Chapter Two: Ground Work

Residence of A.D.A. Cabot, Detective Benson and Jess O'Malley

310 Central Park West

Tuesday, May 10th, 06:01

Jess reached over and grabbed her iPhone off the bedside table to her right. Without opening her eyes she moved her thumb over the device and managed to shut the alarm off. She sighed slightly and fell back into sleep.

Alex woke before the alarm went off. She slowly leaned back and found her cell phone on the bedside table. She brought it to her face and used her thumb to maneuver around in the menus. She shut the alarm function off and dropped the phone behind her. Alex placed her arm back over Olivia and her hand rested on the detective's. Five minutes…just five more minutes.

"Why'd you do that?" Olivia asked in a sleepy tone.

"Do what, baby?" Alex held her girlfriend a little tighter but spoke in an equally sleepy tone.

"Move…"

"I'm sorry, Liv. Shhhh…go back to sleep." Alex nuzzled her lover's neck.

"Wha time is it?" Olivia was struggling to stay awake.

"Time to sleep." Alex cooed.

"Liar…" Olivia whispered.

Alex giggled. "How did you know?"

"Mmmmm…you let go of my hand and you're playing with my nipple." It was said in a lazy but far more alert tone.

"Oh, so I am." Alex said quietly as she pinched a little.

"Hhhhhaaaa…how much time do we have…" Olivia exhaled.

"Enough for me to make love to you…" Alex slid her left hand down her detective's hard stomach and tried to push it between her thighs.

"That's not good enough." Olivia mused. She turned quickly to face her lover. She opened her eyes and was met by electric blue ones. "I want us to make love." The brunette captured Alex's soft lips in a kiss. It was sweet and playful. The A.D.A. pushed gently and Olivia let her tongue in to explore.

Olivia let her right hand roam down Alex's tight stomach. She tried to force it between the alabaster thighs and was only granted access when Alex lifted her left leg and placed her foot flat on the bed. The tall blonde demanded the same of her lover. Olivia lifted her right leg and placed her foot flat on the bed. She and the detective slipped their hands over each other's navels and down each other's abdomens. They reached the other's clits at the same time and started to play.

The kiss broke as they started to concentrate on other things. It felt so good. They grinded against each other as they stimulated the other's clit.

"I'm going to make you come." Alex breathed hard.

"Not if I m…ake you come f…first." Olivia panted.

They pushed a finger inside the other at the same time as they thrust together.

"Hhhh….harder." Alex whined.

"I w…ant…moore…" Olivia begged.

With that they each sunk another finger inside the other with ease. They grinded harder against each other but it wasn't enough. Olivia pushed as hard as she could against her girlfriend and made her fall on to her back on the bed. The detective landed between her legs. She immediately spread her own legs wider, forcing Alex's up and farther apart.

"Yeeessss." Alex hissed as a third finger was pushed inside her. She started to buck her hips.

Olivia leaned over the blonde and put her left hand down on the bed for leverage. With her legs spread wider Alex sunk a third finger inside her sex. The detective bent her head down slightly and started to thrust her hips in time with Alex's. "Uhhhh, uhhhh, uhhhh…so close."

"Meeee, toooo. Dooon't st…stoppp, Liiivvv." Alex panted.

Their pace became frenzied the closer they got to their orgasms. It became harder to concentrate with all the pleasure. Olivia found one of the pink nippless of her lover and sucked at it.

"Uhhhh…uhhhh…harder." Alex begged.

The detective sucked harder and even bit down slightly on the little erect mound. Alex grabbed the small of Olivia's back with her right hand and forced her down. The detective's abdomen came in contact with blonde's wrist. The more Alex pushed her down the hard the contact became. Olivia started to rock back and forth on her girlfriend's wrist. The feeling of her lower abdomen against something so hard made the detective squeal with pleasure.

"Awww…awww…yeeessss…f…uck…I'm gonnnna commme."

They held on as long as they could. Alex couldn't take the sensation in her sex and on her nipple any longer. The walls of her sex contracted around Olivia's fingers. Alex held her right hand against her lover's lower back. The pleasure the blonde was giving her; not only inside her but also by forcing her pelvic bone across her wrist with every thrust became too much. Olivia finally let go and rode out her orgasm. She collapsed against the A.D.A.

