Tarnished

Chapter Six

Bianca Lewis's Home

Queens

7:43 PM

"Marco, Benny, c'mon let's go, it's almost time for the sitter to come and pick you up," Bianca called to her two horse playing sons who were ten and seven.

They were bundles full of energy and she loved them so much. They wanted to spend the weekend with their sitter's sons, and she reluctantly let them, knowing that they were in good hands. They turned the television up louder, trying to distract each other so that one of them could win the video game.

The boys had been handling the absence of their father well for their ages and Bianca tried to do everything she could to keep them busy and their minds off of their father. Harry Lewis decided one day that he didn't want to be a husband or a father any longer, and Bianca woke up one morning with him gone. It was the most painful thing to ever happen to her, and she was still trying to overcome the anger she felt at the world. She knew that she had been a bit surly to the detectives about Marissa, and she hadn't meant to be.

"Hey! Benny!" Marco shouted. "Mom!"

"Alright turn it off if you can't play without hurting each other," Bianca said, coming into the living room and turning off the game.

"Mom!" They both whined.

"Alright, that's it, upstairs and go get your things," she said. "Make sure you have everything, you hear me?"

"Yes mama," the boys said in unison as they charged upstairs to their bedrooms.

"Oy, mi hijos," she sighed, shaking her head with a smile. She went back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

The doorbell rang and Bianca threw her hands up and headed to the front door.

"I'm so glad you're here Dahlia," Bianca sighed with a chuckle as she opened the door. "Please, come take them away."

Bianca was barely able to react to the person with the gun aimed at her head.

Marco and Benny didn't know what had happened to their mother as they tossed things back and forth to each other, laughing, unaware that their young lives were about to be cut tragically short. The boys gathered up their bags as they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. They sat on Benny's bed, smiling, pretending to act like angels for who they thought was their approaching mother.

Instead, it was a tall, lean person, and the boys froze with fear. Marco, the youngest, opened his mouth to scream, but the smiling man put his finger to his lips.

"Shh," the killer said as they entered the room. "We're going to play a little game."

The boys were both breathing hard and their hearts were beating too fast for their young bodies.

"Who are you?" Benny asked, trying to stand up for his little brother. "Where's mom?"

"She's sleeping," the killer said, kneeling down in front of them. "And she would like it if you went to sleep too."

The boys looked at each other in fear.

9:46 PM

Olivia and Elliot drove up to the crime scene. Munch, Fin and Cragen were trailing.

Olivia got out of the car first and Elliot followed. He lifted up the crime scene tape for Olivia and they entered, Munch, Fin, and Cragen behind them. The scene was a mess, it was swarmed by media and there were many curious and concerned neighbors. There was a woman sobbing and rocking back and forth, crying out something in Spanish, but none of the detectives paid enough attention to translate.

Just as they were entering, Joe Fontana and Ed Green from homicide came walking out.

"What are you guys doing here?" Olivia asked.

"We're just about to ask you the same question," Ed retorted. "We were catching and they tossed us this one. The mother, Bianca Lewis, shot once in the head, and her two boys are upstairs."

"Are they okay?" Elliot asked.

Ed had a solemn look on his face and they knew the news was going to be bad.

"The boys were smothered with a pillow," Joe explained as he took off his gloves. "They were seven and ten."

Olivia gasped and shook her head. "What kind of bastard are we dealing with here?"

"A cold blooded one," Ed said as they walked through the crime scene. "At least the boys had it easier compared to their mother."

"Death for a child is never easy," Elliot commented.

Joe filled in the rest of SVU while Elliot and Olivia followed Ed up to where the boys' bodies lay dead. Olivia felt something akin to pain in her heart and womb at the sight of the little boys.

"They're just babies," she sighed. "What could Bianca possibly have done to make the killer take her two sons?"

"Isn't it a coincidence that just hours after we talk to Bianca about Marissa Barlow she ends up dead too?" Elliot muttered.

