A/N: I'm SO sorry for this huge delay. I really have no good excuse for it, just that things have been a little busy here, I travelled and stuff. But still, not a good excuse. I've also been very down these last few weeks. I feel like our fandom (C/O) is so small and that people aren't invested anymore, and it makes me kinda sad. I just love these characters so much, their relationship, their dynamics, their potential together... It saddens me that it can be "forgotten" like that. And I also love Casey Novak, and since she's not on the show anymore I also feel sad she'll be a character that is just gonna drift away. Well, I'm being too melodramatic, forgive me. Here goes chapter 6, forgive me for the delay. I will gather my shit and stop being so mopey.
PS.: There is a lot of case stuff on this chapter, so if you don't remember much of it, I recommend you to rewatch the scene in question or re-read the previous chapter.
Chapter 6
Casey remained inside the poorly lit room for longer than she was able to estimate, ruminating everything that had happened before the detectives had walked away with their faces twisted with contempt at her. It was as if the more she tried to repair things the more she only managed to shatter them into yet smaller pieces. No one prepared you for these challenges, she thought to herself, and no one made the decisions or handled the consequences but you - which would be something fairly simple to do if people's lives and integrities weren't at stake. The door slowly opened with a cracking noise and the lights were turned on.
"Care to join us, A.D.A?", the Captain asked her softly.
"Yes, sure. I was just thinking about this case", she explained herself.
They silently walked together towards Fin's working desk, where the detective went through some newly arrived files.
"Where did Benson and Stabler go?", she asked, unable to keep the question to herself any longer.
"They went to Molly Stratton's house, to interview her on anything she might remember about her rape", Cragen replied, noticing the quick look that passed through Casey's eyes.
"And how old is she now?", she asked, trying to maintain a placid expression on her face.
"This is the file on her case", Fin pointed it to Casey, "The people who handled it didn't manage to get a lot of specific details on the perp's MO. or a lot of distinguishable features about the attack".
"Which is what they expect to get from Molly's interview", she questioned, tilting her head to the side and picking up the file.
"Exactly", he agreed, "But I think that if we cross reference some of the info on the rape we might find other similar attacks".
"And when they come back with the details on what Molly remembers we add those to the search", she completed, and encouraged by his vehement head nod she continued, "Then we nail the bastard".
"You've said it all, counselor", Fin replied, smiling at the woman's determined face.
Olivia lowered the car's window and let the wind brush through her hair and face, the soft cold gushes of air flicking across her skin in little blows as they rode by in an almost high speed. As much as she was used to everyday walking into work and being faced with the most shocking cases and vicious criminals there were moments when it still shook her to the core, just like this one where it had started with a dead woman whose baby had been removed from her (for reasons they still grasped to fully understand - not that they could ever actually understand) and it enveloped towards the direction of a rape past the statue of limitation in which a little girl was attacked by a pedophile with a fetish for honey - and the attack had happened only a few feet away from where the clueless mom stood, checking out a sales rack. She glanced outside the window and saw a few kids happily playing on the street, a friendly looking old lady pushing a small cart filled with fresh vegetables, two woman carelessly talking on their mobiles. She wondered if these people knew how cruel and barbaric the world could be, if they realized what she had to work on daily was the reality of millions of people, if they too lived in fear that one day their world and Olivia's would crash together - or if they already knew that there was no division and these worlds were indeed just one.
"Are you okay, Liv?", he peered over at his silent partner worriedly, but at the same time sure of what her reply would be.
"Yeah, El. I'm okay", she answered calmly, resting her eyelids shut for a few minutes before their arrival at the station.
Elliot, Olivia and Cragen arrived inside the squad room as the detectives briefed the captain on Molly Stratton's statement. Much to Olivia's surprise she noticed the new A.D.A. had stayed there, and carefully went through files alongside Fin as if she was a detective herself.
"We've been going through the Tri-State 61s, looking for a match", Olivia told the captain as Casey watched her, green eyes rapidly changing focus when another voice took over.
"I got one. Alicia Hahn, Happened at the Bronx Zoo. Lured into a bathroom. Same packet of honey", he read out.
"When?", the captain asked.
"Two months ago", Fin answered.
"Bring Newlands in for a line-up", Casey announced hopefully, finally seeing a possibility of making things right.
"You can't do that", Munch said hastily, in a dismissive tone, making Casey abruptly turn her head towards him.
"Why?"
"The victim is eight years old", he stated matter-of-factly.
"And she deserves justice", she answered back.
"And if she picks the wrong guy, you've just given him exculpatory evidence", Elliot argumented.
Casey now stood face to face with Olivia, and by a brief read of the detective's expression Casey could see she agreed with her fellow detectives even before she uttered a word.
"Which is admissible at trial", Olivia asserted as if to remind Casey of the legal consequences of her decision, which just managed to further engage the A.D.A. and set her more adamant on her resolution.
"I'm willing to take that chance", she replied.
"A line up is a bad idea. Adults have enough trouble making an ID. It's way too risky with a kid", Cragen affirmed firmly as Olivia held her breath hoping the captain's words were enough to set that headstrong woman on another track.
"It happened two months ago. How could she possibly forget him?", she insisted fixedly.
Casey quickly set the necessary legal processes in motion and sooner than everyone expected Langan and Dr. Newlands were already present for the line up. Olivia and Elliot were faced with the task of talking to the victim's family, explaining the whole situation and getting their consent for the line up as well as assuring Alicia Hahn that everything would be okay and no harm would come to her for identifying the man who had hurt her. Olivia hated those situations, specially one where everyone who had experience with victims was against it and a new comer with no knowledge at all commanded them to proceed with the line up anyway. She wasn't sure if Casey Novak was insane, inconsequent, cold, or just completely blinded by her need to win the case that it didn't matter what it took to do so.
With everything set up appropriately, Olivia cautiously brought Alicia to the room and explained to her what the girl was supposed to do, clenching her chin at the sight of this terrified little girl on the verge of tears flickering her eyes from one man to the other in exasperation.
" I don't know", Alicia declared, her little features contorted in a sad expression.
"Good enough for me", Langan remarked.
"Take your time, Alicia. This is very important", Casey impatiently denoted in a serious tone.
"Yeah, she knows that", Olivia said angrily, censuring Casey with her voice, "Do you need to stop now?", she asked the girl softly.
"Please, all right? Just one more look, and this time, really concentrate", Casey firmly asked, widened eyes focused on Alicia.
"I was", the girl replied.
"She can't see what's not there", Langan said, while Alicia ran her eyes through the men holding numbers one more time.
"Do you see him?", Casey suggested, insisting again.
"Is it number... Is it number... two?".
"Excuse me. I have a motion to file", Langan said to a guilt stricken Casey.
"Was it wrong?", the girl cried out, looking towards Casey.
"You did just great, Alicia. I'm gonna take you home now, okay, honey? Come on, it's okay", Olivia replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry", she cried to Casey, who walked out of the room unable to utter a word as Olivia's piercing stare burned in the back of her neck.