A few Notes: I know Barclay's & Carmichael's has closed since the story was written. Seeing as the story hasn't been updated in 10 years, I may try to finesse a change of scene.
SVU Bullpen
It's not often that cases truly flummox him, but this one truly has him stumped. They found another victim, murdered exactly as Danielle Randall had been. Serrated knife, jugular eviscerated, tongue bitten or cut off. This victim appearing to be mid 20's. He was hoping they caught a lucky break and this one had a connection to James Moyer as well. He writes notes on the murder board, pausing to give a grateful nod to Fin as he hands him a cup of coffee.
"This is bad, man." Fin tells him as he takes in his notes. Elliot grunts in agreement and sips the hot liquid.
"We need to bring in Moyer," he starts but as his eyes rise they find his partner and his breath hitches. Fin, used to the unspoken conversation the two are having, clears his throat to bring them all to sit at the same table.
"Benson, any thoughts? Your partner here was saying we need to bring Moyer in." She blinks at Elliot a beat longer before something shifts behind her eyes and she's back with the team.
"Currently, a sinking feeling that these girls were being pimped out by Moyer. That's all I've got thus far."
"That's what I was about to say," Elliot chimes in, having caught the breath Olivia stole from him. He nods to her. "Got your phone situated?" She nods as she moves closer to the board, grim determination in her features.
"Same number and all." She picks up a picture of their latest victim, not yet identified and asks, "Any chance her purse has been recovered?"
Fin sighs, sips his coffee. "No. We think the killer realized his mistake of leaving behind Danielle's and learned from it."
"That or she didn't have one on her." Elliot chimes in. Olivia stares at the picture, something haunting her about the young woman.
"What woman doesn't carry anything? Not even a clutch?" She asks, chewing her lip. "No, that doesn't jive here. Either we missed it or he took it." No one has an answer for her so they simply look at the board, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Where are with the Randall investigation?" Cragen asks from his office doorway.
"Currently nowhere Cap." Fin tells him.
"Actually not true." Warner interjects, folder in hand. "Both women had traces of spermicide in them. Also, there were fibers in the cuts along the tongue. The tongue was removed premortem, the jugular cut post. I traced the fibers to this," she hands Olivia a blown up photo. "Knife sheath." Olivia gives her a grateful nod.
"That's a start. If we find the manufacturer we can possible narrow down the where and when the knife was bought. Thanks Doc." With a nod to the four of them Melinda is off to the lab, to do what medical examiners do.
"All right then, first order of business is to bring Moyer in. Fin, take point. Benson and Stabler, I want you to see if we have enough for cell records and purchase history for Moyer. Maybe if we have him purchases the knife, we can hold him." With assignments made, the three head off to their respective tasks.
xXxXxXxXxX
Benson Residence
Cup of tea in hand, she sits crosslegged in the floor, case file spread over her coffee table.
"There's no way you didn't have a purse." She says to the victim as she sips. "So where is it?"
She writes notes to herself on a pad, things she wants to follow up on or word associations trying to enter the mind of a killer.
"Danielle had a connection to Moyer, did you?" She asks softly. She's answered by a knock at the door. Placing the cup of tea on the table she looks at her kitchen counter where her gun sits. She isn't expecting anyone nor is she expecting trouble but she wants to have it handy just in case. When she looks through her peephole she's torn between grabbing the gun and stripping. The thoughts war as she slides the keychain unlocked, turns the deadbolt, and opens the door.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"We need to talk."
She slaps her thigh as she sighs, making room for him.
"Elliot, we aren't in a good place to ta-" She begins but is cutoff but his mouth on hers. He has her backed against the door as one of his hands locks it, the other grabbing her ample ass causing her to gasps out in pleasure. Fuck not again, she thinks as she feels herself giving in. She has fistfuls of his shirt, his mouth is on her throat and if he isn't careful he's going to leave a mark and wouldn't that be some shit.
"Elliot," She's not sure if she's praying to him or warning him off. All she knows is she's too hot, her body feels ready to explode, her toes curl, and she's powerless to stop. But stop they must. Unfortunately, Elliot isn't getting the same signals. He lifts her leg and holds her thigh roughly, so rough she knows she'll bruise, as he grinds into her.
"This isn't talking." She pants as she feels the zing of pleasure spread through her core. This is so wrong, she's breaking every rule but fuck it, it's Elliot.
"I know," he whispers against her lips as he licks her bottom lip. "We need to do that, don't we?" His grip on her thigh is almost painful and she squirms which pushes her further into his crotch.
"So lets talk." She taps his chest with both hands, releasing his shirt from her vicelike grip. She tries to lower her leg but she's firmly ensconced and going nowhere until he chooses to release her.
"We were supposed to talk this morning but you ran out of your own apartment like it was on fire." He leans into her, resting his forehead against hers.
"Why did you run from me Liv?" He whispers, giving her exposed shoulder a nip. She winces looking at it. Yeah, he definitely bruised it yesterday.
"I wasn't running. I needed a new phone and we needed to get to the station." Her thoughts are clearing; the fog that is Elliot Stabler beginning to clear.
