"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 laurel hardy) 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 11 chapters. Love and appreciate the reviews and it means so much that so many are reading this sequel. Thank you again!
#-#
"Double Time" Chapter 12
"Erin really just sit down and relax," Alex said firmly.
"Yeah Erin, trust me after you are healed up, Serena and I are going to hit you up to help us with wedding stuff, so we can definitely take care of the breakfast dishes," Abbie said, pointing to the couch.
"Ok, ok," Erin smiled.
"The black remote on the coffee table is the one for the TV," Angie added as Erin headed to the couch on her crutches.
Erin flipped through the channels until she found CNN. She settled comfortably into the couch while the others finished cleaning up after breakfast.
"In Kabul, Afghanistan Sunday," the anchor started as Erin instantly reached for the remote and increased the volume, quickly stilling all movement and conversation around the kitchen, "three U.S. soldiers were killed and four were wounded by a suicide bomber trying to enter a newly opened community center on the city's south side. According to an Army spokesperson the soldiers were providing security…"
"Liv do you have your laptop?" Erin asked stoically as the anchor moved onto a story about flight cancellations and delays across the southeast of the U.S.
"It's at Angie's. I'll go get it," Olivia replied, hustling to the door.
"Erin you can use mine," Alex said, walking briskly to the study to grab her laptop.
"If you don't mind," Erin uttered, rubbing her hands nervously over her thighs.
"You know that community center don't you?" Olivia asked softly, sitting down next to Erin.
"Yeah," Erin sighed. "I was there a few times with some of my soldiers when it was being built. A joint project with some of the locals and one of our engineering companies. A civil affairs project. I would have been there for the opening…the ribbon cutting and all."
Olivia grasped Erin's hand. She couldn't find the words to say and doubt that there were any that existed. She was confident she knew what Erin was thinking and knew that if in a similar situation most words or phrases that were ping ponging through her mind would not only not suffice, but likely only annoy or anger her. Alex handed Erin the laptop and Erin nodded her thanks.
"I'll have an e-mail from Sergeant Major Jensen if…," Erin finished with a sigh as she logged into her e-mail. "I should have checked my e-mail last night," she mumbled.
She scanned the screen rapidly, her eyes drawn quickly to an e-mail from the sergeant major with the subject line reading Unit Update-Urgent. Erin shook her head as she clicked on the message.
"We're all here for you Erin," Abbie said softly.
Erin scraped her front teeth over her bottom lip as she read the e-mail, her grip on the laptop becoming tighter the more she read. Olivia read along silently with her and wrapped her arm around Erin's shoulders.
"I'm so sorry," Olivia whispered, but Erin remained motionless, except for the repetitive biting on her lower lip. She stared blankly at the screen for what seemed like endless moments.
"God damn it…God damn it," Erin muttered. "Will it ever fuckin' end?" Erin set the laptop on the coffee table and buried her face in her hands. Olivia gently pulled on Erin's shoulder trying to bring her into an embrace, but Erin tensed and resisted, so Olivia resumed softly rubbing her shoulder and upper back.
Images of 22 year-old Specialist Cassandra Weston flashed through Erin's head. Weston with her freckled-face toothy grin, a smile and laugh that was contagious. Weston tending to Sergeant Eddy when their helicopter first went down. Weston and Sergeant Dwyer constructing a make-shift splint for her as they waited for rescue in a small natural hollow on the mountainside in the freezing rain and cold. Weston's four confirmed enemy kills when their convoy was attacked just eight days before near Khyber Pass. Weston at the community center with her while it was under construction. Weston in Erin's quarters when she received a letter from her parents condemning her 'special friendship' with her dorm mate back in Tennessee. Weston had been one of the first soldiers Erin selected, when reviewing files of female soldiers just prior to her deployment, to attach to her Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, and now she was dead.
"I'm sorry," Erin said strongly, lifting her head from her hands and scanning the room with a distant stare. "Specialist Cassandra Weston was not only one of my troops, she was my primary driver, and she probably…she did save my life less than 10 days ago around Khyber Pass. And…I'm sorry…I just need a few minutes please," Erin said pushing herself up off the couch and reaching for her crutches.
"Whatever you need Erin," Alex said softly. "Don't apologize."
"If I could still use your laptop in a little bit. I need to e-mail and a few things."
"Of course," Alex replied.
"Babe," Liv whispered. "Where are you going?"
"I just need some air," Erin said, quickly using the crutches to cross the living room to the front door.
"I'm going with you," Olivia said firmly, standing next to Erin at the door.
"Liv…I love you…I do so much babe," Erin said softly. "Just trust me please and give me a few minutes."
"Will you at least wear a coat?" Olivia questioned.
"Here wear mine," Abbie said grabbing it from the closet by the front door, and sliding her cell phone in a pocket. "My phone is in a side pocket," Abbie whispered softly into Erin's ear.
#-#
"Why did you give her your phone?" Olivia questioned Abbie sharply after Erin left.
"In case she wants to make a phone call and/or so we can call her if she is gone too long," Abbie said as a matter of fact.
"Damn it, I don't want her to shut me out," Olivia shouted, heading back towards the front door.
"Liv, hold on," Alex said firmly stepping in front of the door. "Just give her a few minutes. If she's not back in 15 or 20 then go after her. Hell, we'll all go looking for, but I think she'll be back like she said."
"Fuck," Olivia mumbled. "She hasn't told me any details about the crash and the waiting for rescue. Didn't mention before she was almost killed in Khyber Pass…"
"Liv, sweetie, she hasn't even been back a full 24 hours," Alex countered. "And she just said a whole lot in three or four sentences."
