A/N: It continues. It started with Like Father, Like Mother, Like Me… it continued with Who Am I?… followed with Start of Something Good… and progressed into Weekend From Hell…. Now the saga continues… Falling Up (kind of a stupid title I'm not even sure it fits but it's better then untitled.) Here we see Olivia continue the journey started in the beginning, continue to deal with her demons, help the ones she cares about, learn about herself, and fight the bad guys. Disclaimers all apply: they aren't mine, go figure… this is not meant to make money, again go figure. On with the story:
Falling Up
1.
/fill in/
It's been three weeks sense Olivia was in court for the Patterson case. She has been back to work for three weeks, just like she told Cragen she was back to work the next day. It had been pretty slow, nothing particularly horrific, well as far as their jobs were concerned. Mostly paperwork and a few rapes being reported, nothing that took long hard work. Olivia was continuing sessions with Dr. Mays. Last week they talked about scaling her schedule down to once every two weeks instead of every four days, if something were to happen Olivia could still call.
Alex has been keeping up with the SVU work and still making all her classes at Hudson. The students love her, and the administration thought it was excellent that they had such an important member of the city law officials teaching at their facility.
Alex and Olivia have been taking things slow, just enjoying a somewhat normal life now that everything had settled down. They caught lunch when they could both get away. They also tried to meet for dinner when their schedules allowed for it. Every few mornings they would meet early for a run in the park and then have a quick breakfast at a place that was close to both of their apartments. And every Saturday with out fail, well for the last three weeks anyway, Alex has come over for an early morning run and stayed at Olivia's all day. They spent the day talking, relaxing, and enjoying each other's company, learning more about each other. On Saturday evenings they would go out, to a show and or dinner. They were enjoying the quiet courtship. Sundays were a hit or miss, it was a day both had reserved for household management, with all the time they spent together, at times things would build up, such as laundry or dishes.
This Saturday however, Olivia was on call with Elliot. They, Alex and Olivia, decided to go about the Saturday as usual, and if Olivia got called away then so be it, at least the detectives were only on call on weekends and not in the office….
/Early Saturday Morning/
Feet meet pavement in a rhythmic pattern. One two three. The sidewalks were beginning to fill with people traveling to work and play in the surrounding neighborhoods. The feet started to speed up as they drew closer to the stoop of a large apartment building, almost as if racing. As they reached the stairs the two bodies connected to the feet bumped into each other slightly and laughter spilled out into the crisp morning. One set of feet went to a car, to retrieve things and the other set entered the building. The elevator ride was used to catch her breath and sip the water bottle that had been strapped to her side. The first set of feet stepped out of the elevator and into the hall and started toward their destination, home.
Her apartment door was only a few away from the elevator so she saw the hooded figure right away. It was scrunched in a small ball at her door. The figure looked up when she felt someone approaching her.
"Olivia?" A voice cried out scratchily toward her.
"Maureen?" Olivia knelt down beside the girl.
"Honey what are you doing here this early." Olivia put her hand on Maureen's shoulder.
Maureen shrunk back slightly, the average person might not have noticed the action as odd, but Olivia noticed it. The young blue eyes looked up to meet Olivia's experienced eyes. Olivia noticed the tear stains on her cheeks and the unshed tears ready to spill out.
"What happened sweetheart?" Olivia asked softly.
"I… I don't remember," Maureen cried. "I can't go back there."
"Where's there?" Olivia asked, trying to keep from alarming the girl next to her.
"The dorm. And I can't go home." She sniffled.
"Why can't you go home Maureen?" Olivia questioned with worry and sadness.
"I don't want my Mom to know and Dad will flip." She looked into Olivia's eyes pleading with her.
"Honey, your dad won't get mad at you. Trust me he will be worried sick, happy that you're okay, no matter what the problem is. Come on let's get off the floor and go inside and talk. Alex will be up in a minute, she has some bagels I think."
Olivia and Maureen stood up and entered the apartment. They immediately sat at the kitchen table.
"What's going on Maureen?" Olivia questioned the young women that she had watched grow up through her partner's eyes. She thought of Elliot's kids as nieces and nephews.
