A/N: This was a request from HMG2000. This is an AU. This takes place in 1996. Olivia is 28 and Hank is 33. Olivia is not a cop and neither is Elliot but Hank still is. Hank is a single father of two young children: 11-year old Erin and 3-year old Justin. For this one, Camille died during childbirth and Bunny is also deceased. Other early SVU characters (Cragen, Munch, Fin, Jefferies, Cabot, Huang and Warner) are still in their same roles, while Amanda is in the picture but only as Olivia's best friend, so she is the same age as Olivia. Carisi is Amanda's boyfriend. Olivia has a happy relationship with her mother. Al is the only other PD character in this one. Hank and Al are Detectives with the NYPD Gang Unit. ****TRIGGER WARNING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT****. I don't own any of the characters. There will be a time jump and also a second part.
A Cry for Help - Part 1
Olivia had been trying to get out of her abusive relationship with Elliot for a while now. He was so controlling and she barely had any friends anymore because he wanted her to focus all her attention on him. Fortunately, they weren't married but he had somehow managed to move into her apartment. She had been trying to get him to leave but he wouldn't. She had been in the kitchen when Elliot had come home.
"Dinner ready?"
"No."
"You know I hate comin' home and havin' to wait for dinner. I worked all day and I'm hungry."
"And I didn't?"
"You sit on your ass in your air conditioned office all day. I'm out in this damn heat sweatin' my ass off."
Elliot went over to the table and smacked Olivia across the face.
"Screw you!"
"What did you just say to me?"
"You heard me."
Elliot grabbed Olivia and dragged her into the bedroom. He slammed the door and then started hitting her and had his hand around her throat. He tore her clothes off and undid his pants. She tried to kick him and hit him but he was too strong for her.
"Stop it! You're hurting me!"
Despite her telling him to stop, Elliot pinned her arms over her head and had sex with her anyway. Once he was done, he got on the bed next to her. Olivia was crying.
"That was amazing!"
Olivia got out of bed and got dressed. She had already had a bag packed.
"Where are you goin'?"
"I'm leaving!"
"No, you're not! Get your ass back in this bed!"
"I'm sick of you treating me like this."
"Like what?"
"A punching bag and someone for you to screw."
"The sex is great."
"For who? You're only concerned with pleasing yourself."
"Quit overreactin'. I love you. You know that."
"You sure have a funny way of showing it. If you loved me, you wouldn't have just raped me. You don't love anyone but yourself.
"I didn't rape you."
"I told you to stop and you wouldn't. That's rape."
"Go ahead and leave. I'll track you down and bring you right back. You can't live without me."
"I was doing fine until you weaseled your way into my life and my apartment."
Olivia left and headed to the nearest Police Station. When she arrived, she went inside. A handsome cop was heading out with another male cop.
"Can I help you?"
"I need to report a rape."
"Sure. I'll take you over SVU."
"Thank you, Officer…"
"Detective Voight. Hank Voight."
"I'm Olivia Benson."
"This is Detective Alvin Olinsky."
Hank had Olivia follow him over to SVU's Precinct and went upstairs.
"Captain Cragen."
"Detective Voight, what can we do for you?"
"This is Olivia Benson and she said she would like to report a rape. She came into our Precinct, so I directed her to you."
"Thank you."
"Yep."
Hank went back downstairs and left.
"How can we help you, Ms. Benson?"
"My boyfriend or whatever he is has a tendency to be abusive and I've been trying to get out of the relationship. He came home and asked if dinner was ready. I said no and he slapped me across the face. I said something to make him mad and he dragged me into the bedroom. At one point, he had his hand around my throat and my arms pinned above my head. I told him to stop but he wouldn't. He told me that if I left, he would track me down. He also said I couldn't live without him.
"We would like for you to do a rape kit."
"Ok."
"Detective Jefferies, can you go with Ms. Benson and have the kit done?"
"Of course."
"Then deliver the kit to the ME. Fin and Munch, go to Ms. Benson's apartment and see if you can get something to match the kit to. I'll contact CSU to meet you there."
"Got it. Come with me, Ms. Benson."
Olivia handed them her keys and then she and Monique went downstairs. Monique got into her squad and Olivia got into her car to head to the hospital. Fin and Munch went to Olivia's apartment. When Monique and Olivia arrived, Olivia was put in a room and then they had the rape kit performed, while Monique asked Olivia some questions. When Fin and Munch got to Olivia's, no one was there but they could tell someone had been there. They looked around for something to match to the rape kit. CSU was doing whatever they needed to do as well. After they were done, Monique told her they would be in touch and headed to the ME to drop the rape kit off. Fin and Munch took whatever it was of Elliot's they found to the ME. Olivia had gone to get the prescriptions the hospital gave her and after she left the pharmacy, she wasn't sure where to go. She knew she couldn't go home. She hadn't talked to Amanda in a while because of Elliot but she needed somewhere to go, so she called her.
