A/N This is the beginning of a three part crossover that begins with Fire's above titled episode, continues with SVU's, "Chicago Crossover," and concludes with PD's, "They'll Have to Go Through Me."
Without further ado, please relax and enjoy the read.
~Princess <3
*At Firehouse 51: Inside of the Common Room*
"Look who I found!" Ana sing-songed with a smile as she walked in with Kelly's arm around her shoulders.
The man himself was sporting a duffle bag and a joyful grin on his lips.
"He's alive!" Matt smirked, followed by a bunch of cheers from everyone else in the area. "How was Vegas?"
"It was great." The Squad Lieutenant nodded. "It was really great. I played a little craps, hit the pool, got some sun, and, uh, oh, yeah. I met someone."
"You. . . met someone?" Otis repeated in disbelief, glancing over at Joe from where he had been standing by the counter.
The Truck Driver just gave him a wide-eyed stare in response. The blond, on the other hand, shot his best friend a skeptical look but she just shook her head in reply.
"Yeah, her name's Brittany Baker. She's a graphic artist from Tallahassee and I met her at the craps table. We sorta hit it off." Kelly explained with a small shrug. "She's my, uh, we don't exactly know what the word for it is."
"Your hot peice of ass on the side?" Matt blurted out, jokingly.
Ana glared at him for that one.
"Mistress, girlfriend, whatever you decide to call her. I'm just surprised she actually wanted to make an appearance after you told her about me. I mean, not even Ms. Royce went that far." The brunette teased him.
"Yeah, well, she's coming by later in the shift and you're all gonna love her. Probably not as much as you love this one." Kelly gave Ana a gentle nudge at that. "But still."
Herrmann just turned to Capp seated on the couch with as much world weariness as he could conjure up.
"So you had to bail on the Vegas trip. See, this is what happens when he's left to his own devices." He scolded, lightly.
"I told you. My mom had a yard sale, and I had to help." The Squad Member cried.
His Truck 81 counterpart merely stood up and walked away. Kelly let out a small chuckle before gazing down, warmly, at his wife.
"I'm gonna go talk to Boden. Let him know I'm back." He murmured, gently.
Ana just kissed him in response.
*A Little While Later*
Matt and Ana had been loitering around the kitchen counter, making idle chatter, when a familiar voice had them looking towards the pantry.
"Psst, Captain, Lieutenant." Otis nodding for them to come over. "How long you got?"
"How long we got to what?" The blond wondered, frowning at the piece of paper the other man was holding up to the wall.
It looked eerily similar to a calendar and it almost seemed like he had quickly drawn it up himself.
"Till whatever it is that Severide has with this chick flames out." The elevator man replied in a "duh" tone.
"10 bucks on five weeks." The brunette smirked, instantly.
"Okay, granted, you're practically allowed to bust his balls since you're his wife but, come on, Otis, don't be a dick." Matt scolded, lightly, and began walking away.
"Okay, if you don't want in on the action. . ." He taunted while writing the Captain's bet down on his paper.
The Lieutenant paused at that and Ana's expression widened into a small smile as he turned back around.
"All right, just give me five bucks on six weeks." The blond conceded with a sigh.
"There it is." Otis cheered, quietly, and started to mark it down only to quickly hide the paper behind his back when Kelly suddenly came up to the counter. "So, Lieutenant, why don't you tell us a little more about this crazy new woman of yours, huh? Start at the beginning. We want every detail." He teased while walking over with Matt and Ana following him step for step.
"Who are you, my Aunt Ruth?" The Squad Lieutenant laughed. "Otis, I'm pretty sure we all know what happens when two happily consenting adults decide to have some fun."
The brunette rolled her eyes at that and opened her mouth to say something only for a certain Truck Driver sitting in an armchair by the TV to beat her to it.
"When is she gonna be here already?" Joe threw his head back with groan.
"She'll be here, all right? She'll be here. Don't worry." Kelly assured, winking at his wife before heading off towards the briefing room with an apple in hand.
