Title: Too Little. Too Late

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: The Detectives and Casey are drawn deeper into Alleigh's mind in the weeks leading up to her death. Sorry I took so long to update but between work, school etc I don't have a lot of spare time.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU

Chapter Four: Deeper

The Detectives, at Casey's request, had taken her to Alleigh Holloway's house so that she could have a look around. They were carefully poring through her room at that time.

"Check under her mattress for a diary or anything like that," Casey suggested as she looked through Alleigh's desk drawers. "Wow," she suddenly stated. "I've got the mother load here," she held out a small wooden box full of razor blades and various other sharp implements. Behind the box was boxes of band-aids, butterfly band-aids and bandages of all descriptions.

"Nice work," Elliot commented, looking over her shoulder.

"Hey I got a diary. Anyone find any keys?" Olivia asked.

"She had a key on a chain around her neck when they brought her in remember?" Elliot reminded Olivia.

"Oh of course she did," Olivia shook her head. Her mind was preoccupied with Casey at the moment. The redhead was putting on a good show of being OK but Olivia knew that that wasn't quite the case. "I guess we take this back to the station and have a look at it," she tucked the small purple book into a plastic evidence bag forensics had given her.

L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU

"Ugh this is all in some sort of code. I can't understand it," Olivia said in frustration.

"Lets see," Casey leaned over Olivia's shoulder.

"Huh. That's not a code Olivia. It's been written in a mirror. It's back to front," she pulled a small mirror out of her purse and held it up to the diary. Immediately the words became clear. Casey read the words aloud:

"Dear Diary,

I hate my parents. They took off on holiday to Marseilles and left me here. They wouldn't even give me the key to the house so now I can't get to my supplies. Mom caught me cutting up again the other day. She went totally off her rocker at me. Oh you should have heard the things she said to me. 'Alleigh Jade Holloway! You stupid little bitch! What have I told you about doing that?! You are a shame to this family, girl! You are nothing more than an attention seeking little brat!' I tried to explain myself but she wouldn't listen. She doesn't understand what it's like. Cutting is like smoking. Addictive. The more you do it the more you want it and the more you want it the more you need it. She doesn't understand. Why would I try so hard to hide it if I wanted attention from it? Well I won't have to hide for much longer. I figured out another way to deal with it. Then she'll realize how wrong she is…" Casey trailed off and sucked in a deep shaking breath. Olivia reached out and rubbed her arm, giving her elbow a reassuring squeeze.

"I think we all know what her other way of dealing was," Munch stated quietly.

"I say we talk to the friend she was supposed to be staying with," said Elliot.

L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU

"Bridgette, you were a good friend of Alleigh's?" Olivia asked the young redhead in front of her.

"Yes," Bridgette answered quietly.

"Did you notice anything weird about her recently? I don't know, maybe a change in her personality or something?" Olivia asked.

"Yes! Yes I did," Bridgette looked relieved that someone was asking this. "Usually Alleigh was real quiet and almost sulky. She never said much and when she did she could get real dark. Then just before Madeline and Gavin went to France she suddenly changed. Like, overnight. She was bright and happy and talkative. She wanted to do all of these cool things with us. We went bowling and out for dinner and mini-golfing. It was so much fun," Bridgette was smiling as she said that, but then the smile faded. "But I knew something was up. I told our teacher but she just said that Alleigh had had a much needed attitude adjustment. She wasn't murdered y'know. I think I know what happened," Bridgette told Olivia.

"What? What do you think happened to Alleigh, Bridgette?" Olivia asked.

"I think she talked our friend Catriona into helping her. Catriona is really suggestible. She would have been able to coerce her into helping her end her life pretty easily. You need to talk to her. Catriona Ellington," Bridgette told Olivia.

"OK. We'll look into that thank you. Bridgette did you know about Alleigh's problem?" Olivia asked.

"You mean the cutting? Yeah I did," Bridgette said darkly. "She told me a few months ago. She totally panicked when I suggested talking to someone about it. I know about her Uncle too," Bridgette was quiet for a few moments. Then she started to cry. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. It hurts too much," she sobbed.

L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU

"So I guess we talk to this Catriona Ellington then," Elliot sighed.

"Tomorrow," Olivia said. "We need sleep now."

Casey walked into her apartment about 20 minutes later and closed the door behind her. She went straight for the bathroom and locked herself in there. She turned on the shower and then stripped down to her bra and panties. Then she stepped in front of the mirror. She stared hard at her reflection.

"Jesus," she muttered. She shook her head as she stared at her thighs. She hadn't exactly told Olivia the truth. The scars were still plenty visible. Dark crimson lines crisscrossed all over her thighs some with tiny red dots beside them from where she'd been stitched up. Tears poured down her cheeks as the steam from the shower fogged up the mirror distorting her reflection. She removed her silver watch and her bracelet and stared at the scars on her wrists. She shook her head hard and removed her underwear before stepping into the shower. She turned the water up so that it was so hot she could only just stand it and felt the tension drain out of her, the hot water turning her pale skin bright pink. By the time she stepped out of the water 20 minutes later she was feeling better. She was ready to face the world once again.

L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU L&O:SVU

Please read and review.