Katie was comfortable in the squad room. She greeted most of the detectives with a smile and a wave and seemed particularly taken with Munch. She really liked Olivia, but Fin still made her uneasy so he toned down his exuberant personality for her. She started to run to Don, but Karen restrained her. "He's at work, sweetie. You can greet him that way off duty, but he's working now. Just give him a hug and that's all."

Katie nodded, but snuck a kiss onto his cheek anyway, eyes twinkling. Don smiled at her gentle disobedience. "I don't think one little kiss will hurt anything." he told a disapproving Karen, closing the office door.

"It's not that. It's jealousy. I want the same priviledge, but not here." she admitted. "And Katie has to obey when she's told to. Her safety could depend on it."

Don moved over to stand next to Karen with his back to the squad so his lips couldn't be read. Ostensibly they were watching Katie explore his office, but he said softly. "What I want to give you is not just one little kiss, either. I'm glad you're here. I know you don't want to be, but it really is the best thing."

"I already told Stabler to drop it. I'm here. I don't need to be reminded of why. So what now? I've never been forcefully relocated before."

"I was hoping you wouldn't look at it that way. Look at it like a well deserved vacation."

"Who's going to be our jail, uh, companions on this vacation?"

"I'll put some of the female officers with you for most of the day, but I thought I might give you a more experienced officer for the night time hours."

"Who?"

"Me."

"You? You're coming to a hotel with us for the night times?"

"I, uh, with your permission of course, thought that you might want to come stay with me for the duration. It's easily defensible and alot more comfortable than a hotel. Only if you think you'd be comfortable it."

"How many bedrooms do you have?"

"Just one. You and Katie could have that one and I could take the couch."

"I couldn't do that to you."

"I'd have to anyway. That's where the guard is."

"Then, I accept your kind invitation. If you have food I can make us meals. I think that'll help Katie feel more at home."

"I'll bring stuff in if I need to. Make me a list."

"This makes me uncomfortable."

"I know that. I'm doing everything I can to make it easier on you. Please let me protect you."

"I'm here, aren't I? I sure wish I could get a hug from you. I could use one."

"I think we can do that."

"You'll have your detectives talking."

"I'm the captain. If I want to hug a beautiful woman, it's my perogative." He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. She laid her head on his shoulder briefly and sighed heavily. "It's going to be okay, Karen. I promise we'll do everything we can to make it go as easy as possible."

"Okay."

"Now, here is a key to my apartment. Make yourself as comfortable as possible."

"How are you going to get in?"

"That's for you. Don't worry about me. It'll be nice to come home to someone there."

"I know that feeling. Hey, Katie Bug. We need to get going. So who has the first shift?"

Katie came back to the two separated adults and looked up at them. Her eyes were curious. She gestured over to the shelves behind Dons desk. "What did you see?" Don asked.

Katie took his hand and led him over to the shelves. She pointed up. He lifted her up so she could put her hand on the books. She touched a book and he pulled it out. It was a book with baseball statistics. "You like baseball?" he asked. She nodded enthusiastically at him.

He pulled out the book. "Here, why don't you take it with you and you can look at it."

"Don, she might make a mess with it." Karen warned.

Katie shook her head vigorously. She held the book closely to her chest. "It's okay. I know Katie will be careful and it's a good book. We can look at it together when I come home, okay?" Don said. He set the girl down. "I'm going to have Olivia take you to my place and get you set up. She can brief the officer who's going to be guarding you. Karen, call me if anything happens that makes you uneasy. I have books around the place and there's cable tv so you won't be too bored. We'll get you things to do if you need it. I plan on coming back about 6:00."

"Alright. Let's go, Katie. We'll see him later tonight."

Don opened the door to his office and gestured for Olivia to come over. "Take these ladies and get them settled in, will you?"

"Sure, Captain." Olivia came over. "What have you got?" she smiled at Katie. Shyly Katie showed her the book. "I like baseball too." she said and smiled at Karen who gave her a reserved smile back. "We'll be fine, Captain."

Karen picked up the bags and followed Olivia and Katie out of the squad room. "We'll get these people, sir. Count on it." Munch told him quietly. "I'll stand guard too until they're safe."

"Thanks, John. Am I that obvious?"

Munch looked at him over his glasses. "I am a detective and a romantic. I think both of them have found their way into your heart. That's nice to see. Gives the rest of us hope." he returned quietly.

Olivia understood Karens need to be independent and yet she had to agree with Cragen and her partner that they needed to be in protective custody. Katie was solemn eyed and quiet. She had never been in a police car before. Olivia smiled at the girl, who smiled tentatively back. Olivia had been in the Captains home once before. She opened the door with the key Karen had and made sure the door was locked and the two stayed by the door before she walked around and made sure they were alone before she relaxed.

"It's safe."

