Just a little three-part fluff fic, preluding the events of Fin's "wedding" and all that follows.

Ya'll enjoy!

Partners.

There were three definitions for the word offered by Google, when Carisi finally cracked open his laptop to search the web for aid in writing his speech for Fin's wedding. It was way too late on Thursday night, but the ceremony was tomorrow, and he'd run out of time to get it perfect.

The first definition was simple. A pair of people engaged together in the same activity. Probably the most obvious use of the word, and the one he was most familiar with. On the job for nearly ten years, he'd engaged in plenty of "activities" with other cops and detectives, and knew that both Fin and Phoebe would be able to relate as well. He thought that this could be useful, and jotted the definition down on the pad of paper he'd been running scratch marks through all day.

Phoebe had actually been Fin's first partner, two decades ago; had watched his back throughout his days with Narcotics, and the two had developed some type of feelings for each other, even back then. Carisi knew from personal experience exactly how easily that could happen. Working the kind of jobs they did, not knowing what each day might bring...the possibility of injury or death so very real...partners tended to form a bond that civilians and outsiders could never understand. Somewhere between the stress of long days and the delirium of late nights, you get to the heart of each other. You trust each other. You become close; become family.

Then there's the second definition of a partner. A member of a married couple or established unmarried couple. The type of partnership that Fin and Phoebe had and were about to more securely enter into. Probably an easy transition, considering their past.

Carisi leaned back on his sofa and mused over the fact that having a partner on the job didn't seem much different than being in an actual marriage with that person. You spend hours upon hours with them. You needle each other and fight sometimes, bickering like spouses might. But you also seek comfort from them and go to them for advice, or when you just need to vent. You know every personal detail about their lives. You cook for them, take their dog out for walks, and sit through Frozen and Moana so many times that you basically know the lyrics to every single song on the-

Carisi swallowed as his brain caught up to his rant and he realized that Fin probably wasn't spending his off hours making spaghetti with a two and five year old while their Mama laughed near them with a glass of wine clasped in her hands. Of course, lately that had been less and less of an occurrence. He tried not to think about why. Or why it was suddenly bothering him more than usual.

The enduring bond of love, he had written earlier in the day, before Liv had insisted that shorter was better. That's what partners had. An unbreakable bond.

He allowed his thoughts a moment just to linger on his old partner, and how even though he had left the NYPD, Amanda was still on his side...still in his corner. Nearly seven years of cultivated glances, words, and emotions ran through his mind.

You're a helluva partner. Just don't leave me. I'd be fine if you were right here beside me. I've got you. Hang in there, Dominick. That doesn't mean I'm more loyal to them than I am to you. I'm here as long as you need me. And you're her husband?

He thinks about a bar fight in West Virginia, his coat soaking up her tears in an elevator, and Christmas lights on New Years' Eve as she sleeps against his side. He thinks of Jessie's drawing hanging up in his office with a bright I-love-you-Uncle-Sonny scrawled across the bottom. He thinks about Billie's giggle as he held her after her christening and the way Amanda had tried to wipe the residual drool off of his tie. He thinks about how "candy can't hurt" and about the way two beer glasses clinked together in celebration of his victory over his mentor in court.

"How about just...love?" his old Captain had countered, and yeah, he thinks partners have that, too. Even if it's the wrong time. Even if it's the wrong kind of love.

Carisi runs a hand through his hair that is still damp from the shower and ignores when a few silver strands fall forward. He reads the third definition. A person with whom one has sex; a lover.

This one is probably also applicable to Fin and his fiancee, but nothing Carisi cares to include in his speech. Besides, sex is a great part of a relationship, sure, but it's hardly the most important. In fact, when it comes to the things that make or break a couple, he'd argue that there are several other topics on the list that would outrank the time spent in the bedroom.

Like if they actually believed in the concept of marriage, for one. If they wanted children one day. If your dedication to your god-kids made this type of partner uncomfortable. If the two of you were even seeing the possibility of the same future at all. If being so out of sync meant that the last three months of attempting to move on from the partnership you actually wanted to be in was even worth it.

Carisi groaned internally as he realized he was getting nowhere fast with this train of thought, and forced himself to focus back on the wedding speech. He'd written down enough material to say something heartfelt, even if half of it was littered with double meanings.

After another hour, he was satisfied enough with the outcome to close his notepad and get ready for bed.

