They made the trip to the hospital and the little girl began to cling to her leg as they walked through the doors. Reception directed them through to the pediatrics floor where they were put in a waiting room; Julia's face was pressed into the back of her knees as she spoke with the nurse.
She held Maggie and coaxed the girl into a chair, she stood beside her keeping her baby sister close to focus the girl. Olivia wanted to growl as they waited, Julia was nervous and she was trying to play with Maggie but her fear was evident; she was beginning to wish she brought her badge.
Finally a young nurse entered with a cart, the woman tried to give the little girl a encouraging smile but Julia shrunk back. " Hi my name is Leane, are you Julia?"
The girl was reverting to her silent coping mechanisms, a nod in response. The nurse put on gloves and set up the table. " Can you climb up here for me?"
The little girl obeyed still without a word, but Olivia was fixed with the haunting blue stare as the child tried to ease away from the nurse's hands. She knew the child was asking for help, pulling the chair over she sat beside the exam table; balancing Maggie in her lap.
" Julia, Leane is only trying to help you. We want the people who hurt you to go to jail and never be able to touch you again. No little girl should have the scars you do. I promise I'm going to stay right here, I really want to say its not going to hurt but I can't be sure. If it does you can squeeze my hand really hard. Okay?" She felt a bond with the little girl, they had bridged a gap in the night and Olivia wanted with everything she had to take her place.
" Okay." The softest whisper came from the little girl who reached out to touch her baby sister again.
The nurse gave them both a reassuring smile and coaxed Julia into a tiny hospital gown that was still multiple sizes to big. Julia recoiled every time the woman's hand brushed her skin; the little girl didn't trust the new person.
" Okay, how about I make you a deal? If I do it to you, I do it to Olivia first? I promise nothing I need to do today will hurt. We are going to take some special pictures." The nurse encouraged the little girl.
Olivia raised her eyebrows silently but didn't argue.
Julia looked to her silently and nodded, a tiny hand snaked out for her own. The nurse nodded and picked up a camera and little ruler thing; she had seen them a thousand times. The woman gestured to her neck, she brushed her hair over her shoulder; it was a small old scar.
" See the line, I'm just going to set this against it, so that we have a size comparison. It doesn't hurt at all." The woman snapped a picture and took it away. " Think that'd be okay?"
The little girl nodded, allowing herself to be turned around. Olivia watched as the scars on Julia's back were documented, she swallowed hard as she recognized a couple of the weapons marks. There were bruises at different stages of healing, someone had beat the kid with a belt.
When the nurse took down the front of the gown the little girl balked but eventually relented. She didn't blink but she wanted to look away, silently Olivia held Julia's hand.
That done the nurse set the camera down, and picked up a new tool. Olivia watched this too, she recognized it but didn't see it used as often. The camera picked up marks that didn't surface in bruises but remained under the surface for hours to days.
Again it was pointed first to her and a photo of her chest was snapped to prove it safe, then used on Julia; the child had resigned herself to it. After that it was x-rays and Julia just eyed her silently as she was taken away, Olivia stayed as close as she could.
When it was finally over she handed Maggie to Julia for a tight hug and then scooped both up and left the hospital behind. Hiking to the subway she boarded the train and headed for the precinct. The girls could sit at her desk while she forced some answers out of her Captain.
She took a spot near the door and kept the girls between her body and the wall bracing her hip against the empty seat. Olivia was relieved to get off and walk up out of the subway and down the block to the precinct.
The place was so familiar she often referred to it as the house, just as many cops did; there was no intimidation factor to her. Yet to a little girl she could understand why it was scary, she reassured Julia softly; telling her it was just where she worked and there would be no more poking or prodding.
On the squad room floor she oriented the girls in the chair at her desk, the room was strangely empty. Pointing out a picture of herself and her mother then opening a drawer Julia had her badge and was holding it up for Maggie to see.
Promising to come right back she slipped into Cragen's office. Her boss was sitting at his desk, his attention on a form in front of him. " I need some answers and nobody is to keen on giving them. I spent a couple hours on the phone with her and now after spending the night with her I know her being that talkative is out of character.
