To jkb- Thank you! I really like writing this story, although making up pasts for the boys that fit in with the SVU world is a real bitch. As for the perp, it's not exactly obvious, but I have been dropping hints left and right, especially in the last chapter... And if it makes you feel any better, I'm a moron, too. Trust me, you're not the only one hoping for a quick update; I'm killing myself trying to update all my fics, and I've run out of string cheese... Sad...
To Atremis- Don't let this swing your opinion one way or the other, but I can't tell you yet. You'll find out whether you got it right or not when they catch the perp. But yes, I know who you're talking about, and his name is Rashid. Although he hit Quatre in Episode Zero, not Endless Waltz. I was very upset with him when he did that, although I do concede that Q-chan needed to get hit. I wish you really could hack into my computer and brainwash me so I could write more on this story... It would save me a lot of hard work... By the way, have I ever told you you sound exactly like my younger sister Diana?
To Puppy- What's blasphemy? Um…. I'm working on another chapter, I'm not trying to keep you in the dark, I bow to the queen of my insane reviewers, and of course I'll write the next chapter! Still have a perp we need to catch, right?
"'Ro? 'Ro, time to wake up." Duo said softly, shaking Heero's shoulder. "Ro, Q's here to pick up guard duty; you can go now."
"Trying to get rid of me?" Heero joked, opening one eye. "What if I don't want to leave?"
"Then at least climb up on the bed." Duo retorted, grinning. "You're giving me a neckache, sleeping in a chair like that. C'mon." The boy patted the narrow mattress next to him, scooting over to make room for another body. "If you insist on sleeping, at least do so comfortably."
"I wouldn't want to aggravate your injuries." Heero said quietly, eying the thick bandages on Duo's arm and neck.
"The only thing you're aggravating right now is me. Now get up here before I drag you up here, got me?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hey, Olivia-"
"Shhh..." Olivia interrupted, motioning Elliot closer. "Come look at this." She whispered.
Elliot obediently moved to the other side of the doorway and peeked in.
"Isn't it sweet?" Olivia asked with a sigh.
"Um... yeah." Elliot agreed, blinking.
Why it should be sweet that Heero and Duo were both asleep on Duo's bed was beyond him. Sure, it was kind of cute how Duo had his arm around Heero, as if he was the protector in this situation, instead of the other way around, but still…Then again, women were much more aware of what was sweet than he, so he decided to trust Olivia's judgment on this one. His phone, thankfully on vibrate, picked up a call, and he moved away from the door to answer it.
When he returned, his expression was grim.
"We've got to go, Liv." He said quietly. "Our perp added another one to his collection."
"I don't remember any of the other ones being this messy." John commented. "She must have put up quite a fight."
"You don't know the half of it." An EMT, his face grim and his eyes haunted, spoke up. "It looks like she kept fighting right up until she bled out. See here-" He gestured and a series of blurred drag marks across the bare stone floor of the abandoned church. "She did this on her own; from what we know of the perp, even with his stride, he couldn't have avoided them all leaving. And over there, she tried to get to the window."
"Not only that," The EMT's partner added from the far side of the room, where the latest victim rested. "She's got blood under her fingernails, as well as some cloth."
"Clawed him, huh?" Finn asked, stepping around the pool of dried blood where the floor dipped slightly.
"And if you think that's impressive, she bit him, too." The female EMT reported. "Your perp's probably missing part of his forearm now."
"Maybe she knew she wouldn't be the last."
John only nodded solemnly, his eyes sad as he watched the young brunette's face disappear underneath the clean white sheet.
"DOA." Olivia announced. "That makes seven vics; six dead, one suffering selective amnesia."
"They sure don't believe in making our job easy, do they?" Elliot sighed, falling gracelessly into a handy chair.
"They do if we know what to look for." George Huang disagreed, studying the board of notes and photographs. "For example, not only is Mr. Maxwell the only male victim, he's also the only one who fit the profile before the rape. Emily, the first victim, never wore black if she could help it. Samantha always wore her hair down. Hope was blond until two days before her rape and murder-"
"But Duo braids his hair every day, and he owns nothing but black clothing." Heero interrupted. "Therefore, it would stand to reason that Duo is tied in with the perp and influenced the crimes in some way."
"Exactly."
"Taking that into account," Heero continued in his usual monotone, although someone who knew him well might detect an undercurrent of excitement in his voice. "we're down to about 20 possible suspects."
And I think I know which one's guilty.
Duo opened his eyes with a sigh, shaking his head. "Sorry, 'Ro; still nothing." He reported. "Can we stop for today? I'm getting a headache."
"Of course." Heero assured him, patting Duo's shoulder awkwardly. "We'll try again tomorrow. Get some rest."
Duo nodded and watched Heero leave the room before flopping backwards with another sigh.
"Hey, Detective, can I ask you something?" Duo spoke up after a moment of silence, fixing Elliot with an almost pleading stare until the older man nodded. "Do you think…. Does Heero hate me?"
Olivia, walking into the room just in time to hear Duo's question, choked on a mouthful of coffee, almost dropping the Styrofoam cup in her hand.
"Umm… that's something you should be asking Heero." Elliot said, standing up to help Olivia. "But in my professional opinion, as the father of a teenager, I think he cares about you. Are you okay, Liv?"
"Y-yeah…" Olivia gasped, managing to clear her airway of liquid. "I'm fine. It's just…."
"Yeah." Elliot agreed, knowing exactly what she was trying to say. "I'll go get you another coffee, and find someone with a mop, okay?"
Olivia nodded, stepping carefully around the large brown puddle on the otherwise spotless floor while Elliot stepped into the hall.
"Yeah, easy for you to laugh." Duo said sourly, sitting up. "But he's always so cold, you know? He's nice to Q, and sometimes to Trowa and Fei, but around me, he just kinda…. clams up."
"That doesn't necessarily mean he hates you." Olivia said quietly, taking the seat Elliot had recently occupied. "I remember when I was your age, there was this boy that was nice to everyone else, but he was always picking on me. He played some awful pranks, like putting a dead snake in my locker, but eventually, he caught me alone in the hall after school and confessed he'd only been mean to me because he liked me. We dated for nearly a year before he moved."
"That was kinda stupid." Duo said. "If he liked you, why not just say so? Being dishonest only makes things tough on everyone."
"Sometimes, teenagers are scared to admit they actually like someone. And sometimes, they don't really know how to show that they do. He was confused, and picking on me was his way of trying to tell me he cared."
"I suppose, but normal rules don't really apply to Heero, you know? I mean, I know I like him, but I don't wanna force him into anything. Besides, after what you guys say happened, I'm not really sure anyone would want me."
"That's common among rape victims." Olivia agreed sadly. "But you had no control over the situation; the only person to blame here is the man who did this to you. No one thinks poorly of you because of it. Especially not Heero. Now get some rest, okay?"
Done. Review, or the Quatre plushie gets it.