#law & order 2x05

[mikelogan]

My attitude’s not in the transcript.

[chariot-to-somewhere]

Oh. Olivia 100% clocked that Elliot slept with Flutura.

And she's jjjjeeeeeaaaalllllloooooouuuuussss

[raayllum]

Anyway earlier this month I said I had a lot of feelings about how visual framing is used in Viren and Harrow's relationship so time to talk about it, i.e.

Harrow is almost always framed as being above Viren

Now, some of the meaning behind this is obvious. In spite of their longterm friendship, the fact that Harrow was king and had the final say, and Viren very much did not (and likely went from being Harrow's closest advisor to second fiddle with Sarai, and then back again) is something that Viren concerns himself a great deal with: "My whole life I've been chasing after things I didn't have. Status, influence, power" (4x02). Due to this difference in status, Viren's plans are suggestions, whereas Harrow's word is law, and Viren each time has to present his ideas accordingly, and the framing reflects that:

We see this desire to be close to Harrow and power more generally bleed over into other areas of Viren's life, such as his obsession with the mirror. Viren assumes the proximity to power begets or informs importance/worth, and that because "the mirror was kept closest to where [the Dragon King and Queen] slept, it must be important."

This of course is a mirror (ha) to his image of himself, in which, "I thought you were going to be something special, something important!" (2x02) and exactly why Harrow's words of, "I see the problem now: it's that you believe you are special, above the laws of this kingdom."

His happiest moment with Harrow then arguably, within the text of the show, is when Harrow invites him up to be on equal standing (and also why said portrait is what inspires Viren to offer himself up as Harrow's "equal" - amid a self-importance kink, of course). When they were 'brothers', and why the dissolution of their bond undoes this framing entirely.

It's not surprising, then, that his psyche reenacts the Happy moment with the portrait with an even sweeter, cherry on top of not just Harrow's forgiveness, but his love, acceptance, and admiration, in Viren's dark magic dreams.

Symbolized by Harrow lowering himself in order literally lift Viren up from a kneel, to standing as equals, and into a hug (+ acceptance and a mutual assurance of familial connection/importance).

(Bonus points for Harrow's sword being changed into Viren's staff immediately after their hug, btw.)

But just like 2x05 with the portrait, this moment of reconciliation and happiness even inside Viren's mind cannot last forever, as he's pushed and stumbles into an even lower place than on his knees, and this part of the nightmare is over.

This is also, of course, the most overt framing to display power and control vs feeling powerless or helpless.

That said, while Harrow above and Viren below framing wise is the most consistent framing we see for the two (besides just regular shots with things like pillars and titan hearts in between them) are the ones where Viren is framed above... and it's not usually good.

We see the Standing to Kneeling to be on level with Harrow to Standing again progression as Viren makes his case regarding Zym. Like before, I think this serves a few purposes.

Viren standing at first when Harrow does not reflects their attitudes, specifically Harrow's relief that it's finally over and Viren's suspicion that it's not

Viren then moves to be on Harrow's level and this communicates how he's pleading / trying to have Harrow understand his point of view by bringing himself down to Harrow's level. This, of course, is ironic, because by doing so, Viren is bringing Harrow down to his level in terms of morality

Viren straightening up again indicates assertiveness, being active rather than passive, and perpetuating a path that offers agency, safety, and control, horrible as it is.

And it works, since as we know, Harrow goes along with and agrees to it in spite of his reservations.

However, the most interesting flip of "Viren looking down at Harrow instead" has always been this one at Harrow's funeral in 1x04, as Viren is attempting to rush things along and take his former's friend throne. All the power is there within his grasp as he stares impassively into the fire, and yet it rings hollow and reminds him ("In his final hours, he called me brother") of precisely what lies he's telling not only the populace, but also himself.

Because the only way for Viren to look down on and at Harrow was for him to be dead.

