Pretty Poison

(Chapter Thirteen: The Fear Inside)

It was early, still dark outside, when Elliot awoke to his son's happy baby sounds. He climbed from the bed and walked across the room to peer down at the little boy in the bassinette. Elliot reached down to feel Noah's forehead. He picked up the thermometer from the dresser and placed it in his son's ear. He sighed in relief to see the baby's temperature had returned to normal.

Elliot picked Noah up and held him against his chest cupping his hand against the back of the little boy's head. "Hey buddy," he said softly as the baby stared at him with big blue eyes.

Elliot carried him down the hall and into the kitchen where he warmed up a bottle. He moved to the living room and turned on the new Baby Einstein DVD he bought for his son and sat on the sofa to feed him. He held him and talked to him and burped him then returned to the bedroom placing the sleepy little boy back in the bassinette.

Two hours later Elliot opened his eyes as the sun's rays began to burst in around the blinds invading the darkened room. He turned his head to look at Olivia still sleeping soundly. Elliot smiled as his eyes fell upon the blue eyed baby boy laying between them. Olivia had given him a pacifier and laid him in the bed in hopes he would fall asleep again. Instead, she had dozed off and Noah now stared upward focusing his big eyes on his fist. He moved his fingers around as he stared at them in amazement, then put them into his mouth as he made little grunting sounds.

Elliot laughed as he watched the wonder in his son's eyes over something so simple as a tiny hand and five little fingers.

Olivia opened her eyes and yawned. "What are you up to?" She asked looking at Elliot.

"I just love watching him figure things out. Right now his fingers are the most intriguing things in the world to him. He is so adorable."

She smiled and laughed. "Your son is eight weeks old and you are just realizing how cute he is?"

"No. I have known it from the moment he was born. But he just gets cuter every time I look at him."

"Well," she said sitting up in the bed, "can you occupy him for a little bit and let me get into the shower. Give me about ten minutes or so and bring him to me. He can take a shower with mommy." She brushed her fingers across the top of the baby's head and kissed him softly.

"I wouldn't mind taking a shower with mommy," Elliot said giving her a devilish grin.

"Maybe later," she replied looking back at him over her shoulder and winking as she tied her robe around her waist and headed for the bathroom.

The next afternoon while running some errands after work Olivia had a feeling someone was following her. She kept watch over her shoulder, but never saw anyone there. Driving home she noticed a black sedan following her a few cars back. For nearly twelve blocks every turn she made the black car made, careful to stay back just far enough she could not see the driver.

Feeling a little creeped out by her newly found shadow, Olivia looked behind the passengers seat to see her son sleeping peacefully. She glanced into the rear view mirror once more and the car was still behind her.

Normally this kind of thing would not bother her. She was a cop, she carried a gun. She was not worried about a stalker. But now, today things were different. She was alone with her infant son and although she was armed, she didn't want to take any chances.

Olivia made a left turn instead of the right she usually made to go to the apartment. Moments later the black sedan turned as well. She sped up just a bit and changed lanes weaving in and out of traffic, but she could not shake her shadow. She took a deep breath and looked back at little Noah once more.

"Mommy's sorry baby," she mumbled softly as she sped up and took a sharp turn. She sped four more blocks with the not so subtle follower hot on her tracks. For a couple of moments the car pulled up beside her as a tall man motioned for her to pull over. A glare of sunlight off something flickered, preventing her from seeing his face.

"Got to Hell," she said fumbling in her purse for her cell phone. As she did the purse fell into the floor spilling its contents all over the floorboard. "Shit!"

Before long the car slowed just enough to fall behind her again. The driver followed her closely a few more blocks then moved up as if he were going to pass her. Instead, the man sped his car up and clipped the back bumper of Olivia's car in an attempt to force her off the road.

"God damn it!" She yelled gripping the wheel tight and swerving scraping a few parked cars as she tried not to lose control of her car. Olivia felt her heart racing as she prayed no one stepped out into the street.

Olivia slammed on her breaks leaving black skid marks as she slammed the car into park and ran around to the back seat. She pulled the now crying infant from his seat and held him tight against her as she ran up the steps and into the lobby of the 16th precinct. She cradled Noah in her arms as she felt warm tears streaming down her face. As she stumbled from the elevator she slammed into Fin in the hall.

"Olivia, what the Hell is going on?"

She held the baby tight and bounced him a little trying to calm him.

"Liv, are you guys alright?" Fin asked looking into her eyes.

But she was so shaken up she could barely speak. Elliot and Cragen walked out of the bullpen to the sound of the screaming baby.

"What the Hell happened?" Elliot asked Fin.

"I can't get her to talk to me," Fin replied as Elliot grabbed Olivia and turned her to look into her eyes. "Liv, tell me what's wrong!"

