Hell Hath No Fury

Chapter 29 I Have To Go

A/N: HOLY CRAP! I am so incredibly sorry for the delay in updating. I was going to finish the story before May 1st but my computer crashed, and three days later I left for South East Asia. I was there for a month and had to pay to access a computer, so I couldn't actually type a chapter…it would have cost a fortune and none of the computers would allow me to upload an Author's note to let you all know what happened. Anyway, I came home with full intentions to post during the first week of June…well, that's before I got second degree burns all over my back and a blood infection…I've spent several days back and forth in the hospital, I've had my back scraped, (Most excruciating experience of my life!) I think I vomit more than I breathe and I know I definitely have more diarrhea than I have ever had in my life. So, I'm really sorry guys, but if it helps, I'm sicker than a dog, this one is short but, it's not like I'm just blowing ya all off! Thanks for hanging in there though! And with that sappy story…a new chapter!

Olivia watched in stunned silence at the people around her. Casey's tear streaked face rested on her husband's shoulder, their hands intertwined, and to her immediate right sat Alex, her head bowed, dark sunglasses covering her swollen and puffy eyes as Robert rubbed her back in soothing motions.

Olivia wished that Elliot was next to her, to hold her and care for her as these men cared for their wives, yet, she understood the importance to Elliot of being a pall bearer next to Fin, Mac and Cragen. No cop should ever be laid to rest by unfamiliar hands. She watched, almost in awe of her husband and Mac as they carefully, and with the most extreme military bearing she'd witnessed, removed the American Flag that adorned the casket. That great symbol that should have been flying proudly in the air, laid limply and humbly over the casket until it was brought back to life by hands of Marines, Cops and Detectives.

Truly, there is nothing more humbling than a twenty-one gun salute, the hollow commands of a voice, clad in a dress uniform, complete with the mourning stripe over the badge. Olivia swiped her tear under her sunglasses feeling it absorb into her white gloves as she stood at the position of attention, the shots echoing through the silent cemetery as her husband and Mac snapped the National Ensign, folded it like only a true Marines could, crisp, sharp; humbled.

Each fold adding to the thickness of a triangle that would never be freely flown again, and would take with it a great man. His glance over the glasses he couldn't not wear, those ridiculously skinny ties, that beautiful sarcasm that, while they acted as if it irritated them, they all would do anything to have it back in this moment. In that moment they all wanted John back.

Olivia watched carefully as Mac made his way with the flag ceremoniously tucked between open palms, held tight to his abdomen…then a pause as he looked at the seat Fin should have been sitting in, yet wasn't. Olivia broke her military bearing for all of five seconds to take a quick glance around. Fin was nowhere to be found and while he didn't know it, Munch had requested that his flag go to his partner. His family. She brought her eyes back to the front and watched as Mac had no choice but to kneel on one knee in front of Captain Cragen and present the flag with a voice she couldn't hear, yet words she knew by heart.

On behalf of New York City Police Department I present this American Flag to you in the memory of our fallen Comrade and friend Detective John Munch.

Olivia exhaled a wave of sadness as Mac stood to his feet, executed a painfully slow salute in honor of the fallen detective. An about face in crisp slowness was rendered and Olivia was shocked to see that Mac's face was tear streaked. There is such honor in these proceedings…of lowering a fellow cop into the earth, it's humbling, and while she knows Mac didn't know him personally, she has received a glance into the person Mac is. Tears shed for a fallen comrade, for his shield that would never be brandished again.

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"Were you surprised?" Elliot spoke softly as they walk down the sidewalk looking for an apartment building that they had only been to once between the two of them.

"With what?" Olivia responded removing her gloves and tucking them into her uniform so she could lace her hand with his.

"With the amount of people who showed up to the funeral?"

"No." She sniffled clutching the flag under her arm, "I was surprised that it was all cops though…no family. I don't think I realized just how alone he truly was, had I known, I would have made more of an effort to include him in ours."

"Well," Elliot exhaled as she led him up the steps of the building, "technically his family was there…his partner, us, the force. He had a hero's funeral and I think he deserved it."

She nodded as they got into the elevator, "Third floor." She whispered and leaned into his embrace, "I would have liked for him to know that we got Isaac back; that we're having twins and that Sam has adjusted so well…that you and I are happy."

"I think he knows." Elliot assured her as the elevator doors opened and they made their way down a long hall stopping at 5E.

"He's so angry with us." Olivia whispered.

"Which is why, I think Cragen had us bring the flag to him."

