So, here we have chapter 7. When I woke up this morning I saw a a new review from a very lovely reader who truly encouraged me and boosted my confidence a little. Thank you candi711 you made my day! Now enjoy!

Trigger warnings: graphic descriptions of abuse, suicidal thoughts.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, the characters belong to Dick Wolf but this particular plot is all mine!

I'lol be there for you,

Cause you've been for me too.

~I'll be there for you

It was about thirty minutes later when they finally found a pharmacy. From there, they bought some cotton and pure alcohol to clean the wound. The damage on Olivia's arm wasn't really serious, just a medium sized scar that wouldn't even need stitches. The pain in her arm was non existent but the pain in her soul would stay there for a long time.

It was now around four in the morning and the girls were sitting on a bench in Central Park. None of them had uttered a word since that moment on the sidewalk. Suddenly, as they were both sitting next to each other, staring at the beautiful night sky that soon would be replaced by a baby blue color, Olivia felt the need to break that deafening silence.

"Amanda, tell me what happened. Who did this to you?" The southern blonde girl didn't respond right away. Her jacket was still hanging over the brunette girl's shoulder, she reached for the pockets and grabbed the packet of Marlboro's and the lighter that were in there.

She light up her cigarette and took a long drag.

"My father." She said as a thin line of smoke left her lips and swirled around along with the breeze. "As to what happened, the answer is pretty simple." She took another drag. "I was born." Chuckling she phrased that last sentence.

"Amanda, talk to me." Olivia now pleaded, desperate to help the person who never gave up on her. She took one of her hands in hers and squeezed lightly, in order to encourage her.

"What do you wanna know?" Amanda asked, her voice breaking in the end.

"How long has this been going on?"

"About a year and a half." She took another drag and she cut off Olivia before she could ask what she was about to. "Yes, around my one-eighty. Just... the bubbly girl style stopped working for me after a while. That girl I used to be, she was happy. She didn't care about the world, she had dreams, God, she had so many dreams." She paused, taking a moment to greave for the girl that she used to be.

"Amanda you still-"

"Liv, please don't interrupt me." She stopped her friend mid sentence. "If I stop now I will never start again. So please just let me okay?" When Olivia nodded, giving her friend the most encouraging smile she had, the blonde felt a little better.

"It was a Saturday, we had this stupid biology test and I stayed at the library for most part of the day. When I got home, it was around ten pm. I had turned my phone off so no one could get a hold of me." She paused to take a deep breath and calm her nerves down a bit. She took another drag of her almost finished cigarette. "Kimmy was asleep, mama was out with her girlfriends and I thought that daddy would be out too. But he wasn't, he was very much awake sitting on the couch in the living room. When I walked in and he saw me, God, his eyes were bloodshot, I could smell the scotch from the door." Another drag and she put out the cigarette only to light another.

"I had seen him drunk before. Actually I can't remember if I had ever seen him sober. Anyway, he started yelling at me, asking where the hell had I been, if I was with a boy, had I been drinking. You know basic questions but so full of anger and venom." Another drag. "I tried to explain that I was at the library but he didn't wanna listen. He then grabbed me by the arm and threw me on the floor. I asked him to stop, I told him that he was drunk and that he needed to calm down but that only infuriated him more." She let a shaky sigh leave her lips only for a deep and steady breath to follow.

"He started kicking and punching. It wasn't really that bad, alcohol had taken most of his strength away. At some point he stopped and I was just lying there on the living room floor. There was some blood coming out of my nose and my lip was split. And then he told me to get on my knees." Olivia's eyes widened. When Amanda noticed she let a out a dry laugh. "Don't worry it wasn't like that. He didn't rape me or made me do sexual stuff. Instead he told me to turn around. I didn't wanna argue with him, I couldn't risk it. So he took off his belt, ironically the one I had bought for him as a gift, and he hit me with it. Again and again." She started feeling overwhelmed and anxious so she took another very long drag of her cigarette in hopes that the nicotine would do its magic.

"That was the first time he ever hit me. And he has been doing it almost every day ever since. But he has evolved I have to give him that. Now whenever he uses the belt he makes me take of my shirt." She laughed dryly once again. "The bruises on the neck, wrists and, well, my face, happened yesterday night. Rafael had called me to meet him and when I came back home he was in the mood for an old fashioned slapping around. He hadn't done that in a while. Lately it was mostly the belt so I guess I should be grateful instead of bitching about it, right?"

Olivia was next to her, sitting still, speechless with the apathy those words had come out of her best friend's mouth. How could she have missed this? How could she have been so ignorant? Was she too busy with herself that forgot to pay attention?

