L&O SVU Fanfiction: In the Ghetto, Chapter 9
Title: In the Ghetto
Author: schnullybaby
Pairing: Elliot/Olivia
Spoilers: none
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
Summary: EO. On her way home, Olivia finds a little girl who has been raped. Unable to find her parents Olivia takes her into her home to be her foster mom. Deals with Self-harm in chapter 9+! Please read and review: This is my first L&O: SVU FF.
Summary Chapter 1-8: Olivia finds a little girl that has been raped and injured and after a short stay in hospital she decides that she wants to be the foster mom of Lindsay. It proves really difficult to get some information from the girl, about what happened, who old she is etc. but Olivia doesn't give up and wins Lindsay's heart. As Liv is really stubborn she manages to give Lindsay a temporary home so that she doesn't have to go into foster care. Living together proves difficult at first, but then both enjoy the time. Now it is time for ACS to decide if Lindsay and can stay with Olivia or not. *Chapter nine has the answer.*
Warning: If you are a self-harmer, you may find parts of this chapter (and the following ones) triggering. Please take responsibility for your own safety.
Chapter 9:
This chapter is for famouscliche - Happy belated birthday hon! (As you know how long ago your birthday you see how long it took me to update)
A big thank you to nettiec for beta reading this story!
Friday, January 4 - Olivia’s apartment (9am)
Lindsay:
I'm all alone at home. Olivia went to the grocery store to get some food. She asked me if I want to come with her but I told her I'm not feeling very well today. So, she made me some tea and said I should get some rest. Now, I am sitting here on my bed, afraid of what will come today. I think Olivia is as nervous as I am, she just doesn't show it. We talked a lot about it this week, about what will happen if Olivia is turned down by ACS. I don't want to leave her. I went though all of this already, after my parents died, when I was 5. With Olivia I feel safe, and I don't want to leave her. I know exactly what my name is, when my birthday is and what happened the night she found me. But if I tell her she will send me back from where I came from. And I hate that place; I don't want to return there, ever again.
We did loads of things this week, things I enjoyed a lot. We went to the playground a lot and also watched some DVDs. Every night before I went to bed she read a fairytale to me. Olivia also worked part time this week as she said they had a difficult case where her help was needed. Before she left for work she always dropped me off at Kathy and Elliot's home. I like it there. Eli, the baby is really cute and when Lizzie and Dickie are back from school we usually play something together.
And now I am here. Alone and afraid when the phone rings, because it might be Mrs Johnson from ACS. And she could say no.
A few days ago I took Olivia’s razor from the bathroom into my room. I managed to get the blade out from the razor without injuring myself. I put both parts into the night stand next to my bed under the old diaries of Olivia.
And now I'm holding the blade in my hand. I've lived in foster care before and my foster sister, Shary, who shared the room with me cut herself almost every day. I saw it often because she never cared if I was in the room or not. She said it helped her feel better. I want to feel better too. I just hope Olivia doesn't see it. Shary always told me not to tell anybody about it because it was bad.
I am rolling one up leg of my trousers. There are still all the scars from the night I was raped so it does not matter if I cut myself there now. I hesitate for a moment but then the feeling is just too overwhelming. I place the blade near my knee and then I just cut. I don’t push a lot but it really hurts. It doesn't take long until I see the blood coming out of the cut. I like the colour and the cut doesn't hurt anymore. I feel relieved but I have to do it again. I place the blade again and do five more cuts. It doesn't bleed much but it still makes me feel good. I see the blood running down my leg. The bad feeling I had inside me is almost gone. Shary was right, it feels better. I see now the things I am scared of as a cut on my leg. When some blood drips on the bed sheet I realize how stupid what I've done is. How am I to explain that to Olivia? Why didn't I think before I did it? I should have taken some tissues to the bed. I try with one had to keep the blood from dripping on the sheets and with the other hand I rummage around in Olivia's nightstand to find some tissues. I find a few and take them to clean away the mess. I also push them into the cuts to stop the bleeding. On the one hand, I feel guilty that I did it and I know I also hurt Olivia with it but, on the other hand, I am less scared now. I found a way to express my feelings. A bad way.
My only problem now is to clean away the mess. I throw the bloody tissues under some other trash in the rubbish bin and then I hide the bloody blade again under Olivia’s diaries. I don't know how to feel. I'm exhausted. I lay back and fall asleep...
