Does detective Olivia Benson's life hang in the balance of one William Lewis, a vicious and vile rapist? After reading many other creative works I decided to give my take on how season 15 could open. As always please read and review

It was late Sunday afternoon and the pounding rain and forceful winds were finally starting to let up. The sun desperately made an effort to peak through the thick gray clouds that adorned the mid-afternoon sky. It had been raining since yesterday evening. A change up in their weekend plans would never materialize since Mother Nature was in control of the weather. Round tin foil containers that housed half eaten lasagna and manicotti, one garlic bread knot and an empty tin that was once Olivia's greek salad was all that was left on the kitchen counter. Olivia flipped through the channels on the tv, Brian sitting inches from her, cleaned his department issued service revolver. Slivers of light crept through each side of the shade.

"Is that the sun?" Olivia said moving the magazine off her lap that she had started to read before switching on the tv when Brain asked. She walked over to the window and pulled up the cord that raised the shade. "Hey why don't we get outta here and take in a movie?" No answer as she looked at him busy with the rag. "Bri, she called to him sounding a little annoyed most likely stemming from cabin fever since Friday night.

"The game's on soon and it's still raining." He said his eyes glued to his cleaning ways.

"To the contrary, annnnnnd we watched the game yesterday, how about getting out of the apartment and join the rest of the world?"

"Liv, it rained all day yesterday, there was nothing we could do but stay in."

"I know that but the weather is clearing so let's go out." She joined him on the couch stroking his arm. He turned to look at her managing a mere smile then went back to cleaning his weapon. He heard and felt her long sigh.

"Can we catch a late flick after the game?" Olivia looked a tad annoyed.

"A late flick? Have you have forgotten I get up every Monday morning at 5:30 a.m. while you sleep." She crossed in front of him exiting the room. She made her way into the kitchen for a glass of water. As she drank the water her eye caught the corner of a legal envelope that jutted out from underneath what seemed to be unpaid bills. The stamped letters CONFIDENTIAL were in view. She pulled the envelope out and looked startled at first and then she saw the return address. Olivia pulled the letter out and started to read then angrily charged back to the living room with the letter in hand. Brian jumped from his position on the couch when he saw what was tightly grasped in her hand.

"What are you doing Liv?"

"When were you going to tell me that you're the father of Carissa's daughter?" He stood there in front of her, his mouth agape. Any words he tried to muster could not provide any comfort to her right now.

"It was before I met you and when she told me she was pregnant I swore it was Ganzlers and that she was just using me to get back at him so after she had the baby we never talked about it.

"OH, so that makes it alright to keep this-" She tossed the letter at him, both watching it landing at his feet. "This news from me!" Her voice cracked with emotion and her eyes began to grow moist.

"I was going to tell you but this case you're on, it's been taking up all your time this week and I wanted to wait until after the trial and this bastard is put away and you can finally relax!"

"Spare me!" Olivia spied her boots and retrieved them. Zipping them up she looked around for her purse realizing she left it in the kitchen. He put his service weapon down locking the safety on it and went after her but it was no use.

"How old is the little girl?" Olivia asked with her back to him.

"She's 14 months old." Olivia turned to face him with her keys in hand tightly gripped.

"And you knew all this time, you prick." The expression on Brian's face wrinkled and his voice became tense, raised an octave higher than normal.

"I just found out, apparently she put my name on the birth certificate and her parents discovered it when they went through her things so I had no choice I had to take a paternity test. They told me they were going to sue me for child support if I didn't take one."

"This is just great. I can't trust you Brian, you-you hide this from me making up some excuse to wait until I'm relaxed after a case is over. It's bull!" She brushed by him as he reached out for her arm wrapping his fingers at her elbow.

"See Liv when I was going through all that shit with a rape charge over my head you didn't trust me then and I was innocent. This has no bearing on you and doesn't change anything between us."

