In My Life
Chapter 5: Keeping Tabs
A/N: So, yeah… it's been a while since I've written a chapter for this story. Well, I had this chapter started already and I decided to finish it. I figured, this is one of my better stories and I shouldn't just abandon it. I hope you guys like this new chapter. And as always, please take the time to leave me a review.
Captain Siper knocked on the door of her own office and opened it to see Ruben rocking Daisy to sleep and singing softly to her. She walked closer to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at her questioningly. She cleared her throat softly "The ACS case worker is here for Daisy," she told him.
Ruben sighed and looked at the baby in his arms "Do we really have to hand her over to the foster care system?" he asked.
Siper sighed and took a seat across from Ruben "They'll take care of her until we can find her mother," she told him.
"I don't trust them," he whispered as his grip tightened on the child in his arms.
"Ruben," Siper began "You have a job to do. You can't haul an infant to crime scenes with you. You have to do what's best for her."
"What would have been best for her is if I had insisted that Maggie come to the precinct with me this morning," Ruben looked down at Daisy's peacefully sleeping form "If I had just…"
"Hey," Siper broke in "You couldn't have prevented this; don't blame yourself," she stood up "Now come on, the case worker is waiting."
Ruben pressed a gentle kiss to Daisy's head and stood up. He walked slowly out of the office and up to the bubbly blonde woman who was waiting patiently for the baby. He handed Daisy to the woman and took the diaper bag from his shoulder "These are her things," he said softly.
"We'll take good care of her," the young blonde said in a perky tone.
Ruben rubbed his hand on Daisy's shoulder and smiled "Bye kiddo," he whispered.
Daisy began to stir. She opened her sleep filled eyes and realized that she was being held by unfamiliar arms. She let out with a cry that made everyone in the vicinity jump.
"Shhhh," the now shaken case worker attempted to soothe the child "It's okay," she whispered "Shhhh," but Daisy refused to be silent.
"Here," Ruben offered, holding his arms out "Let me take her."
"No it's okay," the blonde looked up at him "I've got her," she continued in her futile attempts to calm Daisy down. The baby tried to squirm out of the case worker's arms. She reached for Ruben as she kicked at and bit and screamed. Finally it became too much for the woman. She handed Daisy to Ruben "I can't handle this," she said in a frustrated tone. She turned and began to walk away "They're just gonna have to send someone else," she muttered.
Ruben watched the woman leave. He looked down at Daisy "I guess you're staying with me," he told her and she smiled at him.
Siper came up beside him "What was that all about?" she asked.
"I think," he murmured "I think that she wants to stay with me."
"You can't take care of a baby," Siper protested.
"I owe it to Maggie," Ruben said as he faced her "I owe it to her to make sure her child doesn't fall through the cracks."
"This isn't a good idea, you don't even have a place for her to sleep," Siper told him.
"I'm gonna take care of this baby," Ruben told her firmly. He turned and walked out of the room, holding Daisy close "As of this moment, I'm on vacation."
Siper stood stunned "Good luck," she muttered. She went into her office and called ACS. She pulled a few strings. Ruben could take care of the baby for the night but in the morning, he would have to face reality.
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"You should get some sleep," Elliot told Olivia when he caught her watching him from the hospital bed. She lay on her side, facing him, with her right elbow supporting her head.
"I'm not tired," she lied.
"Liar," he teased then became serious again "He can't get in here Olivia. He'd be stupid to come here."
"I know," she sighed "I just…" she couldn't find the words to vocalize how she felt.
"Just close your eyes," Elliot told her softly "You should get some sleep."
"I'm not tired," she lied again, even though she knew it was useless.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.
"I've talked," she murmured, rolling onto her side to face him in the relative darkness "Talking hasn't been helping."
"Wanna talk about something to take your mind off of it?" he suggested.
