Location: Olivia's Apartment.
"Liv!" Elliot called out as he entered the apartment and locked the door behind him. "I'm home!"
"I'm in here!" Olivia yelled from the living room.
She was sitting on the couch with her feet up. Elliot sat down beside her and began rubbing her feet.
"Ohhhh, that feels nice," Olivia closed her eyes and leaned back. "Thank you. I meant to call you when I got home, but I was just so tired. And my feet are killing me."
"Not a problem," Elliot said. "So..., how did your psych evaluation go? What did they say?"
Olivia opened her eyes and turned her head to face Elliot.
She took a deep breath. "It went well, I guess. We talked about everything. About what happened in the hotel room and in Canada. We even talked about the baby." Olivia gently cradled her growing belly in her arms. "The doctor diagnosed me with PTSD, but as long as I keep going to counseling I should be okay."
Elliot released her feet and put an arm around her.
"And you will be," he assured her in a sympathetic tone. "You have nothing to worry about. So are you cleared to go back to work?"
"Yea," she nodded. "I go back to work next week. I just have to clear it with Cragen first."
"That's good to hear," he smiled at her. "If you ever feel like you can't handle it, make sure you come to me and I'll talk you through it. Or take you home. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."
"Thanks, El," Olivia placed her head on his shoulder. "That means a lot to me."
"You're welcome," he kissed the top of her head.
Elliot could tell by her distant stare that Olivia had a lot weighing on her mind. He decided to steer the conversation toward a lighter subject. Even so, he knew the conversation would eventually become heavier before the night ended.
"I'm hungry," Elliot spoke. "How about you? Have you had dinner?"
"I'm starving!" Olivia answered. "I was waiting for you to get home so we could eat together."
"You could've eaten without me," Elliot told her. "After all, you are eating for two."
"I did have a snack," Olivia admitted. "I had gummi bears and waffles."
"You call that a snack?" he chuckled.
"Get off my back!" she snapped. "I'm pregnant, remember?"
"Sorry," he quickly apologized. "I should have-"
"No, I'm sorry," she interrupted him, tears stinging her eyes. "It's the hormones. They're making me crazy."
Elliot reached out his hand to the tissue box on the coffee table. He pulled out a tissue and handed it to Olivia.
"It's okay," Elliot consoled her. "How about I make us some dinner? I can make some spaghetti."
"Can I have waffles and gummi bears with it?" Olivia wiped away her tears with the tissue.
"Whatever you want," Elliot smiled as he stood up from the couch.
Olivia pulled him back down and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
"You're the best," Olivia smiled back at him. "You know that, don't you?"
Somehow, Elliot didn't feel like the best. Olivia watched as he stood back up and walked into the kitchen with a look of worry in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she inquired.
"Nothing," he shrugged.
His gaze fell upon a newspaper sitting on the kitchen counter. It was laying open to the classified ads. He noticed several ads circled under the Apartments For Rent section.
"What's this?" he questioned, holding up the newspaper for Olivia to see.
"Well," Olivia began. "With the baby coming, I'm going to need a bigger apartment. And, um, I'd love for you to move in with us and be a part of the baby's life. But if you're not ready, I won't force you. But know that the offer is always on the table."
Elliot put down the newspaper and sat back down on the couch beside her.
"Liv," he held her hands in his. "I told you before if the baby is mine, which it is, then I would do right by you and the baby. And I am a man of my word. I love you and the baby. Nothing would make me happier than having the two of you in my life. But do you think an apartment will be big enough? A kid needs a lot of room to grow. I think a house would be better."
"Really?" she smiled as she squeezed his hands. "I would love to have a house. Especially one with a big backyard. That's always been my dream. To raise a family in beautiful house in the suburbs. Not in a cramped apartment in the city. But can we actually afford it?"
"I'm sure we can figure something out," he said as a plan formulated in his mind.
"Oh, El!" she cried, giving him a big hug. "Thank you! This means the world to me!"
"You're welcome," he smiled.
"So," Olivia said, excitedly. "I was looking at a house just outside the city. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice size backyard,..."
Her voice trailed off. She could see it in Elliot's eyes that something was troubling him.
"What is it?" she demanded to know. "And don't tell me it's nothing. I know it's something."
He knew she would eventually find out, so Elliot decided he would rather have Olivia hear it from him than anyone at the station house. They would tell her as gently as he could.
"There's no easy way to tell you this," Elliot cleared his throat. "So here it goes. The Grand Jury indicted Carl Grady for rape and murder, attempted rape and murder, and fraud. But Casey needs you testify in open court."
The color immediately drained from Olivia's face. She began to feel shaky and faint.
"Oh, no," Olivia shuddered. "Absolutely not! I can't! Isn't there another way? What about all the evidence you have against him?"