"Are you going to have to do that everywhere we go?" Karen asked nervously.

"I'm afraid so. We have to go over some rules for this. But those can wait until we get you settled in." she saw how nervous her charges were. "The bedroom is in there next to the bathroom. Kitchen in there. Katie, want to see what's on tv?"

Katie nodded, looking at Karen for her take on the situation. Karen nodded and went to get the remote. "Look at that. You get to choose whatever channel you want to see all by yourself. You don't have to fight with anyone else. Won't that be nice?" Katie signed something. "Me too, sweetie, but it's just for a while. We'll be home again soon. You want to watch that? Are you sure? Okay, but don't expect me to do that."

Katie giggled.

"Is she missing her friends?" Olivia guessed.

"Brothers and sisters, yes. I encourage them to call themselves that. It gives them the feeling of being in a real family."

"That's nice. You love them all very much. I wish more families could do that. There are so many kids who need loving homes."

"I wish I could take more of them in. By law, I'm only allowed so many because I'm only one person. My assistant, Charlene, just got married and she's moved out but she's staying at my place until this mess is over. Then I'll find someone to fill in permanently and one of my kids, Barry, is aging out so I'll be getting a new kid. I'm going to see if I can get someone closer to Katies age. She doesn't have alot of kids to play with."

"Can you pick kids ages?"

"I can tell them what I'd prefer, but sometimes I fall sucker for some kid who really needs my services. That's how I came to get Katie. Sometimes kids just call to me? I'm not sure if that's the perfect term, but I just know when I can help them or I need to at least meet them. That's how I got all my kids. I just needed to have them. I can't explain it."

"How many kids can you have?"

"I can have four if I have an assistant. That's why I need to find another full time assistant, that and someone can be there while someone else does errands or works someplace else."

"Ah."

"You've never had experience with the foster care system?"

"No, I was almost in it, my mom was single and she used to drink, but she always managed to stay with me somehow."

"That's good. Barry was a heroine addicted seven year old when he came to me. They thought he might be forever diminished mentally so I got him. I put him on a strictly natural diet, took most of the additives out of our food supply and he began to show improvement. I still watch him, because he does have some residual problems with anger management so I guide him as much as his male ego allows. BB, she's one of my older kids, too, she came to me because her mother was a prostitute and she was trying to sell BB to one of her johns who was an undercover cop. Her father is a complete mystery. She thought drugs and prostitution was a way of life and tried to follow in her mothers footsteps so she tried to proposition her social worker. No one wanted her so she came to live with me. And Laslo folks were drug addicts and didn't send him to school until he was seven and that was because the authorities made them send him then they took him away from them anyway. He was really angry at first, until Katie came along."

"What's Katies story?"

"Katies mother is dead. Her father is an abusive psychopath who cut her tongue off. I think he was hoping she'd bleed to death. The neighbor heard her screaming and called the police. He'd also sliced up her face. He was in prison for years, until he died of Aids. So she's mine for life, or until she decides to leave. I'm going to adopt her someday. I'd like to do it soon, but I have to see what goes on with this stuff."

"They're all special kids. You don't have any of your own?"

"No. I'm just a different person. I march to my own beat. I change tunes just a little bit every time I get a new kid. There's a new melody, a new line, a new instrument that we add to the tune. Sometimes it's an instant harmony, sometimes it's complete discord."

"And sometimes it's an instrument that just doesn't fit well in that band?" Olivia asked smiling.

"Exactly." Karen laughed. "You're good at this."

"It comes from my job. Putting puzzles together. Are you hungry? I could call out for something."

"I'm going to see what he's hiding here in the way of food first. I need something to do to keep my hands busy."

Olivia went over to the window to look outside. She heard Karen moving around the kitchen looking around and she heard Katies television program. She went into the bedroom and checked the windows. They were securely locked. She looked at the fire escape and wished it was somewhere else, but it had to comply with safety codes. She went back out to the kitchen. Karen was cooking some kind of meat in a frying pan and had a large kitchen knife slicing up vegies. "I see you found food."

"Some. Do you like stir fry?"

"You don't have to make anything for me." Olivia said.

"Don't be silly. There's enough. Besides I'm not sure I can cook for just Katie and I. I'm used to cooking for a whole crew."

"You could save some for the captain."

"There's plenty for him too." She deftly chopped up more vegies and stirred the meat in rapid order. She went into the frig and got some seasonings out and deftly added them to the pan. "Katie, come set the table please." Katie came out and signed. "I don't know, cutie. Look for them. Make sure you set a plate for Olivia, please."

Katie found the plates and put out four. She got out silverware and glasses and pointed to the table looking at Olivia questioningly.

"She wants to know if that's okay." Karen translated.

"It looks good to me."

"Why don't you find something we can use for a centerpiece or you can make one. I think I saw some paper in the desk."

