"Double Time" Sequel to "Stepping Time" (Highly recommend you read Stepping Time before starting this sequel)

The main characters of Law and Order SVU belong to Dick Wolf and NBC Universal. This is meant for entertainment, not profit.* There are several characters I have created. I hope you enjoy, and I welcome feedback.

Author's Note (Especially for laurelhardy) Characters guide-Primary SVU Characters Olivia Benson, Alex Cabot Primary Original Female Characters Army Lt. Col. Erin Mathison, Attorney Angie Secondary SVU and L&O Characters Elliot Stabler, Casey Novak, Abbie Carmichael, Serena Southerlyn Secondary Original Characters Jeff Stockton, Amelia Stockton, Dylan Mathison, Petraeus (Erin's Chihuahua), Senator Rushing, TJ McCoy

Thanks for reading and the reviews for the first four chapters. Love and appreciate the reviews and it means so much that so many are reading this sequel. Thank you again!

#-#

"Double Time" Chapter 6

"Detective Benson's phone," Alex answered evenly.

"Alex," Erin replied a bit groggily. "It's Erin. How are you?"

"Jesus Erin," Alex chuckled. "I'm fine…we're all fine. Just been worried sick about you. Liv's in the shower, but I'm going to knock. How are you feeling?"

"Better than I was in our little improvised mountain hideout…My captain did call Jeff and then Jeff called Liv right?" Erin queried. Between exhaustion and the pain killers she was on, she really didn't remember much of the MEDEVAC flight from Afghanistan to Germany. She now had been at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for about two hours. It was nearly 4 a.m. there on Christmas Eve as she sat in a wheelchair, her left lower leg and foot currently immobilized by an air cast and resting on the leg extension of the chair.

"Yes, this morning our time…Liv, Erin is on the phone," Alex shouted, knocking on the bathroom door and opening it slightly.

"How's she holding up? …And thanks for being there for her." Erin grimaced, feeling a sharp stabbing pain around her ankle.

"A lot better than about 24 hours ago when all we knew was that your…" Alex started.

"Wait," Erin interrupted. "So you all knew that we went down before Winthrop called Jeff?"

"Yeah," Alex sighed as Olivia opened the bathroom door securing her robe over still damp skin and walked briskly to her. "Erin we can't wait 'til you are back here. Here's Liv."

"Thanks Alex." Erin said as Olivia took the phone from Alex. Alex closed the bedroom as she padded to the living room and joined Angie on the couch.

"Erin," Olivia gasped, taking a seat on her bed.

"Hey you," Erin sighed softly, closing her eyes and imagining Olivia's arms wrapped around her, just holding her.

"Oh God babe…are you okay…how are you feeling?" Olivia stammered.

"I'm okay sweetheart…definitely hurtin' a little, but I'll be okay," Erin replied, her voice wavering a bit with emotion. "How…how did you and Jeff know about it before my captain called Jeff?"

"I knew you would have called me or e-mailed me if you had been still stuck in Jalalabad and definitely if you had gotten back to Camp Phoenix…and Jeff and Casey and Elliot were here anyway. And Jeff was getting concerned too…so he called his friend Kevin who works at the Pentagon," Olivia rambled.

"I'm so sorry…so sorry you…you all had to…"

"Erin…I knew it. It was like I almost…Not almost, I knew something was wrong and as it got later here…I could tell Jeff was worried too…the unknowns were driving me insane," Olivia said trying to hold back tears. "I was so scared."

"I was scared too," Erin sighed. "But I'm safely tucked in a wheelchair in the charge nurse's office in Landstuhl now."

"What they don't have enough beds?" Olivia questioned seriously.

"They do," Erin laughed. "I just wanted to call you and it is like four in the morning here…so they were nice enough to wheel me in here. I guess the orthopedic surgeon will be coming to see me in a few hours in my bed."

"So you're definitely going to need surgery? And I know you have a fractured tibia…" Olivia questioned hurriedly.

"Liv," Erin chuckled slightly. "Straight up…my leg, my ankle hurt, still hurt like a son of a bitch…but other than that just a few scrapes and bruises. Right now they have an air cast from my foot to my knee on me."

"Just an air cast?"

"Well, it is actually pretty sophisticated. They didn't hard cast it at Bagram because I have apparently a lot of soft tissue damage around the actual break just above my ankle…so I guess depending on what the surgeon thinks here, I could have a traditional cast or external or internal fixation," Erin said.

"That's what Casey was saying. She did a whole bunch of research on tibial plafond fractures," Olivia replied.

