In the Blink of an Eye

by originella

Margaret "Maggie" Holbrook has always wanted to be an actress; however, she soon discovers she was adopted soon after birth and her dreams change after she is sexually assaulted. After being educated at police academy with a degree in criminal law, she moves to New York, where her mystery, and her destiny, truly begins. Who is Maggie's mother? Prepare to find out...

11. It Ain't Over 'til It's Over

Chapter Eleven: It Ain't Over 'til It's Over

This black void seems endless.

I am floating somewhere between time and space and yet, I feel at peace. The exhaustion and stress that have been building up for the last four months have suddenly ceased to matter. Elliot leaving SVU and New York's Finest didn't matter; my marital problems with Hunter didn't matter; and my lackluster pursuit to find my birth parents didn't matter either. Deep down, I knew; even then I knew that at some point, I'd wake up...

OLIVIA'S POV

"John!" I say, relieved that I am partnered with him instead of the new recruit, Rollins, that afternoon. "What do we got?"

"One confirmed fatality, at least," John replies, meeting me in the center of the dismal scene on the freeway. "The cabby didn't stand a chance."

"Poor guy," I reply, not really meaning it because he was a stranger to me. "What else? Anyone else?"

"The guy in the semi is moderate, but he'll pull through," John tells me as we manage to navigate our way through the crowd. "And then there was the passenger of the cab..."

"Yeah?" I ask, stepping around some rubble and debris, which is when I see it. I feel my mouth fall open and an alien-like scream come forth from my mouth when I see that, in the center of it all, Maggie is pulled this way and that like a rag doll. I charge forward, hauling bits of broken car off of her, managing not to cut and slice open my hands in the process. "Maggie, Maggie!" I scream, desperate to reach out and shake her before John pulls me back so as the EMT's can do their job.

"Let them work, Liv," he says, making an effort to hold tightly to me, despite my thrashing in his arms.

"No, let me go!" I scream.

"Liv, I can't! You could hurt yourself!" John says firmly. "Come on. I'm sure you can persuade the kind EMT's to let you ride along..."

I am out of his grip in half an instant as soon as Maggie is strapped to the stretcher and I manage to dart towards the ambulance. They don't ask to see my badge or anything like that and I perch next to her as I watch them do their work. Her arms are smashed and her legs are broken; she has a couple of broken and fractured ribs as well as one broken shoulder; she will suffer whiplash as well as a broken nose and jaw; her PT will be strenuous, and I know she will need as much love and support as necessary. I give them her blood type and tell them that, since mine is the same, I will donate as much as she needs. They start me on an IV just like Maggie as we whip through the streets of Manhattan, a lump in my throat at what has happened to her.

They charge with her through the ICU, and I am given my own private room to finish dispersing my blood into the provided pint for her. As soon as it is full, a nurse arrives and takes it, bandaging up my arm before leaving me with a pain killer, a cup of juice, and a cookie. I force myself to chew the mediocre cookie and squint at the ultra-sweet sensation of the juice slipping down my throat. I flex my arm ever so slightly and soon manage to get it moving normally again before heading back out into the waiting room.

"Captain," I say as soon as Don comes into view, and find myself breaking down again as Fin and John enter, but keep my feelings in check when I see Rollins slipping in behind Fin. "Sorry, I just..."

"John told us what happened," Don replies steadily. "That can't have been easy for you to see..."

"She seems like a real nice woman," Rollins says, and we all turn to look at her. "I saw her before she left the building—seemed to have a lot on her mind. I was just happy that she was polite enough to say hi to me..."

"John, why don't you take Rollins downstairs to get something to drink?" Don asks and John moves to do so, Rollins looking shocked as she is led out of the waiting room.

I knew why Don had done that; Maggie was unfamiliar with Rollins and she wasn't as close to John as she was to the rest of us. I sigh then, rolling my shoulders and shaking my head. "I donated a pint of blood for her," I tell the both of them softly. "I just wanted to help out, I..."

"You did the right thing, Liv," Fin assures me. "And Maggie'll pull through, you'll see. She's a fighter."

I nod at that, feeling some comfort in Fin's words. "Yeah. Right. A fighter."

MAGGIE'S POV

"Let's get some oxygen on her..."

"Copy that, doctor..."

