000-
"Dad? You home?" Elliot was still in his room tossing random clothes into his duffle bag. When was the last time he washed socks?
"In my room!" He called while opening and shutting drawers. His mother just moved into the agreed upon care home, but she must have "helped" with laundry before she left because he couldn't find one damn pair of socks. He lifted his head, suddenly realizing whichever kid let herself in hadn't burst through his bedroom door. He abandoned his sock search in favor of making sure one of his kids didn't scare the crap out of Noah.
As expected, Lizzie had settled onto the couch with Noah. He had no idea what Noah's normal response to strangers might be, but Lizzie taught third grade and was probably the least intimidating of his children. Except for Kathleen, but she could also come on too strong.
The pair heard him enter and their heads immediately turned in his direction. Noah didn't look at all bothered by their impromptu visitor.
Lizzie popped off the couch to give him a quick hug. "You aren't allowed to go silent for three days." She spoke the words into his shoulder before patting his back and stepping away. "I was just talking to this cool kid. He says his name is Noah Benson." Her eyes communicated the unsaid, Captain Benson has a kid?. And a stern, what the hell dad? And potentially a bit of, Why does that kid look kinda like you? All questions he would not be answering in front of Noah.
"Yeah, Noah and I are hanging out while Liv handles a…" he swallowed, "a complicated case." He shot her his best, leave it alone look.
Lizzie returned another, What the actual hell? look.
Elliot glanced at Noah who was beginning to look a little unnerved by the mostly silent conversation going on between the adults in the room.
Lizzie got the message, but he knew the matter wouldn't be dropped. He'd hear about this later.
Deciding to change the subject he asked. "Do you have any idea if Grandma did my laundry? I don't have any socks."
Noah couldn't hold in the giggle that escaped from his lips. It was pretty absurd really. He was a middle aged man who can't find his socks because his elderly mother always put things in… unique places.
"Hey," Elliot groaned. "You laugh now but one day you'll have an elderly mother…"
"Who is Olivia Benson sooooo…" Lizzie added.
"Sorry Elliot. I'm pretty sure my mom isn't the kind of person who loses all her socks. Even when she gets old."
Kid was right. He couldn't even imagine an elderly Olivia losing anything. Especially her socks.
"Okay okay. Enough from the peanut gallery over here…" he said sarcastically. He turned back to Lizzie, "But seriously. Where'd she hide my socks?"
Noah snorted in an attempt to keep from laughing which left them all in a fit of laughter. Lizzie caught her breath, "Check Eli's room. She probably thought they were his."
"Eli doesn't even live here right now," he muttered as he headed for Eli's room. He turned back, "you okay with Lizzie for a second Noah?"
"Yep," he replied easily, and Elliot continued his search for his socks.
-000-
Lizzie—texting —Elliot
L: My little brother is cute…
E: He's not mine Liz.
L: Are you absolutely certain because that kid… don't know, he looks like one of us.
E: Olivia adopted Noah, so I'm sure. Also, I feel like I shouldn't have to say this. There is NO possible way he's mine.
L: I know that. But damn dad, if you and Olivia ever had a kid…
E: Believe me. I get that a lot.
L: Cute kid though. Smart. Why do you really have him today?
E: It's a really long story and I'm not texting it. I'll call you when I get a chance, but please try not to speculate with everyone.
L: I can't promise that.
E: Lizzie!
L: Just being honest…
E: Fine. But it is a pretty serious situation, and I'm going to be with him for the next few days.
L: Oh God. Sorry. Liv okay?
E: I'll talk to you about it later. But this case is a lot for Liv and Noah.
And not to mention himself…
L: Love You Dad
E: Love you too
-000-
Stabler Sibling Chat
L: Met my baby brother today…
K: You met Noah!?
L: You know about him?
K: Barely. I met him in passing when I needed an opinion on whether one of the women I work with should file charges. Anyway, I saw him for like two seconds, and I don't think he had a clue who I was.
E: What!?
L: God Eli. Relax, I was kidding.
E: Who's Noah?
L: Why didn't you tell us you met him!?
K: Eli- Olivia's kid.
D: Olivia has a kid?
L: Yeah and he looks like he could be the youngest Stabler…
E: Are you serious?
L: Maybe I should make this clear, since Eli can't keep up. Noah is NOT dads. At least I don't think so.
M: Lizzie! You aren't helping Eli be less confused!
K: It didn't seem important at the time…
D: How would that not be important Katie!?
L: Sorry! Not my fault he can't take a joke!
K: I honestly forgot about it. I was worried about my friend. Thanks for caring…
D: Okay. That's fair. Sorry Katie.
K: No problem Dick.
D: I hate you.
K: You don't.
M: So I take it Dad was alive when you went to his apartment earlier?
L: Alive and hanging out with Olivia's kid.
M: Three days MIA and he's with Olivia and her kid…
K: They're SO doing it.
M: Oh my God Katie!
K: What? We knew it'd happen eventually.
D: I'm okay not picturing that.
