Titled: Hiders and Liars
Pt. 2: Liars

Original Publish Date: September 3, 2005

Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or any of the characters from SVU. They belong exclusively to Dick Wolf and NBC. I do however hold the rights to any original characters that may be present.

Warnings: None.

Author's Notes: Sorry this took so long. I hope to have more time in the next few weeks to write lots. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and especially mousie962. You are awesome!

Complete

XXXXXXXXXX

Two Months Later

"Hey, Captain, sorry I'm late."

Cragen looked up from the file on his desk and frowned at me. The phone

rang, but he ignored it. "Come on in, Olivia."

He studied my uneven movements as I collapsed into the chair across

from him. My head fell into my hand and I repressed a groan. I felt

awful. For the past week or so the nastiest flu bug had gotten a hold

of me. Most of mornings where spent huddled on the floor of my

bathroom.

"Olivia."

I looked at my captain through my fingers. I knew my eyes were

bloodshot and my skin was pasty and white. My hair hadn't been brushed

through in two days. I could barely even grip the brush, much less

garner the strength to fight every tangle and curl and knot.

"You look like you could use a drink," Cragen said, reaching into the

drawer of his desk. I moaned again and instinctively bent over, holding

my stomach with one arm and my mouth with the other. I could taste the

bile rising to the back of my throat. It took all my control not to

stumble to his waste basket and gag. I had nothing left in my stomach

to throw up. That was the worst. After I had something in me, throwing

up wasn't too bad, because there was something to throw up, but when

running on an empty stomach-that's when it really hurt. Your body

trying to heave food out of you that you didn't have in you-it was the

dry heaves for hours that killed me.

I managed to weakly shake my head in hopes that Cragen didn't pour the

shot. Even the sight of food made me sick. This flu was killing me and

had been for the past two weeks. I could have sworn that I going to

die, especially at three in the morning with my head over a toilet.

Over the weekend it was so bad that Elliot had to come and spend

Saturday night and Sunday morning with me. At one in the morning and

with his siren on, it didn't take him long at all to get to me. That

was absolute hell. Those ten hours. God, it makes me sick just thinking

about it.

I looked up and grinned through my hand at the captain. Cragen only

shook his head at me. "I'm okay, Captain. I'll be fine," I reassured

him. "It's been two weeks. How much longer can this go on?"

He leaned forward over his desk and made sure I was looking him in the

eye. "You have three days to make this better or you're going on forced

leave. Understand?"

I nodded. He was serious, deadly serious. "Perfectly," I whispered.

"Good." Cragen nodded once and motioned for me to leave. I stood,

shaky, and reached for the door, my back slightly hunched for comfort.

"Oh, and Olivia." I turned back to Cragen, wincing as I moved too

quickly. "If this doesn't clear up soon, very soon, I will drive you to

the hospital myself."

I bit my lip. He sounded exactly as Elliot did, except Cragen didn't

know the extent of the bug I had. If he did I would be in an ambulance

immediately, no questions asked.

Without responding I closed the door and left. I pitifully grinned at a

few of the passing uniforms and detectives, shrugging off those who

tried to talk to me. I purposefully avoided the coffee and morning

pastries section and barely made it to my desk before my legs fell out

from under me. How long can I keep this up? I asked myself, laying my

head down in my folded arms on the table top, trying to stop the

spinning world around me.

I could hear Munch walk up to me, but I didn't bother raising my head

for him. I could smell his coffee and knew if I saw it, I would be

sick. After a few seconds of standing over me, he gave up and walked

back to his own desk.

I heard a few other people milling around me, some talking, some

shuffling papers, some rushing to one place or another-the noise

overwhelmed me and my head throbbed. Tears pooled in my eyes at the

pain. It wasn't fair, why was I so sick when no one else got it. Even

Elliot was perfectly fine and we were always together. Damn it all.

XXX

"Liv, wake up babe, you've been sleeping." I jerked awake at Elliot's

voice and swore at my stupidity. Without even acknowledging him I

glanced at my watch. 10:15. I slept for an hour. On my desk. Where

everyone could see. Damn.

"Here, eat this." Elliot gave me a sandwich. Bread, turkey, lettuce.

That was it and it looked so unappetizing

"Elliot," I moaned.

"No, Liv, you have to eat."

I grimaced and gingerly took a bit. My stomach roared at the thought of

food. I dryly bit off a small part and forced it down my throat. Elliot

handed me a water bottle, which I took gratefully. With every small

bite it took two or three gulps of water, but eventually I ate the

sandwich and finished the water. After my stomach settled, I really did

feel better, but I knew that the food wouldn't stay in me for long.

When I was able to talk again, I leaned back in my chair and looked

across at Elliot. "Do you think the Captain saw me sleeping like that?"

