Chapter 2 – Blast from the Past

We all arrived in Chicago the following afternoon and were ready to get started. The whole squad was anxious to catch this guy and everyone was willing to work as long as they had to. We went straight to the precinct where Sergeant Voight's team was waiting for us. We were greeted by Sergeant Voight almost immediately when we walked in. We introduced ourselves and he ushered us upstairs to where his team was going over the case. I was introduced to a young brunette detective, Erin Lindsay, and two male detectives, Alvin Olinsky and Antonio Dawson. We gathered around a board that had a picture of a beautiful young blonde paramedic who I am assuming was the victim. A brief description of the perp's M.O. was listed next to the picture.

I had so many questions about this woman's case since we had been working similar ones in Manhattan for several months. I anxiously asked, "So, shall we get started?"

Dawson then looked at Voight and asked, "Should we wait for Stabler?"

I froze as soon as I heard that name. I was praying that he didn't mean Elliot Stabler. I was not ready to face him again. I was conflicted because part of me wanted to see him so I could find out why the hell he left, and the other part was too scared to confront him. I glanced over at Fin to see if he had caught the name too. He looked over at me and I could see that he was wondering the same thing I was. Just at that moment I heard someone come through the doorway and as I looked up, I found myself staring into those mesmerizing crystal blue eyes. Dawson was talking about Elliot Stabler and he was working at the Chicago Police Department. He stared back at me with genuine surprise in his eyes.

He smiled at me and said, "Hey Liv, what are you doing here?"

Before I could answer, Voight said, "I figured you two knew each other since Stabler came from Manhattan SVU. Do you guys know each other well?"

I let Elliot answer that one. I was seething with anger at how nonchalant he was acting. I grieved his leaving for months and it didn't even seem to faze him. He looked great. He had always been in good physical shape when we worked together but it appeared he had gotten even stronger as I gawked at his large muscles and chiseled shape. Elliot looked over at me with a grin and said, "Yes, we used to be partners."

Voight said, "Great. Well, we should have a great team then. Let's go over this perp's profile so we can catch this pervert."

We debriefed on each other's cases over the next hour and we all took notes to figure out a plan. The paramedic who had been raped in Chicago worked at the Chicago Fire Department, Firehouse 51, and was named Leslie Shay. She fit the perp's type exactly being young, blonde, and a first responder. She had come home after a shift one evening and was grabbed from behind as she got out of her car. She woke up the following morning in the alley behind her apartment with no recollection of what had happened. Her roommate, a firefighter at the same firehouse, took her to the hospital as soon as she came in the apartment. Her exam showed bruising in her genital region, ligature marks around her wrists, and the toxicology screen showed ketamine and xylazine in her bloodstream. They did have a break in the case in that DNA was found underneath her fingernails. There was no match in CODIS but the DNA is of a male.

I wanted to interview Leslie Shay along with her roommate to see if there was anything missed or if she remembered any new details. Rollins and I decided we would go to the firehouse to do the interviews and Fin and Nick were going to go over our Manhattan cases with the Chicago squad to attempt at narrowing down a suspect. Stabler said he would take us to the firehouse to do the interviews. I couldn't believe we were going to be partnered up again just like old times as if the last four years hadn't happened. I really needed to get him alone to talk to him or I was going to explode.

The ride to the firehouse fortunately was short but I know Amanda could feel the tension in the car. She came to SVU right after Elliot had left and saw how hurt and angry, I had been. I stupidly kept his desk set up like a shrine as if he had died. He was the one who left without a word and now acted as though the twelve years we worked together meant nothing. We arrived at the firehouse and met a Chief Bowden when we entered. He introduced us to Leslie Shay, and we sat down in a private nook to speak to her.

She was young, maybe late twenties to early thirties, average height, and light blonde hair. Her face had very striking features that were beautiful. I told her we were going to ask her questions about her attack. She looked back at us apprehensively and said, "Ok. I just don't remember much so I am not sure how much help I will be."

I looked at her and responded gently, "That's ok. Just tell us what you do remember and sometimes that will trigger other memories."

She tensed up as she started to talk and was playing with the edge of her hoodie almost obsessively as though she didn't know what to do with her hands. "I had just pulled up in front of my apartment building after getting off work and was getting stuff out of my car when I felt someone come up from behind and place a gloved hand over my mouth. Before I could react, I felt a stabbing pain in my neck and then everything went dark." She started to tear up before speaking again. "The next thing I remember is waking up in the alley behind my apartment building. I was groggy, my wrists were sore, and I was sore in between my legs like I had really rough sex. I slowly got up and headed into the apartment when my roommate, Kelly Severide, was in the kitchen and could tell something was really wrong with me. He ran over to me and asked what happened. I told him I couldn't remember but I think I was raped so he rushed me right to the hospital."

She was sobbing now, so I sat next to her and put my arm around her. I knew exactly how she felt, except I remembered everything Lewis did to me, but I am not sure which is worse. She suddenly looked up as though she remembered something. "Wait, an image just flashed in my head. It's fuzzy but I do remember waking up and seeing a man standing over me. He was white, maybe early 30s, brown, shaggy hair. I could also hear dogs barking in the background. It sounded like a lot of dogs almost like a boarding kennel. I wasn't awake for long and then must have passed out again."

Amanda replied with, "That's good Leslie. That may help us narrow down a suspect."

Amanda and I left the office and headed out to the front of the firehouse. Elliot was there waiting when Amanda spoke up, "I'm going to go get a cup of coffee." I could tell she was trying to allow Elliot and I to speak alone. I walked closer and asked, "So, did you talk to Lieutenant Severide, Leslie's roommate?"

He sighed, "Yes, he didn't really have much to add except that her not coming home after shift is not unusual. She sometimes will stop for a drink after work, meet a woman, and then stay over at her place. He wasn't concerned that she hadn't come home until he saw the shape, she was in. She's a lesbian not that her sexual orientation changes anything but it wouldn't appear that she was attacked by an angry ex-boyfriend or anything."

I told him what Leslie had told us. I described the perpetrator to him and that he may work with dogs in some capacity or live near a boarding facility. He was relieved to hear that since we had absolutely no leads up until this point.

He then started rubbing the back of his head with his hand and said, "So, I know you are pretty angry with me and how we left things."

I interrupted with, "There was no "we" in how things were left. You disappeared, ignored all my calls and texts, and then I never heard from you again. Cragen was the one who told me you put in your retirement papers with NYPD."

He stepped closer to me and grabbed my hand. I instantly yanked it away wanting him to know how hurt I was. He let out a sigh and said, "Listen, Liv, I know that was wrong how I left. I was messed up with the shooting of that young girl. Kathy could see how messed up I was, and she was tired of me working all the time. She pushed me to leave NYPD and get a fresh start. I initially told her that I could never leave you. She blew up on me saying that I cared more about you than her and she always knew something was going on between us. I told her it wasn't, but she basically gave me an ultimatum of leave NYPD, or she was taking Eli and I wouldn't be able to see him. I knew if I talked to you, I would never be able to leave and I feared never seeing Eli again. Saying it aloud sounds selfish and stupid, but that's what was going through my head. I have thought about you every day since I have left and have been trying to figure out how to call you and talk to you."

Tears of anger were accumulating at the corners of my eyes as I listened to him. He chose her and his family over me as if I meant nothing. I didn't even know how to respond to what he said.

He looked at me with those amazing eyes, "Liv, have a drink with me so we can talk all of this out. Please?"

I sighed, turned away from him so I could wipe the tears away. "Fine El, let's have a drink and talk."