Authors Note- Hey you guys, I'm back with another updated chapter. I again want to thank everyone for staying with me as I rewrite this story. I know people like the old one and tbh, not a lot is really going to change, just more things added in and a better understanding of Lacey and her background. Also more Lacey & Barba moments, because who doesn't love those to. I kind of wished she was a real character on there sometimes, lol don't judge me.
Anyway, here is chapter 3!
~Episode 18- Devastating Story Part Three~
The office of A.D.A. Rafael Barba
The next day, later on that evening.
Lacey sat in Barba's office, at the table, with her leg rested across the other. In her hand was an old law book that she grabbed off Barba's shelf.
Her phone goes off on the table, she picks it up, and reads the message on the front.
Mom: Please give me a call when you get a chance Lacey, I want to check on you and see if you're doing okay. You haven't been answering my past couple of calls, and I know the day we lost Kaitlin is coming up, you shouldn't be alone right now, you need to be around your family. Please at least text back. I love you.
Lacey lips turn into a thin line frown, she clears the message and puts the phone face down on the table. The last person she wanted to talk about her sister Kaitlin to, was her mother. It had now been three years since she killed her, in what was ruled an accident, but in Lacey's head, she murdered her own sister and nobody could ever change her mind on that. The day she went after her, she had a standoff with her older sister Kaitlin, who was high, beaten, and with a gun pointed on her own temple. Lacey, out of fear, pulled the trigger to just injure her and stop her before she killed herself, but the bullet ended up hitting Kaitlin and in a main artery.
What made it worse is when they recovered the gun, to find no bullets inside at all.
To hear that news, drove Lacey into a depression and an unwelcome war with IAB. A couple of them had it out for her since she started with NYPD, and they tried to make it seem like Lacey was mental and killed her sister on purpose.
The entire year of that tragic incident was hell for her, and the squad room, as they stayed with her through it all. Even Barba did something, as he got an old friend from law school to be her defense lawyer, and the old friend helped clear her name back to the way it was before all of that. Lacey was shocked at how much Barba was there for her years ago, during that and Kailtin's death. Especially with how she treated him when he first arrived, as she didn't even want to be in the same room as the man, and even with that, he still did what he could for her.
Lacey had to admit that after him being there for her, she warmed up to him being around, and found herself starting to look out for him like before. Barba doing that for her, it was one of the reasons she looked out for him a year ago when it came to his old friend Alex who was running for Mayor of New York, and ended up getting caught up in a scandal. It was only right for her to step in, he was there for her to help her cope with Kaitlin, so she was going to be sure that if Alex was going down, he was not taking Barba with him. Lacey knew how big Barba's heart was when it came to his childhood friends, and knew a lot about his childhood before he became who he was. It is the main reason she had to let him see that Alex was his friend before, but now, he wasn't anymore, even if he would not like her after it, she was going to do her best to help. Even with all the hate after graduation, and among other things; years later, she was still looking out for the first man she fell in love with. It was times she wished she didn't become a cop and stayed in the law field back in Boston.
Amanda walks in the office; texting on her phone.
She looks up to see Lacey already there. "Hey."
"Hey," Lacey nods her head up, she flips the book page and continues reading. "You to huh?"
"Yeah, it was supposed to be Liv but some last minute issues with Noah came up so she sent me instead." Amanda sighs and has a seat.
They were having a meeting; they called in Heather to get her story straight once and for all. Her entire case was taking a turn for the worse, and after that conference that Buchanan posted on LMZ, it just made everything worse.
Amanda looks over at her friend. "When did you get here?"
Lacey shrugs. "Eh, not to long ago. Is Noah alright?"
"Yeah, he should be." Amanda nods. "Probably nothing to bad, she said she will see us in the morning and to tell her how everything goes."
"I'll save you the trouble of texting her later, tell her it's a mess." Lacey looks up with a nod, Amanda smirks and raises a brow. "What? You know you agree with me."
