A/N: This is a Childhood Notes REWRITE. If you think I'm trying to copy someone else's story, please look at the story under the name "Childhood Notes Rewrite". You'll get your answer.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Law and Order: SVU, nor do I own any of their characters. I only own the ones that I make up.

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-serenityrayne417 (formally forshame417)

Late that night, Olivia waited in her bed until her aunt had fallen asleep for at least an hour. She was fully dressed, shoes and all. She had shoved her suitcase out of the window earlier. She quietly got up and tip toed towards the it. Here came the hard part.

She stacked a few boxes, one on top of the other. She stepped on one cautiously; making sure it could support her weight before climbing onto the next. She repeated this process until she was level with the window. She opened it quietly and looked back one more time at the basement before wiggling her way through, grabbing her suitcase, and running.

At the Stabler house, Nancy was in her room, reading. Stephen was at work and Elliot was asleep in his room. She got up and decided to check on him. As she reached his room, she heard him speaking and thrashing.

She opened the door and realized he was having a nightmare. She knelt beside his bed and shook him gently, "Elliot, wake up."

After a couple of seconds, he did, "Whaz goin on?" he slurred.

"You were having a bad dream." She watched as her son's eyes darkened as he remembered his dream. She sat down next to him on the bed and put her arm around him.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked, rubbing his forearm.

Elliot's eyes started to water, "I can't do it."

"What?"

"Be away from Olivia," he said, wiping his eyes, "I just can't."

Nancy smoothed back his hair, "I know you miss her," she said softly, "I miss her, too."

"Do you think she's okay?" Elliot wondered aloud, looking up at his mother. Not knowing the answer, Nancy simply hugged her child.

Olivia was wandering the streets aimlessly. She hadn't realized it would be so hard to find a taxi in the suburbs. She was about to give up when she saw a payphone. She smiled to herself and was about to call the Stabler's when she realized their phone number was buried in her suitcase. She didn't want to waste any time and instead called 4-11 for a taxi service.

She ordered a cab and sat on her suitcase as she waited for it. Fifteen minutes later, it came. She stood up and walked over to it, opening the door and putting in her suitcase before sitting down herself. She recited the address she wanted to go to and buckled herself in.

The taxi driver, an old man with gray hair and glasses, turned around in bewilderment.

"Just you?" he asked and Olivia nodded, "Where are your parent's? You're not running away from home, are you?"

"No," Olivia shook her head, "I'm going back home to my parents."

The old man gave her a funny look before peeling away from the curb, "So why are you going so late?" he questioned, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

Olivia shrugged, "I dunno."

The Olivia and the man, Jo, had a conversation for the entire time to Queens. Olivia liked him; he had a grandfather like quality to him. Her heart jumped for joy as Jo pulled up to the Stabler residence.

"Here we are," he announced, "Is this your house?"

Olivia nodded eagerly, showing off her white teeth, "Yeah!" She pulled out the one hundred dollar bill, "Here you go."

The old man took it from her before smiling and handing it back, "You keep it," he said, "The ride is on me."

"But it―"

Jo held up a hand to stop her, "I won't take no for an answer." Olivia smiled at him and leaned over the seat to kiss him on the cheek. She picked up her suitcase and closed the taxi door.

"Bye Jo! Thanks for the ride!"

Jo smiled, "It was nothing. You take care of yourself." Olivia waved as he drove away. She rolled her suitcase to the front steps and rang the doorbell.

In the house, Nancy was just about ready to go upstairs when she heard the doorbell ring. She furrowed her eyebrows and walked back downstairs, opening the door.

At first she thought her eyes were playing a trick on her. Nancy stared at the child on her stoop.

"Olivia…?" she asked, her voice a choked whisper.

The girl smiled back at her, her chocolate eyes glistening with tears.

"Hi, Mom." She said, smiling tearfully. Nancy let out a laugh and hugged Olivia, kissing her head repeatedly.

"You're back!" she cried, "How…?" Olivia shrugged.

"I ran away." Nancy pulled away and in the light of the house she could make out a bruise and cut on Olivia's face. She studied the child's arms and legs and noticed similar bruises.

"Did your aunt do this?"

"Yeah," whispered Olivia, "I don't wanna live with her anymore." Nancy hugged her and stroked her hair.

"You don't have to go back," promised Nancy, "I'll make sure of it." She sniffled and pulled away, cupping Olivia's face in her hands and smiling.

"I'm so glad you're home."

Olivia giggled, "It's good to be home."

After getting settled in the guestroom [which had been refurbished] Olivia snuck into Elliot's room. She tiptoed over to his bed and climbed on, making as little noise and movement as possible.

She stopped when she was about an inch away from his face, "Elliot…" she whispered, "Elliot…"

He roused from his state of slumber slowly, finally looking up at her. When he did, his eyes widened and he had to keep blinking to make sure he was really awake.

"Olivia!" he exclaimed, sitting up and tackling her to the floor. She giggled and hugged him.

"Nice to see you, too." She laughed.

"But I don't get it," he sputtered, "How are you here?"

"I ran away from my aunt," she replied, "She was mean." She explained the past few months to Elliot who listened with rapt attention.

When she was finished, he was blown away, "Whoa, she sounds like a monster."

"She is a monster."

Nancy chose that moment to walk in, "I see you've said hello to each other." The kids smiled and nodded.

She helped them stand up and back onto the bed, "I called Stephen," she said, "And he called Karen."

"Is my aunt in trouble?" Olivia asked, sitting cross legged. Nancy nodded.

"Big time."

Two weeks later…

Madelyn Benson had been sent to jail for quite some time and full custody of Olivia had been granted to Stephen and Nancy.

The four were currently in the guest room. There was a beige tarp spread over the floor. All the furniture had been disassembled and moved to the basement.

Everyone was dressed in jeans or overalls and tee-shirts. Nancy was sporting a red bandana and Olivia's hair was pulled into a ponytail away from her face.

There were three buckets on the floor filled with lilac colored paint. Nancy and Stephen had decided to remodel the guest room as Olivia's bedroom.

"Everyone ready?" asked Stephen. His wife, son, and now his daughter, held up their paintbrushes. He switched on the radio, "Let's do this."

As they began to paint, the song American Pie by Don McLean came on.

The family began to sing along, but as the tempo speeded up, they began to dance around the bedroom.

"Bye-bye, Miss American Pie!" they sang loudly and somewhat off key, "Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry!"

Olivia let out a gleeful shriek as she felt Stephen pick her up and throw her over his shoulder. He spun her around, making her laugh. Nancy and Elliot were dancing together in the corner, doing the twist although it was for a completely different song.

Olivia looked down at the man holding her and then the woman dancing with her best friend and decided this was what life should be like.

QUESTION: Should I make a sequel, or just continue on adding chapters. If I do make a sequel:

What should it be called?

How old should they be?

THANK YOU, TERRENA, FOR YOU AMAZING IDEAS! Without you, this chapter wouldn't have even existed!

-serenityrayne417