Chapter Fourteen: Cards on the Table

"...and that's when I decided that it wasn't worth it, so I ended things with him," I hear Olivia saying faintly. "So what do you think?"

I don't answer her; I'm completely lost in my bowl of soup.

"Maggie? Maggie?"

I start then, nearly losing control of my soup spoon and getting some on my new pantsuit. Shaking a little, I stir the thick consommé furiously, desperate to get the perfect image of Rebecca Rosewood out of my mind. "Sorry, Liv. You ended things with Brad?" I ask.

"Yeah, I said that," she says, clearly slightly irritated. She reaches out then, closing the distance between us on the small surface area we have to work with at this small, round table in this tiny little café in Alphabet City. She grips my wrist firmly so as my hand stops attempting to cause a whirlpool in my soup. "Maggie. Come on, talk to me. What's with you?"

I raise my eyes to her; it is difficult to make her out, as she is blurry, due to the onset of tears which have entered my eyes. Tell her, now, my mind is screaming at me. You're running on adrenaline... Come on, Holbrook. It's now or never... And then comes the cop out. "That P.I. that Buchanan hired got it wrong," I say softly, finally letting go of my spoon.

"What?" she asks, concern in her voice. "What are you talking about?"

I sigh, withdrawing my hand from her grip; I massage my temples in an effort to clear my head before properly speaking to her. "Apparently, Lacey Monroe is an alias or something, I don't know. Her real name is Rebecca Rosewood, and she's Hunter's lawyer."

"A lawyer? Damn," Olivia says, shaking her head. "That's really cold—cheating on your wife with a lawyer..."

"My mom always told me never to fall for a lawyer," I observe quietly.

"Did she give a reason?"

I nod. "Yeah. She said they were professional liars due to the fact that they have the capacity to represent reprehensible people."

Olivia laughs at that. "There are some good lawyers out there, Maggie."

I nod. "You're right. I heard you and... Well, you talk about Alex Cabot before she was gunned down, entered witness protection, came back to testify, and was given a new identity before she came back for a while... And then there was Casey, who I met in my first night in New York..."

"First night?" Olivia asks, playfully.

I smile at that, turning my gaze back to my autumn squash colored soup. "My first night of new beginnings," I clarify. "A lot's happened to me over the years..."

Olivia raises her cappuccino mug. "But it's not over yet."

I nod, raising my cup of tea and gently chiming it with her mug. "Not over yet," I reply, steadily.

I step into the squad room later that afternoon, feeling rejuvenated after my lunch with Olivia. I ask Nate to brief me on any new cases before I go into my office and go over some cold case files sent over by the Cold Case Unit. Serial homicides have always been a common criminal activity and, after John Munch worked with them, they figured that I, too could provide some insight. Thumbing through some old documents, my head began to swim rather uncomfortably and I found myself pushing away from my desk and ambling over towards my window.

The sun had decided to make an appearance and it looked as if it would be a rather pleasant afternoon. Rolling my shoulders, I debated getting the temporary laptops from the lock up and telling the squad that we should do our computing outside that afternoon. Chuckling to myself at such a ridiculous notion, I took off my heavy sweater and returned to my desk in only my blouse and suit pants. Crossing my legs beneath the table, I tapped my fingers upon the obtuse documentation and wondered if I'd be able to provide any insight whatsoever to the CCU.

Looking up, I see a young man in a suit step into the squad room and ask for someone or something, and Melanie gets to her feet, identifying herself. The man hands over a manila envelope with a quick smile and a word before slipping out of the squad room. Thinking one of my detectives has been served, I am up from my desk and am opening my office door and traipsing into the room proper, raising my eyebrows at the envelope.

"What do we have here?" I ask, nodding to it.

"She's not in any legal trouble," Johnny assures me, rubbing Melanie's shoulders, and I find I am pleased rather than offended at this public display of affection. "Go ahead, Mel. Tell us the news."

Flushing ever so slightly and clearing her throat on a giggle, Melanie eagerly rips her envelope open and pulls out a piece a paper. "It's the results of the Sergeant's Exam," she says breathlessly as Nate, Violette, Abi, and Chester all gather around the three of us to get the information as quickly as possible. "I...passed," she whispers, shaking from head to toe. "I'm in the top ten!" she says, and Johnny immediately takes her by the waist and swings her around the room. "Johnny, careful, please!" she cries, throwing her head back and laughing like a girl as I manage to snag the paper away from her to get a good look at it.