---------------------------------- EO --------------------------------------
At 10:30am Olivia was back from the grocery store. The fridge was almost empty so she had made a list what they would eat the next week. She hoped all the planning of what they would do next was a positive sign and would give Lindsay a feeling that everything would end in a good way.
When she opened the door everything was quiet. She was a bit surprised about that because usually she heard Lindsay around somewhere. She never left her alone for long, only when she took the rubbish down or collecting letters from the letter box. When she looked into Lindsay's room she saw the girl was asleep. So, Olivia closed the door quietly and went to the kitchen to put the food into the fridge. On the way to the kitchen she checked her answering machine but no one had called or left a message. She wondered when Mrs Johnson would call. It was unbearable for her to wait that long. She needed the decision now so she could plan what would come next. She didn't want to lose Lindsay, she already changed her life so much. It also gave her a reason to see Elliot more than usual as Lindsay often played in the mornings or afternoons with Lizzie and the baby and so sometimes they spent more time than she planned at Elliot's house.
When she went back to the living room she checked on Lindsay again. She was still asleep which was pretty unusual for her. Olivia knew that Lindsay had said earlier she didn't feel very well but she had thought she was afraid of the outcome today, just like she was. Now she hoped Lindsay wasn't sick. To let her go like that would be awful. Not knowing what to do with the time while she waited for the phone call, Olivia decided to tidy the apartment.
It didn't take long and half an hour later she was done. It was now two weeks after Christmas and so Liv started to take the decorations down of the tree. She was sure Lindsay would be sad when she saw it, but they couldn't keep the tree forever.
She was half way done when her cell rang. Her heart started beating faster and she felt a little bit dizzy. When she pulled the phone from her belt she didn’t recognize the number. That must be Mrs Johnson from ACS.
"Benson?"
"Hello Ms Benson. My name is Ashley Brown, I'm from ACS. I'm your case worker and the one who decides if we take a family into the program or not. I checked your application and the references from your GP and colleagues and I come to the decision that we'll try it and give you the permission to be Lindsay's foster mom."
"Oh god, yes!", Olivia exclaimed.
"I’m not finished yet, Ms Benson, please don't interrupt me. We ‘try it’ means you have three months to fulfil all requirements. If there are any problems we take Lindsay with us and give her to another family. One of my colleagues will check weekly on both of you, without notice beforehand. We also give you two weeks to arrange a school for Lindsay which she will attend regularly and also prepare Lindsay's room as you said it would be in the interview with Mrs Johnson. We expect that Lindsay will go twice a week to a counsellor who will send us a report on how she’s doing. You can choose the counsellor which suits you. Okay, that's all for now. We'll send a letter with all the details and deadlines. Any questions?"
"Um... no, not at the moment. You have just made Lindsay and I really happy. Thank you so much for trusting me."
"You are welcome. Have a nice day, and we'll speak soon again."
"Yeah thanks, you too. Bye."
"Bye."
Both rang off and Olivia was so happy that she sat down on the carpet in the living room and started crying. She had an aim and she had reached it.
-----------------------------EO--------------------------------------
When Lindsay awoke she heard a noise from the living room. She didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but she assumed that Olivia was already back from the grocery store.
When she got up she felt some pain in her left leg. Immediately she remembered what she had done earlier. She checked if there was anything to see, but she couldn't find anything except for the small blood traces on her sheet. Carefully she pulled the blanket over it and left her bedroom.
The first thing she saw was Olivia sitting on the carpet, crying. Then she had a look at the clock and saw how much time had passed since Olivia had been to the grocery store. Mrs Johnson must have called already and turned her down. Oh god, that couldn't be true, she didn't want to leave Olivia. In the few minutes Lindsay had been standing in the door way Olivia hadn't noticed her and so she decided to sneak out of the apartment. Fortunately Olivia hadn't locked the door and it was easy for Lindsay to get out. She let the door fall shut and just started running down the stairs, far away.
-------------------------------EO------------------------------
Olivia was wrapped up in her thoughts of what to do next and how to tell Lindsay the great news when she suddenly heard a noise. She stood up and turned around and saw that Lindsay's door was open but the bedroom was empty. Quickly, she checked her apartment but the girl was nowhere.