"Well, you got to admit, he's happy." Matt pointed out, placing his coffee mug down on the end of long table before taking a seat adjacent to his fiancée.
"'She's a graphic artist. We met at the craps table. Her name is Brittany, and she's from Florida?'" Gabby listed with a scoff. "You know what that adds up to? Stripper."
"What do you have against Florida?" The blond inquired with a frown, kicking his feet up on the corner of the table and crossing his legs.
"Are you seriously accepting all this as normal? I mean, when has he ever high-fived anyone other than Benson? Let alone the entire house?" The former PIC laughed in disbelief.
"Gabby, he's happy. Who cares how he got there?" Matt reasoned, gently.
"Of course he is." Ana smirked as she began making her way out towards the Squad Table. "He's married to me isn't he?"
The blond just rolled his eyes and shook his head in reply.
*A Few Hours Later*
"Guess who I found." Gabby grinned as she walked in with an unfamiliar blonde at her side.
Well, unfamiliar to everyone except one particular person that is.
"Hey!" Kelly smiled, standing up from his spot next to Ana at the Long Table and rushing over.
"Hi." Her expression practically mimicked his own as he leaned in.
The woman, having assumed it was for a kiss, was a bit shocked when she received a warm hug instead.
"Right, sorry, I forgot." The blonde chucked, nervously.
Ana couldn't help but smile a little at that.
"It's fine." The Squad Lieutenant assured before turning to address the other firefighters in the room. "Hey, everybody, this is Brittany."
"Hey!" They all chorused while Herrmann actually stood up and walked over, his gaze zeroing in on the big white box in her hands.
"All right, welcome. What have you got here?" He wondered, taking it from her and setting it aside.
"Well, I read an article that said when you come to a firehouse for the first time, come knocking with your elbows." Brittany explained.
"What?" Otis asked, quietly, looking over at Joe from across the round table in utter confusion.
"Because your arms are full of food." The Truck Driver hissed back, rolling his eyes and sipping at his coffee mug while everyone else moved in to grab some of the sugary treats.
Kelly suddenly sat down in the nearest chair and pulled the blonde into his lap, causing Ana's face to fall a little. Up until now, she had been the only woman he'd done that with.
"You know, most people overthink it. They get those fancy popovers and muffins with frosting-"
"Cream puffs." Mouch blurted out, continuing Herrmann's tirade for him. "Now, I myself enjoy the occasional puff, but en masse-"
"They get soggy." Brittany finished for him with a grin.
"Exactly." He pointed at her in triumph.
"Oh, wow. Hi!" The blonde suddenly squealed as their resident firehouse pooch suddenly began licking at her feet. "And who are you? Who is this?"
"Oh, that's Pouch." Mouch smiled as Brittany hopped off of Kelly's lap and bent down to pet the dog.
"Well, hello!" She cooed, scratching under his chin.
While his girlfriend/mistress was distracted by the pooch, the Squad Lieutenant stole a glance at his wife to see her eyeing them with a slight frown on her face. When Ana's gaze landed on him again, he placed a hand on his chest right over where his heart was. She instinctively did the same and her hand came into contact with the outline of the Purple Heart necklace he had given to her a little over a year and a half ago. The Captain's smile reappeared and Kelly returned it tenfold.
"Hey! That's the official 51 seal of approval, right there." Herrmann smirked as Pouch began licking her face in the fashion of a dog kiss.
"I am honored." The blonde laughed, standing back up to address the elephant in the room. "So I'm guessing you guys heard, 'Vegas, met at the craps table,' and thought-"
"Stripper." Capp nodded, happily.
"Hey, Capp, not cool." Gabby hissed, swatting at his arm.
"No, no, no, actually I don't blame him." Brittany shook her head. "It sounds crazy to me and I was there, but, uh, but it's been really great."
Everyone went back to mingling and enjoying the doughnuts. Kelly managed to break away and sneak over to where Matt and Gabby were standing a few feet away from the counter.
