Method to the Madness: An Elliot Stabler Story

Chapter Eleven

Around 1 AM, Elliot's cell phone trilled throughout he and Kathy's bedroom, interrupting and startling their deep slumber. He was used to receiving late night phone calls, being called out to a case in the middle of the night, so he didn't even bother to look at the caller ID when he answered.

"Stabler," he answered, groggily.

"Elliot?" Lana's soft voice whimpered out. It sounded as if she was crying.

Elliot quickly sat up in bed, suddenly very awake and alert once he heard the girl's troubled voice. He looked over at Kathy quickly, it appeared as if she were still asleep, so he kept his voice quiet.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"Come get me," she cried into the phone, slightly slurring her words. "They took my purse."

"Who did?" He asked, getting up out of bed gently. "Where are you?"

"Morningside Heights - 110th at the park," she told him, sniffling. "They took my purse; I can't get home."

Elliot sighed. "Stay right where you are. I'll be right there."

He tried to remain quiet as he quickly threw on some clothes, so he wouldn't wake his sleeping wife. He didn't want to have to explain where he was going, since it was quite clear from his side of the conversation that he wasn't being called into work. But Kathy was already awake. She had heard the female voice on the other end of the phone as she pretended to be unconscious, knowing exactly where her husband was going, but she was too tired to start a fight or worry about it, so she kept her mouth shut and remained still until he left.

Elliot managed to make the 30-minute drive in less than 20 minutes as he rushed to Lana, steadily worrying about her wellbeing. He wondered why the hell she was so far away from home, probably drunk and high, and who had taken her belongings. He wondered what the hell had happened.

He pulled up onto the curb down 110th Street right in front of Morningside Park then jumped out of his car and began searching blindly for the girl. When he spotted her leaning against the rod iron fence that surrounded the park, he quickly jogged over to her.

She was slightly slumped over, and her clothes hung off of her body loosely. Her makeup was all over her face and her hair was disheveled. Being a sex crimes detective, he immediately feared the worst.

"Lana!" He called as he ran over to her.

With a delayed reaction, she picked up her head lazily and looked at him as he rushed over to her.

"Lana, baby, are you okay?" He asked frantically as he cupped both sides of her face.

"They stole my purse," she stated softly, dazed.

Elliot dropped his hands and looked around him but didn't see anyone else on the street. Though he knew whoever took her purse was most likely long gone, he looked around for possible witnesses or anyone who could explain the situation to him - sober, at least.

"Lana, look at me," he grabbed her chin lightly and held it up so she was looking him in the eye. "Who took your purse?"

"I don't know, they just knocked me down and took my purse," she answered simply.

"Did they do anything else to you? Did they hurt you?" He asked, silently praying she wasn't raped or attacked otherwise.

She shook her head, and his heart filled with relief.

"What are you doing way out here anyway?" He asked with a sigh as he dropped his hand from her face.

"I was at a party," she told him.