#sergeant fin

[olderwomenenthusiast]

she's in control (alex cabot)

PAIRING: alex cabot & fem reader DESCRIPTION: you were meant to be focusing on the team's meeting but alex made sure you were only focused on her CAUTION: semi-public sex, spanking, oral, fingering, slight degradation, power dynamics; dominance and submissive, vibrating painties, reader recieving, aftercare! WORD COUNT: 3.2k AUTHOR'S NOTE: i haven't proof read this, let me know if it doesn't flow or there are any mistakes! x

The precinct was heavy with the weight of the case, the fluorescent lights casting a clinical glow over the room. Every face around the table was grim, brows furrowed in concentration as they pored over evidence, their minds sharpened by urgency. The air smelled of stale coffee and exhaustion, a familiar scent that usually kept you grounded in moments like this.

But right now, no amount of familiarity could anchor you.

Because beneath the sturdy conference table, hidden from every detective, sergeant, and assistant district attorney in the room, a secret war was waging inside you.

Your panties were vibrating.

It was subtle at first, a faint hum that barely registered over the murmur of conversation. But your body noticed immediately. Heat prickled over your skin, and your breath stilled in your chest as the sensation bloomed between your thighs. Your grip on your pen tightened, knuckles white as you forced yourself to keep still.

Across the room, Alex Cabot sat poised, the very picture of composure. Blonde hair pulled back into a perfect bun, glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, she exuded nothing but professionalism. To anyone else, she was absorbed in the case file before her, flipping through the pages with steady, meticulous hands.

But you knew better.

You knew that the phone in her hand wasn’t just for checking emails or reviewing legal documents. You knew that with the slightest flick of her finger, she could send another pulse of pleasure through you, controlling you from across the room.

Your panties. Her rules.

Your stomach clenched, desire curling low in your abdomen as the vibration intensified, still gentle, just enough to make you aware of it, to make you ache.

You swallowed hard. Focus. Stay calm.

A grainy surveillance photo of a dark alleyway stared up at you from the file, but you couldn’t process a single detail. You were hyper-aware of every sensation - the soft throb between your legs, the way your skin flushed with warmth, the way your thighs clenched together in a desperate attempt to relieve the ache Alex was so cruelly stoking.

And then nothing.

The vibration stopped.

Your breath left you in a quiet, controlled exhale. Relief and frustration warred inside you as you forced yourself to steady your hands. Maybe she was done. Maybe she’d had her fun.

Then a new wave hit.

Stronger. Fucking hell babe.

Your body jolted. Just a tiny movement, but enough.

"Something wrong?" Fin’s voice broke through the haze clouding your mind. His dark eyes flicked toward you, brow raised.

Oh shit.

You forced yourself to blink, to shake off the heat creeping up your neck. "No. Just thinking."

You swore you could feel Alex’s eyes on you, but when you dared a glance in her direction, she was the very picture of professionalism. The only giveaway was the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, almost imperceptible.

She was enjoying this. Savoring every second.

And you were completely at her mercy.

The vibrations stopped again. Your body ached at the sudden loss, but you couldn’t allow yourself to react. Not here. Not in a room full of detectives trained to notice the slightest shift in body language.

A beat passed. Then another.

You allowed yourself to relax, just a little.

And then Alex turned the dial higher. Shitshitshit.

Your breath hitched, and a sharp pulse of pleasure slammed into you. This wasn’t teasing anymore. This was punishment.

Heat pooled between your legs, your pulse pounding in your ears as you struggled to stay still. You clenched your jaw, forcing yourself to grip the table as your entire body tensed. The pleasure was unbearable, just on the edge of overwhelming, and yet you had no choice but to endure it.

Alex was playing a dangerous game.

"Hey," Olivia called your name, her sharp gaze locking onto you. "You good?"

Fuck.

You couldn’t speak immediately. Couldn’t even move. You knew your face must have been flushed, your breath just slightly too uneven. You were seconds away from completely unraveling.

Then Alex spoke.

“Maybe they need a break,” she suggested smoothly, not even looking up from her file. Her voice was calm, completely unbothered, as if she weren’t the reason you were struggling to hold yourself together.

You shot her a glare, but all she did was lift one perfectly sculpted brow. She was mocking you, daring you to challenge her.

Oh, she was going to pay for this later.

But for now, she was in control. She always is.

And as she pressed another button on her phone, sending another sharp, pulsing vibration through your body, you realized something chilling.

You barely made it through the rest of the briefing. Every second was torture. Alex’s calculated teasing, the unbearable pressure building inside you, the constant struggle to keep your face neutral while the SVU team carried on as if nothing was wrong.

By the time the meeting wrapped up, your body was humming with unfulfilled need, and you were desperate for relief.

The second Olivia dismissed everyone, you bolted. You didn’t even try to make it subtle, you just grabbed your case file and strode out of the conference room as fast as your legs would carry you. You could still hear the others talking behind you, but it didn’t matter. You needed to get away.

Alex knew that.

That’s why she followed.

You could feel her presence behind you, her heels clicking purposefully against the tile floor. She didn’t call out to you, didn’t make a scene. She didn’t need to.

The moment you turned the corner, she was on you.

Before you could react, Alex’s hand grabbed your wrist, pulling you into the nearest empty office. The door clicked shut behind you, and then it was just the two of you - alone, finally.

The second she let go, you spun around to face her, eyes blazing.

“What the hell was that?” you hissed, your voice sharp but quiet.

Alex didn’t answer right away. Instead, she took a slow, measured step forward, the ghost of a smirk playing at her lips. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, her voice dripping with faux innocence.

Your whole body was still buzzing, throbbing from her relentless teasing. You clenched your fists, your frustration boiling over. “You damn well know what I mean.”

Alex just tilted her head, watching you with those piercing blue eyes, the ones that always saw too much, the ones that always stripped you bare. “You did so well,” she murmured, and the warmth in her voice sent a fresh wave of heat through you. “Not a single noise. Almost like you wanted to be good for me.”

You inhaled sharply, your fingers twitching at your sides. “Alex,” you warned.

She took another step closer, so close now that you could smell her perfume, could feel the heat radiating off her body. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to sit there and watch you struggle?” she murmured, her voice low and dangerous. “To know exactly how wet you were, how much you wanted to squirm, and not be able to touch you?”

Your breath caught in your throat. The air between you crackled, thick with tension. You wanted to fight her. Wanted to push her against the wall and punish her for making you suffer.

But she was faster.

Before you could react, Alex reached into her blazer pocket, pulled out her phone, and with a single press of her thumb ---

The vibrations started again.

A strangled gasp escaped you as your knees nearly buckled. The pleasure was instant, overwhelming after all the torment she had put you through. Your hands shot out, gripping the edge of the desk behind you as your body arched into the sensation.

Alex’s gaze darkened with satisfaction. “You’re so responsive,” she murmured, stepping even closer. “I think you like this more than you’re willing to admit.”

You let out a shuddering breath, barely able to focus. “Alex...”

She lifted a single finger and pressed it against your lips. “Shhh,” she whispered. “Be a good girl and take what I give you.”

Your entire body trembled.

And then she turned the dial even higher. The relentless vibration between your legs was torturous, your body wound so tight you thought you might snap.

Alex knew it. Course she did, she knew exactly how to work you.

She watched you with the sharp focus of a predator, her blue eyes dark with something deeper than just satisfaction. Power. Control. Possession.

And you had given yourself over to it.

With deliberate slowness, she reached for you, her fingertips ghosting over your hips before sliding beneath the hem of your skirt. Her touch was electric, sending sparks across your skin, but it wasn’t enough. Not after everything she had put you through.

You needed more.

"Please," you whispered, barely recognizing your own voice.

A pleased hum left her lips. "So polite," she murmured, her breath warm against your jaw. "I should reward you for that."

Then, without warning, she hooked her fingers into the waistband of your panties and dragged them down your thighs. The cool air against your flushed, aching core sent a violent shudder through you, but before you could react ---

Her teeth sank into your neck.

A sharp gasp tore from your lips as pleasure and pain mingled into something dizzying, something primal. Alex bit down hard, her mouth hot and demanding against your skin, sucking deep enough to leave a mark. One that would linger long after this moment ended.

Your hands scrambled for purchase, gripping at her blazer, her shirt, anything to ground yourself as she claimed you. The vibrations had stopped now, but the absence did nothing to ease the ache. If anything, it made you more desperate.

Then finally, she slid two fingers inside you.

The moment Alex’s fingers slid inside you, a sharp gasp tore from your lips. The stretch, the fullness, the precision of her movements, it was everything you had been aching for, everything she had been teasing you with all night. Your body clenched around her, desperate, your fingers clutching at the fabric of her blazer to keep yourself from unraveling completely.

Jesus.

Alex bit down harder on your neck, her mouth hot and unyielding as she sucked a deep, claiming bruise into your skin. The pain was sharp, intoxicating, a stark contrast to the pleasure flooding through you.

“You’re shaking,” she murmured against your throat, her voice thick with satisfaction. “You’ve been holding back all night, haven’t you?”

Her fingers curled inside you, pressing against that spot that made your knees threaten to give out. A strangled whimper escaped your lips.

Alex chuckled softly, a dark, pleased sound, before pulling back just enough to meet your gaze. Her pupils were blown wide, her lips slightly parted, her expression dripping with control and hunger.

“Look at you,” she purred. “Dripping. Needy. Desperate for me.”

Then her other hand slipped between your legs, her thumb pressing against your clit.

Another sharp cry left you, your body jolting at the sudden contact. The sensation was immediate, unbearable in the best way, after all the teasing, all the waiting, she was finally giving you what you needed.

Alex moved in slow circles, her fingers inside you matching the rhythm, coaxing, guiding, and certainly demanding.

“Shhh,” she whispered when another whimper escaped you. “Do you want the whole squad to hear how wrecked you are for me?”

You did. You didn’t care. Not when she was touching you like this, not when she was rubbing tight, merciless circles against your clit while her fingers worked you open with practiced ease.

Her mouth found your ear, her breath hot, teasing. “You’re close, aren’t you?”

You nodded frantically, unable to form words, pleasure coiling so tight in your stomach you thought you might snap from the tension.

Alex’s pace quickened. Her thumb pressed harder, her fingers thrust deeper, and just when you thought you couldn’t take it anymore ---

“Cum for me.”

Her command shattered you.

Your body arched, pleasure slamming into you with an intensity that stole your breath. You clenched around her fingers, a broken moan slipping from your lips as wave after wave of release crashed over you.

Alex didn’t stop. She worked you through it, her movements steady, guiding you down from the high until you were trembling in her arms, breathless, spent, utterly wrecked.

Only then did she slow, her fingers slipping from you, her touch gentle now as she smoothed her hand over your thigh.

She leaned in, her lips brushing against the bruise she had left on your neck. “That’s my girl.”

Your head was still spinning, your body still tingling with aftershocks, but even through the haze, one thing was clear.

This wasn’t over. Not even close.

Before you could catch your breath, Alex’s hands gripped your hips, lifting you with effortless strength. Your back met the cool surface of the desk, papers scattering to the floor, but you barely noticed. Not when she was pushing your legs apart, her fingers digging harshly into your thighs as she spread you wide.

Her eyes flicked up to meet yours, dark and ravenous. “I’m not done with you.”

Then she hooked your legs over her shoulders, her breath hot against your already-sensitive core. Alex held you in place, her grip firm as her mouth descended on you. The first slow, deliberate drag of her tongue sent a sharp jolt of pleasure straight through you, making your fingers claw at the edge of the desk.

"Fuck.." The word ripped from your throat before you could stop it, but Alex only smirked against you, lips brushing your soaked skin as she chuckled darkly.

"Language," she teased, her breath a cruel, teasing heat before she licked into you again, firmer this time, her tongue flattening against your clit in a way that had your hips jerking against her.

She hummed, pleased with your reaction, and then tightened her grip on your thighs, holding you still as she truly began to devour you.

Her tongue moved with precision, flicking, circling, sucking, never staying in one spot long enough to let you adjust. The sensitivity from your first orgasm made every touch feel unbearable, too much, yet not nearly enough.

Your body writhed against the desk, your hands flying to her hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands as if grounding yourself was the only way to keep from unraveling completely.

Alex groaned at that, the vibration sinking deep into you, making your breath hitch.

“You taste so fucking good,” she murmured between strokes, her voice thick, dripping with hunger. She flicked her tongue over your clit again before sucking it into her mouth, sending another shockwave of pleasure crashing through you.

Your back arched violently, another strangled moan escaping your lips.

Alex didn't let up. If anything, she doubled down, her tongue working you over with ruthless intent. When she slid two fingers back inside you, curling them just right, you knew you were done for.

"A-Alex --" Your voice was nothing more than a desperate whimper, your body trembling against the desk.

"I know," she murmured, her lips brushing against you between strokes. "Cum for me again. I want to feel you fall apart."

Her words, her touch, her voice. It was all too much.

The tension in your core snapped, pleasure flooding through you like a tidal wave. Your thighs shook against her shoulders, your fingers gripping her hair tightening even more as you came hard, a broken cry spilling from your lips.

Alex groaned as she worked you through it, her tongue and fingers relentless, drawing out every last aftershock until you were nothing more than a trembling, gasping mess beneath her.

Only when your body finally sagged against the desk, boneless and spent, did she pull away, placing one last teasing kiss against your thigh before straightening.

Her eyes were heavy with satisfaction as she dragged the back of her hand across her mouth, wiping away the evidence of just how thoroughly she had ruined you.

She smirked. "I should keep you on this desk more often."

Your chest heaved, your limbs still weak. Alex’s eyes softened as she watched you, still sprawled across the desk, your chest heaving with each breath. Her expression shifted from the intense hunger of moments before to something gentler, more protective.

She didn’t need to say anything. Her hands were already on you, tenderly adjusting your body so you were sitting upright, her fingers brushing through your hair, smoothing it back from your face.

“Easy,” she murmured, her voice soothing, her touch gentle as she lifted you carefully off the desk. You felt dizzy, light-headed, the effects of your orgasm still rippling through you in waves.

Alex supported your weight, guiding you toward the chair, her hands steady, never once letting you wobble or fall. She knelt down in front of you, her fingers carefully massaging the tension from your shoulders.

“I’ve got you,” she whispered, as she worked her way down to your wrists, her touch light but sure, coaxing the last remnants of strain from your body.

You were too tired to speak, your voice still a bit shaky, but you leaned into her touch, closing your eyes for a moment, just letting yourself relax.

She stood, pulling a blanket from the chair and wrapping it around you like a protective cocoon. Her hands lingered, her fingers tracing soothing circles on your skin as she sat down beside you, holding you close.

“You did so well,” she said softly, pressing a kiss to your temple, her lips lingering there for a moment. “Just breathe. Let me take care of you now.”

Her hands were warm as they moved over your body, a contrast to the cool air around you. She ran her fingers gently over your thighs, down your arms, offering you comfort in every touch, grounding you back to reality.

She didn’t rush you, didn’t demand anything more from you. Just slow, soft caresses that reminded you of her presence—solid, steady, always there for you.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asked, her voice low, almost protective now.

You nodded slowly, unable to form words just yet, still caught in the aftermath of everything she’d given you.

Alex gave you a soft smile, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face, her touch tender. “I know it was a lot. Just relax. I’m not going anywhere.”

You melted into her embrace, your body still humming, but safe, warm, cherished in the aftermath.

She kissed your forehead, and for a moment, all the intense energy of the night seemed to fade into something soft, something that felt like home.