"You placed sixth!" I cry out, memorized. "That's fantastic! I placed ninth when I did mine," I say, chuckling a bit. "Seventeenth," Nate says with a chuckle, and I see that he's put an arm around Violette while she has her head on his shoulder. "In any case, Mel, you should be very proud of your accomplishments. I mean, we're all proud of you, aren't we everybody?"

"Very proud," Violette assures Melanie.

"Completely," Abi puts in.

"Congratulations," Chester says.

I step forward then, after Johnny has set Melanie down and has given her a rather passionate congratulatory kiss, and put out my hand. "Well now, Sergeant Sorenson, we'll have to see about getting you the big desk. I think it should be in the center of the room," I say. "Yeah... That works out. I know in the past we had it by the captain's office, but now I think that the detectives can be on straight rows while your desk can be in the direct center of the room. That way we have eyes everywhere... What say you, Mel? You're third-in-charge now."

Melanie laughs, breathlessly. "I guess I am," she says, putting her hands on her hips, her detective's badge gleaming.

"Wait a moment," I say, laughing as I slip into my office and return with a second manila envelope. "They delivered it this morning," I say, handing over the small package to her.

Melanie, perplexed, opens it, the eagle gold color of her new badge shining up at her, the words NEW YORK STATE POLICE adorning the top, while SERGEANT SORENSON adorns the bottom, with 5015 directly above her new title. "Thank you," she says softly.

I smile at her. "Thank you," I say. "Thank you for serving your department so faithfully and wonderfully. But this was top secret," I say. "They just let me hang onto it for now so you could see it. You'll get it officially when you have your Sergeant Ceremony in a couple of weeks."

"That was so nice of you," she replies, slipping the badge back into the envelope and handing it back to me. "Thank you."

I take back the envelope and nod at her. "No problem, sergeant," I reply.

Once Melanie was formally made Sergeant Sorenson, I had even more faith in my squad than before. With a lieutenant and a sergeant, I was able to divide and conquer—literally. I put Melanie in charge of Violette and Abi and Nate in charge of Jimmy and Chester, and I looked over cases while Nate and Melanie would prep them beforehand. While this was going on, I tried to forget about Rebecca Rosewood and the fact that she'd successfully broken up my marriage twofold, and now she was helping Hunter in picking up the pieces. I left Nate and Melanie in charge on afternoon as I headed to SVU; I needed to be near where Elliot had been; I couldn't explain it, really. I'd taken to walking directly into the unit through Don's door; I hadn't managed to go in through the main entryway alone since the shootout—the last time I'd seen Elliot. A lump in my throat, I made the call to Don as I was going across town, and he agreed that it would be beneficial for me to walk through the main doors alone.

I parked my car in the lot parallel to the precinct and made my way through the front doors and up the stairs before pressing the correct button upon the elevator's outside panel. Stepping inside after the chrome double doors dinged, I pressed the proper button and nibbled at my lips as the doors closed behind me. I forced myself not to grab the hilt of my gun as I shuffled from foot to foot and waited for the doors to open before me. Finally, the ding came and I forced myself to step over the threshold and into the main hallway. Turning right, I made my way down the corridor and stood just feet away from the main doors. Shutting my eyes, I saw myself standing there as shots were fired, and the screams of shock and surprise from the poor people and detectives who just so happened to be there right at that moment in time.

Then, I remembered Elliot raising his gun, but no bullet coming out, and my fast acting and shooting that poor girl. Watching her die in his arms as I proceeded to bleed out, and his cry of anguish when he realized that I had been hit as well by that one stray bullet. I remembered his strong arms around me as I'd forced myself to come to, and how much I'd longed for him to give me that look that he'd done when I was bleeding onto the squad room floor. I'd felt loved by Detective Elliot Stabler in that moment, and I found at that moment that a part of me would always be head over heels in love with the man who had been beneficial in my sexual awakening as a young woman.

Opening my eyes, I let go of the hilt of my gun for the last time and straightened my back before turning the final corner and stepping over the threshold. I saw Olivia smiling at me, a proud look in her eyes—Don must've told her the purpose of my visit. Nick looked on proudly, as did Amanda, although they themselves probably never would quite understand the horrors of that day. Fin came and threw an arm around my shoulders as I stepped completely inside, and John just smiled in his quiet, intelligent way. I realized then that I felt safe with all of them—although to a lesser extent with Nick and Amanda, but I knew that my faith and trust in them would come, in time.

"Captain's waiting for you," Fin says softly, and I motion to Olivia that I will speak to her later as I cross over to Don's office and knock on the door.

