Chapter 7
"Uh," Gia paused as a shudder ran through her body, "it started again after we begun dating for the umpteenth time. After I came back from the stint in Narcotics where they had to pull me out in the middle of the operation b—because of... my r—rape," she paused once more to look up at Amanda and Casey.
The other women looked at her in shock. Amanda couldn't hold her gaze just because of the other woman's blinding stare filled with such sorrow. Casey breathed hard, her nostrils flared, and she gulped as she suppressed her rage. She was angry that Gia lain on that hospital bed. She was angry that Sam had subjected Gia to such physical and mental abuse. She was angry at the bastard that had raped her. Casey was livid, "I'm so sorry that happened to you Gia," Casey spoke, her hand reaching and patting the heated blanket.
Gia smiled, "At first, I w—was too, but not any longer. I m—mean, I'm sorry I was r—raped, but it gave me Beau," she said, breathing slowly, accommodating the pain on her sides.
"Beau?" Amanda asked, looking at Casey.
"My d—daughter," Casey hitched a breath at the mention of a daughter and that's when it all clicked. Her rape was on her file. The file that Kressler had; the same file that had made her tremble and cry. Now, she understood why he had that file.
"It stopped when I told her I was p—pregnant," Gia continued, breaking Casey from her thoughts, "My Captain briefed her of what h—had happened and for a moment, I thought she actually c—cared about my well-being. There were good nine m—months, but I couldn't stay in Miami any l—longer. I couldn't go back to my unit and w—work alongside men that I had fought so hard to p—rove that I was not weak and frail just because I was a g—girl. And, then there I was; raped and p—pregnant. I couldn't. So, that's when I put in for t—transfer to here for Homicide, initially but I guess, my Captain h—had other plans when he told me about SVU. I interviewed w—with Chief Dodds and here I was, four m—months after giving birth with a t—teething baby and an irritable girlfriend. That's when it s—started."
Olivia clenched her jaw and bit her lip, scoffing in amusement, "What happened last night Gia, what do you remember?"
"Everything," she said, "I got home 'late'—she always thinks I'm c—cheating—and the apartment was q—quiet, but not the normal kind of quiet. I w—was ready to draw my service weapon when I n—noticed it was her. I couldn't use my weapon, IAB would be on my a—ass and trust me, I like my bottom attached to m—me, not handed in a p—platter," she tittered, wincing, but still lightening the mood enough for the others to giggle as well.
"And, then?" Olivia asked.
"She hit me, over and over and over a—again. I must've lost c—consciousness when she struck me r—repeatedly on my t—temple. I don't know w—what happened afterwards. I w—woke up here when the d—doctor explained everything," Gia finished, her eyes lulling with tiredness and sleep.
Once she was finished, like clockwork, Tisa entered the room, checking for her heart rate and blood pressure and listening to her lungs. Once that was completed, she had Quinn place more blankets to continue to raise her body temperature. Olivia stood and Amanda took her cue as well and they congregated once more at the foot of Gia's bed. Carisi hadn't said a word throughout the entire recount of facts as explained to by the woman who was his partner. He was torn by all she had went through, torn that she couldn't come forward sooner to avoid all of this… but he was glad that now, finally, she could put everything to rest and behind her and start anew.
Amanda looked at her lover and he shot her a warm smile, signaling that they would speak once in the confinements of one of the apartments that both had become so accustomed to, "I'm heading back to the house, Liv. I'll check with Fin and see if he has any leads," Olivia nodded at the man's suggestion, "Rollins, you coming?" Rollins told him that she would meet him outside.
"Counselor," she begun, "what would you like us to do?"
Casey crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip, "I went by Gia's apartment this morning."
"What?" Olivia said, her voice raising an octave.
"I arrived at the precinct and no one was there so I tried calling you all but again, no one answered," she glared playfully at the women in front of her, "I asked one of the officers to find me her address and he did. I made my way down there and I knocked on her door and this Sam person answered the door," she sighed, exasperated at everything that she saw, "She was drunk, Olivia. She was drunk and had bloody knuckles and there was blood on the floor."
"We got her," Amanda whispered under her breath as she turned to the door.
"Book her, now," Casey growled lowly.
Olivia nodded slightly and walked out with Amanda.
A few moments after saw a lonesome Casey sitting peacefully with a file on her lap and her laptop on the chair across from her. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she skimmed over the facts of another case the Detectives had worked on for some time before Gia arrived. She was reading to her self when Tisa yet again walked in with Quinn, "Oh, I thought I saw your friends leave," she mentioned casually as she walked around Quinn, scrutinizing everything the young apprentice did.