When the baby woke up for a bottle last night she told me it was okay because she would stop eventually; she was just hungry. The five year old weighs about as much as my purse and is skin, bone and scars. Where the hell did you find them and who did that to them?"
Her anger boiled over as she approached the man who called her within the first hours of her time off and then dragged her out of bed hours later. She didn't mean it and she knew he was aware of that; his face said he felt for her. Her guilt hit her instantly, the man was practically the only father she had ever known; yet she needed to know.
" Julia and Maggie Dysvoln, daughters of Margaret and Dennis Dysvoln of Dysvoln Inc. They are rich, spoiled and influential, an old family in the city. They do as they please and they see their daughters as toys.
Rumor is they had a son first, a body was found earlier this week when the late Joan Dysvoln was laid to rest; it was in the family grave. About the size of a six year old, DNA was a match on the maternal side; partial match to an aunt in the system.
Child Protective Services already had a file started and when it came to our door they turned up immediately. Anyway we made a call to the home and through and got a housekeeper who redirected to the nanny. Long story short nanny is in a coma, Daddy has some bruised knuckles and that little girl got the phone and her sister and managed to get back into their room of horrors and were shut there.
Family did damage control and by the time we arrived there was no sign of the kids, nanny or housekeeper; we had to talk our way into an immaculate home. Our only probable cause was on the phone with you. The route to the room was in the master bedroom under the floorboards; it was a hell hole.
Anyway open threats have been made against the children's lives and the parents fully intend to regain custody by any means possible. They have been arraigned and have an appearance in family court, we are building the case against them for their son; Warner has ruled homicide. Kid was cut up something horrible.
I want them with you because you can keep them safe and I can put your life on trial and know the defense can throw all the stones they want; they won't get those kids back. Olivia keep your gun handy, these people have the money to hire multiple people to try and get them back." Cragen had rounded his desk and his voice was firm; a knot formed in the pit of her stomach.
" The second they get to my job they have a huge opening, not to mention how they were placed. Have you seen that child's body? I hope they come for the girl's themselves; I won't hesitate." She growled.
" Olivia your job wont be the issue anymore. You no longer work directly with our squad, your papers are in; I put you in for promotion. You are on the review team, you will still work with us and we will call you when we need you but you can work from home.
Go over the old cases, you are one of three detectives assigned. You'll work with a ADA and re-investigate cases up for appeal, with big holes and work through your assigned list. You wont be assigned any of your old cases, you will still work tours with us; two to five shifts a month.
Other than that you make a home office, keep a phone handy and read old notes, look for loop holes and hand out the leads that need to be closed. I know you, you want the truth and the fact you went for it on your own case helped the board make the decision that you can do this. I will still be your CO, this will still be your unit but you deserve this and you will be good at it.
I was going to give you your vacation and then let you know. But when they throw your job at you tell them, it is confirmed I will testify as will the chief of detectives. You are assigned to the case review board as of two days ago.
And Liv, if you have anyone in your home you don't want; you take your shot. Those kids are in protective custody; yours. I know you can handle yourself and those kids. Fight for them, they need somebody." Cragen reached into his stack of files and handed her one.
She flipped it open, it was her new orders, taking the page directed to her she handed the file back silently; stunned. " My custody, I will keep them the duration of the trial? They will be wards of the state?"
" Unquestionably, no one will let them go back to that house but that doesn't mean there wont be a fight. But everyone here wants this for you, even people you might not think of; keep your phone handy.
And Olivia they don't have your identity yet, so keep your guard but lay low; the media will be all over this."
She nodded, Olivia had all that she needed. " They're mine."
Forcing her composure a plan was forming in her mind. Folding the sheet up she stuffed it in her pocket to get the details later. Checking over her desk, her piece locked in the bottom drawer, she had a spare at home. Tucking her badge away she glanced at it; this had been her place for over thirteen years and it no longer was. It made sense, she was an extra and it was hard to partner with new people after Elliot; especially when they were so young.
