Fin stared at the girl who had not moments ago told her she was his daughter. She had to be around, what…sixteen? Seventeen?
Fin scanned the birth certificate he had just been given. Sure enough, his name was printed in the box sectioned off for the father. He checked the mother box as well: Brandy Germain.
Brandy…he had dated her almost twenty years ago. Things had gotten pretty serious with them before she suddenly left.
He stepped back, "Sit on the couch," he instructed, "And don't move." The girl gave him a funny look and sat down.
He sat down across from her and stared her down as though he were in the interrogation room.
Fin held up the birth certificate, "Who gave you this?"
"My mom. Her name was Brandy."
"What do you mean was?"
The girl looked down, "She died last month. Cancer."
Fin sighed at the news, "I'm sorry. What's your name…Janelle?" She nodded, "Okay, Janelle, I have to go make a phone call. Just hang here for a sec, 'aight?"
As soon as he was away, Fin whipped out his phone. He would've called Olivia, but she and Elliot were on call today. So he settled on the next best thing.
"Melinda? I got a situation…"
"Madison, slow down!" Shae yelled, holding a giggling Jacob in her arms. Madison and Nicholas were sprinting to the jungle gym with little Michael close behind.
Angel caught up carrying a bag of supplies. She collapsed on the bench that Shae was seated on and let out a groan.
"Why do kids need so many things?" she huffed as she dropped her load.
Shae chuckled and turned her attention back to the game of peek-a-boo she was playing with Jacob, "You're such a cutie!" she cooed.
"You're just saying that because you don't live with him," Angel pointed out and located the other three kids, "Michael, don't throw dirt at people!"
Shae settled Jacob on her lap, "So what's going on?"
Angel shifted, "Okay, so there's this guy in biology…"
"Ooh!" Shae interrupted in a teasing squeal, "Is it Ryan? Dan? Oh my god, is it Toby?"
"No, no, and hell no!" Angel replied, "Actually it's Jeremy."
Shae's eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped, "Jeremy? As in the kid who carries around the dictionary with him everywhere he goes?"
Angel shrugged, "He's actually kind've cute. I dunno, we'll see," she glanced at the playground, "Hey, where's Nick?"
She immediately shot to her feet and walked towards the playground, "Nick!" she called, "Nicholas!"
"HELP! ANGEL, HELP ME!" Angel's head whipped around. Her eyes widened as she saw her little brother being forced into a van.
"Nicholas!" she screamed, running towards him. She dodged around playing children and ran faster then she had ever run before, "Let go of him!"
Shae, seeing what was going on, dialed 911 and ran to get Michael and Madison.
Angel wrestled with a masked man for her brother, "Let go of him!"
The man said nothing and pulled Nicholas' torso with even more strength. Nicholas wrapped his arms around his sister's neck and held on tightly.
"Angel!" he choked out, tears straining his voice.
"I'm not letting you go!" she assured him, trying to pull him towards her. The wail of squad cars filled the air. Startled, the man suddenly loosened his hold on Nicholas and pushed the siblings to the ground. He yelled for someone to go and in a cloud of dust, the van was gone.
Elliot and Olivia came running out of their sedan and onto the scene. When they had heard about a possible kidnapping in Central Park, they had rushed over.
"Shae!" Elliot yelled, seeing his daughter with three scared children. He nodded at Olivia who nodded back and ran over to Angel.
"What happened?" Elliot asked, putting a hand on Shae's shoulder.
She swallowed and glanced at Olivia, "Angel couldn't find Nicholas, a-and then I saw some guy trying to kidnap him. Angel got him though and I called 911." Elliot nodded and led the group away from the playground.
Olivia helped up Nicholas and Angel who were in a heap on the ground, "You guys okay?"
Nicholas sniffled, "I w-want my M-Mommy," he choked out, beginning to cry. Angel picked up her brother, clutching to him for dear life.
"Did he hurt you?" she asked, checking any visible spot of skin. Olivia put a hand on Angel's back and led her to a waiting ambulance.
"The paramedics are here. They're just gonna check you and Nick out, okay?" Angel nodded, but showed no sign of letting go of her brother anytime soon.
As soon as she had them situated, Olivia met back up with her husband, "How's Shae and the kids?"
"They're fine," Elliot assured her, "Casey and Jonah are on their way." Olivia nodded and ran a hand through her hair.
