It had started out like any other day in the Sex Crimes unit of Manhattan. Olivia and Elliot drank their morning coffee while the rest of the crew sat and played games on their computers or eat breakfast at their desks. At around 8:30, only an hour after they had all started to show up, Elliot's cell rang and he sighed as he pulled it from his pocket.
"Yes, Kathleen?" Elliot asked as he looked over at his partner while he listened to his daughter talk to him.
"Well I don't have any other choice, do I? You should've gotten up when I told you too." Elliot sighed, before hanging up. He stood and pulled his jacket on.
"Where are you going?" Olivia questioned.
"Kathleen missed the bus so I have to go and take her to school. Are you gonna be okay?" Elliot asked, and Olivia nodded.
"I'm a big girl, Elliot. And I feel like it's gonna be a quiet day. Now, get out of here." She grinned. Elliot turned and walked out of the squad room, while Fin and Munch headed out after him.
"Where the hell are you two going?" Olivia asked.
"Breakfast. Wanna join us?" Fin asked, and Olivia shook her head.
"No, because someone has to stay here and man the phones. And how are you two still hungry?" She mused, and all they did was shrug and head out of the squadroom. Olivia looked back to see that Cragen's office was still dark since he was meeting with the commission, so she was all alone. She didn't know what to do, but she planned on figuring out something to do.
///
Olivia ended up cleaning her desk up a bit and throwing away the paperwork she had messed up. Then, while she was heading up to the closet at the top of the stairs to get some more pens, her desk phone rang. She ran back down the stairs and grabbed the receiver before speaking.
"Manhattan Special Victims Unit, Detective Benson speaking," Olivia spoke.
"Detective Benson, I just got on the scene of a mass shooting in a park near Hell's Kitchen. Would you be able to respond and talk to the witnesses?" The officer spoke.
"Yeah, I'll be there soon. I just need to talk to call my partner and get my Captain the information." Olivia spoke, as she stood up and grabbed a pen from Elliot's desk, then started to write the address of the shooting.
"Hell's Kitchen Park, on the east side near the playground?" Olivia asked as she repeated what she had written down.
"Yeah. The ambulances are taking the victims to the hospital. They are splitting them between Mount Sinai West and Presbyterian Hosptial. Sorry." The officer mumbled before hanging up. Olivia stood and pulled her jacket on before grabbing her gun and cuffs from her desk drawer. She pulled her cell out as she walked out of the squadroom and called Elliot.
"Yeah?" Elliot answered.
"El, there was a shooting at the Hell's Kitchen Park. I need you to meet me there. Call Fin and Munch and give them the information and I'm stopping by the commission to pick up Cragen."
"Did they tell you what was happening?" Elliot asked, his voice sounding quieter than usual.
"Two casualties and the rest are heading to the hospital. At least 26 people were injured." Olivia spoke.
"Shit. Okay, I'll be there soon."
///
Olivia and Cragen arrived on scene nearly 10 minutes after Olivia had received the call. On arrival, the officers had already taped off the whole park, and about 6 people were sitting on two benches and had been wrapped in blankets to help fight off as much shock as possible, even though it doesn't always work.
"I'm going to talk to the group sitting on the bench near the playground. You can talk to the others." Cragen spoke, and Olivia nodded. She took a few steps and away from their sedan and then lifted up the tape and let herself and Cragen under it. They walked towards the benches and Olivia swallowed hard before standing in front of the group of visibly shaking people.
"I'm Detective Olivia Benson... are you all okay with talking to me about what you saw?" Olivia asked, and one of the girls slipped off the bench and started to walk off. Olivia quickly walked away from the rest of the witnesses and grabbed her gently by her arm.
"I need to talk to you, so can you please go sit back down?" Olivia asked as she tried to keep her voice even.
"I refuse to talk to you." The girl huffed.
"And why is that?" Olivia asked as she moved to stand in front of the girl. She looked up at Olivia, and there was anger in the girl's dark brown eyes.
"Do you not even know who I am? Because it's pretty sad that you don't even know who your own daughter is." The girl spat, and Olivia started to feel like her body was getting weak. She swallowed hard before speaking quietly.