"There was a man! He hit my car," were the only words she managed to form.

"I'm on it," Fin said catching the elevator back to the ground floor to check for signs of her attacker.

Olivia gasped and tried to pull herself together to be able to explain to them what had happened. But she honestly was not sure what had happened.

Elliot wrapped his arms around her and lead her to her desk to sit down. He placed his jacket over her shoulders and took Noah from her.

"Hey pal," he said kissing the baby's forehead. "It's okay now. Mommy was scared, too. But daddy's here now and everything is going to be okay."

Noah grunted and whined but calmed his cries.

Elliot called Fin. "Hey man, can you bring the diaper bag and baby carried up from her car?"

"Sure. Listen, Elliot. There is some severe damage to both sides of her car. Someone definitely hit her. I see no signs of anyone though. When I got down here her car was still running and the back door on the passenger side was standing open. The baby carrier on the sidewalk, I am guessing from when she pulled Noah out. Her purse is still in the front floorboard, wallet and cell phone, everything is here. For right now I am going to pull her car around, park it and lock it up. I'll toss the stuff back into her purse and grab the baby's things. I'll be up in a minute. Elliot, if this freak show hit her this hard it was not just a warning. He was trying to force her off the road. You shouldn't let her go home alone."

"I don't plan on it. Not at least until I have some idea what is going on." Elliot hung up the phone and sat a cup of coffee down on the desk in front of her. Olivia was still shaking as she reached to pick up the cup. She looked up at Cragen holding little Noah across the room and she began to cry again.

"Hey," Elliot said kneeling beside her. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Olivia took a staggered breath and nodded her head.

"He is fine, Liv. He is safe, because you protected him."

"I panicked," she whispered. "I was so scared."

"I know baby," Elliot said tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and wiping away a tear. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was doing some shopping and it was like I could feel someone watching me. But I didn't see him until I got into the car and was driving home. Noah was asleep in his carrier and I noticed the car following me. I drove several blocks, but once I was sure he was following me I turned back and headed here. I was alone with the baby. I didn't think I could get inside before he made it to the door." She exhaled deeply.

"Good thinking."

"As I got closer he followed me in and out of traffic. We were going so fast. He pulled up beside my car and motioned for me to pull over. I told him to go to Hell. I couldn't see his face, there was a glare. But I could tell he was tall and had dark hair. A white male probably in his forties. I reached for my phone and my purse fell into the floor. He got behind me again and followed me a little longer. Then he pulled up beside me and slammed into the back quarter panel of my car. I swerved trying to keep control of the car and I clipped a couple of parked cars on the passenger side. Noah was screaming, he was so scared. I pulled up out front and grabbed the baby. All I could think was to get him inside. I left the door open and everything inside. I was so scared, Elliot."

Elliot smoothed his hands up and down her arms and kissed her forehead. Fin sat the carrier down on her desk with her purse and the diaper bag.

"Thanks Fin," she said with a weary smile.

"No problem. I moved your car into the parking lot and locked it up. He did quite a bit of damage. All cosmetic, though. It still runs."

"Why don't you go into the cribs where it is quiet and give Noah a bottle. I have about twenty minutes left here then I'm taking the two of you home with me. Tomorrow we'll swing by your apartment and grab the bassinette and some clothes. I just want you out of there for a few days. Try to calm down, alright?"

"Okay."

"I am going downstairs to see if any of our outside cameras caught a clear shot of that car as it blew past here. See if I can get a match on a plate. Hang in there, Liv. We're going to get to the bottom of this."

Olivia took Noah back and laid him on a bottom bunk to change him. She reached into the diaper bag and got out a bottle of breast milk and climbed across the bed to lean against the wall. She held Noah in her arms and kissed him as she spoke softly to him.

"Mommy loves you Noah. We're safe here." She placed the bottle into the baby's mouth. At first he hesitated to the room temperature milk that had not been warmed to his liking. But after a few moments he began to drink the bottle. She rocked him gently in her arms and a several minutes later she held a sleeping baby and an empty bottle.

Olivia laid Noah on the bed, resting his little head on the pillow. She pulled his blanket from the diaper bag and tucked it tight around him, then laid back on the bed beside him. She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to think of any reason someone would want to run her off the road. Only one thing came to mind.

She and Elliot had been working the last few weeks on their case. Talking to other victims of their attacker. Gathering tiny fragments of memories from more than a dozen victims until finally they were able to put together a composite sketch. The day before, Olivia had taken the sketch to the hotel where all of this had began so many months ago and showed it around to all of the employees trying to see if any of them may recognize the man as a guest. It was very clear now, that someone didn't want her snooping around the Biltmore Hotel.