So here we go! First chapter up and flying. I think the only real message, other than how excited I am to share all the new ideas I have with y'all, is that I'm making one small AU tweak. Calvin's age. We're dialling it down a few years so he was much younger than portrayed on the show, and thus much younger now all these years later. Specifics to be decided. That is all I'm saying for now ;)
"You know sometimes you make me kind of ashamed that we share DNA because you are such an idiot."
"You said buy her anything."
"And you used that as the green light to buy Mother's Day dryer sheets."
"She just said the other morning how she'd love someone forever if they bought her some!"
"Okay seriously you are never going to get a girlfriend….." hurling an impressive ball the older of the two teens rolled her eyes, "… ever."
"Sure, sure because Jason Williams is a real catch."
"Shut up."
"I wanted to shoot the poor kid to put him out of his misery at practice the other day."
"Okay so just because he's not the most athletic guy in the world doesn't make or break him as a person. You should think about that little brother….." catching the incoming ball she held it in her mitt and shook wisps of dark hair from piercing blue eyes, "… sport isn't everything and high school won't last forever."
"You sound like mom."
"I know you think she's on your case the whole time but she's just looking out for you."
"Yeah, well, I'm doing just fine…." scuffing his sneaker the younger teen lowered his eyes and avoided catching the gaze of the one person who knew him better than anyone, "… and grades aren't everything either."
"They're a pretty big something."
"Just back off okay?"
"I'm only saying that…."
"Well don't, alright! It's easy for you, it is so easy for you to stand there and preach this crap to me when you're pretty much guaranteed to get a free ride to the Ivy's. I'm happy for you, I'm proud of you and I can't wait to see you go do your thing but I'm not like you. I'm not smart the way you are."
"Don't say that!"
"Okay this isn't fun for me anymore…" tossing his glove onto the grass the boy rolled his eyes and sloped back into the house.
"Everything alright, buddy?"
"Peachy keen." Came the sullen huff in reply from his son as Elliot Stabler stepped out onto the porch and took a seat on the back steps.
"You winding him up again Mouse?"
"You need to talk some sense into him Dad." Removing her own glove and coming to sit beside her father in blue jeans and one of her mother's old NYPD issue t-shirts Evie Stabler heaved a sigh. "Or he's gonna be that guy."
"And which guy is that then?" reaching over and draping his arm around her Elliot drew her in close, pressing a kiss against her temple and smiling, "Are you doing your my job for me again? Worrying about your brother?"
"The guy who cruises through high school on his looks and the fact he can hurl a football and whose only goal in life is to make quarterback!"
"Evie, sweetheart, you gotta just let him do his thing. He's a fourteen year old kid with the whole world at his feet. He'll figure out what he wants to do in his own time just the same way you will."
"He could go to college too you know," she persisted, exquisite cheekbones and thick dark lashes holding all of her mother's stubborn determination and drive, "If he'd just let me help him get his grades up?"
"I do know that."
"He bought Mom dryer sheets for tomorrow."
"What?"
"My brother is a freak show."
"Yeah, no, I think we should probably fix this one. It's been a hell of a week at work at the 1-6 and dyer sheets might just tip her over! We'll go to the mall….." smiled Elliot, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and fishing out his car keys, "…. you can get in your mom's head better than anyone so you're officially in charge and we'll just get Sam to sign the card."
"You want one?"
"Oh! No, no I…" she had been staring, realised Eve, flushing peachy red and turning away slightly, "… no I don't smoke."
"Figures."
"Because you can tell whether or not a person smokes just by looking at them?" remembering herself Eve shot the far from unattractive stranger a withering glare and scoffed, "What other snap judgements do you form on…."
"That you're a kid."
"Well for a start you're…."
"That you're probably Daddy's little girl."
"I…." she began, watching the devilish glint in thin set eyes and the way his lips curled to a smirking grin. Her reaction confirmed his assertions but where he had though it would repel his interest it only made him more curious. There was a whole world behind those baby blues.
"You're your Momma's whole entire world….." running a hand through unkempt curtains of mousey brown hair the chisel jawed stranger chuckled, "… and you've never had any reason to lose that pretty smile."
