"Double Time" Sequel to "Stepping Time" (Highly recommend you read Stepping Time before reading 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 14 chapters. Love and appreciate the reviews and it means so much that so many are reading this sequel. Thought this was going to be a short chapter, but obviously didn't turn out that way. Hope you enjoy.
#-#
"Double Time" Chapter 15
Erin stood in front of the bathroom mirror in her hotel room checking her Class A uniform for any lint or errant threads while also ensuring her ribbons, badges, and nametag were resting evenly just above her chest. She was scheduled to meet Specialist Weston's girlfriend, Kelly, in the lobby at 4 p.m. When they talked on the phone Tuesday night, Kelly had told Erin when she said she would be in uniform that there was no need, she would easily recognize Erin from the pictures Cassie had sent over the months of the soldiers she was serving with. Even though the phone conversation with Kelly had flowed easily, especially considering the circumstances which initiated it, Erin would have never considered meeting the spouse, fiancé or girlfriend or boyfriend of a fallen heterosexual soldier in civilian clothes, and although the wearing of it might seem trivial she hoped to convey the same respect for Kelly's relationship, her loss by doing so.
Erin grabbed her crutches and smirked looking at herself in the full length mirror just outside the bathroom. Her uniform was certainly squared away and her hair was neatly pinned up, but the cast was evident not only at her foot but also by the way the left leg of her slacks hung below her knee. She originally had the skirt on instead of pants, but she didn't know if single leg full length pantyhose even existed and knee-highs for one weren't high enough and along with bare legs not allowed by regulations. So the Class A slacks were on instead and would probably stay on until she could get help pulling them off gently over the cast later.
Erin had arrived at the hotel just after noon and had spent the first few hours in the room crafting, then tweaking and re-tweaking her words in the eulogy she would deliver Saturday. Abbie and Serena were scheduled to arrive in Nashville at 5:45, while Olivia, Alex, and Angie's flight was scheduled for a 7:30 arrival.
"Colonel Mathison," Kelly called softly as she approached Erin. Erin turned her head toward the voice and recognized Kelly immediately from the photos Weston had shown her.
"Erin please," Erin said extending her hand to shake Kelly's.
"Thank you for meeting with me. It means a lot," Kelly said still gripping Erin's hand. "And no you didn't miss me," the tall, slender brunette added. "I came in the east entrance. The hospital I work at is just a couple of blocks away."
"We can go, like I said on the phone, wherever you want," Erin replied.
"I used to bartend and waitress in the restaurant here," Kelly smiled slightly. "It really is fine to stay here."
They went to the restaurant and settled into a booth in a corner. Erin ordered a coffee and water and Kelly ordered a dry martini.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't…that I didn't bring her home safely to you," Erin said softly. "I've had many fine soldiers I've had the privilege of serving with, but Cassie was among the best of the best as a soldier and a person."
"You were her hero," Kelly gasped, trying to maintain her composure. "You know before she was activated for this deployment, the Reserves, I mean she liked it and all, but her main reason for joining was to pay for college."
Erin contemplated internally Kelly's words, wondering if Cassie had said she was her hero prior to her freezing on that mission and whether she died with a much lesser opinion of her. She snapped her thoughts, her focus quickly back to Kelly.
"I think you were," Erin countered. "You gave her so much strength. You and your family."
"You know," Kelly shrugged her shoulders and leaned back into the booth. "We had it all figured out, except for telling her parents and eventually her younger brother and sister…she was going to be a teacher and a coach and I just got my RN and am working on my master's now…but we were just going to have our quiet little life here doing the things we felt called to."
Thoughts of Sheila ran through Erin's head, the plans they had and Erin ached for Kelly, the pain of losing Sheila running raw through her again as if it had happened just days ago as well.
"Kelly," Erin breathed deeply. "I lost my partner three years ago in Afghanistan too."
"I'm so sorry," Kelly said a perplexed look on her face. "Cas said she was sure you were with that detective…Olivia Benson, but she was always careful what she said or wrote because of that stupid DADT shit."
Erin smiled and ordered a glass of wine as the waiter approached. Kelly had barely touched her martini.
"Well that stupid DADT shit is why she only referred to you to me as a special friend when we talked. We played the game so if anything did ever happen neither of us would have to be forced into a position of lying. And since that repeal has been passed, but not certified and implemented yet, military people with special friends," Erin smirked, "still have to be careful. But yes that detective is my partner now."
Kelly took a long sip of her drink and ran a hand through her short dark hair.