"Hey, man. I just wanted to thank you for your offer of letting Brittany move in but she already found her own place and even then I would never do that to Ana. I love her too much." He murmured, gently, looking over at the brunette in thought.
"We know." The blond smirked, clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't worry."
Kelly just smiled in thanks before heading back the way he came.
*Sometime During Next Shift: At 871 Carver Drive*
The Firefighters of 51 all pulled up in their respective company rigs to see a house fire rolling hot and fast. Chief had rounded the front of his buggy when a woman came rushing towards him.
"You have to get Andrew. Mr. Lewellen." She cried, looking borderline hysterical.
"Is he the resident?" The older man inquired as his two Lieutenants and their Captain came up behind him.
"Yes. He lives by himself with his dog, Paco." The woman gestured towards a white and brown spotted pooch sitting on the sidewalk a few feet away. "I saw him bring Paco out and then go into the cellar. It's right down here."
She started running towards the house but Chief surged forwards and grabbed ahold of her arm, quickly pulling her back.
"Ma'am, ma'am, go back." He ordered, gently, passing her off to Matt who made sure the woman was at a safe distance before continuing onwards. "Let's do a primary search of the cellar."
The blond kneeled down to mask up but the flames suddenly surged forwards and engulfed the entrance to the cellar. It was almost as if the fire could hear his every word.
"Looks like we'll have to find a new entrance." Ana sighed as her husband sprinted a few feet further.
"I got a window!" Kelly called out a few seconds later.
The brunette looked up at Chief.
"I am the smallest." She reasoned.
"Go!" He nodded and his right hand woman ran over with zero hesitation.
"Newhouse, Tony, we need ladder and entry!" The Squad Lieutenant ordered, crouching down to mask up.
The Captain did the same just as Tony ran over with a Halligan and smashed the glass open. Rick carried the ladder over and they slid it through before helping Ana inside.
"Come on, hustle. Help 'em out!" The older man commanded.
The brunette adjusted the makeshift entrance, wanting it as safe and sturdy as humanly possible. She held a thumb up through the smoke and Kelly was handed a hose line before he crawled down as well, not about to let his wife go in alone. The couple stayed low to the ground and gazed around through squinted eyes for any sign of their victim.
"Fire Department! Call out!" The Lieutenant hollered, taking a moment to listen for a response.
All he got was silence in return.
"Kelly!" Ana called, pointing at a prone figure lying on his stomach a few feet away.
"I see him!" He nodded while she activated her radio.
"Hey, Chief, we found the resident. He's pretty badly burned." The Captain observed.
"Hey, bud, let's get you out of here!" Kelly yelled over the roaring of the flames, checking to see if he was still conscious.
The Lieutenant pulled him up and received a coughing fit for his efforts. It was then that the brunette could make out the dimensions of a rectangular box clutched tightly in the victim's hands.
"I know, man, just breathe for us okay?" Ana soothed as the couple practically dragged him over to the window they had entered through.
Mr. Lewellen was placed on the bottom of the ladder and the two firefighters got in position to lift it up.
"All right, Buddy-" Kelly cut himself off as the box in the victim's hands got knocked to the ground and he instantly moved to grab it. "HEY!"
The Lieutenant pinned his arms to his sides and he gave up after that, leaning his head back with a pained groan.
"All right, we're sending him up!" The Captain called upwards before lifting the ladder up as high as she could.
Kelly took over once it was out of her reach and the firefighters on the end pulled it through the rest of the way. Ana glanced down at were the box had fallen, curious as to what it was that had made their victim risk his life to come back in for it. What she saw, however, made her eyes widen and her stomach grow queasy.
"Dear, God." The brunette muttered in horror, looking around at all of the pictures scattered across the floor.
Each one was of a different kid, varying in ages, naked and placed in extremely revealing positions despite some of them trying to cover their more intimate parts only to have others exposed instead.
