Shanice stood in the mirror, fixing her suit, her first day of work she wanted look to be the best

Shanice stood in the mirror, fixing her suit, her first day of work she wanted look to be the best. The necklace dangled from her neck as she placed it beneath the color of her shirt. Bringing her left hand to it she touched it ever so softly and wondered why she never took it off?

A knock on the door put a halt to her thoughts as her mother opened the door without an answer.

"Honey are you really sure you want to do this?" Mrs. Valentine asked sitting on her daughter's bed.

"Come on we have talked about this already, I want to be a cop, I want help people." Shanice replied sitting beside her mother on the bed while she laced her black leather boots.

"I just don't want you chasing criminals, and you already passed the bar why don't you practice law? That way you can help people." Her mother pleaded.

"Mom that isn't my field I tried for two years. Where my birth certificate is?" she asked as she brushed her thick hair.

Paula Valentine's face went white at the mention of Shanice's birth papers knowing that they never found the time or the heart to tell her the truth. She rose to shaky legs and went in search of her husband Neville. "Honey what's wrong?" he asked as he saw her pale face.

"Birth papers" she stammered as she laid her head on her husband's shoulders. Guilt flushed the Valentine couple as they heard the knocking on the door. They swallowed hard as she came and looked at them.

"Mum, Dad what's wrong?" Shanice's asked as she saw their white faces, and sorry eyes.

"Have a seat baby." Mr. Valentine said as he walked to the safe for the birth papers. Tears filled Paula's eyes as she saw the papers the letter and birth certificate. "Mum, Dad what's going on?" she demanded when she mother let out a soft sob.

"Baby, I'm sorry that we couldn't tell you, we were just…" Mr. Valentine wasn't the emotional type but the thought of Shanice hating him was much too great to bear. It didn't matter that he wasn't her real father it just mattered that he loved her. "…protecting you." He said as he lowered himself beside his wife on the king-size bed.

"Protecting me from what?" Shanice asked as she took the paper from her mother's trembling hand.

"Hi little one,

I hope you never think it's because I don't love, because I do with every fiber of my being. I hope that one day you can forgive for what I have done, but it was for the best. I hope you have the necklace; it's the only valuable thing I own. I love my baby girl.

The paper was dry and you could still she were water had been. Shanice looked at the paper still confused as she received her birth certificate from her father.

Place of Birth: Queens New York

Date of Birth: July 21, 1980

Mother's Name: Olivia Benson

Father's Name: N/A

Child's Name: Shanice Olivia

"What's going on?" her voice trembled as she spoke wishing with all her heart it wasn't so. "Am I?" she asked scared that it was really so and like always whenever there was trouble her hand found it's way to the heart at her neck; her necklace.

The couple nodded their heads and Paula broke down in tears holding onto her baby girl.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked in a soft voice as her brown eyes filled with emotions and the tears quickly subsiding.

"I didn't want you to me,"

"Us" Neville interrupted as he ran a hand through his daughter's dark brown hair.

"Mom, Dad I could never hate. I love you" she said embracing the only family she ever knew.

"If you want to find her we will help you in away we can." Neville said as he gave her the photo.

Shanice looked at it in awe her mother was a real beauty. Olivia Benson.

"Mommy! Mommy! Save me!" the child cried as she fell into the pit.

"Hold unto" Olivia cried as she reached for the little but like always she was just a little too late!

Olivia awoke slightly trembling as brought her knees to her chest and the guilty tears cascaded down her cheeks. She often wondered if she had made the right choice twenty eight years ago.