AN: I love Nellie McKay. I know, I say it all of the time, but honestly I swear she and I have the same brain. Anyway, her song "Face of Faith". I used it in the chapter. it is so good. If you don't know it. Check it out. It's short and beautiful. This update seemed to take forever. So sorry you all. I've been a little busy. Stupid time consuming things.

Face of Faith

Melinda Warner sat on the bench in court looking out at the jury. Casey, Jackson Zane, Trevor Langdon, and a small group of witnesses, Elliot being one of them, played their roles and went through the motions of questions and answers.

Melinda's husband sat behind Casey nervously wringing his hands and keeping his eyes to the floor. He was never really good at dealing with the stress of court. Melinda on the other hand, had been through the procedure before and she felt that she had a pretty good case.

"Last question, Dr. Warner," Trevor paced. "Were you ever in contact with my client after this e-mail was sent to Olivia Benson?"

"No. In fact, this is the first time that I'd ever met your client."

"Okay, thank you."

The judge cleared his throat and dismissed Melinda. He held back a yawn, "Ms. Novak, do you have any witnesses?"

"Yes. I'd like to call Elliot Stabler to the stand."

Elliot fixed his tie and walked to the bench.

He noticed the two conspicuous federal rats in black suits sitting towards the back of the room and knew that if anything remotely shady went down the Fed's would take Olivia to jail conscious or not. This was more then a fight for freedom of speech this was Munch's conspiracy nightmare in the flesh. They weren't messing around and these two particular men seemed to be making it their own personal agenda.

Casey's heels clopped across the marble floor and stopped in front of him. "Detective, do you recall seeing my client send this e-mail to Olivia Benson?"

"Yes."

"And at the time, what were her reasons?"

"It's my duty, as a detective, to protect and serve the victims that come through my unit. When the federal agents cleaned out our office they also took three of our victims Tasha, Niki, and Lola into their custody on charges of being part of a national Anthrax leak. These three little girls had lost their family during Hurricane Katrina. They should have been reunited with their blood relatives in New York, but instead, were taken away for things they had no knowledge of. Those girls trusted us and it was our responsibility to get them the proper care and justice that they needed. Our team felt it necessary to fight for them and in doing so we had to prove where the Anthrax came from and that our victims were not connected to it. That's where Melinda Warner's e-mail came in. The e-mail was from an old school mate of hers that contacted her before the Fed's told us the investigation was classified. The information was used to clear our victims and for no other reason."

"So when Jackson Zane posted their story in his newspaper, were you aware of how he obtained that information?"

"No."

"Had you spoken to him about this case?"

"During the beginning of the case, Mr. Zane did try to obtain information from Olivia Benson and myself. We told him what we tell every journalist, 'no comment.'"

"Thank you."

Casey took her seat and Trevor nodded to Elliot.

Jackson wasn't even paying attention. He scribbled on a notepad the entire time. The sound of his pencil was starting to irritate Elliot. He couldn't help but stare at him. Jackson glanced up and his dark brown eyes flashed and pierced Elliot's thoughts. Anna's sad face flickered in his mind.

"Detective Stabler? Elliot?"

"Huh- Ahem, sorry. I'm sorry can you repeat the question please?"

Trevor nodded and stood in front of Jackson. "If nobody from your unit leaked the story to the press, how do you think my client obtained the information?"

"I don't know ask him."

"Let me rephrase the question. Did you or Olivia Benson send my client the information he needed for his articles?"

"I can only speak for myself, but no, I did not send Jackson Zane any information about this case?"

"Did Olivia Benson ever mention sending my client that information?"

"No, she did not."

Trevor smiled and got real close to Elliot. "Now, come on, the photo was pretty identical to the one in your file. Who do you think sent him that information if it wasn't you?"

"First, of all that photo could have been taken from anybody at the park that day and secondly, I've already told you that Olivia gave me no information or even hint that she was part of the leak."

"And weren't you in on the investigation with Michael Delbit, the lab technician who stole the Anthrax?"

