After the message from Cragen, we were all on edge. A new detective is with us. Why did we need another detective in the unit? Didn't we have enough people in the office? My guess would be the absence of John from his desk would say otherwise. Every now and then, everyone needed the time off. Away from the violence and sex. New technology, new ways to find more victims. To find peace in this line of work was rare if not the exact reason most did the job. To attain the most unachievable goal was the way of life here at SVU.
Maybe that's why John needed time off. Every now and then the cases got to him. Fin could see it. The last case regarding special needs children being abused left and right, to think of he could be thinking, I'll never know. Maybe I don't want to. To be in Johnathan Munch's head is something one would not wish to act in snooping around in his thoughts.
"Hey, El? You okay? You seem kinda lost today." I looked up from my desk to Oliva. Of course, I was always in mind. "I'm fine, Liv. Just wondering when John will be back. Can't wait for his magical words of wisdom." Liv chuckled as she turned back to her paperwork, but truth be told, she could see the wheels turning in my head.
John's absence seems to naggle me about something more. To spend time by himself. I didn't have myself, I had my family. To escape was at work, and that wasn't an escape, not in this profession.
I began to think about Kathy. When was the last time we went out? Just the two of us. When was it? Did we go out to dinner? No, it had to be the movies. Whatever it had been, it was a long time ago, and I couldn't even recall it. Kathy never really minded, but I knew it hurt sometimes not to be as normal as others. Maybe she knew what to expect at this point.
Just as I was thinking how shitty a husband I was making myself be, Cragen walked in with someone next to him. So small this person maybe could have been no taller than 5-foot-three, most likely a woman, their heels clicked next to his opposing dress shoes. When the captain turned she revealed herself as an obvious detective.
"This is Sydney Martinez. She will be John's replacement while he's on sabbatical. Which is now in effect, no questions, please. I will spare you the details of his one-hour-long prolong of his speech. He's taking care of himself. And no, I do not know if he's retiring, nor do I have the mental capacity of thinking about it. So, without further ado, Sydney…would you introduce yourself?"
She took a step forward, her heels clicking loudly. Her heels are not as tall as Liv's but definitely fulfilling the purpose to try to match many opponents' heights. There she stood, with hair as wildly as her outfit. Curly, unruly, with some sense of direction as it had to be styled. Her outfit, while definitely still professional, was teetering on the edge. Brown blazer, with a silk cream blouse under, with the tightening of her skirt fitted, but with a flair for I was assuming, dramatics.
"Hello. Pleased to meet you all. Under the circumstances, I'm aware that this meeting is not ideal." Her voice snapped me out of the weird haze that I was in. Why was I staring? I don't stare. Not normally, that is. Once in a while, an attractive female caught my attention, but it wasn't like I was gawking at every woman I encountered. Get it together. I told myself. She shook everyone's hand and then she met my eyes. She held out her hand first. Guts, she has. I met her halfway and grasped her hand, which held an abnormal amount of pressure than a normal woman's handshake. A show of power, perhaps? Alex would love her.
"Well, I believe that I will be shadowing you, Elliot Stabler, as per Captain's orders." Her words surprised me. "What about shadowing? I have a partner, Olivia. Why didn't he sign you up with Fin?" She laughed. "Me and Fin have a history, I suppose." A history? He never mentioned anything about this woman. "History?" I asked, hoping that she would at least give me some sort of details. Fin overheard, and walked into my desk area, taking the many stress balls off my desk. "She was on my block, making my job harder for busting dealers, taking stats for assignments of paperwork for a different department." Fin looked over to Sydney and shook his head in a bit of irritation. "Made my job hard as hell, seeing as she beat me to informants to get paperwork, then boom, I come in and want to know the same exact thing, and they catch on." Sydney raised her hands up. "Hey," she countered. "I was just doing my job, Finnick. The departments obviously didn't link up when they said a college historian was taking stats." A historian? "You're not a cop?" It was Liv who beat me to the question, I'm sure we were all thinking, especially when she's here to replace another detective.
"No, but I was able to slide through the academy because of my superior intellect, I suppose. I did two weeks in training, then boom straight on the field because I knew the breakdown of the demographics." She chuckled wryly and wrapped her arm around Fin's shoulder. He had bent down to match the height difference. "Of course, I had to make sure she wasn't undercover for the undercover. But turns out, she won't know where the hell she's going. She ain't a native of New York." Fin explained. You could see the wheels turning in everyone's heads.
"I'm from Chicago. Southside. Course, I lived on the outskirts in the ghettos, but who can live in the city?" She was still familiar with the city dynamic, though. Was New York any different from the riot life of Chicago? I did think so. She saw the hesitant looks on our faces, wary of a woman, first was not a cop, second not a NY native, and thirdly, not equipped for this type of job. Liv spoke first. "So, Sydney. Are you for this type of job? It's not playing the sweet college student looking to see if someone can spark inspiration for reforms. We never see them, the reforms that is."
Sydney took a seat at what would be John's immaculate and sealed desk. She sprawled her hands against the top of the desk and put them palms up. She didn't smile, or smirk. She looked….vulnerable. "Hit me with your best shot. I've got bullet wounds. Shotguns, pistols, maybe even semi-automatic wounds." The group looked at her silently. There was a pause, perhaps 30 seconds or so. She flipped her hands and lifted her head higher. "I'm not asking you all to think I'm going to be running, chasing perps over fences, and jumping in the East River." She laughed but didn't waver. "I'm just asking for a chance to help. I know these kinds of people. People who are hurting. People who need my kind of help." She reached out her hand in the middle of the group. "What do you say?" Fin immediately laid his hand over hers. "Start studying your maps girl, this ain't a square like Chicago." Liv slid her hand under hers, not touching Fin's. "Let's see what you got."
My hand was the only one that was left. All eyes landed on me. I had no option. She left me to trust her. As I laid my hand over Liv's I locked eyes with Sydney, my new partner, and said, "Better have my back, Martinez. I got the most kids."