Thanks for all of your wonderful encouragement!

...

"Olivia." Porter grinned. "Nice to see you." He smiled, extending his hand.

"Fuck off." Olivia hissed, pushing past him. "I swear to god you better not have invited me here for anything but the case Dean." She seethed, turning back towards him

Amanda watched the exchange curiously from a distance, the way she noted is lip twitch made her want nothing more than to wipe the smug smile from is arrogant face.

"You're a lot more hostile than I last remember." He laughed, turning back to Olivia. "I invited you because I know you're the best." He winked. "So you better behave." He finished with scowl, throwing a bag into Olivia's arms.

Amanda frowned, ready to step forward and confront him, silenced by a sharp glare from Olivia. She could see the rage bubbling beneath Olivia's skin, confident that this Agent Porter would soon be living with a black eye for the next few days.

"You ladies better get changed!" Porter called as he walked back towards the mountain, Olivia's irritated gaze piercing through his back.

...

"It's been five days Dean, have you found anything?" Olivia questioned.

Porter turned his head slightly to catch Olivia's gaze as they trudged up the mountain.

"Other than Bridgette's shirt and a bloody chain, no. And before you ask, yes, she was wearing a watch; no we haven't found it."

"Then how do you know she's even still up here? How do you know any of them were up here?" Olivia exasperated.

"Liv." Dean sighed, stopping in his tracks and turning towards the brunette behind him.

Olivia cringed slightly at the use of her nickname but continued to hold her defiant glare against him.

"We've been working this case for three years, Bridgette is the sixth girl, and all six disappeared in this area. We've got teams on every one of these mountains until we're given reason to believe that there's nothing we can find."

"I get your angle on this Dean, I really do." Olivia replied through gritted teeth. "But we've never found a body; you can't believe he's kept all or any of them up in these mountains for all this time. For all we know, these are just his hunting grounds. I don't think this is where we're gonna find Bridgette or any of the other girls."

Porter didn't reply, only turned his head and continued to walk. As Amanda took a step forward towards the older detective, she could see Olivia's eyes darken before watching her storm upwards towards the man in front.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Olivia growled, pulling at Porter's shirt collar; causing him to waver slightly before turning to face the brunette. "You're not even here to find Bridgette!" She seethed, placing an accusing finger strongly against the man's chest.

Dean dropped his bags, taking a tight hold of Olivia's wrists in his fingers and forcing her hand up to the side of them. Olivia hissed slightly beneath his grip, clenching her fist at the pain.

"We." He began. "Are up in this godforsaken set of mountains to catch a serial kidnapper, if you can't cooperate." He threatened, twisting Olivia's wrist in his grasp. "I will send you back to New York and make sure you lose your badge." He spat, throwing Olivia's wrist back to her side and picking up his bags.

Olivia's hand moved to soothe the slight sting of her wrist automatically. Amanda rushed to her side, a mix of fury and confusion clouding her fingers as she reached for the brunette's wrist, sliding her thumb across its bruised surface until Olivia pulled away.

"Just leave it Rollins." Olivia whispered; she had meant it to sound harsher, instead escaping as almost a pleading sigh.

Amanda hung back for a moment, watching Olivia continue her way up the mountain behind Dean, all silent. She wondered what story was behind the two of them, already feeling an instant dislike for the man in charge.

...

They reached the camp within an hour, a secluded spot on the mountains edge with seven tents scattered around a wall of towering pines, a small pagoda towards the camps side. It was already vastly colder than at the mountains base, the wind whispering promises of an unpleasant night to come.

"Carson! Radley!" Porter barked from the pagoda.

Olivia grimaced at the overwhelming amount of men working this operation, hoping at least some had better manners than that Porter ever presented.

"Get some supplies to the ladies." He ordered.

"Detectives." Amanda corrected bitterly, moving to stand by Olivia's side as Porter offered her a challenging glare.

Amanda appeared unfazed by the hike, as though it had been a completely effortless feat to be laughed at.

"Here." One of the men said gruffly, placing two bags in front of the women.

"Thank you." Amanda drawled, offering her hand to shake. "Amanda Rollins." She introduced.

