Chapter 37 - Cragen

Thanks for reviewing Katydidit, qt-angel, christopher-meloni-freak, viol8dbyalizzard, AglaiaWar, anonymousthinker, Mika Tsuki, Lady Padfoot II, nem, and Lizzie9.
Katydidit - Imagine John and Olivia's kid... I wonder whose nose it would get? ;) Yeah, crawling into random character's heads is a hobby of mine. I suppose I'm just perceptive when it comes to making sure someone's in character, that's all.
christopher-meloni-freak - Olivia a witch? Harsh! Just because Olivia's my favorite character and I don't want you to hate her, I'll make her all better in the next chapter.
nem - Don't worry about pushing the OE thing. ;) You aren't the only one. And of course, if it'll get you to leave reviews, you can say whatever you want. (I love reviews!)
Lizzie9, new reviewer! I've said it before and I'll say it again, kudos to anyone that can read this whole thing at once! Thanks so much!

Because I got a lot of reviews about it, I'd like to thank everyone that said they liked the Huang chapter. That went over a lot better than I thought it would. And also, a bunch of thanks to those that think I'm still keeping everyone, especially Olivia, in character.

Author's Note - I got a lot of reviews about Emma's attacker, so I want to straighten that out before I continue. I can't reveal much about him, but I can assure you that he is in no way connected to Brent or Olivia or anyone else. Totally seperate case. But, Emma is pertinent to the story line. You'll see why later.

That being said, I'm only posting one chapter today, Cragen, because I have to catch up on my writing if I'm to update every night! But I can't complain too much because all your reviews make it totally worth it! (I say reviews a lot, don't I? Well, with over 200 of them for this story alone, I feel it's justifiable. ;) Love ya guys!)

Lyrics by Will Smith – Tell Me Why

I really wish I could explain it baby (why),
It's just the world is kinda crazy baby (why),
Ain't no pretty way to paint it baby (why),
Don't cry, dry your eyes
Mmmmm, souls are captured
Dreams are stolen, hearts are broken
Evil blatantly rewarded
Hate surrenders, love exalted
Hope elated, negativity is shorted
Why is the bomb always getting the last word?
And why did her uncle have to molest her?
And why did all them cops have to be shootin' to kill?
And why did all them priests have to act so ill?
Tell me why did James Byrd Jr. have to be touched?
Tell me why did Malcolm & Martin depart from us?
Tell me why did that sniper make the little boy shoot?
And why does human life always denied for loot?
Tell me why did Mandela have to live in a cage?
Why did my brother Sterling have to die at that age?
Tell me why did Reginald Denny deserve his fate?
And why the fk can't love seem to defeat hate?
Tell me why is it so hard for all the children to eat?
Why did Pac & Biggie Smalls have to fall in the street?
Tell me why did Jam Master Jay have to go that way?
Please what am I supposed to say to my kids when they say 'Why?'
I really wish I could explain it baby (why),
It's just the world is kinda crazy baby (why),
Ain't no pretty way to paint it baby (why),
Don't cry, dry your eyes
I really wish I could explain it baby (why),
It's just the world is kinda crazy baby (why),
Ain't no pretty way to paint it baby (why),
Don't cry, dry your eyes
Can't explain it baby, life is just really crazy
I mean if it's world wars or the life of a little baby
We got more stores than they got rice under Buddha lazy
You live four scores & still it be driving you crazy
But for me I try to see the bright side
Sometimes it'd be like the goodness be tryin' to hide
Then try to flee, but it can't it's deep inside
Sweetie, you be the light for the others, make 'em believe in God
Mmmmm, souls are captured
Dreams are stolen, hearts are broken
Evil blatantly rewarded
Hate surrenders, love exalted
Hope elated, negativity is shorted…

Cragen

"Olivia, Elliot! How'd it go?" I walked into the squad room from my office at the same time the two detectives were.

"Great," I heard Olivia grumble under her breath, not meeting my eye as she threw her coat on the back of her chair and sat down.

Elliot cleared his throat, diverting my attention to him, obviously what he wanted to do. "They performed the rape exam and sent it to Warner's lab." Elliot had called me from the hospital and explained what had happened.

Of all the days for a rape victim to come stumbling to Olivia, I had thought when I first found out, it had to be her first day back.

Huang had finished his sessions with each detective that morning. He also declared them all fine to be back at work. He basically repeated what Elliot had said about Olivia. Of course, it had come along with a small lecture…

"So Olivia's fine to be back at work?" I watched Huang sit across my desk as he discussed the sessions he had with each of my detectives. I wasn't worried about them though, only Liv.

"Her taking more time off could only do more harm than good," he informed me. "She needs stability right now. As crazy as it sounds, her job is stability to her."

"I don't need to be worried about her, do I?"

He carefully pondered that before speaking. "Well, not over-protective, over-bearing worried, but I'd keep an eye on her. With her mother being a victim, she already had a reason to sympathize with the victims. That, and the fact that she's a woman, as sexist as that may sound. But now, she knows first hand what they're going through. More than likely, she might become really invested in the first few cases she works on. And with that, comes the normal behavior."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it'll be like these people are her family. She'll jump to believe anything they say, only a problem if they're lying, but still… And you know how she works herself to the bone on cases that are close to her. Like I said, just keep an eye on her and see that she doesn't get too close. The damages could be devastating if she does, considering her level of power…"

He didn't elaborate on the "devastating damages," but I ignored it for the most part. I'd known Olivia for years. The most she'd ever done was convince Alex to plea out two women who murdered their rapist. I yelled at her afterwards, claiming she'd used her last "get out of jail free card." But even that was when she'd been new to SVU. She'd grown since then, the Cleary and Anderson case proving that.