"Oxygen in place and..."

"Oh, no..."

"We're losing her..."

"No heartbeat..."

"Let's bring her back... Clear."

I find myself soaring then, almost as if I'm connected somehow to a magnet that is threatening to haul me off the ground. Then, again.

"Clear!"

For takeoff?

"Clear!"

"Okay, we got her back..."

Back... Back down the track...

"How is she, doctor?"

"Normally, I wouldn't give out this information to you, Detective Benson, but you seem to be very close to the victim..." Shuffling of papers... "She should heal very nicely. We've reset the bones everywhere they've broken, and her nose has been repaired by a top-notch plastic surgeon... But there's one thing..."

"What?"

A sigh. "Detective Benson, tell me... Were you aware of Lieutenant Grayson's pregnancy?"

A gasp. "P-Pregnancy?"

"Yes."

A second gasp. "Maggie was pregnant...?"

"She was about four months, Detective Benson."

"Was...?"

"Yes. I'm afraid the accident caused placental abruption which, due to the stress the body underwent from the accident, caused preterm labor."

"She lost the baby?"

"I'm afraid so, Detective Benson. I'm so sorry..."

"You didn't know?"

"No. How could I? I'm her husband and I didn't know... For god's sake. What does that say about me? About our relationship?"

"Hunter..."

"No, Olivia, listen—I may be neglectful, but I would never..."

"What?"

"Cheat. I would never."

"I didn't say you would..."

"...I would never cheat on Maggie. I'm in love with her."

"I'm glad to hear that, Hunter. Really."

A sigh; coming from my husband. "Just... Just tell me one thing..."

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"Does she still love him?"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Hunter. I don't know what..."

"Elliot, for god's sake!" There is a slam then as he presumably punches the wall beside him. "Does she still love your partner?"

"I can't answer that one, Hunter."

"Can't or won't?"

"Hunter..." A note of warning is in Olivia's voice. "My statement was partly out of loyalty, of course. But you have to realize that the fact remains that I can't answer that because I don't even know. I can't tell you what goes on in her head—when she stopped by the squad room just the other day, she didn't even come to see me. I can sympathize because of the old wounds..."

"Don't mention the shooting. I can't take that..."

A sigh; it is plaintive, feminine; it can only belong to Olivia. "Here. Take this. He updated his contact information since his move to Oklahoma City."

Hunter chuckles. "Must be difficult for him... A gay psychiatrist who is opposed to the death penalty to live in a state that has, at one time or another, employed all five methods of execution that our fifty states has to offer."

"How do you feel about it?"

"What?"

"The death penalty." Olivia's voice is deadly serious. "What's your take on something like that? Something so final?"

Hunter sighs. "I think that certain people just deserve to die," he answers very honestly. "However, I think that lethal injection should be used nine times out of ten, and that only mass murderers, serial killers, and child killers should be killed, in extreme cases. And then there are those few serial rapists that I've seen and heard that you guys at SVU get... I don't know. If you rape a child, I don't think you should ever walk again..."

"Have you had this discussion with Maggie?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Another sigh from my husband. "She agrees."

"How are you feeling about all this?"

"I..." His voice catches in his throat. "Can't... Can't lose her, Liv."

"You won't have to, Hunter. The doctors are doing everything they can to help her get back on track. You won't lose her."

"Never," he replies.

I manage to push the blackness away and ease my eyes open, relief flooding through me as I see that Olivia is the only one sitting in my hospital room. There is a newspaper in her lap, and she only seems to be casually reading it. When her phone vibrates, her dark eyes quickly dart to it, but she soon rolls them and shakes her head before ignoring whatever it was.

"Hope it wasn't too important," I joke with her.

"Maggie!" she cries, throwing the newspaper aside and darting to the edge of my bed before gingerly sitting down beside me. She takes my non-crushed hand and holds it tightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Fine. I'll live."

A shadow crosses her face then. "I should probably tell you that..."

"I lost the baby?" I ask, putting a smile upon my face. "Don't worry—you don't have to say it. I already know."

"Do you also know that Don, Fin, and John came to see you?"

I shake my head. "No. I didn't know. No."

She nods. "The roses—well, the smaller bouquet—are from Don; he thought the yellow color would cheer you up. The big red bouquet of roses are from Hunter, of course; Fin brought that box of chocolates with the daisies on the box; and John brought you that cat stuffed animal."