"Hey, Liv."
"Hey, Mandy. I'm sorry about our last conversation."
"It's ok."
"It's not. I need a friend right now. Can I come over?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Sonny isn't there, is he?"
"No. Not tonight."
"I'll be there soon."
"Ok."
Olivia hung up and drove to Amanda's. When she arrived, she got her stuff out of the car and went in. Amanda let her in and she went upstairs. As soon as Amanda saw her, she wrapped her arms around her best friend.
"He raped me, Amanda."
"Elliot raped you? Did you go to the police?"
"I just came from there and I went to get a rape kit done. He told me that if I left, he would find me and bring me back. He claims I can't live without him. I told him I was doing fine until he weaseled his way into my life and my apartment. Can I stay here?"
"Absolutely. I have the second bedroom. If Elliot comes here, I will kick his ass myself. Abusive men are like that though. They always believe they are superior. Has he done this before?"
"No but he only wants to please himself. He never thinks about me or my feelings."
"Can you talk about it?"
"Yeah."
Olivia told Amanda what Elliot had done to her.
"So he did this because dinner wasn't ready when he got home?"
"Yep."
"What an ass!"
"I never wanted him to move in with me. A part of me feels like ending it all."
"Liv, please don't do that. I'm gonna help you through this. I promise."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Olivia had taken her bags into Amanda's second bedroom and got settled. She ended up taking a shower to get all the filth from what had happened off of her.
The next morning, Olivia got up and contacted her boss to tell her what had happened. She told her to take as much time as she needed. Amanda asked her if she wanted her to call in and she said it was up to her. Amanda said she would and called her boss as well. She said she didn't want her to be alone. A part of Amanda was figuring Elliot was going to find out where she was and hurt her again. The two of them had breakfast and then had a girls' day together.
"Thank you for this, Mandy. I needed this."
"I think we both did. We haven't had a lot of time together lately."
Olivia's phone rang, so she looked to see who it was. It was Detective Jefferies. She asked her if she could come to the Precinct. She said she would be there soon. She hung up and told Amanda she had to go to the Precinct for something. They headed to the Precinct and were taken up to SVU.
"Did you need me for something?"
"We needed to ask you a few more questions. This is Alexandra Cabot the Assistant District Attorney. Alex, this is Olivia Benson."
"Nice to meet you."
"You too. This is my friend Amanda Rollins."
"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Rollins."
"You too."
"Have a seat."
Both Olivia and Amanda sat down in Don's office.
"We found out some interesting information about Elliot Stabler. Were you aware that he was married before?"
"He never told me."
"He has 4 children with his wife or ex wife. The youngest kids are 3. Detectives Munch and Tutuola are speaking with her now."
"Ok.
"How did you meet him?"
"I work in an office as a receptionist and he's a delivery guy. He started flirting with me and asked me out. This was a little over a year ago. He started out to be nice but within a few months, he started to become abusive. At first he always blamed it on being tired and he would say he was sorry, so I never reported it."
"How long into the relationship did it become sexual?"
"It wasn't that long really. He just wants sex all the time and whenever he has a day off from work, he tries to get me to take off, so we can spend the entire day in bed but he only seems to want to please himself. He also thinks he's so good in bed and trust me, he's not. He doesn't turn me on and I have never once experienced pleasure with him. He has no consideration for my feelings. Our first time I asked him if he had a condom and he said no. He found out I was on the pill and pretty much tried to make me stop taking it. I didn't stop taking it but never told him I didn't. It's my body. I don't want to have a baby with him but I'm pretty sure that's what he wants. He made the comment to me not that long ago that he figured I would have been pregnant by now."
"How long have you been living together?"
"It wasn't too long after our relationship became sexual but he took it upon himself to move in. He wasn't asked and he does nothing to help like paying for the rent, utilities or food. I pay for everything. I have told him multiple times that I did not want him living there and his excuse each time is that he hasn't found a place yet. Probably because he hasn't even looked. He's a freeloader and tries telling me how to spend my money. He probably needed a place because his wife kicked him out."
"Ms. Rollins, do you know Elliot?"
"I met him a few times but I wasn't impressed. He became pretty possessive of Liv wanted her to focus all of her attention on him, so he wouldn't let her spend time with her friends. He took it upon himself to move in with her."
"I've been trying to get out of that relationship for a while now."
"Where does he work? We went to your apartment last night and he wasn't there."
Olivia told them where he worked and then Fin and Munch returned.
"Well, this guy sounds like a real asshole."
"Are they still married?"
