Chapter 9: Amanda and Christina Rollins?
They came in the next morning at seven to regroup and make a plan for the day. The group of protesters outside the precinct had reassembled and the news vans were back. The good news was that there hadn't been another murder. They thought the perp had yet to find another couple that fit his type. They hoped they could stop him before he did. They left the precinct at seven twenty to head over to the cafe the victims frequented. Benson and Amaro took a table in the back so they could see the entire place. Fin took a seat by the door so he could see the outside tables as well as anyone coming and going. Rollins and Reyes had a table in the middle. Reyes faced the back of the cafe and had eyes on Nick and Liv while Rollins faced the front with eyes on Fin. They watched everyone, looking specifically for a white man in his forties that paid a little too much attention to the lesbian couples. They'd been there for an hour and had nothing so far. Reyes decided to take this opportunity to talk to Rollins about the chat they had the night before.
"So, are we gonna talk anymore about this?" she asked.
"About what?" Rollins asked confused.
"About the lesbian crush you have on me" she clarified. Rollins laughed.
"I do not have a crush on you. I already told you, I'm not gay". Reyes could tell that Rollins was telling the truth about her being straight. But straight or not, she could also tell that Rollins had a crush on her. She just wanted her to admit it.
"Look, Rollins, I get it. You're straight. Good for you" she said sarcastically. "But don't lie. You have a crush on me".
"No, I don't" Amanda said getting angry with Reyes' persistence. Her voice raised slightly gaining the attention of some of the other people in the cafe, including their teammates. "I don't" she said in a softer tone.
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks".
"Come again?" she asked.
"You say you don't have a crush on me but you feel the need to keep saying it over and over which means you really do have a crush on me" she said explaining the Shakespearian quote. Rollins rolled her eyes and picked at the muffin in front of her. "I understand if the feelings you're having are scary for you but you don't have to lie about them" she said nicely.
"Ok" she said clearing her throat, "Maybe I do have some feelings that I don't quite understand...but I'm not a lesbian" she added quickly.
"You're still protesting" Reyes said in a teasing voice. Rollins rolled her eyes again and got up from the table. "Ok...I'm sorry" Reyes said quickly, hoping she'd sit back down.
"I need to go to the bathroom". She turned and walked back in the direction of Benson and Amaro's table. "Nothing's going on here" she whispered as she walked past. Benson sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
"I know" she whispered back even though Rollins had already disappeared into the bathroom. She stood at the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She really didn't know what was going on with her. She'd never been attracted to another woman before. What was it about Christina that had her stomach in knots and her mind going a million miles per second? Whatever it was she didn't have time to figure it out right then. She needed to pull herself together and get back to work. She took a deep breath and left the bathroom. She went back over to the table and sat down with Chris.
"Ok, listen" she started, "I'll admit it. I have a crush on you". Chris smiled smugly knowing that she'd been right and had gotten Rollins to admit it. "I don't know why or where these feelings are coming from but they're there and I can't make them go away but I'm like you. I think romances in the work place are a bad idea; not that I want a romance with you" she quickly added. Reyes laughed at her. She really had no idea what to do with the feelings she was having for her. "Whatever it is, I'll figure it out and I'll get past it".
"Ok" she said simply. Rollins was expecting a little more of a reaction from her that just "ok".
"That's it? You pester me for ten minutes about this stupid crush and I finally admit it and all you have to say is "ok"?"
"Well, what else do you want me to say? I don't want a romance with you either" she joked. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to Rollins but she didn't want to date her. She didn't want to date anyone. She'd known for a long time that she was gay but she wasn't out to her family. Her mother is very catholic and everyone else seemed to follow her lead. Plus she had heart problems. Chris didn't want to do anything to upset her. "We'll be fine. Let's do our jobs and uh, you know, whatever". She was about to further explain that "whatever" when she saw Benson and Amaro get up from they're table and start walking towards them.
