DISCLAIMER: The copyrighted characters of any TV program, movie, or published work of fiction are the property of their owners/creators. In this case, Law and Order SVU and Dick Wolfe. No copyright infringement is intended and nothing is being made. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Feedback is greatly appreciated (good or bad). Single quotes indicate thoughts. The subject is sensitive and I will stick to the medical facts as best I can. ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
OUT OF NEW YORK
Chapter 8: Feathers Fly Free
The Lincoln Monument, a gallant memorial to a man of simplicity. Olivia stood in the shadows of the columns watching the tourists. There were so many tributes to the daring, heroic and unrelenting. People that paid little mind to the thought of the impact their lives would have on generations or that giving their lives would allow for future generation.
"The seat of democracy, the den of greed." Olivia said under her breath.
"You know, you shouldn't talk to yourself, people might think you're crazy." A voice said behind her. She did not bother to turn around.
"They let you out?" She smirked. "Or did Kathleen finally best you?"
Elliott took the few steps towards his old partner. He stood next to her. He too admired the view.
"I came on my own steam." He said.
"Well, its nice to see you again." Olivia said. She was watching a little girl running around in circles with a red balloon.
"You actually have to look at me to see me."
"Well if I do, you better not have that 'what the hell are you thinking' look on your face." She turned to face him. "I don't want to hear it Elliott. My decision is made. Besides, you're not going back either."
"Eventually I will. Captain says my assignment it to have me learn how to keep my anger in check and to teach the new recruits not to get angry."
"How's that working for ya?"
"Well let's see. Kathleen managed to gain the number one spot in her class. I got a civil suit against the academy and me for showing favoritism. Which of course we know did not happen."
"If I know you, it was quite the opposite."
"Yeah, that's what the judge said." Elliott turned and watched the little girl has she hopped up and down off of the bottom stair of the memorial. He felt the question coming. "Petoskey. Hey what can I say, sometimes it does help to have the judge know you."
"Well I always thought she had a thing for ya." Olivia gave him a nudge to the side.
"So what the hell are you doing Liv?" Concern began to creep into his voice.
"Something other then cleaning up the aftermath. This war is about drugs Elliott. Opium, heroin and guns." She jammed her hands in her coat pockets, she suddenly felt cold. "They get guns from here, defend their turf and then ship the drugs over here as payment and profit. It ends up on every street in America."
"Its out of your league. Its not a stakeout in the middle of the Bronx on a Wednesday, Liv. This is real dangerous stuff. And you're going somewhere were strong women like you are killed just for talking."
"I know El. But if we can get some sort of grip on the drugs coming to the US, think of all the junkies that become thieves and rapists we would get off the streets of New York. How many would not even become junkies because there are no drugs."
"Who are you kidding?" Elliott watched the little girl and her dad walk towards the Vietnam Memorial. "There will always be drugs. There will always be junkies."
"But it just takes saving one to make it worth it." Olivia began to walk down the steps. Elliott walked quickly to catch up with her.
"But what if you save that one, but you are injured, permanently or worse." The unspoken stayed that way.
"All the people on those walls over there, each one of them represents one life that was given for others. They helped to preserve all of this. Its worth it."
"Why are you really doing this Olivia? Is it because things between you and Alex went sour?" He braced himself for the furry of words.
"For the hundredth time today, NO! First Abbey and now you. I figured when you called that you were going to try and talk me out of it." She checked her watch. "Look it getting late, lets go grab some dinner and then we'll get you settled."
"You're buying." Elliott said as he called for a taxi.
"Yeah, my town my bill." Olivia walked passed Elliott as he started to enter the taxi. "Oh and my government issued vehicle." She pointed the key fob at the blue Chevy. The lights flickered and it chirped its unlock. "With a parking permit anywhere I want to park it." She smiled and moved around to the driver's side. Elliott threw the taxi driver a fiver and headed towards the sedan.
"Stabler, where's your bag?" Olivia shouted to him as he approached the car.
"Shit." He turned and ran up the steps of the monument. Olivia shook her head with a chuckle and started the car.
Shamathi Thai
"Should I be shocked that you know a great Thai restaurant already?" Elliott flipped a piece of chicken stay in his mouth. Following it with a huge spoonful of pad noodles.