"Cameron Radley, this here's Brent." Both men smiled, shaking Amanda's outstretched hand.

"And this is..." Amanda began, motioning to the now empty space where Olivia had been.

Her brow furrowed, the men grinning as they watched Olivia disappear into the pagoda.

"What now?" Dean grumbled, continuing to shuffle through the various maps and papers that sprawled across the makeshift table.

"I want." Olivia sighed. "For you to bring me up to speed."

Dean's hands froze for a moment before he set down the papers and turned to Olivia. He was almost shocked at the sincere calm in her voice, though laced with frustration at his questioning. He grinned slightly, knowing that it wouldn't last; Olivia had a fiery temper, especially towards him.

"Okay." He uttered finally, motioning Olivia towards him.

Olivia took the invitation, moving to support herself on the table beside him, her eyes scanning across the various papers.

"We've been up here almost three days just getting to know the area; we've got teams on every mountain." He began, his finger moving to their locations on the map. "You and what's-her-name makes our nine."

"Rollins. Amanda Rollins." Olivia found herself correcting before she realised.

Dean didn't acknowledge her correction, instead pointing to another spot on the map.

"We found Bridgette's shirt here, less than four kilometres from where she was last seen."

"And the chain?"

"Up here." Dean pointed to a spot several kilometres from their campsite. "It's a lot farther from where she went missing but its closer to where the second girl, Shaylee Abernate, was last seen."

Olivia nodded, biting her tongue in concentration, determined to find a pattern other than the mountains, some kind of trail.

"The other girls?"

"Angelina Waters, Hannah Eisenhower, Jessica Cruz and Noelle Jones." He said, pointing to each of their disappearance sites. "Shirts found here, and jewellery here." He continued, also pointing to their locations on the map.

Olivia let out a deep breath that she'd been holding, annoyed that there seemed to be no pattern in locations. She turned to Dean, forced to swallow her own pride when she could see the same look crossing his face.

"We'll catch him." She assured quietly, placing a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

His gaze flicked towards her, his eyes softer than she'd seen them in a long time. Olivia was reminded of how they used to be, before they'd hated each other. He opened his mouth to say something but she promptly pulled her hand away.

"Right." He corrected himself, standing straight again, his solemn look pushed back.

"Thanks, for the update I mean." Olivia smiled awkwardly, glancing at him for a last time before she made her way back to Amanda.

Dean watched her leave, the familiar heaviness in his chest that Olivia always brought moving to is throat. He wanted to say that he invited her purely for the case, because she was the best (which he knew she was), but he couldn't.

...

"Hey Liv." Amanda greeted as the brunette squatted down beside her.

"What've we got?" She queried, ignoring the blonde's greeting.

"Um, a tent each, flashlights, sleeping bags and radios." Amanda listed, handing Olivia a supply bag.

"You girls better get moving on those tents. It'll be dark out here before you know it." One of the men called.

Amanda smiled thankfully at him before pulling Olivia to stand.

"You do know how to do this, right?" She whispered to Olivia who was busy staring at the items in what appeared to be confusion.

She looked back at Amanda with a scowl.

"Of course I can do it." She stated matter-of-factly.

Amanda held up her hands in defence, trying to hold in a laugh, before beginning to set up her own tent. Everything went smoothly, Amanda finishing in less than twenty minutes, all things fitting nicely in her tent; however, when she stood, Amanda caught sight of Olivia who was still fumbling with her tent. Amanda moved to stand a few feet away, watching Olivia's clumsiness with a lopsided smile. After only a few minutes, other men from the team began joining her to stare at their unknowing spectacle. Amanda's vision wandered, following Olivia's form as she often did. Olivia only looked slightly out of place in her hiking boots and camouflage gear, top two buttons of her shirt undone to show the curved neck of her black camisole. Amanda watched as the woman's long brunette tresses splay across her shoulder, falling loose from the ponytail meant to keep them, as she knelt over the tent trying to understand its structure with frustration. What caught Amanda's eye next was the sway of Olivia's curved hips leading down to one of the best arses she's ever seen. Her eyes lingered in appreciation, a small grin forming on her lips before she was interrupted by Olivia's swift turn around.

