PART 3

INT. PRECINCT- DAY

Elliot is sitting at his desk, his nose stuck in a file. The phone rings.

ELLIOT Stabler. Uh huh.

He snaps at Munch and Fin. They stand beside him.

ELLIOT Yeah. Yeah... ok. He hangs up.
MUNCH What's up?
ELLIOT I think it was the perp.
MUNCH The perp? What'd he say?
ELLIOT He wants to meet me. He wants to talk. FIN I'll tell the Cap-
ELLIOT No!... I'll tell him.

Munch and Fin back off warily. Elliot walks to Cragen's office. Olivia appears inside the precinct, she hangs her coat. Munch and Fin watch her take a seat across from Elliot's desk.

FIN Welcome back.
OLIVIA Thanks. Did I miss anything?
MUNCH Just the occasional brush with fate.

OLIVIA That's it?

Elliot comes back into the main room, he glances at Olivia, grabs his coat and is out.

Cragen smiles at Olivia.
OLIVIA What do you want me to do, Cap?
CRAGEN Just, uh- just.
OLIVIA Desk job?

CRAGEN For at least another week.
OLIVIA Okay.
Cragen disappears into his office.

OLIVIA Anything I can help you guys with?
Fin shakes his head.
MUNCH Not at the moment.
OLIVIA (sighs)Ok.

INT. COFFEE SHOP- DAY

Elliot sits at a table with the perp who shot Olivia.
ELLIOT What ya want?
MAN I'll give you a...a lead. On something huge.

The man laughs nervously.

ELLIOT Like what?
MAN A ring of pedophiles. All working as a joined network to smuggle abducted children to each other. Used and tossed when done.

ELLIOT In return?
MAN We forget the shooting.
ELLIOT Goodbye.

Elliot gets up to leave, the man remains cool.

MAN One woman's life is more important than that of innocent children being raped and smuggled?
Elliot is frozen, again caught between the perp and Olivia. He sits back down.
ELLIOT Tell me what you know right now. If it's good info, I'll try to get you leniency.
MAN That's it?
ELLIOT I think that's pretty good considering you shot a cop.

The man thinks a moment. A beat. Another beat.

ELLIOT Well?
MAN You gotta deal.

ELLIOT So?

Elliot pulls out a pad of paper.

INT. CLASSROOM- DAY

Elliot and Fin interrupt a classroom, everything is silent.

MAN (V.O) The first guy, Chris Donnel. He teaches high school, but he likes them younger.

Chris is handcuffed and dragged out of the class.

INT. FANCY ITALIAN RESTAURANT- DAY

While muted, Munch asks a waiter for someone.

MAN (V.O) Second, a manager of a fancy restaurant in Manhattan. Big tourist place. Good food, bad guy.

Munch walks out with the manager in handcuffs.

INT. COFFEE SHOP- DAY

Back to Elliot and the perp.

ELLIOT Any more?
MAN One. The worst of them all.

INT. THEATER- DAY

A class is rehearsing a play. Fin and Elliot walk up the stage and handcuff a woman.

MAN (V.O) Marie Howlet. She gets off watching those pedophiles rape innocent children. Elliot gives her an extra push out of the theater.

INT. COFFEE SHOP- DAY

ELLIOT That's the huge network?
MAN They orchestrate the whole thing.

ELLIOT And how do you know about them?
MAN My brother was abducted and killed. I had a close friend- an investigator. Before he could call in the police, the network went into hiding.
ELLIOT You know I'm gonna have to take you in, too.
MAN I know. But you made a promise, I trust you.

ELLIOT What's your name?
MAN Mark Phillips

ELLIOT Stand up and turn around. Mark Phillips you're under arrest for the shooting of Olivia Benson.

INT. PRECINCT- DAY

Cragen, Elliot, Fin and Olivia stand in a sub-room of an interrogation room.

CRAGEN Who wants who?
ELLIOT I'll take the teacher.
FIN Manager.
CRAGEN (to Olivia) Are you ok with Marie?

A beat.

OLIVIA Yeah. No problem.
CRAGEN Alright then, let's get this over with.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM 1

Elliot and Chris (40's), but handsome, sit awkwardly.

CHRIS So?

Elliot smiles.

ELLIOT Do you know why you're here?
CHRIS No.

ELLIOT Hm. Well, I was told that you're into children. Literally.
CHRIS I'm a teacher. I work with High School students all day.
ELLIOT I know... You like teaching the young ones how to bang you?
CHRIS That's sick! I've never had an incident with any student! Check my records.
ELLIOT So, do you kill them? That how you keep them quiet?
CHRIS This is ridiculous. Whoever told you this information is sick.
Elliot looks toward the mirrored glass, Cragen watches in from the other side of it.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM 2

Fin stands beside the manager, Louie (30).

FIN How many times are we gonna go through this? You raped a child, maybe two, maybe three. How many is it exactly?
LOUIE No I didn't! Check my computer, check my phones- I don't care, check anything! I never hurt a little kid!

