- - -

Chapter 8 – Doing it for you; nobody else

Amy Novak's apartment

"Stabler?" Elliot answered the phone; he was sat having dinner with Amy and Jack.

"It's Liv, Della's gone missing. Where've you been all afternoon?" Olivia asked.

"When? I'm having dinner with Amy and Jack, we'll meet you at the Reeves' place, you called Casey yet?"

"Soon as we're done. We?"

"When we find her she's going to want someone to talk to, that someone is going to be Amy, see you in twenty." Elliot replied hanging up. "You get that?" He asked Amy.

"I'm ready when you are." She replied.

- - -

Office of ADA Casey Novak

"Novak?" Casey answered wearily she'd just started to fall asleep at her desk.

"It's Benson, Della's gone missing, we're on our way to look for her." Olivia replied.

"That's all we need, I think you should call Amy, she'll be able to talk to her when you find her."

"Already done."

"Good, let me know when you find her, if you don't I'll work on getting a continuation."

"Will do, speak to you later." Olivia hung up as Casey rummaged in her bag until she found some aspirin for the headache she'd just developed.

- - -

Reeves' residence

"Mrs Reeves when did you last see her?" Elliot asked the hysterical woman.

"About lunch time, she said she wanted to go out for a walk and she never came back, what if he's got her."

"He's in custody, don't worry we'll find her." Elliot reassured the woman. He then went upstairs to check how Olivia and Amy were getting on looking round Della's room.

"Journal!" Amy exclaimed after flipping the mattress.

"Good guess, what does it say?" Olivia replied as Amy flicked through it.

"I love my maths teacher, my lab partner is such a dork, I hate my brother, I hate my mum, I hate my dad. Usual teenage girl stuff, like reading my sisters' really, only there's no I hate Amy she's a twat." Amy replied still looking. "Ah ha!" She said.

"What?" Olivia asked as Elliot joined them.

"I can't cope with this anymore, I just want it all to be over, I don't think I'll be able to face him in court tomorrow, I wish it would all go away, I wish it would stop. I wish I was brave enough to do it but I'm not. I need to go somewhere to think, somewhere safe." Amy read as Mrs Reeves appeared at the door.

"Mrs Reeves where does Della feel safe?" Olivia urged.

"Water, she loves water." Mrs Reeves sobbed.

"Docks, river?" Amy asked.

"I don't know." Mrs Reeves broke down.

"I'll get Munch and Fin down to the north side docks, we'll go south, I'll get a team to go down the river." Elliot replied pulling out his phone,

- - -

Two hours later

"Nothing, river patrols turned up nothing either." Fin said walking over to where Elliot, Olivia and Amy were stood.

"Somewhere safe and somewhere to think." Olivia said. "Amy where do you go to think?"

"I go running, you?"

"A nice walk. Elliot?" Olivia asked her partner who could see how this was going to go.

"I watch my kids sleeping, I think we should end this before you two start asking everyone in the area where they go to think." Elliot replied.

"Think by the water, somewhere she's safe." Olivia said.

"You know when we were younger my dad always used to take us fishing when he wanted to talk to us one on one, the peacefulness of it all attracted him, a house with six screaming kids wasn't exactly quiet." Amy added suddenly as Elliot rolled his eyes.

"That's it!" Olivia beamed looking like she could kiss Amy. "I don't know why we didn't figure it out sooner."

"She had one in her hand when we went to the house before the ID." Amy smiled and called Mrs Reeves. "Mrs Reeves it's Detective Novak……no not yet……you know Della likes fishing where does she usually go…………Fantastic." Amy replied.

"Where?" Olivia asked.

"Weatherly Lake about half hours drive from here." Amy replied heading towards the car alongside Olivia, Elliot quickly followed.

- - -

They arrived at the lake, it was really dark, cold, it was raining and the ground was soggy, flashlights in hand Elliot, Amy and Olivia made their way through the mud to the waters edge. After a few minutes they spotted Della sat close to the water, fishing rod in hand looking out at the water, tears were streaming down her face, she looked like she'd been crying for hours. Slowly they approached her, Olivia and Elliot let Amy make the first move.

"Della?" Amy asked as they got closer. Hearing the voice made the young girl jump.

"They said you were busy with something else." Della cried.

"I was but I'm here now, your mothers been frantic, we all have." Amy replied.

"I can't do it Amy, I'm not brave enough, I wish everything would just go away." She cried as Amy got close enough to give her a hug.

"I know honey, it's not easy." Amy said wrapping her arms tightly round the young girl who'd stood up and had began to sob even more, Olivia shot her a questioning look and Amy nodded in response, and Olivia took Elliot to go and call Mrs Reeves.

"Why did this happen to me?" Della asked moving away from Amy and sitting back down on her chair she was shivering with the cold so Amy took off her coat and wrapped it round the teenager, then Amy knelt down in the mud next to her, not caring that she was wearing her best jeans.

"I don't know, you didn't do anything to deserve what happened to you." Amy replied.

"Why though?" Della sobbed.