"The hell it doesn't! Brian-you're a father now! If you couldn't tell me THEN that you were taking a paternity test and that YOU could possibly be this child's father means you weren't waiting until after my case. Truth is you didn't want to tell me. Where is she?"

"That is simply not the case here Liv! She's with her granparents. I'm fighting for custody now that I know I have a daughter."

"Add that to your list of things you kept to yourself!"

"Oh please give me a friggin break! Remember those words you said to me in the hospital? I guess you really haven't changed have you?"

"I don't like people who-especially the ones I'm romantically involved with hiding important information from me. I'm going to go I need some time to decipher all this. I'll call you don't call me."

"I wasn't hidi-Fine Liv whatever you want!"

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It was late Tuesday afternoon when the call came in at 4:30. Second grade detective Nick Amaro was bent over his desk looking dejected as his partner of two years first grade detective Olivia Benson hung up the phone in disgust as to what ADA Raphael Barba just shared with her.

"Don't tell me the dna is inadmissible." Nick said making strong eye contact with his partner.

"Worse." Olivia told him holding her gaze to his. "The judge in her infinite wisdom declared a mistrial."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Cragen clamored. Nick tended to his phone as it alerted him a text message awaited.

"It gets worse, he made bail." Olivia said pushing her hair back sighing heavily.

"Bail? He doesn't have two cents to his name." Fin added reclining back his chair looking just as mesmerized as his colleagues.

"Well it seems he has very giving legal counsel, Vanessa put up his bail."

"That's some real attorney client privilege right there if you ask me." Fin added standing up.

"We'll get him on retrial. " Nick said.

"This guy is beyond lucky." Amanda said coming to the forefront. Olivia looked exasperated at her partner.

"Retrial? If they even let Barba retry him, we have no dna, we have no case Nick!" Everyone in the squad room detected the frustration and sadness in Olivia's voice.

"Ok who wants to go with me and just shoot this son of a bitch?" Amanda piped in.

"Rollins!" her captain gave her a friendly admonishment.

"Don't worry cap'n I'ma take her out and get her a drink. Anyone else up while my wallet still open?" Fin added.

"Uh I can't I have plans." Nick said replying back to the text message.

"Gil and Cynthia?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah, Nick said looking at Olivia who didn't return his look.

"Good for you." Amanda said.

"Liv?" Fin asked as he grabbed his jacket from his chair.

"Uh rain check, I've barely been home all this week."

"Good go home stay there two days." Cragen ordered her.

"Captain I have…"

"Liv that's an order, if you show up for work I'll have you arrested. Amanda passed by with Captain Cragen on her heels, Fin following.

"Night everyone," the captain said.

Nick watched them all go waiting till they were gone. He took a seat beside his partner worrying how she looked right then.

"You alright?" he asked concerned looking intently at her with his warm dark caring eyes.

"Not really." Olivia whispered as she glanced back at Nick for a quick second; a deep frown was imbedded on her lips. She grabbed a stack of papers and placed them in their proper piles. Nick was torn whether to drive her home or make it on time to his evening plans. He stood walking around the back of her gently stroking his hand across her shoulders giving a light squeeze.

"Alright I'll see you in a few, keep your head up ok?" Olivia looked up just as Nick turned and looked back at her. Their gaze was intense, as if his eyes told her I'm here just say the word. He paused before taking his next step and when she didn't commit he walked out. Olivia watched until he was out of her line of sight. Somberness fell over her. She knew what she had to do regarding her relationship with Brian. She would deal with him in two days. She returned his call on her way out. He was not in a good mood when she told him she wasn't in the mood to have dinner with him before he had to report for work. Olivia was off for the next few days and didn't want him to stop by in the morning when his shift was finished. She could tell he was hurt by it but she wanted the time to think and be sure she was making the right decision to end the relationship. She didn't even scoff when he was curt saying she was making this out to be more than it was and then hung up on her.

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Olivia stopped at her local market to pick up a few things. When she arrived home she flipped on the entry way light and proceeded to put down her groceries. A noise turned her attention to the living room.