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

masterlist of episodes featuring prof duncan? I only JUST made the connection that he's played by john oliver

fantastic idea anon. I’m honestly surprised I haven't made this list yet as I am an avid duncan enjoyer lmfao and yes john oliver is great. so I’ll make the list right now. here we go:

the feat. professor duncan episode masterlist

1x01: pilot

he is the reason jeff chose to enroll at greendale

he has multiple interactions with jeff throughout the episode

1x04: social psychology

annie, troy, and abed participate in his psychological experiment in which he proves the existence of "the duncan principle"

1x05: advanced criminal law

duncan, dean pelton, and chang create "greendale court" in order to put britta's alleged academic dishonesty on trial

1x25: pascal's triangle revisited

first shown doing a therapy session with britta

constantly fighting with chang, escalating into chang punching him at the end

does his iconic rap after he gets drunk at the transfer dance

2x03: the psychology of letting go

takes over as the anthropology professor despite knowing nothing about the subject

uses the restraining order he got against chang to torment him

has a few conversations with jeff about the inevitability of death

is civil with chang by the end of the episode

2x05: messianic myths and ancient peoples

exclusively shown "teaching" the anthropology 101 class

2x11: abed's uncontrollable christmas

leads abed's "therapy" session but is generally unhelpful

2x12: asian population studies

again, just shown "teaching" anthropology 101

2x15: early 21st century romanticism

watches the liverpool vs. manchester united football game with jeff at jeff's apartment

has conversations with jeff about friendship and greendale etc.

2x21: paradigms of human memory

appears very briefly in a flashback to the events of "abed's uncontrollable christmas"

2x22: applied anthropology and culinary arts

is shown again at the head of the anthropology class, this time "administering their final" (getting drunk) but disappears very quickly as soon as the dean walks in

5x03: basic intergluteal numismatics

"helps" with the psychological aspect of the ass crack bandit investigation

(you might notice he is not in seasons 3 or 4. irl it's because he got too busy with his other projects, but in the show his character explains that he was "taking care of his sick mother")

5x05: geothermal escapism

shown briefly playing the floor is lava game, but loses very quickly after jeff knocks over the chair that he was going to jump on while chasing britta

5x06: analysis of cork-based networking

shown as a member of the save greendale committee

helps jeff, shirley, and chang choose a theme and decorate for the dance (bear down for midterms)

5x07: bondage and beta male sexuality

asks jeff to help him scheme a way into getting a date with britta, which ends up backfiring

ends up hanging out a lot with jeff. this episode re-establishes that the two of them have known each other longer than any of the other characters

5x11: g.i. jeff

appears briefly only in jeff's animated dream, as "xim xam"

(so, I guess it's not technically duncan, but it's jeff's g.i. joe dream version of duncan, so I’m counting it)

5x12: basic story

appears again as a member of the save greendale committee

5x13: basic sandwich

tries to help the save greendale committee uncover the hidden computer school but gets electrocuted lmfao

alright yep. that should be all. I personally went through the credits of every single episode to double check everything because I do not trust the lists that are already online tbh. full of discrepancies smh. also, yeah, he is indeed not in seasons 3, 4, or 6. anyway! hope this is helpful. duncan is hilarious and every single line that comes out of his mouth is comedy gold. bye

[f-yeahbendaniels]

My Top Five Favorite Ben Daniels Characters (James Steel Episodes) - Honorable Mentions: 6. 2x05 - "Love and Loss" of Law & Order: UK (2010).

[causewhywouldnti]

My thoughts as I’m watching 24 seasons of law & order svu: (and oc)

Season 23

23x01, fantasizing about Elliot, good way to start the season. New Squad room, not my fave.

23x02, sorry to see Tamin and Garland go.

23x03, at least Stabler didn't get set up by Phoebe. Benson and Stabler bickering. I just really enjoy the two of them in interrogation. Stabler is not doing a good job of earning Benson's trust back.

23x04, I do not like McGrath, not even a little bit, does he get any better?

23x06, season 1 flashback, nice! Amaro is back. Warner!! (I’m much more excited about her than Amaro) At least we know one thing, both Benson and Stabler have terrible instincts when it comes to choosing romantic partners. Cragen!!! Baby Benson and Stabler (makes up for her terrible decisions). The shaky camera work is not my fave.

23x07, creepy! That interrogation was well done by Benson.

23x09, I liked Barba during his run, but I will always take Stabler over him. I also don’t really get his point, they are not framing him, considering he did it. Benson wasn't really called on the scene though, she happened to be there by chance, no? Stabler lost it on the stand, I do however appreciate him bringing up Liv as one of the victims too.

23x10, Murphy looks so different.

23x11, poor Noah.

