SVU - elliot/katie - back to the start - rated PG
title: back to the start
fandom: Law & Order SVU
pairing: elliot/katie (ofc), contains Matt Vaughn, OC of ciaimpala.
letter: j for jam-packed - table # 11 for a_to_z_prompts
summary: Katie's first day at SVU is an eventful one.
rating: PG.
word count: 3843.
warnings/spoilers: none really ;)
a/n: Katie Summers is an original character of mine who I'm pairing with Detective Elliot Stabler for my fic's in this challenge. You'll get to know more about her as you read :) SVU timeline wise is set during about season 2 and 3; when Katie first started working at SVU. Also; this is my first attempt at a song fic, inspired by "Be In Want" and "The Start", both by the uber-talented Meghan Tonjes.
disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Law and Order SVU. This is purely written for entertainment only.
Back To The Start
"I knew it from the start."
"You'd be the one to break my heart."
Katie gathered her thoughts as she was finally left alone in the elevator. She was new to this whole police precinct thing, and not used to the crowds, especially swearing, spitting, shoving crowds that she'd had to push her way through to get to the elevator. First days were always hard, and even though she knew the job she had accepted was incredibly easy (and beneath her, by her mother's standards), it was still nerve-wracking.
On the level of the 16th precinct, Katie took a breath, straightened out her cream, silk blouse over her black Calvin Klein jeans and strode as confidently as she could into the office in front of her. Sadly, the heavily tattooed man who whistled at her as she walked by didn't incite a reaction from her since the same thing had happened three times already after she'd first entered the building.
An almost painfully beautiful woman approached Katie with a warm smile that seemed to clash with the pistol attached to her hip holster. Her tall, lean frame towered about a head over Katie, but clearly thinking she was in need of police help, the woman radiated a very friendly vibe. "Can I help you?" She asked.
"Hi, I'm Katie Summers, I'm supposed to start work here today. Receptionist. I'm looking for Captain Cragen?"
"Oh, hi," Her smile went from being sympathetic to a more natural grin. "I'm Olivia Benson," She shook her hand, pointing her towards the far right of the room. "Captain's office is there. Welcome."
"Liv! Got a possible 187 by the river, you good to go?"
"I knew it from the start."
"Watched it all fall apart."
He turned and almost walked straight into Katie. As much as Olivia didn't exude what Katie thought of when she imagined a cop; this guy did. His piercing eyes were naturally intimidating; his muscled arms bore tattoos of time spent in the army or marines, and his general presence was quite menacing.
"Hi, I'm Katie." She extended her hand to him, noticing his eyes seemed to be obviously scanning-slash-judging her up and down without him bothering to hide it.
"Detective Stabler." He answered, gripping her hand firmly as he shook it. "Y'know if you're gonna work here you might wanna re-think your wardrobe?"
Katie was immediately taken aback; she knew her outfit was fine. "Excuse me?"
"This is the Special Victims Unit; we deal with a lot of sex offenders. You're not doing yourself any favours."
Katie plastered a smarmy grin on her face. "Well, it just so happens that I think I look nice." She said sweetly. "And as long as I have this body, I'll wear what I like."
The briefest of glares flashed across his eyes; and then he grinned without an ounce of friendliness. "Just a suggestion." He grabbed his coat of the back of his desk chair and walked towards Olivia; who was giving him a withering look.
"You might wanna re-think that tie." Katie murmured just loud enough for him to hear, and from the smirk on Olivia's face she knew he had. Steeling herself for an equally as unpleasant meeting with the Captain, Katie headed for his office.
"Stupid Mouth, please shut up.
You're not winning any wars.
I'm the one who's left behind.
Cleaning up the mess you cause."
In stark contrast to Elliot Stabler - the Captain had informed Katie of the names of those she'd be working with - Donald Cragen, a balding man who was likely in his late forties but looked older, was a gallant gentleman who welcomed Katie to the precinct; and she was glad of it because if all the men turned out to be like Elliot; she was prepared to leave and never come back. Screw 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger', life was too short to keep a pointless, busy-work job with a bunch of sexists.
After showing her the messy desk that she would be working at, Captain Cragen introduced Katie to the handful of Detectives nearby before the ancient ringing of his office phone tore him away. He'd basically reiterated everything he had told Katie over the phone when he'd hired her; that she would be taking calls, making coffee, filing... unglamorous, but it was money. And she needed money, New York was far from cheap and even though she had inherited her apartment from her grandmother, that only took rent out of the financial equation. And with her little sister Bonnie not making the best choices in her rebellious life, Katie saw it necessary for one of the Summer's daughters to start saving.
"Dammit!"
A Detective whom Katie had been told was John Munch cursed repeatedly, mopping up a mess he'd made at the coffee station.