"Hello." She said walking from the kitchen into the living room. Normally she would draw her weapon but numbness had taken over. At first she thought it may be Brian. He had asked the landlord to let him in before when he arrived before her. It ended up being her worst nightmare.

"Welcome home Detective Benson." William Louis said pointing a gun directly at her. Olivia didn't even have time to catch her breath as her heart dropped into her stomach. His grotesque smile wanted to make her vomit just then. He approached closer rubbing the tip of the barrel against her cheek and then he knocked her down onto her couch. He had managed to smash her cell phone and there was no land line in her apartment so all communication was cut off if anyone tried to come to her aid or if Olivia tried to summon emergency personnel. For the next several hours Olivia Benson would suffer the worst treatment she could ever imagine as a detective.

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William the "Beast" Lewis was tired of the chit chat with Olivia. She possessed a wonderful oral skill that would turn the tables on her perps most of the time but Lewis was much smarter than the average criminal she encountered. When he grew tired of playing cat and mouse games with her it turned physical. First it was a slap to her face then a punch to her jaw for her relentless hassle of him and the disrespect she showed him while interrogating him. A woman's place is squarely behind a man's he reminded her over and over. She pleaded with him to spare her any more pain. He of course laughed it off and continued to verbally abuse her for hours. He lit a cigarette, took a few puffs then burned it into her skin on the back of her hand and then between her cleavage. She sat tied up on her couch sweating with fear as he enjoyed drinking the beers from the six pack that came with his Chinese order. William was coming back for round two and when Olivia saw the box cutter in his hand she openly wept in front of him. The blade was cold to the touch as he slowly slid it under her chin threatening to erase all the beauty she possessed and make her very unattractive looking. He ripped at her blouse pulling it off and running the knife between her breasts cutting her bra loose. Olivia knew if she didn't have the inner strength now she would never have it to be able to survive his brutal torture. He wiped at the blood that was trickling from the corner of her mouth. Olivia turned her head and winced at his touch. She asked for a glass of water and he obliged holding the glass to her mouth. She took a big enough drink and when he took the glass away she spit the water through her teeth albeit the pain that surrounded her jaw and making a forceful stream directly into his eye causing him to moan loudly and throw the glass down shattering it. He palmed his eye where the water stung the inside of his eyeball.

"You bitch! You're going to pay for this!" Olivia mustered enough strength and kicked him square in the crotch hard as he came at her. He groaned and grimaced in pain holding his testicles. Saliva glistened on his lips and dripped down his chin. William wiped away the spit and came at her. Olivia put her feet up in defense and he sliced at the heel of her boot but managed to swipe her thigh leaving a deep gash and with the force of his swing the knife fell out of his hand. He looked to the right of the floor as he spied where it landed then looked back at Olivia laughing at her efforts to save herself. His physical size was no match for her legs trying in vain to ward him off and her thigh was bleeding badly through her jeans. His arms and fists swung hard as he punched her in the ribs repeatedly and kicked her over and over then picking her up he threw her to the floor, her head hitting the coffee table causing another gash to the left temple area. Just then a knock at her apartment door was heard. Lewis picked up his gun from the table pointing it at her. He spoke in an almost whisper.

"Answer it! He demanded her. Olivia was silent not because she chose to but because she couldn't with probable broken ribs and a punctured or collapsed lung. He kicked her feet.

"Answer the fucking door now, he hissed!"

"I can't," she strained just to say that. When she turned her head his way he could see the blood matted to her hair and her teeth and lips were covered with blood and then she closed her eyes. There was chatter outside in the hallway. Lewis walked closer to the door listening. Her elderly neighbor next door stood in front of Olivia's door clutching at her house coat with her hair wrapped in curlers. Two men joined her asking what was going on.

"I don't know if she's home I usually don't see her except in the mornings when I get my paper. I was just getting ready for bed when I heard a loud crash." The woman told to the two gentlemen who lived across the hall in 4C. The taller of the two men banged on her door calling her name.