"Good morning, Counselor." It came out in a deep tone that drove Alex crazy.

"Good morning, Detective."

The pair showered and headed to the kitchen where they expected to see their daughter and a pot of coffee; they found neither. Olivia walked in first and turned on the light. She walked over to the coffee maker and turned it on. Alex strode in after. "Its 6:45, why isn't Jess up?"

Olivia shrugged and turned to her girlfriend. She leaned against the counter. "Not sure. She did this twice last week to me when you were up in Albany. I had to go into her room and wake her."

Alex had pulled two mugs out of a cupboard and walked to her lover. She set the mugs on the counter but was in her detective's personal space. "She did this to me yesterday. You were already gone but when I came into the kitchen she wasn't up yet. I had to go and wake her." The A.D.A. picked Olivia up under her backside and set her on the counter. She stood between the brunette's thighs and kissed her. When the kiss ended Olivia spoke first. "Do you think we should be worried about her?"

With a raised brow the blonde spoke. "I'm concerned because it's not like her. We've known her for almost a year and she has never repeatedly slept in like this."

The detective sighed as she looked into the beautiful blue eyes of her girlfriend behind the black framed glasses. "I mean it's clear she doesn't want to wake up, she's not setting her alarm on purpose. Why?"

"I don't know. Think we should talk to her about it?"

"Not sure it would make a difference. Jess needs to come to us on her own time. I think we have forced her enough over the last few months to say and do things." Olivia put her hands on Alex's shoulders. "I'll go get her. It's way too late to make a full breakfast. It'll be cereal or Eggos this morning."

Alex kissed her detective and then moved so she could hop down off the counter. Olivia left the kitchen and headed for Jess's bedroom. She opened the door and found the teen sound asleep on her stomach in bed. There was enough light in the room that Olivia could maneuver with ease. She walked over to the bed and lay down on the side that was empty. The detective stroked Jess's hair. The tiny brunette felt the light touch and a small grin appeared on her lips. She inhaled the faint scent of Olivia's shampoo mixed with perfume.

When Jess didn't move the detective pulled the covers back slowly and exposed the teen's back. She was clad in light blue tank-top. Olivia looked down at the name scrolled across her daughter's left shoulder blade. 'Benson'. Jess had been honest about what she used the money that she had gotten from the guys in the squad, her Aunt Abbie and Casey Novak for. She and Alex had been furious with her. Jess was only 16; it was completely illegal for her to get a tattoo. What's done is done and the tattoos were a bell that couldn't be un-rung. As Olivia looked at the black letters now she was far less angry. She had worried and fought so hard for the piece of paper legally connecting her and Jess forever; the detective could understand why her daughter would want something like the tattoo to solidify their bond.

Olivia ran her right hand over her last name that was permanently etched on Jess. It was flattering in a totally illegal sort of way. "Wake up, Jessie." She whispered.

Jess moved into her pseudo mother's personal space. "Don't want to." She said in a sleepy tone.

The detective rubbed her daughter's back. "It's time, Kid."

"Nu-uh. Just stay here with me." Jess nuzzled Olivia's stomach as she spoke.

"Can't sweetheart." She giggled at the tickling sensation. "I have work and you have school then work then homework."

"Can I please come to the squad room today and study?" Jess took a handful of Olivia's shirt in her left fist and snuggled tight against the detective.

"We talked about this already. We're working a case with Narcotics and I don't want you in the bullpen until the case is closed."

"I'm not gonna talk, I just wanna study." The statement came out in a half-whine half-sad tone.

"Jessie," Olivia stroked the teen's hair knowing she was taking it personally that she wasn't allowed at the station house. "The squad is not a place for kids. While the guys have gotten use to you being there it's still not common practice. The detectives from Narcotics aren't going to understand. If they take it to their Captain that you're hanging out there, Cragen could get in a lotta trouble."

"Okay, I get it." She said in a defeated tone. Over the last two weeks Jess had become unbelievably busy. School was wrapping up and there were final projects and papers due in every class; not to mention exams next week. She had therapy and vocal lessons once a week, work after school every day and now she was being denied one of the only places that brought her peace.

