CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"So let me get this straight," Sasha said easily, her hip perched on the dresser. She was holding the cigarette in one hand and the gun in the other. His was on the dresser next her, where she placed it after confiscating it. "You fucked Olivia, before you fucked me? That fat whore?"

Elliot was in a state of distress. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had to get the gun away from her and call in for help. Don't underestimate her, he thought to himself. This isn't Olivia, this is a stone cold killer.

"Yes, I did," Elliot said carefully. Time to get some answers and calm her down. "I had no idea that you were interested in me Sasha. That might have changed my tune."

She stared at him. "Do you really think that was Olivia throwing you all those signs? That insecure, emotionally unstable woman? I'm a child of rape and yaya ayayayaya," she said, mimicking Olivia's voice. "The woman is a lesbian Elliot, she can't handle a real man. Not like I can."

"You're right. I don't know what I was thinking. So…I'm curious," he said. He was treading on thin ice here and he knew it. Careful. "Why did you hurt all those people?"

She was whistling now, totally relaxed, totally in control. "Hmmm? Oh, those weren't people, they were the Devil. In his many forms anyway."

"The Devil?" Just then there was a loud banging on the front door and yelling. Sasha jumped off the dresser and rushed to the front door. Elliot following behind, less urgent.

"Who the hell is it?" she screamed.

"It's Fin…" he meant to say "Olivia" after the id, but the woman screaming on the other side of the door didn't sound like her. "It's the police. Is Detectives Stabler and Benson in there?"

Sasha threw Elliot a warning look. Don't try it. "No," she said in an innocent voice. "You startled me with your knocking. I'm Denise, Olivia's cousin. I'm in town for the funeral."

Cragen glanced at the detectives. "Olivia has never mentioned a cousin," he said firmly.

Huang shook his head behind the ESU personnel. "That's Olivia," he said. "She may be throwing her voice or it may be a case of a personality disorder. I'm not sure, but that's Olivia."

"Take this slow," Cragen warned to the ESU guys "they are two of our own."

Inside the apartment, Elliot was trying hard to read the situation. Through the window, he could see the snipers lining up on the roof, taking position. He would die before he would let Olivia get shot in her own apartment.

"Sasha, the snipers are out." There has to be a way to trigger her mind, to get Olivia back. He tried to think.

She swiveled her head toward the window. What the fuck? Who the fuck did these people think they are?

"They're going to shoot me? Fuck them all, I am Sasha! Miserable twits, they couldn't even figure out my plan," The phone rang, cutting her off. "Who the hell is that? No one calls that miserable Olivia, unless it's work…or you." She threw an accusatory look toward her captive.

"It's probably the hostage negotiator," he said calmly. Sasha walked over to the end table and snatched up the phone. "Yes?" she answered sweetly.

"This is Doctor Huang, who am I speaking to?" Cragen, Fin and Munch huddled around Huang while he spoke. After a quick consensus, they thought Huang would have a better chance of connecting with Olivia than the negotiator. They listened intently.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "It's that annoying shrink," she said in a low voice to Elliot. "I don't have time for this," she said turning her attention back to the phone. "Elliot and I need to talk. I need to talk to him, I can't tolerate all these interruptions!"

"Okay," Huang said reasonably. "Is there anyway I can speak to Elliot? Just so I can confirm that he is alright. I'm sure he is anxious to get back to you."

She threw the phone at Elliot, who caught it with both hands. "Talk to the man," she huffed.

Clearing his throat, he spoke into the receiver. "Stabler."

"Elliot, are you alright? Can you give us a read on the situation?"

He adopted a conversational tone. Sasha was watching him like a hawk. "Oh yeah, Sasha and I are just hanging out, having a little talk about our relationship. I tell ya, there really is no need for the snipers."

"Elliot, repeat Sasha's name if it really is Olivia," Huang directed.

"Yes, her name is Sasha," he said easily. "I really have to go now."

Huang clicked off. "Just as I suspected. Olivia suffers from dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder, the more common term. This… Sasha is fully aware of her, but Olivia herself is most likely unaware that she exists."

"So…" Fin was trying his best to get a handle on this new information. "She just turns into Sasha when she wants to murder someone? Why can't Olivia just stop her?"

"Olivia most likely enters into what is called a pyschogenic fugue state," Huang explained. "Olivia herself experiences a blackout, during which Sasha emerges as a fully functional being. Olivia would have no memory of ever being Sasha."

"So how do we get her to turn back into Olivia?"

"An extreme stressor," he replied. "We need to shake her up."

"How do we do that without hurting Elliot?"

Huang was thoughtful. "Maybe we can get Elliot to do it himself."