"I see the academy has not shown you manners still." Olivia was carefully discarding the peanuts from her plate. She used her chopsticks with skill, almost surgeon like. "I found this place on a quick run to get something to eat one night. Long hours on the hill do not afford you time to eat often."
"I was going to say that you look like you have lost a few pounds, but I didn't want to get into the whole 'was I fat before' discussion." A quick crispy wonton and then a slurp of green tea. He barely swallowed when he noticed a familiar figure at the door. His eyes bulged slightly.
"You okay? You might want to try chewing. It makes the food go down easier." Olivia said. She noticed he was staring at the door. She did her best to read his face. His demeanor did not suggest he felt immediately threatened, but he did have a cautious look.
"Elliott what brings you down to the belly?" Alex said coolly accepting his hug. She looked down as they broke the embrace and noticed Olivia. "Olivia trying to recruit you for the Hill too?"
"Nay. Just got a taste for Thai and Liv here said she knew a good restaurant, so you know me and food."
"Well then, don't let me keep you two from your dinner." Alex smiled and nodded at them.
"Why don't you join us?" Elliott said pulling out the chair between him and Olivia. He felt the lazar stare of his partner bearing through him. He smiled at her sheepishly.
"I don't want to intrude."
"Then.." Olivia began.
"We have more food then Liv can eat. Sit, you look like you could use a good meal too." Elliott said cutting off Olivia before she could spout something she would regret.
"Well, just for a few minutes then." Alex said putting her briefcase down next to the chair as she sat. She too felt the stare from Olivia. "I have to get back to finish my packing."
"What the Hill too much for you?" Olivia said smartly.
"No, I leave for Africa on Saturday. I thought I would take a few days off and go back to New York before I left." Alex unfolded the napkin and placed it on her lap. As if on cue, the waitress placed an empty plate in front of her, a warm kettle of tea and spicy, yellow coconut curry with brown rice.
"Eat here often?" Olivia said smirkishly. Alex took her chopsticks from her purse, turned to Olivia and offered.
"I mostly get take out. Old habits are hard to die. I work late and they are just far enough to make it a nice walk for a break." She placed her chopsticks in the rice and dropped it in the bowl of curry. She repeated this several times. She was concentrating on her food and was unaware of the non- verbal conversation going on between Olivia and Elliott.
"So you really ready for Africa?" Elliott asked still staring at Olivia.
Alex played with her food a little longer before answering. "For what I am going for I am ready to try cases, but I am not sure I am ready to deal with actually seeing the carnage first hand."
"How different from what we see everyday?" Elliott asked hoping Olivia would engage in the conversation. She just sat there eating quietly.
"More brutal perhaps or not. Most of the victims are alive where as with us.."
"Most are dead." Elliott added.
"Yes. And all are younger then 10. So you can understand why it's so important to have this stopped."
"And you're a one woman army that can do it. Is that what you think?" Olivia said abruptly putting down her chopsticks. They bounced on the plate from the force. She leaned in closer to Alex so that she did not upset the other patrons. Elliott positioned himself to block whatever might come out of Olivia's mouth.
"You did this once before and it almost got you killed. Hell it did as far as everyone back home knew. I had to live with knowing for four years that the one person in this world that I loved, I had to pretend was dead." Tears began to well in Olivia's eyes. "Four years and finally you come home. But not to me. Now you make a decision to place yourself in harms way again. After we finally seemed to have a chance." Olivia stood; she leaned further into Alex's space. "You're not trying to save the world, you're trying to run away from me. Run Alex, I won't be here when you decide to come back." She threw her napkin in her chair and left.
"Go. Go get her. Straighten this out. You're a damn fool if you let her go." Elliott told her.
Alex grabbed her coat and headed out after Olivia. The cool night air was a cold slap, but it did not sting as much as Olivia's words. Alex looked up and down the block she did not see Olivia right away. Then, the continued slamming of a car door caused Alex to run to the back of the building. There in the dim lights of the parking lot, Alex saw Olivia opening and shutting her car door. She could make out the faint swearing with each slam. Alex straightened her coat, squared her shoulders and walked towards Olivia.
