Divided We Fall
Chapter 12 Case Files
Olivia ran straight for the bed and cannon balled herself as close to her sleeping husband as possible, "Wake up!" She smiled like a child seeing Elliot shoot straight up in bed in total shock looking around frantically and then embracing her.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked in worry.
"Elliot," She giggled, "I'm great." She pushed him away so he could see her grin. One month after their outing they finally seemed to be on the upswing, the connection between the two seemed to grow stronger with each passing day and Olivia was looking sexy as ever, although Elliot was still very aware that her eyes never shone quit the same way they did when she held Isaac, he never caught her sleeping with a smile since Isaac was taken, and the fact that she reverted to sleeping in the fetal position again, let him know that there was still a hurt there, and he knew the only thing that would ever ease it…wasn't humanly possible.
"Then why on earth," Elliot smiled playfully taking her to the mattress and covering her neck with soft kisses, "are you waking me up in the middle of the night…with cannon balls?" he smiled into her neck, feeling her hands graze his back, "the bed isn't a pool you know…but if you ever want to try a pool-"
"I want to show you something." She giggled feeling his goatee brush against her skin softly, "Come with me."
"That's what I'm trying to do." He teased her grazing her breast with his thumb and seeing her arch her neck back.
"Elliot," She groaned, "I really want to show you something and then," She gasped again feeling him press into her, "we can have the…rest of the night." She whispered, not so sure if she really wanted to leave the bed now.
"Can I have you now?" he smiled as he hovered over her face and grazed her lips.
Olivia smiled and kissed him gently, "I'd really like to show you something." She whispered.
Elliot smiled and took her bottom lip softly between his teeth, nibbling through a smile as he separated from her, "Show me."
Grinning, Olivia took him by his hand and pulled him out of the bed, wrapping his hands around her waist and leading him as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You smell good." He whispered as she opened the restroom door.
"Focus Elliot…just two minutes." She laughed and flipped the light on.
"Wow," Elliot faked surprise, "It's the bathroom." He teased her.
"Shut up." She laughed and walked in pulling him along, "Watch." She instructed him pointing down to the scale as she stepped on. Elliot watched with a smile as the needle moved farther and farther along, stopping at a solid one hundred and thirty pounds.
"Hey!" he grinned, "That's great Liv!" he embraced her and kissed her cheek from behind as she stepped off, "How do you feel."
Olivia exhaled and smiled turning to him, "Normal."
"You look fantastic," he smiled flipping the light of and leading her back into the pale light of the room, "You're curves," he whispered, tracing her flesh from her ribs down to her waist, "are dangerous again." He smiled hearing her laugh; he'd do anything to hear her laugh all the time.
"I feel really good." She whispered wrapping her hands around his neck and watching him in the soft light, "Thank you so much Elliot."
"For what?" He furrowed his brows.
"For taking care of my stubborn butt." She smiled, "I really owe you."
Elliot nuzzled his nose against hers and partook of her lips tenderly, drawing her hips to him before separating and whispering, "You don't owe me anything Olivia," he smiled slyly, "But, if it makes you feel better," his tone turned suggestive as he pulled her down over his body, "I suppose, I can let you make love to me."
Olivia could feel her muscles contract over his stomach as she laughed, "Oh…right," she smiled kissing him, "You suppose huh?"
"Yeah." He mumbled against her lips slipping his hands under her pajamas to caress her back, "but only if it will make you feel better." He smiled teasing her.
Olivia smiled at him and traced his jaw line before kissing his cheek and whispering, "You're the only one that makes me feel better."
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"What the hell did you do to my office?" Melinda said in shock as she saw Donavan stack one more box in her office.
"I ran out of room Doc." He shrugged his shoulders, "besides," he smirked, "you got this absurdly large office-"
"You're right!" she spoke wide eyed, and irritated, "I have this office…it's my office." She informed him, "What the hell are all of these boxes?"
"The homework assignment you gave me." He said standing cockily against the wall.
