Olivia
By CaptainWithAPickle
CHAPTER FIVE
"Truth will never die
It is patiently waiting
To come out one day
To be seen by all of us" (3)
14th February 1981, 6pm
Olivia stands in the kitchen as she makes herself a sandwich for dinner, as usual. At 12 years old she has learnt to fend for herself. She makes dinner, does the dishes, the laundry and picks up after her mother.
While she is feeding herself, Serena sits on the couch nursing a glass of whiskey and watching her favourite soap, oblivious to the existence of her pre-teen daughter.
Olivia hums to herself while she assembles her sandwich, which is dangerous for her as it allows her mind to wander onto other things. Like that stupid old poem book her mother never lets her read, it kind of makes her curious. She turns around to face the shelves behind her, most empty, no cook books, no candles, only a few bottles of wine stacked in the rack which her mother never touches unless she is desperate.
Scanning the shelves Olivia spots the faded brown leather bound book poking out of a cubby hole just above the wine rack. Peering around the corner, checking to make sure her mother is still engrossed in her show; she starts to climb the bench.
She is inches from the book as she stretches her arm out, she knocks it from its hiding spot and it noisily crashes to the floor. Olivia freezes awaiting any movement from her mother, when there is none she slowly climbs down from the bench, to retrieve the book. During its fall the book feel open scattering some paper across the tiles.
Olivia bends down to retrieve the papers and return them to their home within the books cover, when the heading on one of the pieces catches her eye.
SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORT MANHATTAN POLICE DEPARTMENT
DATE: 2nd April 1968
VICTIMS NAME: Serena Benson
She unfolds the document and continues to scan its contents.
DETAILS OF CRIME: The above victim was pulled from the street into an alleyway on Park Avenue at around 8.15pm. She was shoved face first into a brick wall by a male. He did not wear a condom, and victim has not sustained any injuries other than the bruise on her jaw from being shoved into the brick wall. Victim did not see the perpetrator's face and therefore description below is vague.
DESCRIPTION OF PERPETRATOR: around 6' 2", white male around 230 pounds. He was wearing dark jeans, a gray hoodie, and black converse.
Olivia's eyes widen as the piece beneath is her birth certificate.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
Olivia Benson
DOB: 23 January 1969
MOTHER: Serena Benson FATHER:
Her mother always told her she had a father, who just wasn't ready for a child and that she had accidently gotten pregnant and so he ran away from them. Yet the space on her birth certificate where her fathers name should be is blank.
Olivia storms into the living room documents in hand, she stands in front of the television and watches as her mothers eyes narrow.
"What are you doing Olivia?" a warning tone in her voice, but for once Olivia's not afraid she needs answers and she's not leaving until she gets them.
"Explain these to me mom." She throws the documents at her mother. Serena picks them up from her feet and skims over the report, and birth certificate she's holding. Her eyes level with her daughters and she can feel the unshed tears building behind tired eyes.
"I don't know what to tell you." Serena's voice shakes as she tries to reason with her daughter.
"How about the truth this time." Olivia's eyes shine in the light, because of the tears she too is holding back.
"Okay. On the 2nd of April in 68 I was walking home from work when a man pulled me into an alleyway and raped me. I found out 6 weeks later I was pregnant with you. Your grandmother threw me out of the house and told me to look after myself from then on." Serena sighs when she finishes and stares into Olivia's eyes. Olivia can't speak and the silence between them is deafening. Olivia lets a few tears spill over onto her cheeks as she stares at the woman she has misjudged all her life.
"I'm sorry mom" she sobs, Serena motions for her daughter to join her on the couch, she holds her while she cries.
"It's okay sweet; I have you and that's all that matters." For the first time Serena is sincere and glad she is not alone.
"Why did he do that to you?" Olivia questions as she tries to make sense of the cruelty her mother endured.
"I don't know, I just don't know." Serena lets her own tears fall as she holds her daughter, the most important thing in her life.
They sat for hours sobbing and talking as mother and daughter, for the first time since Olivia was born. That night the dynamic changed between them, although her mother continued to drink, and would abuse Olivia on occasion they had more of an understanding, and got on more times than not. Olivia at that point was oblivious to the life changing effect finding out the truth that night had on her future. The truth she was told shaped who she became and turned her into one of the best detectives in her unit. Her mother would spend her last year trying to convince her to transfer out, but Olivia, unbeknownst to Serena, was doing it for her.
"When truth is spoken
There angels surround
And bless the soul
That fights for truth" (3)