"Take my mind off of it?" she asked incredulously, pulling herself into a seated position "You think there's going to be something you could say to me that would take my mind off the fact that I was just raped and held captive by an insane man who probably isn't going to give up?" she was almost shouting now "Do you think you can get me to forget that I'm scared to death of him?"
Elliot got up and took a seat on the bed beside her. He reached a gentle hand out to her "They'll find him," he said in a firm but gentle tone "His picture is all over the news."
"That's reassuring," Olivia murmured sarcastically "He's smart Elliot. He'll find a way."
"He's not smarter than us," he told her "You've got to believe me Olivia. I'm not gonna let him get close enough again."
Olivia buried her face in his chest "I don't like this," she admitted "I don't like feeling scared like this."
He rubbed small circles on her back "I know," he told her "But we'll get through this together."
"Thank you," she whispered "I'm glad you're here."
He just held her for a long time. After a while, he became aware of the fact that her breathing had evened out; she was asleep. He gently lay her on the bed and pulled the blankets over her "I love you," he whispered as he took his seat next to the bed again and kept watch over her.
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Casey sat on her couch, staring at the bottle in her hand. God she had screwed up. She tossed the full bottle into the trash and lay down on the couch. At least Olivia was safe now. But Eckerson was still out there. Casey was resolute that she would not fail her friends again.
She reached for the remote and flipped on the TV. She flipped aimlessly through channel after channel, not really seeing the images that flashed across her screen. She repeatedly passed by every channel, stopping only momentarily at random intervals. She fell asleep like that.
She awoke a few hours later to find the TV still on. She had paused on a local news station. They were reporting on a very familiar subject. Casey sat up immediately "Shit," she murmured. She turned up the volume and grabbed her cell phone.
"Authorities are searching for US Marshal Andy Eckerson in connection with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a detective from the NYPD's Manhattan Special Victims Unit," the perky female reporter with her perfectly groomed blonde hair dancing in the breeze began.
Casey scowled as she flipped the phone open. The reporter was standing outside the very same Virginia hospital where Olivia was. At least the bimbo hadn't mentioned Olivia by name but it was clear that this particular media maven was out to further her own career by getting an interview with a SVU detective turned special victim.
Casey gritted her teeth as she dialed and waited as the phone rang. Someone was going to pay dearly for this. Casey would make sure of that.
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"What in the hell is going on out there?" Elliot murmured, looking out the window at the crowd gathering below. Olivia was still sleeping and he was determined not to wake her.
A nurse entered moments later "There's a reporter here to see you Detective Stabler," she reported in a shy voice.
Elliot's head shot up "Reporter?" he questioned angrily. Nothing about that seemed right at all.
A blond woman, holding a notepad in her hands pushed past the nurse. She smiled brightly "Andrea Allison, channel ten news," she greeted, extending her hand.
Olivia's eyes opened and she shot up in bed. She stared blankly from Elliot to the flustered nurse to the perky and persistent reporter "What the hell is going on?" she threw the harshly worded question in Elliot's direction.
"I wish I knew," Elliot shrugged. He turned to the nurse "Please call hospital security and have her throw out of here?" he requested as politely as was possible.
"Wait," Andrea Allison held up her hand "I just have a few questions for you and your partner."
"Who told you where you could find me?" Olivia asked, bitterly, glaring at the woman.
Andrea Allison showed no fear "My source has a right to remain anonymous," she said evenly.
Elliot stepped forward and stood toe to toe with the annoying, so called journalist "Go find someone else to be your lead story on the news," he said in a dangerous tone.
"It's too late for that," the blond countered "Channel ten has sent practically every camera crew to cover this story."
"Get out," Olivia told Andrea Allison. "I have a right to privacy."
Andrea Allison refused to budge. She locked eyes with Olivia "So, Detective Benson, I understand that Andy Eckerson is an ex-boyfriend of yours."
"Get out now," Elliot hissed warningly.
Andrea Allison refused to budge until two police officers appeared in the door and removed her by force. They weren't hospital security but rather actual Virginia cops. Elliot turned to Olivia and sighed heavily.
