Sadly, I own no one. If I did, I'd quit my job and indulge these characters in their fantasies day in and day out. Dick Wolf owns all; I just take them out for a spin.
A/U…how to explain this…set 5 years after "Undercover." In this version, Olivia and Fin developed a relationship in the aftermath of Olivia's assault. I don't want to give too much away, as the back story will be told. Suffice it to say, cannon up until Undercover, then I take over. Oh, and in my world, Elliot never left SVU.
Original story by Bellatrix wannabe 89; rewritten solely at her request. Enjoy!
Warning: This story has a racial theme, so racist language may be used. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE OFFENSIVE, merely to make the characters believable. As always, don't like, don't read…that's what the "Back" button is for.
Rating: M
Chapter 14
When Olivia woke up, she was absolutely famished. She gently eased out of Tina's bed, careful not to disturb her. Tina whimpered, but when Olivia placed her teddy bear in her arms, Tina grabbed it and fell asleep again. Olivia silently headed for the kitchen, where she fixed herself a plate of fresh fruits and vegetables for breakfast. While she had the chance, she grabbed her phone and punched in the number for Tina's pediatrician.
"Manhattan Family Clinic, how can I help you today?" a cheery female said. Olivia had discovered the clinic during an investigation when Tina was about a year old. She absolutely adored the pediatrician's bedside manner when they handled a particularly difficult case involving a molested boy. Once the case was over, she and Fin had decided that Tina would benefit from being a patient at the clinic. It also boasted one of the top OB/GYN departments in New York, and the lead obstetrician specialized in high risk pregnancies. With all of their amazing services, what had really clinched the deal was that the clinic was two blocks from their apartment.
"This is Olivia Tutuola. My daughter, Tina woke up in the middle of the night not feeling well, and I was hoping I could get her seen today," Olivia explained.
"Of course, Mrs. Tutuola," There was a pause as Olivia heard the sound of a keyboard clacking. "Tina is almost 4, right?"
"Yes, she'll be four in about two months," Olivia said.
"Ok, and what are her symptoms?"
"She threw up around 2:00 this morning, and she had a fever of 100.1. I gave her children's Tylenol last night," Olivia explained. Olivia heard the sounds of a slight cough coming from the next room. "You'd better add coughing to that list, too," she added.
"That's fine. Do you know what her temperature is now by any chance?"
"She's still sleeping, and she gets fussy when she's sick, so I haven't had a chance to take it yet," Olivia said.
"Ok, Mrs. Tutuola, let me check the schedule. It says in Tina's records that you prefer Dr. Tanner, is that correct?"
"Yes," Olivia confirmed.
"Dr. Tanner has an opening at 10:15 this morning, if that's convenient for you," the receptionist said.
"Perfect. We'll be there then," Olivia said. She waited for confirmation before hanging up.
"Momma…" Tina said, shuffling out of her room. She was rubbing her eyes with one hand while the other dragged her blankie behind her.
"Oh, sweetie…how do you feel?" Olivia asked, scooping her daughter into her arms.
"My froat hurts…" Tina whined.
"I'm sure it does, honey. Do you want something to eat?" Olivia asked.
"Uh-uh…" Tina said, shaking her head against Olivia's shoulder. Olivia expected that. Tina was just like Olivia was when she was sick. Neither of them wanted to eat, but Olivia was old enough to be able to force herself to eat. Tina, on the other hand, was not.
"How about something to drink?" Olivia asked. Tina coughed next to her ear, causing her to jerk her head slightly and shook her head again.
"If Momma gets you a popsicle, will you eat that?" Olivia asked. Tina pulled her head up and studied Olivia's face with a scowl. Olivia never let Tina have sweets this early in the morning.
"Can I have a red one?" Tina asked.
"You can, but you have to let me take your temperature first," Olivia explained. "Do we have a deal?" Tina nodded. In that respect, she was exactly like her daddy. Olivia carried Tina back to her room and set her on the bed as she pulled the thermometer back out of its case.
