Raven

chapter 11

*It was near midnight at the hospital where Crowe stood outside Raven's room. He had driven her there and the medics took her away to clean her up. He was waiting for the doctor's report. Eventually a doctor walked up to him*

Doc: I'm Dr. Drake Ramoray, are you her husband?

Crowe: Something like that. What's the status, is she okay?

Doc: She's in rough shape. Clear sign of rape trauma, very malnutritioned and has almost no Vitamin D at all.

Crowe: She was kept locked up in a basement and raped.

Doc: I figured that when I noticed the anal and vaginal trauma. Special Victims Unit has already been notified and are on their way.

Crowe: Good, is she going to be okay?

Doc: Physically a few good days of nutritional foods and fluids along with antibotics will help, but mentally I don't know. If she's been a victim of prolonged rape trauma she'll need to see a therapist as soon as possible.

Crowe: When can I see her?

Doc: She's ready now.

Crowe: Thank you.

*Crowe entered the room and laying propped up against the bed with IV's in her arm was Raven. She had showered and was wearing a hospital gown. She had her eyes closed but they opened when Crowe walked in*

Raven: Crowe....thank you.

*Crowe couldn't hold himself, he walked up and hugged her gently*

Crowe: You're safe now baby, you're safe now.

Raven: I....it was like a bad dream.

Crowe: Shhh, don't talk about it yet. SVU is on their way, you can tell them everything. You did nothing wrong sweetie.

*Crowe heard a knock on the door and a plain clothes police officer walked in. He flashed his badge*

Cop: I'm Detective Stabler, Special Victims Unit. I was told there was a rape.

Crowe: Tell him everything.

*Raven then told Detective Stabler the whole story. Of how she was working for Pigman then was courted by Golbert. Golbert told Pizza The Hut he could humiliate both Crowe and herself by forcing her into sex and feeding. Pizza The Hut thought there was no better revenge than to see both Crowe and Raven suffer. She told him about the raping, the feeding and the kidnapping. When she was finished Crowe gave his side of the story. He didn't tell Stabler what he did to Mark and Pizza The Hut but he admitted to kicking Golbert down the stairs and Raven hitting the detonator*

Stabler: That's quite a story. Can I make a suggestion though?

Crowe: What kind of a suggestion?

Stabler: How about, Golbert went to untie Raven, she escaped, somehow knocked him down and hit the detonator by accident.

*Crowe grinned and so did Stabler*

Crowe: Sounds good to me.

Stabler: The court won't have to know you're involved and who's gonna press charges on Raven?

Crowe: Thank you officer.

Stabler: Just get her home and stay out of trouble.

*Stabler handed Crowe his card. When he did, Crowe noticed Stabler's FA tattoo and smiled. Crowe showed his own tattoo and Stabler smiled before he left. Within a few hours Raven was discharged and was free to go home and start her recovery. Crowe brought Raven back to Larousse's apartment and she didn't say a word in the car. When they got there instead of using his own key, he knocked on the door. Larousse opened it*

Crowe: I got Raven.

*Larousse's eyes bulged*

Larousse: Oh my god, come in. Oh my god, are you okay Raven?

*Raven nodded her head and he led her in the house*

Crowe: We just need to crash the night and I'm taking her home tomorrow. Please go get her in the shower and something to sleep in. She bathed at the hospital but she needs a real cleansing shower, I know you can take care of her.

Larousse: Absolutely, come on Raven.

*A few minutes later Larousse waddled out of the bathroom with the shower still running*

Larousse: She's in, I've never seen anyone with such sadness in their eyes.

Crowe: We're going to get in touch with a therapist once she gets home. She's going to need a lot of time to recover.

*Crowe told Larousse the whole story, about Pizza The Hut, Mark, Becky, Riley and the battle with Golbert*

Larousse: Were the police involved?

Crowe: She has to make an obligatory statement in the morning. They're going to find Golbert or what's left of him in the explosion. Who's gonna press charges on his behalf?

