A/N: Alright readers! Over the last few months, you've convinced me to keep this going. I've been working on a lot of side projects [some fanfics, some original stories], so I've been pretty busy. Hope you all enjoy this second installment. Reviews, as always, are welcome.
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Walking slowly into work, Amanda rubbed her temple at the light of the squad room.
"You okay?" Fin asked, approaching the detective.
Rollins smiled slightly at the man and nodded. "Yeah, just had a little too much last night."
"We got something." Olivia said, joining the detectives conversation. "Female, late twenties." she continued, handing a polaroid to Fin.
"What happened?" he asked, wincing at the photograph before passing it to Amanda.
Olivia cleared her throat quietly. "She was beaten and raped."
Rollins looked closely at the picture. She recognized the mangled face and she got a sinking feeling in her chest. However, she didn't let it show on the outside.
"She talking?" the blonde asked.
"Not yet." Detective Benson walked over to her desk and grabbed a set of keys. "I'm going to check out the crime scene."
"I'll go with you." Fin said, following Olivia.
Rollins worried her lip as she looked down at the photo again. Tapping it against her other hand, she waited a moment before putting it on the desk and walking toward the exit.
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"Excuse me, I'm Detective Rollins from Special Victims." Amanda said as she flashed her badge. "You have a woman here that was-"
"Ah, yes." the doctor said softly. "She's awake, but she can't talk."
"That's alright, I'd still like to see her."
"This way." the doctor said, leading Amanda to the room holding the bruised woman. Shutting the door behind her and closing the blinds, Rollins approached the bed.
The woman slowly opened her eyes, but when she saw who was standing before her, the heart monitor started beeping at a faster pace. She tried to scream, but her jaw had so much damage that it was temporarily wired shut. Amanda leaned down over the girl, looking directly in her eyes.
"I think it's best you calm down." she whispered through her teeth, her southern accent thickened. Noticing that the woman was reaching for the nurses button, Amanda swatted it away. "And don't you think of trying anything."
Shaking, the woman tried to steady her breathing, but her eyes remained wide. The beeping began to slow down. Running her hand gently down the woman's cheek, Amanda smiled. "See? You're okay..."
Rollins stood straight again, putting her hand on her hip and moving her jacket to the side, revealing her badge. "You can trust me, I'm a detective." A lone tear rolled down the other woman's cheek.
"Look, all you have to do is play dumb." Amanda began coaching. "Say you think it was an ex boyfriend or a stranger on the street. You know, wrong time, wrong place sort of thing."
Amanda began walking toward the door. Looking over her shoulder, she warned. "However, if you decide to tell anyone about the bar, or me, I will kill you."
Seeing the deep seeded fear she put into the other woman's eyes, Rollins was satisfied. "Have a good day, now."
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Lifting the police tape over their heads, Fin and Olivia walked into the victim's apartment. Looking around, they noticed that the living room and kitchen areas were untouched.
"Through there." One of the officers pointed toward the hallway.
Olivia began walking toward the bedroom while Fin stayed back to talk to the officer. She carefully stepped around the scattered articles of clothing and bed dressing. The only thing left on the bed itself was the fitted sheet.
"You should see this."
Benson walked over to Melinda, who was standing beside a dresser. One of the drawers were open, and the detective looked inside. She quickly cleared her throat. Melinda smirked at Olivia's response. "Turns out, our victim was into-"
"Some pretty kinky shit." Fin chimed in, peering over the medical examiners shoulder. "I don't even know what half of that is."
Squinting, Olivia walked to the bed and inspected the frame. "See if there are any cuffs or hard restraints that would match this." She said, gesturing to the scratches in one of the metal posts. Melinda called over one of the other workers to take pictures.
"The officers said that the main rooms were hardly touched." Fin stated.
"No forced entry, so it could have been someone she knew." Olivia pondered aloud. "But the lack of dishes in the sink suggests she didn't have company…"
"You think they met somewhere and she brought him back here for the night, but things got out of control?" Fin suggested.
Benson frowned. "Or he had every intention of raping her, and she was just looking for some fun."
"I wouldn't be so quick to say it was a 'he'" Melinda joined the pair of detectives in the hall, holding an evidence bag. "This was found as one of the possible objects used for penetration."
"You saying our perp could be a woman?" Fin arched his brow.
"We wont know more until we get DNA samples from the lab." Melinda explained. "But it's a very good possibility."
Olivia exhaled deeply as she glanced around the apartment. She had encountered female against female brutality, but nothing to this degree before.
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Back at the squad room, Captain Cragen called the detectives into his office. "How are we on this case?" he asked once the door was closed.
"Various things found at the victims apartment were sent to the lab for tests." Fin offered.
"Hopefully this perp was sloppy." the Captain directed his next question to Rollins. "Did you get a statement?"
Olivia looked over to Amanda curiously. She wasn't aware the other detective was instructed to get a statement so soon.
Clearing her throat, Rollins responded casually. "She wasn't willing to give one."
"One of you stop by tomorrow." Cragen instructed. "Maybe she'll change her mind."
"I don't know, Captain." Amanda said doubtfully. "Are we even sure she wants to press charges?"
"How could she not?" Olivia furrowed her brow. "By the looks of her apartment, not to mention the damage done to her face and body, how could she want this monster to go free?"
"We can't make her press charges." the Captain frowned. "But we need to make sure she's in the right state of mind to make that kind of decision before we drop this case."
"I'll try again tomorrow, Cap." Amanda offered.
"It might be best if Liv gives it a go." Cragen corrected. "Maybe a different face will get her to change her mind."
Rollins shifted nervously against the wall. That was exactly what she was worried about. She considered going along with Olivia to the hospital, but if the woman saw her, she might give the truth away. Amanda had to have faith that the woman valued her life.
After the Captain dismissed the detectives for the night, Fin grabbed his coat and stopped at the exit. "Anyone up for a drink?"
"I'm gonna stick around here a little longer." Olivia sat down at her desk and opened one of the manilla folders.
"What about you?" he directed to Rollins.
"I got a date with the boys tonight." she joked, but quickly realized the other detectives didn't understand. "Ever hear of Ben and Jerry?"
"Right…" Fin nodded. "I guess I'll be on my own with Jack and Coke then." he chuckled as he left.
Rollins hovered by her desk for a few minutes, partially to make sure Fin was gone and partially to have a chance at some more alone time with Olivia. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Benson got up and headed for the Captains office with papers in hand. Letting out a sigh, Amanda threw on her jacket and walked to the elevators.
Once outside, the cool air blew against her skin, sending a shiver down her body. She closed her eyes for a moment and took in the feeling. Sensations like these made her feel at peace.
Opening her eyes again, she turned in the direction away from her apartment. She wasn't in the mood to feel at peace, she wanted to feel alive.
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