Author Note – okay, I have some good news and some bad news. I know I said this was going to be a reunion but it's postponed till the next chapter. I'm sorry. I didn't lie exaclty, the chapter just kept growing as I wanted to include a few bits prior to the reunion so I cut it in half so the reunion would have its' own chapter. Anyway, the good news is most of the next chapter is already written and should be posted fairly quickly. By the way, I just want to say a huge thank you to you all for reading, following, adding to your favourite lists and commenting. I love reading what you've all got to say.
Healing Wounds – chapter ten
Nick stood impassively as he watched the interview taking place. In front of him Foster and Maxwell stood at the window, crowding the view. Amanda was between them and Nick, scribbling notes in her pad as she listened.
Marcus Deering was staring back with disinterest as he was interviewed by Detective Miller from the Park Precinct. He hadn't requested a lawyer yet and he didn't seem phased by the questions, choosing not to answer most of them apart from confirming his name. He was twenty years old and cocky, full of confidence which no one should have when being interviewed by the police especially as a suspect in a stabbing.
"Did you know you stabbed a former cop?" Miller asked calmly.
"I didn't stab anyone," Marcus countered easily, unfazed by the information.
"We have a witness who can put you at the scene, you gonna go down for this alone?" Miller slid the surveillance photo across the table. "Who's your friend?"
Marcus pushed it back at him. "We were playing ball in the park and went for a run afterwards but I ain't ever met him before yesterday."
"He give you a name?"
"Nah," Marcus said as he lazily shook his head and started tracing his finger around the table as he feigned disinterest.
Miller landed his fist on the table loudly startling Marcus into sitting up. He placed his hand on the photo and slid it back into Marcus's line of sight, holding it there as he looked at it. "You know him? He's a former cop who's a US Marshall." Marcus shook his head warily and Miller continued. "He had two kids with him, the oldest had to hold a jumper on the hole you put in his chest. I want to know why you put a knife in him."
"I didn't put a knife in anybody!"
Miller slammed another photo down on the table with a thud. "This is a photo of your bloody shirt we found in the dumpster behind your apartment."
"It's not mine," Marcus argued and Miller slammed the photo with his fist.
"You're wearing it in the other photo. It's at the lab and we're testing the blood, and if it matches the victim…do you see where I'm going with this?"
Marcus sighed and his body relaxed back into the chair but Nick could see he was trying to cover the nervousness which formed in his eyes. The kid leant forward and leant his elbows on the table, attempting to look calm and collected. Nick held his breath, waiting for Marcus to say the inevitable.
"I want a lawyer," Marcus said and folded his arms as Miller straightened, looking at the young man heatedly before leaving the interrogation room. Nick released a sigh rubbed a hand tiredly around the back of his neck. It was inevitable and he doubted any of the other seasoned detectives were surprised when Marcus uttered the words.
As soon as the door closed Maxwell and Foster were in his face and when Amanda rolled her eyes Nick smirked quickly before hiding it but not before she saw it and quirked a brow at him and shook her head once quickly.
"Where are you going?" Miller asked as he stood in the US Marshall's way, blocking the door.
"We're going to talk to the kid, see if we can get him to be more forthcoming about his friend," Foster said stepping forward again only for Miller to block him again.
"He lawyered up; anything you get will be inadmissible," Nick pointed stepping away from the wall before it could escalate. As much as he wanted this over quicker, Nick knew Olivia would be pissed if anything got in the way of the case or would cause a mistrial.
"We're just going to talk to him," Maxwell shrugged and Miller held up a hand to stop him.
"Not without a lawyer present and only when you show me the connection with your investigation, not before," Miller said and there was a silent standoff as he waited for them to back down.
Nick watched with baited breath as Foster curled a hand into a fist and for a moment Nick thought he was about to raise his arm and swing at the other detective, but it never came to fruition as Maxwell stepped between them, holding up a hand to his partner to back down. "We'll wait for a lawyer."
With that Miller sidestepped them and walked off into his squad room to make the call.
…
Dickie closed the door behind Lizzie and Eli as they left their dad's hospital room. He grimaced at his sister through the door, and then covered it quickly when Eli looked up at him. He gave Eli a small wave and Lizzie led him away to get a drink from the machine.
Dickie turned, his stomach in knots as he started to pace the small space at the end of his dad's bed, avoiding eye contact even though he could feel Elliot watching his every move. He clapped his hands together nervously, anything to cover the uncomfortable silence. He reached the window and spun around to pace back to the door. He didn't know how to start this and he needed to do it before Kathleen did, he didn't want her stressed, it wasn't good for her or the baby.
"You're making me dizzy Dickie," Elliot told him his voice full of worry, the command clear.
Dickie halted at the end of the bed and turned to face Elliot. To cover his apprehension he placed his hands on the end of the bed and strummed his fingers lightly. "Sorry," he offered.
Elliot studied him for a moment, trying to pin point his anxiety. "How did it go at the precinct?"
"Good. Um, Olivia said the kid they're questioning asked for a lawyer so they're waiting for him to get there," Dickie bobbed his head a few times, coughing uncomfortably. "Eli was worried at first but he really warmed up to Olivia."
