Growing Up

Chapter 37

The girls and Mariska sat in the living room of the brownstone. Around them were various lights and several cameras. And in front of them sat a newer reporter who was going to report on the story that they had to say.

Sophia was beyond anxious, and she held on tightly to her mother's hand as they waited for the interview to start. Cecile and Virginia were both trying to act as calm as possible, but last night they both stayed up crying because they were so nervous about actually calling their father out for what he had done their whole lives.

"Alright, so I'm Mallory Miller and I'll be conducting this interview. Are you all okay with that?" The young brunette asked, as she finally put her phone away and looked at the four women that sat in front of her.

"We are fine with that," Mariska spoke for the girls. She looked over at Sophia and saw the tears on her cheeks.

"Alright, so, to start I'd like to talk to you, Ms. Hargitay. Girls, you can wait somewhere and when I'm ready, I'll interview you three." Mallory spoke.

"Sounds good." Mariska breathed, as she played with her engagement ring and her wedding band.

===

Once the girls were out of the room, Mariska shifted in her chair until she was comfortable and she looked at the woman.

"So, when did you meet Christopher Meloni?" Mallory asked.

"I meet him in 1998. We had to do screen tests and we had to figure out how we were going to look for the pilot episode." Mariska replied.

"And did you fall for him as soon as you met?" Mallory asked.

"I had a big crush on him, and I believe that he knew that I did. SVU was my first real acting job, like other than ER. So when I went in there and we worked through everything and started to actually spend a lot of time together between scenes and after work... I fell hard for him and I believe that he used that to really get me into bed..." Mariska sighed. 

She really hates talking about the night Sophia was conceived because she was just a one night stand that ended up leading to something that was very painful.

"And when did you decide to tell him you had feelings for him?" Mallory questioned, as she acted as she had did interviews with people as famous as Mariska before... but she was lying to herself because she usually just interviews people on the street.

"I decided to tell him one night after work when he caught me staring at him. I asked him if he liked me, and then when he said I was his best friend, then I walked out. He ended up showing up at my house that night and telling me that he loves me and that's when this all started."

"Was he happy when you told him that you were pregnant?" Mallory asked, and Mariska sighed softly and shook her head.

"Not really. Eventually, he told me that he'd be okay with being a father, and that was before I even knew about his other daughters. It also seemed like he didn't completely accept my pregnancy until I was nearly 6 months pregnant with our daughter..." Mariska trailed off.

"Did he ever hurt you?" Mallory asked, and Mariska shook her head.

"No. He never hurt me in the way you are suggesting. But he did say some things to me that hurt me over the time we were together. And the way he abandoned me and our daughter was the thing he did that hurt the most. From when he just up and left while Sophia was fussy. Then he came home that night and decided that he no longer wanted to be a father so he left."

===

Sophia listened carefully to what her mother said for the hour she was interviewed. Then she was pulled into the interview at noon when Mariska went out back to call Peter because she was so upset. 

Sophia sat in the same chair her mother had sat in, and she smoothed the bottom of her dress as she crossed her legs and looked at Mallory.

"Let's start from the beginning. What was happening when you found out that Christopher Meloni was your father?" Mallory asked, and Sophia let out a soft sigh before frowning.

"A lot was happening. I was getting beat up at school, and I was to the point where I never talked any louder than a whisper. And I barely talked to my mother because our relationship was so strained. One day I got home and she was actually home and in her office. I walked to her office to tell her I was home, and I heard her talking to my father about how I was getting beat up in and I kept hearing him trying to make my mother feel bad for what I was going through."

"Really?" She questioned.

"At that point, my Mother was really busy with work and everything. I think that he didn't want to feel bad for everything that was happening... but it was his fault. I was having such a hard time wondering why my father left me and my mother. And I ended up realizing that I'm the reason why he left me and my mother."

"There were reports that you had been rushed to the hospital by your mother's boyfriend at the time and her a couple of months ago... was that true?" She asked.

"Yeah. My now father rushed me to the hospital with my mother because I had tried to kill myself. I was so depressed and anxious about Chris deciding to get back together with Carly Golden for the sake of my baby brother, but he refused to stay with my mother for my sake... I just can't seem to really understand fully why he doesn't want me. I'm blessed to have my mother, my stepfather who is honestly the only father I have ever known, and my siblings. They keep me going. And now I have to keep going because of them and because of my two older sisters who are having just as hard of a time adjusting to this new knowledge as I am."