"I don't really know." Maureen laid her head on the table. Olivia placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder and massaged it lightly to help calm her down.
Alex could be heard entering the apartment then. She shed her running shoes at the door and carried the bag of bagels and a bag to shower and change with into the kitchen. She had a big grin on her face as she entered. It turned to concern when she saw Olivia at the kitchen table with a young girl. Her back was to Alex and her head down on the table.
Olivia looked up to meet Alex's eyes. She motioned with her other hand for Alex to come all the way in. She mouthed that it was Maureen. As Alex read her lips her face fell. She didn't get to know the Stabler kids as well as Olivia had, but she knew how much they meant to Elliot, Kathy, and even Olivia.
Alex entered the kitchen and set the bags down on the counter. She took a seat beside Olivia at the table.
"Maureen," Olivia started again. "Alex is back."
Maureen lifted her head off the table, out of her arms, she looked up at Alex and tried to smile, it didn't work. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Hi sweetheart." Alex spoke reassuringly. "Is everything okay?"
"I…" Maureen's voice broke. "I… just want to sit here for a minute, I'm not feeling so good all of a sudden."
"Okay honey, here," Olivia got up and poured some water into a glass and set it on the table. "How about Alex and I get out of our running clothes and then come back and check on you."
"Okay, I guess." Maureen put her head back down on the table, shutting her eyes, as if she were shutting out the world.
"Okay." Olivia made a small circle on Maureen's back as she exited the kitchen. Alex stayed in the kitchen after a silent conversation took place between the two older women. They didn't want something to happen to Maureen or have her bolt on them.
Olivia hopped in the shower and out in record speed. She threw some jeans and a tank on hastily and went back out into the kitchen; she didn't even stop for socks. If she needed socks later, she'd worry about them then. Right now there were bigger things to worry about.
Alex got up as Olivia re-entered the kitchen. She grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom. Just out side the kitchen they both stopped and spoke quietly.
"Hey, why don't you let me talk to her for a while, take your time with the shower, I know you like a nice long relaxing shower every now and then. I think she may open up to me alone, I've known her for almost 8 years. She views me as an Aunt."
"Okay, I will if you need me just come and get me okay." Alex smiled slightly. She took Liv's hand and leaned in giving her a soft kiss. She kept their hands together until she was too far away to hold on and continued down the hall to the master bath.
Olivia returned her focus to the kitchen, she paused and looked over the young girl sitting at her kitchen table. If this were a girl entering the precinct she'd know what to do, get a statement out of her. However, this wasn't just a girl, it was Maureen Stabler and she had come to Olivia's apartment, not the precinct. For all Olivia knew it wasn't anything too serious, as far as criminally serious. This girl was hurting somehow.
Entering the kitchen again she sat at the table. The water remained in the glass, untouched.
"Hey Maureen, how are you feeling? Any better?"
"My head is kinda spinney, but it stops if my eyes are closed." Maureen said into her arm, her head still down and eyes shut.
"Alright well you can keep them closed. Listen Alex is going to leave the two of us alone for a little while, why don't the two of us have a chat." Olivia tilted her head to the side, trying to get some reading out of the distraught young woman in front of her.
"I'm so sorry for ruining your Saturday Olivia." Maureen adjusted her head slightly.
"Nonsense, you don't have to be sorry. I told you if you needed me to get a hold of me, I'm good to my word."
"Thank you." Maureen tried to look up at Olivia and winced.
"Hey its okay you don't have to move like that." Olivia reached out her hand in comfort.
Maureen returned her head to the table, eyes shut.
"You want to talk about what happened?" Olivia ventured after a few moments had passed.
"Um… I'm not sure where to begin, actually."
"How about the beginning, or start with something else and then we can ease into it."
Maureen took a deep breath. "Last night I went out to a party."
"Okay."
"I'm 21 now, my birthday was two weeks ago, you were there actually I remember. Anyway it was actually a party at my friends place, usually they are great parties, safe, but sense we all turned 21 this year we had alcohol. Some other people showed up who don't normally come around us."
Maureen paused for a minute, her mouth was very dry. She carefully took a drink as not to send the room spinning.