"He's really hurting over this and he refuses to let people see it." She exhaled and knocked on the door and waited.

"I'm busy!" Fin snapped the door open and slammed it back shut.

Olivia took a deep breath, "Nice."

Elliot knocked again and waited.

"What part of," the door suddenly swung open to see a very angry Fin on the other side, "I'm busy don't you get?" He snapped and attempted to slam the door when Elliot managed to slip his hand through only to have the door close on it.

"AHHH!" Elliot groaned at the pain, "Fin! Open the door!"

"Go away, Stabler, I don't need your pity!"

"Well, I need my hand!" Elliot barked and slammed his other fist against the door frame in frustration.

Olivia leaned up against the door to offer some release for his hand, "Fin, come on." Olivia spoke slightly softer but equally as frustrated, "Look, I know your angry with us, but…come on, I'm pregnant and…I have to pee. I need your restroom." She begged. Elliot cocked a brow in disbelief of her tactic as his hand started to throb.

"What?" She shrugged as if she couldn't think of anything else, and when the door was finally released from Fin's weight, she smiled and winked at Elliot who groaned at the sudden release of blood to the end of his hand.

"What the hell? Fin!" Elliot said as they stepped into the apartment.

"Stop being a pansy." Fin snapped in disgust as he turned to walk into the living room, "The bathroom is down the hall."

"I don't have to use it." Olivia told him with a small smirk.

He shook his head, "Figures. What do you two want?"

"Your forgiveness." Olivia told him softly and when there was no answer, when he still refused to look at them she placed the flag on his countertop, "Munch wanted you to have the ensign from his funeral." She whispered, "We're having a get together at our place, sort of a last Hoorah for John. We'd like you to come, Fin."

A moment of silence before he turned to them and spoke in defeat, "Whatever. Please…just leave."

"Okay." Elliot nodded.

"No-not okay." Olivia stepped forward and stared right into Fin's eyes, "Look, I know you're pissed at us, and you have every right to be, we should have told you, but we were stuck between respecting what John wanted…I hope you can understand that eventually, but let me tell you something Fin…the anger that I had with you all for what happened at the cemetery ate at me, and it kept me awake and night, and it weighed me down and it's gonna do the same thing to you too if you don't step up."

"You could have told me why he left!" Fin shouted, "I sat there and I hated him for leaving, because I thought he was playing the righteous cop…he was dying!"

"Fin," Olivia lowered her voice, "I'm sorry we couldn't tell you."

"You could have!" he barked again, "You could have said he was sick!"

"Why?" Olivia whispered, "Why is this eating at you?"

"Because," Fin turned away and scrubbed his hands over his face in defeat, "if I knew he was sick…I wouldn't have wasted my time hating him…I would have, hoped the best for him." He said sitting on the leather couch and exhaling, "Mac's a good cop…but he knows crap about JFK."

Olivia smiled softly and sat down next to him on the edge of the couch, "I'm sorry, Fin...I'm sorry we didn't tell you John was sick, I'm sorry we had to bury our friend today, I'm sorry you lost your partner…I'm so sorry." She whispered and rubbed his shoulder soothingly a friendly peck on his temple, "We still want you to come…we'll see you if we see you." She whispered and stood to walk out with Elliot but stopped with Fin called for them at the door, "Yeah?" Elliot responded turning around to face him.

Fin stared at the television that was off and whispered roughly, "I'm not upset with you guys…I'm just…not use to caring."

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"Didn't you just come from a funeral for crying out loud?" Donovan huffed walking into Melinda's office.

"Sure did…and it sucked, what did I pull you away from this time? Mercenaries?" She rolled her eyes opening a filing cabinet to make a withdrawal of paperwork.

"You know," Donovan smirked placing his work bag down, "you sure know a lot about Xbox for someone who doesn't believe in video games."

"They warp your brain." She informed him, motioning for him to follow her into the examination room.

"No they don't." He protested, "I've been playing video games since I was knee-high to a grasshopper."

"Need I say more?" She smiled at his fake look of hurt, "Yeah…you walked right into that one."

"No joke." He laughed, "That stung…so…why did you pull me away from my lunch date" he asked with a cheesy grin.

"Lunch date?" She arched her brow, "What is that like the millionth date you've had with her since you started seeing her?"

"No." He shook his head blushing, and then cocked in slightly to the left, "Just the tenth."

"Wow…you really like this girl, huh?"

He shrugged, "I'd give up my Xbox for her."

