Chapter 6: Another Game is Played

4:31pm: 4 hours and 29 minutes Before Closing:

So the ball game was over with the Mets winning game one, the sun has waned behind the tall Manhattan buildings and group was just hanging out in the store.

"I'm bored!" Casey complained.

Everyone looked up at her.

"We all are," Olivia said.

"The difference is me and Liv have to stay here, the rest of you guys can leave." Elliot said. "No offense."

"None taken." Alex said.

"But it's so hot on the subway!" Casey groaned. "And there's nothing to do."

"I thought we were going to my house?" Alex asked.

"I know that's a trick to get me to study for finals." Casey stuck out her tongue. "Why don't we do something fun?"

"What you got in mind?" Fin asked.

"We could play ball." She smiled. "I got my ball and glove in my backpack and I know Cragen keeps a bat behind the counter."

"Yeah but that's for safety reasons." Elliot said.

"No one's robbing the store now," she rebutted. "Quit being such a tight ass let's play ball."

"We are working you know." He looked at her.

"So then close the store, no one is coming in here."

"She's got a point." Fin chimed in.

He sucked his teeth and looked at Olivia. "What do you say?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Why not? As long as you don't tell I won't and that goes for the rest of you guys."

"Yes mom," Munch said sarcastically and everyone laughed.

"Who's got a pen and paper?" Elliot asked.

George went into his messenger bag and handed him the items. Elliot wrote a sign that said 'Store temporarily closed, be back in 20 minutes!' He tapped the sign to the door and grabbed the baseball bat from behind the counter. "Alright, let's go play!" They all walked out of the store and Elliot locked the door behind them.

4:40pm: 4 hours and 20 minutes Before Closing:

They were all standing in front of the store and mapping out the bases.

"Alright," Fin started. "The fire hydrant is home, the street light is first, the manhole cover is second and my car is third; anyone hits it you're dead!"

"Me and Elliot are team captains." Casey said.

"Who picks first?" He asked.

They both stuck out their hand. "Rock, paper, scissors say shoot,"

Casey had scissors and Elliot had rock.

"Yes!" he smirked. "I pick Olivia,"

"Of course you do," Casey rolled her eyes. "Elliot and Olivia sitting in a tree…"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Fin and Munch joined in.

"First comes love, then comes marriage…" Melinda and Alex chanted.

"Then comes a baby in a baby carriage." George finished.

"Shut up guys!" Both Elliot and Olivia yelled.

The 6 laughed at the duo's plight.

"See, they're even saying the same thing." Munch said.

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other and started blushing. They looked away and Elliot rubbed the back of his head. "Pick someone Casey," he wanted the attention to be on the game instead of on them.

After the laughter died down Casey picked her first teammate. "I pick Fin, Mets fans gotta stick together."

"Fair enough," Elliot said. "I pick Melinda."

"You splitting us up?" Fin asked.

"She's a fast runner." He responded.

"Nothing personal," Melinda said.

"Well I pick Alex because if I don't she'll kill me." Casey said.

"Nice of you to care." Alex said sarcastically.

"And I pick George because at least he's not as bad as John." Elliot said.

"Oh great," Munch groaned. "It's just like middle school all over again."

"Relax man," Fin tried to reassure him. "All you gotta do is catch the ball and throw it to one of us." He thought about this for a second. "…you know what? Why don't you man first base, away from my car."

"Fine," he huffed out.

As they got ready George thought of something. "We only have one glove? What about the rest of us?"

"We're a bunch of college students playing in the middle of the street," Alex said. "There's nothing legit about this game."

"Did somebody at least block off the street?" he asked.

"George stop worrying so much." Melinda said. "We're watching the street."

The teams were set and Elliot's team was first at bat. Casey was the pitcher, Munch was on first, Alex was on second and Fin was on third. Elliot was up first, he flipped his cap backwards and got ready for the pitch.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you Stabler!" Casey yelled.

"Wasn't counting on it!" he replied.

Casey winded up and threw the ball, Elliot hit it and it flew pass all the basemen. The ball rolled down the block and Alex ran after it.

"Come on Alex!" Fin yelled.

Elliot was making his way around the makeshift bases and Alex finally grabbed the ball. She threw it towards Fin but Elliot was already standing next to the car.

"I'm safe." He smirked.

"Yeah, yeah." Fin threw the ball to Casey.

It was Olivia's turn. Casey threw the ball underhand and Olivia hit but not too far; it was a pop fly and Alex was able to catch it.

"Come on Olivia, what was that?" Elliot hollered.

"Bite me El!" she yelled.

"Aw, lover's quarrel?" Casey joked. "Alright, who's next?"

Melinda stepped up to bat.

"Send me home!" Elliot egged on.

Casey was about to throw the ball but was interrupted but the sound of a car horn.

"Move you stupid kids!" yelled the angry driver. They all parted ways so the car could get by.

"Now , where were we?" Casey asked as they all moved back into position.

Melinda got ready again and Casey threw the ball. She hit it and it came towards Fin's car and hit the hood.

"Damn baby! What I say about my car?!" Fin yelled.

Elliot saw the advantage and ran towards home and Melinda kept on running as Fin struggled to get the ball that rolled under the car. She also made it to home and that was 2 points for Elliot's team.

"She didn't break a window, stop complaining!" Casey was slightly annoyed.

"What do you see in this chick?" Fin asked Alex.

"Her can-do attitude." Alex smiled.

"Enough with the lovey dovey stuff! Focus!" Elliot hollered.

George took the bat and hoped he wouldn't strike out. He wasn't the best at sports but he was still a team player.

"At least I don't have to worry about Tiny hitting my car," Fin said offhandedly.

Casey threw the ball and George swung as hard as he could, the ball flew up and far.

"Damn," Munch said as all of them watched the ball keep going.

"I did!" George cheered. He started to run around the bases and everyone else was still awestruck.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, the ball flew into the third floor window of the laundry mat a couple of doors down.

"Oh shit!" Olivia swore.

"I'm not getting in trouble of this." Elliot said.

They all started running towards the store, Elliot unlocked the door and they all went inside. He took the sign off the door and saw the store owner of the laundry mat come outside and see the damage.

"Everyone be cool," he said. He threw the baseball bat over to Fin and hid it under the counter.

"Uh, we're leaving." Alex said.

"But Alex…" Casey groaned.

"I'm not staying to get into trouble," she said. "Well see you guys later."

Melinda gave Fin a kiss goodbye. "So I'll see you tomorrow."

Alex, Casey, Melinda and George headed out of the store.

"Casey!" Elliot hollered.

The redhead came back in. "What?"

"For the record, my team won." He gave her a satisfying grin.

"Screw you!" she yelled. "This wasn't even a real game!"

Before Casey could say anything else Alex walked back to grab her. "C'mon we need to catch the train, I'm not waiting in that hot station longer than I have to."

"Fine, but someone owes me a new ball." Casey said, her girlfriend made a good point. "Liv call us later." Then they left.

"Well that went nowhere." Elliot sighed. "Ten minutes of game time for a broken window."

"Well we didn't break anything in the store, so that's good." Munch said.

"Now you jinxed it." Fin said. "Something stupid is going to happen again!"