A/N: Yes, I already have a new chapter of Judgement for you! What can I say, your reviews for the last one were just so lovely that I couldn't help but start writing you guys some more as soon as I got the chance... thank you for all of your reviews - the fact I got so many people saying how much they loved it made me so, so happy - and I hope you like this new chapter just as much and think it's a decent continuation of the idea... and, of course, please send me a review to let me know what you think!
Delectable Sweetness, congratulations, you're my first ever reviewer on this story! It's probably a good sign that you liked it... and you're right, the guy who's abducted her isn't exactly a bad guy, he's just been pushed too far by what happened to his daughter. You kind of see that for a bit in this chapter too, so I hope you enjoy that.
bristow1965, I'm happy you like it, and here's your super-quick update - hopefully you think it was worth the wait, however brief it was...
SteffieDawn, you're always so nice. I'm really glad you liked it :)
Hailey, once again, you're awesome, and also my favourite. Thanks for all the help you gave me in reading over each draft of this chapter for me, and I'd give you a kidney!
Jennifer, I'm so happy you liked it so much and I hope you think that this chapter was worth getting excited for!
sockey13, I am indescribably glad that you like the idea and think it seems new. Sometimes I like to take old, well-worn storylines and try to make them fresh again, if that makes any sense (to be fair, it probably doesn't) but once in a while I have an idea that I think is original, and this was one of them. So, I'm glad you agree, and that you're excited to see where I'm going to take it.
candyy, you're so sweet... don't thank me for writing my stories, I should be the one thanking you for reading them and for taking the time to let me know how much you like them! You're awesome - and I hope you like this chapter.
Solia, I love your reviews. Thank you so, so much for this one, and hopefully you'll think this chapter lives up to your expectations.
dark but so Lovely, hi! It's always cool to get to meet a new reader :) How are you liking my stories so far? Anyway, I'm really glad you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter too.
W.S.C. Magica De Spell, I'm happy you liked it so much, and I hope this update was quick enough for you (although I really don't know how I could have done it much quicker...)
ashleysvureader, I intend to!
redangel365, I'm glad you thought it was so interesting... and I hope you like this chapter just as much (if not more!)
Anyway, thanks to all my wonderful, WONDERFUL reviewers (I think the last chapter broke my record for number of reviews) this was one of the longest author notes in the history of man, so if you've got this far, you must be keen! I hope all of you like this chapter too, and please, please send me a review to let me know what you think!
'Mmmm...'
Olivia frowned and opened her eyes a little.
This... I... what's...
She murmured something under her breath as her eyes closed again, a faint twinge of unease settling in her gut as she slipped in and out of consciousness.
Something was wrong.
Something was very, very wrong.
Why... I can't...
Something was pulling on her wrists and pinning them awkwardly behind her head, her shoulders and upper arms burning with a sharp, tugging pain.
What's...
Olivia took a deep breath and tried to work her hands free, wincing as she felt a cold, hard edge digging into the backs of her hands and biting painfully into her skin.
I... why...
Her back felt cold and sore, as if it had been roughly scrubbed with sandpaper, and she shifted uncomfortably, wondering why she was lying on what felt like damp concrete.
Where... I...
Her lips felt stiff and tacky and her face was sore, the skin stretching uncomfortably as she tried to open her mouth.
What... I... no...
Olivia's stomach lurched.
Was there... was there tape over her mouth?
What... what's... I don't...
She felt a sudden violent burst of nausea and her eyes shot open, metal clanking loudly behind her as she desperately tried to tug her hands free.
My... my...
There was a man standing on the other side of the room, working on something, and she started to beat her feet against the stained concrete floor as hard as she could, silently willing him to turn around.
Help... help me...
'Oh, hello!' He turned around and smiled cheerfully. 'Nice to see you again, Ms Benson!'
Olivia just shook her head frantically, looking down at the tape over her mouth and thrusting her chin up, trying to somehow signal to him that he needed to take the tape off, she needed him to take the tape off NOW-
He raised an eyebrow at her. 'Do you want me to take the tape off your mouth?'
Olivia's eyes widened and she nodded desperately, trying not to let herself think about what had happened to that ADA a few years ago as the burning feeling of nausea rapidly filled the back of her throat.
'Well, I don't know.' He knelt down next to her, an odd smile on his face. 'Do you promise not to scream if I do?'
Olivia nodded, silently pleading with him to take it off, to just take the tape off before it was too late, please...
'Are you sure?'
'Mmm!' Olivia nodded frantically, her eyes wide and panicked.
'Well, OK then.' He smiled and finally tore off the tape, and Olivia immediately lurched to the side and threw up, her body shuddering violently as she gagged.
She heard him swear quietly and then he was leaning over her, a sympathetic look on his face. 'That ether really did a number on you, huh?'
'No, I... I...' Her voice caught and she burst into tears, her whole body shaking as she sobbed. 'Elliot, I want Elliot...'
She heard him sigh again and then he'd pulled a battered bundle of tissues out of his pocket and was wiping her face, trying to mop up the worst of the vomit that was tangled in her hair and on her shoulders. 'Sssshhh, come on...' He smoothed her hair back off her face and looked at her hesitantly, a look of doubt flickering in his eyes. 'Are you, uh...' He swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. 'Are you OK?'