"I do, I'm just glad you say it before I can." Amanda chuckles, Lacey smiles with a slight laugh. "How are you doing though?" Lacey slowly nods her head and this made Amanda give her a certain look. "Lacey."
"I'm good." Lacey sighs, she forced a smile. "Well I'm not good, but I'm not horrible."
Amanda nods her head. "I agree with you there. Are you going to take some time off?"
Lacey chuckles, her eyes casting back down to the book. "Now you and I both know that's not gonna happen. I'll be alright, working helps me cope with it." Amanda hums with a nod but from knowing Lacey so long, she could see right through a lot of some of the things she said.
Barba opens his office door wide. "This way please." Heather and Professor Dillon walk in, both detectives look up. "You two can have a seat right at the table." He offers the chairs to them.
Lacey stands up as Professor Dillion and Heather take a seat at the table, she leans back against the bookshelf and props her arm on top of it. Barba turns on the TV in the room and lets the both of them rewatch the interview with Zach and Buchanon.
"Alleged assault?" Professor Dillon speaks up upset, as the video stopped. "Heather was gang raped."
"Yeah, okay." Lacey lowly scoffs with an eye roll, she leans off the wall and slowly walks behind them. "If that's true, Zach Franklin was not involved. So you either need to give us another name, or be honest."
"What does that mean?" Professor Dillion glares at her.
Lacey stops, not intimidated at all by her look. "Exactly what it sounds like." Barba looks between the two women and you could easily cut their tension with a knife.
Heather shakes her head. "I could have sworn he was there," She looks over at the three of them. "It was dark but I heard his voice."
Amanda nods. "Because you told us that they called him by his nickname, that you heard him respond."
"Well, maybe that happened in a nightmare." Heather says lowly. "I haven't been sleeping."
Lacey brows knotted together in confusion, she didn't know why the girl was still lying to them. All she needed to do was tell them who really did something to her so this could all be over with but she could tell Heather had another mouth in her ear doing some talking, and she had a good idea of who.
"Survivors have unclear memories, but the other boys are guilty." Professor Dillon says, Barba looks over at Lacey who was still giving Dillon an annoyed look. "You have their DNA."
"Well, they're claiming it was consensual." Lacey shrugs.
Professor Dillon scoffs at her. "And you believe them over Heather? Aren't you a detective," Lacey eyes went into slits, Barba quirks a brow at Professor Dillon's boldness. "You're supposed to be on her side. Not grilling her."
Amanda jumps in. "Professor Dillon, I think it's best if Heather speaks to the A.D.A. Okay?"
Professor Dillon nods her head, and sits back.
Lacey looks at Barba and Amanda before back at Professor Dillion. "She means alone."
Professor Dillon shakes her head. "I disagree with that."
"You do?" Lacey asks with a fake smile, it dropped. "Not your call, and you disagreeing is your opinion and you're entitled to that. What you're not entitled to is staying in this room any longer."
Professor Dillon shot her a glare which Lacey returns with no problem. "I am the only one who's been here for her."
Lacey nods her head. "Yeah, we know. That's kind of the problem." Professor Dillon head withdrew, a little taken aback.
"Detective, Vaughn and Rollins are right." Barba interjects. "You've advocated enough. It's our turn." Barba gives them both serious looks. "If you want this case to continue, I need Heather to tell me exactly what had happened to her." He looks to Professor Dillon. "And you need to tell, detective, Vaug-" Lacey gives him a look, he shakes his head and motions to Amanda. "Detective, Rollins, I meant. You need to tell her exactly what Heather disclosed to you."
"We told everything to, Skip Peterson." Professor Dillon dismisses.
Barba hums and nods his head. "Mm-hmm, we're talking to him right now too. So lets start, shall we?"
Lacey goes over to the door and opens it up. Amanda took Professor Dillon out with her and into the conference room.
Once they were gone, Lacey took a seat on the opposite side of Heather, and was quiet as she let Barba do the questioning. If need be, she would jump in at the right time, as the two of them had a way of getting the truth out of people.
