Chapter 1

"Elliot, over here," Olivia waited for her long time partner to join her by the yellow crime scene tape.

"What do we have?" Elliot scanned the scene with a quick, but sharp, eye.

"Attempted rape," She nodded toward the ambulance parked near by, "they're taking the girl over to county as we speak."

"Anything useful?" He asked looking at the small pile of evidence bags an officer was carrying.

"The M.O. fits the guy we've been after." She shuddered slightly thinking of the man they'd been trying to catch for the past 3 weeks.

"And she got away?" He looked past the tape to the young girl being loaded into the ambulance. She looked about 16, her hair was so blond it looked silver and she was pale, probably even when she was conscious. Elliot couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen her before.

"She quite the fighter it seems. She was covered in blood but none of her wounds were deep enough for it to be hers." They started walking towards the main street where they'd both parked.

"We got a name?" He asked pulling his coat tighter against the wind.

"We will by the time we get to county." She stopped by her car.

"Where Are Fin and Munch?" He pulled his keys from his pocket.

"Fin's on his way, but Munch had some sort of family emergency." She clicked the button on her remote to unlock her car.

"Everything OK?" Elliot's eyes showed concern for his colleague.

"Don't know, he didn't tell anybody anything and his cell goes straight to voice." She fingered her own cell.

"You're worried." It wasn't a question.

"Aren't you?" Olivia replied.

He drove quickly through the streets of New York, close on his partner's tail, as they made their way to the hospital. He parked close to the main door and got out of his car. Olivia caught up to him as he got to the door. They approached the bored looking nurse.

"We're from SVU." He flashed his badge. "We'd like to see the girl they just brought in." The nurse rolled her eyes and hit a few keys on her keyboard.

"She's in Room—" She didn't get a chance to finish as a dumbfounded Munch stumbled through the door that led to the patient rooms. His face was flickering between horror and rage. Elliot and Olivia made their way across the lobby.

"Munch, what is it? What's wrong?" Elliot put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Elliot with empty eyes, like he wasn't even there. Elliot shook him slightly. His eyes focused.

"She's my niece, Elliot, my niece—" His voice broke and he collapsed. Elliot caught him.

"John, look at me, John." Elliot taped his face lightly, "Liv, get a nurse. John, John!" He called, but he didn't respond.

A nurse walked up as Elliot and Olivia waited outside their colleague's room. Elliot hung up his phone as Fin promised to come straight to the hospital.

"I have the chart of the patient you came to see." She said, handing Olivia a metal clip board and walking away. She flipped it open and read the victim's name. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth as she futilely tried to fight back tears.

"Liv, what's wrong?" Elliot asked seeing the tears she tried to hide. She simply showed him the chart and he cursed when he saw the first lines.

Name: Elizabeth Munch Age: 16 Race: Caucasian Height: 5' 4" Weight: 130

Next of Kin: John Munch (Guardian as of 10/31/08 per death of father)