Chapter 3

Alex woke up first, took a shower, and got ready. She always did this before a big trial. She enjoyed the peace and quiet. Liv woke up a little later and did the same joining Alex. "Good morning baby. Are you ready?" Alex shook her head, "Yes. I feel good. Did you wake Amanda?" Liv answered, "Not yet. Since I don't have to be in court until later. Figured I would leave your routine as normal." Alex got ready to leave, "I will see you tonight."

Liv went into Amanda's room and found her twisted in an awful position. Her blonde hair was everywhere, on the pillow, in her face. Liv brushed her hair away and whispered, "Hey, time to wake up." Amanda opened her eyes and blinked again. Liv smiled, "You're cute. Now get up, get in the shower, get dressed, and breakfast in 20 minutes." She kissed her forehead.

Liv made breakfast and Amanda walked in with her book bag, "Aunt Liv, I don't have my laptop." She put food on the plate, "It's over there and fully charged, baby. Grab it and make sure you have everything else." They ate together and talked about the expectations one more time. "Amanda do you understand?" Amanda answered, "Yes Aunt Liv."

They grabbed their belongings and headed to the garage, then school. "Ok I want you to have a good day. When school is over, go straight home, grab the snack I left you in the fridge, and do your homework." Amanda hugged Liv and hopped out of the car. "Aunt Liv?" She looked up, "Yeah baby?" Amanda smiled, "Why are you and Alex so different from my mom. I mean you are best friends." Liv looked confused, "I'll answer that when you can tell me why you are so different with us. Behave." They both smiled at each other.

Liv headed to court and met the squad outside. Johnny Drake was looking at 17 counts of rape, assault, trafficking, and kidnapping. It was going to be a long trial and with a lot of witnesses. This was just day 1. Everyone in the squad had their turn, since they were all there the night of the take down. Liv testified about the investigation and the girls. She described their injuries in detail. When Liv stepped away from the stand, they called it quits for the day and the trial would resume tomorrow.

Liv looked over at Beth and the exchange she saw was disturbing. Johnny Drake touched her and whispered to her in an intimate way. She wondered if her eyes were deceiving her, until she saw him wink. She looked around to see if anyone else saw it. Alex was too busy packing up her files and everyone else was heading out.

She was in daze listening to the squad and Alex outside the courtroom. Alex touched her back and she jumped, "Are you ok?" Liv shook her head, knowing she couldn't tell her what she saw, not now, not in the middle of the trial. Alex continued, "You drove right. We should head home and check on the troublemaker."

Liv and Alex headed to the car, "Alex will you drive? I will call in Chinese dinner for delivery. We need something easy." Alex drove away and soon they were home. Liv needed a moment, "Hey why don't you head upstairs. You and Amanda can shower and change into something comfortable. I will wait for the food." Alex thought that sounded amazing, "Hmmm you are too good to me." She kissed her and headed upstairs.

While Liv was in the foyer of the penthouse lobby, Beth walked in holding Noah. They made eye contact, but couldn't talk. Beth smiled and took Noah's hand and waved, "Look Noah! Wave to Aunt Liv." Noah giggled and wiggled out holding his body out for a hug. Beth put him down and he went to hug her. Liv saw it. She never had a reason to see it before, but the exchange in the courtroom was still strongly taking over her mind.

Beth had bleach blonde hair and Jim had dark dirty blonde hair. They both had blue eyes . Amanda's features were a good mix. Noah had light brown eyes, not blue and his hair was light brown, only with light natural streaks of blonde. Liv swallowed hard, and couldn't believe what she was thinking. She spun him around and he ran back to Beth.

Liv got the food and headed upstairs. They ate and talked to Amanda about her day. Alex asked her to pull up her homework, which she did and had. They didn't know how long this honeymoon period would last. "Ok good job, but you are still grounded, so in your room you go. We will call you out to watch some TV together in a little bit." Liv pulled out her laptop. "I'm emailing her teachers to let them know she's with us and I should be contacted, if she's missing class, homework, or misbehaving. I'm going to take a shower. Let her watch TV with you. We all need to unwind." Alex looked at her, "You know she's feeling us out right. The behavior is coming." Liv shook her head, "Yep and so is the punishment."

