FIC: "Sympathy", Don Cragen/George Huang
Title: Sympathy
Author: hawkeyecat
Fandom: Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit
Medium: Television
Genre: Slash
Pairing: Don Cragen/George Huang
Theme: L is for Leonine: Of, relating to, or characteristic of a lion
Community: alphabetasoup
Word Count: 644
Rating: Everyone
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own the Elliot-and-Olivia show. Right.
Author's Notes: I have what some may call a “bad habit” of using my Friends list. I say it gets them fic. This prompt was chosen by cerieblue819. The first sentence and beta-reading job were by amazonqueenkate.
He wanted to say that the case wasn't affecting him, but if he'd actually said that, he'd have been lying.
He didn’t know why, either. Granted, all the cases George dealt with through SVU got to him, but most didn’t actually affect him personally. He’d tried to analyze why, but couldn’t come up with anything other than that it was a domestic abuse and sexual assault situation that had culminated in murder.
Murder of the abuser, who, George thought in his darker moments, had deserved it.
Now the DA was asking him to testify that “battered woman’s syndrome” did not apply in this case. What Casey didn’t understand was that the name was just layman’s terms for a host of symptoms that could apply to anyone, especially an abuse victim. She was convinced, though, that she could convict the guy simply because of that-he was a guy.
Oh, and because the abuser had been male.
That was the part that rankled, the idea that a gay man couldn’t be abused by his partner to the point where he’d get violent in defense. Spousal abuse was underreported already, and partner abuse report rates were lower still. Cases like this…
George dropped his pen on his report and rubbed his forehead. He’d have to tell Casey he couldn’t do it. Change the name of the syndrome to fit, and it was still the same thing. Devon McLeod was not culpable for his actions unless the DA’s office wanted to set a very dangerous precedent. Of course, considering the politics of the current DA, it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t care.
The door creaked open, surprising George. He turned in his chair to see Don, holding a mug of what smelled like tea. Don raised his eyebrows at George. “You ready for a break?”
“I’m ready for this case to be over,” George grumbled.
Don set the mug-he’d been right, green tea-on a coaster on George’s desk and rolled the other chair over, turning it to face him. “You could always not testify.” He settled into the chair.
George sighed and took a sip from the mug. “Or I could testify for the defense, which would be the ethical choice.”
“Casey’s going to be pissed if you do,” Don warned.
“I’ll talk to Casey, but Elliot’s going to be upset that I blew his collar if I do it,” George countered.
Don made a face at the thought. “You really think this is best?”
“His partner used him as a punching bag and sex toy, Don. It’s not surprising that Devon snapped.”
“He had options. Get a new apartment, go to the police.”
George cradled the blue mug in his hands. “Because the force is so sympathetic to gay men?”
Don looked like he was about to reply, then paused. He shrugged instead. “Okay, so why didn’t he leave?”
“It’s like with any other abuse victim. Michael had convinced him he was worthless and deserved everything that happened.” George’s hand clenched around the handle of the mug. “So he snapped and did the only thing he thought he could.”
“Eighteen stab wounds? That does fit with battered woman’s syndrome. Except that he’s a man.”
George sighed and set down his mug, crossing his arms. “It’s only called battered woman’s syndrome because men are victims of abuse far less. It’s a conglomerate of symptoms that can apply to anyone who has been abused. Low self-esteem, rage, depression…it’s classic.”
Don leaned forward in his chair. “If you don’t testify for Casey, I’ll back you up.”
“And handle Elliot?” George asked wryly.
He snorted. “And handle Elliot.”
“Thanks, Don.” George relaxed and stood. “A break might be what I need.”
Don got to his feet and tossed an arm over George’s shoulders. “C’mon, I think we have a new episode of that show you like saved.”
Author: hawkeyecat
Fandom: Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit
Medium: Television
Genre: Slash
Pairing: Don Cragen/George Huang
Theme: L is for Leonine: Of, relating to, or characteristic of a lion
Community: alphabetasoup
Word Count: 644
Rating: Everyone
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own the Elliot-and-Olivia show. Right.
Author's Notes: I have what some may call a “bad habit” of using my Friends list. I say it gets them fic. This prompt was chosen by cerieblue819. The first sentence and beta-reading job were by amazonqueenkate.
He wanted to say that the case wasn't affecting him, but if he'd actually said that, he'd have been lying.
He didn’t know why, either. Granted, all the cases George dealt with through SVU got to him, but most didn’t actually affect him personally. He’d tried to analyze why, but couldn’t come up with anything other than that it was a domestic abuse and sexual assault situation that had culminated in murder.
Murder of the abuser, who, George thought in his darker moments, had deserved it.
Now the DA was asking him to testify that “battered woman’s syndrome” did not apply in this case. What Casey didn’t understand was that the name was just layman’s terms for a host of symptoms that could apply to anyone, especially an abuse victim. She was convinced, though, that she could convict the guy simply because of that-he was a guy.
Oh, and because the abuser had been male.
That was the part that rankled, the idea that a gay man couldn’t be abused by his partner to the point where he’d get violent in defense. Spousal abuse was underreported already, and partner abuse report rates were lower still. Cases like this…
George dropped his pen on his report and rubbed his forehead. He’d have to tell Casey he couldn’t do it. Change the name of the syndrome to fit, and it was still the same thing. Devon McLeod was not culpable for his actions unless the DA’s office wanted to set a very dangerous precedent. Of course, considering the politics of the current DA, it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t care.
The door creaked open, surprising George. He turned in his chair to see Don, holding a mug of what smelled like tea. Don raised his eyebrows at George. “You ready for a break?”
“I’m ready for this case to be over,” George grumbled.
Don set the mug-he’d been right, green tea-on a coaster on George’s desk and rolled the other chair over, turning it to face him. “You could always not testify.” He settled into the chair.
George sighed and took a sip from the mug. “Or I could testify for the defense, which would be the ethical choice.”
“Casey’s going to be pissed if you do,” Don warned.
“I’ll talk to Casey, but Elliot’s going to be upset that I blew his collar if I do it,” George countered.
Don made a face at the thought. “You really think this is best?”
“His partner used him as a punching bag and sex toy, Don. It’s not surprising that Devon snapped.”
“He had options. Get a new apartment, go to the police.”
George cradled the blue mug in his hands. “Because the force is so sympathetic to gay men?”
Don looked like he was about to reply, then paused. He shrugged instead. “Okay, so why didn’t he leave?”
“It’s like with any other abuse victim. Michael had convinced him he was worthless and deserved everything that happened.” George’s hand clenched around the handle of the mug. “So he snapped and did the only thing he thought he could.”
“Eighteen stab wounds? That does fit with battered woman’s syndrome. Except that he’s a man.”
George sighed and set down his mug, crossing his arms. “It’s only called battered woman’s syndrome because men are victims of abuse far less. It’s a conglomerate of symptoms that can apply to anyone who has been abused. Low self-esteem, rage, depression…it’s classic.”
Don leaned forward in his chair. “If you don’t testify for Casey, I’ll back you up.”
“And handle Elliot?” George asked wryly.
He snorted. “And handle Elliot.”
“Thanks, Don.” George relaxed and stood. “A break might be what I need.”
Don got to his feet and tossed an arm over George’s shoulders. “C’mon, I think we have a new episode of that show you like saved.”