The Murky Depths
Chapter 14
Even though Olivia was exhausted she still couldn't find the need or will to sleep, not after Amanda's emotional break. She stayed awake listening for any changes in the sleeping woman's breathing, her body language and her sleep filled mumbles that escaped from her lips now and then. She couldn't find the strength to tear her eyes off of her, afraid that if she did, she would somehow lose her.
Her mind was buzzing. Everything had changed. Everything, within the matter of a few seconds, had changed. That kiss had changed everything and everything had changed because of the kiss. One single kiss. She didn't regret it but she knew that there would be consequences and hiccups along the road considering the fact that they worked together and Olivia was indeed Amanda's boss and superior. Things would change around the precinct, that was for sure. Things would change alot.
It was not until the early morning hours that Olivia eventually fell asleep, still holding onto the woman she had grown to cherish and care for and when her alarm rang out, on it's loudest volume, Liv groaned and turned to her side. She spread her arms across the bed and was slightly puzzled when she realized that she was alone. Not even Frannie was lying at the foot of the bed, snoring softly like she use to and for a split second, Olivia thinks that everything that had happened within the last ten hours was only a dream and that she was lying in her own bed, in her own home. But the bedsheets were not hers, nor was the lamp in the ceiling or the decor inside the dark lit room or the soft lingering smell of Amanda's fruity scent. Where was she?
Laying absolutely still, she listen for any noise that would indicate that Amanda was still inside the apartment but there was nothing but a buzzing silence ringing in her ears. She flung the covers off her body, got up and entered the kitchen and living room area but the place was dark and the blonde or the dog was nowhere to be seen. "Amanda?" no answer. "Amanda, you in here?" still nothing but her own echo.
Phone in hand, she dialed her number and, as the signals came through, she heard the ringing of her friend's phone coming from the bedroom. Running back inside she spotted the lit up screen on the bedside locker, notifying a missed call. "Damn." she muttered and ran her fingers through her slightly disheveled hair, trying to figure out what to do next. Amanda wasn't that kind of person who would just leave without her phone and that worried Liv.
She rang Fin. He was her partner, maybe he knew where she was or where she might have gone. "She probably just took Frannie for a walk." he said calmly and Liv could hear he was sipping a cup of coffee, getting ready for the day.
"And leave her phone behind?"
"Maybe she forgot to bring it with her. We all forget things now and then, Liv. Don't get all worked up just yet. She might walk through that door in a couple of minutes time."
"No." Liv stated firmly. "Something is not right. We fell asleep and I woke up alone in the bed. I didn't even hear her get up."
Fin could hear how worried his boss was but the statement she had just made completely knocked him off his feet. "You slept with Rollins?"
Liv sighed and rubbed her hand over her sleepy features, trying to clear her head from any horrid thoughts or images of what might have happened to Amanda. "Yes!" she said firmly before changing her mind. "No! I mean, yes but not sleeping as in sleeping together. We just slept."
"Um, yeah... you just said that." Fin commented, confused and slightly amused at the same time. "Did you sleep okay?" he snickered.
"Fin, I'm serious! Something doesn't feel right. She wouldn't just take off and leave her phone behind. Something must've happened." her voice was shaky and uneven which caused Fin to change his approach.
"Look, give her another hour. If she's not back by then, then call me. I'm sure everything is fine, you know Amanda and how private she is. She probably took Frannie out and simply forgot to bring her phone with her. She has got a lot on her mind right now." he suggested, doing the best he could to calm his boss down.
Olivia let out a deep sigh, heavy with worry and dread. "Okay, one hour but that's it." she hung up and began to pace the living room, her hands frantically rubbing against each other in an attempt to keep busy and to keep her mind off of things. She then decided to get dressed, just in case she had to run out the door if any news came up but began to pace once again after pulling on some of the clothes she had packed for herself.
To Olivia, it would be the longest hour in the history of mankind but after about twenty minutes she heard a noise coming from the front door. "Amanda, is that you?" quickly she flung the door open and was confused to see only Frannie standing there, panting and whining, her tail down and not wagging playfully as it use to. "Frannie! Where's your mama? Where's Amanda, sweet girl?" she fell to her knees and rubbed the crying dog's head. "Where's your mama?" she repeated, looking down the corridor on both sides, hoping to see the blonde haired detective nearby but no such luck.