"You're scared." He says, gentling his grip on her thigh. She wiggles her toes, presses her head back into the door, and closes her eyes.
"C'mon let's talk about this."
"We should forget about it," she taps the hand he has on her thigh. "You are married Elliot. Kathy WILL divorce you when, not if, when, she finds out. I'm the other woman. We're partners." Her words begin to come faster, her breathing speeds up, and she finds the strength to lower her leg so she can begin to pace.
"Jesus Christ what a fucking mess."
"Liv." He begins but she's circling the coffee table. Tea and files ignored as she's deep in her own thoughts.
"Maybe if I transfer out of Manhattan SVU and to Queens SVU Kathy will take you back-" She's saying but all her hears is she's leaving him again and he absolutely will not stand for that shit. He grabs at her but she lithly moves out of his grip.
"This is Kathy's worst fear." She's saying.
But no, he's not doing this. He's not losing her again. Grip tight, he fences her in in a bear hug, her back to his chest as he growls in her ear, "You are not fucking leaving me again Olivia." She feels the rumble deep in her core. It's so delicious she curls her toes to try and level herself.
"El," she tries to free herself. To put some much needed space between them.
"No." He grips a breast hard and she whines.
"No."
"Listen to me," he says against hear ear. "You can't leave me." She can hear the desperation in his tone, feel his heart hammering against her back. She makes the mistake of turning her head to look up at him. Fuck, she should've continued to stare at nothing. His pupils are blown wide, the blue barely visible.
"Kathy is going to leave you." She whispers as she mistakenly looks down to his lips.
"It's been over," he says lowering his lips to hers. "We only got back together because she got pregnant. Even then, I was questing the paternity of him." He runs his hands up and down her sides, releasing her when he doesn't feel as if she'll bolt.
"I can't believe I just said that aloud." He says more to himself than her. "But it's true."
"So what? You're going to leave her for me? Not a good look El." She picks up her pacing again, her fist pressing against her palm while she thinks. Again he reaches for her, again she dances out of his grip.
"You don't want that. We fucked. We got it out of our sys-" She's cut off by his mouth on hers. His hands are everywhere. One in her hair, tugging her ponytail out; the other roams her face, her side, her ass.
"Elliot no," she whimpers as he drags her to the couch.
"Why not?" He pulls her onto his lap and really looks at her. God she's beautiful. Olive skin flushed, hair messy and framing her angular face, purple shoulder bruise on full display due to the off the shoulder shirt she's wearing. Her pupils are also blown, desire written on her pretty features. She's fucking gorgeous.
"Are you kidding me?" She asks him, no heat in her tone.
"Liv this is happening. I don't think we could stop it if we wanted to."
"Your wife,"
"Is going to be my ex."
"She doesn't know that. Besides, I feel guilty enough without you divorcing her."
"It isn't up to you," he soothes, running his thumb along her jawline.
"Yes Elliot, it is. I choose whether or not to let this continue." She stands, jaw set in determination. "If we aren't going to talk, you should go."
"Liv."
"I'm serious El." He sighs. The guilt is crushing him but he needs her to know he's choosing her. In the end it was always going to end this way. She was always the choice. He opens his mouth to say something when his phone rings.
"Stabler."
She's watching him, no expression present on her face.
"We found the victims purse. ID says she's Sawyer Newcastle, aged 33. Get this, she too had a letter to her parents." Olivia is back in his lap, having heard the conversation. She's writing in earnest on the notepad she'd earlier discarded.
"Ask him if she was pregnant." she whispers, then chews on her lip.
"Hey Fin, do we know if she was pregnant?" He pulls her lip from between her teeth and rubs circles on her back.
"Unclear. We'll have to wait for doc to confirm."
"Thanks for calling." Elliot tells him disconnecting the call.
"What do you think?" She's quiet for a few minutes, her dark eyes scanning her pages of notes. He really wants to give her shit for being in his lap but he knows if he draws attention to it she'll move and he doesn't want that.
"I think I want to read that letter and talk to the Randalls to see if the two women knew each other. C'mon, it's not too late to pay them a visit."
"Olivia it's after 8, we are not going to disturb that family this late." She nods, relaxes against him. She seems to realize her position and begins to scoot to the couch cushion but he stops her with a firm grip on her hips.
"Stay." He gives her a warm smile. "Please just stay." He whispers. She knows he's talking about more than their position and she nods.
"We'll figure it out eventually."
"We always do." And because he feels he can, he gives her nose a quick kiss.
xXxXxXxXxX
926 W 4th St
West Village, NY
"Again, we are so sorry for your loss." She says softly, accepting the cup of tea from Lousia Randall. The other nods, eyes red rimmed.
"When you called you said you may have update on her case?" The man, Douglas, gently steady's his wife's bouncing knee.
"Yes. I was hoping you might recognize this woman." Elliot slides his phone to the couple. On it, a picture of a pretty brunette, dimple in the left cheek, her driver's license photo. They'd agreed it was too much to show her morgue photo. The Randall's hunch together, each closely scanning the photo.
"Isn't that," Douglas begins.