"Linds, where are you?"
She got no response. Then she realized that the noise she had heard must have come from her closing apartment door. Maybe Lindsay saw her crying and thought she would have to leave her? She just hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid.
Quickly, she grabbed her jacket and left her apartment. When she reached the street she looked in every direction but couldn't see her. She decided to walk in north direction to Central Park but there was no trace of Lindsay. She even asked a few pedestrians for help but they hadn’t seen her either. She needed help finding Lindsay and so she pulled her cell out of her belt and called Elliott.
"Stabler?"
"El, it's me Liv. I need your help. Half an hour ago I got a call from ACS and they said I can have Lindsay and -"
"Liv that's great, congrats."
"El, please don't interrupt me, I'm not finished yet. After the phone call I started crying, just because I was so happy that finally my dream was coming true but Linds must have seen that and probably thinks now I've been turned down. She ran away and I can't find her. Please help me. If ACS finds out they will really take her away."
"Where are you at the moment?"
"I'm near Central Park. I've walked up north from my apartment. I don't think Lindsay really knows where she is or where to go and I'm so afraid something might happen to her."
"Okay Liv, please calm down. I'll call Fin and then we'll start searching from your apartment in different directions. I'll call every fifteen minutes with news, alright?"
"Okay, thank you so much. You know, if I can do something for you, let me know."
"I know Liv. Good luck now. I'll call you when I arrive with Fin at your apartment. Bye."
"Bye."
After she hang up she felt a little bit relieved. At least she wasn't all alone now. After walking around for then more minutes it suddenly stuck her that Lindsay might have gone to the playground which was only two blocks away from her home and as they had been there almost every day she was quite sure that Lindsay knew the way.
A few minutes later Olivia arrived at the playground. At first she couldn't see her and already thought she had gone somewhere else but then she spotted her sitting on a swing and ran to her.
"Lindsay, hon, what are you doing here?"
"Leave me alone. Go away."
"No I'm not going anywhere without you. You must be freezing."
Olivia saw that Lindsay's face was all wet and red from all the crying. She also saw that she wasn't wearing a jacket or shoes. Quickly, she took her coat off and wrapped it around Lindsay.
"I said go away and leave me alone!"
"I know but I can't. You can't be sitting out here without a jacket or shoes. What were you thinking when you sneaked out of the apartment?"
In that moment Olivia's cell rang and it saved Lindsay from answering the question. When she picked up she heard Elliot's voice.
"Liv, it's Elliot. Fin and I are at your apartment now. We have already started searching but we haven’t seen her so far. Any news from your side?"
"Elliot, I'm so relieved, I just found her. She ran to the playground near my apartment. But she's not wearing a jacket or shoes. Is it possible to pick us up?"
"Sure. I'll call Fin and we'll pick you up in five minutes."
"Thank you so much for all your help. Bye."
In the meantime Lindsay had started to shake and so Olivia picked her up from the swing and wrapped her tighter into her coat before she sat together with her on the swing.
"Hon, I think I have to explain you a few things. Or do you want to answer my question first?"
"No."
"Okay. I think I know why you ran away. You saw me crying, didn't you?"
Lindsay only nodded.
"And you assumed that it meant Mrs Johnson will come this afternoon and pick you up as we had already talked about this option, if they turned me down, right?"
Lindsay nodded again.
"Ok, then listen now, really carefully. I did get a phone call from ACS but not from Mrs Johnson. The name of the lady I spoke to was Ashley Brown. She’s the one who investigates every case and makes the final decision. And she said yes! That was the reason I was sitting there crying, because I was so happy. I don't know if you have heard of it before, but some people cry when they are really happy. It's just I was so overwhelmed by it all and I was crying, but it was through happiness. I'm sorry you got the wrong impression and ran away but please promise me something, never, ever, do it again. If there's anything you don't understand please ask me first, alright?"
A very quiet "yes" came from Lindsay.
"I'll keep my promise and never leave you alone, hon. Mrs Brown said I have three months to fulfil everything and if we're doing fine you can stay with me. I'm not sure if it will be forever but I guess at least until you finish High School."
In that moment Liv saw Fin and El entering the playground and Olivia stood up to carry Lindsay towards them. Fin spoke first.
