Fall to Pieces

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Who says they're not mine?!?!? Oh...Dick Wolf. Ok...if he says so.

After tucking both Becca and Cassie into bed Olivia went back into the living room, where Elliot was waiting with a cup of coffee. She took it thankfully and sat down on the sofa, he sat down next to her. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, each sipping their hot coffee carefully. Finally, Olivia broke the silence.

"Thanks."

He looked at her through confused eyes, "for what?"

"I don't know...everything I guess. Letting us stay, what you did at the bar, everything."

"I already told you that you don't have to thank me, Liv. You're my friend, my best friend. I'm just doing what any good friend would do."

"No, you're not. Not many people would open their home to a woman and her two children, they'd think it was too much of a burden. That it wasn't their problem, you know that as well as I do."

"You're my partner, Liv. I'd do anything for you. And I love the girls, I would do anything for them too."

"I know, that's why I wanted to thank you."

"Well, you're welcome then." He flashed a wide grin; "you should probably get to bed. I'm sure you're tired."

"Yeah," a yawn escaped, "I guess you're right. I'll see you in the morning."

"Are the girls going back to Heather's?"

"Yeah, she said as long as I need a place to bring them, she's got a place for them to go. I'm going to pay her tomorrow, no matter what she says." She yawned again, "goodnight, Elliot."

"G'night, Liv."
After dropping the Cassie off at school and Becca at Heather's Elliot and Olivia headed for work, where they stayed a total of 12 minutes before going off on another case. A 23-year-old girl, Morgan Vickers, was found raped, beaten, and murdered in the back alleyway of a local bar. The two traveled to the crime scene and looked around, then after leaving everything in the capable hands of the CSU went to see M.E. Warner.

She was waiting for them in the morgue. "The cause of death was asphyxiation."

"But she wasn't strangled? What then...suffocation, drowning?"

"My best guess, suffocation. But, she definitely asphyxiated," she lifted up the young woman's eyelids, "see those purplish-red spots? That's petechial hemorrhaging."

"What else can you tell us?"

"Well, she was a fighter. We found skin under her fingernails. No fluids though, your guy used a condom. Other than she has a few fresh bruises, most likely from her rape and struggle, nothing."

"Ok, thanks." The two left for Morgan's parent's home.

An older woman, presumably Morgan's mother, answered the door. "Can I do something for you two?"

"Are you Mrs. Vickers?"

"Not anymore...my husband died 5 years ago, I recently remarried."

Olivia nodded, "are you the mother of Morgan Vickers?"

She looked down, "yes I am. I've already identified her body, are you investigating her case?"

"Yes ma'am we are. Could we talk with you?"

"Sure, but I don't know how much help I can be. I hadn't spoken with my daughter in over a year. We had a falling out when I remarried. She wouldn't speak to me, didn't even come to my wedding." She stepped back, out of the doorway, and sighed, "but you're welcome to come in."

They didn't end up staying long; Mrs. Eaten (her new husbands last name) hadn't been exaggerating when she said she hadn't spoken to her daughter in awhile. When Morgan moved into a new apartment she hadn't given her the new address or number. Mrs. Eaten didn't get a mother's day card, birthday card, or Christmas card. Her daughter had shut her out of her life. So, they went to the next place on the list, her job.

Her boss, a Mr. Yhates, didn't seem very upset over losing an employee. "Morgan only worked for me for a little less than a year, she had just gotten out of college when she started, she was a little green. Became close with another girl, though, around her age, Jessica Arnold; she's worked for me for about two years. If anybody knows anything, it's her." He directed her to the area that Jessica worked.

"She had a date," Jessica said nonchalantly, "with a guy...Tim Reed, it was a blind date. She was apprehensive about it, had never been on one before. I told her not to go who knew what kind of guy he was. But, one of her friends from school knew him, she said that if she thought that he was ok, then he must be."

"Do you know how we can get in touch with this man?"

"Uh...Morgan kept a date book here at work, in her desk. It might have his information in it; I don't know anything about him. And, if it's not in there, I think that she said the girl who set the date up was Misty Jackson, she went to NYU with her last year. Drama major...obviously so was Tim, which sent up a red flag for me. Guess Morgan choose to ignore it."

