title: memory - chapter five
author: duck
rating: pg-13
author's note: "grrr. argh." -mutant enemy thingie. that's how i feel about writer's block.
disclaimer: these characters and the above statement aren't mine. blah blah blah.
- Special Victims Unit Squad Room -
- Wednesday October 6th 11:00am -
Cragen was just putting the finishing touches on the dry erase board when Elliot and Olivia walked through the squad room doors, their heads together in deep discussion. He smoothed down the edges of the victim's picture above the timeline of her movements as he mentally double-checked his times, diligently ignoring the pair of detectives that plunked themselves in their desk chairs not three feet from him.
"Examination couldn't find anything on Farley's SUV, Captain," Elliot said. Ignoring could only go so far when you had a case to work on.
"Doesn't completely rule him out, but it looks bad for our case against him," Olivia added, her tone somewhat defeatist. Cragen studied her downcast face and wished he could give her some better news than what he had in store.
"It gets worse. His real girlfriend alibi-ed him for the time of the hit and run yesterday," he said, aiming his dry erase marker at the timeline. A separate flow for Farley was lined up with the vic's. "She places him in her apartment at 5:45, the time of the H-and-R."
"My gut still says Farley did this," Elliot commented as he rocked back and forth in his chair, hands crossed behind his head. "She's gotta be lying to cover him."
"Or this really was a hit and run," Cragen said with a sigh. He hated to trample on his detectives' instincts, but sometimes coincidences really were just coincidences.
Olivia's despondent look quickly turned into a glower and Cragen felt himself startle a bit at the passion of it. Elliot moved in his line of vision to her face, and Cragen turned back to the board, choosing not to call her on it. He hated to do it, but certain exceptions were just going to have to be made, whether she liked it or not. John had pulled him aside before the other pair had come in to describe his conversation with her and Fin. He wouldn't let this go on indefinitely, but it was sounding more and more like Olivia was having more trouble dealing with her issues than she was letting on.
He could hear the soft, indistinct murmur of Elliot's calming voice behind him, so he busied himself with just studying the board in front of him. Elliot knew her probably better than she knew herself; Cragen was thus reassured that he would keep her in check as best he could. He trusted Elliot to come to him if it ever became a real issue that interfered with her ability to do her job. Three months ago, maybe not, but the two of them had changed and Cragen didn't doubt Elliot would do whatever he thought was in Olivia's best interests, whether she liked it or not.
"We'll head out and check the girlfriend's story again," Elliot finally said. "Any specifics we should be aware of?"
"Yeah," Munch said from his slouched position in his chair. "She has an unflagging devotion to a man that, by all accounts, she should hate. You'll find her tighter-lipped than the big grocery chains and how they track your purchases and use the information against you."
Cragen blinked at him, hoping his incredulity wasn't overtly obvious. He almost hated to ask... "They're doing what, John?"
"With all the little shopper cards you're offered. They track what you purchase and give you coupons based on it."
"And that's...bad?" John stared at him as if it were the most apparent thing in the world.
"They then sell the information to the government and--" He was cut off by a chorus of groans from his partner, Elliot and Olivia. "What?!"
"We're going to get out of here while we still can," Elliot said, rising quickly. "The crazy might be catching today."
"Hey, you'd feel the same way if you just knew the facts about it," John protested.
"'Sides, John hasn't gotten his beauty sleep," Fin said. He snickered when John shot him an annoyed look.
"You could always come with us, Captain," Olivia offered as she followed Elliot to the coat rack. Her voice was surprisingly clear of its previous rancor. "Escape those two clowns for at least an hour."
"'Those two clowns' are going out interviewing the witnesses from the hit and run," Cragen said, giving them both a pointed look. "The squad room will be nice and quiet and maybe I can get some work done for once." He pointed at the door. "All of you, out."
John and Fin moved to leave with only a small amount of grumbling, but Olivia hung back, gesturing Elliot to go ahead. She took a deep breath as she approached him.