23x13, people actually having a conversation about their relationship is new, I like it.

23x18, Benson giving credit to Fin and Rollins was sweet.

23x20, I always find it hard to watch when people talk about committing a crime and justify it bay saying it was "god’s plan". So weird that they cut the scene of Stabler meeting Noah on the platforms.

23x22, so Lindstrom tells Benson to either dump Stabler or take a chance on him, yet one season later, and we are still at the same point… She should take Rollins advice… Barba is back.

OC 2x01, bald Elliot. Regie's Mom, that’s a question we all want to know the answer to.

OC 2x02, I didn't need to see an ear being bitten off… nor the rest of the torture. I like Bernie. Seeing Stabler make out with some 30-year-old is just wrong. He is drugged out of his mind, how did he even make it to Benson's apartment in that state? And how does he know where she lives?

OC 2x03, the letter scene. Stabler being subtly insulted by saying the perp has hair and was way younger. I really like Jet!

OC 2x04, no, don’t delete the message, Elliot. Did he have to kiss her, though?!?

OC 2x05, jealous Benson is always fun to watch. Benson and Bernie should be in more scenes together.

OC 2x06, Stabler getting invested in his fake kid. This show does not shy down from showing some violence.

OC 2x07, that court reporter was just stupid.

OC 2x08, why is Stabler going in there on his own, when there is a whole team already up there?

OC 2x09, there was no need for Stabler to call Benson to pick up Eli, but I’m glad he did, considering we got handholding out of it. The cop on the bridge did a good job. Benson being mistaken twice as Eli’s mom is funny. Also, Stabler focusing on whether Benson dated instead of anything else, is typical. Stabler's invitation for Christmas was really sweet. He was so excited about the Benson's showing up, and then they didn't.

OC 2x11, I just want to point out, that Stabler is a really good detective. He also doesn't know when to shut up. I like the hacker Malachi.

OC 2x12, I’m sorry, but I thought the way Wheatley threatened Angela was just funny.

OC 2x13, Ayanna called Stabler out!

OC 2x14, the meeting with Wheatley and his son worked out just as I expected. Poor Bernie. On the bright side, we get a lot of background on Stabler thanks to his walk to the city hall. We all learned something about Jet…

OC 2x15, Benson helping out, and another hallway talk. At least Stabler tries to spend time with Benson.

OC 2x17, Cragen!

OC 2x18, the end scene with Bernie and Stabler was really sweet.

OC 2x20, a Benson and Stabler interrogation. Benson/Stabler still not listening to their orders when it comes to protecting someone. The looks the two of them share in their last scene in the car! This episode brings back all the feels from the first 12 seasons. Definitely my favorite episode this season (on both shows).

OC 2x21, Jet’s hug was really sweet!

OC 2x22, Cragen showed up to Elliot getting the Combat Cross (and Benson didn't). Poor Ayanna.

Both finales were just sad. I really enjoyed the OC season, though, probably because that’s where most of the Benson/Stabler interactions were. I especially liked 2x20!

Favorite Episodes: 23x05, OC 2x13, 2x14, 2x20

Favorite Lines:

"But in a parallel universe it will always be you and I" Stabler in his letter, OC 2x03

"You’re gonna have to get yourself a scarecrow." "Yeah, or you could just move back home." Stabler and Bernie, OC 2x05

"How about we call it a friendship? How’s that for now?" Benson to Stabler, OC 2x09

"You’re in his official personnel file, I’m in his DMs. We are not the same." Jet, OC 2x15

"What do you say, partner?" Benson to Stabler OC 2x20

"It’s always good to work with you, Liv." Stabler OC 2x20

"You deserve happiness, Olivia Benson" Lindstrom 23x22

[elliot-olivia]

Your partner came to check on you. 

[rodpower78]

Your partner came to check up on you.

Bernadette Stabler

[beardedbarba]

no but really

how much of an idiot is elliot stabler

i mean, really

[sofuckingchuffed]

2.05

[bensonstablers]

Law & Order: SVU (23x03) // Law & Order: Organized Crime (2x05)

[mikelogan]

Listen, Driscoll... husband and wife. Ring any bells? Nah, but I'm brain dead. Boredom.