"They are. He refuses to sign the papers but he also doesn't support his kids."
"How old are they?"
"A 12-year old girl, a 9-year old girl and 3-year old twins, one of each. She said she kicked his ass out but had no idea where he went."
"Has he ever been violent with her too?"
"She said he hit her a few times. The last time she had had enough and that was when she kicked him out."
"Here's the address of where he works. Go arrest his ass!"
"Got it, Captain."
Fin and Munch left again and went to arrest Elliot. When they got to where he worked, his supervisor said he never showed up, so they told him to call them immediately if he did. They went back to the Precinct.
"He didn't show up for work this morning."
"Where else does he hang out?"
Olivia wrote down the restaurants he went to and the bars he went to as well. He never mentioned any friends or family. She also gave Don his cell number and he gave all of it to Monique. Alex went back to her office and then Olivia and Amanda went out to lunch. Olivia and Amanda went to sit down and looked at the menu to see what they wanted. Olivia and Amanda had their order taken and sat and talked for a while. Dr. Warner had shown up at SVU.
"I have the results of Olivia Benson's rape kit. The DNA in the kit matched what Detectives Munch and Tutuola brought me."
"Thank you."
"Captain, I located Elliot Stabler."
"Go arrest his ass!"
Monique left and went to find Elliot, who ended up being at his mother's. Don had called Alex to come back. After Monique arrested Elliot, she took him to the Precinct and put him in the interrogation room. After Alex got there, she and Don joined Monique in the room. He asked for a lawyer and then his lawyer showed up. Once they started asking him questions, he of course denied everything and called Olivia weak. He said she wanted it and needed him. Don had brought up about his wife and kids and he said she kicked him out, so why should he support the kids he can't see? He basically sat there with a smirk on his face the entire time. His lawyer wanted a deal and Alex said no deal. Elliot was then taken to Central Booking and put in lockup until his arraignment. They let Olivia know that Elliot would be spending the night in jail. She, Amanda and Sonny went to her apartment and moved her things into Amanda's. Sonny had the furniture she wanted taken to his parents for the time being. Elliot had no idea where Amanda lived, so Amanda assured her that she would be safe with her until she could get a new place of her own. Olivia had gone to change her cell number, so he couldn't contact her any longer. She contacted Detective Jefferies to let her know that her cell number had been changed and gave her the number in case they needed her for anything else.
The next day at his arraignment, he of course pled not guilty. Alex requested an order of protection if Elliot was going to be released on bail and the Judge agreed. Since it was the weekend, Olivia went to visit Serena, who was living in Syracuse. She had told Serena what had happened and she told her she supported her all the way. If she wanted to stay with her for a while, she could. She said she was going to go back to work by Monday. The two of them enjoyed the weekend together. When Olivia got home, what she didn't know was that Hank lived near Amanda. He was walking home from the park with his two kids.
"Hey, Olivia."
"Hey. What are you doing here?"
"We're just comin' back from the park. This is my daughter Erin and my son Justin. Erin and Justin, this is Olivia Benson."
"Hi. It's nice to meet both of you."
"You too."
"You too."
"How old are you, Erin?"
"I'm 11."
"I'm thwee."
"Erin, why don't you take Justin home and I'll be there in a little bit?"
"Ok. Come on. It was nice meeting you."
"You too."
"Bye-bye, Livia."
"Bye."
Erin took Justin's hand and they went home, which was just down the street. Hank took Olivia's bag and they went upstairs. Amanda wasn't home, which she knew.
"How are you really?"
"I'm ok. I'm relieved that he's being charged but I'm not exactly happy that he's out on bail. I'm staying with my friend Amanda for now. Ms. Cabot got an order of protection but I somehow doubt that will stop him."
Hank gave Olivia one of his cards.
"Call me if he shows up and I'll take care of it."
"I'm just a little uneasy about this happening again. He made some comment to me about me not being able to live without him."
"Unfortunately, that's how they are. I might be with the Gang Unit but it's not like I've never dealt with situations like this before. SVU is great at what they do. I've worked with them quite a bit. Gang members rape people too."
"How long have you been with the NYPD?"
"A year. I'm originally from Chicago. My wife died during childbirth and I needed a change. My best friend Al, Detective Olinsky, who I have known forever, decided to come with me. His wife Meredith helps me with the kids. They don't have kids yet, so she was fine with makin' the move. Al and I work together in the Gang Unit."
"I'm sorry about your wife."
"Thanks."
"They're both cuties."
"Erin's always been sassy but it's gettin' worse. I blame it on the fact that she's gettin' closer to the teenage years. She was the result of a one night stand. Her mother left her with me when she was maybe 2 and gave up her parental rights. She was more interested in partyin' and drugs than she was in her own kid. She moved to Vegas and died of an overdose. She wasn't the most trustworthy person, so I did have a paternity test done to make sure she was mine and she was. Camille adopted her when we got married. She's had a hard time these last almost 4 years. Justin will be 4 in October."
