Chapter 3:

"Heather Germaine moved out to California six weeks ago with a new job," Elliot said walking into the squad room holding a manila folder. "It couldn't have been her." Elliot threw down the folder angrily. He wanted to find whoever the perp was and he wanted to find him fast.

"We got other problems," Olivia said, hanging up the phone. "That was Greg Bylo, Maria hasn't been to work in days. The people in her building say she hasn't been home either." She leaned back.

"She's missing?" Elliot asked worried.

"Or our perp got to her," Fin offered. Elliot didn't find this helpful. He was the first to grab his coat. He looked back to see the others just sitting there.

"Aren't you guys coming?"

"I'm not allowed to," Cameron said hurt. Fin got up.

"How will we know where to look? For all we know, she's staying at some hotel so she doesn't have to go home."

"I'll feel more comfortable finding that out myself." Elliot put his coat on. "Liv, you coming?" Olivia stood up and grabbed her own coat.

"She could be anywhere, so I suggest we split up and search that way." Elliot nodded.

"I'll search around her neighborhood."

North Side

Central Park

10:42 P.M.

Elliot wandered through Central Park. It was dark. He could barely see where he was going. He had been out for hours and had yet to find Maria, neither had the others. They should have more people out looking for her. She may live on her own, but she was only sixteen. She couldn't just stay gone for days on end and that be ok. There were people out there who cared about her. Elliot was one of them.

He heard a rustling sound from behind him. Soon that broke through to footsteps on asphalt. Like someone was following him. He slowed his pace slightly to see what would happen. The footsteps continued. They too slowed down a bit. Elliot reached for his gun and flashlight. He stopped all together. In one swift motion he swung around, pointing his gun at whoever was following him and turned the flashlight on. It was too bright, he couldn't see the person's face.

"NYPD, stop!" He lowered his flashlight slightly so he could see their face. What he saw made him queasy. It was a girl, a teenage girl. It looked like she hadn't washed her hair in several days; her face was covered in dirt. She looked all around terrible.

It was Maria.

He immediately put his gun and flashlight away. He ran towards the girl. "Maria?" she collapsed, he barely caught her in time. "Maria, Maria." He started to get more worried. What happened. The girl looked up at him. It looked like she was struggling to find the right words.

"Detective Stabler?" She said finally. Elliot nodded. Maria jumped up. "What are you doing here?" her words were slurred.

"Looking for something." Maria started to scratch her scalp. Her eyes were half closed and she kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish. "Are you drunk?" she stopped for a second, then burst out laughing.

"Yeah," she said when she finally calmed down.

"Where did you get it?"

"I paid some homeless guy to get it for me. What are you looking for?"

"Maria, why are you doing this?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Is it because you were raped?"

"It's not something I'm not used to Detective Sir," she said, lowering her voice to mock him. Elliot's brow furrowed.

"What?" Maria seemed not to hear him. She just stared at him. She looked like a dear caught in the headlights. In one swift movement she lunged at Elliot and pressed her mouth on his. Elliot could smell the alcohol on her breath. He grabbed her by the arms and pushed her away. Maria punched him as soon as she was away. Elliot tasted his blood in his mouth. He looked back at Maria. He didn't want to but he knew he had to arrest her.

Maria chose that moment to buckle over and vomit all over the walkway. Elliot walked behind her and held her hair behind her head. He patted her back reassuringly and her body convulsed. "Why were you looking for me?" she said, Elliot knew she was crying.

She vomited again. It hit his shoe. He didn't notice.

"I never said I was."

"Oh come on, Detective, I'm not dumb. Far from it, I've been told. I know you've been looking for me. The question is, why?"

"You haven't shown up for work, you haven't been home, we were worried." She threw up again. When she finished she jerked her body back up, Elliot barely missed being hit.

"It isn't your concern," she started to walk away. Elliot followed her.

"Why don't you want help?"

"I can take care of myself. I said I didn't want your help. Now leave me alone!"

"I can't do that Maria!"

"Sure you can, its easy, just walk in the other direction and go help someone who wants it!"

"So that's it, you don't want to find out who raped you." Maria stopped. Elliot stopped next and turned to the angry girl.

"I'm not letting that run my life! What do you care? All I am to you is a job!"

"That's not true."

"Oh yeah? Come on Detective, you and I both know, as soon as you find who ever raped me, you'll never so much as think about me again. So forget it!" She began to walk away again, but tumbled to the ground. Elliot ran to her. She was mumbling something incoherent. He checked her pulse it was still strong, it wasn't going too fast or too slow.

"Come on," he said. "I'm taking you home." Maria pushed him away.

"Hell no! I'm not going back there!" Elliot nodded in understanding. That was why she wasn't home. She was raped in her home.

"Alright, I know where you can sleep." He started to heave her up.

"Yeah, one problem Sherlock, I have no money!" Her head dropped on his shoulder and she was out. Elliot sighed. He knew where she could go. And it wouldn't cost her a dime.

The lock clicked as Elliot stepped into his house. Maria lay asleep in his arms. He made sure to be very quiet as he walked through the house, careful not to wake the girl. God, he hadn't been here for so long. He hated coming home now that it was empty. His family was gone. His wife of twenty years up and left him.

Elliot gently laid the girl on the couch, before going into the bedroom to get some blankets for her. When he returned Maria started groaning. He walked over to her and kneeled down beside her. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Where am I?" She said just as quietly.

"You're at my place." Maria smiled.

"Sorry, but I don't go home with men on the first date." Elliot chuckled.

"How are ya feelin'?" she shrugged, at least tried to, as she lay on her stomach with her arms under a decorative throw pillow.

"A little queasy. What the hell was I thinking?"

"You did what a lot of people did. You tried to drown the pain. You just need to sleep it off."

"Thanks Elliot." She said.

"No problem." Wait, he thought.

"You know, I know this sounds kind of stupid, but I always sort of envied you. You and your family."

"How'd you-" she cut him off.

"When I was little, I used to sit in front of my window and watch you, when you left for family functions, or when you helped Kathleen with her soccer. I used to pretend that was me. I never knew my father. I always wanted one. Save me from my crazed mother."

"Did your mother hurt you?" Elliot had million thought whirling around in his head.

Maria didn't say anything. Elliot nodded. "My father used to hurt me sometimes." Maria looked up at him surprised and scared. "I mean, when I was growing up, you disciplined your kid differently. When you did something wrong your father would hit you."

"What was wrong in your father's eyes?" Elliot hesitated.

"Bad grades, being mouthy, crying."

"He beat you to make you stop crying?" The thought was ridiculous. Elliot laughed. They were quiet. Maria closed her eyes. Elliot edged a little closer.

"Maria," he began, but it was too late. She was already fast asleep. Elliot stood up and walked into his empty bedroom.

Well, here ya are! a brand new chapter. i hope you like it. next chapter will hold Kathy, and i'm not making her an evil woman, i'm making her a hurt woman. i personally don't think that Kathy is that bad. but that's just me. well R&R!

Bob