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Chapter 10: Guilty Conscience

Enjoy!

Children's Advocacy Center

333 E 70th Street

March 25th, 4:40 PM

Olivia understood it was just apart of the routine, but she couldn't help but feel a little empathy for Dani, as she was forced to recount the details of her father's betrayal. Olivia herself had to do this many times during college and her career when professors or bosses would find out about her circumstances since conception.

She watched as Doctor George Huang questioned the young girl, asking if she could remember anything about living with her father.

" He wasn't around a lot. Mommy said that he had to work late, but the only time he came home was when I was s'posed to be sleeping." The little blonde head sank deep in grief of thinking of her mother.

" Did you ever hear your mommy and daddy yelling?" Huang smiled the classic doctor grin. He leaned into the table, pushing the plastic child seat back a little to give himself room.

" They always yelled, really loud too. When I woke up the next day, mommy would be crying and putting make-up on her face."

" Did your mother put make-up on often?"

" Not this kind. She only put it on the morning after yelling with daddy."

Huang crinkled his brow in concentration, writing something down on his yellow legal pad. " What kind was it?"

" The kind in a little brown bottle. It was runny and brown colored."

Behind the window, Olivia sighed, " Looks like Jonathan has done this for a while." She shook her head, never taking her eyes off Dani.

" You know she is going to be on all eyes of the media, right?" The blonde haired ADA asked.

"What is that supposed to mean, Casey?" Olivia gave her friend an odd look.

" You know what I mean. Her father, who was a closeted baby rapist, killed her mother. That alone is worth of New York Times' front page. You add the fact that she is now living with her godmother, who happens to be the head detective on the case, that is just icing on the cake, Liv." Casey put a comforting hand on her shoulder, noticing the fury growing in Olivia's eyes.

Olivia crossed her arms across her chest, " Yeah? Well let me know when Lifetime starts asking for movie rights." She growled protectively.

Before Casey had time to respond, Elliot came through the doors, an aura of authority ebbing around him. " Liv, Casey, they just announced the sentencing on Dornier's case. Death penalty. He serves five years for the murder of Deb, then they give him the needle."

Olivia furrowed her brow in confusion, " Why don't they skip the five years and give him the needle now?"

Elliot gave her a wan smile, " Because it was at the wish of Deb's parents that he serve the minimum sentencing before his last day, because they felt it was more of a punishment that way."

Olivia just shrugged and turned back to the two-way window. She just wanted this all to be over with, everything to quite down.

Casey sighed, " Well, I should be getting back. I need to confer with the DA on Jonathan's case. Since I wasn't the first chair, I get to fill out all the paper work."

This piqued Olivia's interest, and she turned back to the ADA, " Case, why weren't you in first chair this time?"

Casey smiled, " Direct conflict of interest. I felt I couldn't keep open judgment, so I asked to be second chair. Besides, I get to do all the fun stuff too."

Olivia smiled, " Thanks, Casey."

" Anything for a friend. I'm always here for you, Liv." Casey gave Olivia a small hug, and turned to go. " Later, Elliot."

" Night, Case."

As soon as she left, Elliot moved to Olivia's side, wrapping his left arm around her waist and pulling her towards him. " How is Dani doing with Huang?"

Olivia moved closer into Elliot, " She is doing great, considering she just told us that her father constantly beat Deb."

Elliot kissed her hair, trying to comfort the nerves he knew were strained and tired. " Liv, how are you doing? With Deb?"

" You mean, " How am I doing now that my old friend has been murdered and I am raising her daughter?" I'm doing just peachy." She gripped his hand a little tighter, wishing he could know how she felt.

Elliot winced at her tone. He loosened his grip on her, turned her to face him, and framed her face in his hands. " Hey, don't do that. You know I didn't mean it like that. Don't start pushing me away now. I'm sorry, okay?" He looked in her watery eyes, waiting for her nod. When she gave him a slight nod and hung her head, he once again lifted her chin in his hands, but this time, kissed her passionately on the lips.

" Olivia, I don't want to lose you to my own stupidity. I don't want to lose you, period."

Olivia nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Instead, she kissed him again, pulling him closer to her by wrapping her arms around his neck. When she broke the kiss, she laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes and listening to his calming heartbeat. It was then when she felt composed enough to speak. " You will never lose me. Ever."

Detective Olivia Benson's

Apartment Building

Saturday, April 6, 9:47 PM

After putting Dani to sleep, Olivia yawned, and walked into the living room to turn her computer. She decided that she really needed to start looking for a bigger apartment for her and Dani.

After about ten minutes of exhausting the web, Olivia gave up. All the apartments in her area were much too expensive for her taste. Instead, Olivia picked up the phone.

"Yeah." A gruff voice sounded over the speaker.

"Elliot? Do you know how to look for an apartment?"

"Liv? Ah, yeah I guess. Do you need help?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and sighed. " You're gonna make me say it, don't make me say it."

A short silence grew between the two, both grinning. " I'm waiting." Elliot declared some seconds later.

" Whatever! I need you t o help me find an apartment, okay?"

She could hear the resonating sound of his laughter from miles away. She shivered at the sound. "I'll be there in twenty to thirty."

By the time Elliot got to Olivia's apartment, she had been able to make a sandwich for a snack, put on a pot of coffee and check on Dani. She walked into her room as quietly as possible to see how Dani was doing. As she returned to the kitchen, she heard the soft buzz letting her know that Elliot had arrived. She backtracked to the buzzer and pressed a button. " Hey, El. C'mon up."

She was pouring the coffee when Olivia heard the door open. She glanced at the door in time to see Elliot's big grin. " You really should make sure it's me on the other side of the buzzer, you know."

Olivia rolled her eyes. " Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to include a safety system in my current search for apartments, okay?"

Elliot walked into the kitchen and gracefully accepted a cup of coffee. " You know, I was thinking back when that social worker, Brent talked with us. Do you remember what he said about Deb's parents?"

Olivia gave Elliot a strange look. " Mr. and Mrs. Wilson? No, why?"

Elliot raised an eyebrow in skepticism. " You don't remember him saying that because Deb's parents have "passed on," it will be easier to adopt Dani?"

Olivia let out a short gasp that choked into a sardonic laugh. " He said that? It isn't possible, Elliot. I myself placed them in a retirement facility just outside of Buffalo a year ago. I visit them twice a month. Mr. Wilson is paralyzed from a massive stroke and his wife has Alzheimer's. They are very much alive."

Another skeptic eyebrow was raised. "You took care of Debra's parents, but haven't talked to her since college?" He took a cautious sip of the coffee.

Olivia nodded, raising an eyebrow of her own. "Yes. Is that so odd? The Wilson's were like my family. Mrs. Wilson always told me she thought of me as a second daughter, and I always thought of her as a mother. It just seemed natural, especially since they hadn't heard from Deb in almost four years. Right before the stroke and after the Alzheimer's."

Elliot smiled at the thought of her doing something so domestic, but then his face changed to a more serious note. "Why do you think Brent said they were dead?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out later. As for now, you need to find us an apartment" Olivia walked over and gently removed the mug from his grip. "How does that sound?" She leaned into him, grinning as she moved her head closer to his, her lips inches away from his own.

Elliot followed her lips with his eyes. "Ah, that sounds great. Sure." He gently placed his hands on her hips and closed the distance, his lips breathed against hers for a second before the distance was completely closed.

Olivia smiled into the kiss before breaking away. "You're going to say yes to anything I say, aren't you?"

"Yes."