Chapter 37

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"Where is he?" Nick asked angrily as he and Casey left the courthouse.

"Nick, you've got to calm down."

"Calm dow- that bastard raped my wife and went for it a second time but he knocked into a coma. I will not calm down!" He yelled, pacing in a small, tight circle. He was beyond furious and at the same time, he felt so much sadness, it hurt his heart. His wife, his love, his everything! She went through this all on her own, and because of the issues they were having, didn't feel that she could tell him. But then for Manny to try again, and almost kill her?

"I know you want to be angry, you probably want to kill your brother-"

"He is NOT my brother!"

"Fine. But Nick, think about Olivia; it was absolute hell for her to tell me this and she probably won't be able to face you. Manny's being arrested, so please, let us handle this. Go to your wife and tell her this will be alright. She'll act like she doesn't, but she needs to hear that." She watched him as he pinched the bridge between his eyes and let out a long, deep breath.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you." He said when he calmed a bit.

"You don't need to thank me. Just go to Olivia and reassure her, and please, let us handle Manny." She said as the ADA came out of the building.

"Novak, I'll see you back at the office. Detective Amaro, again, I'm so sorry for what we almost put you through. It really was me following orders."

"Don't worry about it." And he shook her hand. "I'm gonna get going."

"Keep calm." Casey said to Nick as he got into a cab. Then as he was pulling off… "God, please don't let him ruin this."

She had told her everything. Shamefully and in tears, she lay her cards out, starting with the fact that she'd had a brief affair with Manny. An affair she'd regretted as soon as it happened, but Caesarea gave no outward response through all of it. But when she got to she and Nick's falling out over it, and then the rape…

"He… Oh my god!" Caesarea said as she got up from where she sat on the bed, and just like Nick, began pacing in a small, tight circle.

"When I showed up at your house that Sunday morning, wearing that sweater…I was covering the bruises I'd gotten the night before when he…"

"I can't believe this!"

"I couldn't tell anybody; who would believe me, for one? I had Nick so angry with me already, and I couldn't face all of you. I couldn't tell you all that he had done this to me and when he came to my apartment last week…" She had to collect herself at this point, and she quickly wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "He hit me, twice and knocked me to the ground. He'd already… He was about to do it again, but I tried to run away and he grabbed me… I woke up here, to find that Nick had been arrested for what Manny did.

Manny. My baby. It wasn't Nick at all; so she says. But Manny could never- no, this has to be a lie. He wouldn't do this! She thought as she eyed Olivia from where she stood."You want me to believe that my son, my baby boy could do something so...vile?" To say that Olivia was taken aback by Caesarea's words; she'd just sat here, baring her soul to this woman. Was she really accusing Olivia of lying?

"It's the truth." Olivia said, keeping her voice down but Caesarea was beyond upset. "and I'm only telling you this because he's being arrested. Caesarea, I didn't wanna do this!"

"You're accusing my son of rape! Rape, Olivia!"

"I know-"

"You don't know! Manny is the sweetest boy; he could never do anything like… You'll tell the DA you made a mistake."

"I can't do that." It came as a whisper, through tears and almost unintelligible. "He raped me." She said louder. "He almost cost me my babies, twice, and I can't; no, I won't let him get away with it any-"

"Stop it! Just stop, do you hear me?! Manny is your brother, he's Nick's brother and he's a good, decent man. Do you really want to hurt Nick like this? To have him thinking that his brother…? I can't listen to this anymore!" She said, and went over to the couch to wake Zara.

"What are you doing?"

"Estoy despertando a mi nieto y me voy! Zara, baby, wake up."

"You can't take her!" Olivia said as she brought her legs around and shakily forced herself up, leaning on the bedrail.

"Watch me!" Caesarea said.

"You can't; I'm her mother!" She wanted so much to take a step, to go to her daughter. But she was feeling so weak, and she knew that if she took that step she'd fall, so she stood there leaning on the wall by her bed, trying to hold herself up.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Zara sleepily asked as she woke up.

