Authors Note- I want to thank everyone who is still with me and wants to see the story rewritten. I have it posted onto here and Wattpad on my account there which is called _AGHarper. I decided to delete all the old chapters off here and upload them like new ones since they basically are, and so people won't get confused with reading the old chapters, because some things changed. So to avoid that confusion, I will just upload the new chapters like a new story! Do follow me on Wattpad as well if you have an account and check out my work on there, I may also be bringing over my Jurassic World story from here as well, not sure yet but I'm thinking about it. Also, I may still be doing the Carisi story, depending on how many people want to see it. And I will be doing another Barba and Lacey story after this one is over, called, 'Before the Order', and it is basically some of season 14, full season 15, and the first half of season 16, since I started in the middle half for this story.

Welcome back you guys, and I don't know if anybody noticed any changes but I hope you do, and enjoy!


~Episode 18- Devastating Story Part Two~

Lacey; with her blazer off, at her desk, filling out reports with a coffee in her hand and her pen in the other.

Olivia comes out of her office. "Good news, Heather and Professor Dillon are on there way up now."

"Let's break out the confetti." Lacey says carelessly, Olivia and Amanda both look over at her, Lacey looks up to see the two women giving her looks. "Sorry," She shakes her cup. "-the caffeine hasn't kicked in yet. Been a long morning."

"Your starting to sound like a certain A.D.A over there." Olivia smirks, Lacey stops in mid sip to give her a look. "Kicked in yet?"

Lacey chuckles lowering her coffee. "Somewhat." She sits her cup and pen down, and gets up. "I get Heather coming, but the Professor to." Lacey goes over to Olivia. "I mean don't you find any of this a little weird."

"How so Lacey?" Olivia sighs.

"Me and Carisi talked to this woman earlier, she said that Jane didn't want to come forward. Now all of a sudden at a rally today, she just happens to now want to be known and tell her story?" Lacey asks, she shakes her head. "Come on Liv, I know you see this too. I'm not saying she wasn't raped but the timing today is just really off and not to mention, I don't like that Professor."

"You don't like anyone Lacey, so that's arguable." Olivia says, Lacey pokes her tongue on the inside of her cheek. "But you do have a point about their timing with that rally. You and Carisi talk to the Professor and she says Jane isn't going to come forward, now here we are."

"More publicity is what somebody was looking for, and I'm betting my money it's that Professor." Lacey scoffs. "So, Rollins is going in with you to question them right?"

"Nope." Olivia sees Heather and Professor Dillon coming in. "You are." Lacey double takes, Olivia walks off to meet them. "Heather, and Professor Dillon."

"Liv." Lacey says sternly, she walks after her.

"Thank you so much for coming in." Olivia stops in front of them with Lacey. "This is detective, Lacey Vaughn."

"We met." Professor Dillon smiles over at her, Lacey gives a quick one back in courtesy. "Nice to see you again." Lacey gives a humming nod, Professor Dillon looks back to Olivia. "Also, I hope you two realize this does not mean we're pressing charges."

"We?" Lacey says. "Your not really the victim here to make that call."

"Again, she is not a victim. Heather is a survivor." Professor Dillon corrects her, Lacey eyes went to slits.

Olivia steps in. "You know, Professor Dillon, we think it's probably best if we speak with Heather alone." She ushers Heather to Lacey who takes her. "We are very good at what we do and it would be better this way."

"Actually, Sergeant." Professor Dillon stops her. "Could you and I talk?"

Olivia stops. "Um, sure, okay." She looks to her detective. "Lacey, could you take Heather into the other room? I'll be in, in a minute."

"I got her." Lacey leads Heather away with a hand on her back, she opens the room door. "This way Heather." The young girl walks in the room, Heather looks around. Lacey closes the door and has a seat, she looks up to see how nervous and fidgety the young girl was. "You alright, Heather?"

Heather sits down across from her. "Um, yes" She puts her coat and scarf on the back of the chair. "I'm fine, just a little nervous that's all." Heather plays with the sleeve of her shirt. "I didn't think I would be sitting in here. It's scary."

"Yes, it can be." Lacey nods slowly. "However, you're safe here. That's one of our top priorities, okay? Keeping you safe and getting the person that hurt you. That's all."

Heather nods. "Okay."

Olivia walks in with Professor Dillon, Lacey brows knot together in confusion, and she looked to say something until Olivia shot her a look that simply said 'Be nice' in so many words. Professor Dillon took her seat next to Heather, as Olivia sat down next to Lacey with her pen and pad. Heather seemed more comfortable when Professor Dillon came and joined them.

Olivia clicks her pen and adjust her glasses on top of her head. "Okay, Heather. How about we start from the beginning of what happened that night."

Heather sighs with a slight nod. "December twelfth, I was on a date with an Alpha Zeta Pi hockey player, Brian Mackey. He's the team captain."

"And the date, it was at his frat?" Lacey asks.

She quickly shook her head. "No, no first we went to a bar and then we went back to the house. We were making out in the hallway when he pulled me into his room. Three guys were waiting, and they jumped me, like a pack."

"And Brian led you in?" Olivia asks her, while Lacey started taking notes.

"He was in charge." Heather says. "He had two guys hold my legs, while he held my arms."

Olivia nodded. "Okay, and did you know the others?"

