The Black Market Baby Scandal

(Chapter Six: The Search For Emily)

That night after Elliot left her apartment, Olivia had laid in bed for almost two hours unable to sleep. It was the first night since this had all began that she was alone and her restless mind wouldn't allow her to sleep. She took a deep breath and looked up at the shadows on the ceiling. She couldn't take it anymore.

She sat up on the edge of the bed and decided to take a walk to clear her mind. Usually she went running in the mornings, but lately there were reporters camped outside her apartment building day and night making this difficult. She slipped into a pair of blue jeans and pulled a hooded sweatshirt over the tank top she had wore to bed. She grabbed her keys and took the elevator to the lobby. But as the door opened she noticed a strange man reading a newspaper who appeared to be waiting for someone. What the Hell was he doing here at nearly two o'clock in the morning?

Olivia stepped back into the elevator, pulling the hood of her shirt up and tucking her hair into it. She stepped back out into the lobby and walked past the man, barely getting a second glance from him. She smiled as she noticed the camera bag between his feet. Amateurs, she thought to herself as she walked down the front steps of the building and past two news vans and a couple of reporters.

She walked for a while around the neighbor hood. The air was crisp and the night was cool. Winter would be here soon and before long Olivia found herself wishing she had wore more than just a sweatshirt on her walk. In about an hour she had walked nearly half way across town and found herself just a few blocks from the station.

Just then she heard thunder and it began to rain. She walked quickly toward the police station, past a few more news vans and up the front steps of the building. She pulled her hood back and attempted to shake the rain water from her hair as she stepped into the elevator. She was soaked and freezing and had left her phone at home. She pressed the button for their floor as she did every morning for the past eleven years and waited for the elevator doors to open. Inside she could dry off a little and grab a cup of coffee to get warmed up a little as she waited for a cab.

But when they finally opened she noticed a familiar form sitting by the desks.

"Elliot?" She asked as she entered the room.

Most of the lights were off and everyone had gone except for him.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Just trying to get a little more information on this list you found in the ware house. You are soaked."

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep. I went for a walk and it started raining."

"You walked here?"

"Yes. I mean I walked, but not here. I walked here, but I didn't set out to walk here. Yeah. I couldn't sleep."

"You must be freezing." She was rambling and he could tell by looking at her she was exhausted. "I just started a fresh pot of coffee, it should be done in a few minutes. You should change."

"Yeah," she said as she headed toward the locker room to get her work out clothes. "Wait. Shit!" She raised her palm to her forehead.

"What?"

"When Cragen suspended me, I cleaned out my locker." She laughed for a moment. "I don't have any clothes here."

"I think I have a sweatshirt in my locker." He stood and walked with her down the hall. "It isn't an entire outfit, but it's dry." He opened his locker and pulled out a zip up hooded sweatshirt. Elliot raised the shirt to his nose and smelled it. "It's not that bad. I think I just wore it as a jacket after I showered. So it doesn't smell all sweaty. You should take that wet one off," he suggested handing it to her.

"I will," she said softly staring into his eyes.

"I'll a….just get back to work."

"Thanks El," she said raising the shirt a little as he backed out of the locker room so she could change.

Olivia locked the door, just in case he wasn't the only one around. She leaned against it for a moment, then walked across the room to look into the mirror.

"Train wreck," she said as she pulled her drenched sweatshirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. She moved her fingers under her eyes wiping away the smeared eyeliner and pulled the comb from Elliot's still opened locker to try to tame her wild mane. "That's a little better," she said as she turned the metal vent of the hand dryer facing up and pushed the button to start the warm air. She leaned over it and attempted to blow dry her hair. After about five times she had gotten most of it dried. She raised her tank top and dried it off as well. She ran the comp through her hair once more and tossed it back into Elliot's locker closing it.

Olivia stood in front of the mirror and as she slipped Elliot's sweatshirt over her shoulders and zipped it up. She smiled for a moment at the familiarity as she nestled the material against her face and smelled it. She laughed a little. It didn't smell like sweat at all, but like Elliot's cologne all smooth and sexy. She picked up her wet shirt from the counter and walked back out to the bull pen.

"I made you a cup of coffee," Elliot said as he raised his head to look at her.

A smile slowly spread across his face as he watched her take the cup from him. Her hair was all wild and wavy almost like a lions mane. Her skin was glowing from the heat of the hand dryer and his sweatshirt had never looked more amazing.

"So did you fine anything out?" She asked with a brilliant smile.

"Huh? Oh, the list. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well, I cross referenced each of these addresses with schools in their area to see how many of them showed children registered at a nearby school."

"That is good. That will show us how many of these kids still live at these addresses."

"Yes, but look." He clicked the mouse to bring up the information. "It also tells us the sex of the child registered and their age. We can use this to help us find Emily."

"Elliot, you are a genius!" She moved to her desk and sat down in her chair.

Elliot cleared his throat and shook his head in disapproval.

"What?" He stared at her. "Okay, fine I get it. I'm suspended. But can you print me a copy of that list?"

"Of course."