"My favorite..." I whisper. "My favorite animal..." It is a stuffed gray tabby, with darker gray stripes, standing upright on all four legs and looking alertly around the room with green plastic eyes.

"He remembers the weirdest things," Olivia tells me, laughing.

"It was sweet of him," I say softly.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me what Elliot brought you, if anything," she goes on, and I lower my eyes. "Come on. Ask."

"He was here?" I whisper.

"Sure was. Came when I was in the cafeteria—I didn't see him, nobody did. But he left you a letter. Here." She hands it to me. "Why don't you read it, and I'll call Hunter to tell him that you're awake?"

"No!" I reach out then and grab her arm to stop her from calling Hunter. "Please. I don't want you calling him."

"Maggie..."

"No, listen." I sigh then, shaking my head as I force myself to form the words that must be said. "I'm going to file for separation."

"You're doing what?" Olivia asks, shocked.

I sigh, shaking my head. "We haven't been communicating for almost six months, Olivia. The pregnancy was a fluke—we got really drunk one night when we were both home and it just happened." I sigh then, shaking my head. "I'm going to leave Edythe with him and get Helena to come live with me and the twins in the penthouse close by work."

"You're not giving up your job?"

I shake my head. "No. But I am going to ask for a transfer. I know Nate won't get a promotion—he's happy being a sergeant, he told me so..."

"A transfer?" Olivia asks. "To where?"

I smile at her, opening my letter. "You just leave that to me," I reply, and she knows to give me a few moments by myself to read Elliot's letter...

Maggie—

Listen very carefully; you need to destroy this as soon as possible. If IAB or 1PP got word that this language was out there, it would mean my pension and yours as well as your job. Yes, I know you must be shocked that I took the wrap for shooting Jenna Fox, but I couldn't ask you to do so. Yes, you moved up faster in the police department than I did, but you aren't even thirty—you could go far, Maggie, and I know you will. Please, don't fight me on this; I took the wrap and its done, and my career at SVU is over.

As for the other matter, I'm going to attempt to make my marriage with Kathy work, especially for the kids' sake. They're all growing up so fast—Eli is three already, and I don't want to miss another moment with him. However, I will say this to you: I did love you, and I will continue to do so until the day I die. However, we always carry a torch for our first love, and that's exactly what Kathy was and continues to be for me. I still love her, Maggie, and I'm going to work on being the husband she deserves, as well as the father my kids deserve.

I don't think it will be possible for the two of us to meet again. I'm going to devote all my time to my family, and, not to sound insensitive, but I think it would be best if we remained apart. I know that as a wife and mother yourself, you will understand this simple, albeit difficult, request. I thank you very much for your consideration and understanding.

Always remember me, Maggie. I know I will remember you, and I will never forget all our times together.

I will love you in this life to my grave. Farewell, my darling.

—Elliot

"Say anything interesting?" Olivia asks. I shake my head, memorizing the words before returning the letter to its envelope and shredding it myself. I then gather the pieces and motion for the trash can, where they are soon deposited into what my relationship with every man on earth has eventually turned into. "Nothing," I reply. "Absolutely nothing was said that was remotely interesting."

I am thankful that Hunter seems to have a heavy schedule over the next few days, and I am discharged from the hospital only three days later. I make my way out of the hospital and into the waiting taxi cab and make my way through the streets of Manhattan to the SVU squad room; I have to see Don. Making my way across town soon I'm arriving at my destination and slip inside the main doors. I walk up the steps and inside the place, up the elevator to the appropriate floor, and step off to approach the squad room.

I make my way down the hallway where I run into Olivia, but she doesn't notice me as she slips into an interrogation room off the main hall. Then, suddenly, it hits me—Don has told her that Elliot is truly gone. Faintly, from behind the door, I hear her muffled sobs and quickly dash the tears from my own eyes as I lean up against the wall briefly. Shuddering at the thought of not seeing Elliot again, I quickly push the thought from my mind as I attempt to force myself to stand fully upright and to complete my mission.

"Can I help you?"

Turning, I see a young man a few years my senior with jet-black hair, dark eyes, and a face that appears curious. "Uh, yeah, sorry," I say, stepping forward. "You must be the new detective. Nicholas Amaro, right?" I ask, putting out my hand with what I hope is a friendly smile.

