title: memory
author: duck
rating: pg-13
summary: elliot and olivia struggle to regain normalcy in the wake of recent events.
author note: back to a casefile! AND, just to make kukrae happy...their metal desks with dividers that reach to the floor have been modified to allow computer cables to pass back and forth, so they could conceivably kick each other all day long if they wanted. happy now? canon-crusader my ass; i had to get the snarky beta, didn't i? much love, dear :)
disclaimer: this might cause you otherwise perfectly healthy folks to drop dead from a heart attack out of shock, but these characters aren't actually mine.
- Special Victims Unit Squadroom -
- Tuesday October 5th 10:24am -
Elliot antsily shuffled the papers on his desk. He'd been looking through them for the past two hours hoping to find something more entertaining than paperwork in desperate need of completion. So far no luck, but at least he was entirely caught up on his backlog. From the looks of things his partner was equally discouraged with her paperwork. They stood in a neatly complete stack and she was poking aimlessly at her keyboard. They'd both been chained to the desk since their first day back, which was yesterday.
He supposed he could understand Cragen's reluctance to send them out into the field after everything that had happened to them, but they'd both talked to George yesterday. He'd discussed what he'd said with Olivia once she was done and she told him everything she's said. If anything the captain should have been impressed with their ability to handle the situation. He knew that didn't mean they'd get a pat on the back and get sent out to the first case that popped up, but surely there would have been some simple case with which to ease themselves back into the rush of things.
He stuck all his paperwork in his outbox and crossed his hands behind his head as he stretched out, letting his feet reach under the desk to nudge Olivia's. She snapped out of her spacey stare at her computer screen to glance at him as he pulled his legs back to keep from further unnecessary contact. She only looked at him for a moment before slowly moving to mirror his posture. They stared at each other for a moment before he tweaked the corner of his mouth in a small grin. "Think they're ever going to let us out of here?"
She shrugged, her whole body announcing a distinct lack of caring that was at odds with the gleaming frustration in her eyes. He felt her ankle brush up against his as she shifted positions and he jumped back a few inches. He hadn't been lying when he told George that he could barely stand to touch her when they were outside of the apartment. Whether it came from physical discomfort or a worry of what people would think he wasn't sure.
"I hope they do," she answered, not missing his movements. "Even just an easy one at this point."
"How about a date rape?" Cragen's voice asked from behind Elliot. They both turned to look at him and he tossed a file folder down in front of Elliot. "She's at St. Katherine's down on 82nd. Get her statement."
"Are we free to roam the city now?" Elliot asked as he stood, picking up the folder as he went.
"You're off restricted duty, if that's what you mean. But I don't want you guys pushing yourselves too hard."
"Yes, Dad," Olivia said as she headed for the coat rack.
- St. Katherine's Hospital -
- 436 West 82nd Street -
- Tuesday October 5th 11:30am -
"Excuse me," Elliot gently pushed through the line of waiting people to get to the front desk. He flashed his badge at the harried looking nurse behind the counter. "I'm Detective Stabler with the Special Victims Unit." He gestured to Olivia who had pushed through behind him. "This is my partner, Detective Benson. We're looking for Lida Nichols."
"Right, the date rape," the woman said. She pointed to their left. "Room 172 down the hall and through the double doors."
"Thank you," Elliot nodded and they both moved off in the direction she'd pointed.
"You ready for this?" Olivia asked him after they'd taken a few steps. He turned his head to look at her as they continued to walk.
"Why would I not be?"
She gave him a look that clearly said she knew he was giving her the runaround. "Because we've been victims for the past few weeks. I know I'm having trouble transitioning back to the other side of the coin."
"You're saying maybe we aren't ready yet." He pushed open the door and held it open for her. The room numbers on the other side started in the 110s; they had a ways to go.
"That's exactly what I'm saying." She exhaled heavily. "I'm hoping this really is an easy one to get back into things."
"I'll be honest, Liv." He looked at her with concern. "I'm more worried about you feeling the victims' pain too deeply, now that you can sympathize instead of just empathize."
"There's a difference?" she asked with a wry grin on her face.
"A subtle one, but yes," he nodded. "Before you could understand their feelings because you're just that emotionally in touch with people. But now you've had similar experiences and every time we interview another rape victim I'm going to have to wonder if you're thinking about what happened to us."
She surprised him by reaching out to take his hand, holding it as they walked. "And I'm more worried about you seeing yourself as a rapist again, every time we hear about their feelings of violation." She dropped his hand after giving it a quick squeeze, probably still remembering his reaction to her touching him earlier.