"You the coffee girl?" He asked when he saw her watching him.
"I'd prefer 'helpful, receptionist, girl,' but yeah," She replied, taking a tea towel from the handle on the cupboard and helping him clean.
"Well, can you fix this thing?" He looked ready to punch the coffee machine. "It hates me, every time I use it; it spits at me."
Like Elliot, John had that same 'cop-vibe', but in a much less intimidating manner. He'd obviously been working here for years; his face was drawn with thick stress lines creviced through his sagging skin. He looked as though, in his youth, he would have been intimidating, but not so much anymore.
"Stupid piece of crap." He snarled and slapped the side of the machine.
It was a piece of crap alright, ancient, but it was also extremely simple to operate, all the buttons were big and labelled. Katie didn't generally believe stereotypes about the older people in society not knowing how to use technology... but it seemed to fit John. "Well," She turned the dial on the machine that was flicked to Pot and turned it to Cup. "There's your problem. It was set to fill a full pot, not a single cup." She took his NYPD mug and easily made him a cup of coffee. "See? Easy."
John gave her a thankful nod. "You're good."
"It's a coffee machine, not a bomb." Katie pointed out.
"I like you." John resolved.
"Ditto." Katie replied with a grin, sorting out the coffee machine so it was ready to make a full pot. "You're taking that totally leaded?" She raised her eyebrows as he downed half the highly-caffeinated drink in a few mouthfuls, the temperature didn't even seem to faze him.
"Only way to drink it with this job, cheers," He dipped his head to her and went to his desk.
Katie did the same, although her own desk was an utter disaster, and she could tell her first day was going to be spent organizing and throwing crap out. Wonderful.
"Fool me once and shame on you,
Fool me twice its what you'll do.
Two steps forward
Now I'm taking ten more back."
"Hey, Katie? Are you good with kids?" Olivia said as she handed a whimpering toddler over her desk into Katie's lap without waiting for an answer.
Katie loved kids, but it was hit and miss on whether they liked her or not. "Wait, what?"
"His father's a suspect in his mother's murder," Olivia explained, setting a diaper bag up on top of her recently cleaned letter-tray. "We're interviewing him now; CPS can't pick up the boy until tomorrow."
Katie watched her join Elliot, who was leading a struggling man in handcuffs to one of the back interview rooms. She couldn't tell who looked more threatening - Elliot or the criminal. "For how long?"
"As long as it takes, thanks!" Olivia said in a rushed breath as she disappeared behind her partner.
The fussing little boy cried out, stuffed his fist in his mouth and squirmed to get off Katie's lap. "Ok, this should be easy, right..." She lifted the toddler up onto her desk and had him face her. He was chubby with pale skin and watering brown eyes. His hair was an utter mess of black curls, and his clothes - a blue pair of overalls with a white and yellow striped shirt underneath - were dirty, and he smelled. "Step one... change you..."
"We will never be.
No one here would disagree."
The toddler, who Katie nicknamed Teddy because he had pictures of teddy bears on his diaper bag, was much happier after he was out of his dirty clothes. He didn't have a spare outfit so Katie had rummaged through the Lost&Found and located a yellow t-shirt with a smiley face on it that was probably for a ten-year old, so it hung off the side of Teddy's shoulder; but it was clean.
It had been three hours since Elliot and Olivia started interviewing Teddy's father, and Katie was on her lunch break, although it was hardly a break since she had Teddy in her lap the whole time. "Teddy, come on, here," She fed him some of her blueberry muffin; but he was happier just crushing it to crumbs. "I wanted to eat that, y'know."
"Do you need a hand?" A warm-smiling, handsome young man offered Katie as he took the spare seat across from her. "I could watch him while you eat."
"Oh, great, thanks." Katie shifted Teddy to the stranger's hand, noticing the badge around his neck. "He's driving me nuts."
"He's cute; how old?"
"No idea." Katie shrugged. "He's not mine." She briefly explained the situation upstairs with his father. "It's not part of my job description; but then again I was told I'd have to adapt..."
"If it helps, I totally mistook you for mother."
Katie smiled appreciatively. "Thanks... but no, it doesn't really help."
He laughed. "I'm Detective Matt Vaughn."
"Katie. Good to meet you..."
"We will never be.
You don't have to make a scene."
Katie was quick to learn that she wasn't going to have a regular nine to five job, even working as a lowly receptionist. It was almost seven in the evening and she was still nursing Teddy, and, from what she could observe, this was just a normal day's work.
Cragen did mention to her that she could leave, but when she handed Teddy over to John, he wailed. It was just easier for her to stay so he'd be quiet. And Cragen said she'd get overtime.
