"So, enjoying your weekend off?" Olivia asked as she pulled herself up a step on the rockwall.
"Yeah. I needed it after this week," Audra replied, pausing and hanging in the air to pull her hair out of her face for the second time.
"Did you talk to Jack about lowering the sentence?" Olivia asked.
Audra nodded as she reached for a purple handhold. "We're leaving the sentencing up to the jury. I don't know…I have a feeling that they're going to swing for death row over life," she explained.
"Well, there's nothing more you can really do, huh?" Olivia asked.
"Guess not. But the girl's parents threatened our main witness. He actually lied and told us that he never saw McGraw leave the hotel. Made the end of the day very exciting," she explained.
Olivia laughed. "Yeah, that'll happen," she said.
"How's everything over at SVU?" Audra asked.
"It's going pretty well. Elliot is taking some time off with Cathy and the kids, and Fin is still in the hospital. So it's just me and John for another week," Olivia explained.
"What happened to Fin?" Audra asked as they stopped to rest only a few feet from the top.
"Got shot in the leg," Olivia replied. "He's doing pretty well."
"I'm going to buy him a card," Audra said, smiling. "So you're stuck with the theory man all week?"
"Yeah. Munch is nice; I love him to death. But the theories and conspiracies…god do they get annoying," Olivia replied.
"I should get you a card," Audra said. "Ready to rappel back down?" she asked, looking to the floor below.
Olivia nodded and they both pushed off the rockwall, flying back down to the ground. A secretary ran up to them as they removed their equipment.
"Audra Dalle?" she asked.
"Yes?" Audra replied, pulling her harness off.
"A Jack McCoy is on the phone. He says it's urgent," the secretary replied.
"Thanks," Audra said as she jogged over to the desk and took the phone from the woman holding it. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Jack."
"I know. What's up? Did you find something for--?"
"Can you meet me at 667 on 47th?" Jack interrupted.
"Yeah, no problem. I'll be there in a few minutes. Is everything alright?" Audra asked. Olivia walked over and handed her a water bottle.
"Not really," Jack replied. He sounded like he had been crying. "Just be here soon, ok?"
"Don't worry, Jack. I'll be there," Audra said. She hung up the phone and pulled the cap off her water bottle and took a sip.
"Where do you have to meet him? Olivia asked.
"667 on 47th…isn't that…"
"The cemetery?" Olivia finished. "Yeah, it is. I wonder why he wants to meet you there."
Audra shrugged as they walked into the locker room. "He sounded upset," she said. "But who knows."
Olivia nodded and opened her locker. "Look, I know this is rude to ask, but is there something going on between you and Jack?" she asked quietly.
Audra could feel the heat rushing over her face. "I'm not really sure. I've been asking myself the same question. I'd like to think…" her voice trailed. "I don't know."
"Just curious," Olivia said as she pulled her work shirt on.
Audra paid the cabbie and slammed the door shut, looking around nervously. She never liked cemeteries; her friends had played one too many tricks on her in cemeteries during high school.
The headstones gleamed with the afternoon sun, forcing Audra to shield her eyes as she looked for Jack. She walked down the main road, hiking her bag over her shoulder. She noticed a lone figure standing over a headstone, holding roses. She walked slowly towards him.
"Hi," she said quietly. Jack barely took notice of her. His eyes remained on the headstone, re-reading the words engraved upon it. Audra looked at his face and saw tears.
"Jack, what's wrong?" she asked, taking his hand. He just kept staring at the headstone in silence.
Audra looked at the headstone and read the engraving:
Our Beloved Daughter
Claire Kincaid
The name struck a chord, but Audra couldn't exactly place where she had heard it.
"She was beautiful, you know," Jack said softly. "Bright, too…"
"Who was she?" Audra asked.
"My assistant from seven years ago. Today was her birthday," Jack replied.
Audra faintly remembered where she had seen the name. In Jack's office, there was a bulletin board covered in newspaper clippings and photos. She had also noticed one of the cards that people received when they went to a funeral or a wake. Claire Kincaid was the name on the card.
"I'm sorry," she said, resting her head on Jack's shoulder.
"Lennie was driving her home from work, and their car was hit by a drunk driver. Lennie survived, but Claire…" he turned and looked at Audra, his brown eyes welling up with tears. Audra wrapped her arms around him; he hugged her tightly, quietly sobbing into her shoulder.
Audra kissed his cheek and held back tears. It must have been horrible, for both Jack and Lennie, having Claire die like that.
"I just wish…" Jack said. "I wish I could change the past."
"We all do, Jack. There's no wrong in that," Audra said calmly. "You both loved each other, I can see that. And its ok to still love her."
"I know," Jack sobbed. He turned back to the headstone and rested the dozen roses on the damp grass in front of it. "It's just so hard to forget, that's all," he said, looking at Audra.
"Come on," Audra said, offering her hand to him.
"Where are we going?" Jack asked, taking her hand.
Audra walked down the row of headstones, towing Jack along. She stopped in front of a small grey Celtic cross. "My father's grave," she said, pointing to it. "He would have been fifty-four today." A tear rolled down her cheek.
Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Have you come to visit often?" he asked.
"I haven't been here in five years," Audra replied. "I just never got around to it."
Jack nodded. "I come here almost every year."
"I wish I had come more often, then. Maybe I would have met you a little sooner," she said, smiling up at him.
Jack laughed. "Yeah, you probably would have," he said.
Audra crouched down and picked a dandelion from the ground, placing it lovingly on the patch of earth in front of her father's grave.
"Come on, lets go get some lunch," Jack said, taking Audra's hand as they walked back towards 47th street.
They walked towards Central Park, stopping to pick up two hot dogs and some soda. They sat down in the small grove Jack had shown Audra only three days ago.
"I guess that's why I didn't really know if I should get involved with you. Your reputation," Audra explained, taking a bite of her hot dog.
"Yeah, well, I can't blame you. Everyone seems to know about it. After Claire died, it seemed like there was no point in it anymore," Jack said.
"No point in what?" Audra asked.
"Well, it's nice to have someone who shares the same interests as you. So obviously, work would be a good place to start," Jack explained.
"I see where you're coming from," Audra said. "Back in Boston, that's the whole reason I started dating my boss. Then I found out he was married…"
"That is one mistake I have yet to make," Jack said.
Audra laughed and nodded. She remembered a picture on Jack's desk that she couldn't place a name on. "That picture next to the sailboat in your office, who is that?" she asked.
"My daughter, Kate," Jack replied. "From my first marriage. She's on a class trip in Egypt right now. She's majoring in ancient history."
"That's neat," Audra said. "How much longer is she going to be over there?"
"Another week," Jack answered. "I still can't believe I let her go, what with the war and everything. But she can handle it. She's an adult."
"True. But then again, you're a parent. You're entitled to worry and care," Audra said, locking her arm through Jack's.
"Good point," Jack said. They walked through the park and over to Audra's street.
"How do you think the trial will go on Monday?" she asked as they stopped outside her building.
"Who knows, could go either way," Jack replied.
Audra nodded, taking both of his hands in hers. "Where are we, Jack?" she asked, looking up at him.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked.
"You and me. Are we together, are we still just close friends…where are we together?" Audra asked, elaborating on her original question.
Jack thought on the question for a moment, looking back at Audra. He kissed her on the lips, hugging her tightly. "I have no idea where we are," he said quietly. "But then again, it's only been a week. Maybe we should see where we are at the end of next week."
Audra smiled. "I like that answer," she said, kissing him back. She looked up at the apartment. "So…do you want to come in?"
Jack looked up at the front door and then back at Audra, smiling. "Sure."
--THE END--