"How did you know my name?" Olivia asked.
"Because when you let my fathers adopt me, they knew your name. They told me about you. And I hate you. So let me go, and if I have to talk, I'm not talking to you."
"Can I at least know your name so I can tell my boss?" Olivia asked, and the girl shrugged.
"You don't need it. Just let me go and go interview the other witnesses."
///
Olivia just walked out of the perimeter of the park and sat in the sedan. She had tears streaming down her cheeks when Elliot arrived. He opened the door and looked at her.
"Liv, what's wrong? Did one of the victims die?" Elliot asked, and Olivia shook her head.
"No. They are all still in surgery and are good right now. But... I know one of the witnesses and I can't go back there and talk to her."
"Why not?" Elliot asked as he squatted down beside where Olivia sat. He was worried about his partner. He hadn't seen her like this in a while.
"Elliot, when I was younger I was pregnant... I was going to get an abortion but then I realized that someone else could love my baby. So I gave her up for adoption to this really nice couple. But that's her, Elliot. She knows me. This is the first time I've seen her since I gave her up for adoption, and I can't go talk to her."
"I'll go talk to her then. Okay? You just wait in here and calm down a bit. Okay?" He breathed, and Olivia nodded slowly as she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. He gently brushed a tear from her cheek before standing and shutting the door again. He walked over and lifted the tape up before stepping under it and heading over to the group that Fin and Munch were talking to.
Elliot looked them all over before finding the one that looked a lot like Olivia.
"What's your name?" He asked her, and she sighed as she looked up at Elliot.
"Erin Michaelson." She replied, and Elliot nodded.
"Erin, let's go walk and talk."
"Sure." She replied because she was tired of listening to these other witnesses crying about something they didn't see. She had seen the shooter, and now it was her chance to get them into custody.
"So, do you live around here?" Elliot asked, and she nodded.
"My Dads are both doctors so we live near Mount Sinai," Erin replied.
"Did you see the shooter?" Elliot asked, and she nodded.
"There is this guy that is always sitting on the edge of the balance beam, and he's always watching everyone. We've called the police before, but he always leaves when they get here. But it was him. He's about your height, but super skinny. He has dirty blonde hair and a big beard. He usually wears skinny jeans and an ACDC t-shirt, but he was wearing all black today." Erin spoke, and Elliot stopped walking to write down what she had said. Then he sighed.
"Why won't you talk to Detective Benson?" Elliot asked, and Erin groaned as she ran her hands over her face.
"Because she just threw me away. She can screw off." Erin replied.
"She's an amazing woman, Erin. Give her a chance to at least explain." Elliot replied, and she eyed him before nodding slowly.
"I guess I can at least owe her that, but that's it," Erin spoke, and Elliot nodded.
"Okay. Let's go talk to her then."
///
Olivia was shocked when Elliot brought Erin over to the car. Erin got into the back seat and Olivia sat in the front still so they didn't have to look at each other.
"Why did you give me up?" Erin questioned. Olivia knew that that was going to be the first question that her daughter asked her.
"I was a stupid girl who got into some trouble. I was going to get an abortion, but then I decided that there had to be a couple out there who wanted a child, and I could give them one. Erin... I did want you. Trust me."
"How can I trust you when you say that because you gave me up. You didn't want to be my Mom." Erin huffed.
"I did!" Olivia exclaimed, as she turned around and looked at Erin.
"So you honestly thought to give me to my Dads was the best thing for me? You did it for me and not for a selfish reason?" Erin asked.
"It was the hardest thing I ever did. And I hate that this was the reason why we got to meet each other after 17 years. But I'm glad that I met you because you are such a beautiful young woman." Olivia spoke.
"Who's my Dad?" Erin questioned.
"A very immature guy I went to college with. He knew, and he was going to pay for me to get an abortion. But I'm glad I didn't. Now, do you want me to drive you home? I bet your fathers are worried sick about you." Olivia spoke.
"You can drive me home, but can you not come in? I don't want them to know about this. Not until I'm in college."
"Okay? Do you still want to see me?" Olivia asked, tearfully.
"I want to know more."
"Okay, I'll tell you everything when you are ready."
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