Title: A Case in Point
Author: Ann
Feedback address: darandkerry@yahoo.com
Date in Calendar: 30 June 2007
Fandom: Law and Orders: Trial by Jury & Special Victims Unit
Pairing: Tracey/Kelly Alex/Olivia
Rating:
Summary: Tracey is assigned to present a case to the Grand Jury, a case she clearly doesn’t want.
Advertisement: Part of the FSAC:DD07

Disclaimer: Law & Order: Trial by Jury & Special Victims Unit and all characters are property of NBC and Dick Wolf.

Note: This idea sprung from a challenge in the TBJ livejournal community requesting a crossover case.

Beta Thanks: To Debbie, for her constant support and her belief in my writing.

“Why are you assigning this hearing to me? No cop in New York will want to work with me after this,” Tracey complained, upset at her boss for singling her out for this particular court hearing.

“Someone has to do it, and it may as well be you,” Branch offered gruffly in response.

Glaring at the District Attorney, Tracey knew from the expression on his face that it wouldn’t do any good to argue, but like the true force of nature that she was, she protested anyway.

“What about McCoy, your golden boy? Nothing ever sticks to him, so why not let him present the case to the Grand Jury?”

“Tracey, this is not open to discussion. Now, I’m late for a meeting with the mayor. I trust this conversation is over?” Branch made it a point to stand in an attempt to use his height to try to intimidate his tiny assistant.

The ADA grabbed her coat and briefcase from the nearby chair. “I just hope nothing comes back to bite us on the ass with this one, Arthur.”

Tracey grumbled and cursed the entire journey back to her office, but she paused silently in the doorway when she noted her assistant poring over a stack of files. Kelly immediately sensed being watched and looked up to find a blank expression on her boss’ face.

“Please tell me you were able to pass this one off to someone else.”

Walking into the office, Tracey threw her things on the nearby sofa and gracefully took a seat next to them. “No, I didn’t. We’ve got to tread very carefully, Kelly.”

“No kidding. This woman is a highly decorated detective and respected by every branch of the police department. We’re going to look like we’re out to crucify Mother Teresa,” Kelly replied, leaning back in her chair to rest her aching neck.

Tracey mimicked her assistant’s posture as she melted into the couch. “And it certainly doesn’t help knowing that the ADA working the case believes she deserves a medal instead of facing possible charges.”

“You mean Alex?”

“No, I mean me.” Tracey looked over at her partner and grimaced. “But thanks so much for bringing up dear Alexandria. She’s going to go ballistic when she hears about this.”

A few buildings down, Alex Cabot strode into the precinct loaded for bear. No one dared to approach her as she made her way into the detectives’ offices, and even Munch resisted the temptation to speak to the determined ADA, wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut, not chancing the risk of incurring her wrath.

The furious blonde burst into Cragen’s office without bothering to knock, and she further announced her presence by slamming the wooden door so hard that the glass rattled almost to the point of breaking.

“What the hell is this, Don?” Alex demanded, flinging an official looking document in the center of the captain’s desk.

“Now hold on, Alex. If you want to yell at someone, I suggest you start with your boss. I’m just as upset about this as you are. Branch is the one who’s insisting the Grand Jury decide whether deadly force was necessary when Olivia shot the second bank robber.”

“She’s lying in a hospital bed with a hole in her shoulder. I think deadly force is a moot point, don’t you?” Alex gestured wildly, her voice filled with righteous anger.

The captain stood and walked around the desk, speaking softly. “Alex, everything will be fine. There’s no way the Grand Jury will indict Olivia. She’s a hero.”

Tears filled the ADA’s blue eyes. “But that’s the point. She shouldn’t have to be subjected to a hearing of any kind. Can’t you do something, Don? I tried to make an appointment with Branch, but he’s dining with the mayor. Besides, he’d never listen to me.”

The father figure pulled Alex into an embrace, and the ADA broke down, crying for the first time since Olivia had been shot. The past several days had taken a toll on the blonde, and she could no longer hold her tattered emotions together.

