non timebo mala
Latin: "I will fear no evil"
In which the police and the attorneys rally behind their own, but the viper still has venom left in his bite.
Also known as "Blood Out" from Law & Order: SVU and I am so sorry for how angsty this ended up being . . . and how freaking long it ended up being. This is pushing close to 17K, which is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. I think I've only written longer in my Doctor Who books, and I'm certain that was my "The Day of the Doctor" rewrite. Anyway . . . lots happening here, so I hope you enjoy!
***
"You know the rule. Blood for blood. Get some principiantes to chop the little bastard up, right in front of her."
Sam flinched at the voice on the recording, and Jack raised his hand. Her boss normally was a master at concealing his emotions. Now, his rage was clear on his face. "Enough, Carisi."
Sonny plucked his phone from the desk and paused the recording, and Nolan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "So Captain Benson wasn't the target."
"No," Peter's jaw clenched, and Sam was surprised she didn't hear the sound of breaking bones. "It was Noah. The son of the bitch wanted him hacked up in front of her."
"Oh, my God," Sam buried her face in her hands. "Noah . . . "
"Your case is solid?" Jack asked Sonny.
"With these recordings and the BX9 members we were able to flip?" Sonny nodded. "We can't get more solid than this."
"Good," Jack said coldly. "This bastard threatened the son of an NYPD captain and sent his lackeys to kill the family of one of my prosecutors. Blood for blood? I want his, Carisi."
Sonny nodded with a smirk. "Yes, sir."
***
"Is this normal for a Manhattan courtroom?"
Joe Velasco frowned at the words of the man next to him. "What's that mean?"
"Look around," Mike Duarte gestured around the room. "What is this?"
Velasco looked around, and unease settled in his gut when he saw what Duarte meant. Peter Stone filed into the room first, expression glacial as he glared in the direction of Oscar Papa and his attorney. Behind him came Nolan Price and Samantha Maroun, the pair of homicide prosecutors flanking him. Behind them came Jack McCoy himself, the District Attorney's perfect mask cracking to show the anger he felt. "It's a show of force," Velasco realized as he turned back around, feeling Sonny's confidence radiate off him as he took his place on his side of the courtroom. "They're here for Stone."
"Oscar Papa, you are charged with 19 counts of rape in the first," the judge glanced at the file in front of him. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty, Your Honor," Swope answered for his client.
"And on the two counts of attempted murder in the second?"
"Not guilty, Your Honor."
The judge turned expectantly to Sonny. "People on bail?"
"Oscar Papa is a career criminal who ordered the gangland style hit of an NYPD captain and her 11-year-old son," Sonny answered. "He is the acknowledged leader of BX9, and he's guilty of participation in at least 100 rapes . . . that we know of. We request remand."
"Your Honor, these murder charges are up to interpretation," Swope began.
Sonny cut across him. "The defense intends to paint Oscar Papa as some kind of local youth advocate when, in fact, we all know that he is the head of a criminal organization that could more accurately be described as a death cult."
"He has never been charged with a crime," Swope argued.
The judge shook his head. "Well, he is now. Defendant is remanded to Rikers pending trial. Next case!"
A chuckling Oscar Papa was led away, and over in one of the nearby benches Peter, Nolan, and Sam put their heads together and talked quietly amongst themselves, which included Sonny when he leaned down to join them. "Your DAs look all buddy-buddy with each other," Duarte remarked. "Not exactly like that in the Bronx. Normally they just walk past each other and nod to acknowledge they exist."
"Well," Velasco tapped his fingers together, "this is the first time I'm seeing them band together like this."
***
Elliot closed his eyes as he listened to the recording Sonny had given the DA's office, and he leaned his head back so it hit the doorframe of Ayanna's office. "Son of a bitch."
"Agreed," Ayanna said darkly as she linked her fingers together, Jet silently taking her tablet from the desk. "The son of an SVU captain who is in a relationship with an OCCB prosecutor."
"Gotta hand it to the guy," Jet plopped her tablet in her lap. "We've seen crazy in our perps. This guy's another level."
"He's gotta be, considering the rape tree they found up in the Bronx," Peter sat with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "And he's got an army behind him."
"That settles it," Ayanna shook her head and turned to her computer. "I want to know when this scumbag is on trial. I want to see him go down for this."
"Join the club, Sarge," Elliot nodded.
"Count me in," Jet smirked.
There was a knock on the doorframe, and Elliot turned to see Whelan poke his head inside. "Hey, Counselor?" he looked at Peter, who looked at him with tired eyes. "Sorry . . . but there's someone here who came looking for you. I don't recognize her, and given the BX9 threat . . . "
Peter stood from his chair and walked past Whelan, stopping outside the door to survey the squadroom. Reyes stood across the room, his position blocking the newcomer from the stairs. Elliot didn't recognize her, though there was something about her stance that reminded him of someone.
Peter, however, took in the blonde hair styled into braids resembling chains and azure eyes sweeping through the room, and stared in shock. "Sylvie?" he gaped.
The blonde turned sharply, her eyes sparking when she saw him. "Peter!"
Peter's expression brightened, and he ran down the steps as Reyes stepped aside. "I guess he knows her," Jet remarked.
"His best friend," Elliot nodded with a small smile. Now he knew where he recognized the woman's stance, and he recognized the name, too. "All the way from Chicago, apparently."
"What are you doing here?" Peter demanded as he strode up to Sylvie.
"My best friend's girlfriend and her son got greenlit by a notorious gang, and the gang leader is on trial," Sylvie smiled at him. "Where else was I going to be?"
Peter shook his head incredulously and laughed. "God, you're amazing," he marveled as he hugged her. A pained gasp made him freeze, and he quickly pulled away from Sylvie and watched her face drain of color. "What is it?" he asked in concern.
"Stone?" Elliot followed his path, eyes narrowed.
"Sylvie, what happened?" Peter looked Sylvie up and down, watching her clutch at her ribs.
"Uh," Sylvie winced, her motions slow as she removed her coat. "I, uh . . . may have had a bad shift a week or so ago."
"Sylvie," Peter swallowed hard. "How bad?"
Sylvie gulped. " . . . Matt and I may have gotten caught in a grenade blast."
Peter balked. "You what?!"
"A grenade?" Elliot repeated.
"Damn, girl," Reyes looked at Sylvie in surprise.
"How the hell did Med clear you to leave Chicago?" Peter demanded.
Sylvie cleared her throat. "Will told me to head straight to you or Nolan when I reached the city."
Peter scoffed. "And I'm the lesser of the two devils? All due respect, Sylvie, there's someone I'm more scared of than Nolan, and that's our boss. If I just hurt you by hugging you, Jack is going to have my hide if you don't get checked out."
"Look, Will wouldn't have even cleared me to travel if I wasn't in good enough shape," Sylvie began.
"You're a Price," Peter deadpanned. "You set your mind to something, there's no stopping you."
Sylvie sighed. "So you're taking me to Mercy."
"Yeah, you're getting taken to Mercy," Peter nodded.
"Want a ride, Counselor?" Elliot stepped forward.
"That would be appreciated, thank you," Peter sighed in relief. "This one will try and escape the car if I don't keep an eye on her."
Sylvie blushed. "Peter!"
Peter snorted. "You're a paramedic, Sylvie. You make terrible patients."
Sylvie ducked her head. "I plead the fifth."
"Uh huh," Peter rolled his eyes and held out his arm, and Sylvie carefully slotted herself into his side. "You're not getting out of this. Detective?"
"Right this way," Elliot gestured. "And I'm assuming I'm making a call, too?"
Peter snorted. "You should probably let me handle that."
"Good idea."
***
"Well, the witnesses we have are prepped as much as they can be," Sonny declared as they walked through the courthouse. "We'll be ready to go in the morning."
"And it'll be a pleasure to watch you drive nails into his coffin," Frank nodded.
Jalen snorted. "I feel like we should be running a betting pool or something to see which first responders in Manhattan don't want this bastard's head on a silver platter."
"I'd bet at least someone is," Duarte muttered.
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Says the Bronx captain."
Duarte's eyebrows raised, and Nolan snickered. "Family resemblance."
"You should've seen their reactions to Frazier's opening," Jalen laughed. "The same look on their faces. Exactly the same."
"No one insults my partner," Sam sniffed. "And people should really know better than to claim us as enemies in front of Frank."
"Lest they find themselves the new targets at the shooting gallery," Jalen quipped.
Frank smiled innocently. "You ever made a murder board for anything other than our homicides, Shaw? I think I've seen enough defense attorneys take a shot at our prosecutors to make one."
Velasco snorted in amusement, but Jalen tilted his head thoughtfully. "Actually, that's really tempting . . . "
"Oh, my God," Nolan pinched the bridge of his nose, but his shoulders shook in silent laughter. Sam did nothing to hide her peal of amusement. "Don't tell me you actually have a murder board full of defense attorneys."
"We really should," Frank shrugged. "We can put up Rankin, Vega, Frazier . . . "
Jalen hummed thoughtfully. "Think we could put Miller up there, too?"
"I mean, he represented himself," Frank pointed out. "Fits the bill to me."
"Wait," the Bronx SVU officer who had come to assist, Churlish, looked around worriedly. "They're actually serious?"
"Yes, they are," Nolan sighed in resignation.
"Do me a favor, detectives," Jack said dryly. "Do not make Nolan or Sam have to prosecute you."
"Ye of so little faith, sir," Frank grinned.
"You know neither Stone nor I would prosecute them, sir," Sonny pointed out. "Not if they did it for Price or Maroun."
"I'm aware," Jack smirked.
Olivia shook her head in disbelief. "This is not the same homicide squad I saw last summer."
"She says that like it could be a bad thing," Jalen remarked.
"Yeah, this is what happens when we take the time to talk with each other and actually work to have each other's backs," Frank nodded. "I just ended up with a little sister in the process."
Sam lingered for a few seconds then wrapped her arms around Frank's neck and jumped. Frank stumbled in surprise, but he immediately bent to allow Sam to cling to his back like a koala. "And you make it sound like that is a bad thing," Sam grinned at him as Sonny burst out laughing.
Frank rolled his eyes as Olivia, Duarte, Velasco, and Churlish stared at them in surprise. "You're a brat sometimes, you know that, Sam?"
"If I'm your little sister, I'm supposed to be bratty to you," Sam giggled.
Jalen shook his head in amusement at the pair. "Yep," he looked behind them to Nolan. "Definitely a resemblance."
"It gets stronger every day," Nolan agreed, pulling out his phone as it rang.
"This is the twilight zone or something," Olivia muttered.
"No twilight zone, Captain," Jack shook his head with a fond smile as he watched Frank threaten to drop Sam, the woman shrieking in laughter. "Frank and Nolan started mending their bridges going into the fall, and everything fell into place from there."
"You're what?!"
Nolan's barely restrained shock caused everyone to stop in their tracks, and Frank spun around to see Nolan had frozen in place, his multicolored eyes wide. "Nolan?" he asked in concern, Sam immediately dropping back onto her feet. "What is it?"
"No, stop," Nolan shook his head, giving Jack a look resembling deer in headlights. "Did you just say you're taking my sister to Mercy?"
Jack's eyes narrowed, and he immediately held out his hand. Nolan handed over his briefcase and took off at a run. "Go," Jack nodded after him.
Frank needed no further encouragement, and he bolted after Nolan. Sam took a few seconds to remove her heels, then she and Jalen followed him. "Sylvie's in town?" Sonny asked in surprise with a look at Jack.
"It's news to me," Jack shook his head. "But her loyalty is unbreakable. My guess . . . she's here for Peter."