"Come on in," he says, and I slip inside. "Hey," he says, and I feel secure once I see him beaming. "How are you?"

I shrug. "Fine, as can be expected," I say, shutting the door behind me and perching on one of his chairs. "Although after the last couple of weeks, I don't know anymore, Don... I mean, all this had really been happening so quickly and I feel...I don't know...undeserving..."

"Undeserving?" Don asks, confused. "You? Come on."

"No, I'm serious," I reply. "The twins are two years old and Edythe's fourteen and I suppose I feel as if I'm losing them..."

"Losing them? Come on," Don says. "You've got years with the twins and, who knows, maybe Edythe'll want to attend college here... Besides, you've still got another month of this school year, plus her junior and senior years..."

"While Edythe was in Paris, she signed up for a class," I say softly. "Everyone encouraged her not to do it—it was a three-month class and she's only off for two weeks for spring break. But Edythe got the literature by herself, on her own, and did three months of work in two weeks."

"Three months of...? That's crazy!" Don says.

I nod at that. "I know! And then her school worked out that since she was able to do all that, they gave her another exam..."

"For what?" Don asks, confused.

"To test whether or not sophomore classes were too easy for her," I say, shaking my head. "I barely passed with average grades throughout school..."

A smile plays at Don's lips. "Average? You?"

"Okay, fine. My lowest grades were high B's but my parents didn't like it. By the middle of my sophomore year, they said that low A's were as low as I could go—got me a tutor and everything, and that's how I met my first boyfriend, Bobby Thompson... We went out until the following Christmas and he tried to pressure me into sex but I was so staunchly Catholic at the time that I refused..."

"You think you were too young?"

I shrug. "I'll never know, will I? I was pretty much banned from my parent's lives after I decided to have an abortion... Can't tell you how many times I go to bed at night thinking I've lived a thousand lifetimes..."

"How old are you now, Maggie?"

I laugh at that. "Twenty-six," I reply. "I'll be twenty-seven in two months. I almost can't believe that I'm almost thirty."

"You could retire at forty then, if you wanted to, and still live a full life," Don tells me softly.

I shake my head. "I thought my full life was going to be with Hunter, but those thoughts clearly got shot in the face..."

"Don't give up," Don tells me.

I sigh, feeling deflated. "You know I think I'll take Edythe and the twins away for the summer," I say softly.

"Good idea," he says. "Where do you think?" "Well, Florida is out of the question, and so is Paris," I say with a laugh. "Maybe a cruise or something... Summer has fantastic deals and maybe it would be nice to get away with them for a while... Maybe I can even persuade Helena to come with me, and Sebastian, as an early wedding present..."

"You're a generous boss," Don says with approval.

I laugh. "I can be," I reply.

"Summer?!" Edythe screeches, causing the twins to squeal in protest, prompting Helena to whisk the two of them out of the room. "But... I had plans already! I wanted to go somewhere with Dad..."

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to smile at her. "Dad has an undercover mission this summer, sweetheart," I reply, which was pretty much true, as it was something I'd heard from the cop grapevine. "And, like I've told you, I've got custody of the three of you and you can only go with him if I say you can."

Edythe lets out a petulant huff and flops down upon the couch, her legs sprawled, her arms crossed. "Why?" she whines.

I sigh, flopping down on the other end of the couch. "Because I think it'd be good for us," I reply, putting my hand lightly upon her leg. "Come on." I know there has to be an incentive here somewhere, although the obvious ones—iPod, laptop, cell phone—are all taken, and she is too young for a car or driving lessons... "Okay. I have the website saved," I say, making a grab for my own laptop, positioned on the coffee table. I open it up, smiling at the screensaver from a year ago of Edythe and the twins on the twins' first birthday, and type in my password before managing to find my favorite browser and clicking the 'bookmarks' tag and finding it. "Here," I say to her, positioning the laptop between us, pleased that I've managed to have piqued her interest. "Look. Look at all these places we have to choose from, sweetie..."

She raises her eyes to mine. "So, what? I get to help pick or something?"

I nod. "You get a vote, yeah."

Satisfied, Edythe claps her hands. She reaches forward, tentatively, and clicks the destinations button and looks through it. "Wow! This one has a European tour!" she crows, truly excited.

I smile, pleased that she's happy. "Why don't you read me the information?" I ask, handing over the laptop to her.