"What the hell is everybody staring at?" She growled.

The other men walked away to resume their business, followed by Amanda who'd received a harsh glare from the brunette. Olivia was determined to prove them wrong.

...

It was an hour past nightfall before Olivia finished her tent, having refused more than several offers for help across that time, eventually joining everyone by the small fire. She looked to Amanda whom happily chatted with three of the officers; sports, Olivia thought. She marvelled at how easily Amanda was able to talk to people, especially men. Olivia had always been prized on her ability to talk to the victims, she remembered Amanda sometimes coming off as too bold, true to her character. Amanda had made a lot of progress since beginning at Manhattan SVU, Olivia could see that now. Amanda's eyes caught hers for a moment; she smiled, before returning to her conversation with the men.

"What's her story?" Porter asked quietly as he slid onto the log beside Olivia, handing her a plate of food.

Olivia turned to him and shrugged.

"I wouldn't know." She sighed.

In the last few days, after being alone with Amanda, she'd begun to feel genuinely bad about this. Her intolerance of the blonde had bordered on if not crossed the unacceptable mark and the girl had been with them close to a year. Olivia had made no effort to get to know her, or to be her friend or even her partner.

"Is she a good cop?" He asked, lighting a cigarette.

"One of the better." Olivia replied without hesitation.

Olivia watched as Amanda erupted into an extravagant gesture to describe some kind of tackle that had taken place, an endearing smile crossing her lips.

"So she's your new partner?"

"No."

A moment of silence passed between them, Olivia could feel Dean's movements towards her.

"Liv, I..." He sighed, causing Olivia to turn and face him. "I'm sorry I never called after Elliot, I wanted to, we all did, we're all sorry but you know, don't you? You know that he is never coming back."

He had said it in a whisper, gently, but his words did not feel gentle; just as they hadn't when anyone else had spoken them, they felt cold and cruel. Olivia turned away with a heat she tried to assure herself was anger, but it was tears. Olivia stood, picking up her flashlight and tearing away from the group. She felt eyes watching her, Amanda included, but she kept walking. She walked until the fire was only a glimmering red dot in the distance, only stopping as the need for oxygen burned in her lungs, stray tears marking a glistening path across her face. She knew better than anyone that Elliot was never going to come back. After over a decade of partnership he'd ripped her apart. Even now, months later, she still wondered if he had realised that he was leaving when she saw him last. It didn't occur to her until she replayed the memory over in her head at night that the both of them had been so exhausted, that she'd only said goodnight while he'd said goodbye.

...

"Right, get some rest, tomorrow we're moving up this mountain." Porter grinned, raising his glass.

The team erupted into a low rumble of excitement before slowly dispersing around the campsite to their tents. Amanda looked around, she'd noticed Olivia leave from the corner of her eye but was only just realising that she hadn't returned. Her face turned to that of concern. Olivia's tent was empty, it was close to ten, the area surrounded by an endless path of pitch black sky, moon concealed by the towering pines above.

"Liv?" She called, eyes darting around the area. "Liv?"

Her tone grew worried as the air remained filled with silence; the men began to stare until she stopped calling, a light in the distance coming into view. Amanda squinted, her eyes managing to make out the silhouette of Olivia's frame coming into view. Amanda ran from the camp, up the mountain curve, to Olivia; almost bowling the brunette over in the process.

"Whoa Rollins, steady." Olivia breathed, hands steadying the blonde by her shoulders to prevent her fall.

Amanda allowed the woman to steady her, one foot still wobbling on a rock as her face angled upwards towards Olivia who had become vastly taller on the mountain's slant. She'd been crying, bellow her eyes were slightly swollen, a redness circling her lids.

"Liv?" Amanda whispered, her fingers travelling to Olivia's cheek.

She traced her thumb across the damp arch of Olivia's cheekbone, her others caressing down the side of the woman's jaw. Olivia jumped slightly at the contact, turning her head away to shake the girl's stare; Amanda had a tendency to touch her that she was not quite accustomed to. Amanda felt a shuddering breath escape Olivia's slightly parted lips, the older woman swallowing roughly.

"Please." She whimpered.

