The week began with a tough case, and ended with an even tougher one. Two children, one taken advantage of by a man she knew and trusted, the other by a complete stranger who took so much more. The second young girl was discovered floating in the river near the Brooklyn bridge.

Olivia was kept out of the interrogation room for the week, but was able to make a connection to the victims better than she ever could have before. Her awful situation was turning into an advantage she now had to gain trust and mutual understanding.

It was, however, a struggle for her to keep up with the impossible pace that her team raced through the days at. It was the same pace she used to set. The battle was far from over, but the enemy was waning in size.

Three Months Later

The young teenager entered the precinct that Friday evening, the last day of Olivia's 10th full week back. When the girl entered the precinct, Olivia sat at her desk, organizing paperwork from the case they'd wrapped up and handed to the DA. She folded her hands nervously as she walked in toward the woman who seemed so invincible, so confident to her.

"Detective Benson?"

Olivia snapped her head up to where she stood.

"Taylor. Uh - what can I do for you?"

She pushed her chair out from beneath the desk and stood up. Taylor shifted her weight on her feet as the detective rose inches above her.

"I just - my mom went back to work and I - I just need someone to talk to." She replied, slight shame in her voice.

She felt that she shouldn't be asking for help, that it made her weak.

"Oh absolutely. Come on, sweetheart."

Olivia put a hand on her shoulder gently and then led her into the interview room in the precinct. They both took a seat, Taylor on the couch and Olivia across from her in another chair.

"Can I get you anything?" Liv asked her quietly.

Taylor shook her head.

"Ok. So what's bothering you, Taylor."

The teen sighed. "When I go to bed at night, I have to sleep with the light on because -"

her shame returned

" - because I'm afraid of the shadows."

Olivia nodded, completely understanding what that was like.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

She assured the timid girl, who didn't yet know about Olivia's attack.

"Will it ever go away? The flashbacks, the nightmares?" Taylor seemed like she was struggling to swim in the ocean her assault had created.

Liv nodded, "They will. It may take time, but it will get better."

Taylor nodded, falling into silence again. Olivia took a deep breath. It was time to tell the struggling young woman of her own attack.

"I know you've been looking at this tattoo ever since we met."

She had seen Taylor's eyes glance down there more than once. Taylor looked up to where the detective pointed.

"What does it mean?" Taylor asked.

A deep breath. "It means I survived. This was the brand my attackers gave me, for me to always remember that I was theirs." Olivia replied.

Taylor's face showed her confusion and surprise.

"You were raped too?" She asked.

Olivia nodded. "And I won't ever forget it. But I will learn to live with it, and I will be here for you every step of the way until you do."

Taylor felt a tear slip over the brim of her eye and down her cheek. Olivia stood up, sitting herself back down alongside the overwhelmed Taylor. She wrapped her arm around her and held her closely. Taylor was glad for the comfort.

"I had to sleep with the lights on for three days. I blacked out and went back whenever I heard a car honk, tires squeal."

Taylor felt she was no longer alone. Someone else knew her pain.

"But I'm going to be ok." Olivia hugged her closer.

"And you will be too."

Captain Cragen saw when his detective led the teenager into the interview room. He turned the audio on and stood up at the window as they spoke to each other. Hearing those words come out of Olivia's mouth, seeing the understanding she had in her eyes at the words of seventeen-year-old Taylor put pride in his heart and a sparkle in his eye.

She had always been the most compassionate of his detectives on the job, but now she was so much more so. Every victim could trust her now because she had been in the same situation they had. Except out of all of them, Olivia probably had had it the worst, the most painful, the most traumatic. And yet here she was, talking to a young girl about what had happened to her like it hadn't.

She didn't deserve to have been violently attacked like that, treated like property, subjected to the pain she tried to save every man and woman from on a daily basis. Cragen sighed as he watched her hug Taylor closely as she cried on her shoulder. It was amazing seeing how Olivia rebounded even from something as awful as that. She was standing as tall, if not taller than she had before, and her presence was still a force.

When he walked into the squad room (the days he wasn't first) he could tell when she was sitting there as the calmness reached his heart and surrounded him. He didn't even have to see her to feel the comfort she brought him. He was the captain, the one supposed to provide security for his detectives, but he found her to make him feel safer than he felt he ever could for her.

Olivia would never know how much she meant to Cragen. He couldn't find the words to tell her. And as long as she stayed with him in that precinct, he would never have the need to tell her. He turned the audio down and reached for the door handle into the room, letting himself enter only a little.

"Liv."

She ran her hand gently up and down Taylor's shoulder before standing up.

"I'll be right back."

She left and closed the door behind her, facing her captain in his office.

"Take her home, and go home yourself. You've done great work all week, Liv. I'm proud of you. They were tough cases."

