Hey y'all. So you'll meet Rae's family this chapter and learn a little more about her. I apologize in advance for any translation problems. I'm new to the Persian language (still learning). I did my best. As always, I don't owe SVU characters. Those belong to Dick Wolf and NBC . I take ownership of all original characters. Your reviews are welcome and very much appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 11: Meet the Castons

Rae and Maureen arrived at Rae's parent's house with some time to spare before they were to sit down to dinner. When they entered, the aroma of traditional Iranian cuisine hit them. Araeyah inhaled deeply, taking in the scent. "I love coming home for dinner" she said with a big smile. She closed the door behind Maureen who stood in the entryway looking around the house. It was so beautiful.

The entire downstairs was an open format set on a polished marble floor. Directly to the left was the living room, very chicly decorated with rugs and furniture in a scheme of black, white, and red. A huge plasma, complete with surround sound speakers, hung on the wall above a stone fireplace. A beautiful chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. It was obvious that they had used it as the separation barrier between the living and dining rooms. Directly underneath it sat a long wooden table with their family photos on it. The dining room, diagonal to the front door, had a table fit for a castle. It had four sections. Maureen counted fifteen chairs on each side and one on each end; thirty-two seats in all. Beautiful art hung along the back wall as well as plaques engraved with cute little sayings about family and home. Along the left wall were three doors as well as a fourth door in the corner on the back wall. Between the third and fourth door was a winding staircase with the option to go either up or down. Up led to a balcony overlooking downstairs. Maureen could see four more doors up there, matched in placement to the doors on the first floor. What down led to was a mystery. The kitchen was directly ahead and it was fabulous. It looked like something Maureen had only seen on tv. The stove was in the middle of the kitchen floor and the pots and pans hung above it from a contraption suspended from the ceiling. Behind the stove, along the right wall, was a double sink and a line of stainless steel appliances. In front of the stove, separating the kitchen from dining room was an island with four stools pulled up to it. Glass cabinets with stainless steel borders lined the far back wall.

"Are you done gawking?" Rae whispered. She had been standing there watching as Maureen took in her home. "I'm sorry." she blushed. "It's so beautiful." she said still looking around mesmerized. Sometimes Maureen forgot that Rae came from money. She was never flashy or overly extravagant. Her loft was modestly decorated, she drove a relatively ordinary car, and her wardrobe was full of clothes she'd found in thrift stores. Now standing there in her home, she finally understood why. It was lavish. Maureen could tell they'd hired a professional to put the place together. "It's just a house." she said taking Maureen's jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. "This is not just a house. Where I live is just a house. This...this is..." Maureen trailed off as if she couldn't quite find the right words to describe the place. "My house" Rae finished. Maureen laughed and shook her head before turning her attention back to the kitchen.

A woman with tanned skin and long dark curly hair stood at the stove. She wore a red halter top and long black pants that just barely showed off her red heels. If Rae weren't standing right next to her, she would've sworn it was her. "Come on" Rae said leading Maureen into the kitchen to greet the woman. "Maaman" she said calling out to her mother in her native language. The women looked up and stepped away from the stove, holding out her arms with a big smile on her face. "Dokhtaram" she said. She put her hands on either side of Rae's arms and Rae did the same as they kissed each other firmly on one cheek and then the other.

"Salâm" Rae said as she pulled away. "Hale shoma chetor ast?"

"Man khubam mamnun, choma chetorid?" the woman responded. Maureen had no idea what they were saying but the language sounded beautiful. She knew Araeyah spoke Persian, her mother being Iranian and her biological father French-Iranian, but she'd never heard her speak the language up close and personal. When Rae and Maureen first met she didn't even realize that Rae wasn't white. Truthfully, most people hadn't. Rae moved to New York with her family in January of her sophomore year, when it was still cold out. During the winter, Rae was very pale so Maureen, and most everyone else, had assumed she was white. When she was a darker tone in the spring and summer, people just assumed it was because she tanned really well. One day, when Rae was over to Maureen's house, she took a phone call. Maureen couldn't hear exactly what Rae was saying but she could definitely tell that she wasn't speaking English. It was then that Rae explained her ethnic background.

