The wind whipped her hair as she ran, the years of running track coming in handy now. The apartment buildings rose high on either side of her, and she sighed in relief when she got to the right one. In, she ran, up the stairs, her hair plastered to her head, her makeup running down her face. She raced to apartment 130B, and banged on the door, her knuckles already blistered and red, but she ignored the pain.
"What? What is it?" A man appeared, his thin brown hair greying now, but he looked just like the picture in her friend's apartment. "Oh my God, are you ok? What's your name kid?"
"I'm Anna, and I'm fine, but my...friend- she-she needs you. I found your address on the back of the photo from her bedside table. She's in trouble. I know where she is, but I can't get in by myself. And the other guys on the force , they won't take me seriously, I only shadowed for a college internship. "
"Hold on , the force? Are you talking about SVU?" The man asked, his eyebrows raising. "Whos in trouble?" He watched as tears filled her eyes.
"Livvy. Shes been kidnapped by a serial rapist, I know wheres he's taking her, I snuck the map out of the car when he was raping that old lady-" she looked at him. "If you won't help me, I'll face him alone. But I won't let him hurt her!"
"Let's go. We'll take my car. " For the first time in ages, Elliot knew that what he was doing was right.
As soon as she'd known Olivia had gone missing, Anna had been on the trail. Olivia meant everything to her. She'd known her for years, ever since Olivia had saved her from being raped when she was 16. She had been walking home from a friend's party late one night. It was supposed to be a sleepover, but Chrissy brought weed, so Anna had left. A man grabbed her from behind, pinned her to the ground. She was crying, fighting him as he ripped off her pants, when suddeny HE screamed in pain.
A tall, strong-looking woman was beating him, slamming his head into the concrete. Anna couldn't move, shocked into stillness by what had almost happened to her. Soon, the woman had knelt at her side, pulling her close in her arms, comforting her.
She had stayed with Olivia that night, fallen asleep on the pullout couch bed, with Olivia sitting beside her, sensing she hadn't wanted to be alone.
For years after that, Olivia had become her best friend, almost like a favorite Aunt. She always got her a Christmas present, always made sure to be awake and outside the apartment before Olivia left for woek in the morning. They'd have coffee together before Olivia left. That's how Anna had known something was wrong.
Elliot listened, as they drove to Rhode Island, wondering why Olivia had never told him about the teen she'd practically raised into a woman. He smiled, knowing that she would always have someone to look out for her, even though he couldn't always be there now.
"Anna, you said you had been a Summer Intern ? Shadowing Olivia?" He asked , looking at her.
"Yes. I worked for her, getting coffee and stuff. I worked with everyone, but I spent my spare time with Olivia." She began to cry now. "She taught me everything. We gotta save her . Please-"
"We will. " His hands tightened on the steering wheel, as he turned onto a street in an abandoned part of town that looked like a place full of only obscure vacation homes.
"Thats it! That one! With the black car!" Anna's eyes brightened, then took on a serious, fierce look.
She jumped out of the car, landing on her feet, her hands balling into fists. She snuck up to the window, silently looking inside. "That man. William Lewis. You rush him, leave Livvy to me. "
He nodded, "ok. You got it. " Elliot moved forward, and in one swift motion, he had the window open. "I'll go first. You go around the side. "
When her mother died in a freak accident the Summer before she left for school, Anna hadn't known where to turn. She had shut herself off from the world, choosing to lie in the apartment , on the couch, still wearing the same clothes she'd worn to identify her mother's body in the hospital.
She hadn't eaten or drank for three days. She had cried until she had no more tears left to cry, and then she had lain silent and still, not even hearing the door open, not even knowing anyone was there with her until she felt the soft prick of fingernails running through her dirty, tangled hair, and the cool water bottle pressed to her lips.
"Come on baby, you need to drink something." Olivia had crooned, her voice gentle but firm. "For me? Please sweetheart?"
And Anna sat up, drank the water, ate the Panda Express that Olivia had brought for her, then collapsed into Olivia's arms and sobbed. "I'm all alone now, you know? Since Dad left, it's just been me and Mom. " Olivia had held her, tears falling from her own eyes.
"You'll never, ever be alone. Not as long as you have me. " Anna had clung to her like a frightened child. "I love you sweetheart. Anna, I'm here, for you, always."
Olivia had stayed with her for several weeks, helping her to get back on her feet again. And that night, as Olivia lay asleep, Anna silently vowed to someday repay her, for all she had ever done.
Anna didn't know who she would be had she not met Olivia.
Anna climbed through the window, seeing a woman in ripped clothes looking like she was about to fall over, holding a metal bar over her head. "Olivia-" her voice was soft as she spoke, trying to calm the angry, frightened woman.
"Gahhh!" The metal bar flew past Anna's head, nicking her in the shoulder. Olivia's eyes were wild,angry, like the eyes of one of the caged lions at the circus before it attacked someone.
Anna approached her, taking her hands firmly in her own. "Livvy...it's m-" Olivia threw her, slamming her against the dresser, hard.
The impact made her head spin, and she struggled to her feet, but fell back, too weak to stand for a moment.
"Oh shit! Anna!" Olivia seemed to come back to herself, falling to her knees beside the girl, "please be ok baby. I'm so sorry...I had no idea it was you...I thought...the drugs..." she began to cry, clinging to Anna, her whole body shaking with wracking sobs. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"I'm here Livvy, shhhh. I'm here. No one will hurt you anymore." Anna whispered, holding Olivia close to her, stroking her burnt and bloody hair. "Livvy. Livvy. Don't worry. He's got Lewis. He won't let him get off this time. Lewis'll go to jail for sure."
"Who..uh..who has Lewis?" Olivia whispered, her voice cracked and weak as she spoke.
"I went to the only person I knew for sure would help you. He-he - " Anna broke off as Elliot entered the room.
"Cops have him. " Elliot walked over, his eyes staring as if at a ghost "hey...Benson."
"Elliot!" Olivia fell into his arms, "I missed you. Oh, God, Elliot I-" She fell silent, sighing in relief as he lifted her into his arms, carrying her out to the waiting ambulance .