"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 28 chapters. Love and appreciate the reviews and it means so much that so many are reading this sequel.
#### New Community created by Rach5 (Olivia/OFC Stories) featuring stories with Olivia and original female characters or Olivia with female characters from other shows. Thanks Rach5 for creating and please let us know if we are missing some that you like. #####
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"Double Time" Chapter 29
Olivia walked back into the living room once she heard Erin end the call with Jeff and Casey. Erin had knocked once on the bathroom door to check on her and Olivia had quickly assured her she was okay.
"You feeling sick babe?" Erin asked softly. "I don't think it's the Thai food because I feel fine…but then again I haven't been off MREs long so maybe my stomach can digest about anything."
"No the food was fine. I'm not sick," Olivia said leaning her back against the armrest opposite of where Erin was seated on the couch and crossing her legs on the cushion. "I just needed to think for a few."
"I'm sorry babe. I haven't even asked you about your afternoon, just been bitchin' about mine since you got home," Erin said sincerely.
"My afternoon was fine," Olivia muttered.
Erin arched an inquisitive eyebrow. "So…so did I do something or say something wrong. Just got tired of hearing me whine."
"No…no Erin…You didn't do or say anything wrong. And you did have a shitty afternoon, and it makes me mad that Dylan and your dad and TJ said what they said," Olivia said getting up from the couch quickly. "Do you want another beer?"
"Will it make you tell me what is going on?" Erin smiled trying to lighten the sudden tension.
"Do you want one or not?" Olivia snapped.
"Now I do for sure," Erin shot back. "Please," she added softly. Erin knew that her nerves were already frazzled and her temper short from the afternoon phone conversations, so even being perplexed by Olivia's mood swing she tried to regain her composure.
Olivia handed Erin a fresh beer and leaned down and briefly kissed her on the top of her head, whispering softly, "I love you," before she resumed her previous position on the opposite end of the couch.
"I love you too," Erin sighed. "Babe what's going on?"
Olivia took a deep breath and fiddled with the label on her beer bottle, before looking up finally and locking eyes with Erin's.
"I think…I think maybe we should reconsider me going to D.C.," Olivia sputtered.
"What?" Erin shouted incredulously stepping off the couch quickly. She turned her back to Olivia and ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm herself. She bit her bottom lip feeling flooded with emotions. "Liv…I don't understand," Erin said, her voice breaking and her back still to Olivia.
"It's not you," Olivia replied.
"Jesus," Erin whirled around. "Are you breaking up with me too? What the fuck Liv?"
"Babe…God no," Olivia said bolting from the couch towards Erin.
"Then please don't ever use that line with me…even if you are breaking up with me," Erin stammered, stepping back slightly from Olivia.
"Fuck, way to go Benson," Olivia mumbled, shaking her head. Olivia took a deep breath and extended her hand towards Erin's. "I'm sorry," Olivia said taking a tentative step closer to Erin. "I started this conversation totally wrong. Can we go sit on the couch and I'll start over?"
"Yeah," Erin sighed, loosely grasping Olivia's outstretched hand and walking back to the couch.
"Erin exactly how thorough was that report that Rushing has on you?" Olivia asked.
"I don't get where you're going? I'm not hiding anything from you," Erin replied.
"I'm not saying you are. That's not why I am asking," Olivia said calmly.
"I'm not getting this," Erin said trying to quell her frustration, "but okay it went back to high school as far as having my GPA, extracurricular activities, same for college. A summary of all my military reviews, promotions, awards, credit history…" Erin paused trying to recall everything she read and glanced through.
"What about your personal life?" Olivia asked.
"It didn't have any in-depth narrative on my personal life. Basically, a list of names…family, close friends and a few exes and check boxes on their criminal history. And results of credit reports on some," Erin sighed.
"Was I in it?"
"Yes Liv…Obviously no criminal record, good financial history, your relationship to me, your title, how long you've been with NYPD," Erin said then shrugged her shoulders. "Can you talk to me like your girlfriend. Just ask me the question you want the answer to."
"This…this is hard for me…and once you mentioned Dylan when Jeff was talking about Rushing knowing exactly what she has in you…"
"Liv, I was just joking. Trying to deflect Jeff's praises of me. Dylan's just a pain in the ass sometimes. Besides you know the kind of stuff they're looking for," Erin said.
"Yeah," Olivia sighed. "So how good does a girlfriend with a rapist father, literally falling down drunk mother and a half-brother accused of rape who oh by the way shot a cop sound to the Senator?" Olivia questioned pointedly.
"Tell me which one of those things you are responsible for," Erin shot back immediately. "None of them. Simon shot a cop because she tried to frame him and was possibly going to kill him. He was cleared, you told me that."
"You're the PR person Erin…I'm not saying any of that is my fault, but how does that look?" Olivia replied. "You can't tell me that if you were crafting this story it wouldn't be highly preferable to have the colonel's partner come from a normal family."
Erin sat silently for a moment, she had plenty of thoughts, plenty of answers running through her head, but she was debating which one to offer first.
"See, I tarnish you." Olivia started, but Erin quickly interrupted.
"Bullshit," Erin seethed. "Is that what you tell victims? That they might be just fine themselves, but that they'll always be tarnished goods in the eyes of others. That because of their circumstances, what was done to them, they only deserve a certain level of happiness."
"Of course not," Olivia said heatedly.
"Would you be with me if I was a womanizing, active alcoholic who liked to punch walls, sometimes people in bars, and occasionally roughed up my wife or girlfriend if they got in my way? 'Cause that was my dad when he was my age and for more than a few years after," Erin fumed. "Do I tarnish you because of that? Because I don't hold myself responsible for my father's sins."
"You aren't responsible, and that's not who you are," Olivia murmured.
