Chapter 7 "Prideful Mistakes"

"Shut up Munch!" Olivia and Jessie shouted in unison.

"It's true. Woman are good at wasting money!" John quipped from his desk.

"Oh shut up you bitter old fart!" Jessie snapped. She was stressed out as it was and she didn't feel like listening to John rattle his head anymore.

"Well, someone woke up on the complete opposite side of the bed this morning, hm?" John teased smiling, earning him a death glare from Jessie. He was right. She was in a very pissy mood.

"Oh just go away." She put her head down on her desk, giving off the impression she didn't want to be bothered. Of course, Fin wouldn't seem to notice that.

"What's eatin you?" Fin asked. "You usually like to listen to John's meaningless rambles." This earned Fin an over the glasses glare from John. Jessie slowly looked over at Fin who was sitting cozily at his desk.

"You wanna know what's eatin me?" She stood up. Fin gulped and started to stand up slowly.

"Jessie, now, chill out. I ain't done shit to you…" He said, putting his hands up.

"What's eating me is…is…"Jessie threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Men!" She turned around and walked out of the squad room.

"I thought she was gonna castrate me!" Fin let out the breath he'd been holding.

"What the hell did you do to her?" John yelled.

"Nothing! I swear!" Fin collapsed into his chair.

"It was either you or Stabler." John reasoned.

"How you know she ain't pissed at you?" Fin asked.

"Because I'm not the one sending her mixed signals!" John snapped. Fin just shook his head.

"Shut up Munch."

Jessie didn't know where she was headed but she was content as long as she could keep walking. Once she'd mellowed out a little she would go back and apologize to John and Fin. Well… she'd apologize to John. She really wanted to scream at Fin. And Elliot. A lot.

She looked down to her left and saw a flight of stairs. She sat down on the first step and buried her head in her hands. I hate men, she thought.

Jessie had nearly been with SVU a month now. Christmas was in three weeks. She knew Elliot and Fin both were attracted to her and yet the two seemed hell bent on never making a move. This is why I don't date, she thought, rolling her eyes.

But now that Jessie had spent more time with each man she couldn't deny that she found them both attractive…but especially Fin.

She couldn't explain it. Not really. Every now and then, while engaging in intimate conversation, Fin would reach out and touch her hand, and every night before they would all leave to go home, he would kiss her on the cheek. She would just feel ignited! Like a bomb of Monarchs had blown up in her stomach. That's how she knew she was forming feelings for him.

Jessie was an expert on control but not even she could control that feeling. And it wasn't only physical. She felt drawn to him. They could talk about anything. He understood things about her no one had. And mostly important, Fin understood the things Jessie had seen. He grew up around gangs and drugs. He knew what Jessie had fought against and what she was still fighting for. What they were fighting for.

Jessie was good at reading people. In fact, she could read most people like books. She just knew Fin cared for her. She just didn't understand why he wouldn't act!

She shrugged and rose from the stairs. She knew she wasn't going to solve all of her problems right then and there so she might as well head back and apologize to John.

As Jessie entered the squad room Olivia met her at the door.

"Hey, you okay?" Olivia put a friendly arm around Jessie.

Olivia and Jessie had formed a nice friendship in the month they'd been working together. Olivia was grateful to have a woman to talk to. Jessie liked Olivia. She was strong and proud and those were two qualities that Jessie liked a lot.

"I'm alright Liv." Jessie sighed. "I'm just a little irritable. I'll tell you about it later." Olivia seemed to have accepted it and went about her business.

Jessie walked solemnly to John's desk. He glared at her briefly and then turned back to his newspaper.

"John," Jessie pouted. He ruffled his paper. Jessie scowled. He wasn't going to make this easy.

"I love you Munchkin!" She said in her best baby-talk voice. Another ruffling of the paper. Jessie sighed, defeated, and walked around the desk.

"Look at me!" She ordered. He kept his gaze on the paper. Have it your way, Jessie thought. Jessie pulled John's chair out from under his desk a little, getting only a grunt from him, and then sat in his lap.

Fin and Olivia watched in amusement. Elliot is gonna wish he'd seen this, Olivia thought, wishing her partner hadn't gone out for coffee. Never in her years of working with the unit had anyone ever sat in the cynical, bitter, and all out sarcastic grouch that was John Munch's lap!