"Zee, baby, come here." Olivia said reaching out to her, but as Zara started to go to her, Caesarea stopped her.

"No, we're leaving. Say goodbye, Zara!"

"But I want to stay with mommy."

"Zara, por favor haz lo que te digo. Let's go."

"But grandma-" Suddenly Nick entered the room, and all he could see was Olivia. She was standing, looking so frail and he rushed over to her.

"Baby, what are you doing?" He asked as Olivia collapsed against him, unable to hold herself up anymore. She didn't know why, but at that moment, her emotions were so raw and when she saw Nick, they only grew and she just let loose there in his arms, weeping uncontrollably. "Hey, it's alright. I'm here now, it's okay!" He said, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, not wanting to let go. Zara just stood there; she didn't fully understand what she was looking at, but she was so happy that her parents were together. Even if it scared her a little that her mom was so emotional.

"Zara, let's go, come on." But Zara was already making her way over to Olivia and Nick, throwing her arms around Olivia's waist and determined to comfort her.

"Mommy, don't cry."

"What is going on?" Nick asked Olivia as he helped her sit down on the bed, Zara right beside her. But it was Caesarea who spoke.

"I'll tell you what going on; do you have any idea what she's accusing your brother of? La depravación que está tratando de poner sobre él! No puedes creerle; Manny nunca podría-"

"Mami; not in front of Zara."

"You know what, I don't care anymore!"

"Caesarea-" Olivia called

"Zara..." But Zara looked at Nick and then Olivia, then back at her grandmother, unsure of what to do.

"She's staying here." Nick said and Caesarea was preparing to speak, but Nick quickly shut her down. "Mami, vete a casa. Vamos a hablar de esto más tarde, pero ahora no es el momento!" He yelled, quite upset. Caesarea got so mad, she glared at Olivia, threw her hand up and walked out. But Nick didn't pay her any attention, instead he turned to Olivia, so overwhelmed that she was sitting here in front of him, and though she was in tears, she was awake and alert and he thanked god as he caressed her face in both hands while Zara sat happily at her side.

"Daddy, why are you mad at grandma?" Zara asked as she held onto and leaned on Olivia's arm like it was her life preserver.

"I'm not baby. And daddy was wrong to yell. But you know, sometimes people have a hard time accepting the truth, baby. That's all. Abuela will be okay, I'll talk to her later. But for now, I just want to spend time with you four." He said, as he kissed Olivia's lips. Though on the inside, he was torn up. Everything in him wanted to go after Manny, to make him pay for what he'd done to his wife. But Casey was right, he needed to be here for Olivia, they'd handle Manny. And it was with this in mind that for now, he let it all go to focus on his family.

"He's not there!" Fin said to Casey, who was on the phone with him.

"What do you mean he's not there?!" She was walking through the squad room to get to Cragen's office when she went in and shut the door, making sure Cragen heard the call. "Fin you're on speaker."

"I got to LaGuardia on time, the plane was right there, but Manny wasn't on it. We searched that plane, top to bottom but he wasn't on it. His names not even on the passenger list!"

"Son of a bitch! He left out of JFK!" Cragen said.

"Yeah, I'm on my way there now, what do you want me to do, Captain?"

"You just find out what flight he's on, I'll handle it from there."

"Copy that!" Fin said and ended the call.

"You know, I can't exactly be on this case once he's caught. Though I wish to god I could be the one to lock him up." Casey said as she turned to Cragen

"I take it you have personal history."

"Something like that. I'm sorry I'm holding you up, I know you'd much rather be at the hospital with Olivia."

"Believe me, getting this guy is the best thing in the world I can do for her."

At Caesarea's house, she came in the door mad as all hell! "Manny, Es tu mamá, nena, esta es mi quinta llamada, necesito saber de ti para saber que estás bien. Por favor vuelve a mi." She said into her phone before she ended the call, and sat her phone down. This can't be happening!

...