"So why don't you believe that about yourself?" Erin said softly as she scooted slightly closer to Olivia and squeezed her hand. "I love you Liv."
"Do Rushing and TJ know about my family?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know," Erin answered honestly.
"I mean there is part of me that thinks they have to know, because looking back TJ knew about Alex and me," Olivia concluded.
"But like TJ and Rushing explained that's when they were investigating, checking me out for the position…So for it, whether I was single, dating or in a relationship was and is relevant," Erin said and then finished her beer. "And I know TJ was an ass to you that morning at the hotel, but he's been great since…unless there is something you haven't told me."
"No, they have been great. I told you that Rushing's office sent flowers after I was shot," Olivia said as she made her way back to the refrigerator for two more beers. "And of course calling me after your helicopter crash…Erin…can you call Senator Rushing and tell her?"
"If that's what you want me to do I'll try calling her tomorrow," Erin said softly, taking a beer from Olivia. "She didn't flinch when I gave her a little background on my dad."
"So you thought that was important to tell her obviously," Olivia countered.
"Actually I was just telling her about him going into the retirement home, having dementia. Senator Rushing when she has more than two minutes is pretty easy to talk to and pretty funny," Erin smiled. "So she asked me how long dad had been in the home and I ended up telling her about him trying to report for duty at Fort Sam Houston after he relapsed."
"What was that TJ said you were on your first meeting?"
"A smart and agile knight to a loyal and lethal queen," Erin chuckled slightly.
"I don't want to piss off the queen," Olivia smirked. "I mean if it were to come out somewhere and she hadn't known…Just better to let her know now about that and my plans to take a leave so if she has any concerns."
"I can't imagine that she would, but even if she does…and trust me she will get an earful from if she does," Erin sighed. "I don't understand why that would impact you coming to D.C."
"You had said before with this position that it might lead to a few articles or stories about you with us included."
"True," Erin replied with a bit of a smirk, "But I'm not thinking a two-page spread in People or anything. Probably more like military media and gay and lesbian media. And I could grab the laptop and write the military one and the one for let's say AfterEllen in probably 30 minutes."
Olivia just sat quietly staring at the blank TV screen across the room.
"I don't know Erin," Olivia finally mumbled. "I guess Rushing pulling that with the footage from Cassie's funeral…It just makes me nervous and uncomfortable. I mean how much control is she going to have over your life, our lives?"
"Liv…Yes, I'm pissed off about the funeral service footage, but since I've been back I have gotten a total of two e-mails and one call from TJ and Rushing. I really think as long as I do my job…" Erin paused for a moment, leaning back into the couch. "But wait are you thinking once I tell her about your background she'll want you to keep a low profile or is that what you are hoping she'll say?"
"I don't want to hurt your career," Olivia replied.
"That's crap," Erin gasped. "There's nothing about you or your background that can hurt my career. Why don't you just tell me what you are really afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid. I just don't know that I want all my personal business out there," Olivia replied sternly.
"Including us or just about your mother and father…because I'm pretty damn confident…and I'm going to be the main focus, that anything coming out about my father will only mention that he is a decorated, retired Vietnam veteran," Erin stammered.
"You don't know that for sure," Olivia quipped.
"Hell Liv, mainstream media, not including Fox, played a role in getting this stupid ass policy repealed. So yes it is the highest profile position I will have ever been in, but not even a 10 minute blip on the radar of D.C. politics," Erin sighed. "I know how this works…if anything any media coverage is going to make me look better than I am."
"Don't try to spin me," Olivia rebuked harshly.
"I'm not. I told you way back in D.C. that yes there could be some media on us as a couple and you were fine with it then. And you still haven't answered my question. Which is it or is it both?"
After being met with silence for a few moments, Erin got up from the couch and walked briskly into the bedroom. She slid off her sweat pants and pulled on a pair of jeans, struggling as her hands shook to pull the left pant leg over her cast. "Fuck," she mumbled before finally succeeding in her task. Erin went into the bathroom stripping off her t-shirt and touching up her make-up. She was buttoning up a black long sleeve blouse she pulled from the bedroom closet when Olivia walked into the bedroom.
"What are you doing?" Olivia asked softly.
"I'm going out," Erin hissed.
"Erin…c'mon let's just talk," Olivia said moving closer.
"About what Liv…my dad who I've disappointed by putting in my retirement, my brother who won't come to my promotion ceremony, or my girlfriend who is apparently ashamed of our relationship," Erin ranted as she moved past Olivia and walked hurriedly to get her coat, cell phone and keys.
"Erin damn it, that is not what I said and you know it," Olivia huffed.
"Your silence spoke volumes. I could have potentially turned this job down a few months ago," Erin added as she grabbed her billfold out of her purse and tucked it in a jacket pocket. "I can't talk anymore about this right now. I'm too pissed off and hurt."
"So you're just going to run?" Olivia snapped.
"No…I'm going to take a cab up to Madison's and get shit-faced with Tracey, Stacey and Tonya."
"So you just call your lesbian posse when you get pissed off," Olivia snarled. Erin pulled her phone back out and tapped at the screen frantically and then handed the phone to Olivia.
Madison's tonight karaoke & pool C'mon Erin bring Liv too. We miss you both!
We'll get together before I leave. Having a shitty afternoon. Just want to stay in with Liv. Have fun ladies
"Satisfied," Erin cracked as Olivia handed back her phone.
"No…I don't want you to leave. Come on let's just go to bed and talk…" Olivia pushed.
"It's not even nine Liv. I've been hit from a lot of directions today and I just need to process it all," Erin said opening the front door. "Let's just try and talk about this tomorrow."
"So you're not even coming home?" Olivia questioned angrily as Erin walked out the door.
"Probably not. Don't think I've pissed off or disappointed Petraeus or Jeff today so I'll probably crash over there."