16th PRECINCT

966 WEST 88th STREET

MANHATTAN


Amanda was now six months pregnant with very wiggly twins. She was feeling every moment of it, both literally and figuratively—including the part where she seemed to be in the to be in the bathroom at least six times an hour. How did she still have at least eight weeks left?

These were the thoughts going through her head as she walked back to her desk from yet another trip to the bathroom. She double-backed when she passed by Olivia's office. Her CO was there, but she wasn't alone. Amanda went to investigate.

Olivia was at her desk, but also in the room were Alex and Casey. All three of them were staring at the phone on the main tabletop. They weren't making any sound. Or moving.

"What's going on?" Amanda asked.

Her friends jumped at the sound of her voice.

"It's January fourth." Casey told her.

This information seemed so random to Amanda that she didn't know how to respond right away.

"It's also Wednesday morning, in the ten o'clock hour."

Olivia laughed. "What would I do without you? We're all on edge because Harper is due tomorrow. She's at her place with Maisie Langan—my sister says she won't be leaving her house until her water breaks."

"And now you're feeling nervous because we're talking your sister." guessed Amanda.

"Gold star for you, Rollins."

"What now? Have you all been trying to will an update into the void?"

"Yes. We're also doing our best to ignore the weather outside."

It was unbearably cold, and snowing steadily. Amanda had also wisely kept her mouth shut about a storm she was tracking. Her only saving grace was that it was on the other side of the state. They would worry about this particular bridge if it appeared.

"Okay." she said. "I'll join."

So the four mothers just sat together in silence, waiting, hoping, praying for something to happen. Anything.

The tables turned. Very dramatically.

BZZT!

The power flickered in a dangerous way for a moment before cutting out altogether. This was followed by a lot of surprised cries (and curses) in the bullpen.

Olivia's family immediately looked to her to see what the first move was. She as surprised as the rest of them.

"This is a first… We've battled insane heatwaves, and mega rainstorms. Never a power outage."

"Good thing this building is on a backup generator, right, Olivia?" Alex asked. "Right?"

Olivia didn't answer.

She pocketed her phone, stood, and headed out. The others traipsed behind her.

Everyone in the bullpen fell quiet when she spoke. "I don't know what the rest of the day is going to bring, but we're still going to make the most of it because we don't have a choice. Right now, I need for Elliot and Fin to keep the house in order. The rest of you should start looking for alternative light sources to keep on standby."

"We hear you, loud and clear." Elliot called. "What are you going to do, lieutenant?"

"I'm going to go the the basement to check on the generator because I'm the only one in this whole building who would have already thought of that. If anybody needs me—which I trust they won't—that's where I'll be." Olivia told him. "All of you are dismissed."

The crowd broke up.

A smaller one gathered around Olivia in the form of her detectives and the squad attorneys.

"Are you mechanically inclined, Liv?" Carisi asked her.

"Shockingly, yes,"

Alex gave a snicker. "We haven't ever needed a car mechanic because she's that fastidious about keeping our vehicles up to date."

"It's true." Olivia admitted. "I want all of you to call who you have to, but don't be surprised if we're advised to bunker down here."

She handed her jacket Alex for safekeeping.

"One of you send someone running if there's any update from Harper or Maisie. I don't know how long I'll be in the basement."

"You got it." Fin said in a dutiful tone.

"That is appreciated."

This group also dispersed. Except for Carisi.

"Be honest with me, lieutenant." he said. "How are you doing?"

"Dominick, I'm really freaked out. My sister could go into labor at any moment with twins. She's home, I'm here." Olivia's tone wobbled slightly. "And the snow hasn't stopped at all."

"Well, is Harper squared away with someone she trusts?"

"Yes. That's literally the only thing that's kept me from going out to check on her."

Carisi spoke as confidently as he could. "Then she'll be great. Alex or Casey will have even talked to her by now. Sophia, too."

Olivia wanted to kick herself when she heard this last part. "I've gotten updates on Harper, Noah, and Serena but I haven't even checked on Sophia! What kind of mom and I?"

"You're a fantastic mom, and Sophia is a working adult. She'll understand that you're busy right now."

"You're right. Thanks." Olivia did her best to calm down when she realized that he was right. "Are you mechanically-inclined?"

Carisi bobbed his head. "Too large a part of my childhood saw me fixing my sisters' bikes because my old man is all thumbs in that area. It's almost funny."

"Speaking of all thumbs—let's get to the basement before Cook and Ellis, from robbery. Do you remember the incident from the all-city NYPD picnic from last summer?"

This had involved Cook and Ellis losing their footing during a three-legged race, and accidentally bumping into a fence the on-site petting zoo. Escaped animals had been everywhere.

"You better believe I remember. I still get the heebie-jeebies when I see goats." Olivia accepted two flashlights from a passing officer. "That stays between us."

Carisi checked his flashlight to make sure it was working. When the beam shined bright, he winked at Olivia.

"Between you and me." he echoed. "To the basement we go."


Dank. Musty. Bland. Boring. Dusty.