"I wish I knew sweetie, I know all you want to do is wake up and realise it's nothing but a bad dream, but I can't tell you that, I won't go away, no matter how far you run, it's always there. But it won't be if you face him in court tomorrow, once he's locked up you won't have to worry about him getting you or doing it again, you have to be brave, not for me, not for the lawyers, the cops, your mum, you have to be brave for you, I know you have it in you to do it."

"No I don't, I'm not like you, I can't do it."

"Yes you can, you proved it by picking him out of the line up, you proved it when you told me his name, Della I know you can do it. You're ten times braver than I am, I know I'd be scared if I had to do what you're going to do, I get nervous every time I go to court and I'm a cop, but I know you can do it. I've seen many people in your shoes, a lot older than you struggle to go into court and face their attacker, but do you know what they told me afterwards?"

"What?"

"They knew they'd done the right thing and they felt better for doing it. You got the hardest part over with when you named him and told the police what had happened to you. Once you've faced him in court you'll be able to do anything, move on with things, you've got your whole life ahead of you and I bet you'll never have to do anything this daunting ever again."

"I'm scared Amy."

"I know you are, but I'll be right there the whole time, I promise, if you want me I'll be there." Amy offered her hand to the girl.

"Promise?"

"I promise, I'll be there before you go into court and I'll still be there when you're done. I know you can do it, and deep down so do you." They remained in silence for a while, the pair of them looking at the water until Della broke the silence.

"I'll do it." She said looking at Amy who was still knelt down in the mud.

"You sure?" Amy asked.

"Like you said I need to do if for me, nobody else. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it, but I'll do my best."

"Good, now are you ready to go home?" Amy asked standing up, she was frozen, she was beginning to wish she'd picked up a sweater at the same time she'd picked up the coat that Della was wrapped in.

"Mum's going to be mad at me." Della said.

"No she won't, she's been out of her mind with worry. If she's been getting mad I bet it's been because it's her way of dealing with it. She'll understand, I know she will." Amy replied putting a hand on Della's shoulder.

"I want to go home." Della said reeling in the fishing rod and picking up her chair, Amy nodded and led her back to the car where Elliot and Olivia were waiting.

- - -

"I hope everything's ok." Olivia said as she was sat in the car with Elliot.

"It will be, better sat in here than out there." Elliot replied as the rain began to come down heavier.

"I can't begin to imagine what she's going through."

"That's why Amy's talking to her, she's ok you know." Elliot said.

"Della or Amy?"

"Amy."

"Why what did she say?" Olivia asked, she'd been wondering why he'd been at Amy's for so long.

"That she was fine, and also because of what I saw when I arrived there."

"What?"

"Well that roommate of hers who you and Casey ogled answered the door half dressed again, but he wasn't the only one, Amy was wrapped in nothing but a towel."

"Doesn't prove anything."

"But what if I tell you that they both were somewhat wet and flushed when I got there. They share a bathroom you know, and they definitely have chemistry, I noticed that over dinner, which I must hasten to add they cooked together." Elliot replied and smiled as comprehension dawned on Olivia's face. "Now, I was wondering, when did you last have relations with a man?" Elliot asked and Olivia responded by glaring at him, luckily he was saved from her reaction in full by the sight of Amy and Della.

- - -

"Everything ok?" Olivia asked noticing how filthy Amy's jeans were as she and Della approached.

"Della's ready to go home." Amy replied with a nod and a shiver.

"We called her and let her know you were ok, she should be here any moment. As if on cue Mrs Reeves and her husband turned up.

"Oh my baby! Are you ok?" Mrs Reeves asked pouncing on her daughter and pulling her into a big hug.

"I'm fine mum, I talked to Amy and I've decided that tomorrow I will walk into the courtroom and show the world what Eddie is. And I'm going to do it because I want to, because it's something I've got to do." Della replied, Mrs Reeves responded by looking over at the soaking wet and cold Amy who nodded.

"Well I'm sure you'll do brilliantly, thank you detectives." Mr Reeves added.

"We'll see you bright and early tomorrow Della." Olivia smiled as Della handed Amy her coat back and got into the car with her parents.

"You ok?" Elliot asked Amy who was fastening her coat up.

"Aside from being cold and somewhat wet along with the fact that I think I've ruined my favourite jeans, there's nothing wrong at all, and I know Della's going to be fine too." Amy replied with a smile.

- - -

Precinct

"I thought I'd find you all here, I take it you've found her?" Casey asked Elliot and Olivia who were sat warming themselves with steaming mugs of coffee.

"She'd gone fishing, Amy talked to her, I think she'll have caught the flu by doing so but everything will be fine. Amy promised her that she'll be there in court tomorrow." Olivia replied.

"If I'm honest I should have insisted on her being there in the first place. Elliot did you manage to talk to Amy at all?" Casey asked.

"Apparently when he turned up Jack was half dressed with wet hair and Amy was soaking wet wrapped in a towel and they both looked like they'd been up to something. And there was something there between them over dinner too. He told me that before asking me when I last had sex." Olivia replied.

"The questions open to you too Casey." Elliot added with a smirk.

"Let me guess, that one's come from Amy? Typical," Casey managed a smile, "well I'll see you both tomorrow in court. Night." Casey replied walking away.

"You going to give me an answer?" Elliot asked Olivia.

"I'll leave it to you your seeded imagination." Olivia replied with a smile.