"Ok, sweetie, under your tongue," Olivia said, holding the thermometer to Tina's mouth. Tina immediately obeyed. Olivia stroked her hair while they waited for the thermometer to do its work. When it was finished, Olivia checked the display. 101.4. It had gone up over a degree already. Olivia was glad she had followed her instincts and called the doctor first thing this morning.
"Now, how about that popsicle?" Olivia said. She wanted to pull a smile from Tina, but she wasn't going to get that today. Tina was just too miserable. Tina held out her arms and Olivia carried her back towards the kitchen.
Tina nodded, so Olivia opened the freezer, and using the one-handed technique she had perfected when Tina was an infant, pulled out the coveted red popsicle from the box. Setting Tina on the floor, she pulled off the wrapper and handed the treat to Tina. Tina put the popsicle in her mouth and wrapped her free arm around Olivia's left leg.
The phone rang, and Olivia reached for it.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey, Baby Girl, how are you two doing?" Fin asked.
"I'm fine, but your daughter's fever is up another degree, and she's developed a cough and a sore throat, which is why we're going to the D-O-C-T-O-R this morning," Olivia reported.
"Honey, something occurred to me this morning. If you're pregnant, should you be around Tina when she's sick? I mean, could it be bad for the baby?" he asked.
"I'm sure it's fine," Olivia said quickly. "But, if it makes you feel better, I'll ask the you-know-who while we're there."
"Is that Daddy?" Tina asked, pulling on Liv's pajama pants.
"Yes it is. Would you like to say hi?" Olivia said, turning her attention towards Tina. Tina replied by reaching for the phone. Olivia deftly snatched the popsicle before Tina could drop in on the floor and gave the phone to her daughter.
"Hi Daddy…" Tina said.
"Hi, Baby. How ya doin'?" Fin asked.
"I don't feel good…" Tina whined into the phone.
"That's what Mommy told me. You gotta make sure you get lots of rest and listen to what Mommy tells you, ok?" he said.
"Uh-huh," she said. Tina started to cough again and dropped the phone on the floor.
"Tina! Liv!" Olivia heard Fin yell through the phone. She reached down to pick it up, giving Tina her popsicle back.
"It's ok, Fin. We're fine. Tina just dropped the phone," Olivia said quickly. He didn't respond for a moment. "Really. We're fine."
"Ok…ok…Jesus, that was just like this morning," he said.
"Any new developments?" Olivia asked.
"Elliot's meeting with Morales as we speak. They won't let me near it because I'm 'too close' as Cragen said, and they probably have it in for you, too. If I find out anything, I'll let you know," he said. She had expected this. And if she couldn't take this case personally, at least she trusted Elliot not to screw it up.
"Ok, well, stay safe," she said.
"I love you," he answered.
"Love you, too," she replied, hanging up. By the time Olivia finished her call, Tina's popsicle had dripped all over the floor, and she had managed to make the bottom half of Olivia's left pant leg a sticky mess.
"Oh Tina…" Olivia sighed. Tina looked up at her and dropped the popsicle on the floor, half consumed. Well, it's better than nothing, Olivia mused as her daughter held her arms out again. Olivia scooped Tina up and awkwardly cleaned up as much of the mess as she could without letting go of Tina.
"Look at you, Tina. You've made quite a mess there," Olivia said. The bottom half of Tina's face was covered in sticky red juice, as was the front of her pajamas and her hands. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." A bath wasn't an option. Even on the best of days, it was a struggle to get Tina into the tub, but she didn't fuss too much when Olivia used a warm washcloth to clean her face and hands. Olivia carried Tina from the bathroom back to the child's room to tackle the pajama situation.
"Which pajamas do you want to wear?" Olivia asked, setting Tina down. Olivia noticed that Tina's teddy bear had fallen on the floor, so she picked it up and set it back in the corner of the bed with its eyes facing the center of the room. Considering Tina was going to wind up either in bed or on the sofa after they got back from the doctor, Olivia thought it was best to skip actual clothes for today. Tina could go to the doctor in pajamas.
"These ones," Tina said, wrapping her arms around Olivia's leg again.
"Honey, those are dirty. How about these?" Olivia asked, holding up a set of Minnie Mouse pajamas. Tina didn't answer, but she didn't fight when Olivia reached down and pulled the soiled clothing from her small body.
"Arms up," Olivia said as she shimmied the top onto Tina. She picked up the pants and bunched the legs together. "Ok, hon, step," she said, guiding Tina's right foot into one of the holes. "Other foot," she said, and Tina put her left foot in the other leg. Olivia pulled the pants up, situating them on Tina's waist.
"Ok, honey, Momma's turn to get dressed. Do you want to lay down for a bit?" Olivia asked.
"Nooo…." Tina whined. Olivia laughed slightly.
"Ok, come on," she said, leading Tina back into her own bedroom. She paused in the kitchen to pick up the fallen blankie. When they reached her bedroom, Olivia motioned for her to hop up on the bed.
"Can you stay here like a good girl while Mommy gets dressed?" Olivia asked. Tina nodded, putting her head on Olivia's pillow and pulling the blankie close to her chest. "That's my good girl," Olivia said, stroking Tina's hot face. She disappeared into her closet, selected jeans and a tee for the day and quickly changed her clothes. When she returned to her bedroom, Tina's eyes were half closed, and her thumb was in her mouth.
"Baby, we have to go out for just a little bit," Olivia said, stroking Tina's head.
"Nooo…" Tina said, rolling over.
"I'm so sorry, honey, but we have to," Olivia said, scooping Tina up again.
"NOOO…" she whined, pushing off of Olivia's chest. Olivia hated to do this to her, but she knew it was necessary.
"It won't be long, and when we get back, we can watch a movie, just the two of us. How does that sound?" she asked.
"Cinderella?" Tina asked.
"Whatever you want," Olivia assured her.
"Ok," Tina said, resting her head on Olivia's shoulder again. She was so tired. Olivia managed to coax Tina into boots and a winter coat, and pulled on her own coat.
"Don't forget Munchy Bear," Tina said as Olivia put her hand on the front door.
"How could we forget Munchy Bear?" Olivia said, going to Tina's room to get the beloved toy. Finally, they were ready to leave.
"Detective Benson?" a uniformed officer asked as she locked her front door.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I'm Officer Davis, part of your detail," he explained. "There was a shift change early this morning. I'm supposed to escort you anytime you leave your home." Olivia hated baby-sitters.
"Well, Officer, I hope you can keep up. Let's go," she said. He followed her down the hallway to the elevator, where they rode in silence to the lobby. She exited the building and turned left, heading down the block.
"Um, Detective?" he asked. Olivia turned back towards him, and he gestured towards a squad car. "We'll give you a ride."
"Oh, no, that's not necessary. We're only going two blocks away," she said.
"Detective, please. It's department policy," he said, which she already knew. She shifted Tina slightly.
"We can't. She needs a booster seat, and mine is in my car, which is in a garage three blocks away…in the wrong direction. Really, we can just walk," Olivia said. The driver's side of the car opened and a familiar figure stepped out.
"Liv, will you stop being so difficult and get in the damn car?"
"Jefferies?" Olivia asked, not entirely believing her eyes. Her once frosted, braided hair was now loose and cut short, and her face had a few more lines etched on it, but the woman standing in front of her was definitely Monique Jefferies.
"In the flesh," she said, smiling.
"How…" Olivia started.
"Get in, and I'll explain it on the way," she said.
"Well, like I was trying to explain to your partner, Tina needs a car seat, and mine is three blocks away," Olivia said again.
"We gotcha covered," Jefferies said, popping the trunk on the squad car. "Cragen called me this morning when he saw my name on the roster. He said your kid was sick, and you'd probably be headed to the…"
"DON'T say it," Olivia said, her eyes opening wide and holding up a hand. Jefferies glanced at Tina.
"D-O-C-T-O-R today, so I had Davis over here bring one in," she said. The uniformed officer shrugged.
"I have a five-year-old at home. He outgrew the toddler one not too long ago," Davis explained. Jefferies was already working the car seat into the back seat of the cruiser.
"Ready to go?" Jefferies asked. Olivia, out of excuses, gave in and strapped Tina into the car seat.