[captbenscn]

EO Gifset - Parallel 2/?? - Law and Order SVU 23x03 | Law and Order: Organized Crime 2x05

[raayllum]

Anyway I miss Ezran and I wanna get on an Ezran related meta kick so here’s

Ezran as a Witness and Justice Personified

because I’ve said I would write it forever, so now’s the time. This meta is going to be looking at two key aspects of Ezran’s character, one embedded thematically (message) and one embedded narratively (parallels and relationship wise). In spite of the title ordering, we’re actually going to work backwards, and talk about the narrative aspect, Ezran as Justice, first, because it relates to why he works as a thematic Witness.

This is all adjacent but technically separate to what I have described / touched on before of the Callum and Ezran representing the third path in a world that enforces a fierce binary. Moving past the intro and onto the actual meta now...

What is Justice, in the series, and why does Ezran personify it?

Most of what we know about justice - as an ideal in TDP’s world and within the realm of personification (religion?) that Katolis has comes from Harrow’s speech in 2x05. This, mixed in with the weight of Ezran’s death being labelled as justice/revenge, is where a lot of his entanglement comes from. Thus, here’s King Harrow’s speech in full:

H: My father told me that above all, I must be a Just king. The night he died, Lady Justice came to me in a dream [...] She said to me that justice was more than fair decisions and fair consequences. True justice was a fair system. Then she laid before me her scales, her sword, and her blindfold and told me to choose. [You chose the blindfold.] I did. She said the blindfold gives us a way to test the system. That I should use it to imagine that I had not been born yet, and that I did not know if I would be born rich or poor, what colour my skin would be, what culture or practices my family would have. That a fair system should be fair no matter the accident of my birth. That the rights, the laws, and opportunities within the system should stand to protect and empower everyone.

I’ve talked about it before, but Harrow does his best to embody this by the sacrifices he’s willing to make for the kingdom of Duren. Although he’s king of Katolis, Harrow refuses to place more value on certain people’s lives just because of what side of a border they happen to live on. He falls short when it comes to the magma titan because it falls on the opposite side of the border to himself. 

Ezran, however, does not.

Where Callum offers up an avenue to change an unfair system (magically), Ezran walks a more complicated narrative path. While Ezran undeniably has the very privilege Harrow wrestles with in the scene above (“What did I do to deserve being born with everything?”) he also has the consequences. The “accident” of his birth is what brings violence to his doorstep and creates a direct threat to his life.

Ezran is going to be punished for crimes his father (and his father’s best friend) committed. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Ezran is so headstrong about it in 3x02 when it comes to Claudia and Soren. 

Ezran’s survival becomes its own form of justice, in many ways. As Rayla says, “How can we take action for a crime that never happened?” By finding the egg, Ezran unintentionally finds the key to his own survival. But ultimately, Rayla is willing to lose a hand just to keep Ezran alive, regardless of whether or not the Dragon Prince makes it. And Ezran’s investment in ensuring Zym’s survival comes at even the cost of his own, i.e. risking his life to save the egg in the first place in 1x06. 

While Harrow says that being a Just king is more than only making fair/just decisions, Ezran embodies that as well. He works to smooth over the stormy waters between Callum and Rayla in S1 (or at least, he tries). He holds Claudia accountable in 2x09 but forgives her, and as previously mentioned, frees Claudia and Soren in 3x02. Part of this is due to his compassion towards everyone, including enemies and especially towards animals (and dragons).

However, it also speaks to Ezran as an embodiment of Freedom just as much as Callum is, in having the Sky arcanum, or as Rayla, in being a beacon of new light for what a Moonshadow elf / assassin can become, in terms of breaking away from the cycle of violence / dark magic and creating a new future. His compassion is what allows him to break the cycle they’re all entrenched in by finding Zym and choosing to trust Rayla, ultimately, because “You’re right. It wants its mother.”

But one of the biggest ways Ezran is Freedom and Justice (and the Heart / Spirit / Scales and all that) is because he’s the series’ Witness. I’ll explain more of what I mean in a second, but first I want to talk about why a Witness is a key component of the series’ thematic Justice (and not in a court room way, for either). I touched on this in my 3x03 Viren-Ethari comparison meta, but 

‘ To love someone is to bear witness to them, to See them for who they truly are and to love them anyway. To engage in, not erase, their reality. ’

This is important in the series due to a lack of information - a lack of more than one witness - often leading to trouble, particularly in the case of the Dragonguard egg fallout. The other Dragonguard fled, leaving no witnesses behind to protect the egg or vouch for Rayla’s parents, so they were banished. Viren was able to get away with stealing the egg > killing it (and taking Sarai’s last breath) because he was alone, namely, without Harrow. Without another witness.

