Disclaimer: Someone else owns them.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading my story :)
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Chapter Nine: Getting to Know You
The Tell-Tale Bookstore:
". . . Tryin she had one little promise. She was gonna keep. Oh yeah, all right. Take it easy baby. Make it last all night. She was an American girl . . ." John sang off-key while trying to keep himself from falling into a bored induced stupor.
Just then the bell on the door chimed announcing someone's arrival.
"Good morning." John happily welcomed the company even if it was for just five minutes.
"Hello," the woman politely answered.
"Judge Petrovsky?" he asked readjusting his glasses.
The woman turned to look at the man that had just called her by her name. "Detective Munch, it's nice to see again."
"Please, it's just John now, not detective," he smiled.
"Oh, well if that's the case. Please call me Lena," she gave him a slight smile.
"All right, Lena. What brings you all the way out to Queens?" He asked somewhat curious.
"I live out here," Lena answered.
"Oh, I assumed you lived in Manhattan," he muttered.
"Never assume, you know what they say about that," she raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yes, to assume is to make an ass out of you and me," he supplied while laughing.
"Very good, detect . . . I mean, John." Lena quickly amended while trying to hide the blush that was creeping onto her face.
John cleared his throat trying to keep the conversation going, "So, what can I help you find today?"
Smiling at John she said, "Oh well, I don't really have anything in mind. I have a week's vacation and I wanted to find something to do with my time instead of wasting away doing nothing at home. What better way than to exercise your brain with a little reading material?"
She held up a book which happened to be "Kama Sutra for the Elderly."
'Why did I just say that?', 'Oh God, why did I have to pick up that book?', 'Shut up Lena, and don't touch anything else before you embarrass yourself any further,' she inwardly chided herself.
"You won't be bored with that book, trust me." John said looking at the book.
"Right, anyway I'll be going now," she said trying to make a quick getaway.
"Dinner!" John shouted a little louder than necessary as Lena made her way to the door. 'Smooth, you're really smooth, Casanova. You probably scared her off,' he berated himself.
"Excuse me?" Lena asked as she turned back to look at him.
"What I meant to say was that I would be honored if a beautiful woman such as yourself would accompany me for dinner sometime?" John said as held his breath waiting for her answer, hoping it wasn't a rejection. 'Nice save man,' he thought.
"Well, when you put it that way how can a lady refuse such an offer?" Lena smiled at John.
"Great," he exhaled.
"Will you be singing for me?" Lena asked him with a smile on her lips.
"Oh, you heard that, huh? Sure, and we'll even try out your book as an encore," John said without thinking.
Lena was speechless so she looked down at her hands as she turned three different shades of red.
"Shit, I'm sorry that was out of line. Hi, I'm John; open mouth insert foot," he said while smacking his forehead.
"Don't worry about it," Lena said as she wrote something down. "Here's my card, I look forward to hearing from you," she handed him her business card with her cell number written on the back.
"Great, I'll call you," John said beaming while going over to the door to open it for her.
"Oh, and John we can try the book out after our fourth date," Lena walked out of the bookstore then she turned and winked at him before driving away.
"My kind of woman," John said trying to get those images out of his head.
Back at the hospital:
"How long have they had Olivia in X-rays?" Connie asked fidgeting with her bracelet when Mike reached over to grab her hand to try to ease her nervousness.
"Seems like foreva," Fin said looking at the clock for the hundredth time since arriving at the hospital.
"It's been almost an hour and a half," Chester said.
"They must be really busy," Melinda said trying to find a plausible explanation for the delay.
Elliot was leaning against the wall staring up at the ceiling when Casey approached him.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" She whispered hoping he wouldn't refuse.
"Yeah," Elliot said after clearing his throat which was dry because he hadn't spoken at all since returning from donating his blood for Olivia's transfusion.
"Guys we're going to head to the cafeteria. Please come get us if there's any news about my sister," Casey said to the rest of the group.
"Sure, take all the time you need." Connie said smiling.
"I'll personally go and get you if you're needed," Chester quickly added while smiling at Casey.
"Thanks," she shyly smiled back.
