Thank you for all the kind words, I am truly honored.

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He knows her. He knows when something is wrong. When something is off. But he also knows better than to push her. Knows that's it's better to let her come around when she's ready.

Things have been amazing these last few months. They have made it a personal goal to try to see one another once a week, if not more. They spend time by themselves, they spend time with Noah, they have a date set for next week for the first dinner with his kids and mom. His kids don't technically know but they're older, they have an idea and he doesn't think any of them have a problem with it. Really, he can't ask for anything more at the moment.

But when she calls him at midnight tonight asking if he can come over, he knows it's not a good call over. He can hear it in her voice that something is wrong and he doesn't think he's ever drove so fast to her place before.

When she opens the door, he sees it. Sees the panic in her eyes and fuck, he's about to see an Olivia Benson he's never seen before and he's terrified with her. She doesn't say anything, she doesn't have to. He just steps forward, wraps his arms around her, feels her sink into him. He let's go of her with one hand to reach behind him to close and lock the door and as soon as the lock clicks she's pulling him down the hallway.

She stops at Noah's room, never let's go of his hand as she opens the cracked door slightly to peer at the young boy sleeping peacefully. Something tells him this is not the first time she's done this tonight and he's stays quiet. They both stay quiet. The whole way to her room, their hands clutching tightly and only when he closes her door behind them does she speak, "Can you hold me?"

"Of course I'll hold you."

She nods, releases his hand to lay on her normal side of the bed, slipping underneath her covers on the way and he removes his shoes and socks before he follows. He scoots his body close to hers, wraps his arm firmly around her, pulls her closer to him, so that her back is flush against his torso.

They don't say anything. They just lay there. With his hand resting against her stomach, her hand resting on top of his, the sounds of their breathing around them. He wants to soothe her, to let her know that she's safe now. That she'll always be safe with him. That he'll never let anything happen to her again. So, his thumb absentmindedly begins to rub along the area of her stomach it's resting on.

"You locked the door?" She whispers.

He knows she heard him lock it. Heard the click of it herself. But he already knows, tonight is a night she probably triple checks she locked her door, triple checks that Noah is sleeping peacefully. "Yeah, Liv. I locked it. Do you want me to check again?" Because he will. He'll check as many times as she needs him too. Because he may not have been there before but he's here now. And he's going to do whatever he needs to do to make her feel safe.

She shakes her head, snuggles herself farther into him. Let's him know she's doesn't want him to go anywhere. So, he kisses the back of her head, scoots himself even closer to her if that's possible. His thumb is still rubbing against her and suddenly she takes hold of it, squeezes it tightly.

"They bother me on these days."

They. She's doesn't have to elaborate any further. Her scars. Her scars bother her on these days. His thumb instantly stops rubbing and he's about to open his mouth. About to apologize to her but she speaks again.

"It's like I can feel them. I can feel the pain. I can smell the smell. Like I'm right back there again." Her hand grips his hand tighter and he manipulates their wrists to intertwine their fingers. Squeezes her hand back just as hard. Let's her know that he's here. He'll always be here now.

He's not going to push her to talk to him. Just like he's never pushed her to talk to him. He's just going to be here. In a way he wasn't here before. "You're safe. Here with me and Noah, you're safe."

Her grip tightens on his fingers, "I know." She pauses and he thinks she's done talking. Thinks they're going to fall back into their silence, but she surprises him when she speaks once more. "A victim, today. Had been burned by cigarettes. On her arms. Every burn reference makes me flinch but every cigarette, hangar or key reference? Makes my mind travel right back. The triggers, they've faded. But this one? It never goes away." Her voice is still nothing more than a whisper. She turns suddenly then, in his arms. Wraps her arms around his neck and he keeps his grip tight on her. Stares into those beautiful brown eyes of hers. Her eyes never loose contact of his. "I came home and he was there, in my old apartment. Rollins had collared a man for public indecency and swore there was something not right about him. We couldn't get him on anything. And you know, he gave me a hard time. But how many perps have given me a fucking hard time throughout the years?"

He stays silent. Keeps his eyes on hers because as much as he's terrified to know, he wants to know. He wants to share her struggles with her. He wants to feel every etch of pain she feels because she is his. And he is hers. And they are one. They always have been one.

But then she breaks away from him, unlocks her eyes from his to look at his neck and he feels that maybe she's not ready. Maybe she doesn't want to tell him but feels like she has too because she invited him over her. And he never wants her to tell him under that myth. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me, Liv." He's going to be here either way.

Her eyes snap back to his and when he doesn't flinch away from her, when his eyes stay on hers, she kisses him. Sinks her lips over his and he kisses her back, with the same heat, with the same passion. Their tongues swipe against one another and she sighs into his mouth. And when she finally pulls away, she whispers, "I love you."

"I love you. So much, Olivia."

And then she tells him. Tells him everything. From the moment she walked into her apartment to him to the moment Lewis blew his own brains out. From every ounce of pain she felt, to every ounce of fear she had during those four days in hell. He cries with her, holds her trembling body closer. Tells her she's safe over and over again. Tells her he's sorry for not being there over and over again.

She sniffles against his neck, "Noah, he saved me. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was special. I knew I loved him. And the judge, she knew too."

"He's yours, Liv." A little boy not born from her but a boy who choose her.

"I know."

"You're a survivor and you're so incredibly strong. And you're the best mother to that boy of yours."

She nods. He knows now. Knows everything. And he wonders if she's ever told anyone else everything. Although he wasn't there, he shares her pain the only way he is able to now. And he'll share it with her. He'll share everything with her.

"Will you stay tonight?"

Stay. So, she feels safe. So, he's near her. And really, after tonight, there's no place he'd rather be, ever.