AN: ok so in this, Eli is about 2 and Kathy and Elliot have been (finally) divorced for a year. They have joint custody of him so far.

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Chapter 5

Emily's vice

~~SVU~~

Emily hated her job. She worked at the university three days a week and the other days she spent pouring coffee and serving food to people who didn't give her a second look. So basically, she hated her jobs. Currently, she was serving some guy with a kid, who had ordered a coffee and some juice. She lifted the juice on to a tray and told the guy as she was giving him his change that she'd bring the drinks down to him. He nodded gratefully and smiled. For an old guy, he was kinda hot. His eyes were bluer than the sky and his kid seemed to have inherited them. He turned away and found a seat next to the window. Emily turned and made the guy's coffee.

~~SVU~~

"Here's your coffee, sir." Said the tired looking but chirpy sounding waitress "And some yummy juice for you, young man" she said to Eli, who giggled and shrieked with delight, his curls bouncing as he jiggled in his high chair, clapping his hands.

"Hey, come on, buddy, chill." He lifted the juice and poured it into the sippy cup. He handed the cup to his son, who grabbed it and began sucking the life out of the thing. "Whoa! Slow down, kiddo." Elliot laughed "You thirsty? Were you a thirsty boy?" His son replied with a laugh and banged the cup on the little table on the chair. "You done already?" This was confirmed when the toddler thrust his hand out, holding the cup. "You were thirsty. Wow. Look, you finished before daddy." He showed his half emptied coffee mug. "Here you go." He filled the cup with the juice remaining in the bottle. Eli took the cup and drank a little slower this time, giving Elliot time to finish his coffee and tidy the table. Lifting his son out of the chair, he lifted the tray and set it on the counter and put the juice bottle in the bin. He put some loose change in the tip jar and went out the door, and down the street.

~~SVU~~

Emily sighed as the guy walked out the door. "Emily!" her boss yelled from the back room

"Yes, sir" she said as she entered the tiny little office.

"You can stay for stock check tonight?"

"Umm, actually I was gonna go up and see my sister-"

"It wasn't a question, Emily."

"But sir, my sister, she's in the-"

"Emily I don't care if she's in Timbuktu. I need someone to stay behind and do stock checking."

"What about Larry? He always complains how he needs the extra hours."

"I need someone who can actually do it."

"How 'bout I stay behind and show him the ropes, then it won't be just me and Clare doing it."

"I can't afford to pay you both overtime. Only one."

"How 'bout we do it on reduced pay. Just for tonight. It's only stock check, it's not as if we're serving customers or doing food prep."

"Fine." He grumped "LARRY! Get your ass in here!"

"Yeah, boss?"

"Emily say you want more work."

"Yeah, of course. I really need it."

"You wanna stay and do stock check?"

"Umm, I'm not sure how-"

"Emily's staying. She'll teach you how."

"Thanks, sir. And you, Emily. In advance."

"No problem." She said sarcastically. She added, muttering "It's not as if I've got anything to do tonight, like see my sister in the hospital or anything."

~~SVU~~

"So mommy said someone needs some new PJs cause someone is growing up so fast. Isn't that right my big man?" His son laughed "Yeah, that what I thought. Come on. Let's go." He said pointing to the kids clothes store.

They entered the store and went to the boys pyjamas section. Elliot lifted a few sets, went to the fitting room and tried one on his son. He'd guessed the size and it was a little big on him but Eli was growing fast so something which would fit him comfortably today probably wouldn't in a month. It wasn't absolutely huge but there was some growing room and it was made of a stretchy cotton material. Elliot picked out two blue playsuits and a cream and red pyjama set. He took pictures of Eli in each and sent them to Kathy as she'd wanted to see them before they were bought and paid for. Two minutes later he got a text saying

'the cream and red one, and the blue one with the truck on it. See if there are any more sets instead of playsuits he has plenty already but the truck one is good. Thanks for this.