Frannie began to bark suddenly, causing Olivia to flinch back in surprise but there was something about Frannie's behaviour that didn't seem right. She was not an expert on dogs and she had only met Frannie a few times but it wasn't rocket science to figure out that something was up. "What's the matter? What has gotten you so upset Frannie May?" the dog barked once again and began to trott down the gloomy corridor, stopping only to see if Olivia was following or not. "Hold up, girl. I need my jacket."
It was still dark outside with a sharp chill in the air and Liv pulled the zip on her coat all the way up to her chin and fished around in her pocket for a pair of gloves she usually kept in there for unusually cold days. Frannie had disappeared and Liv looked frantically around her to see if she could spot anything out of the ordinary but things seemed okay and in its place. Then, she heard a sharp bark, coming from her left, that made her heart jump and she instantly began to run in the direction of the dog.
It was hard keeping up with someone who had four legs instead of two and after running like a mad person for several minutes, she began to wonder if she should stop and just go back to the apartment and wait for Amanda to show up, thinking she must be crazy for chasing a dog down the street in the early hours of the morning. Her instincts, however, told her to keep going and, as the time passed, she got more and more anxious and uneasy. A feeling of dread crept upon her as Frannie ran down a dark path in a secluded area of a park, and disappeared. "Great." she muttered and slowed down her speed to unholster her gun that was resting on her right hip.
"Frannie?!" sha called out in a friendly high pitched voice. "Come here, girl." slowly, with all her senses on full alert, she carefully made her way down the dark path, almost hidden in the murky outline of the park, hidden by tall trees, bushes and other wild growing plants, her heart beating so fast and hard she could hear it pounding in her ears and head.
During the time she had been running, chasing Frannie, the sun had begun to peek in the east, giving the city a faint shade of orange and pink. Altough it was still too dark for Olivia to see where she was going, where she was placing her feet and where she was headed. "Frannie?!" she called again, her tone slightly shaky but still firm, not wanting the dog to sense her fears. A loud but yet soft and gentle bark rang out, coming from her right side down the path and she picked up speed, anxious to get to Frannie as soon as possible to find out what was going on.
As she cautiously walked another few yards, she spotted the dog sitting on the ground, whining and looking at something that Olivia couldn't make out from where she was standing. Slowly approaching Frannie, her eyes focused on what the crying dog was paying such close attention to and her heart stopped and her body went icy cold. It was Amanda.
She was all huddled up into a tight ball, wearing yoga pants, runners and a thick jumper, her blonde hair fanned out on the ground almost like a halo. For a brief second Olivia thought that she was dead cause she couldn't make out any movements but as she heard a weak whimper escaping the blonde's lips she sprang into action. "Amanda!" she dropped to her knees beside the still form and gently turned her body towards her, brushing the blonde hair away from her face so she could get a good look at her friend.
She physically looked unhurt. There was no blood visible, no scratches or marks on her face or hands and her clothing seemed to be intact, which was a huge relief to Olivia. She checked her pulse and was grateful to find it faint but stable and she quickly realized that Amanda was now shaking vigorously from the chilly air and the fact that she was only wearing a jumper. Within a second, Olivia had her coat removed and draped it over the shivering woman and quickly grabbed her phone to call for help.
She decided to call Fin, knowing that they would probably get to the hospital in the same amount of time as an ambulance, gave him a quick update and told him roughly where they were. After hanging up she proceeded to carefully get her gloves on to Amanda's stiff and rigid hands, gently sliding them on her hands, not caring if her fingers ended up in the wrong place or not, the most important thing was to get her warmed up.
"Hey, honey, you gave me quite the care. What are you doing out here all alone in the dark? What were you thinking, sweetie?" she pulled the trembling body into her arms, held her as tight as possible, kissed her face and head and rubbing her hands over her back and arms, willing warmth into her chilled and ice cold friend.
Amanda tried to speak. "I... I to... ok Fra... nn... ie for a... wa... walk. Couldn't sle... ep. I'm sor... sor... sorry."