Amanda slid away her hand, kicking herself for overstepping a boundary and possibly ruining the slight progress they'd made. Olivia sighed, sliding her hand down Amanda's arm, trying to manage a weak smile. With a last lingering glance, Olivia slid away; back down the mountain and into the camp just as quietly as she had left it. Amanda felt the brunette's name hovering in her throat, refusing to make its journey out her lips; so instead she followed the woman down in silence.

...

Olivia lay inside her tent, surrounded by the sound of rustling trees and the scent of 'almost-rain' to distract her senses. What haunted her most were the sounds she could no longer hear. Her head turned in the direction of Amanda's tent, the blonde's soft spoken voice from when they were alone echoing in her mind. Had it happened before and she'd just been too dumb to notice? How simple the three letters of her own nickname had sounded before that moment, though mere minute's had passed between then and now, it felt almost a lifetime away. Olivia closed her eyes, hoping to replay the moment and all those before then exactly as they had happened. Amanda's voice repeating the same syllable in her head over and over. It sounded just as tender and soft as it had when it was uttered. In just under three days the girl had managed to capture her and pull her into something that she couldn't name.

...

The whole camp was awoken by an unearthly scream, Amanda and Dean the first from their tents. Both shared a confused look as other men began to appear, some with guns drawn as they stood beneath the rain. It wasn't until they noticed Olivia's absence that heads turned to her tent, or at least what was left of the collapsed mess that it had become.

"Olivia?" Amanda hesitated.

"I'm in here." Olivia growled impatiently.

The men began to laugh before returning to their tents, only Amanda and Dean lingering. Amanda rushed through the rain and over to the remainders of Olivia's tent, mud coating her feet, before she lifted up the mess.

"Oh Liv." Amanda sighed.

She was confronted with Olivia's soaking frame, drenched hair clinging to the curves of her face. It was both the one of the saddest and funniest sights that she had ever encountered.

"Come on." Amanda offered holding out her hand to the brunette.

Olivia took it without hesitation, allowing Amanda to pull her from the collapsed tent before rushing to Amanda's; Porter's disapproving stare following them in.

"Okay." Olivia breathed once inside the safety of Amanda's tent. "I will now admit that I have zero tent building experience."

Amanda tried to keep a straight face, failing miserably, before she burst out laughing.

"No kidding." She said sarcastically, followed by a slight giggle.

Olivia frowned but couldn't suppress her own smile at the disastrous situation for more than a few moments.

"We better get you cleaned up." Amanda smiled. "Looks like you'll be bunking with me for tonight."

Olivia's breath caught slightly, cursing herself for her own stupidity on both her inability to build a tent and the lack of self control she was beginning to feel around Amanda. However, until that moment she had felt miserable. Her tent building skills were nil, her belongings were drenched, she was drenched and already anticipating tomorrow mornings jokes. In only less than three days the thought of sharing a confined space had begun to feel more than bearable. Amanda approached her, taking a tangle of damp brunette waves in her fingers, lopsided smile forming on her lips.

"Sit down." She instructed. "Don't worry about the water; I'll get you some fresh clothes."

Olivia did as she was told; sitting cross legged on the ground so that Amanda could kneel behind her. Amanda reached up with the towel to dry Olivia's air until it was only vaguely damp curls. Though a task that Olivia was entirely capable of performing, she didn't object. She relaxed as Amanda began to brush the knots from her hair, an involuntary sigh escaping as Amanda's fingers brushed the side of her neck in an effort to move the hair. "So tell me..." Amanda began quietly, sliding the brush down Olivia's back as she tried to calm the knot in her stomach. "How exactly does a cop like you not know how to construct a tent properly?"

Olivia laughed slightly, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Cop like me, hey?" She smiled, trying to ease the lingering sensation left by Amanda's touch.

"You know what I mean." Amanda blushed.

"Really? I haven't had much experience in the great outdoors." She admitted. "My family, we didn't go on camping trips or..." Olivia hesitated.

She didn't usually talk about her mother or her family but for a second it had come so easily. Olivia tried to form the words to explain but she realised that they were virtually inexistent. Thankfully Amanda filled the silence as though there had been none at all.

