Disclaimer: I don't own Law and Order:SVU. If I did, Heath Ledger and Brad Pitt would guest-star. Often.
A/N: Again, thank you for the kind reviews. For future reference, I have somewhat arbitrarily decided that John has three ex-wives. I've heard three, four, or five, but four pushes my personal bounds of credibility and five simply makes the mind boggle, so three works for me.
Edited to add: I've decided to bow to canon and give John four wives, personal bounds of credibility notwithstanding. Anyone have any guesses as to their names and the order in which he married/divorced them?
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The next morning
Upper East Side
Manhattan
Alex
The trip to my apartment is awkward. John pays meticulous attention to the traffic as he drives, carefully not looking over at me. I settle for gazing out the window, not really seeing any of the scenery. Part of me is relieved when we finally arrive at my building, but a larger part wishes I could stay in the car all day. Awkward or not, I feel safe with John, and I'm worried about going home. Todd doesn't have a key to my place, but the doormen all know who he is and might let him up.
"Here," John says, extending his hand to me. I put mine out reflexively and he drops something metallic into it. It's a key.
"In case you ever need someplace to go again," he explains, sounding a little embarrassed. "You can come to my place anytime. If I'm not there, just come inside and wait for me."
I stare at the little object for a moment, trying to comprehend the gesture he's just made. I wonder if he knows he's giving me the only thing I can't buy myself in New York: a safe place to hide when the world becomes too much. Acting on impulse, I lean over and throw my arms around him, burying my face in the lapel of his jacket.
"Thanks, John," I whisper, and then pull away. I practically dive out of the car, running up the stairs to my building. John waits until I'm safely inside, the doorman giving me a wink as he holds the door for me, and then drives away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I'm so occupied with them that I almost run into Dave, the other of the two daytime doormen, who's lounging near the elevator.
"Morning, Ms. Cabot," he says, leaning over to push the call button for me. "Late night?"
"Yeah," I agree, distracted. "Hey, Dave, can you do me a favor?"
"For you, Ms. Cabot, anything," he replies with a charming smile.
"You know the guy I've been seeing?"
"Mr. McKenna?" he asks. I nod.
"Tell the guys not to let him up, will you?"
"Sure," he replies, stepping back as the elevator doors open. "Lovers' quarrel, huh?"
"Something like that," I mutter, feeling a knot form in the pit of my stomach. "Thanks, Dave."
The doors slide shut and I press nine, leaning against the wall as I wait for my stop. The elevator makes it to my floor without stopping, and I get safely inside my apartment without seeing any of my neighbors. Taking a moment to be thankful for small favors, I locate my bathrobe and head for the shower.
I shower quickly, choking back tears when I see the bruises Todd left. I've always been proud of my appearance; I work out, eat right, and put effort into looking my best. The dark bruises make me feel violated, like my control over my own body has been taken away. The feeling makes me nauseous.
Resolving to be more considerate of victims' feelings in the future, I finish washing my hair and turn off the water. I blow-dry and apply my makeup in record time, knowing I've got to be in court at nine and wanting the opportunity to get there before anyone else. It's a technique I use to calm myself down when things get stressful; I sit in the empty courtroom and review my notes. The quiet helps me think, and I'm sharper when I review right before trial. It helps make up for my distraction when I'm not fully focused on a case.
----------------------
8:03 AM
District Courthouse
Alex
I'm the first person in the courtroom, and I revel in the rare silence. The only noise is me turning the pages of the Anderson case file. It should be helping me focus, but all I can think about is last night. I'm still in shock over what Todd did, and when I'm not worrying about what his next move will be, I'm wondering whether John Munch and I still have any sort of friendship left after my behavior last night. If only I hadn't tried to make more out of that kiss...all he was trying to do was reassure me, calm me down, and I practically molested the guy.
The courtroom door opens, admitting a couple wearing visitor's badges. They sit down a few rows behind me and I realize I need to get to work. The trial starts in an hour. Putting thoughts of the two men out of my mind, I concentrate on making it through the next few hours and getting a conviction.
----------------------
8:07 AM
Manhattan SVU
John
I've only been at work for half an hour, but already Fin and I are neck-deep in paperwork. We've closed three cases this week, which looks great on our record but leaves us with an ungodly amount of reports to fill out. The one I'm working on now is taking far longer than it should, probably because I can't stop thinking about Alex. I tell myself it's only natural to be worried about her, since McKenna could decide to go after her again, but I have to admit that most of my thoughts aren't centered on him. They're about her, and the time we spent together last night. I still don't know why she came to me instead of Olivia. I mean, I'm glad she did, but of all the detectives in the SVU, she's closest to Olivia. I've always thought it had something to do with them both being women in male-dominated workplaces.