"Oh god, that's Sawyer." Elliot takes his phone back and pockets the device. The detectives give the two a moment to collect themselves after the shock.
"I take it Danielle knew Sawyer?" Olivia says softly, putting her cup delicately on it's saucer.
Louisa Randall gives a jerky nod. "They were like sisters. They were in the same grade. Met when they were in fifth grade and were inseparable since. In fact, we thought she'd be able to talk Dani out of her, her…" She begins, unable to finish. Douglas wraps his wife against side as she quietly cries.
"We thought that Sawyer would be able to talk Dani out of leaving with James." Olivia lets out a small breath.
"I know this hard, you're doing so well. Just a little further." She takes the other woman's hand.
"Why did you feel this way?"
"You don't know?" Douglas gives them a confused glance.
"Sawyer introduced them. She met James first." The detectives share a knowing look.
"Thank you, you've been such a great help." Olivia reaches into her pocket for her card. "Please call me day or night if you remember anything else or need to talk. We'll see ourselves out."
Outside Olivia slumps against the car door.
"I don't want to believe those two girls were being pimped by Moyer."
"Hey, shh." He grabs her and holds her to him, cradling her head against his chest. Though stiff at first, she slowly wraps around him, accepting the hug.
"Thanks." She pulls herself together and out of his arms, "C'mon, let's go update Cap."
xXxXxXxXxX
SVU Interrogation Room
"You're telling me these two women who just so happened to be linked to you have that and only that in common? You didn't kill either of them?" Fin raises an eyebrow.
"That's it man. Look, I'm here without a lawyer present, I'm here performing my, what's it called?" He snaps, "My civic duty."Fin takes a picture from the file in front of him and turns it to face Moyer.
"Do you realize this knife ties you to the victims as well?" The color drains from his face, all smug pretense gone.
"That, that's not mine." He stands, running a palm over his face. In the observation room, Elliot, Olivia, and Cragen watch closely.
"What do you think?" Cragen asks them.
"I think I want to get in there." Olivia says looking at him with intense dislike. She knocks on the glass and Fin looks up.
"I'll be right back." He tells Moyer. "Why don't you figure out if you want to stick to the story you're telling while I'm gone." Fin walks out.."
"What's up?"
"The two women were best friends." Elliot tells him. "Vic's parents say they were like sisters. We need to figure out if he was dating them both or if he was pimping them both out. Shit, anything will do."
Fin turns to go back into the interrogation room when Olivia stops him with an upheld finger.
"Wait. Warner just texted." She reads then looks up, eureka written on her face. "Sawyer was also pregnant."
"That has to be the motive." Elliot says. "Two pregnant sex workers has got to be bad for business."
"Yes, but then why cut out their tongues?" Olivia muses.
"They were leaving and could blow the whistle on his underaged predilections?" Fin guess. Cragen nods.
"I agree. Lean on him a little harder. I'll ask the DA for a DNA warrant. Benson, Stabler, go home. You've done good work today." Olivia nods, tells Fin to let her know how the interrogation goes and heads out.
Elliot watches her, unaware of Cragen watching him.
"Be careful." The older man tells him before turning back to the interrogation in front of him.
xXxXxXxXxX
Benson Residence
"I know you're home, open the door."
Olivia curses when the knocking doesn't stop. Her neighbors know she's a cop but that doesn't mean they won't call in a noise complaint on her. Professional courtesy only goes so far. She opens the door and is grabbed into a fierce hug.
"Goddamn it Liv. You're not answering your phone." Her jaw clicks together as he shakes her with each word.
"It died, I didn't realize. It's charging now." She extricates herself from his arms, only to be pulled back into him.
"I missed you." He says into her hair. Fuck he smells good.
"Elliot."
"Shh let me have this." She nods because when has she ever been able to deny him anything?
"Kathy asked me for a divorce tonight." She gasps and pulls out of his grip.
"Elliot, what? I'm so sorry." She moves to sit on the couch, seeming to be more shocked than he.
"I told you, it's been over for a while between us." She allows herself to hope, to feel a little more than normal.
"What did you say?" He gives her a look that portrays enough that she chuckles.
"Yeah, that was a stupid question." He sits next to her on the couch, takes her hand.
"Do you understand what this means?" He tips her chin to force her to meet his eyes.
"You're getting divorced." He sighs and pulls her into his lap.
"Olivia."
"Elliot I'm not okay, your wife, WIFE, asked you for a divorce and you what? Are so excited you come straight to the house of your mistress?" In a moment she's flipped onto the couch, her back hitting the sofa as he descends on her. He's got her top off and pants unbuttoned, fingers crawling to where he wants them most before he speaks again.
"Don't you ever call yourself my mistress." She moans as a finger circles her clit.
"Well I'm not your wife and we aren't in a relationship so logically…" She rolls her hips in tune with his ministrations. She hums in approval when he slips a finger inside her. God he's so good to her, he knows just how to set her off. She's one solid stroke away from cumming when a voice comes through the door.
"Elliot, I know you're in there. Just because I asked for the divorce does not mean you can come here and fuck her."