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM 3

Olivia rests against a wall while Marie (50's) sits comfortably.
OLIVIA You don't seem very... nervous.
MARIE Why should I? I didn't do anything.
OLIVIA You raped.
MARIE I never raped nobody. I've only loved.
Olivia turns to her curiously, she sits beside her.
OLIVIA Who did you love?

A beat.

OLIVIA (louder) Who did you love?
MARIE So young-
OLIVIA How young?
MARIE 18.
OLIVIA 18?
MARIE Yes.
OLIVIA How old were you?
MARIE 24.

OLIVIA And he was 18?
MARIE He? Oh God, no. She.
OLIVIA How 'bout watching them? You like watchin' little innocent children being raped?
MARIE No! God, no!
OLIVIA I think you do. I think you are workin' a little business.
MARIE What kind of business?
OLIVIA Smuggling children to pedophiles- watching them rape over and over and over again.
MARIE No! Never! ...God help me.

A beat.

OLIVIA You're talking to the wrong person.
Olivia gets up.
MARIA Can I go now?
OLIVIA No!

She leaves. Cragen is standing outside the room. They share a look.

INT. CRAGEN OFFICE

Fin sits between Olivia and Elliot. Cragen sits behind his desk in deep thought chewing a Red Vine.

OLIVIA We've only got one connection, Cap. They all deny it.

ELLIOT Don't they always though?
OLIVIA We're all good at interrogating- you think we'd get something out of one of them after two hours.
ELLIOT I'm just saying not all perp's tell the truth.
OLIVIA Well I'm saying that maybe the perp lied. How did we get this information from him again?

Fin is worried that a fight has begun and he's sitting in the middle of it. Cragen watches each of them back and fourth- ready to break them up if it gets out of hand.

ELLIOT I made him a deal.
OLIVIA Right. I remember now, he walks for shooting me, if he tells us information about a ring of pedophiles. That may or may not even exist!
ELLIOT I'm trying to make things right!
OLIVIA Bull shit! All you ever care about is yourself! I don't know why I expected more.
ELLIOT That's not true!
OLIVIA I took a bullet for you and you visit me once in the hospital, and once after that. Thanks for the support, partner.

ELLIOT You told me to work on the case!
OLIVIA Read between the lines Elliot!
ELLIOT Read between the lines... Now that's bull shit.
OLIVIA I can see why Kathy left you.
ELLIOT What?! What did you say to me!
OLIVIA You're never there! You see things how you wanna to seem them.

CRAGEN Ok! Ok! Liv, get out. Fin walks out and holds the door open for her. OLIVIA (to Elliot) I hope your happy... 'Cuz I'm not.

The door slams behind Fin and her. Cragen watches Elliot intently. Elliot kicks the trash can with all his might, a huge dent is carved.

CRAGEN Sit down.
Cragen and Elliot sit.

ELLIOT I was just trying to do the right thing.
CRAGEN Elliot. I've been trying to tell you this without actually saying it... I'll try again... Sometimes you have to do what's wrong to make things right.

A beat

CRAGEN Do you understand that?
ELLIOT I don't know.
CRAGEN I think you should go home and think about it. I'll see you tomorrow.
ELLIOT Cap-
CRAGEN (stern) I'll see you tomorrow. Elliot nods and gets up.
ELLIOT I'll- I'll buy you a new trash can. Cragen nods.

INT. PRECINCT- NIGHT- CONTINUOUS

Elliot passes through without even glancing at Olivia. He grabs his jacket and jets. Olivia's head falls into her hands. Fin and Munch share a concerned look.

FADE TO:

INT. THERAPIST OFFICE- MORNING

Olivia takes her head out of her hands.
MARIA What happened?
OLIVIA We fought.

MARIA About what?
OLIVIA A case.

MARIA The case about your shoulder?
OLIVIA Yeah. A beat.
MARIA Why were you fighting?
OLIVIA He doesn't... He doesn't get it.

MARIA Get what?
OLIVIA Get it. He doesn't... It's like he cares about me just enough so we could be partners. And now, he either cares too much or not enough.
MARIA What do you think it is?
OLIVIA I feel like... Like I'm his mistress.
MARIA (surprised) His mistress?

OLIVIA Yeah. Like, he goes home to Kathy every night, and he's there for her when she's sick or hurt... And he's just there for me when things are ok.

MARIA Do you consider him a friend?
OLIVIA Elliot? I guess. We've talked about important things. We've eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner together.

MARIA Is that what makes up a good friend?
OLIVIA Yeah, I guess. I mean, we get along. Well we did.
MARIA Olivia, what's changed?

OLIVIA Changed?
MARIA What happened that turned your partnership, and friendship, into love?

A long beat.

MARIA Do you know?
OLIVIA Yeah. I think about it almost everyday.

MARIA What happened?

A beat.

OLIVIA We were workin' a case, two kids were abducted. We found the perp, Gitano, in a warehouse. Elliot stumbled on him first. When I came into view, Elliot was in a choke hold with gun at his temple.

INT. WAREHOUSE- NIGHT- FLASHBACK

GITANO is holding Elliot with the gun at his head. Olivia stands a few feet away with her gun pointed.