"I can imagine it's been rough on you too."
"It has. I should probably go. Call me any time even if you just wanna talk."
"Thank you."
Olivia gave Hank her number and then he left to go home, while she went to unpack. This was only the second time she had met Hank but she felt more comfortable with him than she ever had with Elliot. Olivia went to find something to eat. She watched a little TV and then went into her room. She was asleep by the time Amanda got home.
The next day, she was glad to be back at work and keeping busy. After work, Amanda was meeting Sonny for dinner and she had told Olivia she could join them if she wanted. Olivia declined and said she didn't want to be a third wheel, so she told her she would see her at home. Olivia went home and hadn't noticed that someone was following her. When she got home, she got out of her car. Elliot had walked up to her.
"Why did you go to the Police?"
"You can't be here."
"Like hell I can't. You're comin' home and you will drop that ridiculous rape charge. You wanted it."
"How is me telling you to stop wanting it? Leave me alone."
Olivia tried running from Elliot and he grabbed her. Just as he was dragging her inside the building, Hank and Al drove by and saw what was going on. Hank radioed in that he and Al were responding to a domestic that had an order of protection. The woman was someone SVU had been dealing with. He said an ambulance was needed as well. Dispatch said SVU would be notified. Hank and Al got out of Hank's vehicle and ran inside the building. Hank had seen Elliot beating on Olivia and that made his blood boil. Hank pulled Elliot away from her but Elliot took a swing at Hank. Hank grabbed his arm and twisted it. Al put his handcuffs on him and read him his rights as he escorted him outside. Hank tried to comfort Olivia but she was pretty beaten up and had blood all over her face.
"Hey. Look at me."
Olivia looked at Hank and started sobbing. She buried her face in his chest as he comforted her. Cragen, Jefferies, Fin and Munch all arrived as well as the Patrol Officers. Don and Monique went inside the building, while Munch and Fin stood outside and glared at Elliot. The Patrol Officers took Elliot to the 16th and Munch and Fin went too. Someone had gotten pictures of Olivia's face as evidence.
"Detective, thank you."
"No problem. I happened to be drivin' by on my way home when I saw him draggin' her inside. He took a swing at me but I grabbed his arm and twisted it."
"That son of a bitch deserves everything he has comin' to him."
"We talked yesterday and I told Olivia that she can call me anytime."
"It's good that she has someone else lookin' out for her. I bet he followed her home."
"I'm sure he did. At least he'll be locked up until the trial."
"She told me yesterday that she doubted the order of protection would stop him."
"Sometimes it doesn't."
"I think he broke my arm."
"Then you should probably go to the hospital."
"Hank, will you come with me?"
"Yeah, sure."
The paramedics came in to get Olivia and cleaned up her face. They put a splint on her arm and then they put her in the ambulance. Hank asked Al if they could stay with the kids and he said they would. He got into the ambulance with Olivia and they headed to the hospital. Don and Monique headed back to the Precinct and Don contacted Alex on the way to let her know what was going on. He also called Huang to observe. Once they got to the hospital, Olivia asked Hank if he could contact Amanda and he said he would. He called Amanda as soon as Olivia was taken to xray. He had Olivia's phone.
"Hey, Liv."
"This is Detective Hank Voight from the NYPD Gang Unit. I live down the street from you. Olivia is back in the hospital."
"Liv mentioned you to me. What did that son of a bitch do now?"
"He beat her up and may have broken her arm."
"I'll be there as soon as I can. Maybe you should try callin' Serena, her mama, too. She said she was pretty supportive."
"Ok."
"Thanks for callin'."
"No problem."
Hank told her which hospital before he hung up and then he found Serena's number in Olivia's phone. He told her what was going on and where she was. She said she would get a flight as soon as she could. She thanked him for calling and then he hung up. Olivia had come back. The nurse told her that someone would be in to stitch her up.
"Thank you for staying."
"You're welcome. I called Amanda and she had suggested contacting your mother, so I called her too. She said she would get a flight as soon as she could."
"Thank you. I'm scared. I hate that I have to go through this. As if him raping me wasn't bad enough, now he had to beat me. He told me he wanted me to come home and drop the ridiculous rape charge. He said I wanted it. I told him to stop. How is that wanting it?"
"Like I told you last night, that's just how people like him are."
Olivia and Hank talked for a while and then Amanda and Sonny came in.
"Liv, are you ok?"
"I don't even know anymore."
"How did he even find you?"
