The Offer
By: Liz Bundick
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Author's Note: A few missing scenes from The Bet and The Ante. I've had these floating around in my head and figured I should write them down for something fun to do. And yes, it has a lot of my original character, Detective Andrea Viviano in it. Probably the most you'll ever see of her.
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Detective Andrea Viviano was considered to be an old timer. She was one of those detectives who had been part of the force so long that civilian life was a distant memory and police work was all that life really came down to. She was cynical, almost bitter and found that humanity could and did do everything to each other on a daily basis. Most things just didn't really get to her anymore. That was the price of being an old timer. There were benefits to old timer status though, and one of them was people owed you.
Late one Tuesday night, she knocked on the doorframe to Don Cragen's office and stepped inside when he looked up.
"I thought you were heading down to the morgue," Cragen said, leaning back in his chair.
"That's what I have a younger partner for," She smiled easily, "Actually, I'm here with a request." Cragen raised an eyebrow, wary of requests.
"I need some time to talk with Lieutenant Brooks."
"Your old CO?"
"Yeah, I want to run something past him." Andy leaned forward and lowered her voice so those in the bullpen wouldn't over hear, this was supposed to be a surprise after all. "You know how Stabler's been sleeping with Benson right?" Cragen's frown was all the confirmation Andy needed, "And Benson's practically being wasted in computers, but she can't come back here because IAB would just love that."
"Get to the point, Viviano."
"I want to stay on permanently here, and send Benson to fill my spot at the five-five."
Cragen seemed surprised at the offer, "You were up for promotion there."
Andy shrugged carelessly, "I don't wanna kiss ass all day, Don. I'd rather work the streets. Brooks wants out and the five-five wants to look good by promoting a woman."
"So, you're going to piss off a lot of people by staying here, and put Benson in a position to be promoted."
Andy smiled slyly, "Maybe, maybe not, but I figure I should run it by Brooks before I run it by you."
Cragen smiled back, "Well, I can give you two hours tomorrow morning. Good luck, Detective."
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"You what?" Lieutenant Andrew Brooks looked at Andy like she'd suddenly grown three heads and started her own one woman barbershop quartet.
"I want to transfer to the one-six. And I want you to ask for Detective Olivia Benson to take my place," Andy stated firmly. Brooks was another old timer, but an old timer who wanted out and hated it when his plans went to hell.
Brooks braced his arms on his desk and glared hard at her, "You were supposed to be a handler, not a partner, Viviano. It was a temporary transfer. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Sir, I need a change and with an empty desk you need a detective. Look at Benson's record, she's one of the best."
"You're better."
Andy rolled her eyes, "Brooks, have I ever told you about my Uncle Johnny?"
"Viviano," Brooks growled, but Andy held up a hand.
"My Uncle Johnny was sort of the black sheep in the family. He didn't have what my family called a "respectable job". See, Uncle Johnny was a bookie. His best deal was the ponies. Now, my Uncle Johnny liked to piss off my family as much as possible and one of his favorite ways to do it was to take me to hang with his bookie buddies at OTB."
Andy fixed her ex-commanding officer with a hard look, "I'm still good friends with a lot of Uncle Johnny's crew and I'm sure IAB would love to hear from one of them about a Lieutenant with a gambling problem."
"Benson, right?"
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"That could come to bite you in the ass," Don Cragen commented after Andy finished telling him how her meeting went, "Threatening a superior officer."
Andy shrugged, "Brooks won't do anything. He's too nervous about being looked at."
"So, you really have an Uncle Johnny then?"
"One of the best con artist and bookie in Hell's Kitchen," Andy grinned, "Pissed my grandmother off to no end."
"And this thing about Brooks gambling problem, you just make a lucky guess?"
"Guy's got enough racing forms in his office to be a bookie," Andy frowned, "Figure he's probably got one of my Uncle Johnny's friends breathing down his neck, but can't really be a dirty cop in special victims. Figure his wife is bailing him out."
"Maybe you should have stayed to take over," Cragen sighed, "Brooks called today."
Andy smiled tightly, "Guess he wanted to warn you about me, huh?"
"He says you're a tight ass bitch who likes to make trouble when she has a chance. Might explain why he sent you here without protest when I asked."
"You've worked with me before, Don, what do you think?"
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"Hey," Elliot Stabler said coming to stand next to Andy, "Thanks Andy."
Andy shrugged, "Nothing big, but you owe me, Stabler."
"I want to thank you, though," Olivia Benson said from where she was tucked under Elliot's arm,
"You won't thank me after a week at the five-five, it's one of the last boy's clubs," Andy warned, "They'll make you work for respect and friends."
Olivia rolled her eyes, "The Academy all over again, huh?"
"Yeah, only with shields," Andy raised her glass, "To the happy couple. L'amore domina senza regole. Love rules with out rules. Too bad the New York Police Department doesn't work that way. But that's why there are old timers, right?"