Friday, August 28, a little before 7:00PM

Millie arrived early at the Chinese restaurant, setting up the tables that the waitstaff had already put together. Initially, she hadn't been too sure about organizing a bachelorette party for Claire. Parties she could do - she knew how to have a good time and make sure everyone else did, too -- but a bachelorette party where the bride and the matron-of-honor were both pregnant would be a challenge. Plus there was the fact that Claire tended to go the non-traditional road most of the time.

Finally, Millie decided the party would be a mix of bachelorette party tradition (there would, at some point in the night, be a trip to a male strip club) and the quieter, more personalized style that Claire enjoyed. To achieve the latter, the evening would start off at the Chinese restaurant she knew Claire liked. The party was set up in the banquet room area toward the back, mostly closed off from the rest of the eatery -- intimate, and yet allowing them to get rowdy if they happened to.

Quickly, as she'd been running a bit late, Millie decorated the tables. At each place setting, there was a takeout carton with the bride and groom's names, plus the date of the wedding, tied nicely with black and red ribbons.

Inside the cartons, however, the party favors were less than classy. Each carton contained the following: a Pecker Inspector Badge (as a police officer, Millie thought it was her duty to buy them), a Condom on a Stick, a bag of Yummy Gummy Peckers, a container of Sexy Party Bubbles, and a Pecker Drink Stirrer.

There were balloons tied to the chairs (Millie had opted for simple red and black, instead of the penis balloons - hard choice, it was true) and plastic, take-with-you margarita glasses. Millie and Claire would be filling theirs with non-alcs, but everyone else could enjoy actual alcohol in them and take them with them wherever the night happened to lead them.

At Claire's seat there was both a Bachelorette Tiara and a Bachelorette Sash. At each bridesmaid seat, there was a Bridesmaid Sash. Draped over all the other chairs were multi-colored, glittery featherboas.

After setting everything out, Millie leaned against a chair to take a breath, and waited for people to start arriving.

Email to: Alex Eames, Megan Wheeler, Olivia Benson, Val Lanier.
From: Millie Vizcarrondo
Subj: Claire's bachelorette party.

Hey, ladies - Claire's wedding, as I'm sure you know, is the last Saturday of the month. I was planning on having her bachelorette party the Friday night before. I'm hoping you girls will all be there! Some of her family and friends from L.A. will be here, too. Let me know if you're coming so I can tell the restaurant how many seats to reserve (it's gonna be dinner, followed by...hijinks. Or as much hijinks as a couple of pregnant ladies and some cops and their entourage can have...)

Millie.

Went to the doctor today and he confirmed what I already knew, but gave me more specifics. I'm about six weeks pregnant and due around the end of November. It's still kind of hard to believe. Mike's getting used to it -- at least I hope. I'm still worried about telling Isa. We haven't told anybody yet - except my mother and Claire, who both kinda found out on accident. I'm not sure when to start telling people - with Isa it was more obvious. I guess when it comes up, I'll tell people.

Friday, March 27.

Millie got off the elevator on the ninth floor, leaving Mike to ride the rest of the way to Major Case on the eleventh floor. As soon as she stepped into the lab, she was overcome with the sudden wave of nausea that seemed to be hitting more often in the last week. Quickly, she ran to the nearest trash can and threw up her breakfast. First there was the cold that she'd caught from Isabel and now there seemed to be some sort of stomach bug tacked onto the end of it.

"Ugh." She groaned. Another bout of nausea hit and she leaned over the trash can again. A couple minutes later, she straightened up, holding her stomach. She couldn't remember throwing up this much since...

Millie's eyes widened.

...she hadn't barfed that much since she'd been pregnant with Isabel. What? she thought to herself. ...no. It couldn't be. She was using birth control (the right way this time)...She quickly counted back the last time she'd had her time of the month...Last month, this--she'd been so busy taking care of sick Isa at the beginning of this month that she hadn't noticed it hadn't arrived...

Her heart raced. She realized she should schedule a doctor's appointment for as soon an appointment as they had. Glancing around the lab, another thought came to her. She had all the equipment right there to do a test herself - one that would be just as accurate and much quicker. She grabbed a urine cup and ran into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Millie came back out. She put latex gloves on and got the chemicals out to do the test. She put a sample in a test tube and added the chemicals. She took a breath and leaned against the counter, waiting for the chemicals to react. She didn't take her eyes from the test tube.

Shortly after (though it seemed like an eternity) the chemicals did their magic and she had her answer. Millie didn't move, only stared at the test tube for a long few minutes, hardly able to breathe.

Some days it's hard to remember why I do my job. Yesterday was a good example of that. Claire and I (and others in our unit) spent what felt like days at a particularly bloody crime scene. At the end of it, we both needed a drink. I don't mind having one or two at the end of a long day with friends at the bar every now and then -- but last night felt too much like I needed a drink - just to get the day off'a me. I hate that.

What I really wanted was to immediately go home and see my baby and my husband, but I felt like I needed some space in between work and home - I didn't wanna bring any of that home with me, if that makes sense.

When I finally got home, Mike and Isa were passed out on the couch, toys and books everywhere, and a puddle of syrup on the floor. Also, the cat smelled like syrup.

I still haven't gotten an explanation other than, "Your daughter!" from Mike.

Ay Dios mio.

Three-day weekend. Now that IAB's taking away my assignments, I've got a lot more free time (for now...I have a feeling it's going to be hell when they let me back to my usual work). Mike and I are taking Isabel and my niece Daisy to the zoo. Mike is afraid. Of going to the zoo with two toddlers. Please. You'd think after working everywhere from the mayhem of Homicide to the strip mall hell of Staten Island to the craziness that is Major Case, he'd be a little less worried. I'd rather be at the zoo with a couple of kids than a mall on Staten Island any day. Isabel keeps chattering about the "mokkies" and my brother Ray tells me that Daisy is excited about seeing the giraffes, which apparently she really likes right now.

Munch informed me that SVU has a new ADA. Poor schmuck (the ADA. Not Munch...Munch is more of a...never mind). And - was I just hearing things at the lab yesterday or did I hear that Homicide's got a new detective, too?

Voicemails

( For Olivia Benson )

( For Claire Fisher )