Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Dick Wolf.

Hey, I'm on a roll today! Another A/O oneshot for my loyal readers. Enjoy!

She has four scars and four tattoos to cover those scars. One is on her stomach, from when her mother's boyfriend poured a vat of boiling water on her when she was six. One is on her upper right thigh, from when she was eight and he spanked her with his belt. One is on her back, from when he hit her with a metal rod when she was five. And one is on her left ankle, when he tied her to the bed so she couldn't run. So he could do to her what he liked.

She's always been self-conscious about these scars. That's why she got them covered the day she turned eighteen and could get tattoos without parental consent. They don't look any nicer, but they were her choice, something she could control. And that makes them so much better.

Tonight, though, she's too hot to even feel uncomfortable. She's at Olivia's apartment. She's in Olivia's bed. And it's Olivia who's undressing her, with soft, tender hands. And that makes everything okay.

She sets Alex's clothes to the side and appraises the ADA's body, smirking when she notices the tattoos. "I never would have thought you'd be one for tattoos, Counsellor," she says in a voice that Alex can't tell if it's appreciative or disapproving.

Alex looks at the ground and doesn't say anything. Here it is. She's ugly and she always will be ugly.

But then she thinks that maybe Olivia understands, because the detective kisses each mark, and Alex knows that she somehow recognizes them for what they are. "You're beautiful," she murmurs, kissing a gentle trail up Alex's body, and when her lips reach Alex's, she leans in, melding them with one passionate kiss. When they break apart, she says it again: "You're beautiful."

And for the first time in thirty years, Alex thinks that maybe she is.

Review if you enjoyed my oneshot!