"Captain wants us back" she whispered as she walked by. They got up and followed them, along with Fin, out of the cafe and back to the precinct. The protesters were still out in full force, yelling and hoisting there signs in the air. They seemed to be growing more and more combative. Uniformed officers were now taking shifts outside for crowd management. When they walked into the squad room, they could see the chief of detectives in Captain Cragen's office, along with a couple other suits they didn't recognize. Of course, Reyes didn't recognize any of them because she'd never met the chief. They sat at the briefing table and waited for the captain to come out and tell them why he'd called them back.
"What's that about?" Reyes asked looking through the captain's office window at what looked like an intense conversation.
"Nothing good" Benson answered, also watching the scene through the office window. After about five more minutes, the captain walked out of his office along with the chief and the two other men.
"Detectives" the chief said greeting them. They all stood up, except for Reyes. Rollins slapped her on the shoulder and she stood up with everyone else. "Sergeant" he said addressing Olivia.
"Chief" she said returning his greeting.
"I understand this case you all are working is a real doozy" he said. "I'm sure you're all working hard but frankly we're not seeing the results we'd like" he said.
"I'm guessing the press out front are the kind of results you're not wanting to see" Reyes said. Rollins slapped her again and gave her a glare. "What?" she asked like she didn't know she'd done anything wrong.
"Chief, this is Detective Christina Reyes. She came to us from California" Cragen said introducing them.
"Well, detective, you're right. We don't like the press attention, the gay coalition group or the religious conservatives that are protesting outside the precinct right now" he said addressing her statement. "They don't feel like enough is being done to stop these murders and from the lack of progress I'm seeing on this case, I'm questioning if they're right".
"You can take over if you want" she smart alecked.
"I'd watch my tone if I were you, detective" he said angrily. "Just as quickly as you came here, it can be arranged for you to leave again" he threatened. As much as she wanted to come back at him with a sly retort, she needed to pick her battles. She was smart enough to know that this was a battle she didn't want to fight. So she stood there, stared him down, and bit her tongue. "Now, we've come up with a new plan". They all looked at Captain Cragen and got the sense that he wasn't on board with this "new plan". They all waited quietly for him to explain what this plan was. "An undercover operation" he finally said. "We want this guy in custody as soon as possible so we're gonna put some bait out there for him".
"Wait. You're taking the case from us?" Benson asked angrily.
"All due respect chief, we feel like we have a solid plan and we're working it" Amaro said. None of them wanted the case to go to another team. They'd caught it and had put in a lot of hours already. "We can make this case if we just..."
"Relax detectives. I'm not taking the case from your squad" he said calming their protests. "It'll be you all, specifically Detectives Rollins and Reyes" he said turning towards the pair.
"Qué?" Reyes said. She knew she heard her name but she couldn't have possibly just heard her name. She thought she was done with undercover operations when she gave two years of her life to an undercover role in narcotics back in California. She had a teenage sister who was acting out, a brother and father who couldn't take care of themselves if their lives depended on it, and a sick mother to take care of. She couldn't go undercover again.
"That's right. We've reviewed the case file and you two fit the type of victims he's looking for. You already know the case, you're invested. I'm confident that you all, under the direction of Captain Cragen, can make this case" he said. Reyes chuckled uncomfortably at the idea of going undercover as a couple with Rollins, especially after the conversation they'd had earlier.
"So why can't we be involved in the case and you find other detectives that fit his type?" Reyes asked.
"Why would we do that when we have you?"
"Who says you have me?" she shot back.
"Reyes" Cragen said in a warning tone.
"What? We don't get a say?" she asked gesturing between herself and Rollins.
"No" the chief said stepping forward, "You're doing it. That's an order".