So how does this relate to Ezran?

Typically, the audience is privy to more information than the characters (what Viren is up to and his various machinations; the secret behind Rayla’s binding amid Callum’s mistrust; Soren and Claudia’s true intentions, in S2). The only place this is largely subverted is Ezran’s character, where neither the audience nor the characters are privy to his grand revelations until he lets us in on the secret. 

Whether it’s him disappearing and finding the egg in 1x01; knowing about the secret passageways and rock-stone codes; him successfully saving the egg in 1x06 while we’re left to wait and worry; him alone being able to communicate and convey with Ava is saying in 1x09; seeing through the illusions even when Rayla did not; being the only person Claudia has opened up to about her own problems (2x09), as well as witness to Soren’s turn (3x05) and the murder of his father (3x09) alongside Claudia. Never mind Ezran leaving to return with the dragons in 3x09 as well, right when we needed the reinforcements the most. 

The only times something is going on that Ezran is completely unaware of, generally, is Rayllum’s romance in s3, Aanya arriving on the scene in 3x09, and Viren’s revival, which no one but Claudia and Aaravos are privy to by the season’s end. And for things Ezran doesn’t know for sure, he tends to have an intuitive nature about; he cares far less about not knowing the truth regarding Rayla’s binding, he wants to communicate with Amaya in 1x04, and he’s aware he’s being set up in 3x04 - he’s just willing to take the fall in hopes of saving absolutely any of his people. 

 Ezran is not naive. He knows how terrible the world is and has experienced much of it now first hand. He’s simply hopeful it can get better and pushes the world to be better.

Since, as he’s Justice and Truth embodied in many ways - seeing through illusions, positing the truth as a powerful force - and fulfils Harrow’s wish as best he can “to be free,” how the other characters in the show treat Ezran is the standard of whether they are heroic or villainous in so many ways. It’s not always as clear cut (see my Life Giver / Death Seeker dichotomy meta for something I think better encompasses the dichotomy TDP is actually using more purposefully) but it is pretty consistent.

Soren and Rayla’s redemption arcs are solidified by what they are willing to do in order to protect Ezran and make up for prior choices / threats. 

Claudia is accordingly a bit murkier, both attacking Ezran and being there for him in his deepest moment of grief. But her turn to villainy (at least for now) is still marked by being willing to put Ezran’s life at risk, even if Viren was an illusion. Callum is at his jerkiest with his brother, but always comes back around, and his drive to protect his brother is one of the things that establishes him as a decidedly ‘heroic’ character early on (narratively, anyhow). Viren, again as of S3, is at the bottom of the barrel. While Callum has the cube, Ezran likely has the bloodline of the Orphan Queen, a figure we know had a personal connection to Aaravos 300+ years ago and who may have had something to do with what led to his imprisonment. 

Ezran is used as this measuring tool for morality for a number of reasons. The first is that he’s able to continually grow past where other characters falter, or have faltered. This is reminiscent of one of the shows’ core philosophies, that “a child is freer than a king” precisely because they are less burdened by the past and waves of prejudice. Ezran accordingly holds this spot as the one true child character in the main cast at only 10 years old. The second is that because Ezran bears Witness, he sees every character’s good and bad actions in many ways, and can be a fair Judge, as well. The third is his connection to the natural world, the strongest and clearest we’ve seen so far, that puts him in direct contrast with the use of dark magic arguably more than any other character, manifested in his connection to literally see through Zym’s eyes.

His ability to simultaneously fully wear the blindfold while also seeing clearly is his greatest gift, and I am so excited to see how the future seasons of the show can build on this groundwork and explore his character even further.

[marjansmarwani]

all the difference in the world 

2.7k || ao3

Carlos and his partner Mya respond to the hostage situation call. --- A 2x05 coda (a.k.a if the writers won’t give Carlos scenes, I will.)

This was mostly written out of spite. Mostly beta’d by @officereyes, but any errors in the part I added after are on me and me alone. 