"Liv, you must be freezing without a jacket. Your lips are blue."
"No I'm fine, really. Take care of Linds that's more important."
Olivia gave Lindsay to Fin and then went to Elliot.
"Thank you so much El, I wouldn't know what to do without you. I was so scared that something might have happened to her. I..."
"Shh, Liv, it's okay. You know I'm always here for you if you need me. And I know how important it is for to take care for Lindsay."
He wrapped his arm around her to warm her until they reached the car. Olivia sat with Lindsay in the back of the car while Fin and Elliot sat in the front. It took only a few minutes before they arrived at Olivia's apartment. Fin carried the exhausted Lindsay upstairs, followed by Olivia and Elliot.
They sat down on her couch for a few minutes and remained silent. Olivia wrapped a blanket around Lindsay and gave her a chocolate bar which lay on the table. Then she decided to make coffee them, as well as hot chocolate for Lindsay.
No one knew what to say while they sat there, so after Fin and El had emptied their cups they decided to go back home. In the meantime, Lindsay had fallen asleep and looked very peaceful.
"Okay, Liv, take care and call me if you need anything. I'm glad we found her."
"Thanks El, I will. It means a lot that you helped. Are you interested in going to the park with us?"
"Sorry, Kathy already has planned something else for the day. But maybe tomorrow?"
"That sounds great, I'll call you tonight and then you can say when you'll come over."
"Alright, bye." He gave her a kiss on her forehead and then he left with Fin.
Olivia snuggled closer to Lindsay and thought about the last few days. It didn't take long until she drifted off herself. They now had enough time to be together and plan the next few months.
tbc.
A/N: So this is chapter 9. I hope you all like it. Reviews are much appreciated.
I also want to apologize profusely that it took me so long to update again. When I said I need a break I never thought it would be for such a long time. There are still some personal issues I'm struggling with (those on my f'list now what I am talking about), but I can promise you all I'll update now more regularly. There will be breaks during my exam times (the next three weeks and then in June) but no longer than one month I think. I'm currently writing another SVU story, it doesn't have a title yet but it is about Liv being in a coma. So please check that one out as well if you are interested. I wish you all a great week!! ♥
Earlier chapters: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8
Author: schnullybaby
Pairing: Elliot/Olivia
Spoilers: none
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
Summary: EO. On her way home, Olivia finds a little girl who has been raped. Unable to find her parents Olivia takes her into her home to be her foster mom. Deals with Self-harm in chapter 9+! Please read and review: This is my first L&O: SVU FF.
Summary Chapter 1-8: Olivia finds a little girl that has been raped and injured and after a short stay in hospital she decides that she wants to be the foster mom of Lindsay. It proves really difficult to get some information from the girl, about what happened, who old she is etc. but Olivia doesn't give up and wins Lindsay's heart. As Liv is really stubborn she manages to give Lindsay a temporary home so that she doesn't have to go into foster care. Living together proves difficult at first, but then both enjoy the time. Now it is time for ACS to decide if Lindsay and can stay with Olivia or not. *Chapter nine has the answer.*
Warning: If you are a self-harmer, you may find parts of this chapter (and the following ones) triggering. Please take responsibility for your own safety.
Chapter 9:
This chapter is for famouscliche - Happy belated birthday hon! (As you know how long ago your birthday you see how long it took me to update)
A big thank you to nettiec for beta reading this story!
Friday, January 4 - Olivia’s apartment (9am)
Lindsay:
I'm all alone at home. Olivia went to the grocery store to get some food. She asked me if I want to come with her but I told her I'm not feeling very well today. So, she made me some tea and said I should get some rest. Now, I am sitting here on my bed, afraid of what will come today. I think Olivia is as nervous as I am, she just doesn't show it. We talked a lot about it this week, about what will happen if Olivia is turned down by ACS. I don't want to leave her. I went though all of this already, after my parents died, when I was 5. With Olivia I feel safe, and I don't want to leave her. I know exactly what my name is, when my birthday is and what happened the night she found me. But if I tell her she will send me back from where I came from. And I hate that place; I don't want to return there, ever again.