"I think Alex is right," Serena whispered, running a comforting hand up and down Olivia's back.
"She's just hurting so bad and I can't take it away," Olivia sighed, dabbing with her fingertips at a few tears that were running down her cheeks.
"It's going to take time," Alex whispered, pulling Olivia into a hug.
"She was really close to Weston," Abbie added.
"She talked to you about her?" Olivia asked inquisitively, lifting her head from Alex's shoulder.
"When you were in the hospital after you were shot, Erin called us a few times. It was driving her nuts that she couldn't get back here right away to see you. She told us about Weston and that letter from her parents," Abbie said.
"I wonder how much she hasn't told me," Olivia said, shaking her head.
"Liv she loves you," Abbie said. "Loves you very much. She was over there for seven plus months. It's going to take her some time to readjust."
"I know. And I know there's plenty of cases I worked while she was gone, where I didn't share details or really anything about them. We didn't get to talk enough while she was over there and when we did…"
"You both needed to talk about things other than just your work," Angie commented. "Liv just give her some time. Not saying don't be there for her, not to ask her questions, but she's not going to be able to tell you everything in a day."
#-#
Erin knocked softly on the apartment door softly a few minutes later.
"Ok that I brought Petraeus back up with me?" Erin asked after Alex opened the door. Petraeus was sitting next to Erin, waiting for his cue to enter.
"Of course," Alex smiled.
"Erin do you want some more coffee or anything?" Angie asked.
"A soda would be great. Dr. Pepper or Coke or Pepsi if you have," Erin said, resting her crutches along the side of the couch and then sliding in next to Olivia. "Thank you," she whispered to Olivia. "I could use that hug now."
Olivia pulled Erin into her arms, rubbing Erin's back as she felt tears streaming against her neck and shoulder. Angie grabbed a box of Kleenex as she walked from the kitchen to the couch with the Dr. Pepper.
"I love you Liv," Erin said, lifting her head after a few moments and reaching for a Kleenex.
"I love you too," Olivia said softly.
"You know I was thinking," Erin started after wiping away tears and blowing her nose, "I was thinking when Petraeus and I were outside, at least Weston wasn't killed on Christmas Day. But I don't know if it really matters whether it was December 25th or 26th. Maybe it will make some small difference sometime down the road, for her family, her special friend," Erin smirked slightly, "and all those who loved her. Sergeant Dwyer who was out in the fuckin', he was on the bird too. Out along the border those two weeks."
"He was at the community center too," Olivia finished, remembering from reading the e-mail. "The sergeant major said he was going to be okay Erin," Olivia said, squeezing Erin's hand.
"I remember as our bird was going down one of the things going through my head was that damn Alanis Morissette Ironic song. Thought I was going to go out just like Sheila did," Erin laughed bitterly. "Then when we were waiting and waiting and so fuckin' cold…And I wanted to scream, the pain in my leg and ankle was so bad…but we had to stay as quiet as possible. And I prayed, prayed to a God I'm not sure I believe in anymore or maybe never really did…And then I cursed at him in my silent prayers…"
"Let it out Erin," Abbie said softly.
"I…I thought just dying instantaneously in a crash wasn't good enough for him, for all the times I cursed him after Sheila's death. So in my darkest moments when we were out there…I figured the Taliban would find us and…And now it turns out that this fuckin' broken leg is the most likely reason I'm still alive. It's not fair."
"Erin you didn't kill her. The suicide bomber did. Weston and those two other soldiers and the others that were wounded, military and civilian," Alex said. "I see and read things that happen in this city, this country and world, some firsthand, and they aren't fair and they aren't right and I can't figure out why. And I would lose it again, if I thought I could control it and make sense of it all."
"I know…I know you're right Alex," Erin stammered. "I am just so angry right now and I feel guilty that I'm not there for my troops. Tight knit group overall, but Cassie is…was definitely one of the most popular."
"Babe it's not like you came home…were sent home over a stubbed toe or something. You have a severe leg fracture," Olivia countered.
"I know," Erin smirked, grabbing the laptop. "I would just feel better about it if it wouldn't have been from a lightning strike on our bird."
"And I would have preferred if I had to have a shoulder wound it would have come from a car accident rather than being shot," Alex challenged. "Erin you were injured in the line of duty."
"I'm sorry…that was very insensitive for me to say," Erin started.
"No it wasn't," Alex smiled. "It was honest and what you're feeling. And I feel for those families and friends with loved ones in Afghanistan, Iraq and other dangerous places our troops are deployed, but selfishly I'm glad you weren't at that community center. I'm glad and grateful you are here."
"Me too," Olivia sighed. "You wouldn't have been able to prevent it."
"Probably not," Erin mumbled.
"Erin you're here because you're supposed to be here. The only thing I've been able to firmly conclude regarding religions, spirituality or any of that stuff is that there is a God or something greater and I know it's not me," Angie said.
"Very true," Serena agreed.
"Thanks you all," Erin said quietly but sincerely. "I think I should go downstairs and work on some e-mails. I'll leave your computer here Alex and use yours," Erin said looking at Liv. "Will you come with me?"
"Of course," Olivia replied.
"I'm going to go to Tennessee for the services. I want and I need to go," Erin stated as she grabbed her crutches.
"I want to go with you," Olivia whispered.
"I would like that if it can work with your job schedule," Erin smiled, kissing Olivia on the cheek.