---------

“I’m just saying, I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to the roller derby.” 

“I’m sorry, I had no idea it would be your thing,” Carlos shot back defensively. 

His partner turned to look at him for the briefest of moments with an entirely unimpressed expression, “It’s badass women on roller skates, Reyes. What exactly about that sounds like ‘not my thing’?” 

Carlos rolled his eyes. “I’ll be sure to invite you next time, Esquilin,” he promised, “as long as you don’t mind hanging out with TK’s crew.” 

“I think the badass women on roller skates can balance out the company of firefighters,” she quipped, shooting Carlos a grin, “probably.” 

He rolled his eyes again, but his retort was interrupted when their radio sounded from the dashboard, “Be advised, all units: Code 3 at 235 Heyward St, unit 3F. Hostage situation, suspect is armed and dangerous.” 

Carlos shot Mya a look and she nodded, flipping on the lights and sirens as she took the next left, bringing them closer to the emergency in progress. 

“Dispatch, this is 363-H-20, responding. ETA 8 minutes,” he announced into the radio before replacing it on the dashboard, a grim set to his mouth as he stared out the window at the houses they sped by. 

“I hate domestic calls,” Mya eventually said into the silence and Carlos nodded grimly. They had both seen calls like this end badly, and he knew they were both desperately hoping to never have to see that again. “Where did they say she was?” 

“Third floor.” He glanced at his partner to see her biting her lip as she considered, “Why?” 

“I’m just trying to figure out how we can possibly get up there without tipping him off. Dispatch said he was armed, we don’t want him spooked. That’s not going to end well for anyone, especially not her.” 

Carlos nodded, trying to focus on the problem rather than the possible disastrous outcomes. He and Mya had responded to a similar call almost two years ago now and that one had not ended happily. It was one of his experiences on the force that had affected him most and one he still thought about from time to time, especially on bad days. But it was also an experience that didn’t help them now. If they wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again he needed to focus on the now. 

Which was all well and good, but he didn’t know they were supposed to get a victim out of a third-floor apartment before they breached without anyone getting caught in a crossfire. They didn’t have the time, resources, or training to scale the building to approach that way. The only way in was the stairs and the door. 

He looked over at Mya who met his gaze with an equally frustrated expression. Clearly, she had not come up with any brilliant ideas either. He sighed and leaned back in his seat. It’s not that he thought he and Mya were incapable of coming up with creative solutions. But after spending so much time about the 126 he had a new standard for “creative,” and honestly he could use some of that insanity he witnessed on a regular basis right now. 

“We just need a way to get her out,” Mya said eventually as they drew closer to their destination, “once she is safe we can handle the guy. I just don’t want to risk her getting caught in a possible crossfire.” 

Carlos nodded and opened his mouth to ask his partner if she had any brilliant ideas to make that happen when he froze, a half-formed thought popping into his head. Without saying a word to Mya he reached for the radio again, switching it on to call dispatch: “Dispatch, are there any available fire units in the area of the Code 3?” 

“The 226 is in the vicinity and available.” 

Carlos glanced over at Mya, who had pulled her eyes off the road long enough to give him a baffled look. He smiled at her before he spoke into the radio again, “Dispatch, can they respond to the address in question and deploy the rescue cushion?” 

He saw the dawning realization on his partner’s face as he waited. She beamed at him even as the voice of the dispatch supervisor sounded over the radio, “Affirmative, 363-H-20. The 226 is en route and will have the rescue cushion deployed in time for your ETA.” 

“10-4 dispatch, we’re about 4 minutes out now.” 

He replaced the radio and turned to look at his partner, who shot him a knowing grin, “Only someone who has spent a little too much time around firefighters could come up with an idea as crazy as that.” 

He scoffed at her, “Crazy enough that it might just work, you mean.” 

She shook her head, still grinning, and Carlos sighed and leaned back in his seat, grin fading. “I hope it does work,” he admitted more somberly. “I don’t want this to be a repeat of…” 

“There’s no point in thinking like that,” Mya interrupted sharply, “that was a long time ago. And there’s no saying this is going to turn out the same way. Not if we have any say in it. We’re already in better shape than we were then. We’re not going to make the same mistakes.”