Elliot nodded and it was his turn to avert his gaze. "He seems fine now."
"She put him at ease and answered the questions he had," Dickie explained. "But then you knew she would."
"I wanted her to talk to Eli because I trust her."
"Do you? Because I don't think she knows you do," Dickie replied.
Elliot swung his head back to face him, his expression masking the remorse Dickie knew he felt. It pissed him off, they were both handling this so professionally, skirting around the issue that had been ignored for too long, trying to ignore how they really felt for the sake of an investigation. Almost as if they avoided it they wouldn't have to deal with it. Dickie knew the investigation was important but they didn't have to drag everyone else into their delusion. He knew it was a low blow to question the trust between, but Dickie knew how protective Elliot was of the bond he had with Olivia, knew it would cause a reaction and he steadied himself for the backlash.
"Dickie," Elliot warned his voice low and gravely but Dickie held up a hand to stop him, not willing to let Elliot shut him out anymore, kind of disappointed that it lacked the normal ire his father's admonishments usually held. Then he noticed one of Elliot's hands covering his bandage and his own annoyance ebbed away and he calmly dropped his hand.
"You know I don't want to get involved in your relationship with Liv and I know how difficult things were for you after the shooting but you could have-" He stopped short when Elliot fixed him with a heated stare which didn't hide the quick twinge of discomfort. He knew his dad wouldn't want any attention brought to it so he continued as if it didn't happen. "I don't understand your relationship but it's obvious you still care and miss each other, I don't get why you're both using other people to talk to the other."
"What are you talking about?" Elliot asked sitting up, grimacing tightly.
"Liv gave me a box of your stuff which you left at the precinct," Dickie announced. "And I was wondering where you want me to put it till you got out of hospital."
"She shouldn't have done that," Elliot replied. His heart sank at the gesture; the last thing of his left in her life. He hadn't intended for it to be left at the precinct, Cragen offered to bring to him several times and he managed to duck out of it whenever they arranged something, afraid to see the disappointment in the older man's eyes or the possibility of hearing any news on Olivia which might tempt him or Cragen trying to encourage him to talk to her.
"I really don't like you dragging us into your break up," Dickie seethed.
"Liv and I were never…" Elliot shook his head. He didn't deny it because it was useless to try especially when it was a conclusion which many people assumed, it didn't matter whether it was true or not.
"I know that Dad, this probably would've been easier to get my head around if you did," Dickie pointed out. "It feels like it sometimes though."
"I never wanted you guys involved," Elliot told him.
"We got involved when you introduced us to Olivia, and I'm glad you did because most of my good memories of you being a cop are of her too. And today I felt bad for Eli because he doesn't have those memories. She was a big part of your life and ours." He paused. "You need to fix this Dad. Can we cut the crap for a minute?"
Elliot looked back at him trying to judge how honest Dickie was being. He deserved it, they all did, but Elliot wasn't sure if Dickie was ready for it, if he was ready for it. This had obviously been bubbling under the surface for a while and that was why Elliot nodded his head for Dickie to continue.
"Didn't it hurt to find out about Noah like this?"
"Yeah," Elliot admitted. He should have known, there was a time when he would've been the first to know. "I'm going to talk to her but I can't do anything while I'm in here," Elliot said gesturing to the hospital room. Dickie sighed and nodded.
"Promise me you'll sort this when you're released."
"It's more complicated than that," Elliot tried, hating the reason, knowing it was no kind of answer and he tried hard not to react when Dickie growled in frustration.
"Don't use that as an excuse Dad," Dickie said through clenched teeth, his hands gripped the bottom of the bed.
"It's not an excuse Dickie. I can try to make things right but it's not just me in this. I can't force Liv to do something she doesn't want to do."
Dickie deflated and relaxed his hold on the bed railing. It was one thing for his dad to be willing to reconcile, Olivia had to be willing too. She had handed over his stuff, and while she had been great with Eli that was what she was trained to do with witnesses. He couldn't assume that extended to Elliot as well.
"Four years is a long time," Dickie sighed.
"It's too long, and I have no idea how to salvage anything," Elliot replied.
"You've never made an effort to try."
"And if it doesn't work? I'll still have the same regrets but they shouldn't be yours as well," Elliot cleared his throat. "This is my mistake, no one else's. That shouldn't stop you from keeping in touch with Liv, if you want to."
It was Dickie's turn to look guilty. "We didn't because it would've felt like I was betraying you."
"You wouldn't have been," Elliot assured. "Maybe it would've encouraged me to sort this out sooner." He wasn't blaming them and Dickie knew that.
"If this hadn't happened, if Noah wasn't Olivia's son, would you have ever…" Dickie trailed off as Elliot looked away.
"I don't know."
Dickie hung his head, unable to stop the wave of disappointment that flowed through him. In the back of his head he always assumed his dad would make things right that he had a plan to talk to Olivia, a plan to get back what they once had. He didn't.
"Dickie," Elliot said firmly, breaking through his thoughts. "I'm going to try."
Author Note – Reviews are addictive – I want to know what you're thinking right now, of the chapter, of the story. Send me a PM if you're uncomfortable leaving a public comment.