Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or world of Law and Order: SVU. That belongs to Mr. Dick Wolf. I'm just happily playing in his world for a while, adjoining his world/characters with mine. :)
A/N: Thanks again very much for the reviews! Here's chapter 3!
Elliot and Olivia looked to the left, were the office door just opened. In stepped a skinny girl, her T-shirt, jeans, and jacket were oversized and worn. Her long, dark, dirty-blonde hair was pulled back in a messy pony-tail, with strands of hair dangling in her face. She didn't look at the detectives, but then Elliot doubted she even saw them. Her right eye was a milky blue, and a dark purple-blue bruise layaround it. "Mrs. McHall, I swear, it wasn't me! Melvin made me do it!" The girl explained, obviously trying to hide her laughter.
"Katlynn, how many times have I told you, the people who live in your fish tank will not be taking responsibility for your actions. Now please, sit down. These detectives want to talk to you." Mrs. McHall said, pointing to Katlynn's right. Not noticing them before, Katlynn quickly turned around facing the detectives for the first time. Elliot noticed her left eye was abeautiful hazle color.She became nervous and frightened, something both the detectives could sense.
"Don't worry, Katlynn, we want to help you. We're cops, see?" Elliot pulled out his badge, showing it to Katlynn, trying to gain her trust. "My names Elliot, and this is Olivia."
Olivia followed in sequence, pulling out her badge. "Why don't we go somewhere more private to talk? I can get you some real good food."
Katlynn wasn't sure if she could trust these people. She didn't want to go, and she didn't want to leave her brothers and sister. "I- I can't," she said, stumbling a bit for the words.
"Do you want to stay here then?" Olivia asked. Katlynn didn't answer. If I stay here, then I can always leave when the bell rings. Plus, I get to miss class. She thought. "Yeah. Stay here." She quietly took a seat in front of Mrs. McHall's desk, facing the detectives.
Elliot looked at Mrs. McHall. "Do you mind if we talk to Katlynn alone?" he asked.
Mrs. McHall got up, and walked over to the door. "Not at all. I'm supposed to be supervising one of our new teachers today. If you need to contact me, Shirley, my assistant knows were to find me."
Elliot nodded, as Mrs. McHall left. His attention fell back onto Katlynn. "Katlynn, do you have any younger brothers?"
"It's- it's Kat, and I do have a younger brother. Kevin Johnson. He's- he's my half brother."
"And he's nine, right?" Elliot continued, confident that he was on the right track.
Kat looked surprised at Elliot's question. She just nodded in conformation. "He isn't in any kind of trouble, right? I mean, he didn't do anything wrong, did he?"
It was Olivia's turn to speak now. "No, of coarse not. Were you aware that he made a 9-1-1 call last night, around nine?"
Kat's eyes rounded with horror, she knew what this was about now. "I- I didn't know. I. . ." Kat couldn't think of what to say, or what Kevin could have possibility have said on the phone. 'Just lie. Lie and be confident about it.' That's what Rob had told her to do every time she had a noticeable bruise, or cut. Kat took a deep breath, she had to be confident. "Yeah, I kinda snapped last night. That happens sometimes, especially when I'm under pressure. I just snap, going completelycrazy. Rob was just trying to calm me down so I wouldn't end up hurting myself, nor my siblings. That's all," she said, averting her eyes down to make it look like she was a bit embarrassed.
"And who is Rob?" Elliot asked.
"He's my step dad. Kevin's father."
"He was trying to calm you down by hitting you? And threatening you with a gun?" Olivia interrupted. Kat could tell she wasn't buying it.
"He wasn't hitting me, he was just trying to restrain me. I don't blame him, I could have really hurt any of my siblings. Why, did Kevin say that Rob was hitting me?"
"As a matter of fact he did. And by the look of that bruise on your face, I say he was right." Olivia's voice was becoming very stern.
Kat shook her head. "he doesn't know what he saw. He's just a little kid. It just looked that way to him."
"Kat, your brother said he saw blood. He said that your step dad was going to kill you. Would you like to listen to the tape? Kat, you've got to stop lying!"
Kat's eyes started to swell with tears. No! Don't cry! Be convincing! She curled her fist, digging her nail into her palms as hard as she could. She chocked back the tears, but just barley.
"Kat, tell me the truth. Did your step dad hurt you in any way?" Olivia's voice was still a little stern, but more concerned, like a mother worrying about her child.
Kat didn't answer, but Olivia pushed on. "I can help you, Kat, but you have got to tell me what he did to you. You've got to stop lying, to me and to yourself. I can help you Kat."
Kat wanted to tell the truth, to get that nagging secret off of her chest. She didn't want to lie anymore, she just wanted to explode, to tell the truth. She wanted to tell Olivia every horrible thing Rob did to her, and how hard she battled to keep her siblings out of his way. My siblings, she thought. What would happen to them if I was gone? Then Kat thought of it. She had to get her brothers and sisters out of harm's way first. "Can you promise to help my brothers and sisters? Can you promise to protect them? Can you promise to get them out of that hell-hole, and for good? I'm their protector, and I promised to keep them safe. I promised that nothing would ever hurt them, no matter what happened to me. And I'm not going to break that promise, ever." Kat looked up at Olivia. "Can you promise to keep them safe? To keep them well?"
Olivia squatted down in front of Kat, and look straight into her eye. "I promise. Nothing will ever harm your siblings, or you. I promise you all will be safe."
Kat smiled, trying not to cry. She dug her nail deeper into her flesh, not realizing the warm puddles that were already forming in her palms. "So, you'll help them?" she asked gently.
Olivia nodded. "Yes. I'll help them, and I'll help you." Her voice was now completely restored to it's soothing tone, which made Kat confident that Olivia would keep her promise to Kat's siblings.
"Thank you, but it's too late to help me." Kat replied quietly.
-TBC
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