Santa Clauses Are Coming To Town

LO:SVU

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of LO:SVU . I'm making no money out of this whatsoever. Don't sue me, I have no money.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. :D

21

Who's to blame?

Leaving Riverside Church, Fin took out the cell phone again. He just flipped it open when it rang. "Yeah?"

"Cragen here," his captain's voice greeted him. "You found anything out?"

"These freaks have taken them hostage, Cap," Fin told him. "They wanted to go to New Jersey. Do you have something new?"

"Yeah. I'm on my way to Bellevue hospital. Olivia has called from a golf club over there in New Jersey."

Fin gasped. "Really? Where are they? Are they okay?"

John looked at him questioningly when he heard his partner ask these questions. Fin gestured him to remain silent for a moment.

"She told me that a chopper was taking them to the hospital to be checked out," Cragen told him. "She says she's fine, but she's not entirely sure how badly Elliot is hurt. I'm going straight there. Where are you two now?"

"Just outside Riverside Church," Fin said.

"Okay. If you're finished up there you can come back. I'll call as soon as I know more," Cragen said and ended the call.

"So, where are they?" John asked impatiently when Fin closed the phone, clearly worried for Elliot and Olivia.

"On their way to Bellevue hospital. The captain will meet them there. Let's try to get a ride downtown, too."

"Are they okay?"

"I guess Olivia is, but Elliot's not. They're not sure how bad it is. That's why they're taking them to the hospital. We have to wait for the next call… or see for ourselves."

xxx

Olivia sat in a chair next to his bed and watched Elliot closely. He was resting, tired, his eyes closed, but too agitated by the examinations and treatments that the hospital's staff had put him through to fall asleep.

She let her view wander, across his bed to Buster who sat in an easy chair next to the window. He could not sleep either, thinking too hard about what had happened and what he would, or could, do next.

He was lucky, Olivia recalled her conversation with the doctor. There is no frostbite which could threaten a loss of fingers or toes or even a whole limb. He's got a flesh wound on his left thigh as well as a torn meniscus. It will require surgery but he will be back on his feet in a few days. The left side is badly bruised, which causes very bad pain, but there's no really dangerous internal injury. His left shoulder joint must have been threatened by dislocation and therefore was badly overstretched, but it was still in place when we examined it.

Very painful but not life threatening, Olivia thought. I just wonder how he could walk, even with Buster's help. Her own wrists were adorned with thick bandages. She held his hand, offering comfort and security, and drew a similar feeling from the knowledge that he would be all right, too.

Elliot opened his eyes, scanning the room for the young man.

"Buster," he said. "We need to talk."

Olivia was surprised but curious. What did her partner want to talk to him about?

"What about?" Buster wanted to know.

"About the rape." Elliot eyed the guy carefully. "Tell me what happened."

Buster stood up and came closer. He looked embarrassed, his view fixed to the floor, and took his time. He did not refuse to answer, he just thought about what to say.

"Well, Paul and some of his buddies left to look for some girls. He told us that he wanted to have fun and until then he often found playmates who were ready to join in the games Paul and the others wanted to play. I participated twice and each time it turned out to be some kind of orgy."

He took a moment to choose his words carefully. "That evening… When they returned the others met them at the van. Some came out, others climbed in… I could not see what happened and the others didn't tell me."

Once more he hesitated. "When I finally came near the sliding door I heard her scream. It sounded different from the cries I knew. It sounded scared, tormented. When I could look inside I saw them forcing themselves on her."

Now he looked to the window. His voice became even softer. "I should have tried to help her, but I was scared, too. I should have run and called for help, but I could not move. Right then I did not know what to do… I feel so ashamed now."

"Why did you go with them last night?" Elliot asked. "Why did you help them when they followed us?"

Buster shrugged. "I can't tell. I helped to get you out of the car because I still thought that he just wanted to get away. Give you a black eye and leave you alone. When he beat you down so badly and told us to get you into the van, I was petrified… and paralyzed. I was torn between running and calling for help or staying and seeing what I could do."

For a long time Elliot just stared at him. Finally, when the detective remained silent, Buster returned to his seat. Thoughtfully he looked outside in the fading night.

"You will testify at court," Elliot said. It was a statement, not a question.

Buster looked at him. At first he seemed to be skeptical but then it faded away from his features and he nodded. "Yes, I will. It's time to break with them."

Elliot nodded, too. Then he turned to face Olivia. She confirmed it with a nod of her own.

"Can you give me my coat?" he demanded.

