Two updates in less than a week! I don't know how I managed it, but I did.

It seemed like time to get into the Elliot side of this universe, so this one centers on him, his life. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It flowed really well.

Thanks again to Rach. And also, I want to thank all of you guys for the reviews. I've never actually stuck with a story for this long. You guys really do keep me going. I'm so glad to know that you are enjoying it.

Lastly, if you recognize it, I don't own it.

Chapter 4 – "Welcome to Wherever You Are"

November 16

10:15 a.m.

Elliot looked up from his paperwork and watched as his new partner, David Benes, relayed the story of the first arrest he made as a rookie with the Richmond PD to Munch and Fin. Benes had only been with the unit for a month, but was slowly growing on him. He was a good cop who didn't take any shortcuts in his work.

He was also a single dad who always managed to make time to see his nine-year-old son. After ten years with SVU, Elliot still had trouble balancing work and family. He shook his head and looked back to the file as Benes demonstrated the hip throw he'd used on his first perp on Detective Lake.

He was nearly finished with the paperwork on the case they'd just closed out when Benes tapped him on the shoulder. "You got a visitor, Stabler." Elliot turned and saw Kathleen lurking outside of the bullpen. He mumbled for a second then stood and walked to his daughter.

"I'm trying to work, Kathleen. We'll fight at the house."

"When will that be? It's not like either of us live there anymore," she mumbled in reply.

"Just tell me what I did now. I have things to do."

"At least Olivia took me seriously when she was around. She didn't assume the worst when I showed up."

"Kathleen…"

"I need you to talk to Sarah."

"Your roommate?" he asked, now concerned.

"I convinced her to talk to you before she did anything else."

"What happened to her?"

"She won't tell me. But she has a black eye, bruises on her arms and shoulders. She was fine when I left for class but now…and she won't talk to me."

"Where is she?"

"Waiting for me downstairs in the lobby. She didn't want to come up. I was lucky to get her here at all."

"Okay. Just give me a minute." He walked back to his partner. "David, I have a situation." He explained the details he knew.

"Yeah, go ahead," David nodded. "I'll explain to the Captain. Call if you need anything."

Elliot walked back to Kathleen and silently led her into the elevator.

- - - - -

St. Ann's Hospital Emergency Room

11:30 a.m.

Elliot waited outside of Sarah's room while a nurse collected material for the rape kit. When the door opened Kathleen quietly asked him to come inside.

Sarah Bridges was petite, red-haired with green eyes and just enough freckles to suggest her Irish heritage. Originally from Tennessee, the two families had met when she came to the city in July for orientation at NYU. Elliot remembered her as bright, opinionated without being self-righteous about her beliefs, with an outgoing personality well-suited to a Political Communications major.

In the few minutes he'd been waiting the bruises on Sarah's face had darkened to a deep purple. Her right eye was swollen nearly shut, and her bottom lip had dried blood from where it had split open during the attack. She sat up in the bed, her eyes focused down toward the plain white blanket with one arm gently wrapped around her chest to protect her sore ribs. It took a great deal of focus for Elliot to remember that this was a victim who needed his help rather than his daughter's roommate and close friend.

"How are you, Sarah?" She shrugged, sniffled, and continued to stare at the woven pattern on the blanket. "Has anyone called your parents?"

"I called them for her," Kathleen spoke up, then looked back to Sarah.

"Do you want someone else here with you?" He spoke quietly, careful not to do anything to startle the girl.

"Can Katie stay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm going to ask you a few questions. Do you care if I record this?"

"What for?"

"To make sure I don't make any mistakes in my report." She shrugged again then nodded her permission. "I know you've been through a lot, but I need to know what happened."

"My early class was cancelled so I was taking advantage – slept in. I was getting ready for lunch and my late classes and he knocked on my door."

"Who knocked?"

"A guy…I don't know his name. When I first got to campus I got involved in an animal rights group. ARF was the name. He was at a few of the meetings and protests. I stopped going after a few weeks. They were too over the top for me."

"Did you ever talk to him?"

"Maybe. Just small talk. 'Where are you from?' 'What's your major?' Things like that."

"Okay. Go on."

