For The Love of a Child
A/N & Rating-This story is rated R because it deals with mature topics. I have seen movies on TV that deal with a lot worse issues at a lower rating, but just to be on the safe side….This story follows the episode of Law in Order SVU- Poison. Although I follow the story closely, No Copyright infringement is intended. This is also a mix with Grey's Anatomy. I do NOT own Law in Order or Grey's Anatomy.
Summery: She was a young child, beautiful and vibrant with flowing red curls and shocking blue eyes that would make even the meanest adult weak in the knees with love for the young soul. She was sprited and graceful, she was full of love for anything and anyone…How could anyone harm something so pure and innocent?
Chapter 1
A four year old little girl Alexis Shepherd is lying unconscious on the bed with a tube in her throat. Her God-Mother, Meredith Grey, and Detective Benson are at the foot of the bed. Meredith is holding a baby gently in her arms.
"Derek says that if she survives, that she will be brain damaged." Meredith explained to the detective. "Derek is Alexis's father and the head of neurosciences here at the hospital. He is the best brain surgeon in this state." Meredith said looking sadly at the little girl.
"Now, were you there when your god daughter got sick?" Olivia asked.
"No, I was here at the hospital, I was just getting off of a double shift when Derek called me frantic, Alexis wasn't breathing Derek asked if I could stay here, to help take care of the other children while he and Addison talked to the doctors."
"How long has Alexis lived with them?" Benson asked
"Derek and Addison adopted her from Ireland when she was two years old. That was two years ago. Everyone thinks it's amazing, how much she looks like Addison." Meredith said with a slight smile as she sets the infant down in the double stroller with her twin sister. "These two were a surprise, they were born a year and a half after the adoption. Addison was told after Katie that she wasn't able to have anymore children. The hospital called you because they think that Alexis was poisoned?" Meredith asked her voice aching with sadness.
"What do you think?" Olivia asked her in a gentle tone.
"I think Addison did it." Meredith said her voice turning cold. "She is my best friend, but she is so cruel to Alexis. Never a kind word, never a hug or kiss."
"How does Addison treat the other children?" Olivia questioned
"Addie treats the twins and Katie like angels. Alexis she sees as a burden." Mere said her voice tired.
"How old is Katie?" The questions never seemed to end.
"She's seven"
"Do you think she may be able to tell us what happened to Alexis?"
"She loves Alexis. I hope so." Mere said as she begins to check Alexis's vitals and changes the her I.V. When that is complete Meredith sits down beside her god daughter, holding her hand, and gently running her fingers through her spiral red curls.
(In the hospital waiting room the Shepherd's seven-year old daughter Katie is playing with Lego's and brushing her Barbie dolls hair. Det. Stabler is talking to her.)
"Can you tell me what happened when you came home from school today?" He asked in a gentle carefree tone. He always found that when it came to children it was easier to get them to open up if he was carefree and playful. He took some Lego's and began stacking them together, making a castle.
"I watched SpongeBob." Katie said like it was the most routine thing in the entire world. Like everyone came straight home from school or work and turned the TV to Nickelodeon to watch SpongeBob.
"Where was Alexis at?" Elliot asked her.
"In the corner of the kitchen."
"What was she doing in the corner?"
"When Lexi is bad, mommy puts her there and makes her practice her numbers. She can only count to ten so she has to do it over and over and over and over and over again." Katie explained putting certain emphasis on the word 'over.'
"What kind of bad things does she do?" Elliot asked the young child, looking at her with a serious expression on his face.
"Today she wrote on the wall with a crayon." Katie said in an informative tone.
"Did you see Alexis eat or drink anything bad today?" Stabler asked the child, He could tell by the look in her eyes that the answer was yes.
"She drank the soapy water."
"What soapy water?" Stabler asked in a questioning tone.
"Mommy gave Lexi a bucket of water and a sponge to clean the wall. Lexi was crying, so mommy put the sponge in her mouth. Lexi kept spitting it out. Mommy got mad." She looked down at her Barbie doll, and kept gently brushing her hair.
"And when mommy got mad what happened?"
"She made it all soapy again and put it back in her mouth Lexi was coughing." Katie said making a face, as the memory of that morning's event came back to her.
"Then what happened." Stabler asked.
"She threw up. She kept trying to sit down, but Mommy made her stand in the corner again. When Daddy came home from his work here as the hopsickle Alexis fell down and wouldn't get up." She said just as Addison and Derek walk up behind their daughter and the detective.
"Katie?" Addison asks. Katie runs up and hugs Addison. "Mommy!" She exclaims. Olivia and Meredith walk into the waiting room. Meredith is pushing the stroller with the twins in it, who are sleeping peacefully.
"Why don't you take Katie to say goodnight to Alexis?" Olivia suggests and Meredith nodding takes Katie's small hand into her own larger one and they head off to Alexis's room. "Come on sweetheart." She suggests gently.
"What's wrong?" Derek asks concerned.
"We'd like you both to come down to our precinct." Benson says, she makes it sound at first as if it is a request.
"We have to get the children home, its far past their bedtime." Addison explains.
"Lady if I have anything to do with it you'll never see those kids again, your under arrest." Elliot Stabler says as he places handcuffs on Addison's wrists, and leads her away out to the car.
"What!" Derek exclaims. "What's going on?"
"Lets go Dr. Shepherd." Olivia demands.
(Interview room. Addison Shepherd is there, as well as Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler and Addison's defense attorney Oliver Gates.)
"Look your making a mistake!" Addison exclaimed. "I love Alexis!"
"Not according to your best friend." Olivia says in a harsh tone.
"Meredith is suicidal and her life is full of fake drama, you can't listen to her! She tried to kill herself twice since she started working at this hospital." Addison says in a defensive way.
"Can we listen to your daughter Katie, Mrs. Shepherd?" Stabler asks his tone more calm and in control than Benson's.
" Oh sure detectives! Because seven year olds are so reliable. Tomorrow she'll tell you that a pink pony unicorn lives in her closet, and that she is a princess to a far away land called Andalasia." Addison said rolling her eyes.
"So Katie made up the whole thing huh?" Stabler asked her, his voice turning more stern. "Like the part about how you shoved a sponge full of soapy water into Alexis's numerous amounts of times until she gagged and cried?" He asked his voice outraged.
"I don't know where Katie would get that from!" Addison said, false hurt in her tone that her own daughter would make up such a lie.
"Then you made her stand in a corner, counting until she collapsed!" Stabler pressed on.
"Plenty of children accidently ingest household poisons everyday. It's a sad fact, but it's life. It's not a crime detective." Oliver Gates finally said. His voice calm and sophisticated.
"So this was an accident?" Olivia asked in a non convinced tone.
"I feel terrible that I wasn't paying Alexis enough attention, but I can't be everywhere at once! I have four children. I am a good mother! I would never hurt my babies!" Addison said as tears began to stream down her cheeks.
(Interview room number 2. Derek Shepherd is in here along with Munch and Fin.)
"Why don't you believe me!" Derek demands throwing his hands up into the air.
"We do, Mr. Shepherd. That's why your not under arrest." Det. Munch explained in a bored exasperated tone. As if he had said these same words ten million times before.
"My wife did nothing wrong!" Derek exclaimed for the millionth time.
"But you couldn't have known what your wife did! You were at work all day correct?" Det. Odafin Tutuola asked the man.
"I told you!" Derek started. " When I got home from work, Alexis had stopped breathing, and Addison was hysterical, and applying CPR. If Addison wanted to poison Alexis then why would she have called an ambulance? Why would we have rushed her to the hospital?" Derek asked angrily.
"Actually I'm interested in why your wife does the things that she does." Det Munch said in a challanging tone?
"Like what?" Derek asked meeting the challenge.
"Berate and emotionally abuse your adopted daughter?"
"THAT'S A LIE!" Derek yelled, looking like he was about to come across the table and whoop the detectives ass.
"Calling Ms. Grey a liar?" Tutuola questioned. "She says that your wife treats that girl worse than a dog!" He said backing up his initial statement.
"Meredith was always jealous of my wife. How can I make you understand?" Derek asked despriatly running his hands through his dark curly hair. "Addison loved Alexis!" He said quietly.
"You mean "Loves" Alexis, don't you Dr. Shepherd? Present tense, the girls not dead…..yet." He said as he turned and left the room, his words lingering in the air.