The Unknown: Book 3 {A Bensler Fan Fic}

Chapter 23

Josie left for the rehab center, and it didn't seem like she had any plans on coming home for awhile. With this all happening, it meant that Alison didn't want to go back to school without her best friend, her sister.

"Mom, where did you put my canvas?" Alison asked as she came into the kitchen, where I was making lunches for the kids before I went to bed and headed to work in the morning.

"It's past 12, Al. What are you doing up?" I questioned, and she sighed.

"I can't sleep. I haven't been able to in awhile." She replied.

"You need sleep."

"So do you." She replied, and I rolled my eyes as I tucked an apple into Charlie's lunch box.

"I do, and I get at least an hour a night. But lets not discuss me. Why do you want to know where the canvas is?"

"Because I'm painting. I need a new one because I just finished my last painting."

"Maybe it will be better if I didn't tell you." I spoke, and she rolled her eyes, just like I had, and headed to the basement. I heard her move things around before walking back up and heading to her room, a package of canvas under arm.

So much for getting her to sleep.

~*~

The next morning I showered and then went down stairs and saw Alison painting on the back porch, only the light of the porch light around her.

I went and made tea before taking a cup out to Alison.

"Thanks." She breathed, as she dipped her brush into a light blue paint.

"Do you want to skip work today? Try and sleep during the day, then maybe spend sometime with Charlie and James when they get home from school?" I spoke, and she shook her head.

"I'm going to work today. See if Kora can watch the kids after school."

"I'm not in search of free childcare, Al. I'm trying to get you to sleep."

"I can't sleep when I know Josie may never come home. She may live there forever, and that means I lost my best friend, my sister, the only person who truly understands me. I don't want to go into our room because I know that it'll remind me of her. It still smells like her perfume that she sprayed everywhere."

"Josie is alive, Alison. I know you are grieving the loss of her, but she is alive, and only a phone call away. I expect that you take care of yourself, or else everything that is happening right here, will be banned until you start sleeping and eating."

~*~

Alison was angry with me, but she went to bed and I left some food for her in the kitchen for when she wakes up.

"Hey, beautiful." Elliot smiled, as I walked into the squad room.

"Yeah, if you think that sleep deprivation is beautiful." I replied, and Elliot rolled his eyes.

"Did you get our kid to fall asleep?"

"Yeah. And the kids got on the bus. Kora and Ryan are coming over for dinner, and then today I need to try and get an appointment for Josie and Alison to see each other." I sighed.

"Is she still taking it bad?"

"Yeah, she is. Baby, I think that she needs to be forced into something. Like maybe going to art classes in town, or seeing some of her friends from high school. She can't just be hanging out with our family."

"I agree." He spoke plainly, but we couldn't continue because Munch came out of Cragen's office, and sighed. Why does he have to be the acting CO?

"Benson and Rollins. Please head down to the bodega down the road."

"Why?" Rollins questioned as I went to my desk and grabbed my gun and handcuffed.

"Because there was a body found in the back of the bodega. I expect that you will both do your jobs, right, Sergeant and Detective?" Munch replied, and I nodded.

"Of course. What else would I do?"

~*~

Amanda and I walked three blocks down to the bodega, and both of us were dead on our feet. She looked more exhausted than I do, but then again dating someone might've caused that. Having a life outside of this all might've been the cause.

"So, Melinda, what do we have?" Amanda asked, as I shoved my hands into my pockets and looked at the body that had been moved and put onto a stretcher.

"A girl, no older than 12."

"Shit." I swore, and Amanda shook her head.

"Any idea what caused her death?" Amanda questioned, her voice slow and shaky.

"Malnutrition. Abuse. It seemed like she didn't have a chance from the start."

"Okay, well, Melinda, please give us what you can find out. I'm going to start looking into missing persons. See if there is one out there." I spoke, as I quickly turned and walked away.

"Liv, are you okay?" Amanda asked as we walked.

"I'm never okay, Amanda. Stuff like this, with kids who are younger and get killed or abused, I have no idea how to really deal with it."

"You have a lot going on right now, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter, Rollins. Trust me. We just need to focus on this girl."

~*~

Even if I tried my hardest to focus on the case, my mind just kept wandering. My passion for my job seemed to be disappearing with each case, since everything at home seemed to get harder.

Around 4, Elliot got a call and quickly stood up.

"Liv, we need to go." Elliot spoke, and my eyes went wide as I stood.

"What?" I questioned quickly.

"Charlie broke her nose during ballet practice." He sighed, as he started to walk towards the door.

"How did she break her nose?!" I exclaimed, but even before we got to walk out the door, I felt like getting sick.

"Simon. Sharon. What are you guys doing here?"

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