Katie went to the desk and set about making something with paper and a stapler. Olivia watched her. Katie grew frustrated when the paper wouldn't cooperate. It was too big. Olivia went to help the girl. She took out a pair of scissors and clipped where Katie indicated. It was a cow or something of a sort. "That's nice, Katie. I like that. What is it?"

Katie signed something. "I don't know what your saying, sweetie." Olivia said.

Katie signed it again, and a third time. She grew frustrated, signing it a fourth time with exaggerated movements. "Katie, slow down! What did you make?" Karen called from the kitchen.

Katie signed it for Karen. "It's a pig, we're having pork. Very good, sweetie. Don't get so angry. Olivia doesn't sign. Not everyone does and you know it."

Katie looked contrite and threw her arms around Olivias neck, startling the woman. She instinctively hugged her. "It's okay. I'm not mad." she told Katie.

"Say, Katie, can you show Olivia how to say her name?"

Katie did. "The O twice is a capital for the first letter of your name and down on the chin indicates that you're a woman. If it were up by your forehead it would mean you're a male." Karen translated the signs.

A key in the door lock alerted Olivia, who immediately went on alert. "It's me." Don said easing the door open.

"Don." Karen said with a relieved smile.

Katie rocketed over to him and he scooped her up in his arms and gave her a hug. "Hello, little rocket girl." he told her and she giggled giving him a hug around his neck.

"Evening, sir. Everything is fine." Olivia said formally.

"Good. I expected it would with you here. Hello, Karen."

"Don."

"I'll leave now, if you don't mind." the female detective said.

"You don't have to rush off, Olivia." Cragen said. "You can stay and eat, can't you?"

"I'd like to, but I have some paperwork left unfinished at the office."

"Will I be seeing you tomorrow, Olivia?" Karen came over and spoke to her.

"I don't know."

"I have a couple of female officers that will be rotating the duty, Karen. Olivia, you need to know this. We're going to be going to after the people who've done this, we have enough to really go after them and it's going to get serious in a hurry. We have to put these people out of business. Karen, as much as I don't like to say this, you are going to have to stay here in the apartment out of sight most of the time. I'll bring things in here if you need anything, but I'm also putting a guard in the hall and having hourly patrols outside."

Katie's eyes went as wide as Karens but her face wasn't as pale as Karens. She leaned toward Karen who took the girl and went over to sit at the table. Olivia exchanged looks with Cragen who gestured with a jerk of his head that she should leave. She nodded and left the apartment.

Don went over to sit in a chair face to face with Karen. "I didn't want to do it this way. I'd give my life if there was any way to protect you that we aren't already doing. The fact of the matter is, we need you nearby for Katie to identify the woman she saw and to testify at the trial. I promise you, I promise you, I will be right here as much as I can and you will have the best protection NYPD can offer. I don't want to lose you. Do you trust me?"

Karen nodded and so did Katie. Don could read the panic and fear still in their eyes. "How... Any idea how long this is going to take?" Karen asked.

"No, it could be hours or days. We'll go as fast as we can, but we have to do it right or risk them getting off and still coming after you. I wish with all my heart it could be different, but it has to be that way. Something smells good. Maybe a good meal will help." He indicated Katie.

Katie shook her head. Karen took the hint. "You're right. A good hot dinner will help us all." Katie signed and Don didn't need Karens interpretation of it to know what she said. Karen turned the girl so she was looking at her. "Katie, listen to me. Captain Cragen is on the job. He won't let anything happen to us and he has a whole bunch of police to help him. We can't let him down, now can we? We have to do our part too and keep our strength up by eating and being ready when he's counting on us. We're safe here or we wouldn't be here. I trust him and you can trust him too. Do you understand me? Yes, I'm scared too, but you've been a brave girl up to now and you still are. We'll be just fine as long as we are careful. Let's eat dinner and we can watch some more tv, okay? Yes, he'll be here all night. Go get the centerpiece you made and lets have dinner."

Katie got down and went to get her pig. Karen put her hand on Dons knee in a terrified grip. He took it in both of his. "I'm right here. They'll have to get through me and a whole squad before they even get close to you." he said softly.

She nodded and let go when Katie came back. "Can you guess what this is?" she asked Don.

"Wow, Katie. That's great. Is it a whale?" he teased.

Karen got up and went over to the frig. She put her head inside the appliance, far more than she needed to with the light on to see what was inside. She came back a minute later with some juice. It was all he had except water to drink. She didn't meet Dons eyes. He knew what he'd see there and he couldn't blame her. She was trying to hide her fear from Katie. She dished up a plate for Katie and gave Don some and took some for herself. It was good, but no one had an appetite. Don had Katie giggling over dinner while he gave some wild guesses as to what the centerpiece was. He guessed a unicorn, a bear, a fish, an alien, a Tribble (that got a smile from Karen but Katie didn't get the reference), a turtle, and even a robot. He finally gave up and let Katie spell it out for him.

