Responses to Reviews: AgentBeckyCIA - You're on my favorite author list, too. I can't wait until you finish Memories Last Forever. It's coming along great. Losvufan - didn't the first story just demand a sequel? Glad you like it. Keep reviewing!

_______

Olivia didn't come home that night until eleven-thirty. She had gone out for a beer with Munch and Fin after they got back from Connecticut. She slipped inside quietly without turning on any lights. The house appeared to be asleep.

She went up to the bedroom and sneaked in. Elliot was reading with the bedside lamp on. She had been so angry at him but now, looking at him, she just wanted to make up.

"How's Davy?" She whispered.

"I just took him to the a clinic. They gave him a shot and he's feeling better," Elliot repliedHe could see how torn up she was about this. She nodded, trying to make herself feel better.

Davy's all right.

She undressed for bed and pulled on her pyjamas.

"I shouldn't have gotten angry at you, Liv. It wasn't your fault," he said softly as she got into bed beside him. She nodded again.

Elliot leaned over and kissed her. She responded, tilting her face up to meet his again. His tongue explored her mouth, apologizing to her. His hand moved to pull off her shirt, but she pulled away, prying him off her.

"Not tonight," she hissed. He looked at her questioningly. "Your kids are in the next room," she stated as if it should have been obvious.

"It's okay. They're asleep," he said. She shook her head apologetically. He was surprised that he wasn't really frustrated. It was touching that she was so concerned about them. It flipped a switch in his heart, reminding him of why he had fallen in love with her.

*****

Elliot took the kids for a picnic in Central Park on Wednesday.

"I hope I don't see someone I know," commented Kathleen. Elliot rolled his eyes. They unpacked the food on a little hill and began to eat. After the meal, Davy gestured to some kids playing chess at some tables down the hill.

"Can I go play, Dad?" He asked.

"You can play chess?" Elliot asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Tim taught me," he said.

"Who's Tim?" Elliot asked.

"Mom's new boyfriend," Kathleen said with a smirk. Elliot felt as if he had been hit in the chest.

"Go ahead," he told Davy, who ran off to join the other kids.

"He's always over at the house. He's an author, so he has lots of time for us," Kathleen continued, prodding her father. Elliot's jaw clenched.

"That's interesting," he brushed it off.

*****

When they got home, he called Kathy. They were still fighting when Olivia returned from work.

"Hi guys," she said to the kids, who were sitting in the living room watching TV. "Where's your Dad?"

"He's on the phone," Davy said.

"With mom," added Lizzie. Olivia listened. She could hear Elliot talking angrily, and became immediately concerned. Even though she was exhausted from work, she started making dinner, assuming Elliot wouldn't be in the mood to. She threw leftovers in the microwave and served them to the kids, anxious for Elliot. Obviously, something had happened. She sat at the head of the table and tried to make small talk to drown out Elliot's escalating voice.

"So, what did you guys do today?" She asked perkily.

"We went to the park," Lizzie stated. Davy and Kathleen confirmed it with sullen nods.

"Central Park? Wow, that's nice," she replied.

"Not really. We used to go there all the time. Didn't your mom take you there when you were a kid? Oh, I guess not," Kathleen said, smiling wickedly.

"Of course I went there," lied Olivia. She wasn't sure how much Kathleen knew about her family life, but she was offended that this girl knew anything. The truth was, her mother had never taken her out. As the polite conversation continued, she began to weigh it up in her head. Was it better to be a kid like Kathleen, who had had loving parents for the first sixteen years of her life, then to have her world shattered, or to be a kid like she had, who had never been wanted or loved by either of her parents. To be the product of a violent crime. She wasn't sure. At least she hadn't had to make a drastic transition like Elliot's kids had.

Dinner was finished before Elliot's phone call was, so she got some of her case files out and began working at the table, but her mind wasn't on the work. There were butterflies in her stomach, and she wanted to know what was going on upstairs. She couldn't tell from the snatches of conversation that drifted down.

She hated to admit it, but part of her was afraid that they'd apologize and get back together. Her watch told her it was the twins' bedtime. She tiptoed upstairs and into their room. They were sitting in the middle of the floor, playing a board game.

"Hi, guys. Guess what time it is," Olivia said. They groaned. "Hop into your P.J.s and brush your teeth and I'll read you a story. You can finish the game tomorrow." They obeyed. Once they were in bed, Lizzie pushed a book at her.

"Read this," she said.