"What are you talking about?" she furrowed her brow and placed her bag on her desk looking at one of the boxes.
"You told me to go through the case files of Dr. Savhey…you do remember him right?" he asked looking at her as if she'd lost her mind.
"Donavan." Her tone was one of warning, "Why the hell do you insist on speaking in Morse code?"
"Morse code?" He scrunched his face, "No that would sound more like, boop…beep…boop be-"
"Donavan," She eyed him, "Get the boxes out of my office…now!"
"Melinda," he shook his head and grew serious, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize his death was bothering you."
"It's not!" she snapped.
"Oh…so, you're premenstrual?" he smiled, "You love me."
Melinda took the lid off one of the boxes, "So much, I want to shoot you." She smiled and then sat down exhaling deeply and pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Alright," he moved a box form the chair and sat, "what is it?"
"You're irritating." She mumbled.
"True," he smiled, "But that's not exactly what has you so wound up is it?" he asked softly.
"No." she shook her head and arched her brows, "We know, or at least we think, that Dr. Savhey sent the file right?"
"Yeah…I'd bet my check he did."
"I would too." She responded "But an ink blotch and newspaper article isn't exactly conclusive."
"Melinda," he spoke to her as if he were friends with her, and while they really were friends, they both got a kick out of their love hate relationship. She was his mentor and he never failed to surprise her with his passion and knowledge of the job…even if he was irritating. "Don't you think that it's a little weird that you showed up to his office…and the same day he's murdered? He wasn't killed in an accident…he was stabbed to death and his tongue was cut out…you know what that means." He whispered.
"He said something he wasn't suppose to." She spoke into the atmosphere and rested her head on her chair. "But what?" she shook her head, "Dr. Savhey was our only hope of figuring out why that file was sent to us. What the hell are we missing?" she said tapping her pen on the desk.
"I don't know," He shook his head, "But in addition to his case files, I also pulled every auto accident where a fire was involved…the answer is in one of these boxes."
"Dare I ask how many boxes are actually here?"
"Can I just tell you a low number?" he smiled.
"Please."
"Lets say…five." He lied knowing he'd stacked at least fifteen and he had another at least five in the other room. "Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Has anyone bothered to tell the two cops about this?"
Melinda sat up straight and eyed him, "Donavan," she exhaled, "I'm not prepared to put my friends through hell if this is some type of hoax."
"Friends?" he looked her shocked, "You know them?"
"They're both very good friends of mine." She shook her head, "I saw them about three days ago…they're finally laughing."
Donavan shook his head understanding what she was saying, "They're finally accepting the loss and this will just rip the scab right off again wouldn't it."
Melinda's eyes agreed with him, "She's finally laughing…it's been almost a year since we've heard her laugh…I can't put her though more hell unless it's absolutely necessary…I want to know everything I can about this before I break their hearts again."
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True to her word, Olivia called Ricky and informed him she would be back at the gym for sparring and teaching as well as working out with Elliot. He was bummed that she'd only be able to stick around for two more months but he was excited to finally meet her husband.
"El?" she called to him, "Come on, were gonna be late."
"Liv," He groaned, "It's five thirty in the morning." He smiled embracing her from behind, "If you want, I could give you a personally workout."
Olivia laughed, "Elliot, I hate to break it to you sweetheart but, last time I sparred with you, I kicked the crap out of you."
"Sparred? You're sparring this morning?"
"Yep."
"I thought you were teaching the kids?" he furrowed his brows and helped her with her gear bag, realizing that she had to spar with someone, "Who's gonna have their paws on my wife?" he teased her.
"Ricky" she smiled, "And don't worry…he's fast but I got him down to a science." She laughed, "If you want to watch, we can work out later…after the kids."
Elliot thought about it for a second, "I would love to see my wife beat the crap out of a man."
"Just because it's not you huh?" she teased him.
Elliot raised his hands in surrender "Hey…I'm no fool."