You could feel yourself drifting into a gentle calm, the stress of the day, the hunger from earlier, all fading away under her care.

As the silence settled around the two of you, Alex’s fingers continued their slow, rhythmic movements over your skin. It was a different kind of connection now, one built on trust and tenderness.

This wasn’t over. Not yet. But for now, you were exactly where you needed to be.

"I love you, Alex." you whispered.

"And I love you."

[teamhappyme]

all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing

aka the four times you save mike dodds + the one time he saves you

mike dodds x female!reader

word count: 9.3k

a/n: me? keeping mike dodds alive and well in every universe? absolutely. a good old fashioned 4+1 for you folks! this was another labor of love that has been years in the making because I could never string enough good things together - until I did! it's not my best, but it's one of my favorites, and i love writing for this guy! it's a niche character, but one near and dear to my heart. (I refuse to give up my Taylor swift lyric titles so fight me)

****

The first time you saved Mike Dodds, it was from the awful coffee in the squad room. 

It was his first week with SVU, and, let’s just say, everyone is adjusting. He stepped over you while getting the victim’s disclosure, he pursued a lead not pertaining to the disclosure without telling Liv, and to top it all off, Rollins’ sister was behind the whole situation. 

So, it’s been a tense week for everyone. 

After Kim was remanded to Rikers, and Amanda was released from the hospital, everyone could let out a sigh of relief.

You were wrapping up some paperwork in the squad room after getting back from the courthouse, Liv talking with the chief in her office. You could only assume the accolades he was giving his son, while Liv just had to sit there and bite her tongue. You don’t envy the position she’s in right now.

To keep your eyes open a little longer, you made your way to the breakroom to grab a soda. Much to your surprise, you found the sarge at the coffee machine, ready to pour a heaping cup of old coffee.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” You warned him as you fed a dollar to the vending machine, pressing for a coke to come out. “I guarantee it’s been sitting there since this morning, maybe even last night.”

He nodded, placing the styrofoam cup back on the table. “Thanks for warning me. I’m pretty sure everyone else would’ve let me suffer the consequences.”

“Rollins and Fin would’ve watched the whole thing, but Carisi would’ve ran in to save you. We’re not too fond of perpetuating the newbie pranks, especially on a sergeant.”

You offered him the coke once it came out of the machine, and he took it, giving you a nod of gratitude. He didn’t open it right away, taking a few seconds to fiddle with the tab. 

He looked up at you, looking quite defeated for the confident man that walked in here three days ago. “I’m not trying to step on any toes here, detective.”

“Dodds,” You started, but he cut you off. 

Again.

“I’m the new guy, the new second in command here, and I understand that it’s going to take some time for you guys to warm up to me,”

“Dodds.” You held your arm out in front of you, hoping he would stop talking. “First things first, stop interrupting me.”

He had a sheepish grin, and hung his head. 

“SVU isn’t like the rest of the department. It’s not as simple as getting the statement, arresting the perp, and going to trial. We have to connect with the victim, make sure they feel safe and supported enough to tell their story. And most importantly, we listen to Liv. She gives a masterclass everyday in being an SVU cop.” You paused for a second, taking another look at him. Of course he looked defeated, the welcome into special victims is never an easy one. “Listen, we’ve all been in your shoes. There’s a learning curve, and it takes a minute to get there, but you will. You’ve got good instincts, you’ve got the rank to prove it. You’ve just got to think in another way now.”

You saw the chief exit Liv’s office, and heard the dejected sigh leave Dodds’ mouth.

“I’m not worried about the learning curve. I know I have a lot to learn. What I’m worried about is not being taken seriously.” You looked over at him, and saw that he was locked on his father’s figure, following him out of the precinct. “I know everyone’s worried that I’m the boss’s son, thinking they have to watch themselves around me. But I’m not his puppet, and I’m not here to report back to him. What happens at SVU, stays at SVU.”

“I appreciate that.” He gave you a pointed look, not sure whether or not to believe you, but you only smiled. “Listen, we’re all straight shooters here. I’m not worried about who your father is or how you got this position. Everyone deserves a fair chance, and after these last few days with you, I think you’ll be just fine here.”

Honestly, you were never worried about his placement here. Sure, the rest of the squad was a little suspicious, and maybe gave him a hard time, but he’ll learn his place. And hopefully, they’ll see this guy, honest and vulnerable, instead of the shadow of his father the next time they look at him.

“Thank you. I know you could’ve chewed my head off after that disclosure, so I appreciate your patience.”

You laughed while moving back to the vending machine, getting a coke for yourself this time.

“It was your one free pass.”

“Technically two, since you saved me from the burnt coffee.” He added, walking back to the bullpen. 

“Yeah, next time I’ll let you drink it.”

****

The second time you saved Mike Dodds was after the Lily Evans case. 

It was never easy losing a kid, no matter how many years you have on the job. After three months with the unit, he felt like he hit his stride.

All until today.

It was late when Dodds and Liv came back from the Evans house, looking particularly jaded after informing the grieving parents they closed the case. 

It was business as usual for the next thirty minutes, paperwork was finished, a celebratory job well done for solving something in a timely manner. And just like that, we move onto the next one.

Once Liv emerged from her office, the rest of the squad started to pack up. 

“You going to see Amanda?” Fin asked.

“Yeah, I thought I’d stop by.”

“You know what, she’s been living off takeout. How about we all go up there, and I’ll cook us a real meal.” Carisi interrupted the Lieutenant, Fin in agreement to eat some real Italian food.

The smile on your face was automatic, loving the small moments in your day where there was a little room for happiness. 

“Hey Sergeant, you wanna join us?” You all looked to Dodds, slouched in his chair, the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. 

You’ve all been there before.

“Uh, rain check. Paperwork.” He sat up straighter in his chair, pulling a random file from his desk.

You exchanged a look with Carisi before setting your things back on your desk. 

“I’ll meet you guys up there. And don’t let Fin eat all the garlic bread,” you teased, trying to keep the happy moment alive.  

Once the rest of the squad left, you walked back over to Dodds desk. He continued to comb through the files on his desk, pretending to look busy.

“I know being a Sergeant is a big deal, but there’s no way you’ve accumulated this much paperwork since you’ve been here.”

“Well with all the joy rides you and Carisi go on, you’d be surprised how quickly those car change requests pile up.”

He said with a smile, and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes. 

“As appealing as that pile of paperwork may be, it’s got nothing on a home cooked Carisi meal. So,” you paused, giving him the opportunity to speak first if he wanted. 

He didn’t.

“Why are you beating yourself up over this case?”

“Lily Evans could still have been alive when we first got to her parents house. If I had taken this seriously, we could’ve got to her and maybe she’d be alive right now.”

“Sarge,”

“And I know I should have listened to Liv, she’s got this down to a science. But I just wanted to-“

“Dodds, what did I say about interrupting me?” You chided, and he held his hands out to you in surrender. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but she was gone the moment she got in the van. It’s not easy to accept that at first, but some of these cases, you have to believe it if you want to get through it.”

“I thought it was going to be an easy transition to SVU. Major Crimes was high stress, kidnappings, negotiations, terrorism, all while having the eyes of the media and the city on you.” He shook his head. “I thought I was doing okay. I was listening to the Lieutenant, I was really learning from her, from all of you really. I thought I was bringing something to the table. But Lily, she was just a kid.”

You placed your bag down on the floor, moving to sit in the chair next to his desk.

“My second case with SVU was the Johnny D take down. I transferred from Brooklyn Homicide, so I thought I’d seen it all. Until I walked into that basement, and found four teenagers and kids locked in that basement as sex slaves. I threw up as soon as we got out of the basement, just barely missed Rollins. I couldn’t sleep for the next week, and when I finally cracked, Liv was there to center me. She reminded me why we did this job, of all the people we help, despite the most gruesome cases we catch. It takes a special cop to work in SVU, and you don’t stick it out, you don’t feel this guilt if you’re not cut out for it.”

He looked at you for a few seconds, not saying anything as he took your words in.

“How do you get up and come back to work every day?” He asked and let out a long breath.

“I took Liv’s advice: go home, talk to someone you love, and don’t make this job your whole life. Easier said than done.” You said with a laugh and he joined in. “But you’ve got your dad, he’s been on the job your whole life. He knows what it’s like.”

“He’s not really the talking type. And I’ve never… failed at something before. He expects a lot out of me here, and I want to prove to him that I’m cut out for this.”

“You’re not failing here, Dodds. Trust me, you’d be hearing an earful from Rollins and Fin if you were. I’m actually really impressed with how you’ve adjusted. We’re not an easy squad to assimilate to.”

“You can call me Mike,” he started, a small smile on his face. 

You felt your cheeks get warm, and you hoped to god they weren’t bright red. 

“Okay, Mike. Then pack up your stuff, cause you’re going to eat the best Chinese food of your life tonight.”

“What about Carisi’s fantastic meal?” He joked as he closed whatever files were open and shrugged his coat on.

“He’ll understand. Now come on, we don’t want them to run out of egg rolls before we get there.”

“Alright, alright,” he joked, running to catch up to you. You waited in silence for the elevator, and you felt a shift in the dynamic between you two. A good shift, one that happens when you finally earn the trust of your partner. 

Mike spoke your name as you stepped into the elevator, and you looked over at him.

“Thank you for listening. It means a lot, to know that you have my back, in the field and otherwise.”

You smiled, gently clapping his shoulder as you responded, “Anytime you need an ear, I’m there. You’ve got a squad of incredible listeners surrounding you now. All we ask is the same in return.”

“You’ve got it.” He added without hesitation.

Mike Dodds was going to be just fine here in SVU.

****

The next time you saved Mike Dodds wasn’t exactly your finest moment.

Mike accompanied you to Gary Munson’s house on what was supposed to be a quiet Sunday afternoon. But after a call from his wife Lisa, saying she was finally ready to leave, your Sergeant graciously offered to accompany you to the house.

No one wanted to be back in the presence of Gary Munson, the rogue corrections officer accused of assaulting dozens of female inmates. The case hadn’t even gone to trial yet and it was already causing a lot of tension in the department, not to mention the DA’s office.

“Dragging me out on a Sunday is pretty cruel, even for you Detective.” Mike commented as you walked up to the Munson house. “I smell egg rolls and fried rice in the near future.”

“Hey, I paid last time. It’s not my fault you have a bleeding heart almost as big as mine and agreed to come along.” You said with a grin as you knocked on the front door.

Dodds had been at SVU just shy of a year now, and since the Lily Evan’s case it sort of became tradition to celebrate the closing of a case with that same greasy Chinese food. Even as the cases took longer to close, the two of you could be found there at least twice a week. It became your place, somewhere to meet when it was two a.m. and a case was keeping one of you awake; on a Saturday afternoon when the two of you had nothing better to do with the time off work; and of course, as a reward for helping each other out whenever they asked.

You waited for a minute before knocking on the door again as Mike walked around to the side yard.

“She calls and says she’s ready to leave, and when we get here there’s no answer?”

“What was her exit plan?” Mike asked, joining you back on the steps.

Before you could answer, Lisa opened the front door.

“Hi,” she began, “sorry for keeping you guys waiting.”

“Is everything okay?” You asked, attempting to take one foot in the door when Gary stepped out into view.

“Everything’s fine here.” He answered for his wife, her body stiffening at his voice.

“Mr. Munson, we're here at your wife’s request.”

“I… overreacted when I called you guys. We’re handling things.”

“That’s good to hear. So, you don’t mind if we come in?” Mike asked, trying to get some control of the situation.

“Do I need to call my lawyer?”

“We’re not here to talk about the case.”

“Oh right, you’re here because Lisa wants to leave me. Forgive me, I’m just a big, dumb CO.”  Gary commented as you shared a look with Dodds. 

He was already spiraling.

“Mr. Munson, we don”t want any trouble.”

“Great,” he replied, opening the door further for you to enter. “Neither do I.”

Lisa let out a deep breath as you entered the house behind her. You watched as Gary talked to their kids, trying to convince them everything was normal, but they were too smart for it.

“Why don’t I go upstairs with her and start to pack.” Lisa suggested as she moved towards the stairs, motioning you to follow.

“No.” He commanded back, causing you both to freeze. “She can stay down here with the kids. You go up.”

This was going to be the power struggle of all power struggles. You walked over to sit with the kids as Mike and Gary went into the kitchen. You exchanged another look with him, and he gave you a small nod. It was okay.

The kids slipped their headphones on as you tried to listen in on the conversation in the kitchen, but you couldn’t hear much. You took out your phone to text Liv, a gut feeling telling you this wasn’t going to end easy or as you planned.

You waited for a few more minutes as Lisa packed a bag for her and the kids before coming back down the stairs.

“Alright, Tommy, Annie, backpacks.” She handed her children their bags as they hugged their dad goodbye.

“Ok kids, let’s go,” you started, trying to shuffle them and Lisa out the door.

“Wait, I don’t get a goodbye hug from Mommy?” Gary asked, now cornering Lisa on the stairs. “Isn’t that the jacket I bought you for your birthday?”

“Okay, we’re going to go now,” you ushered the kids onto the stoop, still keeping one foot in the house as you saw Lisa throw her jacket on the floor.

In one motion, he grabbed Lisa off the stairs, pulled a gun from his waistband, and slammed the front door in your face, kicking you onto the step.

“Gary! Open the door!” You yelled out as you got to your feet, banging on the door. “Right now Gary! Open the door!”

After thirty more seconds of incessant knocking with no response, you turned to find the kids huddled together on the sidewalk.

“Ok guys, it’s okay. My sergeant is just going to talk to your parents for a couple more minutes. While we wait, can you go into your nice neighbors house until I come get you?” You noticed the older woman two houses down standing on the stoop, a young girl and a dog with her.

You walked the kids over quickly while calling this in over the radio. You checked your phone to see Liv had answered your earlier text, and that she was already on her way for backup. She should have just come along in the first place.

Instead of going back up the front steps, you ducked under the bay window to try and get a look inside the house. You could see Munson holding Lisa in a headlock, his gun pointed at Mike as he handed over his own guns.

“Shit,” you breathed out, knowing this was going to end with a gunshot from someone.

You backed away from the window and called Mike, hoping to god that you could try and talk Munson out of this before any patrols showed up.

“Detective, you’re on speaker.” Mike said when he answered, the sigh you let out when you heard his voice was a little too loud.

“Dodds, what’s going on in there? The kids are asking for their mom.”

“Tell them she’s not going anywhere.” Gary piped in, his voice beginning to shake.

“I’ve told Gary that we can talk this through, get him what he wants, what he needs.”

“That’s right, I’m here, listening to you, my Sergeant is listening. Do you want me to call a family member, or your union rep?”

“No, I’m done talking. I want you to get my kids somewhere safe, that is all I need. Now, hang up the phone.”

“Mr. Munson-“ the line went dead before you could finish.

“Dammit,” you ran your hands through your hair, trying to think of a way to slow this down. You ran to the back door, then to the storm door, both locked. He had planned this from the moment he came home. This is always how this was going to end.

Back at the front of the house, you saw Liv pulling up and you ran to meet her.

“What’s going on? I got the radio on the way over.”

“Munson’s holding Dodds and Lisa in the house, he’s armed.”

“You didn’t search him?” She asked, and you tried not to take the agitation in her tone personally.

“Lisa told us there were no weapons in the house, we confiscated his piece already. I was getting the kids in the car when all of this went down.”

“Okay. Is anyone hurt?”

“I spoke to Dodds five minutes ago, and they both seemed fine for now. But he doesn’t want to talk anymore.”