Ed looked between his fellow detectives.

"Okay, I'm lost," he said.

"A couple of days ago, we found the body of Melissa Barlow in her car near DUMBO," Olivia explained. "Except, Melissa was strangled to death. She was fifteen weeks pregnant."

"Damn," Ed said as they left the boys' room. "Are we even dealing with the same killer?"

"Well, did this hump steal anything?" Elliot asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Nope," Ed explained. "Nothing broken, no money taken, Bianca's purse was sitting on the end table. I'd say this was a hit."

"Great," Olivia huffed. "I need some air."

Olivia walked outside and she sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She'd had enough of children getting hurt or murdered in senseless crimes. She had to think objectively. Somebody was offing people who were connected to Marissa and the Sadlers. This could be a chain reaction, someone trying to cover up something bigger than an affair.

Still, something about seeing the two boys lying there, their faces so placid, as if they didn't suffer, but she knew that they did, resonated with a part of her soul that hadn't been touched before. The older Olivia got, the more she felt within herself. She realized that she hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of herself in relation to the job, and she found that she was constantly changing the way she grieved. There was no right way to grieve, really.

"Liv," Elliot called. "You alright?"

She turned and looked at him.

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's just…I don't know. Hit a little close is all."

"I know," Elliot sighed. "I can't stop thinking about my kids. I can't stop thinking about Maureen, and the baby she's got inside her. I worry about her twenty four seven."

"El, she's a married woman now, starting her own family," Olivia assured. "Besides, she's more like you than any of your other kids. She knows how to take care of herself."

"I know," he sighed, looking back at the house. "But then I see things like this, and I wish that my kids were still little, safe at home with Kathy and me covering them."

"Looks like we'll be working with Fontana and Green on this one," Olivia sighed.

Riverside Park

Soccer Field C

10:30 AM Saturday

It was a rather overcast day with a few bright spots from the sun, but it was still nice enough to just need a light sweater. Casey came rushing up to the cheering family. Lizzie had just been called into the soccer game, and Casey was glad to be considered a friend of the family.

"How are they doing?" Casey asked Olivia.

"Lizzie's team is doing good so far," Olivia said, putting her hands on her hips. "But I think some of them are getting a little winded. The other team is fast."

Casey smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

Everyone was cheering on an enthused Lizzie as she ran out to the field.

"Alright Liz!" Elliot shouted, clapping his hands as he came over to Casey. "Glad you could come. Lizzie is going to be excited to see you. She'll talk to you nonstop."

"I guess I'm her best friend now huh?" Casey asked.

"Yeah I guess you are," Elliot chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Olivia's waist. "You okay Liv?"

"Yeah," She smiled. "I feel better. Go watch your daughter."

Olivia chuckled and playfully nudged Elliot away.

"Don't kick like a girl!" Dickie shouted.

"Shut up!" Lizzie yelled from across the field. "Dopo!"

"Hey, hey!" Elliot called to his feuding twins.

"So, this doesn't bother you?" Casey asked as they watched the game.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Being around Kathy and the kids," Casey explained. "After everything."

"Well, I'm not used to it, but it doesn't freak me out as much," Olivia shrugged as she turned her attention to the family. Kathy was taking pictures as usual, Dickie was both cheering and taunting his sister, and Maureen and Chris were talking to Elliot about Lizzie's game so far, and Kathleen was chatting away on her cell phone, waving a pompom at intervals. "Sometimes I don't know if I even belong…or measure up."

"What does Kathy think?" Casey asked.

"Kathy seems okay with it," Olivia sighed. "I don't know, I just feel like the…" she paused to count exactly what wheel she was. "Eighth wheel, which is okay because his family is important."

Casey smiled and hugged Olivia. "You are more happy than I've seen you since…I first met you. You belong with Elliot…with his family. The world just wouldn't be right if it was anything to the contrary."

Olivia grinned. "That was strangely poetic."