We did loads of things this week, things I enjoyed a lot. We went to the playground a lot and also watched some DVDs. Every night before I went to bed she read a fairytale to me. Olivia also worked part time this week as she said they had a difficult case where her help was needed. Before she left for work she always dropped me off at Kathy and Elliot's home. I like it there. Eli, the baby is really cute and when Lizzie and Dickie are back from school we usually play something together.
And now I am here. Alone and afraid when the phone rings, because it might be Mrs Johnson from ACS. And she could say no.
A few days ago I took Olivia’s razor from the bathroom into my room. I managed to get the blade out from the razor without injuring myself. I put both parts into the night stand next to my bed under the old diaries of Olivia.
And now I'm holding the blade in my hand. I've lived in foster care before and my foster sister, Shary, who shared the room with me cut herself almost every day. I saw it often because she never cared if I was in the room or not. She said it helped her feel better. I want to feel better too. I just hope Olivia doesn't see it. Shary always told me not to tell anybody about it because it was bad.
I am rolling one up leg of my trousers. There are still all the scars from the night I was raped so it does not matter if I cut myself there now. I hesitate for a moment but then the feeling is just too overwhelming. I place the blade near my knee and then I just cut. I don’t push a lot but it really hurts. It doesn't take long until I see the blood coming out of the cut. I like the colour and the cut doesn't hurt anymore. I feel relieved but I have to do it again. I place the blade again and do five more cuts. It doesn't bleed much but it still makes me feel good. I see the blood running down my leg. The bad feeling I had inside me is almost gone. Shary was right, it feels better. I see now the things I am scared of as a cut on my leg. When some blood drips on the bed sheet I realize how stupid what I've done is. How am I to explain that to Olivia? Why didn't I think before I did it? I should have taken some tissues to the bed. I try with one had to keep the blood from dripping on the sheets and with the other hand I rummage around in Olivia's nightstand to find some tissues. I find a few and take them to clean away the mess. I also push them into the cuts to stop the bleeding. On the one hand, I feel guilty that I did it and I know I also hurt Olivia with it but, on the other hand, I am less scared now. I found a way to express my feelings. A bad way.
My only problem now is to clean away the mess. I throw the bloody tissues under some other trash in the rubbish bin and then I hide the bloody blade again under Olivia’s diaries. I don't know how to feel. I'm exhausted. I lay back and fall asleep...
---------------------------------- EO --------------------------------------
At 10:30am Olivia was back from the grocery store. The fridge was almost empty so she had made a list what they would eat the next week. She hoped all the planning of what they would do next was a positive sign and would give Lindsay a feeling that everything would end in a good way.
When she opened the door everything was quiet. She was a bit surprised about that because usually she heard Lindsay around somewhere. She never left her alone for long, only when she took the rubbish down or collecting letters from the letter box. When she looked into Lindsay's room she saw the girl was asleep. So, Olivia closed the door quietly and went to the kitchen to put the food into the fridge. On the way to the kitchen she checked her answering machine but no one had called or left a message. She wondered when Mrs Johnson would call. It was unbearable for her to wait that long. She needed the decision now so she could plan what would come next. She didn't want to lose Lindsay, she already changed her life so much. It also gave her a reason to see Elliot more than usual as Lindsay often played in the mornings or afternoons with Lizzie and the baby and so sometimes they spent more time than she planned at Elliot's house.
When she went back to the living room she checked on Lindsay again. She was still asleep which was pretty unusual for her. Olivia knew that Lindsay had said earlier she didn't feel very well but she had thought she was afraid of the outcome today, just like she was. Now she hoped Lindsay wasn't sick. To let her go like that would be awful. Not knowing what to do with the time while she waited for the phone call, Olivia decided to tidy the apartment.
It didn't take long and half an hour later she was done. It was now two weeks after Christmas and so Liv started to take the decorations down of the tree. She was sure Lindsay would be sad when she saw it, but they couldn't keep the tree forever.
She was half way done when her cell rang. Her heart started beating faster and she felt a little bit dizzy. When she pulled the phone from her belt she didn’t recognize the number. That must be Mrs Johnson from ACS.
"Benson?"
"Hello Ms Benson. My name is Ashley Brown, I'm from ACS. I'm your case worker and the one who decides if we take a family into the program or not. I checked your application and the references from your GP and colleagues and I come to the decision that we'll try it and give you the permission to be Lindsay's foster mom."
"Oh god, yes!", Olivia exclaimed.