You heard the distant sirens, and you could only imagine the escalation Gary was making inside the house.

“Is there another way in?” Liv asked as the first of the patrol cars made their way down the street.

“Back door and storm door are both locked, I haven’t checked for anything else.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

She ran over to the first patrol car, getting ready to set a perimeter around the street and then the house as the rest of ESU began to roll onto the street. Liv kicked it into gear, ordering everyone around and trying to come up with the best plan of action.

It wasn’t until Finn got out of his car that you ran into action to. You began to debrief the hostage negotiators on your last phone call, and to describe Gary’s demeanor through the entire duration of this visit. You stressed to them that he was no longer in the talking mood, but they were still going to try.

“ESU is going to try to plan a route in. You know the layout, what’s the best way in.”

“Fastest and clearest is through the back door. But, Lieutenant, give me two more minutes to find another way in. If I can get in there, one female cop is better than twelve SWAT guys taking him down.” You asked, trying to prove yourself in an attempt to earn her forgiveness quicker.

She thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding her head. 

“You have a minute to sweep the perimeter again for a secondary entrance. Go.”

You wasted no time in running back through the driveway, past the back door and into the backyard. All the shades were drawn except for one cracked piece, giving you a clear shot to the living room. Munson had a tighter grip on Lisa, his gun still pointed at Mike.

You had to get in there. 

The back windows were locked as well as the doors, but you weren’t going to give up. On the side of the house, you noticed the top window opened the slightest bit, and prepared to go in. 

You pulled a lawn chair over to give yourself a boost, and took a deep breath in. The window opened quietly at first, and you could begin to hear Munson’s voice again. Slowly but surely you got the window open in silence, and you swung one leg in to the kitchen.

You froze for a second, stuck without a view of what was going on in the living room, praying no one could hear you. After a few seconds, you swung your other leg in, quickly getting to your feet and grabbing your gun.

“… maybe your lawyer will plea out, 9 out of 10 corrections officers cases don’t make it to trial.” Mike was still trying to talk him out of it, even with a gun to his face.

You peaked around the corner quickly, making sure no one had moved since you looked through the window.

“Munson, drop the gun!” You yelled out as you entered the room, catching him off guard enough for Mike to make a move. 

Lisa slipped out of Gary’s grip and ran over to you as Mike struggled for Munson’s gun. 

“Put it down, Munson!” You yelled out again, but before you could move closer, a shot went off and Mike went down.

Gary froze, putting his arms up as you ran into action. You kicked the gun away from him as SWAT barged in, all guns pointed to Munson.

“Take him.” You yelled out to them as you turned to Mike, finally able to give him your full attention. You knelt down next to him on the floor, watching as he applied pressure to his shoulder. “Hey, can I take a look?”

He nodded, breathing heavily through his nose. You pulled his hand away as blood continued to pour out, but it was a through and through, thank god.

“It’s a clean shot, Mike.” You said as you placed his hand back over the wound, covering your hand with his to apply more pressure. “Hey, stay with me. The medics are on their way in.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” He got out with a grimace as Liv led the medics into the house.

“I wasn’t just going to leave you in here.” 

You moved out of the medics way, your hands covered in Mike’s blood as they treated him.

“He’s right. What the hell were you thinking climbing in through the window without any view?” Liv asked, slightly less agitated than earlier.

“I was thinking I’m the one who left him in here.” Her eyes softened the slightest, the way they always do when she cares for someone. “And I think you would have done the same thing.”

“Careful,” she replied, a small smile crossing her face. “You don’t want to end up like me.”

“There are worse people to be.”

They finished wrapping Mike up, and you two followed him out to the ambulance. 

“Detective,” one of the medics called out to you as they loaded him in. “He’s asking if you can ride along.”

You looked to Liv for approval who gave you a nod.

“Keep us updated.” She added as you hopped in the back of the bus, sending her a thumbs up before they shut the door.

Mike fell asleep almost as soon as he got in the ambulance, but the medic assured you he was stable. He had lost a good amount of blood, but given the position of the shot, they were confident he would be okay.

The surgery was quick, and the doctor said it was a routine procedure. He’s been sleeping and recovering in the ICU for a couple hours, and the rest of the squad would be on their way over once he was awake.

“Detective, he’s awake.” A nurse came out to find you, escorting you to Mike’s room.

He was sitting up straight, arm bandaged from shoulder to elbow, but he looked completely unfazed.

“I come out of a workout class looking worse than you do right now. How is that fair?” You said as you walked into his room.

“Well, I regularly go to the gym, so that helps.” You rolled your eyes, resisting the urge to smack him on his bad shoulder.

“Ok, hotshot, we get it.” You let out a breath, taking in his hospital state again. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got shot. I know it was a through and through, but God, it hurt pretty bad.” He said with a laugh, only to grab at his shoulder, moving too fast for his new injury.

You thought about what he said earlier, how you shouldn’t have gone in the house on your own. Maybe he and Liv were right. If you hadn’t gone in, without telling anyone, without any backup, he may not have been shot. It could’ve ended peacefully, without any harm to anyone.

“What you said earlier, you were right. I don’t know what I was thinking going in by myself. I put you and Lisa in danger, I got you shot. If you didn’t get the jump on him he could have hurt you two even worse-“

“Stop.” Mike interrupted you, placing his hand on your forearm, gesturing for you to sit down on the side of the hospital bed. “I didn’t say that because I was mad at you. I don’t blame you for me getting shot. You shouldn’t have come in because it could have been you in this hospital bed, with a gunshot wound much worse than mine. And I wouldn’t be able to have that on my conscience, you getting yourself shot for me.”

You didn’t say anything for a few seconds, instead you just sat there, looking at the man that you most definitely would have taken a bullet for. And you’re pretty sure he would do the same for you; how terrifying to know someone cared for you like that.

“I’m really glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done…” you trailed off, not wanting to think about what could have happened.

“You shouldn’t have come in, but if you hadn’t, I don’t know if I would be sitting here, relatively unscathed.” he reached over, grabbing your hand in his. “Thank you for that.”

You squeezed his hand in recognition as your eyes began to water, not knowing what to say next.

“Are you sure you want to stay with us in SVU? You get shot twice in one year, that would have most people running away.”

“And let you drink the squad room out of coke on your own? Not a chance.” He replied.

“Good. Joint Terrorism would be too boring for you anyway.” You said with a smile.

“In all seriousness, I feel like I can make the biggest difference here. There’s time to move up the ranks later. Right now, I want to be at SVU, with you by my side.” He admitted, as his hand held onto yours tight.

There was a shift in the air, a conversation the two of you had been avoiding for a few months. It wasn’t the time now, and it may not be for a while, but now it’s out there. And neither of you are going anywhere.

A knock on the door pulled you out of your bubble, dropping Mike’s hand as the rest of the squad came into the room. They greeted Mike, lightly ribbing him about having nine lives.

A hand fell on your shoulder, and you looked up to find Liv behind you. She had a knowing smile on her face, but you knew she’d never ask. At least, not yet.

Instead, you focused on your family in the room, and how grateful you were for everyone to be here, safe and sound.

****

The fourth time you saved Mike Dodds happened off duty.

You agreed to be his date to an NYPD fundraising gala that his father was dragging him too. Mike warned you that they were a long night of politics and fake smiles, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little curious to see how the brass lived.

Unfortunately, Mike hit the nail on the head with the political atmosphere. You’d been at the gala barely an hour and you’d already spoken to two people running for district attorney. If you weren’t listening to someone’s campaign pitch, then you were hearing from the brass how much trouble the SVU squad caused the department, despite the “good work” we all do.

“I hate to say I told you so, but, I told you so.” Mike said while handing you a glass of wine. 

“How many of these has your dad dragged you to?” You asked as he took a sip of his beer.

“Too many. And now that I’ve ruined his dreams by staying at SVU, he’s going to continue to drag me to them as punishment.”

“Well, if the drinks and the food continue to be free, I’ll come to as many of these as you need me too.” You offered.

“First I’m paying for Chinese food, now I’m paying for galas, you’re an expensive date.”  Mike joked as you shoved his completely healed shoulder. He hasn’t let you pay for dinners since he got shot.

“That’s the price you pay for greatness.” You said with a smile, making him laugh. “Is he really still pissed at you for not going to JTTF?”

“The Five-Year Plan has been officially ruined, I’ve been told. I must have really pissed him off if he’s calling Matt and begging him to come home.”

“Your brother?” You asked.

The little brother that Mike had spent his whole life looking out for. He was responsible for him since he was a kid, and every one of Matt’s failures was considered one of Mike’s in his fathers eyes. The last time Mike talked to him was last year, after he picked him up from rehab. He was catching a plane to Mexico City with no plans of coming back.

“He called me last week, asked to help get dad off his back. I guess I’m the new disappointment in the family.”

“Hey, if your dad wants to go play savior with your brother, let him. But don’t let him and his agenda get in your head. He’s no better than these political puppets surrounding us.”

“Speak of the devil,” Mike muttered under his breath, nodding his head behind you.

You turned to find his father, Chief William Dodds, approaching the two of you.

“Hi son,” he greeted Mike with a firm handshake, then turning his attention to you. “Detective. It’s nice to see you.”

“You as well, Chief.” You shook his hand next, resisting the urge to squeeze too hard.

“Don’t you two clean up nice. Most cops that come to these things have no idea how to dress, they’ve spent too much time in the ranks to know what life is like outside of it.” Chief Dodds commented, and you gave a polite nod of your head.

If you didn’t care so much about Mike, or your career, you would’ve chewed his head off right here, right now.

“Well, we don’t have time for all the show business like you guys do, we’re busy keeping the city safe.” Mike added.

“My son, he gets so defensive, takes every comment personally.” His father said and turned towards you. “Mike didn’t tell me you were coming tonight, or else I’m sure he would have asked me to be on my best behavior.”

“Dad,” Mike tried interrupting him, but it was no use.

“But I never thanked you, for acting quickly at the Munson call. If it weren’t for your quick thinking, Mike could have been hurt a lot worse.” You took the compliment from the Chief, but waited for the other shoe to drop; you knew when you were being set up. “Although if you didn’t leave him in there alone with an armed perp in the first place, we could have avoided all of this. Nevertheless, it was handled, and I’m sure you acted just as your Lieutenant trained you to.”

It was no secret that Chief Dodds was not Liv’s biggest fan. He undermined her every chance he could, and he never tried to understand how SVU was different from every other department. Mike being placed as the Sergeant was his way of getting an inside scoop, but boy did that backfire on him.

And once you piss off Olivia Benson, you piss off her whole squad.

“Our Lieutenant is the best commanding officer I’ve had in my time at the department. Ask anyone that has served with her in SVU and they will tell you the same thing. It’s a shame that you didn’t get the opportunity to learn some things yourself. A lot of people hold her in high regard, so I’d be careful what you say about her around here.” 

“And if I were you, I’d watch my tone around your District Chief, Detective. Especially with your Sergeant standing in ear shot. It’s clear to me that SVU has no respect for the chain of command, and it would be a shame for you to learn this the hard way. Mike has already had to deal with the repercussions of being tied to SVU.” Chief Dodds threatened, and you actually had the audacity to scoff at him.

Mike began defending you, but you stopped him, holding your hand out in front of him.

“I don’t scare easily, Chief, and it's going to take a lot more than threatening my reputation to get me to turn my back on Lieutenant Benson and Special Victims. As for your son,” you looked back at Mike, his eyes steady on you the entire time. “Sergeant Dodds has been an incredible asset to our squad, so much so that our Lieutenant wanted him to stay in permanently, which I know is a sore spot for your ego. So you can continue to take shots at me, and my character, because you don’t really know me. But I’ll be damned if you think I’m going to stand here and listen to you drag Mike’s name, and his stellar reputation through the mud because he decided to make his own path. One that doesn’t involve all these fancy parties and pictures that you so thoroughly enjoy.”

Chief Dodds was stunned into silence, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He looked at Mike who also had a stunned expression on his face, but a smile was starting to show through.

“Excuse me.” The Chief removed himself from the situation, moving on to the next party goer with a smile on his face.

Once he was out of ear shot, your shoulders deflated and you turned around to apologize to Mike. 

“I am so-“

“Do you want to dance?” He interrupted you, his smile now fully covering his face. 

It took a few seconds for you to actually hear what he said, and when you did, you couldn’t help but laugh. Clearly, he wasn’t mad about you going off on his father. 

“I’d love to.” 

Mike took your hand and led you to the small dance floor, weaving in and out of older couples dancing the night away to the orchestra. You quickly took in your limited audience, including two Sergeants from your precinct, and the deputy commissioner of communications. He wrapped his arm around your waist drawing your attention back to him.

“You alright?” He asked as you curled your hand around his shoulder.

“Just a lot of people here, watching,” you said as Mike began to laugh.

“You just chewed my dads head off, a district chief, in front of these people, and now you’re scared of them seeing you dance with two left feet?”

“I don’t have two left feet.” You replied, squeezing his shoulder in jest. “I just don’t want people talking about me, that’s all.”

“Cmon, they’ve got better things to talk about than me and you.” 

“If they heard anything I said I’m sure they’ll be talking about the crazy SVU detective for ages.”

“Hey,” he squeezed your waist, drawing your attention back to him. “No one has ever stood up to my dad like that, not for me.”

“Well someone should have. I know he’s your dad and you love him, but that doesn’t give him the right to control your life or talk down on you.”

He shook his head as you continued swaying together, slowing down a bit to match the tempo of the music.

“It means a lot for you to do that. And if I wasn’t so impressed with your outburst, I would’ve done the same for you. I should have.” 

“I’m not worth getting into a fight with your Dad, Mike. Like he implied, I’ve got no real future outside of SVU, not that I’m really looking.”

“You’re worth it to me.” Mike said, eyes locked on your own. “If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have made it a week in the squad. You’ve changed my perspective on a lot, both on the job and off.”

You smiled, lightly ducking your head as you felt the blush creep onto your cheeks. 

“Well you’re not so bad yourself, Dodds. You’ve taught me a lot too, maybe too much. One day I’m coming for that Sergeant’s shield of yours.” You joked, and he threw his head back in laughter. 

It was so nice to see him like this. It was rare to get a moment of pure happiness on the job, and you weren’t sure how honest you wanted to be about changing your relationship outside the precinct.

“As soon as you pass the Sergeants exam, you can have it. You’d be better at this job than me any day.” 

You moved a step closer to Mike as more people stepped onto the dance floor. You’d never seen this many cops dancing in your life. 

“I meant to tell you earlier, but, you look beautiful tonight.” Mike said, trying not to be obvious in looking you up and down. 

You were blushing now for sure.

“Would you take it back if I told you I had to borrow this dress from Liv?” You had panicked last night, not knowing what to wear to a gala, and not wanting to embarrass Mike. 

“Not a chance, extra points for trying so hard.” You laughed as he put some space between you. 

“Mike, I know you’re a show off, but you better not be doing what I think you’re doing.” You warned, but it was too late as he lifted up your arm, gently spinning you underneath him. He smoothly pulled you back into him as a few people cheered for you. “Do you have to be good at everything?”

“Unfortunately, I do.” You hid your smile in his shoulder, not missing the way his hand slid comfortingly over your waist and lower back.

And unfortunately, you fear you could get used to this feeling.

****

The first time you were saved by Mike Dodds was in the middle of a bar fight.

This wasn’t your finest moment, yet you rarely seemed to be on your best behavior around Dodds.