She smiled again as he pushed the button to send the document to the printer.

"But now I really should get some work done or I am never going to get out of here."

"I can take a hint," she said with a yawn.

"Liv, why don't you call a cab and head home. You are exhausted."

"I can't sleep anyway."

"Insomnia?"

"Kind of. I just can't seem to sleep."

"Why don't you take my key and go back to my place and crash. I'll be done here in an hour or so and I will head that way."

"I don't want to be alone," she confessed. "When I do sleep I have these awful dreams and….." she looked into his eyes, "it isn't as bad if I know you are there. I guess I have kind of gotten used to you being there."

"I have another idea," he said leaning in to her. "I think I can wrap things up here in about an hour. Why don't you go lay down in the cribs and wait for me. You can stay at my place tonight. In the morning we'll go check out some of the names on this list. You can relax a little and if you do fall asleep, I will wake you up when I'm finished here. If you need me, I'm just a few feet away."

She took a deep breath. She was exhausted, there was no doubt in her mind.

"Okay," she said without the protest he expected.

Elliot walked her back and watched as she laid across a bottom bunk.

"I'm just down the hall."

"Thanks, El."

"You're welcome, Liv."

Elliot returned to his desk and continued his work. Before he knew it hours had past and it was nearly five o'clock in the morning. He stood up and stretched, then headed down the hall to check on Olivia.

She was laying on her side and he could see her face as he walked in. She was in a completely different position than she was when he had left her earlier and he could tell that she had tossed and turned until she finally just passed out. Elliot smiled and leaned in closer to her as he pulled the thin blanket up around her shoulders. His eyes traced the lines of her face. Each strand of her hair as it laid on the pillow, down her forehead and the curve of her nose. She was beautiful and looked so peaceful.

His eyes moved over her, memorizing the way she looked right now. So still, almost as if she had been staged this way. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and thought about how lucky he way that he hadn't lost her back in the ware house.

"If you fall, I fall." His own words echoed in his mind as he wondered what he would have done if she had fallen. Honestly, he was pretty sure he would have gone down as well trying to save her. He wouldn't give up on her. Ever. He couldn't. Somehow there was a force inside him that was compelled by her.

Elliot smiled as his eyes reached her fingertips. "Maroon nail polish?" He whispered reaching to touch the dark polish on her fingernails. He shook his head and turned to walk away.

"I was bored," she whispered.

Elliot smiled again then turned to look back at her.

"Bored and I couldn't sleep. There was nothing on television." She stretched and moved her arm under her head then stared into his eyes. He had never felt more attracted to any woman in his life, then he did to her right now. "Are you finished, yet?" She said softly.

"Almost."

"Stay with me," she whispered through a yawn. She patted the bed beside her and Elliot lowered himself onto it. "Just until I fall asleep," she said staring at him with her chocolate eyes.

"Yeah," Elliot said refusing to blink. Part of him was afraid that if he did she wouldn't be there anymore and he wasn't finished staring at her just yet. He watched her in amazement, hypnotized as he gazed into her eyes. He tried to remember just when it was that Olivia had transformed from the plain old normal best friend he had worked with every day for years, to this exotic beauty that now laid beside him.

Olivia smiled as she watched him staring into her eyes. "Tell me what you're thinking," she said softly.

"How beautiful you are." The words were out before he had even realized he was speaking. Elliot smiled a goofy smile and couldn't believe he had actually told her what he was thinking. "You?"

"How lucky I am to have a friend like you. You are the only reason I have come as far as I have in this investigation, Elliot. Without you, I would still be sitting at home mourning the loss of my child. But you helped me to move forward and now I know she is alive and she's out there somewhere. And we are going to find her."

Elliot raised his hand uncontrollably to comb his fingers through her hair. He had settled against the same pillow she used and the curve of his body were a mirror image of hers. In this position their noses rested only centimeters apart. He stared into her eyes wanting so badly to kiss her. Right here, right now, in this room, in this moment, just press his lips against the full and luscious redness of hers. And see what happened next. But he was under her spell and he couldn't move. Instead, he just laid there and stared deep into the universe of wonder and amazement he found in the darkness of her eyes. Before long they had fallen shut and she was asleep again. Elliot watched her as she slept.

A couple of hours had passed when he opened his eyes to the sound of voices in the next room. Olivia still laid asleep in front of him. Elliot climbed from the little bed and pulled the blanket up around her. He moved back down the hall toward the locker room where he splashed water on his face before returning to his desk. It was almost eight o'clock and he hadn't yet finished the report Cragen had asked him to have turned in by first thing this morning. Elliot worked quickly to finish it and hit print just as Cragen stepped off the elevator and walked toward his office.

"Here it is," Elliot said handing the pages to his boss.

"Do you often wear the same clothing to work two days in a row?" Cragen asked.

"Actually, I didn't leave. I have been here all night trying to get some work done."

"You sleep?"

"I caught a nap in the cribs. Cup of coffee and I am good to go," Elliot said moving toward the coffee pot to start a fresh pot.