******

Kelly stepped into the law office, carrying a large bag and balancing a cup holder containing two drinks. She walked directly to the small table where her partner was poring over the exact same statements as when the assistant had left to head to the building’s cafeteria. Shaking her head, Kelly began to unpack their lunch.

“Find anything new? You’ve read those witness statements over a hundred times already.”

Tracey looked up sharply. “Where is the goddamn gun all these people profess to have seen? Even the security guard swore that the second robber aimed at Olivia after she and the first robber had exchanged fire. He stated that as Olivia was going down, she fired the fatal shot which killed John Gabriel. So, where in the hell is the gun?”

Kelly shrugged her shoulders as she placed a sandwich in front of Tracey. “I have no idea. The bank was searched from top to bottom, and Gabriel’s gun wasn’t found. It’s too bad the robbers blacked out the video camera; we’d have had a bird’s eye view of the event as it took place. Instead, we’ve got to stand in front of a jury and present the assumption that all the hostages were so beholden to Detective Benson that they’re lying to protect her.”

“You mean me. I’m the one who has to build the scenario and make the accusation.” Tracey lifted the top slice of whole wheat bread and frowned at the brownish filling staring back at her. “Tuna?”

Reaching across the table, Kelly quickly snatched up the sandwich and replaced it with the one she’d been unwrapping. “Sorry. They mislabeled the paper wrapping. I’d never buy you tuna, even if it were the only thing left.”

Several blocks away, Olivia stubbornly pushed her tray out of the way much to the displeasure of her nurse. “Detective, you have to eat something. You have to keep your strength up or you won’t be able to leave the hospital.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to wheel me out in a body bag because I’m not eating anymore of this cr...”

“Olivia!” Alex swept into the room and moved next to her partner, ready to chastise the detective for her rudeness; however, a raised eyebrow and a pointing finger brought the blonde’s attention to the food laden tray, the tray filled with oddly colored food.

“Oh, I see your point.” Turning to the nurse, Alex smiled. “I’ll make sure she eats every bite.”

The nurse smirked at Olivia and left the room, closing the door behind her.

“Alex! How could you take her side? Look at that food. I’ll die if I eat it.”

The ADA silenced her lover with a kiss and, by the time she released Olivia’s lips, the detective was as limp as the vegetables on her tray. Reaching into her bag, Alex pulled out two containers and wiggled her eyebrows.

“Oh, I do love you Alex Cabot.” Olivia smiled and reached for the blonde, kissing her again as she rested her hand possessively on the Italian take-out.

Twenty minutes later, Olivia sopped up the last of the lasagna with her French bread. Lying back in the bed, she closed her eyes and patted her stomach.

“That was sinfully good. The only thing missing was a glass of wine.”

Alex laughed. “Soon, Liv, but, first, we’ve got to get you home. I ran into Doctor Jansen on my way in. He said you could go home tomorrow.”

Olivia’s eyes popped open. “Really? You’re not teasing me, are you, Alex?”

“I’d never tease you about something like that.” Alex moved to the side of the bed and proceeded to dump the hospital food into the empty containers. She’d just placed the Styrofoam boxes back into her bag when the nurse returned to collect the tray.

Pleased that the tray was completely empty, the nurse praised Olivia. “See? Now that wasn’t so bad was it? I’ll let Doctor Jansen know that your appetite has returned.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s definitely back.” Olivia smirked, watching Alex bend over to close the bag; her focus on the firm ass of the ADA.

Engrossed in her own thoughts, Alex had no idea that she was the object of her lover’s scrutiny as she made the decision to wait to inform Olivia about the Grand Jury hearing until after she’d gotten the detective home.

******

“I think we need to find the security guard and question him personally. There’s something we’re missing.” Tracey was obsessed with the hostages’ statements. Kelly had barely been able to wrestle the folders from her lover the night before. She just knew the ADA was going to bring them to bed.

“Tracey, this guy was very detailed. I don’t think he left out a thing. I just wish he knew what happened to the gun.”

