- Amanda Rollins: [to Sandy] I've counseled hundreds of women, but when it happens to you, you wonder what do they have that I don't?
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: From my experience, guys don't come to girls like me because their ladies are lacking something. They come because they are. And the sad thing is, they're never gonna find it.
- Defense Attorney Olson: Peter.
- Peter Stone: You're a long way from Chicago.
- Defense Attorney Olson: Well, representing our fighting men is a moveable feast. Interesting case we've got here. The word of a lying lady of the night against two decorated soldiers.
- Peter Stone: Save your breath. No deals.
- Defense Attorney Olson: She's a hooker, Peter.
- Peter Stone: And your client's a rapist.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: You all got some balls on you.
- Amanda Rollins: Unforeseeable things happen in a trial. It's just the way it is.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: I said I didn't want to do this. I said leave it alone.
- Amanda Rollins: What is your problem? You missed a couple days' work, right? You know what, I can... I can make that up to you, Sky.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: It's Sandy.
- Amanda Rollins: Yeah, you're... you're always gonna be Sky to me. What is it, 200, 300? Here.
- [throws money towards Sandy]
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: That's what you think of me?
- Amanda Rollins: Yeah, it is.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: You know, every morning, I get up, look myself in the mirror. You know what I see? Not a damn thing. I'm invisible. Nothing, but after you people started with me, when I looked in the mirror, I began to see a piece of someone looking back at me. You know, it felt good. But now, after being humiliated like that in court, that little piece of pride, or self-worth, or whatever it is you gave me is gone, and it's never coming back.
- [throws the money back to Rollins]
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Here. Keep your money.
- Olivia Benson: [to Preston] Do you have any family in the military?
- Jim Preston: No.
- Olivia Benson: Friends?
- Jim Preston: Just the ones I made after I enlisted.
- Olivia Benson: So when you enlisted, you were just being a patriot? You just wanted to help people. In fact, you couldn't imagine not helping people. Believe me, I get it.
- Jim Preston: I enlisted to serve my country.
- Olivia Benson: Then serve its people.
- Jim Preston: I'm a transgender man. I believe that's what you were getting at, counselor. You could have just asked me. And because you're so interested, I'm physically able to have sex with whoever I want.
- Defense Attorney Olson: So you're saying you were once a woman?
- Jim Preston: No. I was always a man.
- Defense Attorney Olson: But your birth certificate says "female". Am I right?
- Peter Stone: Objection. Relevance.
- Defense Attorney Olson: I'm just trying to establish that Sergeant Preston has been less than honest.
- Peter Stone: Your Honor?
- Defense Attorney Olson: My point is how can we trust a single word this witness says because he's been lying to the Army for years!
- Jim Preston: Actually, it's in my medical forms, sir.
- Defense Attorney Olson: Yeah, but your friends, your foxhole buddies, they don't know the real you, do they?
- Jim Preston: I am the real me. My gender identity isn't relevant to what I do. Just as whatever's in your pants isn't relevant to what you do.
- Amanda Rollins: I've been here, what, seven years? I still don't get it.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: World's oldest profession, my friend.
- Amanda Rollins: I understand why there are hookers, Carisi. I just don't get why we give a damn. They... they know the risks.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Maybe they don't have a choice.
- Amanda Rollins: Everybody's got a choice. Besides, there are plenty of women out there who need our help, and more importantly, want it.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Staff Sergeant.
- Army Staff Sgt. Tyler Jones: Yes?
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Tyler Jones?
- Army Staff Sgt. Tyler Jones: Yeah, who are you?
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: I'm the guy arresting you for rape. Put your hands behind your back.
- [leading him away]
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Let's go.
- Olivia Benson: Tell me, what do you remember about them? There's no detail too small. Anything?
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Uh, they had short hair. No hair.
- Olivia Benson: Okay.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: One of them was young.
- Olivia Benson: How young?
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Maybe 20. It was his first time. He was sweet, actually. "Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." He was supposed to be the only one. It was the second guy who hit me. He was old, like... 40. Uh... he wanted a freebie. I said no way. That's when he hit me and forced me to f...
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: [watching outside, he turns the intercom off] Sounds like rape. Lieutenant's pretty good at this.
- Amanda Rollins: After I teed it up for her.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: You were pretty convincing in there. You okay?
- Odafin Tutuola: [arriving on the Army base] I'm not happy about this.
- Amanda Rollins: Well, think of it like this. We're not investgating the Army. We're looking for a rapist.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: A lot of these guys look alike.
- Odafin Tutuola: But only one got hit in the head with a lamp.
- Odafin Tutuola: We need to know if anybody came in for stitches in the head on Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
- Reception Nurse: I'm not sure if I'm allowed to disclose personal medical records.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Hey, you see this badge? It says NYPD. You know what that means?