The children's interview room was where Katie set up to look after Teddy; it was used for when the detectives had to have one-on-one chats with minors, and it was full of colourful toys, bean bag chairs and a drawing station. Teddy, in just his diaper and borrowed tee, was making a mess with a bucket of blocks, while Katie, crammed into the child's seat at the little table, finished off another cup of coffee. Certainly was a memorable first day. She'd met nice people, assholes, and already taken care of a young victim... she even figured out that he was incredibly ticklish behind his ears, letting out giddy squeals every time she came at him with wriggling fingers.
Annoyed with the painful chair, Katie relocated to one of the bean bags, a bright red one, and let out a relaxed breath as she did, closing her eyes for just a moment. When she opened them, Teddy was standing in front of her holding a battered copy of Goodnight, Moon in his hand, looking at her expectantly. "Oh, ok," Katie sat up and pulled the toddler into her lap, he opened the book himself and slapped the first page with an open palm. "Ok... In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon..."
As she read, she felt Teddy's body sag against her chest as he slowly fell to sleep, and as he dozed off, Katie let her own eyelids close. "Good night, stars. Good night, air. Good night, noises everywhere."
"And take your time, I know you will.
Leave me behind, to stay right here."
A gentle shake of her shoulder awoke Katie from her comfortable sleep. It took her a second to remember she was still in the bean bag, Teddy asleep in her arms, and surprisingly to her, it was Detective Stabler who knelt before her. "You should go home." He said quietly.
"Are they here to take him?" Katie asked, noticing but not minding that Teddy was drooling on her.
"No, no, it's four AM, they won't be here 'til nine. I can stay with him."
Katie chewed her bottom lip. It would take a half hour to get home, she'd need to shower, and she wouldn't fall asleep right away, and she'd have to be back at work at nine... not to mention if Teddy woke up he'd throw a fit. "Is it okay if I just stay here?"
Elliot raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I just... figured you'd wanna get out of here."
There was that tone again, that's what it was that annoyed Katie about him. The way he spoke to her; like he believed she would rather be anywhere else. "What is your problem?" She asked quietly. "Was the girl I replaced so awful that you think I'd be the same way? Or do you think I'm just unnecessary for your important, police work?" She tried to mimic his demeaning tone.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't. Y'know I expected everyone I met today to be like you. Angry, hard, menacing... fact is you are the only person I've met today who's been like that. You might think what I'm going to do here is easy, and maybe it is compared to what you do, but it doesn't mean that I'm not going to be good at it."
Elliot pursed his lips together. "You done?"
Katie settled back in the bean bag. "Yeah."
"Have a good night."
That tone!
"Stupid Boy, please shut up
Oh, these words mean nothing now."
An hour later and dying for the bathroom, Katie managed to shift Teddy off her lap and onto the bean bag by himself so she could duck off to the restroom, but when she was washing her hands she heard his ear-splitting cry.
"Dadd-eeeeee!"
Katie dashed back to the interview room to see Teddy wandering around, holding his ear, wailing, looking terrified and lost. "Hey, it's ok." She plucked him up off the ground. "I'm sorry; I didn't think you'd wake up..." Teddy just kept crying. Katie felt guilty; the poor boy had woken up alone in a strange room in the dark, course he was scared. And he wouldn't calm down. Katie held him in the crook of her arm and rocked him back and forth, humming a random song, but he was just inconsolable.
Thinking a walk might calm him, Katie took him out into the main floor of the precinct; but that just made him cry harder. More foreign shadows and an even bigger space... he needed to be somewhere small; somewhere contained, she needed to bring his world inwards.
"Okay, okay..." She rushed throughout the precinct looking for a dark corner or a desk they could hide under, but nothing made Teddy quiet down. She entered a room full of filing cabinets that were set out kind of like a maze, and took Teddy right to the back of the room. There was a ledge holding a desk lamp and some discarded plastic coffee mugs, and underneath that is where Katie sat, held Teddy in her lap. She clicked off the light at the wall switch, clouding the whole room in darkness, and Teddy immediately quieted.
If she'd been thinking more clearly, she would have grabbed his diaper bag or her cell phone or something; but all she had was Teddy, and he was now just fussing, not crying, so she didn't dare get up. Instead; she recalled the final lines of Goodnight, Moon, and repeated them over and over in a quiet voice patting Teddy on his back until he went to sleep.
"Good night, stars. Good night, air. Goodnight noises, everywhere..."
Katie had never been woken up with a slap in the face before, but that's how Teddy woke her later that morning. She was curled up in a corner of the filing cabinet room, still under the ledge, and Teddy was standing in front of her poking at her face with his chubby hand, smiling and drooling.
"Good morning to you to." Katie smiled, checking her watch. It was almost ten am. "Mother-fu... fudge." She cursed, scrambling out from under the ledge. "Is it possible to be late for work when I'm at work?" She asked Teddy as she settled him on her hip, holding him with one hand as she tried to settle her hair down with the other. Her hair was straight blonde, but still managed to kick up a storm in her sleep.
