Rebel (SVU Fanfic)

28

Nicole went back to her family and tried not to bite. She really didn't! And actually, she had been rather successful. Cragen let the family rest up in the cribs, but nobody wanted to.

It wasn't long before they caught up to the perp's car that sped away from the last crime scene. It had been smashed into a streetlight. When the officers approached the driver's door, it was sure the man inside was dead. And by Elliot's confirmation, it was Robert who attacked. Solely on his own.

The family was safe again, and hopefully, this time was for good. When they all went home, nobody knew what to do. The kids were definitely staying home for, at least, a day or two. Elliot and Olivia were to not come into work for a few days.

Nobody could rest easy. Hell, Olivia couldn't even lay down. She paced the kitchen, she paced the living room, she paced upstairs, downstairs, not able to get rid of her fear.

The younger ones had fallen asleep at the pure lack of energy, the twins fell asleep after texting each other from their own beds, confirming each other's safety. Nicole was tossing and turning however, in and out of sleep. Once she was finally out for the night, Olivia was on her third walk around the basement.

Elliot, who was sleeping just fine, woke up when he heard movement in the hallway. Noticing the absence of Olivia in bed next to him, he went to investigate.

He followed Olivia down to the basement and stopped her, making her jump.

"What are you doing?" Elliot asked.

"I can't sleep."

He reached out to her and held her in his arms. "We're safe now," he said. Nothing to worry about." His chin rested on her head.

Olivia nodded against his chest. Then they both heard a strangled screech coming from Nicole's room.

Nicole had woken from a nightmare, soaked in sweat with a racing heart.

Elliot, who had been closest to the door, opened it. "What's going on?"

Pushing him out of the way, Olivia went over to her daughter and sat on the edge of the mattress.

"It was Dad," was all she squeaked out before Olivia pulled them into an embrace.

Elliot couldn't be more confused, but Olivia knew exactly what Nicole was talking about.

"It's okay, he's gone. He won't hurt you anymore," the detective assured the young girl.

"No, he had the gun," Nicole whispered. Eyes widening, she looked over at Elliot, who still had no idea what the two were talking about. Until it hit him:

Not so long ago, when Olivia exploded at him, she told him why they moved here. He never thought much of it, thinking she was overreacting. The kids were being threatened, so he could see why.

But was it all true?

"It was Robert, not your father. Neither can get you. Ever," Olivia spoke softly.

Nicole nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded again.

~•~

It had been two days, and Nicole was the only child still not in school. Her mind full of nightmares and her fingers bloody nearly all the time.

Olivia was falling into deep thoughts all the time, remembering all Nicole had gone through. And as far as she knew, none of her friends knew what happened. She kept to herself. She fell apart but pretended that she hadn't.

"Liv!"

Olivia jumped, her mind elsewhere.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning back to Elliot.

"Do you think we should take Nicole to see Dr.Huang?"

"That's not gonna help," Olivia replied indifferently, getting up to get the basket of laundry that had to be folded.

"She's hurting, Liv. She needs to cope with whatever happened to her."

Elliot watched as the woman in front of him slowed her movements. She was thinking. Again.

"She's never going to get over it," Olivia decided to say. "It was her father."

That's how Olivia knew it was so hard. Both her and her daughter knew what it was like to be hurt by someone who you were made of. At least Nicole got to know a good father, though.

"He almost killed his own daughter. And she knows. She saw what he did to me. She protected her siblings and that...that's all she's ever known how to do."

"What happened that night?" Elliot asked, reaching to touch her, in fear she was getting up. She wasn't, though, but still rejected him. She didn't want to be comforted.

"H-He...He was in one of his moods. Pissed off I came home late, wanting to go out and fuck his hooker because I was never home to do it myself. Apparently. We got into an argument. I thought all of the kids were in their rooms, but I guess not. I tried to calm him down, but he wouldn't. He pulled a knife. I tried to...Whatever. It was useless. He pushed me and hit me and cut me. I heard and saw Nicole coming towards him and I yelled at her to stop. She wouldn't; I knew she wouldn't. He took her. Picked her up like she was weightless, which, I mean she is. He literally threw her against the wall. She needed surgery to get her brain bleed under control. She coded twice. The last time she ever saw her dad was if she looked at him when she was launched into a wall."

Olivia concluded, rushing to stand and leave the room. Elliot is quick to follow her.

"I need to be alone," she told him, turning around so he abruptly stops. With a hold up of her hand, she turns to continue down the stairs.

Elliot let her go, but then he followed behind, making sure she didn't know he was on her tail. She went to the front door and opened it, but then stopped.

Resting her head on the door, she knew she couldn't leave. She didn't trust herself to come back. In all reality, she needed help, too. She had been through so much; all of them had. Nicole needed therapy. She needed to cope. Olivia needed to get over whatever was holding her back, and that, that was the guilt. She didn't deserve the loving family she was in. She ruined the old one. She got her daughter to that place. The rebellion, the depression, the fear.

Elliot watched from the bottom of the stairs, not understanding what was happening.

But it was as if her brain had a switch, which, it did, but was never used. Under all the cobwebs, the switch flicked to the other side and so did she. On her heel, she spun, and backtracked to Elliot, whom she knew was there.

He caught her easily, but noticed his shirt was getting wet with tears.

She didn't speak. All the detective did was cry.