Disclaimer: SVU belongs to Dick Wolf. Any characters you do not recognize are mine, though.

Author's Note: I am so incredibly, terribly sorry that I didn't update when I said I would. When I got back from camp I got lazy and then school started a week later. So, again, my deepest apologies. It's a little short, but I will try to update more often.With that said, read and REVIEW!

Time and Secrets

Chapter 3: Winded

By: Nimmireth

Courtroom

"Docket number 21654, People vs. Kenny Rodgers; kidnapping in the first degree, child endangerment in the first degree, rape in the first degree," a court marshal said.

"Mr. Rodgers, how do you plead?" asked Judge Petrovsky.

"Guilty."

"Sentencing will take place June 20th, we're adjourned," she picked up the gavel and hit it.

Casey stood up and met Munch and Fin at the doorway. "Nice job, Casey," Fin said.

"Thanks," she replied. Across the room outside the courtroom she saw Olivia and Elliot. She ran over to them. "Hey, that guy that you had yesterday, what did you do with him?"

"Ross?"

"The blond guy, had a bruise on his eye," she emphasized.

"Yeah, Ross. We had to let him go," Olivia told her sadly.

Casey panicked. "Why?"

"He has an alibi. And the victim killed herself so she can't make an identification. Why are you so obsessed with the guy?"

"I'm not. I just wanted to know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work," she snapped.

"What's up with her and Ross?" Olivia asked her partner.

"I don't know," he said as his cell phone began to ring. "Stabler…all right, we'll be right there…thanks…bye."

"What's up?"

"We've got another one at Mercy; Melissa Albert, 27, raped on her way to work. They just finished checking her out. She was unconscious when they found her so they still have a CSU checking out the scene. I'll go there, you talk to Melissa."

"Will do."

Mercy General Hospital

"I was walking out of Starbucks and heading toward my car to go to work. Then this guy just walked up to me and asked me if I had the time. I told him what time it was and then he said 'you're late.' Then he took out a pocket knife and stabbed me. He dragged me into the alley next door and started to take my pants and underwear off. He started beating my legs apart. Then he took off his pants and raped me. When he was, you know, done, he said that I should be on time and walked away, zipping up," Melissa told Olivia.

The story was beginning to sound all too familiar when she asked. "Is there anything that you can tell me about him?"

She nodded. "He was pretty tall. He had blond hair and blue eyes, about my age."

Olivia wrote this down. "Okay, anything else?"

"Umm…blue shirt, black pants…oh yeah; he had a bruise on his eye, too."

"Thank you," Olivia said. "Don't worry; we're going to get this guy," she assured her.

Melissa nodded and wiped some of the tears from her eyes. Olivia rubbed her shoulder and walked out of the room, dialing Elliot's cell number.

"Stabler," he answered.

"Elliot, it's the same guy. Melissa's description is the same exact thing that Amelia told us. He did the same exact thing, too; he asked the girl for the time and when she gave it to him he said 'you're late' and stabbed them with a pocket knife. He then drags them into an alley, takes off their clothes, beats their legs and rapes them. When he's done he says 'you should be on time,' and just walks away. Elliot, what the hell are we getting ourselves into?"

Elliot sighed. "I don't know, but CSU discovered a good print next to where Melissa was found. Bastard was completely careless. We're going to the lab to check that out now."

"All right, I'll meet you there," she said then closed her phone.

Crime Lab

Olivia arrived just when the print was being analyzed. "Anything yet?"

"Not yet, we just got started. I'm running it through the criminal database first. If I don't get anything then I'll look through military, FBI, etc. But for now, let's just wait and see what comes up."

Then suddenly, the computer began to beep. "Looks like it found a match already. This guy was arrested for drug possession and distribution in '95."

"Who is he?" Elliot asked, he and Olivia walking up next to the computer.

Hate began to surge throughout their entire bodies as they saw who was on the screen. It was a man, 5'10", blond hair, and blue eyes. "Is this your guy?"

"Ross Delani," Elliot said. "Yeah, that's our guy."