A/N: I know you guys probably think I forgot about this story but I promise you I didn't. I knew the direction I wanted it to go but wasn't sure how to take it there. I finally got all that figured out and was able to pop out this chapter.

It had been almost two weeks since Maria's mother had arrived and everyone seemed to have fallen into a routine of sorts. Every afternoon after work Olivia would stop by the Warrick Hotel and visit with Maria and at least twice a week they all had dinner together. Casey, along with the federal prosecutor, would usually spend her lunches with Maria preparing her for the trial which was set to start the following week. If everything went as planned the trial should be over within two months and Maria could finally move on with her life.

"Benson' Olivia whispered as she answered her phone on the second ring. She smiled as she quietly kissed the top of Casey's head as she tried to snuggle in closer to the brunette detective.

"Detective Benson this is Officer Baker of the 25" A male officer said identifying himself to Olivia "We have a situation at The Warrick Hotel and was told to notify you immediately."

"Situation? What do you mean a situation?" Olivia said sitting up quickly and grabbing her clothes.

"We responded to a shots fired call in room 4258." Officer Baker explained.

"Where is Maria?" Olivia asked grabbing her badge and gun from her nightstand and heading for the door.

"She is here and fine." The officer went on to inform her "She asked us to call you. I hope that is ok."

"Tell her I'm on my way." Olivia ordered snapping her phone closed.

"What's happening?" Casey asked from the door way.

"There was a shots fired call at Maria's room and she's asking for me."

"Let me grab some shoes" Casey said "I'm coming with you."

"Detective Benson and this is ADA Novak." Olivia said as she showed her credentials to the officer that was standing guard at the end of the hallway.

"Go ahead" The officer said raising the crime scene tape so they could pass under it.

"Olivia Olivia' Maria cried once she saw the detective and ran to her.

"Hey sweetie." Olivia whispered catching her with ease and dropping to her knees "Are you ok where are you hurt?"

"I hid when the men kicked the door open." Maria cried "They couldn't find me."

"Maria I need you to stay here with Casey for just a minute ok." Olivia said as she handed Maria to Casey "I will be right over there where you can see me but I need to talk to the other officer's here ok."

"Please don't leave me."

"We won't" Casey said holding Maria tight against her.

"What happened?" Olivia asked as she walked up to the detectives and showing them her badge "I'm not here to take the collar. The little girl is a witness in a human trafficking case that we are prosecuting and this shooting could be tied to the case."

"From what we can tell." The detective said "An assailant kicked the door in to make entry. There appears to have been a struggle and the mother was shot."

"How many times?"

"From what we can tell at least five times the final shot being between the eyes."

"Damn" Olivia muttered looking back at Casey and Maria.

"We tried to question the little girl but all she would do was cry for you. She handed me a piece of paper that had your number on it and begged me to cal it."

"How did the guys not find her?" Olivia asked as she looked around the room. There wasn't one inch of it that was not ransacked.

"She hid under the bed Best we can gather is that she slid in under the bed and then the mother put the board back in place. Just by looking at it it appears to be one solid peace. She called 911 from under the bed and a car was dispatched."

"Ok." Olivia said extending her hand to the detective "If it's all right with you I want to take Maria to be checked out and then back to my place. She will be available to you for questioning later today if you would like."

"That's fine detective."

"Here's my card and my cell phone number is on the back." Olivia said handing the officer her card "Please keep us up to date with the investigation."

"We will."

"Thank you."

"Maria" Olivia said as she walked back toward her and Casey "Let's go to the hospital and have you checked out ok."

"What if they find me there?" Maria asked as terror laced her voice and she clung to Casey like she was her life line.

"Maria honey" Casey whispered to into her ear "We are going to be with you every step of the way and we both know that Olivia won't let anything happen to you."

"Come on sweetie" Olivia whispered as she juggled the sleeping girl in her arms. Maria who jumped at every noise that was made finally fell asleep on the way home from the hospital "Let's get you settled into bed ok."

"I don't want to be alone." Maria cried.

"It's ok honey" Olivia said in a soothing voice "Me and Casey will be right here in the living room ok. We need to talk some business. I will leave the lamp on ok."

"You're not going to leave are you?"

"No honey and if I do I will let you know and Mr. Fin will come and watch you ok?"

"Ok" Maria said as she snuggled into Olivia's and Casey's bed holding onto the bear Casey had gotten her with a death grip.

"What's the full story?" Casey asked once Olivia joined her in the living room.

"From what homicide has pieced together so far that a man kicked the door in and shot her mother five times the final shot being between the eyes. The reason she is still alive is because she hid under the bed and since it appears to be one piece then the killer didn't think to look there. She called 911 from there and they responded. Once the officers was there she asked for me."

"Do you think its related to the current case?" Casey asked the one thing that Olivia had been trying to avoid since she got the call.

"I don't know. In a way I hope this is some random act of violence and in another I hope it is because that is more charges to throw at him."

"I know and as much as we want it to be a random act it's too closely related for it not to be."

"I know." Olivia said handing her head in her hands "I don't think she has any other family and if she did I'm not sure we can get the consulate to fly them here."

"I can be very persuasive when I need to be" Casey said as she pulled Olivia against her and tried to het her to relax some "Let's do this, as of right now Maria is under protection. She is to be either with you or any of the detectives from SVU at all times. This will be her place of residence and I will have Cragen place a sector car out front just in case. Later after we all wake up from a nap we will find out about her family in Honduras."

"If she doesn't have any?" Olivia mumbled as she started falling asleep.

"Then she has a family right her honey." Casey whispered as she kissed the top of Olivia's head and watched her sleep before drifting off herself.