"Well, we'd leave from the Manhattan Port and be on the boat for three days and then end up in Portsmouth, which is about a two-hour drive from London. We have two days there and then we get back on the boat and go for another two days and then we'd end up in Amsterdam. Three days later, after a two-day stay, we'd go to Copenhagen, for two days, and then to Oslo for two days and then to Stockholm for two days before going back to the Manhattan Port."

"So, a few weeks?" I say, nodding to myself. "I'll bet it's booking fast..."

"Only a few cabins left," Edythe agrees.

Quickly, I swipe my computer from her and type in the proper information: I was shocked and delighted when Helena said she would keep the twins in her room, which meant that we could get two suites for the price of one, according to the website. I explained to Edythe that we would share a room, but that we'd have different beds, and she seemed fine with it. I had been sad for Helena that her fiancé Sebastian would be unable to come, who had just begun his residency and couldn't get away. I informed Edythe that she would need to help me do the shopping for the twins and that she could get some new outfits as well, and soon the trip was booked.

I gave Nate notice at work that I'd be gone for almost a month and that he and Melanie would be in charge during my absence. He seemed to take the news well and promised that he and Melanie would run the squad well. On the eve of my departure from New York, I was surprised when the gang invited me out to Valbella, Violette's favorite restaurant in Midtown. I felt a little out of place, since Melanie and James had paired up, along with Violette and Nate, but was pleased at least that Abi and Chester were going stag, so I decided not to let the whole arrangement get to me.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were shown to The Fifth Avenue Room, and I remembered that it had a minimum capacity of twelve, and was shocked when no money was exchanged clandestinely. We were shown to the room, all done up in purple hues, and I was delighted to see Olivia, Nick, Amanda, John, Fin, and Don all in there waiting for us, and we made thirteen. I cross to sit with Olivia and Fin after embracing Don, and soon our very own waiter arrives to ask us what we'd all like to drink. I take his recommendation on a fine pinot noir while Olivia opts for a burgundy-colored merlot.

We make small talk, sipping our beers and wines, with the exception of Don, who merely sips a glass of ice water and listens attentively. I remembered when we were undercover and Fin had whispered to be about Don's alcoholism, but I'd never brought it up with him myself. When the waiter returned about ten minutes later, I ordered something called a scaloppini martini and listened attentively to what everyone else ordered, not surprised when most of the men ordered some variation of a steak. We keep the conversation going, and about a half an hour later, the waiter returns with a cart and presents all our food to us, and I am quite shocked when a man who appears to be the doppelganger of Giada De Laurentiis all but sashays into the private dining room.

"What a pleasure it is to know that I'm serving some of New York's Finest this evening," she says, with a smile and a wave to all.

"Wow," Olivia and I whisper together.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Giada De Laurentiis," she says with a perfect amount of humbleness. "I'm filling in for my dear friend Chef Joe Giordano, who unfortunately couldn't be here tonight," she tells us all with a flourish. "Please tell me how everything is, and I do hope you save room for dessert," she tells us with a smile before motioning to the waiter to leave us alone to eat.

"Nice lady," Fin remarks, looking down at his Filetto di Manzo Peppercorn. "Can't believe she made all this for us..."

Olivia picks up her fork, inspecting her Pollo Diavolo. "She certainly puts plenty of presentation into it," she adds.

We all of us finish our meal and look around at one another, and it becomes apparent that dessert will be a must for this evening. We inform Giada of what we want—I get a crème brulee while everyone else gets a variety of pastries and cream-like confections—and soon our smaller plates are brought. I raise my eyebrows ever so slightly when champagne is brought, and Don insists on sticking with his water, something I deeply commend him for. We all of us eat our various desserts and our champagne—except for Don—and I'm quite surprised when Nate gets to his feet.

"Everybody, everybody," he says, lifting his champagne glass and tapping it gently with his knife. "Can I have your attention, please?" he asks as we all turn and look at him. "I'd like to thank you all for being here—Homicide, especially Maggie, thank you," he says, with a smile to me, to which I return a nod. "And to all my friends at SVU, thank you so much. Well, you're here on a very special night, because now I'm going to do something that I never thought I'd have the guts to do at all..." He then gets on one knee before Violette, who turns about fifty shades of red as she watches Nate reach into his pocket and produce a lovely two-carat, oval-cut diamond ring. "Violette Clara Fairfax, would you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife?"

I find Olivia's hand next to mine and, at the very same moment, we two clasp them together tightly, waiting for Violette's answer.

Violette's eyes fill with tears as she nods eagerly. "Yes, yes, Nate," she says, and lets out a nervous giggle. "I will marry you."

