Disclaimer: I do not own the show.

Author's notes: Hmm I have to say, I have implied E/O in this chapter. But not too heavy, mostly just friendship at the moment. That's just a heads up for the Anti-E/O fans of SVU.

He didn't know how to tell her. How do you tell the woman that the monster, who had orally raped and then almost murdered her in her own apartment, had escaped a hospital and nobody knew where he was? How do you tell a person that without giving them a panic attack? Elliot Stabler sat in his apartment, alone, thinking over the phone call he had had with his captain; he kept wondering how and when he would have to bring up the horrible, dreaded phone call he had had with the captain. He wanted nothing more than to go to the prescient to help find the guy, but Cragen had been insistent that he stay at his apartment, and that if anything did come up, that he would be the first to know.

His cell phone ringing disturbed his train of thoughts. He shook his head, and glanced over at his cell phone with a sigh when he saw who was calling. He dreaded what she had to say. What if she found out? But then again, what if she was just calling because she was lonely in her apartment, because he sure was.

"Stabler." he greeted softly, and waited for the woman on the other line to speak.

He was silent as the other person on the line began to speak. He gnawed slightly at his bottom lip, trying not to interrupt.

"Whoa, whoa, baby!" he exclaimed soothingly, not able to keep silent anymore. "Calm down, honey. What's wrong?"

He sighed as the woman on the other line began to explain what was going on. He knew something like this would happen. Why hadn't he just said what was happening outright before the news on channel nine told her?

"Baby, I'm coming over" he told her softly, not caring that he had once again called her baby.

There was only sobbing on the other line, and nothing more.

Elliot sighed softly, and whispered "Baby, don't worry. It's going to be okay. We'll get him. I promise."

Muffled sobs were heard from the other line, and Elliot sighed gently, and ran a hand through his short, cropped hair. He didn't know what to say. What to do. All he wants to do is take her away from it all. To a place where pain goes away. To place where they can all be free. To a place where she can forget. Forget it all.

When Elliot knocked at her apartment door, he barely got a full knock in when locks were heard clicking, and she pulled him in.

"Whoa, Liv!" he softly exclaimed, shocked at her paranoid action. He glanced down at her. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and her cheeks were stained and covered in them; and her eyes were an almost bloody red.

He sighed softly, and with his index finger he wiped away the falling tear. "Olivia." he murmured gently, his voice soothing to the ears.

She didn't look up at him, sniffling softly.

"Olivia, look at me." he whispered, finger under her chin, and gently lifting her head up to meet his eyes.

She blinked away the last of her tears, and stared into his eyes. She wanted so much to break away. To escape reality. But it seemed there was no possible, realistic way that she could ever do that. Of course there was always the coward's exit, but she was too stubborn to end everything like that. Way too stubborn to do herself any harm.

He wrapped his gentle and caring, yet strong and warmth-giving arms around her upper back, bringing her closer into the warmth that radiated from his muscular body. He allowed the embrace between them to remain far more longer than best friends or partners should allow a hug to be, but at the moment he could care less. This was his fragile and broken best friend he was holding up in his embrace, and he could care less what half the department said about this hug between them, which Olivia greatly needed to keep herself together.

Several minutes seemed to pass when the two finally broke free from the hug, but even then, Elliot's arms remained around her waist, while her own arms remained looped lightly around his neck.

"I'm sorry." Elliot whispered softly and regretfully.

"What?" Olivia asked in soft and confused whisper. She had no idea why Elliot needed to be sorry. No idea what so ever.

"I should have told you. Should have told you before you found out when tuning onto the news. I'm so sorry you had to find out like that, Liv."

Olivia sighed, and now their roles were reversed. Instead of him trying to relieve her of her intense sadness and pain, it was now her trying to relieve the stress and guilt showing inside his eyes.

"El..." she whispered softly.

He refused to meet her eyes as he replied "Yeah?"

She gently gripped the sides of his face with her hands, and murmured "Look at me," as she moved his head to gaze into her eyes, which only showed concern and love for her partner.

He sighed, and lifted his eyes to meet hers, and what he saw both excited and shocked him.

"El, I don't blame you for not telling me. If our roles were swapped, I would have done the same thing. Really, El, I don't blame you for not saying anything. I really don't." She told him, looking him straight in the eyes. She is searching for a change in his eyes: A change of emotion; A relieve of that guilt and stress he felt. She sighed softly in relief when his guilt was slowly lifted away from his blue orbs, but sighed worriedly when the stress did not. She opened her mouth to speak, but Elliot cut her off before she got one word out.

"I won't let him get you. I won't. If he comes after you again-" Shaking his head, he trailed off, not able to finish his sentence.

Olivia sighed, and pulled her hair back, tying it up. "El. If he wanted me, he would have come after me already."

Elliot shook his head slowly, completely disagreeing with his partner and best friend of twelve and plus years. "Olivia, I have studied Mark Cane's behavior pattern and M.O. for the last fifteen years; ever since I first had a case against him. He never once let any of his victims live."

"Maybe I'm just lucky." Olivia murmured softly, turning away and walking into the kitchen, Elliot following right behind her. She opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a beer. She popped the lid open, and took a nice, long sip.

"I wish I could agree with you, Olivia." Elliot whispered softly, grabbing a beer of his own. "But with Mark Cane, there is no such thing as luck for his victims. No such thing."

Author's notes:Sorry for the wait! :D Haha. And sorry if this length doesn't cut it but I really thought it was good end to the chapter with what Elliot said. But it's the reviewers that make the ultimate opinion. Your say matters! So if you want to see something done, I will only know if you review!