"What?" Kelly wondered, following his wife's gaze and regretting it immediately. "Aw man."
"Benson? Severide? Everything all right down there?" Chief's voice suddenly inquired via their radios.
"Negative. We're okay but we need to seal this room off." Ana replied, grimly, as the Lieutenant kneeled down to get a better look.
"Why? What'd you find?" The older man inquired, worry thinly disguised in his voice.
"Just make sure everyone knows that Nobody Touches Anything." The Captain insisted, firmly. "And get my Dad down here now."
*Once the Fire Is Completely Out*
Kelly and Ana led Hank and Erin over to where the box was lying on the floor. The brunette could physically see how uncomfortable her husband was at being near her so called foster sister after what happened during their last confrontation and merely grabbed ahold of his hand. He instantly relaxed the tiniest bit and squeezed back in return.
"So, what do we got?" The Detective wondered.
"This fell out of the guy's hands when he was being hauled up. I'm pretty sure this is what he came down to get." The Lieutenant explained.
"Guy's hand? What guy's hand, homeowner?" The Sergeant inquired, crouching down and shining his flashlight on the pile of photos.
"We don't actually know if he owned the place, but we're pretty sure he owned the box." The Captain muttered in reply.
"Where is he now?" Erin frowned, unable to look away from the unsettling pictures.
"Our guess, halfway to Chicago Med. He was pretty banged up when they loaded him into the ambo." Kelly recalled.
"Hey, call dispatch, get a twenty on that ambulance." Hank ordered, ripping his gaze away from the gruesome scene and turning to a nearby patrol officer. "I want somebody with that guy when they roll into Chicago Med."
"So you didn't touch the box or its contents?" Erin wondered.
"No." The Lieutenant shook his head, curtly.
"Neither of you opened it?" She questioned.
"Pretty hard to do without touching it." He retorted with a glare.
"It's standard protocol, Love. They have to ask us these questions for the chain of evidence." Ana explained, soothingly, rubbing comforting circles into the back of his hand before turning to her father. "And no, we didn't open the box."
"Those kids look pretty young." Kelly muttered, letting go of his wife's hand to wrap an arm around her instead.
"Uh, Daddy. . ." The brunette trailed off, unsure of how to even begin her next train of thought.
"What is it, Pumpkin?" Hank prompted, gently.
"I- I recognize some of these kids." She finally admitted, quietly.
"Your mom's still letting you sort through her case files huh?" The older man smirked, knowingly.
"Well, she doesn't exactly let me follow her into the field that much anymore since Elliot's not around to keep me safe. . ." Ana trailed off as a current of emotion flittered across her features.
Hank, knowing just how much his daughter truly missed her other Godfather, chose not to comment on it any further.
"I'll talk to Liv." He nodded, looking back down and trying not to visibly show how much the photos were truly effecting him.
It was way too easy to imagine his own little girl in every single one of them.
*Back at Firehouse 51: In the Locker Room*
". . .So I'm gonna take the mustang down to the 21st and I'll be back for you later." Ana explained, turning to Kelly once she was finished changing into her civilian clothing.
"Sounds like a plan." He grinned, leaning down for a kiss.
They separated a few seconds later and she gave him a little pat on the arm before leaving the area. The brunette walked down one of 51's various hallways and rounded a corner.
"Ah, Matt! Just the person I was looking for." The Captain smiled.
"Uh, oh." He joked, stopping so his best friend could catch up with him.
"No, no. I, uh, Mills filled me in on the Newhouse problem and I just wanted you to slip this into the boot for me." She handed him a roll of 10 one-hundred dollar bills. "I'd give it to him myself but. . ."
"You don't need to explain." The blond assured. "Do. . . I wanna know where you got this from?"
"The real question is, 'Do you wanna know where my Dad got that from?' because he was the one who gave it to me." Ana smirked.
"No, I do not." Matt shook his head, walking off and ending the conversation there.
