Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and stories belong to NBC and Dick Wolf

Breaking

Abbie was sifting through files absentmindedly. She couldn't stop thinking about the case and what she'd told Jack. She had a choice. She could've chosen not to tell him. But she did. She's his partner. He'd find out sooner or later. She felt stupid. She could remember hearing rumors about herself on campus. She could remember telling herself that they were lies at first. Then she believed them. She believed them like some stupid, inconvenient truth. She looked at how frustrated it made her. She couldn't get over it. It was distressing enough as it was. She didn't think Jack would understand that. Yet she told him. She told him the very thing she didn't want to. She didn't want anyone to find out how weak she really was. She's a lawyer. She works in the DA's office. She needed to be tough. She can't let anyone see her like this. Yet she said to Jack, "I was a freshman. He was a third year law student. We were on a date. I never told anybody. I blamed myself. But not anymore." She could remember who started the rumors- the only reason she blamed herself. It was her date from that night. She spent the rest of her years in school hiding. She was so ashamed. She knew telling someone would be hard. She knew keeping it a secret was probably worse. Still, she kept it a secret for all those years.

She realized she'd stopped moving her hands. She set the papers down. She looked at the clock. 8:00, she thought, I wonder if Jack left. She heard a knock on her door. She didn't say anything.

"Abbie, come on," ordered Jack, "I know you're in there." Abbie got up to open the door. Jack walked in, already changed out of his suit and into a pair of jeans with his tie off. "Just wanted to ask if you wanted to grab some dinner," he offered.

"I'm not hungry, Jack," she said.

"Are you okay Abbie?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she lied. Jack looked at her skeptically. He knew she was lying. He knew her.

"No you're not," he observed, "you seem to be on the verge of tears right now. Can I ask why?"

"No," she stated. "There's nothing to tell."

"Aren't you happy we won the case?" he asked her. Here it comes- the truth she didn't want to exist.

"No," she said, swallowing, "because if she wasn't raped, this never would've happened." She turned around to face the wall. She couldn't tell him the other reason.

"Is it because of what he did to you?" Jack asked her. Abbie didn't move. "Abbie?"

"I'm a prosecutor," declared Abbie, "I shouldn't feet sympathy, let alone empathy, for perps."

"But you do, Abbie," said Jack, "and in this case, it's okay."

"No, Jack, it's not," she said, fighting back tears. "It's anything but... okay." She choked on that last word. "I'm a lawyer. Listen to me, Jack! I shouldn't be weak!"

"I don't think you get this, Abbie," Jack began to say.

"What don't I get, Jack?" asked Abbie.

"All lawyers have breakdowns, including me. Hell, I've had more breakdowns than the rest of this office. That doesn't stop me from being a lawyer," he said. "You are a woman as well as a lawyer. You can't ignore that side of you no matter how hard you try, Abbie." She didn't turn around. "I know you can't forget what happened to you, Abbie. You can at least accept it. Don't try so hard to be strong and unfeeling. It's not possible. That's it." Abbie slowly turned around to face him. Jack noticed a tear going down her face as she walked toward him. He reached out to wipe it off. As he did, she slammed herself into him and held herself there. More tears fell down her face. She tried to get it together. She couldn't. Jack saw this. He readily accepted it like there were no problems. He cradled her. He didn't let go. He couldn't stand to see her like this.

Breaking.