She could hear the bustling of the bullpen the moment she opened the filing cabinet room door. There were policeman yelling into phones, Detectives barking orders, and lost looking people running around.
Teddy clutched Katie's shirts in his little fists; she could tell he was anxious. She spotted Olivia with her back turned. "Olivia?"
The gorgeous detective whirled around, eyed her, then Teddy, and then sighed with relief into her cell phone, nestled between her shoulder and her ear and hidden under her hair. "Never mind," She said closing her eyes. "We found them."
A ball of nerves rolled in Katie's stomach. Had they been looking for her? She'd been here all night. "What happened?"
"Where we you?" Olivia asked seriously. "We've been looking for you for hours; CFS is already here."
"I was in the back..." Katie said, explaining what had happened the night before, with Teddy being scared of the room. "That was the only place he was quiet."
"Why didn't you tell someone?" Cragen, and half the officers nearby, were now staring at her and listening to her explanation. "Why didn't you answer your phone? We sent uniforms to your apartment."
"What, did you think I'd run off with him?" Katie said, expecting a laugh, but all she got were tight, expressionless eyes looking back at her. "Oh, God, you thought I'd run off with him?"
"It happens." Olivia said, obviously annoyed at the nonchalance in her own voice.
"I'm sorry... I just thought... if I could keep him quiet; get him back to sleep, and then I'd bring him back to the interview room..." She felt sheepish. "I guess I fell asleep, too."
"CFS is in my office," Cragen said. "Hand him over, then go home and get some rest, okay?"
"Am I fired?"
"No, just... next time, leave a note or something?" Cragen half-smiled at her.
"I will... sorry..." Eager to get away from the public humiliation, Katie ducked into Cragen's office to see a uniformed police officer standing with a sweet looking middle-aged woman with half-glasses who was making some notes on a clipboard.
"Oh, this must be Dillan." She said, seeing the child and immediately putting her things aside.
"Dill-?" Katie scrunched her eyebrows together. "Oh, yeah, I, ah, was calling him Teddy..." She noticed the diaper bag and all Teddy's things were on the chair beside the uniformed officer, including the battered copy of Goodnight, Moon. "Where do you take him?"
"He has an Aunt in Poughkeepsie," The woman said. "She'll meet us at the Child Services building." She reached out for Teddy.
"So he won't have to go to a group home or anything like that?"
The woman shook her head. "No; he'll be with family... may I?" She extended her arms out for Teddy even more.
"Oh, right..." Katie swivelled Teddy on her hip so she could face him. "You be a good little man, okay? Don't ever find yourself in a police station again." She kissed his chubby little cheek and handed him over to the CFS woman. The office beside her picked up the diaper bag and her clipboard, and they promptly began to exit the office, just like that. Teddy looked over the woman's shoulder at Katie, his eyes wide and confused. When Cragen's door shut she heard him start to cry.
"It's getting hard to breathe
hard to be here alone without you.
When every part of me is crying out
Oh you know I want you."
Katie didn't go home like Cragen suggested, instead she made herself a cup of coffee and headed into the crib, a room full of old bunk beds and rollaway mattresses. She picked the one in the furthest corner around a bend in the wall; so hopefully no one would bother her. She sat her cup of coffee on the windowsill; put off slightly by the thick wiring criss-crossing across the window pane and the thick glass behind that. On her little bed in this little corner with bars on her window, Katie felt a little like she was in jail.
"What's going on?"
Katie sniffled and wiped her eyes, tired and missing the little man she'd only known for less than a day, she supposed tears were imminent; she just wished it was anyone buy Stabler who was witnessing them. "Nothing. Just tired. Up all night with that kid; and everyone thought I kidnapped him. I assume you did, too. I don't blame you all, really, I guess that's what a cop's mind goes to, even though I did nothing wrong. In fact I did everything right."
"I know."
"I took care of him, more care of him than was expected of me... wait, what do you mean, 'you know'?"
"I think you did the right thing. I woulda done the same thing."
That tone was gone... but Katie was still completely thrown off by him. He got to his feet and started to leave, but then came back. "I'm sorry... about before." He said through tight lips. "You must think I'm an asshole-"
Katie nodded. "I do."
"-and I'd like to tell you it's just the job... but Liv likes you, John likes you, Cragen likes you... you're not the problem."
"I know that."
Elliot smirked. "You're a smartass."
Katie smirked back. "I know that, too."
A brief flash of laughter glanced across his face. "Welcome to SVU." He said as he walked off.
"Thank you." Katie replied, staring back out the window. Her mind was whirling around a mile a minute. If this was her first day; what the hell was in store for her?
