In the aftermath of 9/11, the Emperor receives a wake-up call from an unexpected source.
***
Eyes are on the NYPD in the aftermath of 9/11. Eyes are on the FDNY as countless holes are halfheartedly filled. Eyes are especially on Firehouse 252 as the newly promoted Captain Owen Strand works endless hours to rebuild the house with ghosts around every corner.
On the outside, Elliot smiles with pride as Owen puts on a brave face and effortlessly commands. This is the Emperor incarnate, the epitome of a leader. He stands tall in the face of scrutiny, a man radiation determination when his city needs him most.
Inside, Elliot rages like a hurricane, and it takes all of his willpower to keep from frothing at the mouth. He knows Owen's heart has countless cracks in it as he faces the challenge of filling his house with men and women he must now make his family when he has just faced the burial of his brothers and sisters. He feels Owen's exhaustion every time they meet, and those emerald eyes no longer hold the joy and mirth they once did. He finds himself watching TK Strand in the evenings when Gwyn needs him and Owen is unavailable, and he watches the loving marriage Owen had with his wife start to crumble and burn.
Something is going to give eventually, and Elliot hopes the Wheel of Fortune, whoever it is, takes pity on Owen for once. He and Olivia cannot lose their brother.
Someone's eyes are on him, and Owen is learning to recognize when it is one of his brethren. This isn't the roiling turmoil like he senses from Elliot, nor is it the sense of fulfillment he feels from Olivia. Whoever this is, they feel patient, someone who seems to be biding their time. Owen grits his teeth but decides to wait it out. Whichever card this is, Owen knows his head is not in the best place right now to identify them.
Someone's eyes are on him as he leaves SVU after taking time to ground himself with Olivia and Elliot, yet Owen has not the will to survey the bullpen as he leaves. The elevator doors slide shut, and Owen does not see the acid green eyes watching him from one of the desks.
***
Owen's marriage falls apart before his very eyes, and Elliot is sorely tempted to bring a lightning storm down on Gwyn Morgan's head. At the same time, he wants to grab Owen by his lapels and throttle some sense into him.
It is an inevitable ending, one Elliot knew was coming despite wanting to believe it wouldn't happen. Perhaps fortune is not so kind now, but he can only hope for a better spin in the future. As it is, Elliot can only watch Owen attempt to mend his relationship with little TK, who has spent countless evenings wondering why his father sleeps at the 252 and not at home. Gwyn's eyes seem to bore into her ex-husband's head, her lips so tightly pressed together they almost disappear.
Silently, Elliot once again sends a plea to the Wheel of Fortune. Let this somehow be fixed. Ease my brother's suffering somehow.
***
Owen's home visitors are rare nowadays. Most people know to find him at the 252 if they want to contact him. The few who visit him at home now are Elliot, Olivia, and (rarely) Gwyn. None of the three gave advanced warning earlier in the day, so Owen knows not who will be at the door when he reaches it.
Acid green eyes stare into his when he looks out the peephole, and Owen's blaze ruby in response. He yanks open the door and stares at the newest member of SVU, even if the man has been with the team for over a year now. "You," he says blankly.
"Me," Odafin "Fin" Tutuola nods, the acid green vanishing out of his eyes. "May I come in?"
Owen holds open the door in disbelief, watching Fin enter. "How did you keep yourself hidden?" he asks.
YOU ARE READING
Who Is In Control? (9-1-1s, One Chicago, Law & Orders)
Fanfiction"God damn right, you should be scared of me." ~ Halsey, "Control" In which twenty-four men and women are scattered across the country, but nothing keeps the Major Arcana apart forever. Includes characters from: - 9-1-1: Lone Star - 9-1-1 - Law...