The squad was changing, she wasn't going to fight her new role; not when it enabled her to give two precious children refuge. With her desk left as it was to be she scooped the girl's up again. " Are you ready for lunch?"
Eyes got big, and Julia nodded, one arm curling around Olivia's neck. It was comforting in a sense, the little girl expected to ride her hip and was content to be there. They left the precinct and headed down the street to McDonald's.
Julia was clearly overwhelmed by the menu so Olivia just got her a kids meal; maybe someday she would be ready to choose. It wasn't her favourite place but she got a greasy burger and ate it; Julia was thrilled and the toy was even more exciting.
When they finished eating they headed down to the store. Olivia was determined to make these kids her own. They got child sized dishes and kid friendly food. Then there was shoes and jackets, finally she took the girl's into the toy isle.
Maggie was easy, her sister offered a fluffy rabbit toy and the baby latched onto it. Julia took a little longer but Olivia was more than okay with it. The girl considered a doll but was clearly torn between it and a fluffy stuffed dog; she picked up both.
The haunted gaze never completely left the child's eyes but emotions showed clearly too. The child was ecstatic, Olivia had earned herself the most innocent and sincere hug she could ever remember. Holding the child against her she wanted to cry, this sweet little girl didn't expect much from people and she hated that.
They also picked up a game as well as a couple books. Julia shied away from making the choices so Olivia picked books she knew; they would have a few things to do at the apartment. When they were done they took the subway home. Olivia carried Maggie and Julia stood with her doll, one arm wrapped around her knee; she braced herself against the pole.
She watched the little girl watch people, eyes roved the people with them in the car. If anyone met her gaze the little girl hid her face in Olivia's knee, waited a moment and than checked them out again. An old woman smiled at her and Julia eased herself behind Olivia's leg a little.
She smiled and reached for the child's hand as their stop approached. Julia glued herself to Olivia's side as they made their way up to the street; still the little girl was looking around a little more. They got up to her building and Julia bounced up the stairs getting only one or two steps ahead of her.
Finally home Olivia helped Julia free her doll from the packaging, it came with a brush and some little outfits. The girl curled into the hole on the couch with the doll and her stuffy, cooing to her new friends quietly.
Smiling she opened a jar of baby food and fished a bottle from the fridge. Taking residence on the other end of the couch she fed Maggie her lunch, once the girl finished she burped her and cuddled her into her arms.
The baby settled for her nap and Olivia smiled, stroking the girl's downy head; she loved the baby's hair. Both girls had blond hair, Julia's was long and it hadn't been cut in a long time, it hung to her mid back. Maggie's was just starting to grow but it promised to be the same colour with a little wave to it. Holding the girl close she compared her tiny features to her sister's and memorized them both.
Julia played for a little while and then curled around her friends and fell asleep in her little nest. It had been a big day yesterday for the girls and they had not gotten enough sleep. Olivia finally felt herself relax a little bit.
She must have drifted off because it was her phone buzzing that woke her up, thankfully before it bothered either of the girls. Holding Maggie to her chest she scrambled to get it; hoping Julia would keep her eyes closed.
" Benson." She answered, keeping her voice soft. She slipped into the bedroom and eased Julia into the playpen; taking the phone into the office.
" Olivia, its Elizabeth Donelley. I had an interesting conversation this morning with a friend; he heard that you will be in family court. I snooped, a little surprised; you usually turn up in criminal court. I looked into the case, do you have any idea the mess you are getting into?" The woman's voice was hard even through the phone, Olivia didn't know her well but was fully aware that she was no one to be messed with.
" No, but I also don't really care. These kids need someone to show them some love and the little girl sleeping on my couch needs to know that not all grown ups will hurt her. She is practically a mother to her baby sister, so I'll do what it takes." She replied honestly but firmly; she wasn't about to try to read the other woman's motives.
" Good. My schedule is clear for the afternoon, I'll be at your place in twenty." The woman replied, Olivia felt her jaw drop.
" You have my address?" She was stunned and confused.
" I have everything on you that is public record or given up by your captain."