"I'm glad you found happiness again. I'm…right now I don't even know what I'm doing really. It just feels…it's a blur, the past 72 hours or so and I know it is real, but I still keep checking my e-mail…or thinking my phone will ring and I'll hear her voice again," Kelly stammered. "I don't know if it was good to go to work today because I helped save a life or just because the ER was so busy today I didn't have time to think about anything else than what I had to do."
"When my previous partner Sheila was killed I was a commander of a unit in Iraq and it did, I don't know if help is the right word, I guess I coped for a while by staying busy, the responsibilities I had there," Erin replied.
"How did Sheila die?" Kelly questioned.
"Helicopter crash, massive mechanical failure."
"I didn't even know about the crash and all you went through with that and waiting to be rescued until she was already back at Camp Phoenix and called me," Kelly shook her head. "And damn it, I thought after the two weeks along the border and then a crash…I thought…I thought well she made it through all that…just four more months."
"I did too," Erin sighed.
"You know ironically I got a call from her father last night and it was so good in so many ways because he reached out to me just like it was before she told them there was a sexual part of our love," Kelly said, grapping a napkin and dabbing tears from her eyes. "I'm invited to the wake and the funeral and even the cemetery and the lunch for family and close friends afterwards," she said waving her arms in front of her. "And I had this anger and gratefulness and compassion and all these emotions running through me at once listening to him."
"That's understandable, but I am glad that he called you."
"We ended up crying together over the phone, because he told me while she was out there for the two weeks he realized that all he cared about was her being healthy and happy and I was part of her happiness," Kelly gasped and Erin squeezed her hand, trying her hardest to fight back her own tears. "He wrote her a letter telling her that…and he asked me if I knew if she received it and read it before…before she was killed."
"And you don't know do you?" Erin queried softly.
"I don't. I only got to talk to her that one time after she got back to camp. And I got one longer e-mail from her and a real brief one just before she left for the community center. I would like to know. I pray that she was able to read it before, she was daddy's little girl and those words would have meant so much to her," Kelly said. "And I want it for Mr. Weston too."
Erin signaled the waiter over and quickly signed the bill to her room.
"Let's go find out," Erin smiled. "I can call Sergeant Major Jensen via DSN. I talked to her this morning and Cassie's personal belongings are being shipped back tomorrow or the next day."
"Thank you," Kelly said sliding out of the booth.
"Bring your drink with you," Erin smirked, just noticing in her haste to hopefully find one positive thing for Kelly and Chuck Weston to hold onto, that Kelly still had half of her martini left.
As they rode in the elevator to Erin's room, Erin let out a heavy sigh drawing Kelly's attention.
"What?" Kelly questioned.
"Did she ever tell you about the letters most of us write and have someone else hold and mail if…"
"If you are killed," Kelly finished.
"Yes," Erin replied. "She wrote one for you. And I had it while I was still there, in a sealed envelope of course and pre-addressed. Sergeant Major Jensen took the ones I was holding for troops before I left. She mailed the one from Cassie to you yesterday."
"I used to tell her not to write one as I thought they were bad luck. Now even though it is going to be so hard to read, I am glad she didn't listen to me on that."
"I felt that way too," Erin said as she inserted the room key. "And I did…I cried so hard when I read Sheila's, but I am so glad she wrote it and I have it. And I wrote them on this deployment because of that."
"You know I can see already why she liked you so much and looked up to you," Kelly smirked. "I was even a little jealous with her crushing on you, especially after she sent pictures of you all playing football, but then she said…"
"You can finish," Erin laughed at Kelly's blush, "Let me guess, that I am just as old as her mom."
"God, I am so embarrassed," Kelly said. "You don't look…Yes you are about the same age as our parents…And I'll just shut up now and actually drink my martini."
"I have something for you. I had a lot of help from my friends but we made two duplicate albums of remembrances of Cassie from photos and e-mails sent to me from members of our unit and others at Camp Phoenix."
"Thank you so much," Kelly said grabbing the dark green album and hugging Erin.
"You're very welcome. She was well-loved and respected by so many over there."
Kelly took a seat at the small table by the window in the room. "She said that everybody in your unit felt the same about you. So are the friends that helped you make these the same ones that she talked about in the pictures in your quarters over there."
"Yes," Erin smiled grabbing a beer from the mini-fridge. "All my friends that are as old as me."
"She said they're all good looking too," Kelly smiled.
"Well I think they are, but you can judge for yourself as Abbie and Serena should be here in a few minutes actually," Erin said glancing at the clock. "And my partner Olivia, along with Alex and Angie will be here in a couple of hours."
