Author's Note: It's been a couple of days since I've added a chapter but college comes first. Well here's chapter 5 and it's longer this time I promise! Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Strength in Numbers

3:17pm: 5 hours and 43 minutes Before Closing:

The heat was finally setting inside the store there was no more cool air. Fin took off his Mets jersey and was wearing a grey tank top. He was sitting on top the ice cream freezer with his face inside. Elliot came from outside after he threw out the broken TV and he kept the door wide open.

"Let's gets some air in here." He looked over to his friend. "What are you doing?"

Fin removed his head out of the freezer. "I'm hot and all this heat is messing up my perm." He took off his cap and tied his hair in a bushy ponytail.

"Such a girl…" Elliot joked.

"If you had hair like mine you'd take good care of it." Fin told him.

"Whatever," He rolled his eyes. "Just don't put your head in there, people buy that stuff."

"It's not on my junk, what's the big deal?" Fin asked.

"Cut me some slack."

"Fine," Fin closed the freezer. "But it's just gonna get hotter."

Before either said another word an old man walked in. He was portly, had thinning hair and wore horn rimmed glasses.

"Can I help you sir?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah," the man responded. "You got a bathroom in here?"

"I'm sorry sir but that's for employees only."

"Come on sonny," the guy pleaded. "I'm not young anymore."

"Yeah but like I said it's for employees only."

"Can't you take a hint?" Fin was getting annoyed.

"I'll buy something." He pointed behind the counter. "One of those magazines."

Fin looked over the man's shoulders. "The porno mags?"

The older man looked at him. "Yeah they got the biggest tits in those; they're amazing!"

Neither men said anything and Elliot just rung up the magazine. "3.99"

The man paid him and took his purchase. "Now can I use your bathroom? It'll only take a second, please young man."

Fin shrugged his shoulders and Elliot just sighed. "Fine, but make it quick sir."

"Thank you young man." He started to walk to the back.

"The bathroom is in the back to the left." Elliot told him.

Soon after that Olivia and Munch walked into the store with a pizza box and a few sodas.

"Geez, it's like sauna in here." Munch commented. "I can't tell if it's hotter in here or out there." He put the pizza on the counter.

"Exactly!" Fin agreed.

"Stop complaining we got pizza." Olivia said.

"Thank you." Fin and Elliot both said. Fin handed Olivia a few dollars to pay for his share of the pie.

John went to a refrigerator and grabbed a pepsi.

"Would you pay for that?" Elliot asked him.

"Put it on my employee tab." He smirked.

They opened the box and each of them grabbed a slice; plain for Olivia and John, peperoni for Elliot and Fin.

While they were eating Olivia stopped for a moment. "So I guess you guys didn't find the TV?"

Fin and Elliot looked at each other; they weren't afraid of telling her that the TV was broken but that Kathy came to the store and called Elliot out.

"Well…uh…" Elliot started.

"The TV was broke." Fin took over. "It had a busted screen so we threw it in the trash." He hated lying to Olivia but better him than Elliot. Why bring up Kathy to her?

"Yeah," Elliot silently thanked his friend for not bring up why the TV broke. "We threw it out, hope you don't mind."

"That's okay." She told them. "That's one less thing that needs to be cleaned out of the basement."

"But that was their last chance to watch the game." Munch added.

"Don't remind us." Elliot mopped.

"While we were at the pizza shop they had a TV playing the game." Olivia said. "When we left the score was Mets 4, Yankees 3."

"At least the Mets are a point ahead." Fin was glad.

3:30pm: 5 hours and 30 minutes Before Closing:

After the pizza was eaten Elliot and Olivia got back to work and Fin and Munch were outside the store smoking.

"Hey man, what time is it?" Fin asked as he took his cigarette out of his mouth.

John looked at his watch. "3:30"

"Damn!" Fin swore. "The game is almost over; I'd give it an hour tops."

After releasing a small drag Munch gave his friend some hope. "I recall seeing a radio in the basement once, maybe you could use that."

"What?" Fin looked incredulously at him. "You knew about a radio all this time and you didn't say anything?"

"Well you found the TV but I didn't expect you guys to break it." He smirked.

Before Fin responded a few more of their friends walked up to the convenience store, three women and one young man. They were all friends though Olivia who also went to Hudson University with the four newcomers. Two of the ladies were holding hands, the blond named Alex Cabot and the ginger named Casey Novak; they were an item. Alex was in her third year of law school and Casey was in her second. There was a young lady with mocha colored skin and curly hair her name was Melinda Warner, she was in her third year of medical school. Then there was their male friend George Huang, he was the youngest of them all only being 16 years old. He skipped a few grades, graduated high school early and started his first year of his psychology major. The guys would often call him 'Tiny' due to his age and height but all in good fun.

"Hi guys," Melinda said first. She went up and hugged Fin.

"Hey,' Munch waved. "It's about time you guys got out of class, it's a Saturday."