John was stunned only for a moment and soon regained composure. He calmly folded his paper and then sitting it on his desk.

"You have my attention." He said, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry," Jessie muttered. She wasn't good at apologies and John knew it. It was almost surprising how well John already knew Jessie considering the short time they'd known one another but they also had gotten quite close.

"For what?" John wanted to see her squirm. She sighed.

"For being an irritable bitch." John smiled in triumph.

"Apology accepted." John snaked his wiry muscled arms around her waste and she around his neck and they hugged.

"Thanks John!" She beamed and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. He blushed a bit and she rose from his lap and went back to her desk.

Fin waited eagerly for her to come over and apologize but all he got was a scary looking stare as if to say it would be a cold day in hell before she apologized to him. What the hell did I do, Fin wondered? Nothing out of the ordinary had conspired between the two. Just their normal routine.

Fin shook his head and returned to his paper work. Woman, he thought. I ain't never gonna understand them.

"Hey Don, can I talk to you in your office?" Olivia asked him. He nodded and they went inside to sit down. Olivia figured that Jessie's moody behavior was probably due to some of the signals Elliot had been sending her.

Jessie had mentioned to Olivia a few days prior that she and Elliot seemed to be getting along great. Elliot showed signs of liking Jessie (hell, a blind person could see that!) but Jessie didn't get why Elliot hadn't even attempted to hold her hand!

Jessie pretended it didn't bother her but when Olivia saw the mood she was in she just knew that Elliot was the cause. She also knew she had a bet to win and that it was time to set a plan into motion. And for this she needed the Captain's help.

"What's on your mind Olivia?" Don asked, seeming concerned.

"Okay, can I ask you a hypothetical question?" She asked. Don raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"This ought to be good." Olivia ignored him.

"What would you say if two of your detectives started a relationship?" She asked point blank. Don narrowed his eyes.

"Depends I guess." Don said, thinking about his answer. "I don't suppose I'd mind as long as it didn't get in the way of their jobs." Olivia smiled.

"Wanna help me play cupid?" Don thought about this carefully. Something like this could have serious repercussions.

"What the hell?" He sighed. Olivia filled him in on her scam.

"Hey Jessie?" Fin slowly wheeled his chair over to her desk. Elliot had just come back with the coffee and had elected Fin on making a run for Chinese since it was around lunchtime.

Fin figured he would ask Jessie to ride with him to get the food and try to figure out what the hell had been bothering her all morning. She hadn't so much as looked at him since her very public and humorous apology to Munch. Since then she'd spent most of the morning discussing theories and politics with him. God only knew why she indulged him.

"Do you wanna go with me to get Chinese?" Fin asked quietly.

"Don't they deliver?" She asked, barely glancing his way.

"We would go to the only Chinese restaurant in the city that doesn't." John said from his desk. Fin shot him a dirty look. Jessie sighed.

"Yeah, lets go."

In the car Jessie tried to focus her stare outside the window. She knew she was being unfair, not even telling Fin what was bothering her. But she couldn't bring herself to say, "I like you! You like me! Ask me out already!" so it seemed that she was screwed.

What the hell is wrong with me, she thought frustrated. I'm a good detective! I can get confessions out of the most creepy, sadistic, and dangerous perps! And with that thought Jessie got an idea. If she could get a confession of out of badass gangster then there was no reason why she couldn't at least try to get something out of Fin Tutuola.

Jessie glanced over at him. He was frowning.

"I'm sorry," She said. Fins glanced over at her and then back to the road. She rolled her eyes. "You can't pull it off as well as John." Jessie laughed.

"Yeah, but the silent treatment is gonna drive you crazy!" Fin chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever! You can't resist my charm!" Jessie scooted a little closer to Fin. She began making whining noises and sticking out her bottom lip. "Fin, please, I'm sorry." She whined for a full five minutes before Fin finally gave in.

"Alright! I give! I accept the apology." Fin laughed. Jessie kissed his cheek and moved back to her seat, but to Fin's disappointment.

Fin couldn't deny it. He was falling for Jessie in a major way. She often consumed his thoughts. He was sleeping better at night knowing he would see her the next morning. As cheesy as it all was, it was true.