"How do you expect this to work?" she asked. He just stood there and looked at her confused by the question. "These were couples, real couples. That means they lived together, went out together. They were intimate, at least affectionate in public. Not to mention his affinity for cameras so I'd assume he likes their private affection as well. He picked them when they were out together doing couple things and they were married. Rollins and I..." she said pointing back and forth between them, "not a couple, not married. We barely know each other. How do you expect us to get this guy to believe that we're in love?"
"Well, that's up to you to figure out" he said as if it weren't his problem.
"Of course it is" she said annoyed.
"Reyes" Cragen said again in a warning tone.
"No, Captain" the chief said stopping him, "it's alright. Speak your piece, detective".
"It's so easy for you to give out orders; tell us what we have to do because you just get to go back to your office and sit behind your desk. We're the ones who have to step out of our lives and give pieces ourselves to make the case. You...you don't have to give anything" she said clearly not a fan of his. Her chief back home would've never put any of his detectives in situations they weren't comfortable with. He cared more about them and getting the job done right than he cared about politics. "What if he does pick us? Who's to say he won't beat and rape us and slit our throats and set us on fire like the other three couples? Oh, but you don't have to worry about that right? It's not your problem?" She was more than angry about his disregard for the sacrifice they'd be making and the danger they'd be putting themselves in. It was so typical; just like a suit. "The particulars didn't matter, you just wanted the press off the front steps and you don't care what we have to do to make it happen. You just get to go home and rest easy".
"That may all be true but this is what you signed up for detective".
"What is this, the fucking army or something?" She was pissed off and she wasn't thinking through the things that were coming out of her mouth.
"Reyes, out of line" Cragen said stepping in.
"I can't go undercover" she said calmly despite her anger. "You want to send me back to California...fine. But either way, you're gonna have to find someone else". She walked off and went upstairs to the crib, slamming the door behind her. They were all shocked by Reyes' reaction. Rollins couldn't help but to feel insulted that Reyes didn't want to even pretend to be in a relationship with her.
"I'll go talk to her" she said following Reyes upstairs. She opened the door and found Chris sitting on one of the beds. She looked up when she heard the door open and saw Rollins stick her head in. She just looked back down at the floor and anxiously tapped her foot, thinking about what she'd done. Amanda shut the door behind her and went over to sit next to Chris on the bed.
"How deep is the shit I'm in?" she asked. Rollins laughed.
"Uh, I don't know. I think everyone was trying to process what happened. The chief is dumbfounded by you" she said with a chuckle.
"I think just plain dumb sums him up pretty well" she said getting another laugh from Amanda.
"Look, I know you said you don't want a relationship with me but you have to admit, us going undercover isn't a bad idea. And it wouldn't be serious, just pretend..."
"Don't flatter yourself, Rollins" she said interrupting her. "My not wanting to go undercover isn't about you" she said. "I spent the last two years of my life pretending to be someone I'm not so...I'm sure you can understand that I'm not gung ho to do it all over again".
"Well, it's not gonna be two years" Rollins said trying to make her feel better about the situation. "You heard what Huang said. This guy isn't gonna stop until we catch him. So we flush him out, we take him down and then we get back to business as usual" she said like it was no big deal.
"Yeah. That's what they said when they sent me under in Cali. "One month, two tops. We're so close, we just need you to close the deal". One month turned into two then four then a year. Before I knew it, two years had gone by. When we finally made the case and I got back home, my sister was flunking out of high school, my brother had gotten fired from his job and my parents had each had a heart attack" she said sadly. "My father was so stressed out from all the medical bills and the mortgage and my mother was falling apart trying and failing to control my sister. We almost lost the house, my sister almost got arrested, my parents almost died and I didn't know about any of it because I was undercover. I can't do that to them again. They drive me crazy but...they depend on me". She hadn't expected to open up so much to Amanda, or anyone for that matter. But she figured that she couldn't always be so standoff-ish. And she really felt like she and Rollins could be good friends.
