Chapter one-

She marked the assignments from the sophomore class she had just taught. They had been doing work on 1st person writing, diary entries and creative writing from one characters point of view. They were mostly all of the same standard, a few were good but one of them really stuck out. Grace. She was a very talented writer and was very intelligent for her age. Her essay was a gruesome one, it chilled her right to the core. It was titled "Life After Dad". It was all about a young girl having to cope with the abuse her Mother dished out in a drugged haze after the death of her father. These essays were supposed to be fictional, but she couldn't help but wonder... some of the things that happened in the assignment were explained in so much detail. Grace was a quiet girl, she always handed in her essays on time, she was bright and she was always polite. But she was a slight thing of a girl, she always wore long sleeves and long trousers, her hair acted as a curtain between her and other people and would only talk if she was asked a question, and even then she was so quiet you had to strain to hear her. She had been told by other teachers that grace was the same in every class, quiet, clever, did as she was told, all except PE. She remembered Mr. Morris the PE teacher telling her once that Grace skipped lessons frequently, and If she did come, she refused to change in the company of others and she wore sweats and a hoody instead of the uniform shorts and polo shirt. This certain memory sparked a thought in the English teacher. It would certainly explain why grace was the way she was, if she was wrong then so be it but she had to help this girl if she needed it.

LIVS POV

the phone was ringing in the precinct. "El would you get that? I'm kind of busy here!" she looked up in time to see him run upstairs to the cribs. She shouted after him, "STABLER! You're a pain in my ass!...Benson." she was on the phone for 10 minutes. Some high school wanted a detective to come in and talk to the kids about abuse and the importance of reporting it. They specifically wanted a female, and since she was the only one she had to agree. Tomorrow at 3:15 she would be in high school talking to a sophomore class. She didn't mind. Olivia kind of liked kids, she was always good with them if they were victims. She finished her DD5 and went home to catch some rest before tomorrow. She would need it, teenagers were always full of curiosity and questions. Oh joy she thought to herself before falling into the blackness of a peaceful slumber.

Other POV

She was sitting at the back, alone, as usual. She didn't really have friends. She had people that she talked to in school but they never did anything outside of school. She was too scared to leave her mother alone for too long, goodness knows what she would do! There was some cop or something coming in today to talk to the class. It was probably another one of those drinking and drugs speeches they get every year. Honestly schools can be so predictable. The teacher walked in then interrupting her train of thought. " Good afternoon sophomore English. Today as you may have heard, we have a guest in our class. I would like you to listen carefully to what she has to say and wait until the end with any questions. Class, this is Detective Benson, she works with the Special Victims Unit." the class clapped her as she started to talk. As soon as she heard the topic of discussion, Grace was shocked. Abuse. She was talking about Abuse, in a school. Grace looked towards the teacher and saw her staring right back with pitiful eyes. She looked away quickly and focused her attention on something out the window. She was starving and thirsty, her head was pounding and her back was killing her. But the most painful was the throb and the ache between her legs. She was in a world of her own when the bell went.

" Don't forget your assignments are due tomorrow class. Grace can I talk to you for a minute?" she nodded. What else could she do. She would stay for a few minutes but then she would really have to go, she would be late otherwise. Being late never turned out well.

Liv's POV.

" Grace can I talk to you for a minute?" Olivia looked around the classroom to see which child would answer but there was none. The students all filed out apart from the girl who had been at the back. Olivia had noticed her as soon as she walked in. before the talk the teacher had warned her that there was a pupil in mind for her to have a one-on-one chat with afterwards, and she could see why. The child looked terrible. She was rake thin, her eyes were dark and sunken in a little, she walked stiffly like it caused her pain and she looked at the floor, never making eye contact with either herself or the teacher. She turned her back on Olivia and she couldn't hold in the gasp at what she saw. The girl ( who must be Grace) had a blood stain on the back of her shirt, right between her shoulder blades, and there was a trickle of it down the girl's leg. Working in SVU meant that Olivia knew what this girl had been through. She stepped forward to introduce herself properly. " hey, I'm Olivia, you must be Grace. Is it ok if I ask you a few Questions?" the girl looked shocked, she stared at Olivia then whispered " but you're a cop. I didn't do anything wrong did I?" Olivia was shocked, this girl thought she had done something? She didn't even look capable of lifting a pen without breaking a finger she was so weak and malnourished. " No no no sweetie. You didn't do anything. I'm here to talk about your home. What's it like at your house? Is it safe there?" the girls eyes widened and she turned and ran for the door. Olivia started after her. Grace got through the door and sprinted down the corridor, Olivia couldn't help thinking that she was fast for such a weak looking girl. She sees the Girl run around the corner and into the bathroom. By the time Olivia gets there the stall door is locked and she can't get in. "Grace honey? You need to come out? I know something is wrong or you wouldn't have run!" receiving no answer she decides to take a new tactic. "Grace why are you bleeding? You must be in pain, at least a little, let me take you to hospital to get you checked out ok?" still with no answer she turns to her last resort. "Grace if you come out and let me take you to get checked over I promise I won't ask any questions! Is it a deal?" she hears the door unlock and the small girl re-appears and nods her head.