We all of us soon break into applause as Nate slips the ring onto Violette's finger and Violette gently pulls him by his tie and kisses him. I find I am pleased for the pair of them, really I am. Yet I find I cannot shake the feeling that Hunter and I were once like that, once so trusting of one another, once so in love...

Edythe and I have managed to shop until we dropped for a full week after she gets out of school. She asks to go camping in Connecticut at one of her friends' cabins and I accept, knowing she will want a little independence this summer before we go off on the cruise. She returns a few days before we're due at the port, and I'm pleased when her newly-issued passport comes on time. Edythe balks at the picture, but I whisper to her that my first passport photo wasn't so great either, and even go so far as to show her. It gets a laugh out of her, and I'm pleased that she's helping Helena with the twins before the trip.

The five of us then depart from the penthouse about two hours before the boat is due to leave the dock. We hail a van cab and stuff our suitcases into the back before slipping into the backseat. I am pleased that my request for car seats for the twins didn't go ignored, and Edythe and Helena entertain them as I go over our itinerary for the day. Finally, we arrive at the docks and, once our bags are checked, Helena journeys inside to find her cabin to put the twins down for a nap while Edythe and I see about going to get a snack.

We find a place aptly called COFFEE & CAKE BAR and step up and get a table and pour over the menu before us. "What are you thinking of?" I ask.

"Maybe a Coconut Frappuccino," she replies. "With a slice of red velvet... How about you, Mom?"

I shrug. "I don't know. A tea with a slice of white with buttercream," I guess. "I know, I know. Boring, right?"

"What about the rum caramel?" she asks.

I roll my eyes. "Sweetie, you know I hardly ever drink..."

"Mom, it's a cake..."

I chuckle a bit. "Yes, I know, sweetheart. But I can still taste the hint of alcohol and I'm just not in the mood for that right now..."

"No harm in living a little, you know?" she asks.

I nod. "I know."

Three and a half weeks later, Edythe and I return to Manhattan from the cruise. Not only had we gotten a generous tan, but we'd gotten plenty of new outfits to last a lifetime—well, maybe a season, at least. After being home for two days, I return to the squad room, and Melanie, Violette, and Abi all run to embrace me, as does Nate, while Jimmy claps me on the shoulder and Chester shakes my hand. They all want to hear about my trip, and I promise to tell them every detail over drinks. I go into my office, and am pleased at how immaculate Nate has kept things in my absence, and find myself secure at leaving him in charge of the squad more often, now that he's been given a proper shot.

I receive a call from Olivia two days later, asking if we can do lunch, and I ask Nate to keep watch over the squad as I head out to do so. When I arrive at a lovely soup, salad, and sandwich place in Midtown called Triple S, I give her a hug and slip into my bag for the scarf I selected for her in Copenhagen. Olivia thanks me profusely and puts it on right then and there, due to the cold, early September day us New Yorkers are faced with.

"I need to talk to someone besides Don about this," she says softly, wrapping her hands around her mug of coffee.

"Talk about what?" I ask, thanking the server as she pours me a cup of tea before she slips away. "Is it serious?"

She nods. "Yes." She sips her coffee methodically, and rolls her shoulders, and it is then where I know where I get that particular trait from. "I never told you that I had a brother, did I?"

I nearly choke on my tea. "No. I always thought that your mom, Serena, only had you..."

Olivia nods. "That's true. My brother is paternal, and only a half-brother. His name is Simon, and he's my father's younger child."

I inch forward slightly; I just couldn't believe it; I had an uncle. I actually had an honest-to-god uncle. Calm down now, Holbrook. You're twenty-seven years old and the Captain of Manhattan Homicide. Keep your cool... "You haven't mentioned him before," I say casually.

She nods. "Yeah, he's just... Really personal," she says, giving me a nervous laugh and shaking her head.

"Why are you mentioning him?" I want to know.

She sighs. "Well, you know how I haven't been really able to meet much? I said I had a backlog of cases since Elliot left..."

I force myself to remain neutral at the mention of his name. "Sure," I reply, nodding adding another packet of sugar to my tea. "Why wouldn't I understand? I mean, of course I understand... Family troubles?" I ask.

She sighs again. "Something like that. Simon... Simon got himself into a bit of hot water..."

My eyebrows come together at that. "Legal trouble? What happened?"

"Well, him and his fiancée were accused of child abuse," she says softly.

I lose control of my spoon and it clatters to the side of my tea cup. "C-child abuse?" I manage to get out. "No..."