"Yes."

"Weren't you curious to know how Jackson knew every detail of that investigation?"

Elliot stopped in his thoughts and looked up at Jackson, who for the first time, put his pencil down.

"I…was. Yes."

"So if you didn't send him the information can we assume that Olivia, the only other person in that room, was part of this leak-"

"Your honor, I object," Jackson said, standing before Elliot could answer the question.

"Excuse me," said the judge. "Mr. Zane, you do realize you're objecting your own lawyer?"

"Yes, sir. I need a moment with my lawyer please, sir, your honor."

"Fine."

Trevor and Zane whispered for a few minutes and then Trevor approached the judge.

"Mr. Langdon, shall we proceed."

"Um, yes, we have no further questions at this time."

"You're sure of that?"

"Yes," Trevor said as he noticeably cringed.

Elliot sat at the bench with a look of confused annoyance on his face. "So, do I answer that last question or…"

"No," Trevor interrupted. "That won't be necessary."

The judge cleared his throat angrily. "Mr. Langdon, I hope you're not wasting my time with this trial, because I'm really not in the mood for a dog and pony show this morning."

"No, sir, we can not continue our questions without Olivia Benson, your honor."

"Very well," sighed the judge. "And there are no more witnesses?"

"No your honor," Trevor said as he headed back to his chair.

"Well, then, I'm afraid that without more evidence and Olivia Benson's testimony, I will have to file this as a mistrial until further information can be provided. These e-mails are worthless without an accurate history. Jackson Zane, you are to finish your sentence until further notice. And if I see this case in my courtroom without proper justification again, I will charge both, you, Mr. Langdon and your Client, Jackson Zane on false allegations. Court adjourned."

Melinda and Casey stood up and headed for the door. "That was a waste of time and tax payer's hard earned cash," Casey mumbled.

As they exited the courtroom Casey noticed the two Fed's cornering Trevor Langdon near the right hand side of the courtroom. She pointed for Melinda to leave and then stood next to the door to listen to Trevor.

"I'm doing the best I can with what I have. Oli- we can't convict someone who is unable to physically be in court or answer the questions that you need to be answered. Besides the jury isn't going to be prone to putting a coma patient in jail. Jesus Christ, give me a break already!"

Casey was almost pummeled as the door burst open and the two Fed's walked by her with suspicious glares.

Elliot gathered his things and watched Jackson being escorted by the prison guards. Jackson caught his eye and called to him. "Elliot."

The last thing Elliot wanted to do was talk to Jackson Zane, but he grabbed his coat and walked toward him. "Jackson Zane."

"How she?"

"Olivia is…," Elliot jolted with anger as he stood close to Jackson. The whole time he was taking in every feature of his face and comparing it to Anna's. The placement of Anna's eyes were similar... possibly, no they were definitely Olivia's eyes, but the hair could very well be his. Anna's hair was much darker than any of Elliot's and even Olivia's. Anna's face then morphed into Olivia's and he twitched to make it go away. He hated that his anger wasn't really aimed at Anna's biology but more towards Olivia giving herself to this man. He swallowed hard and held himself together. " She's…she's good. She's still unconscious, but breathing on her own. She's a strong woman. Any day now. She's going to be back any day now."

Jackson nodded and handed Elliot a piece of paper. "Good. Hey, will you send her my love?"

The touch of his hand made Elliot boil inside. He watched the prison guards take Jackson away and looked down at the note in his hand. "I will never give up the fight. Don't let them win. All my love, Your X man."

"Love?" Elliot crumbled up the paper and threw it in a nearby trashcan. "You piece of shit. You have not right to use that word. X-man. You're a mutant alright."

Elliot walked out of the building and caught Jackson being put into the police car. His eyes never left the back of Jackson's head. Every moment that he could see Zane's pretty boy figure was like a time bomb of jealous rage waiting to go off. He headed down the front steps and reached Casey and Melinda at the bottom. His jealousy had almost prevented him from speaking.