"When everyone can see you're watching me,
Waiting for the next move."
xxx
fandom: Law & Order SVU
pairing: elliot/katie (ofc), contains Matt Vaughn, OC of ciaimpala.
letter: j for jam-packed - table # 11 for a_to_z_prompts
summary: Katie's first day at SVU is an eventful one.
rating: PG.
word count: 3843.
warnings/spoilers: none really ;)
a/n: Katie Summers is an original character of mine who I'm pairing with Detective Elliot Stabler for my fic's in this challenge. You'll get to know more about her as you read :) SVU timeline wise is set during about season 2 and 3; when Katie first started working at SVU. Also; this is my first attempt at a song fic, inspired by "Be In Want" and "The Start", both by the uber-talented Meghan Tonjes.
disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Law and Order SVU. This is purely written for entertainment only.
Back To The Start
"I knew it from the start."
"You'd be the one to break my heart."
Katie gathered her thoughts as she was finally left alone in the elevator. She was new to this whole police precinct thing, and not used to the crowds, especially swearing, spitting, shoving crowds that she'd had to push her way through to get to the elevator. First days were always hard, and even though she knew the job she had accepted was incredibly easy (and beneath her, by her mother's standards), it was still nerve-wracking.
On the level of the 16th precinct, Katie took a breath, straightened out her cream, silk blouse over her black Calvin Klein jeans and strode as confidently as she could into the office in front of her. Sadly, the heavily tattooed man who whistled at her as she walked by didn't incite a reaction from her since the same thing had happened three times already after she'd first entered the building.
An almost painfully beautiful woman approached Katie with a warm smile that seemed to clash with the pistol attached to her hip holster. Her tall, lean frame towered about a head over Katie, but clearly thinking she was in need of police help, the woman radiated a very friendly vibe. "Can I help you?" She asked.
"Hi, I'm Katie Summers, I'm supposed to start work here today. Receptionist. I'm looking for Captain Cragen?"
"Oh, hi," Her smile went from being sympathetic to a more natural grin. "I'm Olivia Benson," She shook her hand, pointing her towards the far right of the room. "Captain's office is there. Welcome."
"Liv! Got a possible 187 by the river, you good to go?"
"I knew it from the start."
"Watched it all fall apart."
He turned and almost walked straight into Katie. As much as Olivia didn't exude what Katie thought of when she imagined a cop; this guy did. His piercing eyes were naturally intimidating; his muscled arms bore tattoos of time spent in the army or marines, and his general presence was quite menacing.
"Hi, I'm Katie." She extended her hand to him, noticing his eyes seemed to be obviously scanning-slash-judging her up and down without him bothering to hide it.
"Detective Stabler." He answered, gripping her hand firmly as he shook it. "Y'know if you're gonna work here you might wanna re-think your wardrobe?"
Katie was immediately taken aback; she knew her outfit was fine. "Excuse me?"
"This is the Special Victims Unit; we deal with a lot of sex offenders. You're not doing yourself any favours."
Katie plastered a smarmy grin on her face. "Well, it just so happens that I think I look nice." She said sweetly. "And as long as I have this body, I'll wear what I like."
The briefest of glares flashed across his eyes; and then he grinned without an ounce of friendliness. "Just a suggestion." He grabbed his coat of the back of his desk chair and walked towards Olivia; who was giving him a withering look.
"You might wanna re-think that tie." Katie murmured just loud enough for him to hear, and from the smirk on Olivia's face she knew he had. Steeling herself for an equally as unpleasant meeting with the Captain, Katie headed for his office.
"Stupid Mouth, please shut up.
You're not winning any wars.
I'm the one who's left behind.
Cleaning up the mess you cause."
In stark contrast to Elliot Stabler - the Captain had informed Katie of the names of those she'd be working with - Donald Cragen, a balding man who was likely in his late forties but looked older, was a gallant gentleman who welcomed Katie to the precinct; and she was glad of it because if all the men turned out to be like Elliot; she was prepared to leave and never come back. Screw 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger', life was too short to keep a pointless, busy-work job with a bunch of sexists.
After showing her the messy desk that she would be working at, Captain Cragen introduced Katie to the handful of Detectives nearby before the ancient ringing of his office phone tore him away. He'd basically reiterated everything he had told Katie over the phone when he'd hired her; that she would be taking calls, making coffee, filing... unglamorous, but it was money. And she needed money, New York was far from cheap and even though she had inherited her apartment from her grandmother, that only took rent out of the financial equation. And with her little sister Bonnie not making the best choices in her rebellious life, Katie saw it necessary for one of the Summer's daughters to start saving.
"Dammit!"
A Detective whom Katie had been told was John Munch cursed repeatedly, mopping up a mess he'd made at the coffee station.
"You the coffee girl?" He asked when he saw her watching him.