Sonny frowned, increasing his pace to walk with Jack. "But I heard Price say she's being taken to Mercy? As in the hospital?"
Jack shook his head, the pair leaving four cops to jog and catch up to them. "I don't know, Carisi."
***
Even though Nolan had gotten a head start, Sam and the two detectives had caught up once they reached Mercy. Jet stood at the entrance to the hospital, her dark eyes finding them the moment the quartet rushed for the doors. Nolan didn't have to open his mouth before Jet was directing them to the elevators.
Just like Jet, they had people waiting for them when they reached the floor Jet had indicated. "Counselor," Ayanna stood from her chair as Elliot pushed off the wall.
"Where's Sylvie?" Nolan demanded, his head on a swivel as he looked around the halls.
"Down that way," Elliot pointed, and Frank finally saw Peter pacing outside one of the rooms, cell phone pressed to his ear. "Stone's been on the line with someone from Chicago since she started getting checked over. He's, uh . . . understandably concerned."
Nolan reared back and turned to Elliot, his thundercloud grey eyes narrowed to slits. "Explain."
"Nolan!" He turned at his name, and Peter gestured for him. "You need to hear this."
Nolan departed without another word, leaving Elliot blinking in surprise. "That was intense."
"His sister got admitted to Mercy, and it sounded like he didn't even know she was in the city," Jalen looked at Sam. "Did he?"
"No," Sam shook her head as the doors opened behind them again. "If he knew, he didn't say anything to me."
"Me, neither," Frank admitted.
"Do we know anything yet?" Jack asked as he and Sonny joined them.
"No, sir," Ayanna shook her head, giving Olivia, Duarte, Velasco, and Churlish a quick glance before returning her gaze to the District Attorney. "She just went back a few minutes ago."
Jack nodded in contemplation, then he watched Nolan and Peter incline their heads to listen to Peter's phone, which now appeared to be on speaker. "What happened?"
"Stone hugged her one second, then he was letting her go like he burned his hands," Elliot answered. "And she looked ready to faint. She was in pain, not sure what from." He paused, then cleared his throat. "She did mention something about a grenade, though."
Sam blinked once. "A grenade."
"That's what I said."
Jalen snorted. "Well, whoever did that to her is dead when Nolan gets his hands on them."
Frank smirked. "You sure Casey and Severide didn't get to them first?"
"Good point."
The doors slid open one more time, this time allowing Kate, Violet, and Jet into the waiting area. "Hey," Kate walked past the SVU team to join Jack, her face full of concern. "You said Sylvie's here?"
"Getting checked over," Frank pointed down the hall.
Kate turned in time to see Nolan disappear into one of the rooms, and Peter walked down the hall to rejoin them. "Well," the OCCB prosecutor took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "When Sylvie said she was caught in a grenade blast . . . she was actually under exaggerating. The reason she's here alone is because Severide stayed back in Chicago with Casey . . . who is recovering from intensive surgery after taking shrapnel to the side."
Sam balked in horror, and Olivia covered her mouth in shock. "How did that happen?"
"There's a homicide detective in Chicago that Severide, in particular, has crossed paths with often in the past year," Peter sighed. "Which, of course, means Casey and Sylvie have gotten involved, too."
"Naturally," Frank pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Truck 81 and Ambulance 61 were called to assist police at a call," Peter continued, "and when the detective went in, the suspects fired an RPG . . . it went through the detective's leg and didn't detonate."
"Wait," Sonny's face drained of color. "You said an RPG?"
"Yeah," Peter nodded tiredly. "They called medics inside . . . Casey went in as the senior officer on scene, and as the chief medic on scene, Sylvie went with him. The ordnance armed once they removed the grenade from the detective's leg, and the grenade went off with everyone still inside the house. Casey covered Sylvie and got the brunt of the blast, but she took a hard hit when she hit the ground. Bruised ribs, and the doctors at Med say it's lucky she didn't break them or any other bones on impact. Casey saved her from a hell of a lot of damage."
Frank sighed heavily. "That sounds like Casey. It was just them? What about Severide?"
"Squad 3 didn't arrive until Casey and Sylvie were already inside," Peter shook his head and pursed his lips. "Severide . . . didn't take that too well. When the grenade went off, he, Capp, and Tony were the first ones inside, and none of them left the hospital until Casey was out of surgery."
Sam covered her mouth to hold back a whimper, and as Jalen silently held out his arm, she leaned into his comfort. "Oh, my God."
"And she flew all the way out here anyway?" Duarte asked in disbelief.
Peter shrugged. "Chicago shows up for each other," he said simply. "Severide said he and Casey would have flown out with her if Casey wasn't restricted to bedrest for now." He eyed Frank. "Though he did mention he had to argue with Ben about staying in Chicago."
Frank chuckled in amusement. "Lily wouldn't have complained if he came with Sylvie."
"They're back!" Violet straightened.
Peter turned to see Nolan and Sylvie walk down the hall, Sylvie's steps unsteady as she gingerly put on her coat, Nolan's hands gentle as he assisted her. "Yeah," Ayanna said quietly. "I can see the bruising now."
Sam ducked under Jalen's arm and made her way to Sylvie, her dark eyes looking Sylvie up and down. "I know you're hurting," she gulped. "But can I - ?"
Sylvie giggled quietly. "Make it gentle?"
Sam nodded immediately and carefully drew Sylvie into a hug; the paramedic winced, but she accepted the hug. "Thank God, you're OK."
"Yeah," Sylvie nodded, looking around the room with a small smile. "Count my blessings, right?"
"All the time," Jalen nodded, doing his own scan of Sylvie. "It's good to see you, Sylvie."
"Yeah," Sylvie smiled, and it widened as she looked at Frank. "It's good to be back."
"Guess whatever painkillers you're on means I can't owe you a drink?" he quipped.
Sylvie giggled and nudged Nolan in the side. "Nolan can have it for me."
"No argument there," Nolan chuckled.
Jack stepped forward, no District Attorney mask in place as he looked at Sylvie. "You're going to be OK?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sylvie nodded with a small smile. "I hurt like hell, but I'm going to be OK."
"Good," Jack gestured to her, and Sylvie stepped forward and allowed herself to be drawn into another hug. "You scared us when Nolan got the call."
She ducked into his embrace to hide her blushing face. "Sorry, Jack."
Jack's touch was light as he patted her shoulder. "As long as you be careful while you're here, my dear."
Sylvie giggled. "I'll do my best."
Nolan pointed firmly at Frank and Jalen. "They're keeping an eye on you if I can't."
"And I can't?" Peter protested.
"Your job is to try and keep Benson from killing Oscar Papa in the courtroom," Nolan retorted.
"Hey!" Olivia looked at him indignantly.
Sonny snorted. "He's not wrong, Captain. You'd rip out his heart and crush it yourself if that was how you could get justice."
Elliot threw back his head and laughed. "She would!"
"You're not helping, Elliot," Olivia glowered.
"Was he supposed to be?" Jet raised an eyebrow.
Sylvie giggled as she stepped away from Jack and moved back to Nolan, the siblings instantly gravitating towards each other. "I'm reminded of Squad 3."
Nolan smirked. "At least Kelly has some kind of a leash on his crew."
Olivia and Elliot turned at the same time to give him an offended look, which caused Frank to snort loudly and Sam to cackle. "Well, that's one way to get them to be quiet," Ayanna remarked.
"Oh, we should probably do some introductions," Nolan chuckled. "I think by now, Captain, you've figured out this is my little sister, Sylvie. Peter told me you, uh . . . 'spoke' on the phone."
"It was perfectly civil, Nolan," Sylvie innocently batted her eyes at him.
Nolan snorted. "And I saw a pig fly around the courthouse yesterday."
Kate shook her head in exasperation, but she smiled when she saw Churlish staring blankly and Velasco looking back and forth between the Prices and Olivia like he was watching a tennis match. "Your sister, Price. Definitely your sister."
"All mine, thank you," Nolan smirked smugly. "You know all the 2-7. Peter prosecutes for the Organized Crime Control Bureau task force run by Sergeant Ayanna Bell, and two detectives on her team are Elliot Stabler and Jet Slootmaekers. SVU has visited Chicago a few times, but I don't know if you ever interacted with them. You know Carisi from your visits here - "
"Good to see you again, Sylvie," Sonny smiled.
"You, too," Sylvie nodded.
"The Special Victims Unit operates out of the 16th Precinct and is run by Captain Olivia Benson," Nolan pointed. "Her sergeant, Fin Tutuola, is still in the Bronx. This is Detective Joe Velasco, and visiting from the Bronx are Gang Unit Captain Mike Duarte and SVU Officer Tonie Churlish."
"SVU's worked with Sergeant Voight's Intelligence Unit," Sylvie nodded. "I remember seeing a few team members in Chicago while you collaborated."
"Yes, I recognize the face now," Olivia smiled and shook her hand. "You work under Chief Boden, right?"
"Firehouse 51," Sylvie confirmed. "He's the deputy chief of our district now."
Olivia gave a pleased smile. "Congratulations to him. I don't know him very well, but from what I remember and what Peter's told me, he deserves that post."
"We're lucky we still have him at 51," Sylvie nodded. "He was previously meant to operate out of another firehouse, but due to one's closure, 51 is now at the center of District 4 . . . so at 51, he stays."
Peter snorted. "Probably best for everyone's sanity. Otherwise, Herrmann would've been outnumbered three to one."
Sylvie's blue eyes widened as she turned them on the organized crime prosecutor. "What's that supposed to mean, Peter?"
Nolan cackled at Peter's deer in headlights look. "Thin ice, Stone!"
"And this is where I bow out," Peter gulped. "One Price, I can handle. Not both of them."
"Need Casey and Severide for back-up?" Frank smirked.
"See, I don't need Severide killing me when Casey is supposed to be resting."
Nolan winked at Sylvie. "You always did pick the best ones to be your friends."
Sylvie beamed up at him. "It's how I was raised."
Sam playfully stuck out her tongue. "Saps."
Without looking, Sylvie reached out and smacked Sam on the back of her head. "You are such a little sister."
Sam laughed. "Takes one to know one!"
***
"Pardon my bleeding heart," Sylvie said quietly as she followed Peter into one of the benches behind the prosecution table, "but what's going to happen with Maria Garcia? Didn't that put a target on her back?"
"It did," Peter nodded as he sat next to Olivia, and Nolan held out his hand to help Sylvie sit if she needed it. "But Liv and Duarte are coordinating to make sure she's safe." Sylvie didn't look completely satisfied with those words, but she nodded in acceptance as she sat with a small grimace. "And hey," Peter put his hand on her knee and gave her a stern look. "That 'bleeding heart,' as you call it? That's the best thing about you."
"He's right," Nolan nodded in agreement. "It's what makes you a great paramedic. Look at the paramedicine programs you set up, after all."
"Wait," Olivia blinked and leaned forward to see around Peter; Elliot mirrored her from her other side. "The paramedicine program run by the 225? You helped set that up?"
"She did," Nolan grinned proudly. "Started out in Chicago, came up here to set it up in Manhattan when I told her what was going on."
"It's helped out a lot, actually," Kate added as she, Frank, Jalen, and Violet took the bench behind them, the rest of the SVU and OC squads filing in after them. "Now that paramedicine is picking up the non-emergencies, ambulances are able to get to life-threatening calls. I've noticed our homicide numbers are going down."
Sylvie had a pleased smile on her face. "That was the intent."
Sam coughed meaningfully. "Duarte's up."
The group quieted as Duarte took the stand, and Sonny stepped onto the floor. "Captain Duarte," he began, picking up a remote and turning on the screen across from the jury. "Can you explain what this is to the jury, please?"
