"So, what do you think?" Alex asked me.
"I'm not sure. I want to see her as a victim, but when I look at her, I think of Emily and the look in her eyes. Emily wanted to die, she was hugging the bear bomb so tightly. She wanted to die."
Alex nodded, she put her hand on my arm, "She hurt those girls, she knew what she was doing was wrong, but she did it anyway."
"I know, but she was kidnapped herself, her entire life was with this guy Duncan who brainwashed her. He told her, her parents were dead, he instilled so much fear into her, she was consumed by it."
"You're conflicted, why don't you take a couple of hours to work out what your head thinks, rather than what your heart does." Alex smiled at me softly, "You're stronger than this."
"I can't take time off, Natasha's parents have flown in from Virginia. I need to talk to them before they meet each other. It's been sixteen years, they've mentally buried their daughter. They've grieved for her, now I've had to undo all of that. I just hope that this girl is telling the truth."
"It's a very cruel thing to say if she's not. Did you get the results back from the lab yet?"
"No, Cragen told me to call them. I wanted to wait but Mrs June is terminally ill, he thought it was best to call them now."
"I'll go down to the lab and see if Warner has the results, you go and talk to the parents." Alex kissed my cheek. "I'l see you soon."
I smiled, "See you soon." I headed over to my desk, there sitting were two frail looking people. They couldn't have been much older than me, but they looked like they'd been to hell and back.
"Detective Benson?" Mrs June stood up slowly. "Please tell me if it's her."
"I believe that we have your daughter here, we're running DNA tests now but she has the birthmark and we had a sketch composed of her sixteen years later, and they do look very similar. But that doesn't mean it's definite."
"You called us out here for a maybe?" Mr June asked.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to wait until we had the results, but I was made aware of your wife's illness and thought it was better for you to come and see for yourself." I paused, "If it is Natasha, unfortunately, you can't take her home."
"Why the hell not?" Mr June spat.
"She has committed crimes in New York that we have to look into. At this moment in time, I'm talking to the ADA to see if we can offer her a deal given the circumstances."
"What kind of crimes?" Mrs June asked horrified.
"I can't divulge that information at the moment, Natasha is twenty one; she's an adult now and I can't tell you without her permission." I looked at the Junes' and felt sorry for them. It had been a long time since they'd seen any kind of hope, yet I gave them hope with one hand, and took it away with another.
"Can we see her?" Mrs June asked holding her husband's hand.
"If you can give me two minutes." I said spotting Alex.
I walked over to Alex and she nodded, Sadie the girl who helped rape young girls was Natasha, the girl who'd been kidnapped and abused for years. Now I was truly torn.
"We have the lab results back, the girl we have here, is your daughter Natasha." I said, "Come with me, I'll take you to her." I opened the door to the soft interview room where Natasha was sitting, "Natasha, I have two people here who really want to see you." I stepped aside and let Mr and Mrs June step forward.
"Mom? Dad? No, but you're dead. He told me you were dead." Natasha burst into tears.
I left the family to reunite, I found Alex again and looked at her. "So what do we do?"
"We get the victims in to do a line up. If they can identify her then we take her to court."
"But she's a victim." I protested.
"Olivia she helped Duncan rape little girls. She knew what she was doing wrong, but she did it anyway. She needs to be punished."
"Can't you plea her out? I mean, we can put her in a mental health hospital; I don't think jail is the answer."
Alex nodded, "Okay, let me go through everything, her parents will lawyer up because they won't want to loose her again. Talk to the victims, we need everything we can, hopefully she'll talk about Duncan and let us know where he is."
"I hope so." I said feeling a knot in my stomach. I called Emily's dad, he agreed to bring in Emily for a line up. Now I had to contact Lucy and Callie's foster family, I knew I'd written down the number somewhere, I just didn't know where. I searched my desk and found a post it note with Sofia and Ian's number on. The phone rang three times then a woman picked up.
"Hello Sofia?" I asked as I heard her voice.
"Yes, who's calling?"
"It's Detective Benson, I was hoping you could bring Lucy in. We've caught one of her attackers and we need her to come in for a line up."
"Oh, um, yes, yes of course. When?"
"Now if you can. I know it's short notice, but.."
"We will be there. I'll get the girls ready now. And Detective, thank you."
I nodded as if she could see me, "Thank you Sofia." I hung up the phone and looked for Alex. I needed her right now, I couldn't see her and figured she was on the phone because she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye.
"Captain, is Amanda or Nick around?" I asked.
"Nick is still working his case, I can spare Amanda."
"Thanks Captain, I need some fresh eyes on this case."
"Grab Amanda, she's yours for as long as you need her."
I walked out of Cragen's office and asked Amanda for her help, she followed me to the soft interview room where we watched the June family interact. It was quiet and somewhat awkward but that was to be expected.
"So what do you need me for?" Amanda asked.
"Honestly, I'm torn. Natasha June has been missing for sixteen years, kidnapped by a guy named Duncan who groomed her and raped her repeatedly. But she went on to help him rape three girls and plant bombs in bears. One of our victims died because of the bomb, where do you stand? Would you prosecute her or plea her out?"
Amanda frowned, "I'd prosecute. She didn't like what happened to her, it was her own personal hell, so regardless of the circumstances she shouldn't put those girls through what she went through."
"Thanks Amanda." I felt like I knew the answer, even though Natasha had been kidnapped and raped for years, she still went on to help commit the crimes knowing they were wrong. "Can you stick around for a while? I've got two victims coming into do a line up."
"Sure, I'll get it all set up. Let me know when they arrive, I'll keep them apart."
As Amanda got a few female officers to stand in the line up with Natasha, and prepared everyone I went to get Natasha out of the room with her parents.
"Detective Benson, you can't do this! Natasha wouldn't hurt anyone, tell them it's not true sweetheart." Mrs June half pleaded with me and her daughter.
"I'm sorry, but Natasha has confessed to her crimes. Our ADA wants to prosecute, I'm following orders. Come on Natasha." I ushered the twenty one year old up and out of the room. Her parents were either in shock or disbelief because neither of them tried to get her back.
I put Natasha into the line up as soon as I had word from Amanda that Emily and her dad had arrived at the precinct.
I greeted them both and lead Emily, her dad and Alex into the side room with the two way mirror.
"Number four." Emily said coldly. "That's Sadie."
"Are you sure?" Alex asked.
"I've never been more sure of anything. That's her." Emily looked at her Dad, "Can we go home now?"
He looked at us, I nodded and lead them back out. Amanda had been keeping Lucy and Callie with their foster mom in a different room to make sure there was no contamination of our witnesses.
"Lucy, all you have to do is pick out the girl who helped hurt you." I said.
Lucy looked at the women in the line up and bowed her head. "It's number four."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes, it's her."
Both Amanda and Lucy had picked out Natasha from the line up. It looked like no matter what my heart and head were in conflict about, this was happening. And I finally agreed that Natasha who took part in the rape and abuse of the three girls as Sadie was to blame as equally as Duncan. She was going to jail.
A/N: Thank you for being patient. As of the 23rd of this month I will have my own internet and will therefore be posting on a more regular basis. I also have a couple of new stories in the pipeline for you. :) Please review when you get a chance.