AN: It's been forever. We know. Try not to hate us.

One Week Later:

Olivia Benson smiled as Elliot and Casey walked into the squad room late Monday night. The call had reached Cragen an hour ago, but Olivia was the one who got to break the news.

"Sit down, you guys."

"What happened?" Elliot demanded.

"Father Joseph is in interrogation room number one."

Both joy and rage flashed in Elliot's eyes; joy that his daughter would probably be able to sleep that night, and rage towards the priest for raping his daughter.

"Let me in there." Elliot said, his eyes flashing.

"No," Casey said, then explained to Elliot, "I want him to live to get into prison so his fellow inmates can…well, you know what they do."

"She's got a point," Elliot admitted.

"She does," Olivia said, "How are the kids?"

It had been a week since Elliot had taken the kids. Elliot was fighting for custody; the court date was set for later that month.

Elliot sighed.

"Elizabeth is a nervous wreck…hopefully this will make her feel better. Kathleen is…she's getting there. She hates Kathy right now. I don't blame her. As for Dickie…Rich, as he's now insisting on being called, he's doing all right. They're all getting therapy…from Huang."

Casey laughed at the look that crossed Elliot's face on the word 'therapy'.

"And we all know how this man feels about therapy." She laughed.

"Yes…we do." Olivia sighed, "I have to get back to work. Give the kids a hug from me. By the way, when are you back from desk duty?"

"Three more days of paperwork," Elliot groaned, "Cragen thinks it's too risky for me to be dealing with…rapists right now."

"Well, have fun filling out forms. I'll see you when you get back." Olivia offered.

"Bye, Olivia."

Elliot smiled over at Casey as they walked out of the squad room.

"What time are you off work?" He asked

"I'm done for the day." She admitted

Casey felt her heart fluttering. You fool, she told herself, his life as he knows it is crumbling. He doesn't have time for you. He shouldn't have time for you. He needs to be with his kids…oh, God, Ell, no, don't do this to me…She thought as he started to lean in, smiling.

"Well, why don't we finally go on that date?"

Casey felt everything within her going weak. All she could do was nod.

Casey smiled across the table in a coffee shop across from the precinct, sipping her cappuccino. She was still amazed that Elliot Stabler, of all people, had asked her out. I don't know what to say...

"So,"

"Well,"

She and Elliot both spoke at the same time, then both laughed.

"The hearing is in three weeks, right? How's the lawyer I recommended?" Casey asked.

"Oh, she's great. Are you going to testify?"

"You bet your ass! I'm going to make Kathy regret the very day she…yes. Yes, I am."

"You know, Casey, I really want to thank you for being here so much for the kids the last week. I know it means a lot to them to have you around. What Kathy did to them…having a woman around, telling them how wonderful they are…I owe you. The kids really do love you."

"Thanks, Ell. So," Casey asked, "How are they really doing?"

Elliot sighed. This was Casey. She was a prosecutor. Eventually, the truth would always come out.

"It's hard. I know they're hurting beyond anything I can imagine, and I don't know what I can do to make it better. I'm thinking about putting them in private school. St. Mary's has a parochial school and they all qualify for scholarships. I've always wanted to put them in private school, but…who knows how they feel about it?"

"Talk to them." Casey advised, "Communication is everything. And…well, I don't want to try and shrink you, but…how are you doing?"

"I don't know, Casey. I don't know anymore."

Elizabeth looked cautiously around the squad room before she entered. She didn't want her father to know she was here tonight. She had come to see Huang, which her father had no problem with whatsoever, but she hated the pained look he gave her every time he glanced her way.

Maureen had dropped her off, and was across the way in a coffee shop, waiting for Elizabeth to get done with Huang. Elizabeth always had nightmares at night, but she found it helped if she talked to George. She slipped past Olivia, who was so engrossed in her paperwork that she didn't notice the teen.

Elizabeth noticed Munch and Fin's desk were empty; she hoped they had gotten a lead with Father Joseph. She knocked on George's door, and after hearing a soft 'come in,' entered the room shyly.