Olivia sighed. "I'll make you a deal. When you leave work today call me. If the NARCs are out in the field you can come by and study. El and I are working a separate case so it's possible they'll be out and we'll be in."

Jess smiled and pushed Olivia onto her back as she rolled on top of her. "Thanks, Livie."

The brunette looked up into the green eyes that seem very awake now and smiled. "You're welcome."

When they joined Alex in the kitchen the coffee was ready and she had poured Olivia a cup. Jess made bagels for breakfast and joined the older women at the kitchen table with a mug of chocolate milk. Alex looked at her. "What's on the docket for today?"

"I have an exam prep classes in trigonometry and English. Then I'm headed down to work. Morales needs some help with a code. After that it's to WKA Inc for an hour with the band and then the squad to study." Jess took a bite from her bagel.

Alex looked at Olivia over her glasses as she spoke to their daughter. "You're going to the squad?"

"Only if the NARCs aren't there." Jess cleared her throat hoping to take attention off Olivia. "What's on the docket for you today?"

It worked. The A.D.A. looked at the smaller brunette. "Two arraignment hearings before lunch and then prep in the afternoon. I'll be home for dinner so if the NARCs are at the station house come home."

Jess nodded. "Will do. Aunt Abbie's coming next Monday. Is there gonna be another poker night?"

Olivia and Alex looked at each other. "God, I hope not." They said in unison.

"Why?" Jess narrowed her eyes. "It was so funny."

"Yeah, for you maybe." Alex said with a raised right eyebrow as she looked at her daughter.

"You weren't drinking the shots and you weren't hung-over the next day."

Jess's eyes widened. "That wasn't my choice." She pointed to Olivia. "You wouldn't let me drink." She put her hand on her chest. "I would have taken my shots."

"And that would have been illegal, not to mention a poor parenting choice on our part." Alex said trying to defuse the blame game before it got started.

"Lots of parents let their kids drink before they are 21. It's not like I wanted to get wasted at a party somewhere. I wanted to take my shots in the poker game here at home." Jess tried to remain calm in the hopes that next time they might let her drink.

"I understand that you wanted to play the game. Jess, you're 16 and that's just too young to get drunk even if it is at home with me and Alex around." Olivia said. "Maybe when you're a little older."

She had learned not to push Olivia. The detective always won especially when the A.D.A. agreed with her. Jess shrugged and went back to eating her breakfast.

Manhattan's SVU Squad Room

Tuesday, May 10th, 09:52

Cragen walked into the bullpen from his office. "I need an update on the Carlos Ramirez cases."

Detective Craig Luck looked up from the desk he now sat behind. It was next to his old partner Fin. Across from Luck was his current partner Detective Curtis Martin, who was sitting at a desk beside Munch. "Yes, Sir. The club and piano bar are usually pretty quiet during the day as neither is open. We are going to start surveillance tonight about an hour before each place opens."

The Captain nodded. "What time do they open?"

Fin looked at him. "Island opens around 9PM and Mojito opens around 7PM."

"Why are we staking out the piano bar?" Cragen folded his arms across his chest.

Curtis addressed the Captain. "We're pretty sure he's running the drugs out of Island and the girls out of Mojito. In the last contact we had with our CI he said there were private rooms in the back of Mojito where the Johns take the girls."

Munch looked over his glasses at the Captain. "We're gonna need more manpower. Surveillance is only going to get us so far. We need two teams, one for each location. They are going to have to infiltrate and actually participate in a set-up at each place."

Luck looked at everyone but ended at the Captain. "We may have enough people in Narcotics to take Island; it's what we're trained to do." He shook his head. "Mojito is something else. We're not trained to handle the victims the way this squad is."

Cragen nodded and looked at Luck. "Round up a team of your people and start to infiltrate Island. I'm aware the case is about taking down Ramirez's empire and the locations are linked because of that but that doesn't mean we have to be on top of each other. It only means we have to work in tandem."