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Elliot found himself nervously watching Olivia stretch in preparation for her sparring workout. Ricky was a little bigger than she had described and he wasn't so sure he liked the fact that all he was wearing were canvas pants and his black belt. Elliot rolled his eyes, you might have a black belt, but I've got these blue eyes that she can't resist, he chuckled to himself watching Olivia bounce around in her canvas pants and compression shirt. She practically passed out when Elliot accidentally dropped her belt in the locker room trying to tie it around her waist. How was he supposed to know there was a specific way, then again he couldn't even tie his own tie.
Before Elliot knew what was happening they'd started sparring and Elliot wasn't so sure he liked what he saw. Ricky was going full force but as Elliot watched closer he could have sworn Olivia was smiling with her mouth guard in place. Unbelievable. He smiled but still found himself ringing the towel he'd pulled from her bag.
"I'd put my lunch money on Mrs. Stabler." A small voice came from beside him.
Elliot turned to see a young boy in a karate outfit sitting next to him, "Little early for you to be here isn't it?" Elliot smiled at he boy with sunglasses on .
"Mrs. Stabler always teaches me after she spars with Ricky, she's been sick though so another guy was teaching me…he sucks." The little boy informed him, "Mrs. Stabler loves me…she told me that."
Elliot eyed the little boy knowing that Olivia hadn't mentioned she was teaching someone privately, "What's you're name buddy?"
The little boy smiled, "I'm Samuel, I'm eight." He said sticking his hand out at an odd angel to shake Elliot's.
Elliot looked at the placement of the boy's hand, his sunglasses, and the white cane next to him; he was blind. "I'm Elliot," he said softly, "It's good to meet you Samuel."
"Elliot?" he smiled, "She loves you, I heard her tell Ricky that…you're her husband huh?"
Elliot grinned, "Yeah buddy I am."
"I don't ever get to see it, but I hear when she hits the bag…she's strong."
Elliot ran his hand through the boy's hair, "Samuel, you have no idea."
"She wins Ricky sometimes…sometimes she doesn't…Ricky is state champ." He smiled.
"Want me to tell you what's happening?" Elliot asked.
The young boy perked up, "Please!"
Elliot explained to the young boy how Ricky swung, missing and allowing Olivia to take him to the mate with a trip. The young boy rooted Olivia on as Elliot explained that she evaded to the left, dodging a punch, but when Elliot cringed and grabbed onto the young boy he begged to know what happened.
"Sam, my man…Mrs. Stabler just got knocked on her butt." Elliot grimaced wondering how in the world she could take a kick to her head like that and laugh as she stood up, heck; he wondered how she even stood up.
"She'll get up," The young boy smiled confidently, "She always does."
Elliot wondered if the young boy knew that his words carried a plural meaning, wondered if somehow this young man was a gift from God to Olivia.
"She's up." Elliot explained.
Samuel laughed, "Ricky is in trouble."
After several breaks and a solid thirty-minute sparring session the two fighters bowed to one another and removed their sparring equipment, laughing as they walked off the mat. Elliot stood smiling and helped the young boy to his feet. "She's coming to see us Samuel."
"She's pretty huh?" Samuel asked out of curiosity.
"You've got no idea man." Elliot laughed, "How did you know?"
"She's got a pretty heart." He smiled then suddenly called out her name when she was within distance, "Mrs. Stabler!"
"Hey, Sam!" she beamed and Elliot knew he'd never seen something more beautiful then his wife smiling as she hugged the young boy, "I missed you."
"Ricky said you were sick."
"I was." She smiled looking at him square in his eyes. Elliot wondered if that was how she looked at him when he lost his sight, there was respect, not pity. "But I feel really good now…did you meet Elliot?"
"Yeah, I knew he was your husband." The boy smiled keeping contact with Olivia who looked at Elliot and grinned, "How did you know Sam?"
"He really likes you…he was nervous when you and Ricky were practicing."
Elliot raised his eyes at the young boy in shock, he hadn't said anything to the boy but he remembered how his own senses were heightened when he lost his sight and knew the young boy must have picked up on something he did or said. Damn your good.