"Oh," Casey chuckled, smiling at the slightly older woman, "they did. They're cops so, they have a job to do. Me on the other hand, am a lawyer so once they're done with everything, then it's my time to work."
"I figured all those cops were here for a member of their own just didn't take it to be this little one," Tisa conceded, "I thought she was a victim," she finished, giving the bags of warmed IV fluids to Quinn and checking the humidifier for its correct levels.
Casey inhaled sharply at the use of those words. She never once saw Gia as a victim; she was and would always be a survivor in Casey's eyes. She cleared her throat and simply nodded, "I'll be back at three to give her another bolus of metoprolol. She's responding very well to it and has not had another arrhythmia whilst on it," Tisa mentioned, "Why don't you go and get something to eat, honey? I'm sure she'll be ok for a couple of minutes while you run and grab a quick bite. I know you haven't eaten, neither of you had. You have all been here since my shift started," she chuckled as she left the attorney in the room.
Tisa was right; she hadn't eaten since before this morning. All she had was a quick cup of coffee to drain the sleep from her body and had gotten prepared for court. Maybe I could step out quickly. If she takes nearly as long as she did before, she'll be out for a couple of hours or more. With that, she stood, shuffling everything into her attaché and leaving—reluctantly—to the hospital bistro.
Meanwhile, whilst enjoying her lunch, Casey had prepared an arrest and search warrant for Samantha Martin and their dwelling and had sent it to Judge Serani, stating that one of the members of SVU would be picking them up shortly. Olivia received the text message just before she was set to call CSU to meet them at Gia's apartment to visit Judge Serani's chambers for both of her warrants. The squad and her wasted no time in making their way to the Judge's chambers that upon arrival handed them the signed warrants and they all went about their way. Olivia had told Carisi to stay out of the way and not interfere with either the arrest or the search of the apartment, but that he was allowed to stay outside just in case.
The powerful booming on the door raised Sam. Her head was throbbing and she wanted to know who the hell was banging on her door at such ungodly hour. She was also wondering, why Gia hadn't answer the fucking door. She groaned and got up from the bed, not bothering to listen to what the others were saying on the other side of the door.
"Jesus fuck, STOP BANGING ALREADY, I'M COMING!" She yelled from the inside of the dwelling.
"She already sounds like a piece of work," Fin mumbled under his breath.
The door opened in one quick swivel, "What the fuck do you want?" she bit at the Lieutenant and Sergeant standing in front of her.
"Samantha Martin," Olivia asked, gaining a cocky nod from the woman, "would you mind stepping out here for a second?"
Sam complied, "What? What?" she said, her voice dripping with attitude.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, Fin turned her around, "Samantha Martin, we have a warrant for your arrest for the assault made against Giovanna Rosa. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights that I have read to you?"
Sam was amused. She scoffed and laughed, "Whatever man, that bitch deserved everything she got."
"Is that a confession?" Olivia asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
The woman looked at her and glared, "Nope."
"We also have a warrant to search the apartment, so uh, we'll see you later," Olivia said smugly, "Fin, get her out of here. I want this by the books," she declared as Fin nodded and hauled Samantha to the elevators.
Olivia ushered CSU through and Rollins came behind them, "The super does have footage of the elevators from last night that he's pulling as we speak and from the front door as well. I left two uniforms down there with him. Liv," Amanda said as she reached for the Lieutenant's arm, "the bodega that Gia was found lying in front of is literally a block from here."
At the statement, Olivia opened her eyes and smirked. They had her, no matter what happened now, they had her; this was to be a strong case, but not an easy one. It never was an easy one when it involved an officer of the law. Olivia nodded and proceeded inside the dwelling, which at first glance looked like some whirlpool had gone through it. One of the CSU techs was taking pictures at everything that was misplaced and some blood spatter against the wall. It was like Sam never bothered to clean up or at least, hide the fact that something had happened in there.
"Lieutenant," Olivia was snapped out of her reverie, "dried up blood."
It was a small pool of blood by the rug. A small pool of blood that belonged to the same detective that was in an intensive care unit as she stood there, "Collect samples, run them through. I think I know whom it belongs to," she mused to her self.
Amanda just stood next to her Lieutenant, taking everything in, and remembering how everything looked. She paced carefully through the hallway passing one door to the right that indicated the bathroom, a second door to the left that upon opening revealed a small linen closet. Across from the second door, a third door to the right; 'Beau' it read on the door. Amanda opened the door and revealed a beautifully decorated nursery in champagne accents and white. The theme was elephants and Amanda smiled to herself, remembering now why, Gia had elephants on her desk. There was a white crib and next to it was a small dresser and above it, a big letter 'b'. Across from the crib was a changing table equipped with everything needed to change a child and right in the middle of the room was a reclining chair. Amanda took the sights of the room in and it reminded her of her own daughter, how she would do anything to protect her and keep her out of harms way. Where is the kid? "Lieutenant, Lieutenant," Amanda hurried out of the room.