"So you and Fin…" Jefferies began. "How in the hell did that happen?"
"It's a long story, and I'd be happy to tell you about it over drinks sometime," Olivia said.
"I just might have to take you up on that offer," Jefferies answered.
"I hope you do," Olivia said as she snapped the last buckle. She closed the car door, and Jefferies stopped her before she could walk around to the other side of the car.
"Hey, I read the case file," Jefferies said.
"Look, it's…" Olivia began.
"I just wanted to tell you that it pissed me off like nobody's business, and there's no way any asshole is going to touch you on my watch, got it?" Jefferies said. Olivia smiled sadly.
"Got it, but Monique, do me a favor, will you?" Liv said.
"Sure, what is it?" Jefferies said.
"Try to watch your language in front of Tina," Olivia said. Jefferies glanced sideways at the child in the backseat of the car.
"Sorry, guess I've been in Vice a little too long," Jefferies said.
"Don't worry about it," Olivia said, giving her friend's arm a friendly squeeze. The three cops piled into the car and they headed towards the clinic.
"So, what's a detective doing slumming it on protective detail?" Olivia asked when they got going.
"The department offered it as overtime. I saw the case, and I could use some extra cash, so here I am," Jefferies explained. "Where are we headed, Liv?"
"Manhattan Family Clinic," she said. "It's two blocks west of here." Jefferies nodded.
"Yeah, I know where that is," she said.
"So, how exactly do you two know each other?" Davis asked.
"Liv and I met when we were both collaring rapists in SVU in my previous life," Jefferies answered. "It didn't work out for me, but looks like Benson's still up to her old tricks." Olivia chuckled.
"Yeah, well, I'm a creature of habit, I suppose," Olivia answered.
"And you're one hell…heck of a detective. Sorry…" Jefferies said apologetically. "With an incredibly adorable daughter, I should add."
"Thank you, but you should see her when she's not sick. She's turned into quite the daddy's girl," Olivia said.
"Fin with a daughter. I never thought I'd see that," Jefferies commented.
"He's great with her," Olivia said.
"I'm sure he is, but I remember him being deliriously happy as a bachelor, but if anyone could turn him into a family man, it's you," Jefferies said. She pulled the car over to the curb. "Here we are," she announced. Tina looked out the window and immediately recognized the building.
"NOOOO…." she screamed. Olivia sighed.
"I swear, she catches on earlier and earlier every time," Olivia remarked to the two cops in the front seat. "Come on, Tina, we have to," she said unstrapping Tina.
"No, Momma, I don't want to!" Tina wailed, using arms and legs in a feeble attempt to keep Olivia away from her.
"Tina, I'm not going to fight," Olivia said in a stern voice. "I know you're sick, but the tantrum stops now. Now, are you going to walk, or do you want me to carry you?"
"I'M NOT GOING!" Tina yelled at her, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.
"Yes, you are. Now let's go," Olivia said.
"No!" Tina said again, sticking her lip out further.
"That look may work on Daddy, but it doesn't work on me. You have til the count of three, or you're going straight to bed when we get home," Olivia said. Tina continued to stare her down.
"One," Olivia began. Tina's lower lip started to quiver.
"Two," Olivia continued. Tina dropped her arms in defeat and crawled over to Olivia.
"Carry me, Momma," she said softly.
"That's better," Olivia said, lifting Tina out of the car.
"Munchy Bear come too?" Tina asked in a soft voice.
"Of course," Olivia said, picking up the toy with her free hand. They entered the clinic with Jefferies and Davis in tow.
"Hi, welcome to the Manhattan Family Clinic. You must be Tina," the overly perky receptionist greeted them.
"She is, yes," Olivia said, indicating Tina. "We have a 10:15 with Dr. Tanner."
"Sure, have a seat. I'll let her know you're here." One of the things Olivia loved about this particular clinic was the efficiency. She had barely sat down when a nurse called them in for a temperature check and escorted them to an exam room. Each exam room had a set of crayons in it, and it was common practice for the children to draw on the paper covering the exam table while they waited, which is what Tina normally did, but today, she was perfectly content to let Liv cradle her.
