1-2-3 Years...
The Second Year
Chapter Four
It was definitely a long shot that Abbie was aiming at, but she was desperate. Otherwise she would have never turned to the woman who she had found kissing her girlfriend just the night before. But that fact had to take the back seat while she concentrated on the game plan to find what happened to her family.
Regardless of what had unfolded in the past eight hours or so, she knew that there was no way in hell that her girlfriend and adopted daughter just took off. She knew that, that is why she felt it in the bottom of her stomach that there was something wrong, and she had to find them soon. That is exactly the reason why she had told the cab to head directly to her former office, before Olivia changed her mind.
The cab ride was of at least of 10 minutes. Olivia did not change her mind. It was true that she wasn't feeling right knowing that she was going to demand her spousal right on her ex girlfriend to the woman that she was in love with. That too immediately following the night she had been caught kissing her ex. No, that certainly didn't seem like the thing for Olivia to be doing. But like Abbie had said that clock was ticking and if Jena and Eve were indeed captives of an assassin then they had to move fast and they had to act in every possible direction they could think of. So, if she was going to piss her girlfriend in a major manner, then it had to be done. She only hoped that Alex would understand her reasons and not take it as a set back to their relationship.
"It is not Alex's decision to make." Abbie said out of the blue the moment they got off the cab. She knew the dilemma Olivia was in and she wanted to help. "Let us just hope that another Federal Prosecutor is already there. Then it is his decision not Alex's. And we might not even have to confront her about it."
"That is if they have already sent a Federal Prosecutor in this short notice. You were only out of the case this morning; you really think that someone from Washington would have already flown in by now? That too on a Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Even if they have already got a new Federal Prosecutor, I don't think they would join till at least Monday." Olivia on the other hand was not as optimistic.
"We can at least hope."
But Abbie's hope was in vain. Because the first person they saw when they reached their floor was Alex, who was on her way to her office. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the duo walk out of elevator. From the moment she had decided to deny Abbie any information pertaining to Jena's arrest warrants, she had known that Abbie wouldn't give up without a good fight. Thus she had spent most of the later part of the day almost preparing for a legal defense with her former boss, even though she knew that law was in her side and there was nothing Abbie could spring on her. But what she hadn't expected was to see her girlfriend marching along side her and now standing right in front of her.
"Abbie I told you that ...." She said instead of any pretend greeting and ignoring the throbbing in her head that was screaming to know what the hell was Olivia doing there with Abbie.
"I know what you told me." It was clear from their tone that their previous verbal exchange had killed any kind of friendly respect they had for each other. "That I am nobody to Jena and I have no legal rights to know what the FBI has on her. But Olivia here is someone to Jena." She pointed to the blonde's girlfriend with an almost smile on her face, finding a perfect retaliation for her earlier hurtful remark that legally she was but a stranger to the woman she had set a family with. "They were partners. And Olivia has a signed civil-union papers to prove it."
For the first time Alex turned to her girlfriend trying to fully comprehend what she had just heard.
"Alex listen all we want to do is know why the FBI has...." Olivia wanted make her understand her reasons for being there but Alex cut her words off.
"The civil union doesn't hold ground in New York City or State. Our law does not recognize it or give any rights on its basis."
"I realize that but there are many gay organizations that are fighting to change that. And many a times government has granted spousal rights to domestic partners, even though they refuse to do it in a public manner." Abbie wasn't kidding when she had said that she needed Olivia to fight Alex, and at that moment she was in the fight mode. "I may not have any proof to establish my relation to Jena but Olivia does. And we are willing to evoke any or as many gay rights organization on that basis. We will turn it into a very dirty and public politics if we have to."
"I should have known." A male voice said from behind them before Alex could respond. "Whenever there is a talk about controversy, it is always Abbie Carmichael who is willing to fight." He approached the trio as he finished.
"Ron Sanchez. Don't tell me they flew you in for my job?" Abbie greeted the man she recognized.
"They didn't have to. I was already here." He explained. "My in-laws are from the city. I was here for the Thanksgiving and when they called this morning saying that they wanted me to kick you out. I was only more than glad to step in." He said smiling and with no malice.
Abbie did not smile back. The matter was too somber for her to share a friendly chuckle about.
"Look I was briefed about it only couple of hours ago." He wiped his smile off right away and joined the gloomy mood of the women around him. "And I am afraid Ms. Cabot is right. Under the circumstances I cannot release any information to a non-family member."
Alex turned and walked into her office without bothering with any customaries. She didn't want to stand and listen to Abbie or Olivia insists on how Jena is Olivia's wife or spouse or partner or whatever else they wanted to call it. She didn't want to hear it.
"Can I talk to you in your office?" Abbie asked unwilling to give up.
"Sure." He said before he started to walk.
Abbie followed right after. It was only after she had taken couple of steps, she realized that Olivia hadn't done the same. Instead she was still frozen in the same spot staring at the shut door that boasted the name of her lover. Abbie did not call for Olivia. She walked on and inside the room that used to be her office, less than 24 hours ago.
"The woman that was standing next to me in the hallway." She said before Ron had even reached his side of the desk. "She is Jena's ex."
"And?"
"More importantly when they were together they had done a civil union. Now you can try and screw with me that I can't prove that I was Jena's partner because I was not out. But you can't ignore her signed papers."
"You kidding me right?" He hadn't been prepared for that. A civil-union was no marriage, but with the political climate surrounding the issue of gay marriage and gay partnership rights, it wasn�t a paper that anyone with political aspirations could just toss it aside and ignore it either. He landed on his leather chair knowing that it wasn�t going to be as easy as he had thought.
