A/N: Okay, so I hadn't planned a double upload night, but I ended up writing part two and I can't wait to post it since it answers some questions reviewers are already asking. Happy reading!
Olivia had gotten off the subway and marched her way down to the 16th precinct. Munch was exiting his car when she approached the building.
"Hey John," Olivia said, smiling brightly at him as they met at the front steps. "Nice morning, isn't it?"
Munch looked up to the partly cloudy sky.
"Well, no nuclear bombs yet," he said. "Guess that's good enough."
"Don't you love New York in the fall?" she asked him as they went through the front doors and walked to the elevator.
"Are you feeling alright?" Munch asked.
"Of course," Olivia said. "Just not in a horrible mood for once."
"Oh, I get it," Munch said. "Your rat squad loverboy must have shown you just how much he loves you this morning."
"What?" Olivia asked when they stepped into the elevator. "Oh, you mean Ed. C'mon John, no it's nothing like that. I wouldn't bring that into work, especially not our unit."
"Why?" John said. "At least one of us should be doing it for fun, and Lord knows it ain't me. But if that's not it, then what's going on? I'm gonna stop this elevator until you tell me."
The sad thing was, Olivia knew he would.
"Is it cheating if you're talking to someone over email?" Olivia asked.
"The government monitors everyone's email," Munch said. "So unless you're in bed with big brother… I mean, are you?"
"John, stop asking me about being in bed with people," Olivia said. "You're like my uncle. It's weird to talk about that with you not in the context of work. But it's not like that. We just email. It's really nothing and I might stop anyway because it's getting…"
"Out of hand?" Munch filled in for her.
"Confusing," Olivia said. "But it's nothing."
"Doesn't sound like nothing," Munch said. "So where'd you meet the hunk?"
"I can't remember," Olivia said, wishing the elevator would move faster.
Munch looked at her over the rims of his glasses.
"Ok, fine," Olivia said. "I was home one night after a case and couldn't sleep and I decided to make a screen name on a whim. I found this NYPD chat room and he was there and we started talking."
"About what?" Munch asked.
"Books, music, big ass donuts and coffee," Olivia said. "Told him I have a coworker who makes it like battery acid."
"Excuse me," Munch said. "I do not."
"We don't talk about anything personal," Olivia said. "I don't know his name or where he lives, just that he's a cop. I don't even know his rank."
"He could be the next person to walk into the squad room," Munch said.
Just then, Fin rounded the corner.
"Mornin'," Fin said.
"Are you online?" Munch asked.
"Nah, after all that shit you spew about government tracking devices and all hell, that's enough to keep me away for life," Fin said, sitting down at his desk.
"Oh good, you're all here," Cragen said, stepping out of his office. "What's got you all so chatty this morning?"
"You ever have cybersex Cap?" Munch asked.
"I tried to have cybersex once but I kept getting a busy signal," Cragen said. Nobody laughed. "It was a joke, people. Jeeze. Anyway, you all need to listen up about a case we might be getting roped into."
"So the Lithuanian firearms ring we've been monitoring now has a sex slave arm?" Elliot asked as he and Bell sat in the conference room waiting for the other heads of the task force to show up.
"Apparently SVU stumbled on a petty player and he sang like a canary in interrogation," Bell said. "Fibbies want in on it, but we're trying to talk them down to have it be just OC and SVU."
"SVU can back off," Elliot said. Granted, they probably had the expertise to help, but he was still sore about getting passed over for that position a few years ago. Then he found out they hadn't even filled the spot until some young woman did something or other that was so spectacular they took her on right away. He knew it was probably for optics anyway. An SVU squad with all men probably wouldn't look good in the media. At least that's what he told himself to feel better about the situation.
Bell was still talking as Elliot looked over to the other end of the table where a box of big ass donuts sat, and he smiled to himself.
"Yo, Stabler," Bell said. "Are you in there?"
"What?" Elliot said, snapping back to the conversation. "So the Fibbies are coming."
"Are you even listening?" Bell asked.
"Of course," Elliot lied.
"Did you propose to Dani or something?" Bell asked and Elliot almost spit out his coffee.
"Engaged?" Elliot asked. "Are you crazy?"
"I thought you liked Dani," Bell said.
"I do," Elliot said. "I like Dani. Dani's amazing. Dani makes coffee nervous. So what's the timeline for this operation?"
"We should be setting up the task force within the week, two at the most," Bell said. "Looks like all the bigwigs are here."
"Oh, Christ, you've got to be kidding me," Elliot said as he saw the FBI representative walking in with their chief.
"Stabler, not dead yet I see," Dana Lewis said, sticking out her hand to shake.