"Stop beating that pretty little head of yours with questions like 'what could I have done better'. You didn't notice because I didn't want you to notice. You or anyone else for that matter." During her whole disclosure, Amanda didn't dare to look at Olivia's eyes. She couldn't. She could sense that she had so many questions though. "I am done Liv, you can talk now."

But Olivia didn't speak. She just took Amanda into a warm embrace and cried. Cried for her friend that didn't have much tears left. Cried for herself that acted so indifferent. Cried because that was the only thing she thought she could do. After a few minutes she managed to put herself together and pull away from the hug.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She said while wiping the remnants of the tears under her eyes.

"Don't you think that you all have a lot on your plates right now? I mean the last thing you need right now is my abuse to deal with."

"Okay, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard you saying. Remember what we said to each other a few month ago when all the bull with that Nate guy started? Whatever happens Amanda Rollins, friends for life. Which means that we will be here, for both the good and the bad." Amanda didn't say anything. What was there to say anyway? She just pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her head on them, sighing.

'God, please take me away.' That prayer of hers came in mind once again.

"You said you met Raf. Does he know?" Olivia asked placing her hand on top of Amanda's back. When the girl hissed, Olivia quickly backed off. "Sorry."

"S'Okay." The blonde responded. Putting more guilt on her already broken friend, was unnecessary. "Raf, he kind of put the pieces together himself. He saw the look the teacher gave me during the poem and he had touched my back earlier that day in lunch, kinda like you did now. He is a smart guy he figured it out. And before you blame him, I begged him not to say anything to you or Fin." Her voice was so low that was barely audible.

"Okay, he won't hear the end of it for that." She laughed, to lighten up the mood a little. "Now about the poem. First of all, I didn't know you have that in you. You are immensely talented I hope you know that. And secondly, how long have you been suicidal?" The question came out full of concern.

"Quite some time now. In the beginning I pretended that the thoughts weren't even there. But after a while they just kept getting louder and louder and I couldn't ignore them anymore. That's why I started writing. I thought that if I just get it all out on paper, externalize it in some sort of way, it wouldn't be so excruciating. And it has been helping a lot, truly." All that was said with her head still on her knees. Olivia slowly placed her hand on Amanda's neck, caressing it, prompting her in a way to lift her head and look at her.

When the blonde southern girl took the message and lifted her head to stare into the most beautiful chocolate orbs she had seen. What she saw wasn't resentment or disgust. It was love and compassion. Without thinking, she rapped her arms around the brunette taking her into a very tight hug. It was her way of saying thank you.

"God, Manda." Whispered Liv in her ear as she was hugging her back, carefully not to hurt her. "We need to do something. Call the poli-"

Amanda pushes Olivia away to those words and got up. "No way, Benson. My mom knows what he has been doing. And you know what that makes her? A fucking accomplish! And then they will send me and Kim to foster care. And that can't happen, not with Kim's condition. I am fine, I can take it. For as long as it takes." She took her phone out of her pocket and checked the hour. The time was almost 5:15 and she had multiple texts by Rafael on her phone. "God, I forgot about him."

Rafael's last text said: 'Amanda where the fuck are you? At least let me know you two are safe.'

'Raf, we r ok. Call me.'

She didn't have to wait long before Raf called. She answered the phone and put it on speaker.

"Okay Raf you are on speaker. Liv and I had a talk." The blonde said, sitting back down on the bench.

"Liv are you okay? What happened?" Rafael's worries voice came from the other end of the line.

"Serena, happened. I am okay. You won't be, though. You asshole knew what was goin' on with my best friend and didn't think it was important to tell me? Or Fin?" She asked more pissed off than ever.

"It is not my story to tell Olivia and you know that!"

"Okay you too really need to stop talking about me in front of me." When both members shut their mouths she continued. "Rafael, get dressed, and come to Central Park. Take my backpack with you I forgot to grab it as I headed out. Also call Fin and tell him to meet us here, too. We all need to have a chat." The blonde said and waited patiently for an answer.

"Why do I have to call Fin? You know how he gets about sleep." Raf complained.

"Yeah, we know. Just call him, 'kay? We will be waiting for you."

"Copy that." And on that note the Latin boy ended the call.

Olivia looked at Amanda with a very suspicious look.

"What?" Asked the blonde oblivious.

"What was your backpack doing at Rafael's?"

So here goes Chapter 7. How is Fin gonna react to all that? What does the future hold for our four teenagers? I guess we are gonna find out sooner or later. Reviews are always welcome! Till next chapter, take care!