- Odafin Tutuola: Please excuse my impertinent colleague. I'm sure you're aware that the city has an arrangement made with the local Army bases. Yeah, they're willing to open their files to us on any alleged crimes committed off base.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: You know what, don't trouble yourself. We'll just go back to your base commander, tell him that you refused to help us. I'm sure he's gonna love seeing us again.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: Lieutenant, you guys are wasting your time. Jim Preston is never gonna testify.
- Olivia Benson: We just got to break this damn military code.
- Dominick Carisi Jr.: It's got nothing to do with any code. We just got the blood back from the lab tests, and it's a match for Jim, but the DNA in the blood is genetically female. Jim Preston is a transgender man.
- Olivia Benson: Well... that's why he won't testify.
- Peter Stone: The courts will never uphold any law against transgender people serving in the military.
- Olivia Benson: That's right, but there's a huge distance between the law and life.
- Amanda Rollins: I'm guessing you don't check IDs. We got Mickey Mouse in room 212, Elvis in 117.
- Odafin Tutuola: You were gonna make us get a warrant for that?
- Amanda Rollins: Hey, Grigor. This... this your bag?
- Grigor: No, it-it was turned in.
- Amanda Rollins: Condoms, lube, mouthwash.
- Odafin Tutuola: Put your hands behind your back.
- Grigor: Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. All right, all right, all right. There were three guys. They-they went running out, and-and I went to- to see what was going on, and-and that's when I saw her.
- Odafin Tutuola: Room number.
- Grigor: 117.
- Amanda Rollins: [taking the room key] I knew it was Elvis.
- Amanda Rollins: You find her here?
- Grigor: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right there, on the floor. She was dead.
- Amanda Rollins: So why didn't you call the police?
- Grigor: No, I did.
- Odafin Tutuola: After you dumped her in the street like a piece of trash.
- Grigor: Cops all over the place ain't exactly good for business, no offense. I mean, the girl's dead. You know, who's it gonna hurt?
- Amanda Rollins: Except she's not dead.
- Grigor: [skeptical snicker] That's... she's not dead?
- Amanda Rollins: No, and you endangered an impaired person. That's a felony.
- Odafin Tutuola: Which means you're under arrest, dumbass.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: When he was done, he left, and, uh, the third guy came in. I hit him with a lamp, he started bleeding, and that's when grandpa came back and beat the crap out of me.
- Olivia Benson: Sky, I just want to tell you that I am... very sorry that that happened to you.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Right. The joke's on them. The nervous virgin left his money clip on the nightstand before any of the drama went down.
- Olivia Benson: And you took it?
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: [handing it over] I earned it.
- Olivia Benson: U.S. Army.
- Defense Attorney Olson: Are you gay, Sergeant?
- Peter Stone: Objection!
- Defense Attorney Olson: The witness just testified that unlike most red-blooded men, he didn't want to have sex with a beautiful woman. I'd like to know why.
- Judge Anita Wright: Overruled.
- Defense Attorney Olson: Are you gay, Sergeant?
- Jim Preston: No.
- Defense Attorney Olson: Happily married?
- Jim Preston: No.
- Defense Attorney Olson: So you're just confused?
- Peter Stone: Objection.
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: I told you, I did it. I raped her.
- Amanda Rollins: We both know that's not true. We both know that it was Staff Sergeant Tyler Jones.
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: He's an upstanding soldier.
- Amanda Rollins: Right. You know, that night... Sky, that was your first time, wasn't it?
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: Hell no.
- Amanda Rollins: She told us you were sweet and gentle.
- [he storms away a few steps]
- Amanda Rollins: You like her. Your heart beats a little faster when you think about her, hmm?
- [showing him a picture of Sky's injuries]
- Amanda Rollins: What's your heart do when you... when you look at that? She was good to you, Billy, and that's what that upstanding soldier did to her. And I know you guys live by some sort of code. Wasn't that code violated the second Staff Sergeant Jones' fist hit her face? Okay, and... and who knows what Jim did to her, enough for her to make her swing a lamp at his head. You're the only one that can help her, Billy.
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: Fine. I'll do it.
- Amanda Rollins: Good man.
- Peter Stone: It's called perjury, Billy, and believe me, I will prosecute.
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: They yell at me. You yell at me. Why does everybody have to yell at me?
- Olivia Benson: That's gonna be the least of your problems when you end up in prison.
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: They already told me! There's no way the jury is gonna believe Sky over the Staff Sergeant. That means you lose, Mr. Stone.
- Peter Stone: And if you're convicted in a military court of making unsubstantiated allegations against a superior officer, you end up in Leavenworth.