"I'd prefer 'helpful, receptionist, girl,' but yeah," She replied, taking a tea towel from the handle on the cupboard and helping him clean.
"Well, can you fix this thing?" He looked ready to punch the coffee machine. "It hates me, every time I use it; it spits at me."
Like Elliot, John had that same 'cop-vibe', but in a much less intimidating manner. He'd obviously been working here for years; his face was drawn with thick stress lines creviced through his sagging skin. He looked as though, in his youth, he would have been intimidating, but not so much anymore.
"Stupid piece of crap." He snarled and slapped the side of the machine.
It was a piece of crap alright, ancient, but it was also extremely simple to operate, all the buttons were big and labelled. Katie didn't generally believe stereotypes about the older people in society not knowing how to use technology... but it seemed to fit John. "Well," She turned the dial on the machine that was flicked to Pot and turned it to Cup. "There's your problem. It was set to fill a full pot, not a single cup." She took his NYPD mug and easily made him a cup of coffee. "See? Easy."
John gave her a thankful nod. "You're good."
"It's a coffee machine, not a bomb." Katie pointed out.
"I like you." John resolved.
"Ditto." Katie replied with a grin, sorting out the coffee machine so it was ready to make a full pot. "You're taking that totally leaded?" She raised her eyebrows as he downed half the highly-caffeinated drink in a few mouthfuls, the temperature didn't even seem to faze him.
"Only way to drink it with this job, cheers," He dipped his head to her and went to his desk.
Katie did the same, although her own desk was an utter disaster, and she could tell her first day was going to be spent organizing and throwing crap out. Wonderful.
"Fool me once and shame on you,
Fool me twice its what you'll do.
Two steps forward
Now I'm taking ten more back."
"Hey, Katie? Are you good with kids?" Olivia said as she handed a whimpering toddler over her desk into Katie's lap without waiting for an answer.
Katie loved kids, but it was hit and miss on whether they liked her or not. "Wait, what?"
"His father's a suspect in his mother's murder," Olivia explained, setting a diaper bag up on top of her recently cleaned letter-tray. "We're interviewing him now; CPS can't pick up the boy until tomorrow."
Katie watched her join Elliot, who was leading a struggling man in handcuffs to one of the back interview rooms. She couldn't tell who looked more threatening - Elliot or the criminal. "For how long?"
"As long as it takes, thanks!" Olivia said in a rushed breath as she disappeared behind her partner.
The fussing little boy cried out, stuffed his fist in his mouth and squirmed to get off Katie's lap. "Ok, this should be easy, right..." She lifted the toddler up onto her desk and had him face her. He was chubby with pale skin and watering brown eyes. His hair was an utter mess of black curls, and his clothes - a blue pair of overalls with a white and yellow striped shirt underneath - were dirty, and he smelled. "Step one... change you..."
"We will never be.
No one here would disagree."
The toddler, who Katie nicknamed Teddy because he had pictures of teddy bears on his diaper bag, was much happier after he was out of his dirty clothes. He didn't have a spare outfit so Katie had rummaged through the Lost&Found and located a yellow t-shirt with a smiley face on it that was probably for a ten-year old, so it hung off the side of Teddy's shoulder; but it was clean.
It had been three hours since Elliot and Olivia started interviewing Teddy's father, and Katie was on her lunch break, although it was hardly a break since she had Teddy in her lap the whole time. "Teddy, come on, here," She fed him some of her blueberry muffin; but he was happier just crushing it to crumbs. "I wanted to eat that, y'know."
"Do you need a hand?" A warm-smiling, handsome young man offered Katie as he took the spare seat across from her. "I could watch him while you eat."
"Oh, great, thanks." Katie shifted Teddy to the stranger's hand, noticing the badge around his neck. "He's driving me nuts."
"He's cute; how old?"
"No idea." Katie shrugged. "He's not mine." She briefly explained the situation upstairs with his father. "It's not part of my job description; but then again I was told I'd have to adapt..."
"If it helps, I totally mistook you for mother."
Katie smiled appreciatively. "Thanks... but no, it doesn't really help."
He laughed. "I'm Detective Matt Vaughn."
"Katie. Good to meet you..."
"We will never be.
You don't have to make a scene."
Katie was quick to learn that she wasn't going to have a regular nine to five job, even working as a lowly receptionist. It was almost seven in the evening and she was still nursing Teddy, and, from what she could observe, this was just a normal day's work.
Cragen did mention to her that she could leave, but when she handed Teddy over to John, he wailed. It was just easier for her to stay so he'd be quiet. And Cragen said she'd get overtime.