“How many times has a witness left something out that they thought was trivial? We’ve got to do something before the hearing. Maybe we can find some evidence to show Branch that he’s making a huge mistake going after Olivia.”

Kelly looked back over the list of hostages, hoping something would jump out at her. Frustrated, she scanned the cross-reference page which detailed each hostage’s name, address, and occupation. Her eyes stopped on a single name.

“Hey, Tracey? Did you know one of the hostages was a retired cop?”

“What? Let me see that.” Kelly handed the page over to the other woman and pointed at the name in question, Sal D’Angelo.

“Kelly, get the security guard on the phone and set up an interview. Then, I want you to find out everything you can on this D’Angelo.”

The assistant grabbed for the nearby phone and punched in the guard’s number just as Alex Cabot slammed the receiver down on her home phone.

“Damn it! What good is it to have the direct number to all the ADA’s offices if you get a busy signal?”

Olivia patted the cushion beside her. “Alex, come over here and keep me company. You probably shouldn’t be talking to Kibre anyway.”

The blonde huffed and walked over towards the sofa. Moving to the nearby ottoman, she pushed it towards Olivia. “Raise your legs. You need to keep your feet elevated.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Alex, I was shot in the shoulder, not the foot.”

The detective looked up to see the classic pissed-off Cabot pose; hands on her hips, narrowed eyes, raised eyebrows, and pursed lips. Deciding not to make matters worse, Olivia reluctantly lifted her legs and allowed her lover to push the padded seat under her calves. The position actually did feel better, but there was no way the brunette was going to admit it to the other woman.

“Now, will you please sit?” Olivia pleaded, patting the couch a little harder than before.

Maintaining her upset mood, but taking care not to jostle her lover, Alex plopped down next to Olivia. “This has to be politically motivated. Branch must be thinking about running for office. Why else would he be after you?”

“Alex, he’s just covering his tracks. With the recent articles in the Times demanding better control over the police department, Branch has to be sure that he placates the media.”

“Well, I’d rather he go after someone else.”

Olivia took her lover’s hand. “Me, too. But, I’ll be vindicated, and this will all go away in a few weeks. It was a good shoot, Alex.”

“I know. I just wish they’d found the second guy’s gun.”

Olivia sat straight up, grimacing at the pain that shot through her. “What?”

******

A smile split Kelly’s face as she stepped into the elevator. She could’ve kissed Chris when he handed over the information on D’Angelo, only she knew he’d get the wrong impression and Tracey would probably kill her.

She strode from the elevator, lengthening her stride in her quest to fill the ADA in on the retired cop’s past; however, she stopped in the doorway when she spied the upset blonde standing in front of her lover’s desk.

“Damn it, Tracey. You’ve got to find a way to stop this Grand Jury hearing, or at the very least, postpone it until after Olivia’s made a full recovery.”

“Alex, Branch would have my ass if I made any sort of concession on this one. The media is already looking over my shoulder, and speaking of which, I shouldn’t be talking to you.”

A rare look of defeat crossed the blonde’s face, and she moved to a nearby chair. “Tracey, you’ve got to find someway to make this all disappear. We both know Olivia didn’t shoot an unarmed man. We need to find the gun.”

Before Tracey could once again point out that Alex’s presence wasn’t helping the detective’s case, the sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to look over at the door, and Alex slumped in her chair, tracking the ADA’s line of sight.

“I’ve got something,” Kelly offered, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.

Temporarily forgetting her visitor, Tracey welcomed the possibility of good news. “Please tell me you’ve found the gun.”

“No, but I’m pretty sure I know who’s got it.”

Alex jumped from her seat. “Who? Who set her up, Kelly?”

Tracey held up her hand. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Kelly, hold your tongue, and Alex, you have to leave.”

“I’m entitled to know what you’ve found.” Alex stood her ground.

“On what grounds?”

“As Olivia’s attorney and on the grounds of discovery.”

Tracey glared at the blonde ADA. “Alex, you’re not Olivia’s attorney.”

Alex glared back. “I am until she gets one.”

