Fooling Ourselves

Chapter 17: Blast from the Past

A/N: Hey look, two chapters in one night. I have to make something clear. Writing that last chapter damned near killed me. I don't like writing anything about child abuse let alone thinking about it.

WARNING: Once again, some violence against children mentioned but I promise it's coming to an end. Trust me please?

"I'm begging you," Olivia cried, using the last of her energy to throw her bound body between the man and where the children lay against the wall "Please don't do this. I'll give you anything you want. I'll do whatever you want me to, just," she choked on her tears "Please, you can't do this. They're just babies."

He laughed again. She hated that laugh. She felt so helpless. If only he would hit her, break her bones, burn her with cigarettes, she would be able to get through it knowing that he wasn't hurting the children.

"You really don't remember me do you Detective?" he sneered.

"What?" she murmured. He had called her 'detective'. He knew she was with the FBI now. He was trying to give her a clue to where she should remember him from, she was sure. As she continued to shield the children from him and he stood there watching her, she went through every perp that she had ever arrested in her mind. She came up empty.

The look on her face betrayed her to her captor "I'm hurt that you can't remember me," he said, sitting down in front of her and laying a hand on her breast squeezing hard until she gasped "I'm not surprised though," he continued "It's been three years and I've had a lot of work done since then. All necessary stuff I assure you. You see, a sniper shot half of my face off."

Olivia involuntarily pulled away "But… how…?" if what he was saying was true, she, her son and Elliot's daughter were at the mercy of one of the most cruel, vindictive bastards she had ever come across. He was a man with no soul and no remorse. If he had had his way, she and Elliot would have been dead three years ago.

He leaned forward and traced a scar on her neck with his finger "Three years and it's still there," he said in a tone that denoted something close to awe.

"You couldn't be," she whispered.

"Oh, but I am Olivia," Victor Gitano smirked down at her, pushing her to the side effortlessly and grabbing hold of Rose again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"There were fingerprints all over Simon's house," Munch informed Elliot. He sat down in the chair next to him in the waiting room "We're gonna find them you know."

"Lucy was pregnant," Elliot whispered, staring straight ahead "She lost the baby and Simon has a long recovery ahead of him," he turned to Munch "This guy took Olivia and the two most defenseless children. He knows that she won't do anything as long as he has them," tears sprung to his already moist eyes "I'm gonna find him and when I do, I'll rip his fucking throat out."

Munch handed him a file folder "This is the fingerprint match they got. Does the name look familiar to you?"

Elliot took the folder and opened it, staring at the name. He read it and reread it at least four times "This is impossible. He died… I saw him die… I mean… no one could have survived that… could they?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The trucking company that Victor was working for three years ago was involved in several illegal activities," Wilma Montrose said, looking through her files "We approached his doctors at the hospital and had them declare him dead. We took him into witness protection in exchange for his testimony."

"And how's that going for you?" Munch asked sarcastically.

"The US attorney's office is still building our case against the trucking company," Montrose replied, pushing her wire rimmed glasses up on her nose.

"And while you're building your case," Elliot couldn't control his anger "A convicted child molester and all around sadist is out there. He's assaulted at least seven people and kidnapped another three. Two of those people aren't even two years old yet. Thanks to you…" he trailed off and collapsed into a nearby chair, his brain couldn't even handle the thought of what could be happening to Rose or Zack or Olivia at that very moment.

Munch took over the conversation "You have to tell us where he is."

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Montrose replied coolly "We need his testimony. I can't give you his whereabouts."

"Listen to me!" Elliot lunged forward and if Munch hadn't reacted so quickly, he would have grabbed the woman by her throat "Your witness has the woman I love, her son and my youngest daughter and God knows what he's doing to them. You're protecting a vicious, soulless, sadist! Tell me where he is right now or I swear I will blow your whole case straight to hell!"

"You wouldn't dare," Montrose almost snarled.

Munch dropped Elliot back into his chair "You've never been in love Ma'am have you?" he asked with a small smile "You don't look like the type. You don't know what lengths some people will do for their loved ones and trust me, if my friend wants to ruin the US attorney's case against this trucking company, I'll be more than willing to help him."

Montrose reached into a file and handed over a sheet of paper "Just try not to kill him," she shrugged "We need his testimony."

Elliot snatched the paper from her "Well, you're just going to have to find a way to make your case without it," he said in a low, dangerous tone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gitano had dropped Rose again after breaking both of her legs. The little girl had long since stopped crying and Olivia wished more than anything that he would just leave the children alone.

"Please," she pleaded one last time as he grabbed Zack by his foot and dangled him in the air "You don't have to do this."

"Oh," Gitano withdrew a knife from his pocket "But, I do," he grinned devilishly at Olivia.

"No," she begged "Why, why, what did my son ever do to you?"

Gitano put Zack down and looked at Olivia "My victims never had to do anything to me to earn my wrath," he replied "But you knew that," he set the knife down. His full attention was on Olivia now, which believe it or not, was the best thing that had happened to Olivia since she had entered this hell "But if you must rationalize it," he continued "I'm punishing him for the sins of his mother."

"I'm not the one who shot you," Olivia said, managing to regain some of her old professionalism.

