Olivia rolled over and looked at the clock.

2:14..
2:15..
2:16..
2:17..

Another restless night. She couldn't close her eyes without seeing little Grace, their last victim. Her beautiful blue eyes and snarled red hair, her beaten and bruised body cowering in the closet they had found her in. She could still smell the urine, feces and vomit almost as strong as she smelled it when Elliot first opened the closet door.

Olivia sniffed her nose and wiped away a stray tear rolling down her cheek. She jumped a little as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Liv, honey, what's wrong?"

She had disturbed Elliot. She was instantly upset with herself. Grace's case had taken a toll on him as well and she knew he needed his sleep.

"Nothing," Olivia whispered, "go back to sleep."

"You thinkin' about Gracie?" Elliot asked, rolling Olivia over to face him.

Olivia was silent as a rush of tears flooded her face. Elliot pulled his wife close to him and wrapped her in his strong embrace. He planted a kiss on top of her head as she began sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's ok sweetheart," Elliot stroked the back of her head. "Let it out. It's ok."

Elliot fought back his own tears as images of the little girl flooded his head. Neither of them had slept much the past two nights and both were emotionally drained. They had seen a lot over the 12 years they had worked in the Special Victims Unit but this was one of those cases that would get to even the most seasoned detectives.

48 Hours Prior

"POLICE! OPEN UP!" the SWAT team shouted, moments before the door was rammed. Within seconds cops were swarming all over the house of a know child abuser. Elliot and Olivia were clearing one of the bedrooms. Elliot pulled the closet door open and stuck his gun in. "Clear," he said, then he saw her, cowering in the corner of the tiny closet, hugging her legs to her chest as tightly as she could, her body covered with cuts and bruises in all stages of healing, her head buried in her lap as she tried to hide. Human waste covered the floor and walls of her small prison. She couldn't have been more than 3 years old.

Elliot took his jacket off and wrapped the small girl's naked body in it as he picked her up. "It's ok Sweetie," Elliot reassured her. "I'm a policeman," Elliot gave her his badge, "I'm gonna help you." Her big blue eyes pierced his as she was violently shaking with sheer terror in Elliot's arms. Elliot rocked her gently, trying to calm her down.

Olivia came over and tried to talk to the girl. Elliot really admired her way with victims, people really seemed to trust her, she always knew what to say. Elliot knew how difficult it was to gain the trust of someone who had been physically and emotionally abused. The girl stared at Olivia but remained speechless. Olivia reached her arms in front of her thinking the child might be more comfortable with a female, mother-type figure. Elliot started to give the girl to Olivia, thinking the same thing but the girl wrapped her small hand firmly around Elliot's forefinger and started to whimper. "Ok," Elliot reassured her, pulling her back into his chest.

"What's your name?" Elliot's voice was soft, "My name is Elliot."

The girl stared at Elliot, silent.

"Can you tell me your name Sweetie?"

The girl whispered something inaudible.

"What honey?" Elliot whispered back at her, putting his ear closer to the girl.

"Grace," the small child whispered in his ear.

"Hi Grace," Elliot smiled at her, starting to rock her again. "You're safe now."

After the house was cleared, making sure there was no danger, the EMTs were called in. The medic reached out to take the young girl causing her to flinch and bury her body further into Elliot's.

"It's ok Grace, he's here to help you too. Nobody's ever going to hurt you again." Elliot promised as he tried to hand the girl off to the medic. Grace let out an ear piercing scream as she reached out and grabbed Elliot's breast pocket with a death grip. Elliot pulled her back into his safe embrace. Usually Olivia rode along in the ambulance but they agreed Elliot would go this time since Grace seemed to have bonded with him. They didn't want to stress her out anymore than she already was.

"I'll meet you down there," Olivia called as Elliot climbed into the back of the ambulance, Grace still in his arms.

Elliot was the father of five children, and the cases that brought him across the path of these young victims always ripped his heart out. Violence against children and women were two things Elliot Stabler would not stand for.

Olivia stood at the door of Grace's room in the ER. Grace was sitting next to Elliot on the hospital bed. She watched as Elliot let the doctor listen to his heart, trying to show Grace it was ok. She was absolutely crazy him. He was so good with kids. She would have been content standing in the door watching Elliot and Grace all day long but they really did have to get back to work.

"El," Olivia smiled at them.

"Hi Detective Benson," Elliot said in the voice he used to talk to children. "Gracie, this is Olivia, she's my partner."

"Hi Grace," Olivia said, squatting down to her eye level.

Grace smiled shyly at Olivia before burying her face into Elliot's side giggling.

"El, the doctors need to... you know," Olivia said, nodding her head.

"I know," Elliot replied, the smile leaving his face. He thought about how unfair it was that this innocent child had to endure a rape kit. "I'm just wanna wait with her till she falls asleep." It was standard procedure to put kids to sleep in order to lessen the trauma of having to endure a rape kit. Olivia nodded her head and sat down in the chair next to the bed as the nurse entered. Elliot promised Grace they would return later after they caught the bad guy then he held her small hand in his until she fell asleep.