She just stared up at him, tears running down her face, and he felt a twinge of unease. She clearly had no idea where she was or what was happening to her, she looked completely terrified... He bit his lip and helped her sit up a little, trying to pretend he couldn't feel her shoulders shaking as she cried. 'Come on, I know, I know...' He turned and pulled a bottle of water out of the black nylon duffel bag he'd left against one wall, mentally kicking himself. Get a fucking grip, you idiot. 'Do you want some water?'
Olivia nodded and he leaned forward and put his arm around her shoulders, unscrewing the lid of the bottle and holding it against her lips as she gulped down deep, cool mouthfuls of the water, ignoring the feeling of it spilling down her face and soaking into her shirt.
He waited for her to finish and then he lowered the bottle and set it aside. 'Better?'
She nodded, smiling gratefully, and he felt another pang of doubt. It was the first time he'd seen her without her tough front on, the ether had disorientated her so much that she'd forgotten how she was supposed to act, and she looked... she looked normal, human, she looked like... He swallowed. She looked like Meghan did when she was sick, or when she'd had a nightmare...
No. No, don't do that. Focus.
He sighed to himself. It was just so different now that she was actually here... He smiled at her and offered her the water bottle again, forcing down an odd, unexpected feeling of guilt. 'Do you want some more water?'
'I...' Olivia frowned and shook her head, trying to clear it. 'I want... I want to go home...'
He sighed again and rolled his eyes. I knew this was coming. 'Come on, Olivia, I can't let you go, you know that.'
'But...' Olivia bit her lip. 'Please, please just let me go...'
He felt a twinge of irritation and gritted his teeth. Ungrateful bitch, ungrateful selfish unrepentant bitch...'I just told you, no.'
'Why?' Olivia looked at him pleadingly, her eyes red from crying and her clothes drenched in a mixture of spilled water and vomit. 'Why not?'
'Excuse me?' He yanked the bottle away and shoved her backwards, a sense of anger rising in his chest and any sympathy he'd felt for her long gone. All that crying and vulnerability, she was just manipulating you, the whole time she knew exactly what she was doing, and you fell for it, you actually fell for it, you let her get into your head, you utter idiot... 'What do you mean why not?'
'I...' Olivia looked at him in confusion. 'I... I don't...'
'What?' He sat back, his eyes cold and voice dangerously quiet. 'You don't what, Olivia?'
'I...' Olivia started to cry again. 'I don't understand...'
'You don't UNDERSTAND?' He felt a burst of rage and threw the last of the water in her face, hurling the bottle to the other side of the room. Manipulative bitch, how dare she pull this shit with me, I can't believe I fucking fell for it... 'YOU DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND?'
Olivia blinked in surprise. 'No, I-'
'You MANIPULATIVE BITCH!' He slapped her hard across the face, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back up as she reeled away from him. 'YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING?'
Olivia just shook her head wordlessly, her eyes wide with fear, and he let out a cry of rage and hit her hard in the face, her head flying backwards and striking the concrete floor with a loud, painful thud.
She had no idea what happened after that.
x - x - x - x - x - x
'For fuck's sake...' Elliot gritted his teeth and looked at his watch for the hundredth time. If she doesn't get here soon then we're going to end up with the crappiest sedan on the lot...
Where the fuck is she?
He shook his head.
Fuck knows.
'Hey, Elliot, you seen Liv?' Fin walked into the room and tossed his jacket onto his chair. 'I need her to sign off on something before I head over to court.'
I wish. 'Nope.' Elliot sighed. 'She's not here yet.' You'd think she'd at least bother to call in to tell me, hell, she's been late every fucking morning the past few days and I'll be damned if she'll tell me why...
Fin frowned. 'Have you tried calling her?'
Elliot rolled his eyes. Well, I don't know, what the fuck do you think? 'Only thirty times or so...'
'Maybe she's still sick,' offered Munch, leaning back in his chair and fiddling with a pencil. 'God knows yesterday she was as sick as a dog...'
'Maybe.' Elliot looked at his watch again. Sick or not, it would really be nice if she'd bother to call and let me know for once, however weird she's been lately... He sighed to himself. The past few days Olivia hadn't been acting like herself at all - mood swings, being distant, barely talking to anyone - and this was just yet more of her crap that he really didn't need to have to put up with right now.
'Stabler?' The mail guy walked into the room, sack of letters in hand.
Elliot pushed down a fresh wave of irritation and raised his hand. 'Here.' He's been working here long enough, you'd think he knew my name by now, hell, the vent guy who came in the other day knew my name and I don't even remember having ever seen him before, for God's sake...
'Cool.' The mail guy tossed a large brown padded envelope into Elliot's lap. 'Someone dropped it off for you at the front desk last night.'
Elliot sighed, picked it up and looked at it. His name was scrawled awkwardly on the front in dark blue Sharpie, the handwriting oddly blocky and uneven. Fantastic. Another crank. He rolled his eyes again, tore it open and stuck his hand inside.
What-
He froze, a sense of dread rising in his chest.
'What is it, Elliot?' Munch leaned forward, a look of interest on his face.
Elliot took a deep breath, slowly withdrew his hand from the envelope and peered inside. His stomach lurched. 'John, I need you to go and get the Captain. Now.'
'Why?' Munch looked concerned. 'What is it? It's not a bomb or something?'
Elliot silently held the envelope upside down and shook the contents out onto his desk, the cold, hard feeling of dread settling heavily in his gut as he stared at Olivia's SVU ID lying on his desk, strands of her hair tangled around the edges of her shield.
Oh my God.
A/N: So... more?