"Start from the beginning, Heather." Barba says, he stood behind Lacey's chair, looking at the young girl. "The full story."
"I went on a date with, Brian. We got a little drunk, then we made our way back to the frat." Heather says, avoiding eye contact with them. "I thought he liked me, but it went wrong. It was horrible."
"Focus on the facts." Barba quickly says, he puts his hands in his suit pockets. "Did Brian lead you into a dark room where three of his brothers were waiting?
Heather thinks about it. "His room was dark, but it was empty at first." Lacey brow raises, as what Heather just said wasn't what she told them originally. Barba looks to Lacey confused before back at Heather. "So, Connor Howell, and Lance Mosconi, weren't waiting there?"
Heather shakes her head. "Connor came in later," She looks to Lacey. I'm positive of that."
"And Lance?" Barba asks her.
"I don't know-I know he was outside." Heather fumbles with her words. "But it was dark, I was drunk, confused." Heather said.
"Confused about what?" Lacey ask her as she sits up. "What were you confused about?"
"Professor Dillon told me that I was so traumatized, that it would take a while for me to process what had happened." Heather replies.
"She did, did she." Lacey nods her head slowly.
Barba shares a look with Lacey, and he looks back to the girl. "Heather. Did Brian Mackey rape you?"
"I was drunk, he started to have sex with me." Heather plays with her nails, Lacey eyes flicker to her hands as she notices this. "He moved really fast."
Barba nods. "Did you move with him?"
"I guess, in the beginning." Heather shrugs.
"So it's possible it was consensual." Lacey says. Her phone vibrates, she pulls it out and sees a text from Carisi.
Heather brows knot together. "I'm not sure. I passed out, but when I woke up, Connor Howell was on top of me, he was raping me." Heather gives them an honest look when she was talking about Connor. Lacey looks up from her phone from that. She had a good feeling it was the main one she had that bad feeling about. "I absolutely didn't want that, I remember Brian coming back into the room."
"And the others?" Barba ask her..
"That night is a blur, guys harassing me as I left. When I told Professor Dillon that. She said they probably all took a piece of me." Heather says.
Lacey gets up, she shows the message she received to Barba. He took the phone and looks it over.
Carisi: Skip Peterson never talked to anybody else to confirm what happened to Heather. Not even the school, he talked to Professor Dillon, and then Heather. In that order exact.
Barba hums and hands the phone back to Lacey. "Professor Dillon told you that, Heather? That they probably all took a piece of you?" Heather nods her head. "Can you wait here a minute?" Barba heads to the door. "Detective, can you come with me please?"
"My pleasure." Lacey follows him.
Barba was officially ticked off with this entire thing.
Lacey knew Professor Dillon had something more to do with this and was the one in Heather's ear.
Barba quickly walks in the other room, making Rollins and Professor Dillon quickly look up. "I need to know exactly what you told Heather." He says to her, as Lacey comes in to stand next to him.
"What she already knew." Professor Dillon says. "It was barbaric , the way they abused her, taunted her, assaulted her."
"But she was raped, right?" Amanda asks her. "Is that what she told you?"
Professor Dillon nods. "Yes."
"Okay, by how many boys?" Lacey walks over, placing her hands on the table and leans forward. "And we mean the real number she told you. Not the one you made up for stunt you're pulling."
"What difference does that make?" Professor Dillon angrily asks her.
"Excuse me?" Lacey frowns.
All three of them were now looking at the woman like she lost it
"She was assaulted. Does it matter by whom? for how long, in which orifice?" She questions.
"Yes! Yes!" Barba quickly replies upset, he takes a deep breath and calms down. "Yes, it matters. We are talking about criminal charges based on the specifics of what happened."
