Title: Numbed
Author: ArtemisEyes14
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All the Law and Order: SVU characters are Dick Wolf's, not mine. I just think they are super cool. Also, I don't really know if I need this, but Sacred Heart's a real school in NYC. It's also not mine. I mean, I didn't invent it. All the teachers and stuff are mine though. I made them up. Yeah. BTW, HAPPY NEW YEARS to everyone! It is 2004!
A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews, you all rock. Also, thanks to Kris for the idea of jealousy of Elliot in the Olivia/Brian relationship (so cute). I wouldn't have thought to bring it into the story w/o you!
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Brian Cassidy? As in, John's old partner Brian Cassidy?" Elliot asked incredulously. It was 9:30 a.m., and Elliot and Olivia were on their way to the lab to pick up the results of Giselle's rape kit. "He's married?"
"Apparently," Olivia answered tersely. She was in no mood to talk about Cassidy, and she had promised herself she wouldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of Giselle's case as she had with so many others. All she had wanted to do was fill Elliot in on the case so far. Paying attention to her thoughts, Olivia didn't notice the red light ahead of her, and the sedan screeched to a halt.
"Good lord, Liv!" Elliot yelped as he was flung against the glove compartment. He straightened his seat belt and returned to his original train of thought. "Are you sure it's the same guy? The same Cassidy? The Cassidy I knew wasn't ready for love." He thought back to his conversations nearly five years before with his partner. She had sought his advice about what do to when she hadn't wanted to continue her relationship with Brian. Cassidy had been smitten with Olivia, but he was young, and he didn't know how to make a long term relationship work. Elliot knew Bri wouldn't have treated Olivia the way she deserved. He wasn't as mature as her. He wouldn't be committed to her. Or maybe Elliot was wrong, and it was only Liv who wasn't committed. Either way, he knew he had been protective, and he knew he had been jealous. And he knew he had felt guilty.
Olivia was getting annoyed. She didn't want to think about the mistakes she had made with Brian any more, and her pounding headache was only making matters worse. "Yes, Elliot!" she snapped. "It's him okay? The same Cassidy. You sound like a woman," she scoffed. "'He wasn't ready for love.'"
Elliot laughed to himself. He continued to question his partner, though he knew he was on thin ice. "Has Giselle talked to her parents yet?" Olivia shook her head in response. "Have you?" Elliot asked.
"She asked me not to. When Giselle is ready, she'll talk to them," Olivia retorted.
"Liv, you know they'd want to know. Just like any other case, they deserve to know. Especially Brian, he knows how to help her through this. But he can't help if he doesn't know it's happened."
"It's her choice Elliot! Drop it." Olivia nearly screamed. Lowering her voice, she continued. "Anyway, Cassidy should know the signs; it's his own fault if he doesn't." She knew this wasn't true, but she just didn't want to deal with it.
Elliot was starting to get frustrated with his partner. He was also worried about her driving skills in this kind of mood, as she screeched around a corner. He let his mouth get ahead of his thoughts. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you slept with him, would it?" Elliot didn't realize what he had said until it came out; he braced himself for Olivia's reply.
Sure enough, Olivia pulled abruptly over to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and looked Elliot directly in the eye. Her voice was icy. "It has nothing to do with that. I would never let a relationship get in the way of a case. Screw you, Elliot." Olivia pulled out and started driving again. The detectives sat in silence for a few minutes. Simultaneously, they spoke. "I'm sorry."
Olivia continued first. "I had a late night and ... I'm sorry, I'm just. not having a good day."
Elliot replied "Well, I'm sorry for what I said. I was out of line."
Another several minutes of silence passed. Olivia broke it alone this time as she pulled into another spot. "We're here."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
An hour and a half later, the detectives were in a hallway crowded with girls in blue kilts - Sacred Heart on 91st street, Giselle's school. "Cassidy's wife must be raking in the cash," Elliot noted. "My kids are in public school."
"I wish we'd gotten something off the rape kit. A fiber, a hair, anything." Olivia struggled to make her voice heard over all the noise of the teenage girls. Some looked sorrowful, but some where chatting as if this was a normal day. Perhaps they hadn't heard about their classmate's rape, or perhaps they didn't care. Both detectives hoped it was the former.
"Well, maybe we'll get a lead off this teacher. Supposedly they were close," Elliot reasoned. "What's her name?"
Olivia checked her notebook. "Um.Marielle Proctor. Room 276. Cap thinks if there were any signs of something like this happening, well, this was an adult Giselle trusted; maybe she shared them. Here's the room."