"Alhamdolellah" Rae said a shrug of her shoulders. Rae's mother turned her gaze from her daughter to the girl standing beside her.

"Esm e shoma chist?" Maureen looked like a deer caught in head lights when she realized Rae's mom was talking to her. Rae let out a little chuckle."Mom, this is Maureen Stabler. Maureen this is my mom, Soraya Caston" Maureen held out her hand to Rae's mom. She was surprised when Rae's mom greeted her in same way she had greeted her daughter a moment before. "Khoosh amadid. Az molaghat-e shomâ khosh vaghtam" the woman said before turning back to the stove to tend to dinner. "I got a bit of a late start so it'll be about fifteen more minutes until dinner is ready" Soraya said smoothly switching to English. "Ok." On the stove top and the island, Rae could see everything her mother was cooking. There was Fattoush, Persian yogurt salad; ash-e-jow, an Iranian barley soup; Khoresh Fesenjan, a pomegranate stew; Sabzi Polo, herb rice with fava beans; and Iskender Kebab, her favorite. In the oven she could smell the Baklava and Yadzi Cakes that were cooking for dessert.

"No chicken in the Kebab, yeh?" Rae asked, her accent slightly coming out now that she was talking to her mother.

"Eggplant" Soraya said. "Just the way you like it." Rae opened her mouth to ask another question but was cut off as her mother continued speaking. "And no chicken in the Fesenjan. I've got this."

"Asheghetam." Rae said before kissing her mother on the cheek. "Do you need any help?" she asked turning her back to her mother so she wouldn't see her picking lettuce from the Fattoush, dipping them in the yogurt before eating them. Soraya knew her daughter all too well. She walked from around the stove to where her daughter was standing and swatted her hands away. "Vâysâ!" she yelled. "Wait until we sit to eat. Why don't you go on and show Maureen the house? By then the table will be set and dinner will be ready."

Rae looked over into the dining at her mother's mention of the table and saw that the full length of it was there. "Did you have a party or something?" The only time they brought out all four sections of the table was for large gatherings.

"Yes. It was for Charles. We entertained people from his new company. We just didn't put it back after. Don't worry he will take care of it. Now go." she said pushing her daughter out of the kitchen. "Show her the house."

Rae turned around to face Maureen. "Ok. Well this is the kitchen." Soraya shook her head and chuckled from behind her daughter. "That's the living and that's the dining room." she said pointing to one and then the other. "That door over there", Rae pointed to the wooden door in the back corner of the room, "is the library." Maureen's eyes widened. "You have a library in your house?" she asked.

"Well don't sound so impressed. It's not like it's a public library." she said heading for the stairs. "Yeah, but still...it's a library...in your house." Maureen said.

"That door down there is the guest room, the next door is the guest bathroom, and this is the music room." Rae said ignoring Maureen's last comment. "Downstairs is the home gym and Charles' office."

"Charles?"

"My mom's husband." Rae said looking down at Maureen over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs. "This is the game room. There's a pool table, air hockey, darts, pin ball, board games, blah." Rae opened the door so Maureen could see inside before closing it again. "This is my parents room complete with master bath. This is Jimmy's room, my stepbrother, and this..." Rae approached the door at the end of the balcony and turned the knob to enter, "is my room."

"Wow. This looks nothing like how you decorated your bedroom in your loft." Rae had a four-poster bed with black and blue sheer curtains hanging from it. Her walls were a soft baby blue and all of her furniture was black: large dresser with a mirror, smaller dresser, armoire, two night stands, a chest at the end of her bed, and a desk that Maureen guessed was for studying.

"That's because I actually decorated my loft. If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of a hippie. My mom...yeah, not so much." They both laughed. "What's that door?"

"Oh, that's the bathroom. It connects to Jimmy's room." Just as she mentioned her stepbrother a second time he came bursting through the bathroom door. "Uh...knock much!?" Rae yelled.

"Uh...no. I need your computer." Jimmy was average height with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and an athletic build. Rae had to admit that she thought he was sweet and cute when they first met. Then he got older and whatever cuteness he before disappeared. "What for?"`

"I have to write an English paper." he said impatiently. "So. What's wrong with your computer?" Jimmy was always coming in her room and using her stuff without asking so this time she was gonna make him work for it. "Mine has a virus."

