added.

"Yeah. I thought Cragen and Liv should've given you the file, by the way. It sucks to be out of the loop, you know?"

"Like they're trying to protect me," I agreed.

"You have clothes, right?"

I held up a duffle bag and a few hangers. "Yeah."

"All right then, come on," he said. "We're getting in the car."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Thanks, Nick."

"No problem. We have each other's backs, Amanda."

My breath caught in my throat again. Nick leaned toward me. I was surprised for a second, then I leaned in too. Our lips met softly.

"'Manda," he mumbled into my mouth. The kiss deepened, our hands tugging at each other's hair.

We pulled back and I looked him in the eye. I thought I'd be embarrassed, but I wasn't. He was gentle, too, I was not expecting that either.

Finally, we wrapped each other into a hug.

"Let's go, Amanda."