OLIVIA (V.O) Gitano had killed the kids' whole family. Point blank. And Elliot stood there yelling at me.

MARIA (V.O) What was he yelling?
OLIVIA (V.O) 'Shoot him'. Shoot him.

INT. THERAPIST OFFICE- MORNING

Back to Olivia and Maria in the office.

OLIVIA And Gitano, he kept yelling 'back off, back off!
MARIA What did you do?
OLIVIA I couldn't shoot. I couldn't shoot Elliot to get Gitano. I stood there for what seemed like hours and hours... Elliot looked at me like he never had before. I could see it in his eyes. He thought I'd take the shot. M

ARIA What happened?
OLIVIA Things started becoming blurry. I was crying... All I could do was mouth to Elliot, 'I'm sorry.
MARIA Then what?

Olivia takes a deep breath.

INT. WAREHOUSE- NIGHT- FLASHBACK Olivia is in her stance, Elliot and her have locked eyes.

The SWAT team bursts into the warehouse.

OLIVIA (V.O) SWAT. They got in there before anyone was hurt...

INT. THERAPIST OFFICE- MORNING

OLIVIA But I, I felt like I'd taken a shot to the head... three to the heart.

A beat.

MARIA Were there any other times you felt so...

OLIVIA Stricken?

MARIA Precisely.

OLIVIA There was another case. Not nearly as stressful. It was more like a moment. I'll never forget it.
MARIA What happened?
OLIVIA There was this mentally unstable man, who had abducted a boy who he thought was his son Tate. Case wasn't too bad, we found the kid in an old broken down building. Scared, but safe.
MARIA What was the moment?
OLIVIA El had called a bus. He held the boy in his arms.

INT. OLD BUILDING- DAY- FLASHBACK

Elliot holds the boy in his arms, Olivia comes to stand beside them in front of an open window.

OLIVIA (V.O) I stood beside the boy. We all stood there together, close together. Like we were a family.

INT. THERAPIST OFFICE- MORNING

OLIVIA It was.
MARIA Fulfilling?
OLIVIA Deafening.

A beat.

MARIA Olivia, do you think you can continue to be his partner?
OLIVIA I don't know.

MARIA Do you want to be?
OLIVIA ...I don't know.
MARIA I think that's enough for today, ok?
OLIVIA Yeah.

EXT. CENTRAL PARK- DAY

Olivia sits at a lone bench viewing a serene fountain. Her eyes are locked on two kids playing with their father. MAUREEN, one of Elliot's blonde daughters, appears beside her.

MAUREEN Olivia?
OLIVIA Huh?

She looks up and becomes very happy. They hug tightly.

OLIVIA Maureen! It's so good to see you! You've grown so much!
MAUREEN Ha! Thanks. Mind if I sit with you for a minute?
OLIVIA Please.

They sit next to each other on the bench.

MAUREEN How are things?
OLIVIA I don't know any more.
MAUREEN Dad told me you were shot. I can't imagine what that feels like.
OLIVIA I'm just glad to hear that you and your father talk.

Olivia nudges her with a smile, Maureen giggles.

MAUREEN It's easier now that I'm out of the house.
OLIVIA How's your mom?
MAUREEN Dating.
OLIVIA How's that going?
MAUREEN Good for her. It's taking a toll on Kathleen.
OLIVIA She's gone through a lot, both your mom and Kathleen.
MAUREEN Ya know, I just wish dad and mom hadn't got another kid. It's mom's fault though.
OLIVIA Why do you say that?
MAUREEN She knows dad. She knows what she's getting into. But she did it anyway.
OLIVIA They love each other, that's what you do for love.
MAUREEN That's the funny thing. I don't think they do. I think they did it to try to be in love again.

OLIVIA You really have grown up, Mar.

MAUREEN No one calls me Mar now days.
OLIVIA I'll always call you Mar.

Olivia puts her arm around her and squeezes her close. They let go of each other.

MAUREEN It was good seeing you, Liv. I'm suppose to meet Kathleen here, have you seen her?
OLIVIA Shouldn't she be in school?
MAUREEN Shouldn't you be at work?
OLIVIA I won't tell if you don't.

Maureen smiles and then see's KATHLEEN, Elliot's other daughter, who looks much more like his wife Kathy.

MAUREEN Kath!

KATHLEEN Hey!

They hug.

MAUREEN Look who I found!

Kathleen turns to see Olivia, her expression changes to a glare. Olivia has stood to give her a hug, but Kathleen folds her arms.

MAUREEN What's wrong with you?

KATHLEEN I don't talk to her any more. You know that.
MAUREEN Oh come on Kathleen, you know Olivia had nothing to do with mom and dad.
KATHLEEN (to Olivia) You broke them up! If it weren't for you- we'd still be a family.

MAUREEN Kathleen!
KATHLEEN You're not mom, Maureen. Get off it.
MAUREEN We're going. Sorry, Liv.
KATHLEEN I'm not sorry.
MAUREEN Let's go.

They leave. Olivia falls on the bench with a big sigh. She looks up into the sky.

OLIVIA When are you gonna give me a break?

TBC