"Yeah, he did."

I just about fell off my chair. "He saw me?"

Elliot grinned. "He ordered everyone to leave you alone and let me run

off and grab something for you to eat. He's giving ten dollars to the

first person who can figure out what you have."

I glanced toward the door. "He's not angry?"

"Oh, he was livid, until I reminded him that you haven't slept in

days."

I frowned. "This is stupid. I shouldn't be so worried about this. I'll

get better eventually. What case are we on?"

"Liv," Elliot started, but with a glare from me, he sighed. "The

Carlson boy."

I nodded and grabbed the file out of his hand. I was going to show the

captain that I could do this. I had to.

XXXXX

Two Days Later

"Hey Olivia."

I looked up to see Casey walking across the precinct, a pile of papers

in one hand and cup holder with two cups of coffee in the other. I

could smell the espresso and grimaced, fearing that I would be sick,

but today was a good day. I had actually eaten last night and this

morning and I was feeling good.

I gave a slight wave, but I knew I was in trouble. Casey only pulled

out the good coffee when I've done something stupid. Or when she needed

someone to talk to. I sighed and pushed out my chair. I was in trouble.

"Hey," she said again, standing beside my desk. "Let's go up to the

roof. We should talk."

I mutely nodded and grabbed my jacket. Being only late September, and

after a particularly hot summer, it was still warm enough to spend

extended time outside. In another couple of weeks, we'd be forced to go

to the crib or into an interrogation room. That always puts an

interesting twist on the conversation.

We silently took the elevator up to the last floor and walked the

flight of stairs that lead to the rooftop. A small flock of birds

scattered when I opened the door and I wished I could fly away with

them. I didn't know what's worse, when Casey tells me I've done

something that the DA isn't going to like when I know I've done it, or

when I haven't.

"Here, do you want some?" she asked, holding out the tray with the

espresso cups in it. I almost took one, but my stomach was unsettled. I

went two weeks without solid food; coffee was not going to do me any

good. I might have been feeling okay now, but in a few minutes I could

be sick again-reality was not very happy for me right now.

"No, thanks Case," I answered, waving off the coffee as I leaned

against the edge of the railing.

Casey glared at me and set the coffee down on the ground. One tipped

over on the uneven ground, but she ignored it. Oh, she was pissed. I

tried to narrow my eyes to prepare for the inevitable, but I was tired,

all my energy was fighting the flu I had. I sighed in defeat and

frowned. "What do you need me to do Casey?"

Casey snorted. "What do I need you to do? I need you to stop

intimidating suspects."

"We always intimidate suspects. It's part of our job," I retorted,

crossing my arms.

I saw the frustration and anger pass through Casey. I've known her long

enough to understand how to deal with her when she was this livid.

Making her even angrier typically wasn't the answer.

Casey's lips tightened and her jaw clenched. I could practically hear

her teeth grind together. She paced toward the opposite side of the

roof and spun around. Calmly she walked back toward me, her heels

clicking with every step. She stopped right in front of me.

"Olivia, I'm only going to ask you to do this once." She reached into

her coat pocket and pulled out an home pregnancy test.

I felt my body want to collapse from under me. I reached out and

gripped the railing, in an attempt not to fall to the ground. "You

think I'm pregnant?" I whispered, barely able to form a coherent

sentence.

Casey nodded and held out the box. "I've had more than one pregnant

sister in law and you show all the symptoms. Sleeplessness, over

emotional, vomiting-Olivia I don't care who the father is, you never

need to tell me, but I'm asking you to take the test."

"You're that sure?"

"Positive," she answered. Casey grinned, "If I'm wrong I'll treat you

to lunch some day."

I weakly grabbed the test from her. "What will happen if I am

pregnant?"

Casey put one arm around my shoulders. "I'll help you through it.

Remember I've done this before."

I tried to laugh, but all I could do is keep from crying. Tears pooled

in my eyes and I brushed them away. I knew it. My future had been set.

I recognized the symptoms now that Casey had laid them out for me. I

was pregnant. I was carrying his child. Elliot. I was carrying his

child and I couldn't tell anyone else.

"Casey," I said, looking up at her. "If I really am pregnant, I . . . I

don't know who the father is."

"Oh, Olivia," she answered, pulling me closer. "Well get through it. I

promise you. We'll get through it."

I don't know if it was from my over active hormones or my overwhelming

terror at what was happening to me and to my life. I was going to make

it. I had to make it.

Mechanically, I pulled myself away from Casey and slid down the wall,

holding my knees to my chest. Casey left after a short while; I'm not

sure how long she stayed there beside me. She also left the pregnancy

test, but I didn't have to take it to know. I was pregnant. And I had

lied to my friend-one of my closes friends. The lie was out and there

was nothing I could do to stop it.