"Such the romantic."

"What can I say…it's why the ladies want me."

"Lady." Melinda corrected placing two DNA profiles back on the light box.

"What?"

"Lady…not ladies…don't get a big head on me now."

"How can I?" He laughed, "I mean…with your classic put downs, I couldn't even dream of getting a big head."

"You think their classic?" She grinned.

"Oh yeah." He laughed, "With just the right amount of sting. It's like you're my addiction and I'm dumb enough to come back for more."

"Well, so long as you recognize that you're not the genius you thought you were…and I'm the classic lady I knew I was."

"Oh…funny. How about you show me what you want to show me…I got a date tonight."

She arched her brows again, "She can actually stand to be around you that much?"

"Melinda!" he scolded and pointed to the DNA profiles, "Come on."

"Hey, I'm just saying…I'd like to kill you sometimes."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, "You are so full of piss and vinegar. You know that?"

"Yep."

"Well then, Pissy." Donovan pointed back at the DNA profiles, "Why am I here and not playing with Chloe and Matthew?"

"Playing?"

"Melinda! The DNA! Focus!"

"Alright, alright. Geez, this 'new you' sucks." She laughed and pointed at the profiles that were illuminated on the light box.

"Why do these look familiar?" Donovan asked taking a step closer and cocking his head, "The Ganzner profiles?"

"Yep…that's them." She exhaled.

"Why are you still looking at them? It's clear that the infant from the wreckage matches the DNA from Nick Ganzner…why are you still bothered?" he asked leaning on the counter.

"Well." Melinda swallowed and exhaled, "How did Nick Ganzner's baby get in the burned out vehicle?"

Donovan arched his brow and pursed his lips, "Good question, but it seems obvious…whoever took Isaac, placed the infant there."

"Nick took Isaac...which means-"

Donovan cocked his head sharply and looked at Melinda in realization and disgust, "Nick Ganzner killed his own baby."

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"And so Robert falls down the last two steps and busts his nose on the counter," Alex grinned as Robert rolled his eyes, "There was blood everywhere."

Olivia chuckled as Isaac crawled into her lap, too many people in the home seemed to make him clingy, but that was just fine with her. She supported his body against hers as Alex continued to explain to the crowd at the diner table why Robert's face was swollen and blue, his nose broken and lip busted.

"Sounds painful." Paul smiled at Robert.

"No." Robert shook his head, "Not at all."

"Only because you were unconscious." Alex chuckled, "Sprawled out, in his boxers…good thing I came home early."

"You know," Robert teased his wife, "I could have died…I could have bled to death and you would miss me so badly that you wouldn't know what to do."

Olivia's laugh took over, "Alex…is he always so dramatic?"

"You've got no idea." Alex chuckled and kissed his cheek softly, "But, I guess I'm in love with him, so a girl's got to make sacrifices."

Laughter around the table was clearly evident as Alex and Robert continued to chuckle about his endeavor in the emergency room, he made sure to tell Elliot that the emergency room doctor says 'hi'. That's when Olivia noticed that Elliot wasn't actually paying attention to the conversation. Olivia wasn't sure what was going on in his mind exactly but his look of frustration was clearly written for her to read. She placed her hand on his thigh under the table as their guests, theirs circle of friends continued to laugh as Addison ended up on his mother's lap smiling happily as Casey rubbed his back.

Olivia looked to her husband, whose brows were furrowed, his head cocked slightly as the noise level increased in the dinning room, stories and laughter being shared amongst friends. And the occasional kiss between lovers, save Mac who was happy just listening and learning about the people before him. Fin hadn't made his presence known and Elliot and Olivia weren't entirely sure he would.

It was just as Casey had passed her glass to Paul and asked for water that Elliot moved slowly and stood to his feet, the concentration on his face as he kept his head cocked in the direction of Sam's room. Olivia furrowed her brow as he made his way from the table.

"SHHH!" Olivia commanded and effectively silenced the room, and that's when she heard it. Sam's unmistakable cry.

"DADDY!"

Elliot bolted down the hall and into his son's room unconcerned with the guests he left behind, knowing full well that Olivia would usher them out citing the late hour, but the reality was, when it was their kids in trouble, they wanted to give their undivided attention.

As Elliot opened Sam's door his heart broke seeing him naked and huddled into a corner of his room his fingers frantically rubbing over the phrases his mother had created for him. "DADDY!" he screamed again just as Elliot overheard Olivia closing the door after what Elliot assumed would have been the last guest leaving.