"So basically you think I'm a priss?" smarted Eve, feeling suddenly toppled from her usually impossibly confident perch as she clutched her book bag uneasily.
"I think you're luckier than you know."
"Humph." she hadn't the first clue how to react to him, let alone how to respond. Something in her rational mind told her she ought to walk away, disengage, and yet she couldn't. "You make being lucky sound like a bad thing?"
"Nope."
"No what?" he talked in riddles, delicious perfect dimple chinned riddles.
"Forget it."
"You're annoying."
"You've got really shiny hair." And she laughed, not because what he said was funny but because of the don't give a crap, God's honest truth expression on his face as he said it.
"Damn….." he murmured under his breath, watching a smile light up her whole face as she watched him through suspicious eyes, set in the most strikingly attractive face he had ever seen, "…..when you figure out what you look like you're in big trouble Bambi."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Eve, but the answer was in the way he looked at her. It was terrifying and intoxicating and it stole her breath in a way that Jason Williams hadn't the entire year they'd been dating. She didn't know, she couldn't see, but that was the moment she learned to play the game.
"How old are you?" stubbing out his cigarette on the precinct wall and tossing the butt into the road the stranger kicked one ankle over the other.
"I'm seventeen….." she never lied, it wasn't in her nature, in fact everyone who knew her would vouch for Eve Stabler's often brutal honesty, "….eighteen in a couple of weeks."
"Then you'll work it out soon enough."
"Cal? Cal, buddy let's roll…" came a gruff yell from the revolving doors of the 16th precinct as three scruffy figures, all older than her new acquaintance, emerged from inside, "… we got off so let's go celebrate little cous'!"
"Right behind you…" throwing blue green eyes at Eve the young man flashed a smile and tipped his head, "….nice meeting you Bambi."
"Sure, sure you too."
Her heart was thundering, and as the group headed for the subway Eve felt a confused overwhelming of indignation and disappointment. Standing up from the wall she often sat on waiting for her mother she straightened her back, squared her shoulders, pushed out her chest and held her head a little higher than before. Something small, indescribable and irrevocable had changed inside of her and it made her head spin and her heart race. Was this what Elliot was so afraid of?
"I am so sorry sweetheart."
"It's fine."
"No, no it isn't. You must've been sat out here over an hour…..." exploding out of the precinct still only half wearing her jacket Olivia Stabler threw herself at her daughter and hugged her apologetically, "…. I'll make it up to you?"
"You don't have to Mom it's fine! I just studied for my biology test tomorrow and….." chewing on her cheek Eve held herself back, so unusual in her relationship with her mother, "…. oh and Dad called and said he's taken Sam and Eli out for dinner and we're on our own this evening."
"How much more studying you reckon you've got left to do for that test?" asked Olivia, fussing at the braid around Eve's face and smudging away a little stray mascara from her brow bone.
"You thinking Three Amigos?"
"I'm thinking if the boys can eat out mid-week then why can't we?" widening her eyes and flashing a grin Olivia draped her arm around her daughter and leant in to kiss her temple. "How was school? You get your English paper back?"
"Got an A-….." nodded Eve, "…. but Mr Fritz's comments were so dumb. Jane Eyre was an idiot if she thought dating Mr Rochester was ever a good idea and I backed up all my reasons why I think so with quotes so I don't know what his problem is."
"Oh baby girl just you wait…" sighed Olivia wistfully, as the two broke apart slightly but their arms continued to bump and nudge as they walked closely along the sidewalk.
"Wait for what?"
"I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Ms Eyre wasn't doing that much thinking at all around Mr Rochester."
"I hate that! She's this super strong, independent woman who kicked ass even though her life was horrible and then she just loses her shit because of a guy who…."
"Language, lady!"
"Loses her head over some old guy who's already married to some nutty other woman!"
"Oh Evie Grace a part of me wishes you would think like that forever….." and then with a wistful, bittersweet sigh and adoring smile Olivia added, "…. but I think a bigger part of me wishes someone comes along and makes you question that all that black and white you see right now."
"You're such a mom sometimes!"
"I'm your mom all the time….." corrected Olivia as they descended into the subway, "…. and part of my job is to help you realise that sometimes the world comes in shades of grey."
"50 shades?" quipped Evie with a mischievous smirk.
