16th PRECINCT
966 WEST 88th STREET
9:30 AM
The following morning told Elliot, Fin, and Carisi about what Alex had told her, while Amanda did some digging through the databases for Garrett Rhys. Olivia didn't go as far as airing Alex's dirty laundry; that would only happen if things came to a head. She prayed that they wouldn't, and not just because it was five days before Christmas. By the time she was done explaining the situation, her friends were surprised, but they promised just quickly to protect Alex if anything bad did come to pass. Olivia thanked them for their loyalty, and as she sent them on their way again, she hoped that just for once, the SVU could have a quiet week.
Naturally, the man upstairs heard this and laughed at her.
Olivia was lost in thought, wondering if they really should be so concerned about Gunnery Sergeant Garrett Rhys when something caught her attention: out in the bullpen, it looked like her team had gathered at Elliot's desk for something. This piqued Olivia's curiosity, so she got up and headed over to investigate.
"What's happening over here?" she asked.
Amanda, Fin, and Carisi immediately moved to the side, revealing Elliot, standing beside a younger man whom Olivia had never seen before. He was dressed in jeans and what looked like steel-toed boots, and to go over whatever shirt he was wearing, he was also sporting a warm bomber jacket. The emblem of the United States Marine Corps could be seen in the righthand corner. On Elliot's desk, Olivia spotted a ball cap, that, like the jacket, also bore the emblem of the USMC, but also had 'VETERAN' embroidered across the bill in large yellow letters. To Olivia, there was no question about who this man was.
"Lieutenant!" Elliot said brightly when he spotted her. "This is Kathleen's husband—my son-in-law—Private First Class Zacharias McFadden!"
The PFC held out a hand to Olivia. "How do you do, m'am? Your squad was just telling me a few stories about you."
"All good things, I'm sure, and please just call me Olivia. What brings you over to my precinct?"
"Actually, I was looking for you."
"Oh." Olivia assumed a more professional stance. "My office is just over this way. Please follow me."
Grabbing his hat from Elliot when he held it out, Zacharias followed Olivia across the room. She closed the door and the blinds behind them, and indicated for her guest to take the chair on the other side of the desk. He did.
"What do you know about me?" Olivia asked as she took her own seat.
"I know that you're whom Kathleen and I named our first child after, and even that Elliot was your partner for over a decade. You've also known my wife, Maureen, Richard, Elizabeth, and even Eli since they were young?"
"That sums it up," Olivia confirmed. "And I've known Eli for his entire life. I helped to deliver him."
Zacharias looked at her in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"
"Another story for another day. May I call you Zacharias?"
He nodded. "Sure."
"Okay, Zacharias—take a breath." (he immediately gave a noisy exhale, clearly nervous about whatever it was he'd come to talk about) "I saw Kathleen in October when she popped by with DJ and little Olivia. She said that you were serving in Kandahar, but wouldn't be back until the baby's first birthday in July. This is only December."
Zacharias nodded. "I was able to surprise my wife and come back a week-and-a-half ago."
"Wow. Then welcome home."
"Thank you." Zacharias cleared his throat in an attempt to center himself. "I also know that you're Harper Bailey's newfound/long-lost big sister."
"Very true. Harp's mentioned you in passing before."
"Then did you find out from her that I was in the diner last night, and that I heard and saw all that happened, where Alex Cabot was concerned?"
"Harper didn't say anything to me, and Alex glazed over that part."
Zacharias held his hands in a time-out fashion. "I didn't learn Alex's name until after the confrontation was over, but how do you know her?"
Olivia waggled her engagement ring at Zacharias. "She's my fiancée. How do you know Harper?"
"I served with Xander—that man was my best friend. He introduced me to Harper one year, when they, Kathleen, and I were at the Marine Corps birthday ball together."
"I see. Care to share about what happened at the diner last night?"
Zacharias told his new acquaintance about his version of events, which definitely filled in more than what Alex had told her. He also made sure to tell her about giving Harper enough money to cover the meal.
"Well, thank you for being ready to defend my sister and the others, and thank you for checking on them and paying for their meal." Olivia said when Zacharias finished. "Something tell me, though, that you didn't come all the way from Queens to talk, huh? You know Garrett Rhys?"
Now it was clear that Zacharias was uncomfortable. "I do, and so did Xan—we both served with Garrett."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
Zacharias thought about it. "Quite awhile ago, because it was before Xan got sick, and Garrett was talking about getting transferred from a town in Montana to Queens. We also hadn't been surprised with DJ yet."
"Then try to give me a ballpark estimation, please."
"It was about five years ago."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"Garrett has a crazy temper, and he doesn't let go of grudges—ever." Zacharias tapped his chin. "He told us once about how a 'crazy' blond chick with glasses lobbed a vase at him during a fight, giving him a scar. Was that Alex?"
"Yes."
"The way that Garrett told us about that incident, he came off as the crazy one, but we never contradicted him."
"And why was that?" Olivia asked with honest curiosity.