"I’m not finished yet, Ms Benson, please don't interrupt me. We ‘try it’ means you have three months to fulfil all requirements. If there are any problems we take Lindsay with us and give her to another family. One of my colleagues will check weekly on both of you, without notice beforehand. We also give you two weeks to arrange a school for Lindsay which she will attend regularly and also prepare Lindsay's room as you said it would be in the interview with Mrs Johnson. We expect that Lindsay will go twice a week to a counsellor who will send us a report on how she’s doing. You can choose the counsellor which suits you. Okay, that's all for now. We'll send a letter with all the details and deadlines. Any questions?"
"Um... no, not at the moment. You have just made Lindsay and I really happy. Thank you so much for trusting me."
"You are welcome. Have a nice day, and we'll speak soon again."
"Yeah thanks, you too. Bye."
"Bye."
Both rang off and Olivia was so happy that she sat down on the carpet in the living room and started crying. She had an aim and she had reached it.
-----------------------------EO--------------------------------------
When Lindsay awoke she heard a noise from the living room. She didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but she assumed that Olivia was already back from the grocery store.
When she got up she felt some pain in her left leg. Immediately she remembered what she had done earlier. She checked if there was anything to see, but she couldn't find anything except for the small blood traces on her sheet. Carefully she pulled the blanket over it and left her bedroom.
The first thing she saw was Olivia sitting on the carpet, crying. Then she had a look at the clock and saw how much time had passed since Olivia had been to the grocery store. Mrs Johnson must have called already and turned her down. Oh god, that couldn't be true, she didn't want to leave Olivia. In the few minutes Lindsay had been standing in the door way Olivia hadn't noticed her and so she decided to sneak out of the apartment. Fortunately Olivia hadn't locked the door and it was easy for Lindsay to get out. She let the door fall shut and just started running down the stairs, far away.
-------------------------------EO------------------------------
Olivia was wrapped up in her thoughts of what to do next and how to tell Lindsay the great news when she suddenly heard a noise. She stood up and turned around and saw that Lindsay's door was open but the bedroom was empty. Quickly, she checked her apartment but the girl was nowhere.
"Linds, where are you?"
She got no response. Then she realized that the noise she had heard must have come from her closing apartment door. Maybe Lindsay saw her crying and thought she would have to leave her? She just hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid.
Quickly, she grabbed her jacket and left her apartment. When she reached the street she looked in every direction but couldn't see her. She decided to walk in north direction to Central Park but there was no trace of Lindsay. She even asked a few pedestrians for help but they hadn’t seen her either. She needed help finding Lindsay and so she pulled her cell out of her belt and called Elliott.
"Stabler?"
"El, it's me Liv. I need your help. Half an hour ago I got a call from ACS and they said I can have Lindsay and -"
"Liv that's great, congrats."
"El, please don't interrupt me, I'm not finished yet. After the phone call I started crying, just because I was so happy that finally my dream was coming true but Linds must have seen that and probably thinks now I've been turned down. She ran away and I can't find her. Please help me. If ACS finds out they will really take her away."
"Where are you at the moment?"
"I'm near Central Park. I've walked up north from my apartment. I don't think Lindsay really knows where she is or where to go and I'm so afraid something might happen to her."
"Okay Liv, please calm down. I'll call Fin and then we'll start searching from your apartment in different directions. I'll call every fifteen minutes with news, alright?"
"Okay, thank you so much. You know, if I can do something for you, let me know."
"I know Liv. Good luck now. I'll call you when I arrive with Fin at your apartment. Bye."
"Bye."
After she hang up she felt a little bit relieved. At least she wasn't all alone now. After walking around for then more minutes it suddenly stuck her that Lindsay might have gone to the playground which was only two blocks away from her home and as they had been there almost every day she was quite sure that Lindsay knew the way.
A few minutes later Olivia arrived at the playground. At first she couldn't see her and already thought she had gone somewhere else but then she spotted her sitting on a swing and ran to her.
"Lindsay, hon, what are you doing here?"
"Leave me alone. Go away."
"No I'm not going anywhere without you. You must be freezing."
Olivia saw that Lindsay's face was all wet and red from all the crying. She also saw that she wasn't wearing a jacket or shoes. Quickly, she took her coat off and wrapped it around Lindsay.