This was how everyone described the basement of the precinct building. Everyone stayed out unless it couldn't be helped.

Carisi returned to the machinery area to find Olivia hard at work.

"Okay, lieutenant." Carisi said to her. "I just chased out Ellis, Cook, Murray, and Hunt. Even Brown. Talk about stubborn…"

Olivia adjusted her glasses when they slid down the bridge of her nose. "Brown? The desk sergeant who actually likes presiding over people who came in off the street every day?"

Carisi nodded as he unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them back. "Where do you need me?"

"The circuit breaker, if you please." Olivia pointed to the box mounted on the wall beside her. "Make sure it's all fixable."

Carisi nodded and went about his task.

"What's the deal with the generator?" he asked after a few moments. "Is that fixable?"

"I imagine so." Olivia repositioned her flashlight from where she'd set it on a nearby shelf. "Two joints have loosened because of time, and a screw fell behind the motor."

"Copy that. Let me know if you need me to hold the flashlight."

They worked together in silence for awhile. Carisi still completed his job first.

"The breakers have been straightened out. How is the generator?" he asked.

"I have to fetch the screw out." Olivia said. "Will you aim the light over here?"

Carisi turned off his own flashlight to conserve its battery, and used Olivia's light up her workspace.

Olivia began looking for the screw. "Talk to me, Dominick. Please? I need to hear about something that isn't the generator or my sister."

Carisi scrambled for something that would actually be news to Olivia. "We met with Sophia and Casey for a chat yesterday."

"About what?" Olivia located the loose part she was looking for and began fitting it into its designated spot. "A double wedding?"

"Not exactly." Carisi laughed nervously. "Amanda's parents are going to already to be in town, come August for Sophia's and Casey's wedding."

Olivia nodded. "Sophia told me about that when I was hanging out with her on Christmas."

"Good." Carisi said approvingly. "Amanda and I love Beth Anne and Benoît, but there's also the triplets to take into consideration. We can't imagine how much of a struggle it would be to travel with a trio of tiny babies more than once a year. It would be unkind for everyone involved. Even if they weren't older parents and they still had kids, we wouldn't do that to them."

"That's a good call. I also get what you're thinking—we really want to take the kids to Italy, but there's no way it's in the realm of possibility until the girls are older and mobile."

It was moments like this when Carisi appreciated that Olivia was a parent, in addition to being his friend. "Exactly. Through a lot of brainstorming and things like that, the four of us arrived at the idea of having our weddings on the same weekend."

"And all four of you signed off on it?" Olivia implored.

"Uh-huh. There was even a toast, and glass clinking. Amanda called her parents about it last night."

"Are they on board?"

Carisi bobbed his head. "They are. So are mine. What do you think?"

Olivia was deeply touched that he wanted her approval. "I think it's a great idea. Sophia's and Casey's wedding is on the twenty-fifth of August. That means yours will be on the twenty-fourth?"

"Yep. Those dates fall on a Saturday, and a Sunday. We're going to sit down and talk about wedding venues the second we can."

"That's good." Olivia was now tightening the screw, using a screwdriver she'd found in a toolbox beside the generator. "Anything else on your plate?"

"Yes." Carisi sounded surprised, in spite of the fact that the words were coming from his mouth. "Amanda and I have another thing that we've been thinking about."

Olivia finally got rogue machine part back in its place and closed the lid on the small generator. "Talk to me. I can hear your brain whirring from over here."

Carisi exhaled slowly; what he was about to say was very major. "You're extremely close to Amanda and I—like a mom. We have something to ask you. We've been thinking about it for a long time. A very long time."

"Yes?"

"We were hoping that you would be willing to officiate our wedding." Carisi blurted. "We understand if you say no, what with all the work that's involved, but it would also mean the world to us if you said yes."

Carisi's request took Olivia by surprise. Many people she had loved over the years had asked tremendously important things of her over the years, but officiating a wedding was completely new. The thought made her heart soar. She had always loved Amanda and Carisi as if they were her children. They even operated as a trio from time to time. She had proved on countless occasions that she would go above and beyond the call of duty to help either of them. This would be the ultimate testament to her bond with her detectives.

Olivia finally spoke. "Dominick, I would be honored!"

His knees buckled in relief. "Wait, really?"

"Really!" They hugged."Thank you so much for asking me!"

Carisi beamed. "Thank you!"

"I'm going to start looking into the process after this weather drama is over, and after Harper's babies arrive." Olivia looked Carisi square in the eyes. "You have my word."

Olivia was a person who stuck to her word, and this was good enough confirmation for Carisi.

So he pointed to the generator. "How about we see if this works now?"

Olivia moved the big manual switch into the 'ON' position. All at once, the machine whirred to life, and the overhead lights were lit again. Cheering could then be heard from all over the bounding.

Carisi tossed Olivia a clean rag. "You're a hero."

"That's always nice to hear. The generator should tide us over for awhile." Olivia began wiping her fingers on the rag. "You were a hero today, with restoring the power. Don't forget."

"I won't. Now let's go back upstairs to make sure things haven't dissolved into bedlam."