"How did they know?" Olivia murmured fearfully. If the media was reporting that she was here, it was only a matter of time before Andy found out.
"I don't know," Elliot said, staring daggers at the flustered and noticeably upset nurse. "But I'm not gonna let them get away with this," it was a violation of human decency to force one's way into a rape victim's room with the intent of conducting an interview simply to rangle higher ratings.
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"We are on total media lockdown!" Casey yelled as she strode into the squad room "Our number one priority is finding out who gave this information to channel ten."
"Their shipping what's her face to us so we can question her," Fin said, not bothering to look up at Casey.
"She'll talk," Munch said, making an attempt to crack his knuckles which elicited a giggle from Casey.
Cragen hobbled in on his crutches "Olivia's getting released from the hospital," he informed them "She and Elliot are going to check into a hotel and lay low until we've got this thing sorted out."
"That's probably a good idea," Casey sighed. It wasn't just the media that was bothering her. Eckerson was still out there and a hotel was probably the best place for Olivia to hide from him in case he came after her again.
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"You can't keep her," Captain Siper tried to explain to Ruben "She's not your child."
"She calms down when I hold her. She reaches for me when I come into a room. She cries when I leave," Ruben said "She might as well be my own baby."
"Listen," Siper began, trying to make Ruben see the error of his ways "Your girlfriend just left you. Maybe you're over compensating with the baby of a strange woman you met only yesterday."
Ruben looked up at his CO "I am not overcompensating," he countered firmly.
"Are you sure?" Siper asked "Think about this long and hard Morales," she instructed in a no nonsense tone "This is a human being here, it's not just some stuffed animal that you can crawl into bed next to and hug while you cry."
Ruben scowled "I am committed to doing what's best for this child," he said resolutely "Her mother's missing, her father could care less about her existence and is also nowhere to be found. I'm all she's got. I am not going to hand her over to a foster care system that has better things to do than worry about the fate of one little baby." He stood up and opened the door of his apartment, motioning for Siper to leave. "I appreciate your concern," his tone conveyed that he did not appreciate anything about her visit "But you can go now."
Siper nodded and stood up "I hope you know what you're doing," she said as way of goodbye as she exited.
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Olivia pulled back the curtain of the hotel room's window just an inch or so and peered out into the parking lot two stories below. The lot was all but empty. Only three cars sat at the end closest to the door of the hotel. There were no signs of any reporters. Olivia stared out the window and wondered if Andy had gone to the hospital to look for her. She allowed the curtain to fall closed before opening it again a few seconds later.
"He won't find you, Liv," Elliot assured, moving so that he was standing just behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder "You're safe."
Olivia wished she could believe that. She always felt safe with Elliot but somehow, the shadow of Andy Eckerson seemed to be hanging over them and she found it hard to let herself lapse into a sense of security. Still, she feigned belief in her partner's statement with two small words "I know."
"Are you hungry?" Elliot asked, perusing the room serves menu.
Olivia nodded slightly "A little," she admitted, turning away from the window for the first time in over an hour. She reached out and snatched the menu from Elliot's hands.
"Hey," he protested "I was reading that."
"Tough," Olivia retorted, the ghost of a smile gracing her lips "I'm reading it now. You can have it back when I'm done."
Elliot grumbled something before tossing a pillow from the bed at Olivia. Olivia caught the pillow in one hand and actually laughed before throwing it back at Elliot and continuing to read the menu. It felt good to still be able to goof around, if even for a brief moment in time. It made her feel, normal.
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Janet O'Hanlon stepped out into the alley behind the diner she worked at for a smoke break. She lit her cigarette and took a deep drag. She knew it was a filthy habit and that she should probably quit but she just couldn't be bothered with being separated from her vice for more than a few hours.
She flicked a collecting cluster of ashes of the tip and took yet another long drag. Suddenly, her smoke break was interrupted when she noticed someone running through the Alley. The young woman was naked and covered in blood and bruises. She was screaming for help.
