the heiress ( law & order: svu fanfiction )

chapter nine

Chapter Nine - Are You Free?

After dropping Jesse off at Olivia's, she finally made her way to Forlini's to meet up with everyone. Getting out of her Uber, she adjusted her hair before going inside.

"There she is!" Carisi hollered from the opposite side of the bar, raising his beer bottle.

The excitement drew everyone's attention, causing Maddie to laugh and cover her face with her hands. "Oh my God, you're embarrassing." She groaned with a laugh, walking over to them.

Greeting them all with a hug, Maddie took the seat next to Amanda, giving her a quick kiss. "Jesse wanted me to tell you that she loves you and that she's very excited to spend time with Noah and Lucy." She smiled.

Sliding a beer across the table, Tyler shook his head. "No, I love you guys, but this is a night to celebrate. Please, no work talk, no kid talk, and most importantly, and I cannot stress this enough, just drink."

Maddie held up her hands. "Fine, Ty, I will concede to it just this once." She smirked.

Wrapping her arm around Maddie's waist, Amanda pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'd like to make a toast," she began, lifting her beer. "To all of you, our family, for being with us through everything and never hesitating to help us when we needed you." She smiled.

Maddie raised her beer with a grin. "Here, here." She nodded.

The sound of clinking glasses and bottles filled the small area as everyone took a sip of their drinks.

"So Mads, what are your plans now?" Carisi asked, leaning back in the booth.

Maddie lulled her head from side to side for a moment. "I'm gonna go home..." She admitted.

"Wait, you're going back to New Orleans?" Maya asked. "For good?"

"No! No, not at all. I'm just going for a little while. New York felt like home for so long, and I'm glad that I have all of you here with me, but after what happened... I need to feel okay with being here and right now, the safest place for me is back in New Orleans." Maddie explained. "Don't worry; I wouldn't leave you, Maya. Or any of you." She looked around the table before her eyes settled on Amanda. "And I would especially, never leave you." She smiled.

Amanda smiled, leaning over and kissing Maddie. "Well, that makes me glad to hear."

Olivia had been watching the younger woman as she sipped her red wine. It was hard to believe that just six months ago they didn't know her and now, she was a part of their family; as were her friends. "Well, Maddie you know that no matter what, we're all here for you, whether you're in New York or New Orleans." She smiled, setting her glass down.

"Thanks, Liv. For everything throughout my case, for welcoming my friends and I..., it's not something I could ever repay any of you for." Maddie looked between the squad members.

"Like it or not, you're all stuck with us now." Carisi chuckled, throwing his arms around Kyle and Becca.

Laughter erupted from the group as Maddie leaned into Amanda's side. "That sounds vaguely threatening detective." Maddie pointed out.

Carisi simply shrugged. "You can take that whatever way you want..." He admitted.

**

When it was nearly three in the morning, everyone had left the bar, some of them stumbling right into cabs. Maddie and Amanda took the nearly empty street to walk for a bit before hailing a cab, despite the fact it had been raining for nearly four hours.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" Amanda asked, sliding her hand into Maddie's. "That you're not going to New Orleans to run away from all of this?"

Maddie stopped walking, a shiver passing through her as a cold wind blew by. "Amanda Rollins, I promise you that I am not running away from you, or my life here. New York... God this city is amazing, but I need to just be free for a while." She wasn't planning on telling Amanda that she was asking Liv if she could spare the detective for a bit longer, to take her down to New Orleans.

The rain had soaked through their jackets and had their clothes clinging to them uncomfortably, but neither of them paid that any mind as they continued to wind their way down the streets.

"I just want you to be safe..." Amanda admitted.

"I know that you always hear stories about New Orleans, but trust me... the safest place I can be aside from being surrounded by some of New York's finest... is on Bourbon Street." Maddie assured her, moving some wet hair from her face unceremoniously. "I'm gonna be fine..."

Stretching her hand out to hail a cab, Amanda wrapped an arm securely around her waist. "You're free now, Maddie." She smiled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

Maddie smiled, wiping a few stray raindrops from Amanda's forehead. "I'm free."

End of Book One.