Elliot shook his head. "Believe me. I wish there was another way. I tried to talk Casey out of it, but she says the body farms, here and in Canada, may not be enough. And the prison visitor's logs are circumstantial. The DNA on the bodies is far too degraded to obtain a sample. If Melinda can somehow extract even a partial sample, Grady's lawyer can argue that Granger committed the crime, not his client. So, technically, the fraud charge is the only one that might stick. But if you testify about what Granger said and did to you, it will go a long way in convicting Grady."
Olivia knew Elliot was right. Granger had told her things while he held her captive in Canada. Things that made Olivia believe she would never make it out of there alive. But could she really handle testifying against his cousin, Grady? What if she had a flashback and melted down in open court? Olivia wasn't sure she was strong enough.
"I'm not sure I can do this," Olivia whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't think I can face him."
"Yes, you can," Elliot held her shivering body in his arms. "Liv, you are strong. Think of all the perps you helped put away by testifying. Remember what you tell victims. In the courtroom, your attacker has no power. He can't touch you. You're the one in control. And who knows? You may even get closure from this."
She couldn't let herself become one of the victims who refused to testify and later regret it. Olivia felt if she didn't testify, she would destroy everything that the Unit and the court stood for. And she refused to let that happen. Olivia had to do this, for all the victims who testified in the past and for all those who would later testify in the future.
"You're right," she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I have to try."
"That's all I ask," he spoke gently.
"Will you come with me?" she pleaded.
"Of course," he nodded. "But now, it's dinner time. And you need to eat. You're going to need your strength."
"Alright," she agreed. "And thank you, El."
"You're welcome," he kissed her forehead.
Location: New York City Courthouse.
Olivia sat outside the court room on a rather uncomfortable bench, anxiously awaiting to be called to testify. She cradled her belly in her arms as she stared down at the floor. Elliot sat next to her, trying to keep her calm.
"Who am I kidding?" Olivia's voice was shaky. "I can't do this!"
"Yes, you can," Elliot reassured her as he held he hand. "Just remember what we talked about."
"I know," Olivia looked up at his soft, comforting blue eyes. "But I'm still scared."
"You have no reason to be scared," Elliot's voice was soothing and gentle.
"I'll be in there with you. Just keep your eyes on me."
The court room door opened to the right of where their seat stood. They both looked up to see a female bailiff step out.
"Detective Benson?" she looked at Olivia.
"That's me," Olivia tried to sound confident, but it came out sort of muffled instead.
"Are you ready?" asked the bailiff.
Olivia looked Elliot, who gave her an encouraging smile. She then looked back at the bailiff and gave her a nervous nod as she. Elliot helped Olivia stand up as they followed the bailiff into the court room. He released Olivia's hand and took a seat in front so with a perfect view of the witness stand. The bailiff escorted Olivia to the witness stand, where she sat down, waiting to be sworn in.
"Please state your name for the record," the bailiff said.
"Detective Olivia Benson," Olivia stated.
"Please stand and raise your right hand," the bailiff instructed.
Olivia stood up as she nervously raised her right hand, which was trembling. She tried to remind herself it would be just like any other day in court. But somehow it didn't help.
"Olivia Benson," the bailiff began the oath. "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help you God."
"I do so solemnly swear," Olivia nodded.
The bailiff appeared satisfied and took her seat, as did Olivia. ADA Casey Novak stood up from the prosecutor's table and gently approached Olivia. Behind Casey, Elliot sat in the front row with his eyes on Olivia.
At the defense table sat Lowell Harris, A.K.A Carl Grady. And next to him, was his attorney, who Olivia recognized as John Buchanan. He once defended, Billy Skags, a Christian zealot who persecuted prostitutes. And another time, Buchanan defended Anton Petrov, a Bulgarian mobster who smuggled young pregnant women into the United States and later killed them for their babies, which he then illegally put up for adoption.
Olivia knew Buchanan would probably torture her on the stand. But with Judge Elizabeth Donnelly presiding over the case, Olivia hoped she would keep Buchanan from getting out of control.
"Olivia," Casey began. "I understand this must be difficult for you, but can you please tell us what happened?"
Olivia proceeded to tell them about Granger raping her in the hotel room, then beating her into a coma.
"Do you know why he raped you?" asked Casey.
Olivia slowly nodded as tears filled her eyes. "He told me it was payback for putting his cousin in prison."
"When did he tell you this?" Casey inquired.
"When he was raping me," Olivia whimpered. "He said that no one messes with his family and gets away with it. And then he said his cousin sent a message for me. He said 'You kept him waiting. Now you have to pay.'"
Casey nodded apprehensively. "What did he mean when he said you kept him waiting?"
Olivia had hoped Sealview wouldn't come up during her testimony. But alas, it did. She had no choice but tell the court what happened.