"Ha," Erin laughed. "You probably know more than me. I just know external or internal fixation involves plates and screws so I'll set off metal detectors…temporarily at least."

"I don't care if you beep…I just want you home babe…home for good."

"Awww babe," Erin laughed. "That's so cute…did Casey find in her research how much recovery time I might need before you can beep me? My toes on my left foot currently don't curl."

"No, she didn't mention finding that in her research," Olivia laughed. "But up to 14 weeks for complete healing and recovery."

"And you didn't do any research on that one very important aspect?" Erin playfully challenged. "I see…as long as I can beep you relatively pain free…"

"That research will be a priority for me tonight," Olivia smiled briefly. "Erin, it is just so good to hear your voice…to know you'll be okay and you are out of Afghanistan and coming back," Olivia sighed.

"Hopefully, I'll know in a few hours when and where they'll be sending me. They may do any surgery if I need it right here and then send me to I'm guessin' Walter Reed in D.C."

"Jeff thought there or Brooke in San Antonio," Olivia replied. "I'll fly either place. And Alex is insisting I use some of her ample frequent flier miles."

"I'm hoping Reed," Erin laughed. "Much better time around Abbie and Serena than Dylan and my dad."

"Well it is hard to beat those two…but I do want to meet your dad and brother at some point."

"You know what Liv…I might actually get to come back to New York for a bit," Erin mused. "My last orders were for January 27 out of Afghanistan to current home station, Fort Hamilton and then separate orders for Feb. 7 to my assignment in D.C…Whether they cast me or put in plates and screws…I'm not going to be inpatient more than a couple days I think."

"That would be awesome!" Olivia exclaimed. "But even if not it is almost the new year, so I'll have plenty of vacation days…"

"I would prefer," Erin smirked, turning her head as she heard a light knocking on the door "that we could actually go on vacation somewhere with those vacation days. Hey, my very wonderful nurse is here," Erin smiled. I'll call you after I find out from the doc later what they are going to do with me."

"Ok…God Erin…I don't want to say goodbye again…I love you baby," Olivia sighed.

"I love you too…so much…Merry Christmas Eve you."

#-#

"You okay Liv?" Angie questioned as Olivia walked quickly through the living room to the kitchen.

"I am. Do you all need another drink?" Olivia asked grabbing a beer from the refrigerator.

"I'm good," Alex replied and Angie nodded the same.

"She's in some pain, but she's going to be okay," Olivia murmured, her emotions threatening to crash over her again. She took a seat in the recliner opposite the couch where Alex and Angie were sitting. "The orthopedic surgeon is supposed to come see her in a few hours and then she'll know about what they will do next. She thinks there is even a possibility that she'll be able to come back here to New York for a while."

"Instead of going to D.C.?" Alex queried.

"Well her orders for her assignment down there aren't until Feb. 7th…And like she said whether they have to do some surgery, the plates and screws or whatever is decided, she still thankfully won't have to be in a hospital for long."

"It's all going to work out Liv," Alex smiled.

"I'm finally feeling that now," Olivia sighed, wiping away a tear. "Now that I've talked to her. You know last night at about this time…Well, I think we were all thinking fearing the same…And now lord…I'm just finding it difficult…"

"To be patient?" Angie queried. "Liv, it's understandable."

"And I'm tired, frickin' exhausted actually, but it is almost like I am afraid of going to sleep and waking up and thinking I only imagined talking to her," Olivia stammered, running a hand through her hair and sipping on her beer. "You know Alex, it wasn't long after you were in witness protection where I had a nightmare…a nightmare about that night…"

"When I was shot," Alex finished.

"Yeah, and when I woke up from it, I knew you were still alive and out there somewhere…but when I went to work that morning…I still pulled El aside…This isn't going to make any sense…because I knew, I remembered so vividly up until that point seeing you that night they were taking you away…"

"You had to be reassured that you hadn't imagined that," Alex said softly. "Liv…it does make sense. And until you wrap your arms around Erin and then wake up with her in your arms the next morning…But that is going to happen soon. And she told me on the phone that she was definitely hurting some…but she is…she is going to be okay."

"Speaking of sleep," Olivia smirked. "You two have to be exhausted too. I'm thinking I should probably call Abbie and Serena too."

"I already talked to them while you were talking to Erin. They'll be down here about four tomorrow," Alex replied.

"Hopefully, I'll be off work by five," Olivia replied.

"So you're going to go in?" Angie asked.

"Well Erin could be back here or in D.C. or in Texas in a couple of days…so whenever and wherever she gets in I will be there."