Kelly watched as two of the most stubborn women she knew squared off. Knowing, neither one would give in; she stepped further into the room and made a quick decision. She didn’t see any problem sharing a bit of information and, besides, maybe Alex could shed some new light on the situation.

“Sal D’Angelo has been shooting off his mouth.”

Alex turned on her heel. “Sal D’Angelo? Where have I heard that name before?”

“Alex, leave.”

“Probably from Olivia.”

“I told you.”

The three voices answered simultaneously and, Kelly finally noticed the previously quiet figure sitting on the couch, the white sling a prominent fixture set against the red shirt and the olive skin.

Alex ignored the assistant district attorneys and focused on Olivia. “You did?”

Olivia adjusted her sling and nodded. “He’s a cop I had some words with when the Special Victims Unit first got underway. He made some derogatory remarks about a hooker which we later found out to be untrue; the part about the hooker, I mean. D’Angelo’s a bigoted asshole.”

Kelly added her two cents. “Those were Chris’ exact words. It seems D’Angelo had always shot off his mouth and gotten away with it, but after that incident with you and Stabler, he got passed over for every promotion he went after. Word is he holds you responsible.”

Tracey stood and walked around the desk, glancing from woman to woman to woman. “Am I the only one who thinks this entire conversation is inappropriate? We simply cannot have this discussion. Alex, you and Olivia need to leave.”

******

Later the same evening, Tracey stirred her famous sauce while Kelly placed the spaghetti in the boiling water and Alex sliced the bread. Olivia watched from her perch at the bar, amazed that the three women were able to stay out of each other’s way in the small space.

“Okay, so we know that D’Angelo has the gun. Now, we just need to figure out how to make him give up the location.” Alex began as she slathered the bread with butter and garlic.

Tracey took a taste of her red sauce, frowned, and added a pinch of sweet basil. “We’re assuming he has the gun. No one’s actually heard him say the words.”

Kelly gave the spaghetti a turn with her spoon. “He’s told his buddies that he’d finally got back at the Benson bitch. What other proof do you need, Tracey?”

“Well, the gun would be nice, but I think I can pacify Branch if we can get him on tape admitting he took the weapon.”

Alex agreed. “I think you’re right, Tracey. Branch would be a fool to go after Olivia if the possibility existed that another cop, even an ex-cop, set her up. The publicity would be ten times worse than if he just dropped the case.”

Olivia finally piped up. “I’ve talked to the guys. They’re willing to man the truck and the sting if we can figure out how we want to go about setting D’Angelo up.”

“According to Chris’ information, he goes for blue-eyed, ditzy blondes. I think I should be the one to wear the wire; I could play ditzy,” Alex stated, placing the bread into the oven.

“Well, first of all, D’Angelo knows who you are, Alex, and secondly, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you be alone with that asshole.” Olivia responded in a voice so calm and steady, both Tracey and Kelly looked over to watch Alex’s volatile reaction.

The blonde simply walked over to her lover and smiled, placing a gentle kiss on Olivia’s lips. “I know; I just had to try.”

Tracey’s jaw dropped, and Kelly smiled. “I could do it.”

“Absolutely not, no way, no how; Branch would fire your ass, and you’d never get another job.” Tracey immediately came out of her stupor, crossing her arms and daring her lover to argue.

Kelly laughed aloud. “I just wanted to see what you’d say. Besides, Chris said D’Angelo likes leggy blondes.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with your legs,” Tracey protested, and then added a little more quietly, “but you’re still not going to play the part.”

The timer beeped, alerting the women that the pasta and bread were ready. In perfect synchronization, Olivia watched, once again in amazement, as the other women went through the various actions of preparing the meal. Soon, they were all seated at the table, enjoying the fruits of their labor.

“Okay, let’s think about this for a minute. We need someone who’s blonde and blue-eyed, has legs that go on forever, is smart and cagey, knows what questions to ask, and can play the part of a ditzy blonde. Where in the hell are we going to find someone like that?” Kelly pondered aloud, twirling her spaghetti around her fork.