"It doesn't matter what happened to her." Professor Dillon says to them upset, Lacey gives her a scoff. "She is not the only one and she is not the only one that matters. What matters is it happens every day, and these frat boys strut around like they're bulletproof. So a few of them finally have to take responsibility? Good." She shrugs, and sits back. "I don't see a problem."
"I do." Lacey slowly nods. "Your sick in the head."
Professor Dillon scoffs. "Detective, this isn't about you or these boys or this case. This is bigger than any of us. This is about eliminating rape culture once and for all."
"Wow." Lacey mouths, leaning up and shaking her head. Amanda and Barba both frown at Professor Dillon. "Eliminating rape culture huh? Is that what you call yourself doing?"
"It's what I know I am doing." Professor Dillon states.
"Really? Well if this was your big plan, it failed." Lacey sternly says. "It blew up in your face and if Heather really was raped by a person, like I believe she was, and not ganged raped. No one will believe her," Lacey shakes her head. "-because of you." Professor Dillon closes her mouth and sits back. "Like I said before, your sick in the head. Heather came to you for help, to help her, and you did no better than the person that raped her. You killed that justice for her, not the person who raped her."
Lacey walks out of the room, Barba shakes his head at Professor Dillon before going over to the door.
"The case is getting dismissed." Barba says.
Professor Dillon sat up. "What? N-No, you can't do that! Heather-"
"Is no longer believable to any jury." Barba cuts her off. "To many add ons, retracting statements, changing things. No jury would send those boys to jail. You had a chance to put the right one behind bars." His brow quirks. "But you were to busy trying to eleminate rape culture, your way, instead of the right way."
Barba leaves out of the room, Amanda slowly shakes her head and looks back at Professor Dillon with disappointment.
Later, that night
After dealing with Professor Dillon and Heather, Barba made it clear he had to drop the charges from the boys tomorrow. It was at this point that they could do nothing with the case anymore as everything had went up in flames.
Lacey went to the bar/grill spot, that the team would always go to after a long day or just to grab a drink.
Scrolling through things on her phone; she spun her straw around in her drink, as she sat in a booth near the back.
"Seat taken?" A voice asks, approaching the table.
Lacey looks up to see Rafael and gives a small smirk. Taking her attention back to her phone and spinning her straw, she nods across from her. "Free country counselor." He gives a slight smile, and joins her with his drink. Lacey glances up to see the drink he had with him and raises a brow. "Scotch? Somebody must be upset."
"And your not?" He takes a sip of his drink.
"Of course I am upset. I believe Heather was raped, but by Connor." Lacey says, Barba brow quirks in interest. "The rest are innocent in my eyes, but that kid." Lacey shakes her head. "Something is not right about him. And then you have Dillon, who thought she was helping Heather, but if anything she made it worse." Lacey puts her phone down on the table.
Barba shook his glass, looking inside of it. "I still have to go to court tomorrow and let them go."
"Even Connor Howell?" Lacey asks, he simply nods. "Come on Rafael. Can't you at least try to keep him?"
Rafael lowers his glass with a sigh. "You know just as much as I do, if we even charge him and Heather takes the stand, no jury is gonna believe her. Not after this. But if it means anything, I believe you about Connor."
"I wish that did a lot more, but thanks." Lacey runs a hand through her hair, and brings it to rest over her right shoulder. "Me and Liv have to do our rounds of our apology tours tomorrow. One of those people involve President Roberts."
"I do not envy you two." Rafael scoffs.
"If you ask me, Skip deserves a smack upside the head for his so-called journalism, instead of an apology." Lacey says, she shakes her head slowly. "My job just will never get any easier, will it?"
"Not unless you become a receptionist." Barba shrugs, Lacey chuckles making him smile a little. "Even I don't see you behind a desk all the time."
"No." Lacey shakes her head amused, her eyes lower. "I have been meaning to ask you," Rafael takes another sip from his glass. "-have you talked to Alex? Since um, you know. The whole scandal."
"No, I haven't actually." Rafael's look almost turned into a sad frown when it came to one of his friends. He needed to take another long sip of his drink, he put the glass down. "I don't think he will even talk to me anyway. Not after what I did."