The two of you were undercover in a joint operation with Vice. The bar had been home to an underground gambling ring for years, and a few weeks ago you got credible intel that they may be branching out into sex trafficking.

Three other Vice detectives were in the bar with you as their Captain and the rest of their squad surveilled from an unmarked van outside.

“You want a refill?” Mike asked as you finished your second club soda, trying to hide the sour look on your face from all the bubbles.

“And pretend I’m not choking on this awful carbonation instead of a smooth vodka? No, I’ll pass.”

He got the bartender’s attention and ordered himself another alcohol free beer and a Diet Coke for you.

“Thanks.” You tipped your glass to his and took a refreshing sip before conducting another once over around the space. 

“Simmons is still situated by the door, Ruiz and Lawrence have been under for an hour now.” Mike stated into his earpiece, updating the team outside. 

There was no timetable on this, and as far as Liv was concerned, we were on our own in terms of conducting our investigation.

“This whole joint investigation thing is feeling a little one-sided to me.” 

“Well give it a little longer before doing a lap to check-in with Simmons. If they don’t want to help us, they can tap in two of their guys from outside. Lieu already made that clear to their Captain.” Mike said before taking a sip of his non-alcoholic delight, his face scrunching in discomfort.

“Looks delicious.” You said with a smile, earning a laugh from the Sergeant. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, have you talked to your dad since the gala a few weeks ago?”

“Oh, you mean since that SVU detective tore a Department Chief to shreds?” He joked as you rolled your eyes. “I have, and he was extremely talkative thanks to the fact I avoided him for a week after.”

“Do I owe you Chinese food for the rest of the year in order to keep my job? I should know that my outbursts don’t come cheap.”

“He told me that he was impressed by you.” Mike started, a smile slowly appearing on his face. “He was mostly upset about your blatant insubordination, especially in such a public place, but he was impressed. I think he may even like you.”

“Are you messing with me?” You asked, not fully trusting the relaxed smile he was giving you.

“He asked that I bring you along to the next gala, all of them actually, ‘if it wouldn’t be too much trouble’,” he finished in air quotes, signifying the direct words from Chief Dodds. “My father is impressed with you, and probably wants you to be his next conversational opponent.”

“And what did you say, you know, about bringing me along?” 

You hoped you didn’t sound pathetic, or eager, or anything other than an inquiring friend. But it was hard to act normal when you felt the butterflies in your stomach and your heart rate increasing over the fact that Mike and his dad were talking about you.

“I said I’d have to ask her. Not sure how she feels about spending so much of her free time with the Dodds.” He said before turning in his chair to face you. “But I told him I had a good feeling you would, you don’t just tell off a Police Chief for a work friend. And of course, as long as Liv lets you keep borrowing her clothes.”

“Funny,” you said while shoving his shoulder, earning another laugh from him. It was then that you saw Ruiz head up the stairs, subtly motioning for you to meet her in the bathroom. “Ruiz is back up, I’m gonna go check-in with her.”

You walked straight to the bathroom, having to dodge a noisy bachelorette party on your way. Ruiz was washing her hands when you walked in, and you quickly cleared all the stalls before she began talking. 

She kept it short so that she could get back to the game, but they weren’t getting far on the sex trafficking front. Apparently the boss was going to be here later on, but even then there was no guarantee he would offer anything up. Their investigation, of course, was going to be handled by the end of the night, but there were no promises for us. 

You waited a full three minutes to exit after Ruiz in case anyone was watching her. When you left the bathroom and started making your way back to Dodds, you saw a Blonde woman sitting in your seat, cozying up next to him at the bar. As you got closer, you recognized her from the bachelorette group, a sparkly pink sash giving her away.

“Hey, everything okay?” Mike asked as you joined the two of them.

“Yeah, just a bit of a line in the bathroom.” You said, watching as the new girl continued to look Mike up and down. “Did you make a new friend?”

“I’m Alex!” She jumped in, big smile covering her face as she moved to place a hand on Mike’s arm. “I came up to get a round of shots for my group of friends. It’s Lizzie’s last weekend as a single woman, and we cannot let her be sober for one second of it. But then I got distracted by Mike over here - a guy as handsome as him shouldn’t be sitting alone at a bar.”

“Well, luckily I came back in the nick of time.” You said, hoping she would order her shots and be on her way. 

“I was telling him about our weekend - we’re down here from Albany, we’re not city girls. We’re headed down the street for our next stop, apparently there’s a popular karaoke bar that all the famous people stop in at. I told Mike he should come with us, invite a few of his cute friends along too to keep the party going.”

“I don’t really see him joining you for the rest of your night, Alex, but thanks for the invite.” You replied while taking a step toward Mike, lightly wrapping your arm around his shoulder, hoping she would take a hint. 

“Okay.” Alex said with a chuckle before continuing, “But you should be careful, leaving your man alone in a bar with those pretty brown eyes of his, cause someone’s gonna come up and take him away.”

“His eyes are hazel, actually, they’ve got a little bit of green in them depending on the lighting. I know it might be hard for you girls from upstate to differentiate colors, so I can help you out.”

You never considered yourself to be a jealous person, especially over someone who wasn’t even yours to have. But something about this girl coming up to Mike on this night, after the recent events that have gone down between the two of you, you felt a little protective over him.

“Everything alright over here Alex? Where are those tequila shots?” Another blonde woman with a pink sparkly sash came over to us, checking in on her friend and drinks.

“Yeah, they’re coming. Just trying to tell my new friend here to keep an eye on her boyfriend or he may decide to join the group of pretty out of town girls for the night.”

“Listen, Alex,” you remove yourself from Mike, taking a step closer to the girl who was really ruining your already shittiy night of undercover work. “I don’t know how bar etiquette works at your little townie spot up in Albany, but us city girls like to take the fight outside.”

“Alright, why don’t we just continue our night and let you girls go back to your party.” Mike interjected, feeling his hand on your lower back, steadying you out as Alex only laughed.

You took another step toward her, not knowing what your next move was, before the bartender stepped in.

“You,” he pointed to you, then to the door. “Fighting’s gonna get you thrown out any night lady. You’re done.”

“Thank you, sir,” the girls replied.

Before you could open your mouth to say anything else, Mike was standing behind you, arm wrapped around your waist to lead you toward the exit. Simmons eyed the two of you as you walked out, shaking his head with a smile on his face. You weren’t going to live this down.

The two of you made it down the block before breaking away from each other, looking back to see if anyone followed. When you looked back at Mike, his hands were on his hips, a growing smile on his face. 

“Don’t,” you warned while running a hand through your hair. “Don’t say anything.”

He didn’t, but he couldn’t keep his laughter in any longer. You wanted to yell at him, tell him it wasn’t funny, that there was still an investigation going on, and this was completely embarrassing for you both. Instead, you joined in his laughter.

“Were you really going to fight the innocent bachelorette party from Albany?” He asked through his fits of laughter as you rolled your eyes.

“Of course not. But how else was I supposed to get the drunk bridesmaid away from you so we could continue our surveillance? Offer her more sparkles?”

“Or offer to buy the next round of shots.”

“Now you tell me,” you said as you leaned against the side of the building. “At least we didn’t mess up the whole op, then I’d be in really deep shit not only with Liv but with Vice, and there’s nothing I hate more than owing a favor to a Vice cop.”

He nodded, agreeing with you as he settled in next to you. You knew you should go check in with the Captain, confirm they don’t need you for anything else before leaving the investigation, but you weren’t going to move until Dodds did. And the way he relaxed next to you, you had a feeling he didn’t want to leave any time soon.

“No one ever notices that my eyes are hazel, you know. It’s kind of weird how you hit the nail right on the head with the fact about them turning green.”

You turned to look at him, a little smirk on his face as he leaned his head back against the wall.

“As weird as talking to your dad about your close friend’s gala availability?” You hit back, watching him laugh and nod along with your point. You smiled to yourself for a second, remembering the conversation from earlier. “You’re sure I don’t owe you, he does like me, or at least tolerate me?”

“Do you want to talk about how much my dad likes you or how much I like you? Cause let me tell you, I’ve got him beat by miles, I like you more than I’ve ever liked anyone.”

“Mike,” you started, watching as he pushed himself up to stand in front of you.

“Are you really going to look into my hazel eyes and tell me you don’t like me? That you weren’t going to get in a bar fight with a random girl for me?” He asked, and you let out a shaky breath.

“You know it took me a while to figure out your eyes were hazel, I thought they were brown for a while. I’m not some crazy person who just studies people’s eyes all day.” He nodded, trying to hide his smile as he let you finish, “and I wasn’t going to get in a fight with her. Maybe, maybe I would have shoved her, but I wouldn’t have thrown a punch.”

“Well that’s reassuring.” Mike added, and you couldn’t deny him now. Not when he was listening to you ramble on about his eyes, and his father, and all the weird things you two knew about each other.

“I like you too.” You confessed. “And you’re right, I wouldn’t attend galas and tell off police chiefs for just anyone. I’d only do it for you, Mike.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He said while wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you close.

Mike’s eyes flickered down to your lips, taking his time bringing his gaze back to your eyes. You felt yourself nod the slightest bit, gently guiding him closer to you. His lips were soft against your own, slow and gentle as you kissed him back. He pulled away for a second, another check-in, before you leaned in again. You let him take the lead as you ran your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, trying not to smile as you felt his teeth graze your bottom lip.

“Sorry,” he mumbled against you, lightly pecking your lips a few times.

“Don’t be, I’m not going anywhere.”

Hours could have been spent lazily kissing Mike Dodds, feeling your stomach slowly build with butterflies. But you caught the smile he was trying to suppress, and it became contagious.

“Well,” he said with a laugh, gently resting his forehead against yours. “I guess you do really like me.”

“I guess so.” You leaned back to kiss him again, not wanting to let him go now that you know how good he feels. His tongue danced across your lips for a few seconds, and you relished in the feeling before slowly pulling back. “I don’t mean to be a total buzzkill, but we aren’t exactly going to be able to hide this for long at the station.”

“We’ll figure it out.” He assured you, gently kissing your forehead. “If some shuffling needs to be done, or conversations need to be had, we’ll take care of it.”

“So your dad may get to move you around after all, how nice.” You said with a laugh, as Mike nodded. If it meant you could be together, and Mike was happy with it, why the hell not. 

Before he could say anything else on the subject, his phone began to ring.

“Please don’t be Liv, please don’t be Liv,” you begged as Mike pulled away from you, quickly answering his phone.

“Hey Lieutenant,” he greeted Liv on the other end of the call and you closed your eyes. This was going to be good. “No, the Captain got it wrong. She got us thrown out for threatening to fight another woman.”

You rolled your eyes as he continued to talk to Liv, pacing the sidewalk trying to set the story straight and wrap up this godforsaken joint investigation.

Mike pulled the phone away from his ear now, walking back over to you.

“She wants to talk to you.” He said, trying to hand you his phone.

“No, she’s going to yell at me in that Liv tone, when I didn’t really do anything wrong!”

You caught his small smile before he gave you a quick kiss.

“Then you can explain that to her.” He said, holding out the phone to you. He kissed you one more time, for good luck and courage, before placing the phone in your hand.

You tried to hide your smile as you took a breath and placed the phone to your ear, ready to plead your case.

“Hey Lieu, I did not get into a bar fight with the bridesmaid from Albany.”

****

[cynicalrosebud]

Rumor Has It (3)

Part 1 Part 2

I blinked after a coffee fueled daze and this shite was written, and I don’t proofread very much, so enjoy!

Dividers and banners by @strangergraphics , check her stuff out, I could scroll through them for hours!

Amsterdam, Netherlands October 29, 2022 0500 hours

The safehouse was dimly lit, cluttered with maps, weapons, and tactical gear. Price, always the epitome of calm even in the midst of chaos, meticulously cleaned his rifle. Across the room, Gaz glanced through the intel on his tablet, his focus unwavering despite the occasional glance towards Rumor.

Rumor, seated at a table with a cup of strong coffee, wore a wry smile. If he was a cat, the sergeant would have bet that his tail would be swaying slowly. His Welsh accent lent a certain smoothness to his words as he spoke. "So, Gaz, you’ve got everything sorted for tonight then? Or do you need me to double-check anything?"

Gaz glanced up, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. "No, I’ve got it covered. Just making sure we’re not missing anything crucial."

Price, overhearing the exchange, couldn’t help but chuckle. "Rumor’s right; we need to make sure everything’s in order. Can’t have any surprises tonight, especially not the bad kind."

Rumor’s eyes twinkled as he leaned back in his chair, tapping his long fingers on the creaky table, his casual demeanor contrasting with the seriousness of the situation. "Oh, I’m sure Gaz’s got it all under control. But if you need a hand with anything, just give me a shout. I’m very good at checking gear, Cariad.”

Gaz’s gaze flickered towards Rumor, his nerves evident. "Uh, thanks. I appreciate it."

Price, catching the subtle flirtation, gave Rumor a knowing look. "Easy, Rumor. We’re on a mission here. No time for charm."

Rumor’s smile widened slightly. "Just trying to lighten the mood, syr. It’s not every day I get to work with legends like ye."

Price’s grin softened. "Flattery will get you everywhere, but let’s keep it focused. We’re heading out in an hour. Make sure you’re ready."

Gaz nodded, clearly trying to maintain his composure. "We’ll be ready, sir."

As the clock ticked down, the team prepared for the mission ahead. The tension was palpable. Even as the mission loomed closer, there was a certain camaraderie forming between them, with Rumor's charm adding an unexpected layer to their interactions.

0600 hours

The night was thick with fog in Amsterdam, the city's lights barely piercing the darkness. Rumor, Price, and Gaz approached the water's edge, the cold air heavy with anticipation. Their mission was clear: infiltrate the barge, secure the target, and exit without a trace.

Price, taking charge, leaned in to address his team. “Alright, team. We’re hitting the water now. We need to clear the docks, take out any patrol boats we encounter, and then board the barge. Stay sharp.”

Rumor, his confidence unwavering, replied, “Got it, Price. Just lead the way, and I’ll make sure we’re not swimming in trouble.” Gaz had done a minor look into the limited info on Rumor. Known for his exceptional recon skills, the Welshman was adept at locating enemies and navigating through complex environments.

Gaz, slightly flustered but focused, adjusted his gear. “Understood. What’s the plan once we hit the shore?”

Price’s orders were clear as he scanned the dark silhouette of the dock and the barge moored nearby. “We’ll approach from the rear entrance of the barge. It’s less risky. Rumor’s leading us, so follow his lead. We need to take out any patrol boats first.”

The trio slipped through the water with practiced ease. They swam toward a buoy where they would emerge and make contact with Kate Laswell.

Emerging from the water beside the buoy, Price activated his comms. “Laswell, we are in position.”

Laswell’s voice came through the earpieces. “Copy, John. What do ya got?”

Price held up his binoculars, scanning the barge. “I got AQ loading cargo into a barge.”

Laswell responded, “That’s your target. Get onboard and find out who they’re working with.”

Rumor, with a playful grin, swooned, clutching the spot over his heart, “Ah bless me, I hear angels in me ears, ready to take me home to me mam.”

Laswell’s voice, with a hint of dry amusement and a touch of firmness, replied, “Rumor, save the poetry.”

Price chuckled quietly and said, “Rog. Out here”

Laswell’s voice faded as she ended the comms.

Price turned to his team, his gaze sharp. “We’ve got sentries on the perimeter. Stay low and keep alert.” He handed Rumor the binoculars, who checked the area with practiced ease and then passed them to Gaz. As their fingers brushed briefly, Gaz’s cheeks reddened slightly, but he quickly refocused on the task at hand.