Carlos nodded tightly and they continued their ride in silence. He knew Mya was right and that they had prepared in every possible way. They had done all they could, but there were still so many variables. There always were. Working with people in crisis was never an exact science and there was always a chance that nothing went according to plan. 

They arrived at the scene and Carlos was out of the vehicle before Mya had even brought it to a complete stop, rushing over to the team unfurling the rescue cushion. The captain looked up as Carlos approached, “We’re just about ready to give the go-ahead,” he called, “we’re all set on our end!”

Carlos nodded gratefully and turned on his heel, meeting Mya’s eyes and jerking his head towards the building. She followed without question, waving for the other officers who had just arrived to follow them. They headed up the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible and Carlos did his best to avoid the creeping feeling of dread. He knew they had done everything they could, but that didn’t stop the fear that it might somehow still end in tragedy.

They had just approached the last flight of stairs when the scream ripped through the air. They froze as one, all waiting to hear the outcome. Carlos was nearly toppled by the relief of hearing the voices of the firefighters drifting up, assuring her that she was safe now. He could feel Mya’s hand on his arm and glanced over his shoulder to give her a quick smile. The victim was safe. From here, it was all simple. 

He gave a nod to the other officers gathered behind him and they resumed their journey upwards, entering the hallway and barreling through the door. The man spun to face them from the railing, a look of shock covering his features. Carlos held his gaze as he ordered him to put his hands up, and he saw the moment he made a decision. Dispatch had mentioned that this was his third strike; he knew there was no happy ending in this for him. 

He lunged for the gun in the same moment that Carlos thrust himself fully into the room, grabbing him before he could achieve his goal, stopping his hands mere millimeters from the gun. He could feel the collective sigh of relief from his fellow officers, as well as his partner’s gaze on the back of his neck. He ignored it, for the moment, as he wrestled the man’s arms behind his back, slapping the cuffs on him as he read him his rights. He stood then, pulling the suspect up with him as Mya stepped further into the room. She glanced over at the two officers behind them before addressing the pair: “We’ll take this loser down and get him to the station, can you two do a quick sweep and make sure all’s good here?” 

They nodded and Mya gave them a quick thanks before taking the suspect from Carlos and guiding him towards the stairs. Carlos gave his own thanks to the other two officers and quickly followed. He could tell his partner had something on her mind, but he also knew she wouldn’t say anything about it until they had the suspect safely secured in the back of their squad car. They descended the stairs in silence before eventually exiting the building back into the parking lot where the 226 was in the process of packing up the rescue cushion and the victim was getting checked out by the paramedics. 

Upon seeing his ex their cuffed suspect made to lunge in her direction but Carlos stepped between them, blocking his line of sight and staring down at him coldly, “Don’t even think about it.” 

He deflated and Mya scoffed as she pulled him in the direction of the squad car, opening the door and guiding him inside without a word. Once the door was closed behind him she turned to face Carlos, eyebrows raised and an unimpressed look on her face, “You wanna talk about what happened up there?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, we got the guy.” 

“Yes, we did. After you threw yourself in between him and his gun and our guns too, I might add.”

“Mya…” he began, but she held up her hand to stop him. 

“I’m not trying to scold you, Carlos, especially because I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. I’m just asking you to be a little bit more careful, okay? We take enough risks as it is, you really don’t need to go out of your way to create more. I kind of like you as a partner so I would appreciate it if you could manage to not get yourself shot if you don’t mind.” 

“Aw, you do care.” 

“I will deny that in a court of law,” she countered without missing a beat. 

He grinned at her and she sighed before shaking her head and walking back around to the driver’s side. “Just remember I’m not going to be the one to tell your boyfriend you got yourself shot,” she called over her shoulder, “so maybe avoid that if at all possible.” 

He chuckled, but her words also ignited a hint of anxiety in his chest. He had followed his instincts and he didn’t regret it, but now that the adrenaline was gone and he had the advantage of hindsight he could see how badly that could have gone. But he also knew that dwelling on it would accomplish nothing. He had spent a career trusting his instincts and he knew that was the best way to approach this. He knew that trusting himself was the best chance he had. 

That didn’t lessen the risks and the fact that he had so much more to lose now than he ever had before.  