"I tried to tell him to go away, that I couldn't talk, but he pushed into my room. Said I was a traitor to the cause. I don't know. I haven't been to anything in a few weeks because of school and that upset him. He wasn't really yelling or anything. Just mad. Irrational." She paused for a minute.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I asked him to leave. He pushed me against the wall and slapped me. Kept hitting me, telling me I shouldn't have abandoned them, that I deserved to feel the same pain they did every day. I tried to get away from him, but he grabbed my shirt. It ripped. He looked surprised at first, then he threw me against the wall again and started pulling on," she sniffled and finally let her tears fall, "pulling off my pants. I wanted to yell for help but I couldn't breathe. I tried again to get away from him but he shoved against me with his shoulder. And then he raped me." Her voice was barely above a whisper by the end.

Elliot turned off the recorder and gave her a few minutes to calm down, slow her breathing. When he thought she was ready he restarted the recorder. "Did you ever get a name?" She shook her head. "Do you remember anything he said when you talked to him at the meetings?"

"No. It was just small talk. There were always so many people around. He never made that strong of an impression on me."

"Can you describe him for me?"

"He was maybe 6 feet tall. Brown hair and eyes. Skinny."

"Any facial hair?"

"No. He had really pale skin."

"If I had a sketch artist come out do you think you could describe him enough to get a clear picture?"

"I'll try."

"Okay." He stopped the recorder and put it in his pocket. He then pulled a card from his pocket. "When you're ready, call this number. They'll be able to help you deal with everything. And if you think of anything, even if it seems small, call me. Kathleen has my cell and home numbers."

"Thanks." He left the room, surprised when Kathleen hurried after him.

"You're going to find the guy, right?"

"I'll do everything I can. Take care of her." She nodded as he walked away.

- - - - -

SVU Squad room

1:30 p.m.

"I just dropped off the rape kit with Warner," Elliot said as the rest of the squad gathered for an update. "So far, we don't have a lot. 18-year-old NYU freshman was raped in her dorm room. Says she recognized the perp from some on-campus animal rights group but didn't get a name. We'll need to get a list of regular contacts for the group once we get the name of their president or leader. Sketch artist is headed to the hospital now. Hopefully he'll be able to get a picture we can use."

"Elliot, you handling this okay?" Munch asked when he paused to look through his notes.

"Yeah, I'm good. It looks like the guy fixated on her at these protests. She stopped going so he tracked her down. Beat the crap out of her, raped her, said she needed to feel the same pain the animals did."

"Damn nutcase," Fin interjected.

"Yeah. Well, they say it takes all kinds. I think there are a few kinds we could stand to be without," Cragen supplied. "Elliot and David, look into this animal rights group. See if you can get at least a contact, someone who organizes their protests or meetings, whatever it is they do. Lake and Fin, take the dorm room. Make sure CSU doesn't miss anything."

"And I'll keep you company with my charming personality and sparkling wit," Munch deadpanned.

"Great. Just what I need. I want an update tonight."

- - - - -

Medical Examiner's Office

6:00 p.m.

"You want the good news or the bad?"

Elliot stifled a groan as Melinda met him in the morgue. "I need both."

"There's a hit on the DNA."

"Where's the name?"

"File's sealed tight. I had some guys look for a way around it, but it's the Feds' database."

"You have anything else for me?"

She flipped through a folder. "He's AB-. No trace of any diseases in the fluids." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Unfortunately, not much more than that. I wish I had more to tell you."

"Thanks, doc. I'll see what I can find out about the file."

- - - - -

Federal Building

New York

7:15 p.m.

"Yeah, Stabler, what do you need?"

"Information." He sat across the desk from Agent Dean Porter. "Rape case. 18-year-old girl. DNA had a hit but it's sealed by your guys."

"Can't help you."

"This girl is in the hospital with a concussion and bruised ribs. You're going to play this bureaucratic bullshit with me?"

"You have a case number for me? Anything to go on?"

"You know damn well that they're not going to leave any information in the system."

"What do you know?"

"Guy's an animal rights nut."

"I don't work that unit anymore."

"I'm just asking for a little help here, Porter."

"I can't do anything for you. I'm not going to risk my neck, my career, so you can chase a ghost. Have a good evening, Detective."

- - - - -

16th Precinct

Manhattan, NY

8:30 p.m.

"Fucking jurisdictional worthless FBI piece of shit!" Elliot stormed into the bullpen. Munch, Fin, Lake, and Benes all looked up from their respective desks, then back down. Benes tried to hide behind his computer screen to avoid becoming a target of Elliot's wrath.