Gaz, now holding the binoculars, peered through them. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye on the perimeter.”

Rumor, showcasing his expertise, addressed the pair. “Understood. I’ll handle the navigation.” His knowledge of the barge’s layout and skill in locating enemies made him the perfect guide.

The barge loomed ahead, dark and imposing. Inside, every sound seemed magnified.

Price, scanning the dark silhouette of the barge ahead, added, “We’ll approach from the rear entrance. Less chance of running into guards that way. Rumor’s leading us in, so follow his lead.”

Rumor, with a slight grin, remarked, “I see the hat still never comes off, syr.”

Price shot Rumor a brief, amused wink despite the seriousness of their situation. “Keeps the rain out of me eyes. Plus, it’s good for keeping the noggin warm.”

Gaz, still focused but slightly flustered, adjusted his gear. “Let’s get moving. We don’t want to hang about.”

Navigating through the barge, Price maintained control with clear directives. “Watch for guards. Stay silent and sharp.”

Rumor, now fully focused, scanned the surroundings with a keen eye. “We’re clear so far. Stick close and follow my lead.”

Gaz kept his gaze alert, trying to stay composed. “Point the way, Rumor.”

As they approached their target, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Rumor’s usual charm was replaced by a focused intensity. He turned to Price and Gaz, whispering, “Almost there. Stay alert.”

Price met Rumor’s gaze with a nod of fondness. “Check. Let’s get this done.”

With their objective in sight, the trio moved with determined precision.

The barge was eerily quiet, its darkened interior filled with the sounds of dripping water and the creak of metal. Rumor, Price, and Gaz moved with practiced stealth, Rumor pausing by each door, expertly checking for traps and disposing of them when needed.

They advanced cautiously, their breaths steady and silent.

Rumor led the way, his expertise in recon work making him the ideal guide through the dimly lit corridors of the barge. He signaled for Price and Gaz to stay close, his eyes scanning every corner for potential threats.

Price, his demeanor serious, held his weapon at the ready. “Keep it tight. We clear the barge, take out every enemy inside, and secure any intel we can find.”

Gaz, his gaze sharp, nodded in agreement. “Understood. Let’s move.”

The trio continued, taking out enemies with swift and precise movements. Each opponent was neutralized before they could raise an alarm. Rumor’s keen sense of direction and ability to memorize layouts made short work of their path through the barge.

They reached a central room, where the remaining enemies were gathered. With a coordinated effort, Price, Rumor, and Gaz engaged the foes in a stealthy firefight. Each shot was calculated, minimizing noise and chaos. The battle was fierce but efficient, ending with the last enemy falling silent.

Price, surveying the area as text tones rang in the room, turned to his team. “Check their phones. We need any intel they’ve got.”

Gaz moved quickly, scanning the phone of the defeated final enemy. After a few tense moments, he found a series of text messages that made his eyes widen. “Looks like the Las Almas cartel is working with Al-Qatala. They’re planning to transfer someone into the U.S. The transfer’s happening at Café Gracht at 8am.”

Price’s eyes narrowed with concern. He activated his comms, his tone urgent. “Laswell, we’ve got a situation. The Las Almas cartel and Al-Qatala are coordinating a transfer to the U.S. The operation’s set for Café Gracht at 8am. We need you to locate the café. Something big is about to go down.”

Laswell’s voice crackled back through the earpiece. “Copy that, Price. I’ll find the café and get everything in motion. Keep me updated.”

Price turned to Rumor and Gaz, his expression resolute. “Alright, we need to get out of here and prep for the next phase. We’ve got a lead on where this transfer is happening, and it’s crucial we’re there to intercept.”

Rumor, ever calm, nodded. “Understood. Let’s get to extraction and prepare for the next move.”

With their mission on the barge complete, the trio retraced their steps, moving efficiently to their extraction point.

As they exited the barge, the fog of Amsterdam enveloped them once more. The night air was filled with the promise of further action, and the stakes had never been higher.

[urrockstar-xe]

detective sweetheart - n.a x fem!reader

posted nov 3rd, 2023 12:22 am

this was what i did for my "based on my day" challenge (i spent it watching svu season 14 lmfao) its also my first time writing for nick amaro or any detectives in general so I'm sorry if he's a bit ooc, its also a crossover with criminal minds and i think i made up the whole technical analyst assistant thing but that's my job in my criminal minds DR lmfao. hope you enjoy :)

this includes alcohol (reader consumption), use of Y/n, and possibly wrong wording for FBI stuff?? the reader likes children (in a not creepy way). Jennifer Jareau

summary: the BAU's technical analyst assistant develops quite the crush on SVU's detective Nick Amaro

masterlist

word count: 0.8k

You sat quietly in a bar, sitting amongst a group of FBI agents you knew well and a few detectives you’d just recently had the pleasure of meeting, chatting about the now-closed case and a few chatting about their children, you hadn’t spoken much, too busy trying not to stare at Detective Nick Amaro.

“Detective Amaro, this is Y/n L/n, she’s our technical analyst assistant, our official technical analyst is back at Quantico focusing on another case” Your boss, Aaron Hotchner, introduced you to one of the detectives you’d be working with for a necrophilia serial killer case, 

You two spent the last few days working very closely together on this case. 

Penelope had been working on another case and due to a small fire that you and Penelope accidentally started with a candle in your already small office, Hotch decided to bring you with the team to Manhattan.

And of course, with your luck, Penelope couldn’t be there to fangirl over the hot detective with you, so you had to deal with the consequences of your short attention span all on your own, (granted our beloved Spencer did try to relate and fangirl with you, he did his best, but he was quite busy getting into conspiracy arguments with Sergeant John Munch).

Now that the case was over, Hotch decided that the team was in no rush back to Quantico and could leave in the morning, so while he called in early and left back to his hotel, the rest of you went out with some of the SVU detectives,

Including Nick 

of course.

“What about you? Got any kids?” Nick asked, accidentally snapping you out of your trance, as he handed JJ back her phone after she showed him a photo of her boys.

“Oh, uh”

fuck, he smelt good, why did Derek have to sit you right next to him?? 

“No, no kids, I do adore them though” You smiled in a way you hoped wasn’t too awkward, before Emily spoke up “She’s great with them too! I mean they just love her” 

Nick smiled at that, nodding as Emily talked. 

You laughed awkwardly in response, “she’s exaggerating” you whispered just loud enough for Nick to hear, earning a laugh. 

oh my god, he LAUGHS?

“As much fun this has been, I’m gonna call it a night” JJ announced, standing up from her seat, her actions mirrored by Spencer as he agreed. 

They were shortly followed by Olivia, Fin, and Emily. Derek went home with a pretty girl (obviously) and finally, Rossi left with Rollins, after she offered him a ride back to the hotel.

That left, you and Nick, alone

of fucking course

“So, miss L/n, how was your first time in New York, huh?” He asked, taking a sip of his bourbon or was it whiskey? Maybe scotch? You couldn’t remember

“Oh, you mean besides the corpse-loving freak? Pretty great, thanks for asking, Detective.” you joked, feeling less intimidated thanks to the vodka cranberry sitting in front of you.

He laughed, “Yeah, dumb question” he shook his head almost embarrassed but you were eating it up.

“How was your first time working with the BAU, hm?” Nick smiled as you practically hummed the question, he thought it was cute, and you could tell, which only boosted your confidence.

“Gotta be honest, I was worried you guys would swarm in and take everything over but, it was a lot easier than I expected” You nod in response, 

“A lot of people think that, but typically it’s an ego thing. was it an ego thing for you, Nicky?” The nickname had slipped off your tongue with ease as you teased your schoolgirl crush, having called him that just a few days ago when you first started working together.

Nick scoffed, “What? No, absolutely not” but the small smirk on his lips was a dead giveaway. “Okay, maybe it was kind of an ego thing, just a little bit” he whispered his confession. You all but giggled in response

“It’s gettin’ late, what do you say I walk you back to your hotel huh?” he offered, standing up and putting his coat on before reaching for yours 

“I’d like that, thank you, Detective” You smiled, standing from your seat and sighing as he carefully put your coat on for you.

The hotel wasn’t far but god you wished it had been, it would’ve given you some more time to flirt with the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen in your life

(exaggerating? Pft nuh-uh) 

But yet, here you stood, in front of the tall building that ruined your excitement.

“Hey, uh how would you feel if the next time you were in New York, I took you out?” Nick asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, his tie hanging loosely around his neck.

You smiled, hoping the lights surrounding you both hid the blush on your cheeks instead of accentuating it. “Or if you’re ever in Virginia?” 

He smiled, nodding. 

“I think I’d like that a lot” You responded, quietly, suddenly very sober.

“Great, have a safe flight back home, alright?”

it's already over

“Thank you for walking me back, Nick” 

“Anytime, goodnight, sweetheart” he smiled once more.

Sweetheart

“Goodnight, detective”

[us3rnam3-r3dact3d]

the world (it burns through me)

Chapter 7

Ao3 | 2.7k Words | Darlin's POV

Milo is a drill Sergeant. Darlin' gets some emails. Angel washes dishes. Quinn is the type of asshole that flirts with teenagers.

TW: Stalking, threatening behavior, vomit.

“You’ve gotta put on some weight.” Milo tutted, his hands resting on his trim waist. Even two years later, Milo was a picture of petty tension. He hadn’t grown, despite the fact that he claimed people could grow into their mid twenties. He had built up a good deal of muscle in his back and chest, which served to make him look just a little bigger. He still had an air about him that made him seem two feet taller, even when you stared purposefully past the top of his head to piss him off.

Milo had started working you out as soon as Sam had given you the all clear, after you gave up on trying to avoid him. He was faster than you when he wanted to be, and staying away from him was so much less fun than just giving in to the familiarity of your quiet, playful arguments. 

The workouts started slow; annoying, silent yoga, something his partner had gotten him into that left you infuriatingly loose and relaxed afterwards. Once you could do that without panting and twitching with pain, he moved up. Light cardio and weights. You’d managed alright with that. Your stamina was shot but you were strong. Now, Milo had moved on to C.P.A.T. specifics. 

You’d passed the Candidate Physical Ability Test with flying colors the last time you’d taken it, but that felt like a lifetime ago. You were younger, stronger, fitter. What came to you naturally at eighteen made you wheeze at twenty-seven. Milo cast his gaze across the practice course before cutting those clever eyes back to you and your sorry state.

“There aren’t any weight class requirements for the physical.” You snapped. 

“No,” Milo replied, “but you’re not gonna get through the endurance test like this. You’re gonna fall out.” 

“I guarantee you I won’t.”

“Put your money where your mouth is, doll.” 

“Call me that again and I’ll knock your teeth out.” 

“Twenty?”

“Fifty.”

You won, just barely. Milo had a point, though. Running that course in full turnouts, hauling that ladder, scaling it, finding the hidden dummies in the fake building’s facade and hauling them back down, dragging the dummies and the ladder back the safe distance requirements; it was nearly too much for you. By the time you’d finished the run, you were gasping for breath, gripping at your protesting ribs, and dumping the dummies at your feet without a care for their ‘wellbeing.’ That part wasn’t new. It was a habit from your days as a probie you couldn’t shake. This time, though, it was done with some extra disdain. 

Milo clapped a fifty in your hand and let you catch your breath before he tugged off your turnouts, up your tank top, and pressed his thin, clever fingers into your flesh to check your ribs. 

“You’re gonna make me blush.” You gasped. Milo sneered. 

“You’re gonna get yourself killed if you don’t give your body what you need. You have to eat to heal.” He shook his head, dark curls bouncing this way and that. You patted him on the head the way you knew he hated. 

“You’re preaching to the choir. David’s already working on me.” 

“He’s got the patience of a Saint.” 

“No, he’s just force feeding me.” 

“Good.” 

You were eating three square meals a day, all packed with protein and healthy fats and carbs. Whenever David wasn’t putting out fires, both literal and figurative, he was cooking. He put more plates in front of you than you could manage in a day. It was the biggest bulk you’d experienced in your life, and even it was falling short of what your body needed. To be completely fair to David’s efforts, your body had always run on fumes. There had never been enough to go around. You had gotten used to making that work. 

David surrounded you with abundance. The tension of your sort-of-fight had eased. He had started asking you questions. They were uncomfortable, and you were finding it harder and harder to dodge them. 

You were going to spill your guts soon. You could feel it crawling up and out of you. You were going to lay down your load at David’s feet, unburden yourself through clenched teeth and let him take the weight. You’d done it with Gabe. David looked so much like him. 

You hit the showers, scrubbing the sweat from your skin. The cold tile made your toes curl. The lines of your tattoos were raised with cold and irritation from the cheap body wash that was stocked in all of the shower stalls. You ran ghost-soft touch over all of them before moving on to your scars. The one over your side, the newest one, was still pink and new. If you pressed hard enough on the two inches of clean, stitched skin, it still hurt. 

David caught you in the locker room as you slipped a D.F.D sweatshirt over your head. You’d slowly moved your meager belongings from your shitty studio to the last locker in the row at the 10-19. David had offered you plenty of his own clothes, but you didn’t like to wear them. Not the way that his spouse did, anyway. The little Shaw slid one of his giant tee-shirts over their head and wore it like a badge of honor, like a mark of ownership. You didn’t own David. You certainly didn’t plan on letting him own you. As it stood, the majority of your wardrobe was either covered in blood or stolen pieces from the D.F.D.’s lost and found. 

“Hey,” you mumbled, pushing your still-wet hair away from your face, “are you done, do we need to go?” 

“No,” David shook his head. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants. “I’ve got a few more hours. Look, I reactivated your D.F.D. email account. There’s a form in there for the next C.P.A.T.. Fill it out sometime today.” 

“Okay.” You nodded. “When is it?” 

“Three weeks.” David said. “I can get you back on the job within forty-eight hours if you pass it.” 

“If?” You grinned. “I recall holding a record with my last one.” 

“Yeah well,” David shrugged, “you were a spring chicken then. We’ve gotten old.”

“Speak for yourself, Shaw.” You flashed teeth. “I could still kick your ass.” 

“Email. Form. Today.” David barked. You could tell, somewhere in your gut, that he was joking just as much as you were. 

“Yes, Captain, sorry, Captain.” You clicked your heels together in a salute as he rolled his eyes and retreated down the hallway towards his office. A smile slid over your face as he left you alone in the cold, quiet locker room. 

You D.F.D. email had two-thousand-and-seventy-three unread messages waiting for you once you’d managed to remember the password. You flopped down on a couch in the bunk room and sighed as you clicked into the newest one, skimming the form to sign up for the C.P.A.T.. Something about filling out that form, going to that test, made your chest hurt. It made all of it, being back here at the 10-19 feel… real. That was a dangerous thing for you. You couldn’t explain why. 

November was drawing towards a close. The cold had long settled over Dahlia and into your blown, shitty joints. You could do the C.P.A.T., you could not do it. December would come on either way. 

You clicked out of the form, out of the email, and back to your inbox. Maybe you’d feel more inclined to carry on with your future when all of the spam messages were gone. 

Spam. Advertisement. Debt collector. Spam. Medical bill. Spam. 

You almost swiped it right into your archives when your eyes caught on the subject line of a message from an email address consisting entirely of scrambled numbers and letters. That was usually enough for you to chuck the whole thing as bullshit. The subject, though, made your heart squeeze. You sat up on the couch, your feet hitting the ground. You needed your boots flat on the floor. You needed your legs under you when you read this. You might need to run. 

Back home so soon, Precious? 

Bile rose up in your throat, acidic and cutting. You swallowed hard and clicked on the address’s icon. Copy, paste, the address went into your search bar and twenty-odd unopened messages popped up. 

California state employees’ email addresses all followed the same formula. Last name, first initial. It would be so easy for Quinn to find it. 

You scrolled down to the earliest message and opened it up. The subject line made your hands shake; I’m never far behind, you know.

It was a picture of you from sometime in September. You were still black and blue from the fight you two had devolved into. You were standing in a gas station somewhere in Washington, staring at two different, overpriced painkiller options. You’d killed that bottle in less than a week. 

You’d known, in your gut, that Quinn would follow you when you ran. You hadn’t noticed him. You thought for sure, if he was that close, you’d have noticed. 

It was more of that. A picture of you in a diner, flirting with the waitress who gave you free pie. A shot of the back of your head in a Greyhound bus heading for California. You through the stained, narrow windows of your shitty apartment. 

Sam and his EMT’s leaving the night you’d been stabbed. 

Sam’s truck in the firehouse parking lot. 

Sam at lunch in a plush restaurant with a handsome man in his mid-forties. 

Sam sitting on the porch of his cabin, coffee cup in his hand. He looked so peaceful, his eyes closed and head tilted back against his rocking chair. 

Vincent in his fancy car, kissing who you assumed to be his partner in a school parking lot. He’d mentioned that they worked in an elementary school. 

Sam’s Probie walking towards a nightclub, their arm linked with a drop-dead-gorgeous man, surrounded by friends. 

David outside of a fire, smudged with soot, directing the scene like a conductor. 

Little Shaw standing at the sink, scrubbing the remnants of dinner from a plate, taken through the slots in the pantry door. 

He had been inside David’s house. He had stood three feet away from them and taken that picture. He was close enough to hear the little songs they hummed to themself whenever it got too quiet. 

You locked your phone, stuffed it into your pocket, and moved. You barely made it to the bathroom before you lost your lunch. 

He could get inside the house. He had gotten inside the house. There was no telling how long he’d stayed there. He could be there right now, waiting in the shadows for somebody to pass by and make an example out of. You had to tell David. You had to make them leave, had to put them both somewhere safe and torch the fucking place. It was tainted. He’d been in there, and it would never be safe again. 

Hands shaking, you replied to that last picture, staring at their tiny frame and estimating how long it would take Quinn to subdue them. Seconds. He could kill them in seconds. 

What do you want? 

The response was almost instant. 

You. 

He attached an address. You didn’t need to punch it in anywhere to know it. Max’s was familiar ground. The house ordered from there more than anywhere else, and Gabe’s accident had been just down the road. 

It got dark early this time of year, and by the time you emerged from the bathroom, the sun had set and night shift had invaded the building. You could smell dinner on the stove and hear the chatter of the house through the walls. If you hung a left, you’d be surrounded by them. You could find David, ask him to talk. He would know what to do about Quinn. He would handle it. 

Quinn was dangerous. David could handle himself, but Quinn fought dirty. David couldn’t win against him, not playing by the rules. 

No, you had to handle this yourself. David was already in danger, his spouse too. Quinn liked to aim for the weakest link. He liked to strike where it was easy to do real damage without taking any injuries himself. That’s where he’d hit you. The only way you’d learned to make him back off was to hit him head on, to not even give him the chance to find your weak point. 

He knew you just about as well as you knew him, of course. You’d have to hope he wouldn’t call your bluff. You’d have to hope he wouldn’t smell the terror rolling off of you in waves. 

You retreated away from the noise, from the sounds of your house, and towards the ambulance bay. You could sneak out the backdoor, have it out with Quinn, and be back before David was any the wiser. You gripped your hand into a fist as you shrugged on your jacket and shouldered open the back door. 

“Darlin’,” Sam’s voice called from inside. You stilled, boots just barely on the icy sidewalk outside. You turned, your hands still fists at your sides. Sam’s uniform collar was unbuttoned. He must have been getting off shift. “Where ‘ya running off to?” 

“Mother hen.” You muttered bitterly. Sam smiled anyway, seeming almost… bashful. “Just going on. Meeting somebody. Shouldn’t be long.” 

“Well, I’m off.” Sam reached inside to grab his jacket off the rack. “Let me drive you. It’s cold as all hell.”

“I’m fine.” You shook your head and stepped back. “Really.” You did not want to introduce Sam to Quinn. You didn’t want Quinn to make any assumptions. You didn’t want Sam to hear the things he was going to say to you, about you. Whatever you were, whatever parts of you Quinn had broken, whatever parts of you had always been broken, Sam didn’t know about them. You didn’t want him to see you and all of your broken parts in the naked light.

“Is it… um… are you going to see him?” Sam squinted at you, his jacket still in his hands. You swallowed. Your poker face crumbled. You’d never been a good liar. 

“Sam,” you started, hands clenching and unclenching. 

“I’ll take you.” He said decisively. You blinked, surprised. You were expecting him to try and talk you out of it. 

“You… you’ll take me?” 

“I’m sure as shit not letting you go alone.” Sam grinned like it was such a ridiculous notion that it was funny. “Come on, we can talk on the ride.” 

You were quiet for most of it, your throat constricting over all of the warnings and defenses you desperately wanted to spew. Instead, you answered each of Sam’s questions steadily, one word at a time. 

“How’d he reach you?” 

“Email.” 

“And he followed you here?” 

“Yeah.” 

“So he knows where to find ‘ya if you don’t go to him.” 

“Yeah.” 

“He’s liable to start a fight?”

“If not him, then me.” 

“And he fights dirty?” 

“He brings guns to knife fights, let’s put it that way.” 

“I understand.” 

“Do you?” You turned to him from the passenger seat, your face pinched and twisted in concern. Your teeth worried over the scar on your top lip. Sam’s eyes caught yours, brown gone red with the street light. 

“I do.” His shaking fingers tapped against the steering wheel in an awkward, unsteady rhythm. “Better than I can put into words.” 

The parking lot outside of Max’s was full this time of night, so Sam parked across the street. You spotted him through the wide, bright windows. Quinn had taken up a booth at the back of the small restaurant. His feet were kicked up on the table, shitty, worn boots smearing dirt across the clean surface. He was flirting with the teenage server who was refilling his coke. She blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The guy behind the counter was eyeing the two of them nervously. Anybody who had ever known an asshole before could see right through Quinn if they tried hard enough. That was why he had to flirt with teenagers. 

Quinn turned suddenly, stiff and aware. His bright, blue eyes caught yours through the window. His face split out into a terrible, toothy grin as he beckoned you inside.

[rahleeyah]

On my own for the afternoon and left to my own devices so that means I'm watching beasts obsession, like a normal person, and one thing I like about it - like is maybe not the word, one thing I think is really compelling as a character beat - is that Olivia has gone to therapy and sat the Sergeant's exam and moved in with Cassidy and broken up with Cassidy, she's taken control of her life and done all the things she's supposed to do and convinced - or tried to convince - herself and everyone around her that she's Ok, that she's Better, and the second she sees Lewis's face she's picking fights and ducking her protective detail and trying to trade her life for a child bc despite all the therapy and all the work she's put into Being A Normal Person, she is, still, Olivia. Angry and scared and reckless. She pushes Nick and Fin away when they're at her place and trying to take care of her. She doggedly refuses everyone's attempts to help her, bc their help would require her to lie, and she's decided she's not doing that anymore, even if it'll save her. No one believes her, not really, and maybe they never will - maybe they'll never believe he didn't rape her the first time, maybe they'll never believe that Liv didn't kill him, no matter what she says and I think she knows that - but she's stubborn and she won't back down. We have seen so much of rainbows and candles and therapy fixes everything Olivia recently, but this Olivia of post mortem blues is the same Olivia in children of wolves - she's in there somewhere, still, angry and impulsive and imperfect, and honest. That's the thing that gets me, I think, is that hand on heart wet eyes Liv feels like a Liv who's playing a role. Blood on her teeth going rogue in the rain Liv feels more real. They're both her - the her that wants to be clean and the her that worries she never will be - but I'd like to see more of a balance of those two sides of her than we're getting these days.

And as a side note, since I'm now on post mortem blues, I do think absolutely this is the moment Ed Tucker changed his tune about her. It started earlier - I think he was always amused and intrigued by her - but I think this is the moment she crawled under his skin.

[diejager]

Chapter 1

Pairing : Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!reader

Cw: none in this chapter.

Series masterlist

Laswell had informed their Task Force after the briefing that a newly appointed sergeant, both she and Price had specifically chosen them, picked them from the mass of qualified and unqualified soldiers in the SAS to join the Special ops Task Force 141. It had taken Laswell a few days to have the transfer approved by Lieutenant General Shepherd; which he did.

They had a week to prepare for their arrival and the mystery sergeant that they would share barracks and bunks with them. Soap had droned about their gender, their name, their callsign - Winter, Price told them when he searched for them in the Mess Hall - and their personality. Gaz and Roach both shared his excitement, remembering that the last time that someone new joined them - Roach - was a few years or so.

They seemed like young high school girls gushing about a cute boy or a pretty girl they saw walking down the hall, so much excitement and mirth.

When the time came, Soap had forced Ghost to meet them at the landing site, wanting to be the first team in the base to greet their new member. Ghost grumbled behind the trio, a brooding figure following his brothers. He was guarded, eyes glazed over with wariness as he waited behind the 141 once Price met up before the aircraft landed.

Time seemed to stretch as they watched it land, engines stopped before the cargo door opened slowly. Ghost could hear a low thank you with steady steps echoing around the hatch, his mind swam with everything he had read about them - her, you.

Ghost had asked Price for your file, wanting to know who he would have to meet and work with, suspicion and alert for any dangers that you would bring. He remembers reading it over and over again days prior to your arrival, committing every little piece of information to his mind. Your name was (Name) (L/N) - callsign Winter - a woman with a long list of successful deployments as a sniper and infiltration specialist, both things he saw worth in; however, the added note of combat medic made your skills twice as important.

None of them were well versed in medical care, finding the knowledge of basic care enough to push past the dangers of bullets and grenades. If you were as skilled as your file implied, Ghost would be able to stop worrying so much about Soap or Roach getting hurt by acting recklessly - something they seemed to be prone to.

You approached them with such ease, light on your feet even with a tactical vest being weighted over by a duffle bag, black and in pristine condition. You turned to wave at the pilots and whoever had accompanied you one last time, walking until you were faced with Price. The tilt and smile you gave was innocent, taking the hand Price gave you and shaking it firmly, still smiling.

"It's nice to see you again, Captain," you spoke with respect.

Your voice was soft - perhaps too gentle for a battle-scarred and hardened soldier in the SAS - and would be easily missed between hardy men.

"Winter, welcome, " he returned with a nod, a smile hidden under his thick mustache and wrinkled eyes squinted in recognizable joy. "Meet the team."

He moved, facing his Task Force with his head held high - pride, Ghost could tell he felt proud of his little, dysfunctional family - and let them greet you. "Soap and Gaz," his head cocked towards the smiling men, the Scot and Brit fighting the urge to swarm you with a warm welcome.

Soap, the Scottish, SAS sergeant, shook your hand, feeling the significant difference in size between you both. He dwarfed you by a head, standing sharp and tall with the same boyish smirk and boisterous personality that drew people in: "Soap MacTavish, nice t'meet ya, Winter."

Gaz, the olive-skinned man followed after Soap, voice silky soft with his softer British accent than Price. He shook your hand with a similarly boyish smile, shorter than Soap, but still standing over you. He shook your hand with more finesse, gentler than his brother:

"Gaz Garrick, a pleasure, Winter."

A masked man with gentle, caring green eyes stepped into the place Soap and Gaz were previously in, gloved hands moving in swift gestures. He was signing to you, perhaps he was mute or simply preferred signing over talking.

"Roach, he signs," Price cautioned you, watching your reaction to the young sergeant.

They all were, wanting to gauge your expression at the news that one of your new teammates would use BSL. Although most knew the basics, complicated words being a bit more complicated to learn, they wanted to know whether you'd ridicule Roach for his choice or do nothing of it. It was the kind of protection that grew within the team, a family protects their own.

Your head tilted right, eyes wide as a smile stretched your cheeks, you raised your own hands and greeted the mute sergeant, Hi Roach, it's nice to meet you. He practically beamed, hands moving to shape each letter in a quick sequence, matching the pace of your sign, somehow too quick for the rest of the team to catch. You know BSL, I haven't seen anyone with fluent BSL in a while, his mask wrinkled with the smile that spread over his lips.

I have a friend who was born mute, learned it to talk to her.

They watched your silent conversation, understanding a few snips here and there, but the rest seemed to pass on quickly. Now, they knew you'd do fine with Roach, both being so fluent in BSL (Ghost doesn't remember finding any notion of your language skills in your file, perhaps some information was withheld by you or someone, or you hadn't bothered telling anyone of your fluency since most soldiers spoke fine with their rumbling voices).

After he pulled away, the last member left was Ghost, his tall, towering figure that stood over you like an impenetrable wall of muscle. He was silent, eerily so that you'd beat that most privates on base would shit their pants if they met him.

"Ghost," were his only words, a curt nod and a glare before he left, his back so broad that the shadow he cast on the cemented ground stretched on and on like a beast in hiding. His voice was deep and gravy when he spoke his name, his callsign was like the summons of a demon, a Ghost.

"Don't mind him, L.T's like that ta everyone. He'll warm up to ya," Soap promised, strutting to your side, and slinging an arm around your shoulder to bring you closer to him. "How 'bout I show ya round? You'll be bunkin' with Roach, that fine with ya?"

Roach reaffirmed his testament when you turned to him, asking him if it were alright with him, having to share his barrack when he'd been sleeping alone for a while.

I'm fine, I'll finally have a roommate to brag about, his shoulders shook with a muddled chuckle.

Next

Tag list (reply here if you want to be tagged): @lauraliisa @iirosietumbles @thefairybird @jemandderkeinenusernamenfindet @tayaisback @deadpoetsandhoney @ghost-reine @raidenmylove @sollucifer @dontfollowmepleaseitsannoying @mandythemint @static-knight @suzuyamitsuki @rk111 @shuttlelauncher81 @discowizard88 @v1naco @imjustabebeh2003 @tbrfic @hotchlover @mstosi

[mygfisprentiss]

I want to be close to you

what if Casey was never censured, Alex came back in season 7 and they had to work together? -

-

-

Watching from the doorway Alex deeply admired Casey, she seemed so graceful yet intimidating from a few feet away. She loved the hoarseness of her voice, how her copper hair laid on her shoulders; she wondered how it would feel in her hands.

      She knew it would never happen - could never happen; they were barely friends, colleagues at the most, Casey didn’t even call her “Alex” it was always Cabot, or counselor. 

Before Alex even thought of coming back she used to imagine how the squad liked Casey. She’d call Liv asking about the new ADA asking if she was as good as her, as cliche as it sounds Alex missed her friends, she wished she didn’t have to use a burner phone to call Liv; she wanted to drink coffee with colleagues, walk in Central Park, she wanted to be a prosecutor again.

      “Heard we got a new ADA what’s up with Novak?” Fin yelled out as he walked back into the squad room; everyone starts looking around like he was spouting nonsense. “Sergeant where exactly did you hear that?” The captain wondered along with everyone else but no one was ready for who was about to walk in.

    “Alexandra Cabot back from the dead.” 

Alex’s face went white as she walked in the squad room as she heard Stabler, “holy mother of god.”