Fin was feeling things he hadn't felt in quite a long time. He just didn't know how to express any of these feelings. Spilling his heart wasn't something Fin did very often.

He'd done well to keep up his image and didn't know how to tell Jessie how he felt without looking soft. He had a reputation to uphold! He was afraid that one woman was going to make him throw all his hard work away.

When the got to the restaurant Fin parked the car and they went inside. Jessie looked around in aw at the beautifully oriental styled room. Fin chuckled and they ordered their food, sitting at a booth to wait.

"Do I have to have a date for this Christmas Eve party I've heard so much about?" Jessie asked Fin while they waited.

Jessie had been informed that the Christmas Eve party was a long-standing tradition and that her presence was required. Jessie didn't really like office parties. In fact, Jessie just didn't like parties in general. Something always went wrong or some of kind drama always occurred.

Fin shrugged. "Nah," He said. "John goes stag every year." He smirked.

"Do you have a date?" Jessie asked. Hopefully Fin would get the hint.

Fin hesitated for a moment. Fin didn't think she was implying anything. That didn't seem her style. If she wanted him to ask her she'd probably be more upfront about it. Fin frowned. He didn't want to tell her he didn't have a date. That may make him look like the one that was fishing for a date. He wouldn't know till later that he was about to make a terrible mistake.

"Yeah, I'm taking this chick I met in my building last week." Jessie's jaw dropped but she soon regained control of her emotions. This was difficult seeing as she felt like she'd been punched right in the gut. She even smiled. A very fake smile but a smile none the less.

No, she thought. No way I was wrong. She could read people so well! How could she of been so wrong? Just then someone brought them their food in a bag and Jessie walked out of the restaurant, not bothering to wait for Fin. It was a quiet car ride back to the precinct.

"Food!" John exclaimed as Jessie and Fin walked through the door. He smiled at Jessie and she struggled to smile back.

Jessie didn't want anyone to know about her embarrassing mistake. She would rather suffer in silence. She felt humiliated despite the fact that Fin was, as far as she knew, unaware of her feelings.

Everyone crowded around Fin's desk to get their food and then went back to their own desks. Olivia took Don his food. Jessie poked her food around on her plate with her fork. She couldn't eat. She just stared at her plate while everyone else dug in. She was glad no one was paying attention to her. She could drop the act for at least a few minutes and actually show her misery.

Olivia sat quietly back down at her desk next to Elliot.

"Damn, I forgot paper towels! Elliot, will you go get some from the janitors closet?" Elliot replied with a grunt and heaved himself out of his chair.

A second later Don came out of his office and asked Jessie to also get him some paper towels. She walked lazily toward the closet. She'd never felt so out of it. If she'd of been in her right mind she'd of heard Olivia's request and saw Elliot comply.

Jessie didn't realize anything was up till she walked into the closet, leaving the door open. Elliot was on a stool looking up on the top shelf.

"If you're looking for paper towels grab me some." Jessie said. Elliot huffed and hopped down off the stood.

"There are none." He said shrugging. They both turned to see the door slam in their faces. They both lunged for the door but then heard the click of the lock.

"We've been dooped." Jessie sighed.

On the other side of the door Olivia and Don were having a nice laugh. Don told Olivia, Fin, and John to come into his office. John and Fin were genuinely confused.

"What are you two up to? Don, this isn't like you." John said, eyeing Olivia. She wouldn't, he thought. Don wouldn't! Would he?

"Elliot and Jessie obviously like each other and I for one am tired of seeing them both mope around like lost puppies!" Olivia said, taking a front row seat. John glared at Don.

"She talked me into it!" Don said in his defense, sitting in his chair. "Besides, its about time Elliot started dating again." He added.

"You two don't really think it'll work do you?" Fin asked, sounding desperate. Why hadn't he just said something when he had the chance?

"No idea," Olivia shrugged. "Watch and see."

Jessie paced the inside of the closet like a caged animal. She was mad. No, she was pissed! She was locked in a closet with Elliot, who was cool as a cucumber, just after having her hopes of dating Fin blown into oblivion. Not fair! And she knew who was behind this. Olivia! And she'd obviously gotten Don involved somehow.

"I bet they have a camera somewhere." Elliot reasoned. Jessie stopped pacing and glared at him, then glanced around the room.

"Does Olivia know sign language?" Jessie asked. Elliot raised an eyebrow.

