Title: Just Another Gamble
Author: Sara and Lizzie
Rating: T
Disclaimer: We don't own Law And Order: Special Vicitims Unit. If we did, our favorite dectectives would be together. We don't own anything that we mention in the story that is owned by anyone else.
Author's Note: WOW! We were floored by the response to the last chapter. Thanks to everyone who reveiwed. We realized we're used to writing OC fanfiction, which is obviously different, but tell us who you feel it would work if we did not put El and Liv together right away. We'll up the tension and the angst, and put in some good stuff, but it wont be fluffy yet? Let us know. Review!
Elliot knew that Olivia had every intention of talking. But he was almostrelieved to see as she got out of his car, the pain in her head intensified. After he had to practically beg her for permission to help her up to her apartment, she went to bed, and fell asleep almost immediately.
Elliot paced around her apartment, head spinning. He made his way out to her kitchen, discovering she had next to no food, aside from leftover take out and ice cream. He laughed to himself, momentarily distracted from his inner turmoil.
He grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge and went back to her room. She was sleeping. He sat down in a chair by a window, too preoccupied to notice the moonlight streaming in.
Kathy not only wanted a divorce, but she hadnt been faithful in the marriage. Elliot hadn't been in love with his wife for a long time, but it was hard to wrap his mind around the concept of her cheating on him. She was his wife. She was the mother of his children. And she hadn't kept her marriage vows.
Then again, neither had he. He was in love with Olivia. It was something he always knew, but never really admitted to himself. He had been in love with for a long time, long enough to feel incredibly guilty about it. And Kathy saw it. And now she wanted a divorce.
So where did that leave them? He was in love with Olivia. And soon he wouldn't be married any more. But she was his partner, and it wasn't exactly normal to date your partner. Elliot's mind was racing. It's not like he could, or even wanted to jump right from Kathy to Olivia.
And there was the problem in itself. He didn't know where Olivia stood on this. Things between them had been, different lately. Tense. And they both noticed it. But it wasn't as though Olivia would be jumping out to profess her love anytime soon. She was guarded and she didn't get close to anyone. Elliot shook his head to clear it. This wasn't going to get him anywhere. He was about to retreat to Olivia's couch when his cell phone rang.
"Stabler." He whispered, moving for the door so as not to wake his sleeping partner.
"Elliot." Said Cragen on the other side of the line, "We got a rape called in by a friend. Said she came home, noticed the door was open, came in and saw her roommate lying there, out cold. 9th avenue and West 26th. Townhouse, by Chelsea park."
"I'm on my way."
"Elliot?"
"Don't wake Olivia."
"Right, Cap." He said, hanging up his phone, wondering how Cragen managed to know everything about his detectives, including their whereabouts.
Elliot walked to Olivia's kitchen and jotted a note for her on a napkin. By the time he had finished and collected his keys, she was hovering by the front door in jeans and a long sleeve black polo shirt, waiting for him.
"You're supposed to be sleeping, Liv."
She smiled. "You know me better than that, Elliot."
He nodded and grabbed her leather coat off the couch and tossed it to her. "Could be colder."
"Where are we going, upstate?"
Elliot smiled at her. "Chelsea. Girl comes home, finds the door open, and her roommate knocked out, and presumably raped. Vic's at the hospital now, Cragen told us to get to the house."
"Two girls, in a townhouse in Chelsea?" They were making their way to the car.
"By the park." Elliot added.
Olivia nodded. "I'm guessing they're not poor students paying off debts to NYU or starving aritists. A lot of the rich kids move to the Village or Chelsea or SoHo."
"So who tries to rape a rich girl?"
"There lies the question." Olivia said, as Elliot started the car and headed for Chelsea. Olivia checked her watch and groaned.
"It's 12:17, Elliot." She said. "The chances of getting any sleep tonight are officially over."
"You didn't have to come."
Olivia looked at him for long time. "Yes, I did." They sat in silence for a few minutes. "So, are you going to tell me why you're getting divorced?"
"I don't want to talk about it Olivia."
She sighed. "Elliot."
"Liv." He said sternly. "Not now."
"Right." She said. And turned to look out the window.
Elliot sighed, and kept driving. They arrived in Chelsea, and found the house, already swarming with police and medical examiners. Elliot parked, and before they got out of the car, Olivia spoke again.
"Cragen's not going to be happy when he reads the report from this morning." She said. "One of them got away."
"It was him or you. I made a choice." Elliot said defensively.
It was silent for a long time. "Thank you." Olivia whispered.
Elliot grasped her shoulder. "I'd do it again in a second, Liv." They climbed out the car and shut their doors at the same time, almost as if they were one person. They moved into the townhouse, and were greeted by M.E. Warner.
"You're going to want to see this, detectives." She said. "Vic's name is Blair Roberts. She's 19, goes to NYU. Roommate is her best friend, Emily Cahn. Also 19, also goes to NYU. Blair's at the hospital getting the rape kit, Emily's still here. You'll want tocheck the room where she was raped."
Warner led the way, while Elliot and Olivia followed, looking at each other questioningly. On the way, they passed a girl, who looked to be about Maureen's age, looking shocked.
"Emily?" Olivia asked. The girl's head whipped around.
"That's me."
Olivia smiled. "I'm detective Benson, and this is my partner, dectective Stabler. We're from Special Victims Unit. We're going to find out who did this to Blair. Can you tell me what you found when you came home?"
Emily nodded. "I noticed the door was open. And I figuredtypical. Blair's a little flighty. So I came in, and I called her name and she didn't answer. But her purse annd keys were on the counter, so I knew she was here. I looked everywhere, but didn't find her until I checked the guest room."
"She was out cold, and her.." Emily swallowed. "Her pants were off. I figured she'd been raped."
"What can you tell us about Blair?" Elliot asked.
Emily smiled. "We've been best friends forever. We grew up next door to each other. Her family had the penthouse next to my building."
"Upper East Side?" Olivia guessed.
"5th avenue. Across from the Met. I don't want to sound elitist, but…"
"You're not hurting for money?" Olivia supplied. "Don't worry about it. These are the kinds of things we need to know."
"What about Blair's parents?" Elliot probed.
"Her mom is great. And he step- dad always treated her like his own daughter."
"Ever met her real father?" Olivia asked.
Blair shook her head. "No one has. Blair's mom was, um. She was raped too. And that's how she got pregnant with Blair."