"So let's promise to tell each other if we're feeling that way," she suggested. He smiled at her and dipped his head once.
"Sounds like a good idea." She ducked her head down as they walked, smiling in that way that made him question his sanity for living with her. He felt a surge of affectionate nostalgia swell up in his throat.
"What would I do without you, Olivia?" he asked quietly and she gave him an amused look.
"Probably flounder around aimlessly until someone else pointed you in the right direction."
Any retort he could have given back was cut short by their arrival at the door to room 172. It was already open, so Olivia knocked softly and stepped in, gesturing with her hand for Elliot to stay in the doorway. He knew how this would go; he'd hang back in the door to be the least amount of threatening possible while Liv would work her sympathetic magic with the victim. After so many years of working together they slipped into the routine easily, even after their recent problems.
"Lida Nichols?" Olivia asked the woman waiting on the exam bed. She looked up, startlement obvious in her wide brown eyes. Coupled with dark skin and short brown hair, she reminded Elliot of a much younger version of Olivia herself--though he'd never seen such a vulnerability in Liv's eyes. The scratches and bruises that marred the exposed skin of her face and arms was enough to make Elliot cringe in compassion.
"That's me," she said in a shaky voice. Her eyes slid past Liv to rest on Elliot's face and her body curled in on itself, almost like it was an instinctive reaction. He had seen it before and took a step back so he was almost outside of the room. Olivia shot him a look over her shoulder and gave him a brief nod. He kept going until he was entirely out and leaned against wall. He could still hear the conversation, but his presence was probably only going to make things worse for the victim at this point.
He heard Liv introduce herself and explained why they were there. He could hear a slight sob and the rustling of sheets. He could imagine Liv sitting down next to the girl and offering her support. It was what she was best at.
- Special Victims Unit Squadroom -
- Tuesday October 5th 2:45pm -
"Munch, Fin, where are you on the Fleming case?" Cragen stood with his arms crossed, glaring with the utmost look of thoughtfulness as he heard their mid-afternoon reports. Olivia assessed him from only a few feet away at her desk. Her partner sat across from her while Munch and Fin leaned against their own desks to deliver the report on their cases. "Your last witness have anything good to contribute?"
"Actually she did," Munch said. "She remembered seeing our suspect hanging around just before closing time, so that means he was lying to us about being at home."
"Which means his mother was lying too. Pick them both up for questioning. Elliot, Olivia, what have you got on your date rape?"
Elliot shifted his gaze to her and nodded with his chin. She'd been the one to interview her so it was her presentation. "The vic's name is Lida Nichols. Last night she was out with her boyfriend Sebastian Farley, a rich boy from the right side of town. He also has a bit of a coke habit. She tried to get him to go home when he got violent, but he decided to rape and beat her instead. He used his keys to scrape her too. Rape kit turned up positive, but no semen. She said he used a condom."
"So why isn't he in here right now?" Cragen demanded.
"We stopped by his house on the way back here," Elliot said. "Wasn't home and he wasn't at class either. He's twenty-four and enrolled at Columbia. This is his last year before he gets his graduate degree in business."
"Going straight to Daddy's firm?"
"Slight detour to jail first, if we can help it." The predatory look that Elliot tended to get when they were closing in on a perp was gracing his face now and Olivia was grateful to see it in place.
"Call Alex and get a warrant for his place then. Do it on the drugs if you have to, but I want him and his keys in here for questioning and testing respectively."
- Apartment of Sebastian Farley -
- 243C West Madison Avenue -
- Tuesday October 5th 6:20pm -
"Wow," Elliot drawled as he and Olivia climbed the steps to the upper floor of Sebastian Farley's upscale apartment. The open-aired contemporary feel of the stairs meant the second floor overlooked the first in a loft-style. It was entirely without dividing walls, save the bathroom, so the spacious upstairs was entirely Farley's bedroom. A tangled mess of sheets covered the king-sized bed against the far brick wall and a desk was neatly organized against the right wall. Halfway down the wall to their left closet doors hung open, permitting them a look into the enormous walk-in closet.
"Yeah," Olivia agreed. "Father must be real good at the investment business." This place probably cost ten times the amount per month as their apartment. She noticed that the bed was the only thing messy about the entire apartment. Even the kitchen had everything carefully organized. The only food in the fridge had been take-out containers and white wine.