"Yeah, it's Nick, actually," he says, shaking my hand. "And you are?"

"Lieutenant Maggie Grayson, Homicide," I reply. "Good friend of everyone in the squad, for the most part, except I'm not familiar with you or Detective Amanda Rollins just yet. A fact that I hope to change."

"Oh, my gosh," Nick Amaro says, shaking his head. "Sorry. You took down Tony Moreno," he says with a grin. "I worked Narcotics when you took him down. We have a deep respetar for you."

I find myself smiling at this sudden turn of events. "Asi que hablas espanol?" I ask him with my near-flawless accent.

"Sí, me enseñaron desde la infancia," he says, impressed.

"Estoy impresionado," I reply. "It's always good to be able to speak a second language in this line of work."

"Speak anything else?" Nick asks.

"Je tremper en français," I reply, without missing a beat.

Nick nods in approval. "Well, I'm sure the captain would like to see you..."

"Amaro, I'll take it from here," Fin says, stepping slightly into the hallway with a protective glance my way.

"No problem, Fin," Nick says, flashing me a smile before returning to the squad room and back to his new desk.

"Great to see you, Maggie," Fin says, approaching me and embracing me. "You here to see the captain?"

I nod. "I am, if he's not too busy... I just got out of the hospital a few minutes ago and I was wanting to ask him something..."

"No problem. He's in. I'll take you." Fin puts a rather protective arm around my shoulders and takes me through the squad room where John gives me an indulgent smile and Amanda gives me a friendly wave as we make our way towards Don's office. Fin knocks at the door and opens it as Don just hangs up the phone. "Look who I found chatting up Amaro," he says with a chuckle.

"I see you've officially met our two new detectives, Maggie," Don says, walking towards us as Fin drops his arm on my shoulders. Don leans down to hug me and I stand on my toes to get my arms around his neck. "Did you just get out of the hospital today? How are you doing?" he asks, taking my hand and quickly pulling me almost immediately towards his desk chair as he'd done when I was pregnant with the twins.

That memory sparks something within me as Fin waves to head out on a case and, the moment he shuts the door behind him, I begin to sob profusely. Don instantly is at my side and hugs me, and I feel so safe with him that I am nearly hiccupping before I permit myself to let him go and wipe the tears from my eyes. "I... I don't know if Olivia told you anything..."

"Just that you were improving nicely," Don replies, pulling a chair next to his desk chair and perches on the end of it, facing me. "Is everything okay?"

I shake my head. "There's a few things going on... Elliot left me a letter when I was in the hospital..."

"Elliot?" Don asks, shocked.

I nod. "Yeah, Elliot. Liv was getting a coffee in the cafeteria when he came to visit me—nobody saw him, because I was still under. Liv kept the letter for me until I woke up and I destroyed it like he said..."

"Destroyed it?" he asks, confused. "This is about the Jenna Fox shooting, isn't it, Maggie? I swear I'll be discreet..."

I nod. "Yeah. Yeah, it was about her shooting..." I hiccup for a few minutes until Don gives me a bottle of water, which I promptly gulp down. "He said that the reason why he did what he did was to save me my job... And then he said he was going to try to make his marriage with Kathy work and that he thinks it would be better if we didn't see each other anymore..."

"Are you okay with that?"

I sigh, taking a few more sips of my water. "Can you recommend me a good lawyer for me, Don? Please."

"You're not going to sue Elliot, are you?"

I laugh a little, shaking my head. "No. No, I'm going to file for a legal separation between me and Hunter."

"A separation?!" Don says, completely flummoxed. "I had no idea it was that serious between you two..."

I nod. "Yeah. Very serious. Just before I left here the day of the accident, I saw Hunter with a woman walking down the street..."

"A woman? Does Hunter have any sisters?"

"Remember Diana Valentina?"

"Of course. She was your partner when you first joined Homicide but transferred to Narcotics after Travers was shot."

"That's her," I confirm. "Hunter was adopted by Derrick after his father was killed in the Persian Gulf War, and Diana just so happens to be Derrick's biological daughter," I say softly. "Only Diana's mother wasn't considered good enough for Derrick's family, so they tried to buy her off, but she refused and raised Diana by herself on a laundress' salary."