"Detective Benson, it's Mike Miller from across the hall are you ok, are you home?" When she failed to answer after a few seconds her neighbor reached into his pocket and dialed 911. William walked back to where Olivia lie and leaned over whispering in her ear.

"Lucky for you detective Benson you get a reprieve but they'll never catch me and believe you me I will finish my job here some day when you don't expect it." He left through her bathroom window down the fire escape.

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The barrage of flashing lights from the police cars and the ambulance ricocheted off the buildings. Residents milled about with all the commotion. The paramedics were tending to Olivia as Nick and his captain rushed into her apartment. Officers were taking statements as Amanda and Fin pulled up to a screeching halt jumping out running into her building as well.

"I'll kill this son of a bitch when I catch him." Don Cragen said looking at his senior detective as they lifted her onto the stretcher and placed an oxygen mask around her mouth and nose then secured the safety belts across her abdomen and chest. She was in severe pain and still remained unconscious.

"Get in line, Nick said through clenched teeth looking at his captain following the paramedics out. Nick rode with his partner holding her hand.

"Hang in there Liv you're gonna be ok." He tried to smile but all he had right now was very deep hatred in his heart for William Lewis and a huge amount of guilt. He knew something was off with his partner when he left the precinct 7 hours earlier.

Outside her building Fin, Amanda and the captain talked. "Has anyone called Brian?" Amanda asked.

"I will." Captain Cragen told her.

When Brian arrived at the Emergency Room he saw all of her colleagues waiting anxiously for news.

"Thanks for calling Amanda. How is she?"

"She's in surgery right now we don't know anything." Nick said filling his paper cup with water.

"Where's Lewis now?" Brian asked angrily.

"He's on the run but there's a massive manhunt being arranged as we speak." Fin told him.

"Shouldn't you all be helping locate him?" Brian said with disdain for his former colleagues. Sergenat John Munch rushed through the ER doors to where they all sat and stood, Don Cragen was against the wall with his suit coat folded over his arms looking Brian's way but not saying a word. Nick stood against the water dispenser letting Brian's comment pass. Right now he felt as if he could put his fist through Brian's mouth but decided his partner was first and foremost on his mind Fin and Amanda sat side by side and they all gave Brian a look as well.

"Right now finding out about Liv is priority, we'll find him don't worry." Amanda told him. Nick glared at Olivia's boyfriend crushing his Dixie paper cup after downing his water. They filled in Munch who then took Brian aside.

"She's going to make it, if we know our Liv she's a survivor first." Brian Cassidy continued to stare at the floor with his ex-partner's hand loosely hung around his shoulder. When the doctor emerged they all converged on him.

"Her spleen ruptured and she's suffered several broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She's in a lot of pain but resting comfortably so I suggest little as possible right now with visitation but you can go in and see her."

"Thank you doctor," Don Cragen said touching his shoulder.

"Nick, Brian you both go." The captain told them. When they entered her room she was sleeping, peacefully they had hoped but knew better and with the aid of strong pain medication Olivia lie there with her temple area bandaged and stitched and a ventilator helping her breathe.

Nick motioned to Brian to go up to her first.

"Liv, I'm here. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, I should have been but you're going to be ok after a while. He stayed a few minutes caressing her hand that didn't have the burn mark then before backing away from her he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin. "Liv." Nick walked up to the bed and picked up her hand placing his lightly around it. "Hey there partner the doctor sad you are one tough cop. Everyone's here from the squad and they want to come in and see you too. You know these gowns are not very flattering so you gotta hurry up and get outta here and get dressed the way you're used to. I'll be here till they discharge you, I'm your wing man and I'm never leaving you again." He smoothed his thumb across her forehead looking at her bruised cheeks and swollen lip then gave her fingers a light squeeze and then he smiled feeling her finger make an weak effort to try and touch his back.