Sam, who had only heard of the rape tree but never saw the evidence of it, couldn't muffle her gasp in time, her dark eyes wide as she took in the photographs. Jalen leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing until she reached up and gripped his hand in thanks. Sylvie had stiffened in her seat, and Frank noticed Nolan and Peter had moved along the bench to sit closer to her. "A recruitment tool for BX9," Duarte answered. "Undergarments of rape victims, mothers and sisters, hung from a tree to intimidate vulnerable teens into signing up as principiantes."
"Principiantes?" Sonny repeated, a note of confusion in his voice.
"That's what they call new recruits at BX9," Duarte explained.
Sonny nodded. "And how many women were you able to associate with rape cases?"
"Through DNA and victim IDs, about 90."
Violet's breathing hitched, and Kate glowered in her seat next to Frank. "I could never work this kind of a case," Jalen murmured under his breath.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this," Frank shook his head in agreement. "Thank God for homicides."
Jalen silently held out his fist, and Frank bumped it with his. "And what did your investigations conclude?" Sonny asked.
"Two mid-level recruiters, Sacrilege and Bug Bear of the Tremont clique, were responsible for most of the rapes," Duarte answered.
"Now," Sonny clicked his remote, switching to a slide full of mugshots. "Do mid-level recruiters for BX9 usually act independently?"
"In my experience, no," Duarte shook his head. "BX9 is a hierarchical organization. There are multiple levels of the command chain."
"And how do gang members usually move up the ranks?"
"Through committing acts of violence, including rape and murder at the behest of their superiors."
Sylvie leaned in close to Peter. "You know, Voight said he would send some of his team with me if I wanted," she whispered. "He volunteered himself, too."
"He did?" Peter raised an eyebrow.
"He did."
Peter hummed, eyeing where Oscar Papa sat at the defense table. "Don't tempt me to ask you to call him."
Sylvie smirked. "Just saying."
"Does anything happen without the knowledge of the head of the organization?" Sonny asked.
"No," Duarte shook his head. "It does not. Orders of violence only spill down from the leadership to the soldiers and the principiantes."
"And in your ongoing investigations into the BX9 leadership, who did you focus on?"
"That man right there," Duarte pointed at the defense table. "Oscar Papa."
"Thank you, Captain," Sonny nodded, turning and returning to his seat.
Swope cleared his throat and perused the papers on his table. "Captain Duarte, you investigated BX9 for five years. Is that fair to say?"
"Yes, that sounds about right," Duarte confirmed.
"Well, isn't it also fair to say that you have a personal vendetta against BX9?"
"A vendetta?" Duarte parroted. "No. I'm just doing my job."
Swope hummed and stood. "But you did own a vintage Mustang?"
"Yes."
"What happened to it?"
Duarte huffed. "Two BX9 gang members followed me home and set it on fire."
Swope nodded and sat on the edge of his table. "And that made you pretty angry, didn't it?"
"What do you think?"
Sylvie bit her lip to smother a snort. "He'd get along with Voight."
"More like they'd torch BX9 and then each other," Peter muttered.
"Well," Swope tilted his head innocently. "Angry enough to push one of the boys off a roof?"
"Objection!" Sonny stood. "As Counselor Swope knows, Sleep's death was ruled an accident."
"Sustained," the judge nodded.
"But one of your colleagues, Captain Olivia Benson," Swope turned and gestured to the woman, and Olivia kept her face blank as both Duarte and Oscar glanced in her direction, "accused you of pushing the boy, didn't she?"
"It was a misunderstanding," Duarte said stiffly.
"Well, is it true that you've had a few of those involving BX9 members?" Duarte kept silent, and Swope switched to a new slide with two mugshots. "Do you recognize these two boys?"
"Sabo and Pretty Ricky," Duarte identified. "Two former principiantes of the Tremont clique."
"They're deceased now, aren't they? Stabbed in prison by rivals you requested they be put in close proximity to in an effort to flip them. Now . . . was Captain Benson aware that this decision made her and her son a target?"
Nolan glanced down the row at Olivia and Peter. While Peter's jaw clenched, Olivia's face didn't change at all. "She is now," Duarte answered.
"A lie of omission," Swope sneered. "Just another one of your misunderstandings?"
"Objection," Sonny interrupted. "Immaterial."
"Move it along," the judge ordered.
Swope frowned at Duarte. "You're Mexican, right?"
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Duarte scowled.
"Well, in your experience, have you found that Mexicans are prejudiced against Salvadorans?"
"Humans are territorial," Duarte shrugged. "Just like every other animal on this planet."
"Are you territorial?" Swope questioned, sitting on the edge of his table.
"Well, I'm human, aren't I?" Duarte quipped icily. "But I'm not prejudiced against Salvadorans, only BX9. They ruined the neighborhood I grew up in. Before they came along, people could walk their dogs at night. Kids didn't have to worry about their mothers' dignity being hung from a tree as some sort of sick advertisement for a life they didn't even want."
Swope raised an eyebrow. "Well, it sounds to me that you do have a vendetta against my client, Captain."
"Objection!" Sonny shot to his feet.
"Withdrawn," Swope ground out, dropping the screen's remote on Sonny's table. "Nothing further."
Duarte silently seethed on the stand, and Elliot muttered something very unkind under his breath. He winced when Olivia jabbed her elbow into his side, and Oscar turned in his seat to give a satisfied look at the gathered first responders. Peter's eyes narrowed to slits as he met Oscar's eyes, then Sylvie put her hand on his arm and leaned in to quietly whisper, "He'll get his reckoning, Peter. Men like him always do."
Peter softly growled as he forced his gaze away from Oscar, not noticing the other man's eyes lingered as he inclined his head towards Sylvie's. "It's just always a long wait to reach that point."
***
"No Stone," Jack looked up from his laptop as Sonny entered his office with Nolan and Sam. "This pertains to the Oscar Papa case?"
"Benny Barros is dead," Sonny told him with a sigh. "Rat poison was snuck into his food. He died in the ambulance."
"And now the tapes Benny provided are no longer admissible in court," Nolan added.
Jack scowled and steepled his fingers. "Where are the police going from here?" he asked.
"Captain Duarte's detectives are working BX9 girlfriends' contacts," Sonny answered. "And Velasco is working on Sacrilege." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know we all want this guy bagged . . . but if BX9 keeps taking out witnesses until we have none left, all that will work is sweetening his plea deal."
"I said blood for blood, and I meant it," Jack narrowed his eyes. "Keep working with what you have, Carisi. This man attacked a decorated captain and her son, the family of a Manhattan ADA. Catch him however you can."
Sonny set his jaw. "Understood, sir."
***
"Captain Benson." Oscar's slimy smile made Olivia's skin crawl as she and Sonny stepped into the room. "You are a sorbet for the eyes."
"Can that count as harassing a police captain?"
Oscar's smile froze at the dry quip from Elliot, and Frank merely snorted as he took up post on the other side of the door, Elliot standing sentry opposite him. "Well, there are several witnesses here who saw it."
"You don't say," Peter scowled, folded his arms, and glared at the BX9 leader, a look of disgust on Sam's face.
"Are you that worried about a man in cuffs, Captain?" Oscar tilted his head, showing his cuffed wrists.
"You wanted to talk," Sonny cut across him. "Talk."
"Well, we both know that your lead witness is dead," Swope said.
"Yeah," Olivia scowled. "A pupusa full of rat poison. You know, BX9 should publish a cookbook."
"We'll be filing a motion to dismiss," Swope told her, giving Sonny a pointed look. "Unless the DA has an offer."
"Well, your client pleads guilty to nineteen charges of rape, two counts of attempted murder," Sonny shrugged.
Swope smiled thinly. "We'll think about it."
"You do that," Sonny nodded. "But Benny may be dead, but those recordings he gave us have your client running his mouth about half the gangs in the city. Now, I might not be able to use that in court . . . "
"But they would make a great mixtape for all the bangers in here," Olivia smiled serenely.
"Could probably get out on the streets pretty easily, too," Frank added.
"Oh, with how fast information gets around the head honchos these days?" Elliot grinned. "You better believe it."
A smirk slowly spread across Oscar's face. "Are you threatening me?"
Elliot snorted. "It's like he doesn't even know you, Liv."
"That's not a threat," Olivia narrowed her eyes. "It's a verdict." She planted her hands on the table and leaned into Oscar's face. "No one gets away with trying to kill my son . . . not without some form of justice. And right now, yours is starting to sound pretty good."
"You made the rule, after all." Peter's cold voice made the temperature drop. "Blood for blood."
***
Her best friend was staring at his phone with a wistful look on his face when she reached the bar, and she smiled sadly as she took the stool next to him. "He looks happy."
"He does," Peter smiled thinly, placing his phone on the bar top as the bartender came to get Sylvie's order. "It's too quiet in the apartment without him."
"Rosé, please," Sylvie requested, and the bartender nodded and departed. "It looks like he found some new friends, though."
"Oh, yeah," Peter chuckled and nodded, looking at the twin girls on the screen with Noah. "No surprise there. He's a charmer."
Sylvie hummed, then looked at the forlorn expression on Peter's face. "Hey," she put her hand on top of his. "You did the right thing to keep him safe."
Peter scoffed. "We sent him away," he shook his head, taking his glass and taking a long drink. "Oscar Papa has countered every attempt we've made at him, and he's just sitting pretty in his cell, waiting for the bomb to blow up in our faces."
"I told you, Peter," Sylvie shook her head. "He'll get his reckoning eventually. Every rat bastard does."
"Eventually," Peter stressed, watching her take the drink handed to her by the bartender. "Liv and I swore we wouldn't bring Noah home until we were one hundred percent certain there would be no threat against him. We don't know that yet."
Sylvie nodded thoughtfully. "Well, Noah's in the best hands possible until that time." Peter frowned at her in confusion, and Sylvie rolled her eyes fondly. "I was a member of the FDNY for a long time, Peter," she giggled. "Several captains called me the best paramedic trained in the department. Who do you think tried to poach me time after time?"
Peter's eyes cleared, and he laughed. "Of course, you know."
"Kind of hard not to, Peter," she grinned as she sipped her wine. "Noah isn't with Rollins and Carisi. You want him as far away from BX9 as possible . . . and unless he was needed to rebuild another firehouse from the ground up here in New York, the third musketeer is pretty far away."
Peter watched Sylvie and shook his head fondly. "How did I get you for a best friend?" he asked.
Sylvie giggled. "My boys call me a danger magnet."
"Well," Peter grinned. "You did attract them."
Sylvie laughed and held up her glass. "Cheers to that."
Peter clinked his glass against hers, then his phone changed from the picture of Noah to an incoming call alert. Peter blinked, then he answered the phone. "Fin," he greeted. "Are you back from - " He abruptly cut off, and Sylvie watched her friend's face drain of color. "What?!"
***
Olivia flew through the doors into the waiting area of the hospital, several uniformed officers nodding to her as she wildly searched for her 2IC. Fin turned away from his pacing and crossed the floor to meet her, Terry joining him. "You OK, Liv?" he asked.
"How is he?" Olivia demanded, drawing her coat tightly around herself.
"Still in surgery," Fin answered.
"The doctors say he lost a lot of blood," Terry added.
"Oh, my God," Olivia swallowed hard, covering her mouth with a hand.
"Every unit in the city is on the scene canvassing, pulling traffic cams," Fin told her.
"Bodega cameras caught the whole attack," Terry nodded. "We're running facial recognition."
"We're gonna get these guys," Fin promised.
Terry's phone buzzed, and he checked the Caller ID. "That's my boy Manny from Bronx Gangs," he told them, stepping away to take the call.