"The new guys were giving me and other guy crap for not being in a relationship… not necessarily together, but they were ragging on me cause I didn't have a guy and him cause he didn't have a girl. They were trash talking us then moved onto another one of the people at the party."
"What happened then?" Olivia asked softly, she feared the worst, but tired not to show it in her voice.
Maureen sighed and continued, "Well Mic, he was the guy getting ripped on, he was also bar tending… he got us both a drink and brought them to the couch and we chilled for a while… I don't remember anything. Mic and I... We both woke up about 4 this morning, I was on one catch, and he was on the floor a few feet away. Everyone else had gone to bed or home… neither Mic nor I remember anything, all I know is I feel like shit. I don't understand; Mic is my friend, he'd never hurt me or do anything stupid. And he can't remember anything either." Maureen was crying by the time she finished.
Olivia got out of the chair and squatted down next to Maureen's chair.
"Listen to me Maureen," Olivia placed a hand on her knee as a comfort. "You did nothing wrong. Everything will be okay. We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise. We should probably get you over to the hospital and checked out… look I'll keep this between, you, me and Alex for now, but we're going to have to officially report this alright?"
"My dad is going to find out?"
"You really should tell him, and your mom. I'll help you. I'm going to go check on Alex, then we'll all go. Okay?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"That's it, I'll be just a minute then we'll leave." Olivia patted the knee as she rose from her position and briskly went in search of Alex.
Alex was sitting on Olivia's bed, lacing up her shoes.
"Is everything okay?" Alex asked as Olivia entered the room.
"Not really sure yet, she's pretty shook up…" Olivia filled Alex in, the abridged version, as she finished getting dressed herself, outer shirt, socks, shoes. She then fastened her holster to her belt, making sure it was properly attached, and safe. Then she attached her badge to its chain and slung it around her neck.
"Oh God." Alex whispered softly as Olivia finished.
"Ready?" Olivia asked as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"Yeah." The two women exited the room and gathered Maureen.
Maureen took in the sight of Olivia, she looked like a cop now. "You're on call aren't you? With my dad?"
"Yeah. That and the badge will get stuff done faster at the ER."
The trio exited the building, slowly as not to off set Maureen. They got into Alex's car. Alex drove to the closest hospital. Maureen was laying down in the backseat. Alex came to a halt in front of the automatic doors. Olivia helped Maureen out of the car and into the emergency room. Alex went to find a parking spot. When Olivia got inside, she set Maureen in a chair and went up to the desk. By now it was about 9 a lot had happened already this morning.
"Excuse me," Olivia asked the attendant, "Is Dr. Vicky Valez here?"
"Um yeah, do you have an appointment or something, the is the ER you know."
"I know we know each other." Olivia held up her badge that was still hanging around her neck.
"Um okay, yeah, just a second," the young man buzzed the door and Olivia motioned for Alex, who had just walked in to help Maureen over to the door.
Alex and Maureen stayed behind Olivia as she walked up to a dark haired youngish woman.
"Hi, Dr. Valez?"
"Detective Benson, to what do I owe the pleasure."
"Well lets just say this is not the good circumstances I was talking about before."
"What's wrong are you okay?" Dr. Valez quickly glanced at Olivia's hands.
"Gee thanks," Olivia noticed the glance. "I'm fine. It's my friend here, Maureen. She needs some help."
"Oh boy." Dr. Valez looked past Olivia at the young woman.
Olivia leaned in to speak softly, "We're not sure, but we want a rape kit done to rule out rape and a drug test to see if anything has been in her system."
"Looks like we should do a full work up too, she looks pretty down and out."
"That a technical term Doctor?"
"Extremely, come on let's get the patient back here to curtain 1 and we shall grab a nurse and get to work."
A/N: well that is the end of Chapter 1. I keep bringing people mentioned in the first story. I like Dr. Valez, she is suppose to be a nice woman, with the unfortunate of sharing her last name with a creep. So we are seeing more of her personality, friendly and fun, yet down to business and gets the job done. hope you enjoyed… leave a review, they are a great pick-me-up.