"His buddies from the hockey team." Heather shakes her head. "I-I'm not sure I want to tell you their names."

"Okay, okay, well we can get back to that no problem." Olivia assures. "For now, we can just work our way back to the story."

"Now, you said there were four of them. Are you positive it was four?" Lacey asks, Professor Dillon shoots her a look which Lacey caught out of the corner of her eye but just ignores it and looks back to the girl. "Heather, are you?"

"Yes." Heather says after taking a quick look to Professor Dillon. This made Lacey brows knot together and shoot a quick glance to the Professor before back at Heather. "I'm positive, it was four of them."

"Okay," Lacey nods. "You see because, President Roberts told us that you only mentioned one and-"

"President Roberts, blamed Heather." Professor Dillon cuts her off, Lacey glares at her with a frown. "She didn't feel safe disclosing to her after that."

"I get that." Lacey says. "But I wasn't finished."

"I had to correct you on that, detective." Professor Dillon rests a hand over her heart. "I do apologize for that." Lacey scoffs at her. "President Roberts, she broke that safety barrier when she tried to blame Heather."

"Well," Olivia clears her throat trying to ease the tension, she looks over at Heather. "-I promise, that you're safe here, Heather, okay?" Heather smiles a little with a small nod. "Detective Vaughn is not blaming you, she just wants to get your story straight. Alright, so what happened next?"

"Um, then they took turns raping me, sodomizing me," Heather took a deep breath, a couple tears slipped down her cheeks. "Um, I'm sorry."

"Go ahead." Professor Dillon rubs her back to comfort her, she looks to the two women. "We didn't talk about this part on TV."

Lacey and Olivia nods, and lets Heather continue at her own pace.

Heather gets herself together a little bit. "They used an object, the handle of a hockey stick. Then they high-fived each other, and they left me there. When I tried to pull myself together and leave, the other guys in the frat threw beer cans at me, and they yelled at me to go to church." Olivia and Lacey gazes sadden from her story. "They said that I should call my dad and apologize for ruining his life." Heather wipes the tears from her cheeks. "It was so horrible."

"Did you tell anyone?" Lacey asks. "Did you tell your parents, or your roommate?"

Heather shakes her head. "My parents still don't know."

"Why is that?" Lacey brows knot together. "Do they not live here?"

"They're in the Central African Republic, fighting malaria." Heather answers.

"Did you go to the doctor?" Olivia questions. "Is there anyone to corroborate?"

"Show them the text, Heather." Professor Dillon nudges her.

"Oh." Heather quickly pulls out her phone, she does something and hands it to Lacey who took it from her. "Um, Brian sent me a text. His attempt at an apology."

Lacey reads it over out loud. "Sorry about last night, my boys were out of control, but you deserve better than what they did."

Olivia looks at it with a nod. "This is great Heather. So is there any other physical evidence? Like maybe, the clothes you were wearing? Anything like that?"

"Um, actually one of the guys handed me my panties back before class that Monday." Heather frowns. "Just to humiliate me."

"And you kept them?" Lacey sits up.

"I shoved them in my backpack and then I threw them in my drawer when I got home." Heather thinks about it. "They might still be there."

"Okay, good." Olivia was happy to hear that. "So if you decide to give us the other boy's names, that will be enough to get a DNA sample."

Professor Dillon sits up, she rests a hand on Heather's shoulder. "It still won't be easy, Heather."

"No, it's okay. I want to." Heather agrees, she looks at Olivia and Lacey. "After the rally, all those other women need to know that they can do this too."

"That's good Heather." Lacey gives her a small smile, she ready's her pen. "All we need now for the next step is names."

Heather sighs. "The other names are, Connor Howell, Lance Mosconi, and Zach Franklin." She nods her head. "All on the hockey team."

Later, at the Frat House..

Lacey went with, Carisi, Fin, and CSU, to the fat house. They had got their warrant to do the search and collect DNA from all three of the boys.

Getting closer to the house, protesters were already waiting outside with, posters, red tape on their mouths, and hockey sticks in their hands.

"This is where it happened." Carisi looks at the building.

Lacey nods. "Pictured something more creepy."

She had on her knee length, long black coat tied up in the front, with a black scarf and gloves.

Lacey turns to the cops and CSU. "Alright, I want you to pick up all cell phones, laptops, bedding, and hockey sticks. I don't care how long she hasn't been there, we all know DNA lingers. If it's credible, I want it." She nods to them. "Lets go."

All of them head inside.

"Hey, NYPD!" Lacey calls out, showing her badge to the ones in the hall.

One of the guys met them halfway, grinning. "Glad to see you officers, you here about the brick coming through the window?"

Carisi quick smirks. "Nice try." They walk inside the boys game room, catching them off guard. "ID's, now! Turn that music off." Carisi points, and they quickly obey. Lacey slowly walks through, the guys eye her as she makes her way to the mantel piece were one boy stood. "Alright, we're looking for, Howell, Mackey, Mosconi, and Franklin."

Lance raises his hand. "Yes, sirs!" Lacey turns to him, raising a brow for him to come again with his words. "Ma'am." He quickly adds on, Lacey slowly nods her head.

One boy with glasses and black hair stands up. "Guys, STFU, come on." He hands his ID to Carisi. "I'm Brian Mackey, this is Connor Howell," He motioned to the boy next to Carisi, who still had that grin on his face. Brian points to the boy next to Lacey, who was giving her his ID. "And that's, Lance Mosconi. Franklin's out of the country."