Olivia nods. "'Fraid so. His fiancée had a son from a previous relationship, and then they had a daughter, Olivia..."

My throat swells ever so slightly... Simon seems to care as much about Olivia as you do, Holbrook... "ACS stepped in after the suspicion of the abuse became semi-public record after the social worker made a report?" I ask.

Olivia sips her coffee, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, and it escalated to them seizing the children for their own 'safety'. Long story short, Simon and his fiancée decided to take the children..."

"...and were subsequently charged with kidnapping," I say, rubbing my temples and nibbling at my bottom lip. "God, I couldn't imagine..."

"The system is in place to work with people, when in fact it frequently works against them," Olivia tells me. "His fiancée took a plea, and re-gained custody of the children, while Simon's locked up for three years for custodial interference, which he got on a plea deal. They've decided to review his case in a year, but until then..."

"It's out of your hands," I say softly. "Wait... You're not telling me all this because you think that I could somehow get Simon out, are you?"

Olivia sighs. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it," she confesses, adding some milk to her coffee. "But I don't want to abuse my friendship with you, Maggie, really."

I give her a tight smile. "Thank you. I really appreciate that." It is then that my phone vibrates in my pocket and I go to check it. "Sorry, it's Hunter," I say, and Olivia motions for me to take the call. "Hey, Hunter. Everything okay?"

"I need to talk to you, Maggie. Now."

I sigh. "Can't this wait? I'm with Olivia..."

"No, it really can't. Please."

I sigh, mouthing 'sorry' to Olivia, who looks totally understanding. "All right. I gave Helena permission to take the twins to her mother's house tonight, and Edythe is spending the weekend at a friends' house. Want to come by the penthouse later tonight?"

"No. I need to see you in my office, Maggie. Please."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. I'll just send a text to Nate telling him that I'll be a little longer. I should be there in twenty minutes."

"Thanks, Maggie. Really."

"No problem," I reply, hanging up. "He was really insistent, I'm so sorry," I say, wincing a little at Olivia. "I'll tell them to split the check and we..."

"No, it's fine. I'll get this one."

"Liv..."

She holds up her hand. "Please. Come on. You're my friend, Maggie. I know you would do the same for me if the roles were reversed."

I nod. "You're right." I quickly put on my autumn coat, hat, and scarf to ward off the autumn chill and embrace Olivia before making my way towards the exit. I take my keys from my pocket and automatically unlock my car, before getting into it and successfully merging into traffic on the first try. Suffice it to say that I was more than a little annoyed at the prospect of seeing my soon-to-be ex-husband in a location that was not a courtroom or an attorney meeting. However, I just crossed my fingers that he didn't want to amend the custody agreement—asking for joint custody at this point would be suicide, literally.

I park in the parking lot of 1 Police Plaza a little over twenty minutes later and make my way through the main doors, flashing my badge so as nobody stops me from my pursuit of Hunter's office. I make my way to the elevator, clicking the button for the proper floor, tapping my foot impatiently until the ding sounds and I step inside, internally vomiting at the completely awful carpeting job they'd done in there. You knew you were going to your doom anyway if 1PP contacted you, and the intricate, Inception-inspired shapes on the carpeting below me probably wouldn't help anyone mentally.

I step into the hallway leading to the lobby, which then broke off into separate departments where Hunter, Ed Tucker, and Timothy Wilkes—who had since been promoted to Sergeant—kept their offices, complete with their own personal foyers and secretaries. I slip into the middle office, Hunter's domain, and give a half-hearted wave to Sheila, his personal secretary. An outspoken lesbian and proponent for LGBT rights, she was a very vocal individual, and I knew that Hunter had honesty on his side when he'd hired her. She flashed me a smile, and I found myself touched by it, peering briefly at the photograph on her desk of her and her wife, Jessica, at their Rhode Island vacation home, with their twin ten-year-old sons—Danny and Philip—as well as the family dog, Milo.

I knock on Hunter's door, and hear him giving me permission to enter, and as I step over the threshold, I find I am raising my eyebrows at my husband. He's finally gotten rid of his beard, as well as cut his hair short again, something I'd asked him repeatedly to do, but gave up when I thought he'd actually wanted it that way. Girlfriend probably asked him to do it, I remind myself, putting a tight smile onto my face as I shut the door behind me.

"You look great, Maggie," Hunter remarks affably. "The cruise looks like it worked wonders—I follow Edythe's Instagram and she posted about all the highlights throughout the weeks..."

I nod. "Thanks." Sighing then, I find myself gripping the back of one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Hunter... Can we be serious for a moment, please?"