"Well, sure, now I see it. What a silly man I am, huh?"

Katie nodded still smiling. "So if everyone is done, Katie, why don't you and Don go see what's on tv while I put this away and I'll be right in."

"I'll help you." Don said.

"No, it'll only take me a minute and I'll be in. I don't need any help."

Don nodded and helped her by stacking the dishes and went into sit with Katie on the couch. He chose the end where he'd be able to face the door and see Karen in the kitchen. He took off his gun and set it on the table beside him so Katie could sit next to him. He watched Karen moving around the kitchen. She did more than put the food away, but he knew she needed to feel in control of her surroundings. She did run out of things to do and came in to the sitting area. Katie scooted over closer to Don so Karen sat on the other side of her. She felt safe that way. Karen sat down. "Katie, you wanted to watch this again? You have that at home."

Katie shrugged. She knew she was getting away with it this time because of the circumstances. "Tomorrow, sweetie, you and I are going to go back to your school work. Don't give me that face. Just because you're not at home, doesn't mean you can get out of doing your work."

"She's in school?"

"We work on things at home. She does spelling and math and we read and write stories. And we work on our signing."

Katie frowned and folded her arms belligerently. Her defiance didn't last long. She sagged slowly more and more until she was sound asleep against Don. Karen looked down at her with a sad face. "She's been through so much already in her life."

"I'm trying to keep her safe." Don told her in a gentle voice.

"I know. If I didn't trust you I wouldn't be here. I need to get her to bed."

"Let me carry her." Don offered.

"No, you'll need to stay out here to guard the door."

"I can hear it from here. Let me help, Karen."

"Okay."

She got up and watched him holster his gun and pick Katie up. He made her inert weight look so light. She led the way into the room and he laid her down on the bed. Karen pulled off her shoes and socks and slid her under the covers. "She'll be alright in her clothes for tonight."

They stood up and moved back toward the door. Don turned off the light in the room and the light from the doorway shined on Katies peacefully sleeping face. Don put his hands on Karen's shoulders. She glanced up at him and leaned back against his chest. He slid his arms around her waist and put his face against the side of her head. "We'll leave the door open so we can keep an eye on her." he whispered.

She nodded and followed him out to the living room. He thought she might sit down but she didn't. She moved restlessly about the small, by the standards of her place, apartment touching things and rubbing her arms repeatedly. He recognized her unease. He moved over to intercept her circuit and caught her gaze. "I would really like to give you a hug. If you think it would be okay."

"I would really like a hug if you think it'd be okay." Karen said nearly breaking down in tears.

Don pulled her into his arms and held her close to him. There weren't words to help so he just held her close. She clutched at his shirt shuddering with emotion, but she didn't cry. He wished he could do something to ease her fear, that she would cry. She didn't. He released her when she stepped back. "I'm sorry. I'm being such a wimp."

"No, you're not. If I were being totally honest, I'd have to admit that I like having you here. Not for this reason, but I want to be with you. I spent the whole afternoon wishing the clock would hurry up so I could come here to be with you. What have you done to me?"

"Nothing."

He smiled at her. "I think you crawled into my heart when I wasn't looking. I like having you there. You and Katie both. After this is over, I want to talk to you about this."

"Okay. I think I need to go to bed."

"Good idea."

Karen looked at him. "Can I say I wish it were you and I in the bed instead of Katie and me?"

"Not if you want me to get any sleep tonight." he admitted with a smile.

"Good night, Don." she said and reached up to kiss his cheek.

He turned into the kiss and pulled her heavily against him while he plundered her mouth. Not accepted police procedure while on duty, but he couldn't help himself and he wouldn't have stopped himself even if he could. She gave him back kiss for kiss until he lifted his head. "This is not a good idea. You should go to bed. Just do one thing for me will you?"

Karen smiled at him. "What's that?"

He tucked her hands behind her back. "Think of me tonight."

"I'll do that."

"One more thing?"

"What's that?"

"After you get ready for bed, leave the door open. That way I can see that window too."

"Oh, so you're going to watch me sleep?"

"I want to do more than that, but for tonight I need to watch the window."

"Aw, you just ruined my plans." she teased with a wink.

"Stop that. You know I want to be there. Just bide your time. I promise I'll be there as soon as I can." he said huskily.

She nodded, sobering. "I know, and I know what trouble we're in. I'll try to restrain myself. You just make sure you get some sleep too."

"I will. Good night, darling." it was the first time he'd called her that.

She flashed him a smile. "Good night, love."

She was as good as her word opening the door to the bedroom so he could see that window as well. Every time he checked through the night his eyes went to the window first then strayed to the figures under the blanket. It was a quiet night except for their dreams.

TBC