Lacey gives Lance his ID back and walks off. "Thank you, we have a warrant to search the premises." She glares Connor up and down as she passes him. "Which means all of you, stay put." Lacey heads to the back with SCU.

Connor watches her leave, he smirks looking back to Carisi and sees the cop already giving him a look. This made his smirk drop a little, and look away from him.

Later, during the search

Carisi was talking to Brian, while Fin had Connor and Lance.

"Had Brian been dating Heather for a while?" Fin asks Lance.

Lance was sitting in the chair. "Heather has wanted the business from Brian since rush week," He shrugs, Lacey walks out from the back and over to where they were. "-he finally threw her a bone."

"Eight inches of it, brah." Connor says in a mocking tone.

Lacey stops, and turns around giving him a look.

Fin and her shared the same look from his choice of words. "How do you know?" He asks him. "You watched?"

"Him and that smug grin on his face, I wouldn't put it past him." Lacey jots down stuff in her pad with a head shake.

Connor shrugs carelessly. "If you can't take the heat, then don't be a thot."

Lacey pen stops moving, her eyes flicker up to look at him with a glare. "You have sex with her?"

Connor smirks, with a light scoff. "And pick up Mackey's scraps? I don't think so." Lacey gives him a suspicious look. "I was just letting it be known. Don't do thot behavior and expect to not be treated like one. You know?"

Lacey glares at him. "No." She shakes her head. "I don't." She drops her pad to her side with a scoff and shakes her head. "Fin, I'm gonna go back and check on some things with CSU." Lacey motions a hand up and down at Connor as she starts to leave. "This one is all yours."

Connor smirks and looks back to Fin. "You guys got some feisty women for cops. She always like that?"

"No, usually she is the one to hit first and then ask you questions." Fin says, Connor smirk drops all the way. "Now back to what you two remember about that night with Heather..."

Later that day, back at SVU

Fin and Lacey walk in Olivia's office, where Amanda already was present.

Olivia looks up, and takes off her glasses. "How was the boy's club?"

Lacey sat in the chair next to Amanda with a sigh.

"Gamey." Fin closes the door.

"Yeah, real fun." Lacey fake smiles. "I know exactly where I wanna send my future son."

"Lacey." Olivia gives her a look.

Lacey smile drops, she throws up a hand. "You know how this story goes. They're the victims, she's a whore that woke up with regrets. Same song."

"Anybody admit to consensual sex?" Olivia asks.

"Brian Mackey, and Connor." Fin answers. "Lance denies."

"That Lance kid I see being innocent, that smug one however." Lacey points up at Fin. "He did something, I know it."

Olivia nods her head slowly. "Okay, and what about the fourth assailant?"

"Zach Franklin." Amanda speaks up. "He's 20, a multi-sport scholar athlete, and he's on a culture tour of Cuba right now."

"Can we get him back?" Olivia asked

Lacey brows knot together. "From Cuba?"

"You know a lot of people." Olivia reminds her.

"Not in Cuba." Lacey says.

A knock on the door stops their conversation, Carisi opens it up.

"Sarge." Carisi walks inside. "Taru just found a video that Connor made that night. Now he erased it from his cell, but they found it on his computer's hard drive. You're gonna want to see this." He leaves out.

All of them get up, following him out and over to his desk. Carisi plays it over for them, they watch the video and it was just as disgusting as Heather described it to be. The frat boys were all throwing things at her, shaming her, and just making the trauma worse. Lacey shakes her head as she watches, what Heather had to go through and to be a victim of this, none of it was right.

Once a copy of it was made onto a drive for evidence, Olivia uploaded it to an Ipad for safe keeping.

"Okay." Olivia walks out her office, into the squad room where her team were at their desks. "We got this. So, Lacey?" Lacey stops drinking her coffee and looks over at her. "Take this down to Barba and let him see this. Lets see if this is enough to convince him to let us bring the boys in for more questioning. Also, let him know we got the DNA back."

Lacey looks at the others who were doing nothing like she was. "Can't Carisi go?" She motions to him. "Or Fin? Fin never goes."

"Oh, I'm still not done what Sarge gave me earlier." Carisi points to his papers, Lacey eyes went into slits at his lie. "Besides, the only people good at convincing Barba are you and the Sarge."

"Kids got a point." Fin nods. "I'm flooded over here to. Also, your the better one for the job like Carisi said."

"Yeah, okay." Lacey scoffs, she rolls her eyes and gets up with her coat. "You know Liv, there are other options besides sending me, just so we all know." She walks over to her Sergeant with her keys in hand.

Olivia smiles placing it in her hand. "Thank you, detective." Lacey walks off with a head shake. "I also send you because your Barba's favorite Lacey."

Lacey holds up a finger. "Be lucky your my Sergeant now, Benson."


At the Court House...

Getting to the building, she walks the halls and down to the room that the guard told her he was working in.

Lacey knocks on the door, she goes inside to see Barba at the table with his work spread out and his feet propped on the table as he was reading through a file in his lap.

Barba raises a brow when he saw her. "Huh." He looks back down at his papers. "You know it's knock, wait for a reply, then enter?" Barba looks at her. "You do know that right?"