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: [sobbing] I just wanted a woman. I wanted to be a man.
- [standing and composing himself]
- Army Pvt. William 'Billy' Shaughnessy: I'd rather be a criminal, Mr. Stone, than a traitor. Can I go?
- [Peter nods, and he leaves]
- Olivia Benson: Wha...? You let him go? Just like that?
- Peter Stone: There's nothing we could have said to convince him.
- Olivia Benson: He has a beating heart. He has a conscience.
- Peter Stone: Which isn't going to get in the way of a loyalty that goes back 250 years. We'll never break him.
- Olivia Benson: So because he's a good man, he's gonna do the wrong thing?
- Peter Stone: Our only hope is that Jim isn't as good a man as Billy is.
- Peter Stone: [to Preston] Okay, here's the deal. As of this moment, all charges against you are dropped with prejudice. In exchange, I expect you to willingly testify against Staff Sergeant Jones. Now get out.
- [Preston and his lawyer stand to leave]
- Peter Stone: [holding Preston back] If you refuse, you will be subpoenaed, and failure to appear will be met with the strictest punishment the law allows.
- [he stands aside, and Preston leaves]
- Olivia Benson: You'll ruin his life if he testifies.
- Peter Stone: And if he doesn't, you'll ruin Sandy's. It's your choice.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: [to Rollins] I get paid to pretend I enjoy my work. You get paid to pretend you think yours is important.
- Olivia Benson: [to Sandy] I am so sorry. I apologize for Detective Rollins' attitude.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Yeah, she's a real bitch with a capital "C".
- Olivia Benson: [shows Sandy a photo] Number three is Billy Shaughnessy. He's confessed to raping and beating you.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Why would he do that? He didn't do anything bad to me.
- Olivia Benson: Looks like he's willing to go down for his friends.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: He's one of those trustworthy people you were talking about.
- Olivia Benson: See? They really do exist.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Yeah. You offer absolution in your spare time?
- Olivia Benson: No, no, that's... that's above my pay grade. But, um... but I can offer some solace, and some hope.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Why bother?
- Olivia Benson: Because it matters. Because you matter. And what happened to you matters. I'll tell you what doesn't matter is why you were in that hotel that night.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: That I get paid to have sex.
- Olivia Benson: My priority is putting away the person who did this to you, but I need your help.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: I'll have to go to court?
- Olivia Benson: You will.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Eh, people looking at me, judging me...
- Olivia Benson: You know what, Sandy? The only opinion that matters is yours.
- Amanda Rollins: It's a little cold to be out without a coat on.
- [noticing something]
- Amanda Rollins: Hold up. Her stockings are on backwards.
- Odafin Tutuola: Maybe she got dressed in a hurry.
- Amanda Rollins: Maybe she didn't dress herself. What, a hooker's night gone bad? Maybe a pimp?
- Odafin Tutuola: Pimps are rough, but the girls are their bread and butter. They're not gonna leave her to die.
- Amanda Rollins: So we're looking at a john.
- Odafin Tutuola: That's not afraid to kill.
- Amanda Rollins: [to Sandy] Hi. I'm Detective Rollins. This is Detective Tutuola.
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: You're the ones who brought me here.
- Odafin Tutuola: We found you unconscious in an alley. You got a name?
- Sandy 'Sky' Ksenivch: Everybody has a name.
- Jim Preston: [to Olivia about Sandy] I didn't do anything, Lieutenant. I didn't touch her.
- Olivia Benson: I know that, Jim. I know. I bet when you enlisted, you were in high school.
- Jim Preston: College.
- Olivia Benson: You could have done anything with your life, and you chose to serve your country.
- Jim Preston: And if I testify, my country will attack me.
- Olivia Benson: Not your country. Some closed-minded people who work for a difference without a distinction.
- Jim Preston: I'd like to help you put Staff Sergeant in prison, but if I do, I'll be putting myself in a prison of my own making.
- Olivia Benson: Kind of like the one you're in now? You're worried how your fellow soldiers will see you?
- Jim Preston: I'm so far beyond that. The least of my worries is having people laughing at me behind my back, craning to get a look at me in the shower. But once I'm outed to officials, there's no going back in and by the stroke of a tweet sent from Air Force One, I could lose my job, my career. Everything I've ever worked for.
- Olivia Benson: I know that things feel uncertain, but do you get any comfort knowing that that tweet did not become a law?
- Jim Preston: Today maybe. What about tomorrow? I don't know what's gonna happen. Do you?
- Olivia Benson: No, I don't.
- Jim Preston: Look at me! I'm a soldier, Lieutenant. A damn good soldier. I couldn't stand being stuck behind a desk.I love what I do. This job is who I am.