Elliot moved into Sam's room slowly, cautiously, not sure how the young boy would react to Elliot's touch since he was completely void of clothing, "I'm right here, Son." He said softly and was surprised when Sam ran to the sound of his voice and clung fiercely to Elliot's belt.

"Dad!" Sam cried pulling at Elliot's belt with all the strength he had, "Dad! Make it stop!"

"What?" Elliot asked rubbing Sam's back as he buried himself into Elliot's waist. Elliot wasn't entirely sure what to do. Never had Sam wanted to be near Elliot without clothes on, yet, here he was, cold, naked and completely terrified…and clinging to Elliot for dear life.

Elliot sat on the foot of the bed as Sam clutched him and refused to let him go, "Mom said…" he cried, "Mom said you would help me."

"With what, Son…you've got to tell me." Elliot whispered kissing the top of his head softly, just as Olivia appeared in the doorway. She remained silent knowing that this was an oddity, having Sam so upset and trusting Elliot with his naked body. It was an oddity in the since that something was completely wrong, and Sam had went to his father for help.

"Dad." Sam wiped his nose with the back of his hand as he stood straight and shook his head, "It makes me scared." He hiccupped bowing his head. Elliot looked down then back up quickly.

"It's normal, Son." He assured him, "It's completely normal, that your body did that again."

Olivia rested her head against the door frame slightly relieved that she hadn't been the one to hear Sam's cries. He needed his father and she was glad that Elliot got to him first.

Sam balled his fist and thrusts them hard into Elliot's chest, "I don't want to be normal!" he shouted, "I don't want to hurt anyone!" He exclaimed hitting Elliot's chest again.

"You're hurting me." Elliot whispered calmly. Fact of the matter was that Sam's innocent hands couldn't inflict any real damage to Elliot's body, but he still chose to convey to Sam that his current actions were yielding that which the young boy had so vehemently not wanted. It worked. Sam steeled instantly and cried harder into his father's chest, "Make it stop, Dad."

"I can't son." Elliot told him honestly, "But maybe you could tell me what you did today, huh?"

"I played with Crystal and Tripod." Sam whispered, "Then…Mom let me show her a little bit of chess."

"Is Mom any good?" Elliot asked softly, "Should I be worried?"

"She's good." Sam whispered, "But she gives up her knight too fast, she has to work on that."

Elliot smiled softly at Olivia who simply smiled back at them and turned to leave them to their business. If Sam asked questions Olivia felt it better that Elliot wasn't made nervous by her presence, but when Elliot motioned for her to stay, she did so.

"You think maybe she should use her pawns more?" Elliot asked trying to get Sam's body to stop shaking.

"Yeah." Sam nodded against his chest, "She doesn't understand her queen, how strong it is."

"Hmm…did you tell her?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Didn't want to hurt her feelings."

"I think she would have liked to know…that's what teaching is all about, right?"

Sam swallowed, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Why won't it stop? I don't like it."

Elliot took a deep breath. This is not the conversation he wanted to be having at eleven O'clock at night, "You're body is changing, Sam…soon you're voice will start to change and you'll get taller-"

"I'll get taller?" Sam pulled back and asked in a bright voice, momentarily forgetting his current state.

"Yeah." Elliot laughed softly and noticed the goose bumps on Sam's skin. He pulled the blanket off of the foot of the bed and draped it around his son before drawing him into his lap. "You'll get stinky and hairy too."

"But you're not stinky and hairy." Sam whispered snuggling into his chest, finally comfortable with his father's arms around him. Olivia wiped a tear as Elliot held him close.

"I would be if your mom didn't take such good care of me." Elliot smiled watching Olivia watch them

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we take it off?" Sam asked softly.

"What?"

"My penis…can we take it off?" Sam asked innocently.

"How will you go to the restroom?" Elliot asked softly.

Sam furrowed his brow, "Maybe…maybe I could hold my pee?"

"For the rest of your life?" Elliot asked gently, "I'm sorry Son, but, that won't work."

"But I don't want it, why did God give it to me?" Sam asked.

Elliot wanted to pass out. That question could lead to a lot of other questions that he didn't want to expose Sam too. Not now. Not when he's been doing so well adjusting.

"Sam, God is a pretty smart cookie, I'm sure He knew what He was doing, besides, like I asked, how would you go pee if you didn't have one?"

Sam furrowed his brow and chewed his lip, "But…how does Mom go pee?"

Uh oh.