"What'd Jackson have to say?" Casey asked.

"Nothing. He just wanted to know how Olivia was. I told him the same."

Elliot followed Melinda, Casey, and Melinda's husband, Jarold, to the street, the whole time trying to shake the angry fear in the back of his mind. "Do you think the Fed's will push Olivia to testify in court when she wakes up?"

"Probably," Casey answered. "They're really enforcing this issue. It's almost obsessive. I mean, Jackson didn't even want to press charges. He was forced to, according to Trevor. The Fed's are all over Olivia's history. They think she's been falsely representing the system. I don't know where they could have gotten that idea. They act like she's some kind of terrorist."

"Why do you think Zane doesn't want to press charges," Elliot pushed.

"Because Olivia made his career," Melinda added. "When he gets out of jail every publisher in the United States is going to eat him up. He's already started writing."

"Huh," Elliot grunted. "If that's the case then why wouldn't he want to get out sooner rather than later? Why not just tell the fed's Olivia leaked it?"

"Do you want to see Olivia behind bars," Casey furrowed.

"Absolutely not, but Casey, we all know Olivia leaked that information. Why would Jackson cover for her unless…unless…there was something else going on."

"Like something personal, you mean," Melinda lightly finished.

"Yes," Elliot grumbled

Casey stopped walking and turned to him. "You got a problem with Jackson Zane?"

"Yeah, he's a rat. He used Olivia and now if Olivia ever does…get out of this…. His fabulous career is going to send her to jail while he's being made a martyr. He's trying to be the hero, but it's all at her expense. She let him walk all over her! If he loved her like he says then where's the fucking proof? Anybody can have sex. I can't believe she would do…he used her! "

Casey looked at Melinda and then back to Elliot. "El, I think you may be reading into things a little too much. I mean, when did Jackson say that he loved her?"

"He…he did. He just did. Oh, what the fuck does it matter if he's said it. Why am I the only one who sees what's happening here?"

"Elliot, maybe you should go home and take the night off. You're a little stressed."

"Casey, what would you know about stress? Screw you!"

"What is your deal?!"

"My deal," Elliot scoffed with attitude as he held up his hand. "My deal is that I'm playing father to a child that I wasn't even told about, Casey! How am I supposed to do this? What am I going to tell her when she asks me about her family? Who am I suppose to turn to when she needs to know about her heritage or when she needs her mother? I'm certainly not going to be calling him!"

"Elliot, you are being ridiculous. I've come across much bigger assholes than Jackson Zane. And you don't even know if he has anything to do with Olivia or Anna. Why don't you have the blood tests done and this will all be settled," Casey said in the calmest way she could. Olivia's patience was not something that Casey had ever been able to master.

"Because WHAT IF I'M NOT! What then?"

"Then you tell her that!"

"You think it's so easy! Have you ever had to explain a difficult relationship to a child before? Sorry Anna, I'm only your adopted dad because your mother ran from the truth and I was too cowardly to save her. Your real father is in jail and may want to meet you, but it's unlikely that he does, otherwise he'd have done so by now! If I'm so trustworthy, then why wasn't I told this from the horse's mouth? Why did I have to find out through the bloody remains of a friend and legal paperwork?!"

The conversation was already heated, but it was getting louder and louder. People on the street started to look at them like they were gonna miss something big if they didn't.

"So Olivia made a mistake. Don't we all? You of all people should know about mistaken pregnancies. Besides, you're the one who let her down to begin with. As soon as she left for Oregon you were all over Dani Beck. It's no wonder she didn't tell you. If you need to know who Anna's father is for peace of mind, that's one thing, but if you need to know who Anna's father is to prove that Olivia loves you, then you're worse off then I thought, Elliot Stabler. I don't know what Olivia's relationship with Jackson Zane was, because she never told me about it, but you know what she did talk about? You. All of the time. Why do you think her dates never pan out? You think her mother screwed her up that badly? She doesn't want anyone else, Elliot. She never has wanted anyone else, and if you could stop being so god damned insecure, and take your dick out of your ass, and everybody else's, for that matter, you'd find that it doesn't matter who Anna biologically belongs to, because as of today, she only will ever belong to you. And Olivia, made it that way for a reason. So instead of sulking about your hurt male ego, why don't you do yourself a favor and trust Olivia."