Elliot pushed open the large oak door. At the teacher's desk sat a slight, raven-haired woman in her early thirties. She was very stylish, in a sleek black suit and red button-up and shoes. She wore glasses that reminded the detectives of Alex Cabot. Behind the frames, her amber-colored eyes were distant and sad. "Hi. I suppose you're here about Giselle," she said with a light French accent.
"Yes, Miss Proctor," Elliot answered, flashing his badge. "We hear you two were very close."
"Giselle is so sweet. She's very, very bright in my film class. She could have a real future in directing." Marielle paused, as if awaiting approval from the detectives. When they simply continued to stare at her, she continued, sighing. "I have been worried about her for a while now."
"Why's that, Miss Proctor?" Olivia cut in.
"Marielle, please. She's been dating this boy, Dana. I've never met him, and she only ever says good things about him. But she's been coming in to school with bruises, cut lips. I thought maybe she had gotten herself into a relationship that she couldn't handle." The teacher's eyes were tearful.
"She said she was raped on the way home, by a stranger. Do you think she could have been lying?" Elliot asked.
Marielle answered timidly, and shrugged her shoulders. "It is possible."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"No." Giselle stated firmly. "It wasn't Dana. He loves me. He never laid a hand on me. I had a black eye because I got hit in the face with a softball at practice. That's it, I promise. Miss Proctor's just being protective. Plus, Dana had lacrosse after school, just ask his coach."
"Giselle," Olivia said soothingly, not buying it. They had brought the girl down to the station and confronted her about her teacher's accusations, but Giselle maintained Dana had never harmed her. Olivia had been trying to convince her to admit to the abuse for nearly three quarters of an hour. "It's okay, he can't hurt you now."
"It wasn't him!" Giselle shouted, fed up. Elliot was glad that the incident room was soundproof, or the girl would have woken up everyone in the crib.
"Okay, okay," he broke in. "Giselle, were you and Dana sexually active?"
Giselle was breathing heavily and staring at her lap. "No," she answered, "I'm a virgin. Or, I was. But I don't understand why this is important. I told you it was a stranger. I was grabbed on my way home from school."
"Okay, sweetheart, okay," Olivia tried to calm the girl, but her mind was elsewhere. Brian. What he used to see every day- rape, violence- his own stepdaughter was living through it. His ex-girlfriend, if you could really call her that, was helping her through it. And he didn't have a clue.
Author: ArtemisEyes14
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All the Law and Order: SVU characters are Dick Wolf's, not mine. I just think they are super cool. Also, I don't really know if I need this, but Sacred Heart's a real school in NYC. It's also not mine. I mean, I didn't invent it. All the teachers and stuff are mine though. I made them up. Yeah. BTW, HAPPY NEW YEARS to everyone! It is 2004!
A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews, you all rock. Also, thanks to Kris for the idea of jealousy of Elliot in the Olivia/Brian relationship (so cute). I wouldn't have thought to bring it into the story w/o you!
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Brian Cassidy? As in, John's old partner Brian Cassidy?" Elliot asked incredulously. It was 9:30 a.m., and Elliot and Olivia were on their way to the lab to pick up the results of Giselle's rape kit. "He's married?"
"Apparently," Olivia answered tersely. She was in no mood to talk about Cassidy, and she had promised herself she wouldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of Giselle's case as she had with so many others. All she had wanted to do was fill Elliot in on the case so far. Paying attention to her thoughts, Olivia didn't notice the red light ahead of her, and the sedan screeched to a halt.
"Good lord, Liv!" Elliot yelped as he was flung against the glove compartment. He straightened his seat belt and returned to his original train of thought. "Are you sure it's the same guy? The same Cassidy? The Cassidy I knew wasn't ready for love." He thought back to his conversations nearly five years before with his partner. She had sought his advice about what do to when she hadn't wanted to continue her relationship with Brian. Cassidy had been smitten with Olivia, but he was young, and he didn't know how to make a long term relationship work. Elliot knew Bri wouldn't have treated Olivia the way she deserved. He wasn't as mature as her. He wouldn't be committed to her. Or maybe Elliot was wrong, and it was only Liv who wasn't committed. Either way, he knew he had been protective, and he knew he had been jealous. And he knew he had felt guilty.
Olivia was getting annoyed. She didn't want to think about the mistakes she had made with Brian any more, and her pounding headache was only making matters worse. "Yes, Elliot!" she snapped. "It's him okay? The same Cassidy. You sound like a woman," she scoffed. "'He wasn't ready for love.'"
Elliot laughed to himself. He continued to question his partner, though he knew he was on thin ice. "Has Giselle talked to her parents yet?" Olivia shook her head in response. "Have you?" Elliot asked.