"What Rollins?" Olivia asked, concern in her voice.
"Where's the daughter?" Amanda asked, slightly out of breath.
"She's not in the room?" Amanda shook her head vehemently, "Shit," she mumbled, putting her hand on her forehead and looking around, "Before we presume the worst, call Carisi and ask him if she had a sitter, a nanny, someone who watched her. If nothing comes up," she trailed off, not needing to say anything else. Amanda understood what she meant and that's when the bile turned in her stomach, threatening to come up.
She shook her head and took a deep breath, pushing all thoughts and feelings of hurling away. She exited the apartment and headed downstairs where Carisi stood pacing in front of the unmarked police car, "Carisi," she shouted, grabbing the attention of the man.
"What? What happened in there?" he asked.
"Don't mind that right now, where is her daughter?" Amanda asked, emphasizing the question with her hands.
"She's at her parent's house with Isabella. She called yesterday on the way back to the precinct after court to see if they could keep her, why?"
Amanda released a breath and smiled as she picked up her phone to text Olivia that she was safe and out of harm's way.
Amanda retreated back to the apartment building where she found the super handing off the videos to the uniforms. They were bagged and tagged for evidence and proper chain of custody had to be followed now, "Let's go, send those to TARU and have them expedite it please. We have an officer in ICU," she mumbled quickly as the uniforms made their way to their cruiser, "We are going back to the precinct where we will question Samantha Martin," she said with conviction as she ushered Carisi to the car.
Back at the precinct, Fin had placed Sam in interrogation one where she sat, waiting, and stewing for her lawyer. As soon as she had been brought in to the precinct she lawyered up. Fin did as asked and was now watching her from the one-way glass in the hall. Amanda and Carisi arrived roughly twenty minutes after Fin had made the call to the lawyer. He filled in the other two members in and no later than, in comes walking the scum of the Earth—at least to the members of the one-six—John Buchanan. Of course such disgusting person had to have an equally disgusting person to represent their affairs. The team escorted the defense attorney to where his client was being held and gave them their privacy. Carisi couldn't be more upset because his body wouldn't let him. They were all running high and they wanted nothing more than to nail her ass to the wall. Gia didn't deserve this, nobody did but the fact that she was part of their family and a member of the blue line, awarded them feelings towards Sam that were no better than those thoughts for child molesters.
"Get me your fiery DA here," came the voice of Buchanan through the bullpen, "My client would like to be in her home by nightfall," he said, turning his back without first flashing a smug grin to their faces.
Fin scoffed and Carisi stood with his coat, "Where are you going Sonny?" Amanda asked, standing on her feet.
"I can't be here and I can't do nothing for the case," he said angrily, "I'm going to her parent's house."
"Man, don't do anything stupid. You know she doesn't want her folks to know what happened," Fin offered, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"I know, I know, I'm just going to spend time with Beau and let them know that we placed her under for a little time, to not worry. I know they have to be calling her," he said, leaving the bullpen, passing Olivia on his way out.
Olivia didn't say anything once she saw the man leave. She continued her journey to the bullpen, "What is going on? Where is Carisi going?"
"He's going to her parent's house," Amanda offered, seeing the look on her superior's face she added, "He's not going to tell them, he just went to spend time with Beau and tell her parents that we sent her under for a couple of days. That's all."
"Not really all, Liv," Fin interjected, "Buchanan is here asking for Casey."
"Buchanan? How can she afford Buchanan?" Olivia scoffed.
Amanda and Fin shrugged while Olivia made her way to her office to call Casey.
"Novak," answered the woman.
"Case, it's me," Olivia offered.
"Did you get her?" she asked quickly.
"Yes, but uh, she lawyered up pretty quickly and her mouthpiece is asking for you already," Olivia said as she reclined on her chair.
"Please tell me is a legal aid so that it makes my job easier," Casey quipped.
Olivia gave a hearty laugh, "No, actually is Buchanan," she heard Casey sigh on the other side, "I know, that's what I said too."
"Christ," Casey breathed, "Alright, let me call my boss and see what he wants me to do. What ever happens Liv, please know that I am fighting this tooth and nail."
"I know Casey, I know. Just please get here, I hate having defense attorneys in my precinct."
Casey giggled and hung up the call. She knew what the DA wanted her to do, she had already been briefed; the question now was would the team accept it.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far! Keep them coming.