She stood and went to get it. He was searching the pockets, but could not find what he was looking for. "And my jacket?"

She gave it to him. He was unsuccessful again.

"Must be here…" he mumbled. "Somewhere."

"What do you want? I could look for it, too," Olivia offered.

"Perhaps it's in the other coat."

"What is it?"

He looked at her almost guiltily. "My rosary," he finally replied. "I must have lost it crawling out of the van."

Olivia stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" he said. "Do you have a problem?"

"No," she exclaimed hastily. "I knew you're practicing but…" Her voice trailed off.

"Surprised that I actually have one?" His annoyed expression quickly changed into a broad grin. "Does that embarrass you?"

She thought about that before she shook her head. "No."

He chuckled. "Damned agnostics," he grumbled, but the twinkle in his eyes belied his profanity.

Settling back in the bed he tried to relax again. She sat down and grabbed his hand. Gently stroking the back of it with her thumb, she was not even aware that she hummed a simple melody.

Suddenly Buster jumped up from his perch. "I'll go get something to drink," he said. "Do you want something, Detective?"

"No, I'm fine," Olivia said. "Elliot?"

His eyes still closed he slightly shook his head.

"I'll be right back," Buster said and left the room.

A few minutes went by in silence and Olivia was convinced that Elliot was asleep when he squeezed her hand. When she looked up and met his sapphire blue eyes something in his look made her catch her breath. Something was troubling him.

"What is it, Elliot?" she asked. "You can tell me."

"I… I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"You're sorry? For what?" she asked back, puzzled. He seemed to be genuinely upset and she wondered what the heck was wrong with him.

"I… well, I… failed you."

"Elliot," she gasped. "What do you mean? You never failed me! How can you say that?"

"It's true. I should have protected you, but I couldn't. I don't even… remember everything… that happened."

"Because you were unconscious," Olivia replied matter-of-factly.

"Tell me. What did he do to you?"

"Why do you think that he did something to me, Elliot?" She did not like where this conversation was heading. He was hurting enough. He did not need to torture himself, too.

"Because he's a rapist. Because he molested you verbally." He swallowed, looking away, unable to hold her gaze now. "And… I can't remember. There's still… something missing."

"You shouldn't worry about that, Elliot," she assured him, squeezing his hand in return. "Your memory will come back and you'll realize that nothing has happened that justifies you worrying so much and torturing yourself about."

"Tell me, Olivia," he pleaded with her. "I may not remember, but I feel that there was something. What did he do?"

Watching his growing agitation, she decided to tell him the truth.

"Just before the crash he tried to rape me," she admitted.

"No!" he gasped and winced with the pain it caused his ribs.

"Elliot, no," she hurried, reaching out for his shoulders to gently urge him to rest. "The accent is on tried," she said. "He opened my pants and pushed them down, but that was when the van skidded and crashed. He never got a chance to do more."

"And then?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"And then we were stuck in that van." She smirked. "And he was the one in cuffs when he came to again. You remember that, right?"

Elliot nodded hesitantly.

"Good." She favored him with a broad smile as he gradually accepted what she said. "Besides, if one of us let down the other then it would be me. I was conscious and alert after the accident, but I could not defend us. When they pulled me out of the car I thought they wanted to help. Only when they beat me I realized that they didn't. I failed to protect you."

Raising her hands defensively when he took a deep breath to contradict her, she stopped him and a smirk cracked her features.

"We're even, okay. It's no one's fault but Cornwell's. Right?"

"Right," he mumbled but looked only halfway convinced.

Olivia chuckled. "It was not that difficult to admit, was it?"

"You know, Olivia, I should have…" This time he ignored her defensive gesture. "It's my responsibility to keep you safe. As I'm…"

"Whoa, Elliot!" she interrupted. "If you wanna give me that shit about me being a woman and you being a man, I would hold my tongue if I were you. Because that would make me want to hit you."

"Actually I wanted to say that I'm senior partner," he replied sheepishly.

"It's our responsibility to look out for each other. If you really want to blame someone, you should blame the both of us." She shook her head. "He did not really hurt me. You're worse off than I am. So I'm the one who…"

"No, you're not," he said and swallowed whatever else he had wanted to say when he saw her smirk. He had just trapped himself. "Okay!" he caved in. "It's Cornwell's fault."

"Good."

He settled back into the pillow and she made herself comfortable in the chair. When Buster came back he returned to his seat by the window. They finally relaxed and soon all three of them were fast asleep.

tbc…