Kathy'

He replied 'Ok how bout this' and he sent a picture of Eli in a green two piece with a blue cartoon dinosaur on the top.

'Looks good on him three sets should be ok for now.'

He rolled his eyes at the reply and picked up another set, similar to the dinosaur PJs only red with a different yellow dinosaur. The pyjama pants were light blue with red dinosaurs with yellow chests and yellow horns. The agreement was that anything Kathy approved, if there was something Eli expressed any delight for or Elliot decided was decent enough or similar to what he had already then he could buy it for when Eli stayed over with him. Elliot felt he could pick out a few pairs of damn pyjamas for his kid. It wasn't as if he'd get the size wrong or whatever, or pick out something totally horrible. Kathy just liked to control what was and wasn't being bought for their youngest.

~~SVU~~

"...and then record the number here, like this. Is that it?"

"Yeah, you got it right." Emily replied, glancing at her watch "Ok let's see if you can do one on your own." She then half listened to what Larry was saying. She knew he got it he just lacked confidence sometimes. She was paying enough attention to know when he said something wrong. Emily Marie Sykes could stock check in her sleep.

"Uhh, where are the bagels."

"Oh I already ordered a double stock yesterday they're coming Monday morning."

"Good thing we're closed tomorrow." Larry said jokingly.

"Yeah." She said, rolling her eyes

"Hey this is totally random but I was wondering if you're busy tomorrow."

"Yeah, sorry I gotta go to the university then go to the hospital to see my sister for a while."

"What about tomorrow evening?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"No, I just thought I should repay you for this." He gestured to the paperwork covering the floor of counted stock and order forms.

"Well, sorry, I got stuff to do."

~~SVU~~

"Ok I'm going to the University we're on another assignment."

"See you later honey."

"Bye sweetness, Mommy's gotta go to school."

"Bye mommy."

Amerie kissed her daughter and husband and walked out the door.

"Looks like it's just you and me kiddo. What do you wanna do?"

"Make mommy a cake."

"Why, sweetie?" he laughed

"Cos she gots her mommy back."

"Any excuse." he laughed at his little girl's sweet tooth. Chances were they'd eat half the cake before Amerie got home. He set to work gathering the ingredients they'd need to make the cake. Luckily he didn't need to buy any more supplies, so they could start right away.

~~SVU~~

"Ok, we're down a subject today so we' gonna have more on target practice."

Subject was code for someone they were protecting. Target practice meant that students would work in groups of three and follow people of suspicion without detection ie: targets. Once someone thought they'd been detected they'd pass on a message of where the target was to the other two, who would reply and one would take over, leaving the first person to leave the vicinity when they spotted the other student.

Amerie inwardly groaned. She'd been on target practice all week. She received the slip saying she'd been selected to do it again. She found it so boring. She groaned outwardly when she saw the names she was with.

"Hey, Phillips. Wassup?"

"Jackson. Kandahar." They smirked at her. She rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

~~SVU~~

"Female, approximately twenty five to twenty eight. Dead approximately eight to twelve hours due to liver temp." Said Melinda Warner "Found signs of sexual assault. No fluids or semen, the perp wore a condom."

It sounded like so many other cases, except not every other victim had served you coffee the previous day, very much alive. He remembered something which could confirm his suspicion. "Does she have a birthmark on her left forearm?" asked Elliot

"Do you know her?" Asked Olivia beside him

"No. Not really. Maybe she just has one of those faces."

"Nope. Nothing on the arm." said Melinda

Not her. "You find any ID?"

"Sorry." She shook her head and returned her attention to the body.

So it wasn't the girl from the coffee shop and she had no ID

"Look at this." Melinda pointed to the girl's wrist, which had a hospital band on it. Carefully, she cut the ribbon of paper and handed it to the detectives.

"Salina Sykes. Twenty Six. Just had a baby."

They looked and saw she still had the distinct bump under the loose jumper. Another baby who'd have to grow up without a mother.

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Connections are being made here people