When the Walls Come Tumbling Down

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own SVU or it's characters.

Elliot watched his partner as she typed up the DD5s from their latest closed case. He had finished before her for a change, and took a few minutes to relax before heading home. He hated to go home anymore, his apartment quiet and empty. He had moved out of his family's house three months ago, his divorce final just last week. He hadn't told anyone, not even Olivia. He knew she would be supportive of him, she always was, but still he waited. He was nervous about being seen as a failure in her eyes especially.

"Can you believe it?" Olivia had finished as well and was in the process of shutting down her computer. "We just may actually leave on time today." She flashed him a smile that suggested she was in a hurry to get home. He wondered if she had a date or something, she seemed to be in a pretty decent mood.

Elliot nodded and forced a smile her way. He watched as she pushed her chair back, stretching as she stood. He always knew his partner was beautiful, but lately her beauty had become almost distracting to him. He hadn't realized that he was staring until she called him out on it.

"You okay, El?" she asked as she pulled her jacket off the back of her chair. He pulled his eyes up to meet hers. He shook his head trying to clear his mind of the inappropriate thoughts his was having about his partner.

"I, uh, yeah." Elliot stammered suddenly finding himself out of sorts. "In a hurry to get home, are you?"

"Yeah, actually. May not have to cancel on Jeff again." she smiled at him before continuing. "Seems too good to be true."

Elliot was happy for her, he knew she must like this Jeff. He had heard the name before. She deserved some happiness in her life. She gave so much of her time and her self to this job, it often left her with no time for anything or anyone else. He found himself hoping for long hours lately. He would much rather spend his time at the precinct than home alone. He still saw his kids, but only per his agreement with Kathy.

"You okay? Seem a little down lately?" Olivia's voice pulled him from this thoughts. Only then did he realize he had zoned out while watching her prepare to leave him for the night.

"I'm good. Go on get out of here. Have a good time tonight." he smiled at her as she glanced at her watch before grabbing her purse from her desk drawer.

"See you tomorrow." she half asked, half stated.

Elliot nodded. He spent the better part of twelve years working side by side with Olivia. He trusted her, admired her and protected her. He defended her against comments and advances from some of the worst criminals in the city. She was a good, strong detective. She could her hold her own and deserved to be called one of the NYPD's finest. She was his partner and it was his job to protect her. He took his job seriously, his concern for her sometimes causing mixed feelings about their partnership. He had been attracted to her for quite some time, but refused to act anything but professional. His marriage had been over for a good while before he finally moved out. He knew his feelings for her weren't based on a rebound. He also knew he couldn't act on those feelings, their partnership was just as important to her as it was to him. That much he knew and he didn't want to risk losing that or her for that matter.

"Benson, Stabler!" Cragen's deep voice filled the squad room stopping Olivia just feet from the elevator. Elliot watched as her shoulders slumped and she hung her head before turning to make her way back in. He could see the disappointment in her eyes as she set her purse down on her desk and faced their captain.

"I need you to get down to Mercy. Young girl, badly beaten. Asked for you specifically, Olivia." Cragen glanced at Elliot before returning his focus on Olivia. She looked to her captain with questioning eyes.

"Maria Johnston." Cragen knew how emotionally involved Olivia had gotten with that case. She had managed to save Maria from certain death at the hands of her father.

Elliot quickly approached Olivia's side as the victim's name instantly brought tears to her eyes. She quickly recovered and forced herself to get into tough detective mode. "What happened?" Olivia's voice was shaky despite her best efforts to sound strong.

Cragen took a few steps toward his two top detectives. "I didn't want to involve you, either of you, but she is asking for you." Olivia's eyes were still and steady as she watched her captain explain.

"What happened?" Olivia asked again, this time sounding strong, even angry.

"Father's still in prison." Cragen answered what he was sure Olivia's next question would be. "There was a home invasion at the foster address where she was placed last year. Her foster mother was home with Maria at the time. Raped and beaten…in front of her."

Olivia's hands came up to her face as Cragen set the scene. Elliot placed both hands on either of Olivia's shoulders. She kept her hands over her face as he could hear her taking in deep breaths. "Are you sure you can do this?" his words were filled with worry and concern for his partner.

Olivia removed her hands so that she could look Elliot in the eyes. "I have to, El. Maria needs me."

Elliot's stomach turned as he listened to Olivia's voice shake as she spoke.

"Olivia?" Cragen hated that there was more to this, but he knew how important this last detail was. Maria's foster mother had your business card in her hand when she was found."

Olivia pulled away from Elliot and took a seat at her desk. She was silent for a few moments before looking from Cragen to Elliot and back to Cragen again. "Okay. I know I gave Maria my card so she would be able to get a hold of me. It was probably hers."

"My gut says to pull you before you even get started." Cragen looked directly at Olivia while speaking. "That girl has been through hell and she needs you. Can you handle it, Detective? She's in pretty bad shape."

