Simply Sonny: An SVU love story

Chapter 7: Chit-Chat

"Yea, I'll be right in." Sonny says into the phone now coming back into the kitchen as I finish helping Bella put the dry dishes away, "I have to go in. Bella," he steps to hug his sister, "thanks for doing this." He moves over to me, "Addison, I'll be back tomorrow and we'll move from there. You'll be safe here for the night." He puts his hand on my arm to reassure me "I promise."

"Ok. Thank  you." I say to him and turn to Bella, "and thank you."

Sonny leaves the apartment and I awkwardly sit in the living room while Bella grabs a pillow and blanket for me to use, "yanno, I don't know you or what happened but I'm glad you're here." She says passing them over to me.

"Thanks" I mutter sheepishly, "it's actually nice to be around someone," I tell her honestly. It's been just me and the police since the incident. I haven't been able to just talk to someone without thinking about what happened. "So, how old is Anastasia?"

"10 months." She beams looking over at the little girl, "she's a blessing. You want kids?" She asks me.

I shrug "I guess. If I meet the right guy and everything."

She chuckles, "yea, I don't know if Tommy is the right guy or not but he's a good father. He tries his best to take care of us, to do right by us." She changes direction of getting to know me, "you been in the city long?" She questions.

"Almost a year, it's an interesting place to live. Never dull." I think back to the first month here, the noise all night keeping me up and the crowded streets making it impossible to get anywhere on time.

"You're telling me. I can't wait to get back to Staten Island, raise her in a proper neighborhood." She moves to grab something from the bottom of the coffee table. She passes me the photo album and scoots closer on the couch, "look" she flips to the first page, "that's were Sonny and I grew up."

"It's so small!" I exclaim at the cute one story house, covered by the snow of a New York winter. "How many of you were there?" I ask.

"4 kids, 2 parents and 3 dogs!" She smiles stifling a laugh.

"Wow" I exhale slowly. I turn the page looking at all the photos, "I was an only child and we lived in a big home. No pets or anything, just me." I tell her.

"It may have been a pain in the ass growing up, but I wouldn't change a thing." She tells me.

"So, you want to have more kids?" I ask her.

She nods, "of course. Just not yet, we want to be able to provide for them all, give them everything they deserve." She confides, "Anastasia was a blessing, God's gift, yanno?" She asks.

"Sure," I mumble back.

"You don't believe in God?" She asks.

I shrug, "I used to, until recently." I look away ashamed.

Her soft voice pulling me back in, "I get it. I know what Sonny does for a living. But God could really help you through it. I won't push ya, you gotta figure it out on your own."

"Thanks," I say, happy to hear she won't push it any further than that with me.

"You want a glass of wine or anything?" She asks standing up. I shake my head no to decline, "well don't mind me, it's been a long day." She leaves the room to pour herself a glass. We spend the next 4 hours talking and just hanging out.

There's a knock on the door around 9 A.M. Bella already up to take care of Anastasia. Her husband came home around 3 A.M and we had a short introduction before he stumbled into bed exhausted. Bella answers the door and Sonny walks in, "you ready to go? We got another hotel all set up." He asks me.

"Yes." I turn my attention to Bella to thank her, "Thank you for letting me stay here, it was really nice to meet you and your little one. She's beautiful."

"Hold on. You can't just put her up in a hotel Dominick!" Her voice is hard, "she can stay here, as long as it takes."

I shake my head, "no, no. Really, I can't put you out any more than I already have."

"Stop." She holds up one index finger at me, "She isn't going to a hotel. Got it?" She then turns her finger to her brother, pointing at him.

He holds up his hands, "wow, wow, calm down. It's not up to me." He eyes me, wanting me to make a choice.

Although I had a good night here, I can't just impose on her life. It's great of her to offer me to stay but it's just not a good idea. I shake my head yet again to decline, "Bella, that's really nice but I can not impose on you and your family."

"You won't be. I enjoyed having someone here to talk to. Tommy and Anastasia don't hold much conversation. And then Sonny will know where you'll be." She tries to convince me further, "and then I can actually see my brother for more than 2 minutes a week!" She almost begs me "please?"

"I don't know." I bite my lower lip.

She eyes her brother, "tell her Sonny."

He smirks from her to me, "she's persistent, she'll hound you nonstop till you agree."

My lips fold up into a small toothless smile and I nod, "sure, I'll stay for now. Thank you." She smiles proudly and walks away, "can I go to my apartment to get some things?" I ask him, wanting to change my clothes.

"I went and grabbed somethings for you, they are down in the car." He explains, "we need you to come in and do a line-up."

I spit the first question that comes into my head, "why would that matter? I used to date him, of course, I'm able to I.D him." I say.

"It'll be a different kind of line-up. He'll be behind a wall, he won't see you." He assures.

Just then another male voice is calling out from the hall, "Carisi, we goin' or what?"

Carisi pops his head out, "ya, ya. We're comin'." He turns back to me, "ready?" He asks.

I take a deep breathe and walk out of the apartment with him and the male waiting introduces himself, "hi Addison, I'm detective Tutuola." He says simply.

"Hi." I simply say back.

"Let's go do a line-up" Detective Tutuola affirms and the three of us leave Bella's home.