His voice was soft, but she took in every praising word. Her smile relieved him. He didn't think he would ever grow tired of seeing it.

"Aren't they all?" She reached for the handle again.

"Thanks, Captain."

She put an arm out to help Taylor up from the couch, and she disappeared out the front door with the young girl in the protective grip of her gentle arm.

Only moments after his partner had disappeared from the precinct, Elliot, Munch, and Fin wrapped up their trip from supper and entered the squad room. He smiled when he reached his desk and found the sticky note hidden in plain sight, attached to the side of his computer screen.

'Taking Taylor home. Meet you at my place soon. Liv'

His heart sped up as he looked at the black words on the yellow background in his hand. Every time he got to see her outside the precinct, he came alive a little more inside. It was like she was repairing him from years of damage. She mended his invisible wounds with every smile, every laugh, every touch. The way she looked at him made him feel alive again.

"If your paperwork is in, you all can head home."

Cragen's voice came from the doorway of his office. Elliot sat, whipping his pen across the surface of the files for only five minutes before finishing. He couldn't wait to see her again, ever though it had been only an hour or so since he last had. As he walked into his captain's office, he could tell his superior officer had something on his chest. He dropped the files on his desk carefully, his brow furrowed in curiosity.

"What's up, Cap?" He stepped back and crossed his arms.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing." Cragen leaned back.

"Have a seat."

Elliot did so and folded his hands.

"Kathy called. She wanted to know if you'd be home tonight. She was wondering if she could stop by and grab a couple things she forgot."

Elliot sighed, shaking his head. Now his captain knew what was happening.

"You two separated?" Cragen's tone was soft, concerned.

"Yeah. Divorce was finalized three months ago."

He didn't want to talk about it with his captain. He didn't want to talk period.

"You want to talk?" The captain pried gently.

Elliot shook his head again.

"No. It's fine, captain. This was a long time coming. I'm just relieved it's done."

Cragen nodded as his detective stood up.

"I'll see you Monday."

He was gone before the captain could ask him what he really wanted to know. He had noticed the new feelings in the squad room. Not bad, just different. Something had gone further than it had before, and he knew it was with Olivia and Elliot. He smiled. That was not an issue, nor would it ever be an issue. They were best friends, top notch detectives, and none of that was ever going to change.

Olivia dropped Taylor off at her home in Queens, walked her up to the steps, and then said goodbye and headed back across the bridge to Manhattan. Her heart pounded in her throat. She knew that tonight would be the night. Tonight she would take the next step, the biggest step toward a normal life again. And she would take that step with her most trusted friend. She would never be alone again.

Through the traffic of Friday night, she finally arrived in the parking garage beneath her building. She swung her purse over her shoulder and locked the vehicle as she walked to the elevator that would take her to her fourth floor apartment. On the ride up, she reached for her beeping phone and found a message from him.

'Beat ya. No need to pull a gun when you see the lights on.'

She smiled, even chuckled a little to herself. He gave her everything she didn't think she deserved, and even though she hadn't said it yet, she loved him. With every beat of her heart, every breath of her mouth, every kiss, every touch, she loved him.

The elevator opened on her floor, and she walked down the hall until the very last apartment, taking out her key and unlocking the door. There he was, in her small kitchen with a bottle of wine in his hands. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hi."

She smiled wide as she walked in and gave him a quick kiss.

"Happy Friday."

He popped the bottle's stopper off and poured two glasses, Olivia setting down her bag and taking a seat on one of the stools at her counter.

"Thank God." She sighed happily.

He handed a glass to her, from which she took a sip immediately, closing her eyes as the glorious liquid slid down her throat.

"Come here." Elliot reached out his hand as he rounded the corner to her.

She took it, holding it gently as she followed him to the living room and sat down on the couch. Her hand drew circles on the surface of his as they sat comfortably, letting the weight of the week melt off.

"Elliot?" She heard herself saying.

"Yeah, Liv." He replied in a whisper.

"There's something I have to tell you." Olivia felt the words ready to burst out of her.

He found her gaze, their faces inches apart in the dim light of the living room.

"And what's that?" He put his arm around her protectively.

"That I love you." He took and held the words before letting them sink down into his heart. A smile slowly spread across his lips.

"Well it's about time." He chuckled, setting his wine glass to the side table, and the taking hers to place it on the coffee table. He put his hand on her cheek as he turned toward her, and she put her lips to his. They remained in like that, capturing each other's soft lips until Olivia pulled away only millimeters to speak.

"I'm ready."

She moved to put her cheek against his, her eyes closing. Elliot put his arms around her, hugging her closely before putting his lips once again on hers. They looked straight into each other's eyes as he nodded.

"Ok."

They stood up, her fingers locking in his as he led her down her hallway, and into the darkness of her bedroom.