Disclaimer: I own SVU. cough:yeah right:cough

Thanks to Saint New for agreeing to beta for me... and now on with the show...

SVU Squad Room
February 17, 2006
9:34 AM

I pace the small room, retracing the same path I've been taking for the past half hour. I run my hands through my tangled black hair, the ponytail long since taken out. I could never stand having my hair 'done up'. I'm too fidgety, always running my hands through my long tresses. Everyone always thinks that I do it to draw attention to it. I've been growing it out since I was thirteen. But it's honestly just a habit; I do it to keep my hands busy.

I get to the end of the room, and turn, counting my steps back to the other side. Detective Benson follows me with her eyes, like she's been doing since I started my pacing/ranting. "I just don't understand why he'd have them. I've come up with so many excuses for why, but none of them feel right." I comment, mostly talking to myself now. I've already went over this a thousand times.

She nods, leaning back in the chair. "Where were they again?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest. She's already asked this question about as many times as I've said I don't understand. But it's part of figuring things out. Going over it over and over again, making sure you've got the facts right. That you aren't missing anything.

I sigh, stopping my pacing briefly to bang my head lightly against the wall. "They were in his travel cosmetic bag. It's the one he takes on business trips." I reply, just like I've done every other time she'd asked. I turn around, leaning back against the wall tiredly. I didn't sleep a wink last night. I was too busy obsessing over this.

She runs her hand through her own short locks, closing her eyes momentarily. "Okay, is it possible you left it there on accident? Maybe Karma got a hold of it." she suggests, looking at it from all points of view. I'd pounced on her the second she'd walked through the door at eight, and we've been doing this ever since.

I shake my head as I push myself away from the wall and start pacing again. "No, I'm positive it was in my purse. I hadn't even seen her for three days. And even it she had, it wouldn't explain both of them being there." I contend, getting frustrated with the lack of answers.

She nods again, leaning forward to rest her arms on the table. "Okay, would you please stoppacing? You're making me dizzy." she exclaims. I stop at the table, clumsily pulling the other chair out and sitting heavily on it. I cross my arms on the table, resting my pounding head on them, tempted to fall asleep.

I lift my head up just far enough to look at her. "Why would he have my ID? I know I had it the day before my attack. I had gotten carded when I had bought a bottle of wine." I whisper, the anger draining out of me, leaving me exhausted.

She closes her eyes again, obviously tired, too. I look closely at her, noting the bags under her eyes, and the wrinkled clothes that look like they were thrown on in a hurry. Now I feel bad. she was probably called in on a case early this morning, and then I come crying to her about something this stupid. "I'm sorry, Detective Benson. You're probably right; I must have lost it at his apartment. He was probably holding on to them, and just forgot to give them to me." I say quietly, starting to stand up.

She immediately opens her eyes, quickly catching my hand before I can stand up. "Sit down, Rosangela. You don't have to apologize. This might be something that can help with the investigation." she tells me, tugging my hand lightly to get me to sit back down. "And, please, call me Olivia. Detective Benson gets to be a little much after awhile." she tells me with a smirk.

I return her smirk with a small smile, still feeling bad. "Ok, Det... Olivia. It's just that my ID being there would be easily explained. But Chris's ID being there? It wasn't in his wallet after he was killed, and I couldn't find it anywhere in the apartment. So why in the world would Luke have it?" I continue, adding to my earlier rant.

She sets her elbows on the table, resting her chin against her folded hands. "I don't know, sweetie. But we're going to find out, okay? I told you before; I'm going to do everything I canto find who did this to you." she returned, giving me a sad smile.

I just nod, tilting my head up to stare at the florescent yellow light.