"He must have been waiting outside my office and followed me home. Detective Jefferies said he will probably be locked up until the trial."
"That's encouraging."
"Hey, Sonny."
"Hey, Liv. I am so sorry all this happened to you."
"Thanks."
Olivia introduced them both to Hank.
"It's nice to meet you."
"You too. I should probably head home."
"Do you have to?"
"Yeah. I'll check in with you later."
"Thank you."
Hank left and headed home.
"He seems nice."
"He was the cop that took me to SVU. The Precinct closest to my apartment is where he works."
"Ok. Do you know anything about him?"
"He's widowed and has two kids. His daughter is 11 and his son will be 4 in October. They have different mothers. He said his daughter was from a one night stand."
"At least he's takin' responsibility for her."
"Her mother left her with him when she was 2 and gave up her rights. She was more interested in partying and drugs than she was her own kid. She moved to Vegas and died of an overdose. Hank said did a paternity test to prove that she was his, since her mother wasn't overly trustworthy. His wife adopted her when they got married. She died during childbirth."
"Oh, wow!"
"I've only known him a short time but I feel more comfortable with him than I ever did with Elliot."
"Maybe because he's a cop."
"I don't know. I just find him easy to talk to. I'm glad he was there when this happened."
One of the doctors came in and stitched Olivia's cuts up and said she also had a slight concussion. Her xrays would be available soon. The doctor left and the 3 of them talked for a little while longer. The Serena came in. Sonny stepped out of the room.
"Sweetheart, what happened?"
Olivia told Serena what happened.
"I think you need to come stay with me for a while."
"I think she's right, Liv."
"I need to be here for the trial though."
"When is that?"
"I haven't heard. I just want to get this over with, so I can move on with my life."
"I want to meet this Hank guy. He seemed very nice when he called."
"He had to go home, since he has two kids but he is very nice. He was the one that was first to respond when I was attacked. He lives down the street from Amanda."
"So he's married?"
"No. He's widowed."
"How did Elliot find you?"
"He probably followed me from work. I had an order of protection against him but he ignored it."
"I really hope this son of a bitch gets what he has coming to him."
"Me too, Mom."
The doctor came in and told Olivia her arm was broken, so she would have to get a cast put on. They wanted to keep her overnight for observation. Her cast would probably be put on before she went home. He went to check on getting her a room.
"Why do I have a feeling that I'm going to lose my job because of Elliot?"
"Do you have vacation time?"
"I just took some sick days after the initial attack but I do get vacation, which I rarely use. I'll check with my boss."
Olivia called her boss and told her what had happened. She told her she completely understood and she was surprised she came back. She told her to take a couple weeks or more if she had too. She still had sick days plus all her vacation days. She said she would check in with her to see how things were going. Olivia thanked her and told her she was grateful for all the support. Then she hung up and told Serena and Amanda what her boss said. Then Monique came in.
"Hi Olivia. I'm just checking in on you."
"Thank you. I appreciate that. This is my mother, Serena. Mom, this is Detective Jefferies."
"Monique. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Benson."
"You too, Monique and please call me Serena."
"Will he be locked up until the trial?"
"Yes, he will."
"Any idea when the trial might be?"
"I'm not sure on that. Ms. Cabot would know more. What happened today does not help his case."
"He wanted me to come home and drop the ridiculous rape charge. I will never go back to that apartment. I had already moved my stuff out and the furniture I wanted is at Amanda's boyfriend's parents'. I plan on contacting my landlord soon."
"I can't blame you for that. Captain Cragen feels better knowing that Detective Voight is nearby."
"I'm glad he was around when it happened. I might be worse off than I am if he hadn't been."
"Livi, how much worse off could you be?"
"Dead."
"I don't even want to think about that. I would really love to see you end up with someone who deserves you and have a family."
"Unfortunately, I only seem to find losers."
"I don't have the best track record with men either but I really lucked out with Sonny."
"Yeah, you did."
"Where did he go?"
"He left the room when Mom came in."
Amanda got up and went to find Sonny, who was in the waiting room. While she was gone, the doctor came back and told Olivia they had a room for her, so they would be moving her. Serena went to find Amanda and Sonny. They both came back with Serena and then they got ready to move Olivia to her room. Once she was settled, Amanda said she would pack a bag for her. Serena told her she would come pick it up. Amanda was fine with that. She and Sonny hugged her before they left.
The next day, Olivia was released from the hospital and went back to Amanda's. Hank and the kids had come to see her when she came home. She told him she was planning to stay with her mother in Syracuse for a while. Alex had contacted her and told her when the trial was.
