SVU Detective Maeve Darcy is used to pushing limits and breaking barriers. She's the black sheep of her First Responder family, all because in their mind, women shouldn't be cops, never mind SVU detectives. A relationship with a partner is taboo...
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"So, we've got a few hours ahead of us." Antonio said as they left Manhattan. "I think we should chat, get to know each other."
"That can be a dangerous proposition, Detective." Mae laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"Pretty sure if you know more about me, you won't want me as your partner." Mae chuckled nervously.
"Maeve..."
"If we're gonna be partners... I'd prefer if you call me Mae... Maeve... it just means that I'm in trouble."
"Okay... Mae... I doubt that your past or you work in the NYPD is going make me run for the hills..." Antonio laughed. "Not to mention, you're my ride back to Chicago."
"Fair point." Mae smiled. "We make a deal... I tell you stuff about me... and you tell me about you."
"I can live with that." Antonio said. "But first, can we stop for some lunch or a sturdier meal than the bagels we had?"
"Sure." Mae pulled off onto a side road. "This is one of the best diners outside of Manhattan... I recommend the huevos rancheros."
"Like cultural food?" Antonio asked as he got out of the car.
"I like to experiment... would piss my family off to no end, but yeah."
"Okay, well... this is on me... my way of saying 'Welcome to Intelligence'."
Mae laughed. "I never say no to free food."
They were quickly seated and they both ordered the huevos rancheros. Mae ordered a mocha while Antonio ordered his coffee black.
"So, you know your food." He said as he added some sugar to his coffee.
Mae nodded. "I watch Food Network... when I was on leave, I didn't have much else to do."
"And you said that cultural food would piss your family off, why?"
"Well... their old fashioned... or whatever they wanna call it." Mae put her coffee down. "Da is a first generation American born to Irish immigrant parents. Ma... she was born and raised in Brooklyn but to strict Irish Catholic parents."
"Ah... I see... so, more meat and potatoes type people." Antonio commented.
"They're spice cabinet didn't have a lot in it other than salt and pepper. I grew in a strict Catholic household, went to an all-girls Catholic academy and was supposed to meet someone from another Irish family, marry them and have lots of babies." Her voice cracked on 'babies'. "I didn't want that. They wanted me to be a teacher or a nurse... I'm the youngest in a family of all boys. My brothers are all high up in the NYPD or in FDNY."
"You wanted to be like them." Antonio could understand that.
"Da was a cop, my grandfathers and uncles were all first responders. I really wanted to be a cop after 9-11. I will never forget that day. I told my family that Christmas. My father laughed at me and my brothers told me I'd never be strong enough. It's when I really started boxing, and working on getting into the Police Academy."
