Quick turnaround for me. I had some free time, and it's a day before finals for me. Here's the chapter.
As I walked into the precinct, I knew what was going to happen. I walked in and immediately Benson walked out and called me into her office. When I saw the look on the knew that my screw up was pretty major when it came to this case. I walked in and closed the door.
"So Shepherd I got a call a few minutes ago from the Smith's lawyer, and would like to know what she told me? You are no longer to go anywhere near the Smiths. You are to leave them alone."
I looked at her, and I can't say that I was surprised because I wasn't. I figured something like this was going to come up. It was just a way of derailing my investigation, but it still ticked me off a little bit.
"Olivia, I was just doing my job. I'm trying to help this family. He is getting worse, and he is going to kill them. I'm trying to save them."
She sighed and got up and closed the door to her office.
"Sit, I need to have this conversation with you right now before things get too out of hand."
I sat down in one of the chairs in her office, and she sat across from me and just stared at me and waited. Sitting there I felt like a kid in the principal's office. I just sat there and fiddled with my thumbs until she broke the silence.
"Matt, I understand the stress of the job and feeling for the victim but why is this case consuming you so much?"
"I'm not sure what you mean lieutenant."
She gave a little scoff, but I knew what she was hinting at, and I knew that if I didn't come clean that she would just push.
"Matt, this case is consuming you…"
I scoffed.
"You sound like Novak."
I looked at Olivia and knew exactly what was going on.
"She came to you and talked to you didn't she?"
Olivia nodded.
"Casey is concerned about you, and she has good reason to be. She's right. This case is consuming you Matt, and I am just trying to understand why you are so obsessed with this case."
I just shook my head.
"I'm not obsessed with this case; I'm just doing my job."
I went to stand up but I couldn't. I looked at her, and I sighed. I knew exactly what was about to happen. I sat there and looked at Olivia.
"Do you know or are you just trying to get me to the point where I tell you?"
"I do know Matt, but I don't want to push, and I think it would be better to open up to someone about it if not me then someone because it is going to start affecting your job and that'll be a problem."
I sighed and rubbed my hands on my face and through my hair. I couldn't believe what I was about to do. She noticed and got up and sat in the chair next to me.
"Liv, I was abused as a kid. My dad killed my mother and attacked me. I was put in the foster system. I'm just trying to keep what happened to me from happening to Karen and Sam that's all."
Olivia sighed, and we sat in silence while everything that was said digested. She placed a hand on my back.
"Go home and get some rest and try and get your mind in a place where you can get through this case without any more moments for you. I need you to be a hundred percent to finish out this case."
I nodded and gave a weak smile.
"Thanks, Liv."
We both stood up, and I made my way out of the precinct. I got back to my apartment, and I took a shower and then laid down on my couch and tried to drift off and take a nap.
After a while, I woke up and I saw the time. I slept through most of the day, and I realized that I needed to talk to Casey about this.
I made my way down to the DAs office, and I made my way up to Casey's office. The door was closed, so I knocked. I waited, but no one answered so I stood there and I waited for her to get back. I saw her walking down the hallway, and she smiled when she saw me.
"Hey, Matt! What brings you here?"
I smiled at her and just shrugged. I followed her into her office.
"Nothing... just wanted to see you and maybe cook you dinner tonight."
I sat down on the couch in her office.
"Yeah, of course. Just let me put some stuff away, and we'll head over to your place."
After about 10 minutes she was ready to go, and we headed to my apartment. I cooked dinner, and we enjoyed the night together. Once the evening started to wind down, we were sitting on the couch just talking with each other, and I guess I had a look on my face and she asked a question.
"Matt are you ok? Something seems to be bothering you."
I placed my hand on her knee and sighed. The worry began to spread across her face. She put her hand on mine.
"Seriously, you are beginning to worry me."
I looked at her and just shook my head.
"It's just the stress of the case that's been getting to me Case, that's all, nothing more."
She seemed to accept the answer for the time being. She pulled me into a hug, and we sat like that for a while. She is the greatest person. I care so much about her, and for some reason, I still couldn't tell her. It would have been the perfect moment if I had told her just then. I was sitting there in her embrace, and I was just beating myself up. I want to get this off my chest because I want to be close to her and I can already tell that I was going to fall for her and for some reason I just couldn't tell her about my past.
After a while, we fell asleep on the couch. I woke up and looked down and saw her sleeping on my chest. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. When I was sure she was asleep, I sighed and let it all out.
"I need to tell you this but for some reason, I can't muster the courage to say to you while you are awake so hopefully this will help me a little. When I was a kid, I was beaten pretty severely by my dad. He killed my mom and beat me to the point where I could have died. I was a foster kid and adopted by the nicest people in the world. If I took you home, you would meet Frank and Cathy Baker. They took me in and raised me as one of their own. I grew up in Texas, and I had two sisters in my adoptive family. The older one is Caroline and Maggie are my foster sisters, and I enjoyed growing up with them. It was a great little family, but my past still haunted me, and it is pretty intense. I want to take you home to meet them because I know it's early in our little relationship but I want to fall for you because you make me so happy."
I looked down at her, and she shifted but she was still asleep, and I knew that she wasn't awake. She was just moving in her sleep. I meant everything I said, but I wish I were able to tell her while I was awake. Hopefully, I will soon.
I heard the phone ring, and I carefully laid her on the couch and made my way over and answered. The next thing I heard made my breath catch in my chest.
"You have a collect call from an inmate named Robert Shepherd. Would you like to accept the charges?"
I sighed.
"No."
After that, I hung up. I looked over to the couch and saw Casey still sound asleep. I took out my cellphone and dialed someone that I needed to talk to. The phone rang, and then someone answered and when I heard that I began to speak.
"Hey mom, He called, and I just need to talk with you."
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry for such a slow story. I am trying to balance the story between the case and the lives of my main character. Hopefully, it isn't making the story bad. Anyway hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.