"I try," Casey shrugged.

It wasn't long before everyone was cheering on for Lizzie and the team. In fact, the may have been the loudest because other parents were looking at them strangely when their shouts of encouragement were being outdone by members of the Stabler party.

Lizzie's team ended up winning the game, and fifteen rowdy, excited girls jumped for joy before getting in line to shake hands with the opposing team.

"Good game," Lizzie said, breathing heavily before she ran over to her parents.

"You did so great out there Liz!" Kathy exclaimed, hugging her youngest daughter.

"You did awesome," Elliot said taking his turn to hug his daughter.

"Thanks!" Lizzie said excitedly before she ran over and hugged Olivia and Casey, knocking the wind out of both women. "I'm so glad you came!"

"That was a great game Lizzie," Casey said. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Lizzie said. "Are you coming with us to celebrate?"

"Yeah," Casey chuckled. "You played so well."

La Boheme

2:45 PM

Olivia watched as Elliot and Kathy monitored the kids while they played games after they ate lunch. Olivia and Casey were left behind at the table finishing up the last of their pizza. Olivia furrowed her eyebrows as she watched Casey eat the last jalapeno by itself contemplatively.

"I can't believe you eat those things like that," Olivia grimaced and Casey grinned.

"Just because you blew chunks after too much hot stuff doesn't mean I can't eat it," Casey shrugged.

La Boheme was busy, and there were kids running around all over the place. It was bright and flashy, and the food wasn't too bad. There were replicas of French chorus line girls and other Bohemian themed paraphernalia. Elliot's kids still loved the place because of the games, even Maureen and Chris. She'd never seen Maureen so happy before.

Dickie and Lizzie were rushing back to the table, cutting their conversation short.

"C'mon Olivia," Dickie said with his charm. "You're good at ski ball. If you play, it'll be tickets galore."

"I'm so glad you value my ski ball abilities," Olivia chuckled as she got up.

Lizzie urged Casey to help her pick out prizes.

Olivia Benson's Apartment

7:45 PM

Elliot and Olivia both plopped onto her couch, completely exhausted and wanting to go to sleep. After they left La Boheme, the family went home, and Olivia watched a couple of movies with the twins until they fell asleep, while Elliot, Kathy, and Maureen and Chris discussed school and other trivial things.

"What's the matter?" Elliot asked quietly as they both rested into the sofa.

"Nothing," she sighed, shaking her head. "Just tired."

"Me too," he sighed as he looked into her eyes.

Elliot leaned down and kissed her slowly at first, then a little deeper, a little more loving. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and slid her tongue into his mouth and the kiss turned passionate. His hands slid under her shirt and caressed over her back, his fingers touching the edge of her bra and she groaned and smiled into the next kiss. He had a sly grin on his face as he kissed her neck.

"I love the way you taste," he whispered, making her gasp when he nipped at the skin on her neck. "I love your skin."

Olivia began to lift up his shirt, feeling the strong muscles in his chest. She wanted to touch this man all over, and her body was reacting to every kiss he placed on her neck.

He claimed her lips again sucking them into his mouth, making her plump, beautiful lips more swollen. She opened her mouth to let him in and they savored each other's taste and feel. Before she knew it, Elliot had her shirt up and off and he was kissing the top of her breasts as he caressed her lower back.

This is getting out of hand, Olivia thought to herself through haze and passion and…love.

But her lips couldn't form a decent sentence as Elliot caressed his thumb over the undersides of her breasts and caressed over her hot skin. She felt herself being gently pushed down to the couch and she didn't fight it.

Elliot was assaulting her senses with hot kisses, and she could feel his arousal. He pulled away and looked at her.

"We don't have to make love if you don't want to," he whispered, caressing over her hair.

"I want to, but I just…let's wait," she sighed. "This is good right here. Kiss me all over, touch me all over tonight."

Elliot grinned, giving her a once over. "I think I can do that."