"Some of us actually do things on the weekends." Casey said.

"We do things." Munch told her.

"Standing outside of the store when you should be working isn't doing stuff." Alex joined.

"I'm not working today," Fin told them. "I got Elliot to work my shift today."

"And yet you're here because…?" George gave him a confused look.

"To give 'em a hard time." He smirked. "Actually my TV broke so I came here to watch the game."

"Crap," Casey remembered. "I forgot the game was today. What's the score?"

"Last time we checked the score was Mets 4, Yankees 3."

"Alright!" Casey cheered and she gave Fin a high five. Both were die hard Mets fan. "But why aren't you watching the game right now?

"The TV in the store broke." Fin said. "But I was about to go search for a radio Munch just remembered to tell me about. I gotta go look in the basement." He put out his cigarette, went into the store and walked passed Elliot and Olivia. "The ladies and George are here." He then processed into the basement.

Elliot and Olivia were at the counter and they were watching a customer who came into the store. There was a man sitting on the floor near the refrigerators holding cartons of eggs. He was examining each and every egg by touching, smelling and licking them; it was an odd spectacle. George then walked into store.

"Hi guys," he greeted.

Olivia smiled. "Hi George, class is over for the day?"

"Yes," he told her. "We thought we'd stop by and say hello."

"This is weird." Elliot commented not really paying them any attention.

George looked over to the guy. "What is he doing?"

"He says he's looking for the perfect dozen." Elliot responds. "I told him he could mix and match but he said it was important to have standards. He said people didn't have pride anymore, it's just weird."

"I've read about this in psych class," George started. "A stock boy in Alphabet City said there was a guy who was also looking for the perfect dozen and would perform all sorts of endurance test. He would spend hours looking but nobody ever called the cops on him."

"How come?" Olivia asked.

"Well they said he never bothered anybody and if he broke something he would pay for it."

As George said that the guy got upset and smashed the eggs on the glass door. His search was wasted and he smashed more eggs.

"He's going to pay for those," Elliot commented. "But who's going to clean up the mess he's making?"

The guy got up and went to pay for the eggs he smashed. He was angry as he walked out. "No fucking standards!"

Elliot groaned. "All this grief and I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

3:48pm: 5 hours and 12 minutes Before Closing:

After some searching Fin found a small radio and brought it back upstairs. Him, Elliot, Casey and John were all listening to the final inning inside the store while Olivia, Alex, Melinda and George were talking outside the store.

"So he actually asked you out on a date?" Alex asked incredulously.

"It's about time." Melinda added.

"What?" Olivia questioned sheepishly.

"Don't play dumb Olivia," Alex smirked. "We all knew you two liked each other."

George nodded. "It was bound to happen."

"You guys are right." Olivia smiled.

"So did you give him an answer?" George asked.

"No not yet, he gave me until the end of the day to think about it."

"What's there to think about?" Melinda asked. "We all know you're going to say yes."

"I just wanted to think it through and not seem desperate."

"So that's a yes?" Alex said.

She ignored Alex. "We're best friends and I don't want to ruin things between us."

"You won't," George reassured her. "You two practically know everything about each other, you two are great for each other."

"But what if I do something bad and things don't go great? It'll be awkward when I come to work because I have to see him."

"For someone who wants to be a cop you need to stop worrying so much." Melinda said. "What's life without risk?"

Olivia smiled at her friends' and weighed her options.

4:25pm: 4 hours and 35 minutes Before Closing:

It was the bottom of the seventh inning and the score was Mets 6, Yankees 5. With the bases loaded and two outs the Yanks were on their last leg. The guys and Casey were on the edge of their seats listening to every word. If the Yanks strikeout then the Mets win and Elliot wouldn't hear the end of it from Fin and Casey, regardless that it's only the first game in the series. A-Rod was on third base, Jacoby Ellsbury was on second base and Sabathia was on first with Brain McCann at bat.

"It's comes down to this." The announcer's voice came over the radio. "A true nail biter between city rivals and whoever wins this game will have an advantage."

"Get ready to pay up Elliot." Fin said eagerly.

"I should be saying the same to you." Elliot retorted.

"Quite you two." Casey said.

"…And here's the pitch." Said the announcer. "McCann swings and it's a line drive."

"No!" Fin and Casey shout.

"Murphy with the catch!" the announcer roared. "Yanks are out, Mets win! METS WIN!"

"NO!" It was Elliot's turn to yell out in frustration.

Fin and Casey high fived as their team won the game.

"Pay up!" Fin extended his hand.

Elliot reached into his wallet and handed Fin $20. "I should've stayed home today."

"Why?" Casey mocked. "Your precious team still would have lost."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have to hear you two rub it in my face." He groaned. "All this and…"

"You weren't supposed to work today." Everyone else said. "We know."

Elliot looked around at his friends and just shrugged sheepishly.

Author's note: So I lied a little, this chapter isn't that long, but I wanted to give you guys an update! Reviews are always welcome!