"As much as I would retort to that, I don't have the time. Some of us have a job." Lacey says, Barba scoffs and takes his feet down. "Besides, I'm not doing all of that. I am here on business for the Heather Manning case brewing."

"How was that visit to the frat house?" Barba sits back, Lacey gives him a wide eyed look. "That bad?"

"Boys are disgusting." Lacey scoffs, she walks over and sits the pad up. "We have our DNA matches, but we do have this too."

Barba watches the video play, while Lacey leans on the wall behind him.

The video shows Heather running down the steps in a rush, trying to put on her clothes while the boys were throwing things at her.

( Boys ) 'Go to church! Go to church! Go to church! Go to church! Go to church!'

Connor turn the camera on himself with Brian shaking his head in the background. "This has been another Connor Howell slut-shaming video!"

The video turns off.

Barba sighs. "That's harassment. It's ugly but it's not assault." He looks over at Lacey.

"Okay, well we have semen matching Connor and Brian's DNA on Heather's underwear." Lacey tells him, she shoves her hands in her pockets and walks off from the wall. "However for Lance, we got nothing. If he did do anything, the kids a good clean up guy."

"If?" Barba quirks a brow, he could tell she was thinking something else about these boys. "Something you want to tell me?"

"No." Lacey shakes her head, looking away. "I just worded it wrong."

"Or you worded it right, and you just don't want to tell me something." Barba says, Lacey eyes narrow over to him. "Bad liar to me, always have been."

"Okay, can we focus back on these guys?" Lacey asks.

"Still love to sweep things under the rug to, but fine." Barba nods. "Anything on the hockey sticks?"

"Sure is Barba." Lacey says plainly. "After three months, DNA is always still there."

Barba gives her a look. "A yes or no would have sufficed, Lacey." He raises a brow. "But I forgot, being sarcastic is just something you can not help." She shoots him a look. "Am I lying?"

"No, you're not." Lacey sighs, she walks over to him.

"You guys are giving me a rocky ship with this one." Barba closes the file up on the table.

"Listen, between Brian's text and Heather's testimony, you got enough." Lacey says.

Barba turns to her. "Enough for probable cause, everyone wants these guys put away, but this case is three months cold. No rape kit, Heather's initial disclosure mentioned only one assailant."

"President Roberts shut her down, the woman is good for it. She can be extremely intimidating believe me." Lacey cringes. "I'm not joking when I say this."

"Lacey Vaughn intimidated by another human being that's not her mother," Barba quirks a brow, Lacey shrugs her shoulders. "Now that itself, deserves a gold star." Lacey glares. "But Heather knows what she's in for?"

Lacey nods her head. "She does."

"Alright." Barba sighs and turns back to the video. "Bring in the hockey team."

Lacey takes her phone out of her pocket. "K, I'll call Liv and let her know to tell the others to go pick up the team." She puts the phone to her ear and heads towards the door. "If you want a ride there, I suggest you come on."

"Aren't you gonna close the office door?" Barba calls out.

"Surely won't." Lacey replies.

Barba scoffs with a slight smile and shakes his head.


Later that night, at SVU

Lacey walks inside Olivia's office, where Rollins, Olivia, and Barba, were looking through the glass at Connor and his lawyer.

She closes the door behind her, getting their attention. "So, who am I questioning?" Lacey asks, she adjust her files and pen in her hands.

Olivia nods her head to the glass. "Go see what you can get out of, Connor Howell."

"Just the one I wanted." Lacey sighs, she stops from going in and looks to Amanda. "Rollins, can you come with me?"

"Yeah, but for what exactly?" Amanda asks

"You know, to make sure I don't reach over and knock him to sleep." Lacey says, she opens the door. "This smug kid has a way of pressing my buttons without even using words."

Amanda smirks and follows her inside, letting the door close behind them.

Barba scoffs and looks back at the glass. "Anybody that can push her buttons is a genius." Olivia could only smirk at this, and continues to watch with him.

Amanda and Lacey spent their time going back forth with Connor and his lawyer.

"Not me." Connor says. "I told you, I don't want to be Brian's, Eskimo brother."

"You're lying, Connor." Lacey was seated back with her legs crossed. "We have your DNA on Heather Manning's underwear from that night."

"My DNA's all over that place, I live there." Connor says, Lacey smirks and slowly shakes her head at him.

"This underwear has an evidentiary chain of custody from three months ago?" The defense lawyer asks. "Is your D.A serious with this? You got nothing."

"Until court wise counselor," Lacey looks at him with a quick smirk that drops into a frown. "-leave my D.A out of this. And as for the underwear..." She looks back to Connor. "Well do you want to tell him Connor, or do you want me to?"

His lawyer scoffs. "What are you talking about detective?"

Amanda leans back in her chair. "Ask your client, he handed her underwear back to her in class, in front of 20 students."

Hearing that, made Connor smirk in amusement. Lacey catches this and glares over at him.

"Which explains the DNA, doesn't it?" His lawyer says as if he made his closing point.

Lacey nods. "It does," Her eyes flicker up to glare at the boy. "-but it doesn't explain his semen though." Connor's smirk drops, and it was her turn to smirk. "So, you wanna give your best and explain that one?" He takes a minute as he thinks about it. "What? Got nothing to say now, you had all the answers earlier."

"Give him a minute, detective." His lawyer says.