She drew in a nervous breath. "About three years ago, I went undercover at a prison where Granger's cousin was working as a corrections officer at the time. Only I didn't know they were related."
Olivia continued to testify about what happened in the basement. Casey and the jury listened carefully.
"And who exactly was this corrections officer?" Casey questioned. "And cousin of Dennis Granger?"
Olivia pointed a shaky finger at the defense table. "It was the defendant. Lowell Harris. Or Carl Grady. Or whatever he's calling himself now."
"So," Casey stated. "Dennis Granger raped and attacked you in a hotel room as payback for throwing his cousin in jail after heattacked you and tried to rape you first.
"Yes," Olivia nodded.
"But it didn't end there," Casey spoke clearly. "Did it?"
"No," Olivia continued. "About a month later, Granger abducted me. He took me to an abandoned mental hospital in Canada where he held me captive for several days."
"And what did he do to you there?" Casey asked.
Olivia looked over at Elliot, who gave her an encouraging stare. She took a deep breath, trying to control her tears. She told the court how Granger had tied her to a bed and drugged and raped her repeatedly. She told them about how he hooked her up to an electroconvulsive therapy box and electrocuted her, giving her retrograde amnesia. As she ended her story, her tears overflowed, streaming down her cheeks.
"I know this is hard for you," Casey said. "But did he say anything to you during your captivity?"
Olivia nodded, sobbing. "He...uh...told me that I was one of the best he's ever had. And...he told me how I wasn't his first...that he and Grady tortured,...raped,...and...murdered dozens of women over the years. He said I was his latest victim...and that he needed to finish what he started in the hotel room. I knew he meant to kill me too."
Casey saw that Olivia was distraught enough. Plus she, was satisfied with her questioning.
"No further questions," Casey declared before the judge.
Judge Donnelly looked at Buchanan. "Does the defense have any questions for this witness?"
"I do, Your Honor," Buchanan stood up and approached Olivia.
"Very well, then," Judge Donnelly stated. "Proceed."
A sense of dread and anxiety swept over Olivia. She could tell by the look in his eyes, Buchanan meant to crucify her on the witness stand. She held her growing belly in her arms, gently rubbing it.
"First of all," Buchanan began. "I'd like to congratulate you on your upcoming addition to your family. May I ask who the father is?"
"Objection!" Casey stood up. "Relevance?"
"I'm getting to it," Buchanan looked at Judge Donnelly. "I promise."
"Sustained," Judge Donnelly pounded the gavel. Then she looked back at Buchanan. "You better not be playing games."
"Who is the baby's father?" Buchanan repeated.
"Elliot Stabler," Olivia answered.
"But you stated that Granger raped you," Buchanan reminded her. "How can Elliot be the father? Could it be that he's the one who raped you?"
"No," Olivia replied. "Elliot and I had consensual sex about a week before the attacks."
Olivia realized he was trying to give the jury reasonable doubt by placing the blame on Elliot. Too bad for Buchanan. It didn't work. The jury was not swayed. She wondered what other tricks he had up his sleeves.
Buchanan pressed on. "Well, then how can we be sure that the sex between you and Granger wasn't consensual?"
"Because he beat me into a coma afterward," Olivia glared at him. Now he was trying to make the jury think she's a whore. "I don't know what you've been told, but that usually doesn't happen after consensual sex."
"Moving on," Buchanan said, thinking quickly. "You told the court that my client and his cousin sought revenge for arresting him. You may have been the arresting officer, but wasn't your partner, Detective Stabler with you that day? Why would my client seek revenge on you and not your partner?"
"He did," Olivia answered. "He killed Elliot's wife and five children by blowing up his house."
She glanced over at Elliot, feeling guilty for bringing up such a reminder. But he remained strong, focused on getting Olivia through her testimony.
"But," Buchanan added. "Only Granger's DNA was present at the crime scene. As with the crimes scene of both your attacks. Not too mention, my client has been incarcerated this whole time."
"My colleagues have proof of his guilt," Olivia stated. "He conspired with Granger."
Buchanan went on trying to turn everything around on Olivia. Or placing the blame on anyone else but his client. But Olivia continued disproving every single one of his theories. When he couldn't get any farther, Buchanan finally gave up.
"The defense has no more questions for this witness," he told Judge Donnelly.
"Very well then," Judge Donnelly pounded her gavel again as she looked at Olivia. "This witness is dismissed. The court thanks you for your time."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Olivia stood up and exited the court room with Elliot following behind her.
Out in the lobby, Olivia sat down on a bench once again. She closed her eyes and sighed in relief. She had survived the testimony.
"You were great in there!" Elliot smiled as he sat down next to her and gave her a gentle hug.
"Thanks," Olivia hugged him back. "I just so glad it's over."
"So am I," Elliot commented. "Now let's get you home. You need to rest."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Olivia smiled at him.
Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!