Instead of more flashbacks, I brought myself back to the present. "So what do we have on the case so far?"

"Emma MacGuire, age 15." Olivia taped a picture of the girl in her hospital attire to the glass board. She then went back and sat on top of her desk. "She came stumbling in here this afternoon with a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen. I haven't gotten a full statement yet, but she says she was walking along Main St. when she heard a cat in an alley. She went to look for it when the perp attacked her from behind."

"She said that he raped her," Elliot joined in, "but Olivia couldn't get any specifics."

"After she said that he raped her, we had the doctors come in and do the exam. By then her mother was there and I didn't want to put her through anymore hell," she explained herself defensively to her partner.

Elliot just rested his right foot on his left knee and looked at the board with Emma's picture on it with a slightly irked stare. By the way he took it, I assume Olivia had been reacting like this all day.

"When is she coming down to give her statement?"

"Later this evening," Elliot answered before Olivia could. "After they release her."

I turned and watched Olivia as she flipped through her note pad, remaining quiet. I toyed with the idea of asking her if she wanted me to get someone else to work this case, but my better judgment won over and I kept my mouth shut.

"Let me know when she comes in to give her statement?"

"Sure thing Cap," Elliot nodded.

--XXX--

"Hey." Elliot knocked on my office door and poked his head inside, ruining the purpose of knocking. "Emma's here. She and Olivia are already in a room."

"Okay." I stood up and followed him, ending up behind a one way. "Aren't you going in?" I asked him as he took a spot next to me.

He shook his head. "I went into the hospital room, you should have seen her face. She was terrified."

I gave him an understanding nod before I flipped the intercom switch on so that we could hear them.

"Okay, Emma?" Olivia sat across the table from a girl who I recognized from the picture on the board as Emma MacGuire.

"Yeah." The girl just nodded miserably, an empty, hollow look on her face.

Olivia leaned over and clicked the tape recorder on. "Emma, start from the beginning." She picked up her pen and prepared to take notes.

Emma kept her eyes on the table in front of her as she spoke. "I-I was walking down the street when I heard a noise in the alley."

"Which street?" Olivia's voice was gentle and motherly as she spoke.

"Main." I watched as the fifteen-year-old swallowed hard, trying to find her voice again. "It sounded like a cat, so I decided to go look for it."

"Emma, do you remember which alley it was? Like if there were any stores next to it?"

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She quickly described the stores and buildings around it.

"Okay," Olivia jotted that down. "Then what happened?"

"Then it started getting farther and farther away from the street. I just kept following it. That's when it happened." Tears started slipping from her eyes. She unsuccessfully tried to blink them away.

"What happened, Emma?" Olivia patiently spoke in a soothing, relaxing tone.

"I felt someone put his hand over my mouth."

"Do remember anything about his hand? Did he have a tattoo? A birthmark? Was he wearing gloves?" Olivia tried to give her some examples.

"Yeah." She nodded and wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. "He was wearing black leather gloves."

"After he put his hand over your mouth, then what happened?"

"Then he said that he had a gun and that if I screamed he'd kill me," she softly moaned, remembering. "Then I felt him press it to the side of my head."

"Then what did he do?"

"He moved it from my head and he pressed it against my back. He started pushing me forward, telling me to walk. He led me over to a spot in the alley where you couldn't see the street from." A sob caught in her throat. She choked it back and took a deep breath. "He p-pushed me on the ground." Her body began shaking as she started crying harder.

"Emma…" Olivia put the pen down and reached across the table, taking Emma's hands in hers. "Honey, I know this is hard, but it's really important okay?" She looked into the young girl's eyes as she spoke and even I could hear the honesty and empathy in her voice. "We're almost done." Trying to give her one last reassuring smile, she let her hands go and picked the pen back up. "What happened next, Emma?"

"H-He started ripping my cl-clothes off." Her hands didn't even bother wiping her cheeks dry as they came up to cup her forehead. "Then h-he took off his. Then he raped me…" Once she said that, I didn't think that there was anyway that she was going to be able to continue. She was sobbing uncontrollably and rocking back and forth in her seat.

"Emma… Emma… Emma…" Olivia grabbed her hands again and repeated the girl's name until she looked up at her. "Did you ever see his face?"

Tears still streaming down the girl's face, she shook her head. "He w-was wearing a s-ski mask."

"After he raped you, what did he do?" Olivia's voice was starting to crack as well.

"H-He got up and p-pulled his gun out. He said h-he was s-sorry right b-before he shot m-me."

"Okay Emma." Olivia reached over and turned the tape recorder off, knowing that she couldn't get anything more out of the girl today. "It's all right Emma." Olivia put her hand on Emma's shoulder and tried to comfort her. Still bawling, she fell into Olivia's arms, putting her head on her shoulder.

"W-Why me!" The girl suddenly wailed. "Why me! What did I do..?" Her voice cut off with another sob.

"Emma, you didn't do anything." Though I couldn't see her face - the back of her head was towards the mirror – I could hear the tears in Olivia's voice.

"Then why'd this happen to me?" She demanded of my detective.

"I don't know honey." Olivia placed her hand on the back of the girl's head. "No one ever deserves this. You didn't do anything wrong. This is not your fault."

Suddenly, their voices clicked off. I looked up to see that Elliot had shut the intercom system off, his expression blank, but hardened nonetheless. I turned back to the mirror. Seeing that their positions hadn't changed, I spoke.

"Parents in the squad room?" I asked him.

"Mother, with Fin."

"I'll get her," I volunteered. Elliot just nodded, watching Olivia try to comfort Emma.