They belong to DW and NBC.

Thank you Slidell; for your help correcting the grammatical errors I appreciated your effort and help. Thank you.

Author's note: You may notice that from this chapter on, Olivia is going to be acting a little bit more like a woman than a detective, the mother instinct kicking in, so she may be acting a little out of character from the tough detective we see on TV.

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Chapter 7

Getting Too Close

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Next morning 10:30am

Precinct

Olivia walked into the bullpen the next morning, looking and feeling more tired than she wanted to admit. A night in one of those plastic chairs at the hospital could do that to you.

Thankfully the nurse on the night shift had brought her a cot so she could lie in, and it had helped a little. Today she had pain in muscles she didn't know she had, or it may be that she had been feeling tired since the beginning, and a night spent in a cot didn't help, she knew that as soon as Cragen saw her, he was gone to let her have it.

Amanda was walking next to her, her hands tuck in the jacket she was wearing, she had found the clothes that Olivia's friend had bring her the night before while she was sleeping, they were really nice and smelled really good too.

They were the clothes that another little girl had worn, but to Amanda, they looked just like new. She had grab the little jacket as soon as she saw it, it was warm and cozy, the color was light blue with white collar and dark blue stripes, it fit her a little big but she didn't care, it was much better than the one she had, and it went with her hair. The blue jeans and white blouse she was wearing were comfortable and fit her a little better, but she didn't mind at all, no sir, not at all.

Olivia had stayed with her the whole night, sleeping on a too small bed for the tall woman.

Walking beside her, Amanda felt like, that for the first time since she remembered someone really did care for her and she couldn't help to feel a little embarrassed for the way she reacted towards the woman that had taken upon herself to be there for her.

Olivia had explain that there were some people that wanted to talk to her about the incident with the man the day before, and also told her she would be with her if she wanted.

Amanda had agreed, as long as Olivia was there with her she could talk to any one.

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Spotting Lake at his desk, Olivia walked towards him.

"Hey, Olivia I thought you were supposed to be resting at home, what are you doing here?" Lake asked, looking at her and then at the girl walking by her side.

"Morning to you too, Lake. Nice to see you" Liv told him with a small smile on her face then continued. "Can you do me a favor? Can you take this little one upstairs and make sure she stays there until I finished talking with Cragen?"

"Sure Liv… What's up?"

"I'll tell you in a minute, right now I need to talk to the Captain before the Detectives from Robbery get here… Here" She handled him a brown bag. "We stopped for this so she can eat something while she waits; please just make sure she feels comfortable."

"Sure Liv, no problem."

Turning to the girl that was looking around the place with worried eyes she said.

"Amanda, honey" The girl looked up at Olivia, as she kneeled down to be at face level with her.

"This is my friend Chester Lake, he is a detective like me. We work together, in this Unit."

Amanda looked at him and he smiled at her while extending his hand offering it to her. She looked at him but didn't take his hand and then looked back at Olivia still at her side.

"I need you to do something for me ok?" she nodded noticing at the same time that Lake, let his arm fall to his sides but continued smiling at her.

"I want you to go upstairs to the cribs, and stay there; until me or my friend here comes and gets you ok. I need to speak with my boss before the men I told you about get here, and I'll feel better knowing you're upstairs, rather than here with all this people walking all over the place, you can lay down in one of the cots if you want, will that be ok?"

Amanda looked at Lake again, the guy was still smiling and his face looked friendly and if he was Olivia's friend then he was ok, but that did little for her uneasiness. She just didn't do good with strangers, looking back at Olivia she could see that the woman was a little anxious for her but also saw the trust she had in Lake.

"Mm.. Ok!.." Before Olivia could stand straight, Amanda took hold of her arm and leaned closer to Olivia. In a whisper, as not wanting Lake to hear her she asked. "Will it be ok.. If.. I eat what you bought me?"

Holding Amanda's face in her hands Olivia looked at her worried eyes and imitating the same gesture Amanda did; Olivia whisper back.

"Of course honey, you can eat your breakfast, and if you need anything before I come and get you, I'm sure Mr. Lake can get it for you, just take your time eating, we don't want a repeat of yesterday right?"

Without words Amanda brought her arms around Olivia's neck and gave her a quick but strong hug before letting go, just as soon as she did, she stepped back and looked at Lake, like saying "lead the way".

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Lake was watching with curiosity the development in front of him, and he could tell that the girl was having trouble trusting him, but it seemed that she felt really relaxed with Olivia, then he saw the girl giving Liv a hug and then she was looking at him, and he got the clue, he moved forward.

Touching Olivia's shoulder he bent down and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her, she'll be fine." Then to the girl he said with a little funny voice, "This way Miss. Amanda, please follow me!"

"Oh brother!" Rolling her eyes Amanda turned to follow Lake. "What kind of a name is Chester anyways..".

Olivia, still in her kneeling, position listened to the little banter between Amanda and Lake, him trying to break the ice, she was still surprised of the little display of trust and love from the girl, and right then she knew she was in trouble, she was getting too close. She stood up and made her way to the Captain's office.

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"Morning Captain."

"Morning Olivia, where is the child?" Cragen asked looking behind Olivia, searching for the girl.

"I asked Lake to take her to the cribs; I wanted to talk to you before we meet with the detectives from robbery."

"What is there to talk abut? They are going to ask some questions and then they'll show her some pictures, and see if she recognizes any one from the mug shots and then, I'll call Child Services and she'll be placed in a home for the time being."

"About that, she is not trustworthy of people, and if you let me, I want to volunteer to act as a mediator, she doesn't like to talk to strangers and she knows me all ready, we kind of developed a bond between us, I have the time and.."

"Olivia, the only reason you have the time, is because you are supposed to be at home resting, something you haven't done since yesterday morning, and if I assume correctly; you haven't been home since. I know you stayed at the hospital and now you want to stay here and work a case that is not ours, I can't allow that."

"Captain! I'm not sick, I agree I feel a little tired but I've been at home for three days already, I can't stay home and do nothing, I can do this!"

"The reason, you feel tired is because your body is exhausted and you haven't been eating and taking care of yourself as you should. I know, is because we've been working almost nonstop, but I can't go against doctor's orders. You are to be home for at least seven more days." He put his hands in the air stopping her refute and continued.

"Olivia; you fainted after catching a suspect from all that running you did, you scared your partner shirtless and if that hadn't happened; you'd still be here like nothing was going on, I don't like it but you need to take the time off, if you involve yourself in this case, you're not going to be able to rest as you should and you and I know it."

"Don… I can't leave her now, I promised her, she trusts me and that's something she hasn't done in a while, and it's not like I'm going to be chasing anybody, I'm just going to be sitting there with her while she is being questioned."

"And after that?" She looked at him as he continued. "We are going to find her a place to stay while we look for the people she was living with, are you telling me; you are not going to intervene? After what Elliot told me yesterday, after what you found out they did to her? Are you going to stand aside and let us do our jobs? Or are we're having another conversation like this one tomorrow or the day after?"

Olivia cast her head looking at the floor of the office then look and Cragen, sending her captain an angry glare, just to be replaced by a concerned one, once she spoke again.

"Captain; I understand what you are saying, about me needing to rest but… I'm already involved; I can't just walk out on her and go as if we never crossed paths... I can't... I know what it feels like to be in her place, I know how it feels to be that age and be looking for someone that can reach to you and help you; I also know how it feels when someone breaks that trust, and how it affects you; I can't just step aside.. I promised her… I'll… I'll try not to get in your way, and I go home after this gets resolved, but please Don; let me stay, let me help her; please."

Cragen looked at Olivia, what he saw in her eyes made him understand that even if he ordered her home, she wouldn't follow his orders, he also knew this was too important to her, and after all the mishaps they were having, maybe this could help her recuperate her own security and her footing in her career, lately she had been doubting her choices and her work, maybe this would help, he decide himself he'd let her stay; that way he'd be keeping an eye on her as well, just to make sure she didn't over do it.

"Ok, you can stay… But if I see that she is doing fine by herself, then you go home and let us deal with this case ourselves, deal?"

"Ok."

"Well then. Go get her and bring her down, Robbery is here."

When Olivia opened the door, she could see two men walking into the bull pen.

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Upon opening the door to the cribs, she saw Lake bending on the floor looking under a bunk bed, looking for something.

"Lake?" She looks around. "What are you doing?"

"Olivia!" He sounded surprise. "You finished taking with Cragen?"

She nodded and asked again "What are you doing?.. Where is Amanda?"

"I… I'm looking for her."

"You lost her!"

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