"God, I think my heart just started to beat again," she whispered. Elliot pulled her close and kissed her forehead.
"Just be thankful that nobody got taken anywhere."
"Where are they?"
Elliot and Olivia pulled apart to see Casey running over to them along with Jonah.
"Michael and Jacob are with Shae. Angel and Nicholas are getting checked out right now," Olivia said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.
Casey nodded and took a deep breath. She turned to Jonah, "I'll go check on Angel and Nick, you go relieve Shae." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before following Olivia to the ambulance.
Seeing his mother, Nicholas immediately brightened, "Mom!" he screeched, practically jumping off Angel's lap. They were sitting on a gurney while a paramedic checked them out.
Casey ran the rest of the way there and no sooner had she gotten there was Nicholas in her arms, "Are you okay, baby?" She put a hand on Angel's cheek, checking both of her children.
An EMT interrupted their reunion, "Excuse, they're okay to go home. They both just have some bruises. If you can just sign here…"
Casey signed and thanked the young man. Then she turned to Olivia, "I'm going to take everyone home now."
Olivia nodded, "We'll keep you posted. We're gonna catch this guy, Case."
The redhead smiled softly, "Thanks, Liv." Nicholas securely in her arms, she wrapped an arm around Angel and they began to walk towards their car.
After picking Zachary up from daycare, the Stabler's finally arrived home. Everyone was exhausted.
"I'm gonna order some pizza," Olivia announced, setting down her purse on the end table in the hallway. She got a round of grunts in response.
"What's going to happen to…you know?" Shae asked her father, sitting down next to him.
"Well," Elliot started, shifting Zachary in his lap, "We're gonna have you and the Sheppards give your statements tomorrow."
Shae nodded and was interrupted by a tug on her shirt, "Play with me!" Madison begged, using her puppy eyes. Stifling a groan, Shae followed her younger sibling up the stairs.
Elliot smiled and glanced down at Zachary, "I guess that leaves you and me, little man."
"Dada!" was the response he received, along with a spit bubble. Olivia walked into the living room.
"What are my two favorite guys up to?" she asked, plopping down on the couch.
"Just some man talk." Elliot shrugged. Olivia grinned in amusement.
"Man talk, huh?" she parroted. She kissed him before resting her head on his shoulder.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Elliot wrapped his free arm around Olivia's shoulders and rubbed her arm gently. Olivia sighed. Time had done nothing to affect how easily he read her.
"Today was just a reminder that all those things we try to solve…all the injustices that happen, can happen to anyone," she admitted, unconsciously stroking Zach's arm.
Elliot smiled sadly and kissed his wife's head.
Casey splashed some cold water on her face and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was couldn't sleep, not knowing that someone had tried to take one of her babies. She sighed and turned off the bathroom light.
She silently padded down the hallway, checking on Jacob and then Michael. When she got to Nicholas' room, she saw Angel sitting on the floor in the middle of the doorway.
Casey furrowed her eyebrows and walked towards her, kneeling down a bit, "Honey, what are you doing?"
"I have to protect him," Angel muttered as though she were in a trance. Casey noticed the teen's hands were shaking. There were tear tracks on her cheeks as well.
Casey held out her hand, "Come on, let's go to bed." Angel looked at Casey's hand and then her brother's sleeping form, before slowly accepting it and following her mother. Casey lead Angel to the latter's room and they sat down on the bed.
"What's on your mind?" Casey asked, gently stroking her daughter's blonde curls.
"I was supposed to be watching him," Angel said, in a broken whisper, "I was supposed to protect him. I couldn't even do that."
Casey couldn't believe this, "You did protect him, Angel. You saved Nicholas. If you hadn't of went after him, he wouldn't be here right now."
Angel sniffled, "If I had been watching him like I should have been, this never would have happened."
Casey sighed, "Honey, you can't watch him 24/7. I don't blame your for anything that happened today." She pulled Angel into her embrace as the blonde began to silently sob.
OMG. There is something out there that is better than Honey Nut Cheerios…Yesterday my mom got me *bows head reverently*
CHOCOLATE CHEERIOS
The taste is indescribable…it was like there were little bits of God swimming around in my bowl this morning.
*clears throat and wipes drool off of mouth*
Sorry, I'm cool, I'm good. So ummm…read and review!
'K kudos! (even though I don't have the fuzziest idea what that means)
-serenityrayne417