"I had no idea that Diana was Derrick's daughter," Don replies.

"I wouldn't have either if Diana hadn't told me and Hunter hadn't confirmed it," I say softly, taking another sip of water. "But anyhow, I saw Hunter walking down the street with a woman, and they were...kissing."

"Kissing? As in...?"

"Kissing as in what Hunter and I did at the alter when we got married," I say, and find myself crossing my legs in disgust. "He's cheating, and he hasn't been communicating, and from what I've learned from Nate, he's been having an awful lot of afternoons and evenings away from the squad, especially since I was away for the summer, as well as in the days when I was in the hospital. Which is why his declaration to Liv was very strange..."

"Strange? How?" Don asks.

"He assured her that he wasn't cheating on me, and I..."

"You?"

"I almost believed him," I confess, shaking my head. "But I can't do that, not anymore. I've put in a call to Helena and I've asked her to bring the twins to the penthouse—I'll live there. Hunter can stay in the Westchester estate with Edythe and Edythe can come to me during school vacations and Hunter can have weekends. I'm going to draft a petition for sole custody of the twins and joint-custody of Edythe..."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks.

I nod. "I'm sure."

"And what about your job? Won't it be difficult for you to go and work with him every single day?"

"That's why I came to you," I reply, turning to face him. "I was wondering... How would you feel about me coming to work at SVU?"

Don smiles. "Any other day, I'd say yes, but..."

"But you have your hands full with Amaro and Rollins?" I say, finding myself smiling at him. "That's okay. I understand..."

"It's not that, actually. I wanted to say something earlier but..."

"But what?"

"Hunter just announced to the other captains this morning that he's going to be Tucker's new right-hand man at IAB."

"IAB?!" I cry, shocked.

Don nods. "Yeah. Apparently, he and Tucker became real buddies this summer and Tucker offered him a job last month."

"Shows you how much my husband and I communicate," I reply, shaking my head at him. "He didn't tell me any of this..."

"So, normally I'd be enthusiastic about bringing you on board the SVU team, Maggie, but I strongly advise that you take the Captain's Exam..."

"The Captain's Exam?" I breathe, shocked at this sudden turn of events. "But can't I just stay Lieutenant?"

"Of course," Don replies. "But I like being a captain—it just has a nice, satisfying ring to it. You can change your mind later, you know."

"When does Hunter...?"

"Start? Well, from what I've heard, they've completed the planning for the transfer and now all he has to do is wait for you to agree to step up as commanding officer of Homicide."

"Commanding officer?" I whisper, the shock radiating through me.

"So, what do you think? You could join SVU as a lieutenant, or you could take over as commanding officer for Homicide. The choice is yours."

I sigh, shaking my head. "I'll take over as commanding officer at Homicide," I reply with a smile. "As much as I value Nate as a fellow Homicide worker—I mean, he's a great sergeant—I don't think he's quite ready to begin to take the steps to be commanding officer. Although, I will admit, I'll be proud to have him as my second in command."

Don nods. "I understand. You do your thing, I'll do mine. Oh, but I do have a lawyer in mind for you..."

"Yeah?" I ask, curious. "Why?"

He sighs. "I know this'll be difficult for you, but you want the best lawyer possible, and the best ones are the bullies..."

"Don..." I begin, sure where he is going.

"You want John Buchanan," he tells me. "I know you don't exactly have a good history with him—none of us do. But if you want the best deal possible here, Maggie, you want John Buchanan."

I sigh. "You're right. Despite everything he ended up putting me through, he was a good lawyer, from Moreno's point of view at least."

Don smiles, reaching for my phone and I hand it to him, where he puts a number into my contacts before handing it back to me. "Come by soon, okay?" he asks me with a smile. "You're always welcome—my door's always open."

I smile at him as we both get to our feet. "Thank you, Don Cragen," I say, stepping forward and embracing him before stepping out of his office. Briefly, I cross the room to embrace John and thank him for the cat stuffed animal—put into the penthouse by Olivia for safekeeping. After a wave to Amanda, I tell John to have Olivia call me as I leave the squad room for what I believe will be the last time for a considerable period.