"Not for your lack of trying," Elliot said. "Something always blows up in my face, literally, when you're around."
"Can't help it if I'm a powderkeg," she said, taking a seat at the table next to Moennig.
The discussions continued trying to hammer out who exactly from which team would be on the task force, and Elliot was working to block Dana and the FBI at every turn.
"Well, if we're not part of it, who's gonna be?" Dana said. "What little players from your team are gonna handle it all without our resources?"
"Well from our team it'll be me and Stabler," Bell said. "Our technology expert Jet, and Morales."
"And from SVU it's supposed to be a small group," Moennig said. "Their captain, Donald Cragen, and detectives John Munch, Fin Tutuola, and Olivia Benson."
"Ooh, I've heard of her," Dana said. "Spitfire that one. We tried to peg her for undercover 'bout a year back but she wouldn't budge. Probably make this one crap his pants."
Elliot bit the inside of his cheek to keep from throttling Dana and let Bell continue. After what felt like the longest meeting of his life, they finally agreed that OC and SVU could handle the case on their own, but Dana and the FBI would be on standby and kept in the loop. He wanted nothing more than to take his break after that, so he went back to his desk and logged into his personal email.
PersephoneJ
So we're talking stakeout conversations here, are we? Does the worst job you ever had count? Sometimes I have to remember that this job is not it. When I was younger I worked at my uncle's bar, cleaning the floor, hauling boxes and all that. It was out near the rich side of town and all the patrons thought they were better than everybody else. Treated the entire staff like scum. One night I'm pitching in serving and these two kids, probably no older than 17, come waltzing in and want whiskey. When I asked for ID they wouldn't give it to me, so I sent them away. They wouldn't budge so my uncle and I had to throw them out by force.
Two hours later I'm taking the garbage out back and these little dicks are lurking in the shadows. One blindsided me with the garbage can lid to the head and the other kicked me when I was down. I was able to get up and we were all a bruised and bloodied mess by the time I was able to scare them away. I had two broken ribs, a concussion, among other injuries. And you know what those two bastards did? They called the cops on ME for assault and I had to spend the night in jail until my dad bailed me out. Eventually I was able to get the charge dropped and expunged, but on days like today I have to remember that this is not the shittiest job in the world.
Tell me something lighter. Tell me more about those books you seem to love so much.
SemperFi6313
"So we're really going in on this?" Olivia asked.
She'd been the one to find, collar, and get Bagdonas to spill his involvement with the sex slave ring, but some badass bully cop in Organized Crime was trying to get her and the rest of SVU kicked off the case. She knew Cragen would put up a fight for it, but it seemed like SVU was always the kid trying to sit at the grown-ups table at 1PP.
"Yep, should have the task force up and running in a week or two," Cragen said. "And I want you on point on this. You're already in Bagdonas' head. I want you to stay there. I know you can handle OC."
"From what I've heard that Stabler is a loose cannon," she said.
So she'd heard it from Ed, who clearly seemed to have it out for the man. But that was his job as the IAB Lieutenant. If a cop is doing something shifty he'd have to interfere, but Olivia would hate to be partnered with someone who had such a blatant disregard for the rules and made people like Ed's lives (and hers, by extension) more difficult. Fin was the perfect partner in her eyes. Level headed, tough when necessary, and always had her six.
"He might be," Cragen said. "But you have a gift with people. I'm sure you'll get him to play nice. Now go, grab your break and then get to work pulling everything you can so we can start digging deeper."
She settled in at her computer and logged into her personal email. She was surprised to see another message from SemperFi6313 so soon, but maybe he had the day off or worked the night shift and answered her before bed. Either way, she couldn't resist responding.
SemperFi,
Surely you're not as interested in the books I suggest as you are just hearing me blather and fangirl over them. But I suppose I can indulge you. I'll even tell you one of my reading guilty pleasures. While I have nothing against romance, it's not exactly something you'd expect from a cop. But I love to indulge with a good romance book now and then. Not the gross ones with Fabio on the cover, but the gooey, sappy ones they turn into Hallmark movies.
My favorite, though, is "Pride and Prejudice." I've probably read it over 50 times in my life now since I picked it up for the first time at 15. I clearly know how it ends, but every time I read it I feel the same anticipation of wondering if Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are really going to end up together. He's such an ass for the majority of the book, but there's clearly this innate chemistry between them. Plus, I think the old time language is really cool. You know who says the word "thither" anymore? Nobody, that's who.
What other fun facts do you have up your sleeve?
As always, stay safe,
PersephoneJ
A/N: Does that clear up some things? I'm massively excited about this story. You have to follow the inspiration where it strikes right? Love to hear your thoughts, always!