The children's interview room was where Katie set up to look after Teddy; it was used for when the detectives had to have one-on-one chats with minors, and it was full of colourful toys, bean bag chairs and a drawing station. Teddy, in just his diaper and borrowed tee, was making a mess with a bucket of blocks, while Katie, crammed into the child's seat at the little table, finished off another cup of coffee. Certainly was a memorable first day. She'd met nice people, assholes, and already taken care of a young victim... she even figured out that he was incredibly ticklish behind his ears, letting out giddy squeals every time she came at him with wriggling fingers.
Annoyed with the painful chair, Katie relocated to one of the bean bags, a bright red one, and let out a relaxed breath as she did, closing her eyes for just a moment. When she opened them, Teddy was standing in front of her holding a battered copy of Goodnight, Moon in his hand, looking at her expectantly. "Oh, ok," Katie sat up and pulled the toddler into her lap, he opened the book himself and slapped the first page with an open palm. "Ok... In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon..."
As she read, she felt Teddy's body sag against her chest as he slowly fell to sleep, and as he dozed off, Katie let her own eyelids close. "Good night, stars. Good night, air. Good night, noises everywhere."
"And take your time, I know you will.
Leave me behind, to stay right here."
A gentle shake of her shoulder awoke Katie from her comfortable sleep. It took her a second to remember she was still in the bean bag, Teddy asleep in her arms, and surprisingly to her, it was Detective Stabler who knelt before her. "You should go home." He said quietly.
"Are they here to take him?" Katie asked, noticing but not minding that Teddy was drooling on her.
"No, no, it's four AM, they won't be here 'til nine. I can stay with him."
Katie chewed her bottom lip. It would take a half hour to get home, she'd need to shower, and she wouldn't fall asleep right away, and she'd have to be back at work at nine... not to mention if Teddy woke up he'd throw a fit. "Is it okay if I just stay here?"
Elliot raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I just... figured you'd wanna get out of here."
There was that tone again, that's what it was that annoyed Katie about him. The way he spoke to her; like he believed she would rather be anywhere else. "What is your problem?" She asked quietly. "Was the girl I replaced so awful that you think I'd be the same way? Or do you think I'm just unnecessary for your important, police work?" She tried to mimic his demeaning tone.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't. Y'know I expected everyone I met today to be like you. Angry, hard, menacing... fact is you are the only person I've met today who's been like that. You might think what I'm going to do here is easy, and maybe it is compared to what you do, but it doesn't mean that I'm not going to be good at it."
Elliot pursed his lips together. "You done?"
Katie settled back in the bean bag. "Yeah."
"Have a good night."
That tone!
"Stupid Boy, please shut up
Oh, these words mean nothing now."
An hour later and dying for the bathroom, Katie managed to shift Teddy off her lap and onto the bean bag by himself so she could duck off to the restroom, but when she was washing her hands she heard his ear-splitting cry.
"Dadd-eeeeee!"
Katie dashed back to the interview room to see Teddy wandering around, holding his ear, wailing, looking terrified and lost. "Hey, it's ok." She plucked him up off the ground. "I'm sorry; I didn't think you'd wake up..." Teddy just kept crying. Katie felt guilty; the poor boy had woken up alone in a strange room in the dark, course he was scared. And he wouldn't calm down. Katie held him in the crook of her arm and rocked him back and forth, humming a random song, but he was just inconsolable.
Thinking a walk might calm him, Katie took him out into the main floor of the precinct; but that just made him cry harder. More foreign shadows and an even bigger space... he needed to be somewhere small; somewhere contained, she needed to bring his world inwards.
"Okay, okay..." She rushed throughout the precinct looking for a dark corner or a desk they could hide under, but nothing made Teddy quiet down. She entered a room full of filing cabinets that were set out kind of like a maze, and took Teddy right to the back of the room. There was a ledge holding a desk lamp and some discarded plastic coffee mugs, and underneath that is where Katie sat, held Teddy in her lap. She clicked off the light at the wall switch, clouding the whole room in darkness, and Teddy immediately quieted.
If she'd been thinking more clearly, she would have grabbed his diaper bag or her cell phone or something; but all she had was Teddy, and he was now just fussing, not crying, so she didn't dare get up. Instead; she recalled the final lines of Goodnight, Moon, and repeated them over and over in a quiet voice patting Teddy on his back until he went to sleep.
"Good night, stars. Good night, air. Goodnight noises, everywhere..."
Katie had never been woken up with a slap in the face before, but that's how Teddy woke her later that morning. She was curled up in a corner of the filing cabinet room, still under the ledge, and Teddy was standing in front of her poking at her face with his chubby hand, smiling and drooling.
"Good morning to you to." Katie smiled, checking her watch. It was almost ten am. "Mother-fu... fudge." She cursed, scrambling out from under the ledge. "Is it possible to be late for work when I'm at work?" She asked Teddy as she settled him on her hip, holding him with one hand as she tried to settle her hair down with the other. Her hair was straight blonde, but still managed to kick up a storm in her sleep.