"She asked me not to. When Giselle is ready, she'll talk to them," Olivia retorted.
"Liv, you know they'd want to know. Just like any other case, they deserve to know. Especially Brian, he knows how to help her through this. But he can't help if he doesn't know it's happened."
"It's her choice Elliot! Drop it." Olivia nearly screamed. Lowering her voice, she continued. "Anyway, Cassidy should know the signs; it's his own fault if he doesn't." She knew this wasn't true, but she just didn't want to deal with it.
Elliot was starting to get frustrated with his partner. He was also worried about her driving skills in this kind of mood, as she screeched around a corner. He let his mouth get ahead of his thoughts. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you slept with him, would it?" Elliot didn't realize what he had said until it came out; he braced himself for Olivia's reply.
Sure enough, Olivia pulled abruptly over to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and looked Elliot directly in the eye. Her voice was icy. "It has nothing to do with that. I would never let a relationship get in the way of a case. Screw you, Elliot." Olivia pulled out and started driving again. The detectives sat in silence for a few minutes. Simultaneously, they spoke. "I'm sorry."
Olivia continued first. "I had a late night and ... I'm sorry, I'm just. not having a good day."
Elliot replied "Well, I'm sorry for what I said. I was out of line."
Another several minutes of silence passed. Olivia broke it alone this time as she pulled into another spot. "We're here."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
An hour and a half later, the detectives were in a hallway crowded with girls in blue kilts - Sacred Heart on 91st street, Giselle's school. "Cassidy's wife must be raking in the cash," Elliot noted. "My kids are in public school."
"I wish we'd gotten something off the rape kit. A fiber, a hair, anything." Olivia struggled to make her voice heard over all the noise of the teenage girls. Some looked sorrowful, but some where chatting as if this was a normal day. Perhaps they hadn't heard about their classmate's rape, or perhaps they didn't care. Both detectives hoped it was the former.
"Well, maybe we'll get a lead off this teacher. Supposedly they were close," Elliot reasoned. "What's her name?"
Olivia checked her notebook. "Um.Marielle Proctor. Room 276. Cap thinks if there were any signs of something like this happening, well, this was an adult Giselle trusted; maybe she shared them. Here's the room."
Elliot pushed open the large oak door. At the teacher's desk sat a slight, raven-haired woman in her early thirties. She was very stylish, in a sleek black suit and red button-up and shoes. She wore glasses that reminded the detectives of Alex Cabot. Behind the frames, her amber-colored eyes were distant and sad. "Hi. I suppose you're here about Giselle," she said with a light French accent.
"Yes, Miss Proctor," Elliot answered, flashing his badge. "We hear you two were very close."
"Giselle is so sweet. She's very, very bright in my film class. She could have a real future in directing." Marielle paused, as if awaiting approval from the detectives. When they simply continued to stare at her, she continued, sighing. "I have been worried about her for a while now."
"Why's that, Miss Proctor?" Olivia cut in.
"Marielle, please. She's been dating this boy, Dana. I've never met him, and she only ever says good things about him. But she's been coming in to school with bruises, cut lips. I thought maybe she had gotten herself into a relationship that she couldn't handle." The teacher's eyes were tearful.
"She said she was raped on the way home, by a stranger. Do you think she could have been lying?" Elliot asked.
Marielle answered timidly, and shrugged her shoulders. "It is possible."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"No." Giselle stated firmly. "It wasn't Dana. He loves me. He never laid a hand on me. I had a black eye because I got hit in the face with a softball at practice. That's it, I promise. Miss Proctor's just being protective. Plus, Dana had lacrosse after school, just ask his coach."
"Giselle," Olivia said soothingly, not buying it. They had brought the girl down to the station and confronted her about her teacher's accusations, but Giselle maintained Dana had never harmed her. Olivia had been trying to convince her to admit to the abuse for nearly three quarters of an hour. "It's okay, he can't hurt you now."
"It wasn't him!" Giselle shouted, fed up. Elliot was glad that the incident room was soundproof, or the girl would have woken up everyone in the crib.
"Okay, okay," he broke in. "Giselle, were you and Dana sexually active?"
Giselle was breathing heavily and staring at her lap. "No," she answered, "I'm a virgin. Or, I was. But I don't understand why this is important. I told you it was a stranger. I was grabbed on my way home from school."
"Okay, sweetheart, okay," Olivia tried to calm the girl, but her mind was elsewhere. Brian. What he used to see every day- rape, violence- his own stepdaughter was living through it. His ex-girlfriend, if you could really call her that, was helping her through it. And he didn't have a clue.