K:
L: Maybe? He's so weird when it comes to Liv. He wouldn't tell me why he had Noah. Just that Olivia had a complicated case. Acted weird about it.
K: I can think of a reason he's acting weird…
E: Please don't say it again.
K: I wasn't going to but now I gotta. HE'S SO DOING HER!
E: I'm muting this. I'm trying to study, and all I can think about is that I might have a baby brother and my Dad is probably banging his old partner.
M: YOU DON'T HAVE A BABY BROTHER!
D: I mean, none of us could be sure really…
M: Damn it Dickie you're not helping.
D: Hey, the only people who would know for sure would be Liv and Dad.
L: Oh my God. I'm gonna look up the adoption record because this is getting out of hand.
K: You kinda started it.
L: Well, the conversation got away from me a little.
M: A little? Pretty sure Eli is having some sort of crisis, thinking his whole life is a lie.
D: He'll be fine.
M: I'm calling him later.
D: I want to see a picture of this kid. I need to see what my baby brother looks like.
M: Stop it.
D: I can't. It's just too wild to think about.
L: Would it be too creepy to sneak a picture next time I see him?
K: Liv is literally the Captain of the sex police and you want to try to take a picture of her kid without consent?
L: Okay…dumb idea
D: Maybe I need to make an unannounced stop to Dad's…
M: He's probably staying at Liv's. if it were my boys I would want them home, not staying at someone else's house for days on end.
K:….Liv's Place….
D: Oh they're so doing it!
K: THANK YOU!!!
M: I'm picking the boys up from T-ball. You guys can carry this conversation on without me.
D: But bothering you is half the fun!
M: I hate being the oldest.
-000-
Olivia managed two minutes of solace in her office before someone popped in. Churlish knocked on the door frame before stepping through the already open door.
"Lucas' bio parents are on their way. The soonest they can get here is tomorrow morning."
"Are they aware of all the circumstances?" Like the fact that their kid, who they probably imagine as a two year old boy, might have killed a girl?
"I tried to lay it on them as delicately as possible." Churlish shook her head. "Can you imagine? Your kid is taken and turns up ten years later, but in the course of a violent investigation?"
"Hard to imagine." Olivia agreed.
Olivia barely finished the thought when Bruno busted in. "Oh sorry," he apologized once he noticed Churlish standing there. "I don't want to interrupt…"
"No I think that's all," she eyed Churlish to be sure.
"No, that's all I have for now." Churlish took a step back.
"You might as well stay in here and hear this too," Bruno looked pretty unhappy.
Olivia wasn't sure she was mentally capable of handling more bad news.
"Abby's mom declined a second interview. Something about her daughter already being falsely accused of things and how this was getting out of hand."
"Shut up. Seriously? I can't fathom parents who enable their kids like that." Churlish was boiling.
"Happens more than you know." Olivia muttered under her breath.
"We don't have enough to compel her to come in, do we?" Bruno stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"We do and we don't." Olivia knew that two kids saying it was Abby was helpful, but the problem was that they were twelve year old kids. Add to that Lucas' involvement…she wasn't sure they were ready to compel anyone to do anything. "We have zero physical evidence in this case, so it's the sixth grader version of a he said she said he said mess."
"Did the local guys do any kind of crime scene sweep?" Bruno inquired.
Olivia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, but I doubt it was thorough. Add to that, there were two missing kids. Every inch of that campground was contaminated."
"What do we have?" Churlish asked.
"The earring. Blood on a rock. Hair stuck to a tree branch. Not much else." Olivia felt a headache coming on.
"Was it the same hair Stabler found?" Bruno asked.
"I think so." She reached for the file from across her desk. She pulled it open and flipped through the evidence photographs. She pulled out the one she was thinking of. The one of several strands wrapped around a tree branch.
Bruno took the photo from her and studied it for a minute. "Did they ever DNA test this hair? I can't tell if it has the root or not…" he thought out loud.
"No. Stabler assumed it was Clem's because it matched her hair color and everyone else followed that assumption because the earring wasn't found far from the tree." She began to understand where he was going with all of this.
"We've all assumed it was Clem's hair stuck to the tree because it was long and dark, and she was missing. But what if it's not Clem's hair? What if it's actually Abby's hair?"
Olivia was already dialing the number to the local precinct who still held all the physical evidence.
"At the time no one was focusing on Lucas. We didn't know about Abby's potential involvement until much later," Bruno reasoned. "Both girls have long dark hair."
"And if it is her hair, then that puts her almost directly beside the crime scene." Churlish added.
Olivia was still waiting for someone over there to answer the damn phone.
"I know there will be lots of questions over time frames and how it could have gotten there early in the day, but if it is hers…It at least gives us somewhere to start, and a potential piece of evidence to corroborate the boy's accounts."
Olivia stood and stepped away from her detectives who were continuing to bounce ideas off of each other. After what felt like a million rings, someone answered.
"This is Sergeant Anderson."
"Hey, it's Olivia Benson. I need you to do me a quick favor…"
I think you know I love to throw in a Stabler kid chat when I can haha.