It felt so nostalgic for Alex to talk with the squad again; to finally smile with Liv again, laugh with munch and Fin, and Cragen giving her that kind of side hug only a father could give to his daughter. Although she wasn’t the only one wondering where Novak was. 

 “Oh how I’ve missed you Alex!” As she pushed up her glasses to see who was barging in her door she soon became much happier; George huang her confidante. 

“George, it’s so nice to see you! Believe me i wanted to call you once I came back but as soon as i moved back into here they put me straight to work.” Alex felt like an ass for not sending him anything, before she had to go into witsec her and George were like two peas in a pod being the squad’s helpers. They’d go out for drinks, watch movies together, he was always there whenever she had a case too twisted for her office to handle. 

“So have you seen Casey since coming back?” Alex could feel her ears turn red as she thought of her office crush; it felt odd to call it that because Alex has never had a crush, she definitely has never liked a woman before. All she could respond with was “no, but I think branch is trying to get us to meet.”

    “Hello?” 

Casey and Alex unknowingly responded the same exact way to Branches message; he wanted them to officially meet outside of the courtroom, he had a proposition for them. 

 “So you want us both on svu?” Casey was mind boggled; she thought this was Ludacris, she could barely get past the fact that Alex was back, she seemed so intimidating and not to mention how stunning she was. Every time she passed her after court it felt like her heart was pounding so hard it would burst; all Casey knew was that before her time at svu, Alex was unstoppable; the squad admired her and she was known as the ice queen throughout the DA’s office. 

‘This cannot be happening’ the only thing that could come to Alex’s mind. She honestly wouldn’t mind working along with another ADA because god knows the workload at svu was hell; but to work with Casey would be damn near impossible. No matter what, whenever Novak was in Alex’s view she couldn’t think about anything besides her; their was no aspect of Casey’s that Alex wasn’t in awe of, her green eyes; whenever piercing blue eyes met Casey’s it felt like the world stopped for just a second; Casey’s lips; as inappropriate as it was Alex couldn’t stop staring at her pink lips, they looked so soft like an angel’s; she could say anything and it wouldn’t matter because Alex was in such awe of Casey, she could do nothing wrong.

[sleepyfan-blog]

Rescue

Author’s Note: this is the second part of mer-Hagiel’s fic! Previous. Next

Tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @kit-williams @bleedingichorhearts @the-pure-angel @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

Warnings: blood, injury, mild body horror, consensual blood-drinking, sexual thoughts, implied menstrual kink, please ask me to tag anything that bothers you

Summary: Hagiel wakes up in a dark, metal cell. Luckily, you come to his rescue!

Hagiel woke slowly and painfully. His arms were pinned over his head and away from his body. His tail was stretched out to it's furthest extent and each of his fins were stretched out to a painful extent. His thoughts were sluggish and slow, and someone had wrapped cloth around his eyes, keeping him from being able to see. He attempts to move, and agony shot through his body from the lingering points of pain in his body, electric in nature and would be blinding in intensity, if the cloth covering his eyes wasn't currently keeping him from being able to see. 

As the agony faded slowly from his body, Hagiel's mind finally gave him the relevant knowledge as to how he'd ended up in this miserable situation... 

But it begged several questions: Why would humans from Ancient Terra seek to capture him? Or at least, they were seeking to capture Astartes... Why would they want such a thing? Was the human they were threatening safe? Or had they also been captured? 

The Lamenter Sergeant was quite certain that he'd managed to activate his emergency beacon before whatever poison or heavy sedatives the baselines had used to knock him unconscious for God-Emperor knew how long, did the young scouts he'd been watching over and leading through one of their first missions away from the main Lamenter pod that had come together on Ancient Terra followed after the signal? Or did they flee back to the others in hopes of mounting a more successful rescue attempt? He sent a desperate prayer to the Emperor of Mankind that his younger brothers hadn't tried to rescue him and were trapped alongside him... Or killed for their bravery.

Tentatively, Hagiel moved his head from side to side, then up and down. When agony did not strike him for those movements, he did so as quickly and while pressing the knot to whatever metal surface he had been pinned too with as much force as he could manage. It took longer than he would have liked to undo the knot holding the cloth to his face, but once he finally did get it to fall from his eyes, he searched every corner of the small metal room he was in. The first thing he noted was that they had stripped him of all of his armor and weapons - they'd even clipped or filed down his claws. He ran his tongue along the thick, cushioned something they'd shoved in his mouth. Possibly to keep him from speaking? Or biting. Thin wires ran from the short metal rods that the humans had sunk into his arms, fins and tail to a crude battery of sorts that had been left in an open container on the floor. The room itself was dark enough that baseline humans wouldn't be able to see in it without a light source of their own.

Now would be a fantastic time to spontaneously develop warp-powers. Even though it was much more difficult for Librarians to use the warp in any meaningful way, if he could remove the wires from the heads of the metal stakes, Hagiel was quite certain he could brute-force his way out of his restraints, wait for the holes in his flesh to heal enough for him to be capable of coordinated movement and get the fuck out of wherever here is... And maybe find that poor, terrified human, if they hadn't been killed, as their purpose by those nefarious baseline humans as bait had served their purpose. 

But Hagiel had never been blessed - or cursed, depending on who you asked - with so much as a whimper of Warp-touched capabilities, and could therefore only glare in abject frustration at the most effective part of his restraints and hope that they would cower away from his seething glare.

...

Fuck. Being captured was not something that Hagiel had ever wanted to be subjected to. He was about to try moving one of his fins - seeing if the electricity would get him as intensely as when he'd tried moving both of his arms earlier when he heard quick but tentative footsteps. The human (who'd been used as bait against him) was just on the other side of the door. Their breathing was quick and shallow, and they called out in a hushed tone "Uhm... Big yellow mer-person, are you in here? I managed to escape the room they put me in 'cause they didn't check me over as thoroughly as they should have. I... I'm not with the people who captured both of us... If... If you're in here, please say something, or at least make a noise."

Hagiel let out a loud rumble, surprised and a little bit delighted by the formerly terrified human's ingenuity. He wished he could respond properly, but the large thing in his mouth prevented him from making more than the most basic of noises. 

"I really hope that's you in there, and not more of the kidnapping bastards playing a cruel trick on me." The human murmured - likely to themself, though he heard you clearly enough.  The human rattld the door handle, cursing lowly as it was clearly locked.

Hagiel heard scraping and clicking noises of the lock's internal mechanisms for what felt like several eternities, but was more than likely a handful of minutes in reality.

Hagiel heard one last click before the door handle swung open slowly, revealing your anxious but determined face. You give him a relieved smile as you swiftly run into the room, closing the door softly behind yourself, before horror dawns on your face. "Oh... Oh fuck, look at what they did to you, to keep you stuck like this! Shit, hang on. Let me... Lemme get the wires off of you. Then I can try and find something to pull those rods out of your... Everything. They ditched your armor in the water before hauling you deeper into the ship. I'm not sure what we're going to do once I get you out of this room, but we'll figure something out."

... His younger brothers might believe him to be dead, if they'd discarded his armor. Especially if they'd ensured that some of his blood was on it. His hearts eased a little. Hopefully the scouts he'd been training would follow protocol and return to the greater pod, rather than swimming off half-cocked on a mission of holy vengeance in his honor. Hagiel had the utmost faith in his baby brothers to behave themselves.

The. Utmost. Faith.

"Hey, buddy. I've removed the wires from the rods in your body. Blink once if you're comfortable with me getting close enough to remove the gag in your mouth. Blink twice if no, then I'll start by trying to get your tail unstuck." You asked. 

Hagiel hummed a little, smiling around the gag in his mouth, looking at you in your eyes before deliberately blinking once before looking away, so as to not confuse you. He wasn't entirely sure, as he'd only heard of Brothers and Cousins finding baseline humans on Ancient Terra to bond with. But he could feel the first whispers of affection, care and the desire to protect you, beyond the baseline training that he, as with all Loyal Astartes felt toward baseline humans in the Imperial Era, as all Astartes had been created to protect and guard baseline humanity from all who would seek to destroy, maim or enslave. 

Your small fingers were deft and gently, and he couldn't help but lean into your touch, gold-flecked red eyes warm with affection as he murmurs a hoarse "Thank you. You needn't try and pull the rods from me. Step back please."

You step backwards a couple of paces, nearly back at the door as you ask "Why, what are you going to do?"

"This." He answers with an easy smile. With a concentrated effort of will, he yanks his arms free of the rods, refusing to give into the urge to howl in pain and likely give his captors' notice that he was escaping their grasp.

You splutter in horror as his arms go limp at their sides, bloody holes dripping. The bastards had drilled through the bones in his arms and hands to get their restraints in place. Just how long had he been unconscious?

You rush over to him, hands flailing in the desperate desire to help "There's... There's gotta be a better way of getting you free than doing this! I'm pretty strong, but there's no way I'm going to be able to carry you through the ship, unless you're a lot lighter than you look."

"Don't worry, Astartes heal fast, brave mortal." Hagiel soothes, smiling woozily down at her. He could feel the intense itchy pain of his bones reforming and knitting themselves back together, before muscles, nerves, blood vessels and skin began to reform as well.

You stare in horrified fascination as he heals, still shaking and visibly anxious. Once his arms have fully healed, he begins yanking the rods out of his fins two at a time, pained growls occasionally escaping his chest, despite his best efforts to suppress all of his pained reactions. 

Unfortunately, with the amount of damage he'd taken, and whatever they'd used to keep him under was slowing the rest of his healing. To make matters worse, he'd been on a hunting trip with the scouts and had not eaten in several days, which slowed his healing - and made the eternal hunger that all Lamenters did their best to deny at every turn that much more difficult to resist. Especially as you were right there, warm and worried and filled with delicious, tempting blood. But he would not feed on you - especially without permission.

He would not be the monster that his cousins the Flesh Tearers had turned into, nor would he strike at an ally who'd come for him, despite the danger it put them into, rather than trying to escape on their own. 

"You... You seem to be healing slower. Is there anything I can do to help you?" You ask, looking up at him anxiously as he continued to bleed, slumped against the metal wall he'd been pinned against until moments ago.

Hagiel hesitates, looking at you briefly before looking away "... If I had something to eat, it would help replenish the resources my body is expending in healing me. I had not eaten for some time before my capture, and whatever vile poisons they used to knock me unconscious are doing me no favors now."

"Oh... Unm..." You murmur as you pat your pockets desperately. You pull out several small pieces of caramel. The packaging is brightly colored and shiny, even in the darkness of the room that you and Hagiel are in. "I have a handful of candy. It's... It's not much, but it's better than nothing? Is there anything else I can give you, for sustenance?"  You'd heard that Astartes could eat pretty much anything as long as their teeth could break it down. you started to unwrap the candies, offering them freely for him to take.

Hagiel shifted a little, taking the offered candy and swallowing them - and the wrappers - within a second. "I... There is... But..." He shifts, not looking at you.

"But nothing! Will this kind of food help you heal faster? I don't know how long before those bastards come back, and I'm not much of a fighter. But I'm not going to just ditch you to go to one of the buffet rooms on the upper-level decks. I don't know how many of the crew and passengers are in on this, and if they know I'm running around free, they might come to check on you... And I... I don't want you to get more hurt because of me. Tell me what it is! I want to help you, so that we both can escape this shitty place."  You growl as quietly as your anxiety-fueled irritation would allow you. You shove your way into his personal space, glaring up at the giant dumb fish-man.

"I... It's... You will likely deny me, when I tell you, not that I would blame you." Hagiel hedged, trying to press away from you. 

You're not having any of this squirrely nonsense. You've been threatened at knife point and kidnapped by a bunch of uppity assholes, and your ticket out of here was being weird about getting what he needs in order to make sure the two of you escaped alive and relatively whole. With a boldness you're sure is fueled by desperation, you grab his ridiculously handsome giant face and force him to look you in the face "Tell me. Right now! I don't care how weird or off-putting whatever you need is. Just. Fucking. Tell me!" You'd heard a number of rumors about Astartes. What they were capable of. What they wanted. What they needed. You weren't sure how much of that was true and how much was bullshit, and you needed this squirmy golden bastard to cooperate with you.

Hagiel growled, pulling away from you, his sharp teeth flashing and snapping half-heartedly at your fingers. He could have easily bitten you and deliberately choose not to. "Fine! If you insist. Raw meat would work but blood - fresh, warm blood would be best. Would you allow me to drink from your life-essence, in order to gain the strength necessary to get us free of this prison?" He bared his fangs at you, hissing in irritation.

Part of you was screaming to get away from this large, terrifying predator. Most of you was delighted to have found a handsome vampire-merman. Despite his hissing and growling, he'd been nothing but gentle and considerate of you, and considering how shittily other humans have treated him so far, that was damn near a miracle he hadn't snapped your neck the moment he could and ate you. Youd been an (unwilling!) part in his capture after all... And you'd fantasized more than once about what it would be like to have a vampi- no! You weren't going there. Not right now. "Yes, I will. How much do you need?"

"... I will endeavor not to take too much from you. I have... Occasionally fed from baseline humans before, and I know how much to take before it weakens you." Hagiel answers. 

You wanted to push the issue, but given that he'd needed your help before, it made sense for him to err on the side of caution. "Alright, how do we do this?" You ask. 

He gently grabbed one of your hands with both of his. "I can drink from a number of veins or arteries, but given the likely limited time that we had, either from your neck or from one of your wrists. Unless... Ahh..." A bit of a blush colored his face as his eyes glanced down at your legs. A couple of his most experienced brothers spoke of how baseline human women bleed for days at a time from their cores without the blood loss negatively affecting them. Shedding the blood had other unpleasant side-effects for them, but the monthly bleeding happened regularly. "But that would put you in a vulnerable position and we are strangers in a dangerous position. But uhm. If you. If you were already bleeding without injury I could. Uhm. Take sustenance from that instead. Or so. My older brothers have told me."

"Bleeding without being injured? What do you mea-oh. Ohh. I think. I think I know what you're referring to. I don't. I'm not. Which wrist do you want to drink from?" You ask, a flustered blush burning on your face as you beat back the thoughts of seeing his handsome face between your legs during that time of the month. Being able to thread your fingers through his curly golden hair as he relieves some of the pain and tension as you - no! Now was not the time to lose focus!

"Which is your non-dominant hand? My saliva will heal the wound well enough, but there may be some lingering pain." Hagiel asks, his large hands surprisingly warm as he cups both of yours with a surprising amount of gentleness. You can feel the callouses on the palms of his hands, and silently wonder what they are from.

"I'm left-handed." You answer, unable to get the blush on your face to die down fully. You shiver when he takes your right hand in both of his, bringing it up to his lips.

He presses a series of courtly kisses to your fingertips and knuckles, before gently flipping your hand over. His breath is warm on your palm and wrist as he presses one kiss to the middle of your palm, and one final kiss to the inner portion of your wrist. His red and gold eyes search for yours, and his voice has a rough, almost growly edge to it as he asks, his lips brushing against your wrist "Are you certain, *la mia perla?"

It's sweet that he's so concerned about your consent, but given the urgency of the situation, you feel justified at the frustration creeping into your voice. "Yes, I am sure. Drink quickly, before the bastards show up! I don't know how often they check on either one of us."

He hums in agreement, giving your wrist one final kiss before opening his mouth and sinking his fangs into your wrist. The pain burns, but not as badly as you were expecting. You bite the inside of your cheek, to keep from allowing the pained squeak that wanted to crawl out of your throat. He'd probably stop, and that wouldn't help either one of you.