"You're still the reason that it happened," he hissed "You and your partner."

"You would have killed him," Olivia felt new tears coming to her eyes now, tears provoked by a memory and not what was happening in front of her.

Gitano smiled. The memory obviously brought him more pleasure than it did for Olivia. "I had the both of you at a literal stand still," he mused "Do you know what it's like to know that you actually have your hands around the souls of two people?" he asked "To know that you're just twisting and turning the fiber of their very beings between your fingers, pulling them apart," he smiled "It's the ultimate power trip." He would have elaborated but there was noise from outside. He reached for both of the children to shield himself but Olivia stopped him.

"Please, me, use me?" she tried her best not to cry. Though Gitano hadn't noticed already, she had distinguished several familiar voices out there, including Elliot's.

Gitano, not having time to argue with her or listen to her beg, pulled her to her feet and cut the ropes that bound her before forcing a gun to her temple "I guess it's the reverse this time," he whispered in her ear before yelling to the approaching police "I have hostages! If you come in here, I'll kill them!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Let me talk to him," Elliot begged the leader of the SWAT team.

"Somehow, I don't think that's a good idea," the leader said.

"Please," Elliot nearly begged "He's got kids in there," he tried to reason "I know this guy."

"How?" the leader asked in curiosity as he watched Elliot walk up to the cabin door.

"A little over three years ago, he tried to kill me and my partner," Elliot said before walking the rest of the way to the cabin.

"FYI," Munch, who stood on the other side of the team leader "His old partner's the adult hostage."

Elliot knocked on the door of the cabin "Gitano it's Detective Stabler, remember me?"

"Damn right I remember you," Gitano called back.

"Can we talk?" Elliot asked.

He heard muffled voices from inside. The voices grew louder "Please just let him-" Olivia's voice was cut off by a slap that was clearly heard by not just Elliot but the men standing behind him as well. The slap was followed by a small whimper that Elliot just barely heard.

"Okay," Gitano called, the hint of a smile in his voice "You can come in but just you or they all die."

"Okay," Elliot pushed open the door slowly, his hands in the air "I'm coming in-" he fell silent when he saw the sight in front of him. Rose lay in a misshapen heap against the wall beside Zack who, it was obvious, had endured his share of abuse. Gitano and Olivia stood in the center of the room. He was holding a gun to her head. Elliot had a brief flash of memory. "Long time no see Victor," he breathed, trying not to vomit.

"Glad you could join the reunion Elliot," Gitano smirked "Hope you don't mind but since you were running a little late, Olivia has volunteered to play the roll of my hostage this time," he laughed.

"Elliot," Olivia spoke evenly "Grab the kids and get out of here. Get them to a hospital."

"I'm not gonna leave you here with him," Elliot told her firmly.

"Loyal to the end," Gitano said, bringing his lips to the back of Olivia's neck "No offense Elliot but she is a much more attractive hostage than you were."

"I might find that funny if you didn't have a gun pointed at my head," Olivia quipped, cringing when he kissed her.

"You should be flattered," Gitano said indignantly.

"And surprisingly, I'm not," she turned to face Elliot again "El, grab the kids and run. Get them out of here."

Gitano, seeing his ultimate power trip slipping away from him, decided to make a small concession "Come get the kids," he said to Elliot "Take them out to the others and then come back. You have five minutes," he kissed the back of Olivia's neck again "I hope you don't miss my deadline. I'm starting to enjoy this."

Elliot suppressed a few angry words as he stepped forward and lifted Rose first and then Zack into his arms. He walked to the door of the cabin, turning briefly for one last glance in Olivia's direction "I'll be right back," he said and she heard so much more in those words than anyone else would have.

He walked to where the others stood, handing Rose to Munch and Zack to Fin "Make sure they get to the hospital," he said before turning around. The team leader tried to force a bullet proof vest into his hands but Elliot pushed it away "That's not gonna do me any good," he said simply. The truth was that if Olivia died, he would rather be dead himself.

"Christ," Munch muttered, looking at the little girl in his arms "If I wasn't so sure that Elliot was gonna destroy the bastard I would have asked that he leave some of him for us to kill."

"You're friend's an idiot," the team leader muttered.

Munch and Fin ignored him, taking the children down the hill to where ambulances were already waiting.

Meanwhile, Elliot had returned to the cabin. He knocked first and announced himself "Gitano it's me," he pushed open the door.

"Aw, I thought we were on a first name basis Elliot," Gitano snickered.

"Fine then," Elliot gritted his teeth "What do you want Victor?"

"Just to relive the good old days," Gitano replied "Or relive how the good old deys could have gone. Did either of you ever think of how it really was the luck of the draw back then? If you had gone in the other direction Elliot, it would have been Olivia who I used against you instead of the other way around."

"He's just trying to get inside your head," Olivia warned, hoping that Elliot had a gun on him someplace and that he had more courage than she had had back than.

But her actions back then had been guided by love, a fact which she still refused to realize and Elliot's actions were being guided by the same thing now. And there was no way that he would ever take that shot.

A/N: Okay, so I knew I had to write this chapter and get the children out of harms way or I'd have nightmares. Our villain has been revealed and a classic standoff has begun once again. How will it end this time?