When the trial was about to start, Hank had been there to support her but he was also a witness for the Prosecution, since he was the first on scene when she was beaten. The trial went quickly and Alex had gotten the conviction. The jury found him guilty on all counts and the Judge said he was to remain locked up until sentencing. Before sentencing, Elliot had been killed in prison and the person that had confessed had already been serving a life sentence for numerous crimes. Olivia was finally relieved that she no longer needed to live in fear and could start living her life again.
While she was in Syracuse, Hank had contacted her once a week to check in on her. Once Olivia was back in the city with Amanda and back to work, she and Hank started spending more time together and she even started spending more time with the kids. The kids enjoyed spending time with her and Hank had even invited her to Justin's 4th birthday party. Hank saw how much the kids liked her. He wanted to ask her out but he knew she still had physical and emotional healing to do after what had happened to her. He didn't want to push her into anything and he certainly didn't want to scare her off. Olivia's follow up testing came back negative, which she was relieved about.
Hank told her that they always spent Thanksgiving with Al and Meredith if she was interested. She told him she always spent it with her mom but they were welcome to join them. Amanda usually went with her but she was spending it with Sonny and his family. Hank had talked to Al, Meredith and the kids and Olivia had talked to Serena. They all headed to Syracuse for Thanksgiving and it was agreed that Serena would come for Christmas. Hank and Al had put the time in to be off the following day, so they were staying the entire weekend. Hank and the kids and Al and Meredith had gotten rooms at a nearby hotel. The kids were looking forward to swimming. Olivia was staying with Serena and they were cooking dinner together. Hank, Al, Meredith and the kids had come early, so everyone did something to help. Olivia and Meredith were in the kitchen and everyone else was watching the parade.
"Hank, I think my daughter likes you."
"I like her too but I don't want to push her. She has a lot of healin' to do."
"I don't know if she ever told you about what happened to me."
"She did not."
"I was raped and she's the result of that. We didn't always have the relationship that we do now. I'm a recovering alcoholic and have been AA for years."
"I knew you were a recoverin' alcoholic. I asked if I could bring wine and she told me it would have to be non-alcoholic. She never told me about what had happened to you though. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Thank you. I wanted to blame most of my issues on Olivia but I'm the one that chose to have the baby. Our relationship almost didn't survive her teenage years, so we went to counselling and I went into rehab to dry out. If she hadn't left for Manhattan when she went to college, I don't know that we would be as close as we are now. I think we needed time away from each other. She comes for holidays. She met Mandy in college and the two of them are almost like sisters. Mandy is from Atlanta and has a strained relationship with her family, so she came to New York to get away from them. Mandy is closer to Livi than she is her own sister.
"Did you ever meet Elliot?"
"No. This was her escape from him. She would never bring him up here. I probably would have kicked him out. I told her and Mandy told her not to get involved with him. She's a little naïve sometimes. I'm glad she has both of you around for her though. I'm glad you were there when that son of a bitch attacked her again."
"When I had realized that she was that close, I gave her my card and told her that if she needed anything to tall me."
"You met her how?"
"She had come into the Precinct where Al and I work and said she needed to report a rape. I told her I would direct her to SVU. I know how some of these other Precincts operate. Someone will report a rape and not give it to the right unit. Some cops just don't want to be bothered."
"That's what happened with me. I just didn't seem like anyone really cared when it happened to me 29 years ago. As a mother, I want my daughter to be happy and end up with someone who deserves her. She wants to be a mother herself but she didn't love Elliot at all. I think all he wanted was to get her pregnant. He already had four children he didn't support."
"My kids are my entire life."
"How long has your wife been gone?"
"It was just 4 years. Justin never knew his mother. Camille was more of a mother to Erin than her own mother was. She adopted Erin when we got married."
"At least you were responsible for your kids."
"I had to learn quickly when Erin was left with me. She was 2 at the time."
"What happened to your wife?"
"He was born by c-section and she was bleeding quite a bit. They couldn't get it to stop."
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks."
"Did you have help?"
"Meredith already helped with Erin. I was a Patrol cop then and so was Al. I took time off, so I could spend time with my son but I had to work. Last year I decided I needed a change, so I transferred to the NYPD. Al did too."
"Where are you from?"
"Chicago. Al and I have known each other longer than we care to admit. A friend of ours is also a cop and we've known her since the academy. I took a few days and we went to Chicago before Erin went back to school."
"Justin is in Preschool?"
"He is."
Olivia came out of the kitchen.
"Dinner is just about ready."
They all got up and headed to the table. They all found somewhere to sit and then they had Hank carve the turkey. They enjoyed the meal together. After dinner and dessert and everything was cleaned up, everyone who was headed to the hotel left. Hank took the kids to the pool for a while. The rest of the weekend went quickly. They all headed back to Manhattan and told Serena they would see her for Christmas.