Lacey smirks. "I'm sure he has had enough of one minutes. That's kind of why were here." Connor gives her a look for this, Amanda cracks a slight smirk and looks at him.

They continued questioning Connor, that was until Carisi walks in and over behind them. He whispers something to the two women making Connor and his lawyer look at lost.

Lacey lets out a chuckle. "I knew it." Amanda smirks as both women were shaking their heads.

"Hey, Connor." Carisi looks at him. "I was just telling, detective Rollins, and Vaughn, here. That we don't need to talk to you anymore. Between the DNA and one of your buddies putting you in the room with Heather, you're done."

"Well." Lacey closes up the file as she looks at Connor. "Can't take the heat, don't be a rapist." Her brow raises. "Don't do rapist behavior and expect to not be treated like one." Connor scoffs, Lacey glares and gives a nod up. "Sound familiar?"

Connor gives her a look, he leans over to his lawyer as the two of them start conversing. The three detectives were trying to understand what for since they basically got what they needed already.

"Okay," Connor leans away from his lawyer, he looks at them. "Look, I didn't want to say this before because I thought it would look bad."

"Mhmm." Amanda nods.

"But after she finished with Brian, she moved on to me." Connor snaps his fingers. Lacey scoffs and shakes her head at him. "Like that. Her idea, totally consensual." Connor shakes his head. "I didn't rape her, ask Brian."

"So he was there?" Carisi asks. "He saw you?" Connor took a minute but nods his head, Carisi looks down at Lacey who kept her eyes on Connor.

"You see?" His lawyer says. "There are no real strikes against my client here, you don't have anything like I said."

Lacey eyes lower in suspicion, she leans forward."Your client admits to handing back her underwear to her in class, strike one. He lied to us the first time we asked him about having sex with Heather, strike two. His DNA of semen was in Heather's underwear, strike three." Connor smirk drops, his defense lawyer looks to Lacey who was giving them a stern glare. "Shall I continue?" Lacey shrugs, she looks back at him. "I thought you weren't a scrap boy? But I guess that was a lie to."

Connor stares back at her, he didn't want to say anything else.

After all the questioning was done, everybody was back in Olivia's office talking.

Lacey was the last to walk in, she let the file fall on the desk. "Welp, all three turned down the waiver." She goes to stand next to Barba. "We almost got Brian, but his lawyer is, well his lawyer."

Amanda shrugs. "Their lawyers think letting them talk is just going to make things worse."

"Good, arraign them." Barba says, he looks back in the glass at Connor "The deeper into the system they get, the harder it is to pull them out."

"Alright, we'll load them up now." Carisi nods. "Ready Lacey?"

"Yeah." Lacey walks with him.

"You know what?" Olivia stops them when an idea came to mind. "Hold up a half-hour." She looks over at Lacey and Barba. "Connor's a handsome boy with a smug smile, don't you think?"

"Smug smile, and attitude." Lacey agrees.

Barba caught on. "Be good to get that face on the 11:00 news."

Olivia nods. "I think it would. Lacey?"

"Pretty boy needs a photoshoot." Lacey says, Carisi smirks and nods his head.


Next day...

The next morning; Lacey walks in the squad room.

Her hair was out, with one side tucked behind her ear. Lacey wore black skinny suit pants, a navy blue button down shirt with a few buttons undone to show her, silver-chain birthstone necklace. Over the shirt, she wore the matching black leather jacket blazer, and a pair of black low heel boots.

Lacey walks over to Fin and Carisi, both men were at the table watching tv.

"Morning." Lacey nods her head to them.

Fin looks up. "Hey, no jeans today huh?"

"Nah, like to switch it up here and there-and seriously guys," Lacey motions to the flat screen showing the news station about the Heather Manning story. "This is what you watch in the morning. You two are worse then then the Sarge."

"Well we couldn't miss this, your boy Skip is on there today." Carisi jokes, and turns it up.

Lacey shakes her head. "Don't quit your day job, Carisi. Your not funny." She starts texting on her phone.

Carisi chuckles and gives a shrug.

( On TV )

"With us this morning is, Skip Peterson. He has an update now on that shocking story of a gang-rape at Hudson university. Skip, welcome." The woman says, the camera shows Skip. "I understand that the school has since suspended all fraternity activities?"

"Yes they have, and last night NYPD arrested and arraigned three of the accused rapists. Brian Mackey, captain of the hockey team, and his teammates Connor Howell and Lance Mosconi." Skip says, as they show the boys photos.

Carisi points to the TV. "I thought Connor liked to smile." Lacey glances up at it for a brief second. "Doesn't look so happy there."

"Good, smug little bastard." Lacey scoffs and goes back to her phone. "Don't like that kid, he rubs me the wrong way."

"So does half of New York." Fin says, he smiles when Lacey only smirked in response.

( Back on the TV )

"And you had a chance to talk to the victim, Jane?"

"She's now bravely come forward." Skip nods. "Her real name is, Heather Manning. We caught up with her at a campus rally late last night."

The TV shows Heather with some of her people and Professor Dillon at a rally.

"I am gratified to hear that three of the six men who attacked me were arrested tonight by NYPD." Heather says.

[ The crowd cheers ]

Lacey stops texting, her brows knot together as she makes a face and looks up slowly at the TV, to be sure that she just heard that right.