"Okay...." Olivia trailed off. The book was called My New Daddy. She cleared her throat and began quietly, "My Daddy went away a long time ago. I miss him. One day, Mommy brought home her new friend, Jack. Mommy says she is in love with him. They are going to get married. Sometimes I don't like Jack, but he says he loves my Mommy, and he says he loves me....." Olivia finished up, noting that the twins were asleep, despite Kathleen's music blasting from down the hall. She glanced up and saw Elliot standing out in the corridor. "Hey," she whispered as she stood up.

"Who chose the book?" He asked.

"What?" She said, confused. She had expected a 'Hi' or a hug or something.

"Who chose the book for you to read?" He repeated.

"Lizzie. . .Elliot, what is going on?"

"Nothing," he denied.

"You were on the phone for hours," she said, desparately needing to know the truth. He wouldn't tell her. He wasn't ready, and it wouldn't be a good idea to let her know how upset he was about Kathy's new relationship. Kathy had been so hypocritical, it made him furious. He shook his head.

"Okay. I'm going to bed, then," she snapped. When he joined her he put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off angrily.

"Liv. . .," he said. She didn't answer. He rolled over so his back faced her. So he didn't see her mouth tighten as she fought back tears.

*****

Kathleen was up at five-thirty. She could hear her father walking around downstairs, and she guessed that Olivia had already left, so she creeped down the hall into her room. Olivia hadn't left; she was still asleep. Kathleen tiptoed beside the bed and looked down at her. One hand was draped lightly on top of the covers, and her lips were slightly parted as she breathed in and out. To think that her father was sleeping with this woman made her sick. She figured Olivia would be sleeping for a while longer so she moved to the desk by the drawer and began to look through the file folders there. The first picture shocked her. The girl couldn't have been more than ten - Lizzie's age. Kathleen's hair was bothering her, so she removed the bun, placing her hair pins in a neat row beside the files as she continued. She read the report - neatly handwritten. The victim had been repeatedly molested by her uncle, then beaten to death when she had told. Kathleen closed the file and went on to the next one, running her fingers over the green cover. The first pages were always names and statistics. A whole life on two sheets of paper - a microcosm of an existence.

She heard a yawn from behind her. She shoved the files back into a pile and crept out the room. Olivia stretched and yawned again. She got out of bed and began to dress. As she went to pick up her files for work, she noticed the row of bobby pins beside them. Obviously, they weren't hers. A fuzzy picture was beginning to emerge in her mind. She opened the first file. Hampton. It was proof that her files had been looked at. They had originally been in alphabetical order. Archer had been on top. She picked up the hair pins and, not thinking it through, walked down the hall to Kathleen's bedroom. The door was ajar, and the girl was sitting by the window. Loud music was pouring out of the stereo. Olivia clicked the power off, and Kathleen spun around.

"What are you doing?" She said with hostility, "Get out of my room!"

"I think you may be slightly hypocritical," Olivia replied, dropping the hair pins one by one on the small table. "You went through my files, Kathleen," she said, eerily quiet. There was a pause before Kathleen could think of a reply.

"You just don't understand!" She shrieked.

"Calm down!"

"Did Dad tell you that my Mom's got a new boyfriend?" Olivia didn't answer, but she realized what the phone call must've been about. Elliot was jealous of Kathy's new boyfriend. Where did that leave her? "Yeah," Kathleen continued, "Both my parents are dating other people. At least mom's dating someone her age!" She was furious. Olivia could only stand, rooted to the spot, not quite understanding the words. She didn't hear Elliot coming upstairs to where the noise was coming from. "You can't know what I'm going through!"

"Don't just assume that. I had a hard childhood, too," Olivia said.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Don't explain it again. I heard it from Dad several times, and you know what, Olivia? Your mother was a slut, so I can see where you got it from!" Olivia's mouth dropped open. She reached her hand out to stop Kathleen, to show her that she was wrong. She had to be wrong. Her hand touched Kathleen's arm.

"Let go of me! You whore!" She slapped Olivia across the face, then fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Elliot's first instinct was to go to Olivia, who stood paralyzed on the spot, gingerly touching her cheek, but Kathleen was hysterical. He pushed past Olivia and wrapped his arms around his daugher, rubbing her back as she choked out tears. Finally, the full meaning of the situation hit Olivia. She went on auto-pilot, walking stiffly into her room. She grabbed some of her things and got into her car, not sure of where she was headed exactly. Out of Queens, for sure. By the time Kathleen had calmed down, Olivia was gone.

******

Sorry about the short delay. I'm really busy with school, so I haven't had time to write as much as usual. Please continue to review so I can have some feedback for the last chapter(s).