As Olivia swallowed and tried to gather her thoughts, Elliot and Frank stepped through the doors, both with stormy expressions. "There's a ton of boots on the ground out there," Frank told them. "Shaw, Whelan, Reyes, Velasco, Muncy . . . "
"And Jet's teaming up with Yee to get those facial recs done ASAP," Elliot nodded. "We got sent here to check up on Duarte." He frowned, looking at the horror on Olivia's face. "How're you doing, Liv?"
"I can't believe this," Olivia shook her head. "I was just with him."
"It's not over, Liv," Fin put a hand on her shoulder. "We did catch a serial. Picked him up off vic ID. DNA linked him to the rape kit. And I'm really impressed with Moneybags," he gestured to Terry, who appeared to be finishing his call. "This guy is driven. He's on a mission. I was thinking, now that Rollins is gone, we could use another body."
"No, I just . . . " Olivia held up her hand, too overwhelmed to think of hiring a new detective. "I was too hard on Duarte. He's a good cop, Fin."
"We all know that," Fin patted her shoulder.
The doors opened again, and as Terry rejoined them, Peter and Sylvie ran into the room. "We got a cab as soon as you called," Peter panted. "Any news?"
Olivia shook her head, but sliding doors caught Frank's eye. "This might be it," he told them.
The group turned as a man in bloody scrubs entered the room, and when Olivia looked expectantly at him, he somberly shook his head as he removed his scrub cap. The remaining color on Olivia's face drained away, and Frank quietly swore as Elliot furiously shook his head. "Oh, no," Sylvie whispered, looking at Peter with worry.
***
If Oscar was intimidated by the sight of not just Olivia, Sonny and Peter, but also Elliot, Frank, Nolan, and Sam in the room, he didn't show it, even as Sonny slapped three mugshots onto the table in front of him. "Bobby Santos," he bit out. "Jose Cruz. Carlos Lopez. You recognize them?"
"You should," Olivia scowled. "They're three of the five principiantes that you ordered to kill Captain Duarte, and they're willing to testify."
"Testify to what?" Swope scoffed.
"Well, unlike Fugazi, they say that they got their orders to kill Duarte from a prison call," Olivia answered.
"Which are all recorded," Sonny added.
Olivia nodded, looking expectantly at Oscar. "You had to know that."
The man chuckled. "I'm not denying anything, Captain. You got me dead to rights."
Swope scowled and stood. "I need to confer with my client - "
"No, you don't," Oscar held up a cuffed hand. "Sit down."
Swope slowly did, and Sonny folded his arms. "We're listening."
"I just wanted to say, I know how much you respected Captain Duarte," Oscar told Olivia.
"And that's why you killed him?" Olivia raised an eyebrow dubiously.
Oscar chuckled. "You know the rule."
Peter narrowed his eyes. "Blood for blood."
Oscar nodded in confirmation. "He wanted to take away everything I've built. I couldn't allow that to happen."
Elliot narrowed his eyes. "How much of your crew is in here?" he asked.
Nolan sighed. "With all the paperwork I've seen . . . enough for him to run his organization from here."
"Like I said," Oscar grinned. "You can't kill an idea."
"You knew exactly what you were doing when you made that call," Sam whispered in disbelief. "After all the evasion you did . . . why?"
"The truth?" Oscar tilted his head and considered Olivia. "I have a soft spot for you, Captain. I see the way you look at me. Most women say they would kill for their kid . . . but not a lot of them would go toe to toe with a guy like me for them. You are a better mother than I've ever had."
"Watch your mouth," Peter snapped angrily.
"We can talk about your childhood later," Sonny said coldly. "What I need to know is . . . " He turned to Swope expectantly. "Is your client going to plead guilty to murder?"
Swope pursed his lips and reluctantly turned to Oscar. He nodded then narrowed his eyes. "But not the rapes."
Sonny sat back in his seat and turned to Nolan, who had done a marginally better job than everyone else at keeping a look of disgust from overtaking his face. "We'll inform the DA," he finally said.
Sonny nodded and stood, but Olivia remained. "Hang on," she said, taking one of the seats. She tapped the chair next to her, and Peter pulled away from the bystanders to join her. Oscar's eyes glinted with interest, and Olivia took a deep breath. "I need you to assure me that our son is safe."
Oscar glanced from her to Peter, then he turned back to Olivia and nodded. "I got what I wanted from you, Captain," he told her. "We're even now. Your family won't be harmed."
Olivia nodded in satisfaction, but something in Oscar's tone made Frank narrow his eyes. After a quick glance around at his peers, he met Elliot's suspicious gaze. Frank raised an eyebrow at him, and the organized crime detective minutely shook his head.
Something was off.
***
"Final count," Sonny announced as he walked into Jack's office, Olivia looking up hopefully from where she and Peter sat. "Twenty-five years for the attempted murder on you, twenty-five to life for Duarte. He'll be eligible for parole around 2096."
"Oh, thank God," Sam sighed in relief, dropping her head back onto the back of her chair.
"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," Elliot japed with a scoff.
"What about the principiantes who killed Duarte?" Frank asked.
Sonny smirked. "Even if I wasn't ordered to go after them all, I would do it anyway."
"Good," Jack chuckled. "You've learned."
"Only from the best, sir," Sonny grinned cheekily at him.
Nolan snorted. "Including that look, I see."
"So does that mean Noah's coming home?" Sam asked, spinning in her chair to look at Olivia and Peter.
"Yes," Olivia smiled happily. "The first thing we're doing when we get home is making the arrangements to bring him home."
"Good," Jalen nodded in satisfaction. "We'll all be happy to see him back."
"Oh, me, too," Peter sighed, kissing Olivia's temple. "It's lonely without him."
Jack folded his hands with a frown. "And yet you don't look too excited, Detective."
All eyes turned to the man leaning against the wall, and Elliot sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It's just . . . "
"It's still bugging you, too, isn't it?" Frank guessed.
"What is?" Jalen blinked.
"Oscar Papa's words at the end, after Liv asked about Noah's safety," Elliot explained, pushing off the wall. "Those words . . . could be taken in completely different ways."
"How so?" Sam looked at him in confusion.
"Well, the way we're looking at it right now is that he's done," Elliot shrugged. "He told Liv that he got everything he wanted from her, and her family is safe."
Unease made Nolan sit up straight. "You were both sitting at the table," he looked at Olivia and Peter. "But he was only addressing Benson."
"Exactly," Elliot nodded. "What Frank and I heard . . . Liv's family is safe."
"He didn't promise you," Frank nodded at Peter. "Even though Benson included both of you when inquiring about Noah's safety."
"You don't think he's done," Sonny's eyes widened.
"I think we're better overreacting in this situation than not reacting at all," Elliot shrugged.
"There's just one problem there," Peter shook his head. "I don't have a family for him to target. My father died in 2018, my sister a few months later. All I have is Liv and Noah."
"Well," Elliot leaned on the back of an unoccupied chair and raised an eyebrow. "If there's one thing I've learned over the years . . . family doesn't end in blood."
Olivia smiled faintly in response. "No, it does not."
Peter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "In that case, the only person I can think of who would match that description is - "
He abruptly cut off, and the dawning horror on his face was evident to all. "What?" Sonny asked in concern.
"No." That came from Nolan, the EADA frozen in his seat as he stared at Peter, the blood draining from his face. "No, no, no . . . "
"And we've been in plain sight ever since she got here," Peter croaked.
"Where is she now?" Sonny asked sharply, looking from Peter to Nolan.
"Heading back to my building," Nolan answered shakily, hands in white-knuckled fists. "I told her I would be right behind her after this meeting."
Sam's eyes widened in fear, and as Jack rose from his seat, Frank whirled to face him, pale eyes blazing. "Sir," he began.
"Go," Jack snarled, a dangerous combination of rage and fear on his face. Frank nodded once and sprinted from the office, Jalen on his heels. "Stabler, get whatever men you can muster and meet them there," Jack bit out. "I want no manpower spared."
"Yes, sir," Elliot nodded, quickly striding across the office to the door.
Peter shot to his feet and paced the carpet, and Olivia swallowed hard as she turned to Nolan. "I had no idea," she began.
"None of us did," Nolan shook his head, his usually confident tone wavering as he rapidly dialed on his phone. "But I wish we did."
***
"But Peter told me that Oscar Papa will plead guilty to the attempted murder of Captain Benson and the murder of Captain Duarte," Sylvie said into her phone as she walked down the street towards Nolan's building. "And since that's twenty-five to life for each . . . well, bye bye to that stupid bastard."
"Tell us how you really feel, princess," Kelly laughed.
"What?" Sylvie rolled her eyes with a grin. "He screwed with my best friend's family. I'll insult him however I like."
Matt's chuckle sounded slightly strained. "You have more love in your body than some people have in their pinky finger, Sylvie. How did we get so lucky to have you?"
"I got lucky to have you both," Sylvie giggled.
"We'll agree to disagree."
"So, do you have an idea of when you'll be home?" Kelly asked.
"Well, I told Ben to promise Lily I would take her on a paramedicine run the next time I was in New York," Sylvie answered, searching through her pockets for the key Nolan had given her. "I'll set that up as quickly as I can, and I plan to be here until Noah returns, too."
"He's on his way back?" Matt asked hopefully.
"Peter and Benson are making the arrangements now," Sylvie nodded, finally finding her spare key. "So all I need - "
A flash of bright green paint caught her eye, and she almost tripped over her own feet in an attempt to stop. "Sylvie?" Kelly asked.
Her phone beeped, signaling an incoming call, and Sylvie bit her lip to contain a whimper when she saw the symbol spray painted onto the side of Nolan's building. "I'm gonna have to call back," she whispered.
"Sylvie - "
She fumbled to hang up, then she accepted the incoming call from her brother. "Sylvie," Nolan said in a rush. "Please tell me you aren't - "
"Nolan," Sylvie swallowed hard, unable to look away from the bee with rifles crossed behind it. "BX9 tagged your building."
Nolan's breath hitched. "Sylvie, listen to me. Get inside, now. Frank and Jalen are already on their way. They didn't tag the building because of me. BX9 is hitting you."
Sylvie's heart rate skyrocketed, and she stumbled towards the doors, spinning on her heel to frantically search through the dark. The glint of light reflecting off metal made her whimper, and she finally grabbed the door handle and yanked it open. "Hurry," she gasped and stumbled into the building.
"They're hurrying," Nolan promised. "Jack's authorized all available units to head your way. Stay on the line, OK?"
Sylvie nodded and shut the door behind her, backing away and keeping her eye on the hooded figures approaching -
The blunt handle of a machete slammed into her temple, and Sylvie shrieked and crumbled to the ground, her phone clattering on the floor. The BX9 member who had been hiding in the lobby sneered and raised his machete high. Even though her bruised body screamed in pain, Sylvie rolled out of his way, and the blade sang as it whooshed through the air and hit the tiles. Sylvie managed to rise to her knees, and as the BX9 principiante turned to her, she found the pepper spray canister on her key chain and sprayed it in her assailant's face. He yelled and backed away from her, dropping the machete in favor of grabbing his face.
The glass doors shattered, and Sylvie whipped around to see the three principiantes she had seen outside charge towards her, machetes drawn and raised. Footsteps, almost silent, behind her made her realize she was boxed in from all sides. There was no way she was getting out of this without being severely wounded or even killed. Still, she took a deep breath and reached down for the principiante's machete, her other hand gripping her keychain. If she was going out like this, she was going out with a fight.