The detective in question comes wandering in, a cup of coffee in her hand and a worn-out expression on her face.
"Sleep well, Olivia?" I ask as she walks past my desk. She gives me a dirty look.
"No," she answers tersely, flopping down in her chair. "Anything else you'd like to know?"
"I'm going to take the fifth, on the grounds that my answer might get me killed."
"Good choice," she advises as her cell phone starts to ring. She mutters a curse and answers it, listening for a moment before hanging up.
"Let's go, Elliot," she calls to her partner, who's walking out of the break room holding a coffee mug of his own. "We've got a case."
He sighs heavily and the two of them head out, trudging through the door like they're walking uphill through a ten-foot snowdrift.
"They're certainly two big bundles of joy this morning," my partner observes, shaking his head.
"Better them than us," I tell him, putting my thoughts of Alex out of my mind and returning my attention to the report in front of me. "Their sunshine-y attitudes make me almost glad to be riding a desk today."
----------------------
12:30 PM
District Courthouse
Alex
The jury comes back with a guilty verdict. I exhale sharply in relief; I wasn't sure they were going to convict. I could have been stronger on the cross-examination of the defendant, but I did get some useful corroboration from the victim's roommates, so I chalk this one up as a job fairly well done.
Shoving the file and my legal pad into my briefcase, I shake the hands of the victim's parents and head outside, contemplating where I should go to eat. I don't have to be in court again today, and I don't mind staying a little late in the office if it means I can take my time and enjoy my lunch. It's a fairly rare occurrence that I get the chance to have lunch at all.
I'm walking down the steps in front of the courthouse and trying to decide whether I want Italian or Greek when a hand grasps my shoulder, nearly sending me out of my skin.
"Take ten years off my life, why don't you," I exclaim, spinning around to face the offender. I'm expecting it to be Casey Novak, who loves to scare me half to death when I'm lost in thought, or Sam Waters, who wanted to see me about a motion he's making on the Cardenas case. Instead, my briefcase falls from suddenly numb fingers as I come face to face with Todd McKenna.
A/N: Again, thank you for the kind reviews. For future reference, I have somewhat arbitrarily decided that John has three ex-wives. I've heard three, four, or five, but four pushes my personal bounds of credibility and five simply makes the mind boggle, so three works for me.
Edited to add: I've decided to bow to canon and give John four wives, personal bounds of credibility notwithstanding. Anyone have any guesses as to their names and the order in which he married/divorced them?
--------------------------------
The next morning
Upper East Side
Manhattan
Alex
The trip to my apartment is awkward. John pays meticulous attention to the traffic as he drives, carefully not looking over at me. I settle for gazing out the window, not really seeing any of the scenery. Part of me is relieved when we finally arrive at my building, but a larger part wishes I could stay in the car all day. Awkward or not, I feel safe with John, and I'm worried about going home. Todd doesn't have a key to my place, but the doormen all know who he is and might let him up.
"Here," John says, extending his hand to me. I put mine out reflexively and he drops something metallic into it. It's a key.
"In case you ever need someplace to go again," he explains, sounding a little embarrassed. "You can come to my place anytime. If I'm not there, just come inside and wait for me."
I stare at the little object for a moment, trying to comprehend the gesture he's just made. I wonder if he knows he's giving me the only thing I can't buy myself in New York: a safe place to hide when the world becomes too much. Acting on impulse, I lean over and throw my arms around him, burying my face in the lapel of his jacket.
"Thanks, John," I whisper, and then pull away. I practically dive out of the car, running up the stairs to my building. John waits until I'm safely inside, the doorman giving me a wink as he holds the door for me, and then drives away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I'm so occupied with them that I almost run into Dave, the other of the two daytime doormen, who's lounging near the elevator.
"Morning, Ms. Cabot," he says, leaning over to push the call button for me. "Late night?"
"Yeah," I agree, distracted. "Hey, Dave, can you do me a favor?"
"For you, Ms. Cabot, anything," he replies with a charming smile.
"You know the guy I've been seeing?"
"Mr. McKenna?" he asks. I nod.
"Tell the guys not to let him up, will you?"
"Sure," he replies, stepping back as the elevator doors open. "Lovers' quarrel, huh?"