"Thank you Ms. Arnold," Elliot handed her his card, "if you remember anything else, call us."

She took it, "will do."

They had found the date book, and while Tim's information wasn't included in it, however, Misty Jackson's was. They set off to talk with her, she informed them that Tim had told her that Morgan hadn't shown up for the date, and Tim had been very pissed about it. He had told her he would get Morgan for setting him up. She said it had scared her, so she gave them his address, home phone, and cell number and they thanked her, then left to find Tim Reed.

Turns out he was at home, and when the two asked if he would mind talking to them about what had happened with his date he got upset at them and slammed the door.

"Well, he was real friendly." Olivia snorted as she got into the passenger's seat of the sedan.

"We'll see if he has a record. If he does, maybe we can get a warrant for his DNA."

Luckily for them, he had a record. One prior for sexual assault. A judge had granted them a warrant to get his DNA, and they brought him in. After testing his DNA to that which was found under Morgan's fingernails, it was a match. After a few intense hours of interrogation he faltered and confessed.

"Why can't they all be that easy?" Olivia asked as she sat down to begin her paperwork.

Elliot just shrugged and, like Olivia, began his paperwork.
After leaving work Olivia and Elliot went to get the girls. Since it was still early they decided to go out for something to eat. They asked the girls what they wanted, both exclaimed that they wanted McDonalds. Olivia looked over at Elliot who shrugged.

"Hey, you asked them."

She smiled and turned around to face the girls in the backseat, "all right, Mickey D's it is."

The four sat down at a table/booth and ate their dinners. The girls seemed a little more interested in their Barbie toys than their happy meals, so Olivia took them away and told them that until they finished eating no toys. They frowned but obeyed, eating quickly.

Elliot looked on with a smile, "hey, guys, how 'bout slowing down just a bit. We don't want you getting tummy aches now, do we?"

The two looked up at him, blank expressions on their faces.

"Listen to him," their mother warned, "he's right."

"Ok, mamma." Becky said, the two began to eat again, yet slower. When they were done the asked if they could go and play in the indoor playground. Olivia said yes and they threw their trash away and walked into the other room, which held the large playground. The girls ran off and Olivia and Elliot sat at another table and watched them.

Olivia smiled and looked at Elliot, "you know, I never understood why you never had any kids."

"That's easy, I never got married."

"Ok, good answer. But, I never knew why you didn't get married either."

"I just never found the right person. I was engaged at one point, but it just didn't feel right, so I broke it off. Then, work got a hold of me. I've of become married to that...it's a curse."

"Sounds reasonable. I mean, working didn't do a lot to help me out in the marriage department. But then again, neither did marriage itself." She shrugged, "Maybe I've caught whatever it is Munch has."

Elliot smiled, "I don't think that's it, Liv. And I don't think that you think that's it, either."

She threw him a half-annoyed, half-joking look. "Why do you always have to be right?"

He shrugged, "it's a gift."

"Not a good one." She looked down at the table; "I guess that when I met Chris I was swept off my feet. Too far-gone to notice that he wasn't as perfect as I thought he was. It's my fault, really, I'm a cop, I should have known that it was all just a façade he was putting on. I should have seen that deep down all he was was another drunken workaholic." She looked back up at him, "but, I see it now. At least I had the sense to get out. Most women just say they deserved it and go back for more."

He took her hand into his and gave it a small squeeze, "there's no way you deserved to have a man like that...what you deserve is somebody who's gonna love you no matter what, regardless of your work hours, or anything else. HE didn't deserve YOU, he was lucky to have you as long as he did."

She looked down again, "yeah, lucky him, unlucky me."

He lowered his head so that he was looking her in the eyes, smiled sadly, and gave her hand another reassuring squeeze, "not anymore."
A/N: And the starts of EO begin...lol. So, anyway, you'll have to wait for the real EO, because I'm not going to have her cheating on her husband or anything like that. Sorry...it's got a lot to do with morals and ethics...and you know he's catholic so he wouldn't have her cheat. Why am I rambling? Why are you listening...or...rather reading me ramble? Anyway, review already!