"I doubt we'll find the keys since he's probably got them with him, but let's split up and try to find his stash of coke," Elliot suggested as he strapped on the latex gloves.
An hour later they had separately search both floors and found enough cocaine to put him away for "intent to sell" in addition to possession. Elliot had even found a long-sleeve shirt in the top of his hamper that had blood on the front and edges of the sleeves. This was starting to look like an open and shut case, except they just couldn't find their perp.
Olivia was downstairs, assembling all their evidence bags into two categories--drug and rape-related--when she heard the click of keys in the front door. Doubting it was the landlord coming back to check on their status, she called up to Elliot. "Hey, Elliot! I think he's home!"
He was already half-way down the stairs by the time a young man with dirty blond hair had closed the door behind him, not even noticing Olivia. She took in his finely manicured appearance with a somewhat amused air; he hadn't even seen her and she was right in front of him. His suit fit too perfectly to not be tailored specifically for him and she grinned as he hooked his keys on a rack next to the door after he locked it.
"Sebastian Farley?" she asked, startling him into whirling around. His brown eyes betrayed his surprise even as his body moved in exacting control to face her. His fists seemed to move instinctively up to protect himself, as if he'd had years of martial arts training. Fat lot of good that had accomplished.
"Who are you? And what the hell are you doing in my house?" he demanded, not lowering his arms. She felt Elliot come up behind her. It was a most welcome and reassuring presence.
"Detectives Benson and Stabler," she said, indicating first herself then Elliot. "We have a search warrant for these premises." Next to her Elliot fished it out of his jacket pocket and moved forward to hand it to Farley.
"You can't just come in here and--" he started.
"Sure we can," Elliot interrupted, smiling. "Judge says we can. You probably shouldn't have left a bloody shirt or your stash of cocaine here after you raped your girlfriend."
Farley's jaw clenched as he dropped his hands a few inches. "I didn't--"
"What, rape her?" Olivia asked as Elliot grabbed his wrist and started to slap the cuffs on. "Sure you did. In a cocaine-induced rage. Next time when she says get out, you might want to listen."
Elliot started in instantly on his Miranda rights. "Sebastian Farley. You have the right to remain silent..."
[tbc]
before you ask, no, it's never that easy on svu ;)
author: duck
rating: pg-13
summary: elliot and olivia struggle to regain normalcy in the wake of recent events.
author note: back to a casefile! AND, just to make kukrae happy...their metal desks with dividers that reach to the floor have been modified to allow computer cables to pass back and forth, so they could conceivably kick each other all day long if they wanted. happy now? canon-crusader my ass; i had to get the snarky beta, didn't i? much love, dear :)
disclaimer: this might cause you otherwise perfectly healthy folks to drop dead from a heart attack out of shock, but these characters aren't actually mine.
- Special Victims Unit Squadroom -
- Tuesday October 5th 10:24am -
Elliot antsily shuffled the papers on his desk. He'd been looking through them for the past two hours hoping to find something more entertaining than paperwork in desperate need of completion. So far no luck, but at least he was entirely caught up on his backlog. From the looks of things his partner was equally discouraged with her paperwork. They stood in a neatly complete stack and she was poking aimlessly at her keyboard. They'd both been chained to the desk since their first day back, which was yesterday.
He supposed he could understand Cragen's reluctance to send them out into the field after everything that had happened to them, but they'd both talked to George yesterday. He'd discussed what he'd said with Olivia once she was done and she told him everything she's said. If anything the captain should have been impressed with their ability to handle the situation. He knew that didn't mean they'd get a pat on the back and get sent out to the first case that popped up, but surely there would have been some simple case with which to ease themselves back into the rush of things.
He stuck all his paperwork in his outbox and crossed his hands behind his head as he stretched out, letting his feet reach under the desk to nudge Olivia's. She snapped out of her spacey stare at her computer screen to glance at him as he pulled his legs back to keep from further unnecessary contact. She only looked at him for a moment before slowly moving to mirror his posture. They stared at each other for a moment before he tweaked the corner of his mouth in a small grin. "Think they're ever going to let us out of here?"
She shrugged, her whole body announcing a distinct lack of caring that was at odds with the gleaming frustration in her eyes. He felt her ankle brush up against his as she shifted positions and he jumped back a few inches. He hadn't been lying when he told George that he could barely stand to touch her when they were outside of the apartment. Whether it came from physical discomfort or a worry of what people would think he wasn't sure.