The employee morale had improved greatly.

However, Olivia was unhappy when she saw how soiled her clothes had become. She was wore mechanic coveralls when she worked on hers at Alex's cars at home. Good thing she kept spare outfits in her office closet for emergencies.

Olivia received quite a surprised when she returned from her wardrobe change. She was also extremely thankful that her arms were no longer full of dirty clothes. And that the surprise was contained in the kitchen.

"Juge? Trevor?"

True enough, Judge Donnelley and Trevor Langan had arrived. Olivia had no earthly idea why.

"Your Honor, did I miss a memo?"

Donnelley shook her head. "No, Olivia, you did not. Does this happen with you people all the time? These 'misadventures,' and whatnot?"

"Yes." replied the rest of her company as one.

"I guess that this latest misadventure makes me part of the tribe now…"

Olivia took a space at the table with Donnelley and Trevor. "You've been one of us for a long time. What's happening?"

"We were already upstairs, handling something in the robbery department." Trevor said to Olivia. "That's where we were when the power cut out."

"We also heard that if the weather gets any worse, the roads will start to come questionable." Donelley added.

"And this is the only floor in the whole building where people don't openly recoils when one of us walks into a room." Trevor sighed. "That gets old…"

"You're more than welcome to hang out here."

Olivia came off as nervous, but Donnelley saw through her.

"What is it?" she asked patiently.

"Harper." Olivia said shortly. "Her due date is tomorrow."

Donnelley quickly spoke to the others. "Have any of you heard from her in the last hour or so?"

They each thought about it or checked their mobile devices, but all had the same answer.

"No."

Olivia's voice shook slightly. "Then how's it coming with getting the building's power totally operational? Is the city on it?"

"They are." Amanda reported. "I called from my cell phone when you guys were down in the basement."

"What did they say?"

"Lieutenant, their estimation was for three hours before they even reach the part of the power grid that covers the precinct's neighborhood."

"Joy."

Alex jumped in before Olivia could sink into further sarcasm. "Is all of the SVU tech back online."

Fin answered her. "Everything is working. Nothing has been lost."

Olivia breathed a noisy sigh of relief. "Thank God. I'd probably break down if anything else happened. Has anyone come asking the unit for help?"

"No." said Casey. "I'm ready how ever you need."

"Thanks for the readiness. Has there been an official word about traveling?"

"Not that I've heard. That only happens for storms or blizzards, but we haven't gotten there."

"Let's hope that we don't." Elliot griped.

"Be quiet!" Casey hissed at him.

"All things considered," Amanda said to her CO. "We're not in harm's way right now."

Olivia was beginning to feel better. "Since there are no open cases, but we're all here, I want us to treat this like a regular day. Just don't go outside unless it's critical. Am I understood?"

There was a general rumble of assent.

"Tell me if there is an emergency, and please—drop everything if any of you hear from Harper."

A second rumbling assent was had. Olivia's team dispersed.

Judge Donnelley, Trevor, Alex, and Casey were the only ones left. None of them had anywhere to go. Or even to be. Staying put seemed reasonable. Olivia was glad that they were there.

"Has anyone heard from Sophia?" she asked as they settled in at the table. "I don't know if the power is out at The Watering Can."

"I heard from her not even ten minutes ago." Casey reassured her. "Sophia said the whole area is unaffected."

"I will take that win. How is Melissa?"

"Perfectly fine, but apparently trapped in a loop of some sort—baby girl keeps asking when they're going to go sledding. I don't think she understands that it's too cold." Casey made a sound of dejection. "We're in for a long night with Melissa."

"Good luck. That'll be us with Noah."

Alex addressed her wife when she suddenly remembered something. "Olivia, I've been keeping in contact with Lucy, too. She's with Noah and Serena at Noah's Gymboree building in Tribeca."

"Have they lost power at all?" Olivia pressed.

"Not to my knowledge, but Lucy said that they've been advised to stay put. She hasn't left the building."

This relieved some of Olivia's anxieties. "Okay, great. Thanks for that."

Casey spoke up again, voicing a concern of her own. "Just who all is without power?"

Judge Donnelley pointed to a weather radar map she'd been studying on an iPad she'd produced from a pocket of her purse. "I have news that's both good and bad."

Olivia leaned back in her chair. "Oh, no."

"The good news is that I've been reading alerts from a national weather advisory, and they're saying that what's happening now is definitely not a blizzard."

"That's definitely not unpleasant."

Alex nodded and cast a glance over at her teacher. "What's your bad news?"

Donnelley sighed. "We've got a massive power outage between here and Midtown West. It also extends well to the north."

"How far?"

"Just to North Harlem for n—Trevor? Are you okay?"

Indeed, the man was now looking a tad ill.

"I-I'm not sure." he told his colleague.

"Speak."

Trevor set down his phone. "I've just had a text from my wife."

"And what did Maisie say?"

Trevor looked at Donnelley, and the rest of his friends at the table with him. His news was going to have a curious ripple effect.

"Maisie said that Harper is in labor."