"Oh don't even kiddo. You know how I feel about that book."
"Okay, okay, no need to get your soap box out Captain Stabler!"
"Listen the truth is you're my baby girl and that won't ever change but one day a boy will look at you the way I imagine Mr Rochester looked at your beloved Jane and all bets will be off."
"Like he can see clean through you?" gulped Eve, suddenly connecting theory with her earlier experience. "And you feel so hot and dizzy you think you might just implode or throw up or…." seeing a rising suspicion in Olivia's shrewd eyes Eve caught herself, "…. or something like that? I've seen it in all the movies."
"Yeah, yeah something like that….." replied Olivia, unnerved.
"Like the way Dad looks at you?" knowing just exactly how to play to her mother's weakness, and that Elliot would forever be her Achilles heel Eve successfully deflected attention.
"Nicely played, kid. Nicely played."
"I wasn't….."
"You were talking about Jason though, right?" asked Olivia, who was keeping a close eye on her daughter's high school romance.
"Sure, sure Jase."
"You two aren't….."
"No, no Mom I haven't had sex with Jason nor do I plan to. I have my first time pencilled in right around my fortieth birthday just like Dad wants….." there was nothing Eve wasn't comfortable talking about around her mother, but even so the flippant tone in her voice unnerved Olivia, "…. you don't have anything to worry about."
"Okay, okay we trust you…" and then with a heightened intensity Olivia met her daughter's eyes and repeated, "…. I trust you."
"What's a stunning lady like you doing alone in a bar?"
"I'm waiting on someone…." came the sultry reply as Olivia batted her kohl lined eyes and thick dark lashes at the high end Armani suit that sidled up beside her later that week.
"Well whoever he is he ought to know better than to leave a face like that unattended….." with a cavalier smile and effortless gesture to the bartender he made a glass of her favourite red appear, "… you might start accepting drinks from handsome strangers."
"Do I look like that kind of girl?"
"You look like million bucks….." undressing her with a hungry gaze he grinned, "…. you're really wearing that blouse."
"I'm not so sure my husband would appreciate where your eyes are right now."
"He sure as hell better appreciate getting to wake up to you every morning."
"I'll remind him of that next time he's whining about….."
"Okay I'm out, you got me….." slipping entirely out of character and ending their charade Elliot curled an arm around her waist and leaned in for a lingering kiss, "… you're looking way too good to keep this up."
"How was your day?" she smiled, as the bartender brought him his beer and he took a seat beside her at the bar. "Did Sam go back to Dylan's after practice?"
"Yeah, yeah Mike said he'd run him home later and Mouse is home to let him in."
"So we really do have the whole evening to ourselves?" she marvelled, it being the first time in as long as either of them could recall. "I did what you asked by the way."
"Really?" he tested, stupefied that she had even considered his request. "You seriously left your cell at work?"
"You have my absolute undivided attention babe….." reaching to his face she stroked the five o'clock shadow along his jaw line and tipped her head, smiling adoringly and vowing, "… no kids, no work, just you and me."
"I needed this."
"We needed this….." she nodded in agreement; taking a sip of her wine and feeling herself relax completely, "…. I'm just sorry I've been so resistant."
"You give everything you've got to your job and I love that about you, you know that."
"I do, but it will never be more important than our family and I know it doesn't always feel that way to you and the kids sometimes."
"Speaking of the kids has Mouse talked to you about Sam?"
"Has she!" laughed Olivia with a wry scoff. "My ears were bleeding by the end of dinner the other night. She's convinced her brother is going to be in Rickers by the time he's twenty one unless he comes up with a five year plan."
"I worry about our girl, Liv…." sighed Elliot, laying his hand over hers on the bar and mindlessly playing with her fingers.
"You're worried about Evie? Why? She's got a 4.0 GPA and she's a cheerleader with tonnes of friends and a boyfriend most fathers can only dream of for their daughters….." curling her fingers around his she puzzled, "….how can you possibly find something to worry about?"
"She doesn't know how to fail."
"I….."
"I don't worry about Sam because he's got is head screwed on. He knows he's not the most academic kid in the world and he doesn't care, he doesn't have a clue what he wants in life and he doesn't worry about anything beyond Friday night….." shrugging candidly Elliot smiled, "…. he's just a completely normal fourteen year old boy."