"I said go away and leave me alone!"
"I know but I can't. You can't be sitting out here without a jacket or shoes. What were you thinking when you sneaked out of the apartment?"
In that moment Olivia's cell rang and it saved Lindsay from answering the question. When she picked up she heard Elliot's voice.
"Liv, it's Elliot. Fin and I are at your apartment now. We have already started searching but we haven’t seen her so far. Any news from your side?"
"Elliot, I'm so relieved, I just found her. She ran to the playground near my apartment. But she's not wearing a jacket or shoes. Is it possible to pick us up?"
"Sure. I'll call Fin and we'll pick you up in five minutes."
"Thank you so much for all your help. Bye."
In the meantime Lindsay had started to shake and so Olivia picked her up from the swing and wrapped her tighter into her coat before she sat together with her on the swing.
"Hon, I think I have to explain you a few things. Or do you want to answer my question first?"
"No."
"Okay. I think I know why you ran away. You saw me crying, didn't you?"
Lindsay only nodded.
"And you assumed that it meant Mrs Johnson will come this afternoon and pick you up as we had already talked about this option, if they turned me down, right?"
Lindsay nodded again.
"Ok, then listen now, really carefully. I did get a phone call from ACS but not from Mrs Johnson. The name of the lady I spoke to was Ashley Brown. She’s the one who investigates every case and makes the final decision. And she said yes! That was the reason I was sitting there crying, because I was so happy. I don't know if you have heard of it before, but some people cry when they are really happy. It's just I was so overwhelmed by it all and I was crying, but it was through happiness. I'm sorry you got the wrong impression and ran away but please promise me something, never, ever, do it again. If there's anything you don't understand please ask me first, alright?"
A very quiet "yes" came from Lindsay.
"I'll keep my promise and never leave you alone, hon. Mrs Brown said I have three months to fulfil everything and if we're doing fine you can stay with me. I'm not sure if it will be forever but I guess at least until you finish High School."
In that moment Liv saw Fin and El entering the playground and Olivia stood up to carry Lindsay towards them. Fin spoke first.
"Liv, you must be freezing without a jacket. Your lips are blue."
"No I'm fine, really. Take care of Linds that's more important."
Olivia gave Lindsay to Fin and then went to Elliot.
"Thank you so much El, I wouldn't know what to do without you. I was so scared that something might have happened to her. I..."
"Shh, Liv, it's okay. You know I'm always here for you if you need me. And I know how important it is for to take care for Lindsay."
He wrapped his arm around her to warm her until they reached the car. Olivia sat with Lindsay in the back of the car while Fin and Elliot sat in the front. It took only a few minutes before they arrived at Olivia's apartment. Fin carried the exhausted Lindsay upstairs, followed by Olivia and Elliot.
They sat down on her couch for a few minutes and remained silent. Olivia wrapped a blanket around Lindsay and gave her a chocolate bar which lay on the table. Then she decided to make coffee them, as well as hot chocolate for Lindsay.
No one knew what to say while they sat there, so after Fin and El had emptied their cups they decided to go back home. In the meantime, Lindsay had fallen asleep and looked very peaceful.
"Okay, Liv, take care and call me if you need anything. I'm glad we found her."
"Thanks El, I will. It means a lot that you helped. Are you interested in going to the park with us?"
"Sorry, Kathy already has planned something else for the day. But maybe tomorrow?"
"That sounds great, I'll call you tonight and then you can say when you'll come over."
"Alright, bye." He gave her a kiss on her forehead and then he left with Fin.
Olivia snuggled closer to Lindsay and thought about the last few days. It didn't take long until she drifted off herself. They now had enough time to be together and plan the next few months.
tbc.
A/N: So this is chapter 9. I hope you all like it. Reviews are much appreciated.
I also want to apologize profusely that it took me so long to update again. When I said I need a break I never thought it would be for such a long time. There are still some personal issues I'm struggling with (those on my f'list now what I am talking about), but I can promise you all I'll update now more regularly. There will be breaks during my exam times (the next three weeks and then in June) but no longer than one month I think. I'm currently writing another SVU story, it doesn't have a title yet but it is about Liv being in a coma. So please check that one out as well if you are interested. I wish you all a great week!! ♥
Earlier chapters: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8