Chapter 10

Nicole was waiting at the door while Jamie grabbed the food. Jamie was making her way to where Nicole was standing. Nicole looked at her, "Are you coming or are you gonna stay here and open up a soup kitchen?"

"Yeah, I got what I came for. Let's go." Jamie said.

"Just a question. How do you do that every day?"

"Do what?"

"Eat cheeseburgers. I can understand going to the same coffee shop where you know the people. But cheeseburgers?"

"They make the best cheeseburgers in the entire city. I mean it just cost me twenty-five bucks for my lunch but it's well worth it."

Nicole shook her head and laughed, "Well, I only spend well, used too. Until my next paycheck about 20 bucks a day on coffee."

Jamie laughed. "See, we're pretty much the same, only your vice happens to be coffee."

"The nectar of life."

Jamie laughed. "Yeah, it's not bad."

Nicole looked at her partner; "It's not bad, its great."

Jamie looked at Nicole. "Hey, ever been to Chicago?" she asked. Nicole shook her head. "It's a great city. Never be out of work there either. I went back there last year when the White Sox won the World Series, the city was nuts. I mean I may have grown up in Chicago, but I'm a Yankee fan. I guess that's another reason I love New York so much. Me and Fin went to quite a few games when we were partners. I'd like to see a few games this year. You know the four of us should go. Me and Fin, you and John. What do you think? Hey, Nic, you with me?"

"Huh?" Nicole asked, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, "Did you say something?"

Jamie sighed, "You know, maybe you should get that checked out again. I mean I was talking. Didn't you hear me?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Nicole answered, "So what was it you said?"

"About me Fin, you and John going to see a Yankee game." Jamie answered.

"Yeah sure. Sometime."

"You know their next home game, they're playing the Red Sox. Now that's a game we should definitely see." Jamie said. Although she wasn't totally convinced that Nicole was all right.

"I guess. I haven't been to a game here."

"Oh, there's nothing like a Yankee game. New Yorkers are crazy fans, that's for sure." Jamie said looking over at Nicole. "You sure you're okay?"

"Like I keep telling everyone, I'm fine. I just took a bump to the head." Nicole answered, "And, I've seen how fan's are here. It's like what I seen on the news about Edmonton's Whyte Ave – about hockey."

"Yeah, I've seen that. So... where to now?" Jamie asked.

"Stop at the park, and let you eat?"

"Alright. You're about to see something really interesting. These burgers are huge and I only have one hand." Jamie said laughing.

"Well I ain't lendin' ya mine." Nicole smiled.

Jamie smiled in return. "I know. Fin's the only person I'd ever let feed me anyway."

Nicole raised an eyebrow in Jamie's direction, "That's a little too much information there."

"Right. Point taken. Anyway, I'm going nuts not being able to work."

"You know, I will be able to go to work before you. You need about another week off."

"Then what will I do? Go nuts?"

"Hey, all I am saying. Is that you need another week, let that arm heal. Then you can push papers."

"Like I will be pushing papers."

"What, you rather be out running down people, then causin' more damage to that shoulder?"

"You know it's not like I have to pitch 9 innings in the big game. I can't sit around pushing papers. Although, on the other hand, being desk bound will give me a chance to see Fin a lot more." Jamie said and smiled at the thought.

"How did I know it was going to come back to him?" Nicole asked as they found a spot to sit down and eat. It wasn't Central Park though.

"One way or another it always does. You telling me that you don't think about John all the time?" Jamie asked and pulled out a burger.

"Point taken." Nicole answered, "So I do. But, okay your right."

"I knew it. So, are you and John actually a couple?" Jamie asked taking a bite of her burger.

"You and Fin?" Nicole answered asking her own question.

"Me and Fin, right now anyway, are a complicated matter. I say that because I don't exactly know what to consider our relationship at the moment." Jamie replied and grabbed her fries out of the bag.

Nicole nodded, "I understand that. Just remember if it does becoming something that you can't let the I.A.B find out or Cragen; one of your asses will be transferred right out of SVU."

"Yeah, I know all about that. It's not the first time me and Fin have dealt with this situation."

Nicole rubbed her forehead then ran her hands through her hair, "I see." She sighed, "So the only reason the first time didn't work out, is cause you got shot?"