Zacharias flexed his fingers. "Garrett actually jumped a guy in the lunch line because he'd heard through the grapevine that the other guy had said once that he didn't like him."
"Oh, my God. What happened?"
"The second guy healed up fine because we pulled them apart before Garrett could go absolutely postal, but Garrett was kicked out of the Marines on the spot, and we never saw him again."
"That's incredibly intense."
"Uh-huh. Listen, Olivia, I'm not trying to be a harbinger of doom, but I mean this in the nicest way possible—Alex should watch her back."
"Your words are appreciated."
"I also thought that you should at least have some insight from someone who has known Garrett before."
"Thank you, Zacharias." Olivia stood, her guest following suit. "I appreciate you coming to see me, and I'll take what you've said under advisement."
They shook hands, and Olivia motioned towards the young man's cap.
"How long have you served?"
"Nine years, come June, lieutenant."
"Well," Olivia shook Zacharias' hand again. "Thank you for your service."
"Thank you for your support. It is my pleasure, and I am proud to serve my country."
Olivia crossed the room and opened the door for Zacharias. He understood what she was implying, so with a nod to her, and a goodbye, he left the office and headed back to Elliot's desk for a quick minute before making his final exit.
All the same, Olivia felt herself sigh as her thoughts began to run away from her.
"Lieutenant?"
She looked around to see that Amanda had just walked up.
"Hey, Rollins." she greeted her.
"I can hear the cogs in Oliviaville turning from here. What are you thinking?"
Olivia turned to her protégé. "You know about why Alex had to leave New York the first time, right?"
Amanda nodded. "I do."
"I've loved Alex from the moment we first met, but after she and the SVU got mixed up in the happenings that drove her out, Elliot and I both went above and beyond the call of duty to solve the case."
"History shows that you guys definitely did that, and thereafter saw Alex coming out of hiding so you all could put the last nail in the guy's coffin. Is that the order?"
Olivia nodded. "And then Alex left us again, but yes. Ever since then, Amanda, every time I got wind of her being in danger or close to the possibility of it, I still worried…"
"Of course you did. You're engaged to her now, but according to SVU legend, you and Alex have always been deeply intertwined."
"Those legends are correct. Alex didn't come back into my life at all until she showed up with Casey and Sophia, but even though it's been a small spell, I still don't know all that happened while she was away even the first time."
Amanda raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you ever will?"
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe, but maybe not. I won't push her."
"And now that Zacharias McFadden brought us the second mention of Garrett Rhys? Olivia, I saw him, and I know calculating when I see it on someone. If we'd been in a less crowded place, I'm sure that it would have been worse."
"Of course I don't want anything bad to ever happen to Alex or Diana…"
"But…?"
Olivia crossed her fingers and showed Amanda. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that should we get involved with Garrett Rhys, that nothing happens for tonight. I can deal with it any other day, but just not tonight."
Amanda nodded in understanding. "That's right: Dominick, Jesse, and I are going to be beset upon by Noah and Serena."
"Oh, don't say it like that." Olivia actually laughed. "You love your godchildren, and Alex and I are paying you to babysit."
Amanda patted her lower middle. "We do need the extra cash, now that kid number two is on the way. Plus, that 'super deep clean' that Dominick went on about this morning would've gone to waste, what with Noah having a dog allergy."
"And you said that the neighbor's daughter is going to dog-sit Frannie, right? What's the girl's name, again?"
"Lily. She's ten, and looking after Frannie Mae will help her get an animal care badge in Girl Scouts." Amanda elaborated. "She walks Frannie when one of us can't, and we pay her, but she's over the moon about looking after her for a few hours because she loves my dog. It's kind of cute, actually."
"Sounds like it."
"Hey, if Lily is getting Frannie, but Dominick and I are getting Noah and Serena, who gets Melissa?"
"She's going to be spending the night with Senior and Violet. She loves them, and they dote on her."
"So then everybody wins tonight." Amanda concluded.
"Correct." Olivia changed tracks. "Do you have a summary of Garrett Rhys downloaded onto an iPad yet?"
Amanda straightened up. "No, lieutenant."
"Then please go rectify that, and bring the guys to my office. I need to tell you all what Zacharias told me, and I know that there are going to be a lot of questions by the end."
"I understand. I'll be back in a few."
Amanda took her leave, so Olivia retreated to her office to wait.
With it being five days before Christmas, this also meant that it was prime season for Christmas party invitations. One such invitation had crossed her path because of Alex—a fancy Christmas party was happening in a banquet room, at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Manhattan. It was open to all of the employee's in Alex's work building, along with a number of New York City's highbrow society. Olivia was going as Alex's plus one, but she happened to know that Casey was also attending, and that Sophia was going to be her plus one. Olivia had to keep telling herself that what was happening by no means a double date… even though the other people involved were her fiancée, their daughter, and her wife-to-be.
Ever since she'd started her relationship with Alex, and Casey had confided in her just how in love with Sophia she was, Olivia knew that there were going to be formal events that the four of them would be attending together. This was the first one, and would take some getting used to.
Hopefully, nothing else would go awry tonight.