During the next several weeks, everyone prepared for Christmas. Hank had Olivia and Serena, Al and Meredith and Sonny and Amanda over for Christmas. The rest of Sonny's family was going to be gone, so they were happy to be included with the Voight family's Christmas. They all loved seeing the look on Justin's face as he opened all of his presents.
Everyone including Erin was trying to convince Hank to ask Olivia out. Amanda and Serena had both told Hank that Olivia's birthday was at the beginning of February. He was still trying to give her time. Amanda told him that Olivia knew she liked him but wasn't sure he liked her in return. He told her he did very much. For her birthday, Hank had sent flowers to Olivia at her office. In the card, he asked her if she wanted to have dinner with him. After she got the flowers, she called him and said she would love to have dinner with him. He told her what time he would pick her up. Olivia had butterflies in her stomach for the rest of the afternoon. She had developed feelings for him several months ago when they first met but she was still going through a lot. In a way, she still was. Elliot had really messed her up emotionally and physically. Hank had been supportive of her the entire time. Amanda and Sonny were going out to dinner and a movie anyway. Amanda had taken her out to lunch and she was heading to see Serena that weekend. The close it was to the time Hank was picking her up, the more nervous she was becoming. When he rang the bell, she almost started to panic. She let him in and then he came up to the door. She opened the door when he knocked.
"Hey."
"Hey. Happy birthday."
"Thank you."
Hank kissed Olivia on the cheek.
"You ready?"
"I am."
Hank helped Olivia with her coat and then they left. It had recently snowed, so he offered her his arm and walked her to his vehicle. He then got in and drove to the restaurant. The restaurant he had chosen was a favorite of hers.
"How did you know I liked this place?"
"I asked Amanda if you had a favorite place."
He got out and went to open the door for her. He offered her his arm again as they went in and he gave the host his name. He took them to their table and then Hank pulled the chair out for her. She sat down and then he pushed the chair in. He sat down and then they looked at the menu. Olivia already knew Hank was a keeper. The entire time she was with Elliot, he never did any of what Hank had done for her. Their server came to take their order.
"Thanks for agreein' to have dinner with me tonight."
"I was happy to get the invitation."
"I've been wantin' to ask you out for a while but I was tryin' to give you time."
"I appreciate that. Thank you. To be honest, when we first met, I felt more comfortable with you than I ever did with Elliot. When you were holding me after he followed me home and beat mey, I felt safe."
"I'm glad you did."
"I've known you since the night of the rape and ever since then you have treated me with respect. He came into my office and turned on the charm. The next thing I know is that he moved in with me and when he started hitting me, he blamed it on being tired."
"He had never been violent with you until that night?"
"No. The sex was lousy and he was only in it for himself. He never took my feelings into consideration."
"I only encountered him that one time but it really made my blood boil when I saw him hit you."
"Then he took a swing at you."
"They would have had to add assaulting a police officer to his list of charges if he had hit me."
"I'm glad he's dead. I still think he would have come after me."
"At least you won't have to deal with him again."
"Yeah. Does it make me a bad person because I was technically in a relationship with a married man?"
"He never told you, so that's on him."
"I think his goal was to get me pregnant. He told me to quit taking my birth control pills and I never did but I never told him. He made the comment that he figured I would have been pregnant by now. He has 4 kids he didn't support and he wanted more? I want kids but I didn't want them with him."
"I'd like more kids. Are you doin' anything for Valentine's Day?"
"No. Amanda is planning to spend time with Sonny. I really need to look for another place."
"Would you like to come over for dinner? The kids want pizza and a movie. It's nothing special. They both wanted me to ask if you wanted to join us. I want you there too."
"I would love to. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They got their soup or salad and then their meals arrived. After dinner, they shared a dessert and Hank paid the bill. He drove her home and walked her upstairs. They took their coats off and she offered him so coffee. He accepted and then she went to make some. After she came back, he then gave her her gift.
"This is for you."
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"I know I didn't."
Olivia opened the card, which had been signed by Hank and both of the kids. She then took the gift out of the bag. It was a butterfly necklace with matching earrings.
"I love butterflies. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I wasn't sure if you preferred silver or gold, so I went with the gold one."
"I'll wear either. Did you pick this out or did Erin?"
"Mostly Erin."
Olivia took the necklace out of the box and then Hank helped her put it on.
"Thank you for tonight."
"You're welcome. I haven't dated since my wife."
"Everything was amazing."
"I'm glad. I'm sure Erin will interrogate me when I get home. The kids wanted to go out for breakfast and then to the Zoo tomorrow. For some reason, they like to go when it's cold. Would you like to join us?"
"I'd love to but I'm leaving in the morning to go see my mom. I'll be back early Sunday night.
"Maybe some other time then."
"Maybe."
