Jack McCoy barely glances when his phone starts ringing, but when he sees the name flashing on the screen, he knows better than to ignore it.
His attention should be on the news, watching the hostage situation that his second chair got involved in, but Jack McCoy is a clever man. He knows if he doesn’t take this one, this woman will drag him to the nine circles of hell. Back and forth. Back and forth that even the devil would feel sorry for him.
DA Lewin sees those signature brows knitted together as he stares down at his phone.
“Put your phone away, Jack.” Nora Lewin asked, her tone motherly but that tut-tut-tut in her voice made Jack feel like he’s back in high school getting a scolding.
“I need to take this.” He answers before he can even step out of the office, from his angle, he could still see the news playing.
“Why is Serena in there, Jack?”
Now Jack McCoy understood when the defense lawyers shudder at the raspiness of Abbie’s voice.
“Abbie.”
From working with the great Abbie Carmichael who is ready to stick the needle in someone accused of littering to Serena Southerlyn, intelligent, perceptive and hardworking but her decision is often clouded by ideals and what’s morally good. And having a moral compass doesn’t always equals the law.
It gave him a whiplash on how two people have such opposing views of the laws.
He needed someone to be a balance of both. Serena is a promising, up and coming ADA but she needed someone like Abbie to guide her on how to separate the black, the white and not to even think of dabbling around the gray areas unless it’s absolutely necessary. He thought Serena could learn a thing or two from Abbie. What Jack didn’t expect was for Abbie to guide Serena to her bed. This? He doesn’t know whether to be proud or not.
Who in their right mind would ever think that these two would even fall in love? He might have expected them to sleep together, all the crackles from their sexual tension was there, but no one expects them to last. Certainly not him. But now they have an apartment together, and Serena mentioned one time that they were looking to adopt a cat.
And he Jack McCoy their bushy-browed cupid.
“Did you allow this to happen?” Abbie's voice dropped a few octaves lower.
“Did I tell Serena to go in that drugstore to negotiate with a hostage? I sure did, and I told her to pick up my prescription while she’s at it. What do you fucking think, Abbie?”
“And you have the audacity to joke?”
“And you have the audacity to ask a ridiculous question.”
“Then why the hell is she in there?”
Because it’s Serena Southerlyn and she lets her heart do the thinking. Serena does a damn good job as a second chair than most people give her credit for. Even Jack knows he’s guilty of that. The detectives love her, and Lt. Van Buren dotes on her like her own child. It’s just unfortunate for Serena to follow after Abigail Carmichael.
“Jack? What’s going on?”
McCoy tells her the sanitized version, the one Van Buren explained to him and Lewin.
“ESU wants a DA to observe just in case they have to shoot, the suspect is asking for a lawyer.”
“She’s an Assistant District Attorney.”
“I’ll make sure to tell her that.”
McCoy could hear the pained sigh on the other line, and despite the unadulterated hell that Abbie’s stubbornness put him through, he genuinely cared for her, and could even consider his favorite.
It’s going to be okay, Abbie.”
“She is in a hostage situation, nothing about that sounds okay.” Jack hears ruffling from the other line, followed by quick steps of those heels that he hadn’t heard in a while. “If something happens to her, I don’t know-”
Jack hears Abbie’s voice quaking, like she’s seconds from falling apart, but his former ADA catches herself before it happens.
“Where are they?”
“And what are you gonna do, Abbie, you’re gonna march there and what?”
“If this hostage negotiation ain’t working, maybe I have to shoot the suspect myself.”
McCoy couldn’t help his indignant snort, if anyone would go there guns blazing, it would be no other than Abbie Carmichael.
“Did you just confess that to a prosecutor, Abbie?”
“Jack,” Nora calls from the room, that sounded more like a hallelujah. “Serena is out.”
*
“Are you okay, counselor?”
That was the fifth person who asked her, and Serena gave them the same answer that she did the first person who asked, a forced smile and a shaky nod, knowing that she can’t trust her voice not to falter.
Abbie must have been watching everything unfold because as soon as Serena stepped out of the drugstore, her phone started ringing.
As much as she wants to be with Abbie, Serena knows she’s teetering on the edge, and her girlfriend’s voice is all it takes for her to crumble. The news vans are swarming in hordes, crowd growing by the minute, the last thing people need to see is the Assistant District Attorney breaking into tears.
Van Buren is a saint to take the call for her.
Serena could hear Abbie on the phone, wanting to speak with her and asking Van Buren why she would allow this. The lieutenant offers Serena a comforting smile while trying to calm Abbie down. Briscoe and Green glance back and forth at the two women with amusement, more than thankful that they’re not the ones taking the heat from Carmichael.
Once again, Van Buren is a saint and when this is all over, Serena is sure to send her flowers.
“She’s okay, Abbie. Yes. I’m looking at her right now. No, no, you don’t have to come here. I’ll talk to Nora and tell her to send her home. No- Abbie, not by herself, a uni will drive her. Okay. She’s okay. I promise. She did great. I know you know. Okay. You take care, I’ll make sure she’s okay. You too.”
Van Buren lets out a fond sigh of relief before handing Serena her phone back, “Never thought I’d see the day that I’ll be in Abbie Carmichael’s bad side, I’m just glad she’s on our side.”
The Lieutenant’s warm smile helped calm Serena.
Detective Green offers her a cup of coffee and a gentle smile, holding it when he sees her shaky hand, “You okay there, Serena?”
“I had better,” Serena’s voice dipped but thankfully didn’t break. “But I’ll be okay. Thank you.” That was the confirmation Ed needed before offering her the coffee. Serena winced as she took a sip. It was too bitter, but the acrid taste was enough to distract her from her trembling nerves.