The wail of sirens pierced the air, and the principiantes rushed at the same time. Sylvie twisted out of the way of three blades, two slicing through the coat she wore and into her skin. Her scream was shrill in the air, and her knees threatened to buckle from under as she attempted to escape the onslaught. A quick slash of her machete to the knees of one of the principiantes made him drop to the ground, but the other four were on her in seconds. She landed on the floor with a thud, and steel-toed shoes kicked and stomped on every part of her body. Bruised ribs from the RPG cracked and broke, and battered skin bruised even further. Sylvie's voice gave out in a few seconds, and all she could do was gasp for breath as her vision started to tunnel. One of the principiantes sneered and raised his machete high, and Sylvie closed her eyes, silently begging for her death to be quick, her head so fuzzy she barely heard a shout behind her.
Matt, Kelly, Nolan, Griffin, Ben . . . I'm sorry.
Four gunshots rang in the air, and the principiante jolted with each one before collapsing on top of her. Sylvie cried out in pain, and the principiantes abandoned her to find their new targets. Frank's glacial eyes were the last thing one principiante saw before he raised his gun and put a bullet between his eyes. Another rushed his partner, but Jalen's thunderous expression was backed up by the powerful punch he threw at the principiante's temple. He crumbled like a sack of potatoes, and like a pair of wolves, the homicide detectives closed in on the final principiante. Sylvie slumped to the ground, weakly attempting to shove the dead principiante off her as the last one standing foolishly tried taking on Frank and Jalen. With seemingly no effort, Jalen grabbed the swinging machete with a gloved hand, yanked it from the principiante's hand, and held his arms behind his back with one hand, his other arm crossed in front of the principiante's chest.
Frank slunk forward, visibly bristling with anger as he ripped off the hood of the principiante. The boy's defiant gaze wavered at the bloodlust in Frank's, and the senior homicide detective growled. "Someone is going to want to talk to you," he threatened before nodding at Jalen.
Without a word and another well-aimed punch, Jalen knocked the final principiante to the ground just as Elliot burst through the entrance, flanked by Velasco and a young detective Sylvie could only guess was Grace Muncy. Frank ignored them in favor of dropping to his knees next to her, his hands gentle as he pulled her out from under the principiante he and Jalen had shot. Even the slightest touch, however, made pain flare everywhere, and despite her attempt to bite her tongue, Sylvie weakly gasped and shook her head, only to retch when her head spun and nausea made her stomach churn.
Frank quickly turned her and drew back her hair, and Sylvie clutched her stomach as she tried to keep from throwing up, and the voices around her faded to background noise. All she clearly heard was Frank's yell for an ambulance as she collapsed into his arms.
***
Olivia couldn't breathe.
No one in the room looked like they were, aside from Peter who was still pacing the office, alternating glances between Nolan's phone and the man himself. The prosecutor, who had stared down some of the evilest, cruelest, and most disgusting criminals in New York without fear, looked like he could be blown over with the smallest puff of air as he interlaced his fingers and rested his chin atop them, his eyes glued to where they could hear Sylvie getting brutally attacked by the principiantes sent to target her. Sam had abandoned her chair to stand behind Nolan and wrap her arms tightly around his neck, tears in her eyes. Sonny had taken Peter's place next to Olivia, his hand tight on her knee. Jack had retaken his seat, and Olivia couldn't look at him, knowing that the District Attorney would bring Manhattan and the Bronx to their knees to wipe out BX9 if Sylvie -
No. No, Olivia refused to think that.
The call of "NYPD!" that heralded the arrival of the homicide detectives made Nolan finally release his breath in a rush, and with a choked "Oh, thank God" he slumped in his chair and buried his face in his hands. Sam hugged him tighter, and Peter collapsed onto the couch next to Olivia. She tugged him to her, and Peter swallowed hard as she took his hands. "If they're too late," he whispered.
"Don't," Olivia shook her head, and Peter listed forward until his head rested on her shoulder. "Don't you dare think that."
It felt like hours until the sound of combat diminished, then a clear voice came from the phone. "Price?"
"Stabler," Nolan swallowed hard. "Is she - ?"
"We got her," he told her, and Sam sighed in relief, backing away from Nolan as she pressed her hands to her temples. "Ambo's taking her straight to Mercy. Cosgrove and Shaw are riding with her, and Lieutenant Dixon is routing units to clear the way for them."
"Thank you, Detective," Jack rose to his feet. "We're on our way."
"Copy that. We'll meet you there."
Nolan ended the call and stood, his teeth biting his lip so hard that Olivia wouldn't be surprised if he tasted blood. "I need to call - " he began.
"I'll call Chicago myself," Jack held up his hand, stopping Nolan before he could finish. "Go be with your sister."
Nolan shakily nodded and hurried for the door, Sam running to join him. "Go," Sonny nudged Olivia. "I'll call Amanda. We'll meet you there."
Olivia nodded and gently pulled Peter to his feet. "I'll be right behind you," Jack told them, a dark look on his face. "I'll make the calls to Chicago . . .and after I hear how Sylvie is faring, I will deal with the additional charges to Oscar Papa myself."
Olivia silently nodded, and as the trio made their way out of his office, Jack took a deep breath. These were the calls he had dreaded the idea of receiving. Never since Sylvie transferred to Chicago had he imagined he would have to be the one making these calls.
***
Police cruisers had lined the street in front of Mercy when Nolan, Sam, Olivia, and Peter arrived. Terry awaited them at the doors, his lips pressed tightly together when he saw them. "Sergeants Tutuola and Bell are commanding the scene," he reported when the quartet ran up to him. "Velasco and Muncy are still there. Slootmaekers and Yee are combing through footage and phone calls from Green Haven to nail Oscar Papa. Lieutenant Dixon is arranging the security rotation on Price's floor. Shaw's currently giving his statement to Whelan and Reyes . . . Cosgrove, to put it bluntly, isn't very cooperative right now."
"No, that's not a surprise," Nolan sighed, shaking his head as he entered the hospital.
"What about the principiantes?" Olivia asked.
"Two dead, four in custody," Terry answered. "Well . . . in custody, but they're getting checked out. From what they've gathered from the scene, Sylvie pepper sprayed one, she got another with their own machete, two were punched out, and two were shot dead. Cosgrove and Shaw did hand over their guns before they left. Two rounds from each match the gunshots on one. Cosgrove hit the other between the eyes."
Nolan's eyes glinted in satisfaction. "Good."
The hospital floor they arrived on was packed with units from the 27th precinct, Kate's voice barking out orders left and right. Whelan and Reyes were speaking together, and as soon as he saw them, Jalen crossed the floor. "Sylvie?" Nolan asked worriedly.
"They rushed her to the ICU as soon as we got here," Jalen told him and took a deep breath. "Nolan . . . there's no easy way to say this. She looked like hell when they took her back. How she was still awake when we were done with the bastards, I have no idea."
Nolan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to center himself. "What happened?" Olivia finally asked quietly, saying what all of them were wondering.
"The doors to the building were destroyed when we arrived," Jalen answered. "Two principiantes were on the ground, and four of them were attacking Sylvie when we got inside. Frank called out that we were NYPD, but they didn't react at all. We shot one of them dead, and when they turned their attention to us, Frank got a second in the head. I knocked another unconscious, then we ganged up on the last one. Stabler arrived with Velasco and Muncy, and by that point, Sylvie had fallen unconscious. Frank called for an ambulance, which arrived at the same time as Whelan and Reyes. Sergeants Tutuola and Bell arrived to take over the scene just as we were leaving. Based on footage Violet has already found, that's all the attackers accounted for."
"Do we know how she's doing yet?" Peter asked anxiously.
"No." That was from Kate as she joined them, her badge hanging around her neck in clear view. "Frank said the moment he had news, he would come back and give his statement." She gave Nolan a wry smirk. "He's in uber protective mode."
Nolan chuckled. "I can't think of anyone better to protect her."
"Stabler's back there, too," Kate added. "And I'm not sorry if anyone tries to get past them."
Jalen snorted. "No kidding."
The doors to the room slid open, and Kate straightened to attention. "Sir."
"Lieutenant," Jack nodded, taking the place that opened between Olivia and Nolan. "I trust you've figured out the detail for Sylvie?"
"I do," Kate confirmed.
"Good," Jack nodded. "I made the necessary calls to Chicago. Severide will be on a flight to Manhattan as quickly as they can arrange one."
"Voight's got pull all over Chicago," Nolan sighed. "He'll use it to get him on the first one they can."
He looked like he was about to say more, but his facial expression abruptly changed as he looked past Kate. She and Jalen turned to see Frank walking down the hall, and Jalen let out a quiet sigh of relief when he saw Frank's posture was more relaxed than before. Nolan quickly stepped around the group and beelined straight to Frank, who stopped when Nolan reached him and immediately drew the prosecutor in for a hug. Nolan sagged into the comfort offered, and Frank squeezed him tightly. "She's going to be just fine, Nolan," he whispered. "She won't be able to return to 51 for at least a month, but she's OK."
"Thank you," Nolan whispered, clinging tightly to Frank. "Thank you for getting there in time."
Frank desperately wished he could do more to comfort Nolan at that time, but with their friends and coworkers watching them closely, he settled for giving him one more tight squeeze before reluctantly pulling back. "Stabler can show you where they're placing her," he nodded down the hall to where Elliot stood as a silent sentinel.
Nolan nodded, discreetly taking his hand and squeezing it before striding down the hall to join the detective. Frank waited until he was out of sight to join the others, and Sam bit her lip. "She's really OK?" she asked.
"None of the gashes from the machetes hit anything vital," Frank answered. "The doctors found no internal bleeding. The worst of the injuries are the broken ribs, but they say nothing was punctured. She is very lucky."
"Thank God," Peter sighed. "Well, thank you for getting there in time."
"Frank drove like a maniac," Jalen chuckled. "I would complain more if it hadn't gotten us to her in time."
"You ready for Whelan and Reyes to take your statement?" Kate asked, nodding at the pair of organized crime detectives.
"Yeah," Frank nodded. "Then I'll head back down, if that's OK."
"I wasn't going to post you anywhere else," Kate smiled.
Peter's phone started ringing, and the man tensed as he checked his Caller ID. "I should've expected that," he muttered as he backed away. "I've gotta take this."
That seemed to be the cue for the group gathered to disperse, and Sam gave Frank a quick hug before following Jack. "I'll get us a few coffees," Jalen nudged Frank.
"Thanks, Jalen," Frank smiled tiredly. Jalen nodded and walked towards the elevators. That left just one person, and Frank knew that critical assessing look she gave him. "Yes?" he asked in resignation.
"Is there something I need to know?" she raised an eyebrow. "Jack, too?"
Frank chuckled and rubbed his forehead. Of course, his lieutenant was the first to guess. "Can it wait until after all of this has blown over?" he asked, vaguely gesturing around the hospital. "Then we'll talk."
"Alright," Kate nodded in satisfaction. "Just so you know . . . I've had the paperwork ready since the Fallon case."
Frank rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. "Of course, you have."
Kate patted his arm with a grin. "Good work tonight, Frank."
"Thanks," Frank nodded and walked over to the waiting detectives.
The pair nodded when he joined them. "Shaw's already given us a pretty clear picture," Reyes told him. "We just need you to run down what happened."
"Right," Frank nodded and took a deep breath. "So, after Jack ordered us to help her . . . "
***
Mercy normally didn't allow people to stay past visiting hours. In the aftermath of Sylvie's devastating attack, not one staff member tried to kick out those gathered in the waiting area. In one corner sat Olivia, Peter, Sonny and Amanda, the now professor speaking quietly with Peter as she got the story of what happened. In the opposite sat Jalen and Sam, and Violet had commandeered the floor next to them, her eyes focused on her tablet screen.