JFK airport, Manny was sitting in the VIP lounge, waiting to board the plane when he saw that his mother had left yet another message on his phone and he rolled his eyes as he put the phone back in his pocket, then took it out again and dialed.

"Uh, hi. Listen, this is Olivia Amaro's brother, Emmanuel. I called earlier… yes, that's right. So I was just wondering, I know you said earlier that she woke up… she is? Oh, that-that's great." He said, steaming as the nurse told him, he was sure with heart eyes, that she was with her husband and daughter. "No, no. You don't have to disturb her, but let me ask you, how are the babies? Is she still carrying them? She is…?" He gave a thankful sigh, at least his babies were still here. "No, that's all. Thank you!" He said then hung up. Damn you Nick! You have no business there with her; what the hell happened with all the info I passed on to the dumb blonde? That was enough to at least get the cops on his case, maybe have him held over… "Damn! Think, Manny, think…"

...

Sleep. It was one of the best things about having the day off. She got to sleep. And unless there were a huge emergency, no one got to disturb her! It was now rather late in the day, and still, with nothing on but the panties that she'd stripped down to, leaving a trail of clothing that ended at her bed when she came in late last night. Somewhere under those covers, Amanda slept hard; drooling up a storm, and didn't have one regret. No, this was the life, and she was enjoying sleeping it away, not a care in the world - until her phone started to ring, cutting through the beautiful silence.

One ring… Two rings… Three rings… "Yeah… Uh, Rollins." It came low; very low and with closed eyes from deep under the bed covers. She'd have to remember to change that ringer. Only work should be allowed that ringer. She thought as she partially listened, her mind still halfway in dreamland, to the call.

"Amanda?"

"Who's this?" She literally squeaked out, her voice still not bothering to rise above a sleepy whisper.

"It's Manny, how are you?" He hadn't called since Friday but surprisingly, that was okay with her as

she immediately sat up, the covers falling to her waist and fully awake now. Her pussy suddenly creaming just at the sound of his voice.

"Manny; hi!"

"This is ridiculous. Mami, she's wrong! Manny could never!" Vida and Caesarea where on a three way call, along with Marisol who was just listening while her mom and sister were livid! To find out that Manny was being accused of doing something like this to his own sister in law- Vida and Caesarea knew without a doubt that Olivia had to be lying; it was a mistake. "She just expects us to buy this?"

"I tried to talk to her; to make her see that this wasn't right-"

"Well have you talked to Nick?"

"Sus hermanos un tonto. Ni siquiera lo oirá!"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe, I don't know, he won't hear it it because something in him knows that she's telling the truth?" It was Marisol who spoke up and Caesarea and Vida went momentarily mute!

"He's your little brother, Mari." Caesarea said.

"And so is Nick! But you're so ready to throw him under a bus!"

"Manny didn't do this!"

"And Nick did? Mami, Nick would never do ANYTHING to hurt Olivia, I know this. Not Olivia, or any woman for that matter!" and she was so angry that they could even suggest it.

"Right, and Manny could?" Vida said.

"I'm sorry, but am I the only one who's noticed his behavior over the years? Do I wanna believe he did this? No, I don't but do I? Hell yeah!"

"And the affair; that means nothing to you?"

"An affair that she didn't need to tell us about to get her point across! She could have denied the whole thing and just focused on the rape, but she didn't. She chose to come clean about everything because-"

"Manny didn't do this!"

"Mami; I know he's your baby but you gotta wake up to what it is."

"Mami, you don't believe this!" Vida said.

"I don't want to-"

"Then don't! You know your son. He was just telling me yesterday that he's in love with someone. That doesn't sound like a man who would rape anybody.

"Vida, you're delusional! I should be back from Dallas the day after tomorrow, and I'm coming straight there. But in the meantime, if there's any information, you call me!" Mari said. "Mom…"

"I will."

"I have to go." She said and hung up, shaking her head and leaving Vida on the phone with Caesarea.