I head to the upscale coffee bar where I've requested a meeting with John Buchanan in the first weeks of October. I've been telling Hunter that I don't want to make the long drive up to the house, something that he seems to understand, and he's permitted Helena and the twins to "stay" with me for the time being. He promises to bring Edythe to me as Thanksgiving approaches, but I realize that, for now, phone calls and Skype sessions must suffice.

Stepping in to the coffee shop, I spot John Buchanan at a circular booth with a typical black coffee in front of him. He gets to his feet with a kind smile and shakes my hand as I approach, offering me a seat beside him. I slip into the red leather booth and sigh a little, thanking him when he says that I can order a drink and a pastry, all on him. I order a hot tea and a chocolate croissant as we're waiting and, soon, my drink comes out, along with my perfectly-formed croissant as well as a jelly doughnut for him.

"What can I help you with today, Lieutenant Grayson?" he asks me.

I sigh. "Well, for starters, you can think of me as Captain Holbrook," I reply with a smile. "I take the Captain's Exam in a couple of weeks and I'm going back to my maiden name."

"Maiden name?" he asks, setting down his doughnut. "Am I allowed to be privy to the information as to why you're changing it?"

I nod. "Absolutely. That's why I've called you here. I've asked for this meeting because I want to file for legal separation from my husband. I intend to divorce him if this separation doesn't go according to plan."

"Separation? Divorce?" he asks, shocked. "Lieutenant..."

"Maggie, please, Mr. Buchanan," I reply.

"It's John, please, Maggie," he says with a smile. "Why on earth would you want to divorce your husband? Has this anything to do with your upcoming promotion in the Homicide unit?"

I shake my head. "No, John. Nothing like that, it's..." I sigh. "It's mainly a case of irreconcilable differences, but there's been adultery and lies as well," I say softly to him, almost as if Hunter has the place bugged.

"Hunter?! Cheating on you?!" he cries, utterly shocked. "Man... Maggie, I'm so sorry to hear that..."

I smirk a little, stirring some sugar in my tea. "And here I was, these last few months, thinking that you hated me..."

"Hated you? Oh, you mean..." He sighs a little at that. "Wow. May my disparaging remarks haunt me to the grave. I'm sorry I had to attack you like that in open court, Maggie, really. But you have to understand, it was for the benefit of my client. I do hope there are no hard feelings between us."

"Why would there be?" I ask him. "I'm asking you to be my lawyer now, aren't I, John Buchanan?"

He chuckles. "Well, I suppose you are." He reaches into his briefcase and takes out a notepad. "Okay. Infidelity. Tell me."

"Before my last accident—I told you on the phone that I had been in a car accident a few weeks ago—I saw Hunter with another woman. There I was, about to get into the cab, and there was Hunter, walking down the street and kissing another woman. There's no way I could have misinterpreted this, John. I know what a passion-filled kiss looks like."

John Buchanan nods. "Of course. I'm sure many people do. Is there anything else that you think are grounds for a separation?"

I sigh a little at that. "We don't talk," I reply.

John looks up. "Ever?"

I shake my head. "No. I mean, we talk about our kids—three now, Edythe, who is thirteen and a freshman in high school; and the twins, Livi and Don—and work, of course, but never about each other. I believe that honesty and communication are the two most important things when it comes to a married couple, and the both of us have obviously failed in that respect. I can't explain it, but I guess the best way to do so would be I love Hunter, but I don't like him..."

John nods, a tight smile on his face. "What are you asking for?"

"We have two properties—our mansion in Westchester and a penthouse by Central Park that's still in my name. Hunter can have the mansion and live there and Edythe can come home to him—her school is out in Westchester. I'll stay in the penthouse with our nanny, Helena, and our twins. I'm not asking for any alimony or child support or anything like that. I'm asking for full custody of the twins and joint-custody of Edythe. That's all."

"May I suggest something?" he asks.

I nod. "Of course."

"Are the twins in Helena's care at the penthouse?"

"Yes, they've been there since I've been released from the hospital," I affirm. "I think Helena may be leaving us, due to her boyfriend considering proposing to her, and then I'll have to find another nanny... But yes, Helena is at the penthouse with the twins as we speak."

"My advice would be to have Hunter followed," John Buchanan tells me. "I know a P.I. that could do the job and be real discreet about it."