"Elliot, this is my friend Ricky, Ricky this is my husband Elliot."
"Nice to meet you." Ricky smiled shaking Elliot's hand.
"You too." Elliot smiled back
"Mrs. Stabler?" the young boy tugged gently on her belt.
"Yes?"
"I want to show Elliot how I can break the boards." He informed her.
"I have to go shower and hit the books anyway." Ricky smiled, "Good fight Olivia," he said patting her on the shoulder, and looking at Elliot, "Good to finally meet you, she tells me you're a good man."
"Good to meet you too." Elliot smiled looking at Olivia as he shook his hand.
"Alright, let's break boards." Olivia laughed letting the young boy take her by the elbow.
Elliot found himself amazed at how willingly Samuel trusted Olivia to lead him, and even more surprised at how well he operated once on the mat. Mrs. Stabler suddenly became ma'am, and Olivia suddenly became a strict and supportive instructor. Elliot found himself a little more than surprised by her persona…he was turned on.
"Alright, what do you got?" Olivia asked.
"Running jump side sick with an obstacle, Ma'am."
"I'm confused." Elliot whispered to Olivia.
She smiled, "He's going to run and jump over an obstacle breaking the board before he lands…it's cake."
"He's blind." Elliot reminded her.
"He'll surprise you." She laughed and handed him the board.
"Alright, Samuel." She let him take her elbow and Elliot watched as she walked an imaginary line with the young boy stopping at the obstacle and allowing him to feel its height. "The board will be right here." She told him bringing his hand up to the board that Elliot held.
"I got it." He informed her and carefully walked by himself back to the exact point Olivia had led him from.
Olivia instructed Elliot on the proper way to hold the board, "Lock you're elbows and widen you're stance or he'll knock you over." She warned. Elliot followed her instructions and watched as the young boy waited for Olivia's instruction.
"Sam, four steps, the obstacle and then the strike."
"Yes Ma'am." He barked.
"Go!" Olivia smiled seeing the young boy effortlessly run and jump over the obstacle, tucking one leg under him and extending the other kicking the board Elliot held dead in the center before landing.
"Wow! That was amazing." Elliot found himself hugging Samuel with a grin on his face and Olivia wondered if she'd ever seen something as beautiful as Elliot hugging the young boy.
"Watch Mrs. Stabler…she taught me." The boy grinned at his accomplishment.
"You know something Sam…I've never seen Mrs. Stabler do that."
Olivia's eyes widened, "Elliot, don't encourage him."
"Please Ma'am…show him, I did, you can do it." He encouraged her.
"Yeah Ma'am," Elliot smiled cockily, "Show me, please."
"I can't." Olivia laughed.
"Ma'am…we're not suppose to say 'can't' on the mat." Samuel informed her.
Olivia blushed, "You win Sam." She rolled her eyes and handed Elliot a board, "Hold it tight…wouldn't want you to fall on you're butt."
"Yeah," Elliot scoffed locking his elbows and widening his stance, "Like you're gonna knock me on my butt."
Olivia arched her brow and distanced her self from him, "You ready for this Sam." She asked and nodded to Elliot when the boy simply smiled.
"Show me what you got Liv."
Olivia focused on the board in the distance, sized up the obstacle and moved fluidly across the section, over the obstacle, one leg tucked and the other extended, breaking the board and effectively knocking Elliot on his butt.
"That was hot." Elliot grinned, "I'm not sure I've seen anything like that before."
"Yeah?" She smiled and helped him to his feet, "Maybe I could-"
"I'm still here." Samuel chimed in before things got a little too hot.
Olivia blushed then turned back to Elliot, "Let me finish his lesson and if you're good," She arched her brows suggestively, "I can give you a private lesson."
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Melinda Warner placed her workbag down on the counter of her home and saw the note left behind by her husband explaining his last minute business trip to Dallas. She placed it to the side making a note to call him after she sorted through the mail. She picked up the stack and flipped through it mumbling to himself, "Bill…bill…junk…bill…junk…junk…what the hell?" she furrowed her brow and held up a heavy padded manila envelope which had her name and address written on it, but no return.