"Its no the car's fault." Was all that Alex could think of on her way.
"No its not. Its mine for ever getting involved with you." Olivia spat.
"Really?" Alex answered.
"Really. Yes, really. I should have kept to myself. I should have learned by now NOT to get involved with a lawyer or anyone else for that matter." Olivia began kicking at some pebbles on the ground. 'One night stands. Those are best."
"In personnel. That's not you."
"How the hell would you know? Did you ever take the time to know me?"
"Know you how could I not know you. I have watched you sleep, work, dream, eat endless bowls of pasta, watch TV, look at clothes and numerous other things. What would you like to know about yourself that I know?" Alex challenged. Olivia stood silent. Alex began again.
"When you brush your teeth, you don't wet the toothbrush. You start with the back left and go in little circles all the way around." Olivia just kept looking at her. "You look in the mirror before you rinse your toothbrush to make sure you hit every tooth. Then you brush your tongue. Rinse, spit tap your brush three times then put it in the holder in the medicine cabinet."
"So your observant. It does not mean you know me." Olivia crossed her arms in front of her. "You're an attorney. Your job is to observe behaviors and reactions."
"Yes, and yours right now is suggesting that you are doing something…"
"You are the last person who should tell me about what I am doing. Why I am doing it." Olivia's eyes were wide with anger.
Alex began to feel her own anger rise. Alex took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 'I will not let her draw me in." She told herself.
"You're doing it again." Olivia said in an agitated tone.
"What?" Alex said. Her eyes were closed and she was pinching the bridge of her nose. It caused her glasses to rest askew on her nose.
"Avoiding any confrontation any sense of feeling something."
"I do feel Olivia. That is were you are wrong." She pressed harder on her bridge hoping it would help her gain control.
"For unknown unnamed victims. But want about for yourself."
"I did feel for myself everyday for four years. I lived with only myself. I lived only knowing who I really am and who I pretended I was." Alex dropped her hand to her side. She wiggled her nose to position her glasses properly in their spot.
"Did you ever stop and think once why I am doing this? Really doing this. I am a victim of a crime I knew that could happen. I knew that at any minute someone in Zapata's group could find me, kill me." She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort and warmth. "The young girls of Africa know that this will happen to them they know it happened to them. They crawl, walk, and sleep scared knowing at anytime family members and strangers will kidnap them in the night or broad daylight. And forced to be circumcised. No pain medication, no sympathy simply mutilated for the purpose of nothing but a traditional ceremony."
"But it is a cultural process that has gone on for years." Olivia put up her right hand to stop Alex from interrupting. "No I do not condone it. I do not understand it for girls or boys no matter where they live. But one person from another country cannot stop something that has transpired for generation."
"What do you hope to do in Afghanistan? Change a criminal organization that has taken hold and is willing to kill just to prove that they have power?" Alex leaned against the sedan. She knew she had to choose her words carefully. "Olivia they will make up cultural laws against women based on the need to kill someone that day. You could be stoned just for looking at a man the wrong way. And if that's not bad just walking down the street could kill you. Especially…"
"You're not safe either, Alex. Honey blonde hair, smooth pale skin, clear blue eyes, you'll be a territory Lord's big prize." Olivia started to get a ping of worry rise inside her.
"There is a lot that the two of us have to think about before we depart." Alex too began to feel the fear.
"This could take awhile." Olivia said.
"Not if we do it together." Alex added. She heard the doors of the sedan unlock. Olivia smiled at her and walked around the passenger's side of the car and opened the door for Alex. Alex gladly took the cue and entered the car.
"What about Elliott?" She asked.
"I am right here." He said holding up to go boxes. He hopped into the back seat. Olivia rolled her eyes as she shut the door. Alex laughed. "Where we going?" Elliott asked as he popped part of the broken almond cookie in his mouth.
"We are going no where. You are going to your hotel." Olivia said taking the car out of gear and heading towards the exit.
"Fine. I'm tired anyway." Elliott looked out the window. "You two however, look like you have lots of energy."
"Shut up Elliott." The women said in unison.
"See I told you. You two are two peas in a pod." Elliott smiled sheepishly.
'Mission accomplished' he texted into his phone.
If you know me, you know its not that easy!