Lacey sighs. "For the five hundredth time, Rafael, you didn't do anything." His eyes flicker up to look at her. "I know you feel like it's your fault, but in reality it isn't. Alex, he brought that on himself. Nobody made him do it. You tried having his back but you could only do so much, anymore on your part would have lost you a lot. Do you know that?
"I do." Rafael nods his head. "Since we're bringing up things. What about you?"
Lacey gives him a confused look. "What about me?"
"Kaitlin's birthday is coming up." Rafael mentions. "Not to mention her birthday fell around the same time of all this to." Lacey look down as thoughts ran through her mind. "You going to be okay? Did you ask for time off?"
"Time off doesn't help me, alone with my thoughts isn't the best thing." Lacey brows knot together with a head shake. "I really decided not to visit her grave this time. I need to learn how to let it and her go."
"Let her go? She was your sister." Barba sternly reminds her. Lacey brows relaxed and she tilts her head slightly to give him a look. This made him stiffen a bit, that look she was giving him was a clear sign that he was stepping on silent landmines, but if he didn't say anything to her, then nobody would, except Olivia. "You can't just let her go and you know that."
"What else do you want me to do?" Lacey folds her hands on the table, leaning forward. "I know she is my sister, and my sister would still be here if it wasn't for me."
"Now that is the part you have to let go of." Barba slowly shakes his head. "You can't take on the soul responsibility of that Lacey. One day, maybe in a different way, Kaitlin was going to do this. She was going through a lot."
"A lot that I should have protected her from." Lacey pleads. "I just never knew the person I had to protect her from was-" She takes a minute, and shakes her head looking off. "I could have prevented so much. Look, maybe she would have killed herself in a different way but the bottom line is, she didn't. I pulled the trigger and there was no bullets in her gun. How else am I supposed to feel after that? Innocent?"
"How were you supposed to know that there were no bullets in the gun?" Rafael honestly asks her. "You saw a gun in her hand, pointed at her own head. You were trying to stop her, not purposely kill her."
"I should have never pulled my gun in the first place." Lacey says, the memories playing in her head made her fist tighten. "Now I'm paying for it. I'm going to always pay for it, every day. All I still think about is her, seeing ways it could have differently. I can't get her out of my head, years later, and she is still right there. Over and over again, there she is." She fought back her tears and takes a deep breath. Rafael watches her with a sad gaze. "So forgive me for not wanting to go to her gravesite, and trying to attempt to let all of this go."
"Letting your sister go is not something you can do." Rafael says. "I know you want to but you can't. No one wants you to let her go, just stop blaming yourself so much. You were not a bad sister, Lacey. You did everything you could."
"I try to tell myself that." Lacey nods, she fake smiles. "But it's a lie because even I know that I should have done more for her. If I was paying attention, if I was more aware, certain things wouldn't have happened."
"You can't save everyone." Rafael honestly tells her. "Yeah you pulled it, but out of concern. Not many people can say that. You do need to let this go but don't let your sister go, the memories of her is all you have left. Don't let go of that because you feel guilty. Your trying to create it like you are a bad person when everyone sees it the opposite, you're the only one who sees it as your fault. That is what you need to let go of, and if you don't, you're going to hurt yourself everyday because of it. You always walk around holding onto things that you need to let go of, I told you that when were younger, and I'm telling you again." He slowly shakes his head. "Let the guilt go."
Lacey stares at him with the attempt to say something but she couldn't find the words. "...I have to work in the morning." She continues to give him a look as she takes money from inside her blazer pocket and puts it on the table. "So I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
Rafael shakes his head at her. "Classic, Lacey Vaughn, move." Lacey stops gathering her things and gives him a look, her brows knit together and waits for him to continue. "You don't ever want to listen. When it's time to let somebody in, you do your best and you shut them out."