A few minutes later Cragen approached Elliot as he poured a cup of coffee. "Detective Stabler, would you mind telling me why exactly Detective Benson is asleep in the cribs when she is on suspension until further notice?"

Elliot stared at him and couldn't think of a lie he would go for, so he just told the truth.

"She didn't want to be alone. She has reporters camped outside her apartment and she doesn't want to be alone."

"She isn't even supposed to be here. I don't want her doing any work at all, especially on this case!"

"She didn't do any work at all. I swear. You can check the surveillance tapes. She sat here and we talked for a couple of hours. Then she went back there to wait for me to finish and she fell asleep. By the time I finished it was so close to time to come back in so I want back and took a nap. I'll wake her and get her out of here."

"No, let her sleep. I know she hasn't slept since this thing started. But I am holding you responsible for her actions. I don't want her so much as even answering a phone or writing on a post it note. She is on suspension. I don't want her reading the files either or you telling her the information we gather. I find out you are, you're off the case. You understand me?"

"Yup."

A little while later returned to the cribs. Olivia opened her eyes to find him sitting on the edge of the bed holding her coffee cup.

"I brought you some breakfast."

"Ummm," she said taking the cup from him and smelling the coffee. She took a sip to the dark liquid as she sat up to lean back against the wall. Elliot slid back to sit beside her. "What time is it?"

Elliot looked down at his watch. "Almost eight thirty."

"I'd better get out of here before Cragen finds out I was here."

"Too late," Elliot replied as her eyes raised to meet his.

Olivia winced. "Was it bad?"

"A little. It's okay now. But he made me swear not to share any of the information we find about the case with you."

"Great."

"I figure, you and I will just have to continue our own investigation. Starting with this," he pulled the folded list from her pocket.

Olivia smiled.

"I weeded out all of the families who have male children. That leaves us six to question."

"You're amazing. You know he's gonna kick your ass?"

"He can fire me if he wants to. At least you'll have your daughter back."

Olivia smiled again and hugged him.

"Now get up so we can go get some breakfast. I'm starving."

She looked at him and smiled.

"I know, it's my turn to buy," he said and Olivia laughed.

That afternoon as they pulled up in front of the fourth house on their list Olivia exhaled deeply and stared out the window.

"You okay?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know if you're okay?"

"I don't know if I can do this again, Elliot." She turned to look at him with tears streaming down her face. "I get my hopes up to go in and find that it is just the wrong child and I am let down again."

"Liv, there are only two more after this one. You can do this. You want to find her, right?"

"More than anything. I just don't know if I can take that disappointment again."

"I'll tell you what. Since we are already here, I'll go in. You wait here. If I find something, I will let you know. If not, then we will start again tomorrow with the two houses we have left on the list."

"I'm just so afraid that we are not going to find her, Elliot."

"I know sweetheart. But we know we wont if we give up the search."

Elliot reached to wipe the tears from her eyes, then climbed out of the car. Olivia watched as he walked across the street and knocked on the door. A few minutes later he disappeared around the back of the house.

She must have dozed off, because she jumped half startled when Elliot opened the car door about ten minutes later and climbed inside. He started the car and put it into gear.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Elliot, did you find anything out?"

"Sort of."

"I hate it when you do that!"

"I know," he said looking at her with a goofy grin.

"That was them? Those are the people who have Emily?"

"No."

He watched as a look of disappointment started to spread across her face and he couldn't keep up the charade any longer. He drove a few more blocks and pulled the car over so they could talk.

"Liv, that wasn't Emily's parents house. But I spoke to the grandmother of the little girl who used to live there."

"Used to?" She looked worried, almost heartbroken as the fear that something had happened to her child was clearly written across her face.

"There was a car accident seven months ago."

"Oh my God," she gasped.

"Doctor Foster and his wife Claire were killed. They were on their way to pick their daughter Sarah up from school when it happened."

"She wasn't in the car?"

"No."

"But it could still be the wrong girl."

"I don't think so Olivia," Elliot said pulling the a photograph of Sarah Foster from his jacket.

Olivia stared down at the picture. She was a beautiful girl with long brown hair and dark eyes. Olivia's eyes.

"Sarah Foster is Emily Benson," Elliot said as Olivia looked up at him in tears. "She looks just like you Liv."

Olivia gasped through tears. She couldn't even speak. Every moment of her life until had built up to this one second when she knew with out a doubt that her child existed somewhere in this world and she would bring her home.

"Where is she?" Olivia asked.

"She stayed with the grandmother until she had a stroke. She seams to be alright now, but social services said she wasn't fit to care for the child and took her. The grandmother gave me the name of the case worker. She sets up visits for Emily….Sarah and her grandmother twice a month. She can tell us where your daughter is."

"So where are we going?"

"To her office," Elliot said as he handed Olivia the business card with the woman's office address on it.

"You found her?"

"We found her," he said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "And now, we're going to get her back."

Olivia smiled as she leaned across the car and kissed Elliot's forehead.

"I won't forget this as long as I live, Elliot Stabler." She smiled through her tears.

Elliot wiped her tears away once more. "Let's go talk to this case worker."