Chapter Four: Missing You
Alex
I wasn't surprised to hear the jury come back with a guilty verdict. It doesn't have quite the same ring to it knowing you aren't waiting outside the courtroom to see me, but it does feel good to be winning again. I can't keep the happy click out of my step, and I sink gratefully into the chair in my temporary office and pick up the phone to tell you about my win.
"SVU, Munch."
"John! It's Alex, how're you?"
"Fine Cabot, how's the weather in Oregon? What's the news on the left-wing political agenda these days?"
"You know not everyone in Oregon is a Democrat John."
"Right, and not everyone in D.C. is working for the government, but who am I to speculate?"
"Look, I was actually looking for Olivia, is she around? She didn't answer her cell."
"Well, she… uh. She swapped shifts with Fin, went home early."
"Is she ok?"
"Yeah, just said something about having important plans."
Plans? What plans? You didn't tell me about any plans. I say an absent-minded goodbye to John and hang up the phone, wondering where the hell you are. I pick up the phone to try you at home only to find the same answer at home that I did on your cell-- a canned version of your voice asking me to leave a message.
A few hours later I hear the phone ring and I snatch it up quickly,
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Um. Hello to you too Alex."
"Olivia. I have called everyone! I even talked to Elliot and he laughed at me. LAUGHED! Where are you!"
"I'm out."
"Out where?"
"Shopping." You? Shopping? What on earth is going on out there?
"For what?"
"Just shopping, nosy-- maybe I'm buying you a present."
"Well, is everything ok? Are you feeling alright?"
"Aside from missing you? Yes. I just have some things to take care of and I wanted a chunk of time today where I can do all the things I need to do. It's not a big deal Alex, calm down. Have you been flipping out over this all day?"
Uhoh. I knew I should have stayed calm. Now you're going to worry again.
"No."
"Liar."
"Ok, yes but I'm fine. Just… don't disappear like that again! At least answer your cell-phone."
"When you called I was in the tunnel."
"Which tunnel?"
"Does it matter? Stop fishing. If I'm buying you a present you'll get it soon enough."
I can't help it, I'm still angry, and I feel like you're hiding something from me. I just can't figure out what.
"How was court?"
"Don't change the subject."
"Did you win? Like I even need to ask."
"Yes, I won… where are you now?"
"I told you, I'm shopping. How long did they deliberate?"
I finally give up trying to argue with you, and tell you about my day. I'm still frustrated though, you know I hate surprises.
Olivia
It's all I can do not to laugh out loud listening to you worry about me. I know how you hate surprises but I can't help it just this once. When I finally get you of the phone, I turn back to the saleslady and apologize,
"Sorry, that was my girlfriend. I'm trying to surprise her and it's nearly impossible, even though she's in a completely different state."
"That's quite all right. Is that who this purchase is for?"
"Yup. It has to be just right, she's picky and I want it to be perfect."
"How long have you…?"
"Forever." It feels like that sometimes. "Not really, it's actually more like umm… 5 years I think? But she had to leave for awhile so technically it's more like 3."
"Two years apart? Sounds hard."
"It's complicated. Oooo, what about those?"
'Janice' pulls a tray of stunning platinum-clad rings out of the case and I pick up the one that caught my eye. I know as soon as I try it on that it's perfect for you. I can already see it on your finger. It's time to replace these silly silver friendship rings we've been wearing forever. It's a huge chunk of my savings, and I cringe thinking about my credit card bill as I pay for the rings and gather up the small bag. I smile at Janice and pretend not to hear her whispering about the 'lesbian' buying rings for her girlfriend. It's not worth the effort.
I head back to the street and catch a cab to the luggage store where I bought you your suitcases for our trip to Greece. Mine were old when we went, and they're in horrible shape. It's about time I got some new bags.
My shopping almost finished, I call the station to check on Munch and Fin's pick-up. Elliot answers the phone, "SVU, Stabler."
"Hey El, are the guys back yet?"
"Hey Liv, yeah" he chuckles before continuing and I hear a scuffle in the background, "Guy was… slippery."
"Slippery? He ran?"
"Not exactly."
"Elliot? What the hell happened?"
"It's a long story--"
John's voice breaks in from the pen, "And if you tell her I'll kill you!"
"But to sum up, picture John covered head to toe in frosting, pudding, and cake bits."
"What?"
"They took a detour through a bakery. John had a little trouble... navigating."
Elliot cracks up, and the sounds coming from Munch behind him get me going too. By the time we calm down, Elliot's able to tell me that the perp is in custody and wants to use Langden as his defense attorney.
"By the way Liv, your girlfriend called me. Strike that, your girlfriend called everybody. You might want to give her a shout before she files an MPR on you."
"I know, I talked to her. Sorry, when she called I was stuck in the tunnel and then she got me right when I was talking to the saleslady."
"Did you find something?"
"Yeah-- platinum-clad gold."
Elliot whistles, and I can feel my credit card cringing again.
"Yup. Took a decent chunk out of my savings. But it's worth it."
"So what's the plan?"
"Well, I want to see Kaylie's case all the way through. Casey thinks I'll probably be called as a witness by the defense."
"What? She didn't tell me that."
"Yeah, evidently they want to use Kaylie's condition at the time of the rape to try and fudge the ID. Since I was the one that dealt with her break, they want me to try and help prove that her state of mind makes the ID invalid. Once it's over I'll take my vaca time-- thank the guys again for me-- and head out."
Elliot tells me a little more about our perp, and after insisting on taking me to work in the morning we hang up and I stop off at Casey's office to discuss my pending summons.