Title: Shadows In The Dark
Author: Ebony-Jayne
Notes: When Ella's kids visit the squad room and meet the team the next domino falls…
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.
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Chapter Three: Grace
"So he just confessed?" Ella asked Casey incredulously. She had just been told that Daniel Hale had suddenly pled guilty to raping Helena.
"Yeah. It was weird. He just jumped up and said he changed his mind and wanted to plead guilty. It was really odd," Casey told her.
"Hey Stevens!" Elliot called out across the room.
"What?" Ella called back not looking away from Casey.
"That your brood?" he asked. Ella turned around and saw her big sister and her three kids standing in the doorway.
"Uh. Yeah," Ella stood up and grinned. "Well you better come in then," she called out. She and Casey got up and walked over to them. "Hi babies," Ella said to the three kids. Elliot was beside her by now.
"Gonna introduce us?" he asked.
"Elliot this is Casey's and my older sister Kendra Hydes and my three kids Grace, Blaike and Bronté. Guys this is Elliot Stabler," Ella introduced.
"Hi Elliot. I'm five," one little redheaded girl told Elliot.
"Wow. You're getting to be a big girl aren't you?" Elliot asked her.
"I guess," Grace sighed dramatically. "But I'm still just not big enough." Elliot couldn't help but laugh at that. Grace smiled and then skipped off and climbed up onto the chair in front of Olivia's desk.
"Mamma?" a little voice asked. Ella stooped to pick up the little boy who was wrapped around her calf.
"What's up Blaike?" she asked.
"Day care got da termiteses," he told her in slightly garbled speech.
"Daycares got termites! Well that's no good is it?" Ella feigned shock.
"No dood. I can't pway wifa tucks day now Mamma," Blaike babbled.
"Well I'm sure the trucks will still be there when the termites are gone," Ella assured him. The baby that was sitting in the carseat at Kendra's feet started to cry. "Blaike why don't you go to Auntie Kendra for a minute while Mamma gives Bronté a cuddle?" Ella asked.
"No! Go Aunta Tasey," Blaike told her. Ella set him down and he took off to see Casey.
"Ohh. It's ok baby Mamma didn't forget you," Ella soothed as she picked up the baby.
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Twenty minutes later Olivia was giving six-month-old Bronté her bottle, Blaike was playing 'strangle Munch with his tie' and laughing his little head off when Munch repeatedly feigned death and Grace was talking non-stop to Olivia. Casey, Kendra, Elliot and Ella were chatting in the corner.
"When we lived in San Francisco my friend was Gemmy. She came to play lots 'cause Daddy didn't go to work," Grace told Olivia.
"Did your Daddy come with you here?" Olivia asked realizing that Ella had never mentioned her husband.
"No. We ran away from Daddy. He doesn't know we're here," Grace told her.
"Why?" Olivia asked before she could stop herself.
"I'll tell you but you have to keep it a secret," Grace leaned over and whispered in Olivia's ear. "He hurt my Mamma. She had to go to the hostiple," she said stumbling over the big word. "I heard Auntie Kendra tell Auntie Casey that Mamma nearly died." Olivia couldn't speak from her shock. "I don't miss Daddy at all. I hate him. I hate him more than anything in the whole wide world," Grace's little face clouded over for a moment before she seemingly forgot all about it. "You should give Bronté a break for a minute or she'll spew," she informed Olivia.
"Right," Olivia pulled the bottle gently out of Bronté's mouth. She expected the baby to scream but she just pulled a face and started gurgling happily. After a while she burped and then started whimpering.
"You can give it back now. She won't spew on you," Grace told her. Olivia did as she was told. She studied the little girl sitting beside her. She had straight red hair that sat on her shoulders. Her longish bangs were pinned back with clips with dogs on them. Olivia guessed she was growing them out. She had bright green eyes and she had the same lips and nose as Ella. Olivia glanced at Blaike and deduced that he must be more like his dad. The only indication of Ella in him was his bright green eyes. Bronté was going to look like Ella too she could already see a lot of her mother in her. Once Bronté had finished her bottle Kendra packed the kids up and took them home.
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Olivia knocked on Casey's office door later that day.
"Come in," Casey called out. Olivia went in, closing the door behind her.
"Hey. I just wanted to ask you something," Olivia said sitting in the chair in front of Casey's desk.
"Ask me what?" Casey put her pen down and closed the file she was working on.
"About Ella's husband," Olivia said tentatively.
"George, yeah. What about George?" Casey asked.
"Well when I was talking to Grace this morning she told me that they moved here because her Daddy hurt her Mamma and put her in the hospital," Olivia told Casey.
"Don't tell Ellie I discussed this with you will you?" Casey asked moving to sit on the couch.
"I won't," Olivia promised, moving to sit beside her.
"Something was going on in that house Olivia. I got this phone call in the middle of the night. Gracie could use the speed dial before she could talk just about," Casey smiled. "She was absolutely frantic. Saying 'Auntie Casey! Auntie Casey! Daddy hurt Mamma! He pushed her and she fell through the glass!' Ellie was about 25 weeks pregnant with Bronté at the time. We don't know what happened exactly. Gracie always maintained that George pushed Ellie on purpose but Ellie says he came home drunk and moved forward to get into her face. She says he tripped and knocked her and she fell through the glass coffee table. Whichever way it happened she fractured her skull and dislocated her hip," Casey paused to run her fingers through her hair.
"You and Ellie are only 32 though aren't you?" Olivia asked. Casey nodded. "32 year olds don't just dislocate their hips Casey."
"I know. That's what the doctor said. He said it would take a hell of a lot of force and that the two injuries couldn't have happened in the same fall," Casey told her. "She says that she took the kids and left because George was having an affair. But that just doesn't add up. George was proud to have 'landed' Ellie as he so eloquently put it. Fiercely proud and he acted like he owned her. He just wouldn't risk his 'property' to sleep around. Something was going on in that house Olivia," Casey looked at Olivia, hurt. "We used to tell each other everything. We just had this bond that people say only twins can have. We were so close and now…it's like she's on one side of the grand canyon and I'm on the other," she sighed in frustration.
"I think you should talk to Grace, Casey," Olivia suggested. "She knows more than she's letting on. We'll figure this out ok?" Olivia picked up Casey's hand and squeezed it. "We'll find out what went on in that house."
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