"A little," He said. "Why?"

"Think she knows what this means?" Jessie stuck her right hand in the air and raised her middle finger. Elliot laughed and smiled and Jessie. He also knew Olivia was behind them being trapped in the closet. She was hell bent on seeing he and Jessie together.

It wasn't as if Elliot hadn't thought about the same thing. Over the past few weeks he'd grown to care for Jessie very much. The more he found out about her the more he wanted to learn. She was complex and deep while fun and adventurous.

She was the total package. Everything a man could ask for. Everything Elliot had ever wanted. He hadn't known how to approach the situation but he guessed that he now had no choice.

"Jessie…" Elliot sighed her name and stood up from his seat. Jessie froze. She kept staring at Elliot as he stepped toward her. She willed herself to back away but her wounded pride wouldn't allow it. She had been wrong about Fin… but not Elliot.

Jessie and Elliot were toe to toe but neither made a move. Jessie knew this was a really bad idea. She cares for Fin! A few minutes in a closet with Elliot wasn't going to change that. Except for the fact that Fin didn't feel the same…

"You have beautiful eyes," Elliot whispered. Jessie smiled sheepishly and looked at the floor, feeling self-conscious. Elliot brought his hand to her cheek and Jessie lifted her gaze back to him.

"This could turn out bad," Jessie tried to reason aloud.

"Yeah," Elliot murmured. "Or it could turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to us."

"I don't want to hurt you," Jessie whispered. It was true.

"You wont," Elliot whispered as he began to bend down. But I will, Jessie thought. Then their lips met.

Elliot wrapped his arms around her waste and pulled her closer and she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. A million thoughts went through her head as Elliot deepened the kiss. She knew that it was wrong. And she also knew that there was no turning back.

And she had no way of knowing that at that moment Fin's heart was breaking right along with hers.

When Elliot and Jessie exited the closet they were greeted by their our co-workers and friends.

"Thank God!" Olivia sighed and hugged Jessie. "I could tell by the way you were acting today that Elliot's lack of initiative was bugging you!" Jessie smiled her fake practiced smile. If Olivia only knew how wrong she'd been…

"Congratulations," John sighed, trying to look happy for them. John knew, he didn't know how, but he just knew she had feelings for Fin, and John was not going to give up on them even if she had already. He had seen Fin's face when Elliot kissed Jessie. It had broken the man's heart!

"Don't let it interfere with work." Don warned, patting Elliot on the back.

"We wont." Elliot promised. Don nodded and smiled. He knew they were all too professional to let a little dating get in the way. It was strange to Don though. He always thought it would be Olivia. He shrugged and went back to his office and let everyone else congratulate the new couple.

Jessie went back to her desk and sat down, her head spinning. This had all happened so fast. Too fast for her to put a stop to. She was in a relationship with Elliot? How the hell did that happen? Hadn't she just been pining over Fin?

At that moment Jessie wanted nothing more then to just tell Elliot the truth but her pride wouldn't let her. She'd apparently been wrong about Fin and would be crazy to turn down a good-looking guy like Elliot that did want her.

Jessie decided it was worth giving a shot. Fin walked over to his desk and slumped over in his chair.

"Guess you wont be worrying about not having a date for the Christmas party now." Fin said frowning. Jessie didn't notice because she didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on Elliot and smiled.

"No, I guess I don't."

John pulled Olivia to the side when he knew no one would notice. Jessie and Elliot were sitting at her desk laughing about something and Fin was at his desk looking miserable.

"Now what the hell was that?" He snapped.

"Me winning the bet!" She poked John in the stomach and smiled brightly in triumph. John smirked.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch dear," He said. "A lot can happen in five months." Olivia looked worriedly over at the new couple. If Jessie and Elliot ended badly it could mean big trouble for the whole squad.

Olivia shook it off, trying to remain confident. She would wish later on that she had known at the time how right John was.

Authors Note: Dun dun dun! What's gonna happen? Yeah, I've finally got a plan for the rest of this fic! I see me getting more hits for the story but still not a lot of reviews. … BUT I do appreciate all the people that have reviewed! So I beg of you all please r/r! Chapter 8 should be up sometime in the next…week or two. I haven't started writing it and I've been VERY busy so be on the look out! L8er-Ali