Hagiel took several swallows of your blood before withdrawing his fangs and licks the two small wounds he'd left on your wrist. His wounds have at least sealed over completely. "Stay close to me, and I'll get us free. I can swim through the air." He scooped you up, wrapping one arm around your waist, encouraging you to hold on tightly as he flew through the hallways of... Wherever the fuck you and he had been stashed. You didn't recognize where you were, at least not until he carried you up several flights of stairs, the bare steel and wood giving way to well-decorated and often carpeted floors that were well-lit as well.

"We're still on the cruise ship! Head down this corridor, up two flights of stairs and then we'll be on the observation deck! From there we should be able to get to open air! I... Uhm. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but you'll be free to return to the ocean, and whatever you were doing before you rescued me." You responded, at first elated but then crushed. If the ship was on it's current heading, it would be days before the cruise ship made part at it's next stop - and that was if a majority of the crew and passengers were unaware of the temporarily kidnapped Astartes and the plans that yours and his kidnappers had for the large yellow mer. "I'm sure I can hide in the room I rented until the ship makes landfall."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're coming with me, *la mia perla. This ship is as dangerous for you as it is for me, and I won't leave you behind to be hunted. Besides, there's a possibility that-" Hagiel said, being interrupted as something slammed into the side of the cruise ship, causing it to list fifteen degrees starboard. He readjusted his flight trajectory "- as I suspected, that is quite likely some of my brothers, mounting a rescue or more likely with the discarding of my armor, an assumption that this ship was responsible for my death and intend to sink it in vengeance." Please let the attack not be only by the scouts he'd been watching over. He'll be very disappointed... And proud... Of them if they didn't go for help.

"I can't breathe under water." You point out. Sirens had started and people were starting to fill the hallways of the ship, fear and panic on everyone's faces. 

"I can swim in air easily, and after I reassure my brothers of my status as among the living, I can swim you to a nearby baseline settlement through the air, as I am moving now, so that you will be returned safely to land." Hagiel explains. Part of him wants to offer you the chance to change - to become a near-eternal mer similar to himself, but that had other connotations and despite being quite certain that you are his bonded human, rushing to such things has spelled near-disaster for less patient brothers and cousins in the past.

"... Oh, that works. Uhm, there's a good chance that most of the humans who are aboard this ship have no idea what our kidnappers are up to, and are innocent of their crimes." You point out.

Hagiel sighs, nodding a little "I suspect that is true as well. But first I need to reassure my brothers that I am alive, and that not every baseline human aboard this vessel was complicit in my temporary capture. You chief among them, la mia perla." As he said that, he carried you out onto the observation deck of the ship. He flies out of one of the holes made in the glass, looking around and seeing eight of his brothers attacking the ship with fist and spear.

The scouts he'd been leading... And no one else. He sighs and calls out "Boys! Retreat from the ship, and someone call the nearest Chapter master. We have innocents mixed with the guilty aboard that ship. And why didn't you follow protocol?"

"We sent a call for aid, sir! Chapter Master Malethas is coming with as many as he can rally to his side! He also ordered us to lame the vessel, so that it wouldn't be able to escape justice." The scouts chorused as one, rushing over to him, peering at the mortal in his arms.

Altheas, the boldest of the scouts asked "Why are you holding this human? Is she a captive?"

"No, she helped me escape, and did not play a willing part in my capture." Hagiel corrected swiftly, before any of his bratty and unruly baby brothers could take an ill-conceived notion.

"Ohhh... Thank you for rescuing our older brother, pretty miss!" The scouts chirp as one, moving closer to Hagiel and you, eyes shining with curiosity. 

Two of them peel off to watch the cruise ship and further damage the engines, hissing at any human who pokes their head over the side of the ship to figure out what's going on.

Hagiel sighs a little, shifts how he's holding you before swatting at his little brothers "Go on, help your brothers slowdown that ship, and stop staring! Honestly, it's like you've never seen a baseline human up close before, and I know that you all have."

"Yes sir..." The remaining scouts chirp as they gleefully dive after the cruise ship, cackling.

*my pearl in Italian according to google translate

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

Finnish Air Force fighter Brewster B-239 of sergeant Heimo Lampi from 2/LeLv24 at Tiiksijärvi airfield (Tikshozero)...Source: waralbum

Markings in the form of silhouettes of aircraft are visible on the fin of the fighter, indicating aerial victories.

[windex-for-blood]

I ended up with a new streaming service and happened upon a later-season episode of Law & Order SVU. It would appear Mariska Hargitay has stuck around long enough that Olivia is the new Sergeant of the station.

In this episode, she asks only remaining early show character Fin "When did we become the voices of reason".

And it's like, girl. Your partner was Elliott Stabler, who was born hanging by a thread. That man is one more family tragedy away from deciding he's just going to beat every criminal in New York to death with his bare hands. You were always the voice of reason

[bensonnstabler]

hey do you ever think about s16 e13 'decaying morality' where liv had another young girl named jenna in her squadroom who had experienced unimaginable trauma and that she likely went home and had nightmares about the last time another young girl named jenna who had experienced unimaginable trauma was in her squadroom? do you think that when she saw this jenna out to the elevator with nick by her side that she saw the ghost of elliot's past and did not leave for home until she was sure this jenna wasn't coming back? do you think that nick wanted to say something about her hands suddenly shaking after the elevator doors closed? do you also think that she ordered nick and rollins and carisi out as soon as she could? under the pretence they had a hard day and needed the rest? do you think that fin hung around, watching his sergeant carefully, knowingly and decided he wasn't leaving that night until she did?

[catootjesmuses]

Lila was happy the day at school was over. It had been a long and dreadful day. She would rather spend time with her mother and the SVU team than return to the classroom any day. Lucky for her, she got an assignment to shadow someone she looked up to. Which wasn't that difficult to choose since she looked up to her mom and her team.

Walking into the precinct, Lila was greeted by her mother's friend and Sergeant Fin Tutuola. She considered him as an uncle. "Hey, Uncle Fin. Is my mom here?" She smiled, giving him a hug. She had learned a lot from Fin, as he was the one who made sure she could defend herself at a young age. "She is in her office, kid." He pointed at the room in the back.

Heading to the doorway, she knocked on the door. "Hey, mom. I'm back." Lila greeted her @captain-benson

[detectiveguapo3]

Music To Watch Boys To

Chapter 2: Fuck it I love you

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

5:42 am

You think back to the drink you shared at the bar last night and the way he stared at you. You almost thought he could feel something more for you. Almost. Maybe, it was the vodka and you were just delusional. You glance over to the sleeping man in your bed, self-pity, and vodka so do not mix. You vaguely recall texting Chase “u up?” at 1 am as you left the bar. He was outside your door thirty minutes later wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a smug fucking smile. He annoyed you so much but in moments like this, he made you feel desirable. This is what normal people do, have regrettable drunk sex with questionable men, right? I mean who even needs love and intimacy when you’ve got an awesome job? Who wants a relationship to mess up and children to traumatize?

You walk to work, having placed all your faith on ibuprofen and coffee. He might be a fuck boy but hey, he makes good coffee. You notice that Amaro brought you a cup of coffee, great is this gonna be another thing, who’s even this fucking nice, you think angrily. He looks up from his desk and smiles at you, “Good morning.” You forget the ridiculous reason you were mad, that fucking smile, you wanted to melt but you compose yourself. 

“How’d the interrogation go for Fin and Rollins?” you inquire. 

“He immediately asked for a lawyer, Barba’s in there right now,” he said. “They’re cutting a deal?!” you whisper yelled. 

“If he confesses to all there will be no need for a trial and his victims will have closure.” Nick replies. “What about the school, do you think they covered for him?” you wonder out loud. 

“Maybe he’ll give them up to save his own ass.” Nick replies, then he asks, “Hey, where did you disappear to last night?” 

You look at him and try to lie, “Uhm… I went home and slept early. Y'know, it was just one of those days where all you want to do is crawl into bed.” Apparently with your fuck buddy from college. He puts his hands on his waist, surely buying the bullshit you were selling. 

Before you can dig yourself further into a hole, Barba walks into the bullpen and says exasperatedly, “He insists on having done nothing wrong.”

You reply, “Does he know the DNA matched his?”

“He claims it was consensual, and that she must have gotten mugged.” Barba replies.

Nick chimes in with, “She’s seventeen, she can’t legally consent.”

“He’s betting on the jury believing it's an honest mistake,” you guess, “we need to tie him to those other open cases.”

“I’ll update Liv.” Nick announces, heading for her office.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

3:09 am, Ohio

Today was supposed to be your day off but the sergeant sent you and Amaro to Ohio to retrieve the rape kits and have them tested in New York; while Amanda Rollins, who transferred from Georgia, and Fin were doing the same. You wake up from your nap in the car, you lose count of how long you’ve been on the road. You glance at him, hoping he thinks you’re still asleep. He looks so sad sometimes. He thinks he’s good at hiding it but you saw how the job affected him. He thinks he can save the whole wide world. He shows up for everyone and you just want to be that person for him. In a platonic, professional way. I totally wasn't falling for him. Uh oh, Oh no, oh I’m tot-. “You’re awake! You hungry?” he asks while getting in line at some fast food drive-through.

You get out of the car and head towards the motel to check in, you and Nick had been driving for almost nine hours. Truthfully, it was mostly Nick. “The NYPD put us in the same room, tell me you don’t snore.” you half-teased. After all that time in the car, you desperately needed a shower. You drop your bag and head towards the bathroom, “Dibs.” you call before shutting the door. 

You awake the next morning to find his bed empty, you notice a note on the nightstand that reads, “went to get us bagels and coffee, meet me in the parking lot at 9”. You glance at the clock, it's 8:23.  “Good morning, sleepyhead,” he smiles as you get into the car, “you talk in your sleep by the way.” He looks over, you were too embarrassed to speak so you just shove a bagel in your mouth. You try to ask something but it comes out as gibberish. You swallow and try again, “Should we drop by the Ohio PD before reinterviewing the victims?” 

He replies, trying his best not to laugh at you, “Yeah, we’ve got to check in with them, and get the necessary paperwork sorted.” 

You leave Ohio at about 11 pm that night. Just before you reach New York, you stop at a diner for a bite. You discuss the case, and then Anastasia the movie. You recommended it a while back because it’s been your favourite since you were a kid. 

“I watched it with Zara, she really liked it. I liked the talking bat.”

“Of course she did, I've repeatedly said my taste is superior. What about the music?”

He laughs and declares, “They should be on Broadway.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying! I hate that it's not more popular.” You pout dramatically.

You try your best to remind yourself that this is work, not a date. He was here with you because he had to be, not by choice; but then he’d peer at you with those fucking eyes and you’d forget to breathe. 

Saturday, October 18, 2014

2:20 pm

You’re enjoying a quiet day off, rereading Pride and Prejudice. Your phone pings, a text message from Chase that reads, “Heyy :D)”. You ignore it, not in the mood for whatever it was that he was offering. It pings again, then again. You open it and read two new messages from Chase, 

“What’s up?”

“Do u wanna get dinner later?”

Intrigued, you reply, “Maybe, what are we having?” 

“Well u can have what my mama made :p ;)”

Is it possible to die via cringe? He continues, “jokin lol, I’ll cook. I’m told my pasta is not that bad”

“I’m in :)” you reply, what's the worst that could happen?

“I’ll send a car at 6”

Saturday, October 18, 2014

9:16 pm

You honestly can’t pretend you’re surprised he had you against the dining table, a hand up your dress. You barely touched your wine and for some reason, you just weren’t in the mood. You put your hand on his chest, shirt partially unbuttoned and you pull away from the kiss. You apologized and he said it was okay. You feel so dumb and wish you had stayed home. You decide to watch a movie instead. While he chooses a movie, you sip on your wine.

Sometime before the movie was over you had finished the entire bottle. You begin to drift off to sleep, naked and tangled up with him. You and Chase had been on and off since college, tonight was the first time you questioned if this was going somewhere. Did I want it to? Was this the key to getting over this totally inappropriate work crush? How much longer can I pretend that I didn’t fall for him?

[scentofdriedflowers]

just finished the episode and god This was a good svu episode. Very good space for the victim in-between and at the end, 0 space for the perps 'reasons' and bullshits talks (except the intro... it's still too much focused on the showing the gruesome parts, no needed thank you) and my boo, my Amanda Rollins, no wait, the newly anointed Sergeant Amanda Rollins😍 you were absolutely missed.

The team flowed like a well oiled machine back again with the 4 BIG, Curry and Corgan, this team

was a great team work

...felt like the good ol' days, can we have it permanent? the fact that I totally forgot that 3!... 3 main characters were missing says a lot lol, and instead Corgan fitted so well right there and then?? He and Fin at the morgue lol, his little quip with Liv at 1PP lol dork😂!? sorry not sorry but people not noticing that they weren't even there (and I know I'm not the only one) is not as much as a writing fault but more their acting skills too, John Clarence Stewart was present, in the moment, good chemistry with not only Kelli but the others too, funny, quick on his feet, he was not 'forgettable', those other 3 especially the boys (she's knew i give her the benefit of the doubt) sorry but they don't have it for me.

But I loooove Corgan already, he's not a fan of the morgue tho 😂, oh honey your partner 'looves' going there for evidences so gotta get used to 'cause if needed... she could drag you there at some point xD I want to see more Rollins-Corgan!

As much as I miss and want Amanda's back at SVU, I do like what she does...and how Kelli does it, better than I thought I would like, it fitted, she grew, seeing her in her first debriefing at 1 PP!!, being a sergeant, god she's so good. I missed her sooo much. Kelli did so good. And boy did I miss Rollivia working together again! my girls back at it chasing perps! I loved even the little 'disagreement', it's fair, they're working for 2 different units now, they are pulled in different directions it's normal, they just had to regroup and find their pace, and they did. (lol at the hospital Liv 'pulling rank' and Amanda's face 😂)

And aaaah I didn't even know Carisi was going to be there!! but we got some good -on the job Rollisi- and also some flirting in front of everyone lol!!! 'there's the hardball ada I married' and his face!! ... it's like the good ol' days with Rollins and Carisi working a case, matching colors back again, and her final 'nice work counselor' cherry on top, oh how I missed it hearing it.

And Carisi... he's baby, down bad for his wife, just wanting to go home, -I arraigned the guy 'can we go home now🥺?'- and Amanda's so smitten with him.

uuugh every time Kelli comes back with Amanda Rollins everything just gets... right, and better all around for the cast and work, she glues back together things,layers that are missing, you can see it. Glad somebody is starting to get their heads out of their asses, and righting some wrongs, keep going.

now can't wait for episode 8! maybe I'll watch even the next week one since there's Carisi with Jesse!

[rahleeyah]

In the shower (naturally) I realized that Fin is the one who models respect and sets the standard of respect that new detectives in the unit will have for Olivia. Like imagine if Fin was the kind of sergeant who mocked, belittled, and disrespected his captain behind her back… which would obviously set a different standard in the squad room. Instead he makes it clear that she is the boss and he will not stand for any disrespect of Olivia… anyway I just smoked a J and might have totally bombed the wording of this ask. I’m sorry!

This is so real tho like the sergeant sets the tone. Each new person who comes in sees Fin and Liv as a unit, working together, watching each other's backs, and Fin absolutely does not tolerate any disrespect to her and that informs the behavior of everyone around them. And they're both old timers, both senior officers, battle hardened and bound on account of what they've been thru and that makes them a formidable team. That's her bestie your honor