She went to take her shower, but before that she was going through her closet looking for something. She grabbed the swab test she knew she had and threw it in her purse. She knew what she needed to do. After her shower, she joined Alex and Amanda to watch TV. She smiled seeing Amanda cuddled up with Alex. "Where am I supposed to sit? Amanda patted the couch, "Right next to me Aunt Liv." They enjoyed the night together as a family.

The next morning was the same routine, but after dropping off Amanda, Liv headed to Noah's daycare. She immediately asked for Lucy. "Liv! Hey, what can I do for you?" Liv lied, "I have Amanda for a while, but with court, I haven't been able to see Noah. Do they still have you only part time?" Lucy scooped up Noah and handed him to Liv. He went straight for a hug. "Yes, I really need more work and I'm going to lose my apartment in a month. Cost went up, you know how it is. Can you hold him? I'll be right back. Aiden get down honey!"

Liv looked around and carefully swabbed his cheek. She held him with her knees and put it in the case. She kissed him on his fat cheeks, "Lucy let me talk to Alex and see if we can come up with something. Would you be interested in watching Amanda?" They knew Lucy since she was a teenager. Liv met her when her mom was raped. Unfortunately she was never the same like most victims, her mother took her life and Lucy was alone. Alex helped her get the job at the daycare, but it was only part time.

Liv headed to court. She sneaked in and sat beside Fin. They watched person after person get on the stand and tell what a monster he was. It was difficult for Johnny D to keep his emotions in check. He often made faces and balled up his fists. The trial took a turn when a working girl for him got on the stand and claimed it was all a lie. Alex couldn't stop it and just that fast Jim Rollins had reasonable doubt. Liv slipped Fin her keys, "Make sure Alex gets home. Something came up."

Liv headed to Melinda Warner at the Medical Examiner's Office. She had so much on her mind, Beth, Noah, Alex, Amanda, and now Lucy. "Melinda hey! How are you?" Melinda hugged her friend. She lived in the same building, but they had become friends from work. "I need a favor Melinda, and I need it off the books." Melinda had helped Liv before. She found out she had a brother although he was quite a trouble maker and disappeared. She pulled out the kit. "I need this run against someone in the system. No one can find out." Melinda took it from her, "Who?" Liv took a deep breath, "Johnny Drake."

Melinda turned and looked at Liv and then the swab. "Do you want to tell me what this is about?" Liv explained she would rather leave her out of it and she wished she didn't have to ask. Melinda asked her to step into her office. She pulled out a file from her desk, "Is this swab from Noah?" Liv was shocked and shook her head, "How did you know that?" Melinda gave her the file, "Beth is your friend, but she's not mine. I only know her from dinners at your house. So when she showed up at my door 5 months ago asking me to compare DNA, I was surprised, but I did it. She asked me not to tell you and I didn't, but I copied everything. Johnny D is Noah's father. I don't need your swab."

Liv felt like someone ripped her heart out, "Liv you can't tell her you know. You can't even talk to her right now." Liv thanked Melinda, but headed straight to Beth, because she needed answers. She knocked on her door, "Let me come in, no one can see me here." Liv thought quickly she needed an excuse, "I'm here to get Amanda's phone. She isn't getting it back but I wanted some leverage to keep her going."

Beth went in her purse and handed her the phone. "Do you think I'm dumb? I would like it if you just asked your questions that you really came here for instead of insulting my intelligence." Liv's face went white, and Beth continued, "I know you saw what happened in the courtroom, so just ask me." Liv didn't ask anything, but only hugged her, "I know you. You are my other best friend. You are a good person, who would never fall for such a monster. So tell me how I can help you."

Beth cried holding Liv and Liv held her until she stopped crying. "I thought you would hate me and never believe me." Beth sat up and explained from the beginning. "Remember all those college parties we went to when we were in high school?" Liv shook her head, "Liv we were dumb and we certainly didn't belong there. I was sleeping around and that was totally on me. Did you know Johnny D was at Columbia around that time. Jim knew him, but they weren't friends. I met Jim at a party and he saved me from that bastard. He was going to get me and Jim told him I was his. It was then the deal was made."

Beth continued "Once Jim became a lawyer if Johnny needed help, he had to do it. I got pregnant and Jim was taking money. It all went bad so fast and I didn't even know it. Liv I didn't know anything or see Johnny until two years ago." Liv sighed, "I'm so sorry Alex and I missed it. Why didn't you tell us?" Beth laughed even though nothing was funny, "Tell my Sergeant and ADA best friends, we're criminals."

