Chapter 3
Sitting in interrogation, Grace was loving the quiet. She couldn't help but close her eyes and rest her head on her arm. She hadn't had this much peace in years.
Olivia was watching her from the other side of the one-way glass wondering what could possibly have the poor girl so worn out and hurt that she would sleep in the interrogation room. Those chairs were really uncomfortable and it was a little cold in there. The poor kid was smiling at the peacefulness when Benson and Stabler walked in and she jolted awake. Olivia smiled at her but it wasn't returned, she placed a can of soda in front of the girl and watched as Grace just frowned at it.
Grace wasn't stupid, she knew that if she drank from that can then the dtectives would have her DNA and some fingerprints and if they had those then they would work out who she was and where she lived and what she lived like. That could never happen, she had tried to tell about her life before but it just ended up worse for her. But grace was thirsty as hell. She pulled her lseeves down oer her hands and picked up the can. She stared into the detectives shocked faces and smiled. She lifted the can and poured some of the soda into her mouth without ever touching the can. She had done this a couple times. Her older brother had taught her how.
Both detectives stared at her, completely shocked as she put the can down and thanked Olivia quietly. Thoughts of having to dust the table were running through Stabler's mind, he walked out of the room and sat at his desk to try and think of other ways to get her DNA without the warrant. Then it hit him. She had to sign a statement about what had happened at the hospital and they could use the partial print they would get from the pen.
A little over 2 hours later, the pen hed been tested and they had found a rather colourful little record for 'Grace'. Her real name was Dylan Malbuhrn 16 years old. She lived on 244 5th avenue with her mom. Her brother was a convicted felon and her father and younger sister had both died. She had been arrested a total of 4 times, twice for prostitution, once for possession of drugs and once for assault. The assault charge had been filed by her mother. Dylan had supposedly kicked her down the stairs. Olivia knew what these sorts of charges could do for the defence, even if none of them were ever convicted. If she managed to actually get Dylan to admit somebody had hurt her and get her to court. The squad were bringing in the ADAs to talk to her.
Alex Cabot and Casey Novak were looking through the glass at the teenager sitting in interrogation. Alex couldn't shake the feeling that she had met the girl before but the name Dylan didn't ring any bells. Novak stood outside and observed as Cabot went in to talk to Dylan. As she walked through the door Dylan looked up. "Emily? Why are you here? Did they call you? How did they even know I...the pen. They about me don't they?" Alex stood shocked by her outburst. Olivia had told her that the kid hardly said a word, that she was really quiet when she did so she would have to listen carefully. But this girl had just called her Emily, that was her name when she was in WitSec. Alex thought she had recognised her face, she just couldn't place it. " Emily are you OK?" Dylan looked to her side as another woman, with red hair, walked through the door. "Alex? Alex do you know her? CABOT! Wake up woman!" alex remembered her now. She had been her next door neighbour in Wisconsin, she had called 911 with police distress calls many times because of the crashes and painful screams coming from their house. After about 6 months, she had managed to get her to open up but she wasn't Dylan. Her name was Lily-Grace, and as soon as she had opened up her mother had moved them away so that Alex couldn't report her or do anything to help.
Dylan was worried, she hadn't seen Emily for 4 years. And before she left she had told her everything. There was no escaping this now. She would have to tell the detectives. But as well as that, there was the other woman calling her Alex. She was certain that this was Emily. It had to be.
" Lily grace?" dylan nodded. That had been her name in Wisconsin. Her mom always changed it for school and things so that nobody could follow her around. " Alex what are you on about? That's Dylan. She's our victim. And who is Emily?" Alex ignored Casey's babbling and sat down opposite Dylan. " you were 12 the last time I saw you. You were at my house, telling me..." Dylan looked down and whispered " telling you about my family." Alex reached over and lifted Dylan's chin so she could see her face. " Dylan isn't it?" she nodded. "please tell me she stopped Dylan. When your dad came home, like you said she would." tears started to run down Dylan's face as she shook her head. " he didn't come home Emily." she sniffed and alex got up and went around the table to hold the girl as she cried. By this time Olivia and Cragen gad both come into the room and it was pretty crowded. Cragen too Casey to stand behind the glass again so that Alex and Olivia could talk to Dylan.
"Dylan, you need to tell the detectives." she watched as her eyes went wide and she shook her head. "Dylan. Olivia is nice. If you don't tell her, I will." Dylan held on to Alex tighter. "Emily why are you here? How did you know I was here? You work with an insurance company." Alex looked at the teen. She shook her head and sat her down then knelt in front of her. " Dylan, my name isn't Emily. It's Alex. I don't work for an insurance company, I'm an Assistant District Attorney for the New York Special Victims Unit. I was in Wisconsin on a Witness Protection Programme. I was shot by a criminal so they hid me until he was caught. I came back here because he died in prison. Dylan listen to me. Let me help you. I've done it before. You told me it felt good to get it off your chest and tell someone. So why are you keeping it a secret again?" Dylan just shrugged. Elliot chose that moment to burst through the door and look at Dylan.
"How long has I been since you went home Dylan?" Olivia looked shocked at the question but let the teen answer. " I had to do something for my mom yesterday after school and it took a while so I stayed over there and just went to school this morning. so...yesterday morning?" Alex frowned, she knew exactly what the 'something' was that Dylan had done. She used to do it in Wisconsin too and it made her sick to her stomach that a mother would make her child do such a thing. "Dylan you didn't. Why?" Dylan looked at her then whispered. "because it's the only way to stop her being so harsh. It's the only way I can get her...you know...and if she has her stuff she isn't as cross and if she isn't cross then she doesn't hit as hard." Alex looked at Dylan horrified. " that's prostitution Dylan. You're 16, you shouldn't do that." Dylan stood and walked over to the corner facing the wall. She was getting cross, her voice was louder this time, just above normal level but not quite a shout. " no it isn't! Prostitutes get paid. I don't. She hires me out, if I don't do it then she doesn't get money. I don't get a cent of it, she spends it all on dru-" she stops herself before she gets her mom into even more trouble. "drugs?" Alex finishes for her. Dylan nods slowly. Olivia walks up behind her and places a hand on her shoulder. Dylan flinches, turns and runs to Alex. She's crying again and just wants somebody she knows she can trust to be there for her.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay Dylan. She can't get you here." Elliot, who is still standing in the doorway watching all of this turns to Liv and says " She's been reported missing by her mother and somebody told her where she is. A Jessica Malbuhrn just turned up in the precinct looking for her daughter.
AN: oooooh a cliffy. Haha i'm a little cruel but I ran out of ideas at that point so you will have to wait until this writers block shifts, or you could review it and give me some ideas. I would love for you to do that. I'm not one of those people who will hold off a chapter until I get reviews but it might help if you gave me some ideas :)