"My parents weren't...really around. It was just me and my sister. We had to fend for ourselves. My sister, Kim, she had a lot of problems growing up; mental problems and drugs. A few years ago she met a guy, Jeff, real asshole; special kind of stupid". Chris chuckled at her description of the guy. "He'd beat her up and I'd run him off and then she'd take him right back. You know the drill". Reyes nodded her head knowing the cycle that Rollins was describing. "Anyway, last year, she came for a visit and he showed up, attacked her, and I killed him. Turned out she set the whole thing up".
"Your sister set you up to murder her boyfriend?" she asked in disbelief. Rollins just nodded her head.
"Yeah...and it didn't matter. No matter how she badly she screws up or screws me over, she's family. If she called me tomorrow asking for help, I'd do it" she admitted. They were the same in that respect. Loyalty to family was the utmost important. No matter how much they put her through, Chris couldn't turn her back on them. She'd been hiding what she'd known about herself since grade school just to keep her mother happy.
"This really is the best way to draw this guy out isn't it?" she asked. Rollins nodded her head. Chris sighed heavily, "They don't know" she said looking at Rollins who met her with a look of confusion. "My family. They don't know...that I'm gay". Rollins looked surprised by the admission. "My mother is very...catholic" she said with a light laugh. "We heard it all growing up. No sex before marriage, abortion is a sin, homosexuals are an abomination. If she were one of those protestors, she be on the side with the folks holding up bibles" she joked even though she was serious. "I wonder sometimes what she'd think if I told her. Would she be upset or disappointed? Would she try to pray it out of me? Or would she love and accept me? I just don't know" she said sadly.
"Maybe nows the perfect time for you to find out". It didn't dawn on Rollins until now just how much Reyes probably identified with the victims and how hard it was for her to be on this case. Now they wanted her to put herself out there as a target.
"Part of me is afraid that she'll have another heart attack and die if I tell her". She started to laugh. Once she started she couldn't stop. They sat there for a minute, laughing together. Neither one of them really knew what they were laughing about but it felt good to let it out. Felt a lot better than crying. "Ugh, I guess I should just buck up and do this huh?" she asked. Rollins nodded her head again. "I guess you're gonna get to try out that crush" she joked. Rollins blushed bright red causing Reyes to laugh. "Come on" she said getting up from the bed. "We better go tell them I changed my mind before I get fired". They walked out of the crib together and went to the captain's office. They knocked and waited for him to tell them to come in. They went inside and shut the door behind them.
"Ok" Reyes said, "I'll do it".
"We both will" Rollins said stepping forward to stand next to Reyes. He nodded his head and picked up the phone, dialing a number. He told the chief that they were on board and they'd start working up a plan to send them under immediately. When he got off the phone, he called Benson, Amaro and Tutuola into his office to talk about the operation behind closed doors. They needed to create identities for both Amanda and Christina, secure a house for them, get them rings and discuss how Liv, Nick, and Fin would be worked into the picture so they were around for back up. They needed to work quickly. The sooner they got out there, the better chance they had of hooking the perp and saving another couple from being murdered.
"What about the last name?" Fin asked. He was met with confused looks from everyone. "All the couples shared a last name" he pointed out. Rollins and Reyes looked at each other and thought about which name they both wanted to take. They'd decided to keep their own names, just to make things easier, but now they had to decide on whose last name they wanted.
"Let's flip for it" Reyes said pulling a quarter out of her pocket. "You win and I'll use your last name. I win, you use mine" she said. Rollins shrugged her shoulders.
"Ok" she said.
"Call it in the air". She flipped the quarter up and Rollins called heads. She caught it and put it on the back of her head. She took a breath before revealing which side it'd landed on. "Ugh, heads" she groaned.
"It's settled then. Amanda and Christina Rollins" Cragen said writing it into their profile. "What about rings?" he asked.
"Well, I think I'm good in that department" Reyes said flashing her mother's ring.
"I'm sure I can find something" Rollins said nonchalantly.