Frank nodded to the 2-7 patrol units stationed in the hallway as he returned to Sylvie's room, and he chuckled when he saw Elliot right where he had left him. "You gonna stand there all night?" he asked.
"Depends on if Shaw's awake when I check on him," Elliot shrugged.
Frank snickered. "Thanks for this."
"No problem," Elliot nodded. "Maybe you can get your man's head cleared while you're in there."
Frank mockingly rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "First my lieutenant, now you. Can we keep it quiet for now?"
"Just tell me when it shouldn't be," Elliot chuckled. "But good for the two of you, Frank. Seriously."
"Thanks," Frank smiled as he ducked into Sylvie's room.
The lights were dimmed enough that most of the light came from the glowing screens that monitored Sylvie, who was dwarfed by the blankets that covered her. She had always been petite, but she looked smaller than usual in the hospital gown that, despite its size, did nothing to hide the beating she had taken from BX9.
Nolan had pulled a chair as close as he could to her bed, his hand tight around his sister's. Frank quietly pulled up a similar chair, and Nolan tore his eyes from Sylvie's prone form to watch him sit. "Remember that joke Captain Karns made about me leaving the DA's office for the fire department?" he asked.
"I do," Frank nodded, checking to make sure his backup weapon was secure before holding out his hand.
Nolan entwined their fingers together with a sigh. "Well, he wasn't completely kidding when he said I could," he said with a nod at the monitors. "Seeing Sylvie like this and then looking at the monitors . . . she's doing way better than what the doctors expected."
"She's a Price," Frank smiled. "She's a fighter."
Nolan chuckled bitterly. "You know, when Sylvie transferred down to Chicago, I always wondered if the city's organized crime would hit her just for her name. We never hid our relationship, but we were always warned it could make her a target." He scoffed. "Back in New York, and she's attacked for her friendship with Stone."
"Stabler and I should have brought up our thoughts before that meeting," Frank shook his head. "If you're trying to find some way to blame yourself for this, don't."
"That's not my problem," Nolan gave a strained smile. "I know the only person to blame for this is Oscar Papa. I just . . . " He shook his head and swallowed hard. "This was never supposed to happen."
Frank threw subtlety out the window and scooted his chair as close to Nolan as he could get. He released his hand to wrap his arm around Nolan's shoulders, and Nolan dropped his head onto his shoulder with a choked sob. "We figured out it was gonna happen," Frank told him, rubbing circles into his arm with his thumb. "And Jalen and I got there in time. Two of the bastards who did this are dead, we've got the other four dead to rights, she's in excellent shape and expected to make a full recovery, and Oscar Papa is never leaving Green Haven unless it's to be buried six feet under the ground."
"I know," Nolan whispered in a defeated tone. "This is just a nightmare come to life."
Frank sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of Nolan's head. "I know."
***
When Jalen woke the next morning, it was to pain that came from only one source: a very stiff neck. He grunted in discomfort and carefully rolled his neck, wincing when he heard it pop. He blinked his eyes open further, instincts making him do a visual sweep of the lobby. Sonny and Amanda had left at some point during the night, but Olivia and Peter had remained, both still clearly sleeping. Violet had curled into a ball on the floor, her head pillowed by her arms. And Sam . . .
Ah. That explained why his arm was numb.
He looked down to see Sam had fallen asleep on his shoulder, her nose buried in his jacket. He chuckled fondly at the sight, and as he thought of a way to stand and stretch his legs without waking her, the woman stirred, her nose wrinkle a sign she, too, had gotten stiff from sleeping in the uncomfortable hospital chairs. "Ugh," she eloquently muttered.
"Yeah, we need better seats next time," Jalen nodded in agreement and grinned as Sam slowly sat straight in her chair. "You good?"
"Oh, I'll be much better when I get a cup of coffee," Sam yawned and stretched, her pose resembling a cat. "But yeah, I'm good." She blinked and checked the time on the wall. "We were asleep that long?"
Jalen noted how late in the morning it was and shrugged as he stood. "Well, we stayed up pretty late."
"That's true," Sam sighed and lounged back in her chair, rolling her neck just like he had. "Thank God Jack cleared our schedule for the week."
"Yeah, Lieu did the same for me and Frank," Jalen nodded.
Sam fiddled with her fingers, wincing when she pulled at her cuticles. "Nolan's not gonna leave the hospital, is he?"
"Frank will probably convince him," Jalen deadpanned.
Sam snickered. "Those two aren't fooling anyone." Jalen swung his head pointedly towards where Olivia and Peter were still asleep, and Sam rolled her eyes. "Alright, they don't count. We know them better than anyone."
"Fair," Jalen allowed.
"Sir," one of the patrol officers walked up to him. "We have a group downstairs that just arrived. One of them identified himself as Lieutenant Kelly Severide."
Sam's jaw dropped in shock. "Guess Nolan wasn't wrong," Jalen mumbled before straightening. "Let them up."
"Yes, sir," the officer nodded.
***
The first thing Sylvie registered when she came to was the lights burning into her eyelids. She flinched and immediately gasped when her ribs screamed at her. There was a muttered curse from nearby, then she recognized Frank's voice. "Dim the lights!"
The lights significantly dimmed, and Sylvie felt a squeeze on her hand. "Sylvie?" Nolan's voice asked worriedly, a note of hysteria in his tone. "Sylvie, can you hear me?"
Sylvie weakly squeezed his hand in return. "Hurts," she managed to say.
"I'll get the doctors," Frank said.
Sylvie nodded minutely and finally forced her eyes open. She blinked at the ceiling then tilted her head to the side. Her azure eyes met Nolan's red-rimmed gray ones, which brightened to ice blue when he saw her. "There you are," he smiled and scooted his chair closer.
"Hey," she whispered and did her best to match his smile.
She must've done pretty well, for Nolan's grin widened and he reached up to run his hand through her hair. Her eyes fluttered shut at the comforting touch, and a moment later Nolan kissed her forehead. "You are not allowed to scare me like that again," he warned.
"Got it," Sylvie giggled.
"I second that," Frank poked his head back into the room. "And I think it's gonna be echoed."
Sylvie frowned in confusion, then a dark-haired boy ran around Frank, his eyes wide. "Sylvie!"
"Ben," Sylvie's free hand reached for him, and the boy grabbed it with both hands, his face frantic as he looked at her in shock. "Ben, I'm OK. I'm sore right now, but I'm gonna be OK."
Ben gulped. "When Kelly came back from shift way too early and told me to pack . . . "
Sylvie moved her gaze past Ben to where the lieutenant lingered in the doorway, and she swallowed hard. "Kel . . . "
"Fucking hell, Sylvie," he choked, moving to her side in less than a second.
"I'm OK," she promised, Ben backing away so Kelly could fret over her. "I made it out."
His trembling hand cupped her face, and the kiss he gave her was so soft it nearly brought her to tears. "Always our fighter," he whispered as he carded his hand through her hair.
"She always is." Frank's head shot up at the unfamiliar voice, but the dark-haired man in a leather jacket that leaned against the doorframe had a badge proclaiming him a detective of the Chicago Police Department around his neck. "I can't tell if she already had that when she came to Chicago or if you and Casey rubbed off on her," he japed.
Kelly scoffed. "Shut up, Halstead."
"I didn't say anything." That came from the redhead that stepped into the room next, his expression stern as he flipped through Sylvie's charts. "If anything, I'm going to chew her out in a moment."
"I didn't plan this!" Sylvie scoffed.
"I know," the redhead nodded as he checked the monitors. "Consider it my way of letting off steam."
"All our bosses had to stop a whole storm of people from leaving Chicago to get up here," the detective told her. "How it was just us four, I'll never know."
"Thanks for coming with them," Sylvie smiled.
"I would've come even if Hank hadn't outright ordered me," the detective shrugged. "Though he did ask me if I could get in the room with the guy who ordered this."
"Don't we all," Nolan bit out, but he calmed as he stood. "Frank, meet Jay and Will Halstead. Jay's the 2IC of the Chicago PD Intelligence Unit, and Will is an attending at Chicago Med. He's the one who cleared Sylvie to fly up here. Jay, Will, this is Detective Frank Cosgrove."
"And the other half of the best law and order team here in Manhattan," Jay grinned and extended his hand. "Good to meet you."
"Oh, I didn't know that was our new title," Frank japed as he shook his hand.
"Well, Sarge never fully got along with Stone, but he likes Captain Benson just fine," Jay laughed. "So I think that puts you on top."
"Hey, Frank?" Jalen appeared in the doorway, Sam behind him. "Whoa, it got crowded."
"And this is Frank's partner, Detective Jalen Shaw," Nolan chuckled. "Jalen, meet Detective Jay Halstead and Doctor Will Halstead. Sam, I'm pretty sure you've seen them in video calls."
"Yes, I have," Sam smiled. "Welcome to Manhattan."
"Thank you," Will nodded.
"Frank, Nolan." The pair turned to Jalen, who looked just as tense as he had the previous night. "Carisi set up the meeting."
Frank's expression darkened when he read between the lines, and Sylvie winced when Nolan's hand tightened drastically around hers. "Sorry," Nolan quickly released her hand.
Sylvie shook her head in understanding. "Go," she told him. "I know you want to."
Nolan pressed his lips together reluctantly. "I shouldn't - "
"Peter, Captain Benson, and Detective Stabler are already heading over," Sam interrupted. "So's Jack. He said something about a 'united front.'"
Frank snorted loudly. "Oh, he's gonna get that."
Nolan still looked down at Sylvie, and only when she nodded in encouragement did he step away. "Alright."
"If you can get away with punching him, do it for me?" Kelly requested.
Jay smirked. "Maybe if the cameras are off."
"We could ask Slootmaekers to do that," Frank offered as he gestured Nolan out of the room first.
Jay eyed him appraisingly. "I like the way you think."
"And that's trouble," Will snorted.
Jalen chuckled and leaned in the doorway, folding his arms as he watched Nolan and Frank leave with Jay behind them. "Something tells me he doesn't care."
Kelly smirked. "Not when it comes to Sylvie."
"So," Sam sat herself in one of the chairs abandoned by Frank and Nolan, a pleasant smile on her face as she looked at Ben. "Circumstances aside . . . how are you doing?"
Ben launched into a tale from school, and Jalen took a moment to observe the room. Will was perusing Sylvie's medical files for what had to be the third time, but he always occasionally glanced up to visually check her for himself. Kelly sat as close to Sylvie as he could without actually getting on the bed, and despite Ben's exuberance, his worry was still obvious as he looked nervously at her.
As he took up the watch position outside the door, he wondered how much it would take to bribe Jet to actually take down the security cameras inside Green Haven so Jay could indeed punch the man responsible.
***
Every security guard in Green Haven veered out of the way of the three men making their way through the halls with purpose, all with the same stormy expression on their faces. Many of the guards had the same expression, for they all knew the reason behind their visit. All had heard about the vicious assault carried out the previous night, and they all knew about the devastating fallout that normally came from Nolan Price's fury.
Olivia, Elliot, Jack, Kate, Peter, and Sonny were waiting down the hall, and Frank saw the moment they registered the additional detective in their group. Peter pulled away from the group and walked forward, and Jay quickened his pace to meet him halfway. "Halstead," Peter swallowed.
"Good to see you, Stone," Jay told him, bypassing his extended hand to hug him. "Consider this from everyone in Chicago."
Peter nodded and hugged him back. "Thank you."
"Detective." Olivia's smile was tense. "Thank you for coming."
"You're welcome, Captain," Jay nodded. "Sergeant Voight sends his regards."
