The Path to Love: A Sonny Carisi Love Story

51: Falling Apart

Amanda comes out of Olivia's office after Heather and her professor "how'd that go?" Finn asks.

"Not good." She tells us "she wants her story heard."

Sonny stands, going closer to them "which one? Her story's falling apart. Six guys, four guys, hockey sticks, no DNA. She keeps talking, she's going to torpedo her own case."

"Uhh guys, pull up LMZ." I call over to Finn who nods and starts typing the site into his computer "Franklin just surfaced at his lawyer's office. He's about to go live on LMZ right now."

We all gather around the small laptop "Folks, just let me know when you're all ready, and we'll get this going." Buchanan, the smuggest lawyer I've met yet states.

"Hey, Liv, you know about this?" Finn calls to our boss. She comes over to us and we all watch.

He starts off "I'm John Buchanan, attorney for Zach Franklin. Star athlete, scholar, and unequivocally innocent of any and all charges in the so-called Hudson University gang-rape."

"Of course he is." Amanda rolls her eyes.

"That's a big bluff, even for Buchanan." Olivia mentions back.

Finn questions "think he's got something?"

"Tell them where you were December 12th, 2014, the night of Heather Manning's alleged assault." Buchanan tells Zach.

Zach looks directly into the camera and informs all who are watching "I was nine hours away, in Kimball, West Virginia, on the W.V. Hillmen soccer field."

Buchanan elaborates further for everyone "the championship game was televised live on sen until 11:40 P.M. eastern time."

"Can he get more smug?" I comment out loud.

"If you missed it, you'll be happy to hear Hudson won, 3-zip." Buchanan chimes onto his statement.

This time it's my turn to roll my eyes "of course he can.

Olivia's phone rings and she looks down at it "Barba." She tells us before answering "Benson." She listens to whatever he says on the other line and returns "He was in Cuba, Barba. Remember?" Another few words are exchanged before they hang up. "Carisi, Grey" She directs us "go talk to Skip peterson. Amanda, head over to Barba's office. I'll call Heather and get her in there ."

I nod to her, ignoring looking to Sonny and grab my jacket and go. We get into the car and drive away "So, that's it, no talking about this?" He asks as we drive through a green light.

"I don't know what you want to talk about. I have some vacation days and the BAU wants me to consult for a bit." I inform him more of what the plan is.

"How long?" He asks.

I shrug "a few weeks, maybe a month. I don't know." I tell him honestly.

He sighs "and this has nothing to do with our argument?"

I look at him carefully before answering "of course it has something to do with our argument Sonny. It's hard working with you, I just need some time." I confide.

He shakes his head "time for what, huh? What? You're throwing in the towel on us, just like that?"

"What towel Sonny? We dated for a few months, it's not like we were married." I retort back, really not wanting to continue this conversation. I know I'm acting childish but I'm hurt. He gives me his own hurt look and I regret what I said, not wanting to hurt him "look, I'm sorry. I just need some time, that's all. I'll be back in no time." I confirm.

"When do you go?" He asks next, pulling up to the news station.

"Whenever this case is over." I tell him.

He gives me a once over look and nods before getting out of the car. We show the security our badges and make our way to find Skip. Once he spots us, he directly calls out "I don't need you to tell me this thing is blowing up. Hash-tag "what else did skip Skip?" is trending. I'm just as hurt by this as you are."

"Look, our case is collapsing. You took this on air. Now you need to give us anything that you have that can corroborate Heather's story." I inform him, needing us to get ahead of whatever else is to come.

"Your notes, your interviews." Sonny adds on.

"I can't do that." He responds.

"We're way past the coy shtick, Skip." Sonny extends.

Skip shakes his head "you don't get it. I can't corroborate, because I don't have anything to do so with."

I respond "come on, you must have talked to the boys? To people who saw Heather the next day? The school?"

He corrects me "no. I talked to Professor Dillon and Heather, in that order."

"Isn't investigating the main component of investigative journalism?" Sonny asks him, as shocked as I am at his response.

I add on to his question "three boys have been arrested and arraigned. Their reputations damaged, possibly beyond repair. Now, I know that that's on us, too, but--"

Skip chimes in there "20/20 hindsight's easy. You sound like my producer." He gives us a half asses apology "should I have talked to them? Obviously, yes."

"So why didn't you?" I push.

"Because I was protecting Heather. She was terrified of reprisals. And given Hudson's history, she had every right to be. I found Heather to be very credible. I have daughters her age. I have to say, I feel gratified in some small way I helped start a dialogue about the outrage of campus rape."

Just then a women from somewhere else calls out to him that he has five minutes. He stands to move and we go to follow "then why didn't you start that dialogue with a story that was true?" Sonny asks him.

"Because most other stories are more complicated." Skip goes on "they're he-said, she-said. Heather's story checked every box. Callous administration. Entitled, white frat boy jocks. The pack mentality gang-bang aspect. That's the story I've been looking for. If we hadn't grabbed it, someone else would have."

"Damn the consequences, right?" Sonny asks sarcastically back.

Skip stops at a door "don't blame the messenger, blame the audience. Campus rape is so commonplace, it doesn't even rise to the level of news." He gives us both one more look "look what it took to get anyone to even care. I'd love to do this all day, but I have a retraction to tape" and leaves us standing there. Sonny and I eye each other with concerned stares and make our way out of the building and back to our precinct.