Hank put his coat on and then Olivia walked him to the door. He kissed her cheek and then he left. Olivia hoped this would be the start of something special. She went to get ready for bed and made sure her bag was packed. She found something to watch on TV and hoped to be awake by the time Amanda got home. As soon as Amanda got home, she wanted to know how things went, so she told her everything. They then both went to bed.
The next morning, Olivia got up and got ready. She made sure she wore her new earrings and went to make coffee. Amanda was taking her to the airport, so she got up, went into the bathroom and put her coat on. Olivia gave her a cup of coffee and then they left. Olivia told Amanda she would see her tomorrow night as she got out of her car. She went inside and got checked in. She went through security and went to the gate. A little while later, the flight boarded.
Serena met her at the other end and they enjoyed their time together. Olivia had told her about her birthday dinner with Hank. She told her that he was starting to awaken things in her that she hadn't felt in a long time and that made her nervous but she wanted to see where this was headed. For dinner, Serena made one of Olivia's favorites.
Sunday arrived too quickly. She had a late afternoon/early evening flight, so Serena took her to the airport. Olivia hugged her mother goodbye and went to get checked in. She then waited for the flight. Once it boarded and took off, she arrived back in New York City. After she got her luggage, she had gone outside expecting to see Amanda waiting for her but instead, Hank was there.
"What happened to Amanda?"
"She and Sonny are watchin' the kids."
"Amanda is watching your kids? How did you convince her to do that?"
"She offered. I wanted to spend some time with you but Al and Meredith had plans. Meredith ended up spendin' most of yesterday with them because I had to work. Amanda told me when your flight was comin' in. Do you ice skate?"
"I have but it's been a while."
"You wanna go ice skating at Rockefeller Center?"
"Sure."
Hank opened the door for her, so she could get in and then he put her bag in the back. He got in and drove to Rockefeller Center. They got in and their skates and went to sit down. They put their skates on and then headed onto the ice. Olivia had a hard time standing on her feet and she felt a little embarrassed by it but it didn't seem to bother Hank. Each time she fell, Hank helped her up. He took her hand and that really seemed to help. After they skated, they got some hot chocolate. Little did Olivia know was that Hank had made a reservation for a carriage ride around the city. They headed over to where they were meeting the carriage.
"What did you do?"
"I wanted to do somethin' special for you. I had thought about doin' this the other night."
Hank helped her up and then he got in himself. They covered themselves with the blanket and their ride started. They sipped their hot chocolate.
"Is it ok if I put my arm around you?"
"Yes."
Hank put his arm around Olivia to keep her warm. After their carriage ride, he took her out for dinner again and after dinner, he took her home. He took her bag upstairs for her. Olivia unlocked the door and they went inside. He put her bag down and took his coat off.
"Olivia."
"Yeah?"
"I really wanna see where this goes and I do wanna go to the next step with you. I just don't wanna rush you into anything. You've been through a lot in the last how many ever months and I want whatever happens between us to be on your terms. I'm not goin' anywhere."
Olivia had tears running down her cheeks.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"No man has ever treated me the way you have. The first guy I was with in high school was just using me and all Elliot cared about was satisfying his needs. He said he loved me but had a funny way of showing it and I didn't love him. My mother's right. I am naïve when it comes to men. She said she has noticed a difference in me since you have been in my life."
"It sounds like those others were immature. My one night stand with Erin's mother was not one of the smarter things I have done. I loved Camille more than life itself and I nearly fell apart when she died."
"Do you think she would have wanted you to date again?"
"Honestly, I don't know. It's been over 4 years and a part of me thinks it's time. The kids are part of the package deal."
"I think they're great."
"Erin's a smart ass sometimes though."
"That's how you know she's becoming a teenager."
"Yeah, I know."
"I do want to go to the next step with you too but at the same time, I'm afraid to. I've never really enjoyed sex."
"Never?"
"Nope."
"You said the guy in high school was just using you."
"Yeah. He was a football player. He told me he liked me and I fell for it. This happened senior year. He had invited me over and he said he wanted to go to bed with me. He at least used a condom but it broke. After we had been together, I saw him all over this girl who was a cheerleader. Every time I walked past him and his friends, they would laugh at me. One of my friends had the same thing happen to her. I told my mom what had happened and she took me to her doctor and then I was put on the pill. About 10 years later, I ended up in an abusive relationship. I have bad judgement sometimes."
"Just so you know, I'm not like those idiots. I've made stupid mistakes but I assumed responsibility for my kid. Let's just take things one day at a time."
"Ok."
They talked for a little while longer and then Hank left after she thanked him for the evening and he kissed her cheek. Amanda came home and Olivia told her about their night after Sonny went home.
To be continued…
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