"My dad used to bring us up here all the time, my sister Kim and I, he took us everywhere with him; sports games, camping trips, anything we wanted, even if he wasn't interested he would always pretend that he was."

Amanda smiled at the memories, still absentmindedly brushing Olivia's waves. Olivia smiled too, Amanda sounded so happy talking about them.

"What does he do?"

"He was a cop, a darn good one too." Amanda laughed. "He died on the job when I was fifteen. My mother, she wanted to kill me the day I even suggested going into the academy."

Amanda had stopped brushing now, Olivia's hair hanging loosely over her hand.

"But she came around?"

"Eventually, about the same time she began having bigger problems with Kim.

"Your family sounds..." Olivia sighed.

"Crazy?" Amanda interjected.

"Nice." Olivia smiled, her head turning to face the blonde.

Amanda had heard many rumours about the older woman's family life or lack thereof, none of them good, all of which she was sure were much less painful than the truth.

"Let's get you out of those wet clothes."

Olivia shivered at the reminder of how soaked she was, the cold chilling her bones.

"You can borrow something of mine." Amanda said, rummaging through her bags, pulling out an NYPD hoodie and sleep shorts. "These should fit." She offered.

Olivia accepted the clothes, fingering the soft material.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Amanda scooted back as Olivia turned again. She watched the brunette's fingers hesitate at the hem of her soaked jumper before she pulled it slowly up her body. Amanda was silent as Olivia's back became visible; her eyes following the path of Olivia's spine, eyes sliding across olive skin, counting the scars that littered the detective's newly exposed skin. She counted several protruding white lines that marked her skins otherwise smooth surface; ranging from the curve of her hips to the nape of her neck. It wasn't until she stopped counting that Amanda noticed Olivia wasn't wearing a bra, an involuntary groan rumbling inside her. Olivia jumped slightly, almost having forgotten that Amanda was behind her, quickly pulling the jumper over her body.

"Your shorts, they're not going to fit; my hips are too wide." Olivia blushed.

Amanda's eyes wandered to the same hips she'd appreciated at least a thousand times.

"Take off your leggings."

It had escaped as a husky demand, sounding urgent and needing; Amanda instantly blushing at her own words, closing her eyes to try and calm herself.

"I know what you meant." Olivia assured through her own pounding heartbeat.

Olivia stood as much as she could in the tents confined space, tugging the damp leggings down her thighs until she stood in Amanda's sweatshirt and her underpants.

"You'll probably get cold." Amanda breathed, absentmindedly licking her dry lips.

"I'll survive." Olivia shrugged.

She left her clothes in a drenched heap by the tents entrance, crawling to where Amanda sat atop a pile of blankets.

"It's almost two." Amanda whispered.

Olivia could feel the heat radiating from Amanda's body, if she moved only an inch they could be touching.

"I know." She finally breathed.

Amanda's found it impossible to focus on anything other than the intensity of Olivia's chocolate stare, wanting nothing more than to fill the space between them.

"We should get some sleep." She choked out, willing other words to follow it.

"I know." Olivia said again.

They both hovered for a moment, the rain having lessened to a mere patter against the tent wall. Olivia eventually closed her eyes, unable to stare at Amanda any longer due to being at the risk of doing something she couldn't understand. She slid beneath the covers, felling Amanda mimicking her actions as they lay beside one another beneath the covers, not quite touching.

"Amanda?" Olivia breathed after another period of silence.

"Yes?" Amanda strained, her throat having grown dry in Olivia's close proximity.

"Thank you." Olivia whispered.

They were not the words her mind was whispering but they were all she could manage for a while. The silence returned between them comfortably, each merely happy that they could be warmed by one another.

...

"Rise and shine ladies, we've got a mountain to climb!"

Only agent Dean Porter could sound that excited about a draining hike at six am in search for missing girls. Both women's eyes flittered open with a yawn.

"Um, Amanda? I can't move my leg." Olivia muttered.

The blonde had entwined her legs around the smoothness of Olivia's dark skin during the night, already feeling withdrawal symptoms from Olivia's imminent loss of contact with her body.

"Sorry." She mumbled, detaching herself from the brunette.