Tracey and Alex looked up at the same time and smiled at each other.

******

The doors to the van slid open, revealing four women; two blondes and two brunettes. Munch smiled when he spotted the one wearing the sling. “Olivia, you’re looking good. Come over here and have a seat.”

Cragen stood and motioned for his detective to take his spot, but Olivia held up her hand and sat on the bench seat towards the back of the van. Alex scooted next to her lover while Tracey and Kelly squeezed tightly next to the pair.

“Captain, what’s the status?” Olivia asked, forcing herself not to lean into her lover. Having her captain know about her relationship with Alex was one thing, showing him was a completely different matter.

“Elliott’s in place at the bar, and Fin is acting as bartender. D’Angelo arrived just a few minutes ago, so he’s just started on his drinks. Fin is making them extra strong. Now, we just need a leggy blonde to complete the picture.”

Before Munch could add his usual tasteless comment, three raps sounded on the side of the van, and a beat later, the door slid open. A red high-heeled shoe led the way, followed by a firm, dancer-like calf. Munch whistled aloud as he watched a well-defined thigh enter next. The long, sexy legs ended underneath a very short, black leather skirt as the rest of the woman finally stepped into view, her ensemble completed with a tight-low cut blouse.

Tracey was the first to find her voice. “Dear lord, Serena. If you’d been wearing that outfit when you told Branch you were a lesbian, he’d have never believed you. He probably would’ve fallen out of his chair laughing.”

A raspy voice came from behind the blonde. “Or died of a heart attack.”

“Abbie! Get your ass in here.” Olivia grinned widely.

The tall attorney ducked her head and moved next to Serena. Cragen smiled, and stepped over to hug the former ADA while Munch looked on with a grin. The newcomers took a few minutes to greet the others until Tracey refocused the group.

“Okay, we can have our little get together later, but right now, we’ve got a big fish to reel in.”

Alex agreed. “Tracey’s right. After D’Angelo tells Serena where he’s hidden the gun, we’ll have a victory party at my place. But, first things first, Serena, are you ready?”

The blonde smacked her gum and raised her voice a couple of octaves. “Where do you want me, Sweetcheeks?”

Munch couldn’t resist. “Right here on my lap, Blondie.”

Abbie glared at the detective, eliciting laughter from the rest of the group. Serena took it all in stride and adjusted her skirt and blouse as Abbie held out her hand and took the mike from Munch. There was no way she was going to let anyone else wire her lover.

“Seriously, Alex. I’m ready for this guy.”

“Lightening your hair was a nice touch,” Alex smiled at her friend’s willingness to go the distance to help Olivia.

Cragen lifted his hand to his ear to better hear Elliott’s signal. “Okay, Serena. You’re on. Elliott said D’Angelo is getting loud and boisterous.”

“Elliott said boisterous?” Olivia asked in surprise.

“Um, well, not really. He actually said the son of a bitch is getting cocky.”

Olivia smiled. “That’s my partner.”

Tracey peeked out the van door. “Okay, the coast is clear. You can sneak out now without anyone seeing you, Serena.”

The blonde made sure the mike was secured and stepped towards the door. Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of the van and walked to the entrance with an exaggerated swing to her hips. Soon, she was gone from view.

Tracey retook her seat, and the van became eerily silent. Only Munch and Cragen had any inkling as to what was transpiring inside the bar.

Serena narrowed her eyes and looked for her prey. Alex had sent her a photo so she knew exactly who she was looking for. Spotting the arrogant bastard, she sidled over to the empty stool to his right. Fin glanced her way and nodded slightly.

“I can’t believe I got a ticket for parking in a no tow zone. I was just there for a minute,” Serena whined, making a point of twirling towards D’Angelo before crossing her long legs. The former cop zoomed in on the sexy gams and smiled.

The pair made small talk for awhile as Fin supplied D’Angelo with more strong drinks. The guy was practically drooling down the front of Serena’s blouse, and she had to stop herself from kicking him in the balls on several occasions. Finally, she had him exactly where she wanted him.