"How the hell are we supposed to find this guy if they won't even budge on giving me a name?"

"You, uh, struck out with the Fibs?" Benes ventured a quiet question; Elliot's grunted response spurred him on. "Listen, I've got a contact in DC. He owes me."

"A Fed owes you?"

"I introduced him to his wife. Let me call, see if he can do anything." He pulled out his cell phone and searched for the saved number.

"He work sex crimes?"

"Violent crimes, but he might be able to pull some strings. Hang on. Josh, what's up? How are the boys?" He smiled listening for a second. "Yeah, well, Maggie's right. They're your sons." He paused again. "The new unit's good. A little more draining than I thought. Listen, I need a favor." He gave him the details they had of the case and waited again. "Thanks buddy. I'll fax the sketch we have to your office. Call me if you can get anything." He flipped his phone shut and smiled. "He's going to ask around a little tomorrow, see if he can find out about any sealed files that fit our profile. Might take a bit, but if it can be found he'll find it."

"CSU find anything at our scene?" He couldn't believe he was calling his daughter's room on campus a crime scene.

"They're working on eliminating prints from the girls and their friends, frequent visitors. It's going to be a while. Other than that, typical dorm room trash. Styrofoam coffee cups, lots of fast food wrappers. Nothing unexpected. They're going through it piece by piece."

"So we've still got nothing."

"Looks that way."

"Great. Well, I don't see us accomplishing anything tonight. Without a name we've hit a wall. I'm out for the night. Call my cell if anything comes up."

- - - - -

Stabler Residence

9:30 p.m.

"So you decided to grace us with your presence," Kathy said as she opened the door.

"Where's Kathleen?"

"She's picking some things up for me. Why?"

Elliot ignored the biting tone. "She came by work today. I just need to talk to her. I can wait outside."

"No, come in." She stood aside to let him pass. "A little bitchy?" He shrugged instead of answering. "Sorry. Seems like everything's getting to me lately."

"You've got a lot going on."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't take it all out on you. I'm at least as much to blame for the situation as you are." She handed him a bottle of water, took a sip from her own. "Don't have anything harder."

"Thanks."

"So, Kathleen came to see you?"

"Yeah."

"Work related?"

"How are you doing?" he side-stepped the question as they both sat at the kitchen table.

"Tired, irritable, and can barely tie my shoes anymore."

"I know I haven't been around a lot."

"Yeah."

"I'm trying to find a balance. Get my life straightened out. And I don't want to create extra stress for you."

"You're really not coming home, are you?"

"Do you really think it's a good idea?" She smiled sadly. "We fight whenever we're together. All I do is raise your blood pressure, which isn't good for you or the baby."

"That's not true."

"It is. It started as soon as you opened the door tonight. Maybe it's better if we just…"

"Stay apart."

"You know I'll be here for whatever you and the baby need. But this? Kathy, it's not fair to either one of us."

"I know I just hoped…I don't know what I hoped. That we'd magically fix whatever was wrong. That it would be like when the kids were little."

"I miss those days." He smiled, the first genuine smile she'd seen from him in a long time.

"Me too."

She was going to continue when the front door opened. Kathleen stopped as she saw both of her parents sitting, talking civilly.

"Hey daddy."

"I'll let you two talk. 'Night, Elliot." Kathy made her way slowly out of the room.

"You guys fight again?" Kathleen asked as she put away the groceries she had picked up.

"No, we talked."

She nodded silently as she sat across from him. "Sarah?"

"We hit a wall on her case."

"I can't believe this." Kathleen sat back sullenly in the chair.

"We're not dropping it. We just have to find a way around some red tape. You staying here tonight?"

"I wanted to stay with Sarah at the hospital."

"Need a ride?" She smiled as she grabbed her coat and waited for him at the door.

"Can your daughter weasel 20 bucks out of her old man?"

He groaned and reached for his wallet. "We are paying for a meal plan for you."

"But I need snacks for when I'm up late studying. You wouldn't want my grades to slip because I can't stay awake to do homework, would you?" She batted her eyes as he put the money in her outstretched hand and followed her outside to his car.

I seem to have found the secret to keeping my muse around: Strawberry milkshakes and death threats. Never thought it would really be that easy. Now I just have to convince her to do what I want. We're fighting over some details for the next chapter.

Chapter title is from the Bon Jovi song. And I still adore reviews :hint hint: