Disclaimer: If you've seen them on the show, they are unfortunately not mine, though I wish they were.

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"Race you to the meadow!" shouted ten-year-old Olivia.

The clearing in which she had once spent all her time had become hers and Alex's special place. They played there, chatted there, did their homework there, used it as an escape when their respective houses became too much to bear. Alex had even got over her fear of eating unwashed apples.

"I'm going to win this time!" called Alex, taking off after her friend. Of course she wouldn't; she never did. Olivia was just too fast and her competitive nature wouldn't allow her even to allow Alex to win just once.

Her blonde hair swished behind her in the wind as her sneakers pounded the grass. She was out of breath by the time she reached the meadow, no more than ten seconds after Olivia. She collapsed next to a tree, gasping for air. "That must be a record," she managed.

Olivia hadn't even broken a sweat and she smirked. "That's nice, Cabot."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Race you to the top of the tree."

"Hey, no fair!" called Olivia, scrambling up after her friend. "You got a head start."

Alex grinned. "All's fair in love and war."

"Which is it?" asked the brunette, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Alex climbed higher and picked an apple off a branch. She didn't even shine it on her shirt before taking a bite. "This one isn't so good," she commented, dropping it carelessly to the ground.

"You know, that could kill someone if it landed on them," Olivia told her.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Do you see anyone down there, Einstein?"

Olivia shrugged. "Just saying."

* * *

School started again the next day. Both girls were in the same fifth grade class and they were both dreading school. This was also the first year that all the kids were required to change for gym, which caused more problems for Olivia than anyone could have ever expected.

Gym was after lunch. Alex and the other girls changed quickly in the change room, but when Alex glanced at Olivia, she saw that her friend hadn't moved. She waited until the other girls had left before saying quietly to her friend, "What's the matter?"

Olivia looked at the ground. "I don't like anyone to see the scars."

Her words, simple as they were, pierced Alex's heart like a knife. She removed her school spirit t-shirt and put her own shirt back on. "I'll sit with you," she offered, squeezing Olivia's hand as they walked out side by side.

"Do you girls not have your gym clothes?" asked their teacher, Ms. Leary, who had a face that looked as if she was sucking on ten lemons.

Olivia glanced at Alex, who shook her head and said, "No. Sorry, Ms. Leary."

Their teacher sighed. "Fine. It's the first day of school, so it's fine for today, but please have your clothes for tomorrow."

Alex and Olivia exchanged glances as they sat down on a bench against the wall on the opposite end of the gym. "Welcome to another year of hell," said Olivia dryly.

* * *

That night, Alex couldn't sleep. She could hear her mother's quiet whimpers from her parents' room and it hurt her that there was nothing she could do to stop it. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She glanced briefly at Melissa, her old American Girl doll who now sat, untouched, on her shelf. She was ten now, not a baby, and didn't play with dolls anymore.

She sat up straight in bed when she heard the gentle rap on her window. Knitting her brow in confusion, she got up, wrapped her bathrobe around her, and opened the window. Olivia was standing at her own window, her face pale, looking so small and powerless that it made Alex's heart ache.

"I can't sleep," whispered Olivia.

"Me neither," replied Alex, resting her chin in her hands.

"Stay with me," begged Olivia, her rich chocolate eyes pleading with her friend.

"I will," Alex assured her.

Olivia perched on her windowsill and they sat in silence for a few moments before Alex noticed a tear streaking down her friend's right cheek. Then she noticed the bloodstain on the hemline of Olivia's nightgown. Alex wished they were closer so that she could put her arms around her friend. Olivia looked so frightened, so helpless, her tough-as-nails façade gone for a moment, her true feelings shining through. Alex rarely saw her like this; the only times Olivia ever let down her guard were these times at night, when it was just the two of them. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Olivia shook her head and pulled her knees to her chest. She rested her head on her knees and looked back at Alex.

The blonde tried to cheer her up. "Knock, knock."

Olivia rolled her eyes but gave Alex a small smile in return for her effort. "Who's there?"

"I love."

"I love who?"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

"Ha, ha," said Olivia blandly, but she smiled again in spite of herself. "We grew out of knock, knock jokes in the second grade."

Alex smirked. "Speak for yourself."

Suddenly, Olivia's bedroom door flew open and a dark man who Alex didn't recognize stood in the doorway. Olivia's chocolate eyes widened with fear as she hissed, "Alex, get away from the window!" She turned away.

The man was beside Olivia in two strides and she began to tremble as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard. "What are you doing?" he growled.

"Nothing," replied Olivia quickly.

Alex watched, horrified, as the man lifted her friend onto her bed. He ripped off her nightgown and unbuckled his own jeans, and Alex had to turn away, forcing down the vomit that rose in her throat. She could hear Olivia's soft sobs, but she was helpless to do anything now. This was even worse than it was with her mother.

She snapped her head back to the window at the sound of a bloodcurdling scream coming from the direction of Olivia's room. She saw the man on top of Olivia, kicking her in the stomach, hitting her as hard as he could. Alex tried to yell something, anything, to make him stop, to help her friend, but her throat had constricted and she couldn't say a word. She ran down to the kitchen and grabbed a phone, dialing 911 with shaking hands.

* * *

She watched the police officers slap handcuffs on the man and Serena Benson and lead them out of the house. An EMT lifted Olivia onto a stretcher and two others wheeled her out of that house.

The last glimpse that Alex caught of Olivia was of her friend's dark eyes, wide with terror, staring out of the back of the ambulance, pleading for someone to save her. A plea she'd made many times before, but no one ever answered.

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