Chapter 9
"That day was the best and worst day of my life" Ariana stated. "It was the best because i was taken away from Secily for good." she paused.
"Why was it the worst?" Olivia asked. "You finally got away from that monster".
"Isn't it obvious why?" Ariana asked looking Olivia in the eyes.
"She had to leave me behind" Fin said.
"I had too. I was damaged and i didnt want you to have to deal with it-"
"BULLSHIT, YOU COULD HAVE COME BACK! I WOULD HAVE DROPPED EVERYTHING TO BE WITH YOU, AND YOU KNOW THIS!" Fin shouted.
Ariana stayed calm, she understood his anger and his pain. "I know you would have Fin. Thats why i didnt come back. I looked for you and when i finally found you. You had a wife, a son, a family, Fin. Who was I to take that away from you. YOU HAD MOVED ON. It would have been unfair to you and them for me to just step into the picture. Im no homewrecker."
Her words made Liv feel guilty and uncomfortable, and she could have sworn she saw Ariana's eyes flicker towards her for a split second. Is that what she was? A homewrecker?
"I know, Ari, I know." Fin said tired.
"Can i asked what Fin whispered to you before you left his house?" Olivia quipped.
Ariana looked down at her hand that was intertwined with Camaro's. "He said-" she started "Ariana Michele Tutuola forever" her and Fin said together.
It became really silent for a moment. Everyone feeling their own heartbreak for a second.
"Well what happened afterwards?" Munch was the first one to speak again.
"I was taken in by a highly respected therapist and his life partner from the Upper East Side. They didnt have children and they wanted them bad. The therapist felt he could help me become normal. No nightmares, no fear of people, no fear of being touched. His partner loved me, we had the exact same eyes" Ariana smiled remembering them. "They adopted me eventually, and became my parents. I loved them so much. They helped me through everything, especially the abuse and losing Fin. They had me do different activities; modeling, dancing, piano & guitar, singing, and martial arts. i was only good at the dancing, martial arts, and singing." she laughed.
"What were their names?" Cragen asked.
"Elijah and Aidan Mitchell"
"Whoa whoa Aidan Mitchell?! As in the late owner and CEO in Mitchell Industries?"
"The one and the same."
"The founder of the largest manufacturing company this side of the US is your father?"
"Was. Both of my fathers died in a plane crash 5 years ago" Ariana said softly.
"Were you the only child?"
"Yes. They kinda had their hands full trying to give me the family Ive never had. i always asked for a sister but they were already catching alot of fire from the media for being a gay couple and adopting a mentally unstable teenager. They also kept claiming they were too old."
"So that makes you-"
"Yup the sole heiress to their fortune. You really think i would have been able to afford all this on a cops salary?" Ariana chuckled.
"Why are you a cop then? You must have enough money to never work again." Olivia asked.
"i want to help others like me, Olivia. When I found out that Secily and Byron had gotten back together, i knew i had to be the one to bring them down. They were escalating. 13 years ago they left their 16 year old victim beaten and raped in an alley. They were done with her after she refused to bring more little girls to them. They left her for dead."
"I remember seeing that on the news" said Cragen
"Me too" said everyone else.
"Her name was Cameron Martinez also known as Cam-"
"Me" Camaro spoke up.
Everyone except Ariana looked towards her shocked.
"Welp, didn't see that coming" says Munch.
"Yeah after Camaro was out of the hospital and her injuries were healed, I found her and brought her back to see Elijah. They had sessions 3 times a week. She didn't trust me at first but once therapy helped her she accepted my friendship. We started dating about a year after my parents death, she helped me through it, losing them was one of the worst things in my life. It was the last reason I shed tears. The last reason I cried. She gave me reason to live. And here we are, in love and taking it day by day." She says as she rests her forehead against Camaro's. Everyone became quiet.
Munch claps his hands together breaking the silence. "So how about that coffee?"