Olivia chuckled lightly. "You already know Carisi. Meet Detective Elliot Stabler, Lieutenant Kate Dixon, and District Attorney Jack McCoy. Elliot, Kate, Jack, this is Detective Jay Halstead, the 2IC to Sergeant Hank Voight in Chicago."
"Good to meet you," Elliot shook his hand.
"Likewise," Jay nodded. "You as well, sir."
"Send the sergeant and SA Jefferies my regards in return, please," Jack smiled. "Right now, there's a conversation we need to have."
"Oh, yes, please," Kate scowled.
Oscar Papa had that same smug look on his face as the group filed in. "Alright," Swope sighed when he saw Sonny. "Haven't we been through this enough?"
"No," Jack shook his head as he entered with Nolan, and Frank grinned when he saw Swope freeze at the sight of the District Attorney. "Apparently, we have not."
"Mr. McCoy," Oscar tilted his head. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Perhaps you should have," Jack scowled as he took his seat at the table. Once he had done so, Nolan, Peter and Sonny joined him, the four police officers standing behind them. "Considering who your principiantes attacked last night."
"Hmm," Oscar smiled pleasantly at Nolan. "How is Sylvie, Mr. Price?"
"You keep my sister's name out of your mouth, you son of a bitch," Nolan snarled, multicolored eyes flashing dangerously. "You just be glad she survived the assault."
Oscar merely grinned and glanced at the detective that flanked Nolan protectively. "You and your partner were rather efficient, Detective Cosgrove. I'm impressed."
"Yeah, your opinion means so much to me," Frank deadpanned.
"We'll cut to the chase," Sonny clasped his hands on the table. "Six principiantes attacked Paramedic In-Charge Sylvie Price in her brother's building lobby last night. Two were killed, four survived. All four, when interrogated this morning by SVU and OCCB, confirmed their orders came from your client: take out Counselor Stone's best friend."
"Your client greenlit the sister of my right hand, the best friend of one of my best prosecutors," Jack told Swope, his voice sharp and grating. "That is another attempted murder charge we will be leveling against him."
"I understood that when I gave the order, Mr. McCoy," Oscar told him. "I didn't want to hurt her, but I wanted to make it clear. My reach extends further than you know."
"We'll find out while you rot here," Peter snapped. "Sylvie has been innocent this entire time. She had nothing to do with the investigation into you or BX9."
Oscar snorted. "You prosecuted in Chicago for years, Mr. Stone. Did any wars there have no collateral damage?"
Nolan growled and rose to his feet, nostrils flaring. "You did not just call my sister that!"
"I made my point, Mr. Price," Oscar shook his head. "And she's alive, is she not?"
"She is," Jack nodded solemnly. "What's your saying . . . blood for blood?" Oscar smiled in satisfaction. "In that case, in the war you started by attacking Captain Benson . . . if we're basing 'blood' off of deaths, we have a dead captain. Two of your recruits, on the other hand, are dead." Oscar's smile dropped while Jack's widened. "It appears we win this round, Mr. Papa." He rose from his seat with a satisfied chuckle. "And understand this . . . if you make any other moves against a member of my office, I will use every pull I have to ensure BX9 burns to the ground."
"And we'd be happy to help make it happen," Kate smirked.
Oscar's lips pressed together. "I will plead guilty to the attempted murder against Ms. Price," he finally said. "My personal war is done."
"See that it is," Jack nodded. "Because I'm certain that if it isn't, we can expect assistance from outside our state."
"Oh, Intelligence would be happy to help root out your little pest problem, sir," Jay grinned.
Elliot's dark laughter rang in the room, and Oscar's serene mask cracked as he whipped to glare at Olivia. "It's like you told Captain Duarte, Captain Benson," he ground out. "You should have gone after me earlier."
"I wish I had," Olivia narrowed her eyes. "If I did, someone my boyfriend holds dear wouldn't be in a hospital bed."
"But we still get some satisfaction out of this," Peter leaned forward. "We get to personally watch you come crumbling down."
"Enjoy your time here," Nolan stepped away from the table. "You should know that last night, one of my worst nightmares came true." He stared down his nose at the gang leader, his fury crackling off of him. "If I hear a member of BX9 or an affiliated gang has so much as looked at her from this point on, I will make sure all of yours come true for you." He swiftly turned on his heel before Oscar could speak to him. "I want out of here, now."
Frank joined him at once, and Kate and Jay followed them after a silent gesture from Jack. "I believe Nolan put into words exactly my feelings on this situation," the District Attorney said as Peter and Sonny rose to join him. "You united the Bronx and Manhattan against you, Mr. Papa. I'm certain you don't want to know what it would look like when I unite all of New York against you."
Oscar wisely kept silent as he bristled in his chair, and Jack finally swept out of the room. "All due respect, sir," Elliot said when they were out of earshot. "You're scary when you want to be."
"Good," Jack smirked.
***
The entire hospital floor's mood had lifted when the group returned, and Olivia felt like she could finally breathe easier as she followed Nolan to Sylvie's room. A man she vaguely recognized in a CFD lieutenant's jacket was speaking with Jay's brother in the corner of the room, and Sylvie was listening attentively to the dark-haired teenager who sat on the edge of her bed, his hands waving as he told his story. As Whelan and Reyes had taken up the sentry positions, Jalen and Sam were watching with grins from their seats.
"Sylvie," Jack smiled as he stepped into the room, and Ben hastily scrambled off the bed. "I'm glad you're doing well."
"Thank you, Jack," Sylvie smiled and leaned into his gentle one-armed hug.
"How did the meeting go?" Sam asked.
Kelly and Will looked over, eyes sharp, and Jay chuckled as he leaned against the wall. "Suffice to say Oscar Papa isn't going to try anything unless he wants Mr. McCoy to unite all of New York against him."
Jalen snorted. "Serves him right."
"Indeed," Jack agreed with a wicked grin.
Will frowned and turned to Kelly. "I don't think I want to know what he and Chief Boden could come up with when they're put in the same room."
"No, probably not," Kelly agreed with a chuckle. "Though it would probably cause some of the white shirts to have a heart attack, so . . . who knows?"
"Hey, Ben," Kate grinned. "You been keeping an eye on Sylvie for us?"
"Well, she isn't going anywhere," Ben shrugged.
Elliot laughed loudly before coughing into his arm. "He's not wrong," Sylvie blushed.
"That reminds me," Frank grinned. "I'll be back."
Ben's eyes lit up in excitement, and Kelly snickered. "Guess we'll wait for that video call until he gets back, huh?"
"Griffin would like that," Ben nodded in agreement.
Sylvie nodded, then her eyes softened. "Peter." The prosecutor flinched, and Sylvie sighed and held out her hand. "If you don't hug me, I'm getting Jay to make you."
"I'd do it, too," Jay nodded.
"Yeah, I know you would," Peter sighed as he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Sylvie. "I'm so sorry this happened."
"It's not your fault," Sylvie shook her head.
"If it's anyone's other than Oscar Papa's, it's mine," Olivia admitted with a hard swallow. "It was my vendetta against him that led to this entire mess. That's on me."
"No," Sylvie said firmly. "You fought for his and BX9's victims, as you always have throughout your career. All of this is on Oscar Papa. I don't blame anyone except him. You should do the same."
Olivia looked hesitant, but she finally nodded. "Hey, Nolan?" Elliot twisted to look at the prosecutor. "You sure you can't convince her to come back to New York? We could use having someone like her around."
"Hey!" Kelly protested.
"Yeah, she's coming back with us!" Will huffed.
Ben, on the other hand, looked considerate. "It takes us further from Portland."
Kelly did a double take and looked at Ben in surprise, and Sam burst into a peal of laughter. "Oh, it's so easy to see why Lily is friends with him!"
***
Frank was only gone for an hour. When he returned, he had a duffel bag and an excited teenager in tow. He knocked on the doorframe to get the attention of Sylvie, and he grinned. "Someone wanted to see you."
Sylvie's eyes brightened, and Lily ducked into the room with a call of her name. "Oh, hello!" she grinned, wincing a little at Lily's tight hug. "Oh, it's good to see you, Lily."
"You, too," Lily smiled as she leaned back, her dark eyes looking Sylvie up and down with worry. "Dad said you were hurt really bad."
"I was," Sylvie admitted. "But your dad made sure I wasn't hurt any further. I owe him once I get out of here."
"I was just doing my job," Frank shook his head.
Sylvie leveled an iron glare at him. "You wanna know what other genes I share with my brother?"
"Coming out on top in an argument?" Sam suggested helpfully.
"I think she's going for stubbornness," Nolan smirked.
Frank sighed. "Fine. If you insist."
"Oh, I do," Sylvie grinned.
"It's hard to say no to that face," Kelly pointed.
Frank rolled his eyes. "Don't I know it."
Elliot's phone chirped, and he glanced at his screen with a raised eyebrow. "I need to get this." He gave Sylvie a smile as he backed out of the door. "Feel better, Sylvie."
"Thank you!" she waved.
"So," Lily turned and looked expectantly at Ben, who had hunched over a tablet. "How long are you here?"
"Lily!" Frank sighed exasperatedly.
"Like you didn't expect that to be one of the first things she said," Nolan laughed.
"Kelly said it'll be up to Will," Ben shrugged.
Several pairs of eyes swung towards the redhead, who leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "That'll depend on how she heals while she's here," he answered. "She's already done far better than was expected, so I don't have a definitive answer so far."
"That's doctor for 'I don't know,'" Jay translated.
Will scowled at his brother as Kelly and Sylvie laughed. "You suck, Jay."
"Aha!" Ben brightened. "I got it!" He scrambled to sit on the edge of Sylvie's bed again. "Griffin! Wendy!"
"Ben!" Griffin's excited voice answered.
"Greg! Jason!" an unfamiliar female voice added. "Get Casey, we've got her!"
"Excuse us," Kelly cleared his throat, a soft look on his face as he crossed to stand by Sylvie.
"Of course," Jack nodded and left.
Everyone else followed, leaving Kelly and Ben with Sylvie. "She's smiling more than I thought she would," Lily whispered, glancing back into the hospital room.
"My sister's tougher than people think," Nolan smiled proudly.
Lily shrugged. "Well, she's your sister," she said as if it was the simplest thing. Nolan looked at her in surprise, and Lily grinned up at him. "And you're dating my dad."
Nolan did a double take, and Frank shook his head with a little laugh. "I shouldn't be surprised you figured it out before I told you."
"Ben tipped me off, actually," Lily folded her arms and gave him a stern look that made Nolan smother a laugh. "Apparently he overheard Matt and Kelly saying you owe them a drink . . . and Nolan owes Sylvie. I can add, Dad."
Nolan did laugh that time, and Frank smiled. "Detective in the making," he said fondly. "And you're OK with it?"
"Of course I am," Lily scoffed. "Like I told you, Dad. I just want you to be happy."
"Well," Frank smiled at Nolan. "I've got the right person to make that happen."
Nolan smiled and squeezed his hand in return. "Likewise."
Lily beamed happily, then Kelly called from inside. "Are you three coming back in or what?"
"What?" Frank repeated with a blink.
Sylvie giggled. "Get in here."
"Yes, ma'am," Nolan chuckled and stepped back into the room. "Did I hear the Silver Trio got babysitting duty?"
"That's cold, Nolan," Matt's voice complained, and Frank saw the fire captain looking pale but otherwise relatively healthy on one side of the screen.
"Yeah!" a dark-haired woman huffed and leaned her head into the frame. "We're worth more than silver!"
Nolan rolled his eyes. "If you keep dragging my family into your arson investigations, Seager, I'll call you whatever I want."