Beth stood up looking around, "Amanda was causing us all kinds trouble and she was so young. Then when she skipped school one day and came home, we were ready to deal with her because we had enough. We didn't discipline her soon enough and she's out of control. That's on us." Liv listened carefully.

"Jim and I were laying down the law and his phone rang. That's when I saw JD on the front. I was shocked and he knew, "Johnny what can I do for you?" Beth continued, "Liv, when I turned back to deal with Amanda on my own, she was white as a ghost and peed on herself right there. She was frozen with fear."

Liv couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Once I got her in the shower and changed, she told me he grabbed her outside the building. He threatened her, told her he knew where she lived, where she went to school, and that her dad and him were friends. So by calling, in Amanda's young mind it proved it." Liv was really concerned, "Beth, what did you tell her and how much?" Beth said, "She's a kid Liv. She's my baby and yours. I told her he wasn't a good man and that her dad and I could never be friends with someone like that, but it was her dad's job to defend bad people sometimes. I wanted to tell her the truth, scare the hell out of her, but I didn't."

Liv knew then, "That's why you changed her school?" Beth shook her head, "I think he was following her and Amanda became an easy target. I went to see him. I had to protect my child Liv. I asked him to leave her alone and what would it take to leave her alone." Beth started to cry again and the only thing Liv could do was hold her. She knew where this story was going.

She listened and did the math. Noah was just over 1. "He told me all the things he could do with a pretty little girl like Amanda. He was so close to my face. I still feel his breath when I sleep some nights." Beth stood up to look out of the window, "It was me. I gave up myself, to keep him away from my baby. He threw me on the bed and the only thing I begged him for was to use a condom. I knew he raped girls. Do you know what the bastard said to me?"

Liv stood up walking towards her and wrapped arm around her, "What?" She knew Beth had been holding it all in, "He said don't worry I only rape virgins. Liv I felt sick. I jumped up, I told him he was a sick fucker and I would ruin him. He threw me back down and raped me Liv. I got pregnant, had Noah, and never told Jim. We don't talk about it, but I think he knows. Noah's hair and his eyes. I can't have this one."

She rubbed her stomach. "For what it's worth, Jim and I are praying Alex wins. He is trying to throw it, but Johnny is smart." Liv knew everything, "That's why the big blowup, you wanted Amanda with us, without us knowing why." Beth shook head, "I wish I could give you Noah, but I couldn't put that much on you guys. Johnny D doesn't know about Noah. You cannot tell Alex."

Liv looked at her watch, "Shit Alex!" Beth looked at her, "Go." They hugged again before opening the door, "Liv if anything happens to me, you get the kids." She handed Liv a copy of her Will. "Jim signed it. He would love to visit them, take them out, but he can't handle them."

Liv was surprised, "Beth you're scaring me." Beth assured her, "I don't like the way the trial is going. He's not the type that's going to lay down and take federal prison. So if anything happens, this is what you need. Take care of my babies." They said goodbye and Liv headed home.

She walked in and saw two sad faces looking at her, "I'm sorry. I got a call and had to help Cragen." Liv lied, she didn't lie, especially to Alex. "How about I order a pizza? I can make a salad to go with it." No one said anything, so Liv called in the order and took out the ingredients for the salad. She finally noticed Amanda was sitting with an open laptop, "Why are you still doing schoolwork?"

Alex finally spoke, "Someone skipped class today and is now completing her class work." Alex stood up, "Leave it and take your shower now." Amanda quickly jumped up, "Yes Aunt Alex." Liv looked at Alex, "I'm sorry about how your day ended and you had to come home and deal with her." Alex kissed her, "You know what I learned today? I'm going to win some and lose some, but if I get to come home to a family that loves me, even if it's badass Amanda. I'm lucky. I'll go down and get the pizza."

Liv went to deal with Amanda. She walked into her room and sat on her bed. When Amanda came out of the bathroom she knew she was in trouble. "Did you misunderstand what the expectations were?" Amanda stood quietly with her hands in front of her. "Aunt Liv, I understood. I wasn't with any friends and I didn't leave the school. I just didn't go to class. I don't like it there." Liv narrowed her eyes, "Well at least you're honest, but I said no skipping school and you did. This is where we are and you will finish the school year there. This is your pass, skip school again and that's your ass. You got that. Let's go eat dinner."