Janet dropped her cigarette to the ground immediately and stamped it out. She ran towards the young woman, whipping out her cell phone as she moved. "It's okay," she said in a reassuring whisper to the sobbing woman "It's okay. You're gonna be okay."
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Ruben set Daisy in the highchair that his sister had let him have and opened a jar of carrot puree. He dipped a spoon in and held it out to Daisy. The baby willingly opened her mouth and consumed the proffered lunch.
Ruben stuck the spoon back in the jar when he heard a knock at his door. He groaned and set the jar on the table. He rose and walked to the door, peering through the peephole to see Captain Siper standing there, waiting.
He opened the door and forced a smile "I hope you're not here to try to get me to hand Daisy over to ACS," he greeted.
"That's not why I'm here Ruben," Siper said, softly. She took a deep breath "I just wanted to let you know, they found Maggie."
"Is she alive?" Ruben asked, desperate for more information.
"Yes," Siper replied, her eyes lowering to focus on Ruben's shoes "But it's pretty bad. He worked her over."
"Did they find the bastard?" Ruben asked, gritting his teeth.
"No," was all Siper could say.
Ruben walked back into the apartment and lifted Daisy from the highchair. He held her close and began rocking her gently, more for his own comfort than hers.
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After Elliot and Olivia had eaten they settled down to see what was on TV. There was nothing good. So Elliot turned off the TV and turned to face the woman he loved. They sat in silence for a long time, neither of them knowing quite what to say.
"Nice hotel, huh," Elliot finally said with a bit of a chuckle.
"It's alright," Olivia returned.
Elliot wrapped an arm around Olivia's shoulder "You wanna rent a movie?" he asked.
She grinned at him "Maybe later," she replied. She looked down at her lap. "Thank you," she said finally.
"You're welcome," Elliot smiled faintly "What are you welcome for?" he asked sheepishly.
"For being so protective," she replied "For staying with me and somehow at the same time letting me have the space and time I need to think. I'm so glad you're here."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he told her honestly daring to brush the hair back from her forehead and kiss her tenderly.
She didn't shy away. She leaned into his embrace "Could you, could you just hold me?" she asked in a timid whisper.
"Of course I can," Elliot replied, wrapping both his arms around her and pulling her close. They sat in silence for a long time, knowing that this is what they both needed right now.
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"I have rights you know," Andrea Allison shot across the table at Fin who had his arms folded across his chest and was watching her silently.
"You don't seem to care about other people's rights," Fin shot back "Why should I give a damn about yours?"
"I want a lawyer," the blond reporter demanded.
"You're not under arrest," Fin countered "We're just talking here."
"It feels more like an interrogation to me," Andrea Allison sat back in her chair, twirling a piece of her blond hair around one of her fingers.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," Fin said in a tone that implied the opposite of what he had said. "Now, who told you where you could find Detective Benson."
"An anonymous tip," she replied.
"You usually mobilize three camera crews on an anonymous tip?" Fin asked, skeptically.
"That wasn't my idea," Andrea Allison defended "I was just going to go talk to her, ask a few questions. I was never going to use her name or anything. My boss caught wind of my scoop and went totally overboard. I didn't mean for it to get this out of hand."
There was a knock on the door. Fin stood up and turned, walking out of the room. "She's hiding something," he told Cragen.
"That might be," Casey said regretfully "But we've got no reason to hold her. There's the trespassing charge in Virginia but that's out of our jurisdiction. Virginia PD only let us have her as a courtesy. Cut her loose, she's got a long drive ahead of her if she's gonna make it to her arraignment on time."
Munch sauntered over to the group "TARU traced the call that she received. It came from some crap hole diner ten blocks from the hospital. Cops there showed Eckerson's picture to the employees there. They confirmed that he was in there around the time the call was made."
The group shared a disturbed look "He's keeping tabs on her," Cragen said for all of them.