Elliot's face was red with frustrated anger. He paused in realization.

Casey flipped her hair to the side and nodded for Melinda and her husband to follow. "Stop being a hypocrite and have a little faith, Elliot. Have a little fucking faith!"

SCENE

You are the light I follow.

Elliot walked into the hospital room where Maureen, Kathleen, Dickie, and Elizabeth sat around Anna playing Candy Land next to Olivia's slowly breathing body.

You are the face of a faith I love.

Elliot watched her peacefully resting. His children's laughter came in and out of focus as he imagined Olivia's voice in his ear.

Oh my darling, believe in me

"Youhoo Daddy," Kathleen waved. "You wanna play?"

"Sure."

You are the hymn I cover.

"How is everybody, " he asked.

You are the king of an Indian dove

Dickie went on about his basketball game as Anna rolled the die. Elliot listened as he rubbed the back of Olivia's hand.

Oh my darling the fever in me

The square block rolling from Anna's hand fell to the floor and Elizabeth made an exaggerated sound causing Anna to laugh loudly.

"Super woman! You don't have to throw it that hard. Sheesh- we got a baseball player over here, I tell yeah."

Elizabeth crawled to pick up the die and handed it back to Anna, who threw it again, this time on purpose. Elizabeth did a slouchy gorilla move towards the die and lightly popped it onto the board.

Anna found this to be incredibly hilarious. The whole family laughed with her. This was the first time she'd made so much noise, since her arrival.

You are the hope I cherish

The average parent to his four-year-old would have normally stopped a game of toy throwing, but the whole Stabler family allowed it to happen. The sight of little Anna jumping and laughing was a small breakthrough.

I wait for a while, I know

Elliot let go of Olivia's hand, grabbed the die from the floor, and placed it on Anna's head.

But I let it go, yes I let it go

Anna looked up to try and see the die, and it fell behind her. She squealed with delight then turned and reached for it.

Her little shy face looked at Elliot and just as she was about to hand it to him she threw it high in the air. Everybody watched as it fell from the air and onto Olivia's stomach. Suddenly, the fits of laughter stopped. Anna gasped a bit and almost cried.

"Hey, it's okay," Elliot soothed as he grabbed her. "Mommy doesn't mind. Come here."

He lifted her up to the bed and touched Olivia's hand. "She wanted to play too. It's okay. Can you reach the die? Get the die and say 'Sorry, mommy, maybe next time.'"

You are the care of a prayer I love

Anna's almost tears faded and she climbed over Olivia's body, reached for the die, and very softly and sweetly said ", sorry, mummy. Nes time."

Maureen grabbed Kathleen's arm. The group of them froze with silent excitement. Tears came to Maureen's eyes. And then as Elliot placed Anna on the ground he kissed her forehead and felt the movement touch his hand.

Oh my darling believe in me

Olivia's fingers moved in his light grip.

"Olivia?"

Her eyes twitched and her fingers wiggled for a second time. Elliot rubbed her hand and waited. Olivia was still again but he couldn't let that movement go.

"Daddy, what's wrong," Maureen said reaching for Anna.

Elliot kneeled beside the bed and kissed her hand. "Liv, honey, I'm right here."

Her eyes twitched again and she sucked in a quick breath of air as if she'd just come to.

Everyone stood next to the bed. Anna clung to Maureen. Elizabeth grabbed Kathleen's hand. Elliot touched the side of Olivia's head and slowly she opened her eyes.

Believe in me.

AN: And chapter over. Yeah you all hate me I know. Pitch forks and all. blah blah blah. Drop me some love. Tell me what you don't want to see happen.