The Detectives nodded at him. Fin spoke next. "We'll set up our own team. One of us can go in undercover. We have a lot of intel, thanks to Narcotics. Lucia," Fin held up a surveillance photo taken with a telephoto lens from outside Mojito. "is Ramirez's girlfriend."

The Captain looked at the photo. "Whatta wanna bet she's on the wrong side of legal."

Fin set the picture down. "I know we have to work in tandem with the bust at Island but we need to make this happen…now."

Luck looked at him. "I wouldn't be so quick to roll up in there. Ramirez and his business manager, Juan Rios, are very slippery, very smart and very dangerous. We've been building the drug case against them for nine months. We came across the prostitution ring about a month ago and only last week got a guy in there to turn on Ramirez and help us."

Fin looked at Luck. "Can you put us in contact with your guy?"

The detective nodded. "Sure."

Cragen nodded and unfolded his arms. "We take this slow for the next few days. I still want surveillance on both places tonight. Fin, Munch I want you both at Mojito since we'll be taking the prostitution of minors collar. Luck, Curtis you two take Island."

The foursome nodded and the Captain turned to Olivia and Elliot. "What is happening with the Andrews case?"

The partners looked across their desks at each other and then at their Captain. "We're sure Liam Andrews is being abused." Olivia said.

"What makes you so sure?" Cragain asked.

"His teacher called us with concerns. I mean what elementary school teacher in the public system with 37 kids in her class calls the cops with concerns if there isn't an obvious reason." Elliot said.

Cragen crossed his arms again. "Well, what were the teacher's concerns?"

Olivia's eyes widen slightly at the tone her Captain had taken. The detective looked through her notepad. "Ms. Burrows said that Liam is terrified of his mother when she picks him up."

"Define terrified."

Benson read further. "She says that he looks sad most of the time but when he sees his mother he looks scared. She also said he won't sit for long periods of time even when he is told to."

"So he looks scared and he's defiant. You two have spent three days on this case you must have something else besides this kid not wanting to sit when he is told to."

Stabler nodded as he referred to his notepad. "We canvassed the building he and his mother live at. The neighbor directly below their apartment says that she can hear Candice, the mother, screaming at Liam late at night. She's says the screaming is always followed by the shower running."

Benson flipped the pages of her notepad. "We called DCFS and no one has ever laid a complaint against Candice Andrews so there's no history of abuse."

"Did you talk to Liam Andrews when you saw him in his classroom?" Cragen asked.

Elliot looked up. "We can't without his mother's consent. We didn't want to tip her off that the teacher had concerns or that she called us."

"You won't be able to obtain his medical records without his mother's permission either." Cragen sighed. "What are we thinking?"

Stabler threw his notepad on his desk. "This kid is being abused."

Olivia nodded. "He had that withdrawn look. He keeps to himself and doesn't talk in class."

Elliot ran his right hand over his jaw and inhaled. "Why wouldn't he sit in class?" He exhaled. "That's not normal; he's four years old. My gut's tellin' me this kid is being hurt."

"He's a little boy who is terrified by his mother. Maybe she's hitting in places that are covered by his clothing; like his backside."

"That would explain why he doesn't want to sit-down, it hurts too much." Elliot said with a raised brow.

"We need more than your gut, a theory about abuse and a teacher's concerns. Find something concrete in the next 24 hours or turn your concerns over to DCFS. We can't investigate this without a complaint or evidence."

The pair nodded and Cragen went back to his office.

Outside of WKA Inc.

Meatpacking District, Manhattan

Tuesday, May 10th, 14:45

Richard had been finished school for about a week. It was the first time he had accompanied his girlfriend to her vocal lesson. Jess was very talented and he had enjoyed listening to her work with her vocal coach. As they walked east on West 13th Street in order to run into 8th Avenue they walked right past Island, the club they liked to dance at. Jess looked up at the building she passed in the daylight once a week now. "It's looks so much different during the day."

"No kidding. You'd never know it was the hottest club in New York." Richard grinned.

"Thank you." A man said as he exited a car that was parked at the curb in front of the club.

The young man narrowed his eyes. "You're welcome." He said causally as he stood somewhat in front of his girlfriend.

"Please, don't be worried. My name is Carlos, I own Island." He smiled nicely at the pair.