Both women stretched, followed by Olivia letting out a small sneeze that crinkled up her face adorably.

"Bless you." Amanda smiled. "Gosh, I hope you're not coming down with anything." She suddenly frowned, her hand moving to Olivia's forehead.

"I'll be fine Rollin's." She smiled, removing Amanda's hand gently from her skin, giving the blonde's fingers a light squeeze.

Amanda smiled gently, even as Olivia slid her hand away.

"Here." Amanda motioned suddenly to a pile of clothes. "We won't be able to dry any of your things until we stop again.

"Thanks." Olivia smiled again, large brown eyes visible from beneath her thick lashes.

Amanda forced herself to leave the tent as Olivia changed, the brunette later emerging in the same NYPD sweatshirt she'd slept in and the largest pair of track pants that she could find. Olivia remained braless.

...

"Right, I want everyone to keep their eyes peeled, anything, animal tracks, I don't care, anything that could tell us where this guy is." Porter stressed. "Everyone, pair up." He continued to lecture. "Benson, you're with me."

Olivia frowned; she didn't have the energy to deal with him after the previous nights events. Amanda shared a sympathetic look with the older woman, trying to shield her own disappointment as she paired with one of the men she'd spoken to the previous day.

"We'll climb this mountain until nightfall; you've all got maps and radios; let's go." Porter grinned enthusiastically.

The team split up, though still in view of the others in search of clues.

"About last night." Dean began as soon as the other teams were out of earshot.

"Don't." Olivia interjected promptly. "Let's face it; we both know that you have a severe foot-in-mouth problem." She laughed.

They had always slung insults at each other, though each could admit that over the years they'd become harsher – not that they didn't know why.

"You've always been a grade-a bitch Liv." He growled.

"Me?" She exclaimed. "Fuck, you really have turned into an arse."

Olivia was serious; unfortunately for him she'd been serious for a long time.

"Fuck Liv, you just can't let it go; can you?" He scowled harshly, his voice lowering.

"I could say the same for you." She snapped, her hands moving to rest on her hips.

Dean only laughed, shaking his head in frustration before he turned his back on Olivia; something he did often. She hung back, watching him trail up the mountain face, her eyes shifting to Amanda. She watched the blonde hiking effortlessly, shielded by trees and two other groups. Olivia could feel Dean's irritated gaze directed back at her but chose to ignore him, instead continuing to watch as Amanda wove through the trees. She watched Amanda's loose hair fall in behind her, shifting with each movement as she looked for clues around the rocks. The great outdoors suited Amanda, almost like each was made for one another. Amanda turned suddenly, catching Olivia's stare directly. Amanda's steps faltered momentarily before she pulled herself back into the conversation she shared with her hiking partner. He was hitting on her, Olivia could tell by the grin that he directed towards her, just as she had experienced across the span of her career.

"When this is all over, wanna grab some drinks?" He offered hopefully.

"Maybe." Amanda smiled. "I'm keeping my options open."

She must have faltered, turned towards Olivia without realising, because the officer's face turned to that of curious realisation.

"You're not?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Amanda grinned slyly with a shrug.

"I bat for both teams." She laughed, long confident with her choice of sexual partners.

"Who wouldn't with that walking around?" He chuckled, motioning towards Olivia who was searching through trees. "That Benson's definitely a looker."

Amanda nodded without hesitation.

"No speculation as to why Dean never got over her." The man commented suddenly.

Amanda turned to him with a raised eyebrow, earning a laugh from the man at her side.

"You must be new." He exclaimed. "That's one of the oldest flings on the grapevine; I've been Dean's partner over a decade." The man laughed. "I'm the only one who can stand him." He finished with a wink.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, most of his years have been spent chasing that woman; hard to catch that Benson – she don't like to be held down and neither do he. Though he's caught her a couple times, not for long, those two are sporadic – all passion in all the wrong places, bound to clash heads and boy do they."

Amanda considered this for a moment; it sure as hell explained a few things.

"Think they'll pick up again?" She finally asked.

"From what I'm to understand, she wouldn't give him a hope in hell, things ended pretty badly the last time."

"But?"

"But." He sighed. "With those two, you never know."

...

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