"Yes, Olivia?" he asked. She exhaled sharply before answering.
"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior, Captain. I shouldn't be taking out my anger over this case on you."
He snorted at that. "I know what you're angry about, Olivia, and it isn't this case. Don't worry about it. If you need any more time off, just let me know."
She opened her mouth like she had something to say, but closed it quickly. She sighed and said, "Thanks, Captain. I think I'll be okay though."
"You and Elliot doing okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine. Still working things out, but we're fine."
"My door's always open if you need to talk about anything," he said. She gave him a grateful smile.
"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." She turned to go and he let her, smiling at her retreating back. Whether Elliot had told her to apologize or not, it was still a step in the right direction. He just hoped they kept moving that way.
- 201 West Georgia Avenue -
- Wednesday October 6th 11:45am -
"She lives here?" Elliot's shock registered clearly in his voice as he appraised the building in front of which they stood. It was a gorgeous three-story brownstone easily twice as wide as the typical New York building.
"She still lives with her parents," Olivia said, consulting her notes before squinting up at the imposing facade. "That must mean one of the other ones around here is Farley's parents' house." They glanced around before looking at each other and shrugging.
"Want me to take the lead in questioning?" Elliot asked as they moved for the front door.
"If you want to," Olivia said. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as they walked, observing the way he walked with his gaze directed at the pavement. He never used to walk that way, she thought sadly. Elliot's body language had always screamed confidence before. Now he looked only half-awake and most of the way to defeated. Maybe that would change when they both started sleeping again.
Oh God. She'd almost forgotten entirely. They were going to sleep together tonight. The thought almost stopped her short, but she managed to keep going with only a slight hitch in her step. She felt a steadying hand on her arm and followed it back to its gently smiling owner.
"You okay there, partner?" Elliot asked, arching his eyebrow at her. "Did you trip or something?"
"Or something," she muttered. "I'm okay, thanks." Shit, but this was going to be a long day.
[tbc]
soon! i swear!
author: duck
rating: pg-13
author's note: "grrr. argh." -mutant enemy thingie. that's how i feel about writer's block.
disclaimer: these characters and the above statement aren't mine. blah blah blah.
- Special Victims Unit Squad Room -
- Wednesday October 6th 11:00am -
Cragen was just putting the finishing touches on the dry erase board when Elliot and Olivia walked through the squad room doors, their heads together in deep discussion. He smoothed down the edges of the victim's picture above the timeline of her movements as he mentally double-checked his times, diligently ignoring the pair of detectives that plunked themselves in their desk chairs not three feet from him.
"Examination couldn't find anything on Farley's SUV, Captain," Elliot said. Ignoring could only go so far when you had a case to work on.
"Doesn't completely rule him out, but it looks bad for our case against him," Olivia added, her tone somewhat defeatist. Cragen studied her downcast face and wished he could give her some better news than what he had in store.
"It gets worse. His real girlfriend alibi-ed him for the time of the hit and run yesterday," he said, aiming his dry erase marker at the timeline. A separate flow for Farley was lined up with the vic's. "She places him in her apartment at 5:45, the time of the H-and-R."
"My gut still says Farley did this," Elliot commented as he rocked back and forth in his chair, hands crossed behind his head. "She's gotta be lying to cover him."
"Or this really was a hit and run," Cragen said with a sigh. He hated to trample on his detectives' instincts, but sometimes coincidences really were just coincidences.
Olivia's despondent look quickly turned into a glower and Cragen felt himself startle a bit at the passion of it. Elliot moved in his line of vision to her face, and Cragen turned back to the board, choosing not to call her on it. He hated to do it, but certain exceptions were just going to have to be made, whether she liked it or not. John had pulled him aside before the other pair had come in to describe his conversation with her and Fin. He wouldn't let this go on indefinitely, but it was sounding more and more like Olivia was having more trouble dealing with her issues than she was letting on.