"I'm glad you don't have to go through this…well spend the time here alone," Kelly said sincerely.
"And you don't either. Not only while I'm, we're here, but after," Erin replied. "You have my cell number and e-mail."
#-#
"Thank you so much," Erin smiled looking towards Abbie and Serena as she hung up her Class A jacket in the closet.
"I'm glad we got to meet and talk with Kelly," Serena replied. "I think that album really helped her and then when the sergeant major called back and said that the letter from Cassie's father was in her shoulder pocket…Thank God she had it and had read it before."
"It is good. And it is good that she is going to meet with Cassie's father now," Abbie sighed. "I tried not to cry when she was talking to him, but I couldn't help it."
"Baby, I had tears too," Serena said, pulling Abbie into her arms as they sat on the edge of the bed. "I mean even with the phone to her ear, you could hear, feel his emotion with finding out she knew. And now they're meeting together again. Maybe the mother will come around and maybe she won't, but at least Kelly and Mr. Weston are coming back together."
"You know when we went downstairs, she pulled out a business card an Army Nurse Corps recruiter gave her months ago," Erin sighed. "Asked me what I thought."
"What did you say?" Serena asked softly.
"After I wiped away some more tears, I said the Nurse Corps and the Army would be privileged to have her as a nurse and an officer," Erin sighed. "But I also said she should take some time and make sure she really wants to do it."
"And what did she say?" Abbie said, squeezing Erin's hand.
"That she would take time, but she really couldn't think of a better use of her skills than taking care of soldiers," Erin smirked. "You know, you have people complain about the current generation. I guess that always happen, but they obviously haven't seen and don't know the ones I do."
Erin sat on the bed and unpinned her hair and shook it out. She took off her shoe and single black sock. "You two up for some food and drinks?"
"Absolutely," Abbie smiled and Serena nodded.
"I need a little help in getting these pants off over the cast," Erin smirked. "And I could use a couple shots of something, but not tequila Abs."
"Lay back on the bed," Serena smiled at Erin. "I think I can help you."
"And where are the pants that are going to replace these uniform slacks?" Abbie questioned, playfully pinching Serena's ass.
"The black Nike athletic pants on the chair over there," Erin grinned.
Abbie walked over and grabbed the pants and handed them to Serena.
"You know," Erin laughed as Serena worked the slacks over her cast, "Kelly said in a lighter moment that she had a tinge of jealously because Cassie talked about me a lot, until Cassie reminded her that I was as old as her mom."
"So did you have big 80's hair like Abbie? Well even bigger than normal 80's hair as she already had the big Texas hairdo going," Serena laughed.
"No," Erin smiled sitting up and pulling up the athletic pants. "I revolted and got my hair cut super short my sophomore year in college and kept it that way for almost ten years. But I would love to see the Carmichael big hair pictures sometime."
Only when I have done many shots of tequila," Abbie laughed.
#-#
"So how's Erin doing?" Olivia asked Abbie as they walked to the hotel restaurant. Olivia had dropped her bags in Angie and Alex's room and then the trio had met Abbie in the lobby.
"Pretty well I think," Abbie grinned. "The meeting with Kelly was good, like she told you when you called from the airport and she's meeting with Cassie's parents tomorrow at 11."
"She told me on the phone how much she appreciated you and Serena being there with her with Kelly for the phone call with Cassie's father and looking through the album," Olivia said, wrapping her arm around Abbie's upper back. "Thank you."
"I'm glad we're all here," Abbie replied.
"Did Kelly like the album?" Alex queried.
"It definitely meant a lot to her and awesome that you guys did it," Abbie said. "We sat next to her as she went through it and there were tears and laughter and then more tears and laughter, but she knew of so many of these people through Cassie's e-mails and phone calls…It was tough, but yet so good for her, and definitely healing and important for her to have."
#-#
"I know we haven't quite reached 2011 yet," Erin said as the group finished dinner and the table was cleared of all but their drinks. "And if I could change a few things that happened in this year, especially the reason why we are here I would. But yet I look back at this year and I feel so grateful because I have been blessed with so much and most of it is right here at this table. I thank you for being here now, but also for being there for me while I was physically gone, and being there for Liv and each other."
"Jesus Erin you're going to make me cry again," Abbie sighed rubbing Erin's back.
"Ok," Erin grinned. "I wasn't trying to be overly sappy. How about," she said lifting her glass, "To a new year of hope, healing, health and happiness. I love you guys."
"Here, here," they all called, tapping their glasses and then sipping their drinks.