"Sam…tell me…are you hurting right now?"

"I think it's normal now, but I woke up and it wasn't so normal, it was uncomfortable and I don't want to hurt Isaac, 'cause he's my brother and I love him, but I don't want to be like my 'Daddy Wilson,' I don't want to hurt anyone."

Elliot closed his eyes, kissed his son softly on his head, "You wouldn't do that…I trust you too much." Elliot whispered.

"Dad?" Sam's voice turned quiet.

"Yeah?"

"Does your body do this."

Oh boy.

"Yes." Elliot answered honestly, "Sometimes when I wake up in the morning my body does just what yours has done…that's how I know that you're normal."

"Does it hurt you?"

"No." Elliot whispered.

"How do you make it go away?"

Your mother.

"Well, um…I just…I, uh take a shower." He told him hoping he didn't ask more questions.

"Does it happen a lot?" Sam asked innocently, not realizing the embarrassment his father was in.

Elliot cleared his throat and was thankful when Olivia gave a small bow of her head, that coy smile and wink and left, "Yeah, son." Elliot finally answered, "It does, but you're okay."

"I don't want to sleep in my room anymore, Dad." Sam whispered, "I don't want to."

"Why not?" Elliot asked gently.

"I don't want to hurt Isaac."

"You won't."

"I don't want to be there anymore." He whispered, "If you want to give me back to Christoff so I don't hurt him, it's okay, Dad. I think I can understand it." Sam assured him as a tear slid down his face.

How is it that this little boy understood love better than he did? How is it that his love for a little brother he had known only a short time, his desire not to hurt him, his desire to not hurt his parents all superseded his desire for a family. His capacity for love forced him to give up his desire to be loved.

Elliot held him tighter, let out a sob against Sam's cheek, "No. No, no, no." he whispered, "I'll never give you up. I love you too much. You're my son."

"I don't want to be bad." Sam whispered through his tears, "I want to be good."

"You are so good." Elliot whispered rocking the youth in his arms, "I'll never give you to anyone, because you belong right here, with me and your Mom and your little brother and your new brother's that are coming…you won't hurt them Sam…I know you won't."

"Dad?"

"Son?"

"I don't want to sleep in my room." He told him again, "I'm scared too."

"You don't have to leave your room, we can set Isaac up in his own room." Elliot whispered.

"Do you hurt mom?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"When this happens to you? She's in your room…do you hurt her?"

Elliot rolled his eyes in exasperation and looked toward the ceiling, Can I please, get a break here?

"No, Sam…I could never hurt your mother." Elliot told him, no need to get into the in's and out's.

"Does she know about your body?"

"Yeah, she does."

"Is she scared of you?"

"No." Elliot whispered, "Because she knows that I would never ever hurt her…just like I know you'd never ever hurt Isaac."

Sam let the information sink into his mind and responded several minutes later, "I don't want to sleep in there…maybe just for awhile, I can sleep somewhere else?"

Elliot kissed his head softly again, "Sure, if that makes you feel better."

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Several minutes had passed and Sam had fallen asleep in his father's arms, tucked safely in a blanket. Elliot had no intention of waking him up, but had every intention of completing his request, he stood, walked with him to the living room where he was surprised to see that Olivia had already pulled out the sofa bed and let Tripod in. Elliot found himself slightly confused that she knew to do it, but he laid his son softly onto the bed and covered his blanketed body with a sheet as Tripod made his way to the sleeping form, whimpered softly as if absorbing the youngster's pain. Tripod made a small lick along Sam's cheek before finally nestling close as Sam's arm automatically pulled the pup to his body.

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Elliot stood at the threshold to the master bedroom to see Olivia rocking a sleeping Isaac in her arms. Tears streaming her face. Elliot caught the bright red dot on the nightstand, the baby monitor was on. She'd tried to give them privacy and had inadvertently heard everything. He pushed himself off of the door frame and gently took their son from her arms, laying him tenderly on the bed before pulling Olivia from the chair only to bring her back down on his lap as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"The monitor was on." She confessed, "I wasn't spying…I was gonna turn it off and I heard what he said." She told him wiping a tear away, "I hate that he hurts so bad and we can't help him."

"We are helping him, Liv." Elliot whispered, "We are. We're loving him through it, it's just gonna take time."

"Do you think he will ever accept that we'll never give him up?"

"I think so, eventually. Yes."

"He'd never hurt Isaac." She whispered shaking her head, "I know he wouldn't."