Heather shakes her head. "What they did that night was meant to dehumanize me. When they said, 'Who else wants to rape that?'. They weren't just assaulting me, they were assaulting every woman on this campus."

Lacey picks up the remote and mutes it, still confused and in shock.

"Did she just say six men raped her?" Carisi looked just as confused, and he picks up the file. "I thought it was four. Lacey, didn't she say that?"

"Yes, she did." Lacey puts the remote down, she slow paces with a head shake. In her mind she was trying to make sense of all this.

Fin shrugs. "Maybe she's counting the guys in the video, the ones in the hall."

Carisi shakes his head. "I don't know, something feels off. Who else wants to rape that?" He repeats Heather's question. "Does that sound like something even a frat boy would say?"

"It's not what they said, it's what they did. DNA don't lie." Fin says.

"DNA doesn't lie for the two we found it for." Lacey stops, she looks back at the TV. "I mean, I hate to pull a you-" She motions to Carisi, he gives her a look. "-but something is off. I don't know if it's with Heather or that professor buzzing in her ear, but it's someone. There is no way it goes from four to six, maybe it isn't even four."

Fin looks at her. "You think she's lying about all of it? That's a stretch Lacey."

"No, not all of it." Lacey says. "Just some of it. I mean look at what she just said on national TV. You go from four to six overnight? Come on." She shakes her head. "This is just-" Lacey was cut off by her phone vibrating, she looks at it and gives a heavy sigh. "Yup, I figured this. I gotta go meet up with Liv to go and see Barba."

"Sounds like you two are in trouble." Carisi says.

"Don't know the half of it." Lacey walks away. "I'll be back in a bit."


Later, at the office of A.D.A. Rafael Barba...

Barba and Olivia were in front of the TV pulled into his office, re-listening to the interview with Skip.

Lacey sat in the chair in front of the desk, she turned to the side watching the whole thing since she had missed the rest after muting the TV back at the station.

( On the TV )

"And you say there's more information still to come?"

"Sources have told me that police confiscated a video of the assault and the hockey sticks used on her have tested positive for DNA." Skip says.

"Who the hell are his sources?" Barba looks back, Lacey threw up her hand. He scoffs and looks back to the TV with a head shake.

"It's just horrifying." The woman shakes her head. "What about Heather? Her words are just so powerful-"

Barba mutes the TV already irritated by all of this. "You told me they didn't find anything on those hockey sticks." He looks to Lacey.

Lacey shakes her head. "They didn't." She turns her head around. "I don't know who Skip boy sources are but they need new jobs."

"And there's no video of the assault either." Olivia says.

"So again I ask, who's his source?" Barba asks, he walks behind his desk. "And why is Heather even giving an interview? She's gone from reluctant witness to being on every news show in 48 hours."

Olivia sighs, she walks over to stand behind Lacey's chair. "Once you tell your story it can be empowering, the floodgates open."

"They opened and let in two extra assailants." Barba sits down.

"And she's up to ten." Lacey points. "Oh I'm sorry, it's six now."

"Lacey." Olivia looks down at her.

"What? That's exactly what a defense lawyer would pull on her now if she gets on that stand." Lacey breaks it to her. "You know I'm right." Olivia sighs but nodded as she knew the detective had a point. "After that show out, she better hope they don't flat line her up there."

"Hate to say it, and you know I do." Barba looks to Olivia. "But Lacey's right." Lacey smirks but it drops into a frown when she remembered what he said before that. "Our witness is close to sinking her own ship."

"Right," Olivia nods. "Listen, when you're dealing with PTSD, things come back in pieces." Barba gives her a look, that was clearly showing that wasn't good enough for him. "I know. Look, we will talk to her." Olivia pulls out her phone. "Meet me back at the station Lacey."

"Will do." Lacey nods, she watches Olivia leave out and close the door behind herself.

Barba shakes his head. "And what do you really think about all of this?" Lacey looks back at him. "You believe her?"

"I do." Lacey nods slowly.

Barba saw her look and gives her a suspicious stare. "You don't think it was four."

"No." Lacey shakes her head. "I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it just didn't happen to Heather. Do I believe something happened to her? Yes, and do I know which boy it probably was? Yes, but I do not believe the story she is telling us."

"Well thanks to that little rally she gave, whatever defense touches this is going to use that." Barba points out.

"I know that." Lacey sighs.

"They are also going to use that she told you and Liv, four. Told President Roberts, one, and said herself on national tv that it was six." Barba raises a brow. "You see where I'm going with this? If any of this turns out to be false and she lied. I can't do anything with her."

"I guess we just better hope she isn't lying then." Lacey shrugs, her gaze cast down. "But I just think that professor of hers is playing to much into this and is probably Skip horrible source." Barba sighs picking up his pill bottle, he takes an aspirin with a sip of water. Lacey scoffs, and gives a low chuckle. "Seriously?"

He lowers his glass with a raised brow. "What?"

"Even after all those years, your little meltdowns are still funny." Lacey smiles with a head shake.

"Glad you find this funny, detective." Barba sits back, playing with his pen

Lacey eyes flicker up to meet his with amusement and she sighs. "I find a lot funny, but nothing about this situation. I wonder when I'm going to be able to say that I'm too old for this."

"Thirty years from now?" Barba smirks, Lacey chuckles and nods her head. "Speaking of those years, where do you really see yourself in thirty years Lacey? Be honest with yourself."