"I hope they do," she answered, not missing his movements. "Even just an easy one at this point."
"How about a date rape?" Cragen's voice asked from behind Elliot. They both turned to look at him and he tossed a file folder down in front of Elliot. "She's at St. Katherine's down on 82nd. Get her statement."
"Are we free to roam the city now?" Elliot asked as he stood, picking up the folder as he went.
"You're off restricted duty, if that's what you mean. But I don't want you guys pushing yourselves too hard."
"Yes, Dad," Olivia said as she headed for the coat rack.
- St. Katherine's Hospital -
- 436 West 82nd Street -
- Tuesday October 5th 11:30am -
"Excuse me," Elliot gently pushed through the line of waiting people to get to the front desk. He flashed his badge at the harried looking nurse behind the counter. "I'm Detective Stabler with the Special Victims Unit." He gestured to Olivia who had pushed through behind him. "This is my partner, Detective Benson. We're looking for Lida Nichols."
"Right, the date rape," the woman said. She pointed to their left. "Room 172 down the hall and through the double doors."
"Thank you," Elliot nodded and they both moved off in the direction she'd pointed.
"You ready for this?" Olivia asked him after they'd taken a few steps. He turned his head to look at her as they continued to walk.
"Why would I not be?"
She gave him a look that clearly said she knew he was giving her the runaround. "Because we've been victims for the past few weeks. I know I'm having trouble transitioning back to the other side of the coin."
"You're saying maybe we aren't ready yet." He pushed open the door and held it open for her. The room numbers on the other side started in the 110s; they had a ways to go.
"That's exactly what I'm saying." She exhaled heavily. "I'm hoping this really is an easy one to get back into things."
"I'll be honest, Liv." He looked at her with concern. "I'm more worried about you feeling the victims' pain too deeply, now that you can sympathize instead of just empathize."
"There's a difference?" she asked with a wry grin on her face.
"A subtle one, but yes," he nodded. "Before you could understand their feelings because you're just that emotionally in touch with people. But now you've had similar experiences and every time we interview another rape victim I'm going to have to wonder if you're thinking about what happened to us."
She surprised him by reaching out to take his hand, holding it as they walked. "And I'm more worried about you seeing yourself as a rapist again, every time we hear about their feelings of violation." She dropped his hand after giving it a quick squeeze, probably still remembering his reaction to her touching him earlier.
"So let's promise to tell each other if we're feeling that way," she suggested. He smiled at her and dipped his head once.
"Sounds like a good idea." She ducked her head down as they walked, smiling in that way that made him question his sanity for living with her. He felt a surge of affectionate nostalgia swell up in his throat.
"What would I do without you, Olivia?" he asked quietly and she gave him an amused look.
"Probably flounder around aimlessly until someone else pointed you in the right direction."
Any retort he could have given back was cut short by their arrival at the door to room 172. It was already open, so Olivia knocked softly and stepped in, gesturing with her hand for Elliot to stay in the doorway. He knew how this would go; he'd hang back in the door to be the least amount of threatening possible while Liv would work her sympathetic magic with the victim. After so many years of working together they slipped into the routine easily, even after their recent problems.
"Lida Nichols?" Olivia asked the woman waiting on the exam bed. She looked up, startlement obvious in her wide brown eyes. Coupled with dark skin and short brown hair, she reminded Elliot of a much younger version of Olivia herself--though he'd never seen such a vulnerability in Liv's eyes. The scratches and bruises that marred the exposed skin of her face and arms was enough to make Elliot cringe in compassion.
"That's me," she said in a shaky voice. Her eyes slid past Liv to rest on Elliot's face and her body curled in on itself, almost like it was an instinctive reaction. He had seen it before and took a step back so he was almost outside of the room. Olivia shot him a look over her shoulder and gave him a brief nod. He kept going until he was entirely out and leaned against wall. He could still hear the conversation, but his presence was probably only going to make things worse for the victim at this point.
He heard Liv introduce herself and explained why they were there. He could hear a slight sob and the rustling of sheets. He could imagine Liv sitting down next to the girl and offering her support. It was what she was best at.
- Special Victims Unit Squadroom -
- Tuesday October 5th 2:45pm -
"Munch, Fin, where are you on the Fleming case?" Cragen stood with his arms crossed, glaring with the utmost look of thoughtfulness as he heard their mid-afternoon reports. Olivia assessed him from only a few feet away at her desk. Her partner sat across from her while Munch and Fin leaned against their own desks to deliver the report on their cases. "Your last witness have anything good to contribute?"