“You know. If that traffic cop had been a man, I wouldn’t have gotten at ticket. Damn woman cop. Women shouldn’t be cops.”

“No kidding. They can be a real pain in the ass, but sometimes, if you wait long enough, you can pay them back for all the pain and heartache they put you through.”

Serena sighed. “Yeah, but it’ll never happen to me. I’ll never be able to pay that bitch back.”

D’Angelo leaned in closer. “I really stuck it to a woman detective. She’ll be lucky if she doesn’t end up behind bars.”

Trying to keep her skin from crawling, Serena put her arm around the drunken bastard. “Really? What did you do?”

The former cop glanced around to make sure no one else appeared to be listening as he filled Serena in on the entire story, including grabbing the gun when the others were attending to Olivia.

“Wow that was a good one. I hope you got rid of it.”

The asshole grinned. “Nope. You’ll never believe where I stored it.”

Serena couldn’t believe her luck. Taking her time, she purred, “Where?”

“It’s in my locker at my old precinct. They never reassigned it to anyone else. Can you believe it? The cops are looking for a gun that’s right under their noses.”

In the van, Munch lifted his mike, “Elliott, it’s in his locker at his old precinct.”

Elliott downed his drink and threw some bills on the bar. Turning, he walked from the bar, but the moment he cleared the door, he sprinted to his car.

******

The party was in full swing by the time Tracey arrived. She winked at her lover and threw her coat on a nearby chair. The minute she joined the others, the room became completely still as everyone held their breath, waiting for the ADA to report on her meeting with Branch. Tracey raised her voice for all to hear, despite the deathly silence.

“I’m pleased to announce that all charges have been dropped against Detective Olivia Benson. I absolutely loved watching Branch turn ten shades of white. I actually thought he was going to pass out for a minute there.”

A sigh of relief swept the room, and a tearful Alex pulled her lover into a hug, taking care not to put any pressure on Olivia’s wounded shoulder. The detective held her crying lover and whispered reassurances in her ear. “It’s over, Alex. Everything’s going to be okay.”

The quiet moment was quickly broken when Serena stepped from the bedroom wearing a button-up shirt and jeans. She took one look at the smiling faces and knew their plan had been successful.

Alex stepped away from her lover and walked over to her friend. “Serena, I don’t know how to thank you.” The two blondes embraced each other as Abbie moved in next to Olivia.

“She really pulled it off. We’re going to have to come up with a way to thank you all,” Olivia said quietly, her voice wavering slightly.

Knowing that everyone was watching and knowing how much Olivia hated to show emotion in front of anyone except for Alex, Abbie carefully placed her arm around the detective and spoke loud enough for all to hear.

“Well, you’ve already thanked me in spades.”

Olivia looked at the tall Texan and frowned. “We have? How so?”

Abbie wiggled her eyebrows. “Serena’s promised me an entire night with a ditzy blonde, complete with the red heels and leather skirt.”

The rest of the room howled with laughter as Abbie made her way over to her lover, and Tracey took the opportunity to move closer to Olivia.

Leaning towards the detective, she whispered, “Do you think we can talk our blondes into the same thing?”

Olivia looked over at Alex and smiled widely. She knew exactly who Serena had borrowed her ditzy blonde outfit from, and she was certain that Alex wouldn’t mind loaning it out to Kelly either.

Smirking, she replied, “I think that can be arranged.” The detective noted the size of the grin forming on Tracey’s face, and she chuckled quietly as she watched the ADA strut over towards Kelly.

Alex returned to Olivia’s side and placed an arm around her lover’s waist. “We have the best friends in the world. Today was just a case in point. Even though we don’t see each other very often, it’s nice to know we can rely on our friends when we really need them.”

Olivia looked around the room at the smiling faces. She couldn’t agree more with Alex’s assessment. Case in point or not, she knew that friends like these were hard to come by, and she was extremely grateful that she’d been blessed.

Placing her hand at Alex’s back, Olivia guided her lover into their circle of friends.