Lacey looks at him as she gave it some thought, she shrugs slightly. "I don't know. I guess still fussing and squabbling with you."

"Wouldn't that be nice." Barba tries not to crack a smile but fails miserably as it turns into a small one. "I wonder will you be more mellowed out when you're older."

"You asked that while we were freshmen in college." Lacey shakes her head. "If I'm still the same, that means I'm going to the grave the same." She stands up and heads to the door.

Barba slowly shakes his head. "Your not the same from back then." Lacey stops and looks back at him. "You just still have no filter and are as stubborn as a brick wall."

Lacey chuckles and looks down. "I know." She opens the door. "If I remember correctly, that's why you came after me."

Barba shakes his head. "That, among other reasons."

Lacey brow raises. "Other reasons being?"

"Don't you have to meet up with, Liv?" Barba asks her, he looks away and opens his laptop. "I'll see you detective."

Lacey smiles with a nod. "I'll see you, Rafael." She leaves out, closing the door behind her.

Barba glances up at the door, he noticed how she now started calling him Rafael again instead of 'counselor or Barba', it was just something she would do when she was upset with him. When he first came to the squad years ago, their relationship was nothing like it was now. Lacey would avoid coming to his office and when she did, she would never stay like she had been starting to do now.

A graduation picture on his desk had caught his attention, it was with a younger him, his mother and Lacey. Barba picks up the framed photo and looks it over, he smiles, as it brought a tight and warm feeling to his chest.

"It was all so easy back then..." Barba mumbles to himself.


Later that day, back at SVU...

Olivia was sitting at her desk with Professor Dillon and Heather sitting in front of her, and Lacey leaning back behind her.

"Now, in no way is this about silencing you but we're still making our case." Olivia explains. "And we need to know that the public speeches you've made, won't contradict the statements you've made to us."

Professor shakes her head. "People need to know what those boys did to her.

Lacey leans up. "Okay, but first of all, let's get clear on the who. Right now."

"You know who they are, you arrested them." Heather says to them.

Lacey gives Heather a look. "All of them?" Heather looks at her, she shifted under the detectives stern gaze.

"Are we really going to start picking apart the survivor's story?" Professor Dillon asks, Lacey hand fell to her side in annoyance, and turns around to calm her nerves. "This is exactly why we were reluctant to come here in the first place."

"It shouldn't be a we in here." Lacey says, getting fed up with Professor Dillon butting in. "It should only be Heather and us, but we have extended a courtesy to you and we can take that back."

"I don't think so." Professor Dillon shakes her head with a slight smile.

"You wanna bet?" Lacey challenges, Professor Dillon smirk drops. "We are trying to help."

Professor Dillon brows knot together. "Are you really, detective?" Lacey glares at her.

"Okay, lets take a minute." Olivia says getting in the argument. "I understand what you're saying Professor Dillon but detective Vaughn has a point. One thing you leave out to us, and say out there, it throws off everything." Olivia looks to Heather. "Now, Heather, last night at the rally, you said that there were six assailants. We just want to know, are there two others that we should be looking for?"

"Look, I don't know exactly what happened in that room." Heather quickly says. "People were hiding in the shadows, chanting, throwing things."

Lacey shakes her head. "But the four you named to me-"

"Absolutely raped me." Heather says confident. "Brian, Connor, Lance, and Zach. I-I know Zach was there because they kept calling him stinky. And he said 'Dudes my name is Zach', I heard that."

Olivia and Lacey share a look as they both nod.

Professor Dillon looks at them. "Can I ask why Zach wasn't picked up?"

Lacey had her arms folded across her chest; she wanted to straight up tell her they couldn't say anything but held it back.

"Jurisdiction reasons." Lacey says, Professor Dillon and Heather look at her confused. "The boy is in Cuba right now, and they won't extradite."

"But we do have a warrant out for his arrest." Olivia assures.

Professor Dillon smiles. "Good," Lacey rolls her eyes. "And I do want to apologize for my snappiness, detective. I'm just really not for anybody tearing apart Heather." Lacey brows knot together, she looks at Olivia who kept her gaze on the woman. "Again, I hope going forward that we can kick apart their stories not Heather's."

"Uh-huh." Lacey pokes her tongue on the inside of her cheek with a nod.

"We can and we will." Olivia agrees, she looks to the girl. "And I hope going forward, Heather, that you'll stop talking to the press, and at rallies about this so we can do our job. You understand?"

Heather exchanges a look with the professor. "There's only one problem with that."

"Which is what?" Lacey brows knot together.

"I'm supposed to go on Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow tonight." Heather says

Olivia and Lacey exchange looks, Lacey looks to the sky and turns away from the two and Olivia didn't blame her.

"Heather, you're going to have to cancel those." Olivia politely tells her.

"That's impossible." Professor Dillon gets involved. "I-It's too late. These issues are finally being brought to national attention." She expresses, Olivia gives the professor a look for this. "The whole country is waking up to the rape epidemic on our campuses."

"I thought that you said that you wanted to bring your assailants to justice." Olivia looks back to Heather..

"I did say that, I do." Heather nods.

"Your not acting like it." Lacey honestly says. "You keep going into the public and speaking, those boys are going to walk and you can't blame anybody else."

"Are you saying you would just let them go?" Professor Dillon questions her. "That can not happen, this, and these girls, people are seeing what is being done."