She could hear the bustling of the bullpen the moment she opened the filing cabinet room door. There were policeman yelling into phones, Detectives barking orders, and lost looking people running around.
Teddy clutched Katie's shirts in his little fists; she could tell he was anxious. She spotted Olivia with her back turned. "Olivia?"
The gorgeous detective whirled around, eyed her, then Teddy, and then sighed with relief into her cell phone, nestled between her shoulder and her ear and hidden under her hair. "Never mind," She said closing her eyes. "We found them."
A ball of nerves rolled in Katie's stomach. Had they been looking for her? She'd been here all night. "What happened?"
"Where we you?" Olivia asked seriously. "We've been looking for you for hours; CFS is already here."
"I was in the back..." Katie said, explaining what had happened the night before, with Teddy being scared of the room. "That was the only place he was quiet."
"Why didn't you tell someone?" Cragen, and half the officers nearby, were now staring at her and listening to her explanation. "Why didn't you answer your phone? We sent uniforms to your apartment."
"What, did you think I'd run off with him?" Katie said, expecting a laugh, but all she got were tight, expressionless eyes looking back at her. "Oh, God, you thought I'd run off with him?"
"It happens." Olivia said, obviously annoyed at the nonchalance in her own voice.
"I'm sorry... I just thought... if I could keep him quiet; get him back to sleep, and then I'd bring him back to the interview room..." She felt sheepish. "I guess I fell asleep, too."
"CFS is in my office," Cragen said. "Hand him over, then go home and get some rest, okay?"
"Am I fired?"
"No, just... next time, leave a note or something?" Cragen half-smiled at her.
"I will... sorry..." Eager to get away from the public humiliation, Katie ducked into Cragen's office to see a uniformed police officer standing with a sweet looking middle-aged woman with half-glasses who was making some notes on a clipboard.
"Oh, this must be Dillan." She said, seeing the child and immediately putting her things aside.
"Dill-?" Katie scrunched her eyebrows together. "Oh, yeah, I, ah, was calling him Teddy..." She noticed the diaper bag and all Teddy's things were on the chair beside the uniformed officer, including the battered copy of Goodnight, Moon. "Where do you take him?"
"He has an Aunt in Poughkeepsie," The woman said. "She'll meet us at the Child Services building." She reached out for Teddy.
"So he won't have to go to a group home or anything like that?"
The woman shook her head. "No; he'll be with family... may I?" She extended her arms out for Teddy even more.
"Oh, right..." Katie swivelled Teddy on her hip so she could face him. "You be a good little man, okay? Don't ever find yourself in a police station again." She kissed his chubby little cheek and handed him over to the CFS woman. The office beside her picked up the diaper bag and her clipboard, and they promptly began to exit the office, just like that. Teddy looked over the woman's shoulder at Katie, his eyes wide and confused. When Cragen's door shut she heard him start to cry.
"It's getting hard to breathe
hard to be here alone without you.
When every part of me is crying out
Oh you know I want you."
Katie didn't go home like Cragen suggested, instead she made herself a cup of coffee and headed into the crib, a room full of old bunk beds and rollaway mattresses. She picked the one in the furthest corner around a bend in the wall; so hopefully no one would bother her. She sat her cup of coffee on the windowsill; put off slightly by the thick wiring criss-crossing across the window pane and the thick glass behind that. On her little bed in this little corner with bars on her window, Katie felt a little like she was in jail.
"What's going on?"
Katie sniffled and wiped her eyes, tired and missing the little man she'd only known for less than a day, she supposed tears were imminent; she just wished it was anyone buy Stabler who was witnessing them. "Nothing. Just tired. Up all night with that kid; and everyone thought I kidnapped him. I assume you did, too. I don't blame you all, really, I guess that's what a cop's mind goes to, even though I did nothing wrong. In fact I did everything right."
"I know."
"I took care of him, more care of him than was expected of me... wait, what do you mean, 'you know'?"
"I think you did the right thing. I woulda done the same thing."
That tone was gone... but Katie was still completely thrown off by him. He got to his feet and started to leave, but then came back. "I'm sorry... about before." He said through tight lips. "You must think I'm an asshole-"
Katie nodded. "I do."
"-and I'd like to tell you it's just the job... but Liv likes you, John likes you, Cragen likes you... you're not the problem."
"I know that."
Elliot smirked. "You're a smartass."
Katie smirked back. "I know that, too."
A brief flash of laughter glanced across his face. "Welcome to SVU." He said as he walked off.
"Thank you." Katie replied, staring back out the window. Her mind was whirling around a mile a minute. If this was her first day; what the hell was in store for her?
"When everyone can see you're watching me,
Waiting for the next move."
xxx