Unfortunately, even if he had gotten a full night of sleep, he doubted it would have improved his day much. Friday had been hit after hit, first with the case, then his fight with Nicole as she cancelled on him, and now Fin and Phoebe deciding to call off their nuptials.

Sure, he was happy they were happy, and that was all well and good...but the stress of the week was catching up to him, and there was a sinking pit in his stomach. One that was only made deeper when his phone buzzed and Nicole's name flashed across the screen.

He stared at it for a moment and considered if another fight was worth even answering the thing, before deciding that it was better to just get it over with. He stepped away from the small groups that were chatting and laughing in the light of the setting sun, and accepted the call.

The conversation wasn't one he'd expected to have tonight, but if Carisi was being honest with himself, it was inevitable. Nicole's calm explanation of "I just think we want two different things, Sonny," should have stung more. And if it had been a different day...if he'd gotten more sleep, or they hadn't been disagreeing all week over something that was actually really important to him, then maybe he would have argued a case for them. Maybe he would have said something more than, "I'm sorry it didn't work out," before ending whatever their relationship had been. But it wasn't, and he hadn't, and there was relief mingled with the disappointment he felt.

Amanda found him some time later, after the sun had disappeared and the water danced black beneath the lights around them. He would never admit to staring out at the vastness of the city beyond, contemplating the uncertainty of his future, but he thought that maybe she caught the notes of despondency in his voice anyway, as he joked about staying up to rewrite his speech.

"I'd like to hear it," she insisted, smiling up at him with encouragement.

"Oh, come on," he brushed her off, "You don't-"

When she merely shrugged welcomingly, his brow arched, "Really?"

"As long as it's under two minutes," she teased his own words back at him, and Carisi was reminded once more at how easy it was to be around her.

It didn't help that she looked as pretty as ever in her flowing dress and strands of honey blonde hair that caught the river's breeze as she leaned back against the wooden railing.

"Okay."

He laughed, for what felt like the first time all week, and pulled the finished product of his speech out of his suit pocket. His hands fumbled a little as he unfolded the paper, unexplainable nerves spinning in his stomach that weren't unlike the ones he felt before a big day in court.

"Dearly beloved," he started, before exhaling another laugh at how ridiculous it felt to be apprehensive right now. Maybe because he was addressing a single person and not a crowd. Maybe because that person was her, and she'd been on his mind as he'd written these very words out.

"We are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Phoebe Baker and Fin Tutuola," he continued with her supportive smile, "Fin and Phoebe were each other's first partners over twenty years ago. And a partnership is a lot like a marriage…"

He couldn't help but glance over at Amanda, "You fight, and you make up."

God knows they'd done plenty of that over the years, but there had never been an argument that they hadn't been able to come back from. Maybe that was the security of having a partner. Even when you didn't agree, you knew things would be okay.

"But at the end of the day, you always have each other's backs," Carisi looked down at the paper as Amanda's own eyes fell, "And if you had to, you'd take a bullet for each other. And a bond like that…"

He exhaled as the weight of what they shared, what they had always shared, colored his voice with conviction, "...that never goes away."

After another heavy pause, he pivots his head toward her, and is surprised to see tears glistening in Amanda's eyes. She lets out a little "mmhm", before turning to face the water.

"Wait," he calls her out, and a soft giggle escapes her lips, "Wait a second, are you crying?"

He touches her shoulder with his finger and she looks up at him, confirming that there are, in fact, real tears beneath her eyes.

"No," she plays it off, insisting that she doesn't cry at weddings, before correcting herself with, "If I was, it was just because I know how they end up."

"Uh huh," he chuckles as she brushes under her eyes, smearing her mascara, and he reaches for his pocket square, "You never cry, huh?"

She laughs at his good natured teasing, knowing just as well as he does that despite her tough exterior, Amanda Rollins is a complete marshmallow on the inside.

The woman has broken down around him on numerous occasions, sometimes because of things that are stressful and scary and serious, other times because of a romantic scene on a trash reality T.V show, and now apparently because of last minute inspired words of partnership, and Carisi wouldn't have it any other way.

He wipes away her tears and smudged makeup, and can't help but run a thumb over her cheek as she stares at him with blue eyes that are so shimmery and intense, they put the stars above them to shame.

"That's better," he murmurs, and their gazes linger a moment too long. He breaks the connection before his brain takes a hint from his pounding heart and does something he'll regret...like act on his feelings and ruin this moment they're sharing.