"You would know a lot about shutting people out, wouldn't you?" Lacey asks, she scoffs out a chuckle and gets out of the booth with a head shake. "I swear, out of everyone you have no right speaking on that topic."
Rafael rolls his eyes. "Lacey-"
"You know what?" Lacey shakes her head with a deep frown. "Don't. Just don't say anything else about it." She puts her coat over her arm. "And you know? There are reasons for everything, and maybe the reason I shut people out is because the last person I let in, he left me and shut me out. Do you remember that Rafael?" Lacey asks him. "I told you everything, did I not? I ran to you with everything because there was nobody else out there for me to trust. You were the only person that reminded me that my life meant something, and I remember telling you that. Or did you forget about that like the rest of everything that happened between the two of us when you just walked away from me? You just left me," Rafael eyes softened as he gives her a look. -for years. You did the main thing you said you would't and just walked away from it all. Leaving me thinking it was something I did, and you left me when-" Lacey pauses and shakes her head, her eyes that threatened tears turned into a cold gaze towards Rafael. "You left, so excuse me if I'm not more open towards you, but you closed that door. A long time ago, and I don't ever want to open it again."
"If I knew how much it would hurt you, I wouldn't have left the way I did." Rafael shakes his head. Lacey scoffs slightly as she looks at him. "I broke a promise to you that I never wanted to. I left without saying anything because just trying to, I would have ended up staying and going nowhere. I couldn't look you in your face and tell you that I needed to leave, because I couldn't willingly leave like that, but we both wanted different things Lacey."
"Did we?" Lacey blinks a few times. "Did you ask me what I wanted? Or did you assume that we wanted different things so you wouldn't feel bad about leaving." Rafael couldn't find the words to reply, Lacey smirks with a nod and scoffs. "That's what I thought. I would have been better if you told me to my face, but again, you were thinking of you and not of me." She turns on her heels with an eye roll. "Goodnight, Barba."
Rafael lets out a sigh as he watched her leave with a hurt look in his eye, he looks down at his glass. As much as he never wanted to admit when she was right, she did have a point. He never asked her when it came to them going their own ways, he just assumed and left her. The only thing he did was send her a text the night he left, telling her he wasn't coming back.
To him, if they didn't leave each other then who was to say they would both be on the career paths that they were now.
Even with what just happened, he was still very worried about her and wasn't to worried about their history. Lacey blamed a lot of her sister suffering on her, and that guilt dated back to childhood. He wanted Lacey to let go of her guilt before it got her hurt but not to forget about her sister entirely. Lacey did everything in her power for Kailtin and was the only one who didn't give up on her and that believed her about past things. It is why she tried so hard to get her sister back on a straight path.
All he wanted her to see was that she was still a good woman that made a judgement call from being scared, and it was okay. When it came to the two of them, it may have happened years ago but that wound was still fresh and dangerous to get involved with.
Rafael did mean what he said, whether she listened to him or not. If he would have talked to her the night for him to leave, he would have stayed there. That is how much he loved her, and he still did….
The next day, earlier that morning at the Court House
Lacey walks in the courtroom, she takes a seat in the court gallery behind Barba.
It was a closed meeting between the state and the accused.
Although she was still a little upset, she still decided to come
Her hair was out like normal with a side tucked behind her ear. She wore a black suit pants set, a light pink button down; that had a couple buttons done up top, and with it a pair of black heeled shoes.
Buchanan clears his throat; making Lacey roll her eyes. That was one D.A that got under her skin the most among a couple of others.
"Your Honor, given the collapse of this case. We move for a dismissal of all charges against the four defendants." Buchanan says.
"How say you Mr. Barba?" Judge Pepitone asked.
"We are prepared to drop the charges." Barba agrees.
The judge gave him a slight look of disbelief. "Against all four of the accused?"
"Yes, your Honor, all four." Barba nodded.
"Assuming no other holds, you are free to go gentlemen." She bangs the gavel ending the hearing.
"Thank you, your Honor." Buchanan nods.
