Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. Everything belongs to Dick Wolf.

It was Friday, and Olivia couldn't wait to go home for the weekend. She and Alex were planning on going up to the Cabots' "cottage," which was really a mansion in disguise. She just had a few more things to do and then she could go home to her girlfriend.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but smiled when she realized it was just Elliot. "Sorry, El. You scared me."

He raised an eyebrow and inclined his head toward the doorway. "I think someone's here to see you."

Olivia looked up from her paperwork to find a tall, nervous-looking woman with shoulder-length blonde hair standing in the doorway. "Can't you deal with it, El? I have plans this weekend, remember?"

He shrugged. "I think she'd be more comfortable with you, considering she's been standing there for the better part of an hour."

Olivia sighed. "Okay. I'll tell Alex I'll be late – again."

"Hey, I can do the interview if you really want me to, but honestly, Liv, Cabot will understand."

"I know. I just feel bad about leaving her alone so often and cancelling our plans last minute. I mean, I tell her I'll meet her at Dante's at eight, and by nine, I'm still not there and she's calling me, frantic, but I don't even pick up the goddamn phone because I'm interviewing a rapist. She doesn't get upset or anything, but –" She sighed again. "Sorry. I'm whining."

"It's okay. I feel that way sometimes, too. And the moments I've missed with my kids because of this job, I'll never be able to get back. But with this job, we can give another person a chance to have those moments. That's the important thing, right?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I'll just text Alex and tell her I'll be late." She sent Alex a quick message and walked over to the young woman standing in the doorway, shifting her feet and fidgeting. She couldn't be more than 24 or 25, Olivia figured, and gave her a smile. "Hi, I'm Detective Olivia Benson. Can I help you?"

The woman glanced back and forth, as if making sure her attacker wasn't in sight, then said quietly, "I want to report a case of sexual abuse."

Olivia nodded understandingly. "Okay. Why don't we go somewhere more private?" She led the woman into an interview room and gestured for her to sit down. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Amanda," the woman replied.

"Okay, Amanda. Can you tell me what happened?"

Amanda dropped her gaze and started to play with the seam of her shirt. "When I was younger, my – my sister – she was four years older than me. She used to – make me do things I didn't want to do."

Olivia nodded. "What kinds of things?"

"She used to touch me," whispered Amanda. "She used to make me myself, or make me touch her. I told her I didn't like it. I told her to stop, but she wouldn't. When our parents weren't home and she was supposed to be babysitting me, she would come into my room and she would abuse me. She said it was a game, and it would feel good, but it didn't. It hurt, and I told her so, but she didn't listen." Amanda took a deep breath. "I never told anyone before."

Olivia nodded again. "How old are you now, Amanda?" she asked gently.

"23."

"When did the abuse start?"

"When I was five and she was nine. It went on until I was twelve and she moved out."

Olivia took a deep breath. She didn't know how she was supposed to say this – there was never a good way, but she had to say it anyway. "Amanda, I'm sorry, but the law says that these crimes have to be reported within five years of them being committed. The statute of limitations on your case has run out."

Amanda's eyes widened. "So that's it? There's nothing anyone can do anymore? I reported it too late, and Alex just gets away with it?"

"Alex?" repeated Olivia blankly, more out of instinct than anything.

Amanda's eyes flashed, and Olivia wondered how she didn't see it before, in those bottomless blue eyes that bored into your soul. "Alex Cabot," said Amanda stiffly. "My sister."

I know it doesn't make much sense now, but it will get cleared up soon. Review if you want the next chapter!