A/N: It has been a long time since I updated, but a lot of things been going on with me so sorry guys. Hopefully I still have my readers out there that are still interested in this story. The readers that I do still have left enjoy. :)

Chapter 9:Trial

"Can you believe she had actually had the nerve to stroll back into me and Lizzie's lives and act like nothing happened? And now she wants custody of her. No way am I letting her get my baby girl. I raised Lizzie when Kathy left; it's not my fault that she left just because it was tough." Elliot Stabler said pacing up and down the main room in the cabin.

"El calm down, she won't win custody of her. You've been there for Lizzie since she was born. No judge is going to give custody to a parent who just up and left. You're a great father and Lizzie loves you so much, so don't worry so much, okay?" Olivia replied placing a hand on Elliot's arm to calm him down but to also let him know that she was there for him through thick and thin.

"Thanks." Elliot smiled relaxing and grabbing a seat next to Olivia.

"No problem, but try not to stress so much."

"So what do we do now?" Elliot asked.

"We get you a good lawyer."

"Do you know any?"

"Actually yes. My friend Tiffany is a lawyer. I'll give her a call later and see if she'll help." Olivia said resting a hand on Elliot's shoulder.

"Thanks Liv." Elliot replied plastering a hollow smile on his face.

"You're welcome. Come on; let's go spend some time with your daughter." Olivia said standing up and pulling Elliot up along with her.


"Hey Tiff, how are you?" Olivia asked through the phone sitting outside on a bench.

Olivia! I'm good how are you?

Olivia smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. "I'm great actually. Listen I need a favor."

Sure what is it?

"I need you to be Elliot's lawyer."

What? Why? What's wrong?

"Well you see…


"Hey, how'd it go?" Elliot asked once Olivia walked back in the cabin.

"Great. She agreed to it and said she'd call tomorrow to go over the details." Olivia said sliding on to Elliot's lap and resting her hands on his shoulder. "Where's Lizzie?"

"She's napping in her room, which means we have a couple of hours to ourselves." Elliot smirked.

"And what do you suggest we do with these couple of hours?"

"Well, I am curious what was in the Victoria secrets bag." Elliot grinned looking into Olivia's sparkling eyes.

"Really? Well how about I go put it on and you can meet me in the room in five minutes." Olivia said smiling.

"Whatever you say gorgeous."


"So do you remember everything that I told you?" Tiffany asked Elliot walking into the court room.

"Yes, only talk when asked to and tell the truth."

"Good now let's get this over with."


"Mr. Stabler, how old is your daughter?" Tiffany asked pacing back in forth and the court room as Elliot sat in the chair in front of her.

"She just recently turned 6." Elliot answered glancing behind Tiffany seeing Olivia, his daughter and some of his family members watching him on the stand. He glanced to his right and saw Kathy and her lawyer glaring at him.

"In these 6 years who has been the one taking care of her?"

"I have."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"What about her mother?"

"She left when Lizzie was one."

"Why?"

"She wasn't ready to be a mother."

"So you've been the one feeding her, sheltering her, taking care of her and loving her?"

"Yes."

"How much money do you make a year?

"100 grand a year."

"So you are financially stable to take care of your daughter?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Stabler, do you love your daughter?"

"Very much so."

"Nothing further your honor." Tiffany said as she took her seat.

"Mr. Stabler, how long have you known my client?" Kathy's lawyer asked as he rose from his seat.

"Since my junior year of high school, in 2001"

"When did you get her pregnant?"

"Towards the end of my senior year."

"Is that why you married her? Because you got her pregnant?" Kathy's lawyer smirked as he saw Elliot's face pale.

"Um no…well I loved her and I wanted us to be a family." Elliot said glancing at Olivia and seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"Mr. Stabler, when your wife left how did you take it?"

"Pretty hard. I was a single father and had to take care of a child by myself."

"When she left did you start dating other people?"

"Objection your honor! Relevance?" Tiffany said standing up.

"I'm getting to it your honor." Kathy's lawyer said.

"I'll allow it. Mr. Stabler please answer the question." The judge said.

"Eventually yes." Elliot said.

"Even though you're still married?"

"I'm not married anymore. I was sent divorce papers in the mail about a month after she left and I signed them."

"Are you sure?" Kathy' lawyer asked as he walked back to his desk and picked up a document. "Mr. Stabler this is your divorce papers. Your wife didn't sign these papers so technically you're still married. And because you're still married wouldn't you say you committed adultery since there have been other women besides your wife?"

"I didn't know I was still married." Elliot said flabbergasted.

"Mr. Stabler, what happened to your previous girlfriend, the one that you were engaged to?" Kathy's lawyer said switching directions.

"We broke it off."

"Why?"

"She just wasn't the one for me."

"Mr. Stabler, have you ever hit a woman?"

"Objection your honor. Relevance?" Tiffany said.

"If Mr. Stabler has hit a woman before who is there to say that he wouldn't hit his daughter."

"I'll allow it. Proceed." The judge said and Kathy's lawyer repeated the question.

"What! NO! That's absurd." Elliot said anger rising in him.

"Then why did you're ex run to the police after you broke up with her and told officers that you beat her."

"I never touched her."

"How did she get these bruises?" He asked returning to his desk and picking up a folder that contained pictures of Stephanie with bruises all over her face and body.

"I don't know but it wasn't me."

"Mr. Stabler, you committed adultery and has hit a woman before. Are you sure your home is safe for a six year old girl? Maybe next time instead of hitting a woman you'll hit your daughter."

"I've never hit my daughter and never will!" Elliot said lifting up from his chair in an angry motion.

"Nothing further you honor." Kathy's lawyer smirked and walked away.

"Mr. Stabler you may step down." The judge said and Elliot moved away from the stand and went to go sit next to his daughter and Olivia.

Kathy's lawyer rose again. "Your honor, the defense calls Stephanie James to the stand."

A/N: So what do you think? Reviews are highly appreciated but if I feel like many people are not interested in the story anymore I won't continue.