As he opened the passenger door he glanced across the scene to see the woman sitting in the back of the ambulance, talking to another officer who was taking her statement. Her expression of relief was evident even from this distance, and Carlos smiled. This reality was better than any of the anxieties running through his head and he would focus on that. Today had been a win. They didn’t always get those, Carlos knew that all too well. They had to take the successes they could get, and savor those. Focusing on what-ifs never helped anybody. 

Today they had won and the would-be victim had her life back. Today they had managed to get the ex before the worst had happened and that made all the difference in the world. 

--------

Carlos looked up as his front door swung open, a smile spreading across his face when he saw his boyfriend and Paul crossing the threshold. TK met his eyes and matched his smile as he crossed the room towards him, “Hey, babe.” 

Carlos met him at the edge of the counter, pulling him into a kiss that lingered. When they finally pulled apart, he grinned at TK, “Hey yourself.” He looked over TK’s shoulder to Paul, “Hi Paul.” 

“What, no kiss for me Reyes?” 

Carlos rolled his eyes fondly as TK chuckled, setting the grocery bags he had brought on the counter to start unloading them. Carlos grabbed some of the groceries from him, stealing another quick kiss in the process before he glanced between the two firefighters, “No Mateo and Marjan tonight?”

“They’ll be here,” Paul explained, “they’re just handling a situation right now.” 

Carlos raised an eyebrow, “That sounds like a story.” 

“It is,” TK confirmed as he put the last of the groceries into the fridge, closing it behind him, “and we’ll tell you as soon as you tell me what you might know about the 226 having to deploy a rescue cushion under a third-floor balcony at the request of APD.” 

Carlos smiled sheepishly, “You heard about that, huh?” 

“Austin’s a small town, Carlos,” TK reminded him with a sly grin, “and the fire department is even smaller. There’s not much I don’t hear about.”

Carlos looked past TK to Paul who raised an eyebrow, settling onto the couch to watch them, “We’ll tell you ours after you tell us yours.”

Carlos made a face at him before turning back to meet TK’s expectant gaze, “It was nothing major. There was a hostage situation in a third-floor apartment and we just needed to make sure that she was safely out of the line of fire before we went to take down the guy.” 

TK moved closer to him, wrapping his arms around Carlos as he peered up into his eyes, “It sounds pretty major to me. Your idea probably saved her life, Carlos. She’s safe because of you.” 

Carlos shrugged self-consciously, “I wouldn’t say that. Grace did most of the work, figuring it all out and keeping her on the line.”

TK shook his head and removed one of his hands from Carlos’s waist to turn his face so their gazes met, “Grace is brilliant and certainly deserves a lot of credit, but you had a hand in it too babe, don’t sell yourself short.” 

Carlos studied TK’s eyes. They were sincere and full of love; so much it nearly overwhelmed him. His boyfriend meant every word he had said, and he was not about to let Carlos get away with arguing. The amount of faith TK had in him staggered him sometimes. He let himself smile and gave TK a nod. At his nod TK smiled wider, leaning in for another kiss before stepping away. 

Paul chuckled from the couch, “I’ve gotta hand it to you Carlos, that was pretty crafty. It definitely worked but it was also a little crazy. Almost like something a certain someone else I know might have tried.” 

Both Carlos and Paul’s gazes turned to TK, who looked at them indignantly, “What?” he demanded, but Paul just laughed. 

“I think he might be rubbing off on you,” he informed Carlos with a raised eyebrow. 

Carlos huffed a laugh in return but reached out an arm to wind around TK’s shoulders and pull him closer, placing a kiss on the inside of his neck. “Maybe,” he admitted, “but who’s to say that’s a bad thing?” 

Paul rolled his eyes and TK smiled smugly, twisting in Carlos’s grasp to face him, leaning forward to give him another kiss. When he pulled away his expression grew more serious as he studied Carlos’s expression intently. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, “I know how you feel about domestic calls.” 

Carlos pulled him closer again, placing a light kiss on the top of his head, “I’m okay,” he assured him with a certainty that almost surprised him, “really.” 

TK grinned at him and Carlos smiled back, looking up and meeting Paul’s gaze as well and giving him a reassuring nod. Of course he was fine; he had everything he could possibly ever need right here in his arms. He was fine because despite it all today had been a good day, but he also because knew that even if it hadn’t been, he had a second family now and they would catch him should he fall.

[elliot-olivia]

LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME 2.05: The Good, the Bad, and the Lovely