The boys celebrated bro hugging each other with cheers, as their parents behind them were just as happy.
Lacey gets up and goes over to Barba, she notices his eyes were on somebody and it wasn't just any look but a glare. She looks over to see him glaring at Connor who was looking over at them with that same cocky smirk on his face.
Connor eyes traveled to Lacey, she frowned, giving him a cold look that could kill. This made his smirk drop a bit, he looks away and goes back to celebrating with his friends.
Barba shakes his head, looking off, and begins to gather her stuff. Lacey noticed his look of regret that probably came with him letting Connor go as now he would go back to school along with Heather, and they couldn't do anything about it.
Even though she was still upset about yesterday, there was no need to hold on to it. What happened between them years ago needed to stay there and they just had to focus on working together and keeping the somewhat decent relationship they had.
Lacey sighs as he walks up to her. "You had no choice."
"I know." Rafael gives Connor one last look. "I'm starting to see why you hate that one so much." He rolls his eyes and looks back to her. "He definitely did it."
"I know scum from the innocent." Lacey smiles a little, she nods her head behind her. "Come on, I'll give you a ride back to your office on my way to pick up Olivia."
Rafael lets the cout door close behind them; they walk down the hall. "I should have nailed him with something. How are things with the team?"
Lacey exhales. "Not good, your on a string and Dodds is hanging me and Olivia out to dry. Which I never get why he always needs to blame me with Olivia, I am not the Sergeant, but he always seem to call us double trouble."
"You and Liv tend to be a little hard headed at times. Doesn't help when you both are on the same page and determined." Rafael says, Lacey smirks and gives a shrug. He opens the door and lets her walk outside first, he follows and gives a slight sigh. "Listen, Lacey, about yesterday-"
"Don't even worry about it." Lacey stops with him, she turns to face him. "I was drinking a little, and maybe I said some things that I-"
"Wanted to say for a while?" Rafael brow raises.
Lacey shakes her head as she looks at him. "Yeah, but I said them. So I'm done with it really. In a way though, you have a point."
"I have a point?" Rafael repeats. "Are you still drunk?"
"Your funny." Lacey nods, he gives a slight smirk. "But no, when you said that I need to learn how to let things go." She shrugs. "Your right." Lacey scoffs with a head shake. "I was never good at admitting when you were right, even back then, but you're right. I'm still not going to her grave right now, but I'm not going to forget about her. Just like you said, I can't. She's my sister, I just always wish I would have done more for her and didn't do what I did."
"What you did, was try to save her." Rafael lets her know. "Even though it ended bad, you had the right intentions and that is all that matters." He nods his head slowly. "It's going to get better for you, when you learn how to let it go."
Lacey cracks a small smile. "I'm working on it." She nods her head. "Thank you."
Rafael brows knot together. "For?"
"Saying something." Lacey says, she shrugs thinking about it. "I don't know, you were the only one that could ever look me in my face and tell me about myself. You and Olivia, and my mother but she really doesn't count in this."
Rafael chuckles. "Your welcome, Lacey." They begin walking down the steps. "How is your mother by the way?"
Lacey rolls her eyes. "Still thinks she is always right, nags me to death every chance she gets, and is an annoying existence."
"So, the same?" Rafael asks.
Lacey smiles. "Yeah, pretty much. I just hope I don't ever get like her when I'm older."
"Mmm, you already-"
"Shut up, Counselor." Lacey stops him.
Rafael just chuckles and puts a hand up in defense; as they walk off towards the car.
Later that day; at Hudson University
Lacey met up with Olivia later, at Hudson U. Since they both had to basically go on an apology tour; something she hated doing. The more reason she hated this one is because they actually had to apologize President Roberts.
Olivia and her both sat in the seating area in her office; in the chairs, as President Roberts sat on the couch across from them.
"Given everything that's happened, we both wanted to apologize for our tones a few days back." Olivia says to her, and shoots Lacey a look out of the corner of her eye. "We were both a bit wrong for that."