"Well maybe if you didn't download so flicks for your viewing pleasure, your computer wouldn't contract so many cyber diseases." Rae teased. Maureen sat amused watching the exchange between the two of them. "You're rude. Introduce yourself."

"Hi. I'm Jimmy." he said acknowledging Maureen for the first time since he'd entered the room.

"Maureen." she said with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." he turned back to Rae, "So can I use your computer?"

"It's on the desk." Jimmy grabbed the laptop and was walking out of the room. "And don't download anything!" Rae yelled before he slammed his door. "He's such a jerk. If you wanted to meet a spoiled rich kid this weekend, consider it done."

"He's cute." Maureen said looking at Rae smiling. "Really? That's all you can say? He's cute." Rae couldn't believe that out of everything that just happened her one take away was that her stepbrother was cute. "Ugh, you're so ridiculous right now. So ridiculous."

From outside her bedroom door Rae heard her mother. "James...Suri...Maureen...dinner's ready."

"Yessss. Let's go eat" Rae said getting excited. She and Maureen walked out of her bedroom to head down to dinner. All the while Maureen thought to herself, "Who the hell is Suri?"

When they came downstairs the table had been shortened to only two sections with all the food Rae's mother had prepared in the center. Rae greeted Charlie and introduced him to Maureen and they all sat at the table to eat. Dinner was filled with questions about Maureen and her family, school, and plans for after graduation. As it was winding down Charlie changed the topic of conversation. "So Rae, you two look awfully nice. You going out tonight?"

"Yeah. We're going to a bar that's hosting a band night. You know, new bands sign up and perform; get their music out there. Then we're maybe gonna go to a club."

"Bars, clubs...aren't you a little young for that?" he asked. Charles had a way of voicing his disapproval for things without saying it outright.

"I get in all the time so I guess not."

"And Maureen" he continued, "your parents are ok with you going out to clubs and bars?"

"Yeah. They're fine." Rae said answering for Maureen. She was getting annoyed by this fathering act he was putting on. "I was asking her." Charles barked.

"Please, both of you stop it" Rae's mother said trying to stop the argument. "Charles, I'm sure the girls will be fine. They are good kids, responsible. If they want to go and hear some music and then go dancing they should be able to. It is a saturday night after all" she said giving Rae a little wink. Araeyah was so thankful that her mother always stood up for her when Charles gave her a hard time. She knew how hard her daughter worked and how she always stayed out of trouble, so she rarely interfered with Rae's plans to go out. Soraya, however, was no push over. Even after Rae had turned eighteen, she had put her foot down a few times, clearly stating her opposition to Rae's weekend plans. And because Rae deeply loved and respected her mother's opinion, she honored her wishes. "Maureen, how was everything? Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh yes Mrs. Caston. Everything was delicious. I've never had Iranian food before. This was great. Thank you for having me over." Maureen said.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. You'll have to come again." Soraya said with a light smile.

"I definitely will."

"Well we should get going" Rae interrupted, "we don't want to be late for the show." she said looking at her mother.

"Well let me pack you some food to take with you, eh." Soraya stood and headed into the kitchen. "Oh, maaman. You don't have to do that."

"I know" she said turning to her daughter. " I want to." Soraya filled containers with enough food for the girls to eat the next day. She walked them to the door and handed Rae the containers of food. "Mersi" Rae said as she and her mother repeated the same routine as when she first arrived. "Khahesh mikonam." Rae and Maureen walked to her car. She turned and gave her mother one last wave and blew her a kiss goodbye. Soraya watched from the doorway as her daughter and her friend got in her car and drove off to enjoy the rest of their night.

Persian-English Translations

Maaman: Mother

Dokhtaram: My daughter

Salâm. Hale shoma chetor ast?: Hello. How are you?

Man khubam mamnun, shoma chetorid?: Fine thanks, and you?

Alhamdolellah: I'm fine.

Esm e shoma chist?: What's your name?

Khoosh amadid. Az molaghat-e shomâ khosh vaghtam: Welcome. Pleased to meet you.

Asheghetam: I love you

Vâysâ!: Stop!

Mersi: Thank you

Khahesh mikonam: You're welcome