Don't own Law&Order, if I did Abbie would have stayed.
-.-.-.-
Abbie Carmichael, with heavy, but fast paced steps approached her office, the one she dreaded having to enter, but had vowed not to leave until they had managed to convict the bastard that apparently thought it was acceptable to go around violating young university students, knowing that universities would do whatever it took for the news of rape on campus to go away.
This case would be difficult, she knew that from the moment Detective Benson had informed her of the circumstances under which they were called to investigate. But this was Abbie Carmichael and she wouldn't, couldn't allow another monster to go free, not after she knew what having your own personal bogeyman parading around campus would do to you. She could not allow her personal experience to cloud her judgement, if she needed to be harsh on the victims to achieve convictions that would put their monsters away she would; that was how she had gotten the reputation of being an ice queen. But this time, this hit a little too close to home, and she went a little bit too far with trying to be absolutely sure that it was indeed the truth during their mock testimony. In fact she had almost scared their victim out of testifying and outraged Liv. That was why she had vowed she would build a case so tight that the girl's testimony couldn't be challenged by the defence attorney.
It hadn't even been five minutes since she had started going over evidence when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in" she responded, not surprised when she saw Olivia at the other side. What was surprising however, was Olivia's expression. She'd expected anger and an immediate telling off but Olivia's face displayed no such thing. In fact the neutrality of it all was shocking, like nothing else was to be expected from her, like badgering victims was so ordinary by now, it was practically normal. "Hello detective, anything I could help you with?" she said, her words calculated, trying not to betray how the whole situation had affected her. "Not really, I just came to inform you that Miranda decided she does not want to testify unless it is vital to putting Anderson away." The bitter tone in her words was now evident. She knew that Liv blamed her for this, hell she really was to blame for this.
"Detective, I really am sorry if I crossed some lines back there, but you know as well as I do that the defence attorney is going to follow a much worse line of questioning and you also know that her testimony is crucial to putting that bastard away."
"No, counsellor, you don't get to blame the victim just because the defence attorney is going to."
"Olivia I…"
"Look, I came here to ask you to talk to her, because, apparently she believes whatever you say. Even if I do not get that, the girl idolises you because of your good statistics in getting convictions. She is a law student who wants to be like you and you scared her out of testifying against her rapist, so I am here to make sure that you make that right."
"I will." Was all that she said before picking up her coat and phone, immediately arranging a victim with Miranda. She didn't want to let a serial rapist with only one victim half-willing to testify, go free. She would not let the girl down. She wouldn't.
Olivia was shocked to say the least. She had noticed that look of determination before, but had never paid attention to it. Only now had she wondered about whatever it was that seemed to make Abbie seem like the coldest person and the most compassionate one when it came to rape cases. She hadn't expected it to be that easy to get her to apologise and try to convince the girl to testify. She was ashamed to admit that she had expected Abbie to blame the victim and make some unacceptable comment about the way the victim was dressed or how she had carried herself, things she expected from rapists and child molesters. She was ashamed to realise that she held the young attorney to the same standards she held the filthiest of bastards she had ever met. But most of all she was relieved that the younger woman had proved, or was trying to prove that she was, in fact, not.
As she stood there staring at nothing in particular, lost in her thoughts, she heard the clicking of heels and a distant "Are you coming or not?" Her response was the almost mechanical spin on her heels and the fast pace she had eased herself to, catching up with the A.D.A.
