Olivia was back home again, skipping rope at the end of the Cragen driveway. The sun was shining brilliantly in the clear afternoon sky, and she couldn't be happier. But then the green Gremlin pulled in front of her, and "Father" exited the vehicle, smiling widely.
"Hello, Olivia, I'm back!"
"No! Marmee! Daddy!" She turned to run towards the house in terror.
"I'm your daddy now!" His arms clasped her in an iron grip as he picked her up and tossed her into the car.
As the Gremlin suddenly jetted away, she sat paralyzed in the front passenger seat as the landscape rapidly transmorphed from Bensonhurst to rural New York State.
"Now I'm gonna stop the car," he said gleefully, turning onto a dark wooded dirt road, "and I'm gonna give you some drugs to make you feel weak and sick until you sleep! And when you wake up, you'll be far away in a strange place you'll never escape from! And I'll be your daddy FOREVER!!!" Suddenly he loomed above her, raising a needle and syringe as huge as Marie Greevey's marinade injector.
"No! No! No! Nooo-"Olivia was crying.
"Olivia baby, it's all right! It's just a bad dream! And now Daddy's here, too!" Marge gathered the girl into her arms and gently rubbed her back as she sobbed. Standing behind his wife, Don took her hand and squeezed reassuringly.
"Daddy, is he…is he going…to come back?" Olivia managed to say.
"No, honey!" Don said emphatically. "He's going to be under lock and key at all times. He's not going to get to you, or anybody else, again!"
I've got to stay on top of the case! I've got to do everything possible to keep that monster caged and away from Olivia! I'll speak to Hansen about things tomorrow, after we're all settled back at home. Man, I can hardly wait until we're back in Bensonhurst!
The next morning
"We're home!" Don happily announced to his wife and daughter, both sitting contiguously behind him.
"At last!" Olivia responded smiling.
Remembering the beans and smoked sausage links still in the refrigerator from Friday, Marge said, "It's almost 11:30. How about lunch, everyone?"
"No hamburgers." Olivia replied quickly.
Don tensed at her words. That's right! Van Buren said that Hollister bought her a hamburger meal that he apparently doctored---
"Don? Do you agree?" Marge was speaking.
"Oh, sure, Marge," he covered, reaching for the two canvass tote bags in the front passenger seat.
"If the links and beans don't hurt your stomach, you can have two scoops of vanilla ice cream, Olivia," Marge said as she opened the rear door.
Later, while Olivia napped upstairs and Marge washed the lunch dishes, Don called Captain Hansen.
"Where is Hollister now?" the lieutenant asked after exchanging greetings.
"He's in Bellevue under a suicide watch," explained Hansen. "According to his attorney---his boss retained counsel for him---'he's profoundly depressed.' And the lawyer is talking about a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, of course."
Don closed his eyes as he sighed heavily.
"But between his mental health problems and the fact that a child was endangered, at the very least he'll be in locked away in a psych facility until Olivia turns 18, if not longer," Hansen added reassuringly.
"While that's all well and good," Don answered, somewhat relieved, "I'd still like to have his parental rights severed."
"I'm no lawyer, but I seriously doubt that an absentee father with mental problems can keep his rights to a kid he's deliberately drugged," Hansen said confidently. "Talk to a lawyer; he'll tell you the same, I'm sure."
"I will. Thanks, Captain." Cragen hung up after Hansen told him not to mention it.
"Don," Marge asked, frowning as she released the water from the sink, "if there's going to be a trial, won't…won't Olivia have to testify?"
He nodded grimly. "Unless the prosecution accepts a deal or he pleads guilty." Something I know he's not going to do.
"Well, I know you're as angry as I am," she said, crossing over to embrace him, "but if they want to give him, say, 15 years, plus the loss of his parental rights, I'd accept that for Olivia's sake. Testifying might be too upsetting for her."
"I'll talk to the ADA in charge of the case," Don said, gently caressing her face, "and see what he has in mind. As a cop, I'd like to see him put far away, preferably in prison, for very long time. But as a father, I don't want her traumatized by facing that creep---although she wasn't too scared to fight him in the end." He managed a small proud smile, which she returned.
"Anyway, I'll see what the prosecution has to say," he continued, "and we'll mention it to the new shrink tomorrow and take it one day at a time from there. In the meantime, why don't we check on Olivia, and, if she's still sleeping soundly, have a little 'rest time' for ourselves?" He gave a sly smile.
"Fine with me, Don." Marge leaned against her husband. "It has been a long five days."
Forty-five minutes later, as her glowing parents dozed in their room, Olivia slowly walked to the end of the driveway and began to skip rope. He's not coming to get me. He's not coming to get me. He's not coming to get me. He's not coming to get me.
Minutes later she heard a familiar and very friendly "Hey, yo, Olivia!"
"Kenny!" she exclaimed as the boy rolled toward her on skates, arms outstretched. After she had reached out and caught him, they stood smiling for a few long moments, clasping each other's biceps at near-arm's length, neither sure what to say to the other. Finally, she broke the silence.
"My dad told me what you did. Thank you." She blinked quickly a few times.
"Like, it's no pro---I just wanted to---I just wanted to make sure---you were safe…" He blushed and looked away a few times as he spoke.
"Well, I, I, I guess I can reward you…" I really shouldn't do this, she thought as she closed her eyes and moved to give him a quick peck on his cheek. But then she felt the warm softness…
"Hmm?" Olivia opened her eyes briefly before closing them again. I guess I knew he that he kinda liked me, but…but…
Unknown to them, diagonally across the street, Elliot Stabler was watching the pair. He stood agape as their faces parted. His stomach cramped as he heard them laugh and exchange monosyllabic farewells. He let out a long, silent sigh as she watched him roll casually back up the street.
After a few angst-filled minutes, Elliot crossed towards Olivia, who had resumed her skipping.
"Hello!" He called as he reached the driveway.
She stopped abruptly, eyebrows raised. "Elliot?! How-how did you get here?!" Her cheeks reddened.
"This time, I snuck over," he quipped. Then his smile froze as he thought: Oops, she's not laughing. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to---
"Really, Elliot, you shouldn't have done that," she said solemnly. "I mean, your parents could worry, like mine." She looked away, pressing her lips tightly.
I've got to get this right! I can't make things worse for her, especially after Hero Boy locked lips with her!
"Say, Olivia," he said as an idea struck him, "I like your new hairdo."
"My hair!" She dropped the jump rope and lifted her hands to the sides of her head, her eyes wide and watery.
"And your nails," Elliot added quickly. "I see you've polished them---"He ceased talking as she fled to the house, the jump rope abandoned.
Great going, Elliot, he thought as the door shut loudly. You blew it! You came all this way to try and make amends with Olivia, and you just screwed it up big time! Guess it's just as well that Kenny's got her. I've done nothing but cause her more grief. Well, I'd better get going before she tells her folks, and they tell mine, and Dad jumps on my case---again. Heck, maybe I'm just asking for it.
With those glum thoughts, Elliot turned and ran several blocks to the bus stop. He sincerely hoped he would stop crying by the time he arrived home---otherwise he would surely be in trouble!
Disclaimer: Gremlin is a product by AMC.