"Hi, Tina," Dr. Elizabeth Tanner said when she walked in the door. Dr. Tanner had long, curly, strawberry blonde hair framing her pale Irish face, and she looked barely old enough to be in medical school. In actuality, she had been with the practice for seven years and had a natural talent for working with children. "I heard you aren't feeling well," Tina buried her head into Olivia's chest again as Dr. Tanner pulled up a stool to be at Tina's eye level. "Can you tell me what's going on?"
"She has a fever, and she was throwing up last night. This morning we added a sore throat and coughing into the mix," Olivia answered. Dr. Tanner made a disgusted face.
"That doesn't sound very fun, Tina. It's a good thing your Mommy's smart enough to bring you here, though. I bet we can make you feel better again," Dr. Tanner said. "So, what do you think? Can I take a look at you?" she asked.
"No," Tina said, pouting again.
"Ti-na," Olivia chided. Dr. Tanner held up a hand. It's ok, she mouthed.
"Is that Munchy Bear you brought with you?" Dr. Tanner asked, impressing Olivia with her memory. It wasn't Munchy Bear's first time to the clinic, either. Tina nodded slowly, hugging the bear to her chest.
"How about I take a look at him first? Then you can see there's nothing to be scared of," Dr. Tanner said. Tina handed the bear over to Dr. Tanner and adjusted herself in Olivia's arms so she could see what was happening.
"So, Munchy Bear isn't feeling well either, is he?" Dr. Tanner said, putting the bear on the exam table. Tina shook her head.
"Well, I think the first thing we should do is listen to his heart and lungs," Dr. Tanner said. She took the stethoscope from around her neck and placed it on the bear's chest, listening exactly as she would on a human.
"Hmmm…his heart and lungs sound healthy. Think I could listen to yours too, Tina?" she asked. Tina had shifted so that she was sitting squarely on Olivia's lap. Tina's eyes widened in terror. "Your Mommy can hold you while we do it," the doctor explained.
"I think that's an excellent idea," Olivia said, noticing that the doctor was gripping the end of the stethoscope to warm it before placing in on Tina's bare chest.
"Ok…" Tina said hesitantly.
"It won't hurt, I promise," Dr. Tanner said, gently lifting Tina's shirt and placing the stethoscope on Tina's chest. "Can you take a few nice, deep breaths for me?" Tina did what the doctor asked, but by the third breath she was coughing heavily. "Good girl, Tina! You're doing such a good job!" the doctor praised her when she was done. Tina wrapped Olivia's arms around her again as soon as the doctor finished.
"Hmm…I think we should check Munchy Bear's ears, too," Dr. Tanner said. "It's really easy, Tina, and it doesn't hurt either. We just take this thing here, turn on the light, and look inside." She checked both of the bear's ears. "Think maybe I can check yours too? You can stay with your Mommy." Tina nodded, and the doctor checked her ears quickly.
"Now, Tina, we have a little bit of a problem," Dr. Tanner said. "Munchy Bear has a sore throat, doesn't he?" Tina nodded. "Well, his mouth doesn't open, so I can't look at it. Does your throat hurt, too?" Tina nodded again. "Well, you're in luck! Your mouth does open. Think maybe I could take a look at that sore throat of yours? All we have to do is shine this little light down there, and I can see what's hurting it. I'm also going to use this," she said, holding up a tongue depressor. "It's like a big popsicle stick, and it keeps your tongue from getting in the way. It won't hurt at all." She held up the light and the tongue depressor and let Tina inspect them. Tina gave the instruments back to the doctor and opened her mouth. "Ok, Tina, stick out your tongue and say 'ah'." Tina complied.
"Thank you, Tina. Your throat looks really red. It must hurt a lot," Dr Tanner said.
"Yeah," Tina whispered.
"Ok, Tina, now I think I need to check Munchy Bear's eyes, which is also really easy. We use this light," she said, holding up another instrument "and we look inside each one." Once again she demonstrated on the bear. Olivia thought she saw a confused expression cross the doctor's face, but it only lasted for a second.
