Alaskan Nights (A Law and Order: SVU fanfic)

Ch.33

"Why are you up?" Liz limps into the kitchen while attempting to smooth her spikey short hair. Maureen turns from the sink holding a half-eaten piece of toast and shrugs. She steps aside as her sister enters the small room and motions to her ankle.

"I could ask you the same thing," Maureen replies through a bite of the bread. "Especially with that ankle."

"My ankle is fine. It's just a little sore," Liz insists, swatting away Maureen's hand from the direction of her bandaged leg and ankle.

"Sure," Maureen nods, stepping partially out of the kitchen allowing her access to the tight space. She balances against the door frame observing her sister as she moves about the space trying her best to hide the grimaces that come when she attempts to walk normally on the affected leg. "Are you sure that you're okay?

"I'm fine," Liz replies matter of factly. "My ankle is just a little swollen."

"A little? Did you go to the ER?"

Liz shoots her the eye but Maureen doesn't back down. Someone needed to say it, especially when her dad was too frightened to do it over the fear of losing his youngest daughter's affection and their mother was too oblivious to the situation, "Maybe the academy isn't for you Lizzie."

Liz shakes her head in response as she finishes rinsing a mug and begins filling it with water, "Don't mother me, Maur. It's too God damn early in the morning to deal with you mothering me," she sighs, chucking the cup of water into the microwave. "And it's Liz."

Right, Liz, Maureen nods, she was still adjusting to the recent request for a name change. Dickie was still Dickie and though she wasn't sure if upon his impending college graduation if he would still retain the name Lizzie had become Liz. The change had come months ago when she started the Academy, but Maureen still found herself calling her Lizzie, much to her dismay, of course. But she was still Lizzie the goofy girl who up to her Life Change still stole her make-up. She still remembers her sister from all those months ago--the long-haired college dropout who still asked their Dad to "borrow" money. She was a far cry from who she is today having cut her hair into a pixie that seldom stayed flat and having gotten two jobs and started the police academy, but she was still Lizzie, at least to her.

There were changes to her demeanour, too. She had become more determined than she's ever been having started her quest to become a fourth-generation cop but Maureen couldn't help but wonder now as she did in the past if this path was truly what was right for her or if the unravelling of their father had catapulted her into something that she shouldn't have undertaken.

And while she wanted to let her find her way and make her mistakes, she still needed to be the voice of reason who at least tried to keep her safe, "I'm just saying that this is your second injury in as many months, Liz. Maybe...maybe—."

"Maybe you should back off," Liz snaps, turning to eye Maureen. The microwave finally screams behind them but Liz doesn't turn to shut it off, deciding instead to wait for her sister to speak. But when she doesn't and gestures towards the microwave Liz turns back around and opens the microwave. "It sucks that Dad doesn't believe in me but you..." She mutters after shutting the door.

"Liz...I do believe in you and so does Dad. I just don't want you to keep getting hurt."

"Right," she scoffs, staring down at the steaming cup of liquid. She reaches for the canister of instant coffee and shakes her head.

"Yes, right," Maureen nods emphatically, placing her hand on her sister's shoulder. "I think that you'd make a good cop. No, a great cop. It's just that you seem to be the most breakable human being on earth. And if you attract bullets like dad used to..."