Few doors down, another leather chair in another office was enduring the sunken weight of another lawyer who was trying to recover from something that she hadn't expected either. Alex though had walked away the moment her new boss had shown up, was now staring at her girlfriend who had come inside her office only moments later.
"It has always been about her. Hasn't it?" She asked. This time she was determined to have her say before Olivia got to any chance to unload her excuse.
"No, it never has. You are completely taking this the wrong way."
"Am I really?" Alex stood up. She needed to be in the eye level with the woman she wanted to confront. "You were kissing her last night. Then you disappear. And the first time I see you since is now. And that too, you are not here as my girlfriend but as her partner... her spouse....did I miss something here?"
"Come on now, you can't possibly ignore the circumstances." Olivia knew that Alex would be pissed but she was still hoping that she could get through. After all, Alex was always the more sensible one among them. "The FBI is falsely accusing her ...."
"Falsely accusing her?" Alex's temperament rose higher as soon as she heard the word. "Don't you see who she is? She is the one who tried to kill me. Who stalked me and made me live in constant fear for months." Alex by now had no doubt that Jena was their guy. After all she herself had found the physical evidence to prove it so.
"Alex look I don't care what G has told you, or how much she has brain washed you but you have to trust me when I say this." Olivia approached her girlfriend slowly hoping that their physical closeness could somehow diminish Gina's influence on her. "Jen is not a criminal. She is not."
"Of course she is not." Alex took couple of steps back and leaned her back on her desk unwilling to be any closer to her lover. "You will not believe that she is because you still love her. That is why you kissed her last night and that is why you are here to flaunt your marriage to her."
"No, I am here because she is missing, and so is Eve. We need to find them before something unthinkable happens to them."
"Then let the FBI find them. You don't have to be involved." This time Alex covered the distance between them. "Let her go, Olivia please don't hurt me more by insisting who you are to her."
"Alex I don't want to." Olivia held Alex's face with both her hands as she continued. "Only if the FBI drops the charges against her and tries to find the real murderer who might have them, even right at this moment."
Alex jerked away. She had taken the steps to meet Olivia half way, just as she always did but Olivia wasn't giving her ground.
"Alex no don't." Olivia pulled her back. "Please understand emergency of the situation here."
"No." Alex's answered as determined.
To which Olivia could only look away feeling helpless.
It was at that point that the severity of everything hit Alex. She realized exactly how much of a wedge their belief was causing on them. And as angry as she was, she didn't want what was happening. She did not want to loose Olivia. So, once again she stepped closer to her girlfriend held her face before she made her last plea. "I feel like I am loosing you. First the last night. Then now." She said looking into the eyes that had always held a direct connection to her heart. "I don't want to loose you. So, please for this once Olivia, please choose me." She begged. "Choose me over Jena. Just once."
"Alex I do." There was no doubt in Olivia's mind that she did. "Always and you know that. But this is not about us or my choice. It's not a choice I can make."
"Certainly not." Alex pulled away once again. Except this time she didn't just take a step or two back, instead she kept walking away. "You can't choose me because you already made your choice. You chose her." She went behind her desk and back to her chair. "I heard the message you left for her in her answering machine. You said the choice was hers to make now, since you already chose her. Right?"
"I was completely drunk and confused when I left that message. Anyway you are taking that message completely out of context." Olivia said trying to explain.
"No, I actually for the first time, I think I am seeing everything in context. G was right about the two of you."
"Really?" Olivia who knew that most of Alex's words were the results of Gina's manipulation questioned her ex-friend's take on her. "What did G have to say about the two of us?"
"That she was always the one for you. After all you even were willing to give up your career, you dreams and aspiration for her when you went to her risking everything. And it hasn't changed now. You will still give up everything for her."
"That is full of crap."
"No, I don't think so. You are siding with a criminal, who put a bullet through me, to kill me. The only reason why you still believe that she is innocent is because you love her. Otherwise, why were you kissing her last night? Why are you here saying that you are her spouse?�
�Because I need some proof. I need to know on what basis the FBI is charging her.�
�Why do you need the proof when I am telling you that we have evidence against her? Can�t you just trust my words? I always trusted yours. Over and over, whenever you came to me. All you had to say was �trust me� and I did. Remember the time when your training officer was raped and you wanted me to charge her rapist; I had to go over my boss to make sure that the rape charges were kept. Then you just came to me and said to drop the rape charges because you wanted me to. After all the shit I went through. I still did exactly that. Why? Because I trusted you. Your words alone were good enough for me. Right now I am asking you of the same. Trust me that Jena is not innocent.�
�I do trust you and your judgment. But I don�t trust G. And right at this moment, I think that G has influenced your judgment.�
�Then you can leave.� Alex had nothing further to say. Not only had Olivia not chosen her but Olivia did not even trust her. So, for Alex that was the end of it.
�Alex please don�t do this. Don�t make this the end of us?� Olivia begged making one last attempt.
�You don�t trust me. I certainly don�t trust you. I don�t think there is anything left to say to each other.� Alex stated in a business like manner refusing to show any more hurt in her voice or her face.
Olivia waited for couple of more seconds hoping that something would give, but it didn�t. Alex remained silent and still, and like she had said, there was nothing left to say, so the detective walked out. When the door shut, both the lovers let out the tears that they had be holding, allowing the pain of their heart break to finally shatter through their system.