"No problem," he beamed thrilled that she had finally spoken to him since he arrived with Mike.
"Come on," Casey signaled for Elliot to follow her. They both made their way to the cafeteria.
Hospital cafeteria:
"You want anything to drink?" Elliot asked Casey once they entered the cafeteria.
"Um, orange juice is fine," she absentmindedly answered.
"Have a seat and I'll bring it to you," he said as he moved to the refrigerators.
Casey noticed that the cafeteria was virtually empty which she was secretly glad about, 'At least nobody will witness my total humiliation,' she thought.
"Thanks," she told Elliot as he handed her the juice.
"So, what'd you want to talk about?" he asked curious as to why she would want to talk to him.
"First off let me tell you that what I'm about to say is very difficult for me. So, I'm only going to say this once and if you tell anyone about this conversation, I'll deny everything. We clear?" she looked at him expectantly.
"All right," he said a little unsure about the conversation they were about to have.
"Imsorry," she said almost inaudibly.
"What?" he asked confused.
"I said I'm sorry," she yelled.
"Oh," Elliot said a little caught by surprise.
"Oh? I say, I'm sorry and all you have to say is 'oh'?" she asked dumbfounded.
"What expect me to say?" Elliot asked.
"Jeez, I don't know. How about; I accept your apology? No hard feelings? That's a start," Casey said starting to get annoyed at Elliot.
"Well I don't accept your apology because you have nothing to apologize for," he informed her.
"What do you mean? I gave you black eye, I-I-I insulted you, and I threatened you. Believe me, I think I owe you an apology," she looked somewhat ashamed.
"You did what you thought was right. You defended your sister, and you stuck up for yourself. From where I'm sitting you have nothing to apologize for. If anything I should be the one apologizing to you, and especially to Olivia," Elliot said trying to clear his voice from the emotion that was trying to come out.
"Oh," was all Casey could say.
"Who's speechless now?" Elliot jokingly asked.
"Listen, I know now that those really were accidents, and I'm sorry if I took my anger and worries out on you, it was totally uncalled for. I feel like such a bitch because of it," she confessed.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure once your sister recovers she'll dish out something much worse than what you did or said to me," Elliot said only half kidding.
"Yeah, she will," Casey giggled. "My sister may be considered many things by lots of people, and not very nice things I might add, but that's only because they don't know the real her."
"What do you mean?" he asked curious as to what she was talking about.
"A bitch, mostly. At least that's what the general consensus is. The thing is that she's really not though. Well it depends to whom or is it who? I can never figure out which," she sighed.
"Right," Elliot chuckled.
"Anyway, she may act all tough, just like I hide behind my vanity, but she's someone with real feelings and emotions. Don't toy with them Elliot. I saw the way you looked at Olivia throughout her examination, and I don't want you to hurt her. She's been hurt enough by a shitty ex-boyfriend, and by a shittier ex-best friend," she sighed before continuing. "I'm not proud of this, but I know I've hurt her too, so I'm doing my best now to look out for her wellbeing. S-s-so if you think you could just have your fun with her and then dump her well buster, you've just hit a road block because I cannot and will not sit by and let that happen."
"Hold on, let me stop you right there Casey. I appreciate what you just shared with me, believe me I do. I can completely understand you looking out for her, and I admire that actually. But and this is a big but, don't think for one second that you know anything about me, and don't lump me in with the assholes that hurt her because I am nothing like them," Elliot said stopping to make sure she understood.
"So the rumors I heard about your "love 'em, and leave 'em" policy are not true?" Casey said starting to get defensive.
"My what? Who the fuck told you that? That's complete bullshit! Ask Fin or Melinda they've known me my whole life," he yelled which caused stares from the few people that were in the cafeteria with them.
"Calm down, I had to ask," she said trying to calm him down.
"No, you know what fuck you! I don't need this shit, as soon as I find out Olivia's condition, I'm out of here." Elliot said seething with anger, "Oh, and don't worry I'll stay the fuck away from Olivia," he said before leaving Casey behind in the cafeteria.
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Song was "American Girl" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.