"So do I." Elliot assured her rubbing her back, "But, he's the one that needs to be convinced. We're gonna have to walk him through this."

"I just want him to know our love…the way we know his. Intense." She whispered, "Unshakeable."

"He does love us." Elliot agreed.

"I know he does." She smiled softly, "He really put you through the ringer, huh?"

Elliot laughed, "Yeah…made me sweat."

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Days passed by and normality seemed to caress the Stabler family. Although Sam continued to sleep on the sofa bed, he also continued to play with his little brother during the day, but, for some reason the room was off limits for sleeping. Olivia knew that Sam was abused in a bedroom. There was no way around it. No way to spin it. His fear of having an erection in his bedroom, of his little brother in a bed next to him shouted that fact loud and clear.

In spite of the happiness within the home, in spite of the fact that the morning after Elliot's 'talk' with Sam a note and small gift from Fin rested like magic on their porch, an olive branch, in spite of it all, nothing could have prepared them for today.

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"You did really good in there today, Baby." Olivia whispered to Sam as they left George's office.

"I don't like him."

"You keep saying that." She smiled letting him hold onto the stroller as they walked, "Do you want to go see Dad, before we go home?"

"Is he at work?"

"Yeah, but it's his lunch. Want to?"

"No." Sam whispered, "I want to take a nap."

"Okay." Olivia exhaled and opened the car door for him, "Hop in."

"Mom?" Sam asked as she slid into the driver's seat giving a second glance to Isaac who was already fighting sleep.

"Yeah, Baby?"

"Can you hate yourself?"

She furrowed her brow and watched him closely, he'd withdrawn from them since that night he came to Elliot. He played and had fun with Crystal when she came over, but with her and Elliot he put up a wall. "I suppose you could." She whispered reaching over and touching his hair that they still hadn't managed to get around to cutting, "But, it would be silly considering we love you so much."

"I don't love me." He whispered, "And I hate George."

"I don't think you hate him."

"I hate him." He whispered keeping his head turned away from her, "I hate me."

Olivia chewed her lip. Hate was such a strong word and this was the first time he'd said it in reference to himself, "What's going on up here?" she asked stroking his head softly before leaning over to kiss him.

"Mom, if someone prayed to God to die…will they die?"

She felt her heart sink. Felt her mouth go dry, her blood surge in panic, "Baby, what are you telling me? Did you pray that?"

He remained silent but shook his head in agreement, "He won't answer it though. He always answers." Sam shook his head, "But this time….this time He's quiet."

"Because He wants you here with us, Honey…that's why He wont' answer that prayer…and I'm glad for that." She assured him trying to hold back her tears, she pulled him close, "I love you so much little man…when will you know it? When will you know that you're not a bad boy?"

"I don't know, Mom."

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She'd laid Sam down in her bed, Isaac in his own, before grabbing a bottle of water and starting on paperwork in the office. Time passed slowly as Olivia struggled to keep her mind on her paperwork, struggled to keep herself focused when she wanted to snuggle up next to Sam and hold him and tell him everything would be okay. She wanted to hold Isaac, she wanted to hold her son's and tell them that everything would be fine that they were a family and she'd do anything for them.

She'd heard a small rustle from the house and suspected Sam had finally woken up and would more than likely turn the television on to listen to something. It was when she'd heard a whimper, only minutes later that she realized the television wasn't on. The necessity to check on her son's griped her.

She crossed the hall to the master bedroom and furrowed her brow, not at the empty bed, but at Sam's clothes bunched on the floor. She peeked into the bathroom, it too was empty, but when another whimper rang through the house, she darted down the hall, "Sam!" She called and suddenly stopped in her tracks, pure horror choking her heart as she saw her son, naked and bleeding in the kitchen, struggling not to scream out.

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Elliot had just closed a file and grabbed another one to start when his desk phone rang, "Detective Stabler, SVU." He answered and felt his heart sink at the panic in Olivia's voice.

"Why didn't you answer your cell?" She shrieked.

He stopped working on the file and locked eyes with Captain Cragen as he talked to Mac and Fin, "What's wrong Liv? …Slow down …I'm coming right now." Elliot hung up the phone unconcerned that the receiver had bounced off the cradle. He felt the blood drain form his face.

"What happened?" Cragen asked immediately.

"I have to go." Elliot managed to choke out and he frantically gathered his things.

"What's wrong?" Cragen asked again turning Elliot to face him, "Is it the twins?"

"No." Elliot whispered, "Its Sam…he's in the hospital."