A/N: Court won't be fun for them for a few years, but this experience will come in handy, won't it?
DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline, narrative and dialogue belong to TStabler©
A young, blonde lawyer approached the bench and spoke, directly to the person in the seat. "So, you received a phone call, from a young woman, telling you that your daughter had become sexually active with her boyfriend, correct?"
"Yes," Serena said, clearly.
"Now, instead of confronting her calmly, and asking her if what you had heard was true, you beat her half to death with a broken vodka bottle," the lawyer stated.
Serena's eye widened. "Now, wait a minute..."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the committee," the blonde lawyer, named Donnelly, said, "I would like to draw your attention to page twelve of your records. Those are photos of the injuries sustained by Olivia Benson during the attack in question," she declared. "You did, in fact, hit her with the bottle, as well as your bare hands. Is that correct, Miss Benson?"
Serena looked down. "Yes."
"Why didn't you ask her if what you'd heard was true? We know, for a fact, after a medical examination proved it, that she did not have sex." The lawyer folded her arms.
"I...don't know," Serena said, shrugging. "Anger and worry and..."
Donnelly interrupted her. "And you were drunk, Miss Benson. You're blood alcohol level, upon your arrest that same night, was almost six times the legal limit. The police were amazed that you were still conscious! According to statements, Miss Benson, this was typical for you. You were always drunk, or drinking, weren't you?"
"I have a problem, and I need help," Serena said, sounding dry and technical.
"Yes," Donnelly said. "You should have sought that help when your daughter was younger, but instead you took seventeen years of anger and frustration and impaired judgment out on a helpless child."
Serene yelled, then. "Helpless? She broke my damn leg!"
"Oh, now, Miss Benson, please. At seventeen, she finally fought back. You broke her arm, that night, too. And, we all heard her harrowing testimony. We have copies of her medical records that corroborate her statements. When she was five years old, you broke four of her ribs with a baseball bat. She was helpless then. When she was six, and still helpless, you broke her nose when you hit her in the face with a cooking pot. When she was nine, you broke her left leg when you threw her down the stairs. When she was twelve..."
"Okay!" Serena yelled. "But, she deserved it! No one has asked me what she did to me. No one has asked for my side of the story," she spat.
"Tell us, then. Go on. What could a child have possibly done to deserve being beaten and bruised and broken, over and over again?" Donnelly questioned.
Serena glared at Olivia. "She was born! I was raped, I got pregnant, I had her. She reminds me of him, and that horrible night, every damn day! Do you know what that's like? I had a child, I couldn't get the help I needed. I had no one to leave her with to go to therapy, I had to give up my friends and forget about dating! She ruined my life."
"Forgive me, Miss Benson," Donnelly said with a scoff as she turned to the committee. "But, Olivia Benson is a model student, and always has been. She's quiet, artistic, and she has won thousands of dollars in award money from essay contests, science competitions and several other events in which she participated. All of that money, by the way, went to feed her mother's alcohol addiction," she said, gesturing to Serena. "Olivia has, time and again, taken care of her mother when she was too drunk to take care of herself, and she was repaid with bruises and broken bones. She's proven that she is resilient, strong, and she is incredibly brave. I ask you, how could a daughter like that ruin a mother's life? If you ask me, I think it's the other way around." Donnelly turned back to Serena and narrowed her eyes. "You're the one who ruined Olivia's life, Miss Benson."
Elliot was holding Olivia, tightly, as they sat on the bench in the hallway. He was stroking her hair back and dropping sweet kisses to the top of her head. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered to her. "No matter what they decide, baby, I'm incredibly proud of you."
"Did you see the way that lady told off your mom, Benson? Damn," Alex said, sitting upside down on the bench. "I can not wait to be a lawyer. I'm gonna be just like her, only, ya know, cooler. And less of a cold-blooded bitch."
Olivia chuckled as she held on to Elliot. "Lawyers are supposed to be cold, Cabot. You have to..."
"Olivia," Joseph Stabler said, coming toward them. "You were wonderful, sweetheart."
"Sweetheart?" Elliot questioned, shocked. "Listen, we're grateful for everything you've done, but I don't think..."
"Elliot," his father interrupted. "You're mother and I miss you. You're brother and sisters miss you. I know why you left, I understand it, and I can't change it. But, I can try to fix it now, can't I?"
Elliot shook his head. "Not really, no."