"Ok" Cragen said moving along to the next item, "What about living arrangements? Rollins will you move in with Reyes or will Reyes be moving in with you?"
"Ummm, sorry but she can't move in with me" Reyes said shooting down the idea.
"Why not?" Amaro asked nosily. Reyes was picking up really quickly that he liked to stick his nose in other people's business.
"Because I just said so" she smart alecked. Rollins bumped her arm lightly with her elbow. "I already have a full house. There's no room for her" she said making it clear that she was explaining to Capt Cragen and not Amaro.
"Well you'd share a room, right?" he asked. "Married couple". Chris rolled her eyes.
"We can use my place" Rollins said ignoring Amaro's comment.
"Shouldn't we be budgeted for an apartment?" Reyes asked. She knew it was standard to have a pad while undercover. It was too risky to use your own address in case things went south during an operation.
"Yeah, right" Fin said, "You know how cheap the department is. I can put in a call to buddy of mine, see if we can borrow one of the crash pads from narcotics that's not being used".
"Good. Let us know as soon as you get word. In the meantime, Reyes, you can move in with Rollins. Liv, Nick and Fin will be friends from college. That way they're around for back up. Ok. Next up, what do you do for work?" Cragen asked, moving along with creating their profile.
"Uhhh...we could...ummmm" Rollins stammered trying to think of something.
"We own our own business" Reyes suggested. Cragen nodded.
"Ok. What kind of business?".
"Bakery" she said without giving it much thought. "Small, from home. We can make some fake business cards". Everyone looked at her curiously, wondering where she got that idea from. "Ummm, my mother used to run a bakery in California. I helped her out when I was in high school. I can do all the baking and you can book the clients, do the finances", she said looking at Amanda. She nodded in agreement.
"Good. That's settled. Last thing is making you two a believable couple. So tonight, go out, meet people, let yourselves be seen together".
"I know how to be gay. It's blondie here that's gonna need the help" Chris joked.
"Ha ha" she laughed sarcastically. For some reason, Rollins didn't think it'd be too hard to pretend to be in a relationship with Reyes. If she was being honest with herself, she was looking forward to trying it out. Of course, she'd never say it out loud.
"Ok, Chris go home, pack your things. You need to move in to Rollins' apartment as quickly as possible and then go out tonight. All of you. I want you all there as much as possible" he said looking at Olivia, Nick, and Fin. "I don't want them without backup". They nodded their understanding and left his office. "Rollins, Reyes" he said stopping them from leaving, "Stay a minute, will you?"
Benson, Amaro and Tutuola left the Captain's office, shutting the door behind them. Captain Cragen discussed the possibility of the perp choosing them and what that could mean. If he really was using cameras to spy on his victims then they would have to be comfortable in every aspect of their "relationship".
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Reyes asked.
"If you're thinking that I'm saying that the two of you will have to be comfortable being intimate with one another, then yes. I'm saying what you think I'm saying".
"Isn't that against department regs?" she asked trying to come up with something that would get her out of having sex with Rollins.
"Well, technically, yes" he said, "But the chief asked you to go undercover as a couple and that is a part of being a couple". He could see the discomfort in both of their body language and wasn't sure how this would work out. "Listen, I understand that this is uncomfortable for the both of you but you need to do everything necessary to maintain your cover". They both nodded their understanding and turned to leave his office, awkwardly bumping into each other trying to get out of the door. Captain Cragen chuckled as he watched them fumble around each other. "Well, this should be interesting" he said to himself as he put the finishing touches on their profiles. Chris and Amanda gathered their things and left the precinct together to head over to Chris' house and start the moving in process. Amanda had taken the subway to work that day so she rode in Reyes' car.
"Don't pretend you're not excited, Rollins" Chris said looking over at her companion. "You know you want me". Rollins rolled her eyes and looked out the window. Neither one of them could predict where this was going to go but it sure was going to be an interesting ride.