He could hear the soft, indistinct murmur of Elliot's calming voice behind him, so he busied himself with just studying the board in front of him. Elliot knew her probably better than she knew herself; Cragen was thus reassured that he would keep her in check as best he could. He trusted Elliot to come to him if it ever became a real issue that interfered with her ability to do her job. Three months ago, maybe not, but the two of them had changed and Cragen didn't doubt Elliot would do whatever he thought was in Olivia's best interests, whether she liked it or not.
"We'll head out and check the girlfriend's story again," Elliot finally said. "Any specifics we should be aware of?"
"Yeah," Munch said from his slouched position in his chair. "She has an unflagging devotion to a man that, by all accounts, she should hate. You'll find her tighter-lipped than the big grocery chains and how they track your purchases and use the information against you."
Cragen blinked at him, hoping his incredulity wasn't overtly obvious. He almost hated to ask... "They're doing what, John?"
"With all the little shopper cards you're offered. They track what you purchase and give you coupons based on it."
"And that's...bad?" John stared at him as if it were the most apparent thing in the world.
"They then sell the information to the government and--" He was cut off by a chorus of groans from his partner, Elliot and Olivia. "What?!"
"We're going to get out of here while we still can," Elliot said, rising quickly. "The crazy might be catching today."
"Hey, you'd feel the same way if you just knew the facts about it," John protested.
"'Sides, John hasn't gotten his beauty sleep," Fin said. He snickered when John shot him an annoyed look.
"You could always come with us, Captain," Olivia offered as she followed Elliot to the coat rack. Her voice was surprisingly clear of its previous rancor. "Escape those two clowns for at least an hour."
"'Those two clowns' are going out interviewing the witnesses from the hit and run," Cragen said, giving them both a pointed look. "The squad room will be nice and quiet and maybe I can get some work done for once." He pointed at the door. "All of you, out."
John and Fin moved to leave with only a small amount of grumbling, but Olivia hung back, gesturing Elliot to go ahead. She took a deep breath as she approached him.
"Yes, Olivia?" he asked. She exhaled sharply before answering.
"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior, Captain. I shouldn't be taking out my anger over this case on you."
He snorted at that. "I know what you're angry about, Olivia, and it isn't this case. Don't worry about it. If you need any more time off, just let me know."
She opened her mouth like she had something to say, but closed it quickly. She sighed and said, "Thanks, Captain. I think I'll be okay though."
"You and Elliot doing okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine. Still working things out, but we're fine."
"My door's always open if you need to talk about anything," he said. She gave him a grateful smile.
"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." She turned to go and he let her, smiling at her retreating back. Whether Elliot had told her to apologize or not, it was still a step in the right direction. He just hoped they kept moving that way.
- 201 West Georgia Avenue -
- Wednesday October 6th 11:45am -
"She lives here?" Elliot's shock registered clearly in his voice as he appraised the building in front of which they stood. It was a gorgeous three-story brownstone easily twice as wide as the typical New York building.
"She still lives with her parents," Olivia said, consulting her notes before squinting up at the imposing facade. "That must mean one of the other ones around here is Farley's parents' house." They glanced around before looking at each other and shrugging.
"Want me to take the lead in questioning?" Elliot asked as they moved for the front door.
"If you want to," Olivia said. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as they walked, observing the way he walked with his gaze directed at the pavement. He never used to walk that way, she thought sadly. Elliot's body language had always screamed confidence before. Now he looked only half-awake and most of the way to defeated. Maybe that would change when they both started sleeping again.
Oh God. She'd almost forgotten entirely. They were going to sleep together tonight. The thought almost stopped her short, but she managed to keep going with only a slight hitch in her step. She felt a steadying hand on her arm and followed it back to its gently smiling owner.
"You okay there, partner?" Elliot asked, arching his eyebrow at her. "Did you trip or something?"
"Or something," she muttered. "I'm okay, thanks." Shit, but this was going to be a long day.
[tbc]
soon! i swear!