"Nice, Elliot. Anyway, Olivia," he said, looking down at her, "It looks good, honey. Serena made a complete mess of her case when she yelled at that lawyer, and you held yourself together, despite her lawyer's vicious questioning, very well. Listen, Olivia, I know he's told you stories of his own, about me and...they're all true. And unlike your mother, I can't hide behind alcohol. Everything I did, I did while I was sober. I can, however, do everything I can to try and make it up to him."
"If you really wanted to make it up to him, you would have done all of this for him without forcing him to do anything in return," Olivia replied, innocently.
Joe smiled. "You really are a very smart girl. I did what was best, for the both of you, whether you know it now or not, it's the truth." He stood up and held out his hand to Elliot. "I'll see you soon, Son," he said.
Elliot shook his father's hand. "Thanks. For everything," he said. They watched Joe nod and walk away, not looking back once.
"Olivia Benson?" the bailiff called. "They're ready for you."
Alex, Casey, Fin, Elliot and Olivia rose to their feet and looked at each other. Elliot clutched tightly to Olivia's hand and kissed her. "It's gonna be okay, baby," he promised her. The bailiff held the door open as the five friends walked into the courtroom to hear the committees decision.
"Why the hell are we celebrating?" Olivia asked, watching her friends raise their glasses.
Casey raised her eyebrows. "Um, hello? Legal adult at the table! You just fought back, hard, and won! Why isn't this worth celebrating?"
Olivia dropped her head to Elliot's shoulder. "It's...complicated. I know it needed to be done, and I know I should be happy and relieved, but she was the only real family I had, guys. Plus, now I have to get a fucking job!"
They all laughed, even Olivia chuckled lightly, and Elliot leaned down and whispered, "Not unless you..."
"No," she said, dryly, without hearing the rest of his sentence.
"You're stubborn, Benson," Elliot quipped, laughing and dropping a kiss to her forehead.
"And you're a hot-head, Stabler," she spat back. "Why are we even together?" she asked, looking up at him.
Elliot cupped her chin with one hand. "Because, we love each other. More than anything. Now, shut up and eat your burger," he said, kissing her on the lips.
"So, I got that lawyer's name and phone number," Alex said, with a mouthful. "She said I could work at the law-firm over the summer."
Olivia bit into her burger and chewed, saying, "Oh, great. Now, you're really gonna think you're a fucking lawyer."
Casey threw a fry at Olivia, earning a glare in return. "How does it feel, Benson?"
"Getting pelted with a potato? Didn't hurt," Olivia returned.
"No," Casey laughed. "Finally, you don't have to worry about ever going home to her. You don't have to be afraid of what she might do or say, and you don't have to go to that stupid ass school just because she teaches there."
Fin looked up. "Wait, your alcoholic, child-abusin' momma is a teacher?"
"An English professor at Hudson University. The only time she's sober is when she's teaching, because it's the only time she isn't thinking about me or...him. Whoever he is," Olivia said, taking another bite.
"She was gonna make you go there? With your brain? You could go anywhere, and she was gonna force you to go to a state school?" Chester asked.
Olivia nodded. "She said that I'd get a ton of scholarships and grants, but as the child of a faculty member I'd only have to pay half of the actual tuition. She wanted..."
"To keep the rest of the money," Alex finished. "What a bitch, Olive. I am so glad that's all over."
"Yeah," Olivia said. "If only honors history was as easy as getting legally emancipated."
Laughter erupted at the table, as the friends ate, and Elliot saw a new light in Olivia's eyes. She looked at him and smiled, and he saw the face of relief. She'd never admit it, but she'd been so terrified. He knew it. He pulled her close and kissed her sweetly. "Eat fast, Liv. I wanna take you home. I have a surprise for you."
"Damn," Alex yelled. "Hungry, Olive?" she asked, watching as Olivia ate faster than she'd ever seen her eat before. Olivia nodded and as soon as the last fry was chewed and swallowed, she chugged her coke, Elliot threw a twenty dollar bill on the table, laughing, and they left. Casey, Fin, Alex and Chester stared after them in wonderment.
Chester eyed Alex and asked, "You don't think they're gonna..."
"No," Casey said, interrupting. "Olivia's not that kinda girl. He wants to wait, anyway, and she'll definitely make him work for it. But, there obviously going home for something."
"Okay," Elliot said, holding his hands over her eyes, kicking the door closed behind him. "I was pretty sure they were gonna find in your favor, so I had some guys from the team do me a favor."
"I can't see shit, Stabler, and your hands smell like bacon," Olivia barked, pulling at his fingers with a laugh.
Elliot chuckled. "Hold on, baby, we're not there yet," he said, leading her into the bedroom. He pulled his hands away and she gasped.