“Glad you’re okay, kid.” Detective Briscoe flashes her a proud smirk, “If something would have happened to you, the sniper is the least of Hobbs's worries.”
*
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Serena hadn’t even set foot in their apartment when Abbie had already begun her interrogation. The ADA knows how relentless her girlfriend is, and she doesn’t think she has the strength to answer.
Serena didn’t know how exhausted she was until the uni who got assigned to drive her home woke her up that she had reach their place. She woke up to dozen of miscalls from Abbie, Alex, Her mom, brother and people who pay attention to the news.
“Yeah, she’s here.” Abbie said to whoever is on the phone, judging from the voice, it’s Alex. “Yeah, I’ll tell her to call you. Thanks. Bye.”
What the hell were you thinking?” Abbie asks again. There’s a difference in her lover’s voice, Abbie’s commanding voice cracked and trembled at every syllable.
“I’m okay, babe.”
“You didn’t answer my question Serena, what the hell were you thinking?” Abbie’s expression remained fierce and dangerous. Abbie has her heels off, her jacket hanging on their couch, her dress shirt untucked, but Abbie still looks intimidating. Serena gets a glimpse of the frightening ADA Carmichael who makes even the hardass Jack McCoy look soft.
“Ed told me you volunteered to go in, like what-“ Abbie storms to the kitchen, almost ripping the fridge door apart before grabbing a water bottle. She slams the fridge door shut, wrestling with a water bottle, until Serena steps closer and opens it for her. Whatever composure that Abbie had finally cracked. “What were you thinking?”
“They had a clear shot, he wanted a lawyer, but I thought, if I could at least talk to him, it’s better than him killing the hostage or him getting killed.” Serena reaches out, wrapping her arms around her lover’s waist. She expected herself to crumble in Abbie’s arms, but instead Abbie held her tighter like Serena is all she needs to keep her together before she shatters.
“You’re shaking,” Abbie whispers, holding her tighter. Serena didn’t need to point out that Abbie was shivering as well.
“Just hold me please.” Serena pleads, her whisper muffled on Abbie’s chest.
“Of course. I got you. I got you, love.” Abbie press kisses, her kisses less possessive and more softer, as if filling every sense with Serena. “Just my luck to fall for the bravest ADA in New York.” Abbie teases before kissing Serena again. “I got home and you still weren’t here, and I had to call Alex to just-“ The federal prosecutor sucks in a shaky breath. “Don’t ever do that again, okay?” Abbie’s request sounded more like a plea.
Serena presses her lips against Abbie’s trembling ones. “I won’t.”
“Did he hurt you?” Those brown eyes softened and her voice even softer as they roamed every inch of Serena.
“No- no- he didn’t.”
“I didn’t know what you were wearing today.”
Blue eyes blinked curiously, “What?”
“I left earlier, you were still in the shower,” Abbie continues as she unwraps the scarf off Serena, followed by peeling off her wool coat. “and I just said, I’m leaving and you just said bye. And when I saw the news all I could think of is-” Serena places her hands on Abbie’s cheeks, “I just- I don’t know- I felt so-” Helpless. “I didn’t know what to do and Jack wasn’t telling me anything.”
“What?” Serena’s blue eyes are sparkling with mischief. “And here I was thinking he’s a giant teddy bear.”
Abbie leans her forehead against hers, “What was he in for?”
The kisses helped calm Abbie down, but she’s going to be livid when she hears it.
“They’re innocent until they are proven guilty.”
Abbie rolls her eyes, of course, Ms. Hang-em-all doesn’t believe that, but she’ll play along, “Okay. What is the people of the State of New York putting him in trial for?”
“Burglary.” Abbie raised her brow suspiciously, knowing there’s more to the story, and Serena almost- almost feels bad for every defense lawyer her girlfriend has to face, if she’s this menacing without saying a word. “He might have bludgeoned two women to death.”
“What? Bludgeoned?”
“Look, look I’m here, I’m okay.”
Abbie sucked in a deep breath, like she said, it’s her fault for falling so hard for someone so selfless, but Abbie knew if it’s not Serena, then she doesn’t want anybody else.
“What would you like to eat?”
Serena smiles softly, pressing a kiss on Abbie’s shoulder. Abbie’s I love yous are vastly different from what Serena is used to, and “What would you like to eat?” is just the many ways that Abbie says those three words. She was used to her previous partners being open and affectionate, Abbie Carmichael is none of that.
Alex had described Abbie perfectly calling the US attorney, emotionally stunted. Abbie Carmichael can go head to head with serial killers and cold blooded murderers but struggles to express how she feels.
Alex asked Serena are you willing to wait it out? Serena didn’t say a word, but they both know that the answer is yes, Serena will always choose Abbie, flaws and all.
“You gonna cook for me, Carmichael?”
“If we have the stuff here, I’m not leaving your side tonight.”
It’s what people have never thought about when they think of big, bad US Attorney Abbie Carmichael. Abbie cooked for her on their fourth date, and Serena would have teased her about it, but she saw all the pots and pans and the smell of roast chicken and garlic mashed potato lingers in Abbie’s apartment.
Abbie revealed that she only started cooking when she moved to New York. She misses the food back home, but every restaurant she tried in the East Coast always felt like something was missing, so she tried and learned how to make it herself to feel closer to home.
But now, even if it’s just grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, everything just tasted so much better. Abbie understood that maybe it’s not the food, maybe it’s Serena that made her feel like she’s finally home.
“Anything then.” Serena wraps her arms around Abbie’s waist, feeling the warmth as she pressed herself on Abbie’s back. “I’m not leaving your side either.”