"So because Evie's a high achiever with goals and focus she's not a normal kid?" balked Olivia, not entirely sure why he was making their daughter's aspirations into something negative that they ought to be concerned over. "Is it so unthinkable that an intelligent kid who's almost sixteen would be thinking about colleges and where she wants to be in life? I know I was."
"You just wanted to be anywhere other than your mother's house."
"Elliot!" she snapped, putting him straight back into his box with a sharp look.
"Mouse is wicked smart, she's popular, she's got her mother's looks and everything in that blue eyed girl's life has just come so very easy to her."
"Elliot I feel like you're trying to make me feel bad that we raised our daughter to be a happy, confident, ambitious young woman."
"No, no that isn't what I….." knowing he'd upset her, and frustrated because that had been far from his intention Elliot sighed heavily, "….look I'm talking crap. Ignore me. Okay?"
"I know she might not get into Brown like she wants. I know that. I know she might not get everything she ever dreamed of, but babe I think what's important here is that we raised her to believe she at least has a shot."
"She has more than a shot at Brown we know that. With her grades and her extracurriculars and that knack she has of wrapping everyone around her little finger…."
"And her Daddy is at the front of that line….." smiled Olivia with a fond roll of her eyes.
"Guilty as charged."
"I know that you worry about them and I do too but when you see what we see day in day out at work you've got to keep perspective. When you see how many kids who not only don't believe they will achieve anything in life but won't even get the chance to try you gotta give yourself a break and just let Evie run…" holding his hand tight Olivia appeased him the way only she knew how, "… and if she falls, well, then we'll be there to pick her up again won't we?"
"You know as wives go you're alright, you know that?"
"I have my moments."
"You manage to make anything stick to those two idiots from the frat party?"
"It got complicated…." exhaled Olivia, taking a weary slurp of wine, "…. the only thing we could prove was that they were uninvited guests. Whether or not they were actually responsible for the assault….."
"You don't reckon they're guilty?" he trusted her gut implicitly, and he could already tell from her expression she was unconvinced.
"They didn't have college places and trust funds on the line like all the other idiots there that night. They had nothing to lose and they were painfully honest about pot possession and beating the crap out of a couple of the guys. They're idiots but I honestly don't believe they're bad guys….." finishing her glass Olivia turned to him and smiled, "…. so no, no I don't think they're guilty. If that's any kind of win for Tamara."
"You'll get the real perp in the end."
"From their ivory Hampton tower? Protected by lawyers and politics and endless money?" shaking her head sadly she sighed, "I hate that those idiots think they're beyond the law."
"But sometimes they are. Not because they should be, not because it's right, but just because that's how the world works."
"There's something else…" running her index finger around the rim of her wine glass broodingly Olivia hesitated before confessing, "…. one of the boys we hauled in was a Johnny Arliss."
"You know him?"
"I knew his Aunt once….." biting on bottom lip Olivia slid her eyes over to him and murmured, "…. he's Calvin's cousin."
"Your Calvin?"
"He was never mine….." it still hurt, even after all these years, that that beautiful little boy had been snatched so cruelly from her, "…. but yeah, yeah Vivian's son."
"Babe…" dropping his hand to her thigh he stroked it tenderly, giving her a moment to gather herself because he knew she didn't want to let it choke her.
"That's his influence, El. They're his people. That's who he's surrounded by. I ran him through the system and he's already been collared for a couple of minor offences….." shaking her head with a deep, bitter, profoundly affecting sadness Olivia sighed, "…. it's only a matter of time before he escalates."
"You did everything you could, you did more than most people would've….." he soothed, knowing it was cold comfort to her but saying it anyway, "…. you can't save every messed up kid who….."
"I could've saved him…" she protested, strong in her conviction, "…. he could've been in college right now instead of out stealing cars with his waste of space cousin."
"Let it go, Liv…" because there was nothing she could do now, the boy was a man and it was too late Elliot counselled, "…. you gotta let it go. It'll eat you alive otherwise."
"I'm pretty hungry….." checking he had finished his beer she lifted her clutch from the bar and, shrugging off the weight of her conscience smiled warmly, "….let's go to dinner."