"Can I look in your eyes, Tina?" Dr. Tanner asked. Tina nodded again, and Dr. Tanner repeated the procedure on Tina.
"Now, I heard Munchy Bear threw up. His tummy hurts too, doesn't it?" she asked. Tina nodded again. "So, we should probably check that out, too. Now, we're going to lay Munchy Bear on the table," which she did gently, "and we just press on his tummy gently to make sure everything's ok in there."
"Can I check your tummy, Tina?" Dr. Tanner asked. Tina looked up at Olivia questioningly.
"It's ok," Olivia said gently.
"Mommy can hold your hand, but for this to work, you have to be laying down. Do you think you can do that?" Dr. Tanner asked. Tina slid off of Olivia's lap and grabbed her hand, walking towards the exam table. Olivia lifted her up onto the table, and held her hand and Dr. Tanner pressed on her belly.
"Ok, Tina, you're tummy looks just fine to me. I'm going to talk to your Mommy for a minute, but why don't you sit here and help Munchy Bear be brave?" Dr. Tanner said, handing the bear back to Tina. Tina nodded. Dr. Tanner pulled Olivia off to the side of the room and spoke to her softly enough that Tina couldn't hear her.
"What's wrong with her, Doctor?" Olivia asked.
"Well, I want to do a strep test to rule it out. We'll do a rapid test here, which takes about 10 minutes to get the results. Her throat looks pretty raw. It doesn't surprise me that she's being so quiet. It probably hurts her to talk. I'm going to warn you, she's not going to like it, so I may need to enlist your help. We have to do a swab of the back of her throat," Dr. Tanner explained. "I'll be as gentle as I can, but it's an unpleasant experience no matter how you do it." Olivia nodded.
"Do whatever you have to do," she said. Dr. Tanner opened the strep test kit and approached Tina again. Olivia joined her and took Tina's hand.
"Tina, can you be a brave, big girl for me?" Dr. Tanner asked. Tina looked up at Olivia questioningly.
"You're a big girl, right?" Olivia asked.
"Ok," Tina said softly.
"I think there might be some yucky bacteria growing in your throat that's making you sick," Dr. Tanner said. "So, what I want to do is find out if it's there. The way we do that is we go in really, really quickly and touch the back of your throat with this," she explained holding up the cotton swab.
"Does it hurt?" Tina asked.
"No, Tina. It doesn't hurt," Dr. Tanner said. "Think you can open your mouth really, really wide for me?" Tina opened her mouth, and Dr. Tanner moved at lightning speed to get the swab, but no matter what technique she used, it was going to trigger Tina's gag reflex. Tina's eyes widened in horror at the unpleasant feeling, but Dr. Tanner was finished before she could react any further. The minute she was finished, Tina broke out into tears.
"Good girl!" Dr. Tanner praised, rubbing her back. She packed the sample up and handed it off to a nurse outside the exam room. Olivia picked up her daughter and was rubbing her back.
"It's ok, Baby. It's ok," Olivia soothed.
"Olivia, there's something else I need to ask you about while we wait," Dr. Tanner said, gesturing Olivia over to the chair.
"What's wrong?" Olivia asked.
"Do you happen to have one of those nanny cams installed in Tina's teddy bear?" she asked. Olivia furrowed her brow, and she was suddenly afraid of what the doctor was going to tell her.
"No, why?" Olivia asked.
"Well, when I had the stethoscope on it, I heard a sort of buzzing sound. It was faint, but definitely mechanical, and when I looked in the bear's eyes, one seemed different from the other. Usually they're just glass beads, but this one had a strange look to it. I've actually examined several bears in my career, including one with a nanny cam in it, and that's what this is what that reminds me of," she explained. Olivia felt her blood run cold.
There were five cameras, not four.
Seriously, I wish my pediatrician had been like Dr. Tanner. But anyway, I'm having so much fun with Tina and Liv; I almost hate to destroy it…almost. So, where are we going next? And how's Olivia going to react to Dr. Tanner's discovery? Guess you'll have to wait to find out!
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