Jamie nodded. "Fin blamed himself and it put a lot of strain on our relationship. So, back to you and John. What's your situation?"

Nicole slightly bit her lip for a second, "I guess I would say like yours. But a little complicated."

Jamie understood completely. She finished her burger and fries and threw the wrappers in the trash. Then she picked up the bag that had the remaining burger in it. "Now I know why people say that dating someone at work is never a good idea."

Nicole smiled, "But like Fin said, you never know someone, til you work with em."

"He told you that one too, huh? Believe me, working with Fin was the best thing that ever happened to me. I just hope my job at SVU isn't gonna be short lived." Jamie said standing up.

Nicole looked at her then stood up; "If you keep the relationship under the radar it won't be short lived."

"Yeah, that's true. I could say the same thing to you." Jamie smiled.

Nicole gave a halfhearted smile, "It's hard to feel lucky today, you know that?"

"Yeah, I got that feeling too."

"Somethin's telling me that, it's not going to be an easy day either."

"We're cops. It's never an easy day." Jamie replied.

"True.But do you ever feel like we're no different than janitors? Clean-up crews with guns?"

"Never thought about it that way." Jamie replied glancing at Nicole.

Nicole took a sigh, "You know sometimes I hate this job. What happens in the street, I know that's human. I mean, it's angry and it's ugly, but that's human. The death penalty. That's us pretending that we're God."

"You against the DP then?" Jamie asked.

Nicole took yet another sigh, "No, I don't know." She walked beside her partner, and ran her hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face, "All I am saying. Is that, How people out there act, and treat each other, makes me feel like we're animals. And sometimes even though we're cops. We're no better. We have to come in, and clean up the mess."

"Can I ask, what brought all this on?"

Nicole looked at her, "I don't know what did. But at least you see my side of it. And maybe that's why I'm a cop. Even things out a little."

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, I get it. That's why it makes me sick when cops turn bad. I truly can't understand that."

"Some of us are no better then the things we fight for."

Before Jamie could answer, she noticed a man running down the street with Fin and Munch running behind him. "Yo! You piece of shit, stop running." Fin yelled.

Nicole looked at Jamie and nodded. They both stuck out their arm to close line the guy. Jamie stuck out the only one she could. Nicole put hers before Jamie to take the brunt of the man. When they guy made connection with the two arms, he knocked both girls down. And fell down as well.

Fin and Munch ran up to the girls and stood there out of breath. Fin looked down at the man on the ground. "When I tell you to stop running, you stop running. Get up you piece of garbage." Fin said as he cuffed the man and pulled him up.

Jamie pushed herself up with the only arm that worked, "Who was he?" she asked, now in a sitting position, she looked over at her partner, who was unfortunately unconscious. She got over to Nicole, "Nic," she said pushing Nicole's shoulder.

Nicole wasn't moving. Jamie pulled out her cell phone and called for a bus. "This is Detective Jamie Roenick. I need a bus. My partner's unconscious." Jamie gave the 911 dispatcher her location and continued to try and wake Nicole up.

Munch ran over, "Nic," he said softly, kneeling down next to her, "C'mon, Nicole."

"I got a bus on the way. I think she hit her head when that guy ran into us." Jamie said.

Munch nodded, as two cruisers pulled up. Fin pushed the guy towards the cars, and let the guys in blue take him to lock up. Once that was dealt with he ran over to the two detectives hovering over Nicole, "What happened?"

"She hit her head when we went down." Jamie said looking at Fin.

"Paramedics are on their way." Munch added.

Minutes later the bus pulled up and the paramedics jumped out and ran over to Nicole with a stretcher. "What happened here?" one paramedic asked.

"She hit her head on the pavement." Jamie explained. "She's been suffering from a concussion."

The paramedics nodded, and started getting her ready for the stretcher when she started to come too; she reached out into to mid air grabbing nothing. She was starting to panic. Her vision was blurred and she couldn't quite make anything out. She felt someone grab her hand, and hear his voice, "Nic, it's me it's going to be okay." Munch said.

The paramedics managed to finally get her on the stretcher and loaded into the back of the bus. Munch jumped in the back and Fin shut the door behind them. The bus took off and Fin turned to Jamie. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. It's Nicole I'm worried about. Let's get to the hospital." Jamie said.

TBC…