I nod. "Okay," I reply.

"He does charge a lot, I'm afraid..."

I shake my head. "Money isn't an obstacle. I have plenty of it and I'm willing to spend it to find out the truth."

John Buchanan's lips form a tight line as he scrawls a note for himself on his notepad. "I'll give him the information, then," he replies.

I nod. "Set it up," I confirm.

Olivia is over with me at the penthouse one evening a week later after she's gotten off work from the squad. It is a Friday night and Helena is out with Sebastian once again, and the twins are asleep in their bedroom. Olivia and I are sipping a bottle of merlot on the couch; we've turned off the news in favor of gossiping about Amaro and Rollins, who still have a lot to learn. Amanda, who worked at SVU down in Georgia, obviously knows what she's talking about, so she has knowledge on her side, while Amaro clearly has no sympathy for those criminals who rape the mentally disabled or children.

My phone buzzes and Olivia nods for me to answer it when I see that it is the number for John Buchanan. "John," I say into the phone.

"Maggie," he replies. "The P.I. is on his way to the penthouse. Are you alone there?" he wants to know.

I shake my head. "No. The twins are in bed asleep and Olivia is here..."

"That'll be fine, then," John tells me. "I know how close you two are. Well, he'll be there in a few minutes. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, John," I reply, hanging up.

"Everything okay?" Olivia asks.

I nod. "Yeah. The P.I. is coming."

"Should I go?" she asks.

I shake my head. "No. Stay. Please."

Olivia smiles. "No problem." A few moments later, I hear a buzz at my door, and I slowly make my way over to the call box. I speak briefly to Stanley, who informs me that a Karl Jessup is there to see me, who bears the name of the P.I. that I hired based on the reference from John Buchanan. I tell Stanley to go ahead and send him up, and wait, poised, by the front door. When the knock comes, I peer through the peephole, seeing a rather clean-cut, average-looking gentleman on the other side, and immediately open the door for him.

"Karl?" I ask. "Karl Jessup?"

"Last time I checked," he replies, showing me his shield.

I smile and step back. "Come in," I reply, and he steps over the threshold. "The living room is just over here," I say, shutting the door behind me and leading him inside. "This is my good friend, Detective Olivia Benson."

"Good to meet you, detective," Karl says, putting out his hand.

"Nice to meet you," she says. "Please call me 'Olivia'."

"No problem," Karl says. "Now, lieutenant..."

"Maggie, please," I reply.

"Maggie," he says, reaching into his briefcase for a file folder, "what I'm about to show you may hurt or confuse you..."

I nod, searching for and finding Olivia's hand. "I can take it."

"Okay." He opens the folder, bringing it to the waist-high table in the center of the room and Olivia and I make our way towards him. "Here we are," he says softly, almost reluctantly, spreading the photographs across its cherry wood surface. "As you can see, here is your husband with the woman..."

"Did you get her name?" I ask, gripping Olivia's hand.

"Yes," Karl replies as my eyes rove over the various shots of the two of them together, laughing and kissing and having a wonderful time. "Her name is Lacey Monroe and she's from Newport in Rhode Island. From what I've gathered, they've been seeing each other for a period of seven months and..."

"Maggie," Olivia says, interrupting Karl, and picking up one of the pictures at the other end of the table.

"What?" I asked, feeling utterly numb.

"Take a look at this," she says, handing it over.

"That one...maybe you shouldn't..."

"I would think you'd be morally against withholding important information from your clients, Karl," Olivia says.

"Right. Sorry," Karl says.

I force myself to look at the picture in my hand, and immediately, I feel as if I am going to be sick. "But that's... No," I whisper, the tears finally coming from my eyes and down my face. "Why is Edythe in this photograph with Hunter and this woman?!" I demand, shaking.

"Lacey Monroe..."

"I don't give a damn what her name is, Karl!" I cry, slamming my free hand down upon the surface of the table, cracking it, and sending some of the pictures to the floor. "What I do give a damn about is why the hell this woman is interacting with my little girl! Why was Edythe even with them?" I whisper, staring at every inch of the photograph, tears falling from my face and down onto it. "Why would she betray me like this?" I say softly. "Why would he?"

"Why would anyone?" Olivia asks, putting an arm around my shoulders and turning to look at Karl for an answer.