"Sure," he replies.

I sigh, rolling my shoulders so as to curb my anxiety. "Tell me... Why am I here right now? What was so urgent that couldn't be told to me over the phone? Please, Hunter, no more games."

He sighs as well, deflating a bit, and I know his ego has dropped down to the normal range. "This divorce... It shouldn't happen..."

A lump develops in my throat. How on earth could he even suggest something like this after months...?! Forcing myself to keep my cool, I reply, "Hunter, some things just aren't that simple. Some things aren't forgivable..."

"You say that I never talk to you, and you're right," Hunter interrupts me. "Yeah, I closed up, because I thought you were still in love with Elliot..."

I sigh, looking away from him as my eyes fill with tears. "So you're saying that because of my complex feelings for Elliot that that justifies what you did to me, Hunter? Is that what you're saying? We agreed that honesty and communication were necessary for our relationship and marriage to work and those pretty much got shot in the face..."

Hunter closes the distance between us. "I know I was wrong, Maggie, really, but please just listen to me. I know I never did to you, and I am so sorry. But I want to begin a new chapter..." He says solemnly, taking my hands.

I grit my teeth then, but force myself not to let him see that. "With your girlfriend, you mean?" I say.

Hunter has the nerve to look genuinely confused. "What? Girlfriend? Maggie, what are you talking about?"

"You fucking asshole," I say, finding myself laughing as I pull away from him then, shaking my head. "Your fucking girlfriend!"

"Maggie, I swear to you, I have been so hung up on you and all this," he says, waving his hands in between us, "that I shared maybe one or two drunken kisses with Ed's assistant Miriam since our separation."

"Miriam?!" I cry out, genuinely shocked.

"Yeah. Miriam. She was using me to get back at her fiancé and when that worked we went out for drinks and we kissed once or twice. Nothing happened—I'm not her type; she's not into fathers."

"You're actually being serious right now," I say, shaking my head. "But... John Buchanan hired a P.I. for me..."

"What?!" Hunter demands.

I nod. "Yeah. He hired a P.I. to help my case. I was sure he wouldn't find anything, Hunter, really, but I wanted to know..."

"Know what?!" he says, clearly angry now.

I sigh, taking my phone out of my pocket where I've taken pictures of the pictures the P.I. took of who was reportedly Hunter out with who he believed was Lacey Monroe with Edythe. "Here. It's you and someone the guy said was Lacey Monroe out with Edythe somewhere..."

"You have got to be kidding me," Hunter says as I scroll through the pictures, and I feel a second lump form in my throat when I get to the ones of 'him' and Lacey kissing and laughing and having a general good time with Edythe.

"Who is she, Hunter? Is she Lacey Monroe, or Rebecca Rosewood?"

Hunter sighs, taking me by the hand and pulling me down into a seat opposite him and shaking his head. "Okay. I'll tell you everything."

I cross my ankles. "Please."

"That guy in the pictures is not me, Maggie. I know that's the go-to excuse, but you've got to believe me."

"Why?" I ask him. "Why should I believe you? You've given me absolutely nothing to go on here..."

A ping from Hunter's phone sends him to it. He presses a button to connect him with Sheila. "Sheila, hey, it's not really a good time... Oh." His eyes widen then and he nods eagerly, despite being on the phone. "No. No, by all means. It's long overdue, really. Send him in."

"Hunter?" I ask as he hangs up the phone and the door opens. I nearly fall out of my chair when the door opens fully, and there, in the doorway, is an exact copy of Hunter, and I find I let out a shriek as he shuts the door.

"Is she all right?" asks the man.

"She will be," Hunter replies. "Can you help me out here? It seems as if you and Rebecca are the direct cause of my divorce..."

"You're kidding me," the man says, immediately crossing the room and helping me to my feet. "So sorry about Hunter, Maggie. It's so wonderful to finally meet you, really," he says, kissing me on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, I'm totally lost um... Would one of you care to explain what's going on here?!"

"Where are my manners?" he chuckles at me, good-naturedly. "It's not every day that I meet my sister-in-law..."

"Sister-in... What?!" I demand.

He grins down at me. "Mason Grayson, how do you do?"

"M-Mason?!" I demand then.

"Yeah. Hunter's twin brother. Naturally I prefer the term 'elder brother' but you can't really do that if you're twins, despite the fact that I entered this world a full fifteen minutes before he did..."

I hold up a finger to Mason before turning on Hunter. "So, let me get this straight, because I'm playing catch-up... You have a twin and you never thought to tell me about it?!"

