Disclaimer: I don't own Law & Order SVU

Title: Desperate

Author: ReadingRed

Chapter Twenty-one: Decree

The next week and a half seemed to drag by. Life without Tommy was terrible; her heart broke a little more every day they were apart. Today, though, she would see him. It was the day he would be called to testify in the case against his mother's murderer, the case against his father.

Alex had called and said that she was on her way to pick Tommy up from the Beckett's home and that they would be at the courthouse in little under an hour. Olivia hadn't been able to stop herself from heading to the courthouse early. She wanted to be with him the moment he arrived. She sat on a bench close to the wide double doors that she knew he and Alex would enter through.

After forty five minutes of waiting the doors opened and Tommy and Alex came through. Alex pointed her out to Tommy and the little boy ran across the room as fast as his legs would carry him. Olivia caught him mid leap and cradled him to her. Kissing his forehead and saying over and over how much she missed him.

"Mama Liv, I missed you. Can we go home now, please?" Tommy asked.

"I missed you too. No, buddy we can't go home just yet. First you need to talk to the judge and the lawyers remember?" Olivia reminded the four year old. She settled him on her hip and nodded a hello to Alex who smiled in return.

"Oh yeah, I remember. But then can we go home?" he asked with a grin.

"We sure can" Olivia promised Tommy. She decided to leave it unsaid that if Hoffman won the case, Tommy would have to go back and live with him. Tommy didn't need to have that on his mind when he was on the stand.

"Olivia, he can stay out here with you until he's called to the stand, but you'll have to have a witness. Just as a precaution" Alex added. Olivia nodded her understanding, not taking her eyes off her little boy.

"I'll send one of the court officers out then" Alex said as she entered the court room. Moments later a man exited the court room and stood a polite distance away, but within hearing distance. Olivia and Tommy ignored him for the most part, preferring to focus on one another.

Olivia looked Tommy over as she set him in his feet. He was wearing the white dress shirt she'd packed for him with a black tie and black dress pants. He looked even younger than his four years, wearing the adult clothes.

"Here, let me fix your tie" Olivia said as she gently undid the tie around his neck. She wasn't sure if she remembered how to properly tie a neck tie, but anything would look better than the mess of a knot that was currently around his neck.

Olivia struggled to fix Tommy's tie when she heard a voice behind her ask "need help?" Olivia turned to look at the new comer and Tommy let out a happy squel.

"Elliot! I missed you" Tommy said as he ran to the man. Elliot picked him up and gave him a tight hug.

"I missed you too little man" Elliot said with a smile.

"I know. Mama Liv told me that you'd miss me every day til I got back and Mama Liv doesn't lie" Tommy said in all seriousness.

Elliot grinned and ruffled Tommy's hair. "Your Mama Liv was right" he said as he put Tommy down. "Now how about we that fancy tie of yours?"

Olivia handed him the tie and he got to work, expertly knotting the tie around Tommy's neck. "There you go" Elliot said as he finished.

"Ma'am?" a new court officer called from just outside the courtroom doors. "They're ready for him."

Olivia looked at Tommy with a smile. "You ready to go talk to the judge and Ms. Alex?" she asked him, refusing to show any fear.

Tommy didn't look excited by the idea. "I'm scared" he said reaching out for her. She picked him up and they, along, with Elliot heading for the courtroom. As they walked Olivia tried to soothe his fear.

"You'll be alright" she said. "All you need to do is answer a few questions. I'll be in there, and so will Elliot. If you get nervous just look at us, and you'll know that we're here for you."

Elliot rubbed a soothing hand down Tommy's back, trying to help calm him like he did his own children. When they reached the court room doors Olivia put Tommy down and took his hand. They entered the court room and every eye was on the little boy. Tommy shrank back against her leg, and Olivia wanted nothing more than to pick him up and run far, far away from here.

She didn't though, she held his hand a little tighter and they walked down the aisle in between the rows of benches to Alex, who took Tommy's hand from Olivia's.

Olivia and Elliot took seats right behind the prosecution's desk and made sure Tommy would have a clear view of them, just in case he needed their support. Alex helped Tommy up the steps and into the witness box before turning and going back to her desk.

Olivia watched as Tommy scanned the full court room, his eyes glazing over the unfamiliar faces until they came to rest on his father. She held her breath as she waited for his reaction. Tommy held his father's gaze for a moment longer and then looked away.

The bailiff stood before Tommy to swear him in. "Please state your name" the tall man requested of Tommy.

Tommy looked down at his shoes and said nothing. Silence reigned over the court room as everyone waiting for the four year old to speak. Tommy shifted his gaze back and forth, first from the bailiff and then to his father, and then back again. The bailiff asked again "what is your name," and again Tommy said nothing.

"Can you tell us your name, son?" the judge asked. Olivia sensed that he wasn't one to give special treatment to a person, just because they happened to be a child.

When Tommy again refused to answer or even acknowledge the judge's question Dan Hoffman spoke up. "This is brutal. Please, stop this."

Olivia prayed that the judge would just give Tommy another minute. She knew he could do this. But it wasn't meant to be. The judge said "that's enough. This child is clearly in no state to testify."

Dan Hoffman made Olivia's blood boil when he thanked the judge. Like he gave a rats ass about Tommy. Hoffman was just grateful that Tommy hadn't told the truth about what had happened that night.

Alex approached the witness box and held out a hand to Tommy. "It's okay, Tommy. You can go now" she said as she helped him out. She held his hand as they walked across the front of the court. When they neared the defenses' desk, Dan Hoffman leaned forward in his chair and spoke to Tommy.

"I love you Son" he said. The look in his eyes said something different though. Tommy shot a look into the audience and found Olivia and Elliot, he gave them the tiniest of smiles then connected his gaze with his fathers' and spoke the words that would have the man sentenced to life in prison.

"You killed my mommy."