Larousse: I'm just glad its over.

Crowe: Go make sure she's okay, I'll call Gio.

*Crowe pulled out his phone and called Gio. Gio was asleep but picked up*

Gio....mmmm, hello?

Crowe: Sorry to call you so late but I found her. Everything's fine.

Gio: Hold on...*clears throat*....you found Raven?

Crowe: Yeah, she's with me now at Larousse's apartment.

Gio: Hold on

*Gio turns and tells Ani that Crowe found Raven, Ani says that's wonderful and is happy for Crowe*

Crowe: It was Golbert. It was Golbert all along. He found out that she was working for Pigman and managed to swoon her away long enough to kidnap her. He did it to get to me. He never got over our petty squabbles over the years and the fact I was chosen over him to be Rocket's enforcer. When he had her as his slave he got Pizza The Hut and Mark in on the action. They all lost something because of me and this was their revenge on her and I. Now they're all gone, its over.

Gio: What about the cops?

Crowe: The SVU cop is one of us. He'll take care of it.

Gio: Good, get some sleep. We'll talk about the future in the morning. Goodnight.

Crowe: Good night Gio.

*Crowe hung up the phone when Raven emerged from the bathroom with wet hair and one of Larousse's gowns on. Because Larousse was so fat, it looked like Raven was wrapped up in a blanket. She walked over to the couch and sat on it*

Crowe: How you feeling?

Raven: Like I just woke up from a bad dream.

Crowe: I'm sorry.

Raven: Don't be. I can't thank you enough, I'm just....tired.

Crowe: Don't worry, you're going to need time to get over this, I don't take it personal if you're cold to me. I won't ask about what you went through but I need to ask one thing.

Raven: What?

Crowe: You sent the video to DaSilva didn't you?

Raven: How'd you know?

Crowe: That's what I couldn't figure out when I went down the rabbit hole to find you. Mark clearly wouldn't send a video like that to DaSilva knowing he and I were friends. I was thinking Golbert himself sent it because he wanted the one on one confrontation, but then I realized that he wouldn't have been angry in the video. You sent it.

Raven: When I....was untied to go to the bathroom....Mark had left his phone in the bathroom and I went through it. I was going to call DaSilva for help but I didn't want them to hear my voice and they'd know I called him. I sent him the video and deleted the text after so Mark wouldn't have known it was sent to begin with.

Crowe: Of all the numbers to remember, you remembered his?

Raven: Of course...remember, 555-SEXY.

Crowe: That's right....I owe DaSilva one for that.

Raven: Part of me felt that someone would come for me. I hoped DaSilva would call the police but in the back of my mind I wanted you to come for me. Golbert wouldn't stop talking about how he won the feud by getting to you through me.

Crowe: If I never found you, he would have won. I was lost without you and not having the closure ate at me. If you were home safe and sound, retired with your family at least I could live with that. I had no idea what Golbert did.

Raven: I'm sorry Crowe, sorry for everything.

Crowe: Its okay, you're safe now. Gio is going to call a meeting about Pigman, you going to him started this. I knew he was slime. I bet he had no problems with Golbert coming around.

Raven: He was Pigman's enforcer.

Crowe: Not anymore. We'll worry about Pigman later, right now you need to get some sleep.

Raven: Can you hold me?

Crowe: Absolutely.

*Crowe grabbed his nightly blankets and prepared the couch for sleeping. He put a pillow down and got on the couch first. Raven then cuddled up in his arms with her butt up against him. Crowe cradled her head and held her close kissing the back of her head. Even though she smelled like Larousse's soap and shampoo, she still had her scent that Crowe loved. Raven's eyes began to slowly close*

Raven: I haven't slept right in so long.

Crowe: I don't sleep much either, tonight will be the first time I can sleep happy.

Raven: Me too.

Crowe: Raven......

Raven: What?

Crowe: I love you, Raven.

Raven: I love you too, Crowe.

*Both of them shut their eyes and Raven drifted off to sleep happy, safe and sound*




THE END