"Seriously?"

"No way."

Both teens were stunned.

"It's true. And I really mean it, thank you for the compliment."

"Sir, we love your club." Richard said smiling.

"We really do. We come here whenever we can." Jess smiled.

"I thought you two looked familiar. You're the under-agers who keep getting into my club. I've seen you in our security footage." Carlos Ramirez said with a slight grin.

The smiles on the teens' faces disappeared. "We're sorry, Sir." Jess said

"Really sorry. We just like coming here so much."

"We never drink; we just dance." The young woman tried to explain.

Carlos held up his hands to get them to stop falling over themselves. "I know, I know." He smiled at them. "How do you think you keep getting into my club?"

Richard answered. "Because we pay off your bouncers?"

The well-dressed man laughed. "My club pulls in millions of dollars. Do you really think slipping my bouncers a Grant is really gonna get two minors into the establishment?"

"If it's not the money than what does get us in?" Jess asked slightly annoyed he was laughing at them.

"Me." Carlos said simply. "I let you in."

"Why?" Jess asked. The guy seemed nice enough but she was irritated they had blown 50 bucks a night to get into a club that it appeared now they hadn't needed to buy their way into.

"Seems crazy, right?" Carlos had to play it cool, these kids were practically adults and where being raised by Detectives. The background Juan had dug up on these two was very helpful. He expected questions from them. "Why risk getting caught by the cops for having minors in my club? Truth is you guys are good."

Richard furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"The way you dance. People like to watch you dance. In all honesty I was going to have you both thrown out of Island the first night you walked in here. You tore up the dance floor and people started watching you, ordering drinks and dancing. Sales went up that night. When you both came in the next Saturday it was the same deal. We were at capacity early and liquor sales were up over the week before. You two started showing up pretty regularly and our sales went up accordingly. Truth be told, I should probably start paying you both for your performances."

Both teens had grins on their faces. "Maybe you should start by just letting us in, minus the Grant." Jess cocked her right brow as she spoke.

Carlos smiled. "Consider it done. What are you two doing out here now. You normally come on Friday or Saturday night."

"Oh, we're coming from WKA Inc. down the street." Richard pointed behind him.

"You're recording an album?" Carlos feigned interest.

"No, no…nothing like that. I'm taking vocal lessons there."

"You sing?" He smiled sweetly at the young woman that piqued his interest so much.

Jess shrugged. "I guess."

"She really can sing. She's just shy." Richard interjected.

"Huh…really? What kind of music do you sing?"

The tiny brunette looked down at the sidewalk. "I concentrated on stuff accompanied by piano for two months and for the last three I've been working with a band. My coach says that working with just the piano was the best way to learn and build my confidence." Jess shrugged. "She's right, I couldn't have started with a band right away."

"I'd love to hear you sing sometime. I actually own a piano bar called Moijto. I'm always looking for new talent. You should come by sometime and sing for me." Carlos pulled out his wallet from the back pocket of his dress pants.

"I'm not sure. I'm not really good." Jess said still looking down at the sidewalk.

"Nonsense." Carlos said as he pulled out a card from the wallet. He offered it to Jess. "Please, take my card. Call me soon and we'll set up an appointment at Moijto. It's the very least I could do given all the money you've sunk into Island."

That made Jess smile. She looked up and took the card from him. He smiled and looked at Richard. "As her manager, I trust you will be accompanying her to the meeting."

The young man nodded and smiled.

"Good. Whenever you're ready Ms.?"

"O'Malley. And this is my manager, Mr. Stabler."

Carlos shook both teenagers' hands and they said goodbye. They watched him walk up the stairs and unlock the doors to Island. "I can't believe we just met the owner of Island!" Jess grinned as she faced her boyfriend.

"I can't believe he wants you to sing for him. You really should, you know. It would be a good chance for you to get out there and sing for someone."

Jess shrugged. "Maybe."

They continued on their way towards 8th Avenue in order to catch the subway. Jess called Olivia for the status of the NARCs that had invaded the bullpen. She explained that they had gone home early to sleep because they were on detail later that night. At the subway the couple parted ways. Richard was going home and Jess was going to the stationhouse.