Lacey gives the Professor a look. "Your passion sounds like it's coming from a personal experience."

Professor Dillon scoffs. "What?"

"You heard me the first time." Lacey says, she looks back at Heather. "I get you started something big but now is the time to not be known and to stay quiet until this is over like my Sergeant said to."

"I get that, but I just can't." Heather shakes her head. "This is so much more than that now." Olivia and Lacey look at her. "I'm the face of a movement."

Lacey nods her head slowly. "So be it." She heads for the door. "If you'll excuse me." Lacey walks out of the office and closes the door behind her.

This got the teams attention as they were at their desk, Lacey walks over to her desk and sits down with a deep sigh and leans her head back.

Carisi walks over and sits on her desk. "That bad in there." Lacey looks at him, she scoffs. "You alright?"

Lacey sits up. "No." She grabs up her coffee on her desk. "I think my grandmother was right, the older I get, the more patience I lose." Lacey drinks from her cup.

"You lost so much already though." Carisi says.

Lacey lowers her cup as she stares at him, she slowly nods her head. "Get off my desk Carisi."

"Yeah," Carisi nods as he gets up. "I walked myself into that. You know what I really meant to say was-"

"Mm-mm." Lacey shakes her head. "Save it."

Heather and Professor Dillon walks out Olivia's office and out the squad room towards the elevators.

Olivia soon emerges and walks over to her team.

Fin turns around in his chair. "How'd that go?"

"Not good." Olivia shakes her head, she looks over at Lacey who was into something on her computer.

Of course she didn't bring it up to her, but she was starting to get worried for her. Olivia knew the twelfth was coming up and during this time was when Lacey's patience was at zero at all times and she would be in her own world half the time.

"Saw a little bit of that when Lacey came out." Amanda nods her head over to her.

"Lacey," Olivia calls out to her. "You okay?" The rest of the team looks over at her.

"I'm good." Lacey continues to type, she scoffs and shakes her head. "That professor is a real piece of work, I'm telling you."

"And I believe you." Olivia nods, she looks to the others. "But I get what Heather is doing to, Heather just wants her story heard."

Lacey stops typing and looks to Olivia with a raised brow. "Which one?"

"Yeah, her story's falling apart." Carisi agrees. "Six guys, four guys? Hockey sticks, no DNA. If she keeps talking, she's going to torpedo her own case."

"Told her that, and she does not care." Lacey sits back.

"Zach Franklin just surfaced at his lawyer's office." Fin says looking on his laptop, Carisi walks over to him. "He's about to go live on LMZ right now."

Lacey gets up and walks over. "Seriously?" She sat on Fin's desk to get a better look.

Carisi looks back. "Hey Liv, you know about this?" Olivia comes over to the computer with Amanda.

( On LMZ )

There was press around them as Buchanan sat with Zach Franklin in front of some mics and in front of a TV.

"I'm John Buchanan, attorney for Zach Franklin. Star athlete, scholar, and unequivocally innocent of any and all charges in the so-called Hudson university gang-rape." Buchanan says.

"Of course he is." Amanda rolls her eyes.

"That's a big bluff even for Buchanan." Olivia says.

Fin looks up at her. "Think he's got something?"

Lacey scoffs. "Oh you know he does. He wouldn't be this bold and cocky if he didn't."

"Tell them where you were December 12th, 2014 the night of Heather Manning's alleged assault." Buchanan says.

"I was nine hours away, in Kimball, West Virginia, on the W.V. Hillmen soccer field." Zach answers.

Buchanan presses the remote to the TV behind him, to show the soccer game to everyone. "The championship game was televised live on sen until 11:40 P.M eastern time. If you missed it, you'll be happy to hear Hudson won 3-zip."

Olivia takes her phone out of her pocket when it rang.

"I wanna take a wild guess, but I know who that is." Lacey says with a head shake.

"Benson?" Olivia answers, Lacey looks over at her. "No we didn't vet this. He was in Cuba, Barba, remember?"

Buchanan spoke up again. "This was the exact time Heather Manning was alleging my client was engaged in a heinous crime against her. NYPD and the D.A are guilty of an outrageous and utterly inept investigation and prosecution."

Fin closes the laptop with a sigh.

Lacey leans up with a head shake. "Man, I bet Barba is freaking out." She smirks.

"How is that amusing you?" Amanda asks.

Lacey brow raises. "Have you not seen Barba freak out?" She shakes her head. "But yeah, no, this is really bad. It sounds bad and looks it."

Olivia nods listening to Barba on her end. "Okay, I get it." She heads into her office talking.

Fin looks to Lacey. "Guess your feeling wasn't wrong." Lacey shrugs.

"Now what is she gonna do?" Carisi motions to the computer. "Buchanan just put a

hole in our case."

"No, he didn't." Lacey slowly shakes her head. "As much as I don't like the guy, there was already a hole there. Buchanan just lifted the blanket to expose it."

"So now what?" Carisi asks.

Lacey sighs as she thinks about it, "She talks to Barba, gets her story together and goes to trial, where Buchanan will destroy her and no jury will believe her. Or she gets her whole case thrown, either way...no good outcome." She shakes her head. "Crazy as it may be, I believe her. Just not her story..."


That was chapter two, leave me a review telling me what you think, until next time!