"Oh, here we go again." She shook her head and exhaled opening the envelope and seeing that the envelope contained a simple hard covered book, she looked at the book reading the title, "Mobey Dick." Confused, she pulled the ribbon that hung loosely from the book and furrowed her brows seeing a small key hanging at the end. Looking closer, she noticed the writing on the ribbon, "Don't judge a book by its cover, it's what's on the inside that counts."
Reaching for the phone, she dialed quickly and smiled at the sound on the other end, "Donavan, I need you back at the office."
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Casey flipped through the case file knowing that she'd been researching and preparing this case for almost a year. She'd know that it could take years to prosecute but she was finding herself restless with the paperwork, wanting to spend her free time with her son, who was currently sucking happily against her breast.
Deciding it was time to examine the photos that had been dropped off at her home by an office clerk only days ago, she adjusted Addison and opened the file glancing at the pictures, not exactly sure what she was looking for and almost finding herself bored until she came across the picture that made her skin crawl. She stared at the body of an infant laying precariously face down, as she dialed the phone quickly, "Melinda, it's Casey."
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"I'm exhausted." Olivia murmured resting against Elliot's body on the couch.
"You really pushed you're self today…Ricky nailed ya a couple of times pretty good." He informed her stroking her recently showered hair from behind.
"Ah," She smiled, "He hit's like a girl."
"A big girl." Elliot laughed, "You've got to be sore."
"Oh yeah." She groaned, "I could really use you're hands right now."
"Yeah?"
"Please?"
"Absolutely," He smiled sitting up and allowing her to lay across the couch on her stomach, "Where are you sore at?"
"All over." She groaned into the couch.
Elliot chuckled and began kneading the muscles of her shoulders, "Can I tell you something?"
"Please."
"You were so amazing with Samuel."
"He's a good kid."
"Its more than that, he loves you…and you love him, don't you?" He asked softly.
"Foster home." She sighed.
"What?"
"He's in a foster home." She said softly.
"Why?"
"Father…raped him." She whispered, "Beat him."
"How did you find out?"
"The Foster Parents are good people, they drop him off at the gym and pick him up, I was talking to them and they recognized me from the paper…long story short they told me what happened." She whispered.
"He's amazing." Elliot assured her as he brushed her hair away from her neck and kissed the back of her neck softly, "Your amazing."
"I needed him." She spoke softly, "He taught me so much."
"Care to share?" he asked sliding her shirt up slowly and rubbing her back.
"He's blind, yet he's so talented…amazing on the mat-" She gasped feeling his hands pass over a sore spot. "Right there." She informed him.
"Here?" he asked softly rubbing the flesh.
"Yeah…he showed me that, even in darkness…it's possible to see." She shifted her weight under him and smiled, "I came home after I realized that, I came back knowing it was sink or swim for us…seems we're swimming." She smiled and kissed him gently.
Elliot smiled down at her and swore he saw a flicker in her eyes, "We're swimming."
"I read your magazine." She smiled up at him.
"Wow…you know how to change the subject."
Olivia ran her hand along his chest and made her way to his waistband, "I assure you, this is very much on the subject."
"Really?" he grinned, "Tell me more about this magazine."
"I pulled it out of you're gym back while you were showering…I noticed the page you had folded down." She grinned watching him blush and lower his head into her shoulder.
"Would you really like to do that?" She smiled.
"Yeah." He confessed, "Sounds interesting."
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"Task Master!" Donavan rubbed his eyes walking into her office, "What is so important that you had to drag me away from the emptiness that is my life."
"Xbox?" Melinda smiled offering a cup of coffee.
"You know it." He sighed, "Could have beat the game-"
"Yet you answered the phone." She snickered, "Look at this and tell me what you think." She said passing him the book.
"I hated Moby Dick…tell me that's not why I'm here."