"She's got you there, Wendy!" a dark-haired man in a similar jacket to Kelly grinned cheekily at her.
She swatted at him, and the final man in the frame rolled his eyes. "Good to see you, too, Nolan."
"Hey, Nolan!" Griffin waved from the other frame, his dorm room visible in the background. "Hi, Frank, Lily!"
"Good to see you, Griffin," Frank waved in return.
"Keep an eye on my brother, will you?"
"You got it!" Lily grinned.
"Last few introductions," Sylvie adjusted the tablet in her lap so all of them were in view. "This is Detective Frank Cosgrove and his daughter, Lily. Nolan prosecutes his cases. Frank, Lily, meet Lieutenants Greg Grainger, Jason Pelham, and Wendy Seager. Grainger and Pelham run Firehouse 40, and Seager is with the Office of Fire Investigation and our favorite fire cop . . . who somehow drags Kelly into chaos when Grainger and Pelham are busy."
Wendy shrugged unapologetically as Greg and Jason snorted. "Guilty."
"Good to meet you," Frank nodded.
"Same to you," Greg smiled.
"And thanks for being there for Matt," Kelly added. "I know I called late - "
"Pfft," Wendy waved the thanks away. "Happy to do it. I know the rest of you were on shift, and I'd been up late on a case anyway."
Kelly narrowed his eyes. "You better not be bothering Matt with it."
"Relax, Sev," Matt chuckled. "I'm still following the doctors' orders. Seager's a drill sergeant that way."
Wendy smiled pleasantly. "Chief Boden did for some reason trust these two to run your rigs while you're out, though."
"Hey!" Jason scowled at her. "We run the rigs just fine, thank you very much!"
"81 has been running well in Grainger's care," Kelly admitted.
"It runs better in this one's," Greg patted Matt's shoulder. "We'll take care of 51 until you're back, you have our word."
"No promises on corralling your boys, though," Jason warned with a wrinkled nose. "I have no idea how you do it."
"Who says he does?" Matt said with a straight face.
Kelly's jaw dropped as Sylvie, Ben, and Griffin laughed. "Matthew Casey!"
"God, I miss you," Sylvie sighed.
Matt's expression shuttered. "Oh, Sylvie, I would have been on that flight with the guys if I'd been cleared," he told her. "But you'll get me all to yourself when you get back."
Sylvie sniffed and nodded. "Grainger, if something happens to Kelly on your watch, I'm gonna sic Violet and the rest of Squad on you."
Greg looked more amused at the prospect, but he nodded in agreement. "Heard loud and clear."
"Don't worry," Wendy smiled. "We've got your back, girl."
Sylvie's face somehow simultaneously softened and tensed. "You always have."
Nolan coughed meaningfully, and Frank had a feeling he was missing some information. "Well, as much as I'd love to keep my sister here with me, I know she'll be headed back as soon as Will clears her."
"We look forward to it," Greg nodded. "We'll update Chief Boden, too."
"Seriously, though," Jason looked at Sylvie in concern. "It's good to see you're OK."
"I need to get ready for my next class," Griffin checked his watch. "But I'll call back at the end of the day, if that's OK."
"Of course," Sylvie smiled.
"Hug her for me, will you, Lily?" Griffin grinned.
"You got it!" Lily chirped happily.
Griffin laughed and waved, then his box disappeared, leaving just the four officers back in Chicago. "I love you all," Matt said with a smile. "Feel better, Sylvie. You'll be home before you know it."
"I know," Sylvie smiled. "Love you, too."
"Thanks again, guys," Kelly added. "We appreciate it."
"Any time, Severide," Greg nodded. "We'll see you soon."
The connection ended, and Sylvie slumped back into the pillows with a sigh. "This is when I wish I could speed heal," she muttered.
Nolan laughed and combed his fingers through her hair. "You'd give me fewer heart attacks if that were the case."
Sylvie half-heartedly swatted at him, then a surprised exclamation from outside made all heads raise. "What was that?" Kelly frowned.
Frank moved towards the door, gesturing for the rest of them to stay put. When he left the room, he was greeted with the sight of a delighted Noah sprinting towards Olivia and Peter as fast as his legs could take him. The police captain was already in tears as she caught her son, and Peter's arms wound tight around them a second later. "Looks like you weren't the only ones who were on the first available flight," Frank answered.
"Flight?" Jalen frowned.
Kate's breath abruptly hitched, and Frank saw multiple officers watch in shock as Amanda let out a cheer of delight and rushed the dark-haired man that was first into the room. "TK!"
"You are in so much trouble, Rollins!" TK attempted to scowl, but his attempt failed miserably when Amanda jumped him. "See if I make you my maid of honor at my wedding! Oh, excuse me, matron of honor!"
"OK, ouch," Amanda pouted.
"Austin," Kate said blankly. "They sent Noah to Texas?"
Frank merely smiled. "Who's the only other person Benson trusts most in the world aside from Stone and Stabler?"
Kate conceded with a nod as every officer in the room straightened to attention with the arrival of TK's father. "Captain Strand."
"Owen," Olivia whispered, swallowing hard as she stood, Noah still pressed against her side. "I can't - "
"Then don't," Owen said simply with a smile. "You'd do the same for me."
"Always," Olivia agreed with a laugh.
Owen held open his arms, and Olivia lurched forward into his hug. "Stabler, I'm allowing TK, Rollins and Carisi free reign on you if you don't get in here in the next three seconds."
The trio looked delighted at the thought, and Elliot laughed as he completed the hug. "Welcome back, Owen."
Owen chuckled. "It's good to be back."
***
"I swear, if you're gonna try and give me some offer about joining the 126 in Austin," Sylvie griped.
TK laughed loudly while Owen rolled his eyes. "I told you that would be her first thought!" the paramedic chortled.
"Yeah, yeah, I owe you five bucks," Owen sighed, making Elliot snicker. "No, Fin told us you were here when he drove us from JFK. Just wanted to check in. It's been a long time, Sylvie."
"It has," Sylvie nodded with a smile. "And I understand congratulations are in order for you, TK?"
"Yeah," TK nodded, a dopey grin on his face. "Carlos and I are getting married at the end of spring."
"Congratulations," Sylvie beamed. "And switching to being a paramedic? Good choice."
"I learned from the best," TK winked at her.
"Yeah, I don't think buttering her up like that is gonna convince her to come to Austin, either," Owen smirked.
TK snorted. "That was all your idea, Dad."
Sylvie's giggle morphed into a yawn, and Will cleared his throat. "Alright, I'm gonna pull rank and kick everyone but Severide and Ben out of here. Let's let her get some rest."
"You got it," Owen nodded, patting the end of Sylvie's bed. "We'll drop by before we head back to Austin. Feel better, Sylvie."
"Thanks, Cap," Sylvie smiled sleepily.
The group left the room, and Noah appeared out of nowhere to grab TK's hand. "Show Aunt Amanda and Uncle Sonny the pictures!" he demanded.
"You got it, boss!" TK laughed, allowing Noah to drag him to the waiting pair.
Olivia sighed happily. "You have no idea how good it is to have him back."
"Oh, I have some idea," Owen shrugged, watching fondly as Amanda plastered herself into TK's side, the paramedic easily wrapping his arm around her shoulders as Sonny peered over his shoulder. "But TK missed Rollins and Carisi, too. When we got the all clear, Carlos and his father helped us get the earliest flight here. If his shift wasn't understaffed today, Carlos would have flown here, too."
"I'll remember to thank him, too," Olivia smiled. "You, Elliot, and I are having a night out before you return home."
"Copy that, Captain," Owen winked. Olivia kissed his cheek and walked to join the others, TK visibly brightening and drawing her into the conversation. Frank watched with a smile, then he jumped when Owen chuckled. "There's not many states that can say their fire and police departments have such good camaraderie with each other."
"From everything I've heard, New York has you to thank for the fire department side of that," Frank looked at him. "With Benson and Stabler on the police side."
"And we brought the departments kicking and screaming with us," Owen smirked, making Frank laugh. "It just took a few good points to forge that bond. We all protect and serve, no matter how we choose to respond to the call of duty. It's what Liv, Elliot, and I promised each other . . . we don't bleed blue or red. We bleed purple."
"I like that," Frank admitted.
"Good," Owen nodded. "Then keep that in mind. We've all saved each other at some point in our careers or another. What good is a rivalry when we need each other at the end of the day?"
"Good point, Captain," Frank nodded.
Owen patted his shoulder. "I do my best."
Frank folded his arms and watched Owen walk and immediately draw Elliot to his side, then he sharply turned when Kelly left Sylvie's room. "Is she OK?" he asked.
"Oh, she's out like a light," Kelly chuckled. "I'm running to get something for me and Ben. You want anything?"
"No," Frank shook his head. "Thank you, though."
"Of course," Kelly nodded. He paused before he left, then he turned to Frank. "By the way, Frank, since it may be until we leave before Sylvie gets her say. Just in case it wasn't made clear before . . . fire cop is my night job, and my crew has already agreed to be at my beck and call if needed. You see where I'm going with this?"
"You'll burn my body and no one will be able to find me if I hurt Nolan," Frank guessed with a wry smile. "Shovel talk heard and accepted."
"Glad we understand each other," Kelly chuckled. "In all seriousness, though, I'm happy for the two of you. And welcome to the family."
Frank's smile softened, and he gratefully accepted Kelly's hug. "Thanks, Severide."
Kelly patted him on the back and departed, and Frank heard more than saw Nolan join him as the squad lieutenant headed for the elevators. "Let me guess," Nolan sighed. "Shovel talk?"
"Yeah," Frank laughed. "I expected it, though." He turned to his boyfriend, tilting his head to assess his expression. "How're you doing?"
Nolan watched Ben scoot his chair closer to Sylvie and nestle his head on his arms, Sylvie's hand under him. "Better," he finally answered with a small smile. "It's not a nightmare any longer."
"Good," Frank nodded. Raucous laughter from the lobby made them look down the hall, and they watched TK abruptly take off, Amanda shouting and chasing after him as Sonny laughed hysterically. "So I know we were talking about waiting after a few cases, but since I, at least, am apparently obvious . . . "
He trailed off and raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Nolan smiled. "We've got time, don't we?"
"Yeah," Frank nodded. "We do."
Nolan nodded in agreement, and the pair walked down the hall towards the lobby. Jalen and Sam had disappeared, probably with the same intentions as Kelly, but Jack and Kate were speaking together at the edge of the room. "Hey," Kate smiled at them. "How's she doing?"
"Sleeping for now," Nolan answered. "Thanks for asking."
"Good," Jack nodded in satisfaction.
Kate raised an eyebrow, noting the glance Frank and Nolan exchanged. "Something else you two need?" she asked.
"Yeah," Frank nodded. "Do you have a moment to talk?"
Jack's eyebrows rose, but a knowing smile formed on his face at the same time as Kate. "We do," he nodded, gesturing down the hall. "Shall we?"
"Yes," Nolan nodded in agreement, and Frank smiled as their hands wound together. "Let's."
***
I seem to have an unhealthy obsession with putting Sylvie through a hell of a lot . . . I guess that's how I show my love for her, in a way.
So a lot happened, and a lot of people got thrown into the universe. I credited Owen and TK as "special appearances," so this may be the last time we see them. They'll likely get mentioned again, but considering this is really focusing on Law & Order, and the recurring Chicago Fire nod, it won't be often. We'll see more of Peter and Sonny, though, and I do have plans to incorporate SVU and OC into some of the future episodes.
For now, though, it's back to solely being about Law & Order! Next episode: "Land of Opportunity!"
graphic by marvelity
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