Huang looked up and smiled, always happy to see Elizabeth. However, when his eye caught the clock on the wall, his grin diminished and a worried gaze replaced it.

"It's really late, Elizabeth!" he exclaimed. "Did you come here all by yourself?" Elizabeth shook her head and took her place at one of their chairs in the room. She curled up in it, resting her head against the back.

"Maureen drove me. She's waiting for me to be finished." She looked up at him and Huang found himself gazing into a pair of empty eyes; eyes that were once so full of life and joy. He realized then that Elizabeth's condition was much worse than he originally thought.

Every move she made was lifeless. Her skin was pale and deep shadows were under her eyes. She looked gaunt and tired. Huang saw that she was beginning to retreat into herself.

"What do you want to talk about?" Huang asked. Elizabeth was silent for a moment, then shrugged her small shoulders.

"I don't know… I can't even remember why I came here." she said tonelessly. George sat back in his chair. "I guess I wanted somebody else to talk to; someone who wouldn't pity me. Just… talk to me."

Elizabeth hated being pitied. Ever since the rape, she felt like she was being suffocated from all the sympathy. Everybody kept asking her if she was all right. If she was okay. She just wanted to talk to someone without feeling like she was being felt sorry for.

"Well then," Huang said, "talk." Elizabeth looked up at him, a small smile gracing her facing. And she began to speak. She spoke of everything, everything but the rape. She spoke of how she missed school, her friends, and her classes. She spoke of how Rich and her had played video games for five hours straight, and how she had never won a single game. She spoke of how she wanted to go to Disney World someday, and how she wanted to join ballet.

And Huang just listened. He was not 'shrinking' her this time. Her merely listened to her, laughed with her, and even told her some of his own childhood memories. But he didn't pity her. He just talked to her. Just like she wanted.

Across the way, in the café, Maureen sat at a booth by herself, reading a book she had brought along. Suddenly, two very familiar voices brought her out of her reverie, and towards the speakers. It was her father and Casey. From where she was, she could see and hear them clearly, but they couldn't see her. Unable to resist, she put down her book and listened.

"…Thanks again for being here…" she heard her father say. "I know my kids really appreciate it." Maureen grinned as her father reached across the table and took Casey's hand. "I really appreciate it." Casey blushed prettily but did not remove her hand.

"…do this again sometime?" Casey nodded. Maureen practically squealed with joy. Her father was dating Casey! Or, well, so it seemed. But that didn't diminish her happiness. She loved having Casey around, and could see that her father truly cared for her. Her beeper buzzed and she looked down, seeing Elizabeth's number flash across the screen.

Time to go. Maureen stood up and threw her coffee away, glancing over her shoulder as she left the restaurant. Casey and her father were still talking animatedly, despite all that had gone on recently. A grin surfaced and she headed towards the precinct.

Elizabeth was going to love this...

Fin and Munch looked through the window at Father Joseph. Munch couldn't help but clench his fists at the sight of him. This bastard had taken away the innocence of a little girl who was like a niece to him… Fin was glad to see Father Joseph was sweating. Fin knew that Father Joseph knew he was caught.

Cragen entered the viewing room and nodded to the pair.

"Go on inside and have a little chat with Father Joseph here" He handed the detectives DNA sheets and a picture of Elizabeth. "Don't rough him up too bad."

Fin and Munch didn't even glance at each other as they entered the room. Father Joseph stood as soon as they entered, but Fin forced him back down into his chair.

"Sit down, Father!" he snarled. "What made you do it?" Father Joseph feigned confusion.

"Do what?"

Munch spoke up.

"Don't even try to pull that crap with us!" He slid the DNA evidence towards Father Joseph. "We know you raped her, so why don't you just fess up?"

"I didn't-!" Fin put his face down close to Father Joseph's.

"Your DNA matches, you bastard!" he whispered. "I'd rethink what you're about to say!" Father Joseph stared stonily back.

"I think I need my lawyer now."