Liv held on for dear life as the petite blonde cried and shivered violently in her embrace, hoping that Fin would get here sooner rather than later. "It's okay, sweetheart. Fin is on his way and then we'll take you to the hospital, honey. Are you hurt anywhere? Are you in pain?"
"No, no hospital... ple... ase! Don... t need a hos... pital."
"Amanda, honey, you need to see a doctor. You're in pain, I can see it." Liv argued, worried for her friend.
No matter how hard she tried to convince the blonde to be checked out she still refused and eventually Olivia reluctantly gave up, knowing that there was no use to try and talk her into something she didn't want to do. "Okay, okay, no hospital but you have to listen to me and do what I say, alright? And if you're not feeling better I'll have to take you, honey. You won't suffering on my watch."
Amanda agreed, anything was better than a hosital and if she had to do exctly what Liv told her, then she would.
"Liv? Liv, you here?!"
Fin was close by but could obviously not make out where they were in the dusky light. Frannie barked and took off in the direction of Fin's voice and Olivia could hear him talking to the dog, asking her where they were, as if the furry four legged animal would verbally give him an answer. "Fin? Over here!"
"What happened?" he asked as he lifted the trembling form into his arms, worried for his partner's health. The violent shivers concerned him deeply and the bluish colour on her lips told him she was close to hypothermia. "She needs a hospital, Liv."
"Believe me, I tried, but she won't listen to me. Could you take us to my place, please?" she walked up next to Fin, holding Amanda's head in her hands to keep it from dangling uncomfortably from side to side as they quickly made their way to Fin's car which was parked illegally within the park itself.
As he drove down the streets of Manhattan, he threw a glance in the rear view mirror and saw Olivia proectively holding onto his partner, cradling Amanda's head into the crook of her neck and pulled the frozen woman as close to herself as possible. He had never seen Liv being so gentle and concerned towards Amanda and it warmed his heart knowing that the only two female detectives on the squad had finally come around and found a well needed friendship.
After dropping off at Amanda's apartment to get some things for the blonde and for Frannie, they eventually pulled into Liv's parking space and by the time they had, with some effort, gotten her into the warmth of Olivia's home, she was shivering mad and clutching at her sides due to the pain. Fin made a cup of tea for the blonde while Liv managed to get two of the painkillers into Amanda, hoping it would take affect real soon before it got worse. If it could get worse.
"What were you thinking, Manda?" Fin gently scolded, upset with his partner, wondering why she would position herself in dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences.
Huddled up underneath three thick blankets, Amanda still trembled but it did seem to have eased up a small bit and she could also feel the heat radiating from Olivia's body being so close to hers. "Not now, Fin." Liv interrupted, giving him a stern look. "I've already gone over that with her and she doesn't need to hear it again. She just wanted to take Frannie for a walk so, please, leave it at that."
"Copy that, sarge." he stated, shoving his hands into his pockets and studied the two women sitting in front of him. He had never seen Amanda looking so defeated, so small and so vulnerable before. It was almost like looking at another person all together, not recognizing the always so tough and stoic detective. He watched as she voluntarily leaned into Olivia's caring touches and how she listened to her soothing words and, to Fin, it looked like they were a couple who were snuggling on the couch. He smiled gently and felt the need to leave the two ladies alone and give them some privacy, not wanting to make neither of them uncomfortable by hanging around, hovering above them like a helicopter.
"Call me if you need me, Liv, and you too Amanda. I'll hold down the fort for a couple of days, maybe get a detective in from Brooklyn to help us out if we get busy so don't worry, sarge."
Olivia offered him a weak smile, relieved to have someone like Fin on her team, someone she could count on and someone she could trust. "Thanks, Fin. I'll let you know later on how we're doing."
With Fin gone, Frannie immediately jumped up on the couch and began to lick Amanda's face while wagging her tail madly, glad that her owner was now in safe hands. "Thanks, Frannie. You saved my life, baby girl." she softly cried into the soft fur and hugged her dog close, appreciating the warmth from the animal. "And thank you, Olivia, for not ignoring her attempts to tell you something was up. I... I can't thank you enough."
Kissing the soft blonde locks, Olivia stroked pale cheek. "You can thank me by going to bed and stay there until you're warm. Come on, honey."
"But I..."
"No arguments."