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After her squad was done visiting Amanda, Fin and Cragen joined the task force that was on the hunt for William Lewis. All bus terminals and airports were on lock down and every single cab in the city had a description of him within minutes of finding Olivia badly bruised and beaten in her apartment. New Jersey port authority and surrounding jurisdictions had been on high alert as well. One thing was certain with the NYPD and the Special Victims Unit. William Lewis would be caught dead or alive but they suspected he wouldn't go peacefully and that it would end up with him succumbing to his death by the police. He was armed and considered highly dangerous.

Nick and Brian both spent the night in Olivia's room. Neither slept and every moan or move from Olivia had them both sprung like a leak seeing to her. Nick had to remember his place and let Brian take the reins. He was unaware of the recent problems between his partner and her boyfriend. When Olivia finally did open her eyes the next day the pain limited her ability to speak.

"Hey beautiful I'm here, Nick's here too." Nick stood to the right of her bed and Brian to the left.

"Morning partner." Olivia first looked at Nick. His image was a little blurry until her eyes totally focused on him and a tiny smile appeared on her lips. Brian took notice of this. She moaned and clicked her pain dispenser that administered morphine. She would go in and out of consciousness as both men stood vigil. Olivia's eyes flickered open and she mumbled the name Lewis.

"They got him Liv he's dead and he will never ever again hurt anyone." Brian looked across the bed at Nick and his declaration. They hadn't caught him yet he thought so why would her partner tell her that? Brian swung his head motioning to Nick to step back. Nick followed him outside of her room.

"What are doing Amaro why in the hell would you tell her that?"

"She needs to hear something comforting right now and believe me if it takes the rest of my career I will hunt him down and kill him myself!" His phone rang so he answered it.

"He's down suspect is dead." He heard Fin say into the receiver.

"Good best news of the morning." Nick told him.

"Lewis is dead." He brushed by Brian and went back into Olivia's room leaving Brian looking at the back of Nick. Olivia was released from the hospital two days later. A home health care nurse came by once a day to change out her morphine bag and help her with toiletries. Her team also took turns visiting and making meals for her to eat.

"Thanks Nick for everything, you're a great partner."

"I know just concentrate on getting back out there with me, it's lonely going solo." He smiled his thousand watt smile at her as he caressed her knee under the covers. Her lips arced looking back at him "You need anything before I go, more water, hot tea, something to nibble on?"

"A cup of tea would be good thanks."

"Coming right up." A knock at the door had him deviating from his route from her bedroom to the kitchen to front door.

"Cassidy." Nick looked at the bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Nice to see you to Amaro." Nick moved aside to let Brian in. Olivia had been home two days now and Brian was just showing his face. This made Nick wonder.

"I was going to make her a cup of tea but since you're here now it's all yours."

"Yeah ok."

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"Hi," she said as she saw the vase of flowers in his hand and tea in the other.

"Hey you. These are for you and so is this." He placed the vase beside her bed side table and sat down carefully not to make too many waves in her mattress and cause pain.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Look Liv I'm sorry I didn't come by yesterday your first day home. Your squad has been great taking turns nursing you back to health."

"I don't know what I would have done without them."

"Yeah. I'm sorry Liv about everything and I want us to talk when you have your strength back." She patted his hand.

"Brian I'm sorry too but there's nothing really to talk about. I was very happy we fit so well, in the beginning at least but we sort of started growing apart.

"Liv please don't say it."

"I have to I'm sorry I'm not going to lead you on. I know you've discovered some great news recently and I just thought we didn't keep things that important from one another but we're different now Brian we like different things and want different things out of life. It's not like it was when we first started dating."

"It can be like that again I'll change." She licked her lips and her eyes grew wet. Her words strained with difficulty.

"Brian we both know we change for ourselves first not for someone else because they say so."

"So it's over just like that?" Olivia couldn't bring any words to say, she just nodded sadly. He wiped away the tear that slowly trickled from her eye to her cheek.