"I'll spare you the rest," he says to ease the tension, and tucks the speech paper back into his jacket along with the cloth he'd wiped her tears with, "It's kinda hokey, anyway. It's, uh-"

"Carisi…"

There is something about her tone that captures all of his attention. A tenderness there he has never heard directed at anyone that wasn't Jessie or Billie, and he looks at her.

"What?" he asks, and the expression on her face is foreign, too.

Her hand comes to rest on his chest, and he freezes. Amanda's mouth opens, like she wants to say something, but she doesn't. Instead, she leans in and her fingers jump to the knot of his tie before finding his jaw. There is no time to think, to prepare, to comprehend what is happening, before her lips are pressing against his.

It's only a moment, a single peck of the lips, and their eyes are open the entire time, locked on each other.

Amanda pulls away, but only enough to gage his reaction, and Carisi's heart is exploding beneath his ribcage as reality dawns on him. This happened. This is happening. There are no doubts in Amanda's stare. No drunken haze, no desperation, no regrets.

For once, the timing, the circumstance, is absolutely right. She leans in again and this time he follows, the seconds before they reconnect dragging out like years. Years in which he sees everything he has ever wanted for his future in her eyes. Both of her hands lift to cup his face as his own eyes close, and finally, they're falling together and he's kissing her.

This kiss is the one he's spent half a decade dreaming about. It's easy and familiar and right, and so incredibly her, that he doesn't think he can ever pull away. The coolness of the night air swirls around them, as he brings a hand to her cheek and hers moves to wrap an arm around his back, pulling him even closer.

He lets go of any and all reservations, completely melting into her body, until every one of her curves is pressed against him and his head is spinning from a lack of oxygen. He uses his body to turn her, until her back is against the wooden rail and his arm is around her, lifting her slightly so he can deepen the kiss.

Her tongue is warm against his, tasting faintly of the champagne they'd sipped on earlier, and he may not be drunk, but his world sure is spinning as everything that isn't Amanda Rollins disappears from his thoughts. Her arms are around his neck now, and they fit together so perfectly, it was as if they'd been made for this all along.

It isn't until his pocket starts to vibrate that he's brought back down to earth, and he groans against her mouth before reluctantly parting from it. But Amanda doesn't let him go, and one of his arms stays looped around her as he checks his screen.

Seeing the text from Ms. Hadid is like having a bucket of water poured over his head, as he realizes it's nearing time for him to be returning to the office. He sighs heavily and types out a quick response with one hand that he would be there soon.

"You gotta go?" Amanda guesses with a sad smile.

Carisi nods reluctantly, and drops his forehead to hers, "I wish like hell I didn't, but...yeah. The Feds are comin' in to run the deal with Catalina Machado, and Hadid wants both me and Liv there."

Amanda's arms relax from his neck, and slide down until her palms are against his chest, and they straighten, "Guess we better go find her then, huh?"

"In a second," he hesitates, not quite ready to let the moment end, despite the urgency of the duties that await him, "I...I just…"

Amanda laughs softly as he stumbles to find the right thing to say, and nods, "Yeah...I know. We can talk later?"

"Lunch tomorrow?" he offers.

"Sure," there's a spark in her eye as she shrugs, "Or...you could come by tonight?"

He replays the invitation back through his head, making sure he heard it right, and Amanda chuckles again, "If you want."

"I...Yeah," he stutters out, "Yeah...I can...I can do that. It uh," he clears his throat, trying to get the connection between his mouth and his brain to work right, "It might be late, though."

She shrugs again, "I don't mind waitin' up. Besides, if I do pass out, you have a key. Just let yourself in."

Carisi smiles and fights the urge to pinch himself, "Yeah...okay."

They share one last longing stare, then Amanda leans up and presses a sweet kiss to his cheek before separating her body from his.

"Come on," she says, grabbing her purse and shaw in one hand, and holding her other out for him to take, "Let's go find the Captain."

Carisi slips his palm into hers and grins like a fool as their fingers interlace and she pulls him forward. They are walking entirely too close together, bumping and laughing like children, and no doubt if anyone from the squad caught sight of them, they'd be teased mercilessly, but in the moment, he couldn't care less.

For better or worse, Dominick Carisi had found his partner, and she had been right all along. As long as they were at each other's sides, everything would be just fine.

I was so happy with the finale! I had to write a little something to celebrate!

Next chapter get's "M" rated ;)