"Denise has Zara, and if I know my daughter, she'll want to play after she eats. So I'd say we have a couple hours, at least." Nick said as he came back to Olivia's bed where she was sitting, rubbing her stomach. He didn't want to talk about what he knew in his heart was coming. If it could be left to him, he and Olivia would just find a way to let it go, to never mention it. But they couldn't; he couldn't ask her to because she needed to heal, and that wouldn't come with her holding it in. Plus, he could tell with how she looked at him when he first came in her today; her eyes said so much. She was full of shame and sorrow; and regret. She needed to get this out and he would, no matter how much it hurt him, be here for her. He'd listen to however much, or little she wanted to tell him, though in his heart he hoped that wouldn't tell him anything, but he'd be here.

"I look at my baby, and I'm so thankful for her...and I always thought that if the day ever came that we got our wish and I got pregnant, I would be even more thankful and it would be such a happy time." She said wistfully as Nick sat beside her

"Liv, it is a happy time."

"It's not. I ruined their beginning with the affair, and lying to you." She said quietly, wiping tears. "Now your mother hates me, and I just... But I'm done lying to you. All of this happened because I gave Manny the leeway to do what he did."

"Mami…"

"I should've resisted when he first came onto me, but I didn't-" She was trying so desperately to hold it together, her voice cracking with tears. Nick found this so hard to hear, but it was breaking Olivia to have to tell him and he got hold of himself and put his arm around her as she spoke. From somewhere, she gathered the strength to tell him everything! Everything that happened on that fateful Saturday night, when he first violated her. She told him how they had words but he wouldn't let her leave after he'd stormed out and how, when he'd picked her up by the neck and slammed her down on the bed, she knew and she begged him; for herself, for the babies not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. He'd had her arms pinned behind her back and he raped her, all while he berated Nick.

She told him how he stalked her after that. About the flowers he sent last week and the gift. How when she went to throw it out in the trash chute, she came back to the apartment only to find him there.

"Why haven't you haven't answered my calls?" Manny said, from where he stood in the living room by the window.

"Wh- how did you get in here?" She wondered aloud and a bit scared.

"I came to see if you enjoyed the flowers and the gifts for my babies."

"They're not your babies." She said with her hands to her stomach, ignoring his comment about the flowers and the rattles. She just wanted him out of there.

"Aren't they? Nick did come by, waving these "results" but you know, I just don't trust that they're real." He said as he came closer and threw the papers at her.

"...we fought." She said as she tried hard not to cry, but it was a losing battle as the tears flowed at their own will. "I grabbed a knife; and my phone, and I looked away for one second to call the police…"

He couldn't listen to anymore. He was feeling sick, and angry. So angry that he wanted to hit and break something, but he held his own. Even when she got into how Manny forced his fingers into her, and then slapped her across the face, knocking her to the floor then grabbing her when she tried to get away. Resulting in her hitting her head and ending up here. He didn't let her finish. Right now, he didn't care about it. Right now, the only thing in this world that he cared about was sitting in front of him, sobbing, and had just told him that she'd been violated in the worst way by his brother, and right now, she was the only thing he could focus on. Not his pride or the fact that she cheated; it all seemed so unimportant in the face of this. Right now, she needed him. She needed his comfort and his love; she needed him more than anything right now. And knowing that, he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm here baby." He cried as he kissed her head and held her. This was even worse than he knew. Casey had only told him the basics. "I'm right here. I'm here."

"What do you mean, he's not there?" Cragen yelled into the phone.

"I mean, he's not here. His name was on the flight list, and we've searched every plane to florida in this place, but lo and behold, this guy never showed up."

"Or he did, and got wind that we were coming and changed plans."

"What do you want me to do?" Fin said as both he and Cragen took on a look of defeat. They'd wanted this guy bad. After what he did to Olivia, he deserved to be in jail.

"Nothing that can be done. Pack it in and head back." He said, and hung up, sighing heavily. "And now I have to break this to Liv!"

TBC...reviews are nice.