Lacey slowly nods with a sigh; her legs crossed as she sat back in the chair. "Yes, it was not right. I personally apologize for my rudeness, if you felt there was any."
President Roberts nods. "We were all taken advantage of, and we both had blinders on."
"You know," Laey scoffs with a head shake, she had to admit it. "It was the perfect story. Professor Dillion knew what she was doing and she taught Heather to lie her butt off instead of telling the truth."
Olivia agreed. "Yeah, it confirmed all of my preconceived notions, and that alone should have made me approach it with more skepticism. Both of us." She motions to Lacey who gives a slow nod in agreement.
"And, to be honest," President Roberts speaks up again. "I can't help but ask if I'd listened to Heather instead of badgering her with questions. This wouldn't have ended differently."
Olivia shrugged with a nod. "Maybe. Maybe she would have told you the true story." President Roberts gave her a confused look. "Connor Howell, did actually rape Heather."
"What?" President Robets was a bit shocked.
"She told me and the A.D.A. that when we finally got the truth out of her." Lacey explains. "Then she disclosed that to my Sergeant." She motions to Olivia, Lacey gives President Roberts a serious look. "You have a dangerous predator on your campus, President Roberts."
"And, now that he's gotten away with it...he'll likely be emboldened." Olivia warns her.
"And you can't prosecute, but you two want me to discipline him?" President Roberts asks.
"We're asking you, to do what you can." Olivia said.
"A lot less than I could have last week." President Roberts says, she shakes her head. "We had an incident last night. The first thing the accused said to campus security was 'She's lying, just like Heather Manning'."
Olivia slowly shakes her head. "I don't blame Heather, but Skip Peterson and Professor Dillon, they pressured her into coming forward."
Lacey nods. "They thought this would be the case that would change rape culture and it did...it set the clock back 30 years." Her gaze flicker downs. "Which is why to prevent that, when a person comes to you to confide in you about something like rape. You listen to them, you do go over the basics to make sure it is serious but you have to listen to them. Their scared, afraid, and feel more violated than anything. Just talking about it will hurt and remembering it, so they need you to listen to them, President Roberts. Let Heather, be an example of what not to do when they come to you."
President Roberts gives a slight sigh but slowly nods as she agrees with her.
After the talk with, President Roberts, they walked left out her office and made their way down the steps.
"Thanks for having my back in there Liv." Lacey buttons up her coat.
"Always, you and I both know that Connor raped Heather. He's just one of the lucky ones that got away. We can only hope that talk worked with President Roberts." Olivia says.
They get down the steps and walk through the halls.
"Time will tell on that, how's Noah doing?" Lacey puts her hands in her coat pockets. "I heard he was sick."
"He is better than before, I'll tell you that. But as long as he's healthy," she sighs. "-then I'm at ease."
Lacey smirks. "Motherhood is bringing out a different side to you Liv. I never thought I would see you so calm in these months."
Olivia chuckles. "At least people know I them Lacey."
"Oh I have them, on the holidays." Lacey chuckles.
Olivia nods. "How are you doing though? I know the date with Kaitlin is coming up, did you need some time off?" She comes to a stop at the door with Lacey. "I know how you are around this time" Lacey gives a small smile. "If you want to take a week or two off. I'm open to it."
"Now you know that doesn't help me any." Lacey says, Olivia nods her head. "Can I work through it?"
Olivia gives her a look. "If you think you can?"
"Yes, I can." Lacey nods.
"Alright then, and if you need to talk or don't want to be alone Lacey." Oliva gives her a look. "Well you know the rest."
"I do." Lacey smiles. "Thanks, Liv."
"Anytime." Olivia nods her head to the door. "Ready?"
"For another case? No." Lacey walks out the door. "But I'll take it anyway."
"That's the spirit." Olivia chuckles.
That was chapter three, leave a review telling me what you think and I'll see you guys soon for the next episode!