The brunette just let out a warm laugh and continued on her way, running into a certain elevator man carrying a tray of food as she passed by the Common Room.
"Oh, Captain! You gotta try this oven fried ravioli. Brett made it and it is delicious! Mm!" Otis hummed in delight.
The short woman raised an eyebrow before grabbing one and biting into the corner.
"Oh, wow, that is good." She murmured, stealing a second one. "I'm heading out early but make sure Brett knows she is one Helluva cook."
"I'm pretty sure she already knows." He cackled.
Ana chose not to comment on it any further and left through the Apparatus Floor doors.
*At the 21st Police District: Later That Night*
Erin and Ana decided to set aside their differences, for once, in favor of trying to solve the mystery of the unsettling photos. They had been at the Detective's desk, quietly sorting through a few of them, when Hank walked out of his Office.
"This is grim." Erin sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"Yeah." The Sergeant muttered in agreement.
The firefighter suddenly cleared her throat and sat up straight.
"The, uh, federal kiddie porn databases search for both the kid and the background so they can identify the work of different offenders. I figured we could try and do the same thing." She shrugged.
"Oh, my God." Erin suddenly breathed in horror.
The Detective had picked up another stack of pictures and was rifling through them when she suddenly froze on in particular.
"What?" Hank wondered, stepping over instantly and what he saw made him crouch down to the girls' level in a split second. "Oh, my God."
"Oh, Christ." Ana muttered at the sight of the familiar face staring back at her.
Erin put the photo of a young boy with sandy cropped hair down on top of the rest and pushed back at the tears that were burning in her eyes.
"When's the last time you heard from him?" The Sergeant inquired, gently.
"Ten years?" She tried to answer but it came out as more of a question instead.
"You know how old he is in that photo?" Hank wondered, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I mean, 15, maybe. He took off for New York not long after that." Erin recalled, holding back a sob as she forced herself to gaze at the photo again.
"Come here, come here." The older man murmured, using one arm to pull her into a hug and grabbing onto one of Ana's hands with the other. "We'll send that off to Liv."
"Yeah." She nodded, pulling back and moving a strand of hair out of her face.
"We'll see if her people have anything on him." Hank continued in his version of a soothing murmur.
"Yeah, mm-hmm." Erin hummed in agreement, sniffling a bit.
Ana just stayed silent, unable to do anything but stare down at the picture before her, cover her mouth, and grip onto her father's hand as tight as she could.
*A Few Hours Later*
The two women frantically paced in front of the phone on Erin's desk and it felt like an eternity until the person on the end finally picked up.
"Rollins."
"Amanda, did you get the files we sent you?" Ana demanded, leaning forwards on the desk.
"Yes, we did. Thank you. Did I hear right?" She wondered and the sound of her rifling through some papers could be heard. "You and Lindsay have history with one of the vics in the photos, um, a Ted Courtney?"
"Yeah, uh. . ." Erin let out a quiet sigh and glared up at the ceiling. "He's my brother."
"Erin, I'm sorry." Amanda murmured, quietly.
"It's okay." She nodded despite knowing the other woman couldn't see it.
"No, it is not." Ana exhaled, loudly, through her nose.
"She's right. But, listen, we got database hits on a couple of the other vics in the photos, all New York missings. I don't know how your brother got mixed up in this, but we're gonna get to the bottom of it, okay?" The blonde assured.
The firefighter glanced at Erin before speaking again.
"Amanda, tell my Mom I'm flying out there to help out as soon as I can and I'm bringing Lindsay and her partner along with me. She's already cleared it with her boss, aka my Dad, so. . ." The shorter brunette trailed off.
"You are gonna have to tell me more about that, little miss." The SVU Detective chuckled, warmly. "Well, I guess we'll be seeing you soon then."
"All right." Erin muttered, gazing back down at the photo of her brother as the call ended.
Ana couldn't help but do the same.
A/N I hope you all enjoyed! Till Thursday.
~Princess <3