Carisi sprinted up the steps of Jacob's school, his eyes darting every which way as he did. He signed in at the front office, trying to keep his voice level. "Hi. We've got a family emergency and I need to pick Jake up a little early. I'm sorry for the short notice."
The secretary was sympathetic, buzzing Jacob's classroom as Carisi paced. He messed with his tie, checked his phone. Amanda had picked up Jesse and was on her way to get Billie. He breathed a sigh of relief that his girls were accounted for. While he waited for Jacob, he shot a quick text off to Olivia Benson.
We need to talk. ASAP.
Olivia's response came back seconds later. Say when.
Fifteen minutes. Precinct.
"Hi, Sonny!" Jacob followed the secretary into the entryway, backpack on his shoulders. "What happened? How come we're leaving early?"
Carisi patted the boy on the head. "I'll tell you when we get out to the car. Thanks," he told the school secretary, signed Jacob out, and ushered the boy quickly out to his waiting SUV. He practically lifted Jacob into the booster seat in the back and reached for the seatbelt, struggling a little with it. It kept locking up as he pulled on it. "Sonny, I can do it!" Jacob protested.
"I'm sorry, buddy. We're just in kind of a hurry." Carisi forced himself to take another breath. His panic was rubbing off on Jacob. "Here. You got it." He let go of the seatbelt and closed the door, jogging around to the driver's side door. He climbed in. "Good to go?"
"Good." Jacob looked at him in the rearview. "Sonny, is Grandma okay? Did something happen to Grandma?"
Carisi closed his eyes. Of course that's where Jacob's mind would go. "Grandma Lola's fine, buddy," he promised. "There's just, there's somethin' else happening. We're gonna go to the police station and talk to Miss Olivia."
Jacob considered that as they drove, Carisi willing himself to keep the speed limit. His eyes kept darting into the mirrors watching for a tail. After a few blocks, Jacob broke the silence. "Sonny…are we gonna be okay?"
The light ahead of them turned red, and Carisi slowed. He kept a foot on the brake as he turned in his seat, grabbing Jacob's knee and giving it a gentle shake. "Yeah. We're gonna be just fine. I'm sorry I scared you."
"It's okay."
The light turned green, and the two were silent the rest of the way to the precinct.
"Uncle Fin!"
Fin Tutuola swept Jesse Rollins into a hug. "Hey, Trouble," he greeted her, holding out his other arm to Billie and giving her a high five. "You got out of school early to come visit?" he asked, raising his eyes up to Amanda. His partner was putting on a front, he could tell. "That's awesome."
"Mommy, can we have snack?" Billie asked. "We left before snack time at school."
Joe Velasco caught Fin's eye and smoothly stepped in. "I've got cash and they just refilled the vending machine," he said, bending down to the girls' level. "Let's go check it out, huh?" He gently ushered the girls toward the break room, leaving Fin and Amanda alone.
"Don't let them out of your sight," Amanda ordered Velasco.
He blinked at her tone. "Don't worry, I got 'em." The younger detective gave her a two-fingered salute.
"What's going on, partner?" Fin asked the second they were alone.
Amanda's face fell and Fin pulled his chair out as Amanda's knees buckled. "Amanda?"
She shook her head. "Need….gotta wait for Carisi," she said, her voice wavering. "We…we have to talk to Olivia."
"Hi Amanda!" Amanda looked up to see Carisi and Jacob coming their way. Jacob spotted Jesse and Billie in the breakroom with Velasco and peeled off to go say hello. Carisi's long strides brought him across the room in about three steps and into Amanda's arms.
"You okay?"
"No," Amanda whispered into his chest. Across the bullpen, someone dropped their keys with a clang of metal and both Amanda and Carisi jerked like they'd been shot.
Fin stared at the two of them in alarm. "Hey. Let's go into Liv's office. She should be back in a second. And then the two of you can tell me whose ass I need to beat." He led them both to his captain's office, but neither one of them bothered to sit. Amanda's eyes never left the window as she watched Velasco with the kids. Carisi paced the small space, loosening his tie so it hung limply around his neck. He'd run his hands through his hair so many times it was starting to come loose from its usual slicked-back state, a piece near the front drooping over his forehead.
The door to the office opened and they looked up to see Olivia Benson, followed by Elliott Stabler. "I had a feeling we might want him in on this," Olivia said by way of explanation.
Elliott and Carisi eyed each other. "This has something to do with Wheatley threatening you in court, doesn't it," Elliot said flatly.
Wordlessly, Amanda tapped her cell phone screen a few times, then flipped it and handed it to Elliott. He and Olivia both glanced at it, Olivia's face immediately turning into a look of concern. "That email came to me at work today from an unknown address," Amanda explained.
The picture had clearly been taken from a cell phone, but it was easy enough to see Jesse Rollins laughing on the playground with a few of her friends. "That's all it is, just the picture," Amanda continued.
"We'll get Jet on the email," Elliott told her.
"Good. While she's at it, have her try this one." Carisi thrust his phone in Elliott's direction, the mysterious text message he'd received open on the screen. It was a similar picture, but this was of Jacob outside during his recess.
"Bet your friend Barba'd love to see these," Elliott said without looking at Olivia.
"Yeah, and he'll argue there's no way to link 'em back to Wheatley, and he's right," Carisi cut in. "Damn it. I never shoulda…we never shoulda-"
"You did what you needed to," Elliott said.
Carisi glared at him. "Did I?" he fired back. "'Cause I don't see him goin' after your kids right now-"
"Yeah, that's 'cause he murdered my wife!"
"Hey!"
The interjection came from Amanda and Olivia. Elliott and Carisi shut up and turned. "You did it, it's too late to change it, get over it. The important thing is that we nail Wheatley now."
"This is a goddamn nightmare," Carisi pressed a thumb to his forehead in frustration. "Richie changes his testimony, Angela….now this. He's still pulling the fucking strings no matter how many times we snap 'em."
"He's too smart to have left a trail," Amanda said, "but the fact that Carisi showed him up in court might also mean that he's determined to prove he's smarter…which means he might make a mistake." She handed over her phone to Elliott. "Have Jet trace the number; get CSU to look over every inch of that photo."
"Just so happens I know someone over there," Olivia said. "Amanda, can you send that photo to me? Carisi, you too."
Amanda air-dropped the photo on her phone. "I'll send you my email and password so TARU can get into my email," she added. "I…I need to go be with my kids."
"Go," Olivia told them. "Both of you. We've got this."
Olivia watched the two of them walk from her office to the bullpen hand in hand. They joined the kids in the breakroom. She looked at Elliott and Fin. "Okay. I need a detail on both of them and at the kids' schools."
"Pull Wheatley's communication from prison since the day he gave his testimony." Elliott nodded.
"We let Barba know?" Fin asked.
Olivia leaned back in her chair and looked at her sergeant. "Off the record," she said finally. "Meantime, get Jet going, get TARU going, just…get going."
Elliott and Fin left her office, and Olivia picked up her phone.
About 40 minutes later, a well-dressed man in a blue suit jacket, matching tie, and a small American flag pin on his lapel strode into the 1-6 like he owned the place, bypassed the desk sergeant, gave Fin a nod, and knocked on Olivia's door. Olivia got up and opened her door. "Captain Benson," the man said.
"Mac Taylor," Olivia smiled. "It's good to see you.
Author's Note: Mac Taylor appearing courtesy of "CSI:NY." Because when Ed the Plot Bunny says hop, I hop.