"It's really not that simple, Maggie," Hunter replies.

"He's right," Mason says, bringing back my attention to him. "I'm a Special Agent for the FBI and my cover can't be blown."

"So you're undercover?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "Not anymore—the mission went according to the plan and everyone is fine... Well, almost everyone. Anyhow, the point is that I've been under for almost a decade. Really gotta get infiltration right..."

"So you were undercover during our wedding?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Pity, too. I wanted so much to be there, and I hear I've got two nieces and a nephew, so I'll have to meet them at some point properly, seeing as I've already met Edythe..."

"So why the park?" I ask. "And the outings...?"

"We're granted temporary respite in the undercover operations," Mason replies easily. "Rebecca is my wife, has been for many years. She has a law degree but hasn't had the opportunity to use it in many years. She works for the FBI, too—that's how we met..."

"Always the charmer." It is then that one of Hunter's bookcases rotates and none other than Rebecca stands there. She grins at the sight of Mason and runs to him then, embracing him and kissing him passionately. "Come on, I want to at least tell some of it..."

"By all means," Mason replies.

"So sorry we couldn't have told you sooner," Rebecca says, breaking away from Mason to hug me briefly. "My undercover name is Lacey Monroe. I'm a billionaire heiress, that's my persona, and Mason is my bodyguard turned husband. That way we don't have to go far from our real identities."

"So let me get this straight... You're Mason Grayson, also known as my brother-in-law, and you're Rebecca Rosewood..."

"Rosewood-Grayson," Rebecca giggles. "Yes. I'm your sister-in-law."

I turn and look at Hunter. "I think you and I have some things to discuss," I say to him levelly.

"Right. Our cue to leave then," Mason says, putting an arm around Rebecca, who gives me a little wave, as they sneak out of there.

"The only thing you're guilty of, Hunter Grayson, is lack of communication, as far as I can see..."

"Yes," Hunter replies.

I nod. "Okay. It seems as if you're prepared to remedy that."

He nods. "I am."

"Good." I cross the room then and lock his door from the inside before making my way towards him. I get my fingers around his tie then and immediately proceed to unknot it.

"Maggie... What are you doing?"

"Be quiet," I reply, throwing his tie across the room and beginning to unbutton his shirt.

"But, Maggie..."

"Shut up," I reply, standing on my toes to kiss him. "Do you know how scared I was?!" I demand then, my voice shaking. "Don't you know by now how much I am head over heels in love with you?!"

His eyes widen then. "Maggie..."

I giggle a bit, pulling up his hands to pull at my clothes. "Please. Come on. I am absolutely crazy about you... But you drive me crazy, Hunter Grayson..." "Back at you," he replies, yanking me forwards then so as our bodies are perfectly aligned, making an almost-complete person. He leans down and proceeds to nibble at my neck and earlobe. "Do you know how many times I've thought about this, Maggie? Thousands—millions, maybe. Every night, before I go to sleep. Every morning, as I wake up. Every waking moment of my life," he goes on, pulling back so as to get a good look at my face. He gropes my backside with one hand and cups my face with the other. "I love you, Maggie... You'll never know how much that statement will never falter in its authenticity..."

My knees threaten to go weak then. "Are electronic devices covered by insurance here, Hunter?" I ask softly.

He looks confused. "Yes, of course."

I nod. "Uh-huh. Any important files on your desk?"

He shakes his head. "Not at the moment."

"Good," I reply, taking my arm and sweeping the contents of his desk onto the floor, which is exactly when his phone decides to ring.

"Sorry about the noise, Sheila," Hunter says as I quickly proceed to undress him and myself the rest of the way. "Just talking with Maggie... Hold all my calls, will you, and make sure we're not disturbed?"

"Not a problem, Hunter," Sheila replies, a little giggle hidden at the back of her throat, which the two of us hear as he hangs up the phone.

Hunter makes a grab for me then, and I let out a squeal as he places me, naked, upon his desk. "I've wanted this for so long, Maggie... I wanted history to repeat itself..."

I feel my eyes filling with tears. "I don't love him, Hunter, really. I don't love Elliot Stabler. I only love you..."

"Shh," he says, smiling down at me as he gently covers my lips with his index finger. "I don't give a damn about Elliot Stabler—all I give a damn about is this divorce you're so intent on..."

I smile up at him, grabbing him so as he is perfectly positioned on top of me, and let out a sudden gasp then as he enters me. "What divorce?" I ask him, and we slowly begin again, just where we left off.