A/N: Fast forward to middle of season three. I just really wanted to see Van Buren and Deakins go at it.

"I'm sorry, Captain Deakins, but you can't have her!" Van Buren adamantly told the senior officer.

Deakins rose from his seat, "She's good – almost as good as her brother. She needs to be on Major Case!"

"Detective Tutuola needs to be where she is right now," Van Buren insisted. "I don't care how good Detective Goren is, Wilma Tutuola is one of the best detectives I have and I'm not giving her up just because you've gotten it into your head that she's that good. You had your chance three years ago."

There was a tentative knock on the door and Wilma poked her head through, "Lieutenant? We got the girl responsible for the Project Homicides in the Bronx."

Van Buren nodded, sending a glare to Deakins before saying, "I'll call McCoy. Wilma?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Wilma asked.

"Come in here for a moment," the lieutenant beckoned the younger detective inside.

"Ma'am?" Wilma asked, "I have an interrogation to prepare for. Will this take long?"

"Have a seat, Wilma," Anita Van Buren motioned, "Detective Nolan can get the interview started without you. I'm sure you know Captain Deakins."

Wilma nodded, sending a slight smile to the captain, "Hello, Captain. What's this about? Did something happen to Bobby?"

Deakins shook his head, "No, no, Goren's fine. Actually, Lt. Van Buren and I were just having a … discussion about you maybe moving over to Major Case."

Wilma's head snapped up to look at her boss, "Why? Did I do something wrong? Was there a complaint filed against me?"

"No, nothing like that," Van Buren assured her, "Captain Deakins just thinks that your … talents would be better utilized in Major Case than they are here."

That just confused Wilma even more, "I just got back from maternity leave and you want me to move to Major Case? Captain Deakins, with respect, sir, that's a load of bull."

Deakins furrowed his brow, "Why's that, Detective?"

"A few reasons, actually: First; the only reason you want me on MCS is because you want the solve rate of Major Case to not solely be resting on my brother's shoulders. Second; when I came back to work yesterday Rick gave me a very big hug in front of everyone and made me promise not to leave him with idiots again. Third; the 2-7 is closer to SVU and I like it better."

"You like it better?" Deakins asked, making sure he heard her correctly.

"Don't look at me like that, Captain Deakins. By staying here, I run a lower chance of ever having to face my ex-husband in court – where as in Major Case, he's already defended ten clients within the last year alone."

"You really think the only reason I want you on my squad is because of your brother?" Deakins asked, leaning forward slightly.

Wilma shook her head, "No, but it's one of the big ones. I'm sorry, Captain Deakins, but Lt. Van Buren was right – I'm not going to be leaving Homicide any time soon."

"You don't want to leave Homicide, or you don't want to leave your partner?" Deakins questioned, his eyes taking in Wilma's reaction to the words carefully.

The woman stiffened and glared at the higher-ranking officer, "If you're insinuating an inappropriate relationship between Detective Nolan and myself, Captain Deakins, you obviously haven't seen us around each other and you obviously don't know the power of a good left hook."

Deakins grinned at that, "Don't worry, Detective, I'm not insinuating anything. But if it is your partner you're hesitant about leaving, I'm sure we can make room for the both of you over at Major Case."

Wilma shook her head again, "My answer's still no. Major Case is fine with Bobby. It would become too much of a … sibling rivalry for me to be posted there with him."

With a nod Deakins said, "I think I can accept that for the time being. But can you please talk to him about being nicer to his temporary partner while Detective Eames is on maternity leave? Detective Bishop is about ready to quit."

Wilma chuckled, "Sure, Captain. I'll see what I can do."

---

"You know, Bobby, it's not very nice to treat your partners like they don't exist," Wilma said when she stopped by One Police Plaza during her lunch break that day. She handed him the sub she had stopped to get for him and plopped down in Alex's vacant desk. "She's coming back in a few months."

Lynn Bishop watched the interaction and thought that Goren would snap at the woman for sitting in 'beloved Eames' desk. But to her surprise, he didn't. "How's Kali doing?" he changed the topic.

Wilma shrugged as she bit into her own sub, "She's a baby – she sleeps, tries to one-up Mom by waking her up at two-thirty in the morning." The unknown woman sitting in Alex Eames' desk grinned, "But lucky for Fin I was already awake and cut her off right before she started screaming."

"I'm not treating Eames like she doesn't exist," Bobby protested, shuffling in his seat to get more comfortable.

The woman smiled knowingly, "That wasn't the partner I was talking about." She turned her attention onto Lynn (who was eating some unknown grain dish at her desk), "You must be Detective Bishop. I'm Wilma Tutuola – Bobby's little sister."

Lynne nodded in greeting, "It's nice to meet you."

Turning her attention back to her brother, Wilma added, "And according to Captain Deakins –that's exactly what you're doing."

"He went to see you about me?" Bobby asked, feeling bile rise to his mouth at the thought of his captain going behind his back like that.

She shook her head, "Nope. He came to see Van Buren about getting me to transfer over here so … my abilities are better utilized."

Bobby quirked his mouth into a small smile, "What'd you do?"

"Van Buren and I politely refused." His smile grew and she added, "What? I can be nice when I want to!"

"If you say so, Will," he said with a patronizing nod of his head.

"Oh, you! Bishop, what are you doing for Christmas?" Wilma suddenly changed the subject with ease.

The younger detective shrugged, "I didn't really have any plans. My parents are both dead and I'm an only child."

Wilma nodded, appearing to mull things over before she suddenly proclaimed, "You should spend the holiday with us – and by that I mean, me and my family. I know Fin's been dying to meet the interim partner. You're actually quite infamous, my dear."

Lynn's eyes grew wide and quickly Wilma assured her, "Don't worry, it's a good thing, really. My son, Jeremy, really wants to meet you."

"Why?"

The mother of two shrugged, "He's a ten-year-old boy who has been told all about how Uncle Bobby had to get a temporary partner to replace Aunt Alex while she went on maternity leave to help her sister. That, added to the fact that his father doesn't like you that much makes you the next best thing since sliced bread, Bishop."

"Wait," Bishop asked, trying to get her head around the fact that Goren talked about her to his sister, "Who's his father?"

"Oh, I didn't mention?" Wilma asked, seemingly innocent, "Silly me – Steven Boufe."

Lynn's eyes widened as she remembered the case she had a few years back involving a client of Mr. Boufe's … it hadn't gone down well for the defense attorney.

"Don't worry, Steven won't be there," Wilma assured her after noticing her shocked expression. "And this is really something I'm not going to let you get out of, Detective. No presents are necessary, but Bobby can tell you what my son likes if you want to get him something. Festivities start after work on the 24th for those of us who are on duty. You'll meet Jeremy on the 25th. Have a nice day."

She had just thrown the trash into the garbage can when she looked over Bobby's shoulder at the case, "Huh. I never knew a cheerleader could bend like that."

Bobby and Lynn looked back at the picture of the cheerleader, their minds racing as the crime suddenly clicked into place and he knew what had happened.

A/N: Ooohhh! Christmas at the Tutuola residence. Care to tune in and see? Review and tell me how much ... and can you give me some feedback about what should happen? I don't celebrate Christmas.

I'm gonna try to get this story done by the new year (which means I better be spending all my spare time writing) because at the end of January I'm going on hiatus for three and a half months and I don't like leaving WIPs when I'm going to be gone that long.