"Keep looking." She sipped her coffee and watched him pull the bookmarker out of the paper.
"Well, well, well." He looked at it seriously, "Remarkable."
"What?" Melinda asked anxiously, "What is it?"
Donavan held the key up to her and smiled, "It's a key!"
"You're an ass."
"Thanks."
"Donavan!"
"Alright, man," he smiled as he read the ribbon, "sometimes you are just plain bitter."
"Thanks." She replied sarcastically then frowned when he grabbed the letter opener off of her desk, "Hey, calm down!" she raised her hands.
"Melinda," He shook his head and opened the book, "take a chill pill." He smiled and started to cut along the gummed edge of the paper that was bound to the hard cover. "I," he said proudly, as he peeled back the book paper removing a thin piece of paper that had been sealed into the book, "am a friggin genius."
"What's that?" She walked to him to look at the paper
"Hell if I know." He said casting the book to the side and unfolding the tissue like paper.
"That's an address." She furrowed her brows looking at it, "That's the lower east side isn't it?"
"I believe so." He agreed.
"Road trip?" she suggested.
"Road trip."
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Dialing the phone again Casey called out for Paul, "Honey, can you help me please?"
Paul peeked his head into the office just as Melinda's message machine voicemail picked up again. "Damnit!" she cursed then cringed realizing she was still holding Addison.
"What's wrong?" Paul asked softly gathering his son in his arms and kissing her gently on the forehead.
Casey sighed, "We got a big problem."
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"Park right there." Melinda pointed to a space.
"I think we c-"
"Donavan! Park the damn car!" she barked.
"Well" He smiled and set up the car to parallel park, "Since you asked nicely." He parked perfectly and exited the vehicle quickly depositing change into the meter and looking at the piece of paper again. "Yeah, this is it." He said looking at the bank in front of them.
"It's a bank." Melinda furrowed her brows and retrieved her ringing cell phone, "Warner," She answered, "Wow hold on…calm down….okay….WHAT!…my office in an hour…okay bye."
"Who was that?" Donovan asked.
"Casey, she has something she needs me to look at, why are we going to a bank." She asked him starring up at the building.
"The key!" he said suddenly, "Give me the key."
Melinda retrieved it from her pocket and handed it to him.
"Deposit box." He murmured.
"What?"
"That's what it has to be." He shrugged.
"Well, let's go then." She said as they made their way into the bank.
"May I help you?" An older gentleman approached them dressed in a suit and tie, hair thinning and gut overlapping.
"Yes," Melinda stepped forward, "I'd like to open my safety deposit box number 233."
"Very well," the older man smiled, "This way." He instructed them after retrieving their file.
Donavan and Melinda followed obediently and Melinda was suddenly struck with fear knowing that she would have to show some sort of I.D. to access the box. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what in the heck she was going to do when the plump man turned to her, "You're I.D please?"
"Excuse me?" she stalled causing the man to look down at his paperwork.
"Oh my apologies, you have a password protection for anonymity…you're password please?" he waited patiently as the wheels in Melinda's mind raced.
"Oh honey," Donavan's choice of word's caused a brow to rise sharply, "I lost my book."
Melinda furrowed her brows and was about to rip into him when she realized what he was trying to tell her, "You probably left it in the car." She followed his lead and looked to the plump man again, "He gets bored easily, likes to read."
"Very well," The gentleman smiled, "You're password please."
Melinda took a deep breath and mentally crossed her fingers, "Moby Dick."
The gentleman looked down at the file and smiled retrieving his master key, "Take as long as you need Ma'am." He inserted his key and turned it waiting for her to do the same and then opened it sliding out a slender metal box from the wall.
"Thank you." Melinda smiled and waited for the man to leave.
"Open it." Donavan encouraged her, anxious to see what was in it.
Melinda opened the box and frowned seeing the three case files sitting inside. "Case files?" she mumbled.
"What?" Donavan asked watching as she withdrew the files.
"Three case files,"