"Yes, sir." Olivia was back on her feet. Elliot reached out and took the sheet of paper from their boss that gave the location of the foster house Maria was living at. He looked to Olivia who nodded back at him.

"Okay, get to the hospital, then to the crime scene. Keep me posted." Cragen knew they would even without the order. He watched as Elliot followed Olivia out of the squad room towards the elevator. He had a sinking feeling in his chest about this case. Olivia had nearly lost it when she first became involved with Maria Johnston. She had nearly lost her life, never mind her sanity. She had become so attached to the young girl following the trauma that was the Johnston case. Maria's father had killed her mother in front of her, then took off with Maria. Elliot and Olivia were the lead detectives assigned to find Hector Johnston and Maria. Hector was big on the drug scene, dabbling in stolen property as well. Guns and weapons were usually his preference. He had prior convictions for possession, but it was the rape charges he constantly managed to beat that unnerved the team at the SVU.

Cragen had returned to his office, taking a seat behind his desk. He rubbed his face with his hands as he found himself recalling each detail of the case and then the aftermath. They had managed to track Hector down to a small building not far from the family home. It was cleverly disguised as a small local business, but it was where Hector had managed to become quite the businessman. He had Maria with him and had threatened to kill her as the police surrounded the place. Negotiations followed for hours, until Hector demanded a female officer enter and check on his daughter. He said she was hurt. What he didn't say was that he had beat and raped her in a fit of anger over her mother. They had been on scene for the better part of six hours at this point and Cragen refused to let any of his people enter. There was a swat team on hand and that was their specialty. Olivia was adamant about getting to the girl and volunteered. Cragen denied her, but Hector's threats made him reconsider. Olivia had plenty of experience dealing with rapists and then the victims. It's what they did, but the atmosphere was anything but routine.

.

It had been an agonizing two hours before the stand-off ended. Cragen read Olivia's statements but he knew they didn't begin to describe the two hours she endured at the hands of Hector Johnston. Olivia had bonded with Maria and spent the next few weeks with her while she recovered. She tried to legally adopt the young girl, but was turned down. Olivia was heartbroken and it took the better part of a year for her to put the case and Maria behind her. He thought about not mentioning this at all to Olivia, just giving it to another set of detectives. Olivia would've found out and involved herself anyway. Not to mention there was the little fact that this poor girl had asked for Olivia by name. She had been through so much and needed to see Olivia. How could Cragen not tell her. He thought about just not letting her work the case, but again he doubted she would comply. That's where Elliot came in. He shared a look with Stabler as the elevator doors closed telling him that Elliot knew what was ahead of them. Elliot's head was in the game, just as much as Olivia's heart was. It would be up to Elliot to keep Olivia's head where it needed to be, and Cragen knew how tall an order that truly was.

The ride in the elevator was intensely silent. Elliot could sense the apprehension that was his partner. He let his thoughts take him back to the night they finally stopped Hector Johnston. She had stopped him and she nearly died doing it. He felt the emotions from that night invade his body when Cragen had mentioned Maria's name. Olivia never went into full detail as to what exactly happened during the two hours or so that she spent with Hector and Maria. He didn't push her, her wounds described enough for him. He had also read her statements that she had to submit. He could tell she intentionally left some parts out, but that's just because he knew her. Knew how she worded things. To anybody else, she was very thorough in her description of the night's events. He was glad to have a reason not to go home, but never would he have asked for a case like this.

Olivia slid into the passenger seat of their squad car. He almost always drove and she was never more okay with that than tonight. She recognized the fact that he had left her to her silence. He didn't push her to talk and she was thankful for that; for him. He headed towards the hospital without lights or sirens, he knew she needed time to prepare.

"If Hector is still in prison, then who, El?" Her voice had an almost defeated tone to it which immediately made him look her way. He wanted to reach out and touch her. Something, anything to let her know she wasn't in this alone.

"I don't know, but we will find out." Elliot turned his attention back to the road hoping that she could hold it together. He knew how much she cared for this little girl. He knew how bad it had crushed her when the adoption request was denied. He remembered how real her tears were as she for once didn't try to hide them from him.

They arrived at the hospital before Olivia was ready. She knew it really didn't matter how long it took to get there, she wouldn't be ready. Elliot came around to her side of the car just as she had gotten to her full height. He watched her take a deep breath and adjust her badge on her belt. He stopped her movements when his hands grasped her arms.

"I'm sorry, Liv." he made her look him in the eyes.

She nodded as she slowly exhaled the deep breath she had taken in an effort to compose herself. "So much for my date, huh?"

Elliot wasn't at all unhappy that she wouldn't be able to spend the evening with Jeff. However, he would much rather her be with Jeff tonight. Instead she was here at the hospital with him getting ready to interview a wounded child that she had so hoped to call her daughter.

He removed his hands from her, only to take his position at her side and together they made their way in to see Maria.