"Actually she did," Munch said. "She remembered seeing our suspect hanging around just before closing time, so that means he was lying to us about being at home."
"Which means his mother was lying too. Pick them both up for questioning. Elliot, Olivia, what have you got on your date rape?"
Elliot shifted his gaze to her and nodded with his chin. She'd been the one to interview her so it was her presentation. "The vic's name is Lida Nichols. Last night she was out with her boyfriend Sebastian Farley, a rich boy from the right side of town. He also has a bit of a coke habit. She tried to get him to go home when he got violent, but he decided to rape and beat her instead. He used his keys to scrape her too. Rape kit turned up positive, but no semen. She said he used a condom."
"So why isn't he in here right now?" Cragen demanded.
"We stopped by his house on the way back here," Elliot said. "Wasn't home and he wasn't at class either. He's twenty-four and enrolled at Columbia. This is his last year before he gets his graduate degree in business."
"Going straight to Daddy's firm?"
"Slight detour to jail first, if we can help it." The predatory look that Elliot tended to get when they were closing in on a perp was gracing his face now and Olivia was grateful to see it in place.
"Call Alex and get a warrant for his place then. Do it on the drugs if you have to, but I want him and his keys in here for questioning and testing respectively."
- Apartment of Sebastian Farley -
- 243C West Madison Avenue -
- Tuesday October 5th 6:20pm -
"Wow," Elliot drawled as he and Olivia climbed the steps to the upper floor of Sebastian Farley's upscale apartment. The open-aired contemporary feel of the stairs meant the second floor overlooked the first in a loft-style. It was entirely without dividing walls, save the bathroom, so the spacious upstairs was entirely Farley's bedroom. A tangled mess of sheets covered the king-sized bed against the far brick wall and a desk was neatly organized against the right wall. Halfway down the wall to their left closet doors hung open, permitting them a look into the enormous walk-in closet.
"Yeah," Olivia agreed. "Father must be real good at the investment business." This place probably cost ten times the amount per month as their apartment. She noticed that the bed was the only thing messy about the entire apartment. Even the kitchen had everything carefully organized. The only food in the fridge had been take-out containers and white wine.
"I doubt we'll find the keys since he's probably got them with him, but let's split up and try to find his stash of coke," Elliot suggested as he strapped on the latex gloves.
An hour later they had separately search both floors and found enough cocaine to put him away for "intent to sell" in addition to possession. Elliot had even found a long-sleeve shirt in the top of his hamper that had blood on the front and edges of the sleeves. This was starting to look like an open and shut case, except they just couldn't find their perp.
Olivia was downstairs, assembling all their evidence bags into two categories--drug and rape-related--when she heard the click of keys in the front door. Doubting it was the landlord coming back to check on their status, she called up to Elliot. "Hey, Elliot! I think he's home!"
He was already half-way down the stairs by the time a young man with dirty blond hair had closed the door behind him, not even noticing Olivia. She took in his finely manicured appearance with a somewhat amused air; he hadn't even seen her and she was right in front of him. His suit fit too perfectly to not be tailored specifically for him and she grinned as he hooked his keys on a rack next to the door after he locked it.
"Sebastian Farley?" she asked, startling him into whirling around. His brown eyes betrayed his surprise even as his body moved in exacting control to face her. His fists seemed to move instinctively up to protect himself, as if he'd had years of martial arts training. Fat lot of good that had accomplished.
"Who are you? And what the hell are you doing in my house?" he demanded, not lowering his arms. She felt Elliot come up behind her. It was a most welcome and reassuring presence.
"Detectives Benson and Stabler," she said, indicating first herself then Elliot. "We have a search warrant for these premises." Next to her Elliot fished it out of his jacket pocket and moved forward to hand it to Farley.
"You can't just come in here and--" he started.
"Sure we can," Elliot interrupted, smiling. "Judge says we can. You probably shouldn't have left a bloody shirt or your stash of cocaine here after you raped your girlfriend."
Farley's jaw clenched as he dropped his hands a few inches. "I didn't--"
"What, rape her?" Olivia asked as Elliot grabbed his wrist and started to slap the cuffs on. "Sure you did. In a cocaine-induced rage. Next time when she says get out, you might want to listen."
Elliot started in instantly on his Miranda rights. "Sebastian Farley. You have the right to remain silent..."
[tbc]
before you ask, no, it's never that easy on svu ;)