"Something like that," I mutter, feeling a knot form in the pit of my stomach. "Thanks, Dave."
The doors slide shut and I press nine, leaning against the wall as I wait for my stop. The elevator makes it to my floor without stopping, and I get safely inside my apartment without seeing any of my neighbors. Taking a moment to be thankful for small favors, I locate my bathrobe and head for the shower.
I shower quickly, choking back tears when I see the bruises Todd left. I've always been proud of my appearance; I work out, eat right, and put effort into looking my best. The dark bruises make me feel violated, like my control over my own body has been taken away. The feeling makes me nauseous.
Resolving to be more considerate of victims' feelings in the future, I finish washing my hair and turn off the water. I blow-dry and apply my makeup in record time, knowing I've got to be in court at nine and wanting the opportunity to get there before anyone else. It's a technique I use to calm myself down when things get stressful; I sit in the empty courtroom and review my notes. The quiet helps me think, and I'm sharper when I review right before trial. It helps make up for my distraction when I'm not fully focused on a case.
----------------------
8:03 AM
District Courthouse
Alex
I'm the first person in the courtroom, and I revel in the rare silence. The only noise is me turning the pages of the Anderson case file. It should be helping me focus, but all I can think about is last night. I'm still in shock over what Todd did, and when I'm not worrying about what his next move will be, I'm wondering whether John Munch and I still have any sort of friendship left after my behavior last night. If only I hadn't tried to make more out of that kiss...all he was trying to do was reassure me, calm me down, and I practically molested the guy.
The courtroom door opens, admitting a couple wearing visitor's badges. They sit down a few rows behind me and I realize I need to get to work. The trial starts in an hour. Putting thoughts of the two men out of my mind, I concentrate on making it through the next few hours and getting a conviction.
----------------------
8:07 AM
Manhattan SVU
John
I've only been at work for half an hour, but already Fin and I are neck-deep in paperwork. We've closed three cases this week, which looks great on our record but leaves us with an ungodly amount of reports to fill out. The one I'm working on now is taking far longer than it should, probably because I can't stop thinking about Alex. I tell myself it's only natural to be worried about her, since McKenna could decide to go after her again, but I have to admit that most of my thoughts aren't centered on him. They're about her, and the time we spent together last night. I still don't know why she came to me instead of Olivia. I mean, I'm glad she did, but of all the detectives in the SVU, she's closest to Olivia. I've always thought it had something to do with them both being women in male-dominated workplaces.
The detective in question comes wandering in, a cup of coffee in her hand and a worn-out expression on her face.
"Sleep well, Olivia?" I ask as she walks past my desk. She gives me a dirty look.
"No," she answers tersely, flopping down in her chair. "Anything else you'd like to know?"
"I'm going to take the fifth, on the grounds that my answer might get me killed."
"Good choice," she advises as her cell phone starts to ring. She mutters a curse and answers it, listening for a moment before hanging up.
"Let's go, Elliot," she calls to her partner, who's walking out of the break room holding a coffee mug of his own. "We've got a case."
He sighs heavily and the two of them head out, trudging through the door like they're walking uphill through a ten-foot snowdrift.
"They're certainly two big bundles of joy this morning," my partner observes, shaking his head.
"Better them than us," I tell him, putting my thoughts of Alex out of my mind and returning my attention to the report in front of me. "Their sunshine-y attitudes make me almost glad to be riding a desk today."
----------------------
12:30 PM
District Courthouse
Alex
The jury comes back with a guilty verdict. I exhale sharply in relief; I wasn't sure they were going to convict. I could have been stronger on the cross-examination of the defendant, but I did get some useful corroboration from the victim's roommates, so I chalk this one up as a job fairly well done.
Shoving the file and my legal pad into my briefcase, I shake the hands of the victim's parents and head outside, contemplating where I should go to eat. I don't have to be in court again today, and I don't mind staying a little late in the office if it means I can take my time and enjoy my lunch. It's a fairly rare occurrence that I get the chance to have lunch at all.
I'm walking down the steps in front of the courthouse and trying to decide whether I want Italian or Greek when a hand grasps my shoulder, nearly sending me out of my skin.
"Take ten years off my life, why don't you," I exclaim, spinning around to face the offender. I'm expecting it to be Casey Novak, who loves to scare me half to death when I'm lost in thought, or Sam Waters, who wanted to see me about a motion he's making on the Cardenas case. Instead, my briefcase falls from suddenly numb fingers as I come face to face with Todd McKenna.