"Oh, my God, El," she cried. "When? How?"
"This morning, with these," he said as he handed her keys back to her. "Never leave your backpack unattended." He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. "I know how important that desk is to you, and I know how much you missed your clothes, so I had some pals bring your desk and your dresser here while we were at the hearing." He patted her on the butt, ushering her toward her desk, and said, "Go open the top drawer."
Olivia looked back at him, confused, as she walked toward her desk. "What did you do, Stabler?"
"Just open it, Benson," he chuckled.
Olivia put her hand on the handle of the top, center drawer, and pulled. Her eyes widened as she pulled out a long, thin, black box. "What. Did. You. Do?"
Elliot grinned, his smug, Stabler-grin, and walked toward her, boring into her very soul as he looked into her eyes. "Open it," he demanded.
Her gaze dropped from his eyes to the box and she flipped it open. "Oh, my God," she gasped.
"You like it?" Elliot asked, reaching for it. When she nodded, her mouth still hung open, he smiled and took the necklace out of the box. "Hold your hair up, baby," he requested. He fastened the chain around her neck and straightened out the pendant.
"Why, El?" Olivia asked, looking down at the key-shaped charm with a diamond heart in the middle.
Elliot placed a sweet kiss to her lips. "Because, this," he said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "Isn't much good without a key." He held out a shiny, silver heart-shaped lock, with a keyhole in the middle. He reached up, lifted the key off of her skin, and showed Olivia that her necklace actually opened the lock. "You've got the key to my heart," he said, pulling the key out of the lock. He clicked it back onto his keys and looked at Olivia. He saw a tear rolling down her cheek, and he shook his head. "Now, what did I say? You are way too beautiful to cry." He swiped his thumb over her tear and kissed her.
She pulled him closer, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, intensely. She pulled away, looked up into his eyes, and said, "I love you, Elliot Stabler."
"I love you, Olivia Benson. Never forget it, never doubt it." He kissed her as his arms wrapped, possessively, around her, and led her to the bed. Attached at the lips, Olivia crawled over him, straddling him, and ran her hands down his chest. She felt him react to her, and she moaned into his mouth, unintentionally bucking her hips. "Liv," he said against their kiss. "Slow down, baby."
Olivia pulled away from him, looked into his eyes, and smoothed his hair back. "No sex, El. I promise," she said, leaning down to kiss him again. "But, maybe..."
He stopped her. "Baby," he said, his eyes glistening, "You trust me, right?"
"With my life," she nodded.
Elliot smirked and flipped them over. "I've never done this before, so I can't promise it's gonna be as exciting as it should be, but I've been dying to do this to you."
Olivia looked at him, quizzically, as he slid her jeans over her hips. Her eyes widened when he hooked his fingers through her boy shorts. She gasped, her head dropped to the pillow and her eyes rolled back into her head, when he showed her exactly what he was talking about. "God, El," she moaned. "What the hell..."
"Liv," he said, looking up at her, "God, baby. We're gonna be here for a while. This is fucking amazing." He smirked at her, then lowered his head, resuming his previous actions.
Frank and Rita Malone sat on their couch, staring at their daughter, Kathy. She looked back at them with drooping eyes and her left leg was bouncing nervously. "You're going to explain this, Katherine. And we are pressing charges against him," Frank yelled.
"Don't! Don't do that! He didn't do anything wrong! I already told you, the baby isn't his, it's Brain's."
"Didn't do anything wrong?" Frank yelled. "He's a priest, Kathy!"
"And this Brain," Rita said. "Whom we don't even know. Kathy, what happened with you and that nice Stabler boy? He was so moral and he would never get you into this mess."
"I know he wouldn't! That's why I...you don't understand, Mom!" Kathy yelled.
"Kathy!" Frank yelled. "We need to meet this Brian boy, and you're both going to have to start figuring out what you want to do with your lives, together!"
Kathy's eyes widened. "What? Daddy, what do you mean?"
"He made this baby, now he's going to make sure he's around to take care of it. I'm calling that boy's father, and you two are going to make sure this is handled the Catholic way. You know, Kathy, that we raised you to be married before you had sex, or children."
"Wait!" Kathy screamed. "You expect me to marry Brian?"
Frank rose to his feet and walked toward the phone on the table. "I don't expect it, Kathy. I demand it."
Kathy dropped her head into her hands and stared at the photos on the coffee table. Whoever sent them had not only ruined her plan to get Elliot back, but they'd made sure she'd be miserable for the rest of her life.
A/N: Oh, my! What?? Review!??
