Set after Season 11, Episode 24 "Shattered"
The main characters of Law and Order SVU belong to Dick Wolf and NBC Universal. This is meant for entertainment, not profit.* There are several characters I have created. I am not sure how many chapters this fan fiction story will be. I hope you enjoy, and I welcome feedback.
"Stepping Time" Chapter 14 of ?
#-#
"Hey you how did it go with Fin and Munch?" Erin said answering her phone.
"Very, very cool," Olivia responded. "I don't know why I was so nervous. Just pulled them into an interrogation room and pulled up that pic Casey took of us at Madison's on Wednesday on my phone."
"Awesome," Erin laughed. "I'll feel much less like a lesbian lab rat then."
"Hey do you want me to tell Elliot ahead of time then?" Liv questioned. "It's fine if you."
"No, let's stick to the surprise angle," Erin interrupted. I want to see your partner's reaction. Got to have some fun with it all."
Liv laughed. "That was the only thing Fin and Munch were upset about. They want to see El's reaction. I told them I would take at least one picture."
"No," Erin laughed. He is your partner. I think it is best he gets to meet me first, and we get a little chance to talk before we have a full table," Erin said.
"Ok," Liv sighed. "I'll see you at Humphrey's with Elliot at five. Munch reserved a table in the back."
"See if you can have Elliot seated where he's not looking directly at the entrance," Erin added.
"Hey Erin," Olivia started. "Just-thank you very much."
"You're welcome," Erin laughed. "You still have friends of mine to meet."
#-#
"Since you keep looking at your watch every five minutes, why don't we just wrap up and get out of here now," Elliot said across his desk to Olivia.
"Sounds good," Olivia said. "We'll only be a few minutes early."
"Definitely not too early to have a drink. It's been a long week," Elliot smiled.
#-#
"Love you too," Elliot said disconnecting the call. "Kathy changed her mind she's going to come too."
"That's might be good," Liv said fidgeting with the label of her beer.
"Might be good?" Elliot questioned. He was seated at the end of the rectangular table with his back to the wall. Humphrey's was constructed as a long and slender rectangle. The front part of the establishment contained the slender L-shaped bar, lined with stools. Across from the bar were six wood booths and two small elevated tables with stools.
"I just meant it will be good for Kathy to meet Erin tonight too," Liv said.
The back area of the bar where they were, descended by two slight stairs, and was brighter than the front, illuminated for the two dartboards and pool tables. Olivia was seated across the table from Elliot, and although she saw Erin enter Humphrey's, she instead looked down and reached for her phone.
"Just got a text. Erin's running a few minutes late," Olivia said.
Erin walked to the far end of the long bar where she was in Elliot's field of view. She ordered a beer and then pretended to take a call on her phone, laughing hard enough to ensure the noise would garner Elliot's attention. He looked in her direction and she shot him a smile, still pretending to be carrying on a conversation on her phone.
"Liv," Elliot said. "Don't make it obvious, but there's a woman behind you at the end of the bar, white blouse, black belt and blue jeans that looks almost like a dead ringer for Carmichael."
"Really," Liv said trying not to laugh, and unaware of exactly what Erin planned next. Liv turned her head slightly to eye Erin. "Yes, your right," she said to Elliot. "There's a resemblance."
Elliot tried to eye Erin discreetly, but she saw him looking and smiled again at him and added a wink, while putting away her phone.
"Hi there handsome," Erin said sliding into the chair at the head of the table between Elliot and Olivia, and placing a shot glass of whiskey in front of him. "It's been a long week and I need someone to toast the start of the weekend with."
"Um," he started.
"Hell, it is just a shot," Olivia said.
"I saw you looking at me cowboy," Erin said almost causing Olivia to spit out her sip of beer.
"Well I was looking, but not just because you are very attractive, but also because you look like an old friend of ours," he said.
"Abbie Carmichael," she smiled. "That's what Casey and Liv said when they first met me."
There was a moment of silence as Elliot began to process the clues.
"It's great to meet you Detective Stabler," Erin said extending her hand to shake his. "I'm Lt. Col. E-R-I-N Mathison. You want to do that shot now?"
"Wow," he smiled and lifted his shot glass to meet Erin's. "Cheers to you and my partner!"
"Hey babe," Erin said to Olivia after finishing her shot. "I need to run to the restroom. Will you order a Chardonnay for me if the waitress comes around?"
"You okay El?" Olivia asked as Erin walked away.
He laughed. "She got me good here. But, what was with over three weeks of pronouns with you."
"That's where you are wrong Elliot. I never said "he" or "she," you just assumed."
"You're right," he said. "And you have been really happy since you have started seeing her, so that's all that matters to me."
"Thanks, that means a lot to me partner. She's really great and I like her a lot."
He laughed again. "I have to give you props partner. When you go gay, you go good. She is hot."
"Damn, don't I know it," she smiled. Olivia noticed Erin waiting over by one of the pool tables and gestured for her to come back to the table. Erin took a seat in the chair to Olivia's right.
#-#
"Hey Alex," Fin said.
"How are you?" Alex asked. "I was hoping to catch Olivia, but it looks like she already left."
"Yeah, she and Elliot went to Humphrey's about an hour ago," Munch said. "But Fin and I are headed down there in a few if you want to walk with us."
"Sure that sounds good," Alex said.
"I'm glad you're here Alex," Fin said. "Olivia said you were in D.C. this week and you wouldn't be able to make it this time."
"Really," Alex started and then caught herself. "I told her that I might have to stay in D.C. through tonight," she lied. "But I was able to come back last night."
"Casey and her boyfriend Jeff are in visiting with the captain," Munch said.
"I'm really glad they were able to make it," Alex said trying to hide her hurt and anger that Olivia had not invited her to Humphrey's, and that she was only finding out about it because she had come to the precinct hoping to catch the detective at work and take her for drinks or to dinner.
"Alex," Cragen called out after opening his office door for Casey and Jeff, seeing the blonde former ADA standing by Munch's desk.
"How are you doing?" Alex asked the captain. "It's good to see you."
"Doing good Alex," he responded. "Sure wish I didn't have a dinner I have to go to tonight. Would love to join you all at Humphrey's."
"Well, we will just have to do it again so you can join us all," Alex smiled.
All hopes Casey had for a potentially awkward situation at best evaporated. "Hey Alex," she said, her mind racing and still hoping that maybe Olivia had told Alex about Erin and invited her too. "This is my boyfriend, Jeff."
"Nice to meet you Jeff," Alex said shaking his hand.
"You all ready to head out?" Munch asked.
"Mind if I run to the ladies' room first," Casey stated rather than asked.
#-#
"C'mon Liv pick up," Casey said leaning against the interior side of the bathroom door.
"Hey are you guys on your way yet?" Liv answered.
"Please tell me you invited Alex and just forgot to tell me?" Casey said.
"What?" Olivia said, getting up to walk away from the table with Erin, Elliot and Kathy.
"Jeff and I walked out of Cragen's office and she was standing by Munch's desk, and she's going to be walking down to Humphrey's with all of us. Do you think Elliot invited her?"
"No," Olivia said. "He would have told me. Fuck! Does she know about Erin?"
"I don't know, but she will in a few minutes."
"Will you try and find out what she knows on the way over and then give me a signal when you get here," Olivia said.
"That's your plan?" Casey asked.
"I have no fuckin' clue right now. But thank you for calling Casey. At least you've given 10 minutes to come up with one."