Hi Guys, as usual I cant be bother to proof read. Hope you enjoy. I really liked writing this chapter.

Feel free to review.

Fin bumps into Carisi as they walk into arraignment court.

"Cap okay?" Carisi asks, having expected her to come to the arraignment.

"Yea, just got better things to do than watch this ass wipes arraignment"

Carisi nods, knowing that Fin is smudging the truth a little as the he saw Liv on the way in this evening. Leaving it at that, Fin sits in the gallery as Carisi sets himself up before the judge.

The Bailiff brings Burton in, still wearing the same cheap suit as the day before. The bruises on his face now evident. Surely as a result of some central booking brawl….

Burton exchanges some hushed words with his slimeball of a lawyer before the charge is read out.

"One count of assaulting a police officer"

Judge Ellery begins, "Mr Lowe, how do you plead"

"Not guilty, your honour" he says, with a smile on his face

"Mr Carisi…"

"Remand your honour, the defendant has shown himself to be violent and has the means and opportunity to flee" Carisi declares.

Lowes lawyer begins, "Remand is excessive. My client has no criminal record and vehemently maintains his innocence and looks forward to the opportunity to prove it. This is just an attempt by an over-zealous cop turn DA looking to protect one of his own."

"I'll meet to both halfway, bail is set at $500,000 and an order of protection will be granted to the alleged victim" Ellery bangs his gavel over the sounds of Carisi's protest. "Next case".

Lowes's lawyer guides him out of the court room. As they pass Fin in the gallery, Lowe stops, giving the man a smile.

"Liv wasn't up to it? Pity. Give her a message for me, will you?
Tell her that if she insists on pursuing this dog and pony show, that my defence will be as thorough as possible. She will be on trial right up there with me. All of her dark little secrets. All the sordid details of our romance. Every single second…"

Fin was trying not to punch the man in the middle of a court room but suppressing that particular urge was rather difficult.

Burton continued "You know, she's actually pretty good in bed once you get past the cobwebs. Got to be okay if she accidentally says someone elses name though. I didn't really mind though; I just wanted a fuck. 'Elliots' a lucky guy though, I guess."

At that, Fin took a step forward, a lunge really. His hands forming fists. Seeing the situation escalating, Lowes lawyer quickly escorts the man outside before a brawl broke out in front of Judge Ellery.

Fin turns to look at Carisi who was standing there, much in the same position as Fin; ready to punch Lowe. They both share a glance which basically translates into we have to get this guy.

As Fin begins to walk out of the courthouse, he starts to think about what he is going to tell Liv. He isn't going to satisfy that fuck by relaying his message of humiliation, but he does have to warn her that its not going to be pretty. Burton is going to come after her. Hard.

She was already a fair distance in front of him, so he began to slowly jog, an act to which his knees protested. He was gaining on her as she turned the corner. When he finally rounded that same corner, he saw her approaching Fin. At that, he slowed his pace. His determination to talk to he seeming to fade as their little bubble popped. He didn't want to interrupt them, but he couldn't help watching her. Watch as the life seemed to be kicked out of her. He didn't know what had happened but as Fin began to talk to her, her usually neutral face turned white, and a look of pure defeat fell upon it.

Elliot couldn't hear what was being said but, by the way Fin wrapped Liv into his arms and hugged her, he knew that it was personal. This wasn't a case gone bad. This involved Liv. Something had happened to Liv, and he hadn't no idea what. His eyes flickered up to the bruise on her face and he knew then that it and her current reaction were connected. Somebody had hurt her. Recently. He had been back, and someone had hurt her. He failed, yet again, to protect her. At that thought, his stomach began to churn.

A few more moments pass, before Liv turns away from Fin and resumes her walk away from the Court house. He wants to follow her but doesn't know what to do. He failed her yet again, does she even want to speak to him? Will she tell him to 'back off'? Does he even deserve to beg for her forgiveness?

Fin is still standing there, in front of the courthouse, watching Liv walk away from him. Elliot decides that Fin will know what is best for her. If Fin tells him to fuck off, then he will. Save her the trouble.

She hasn't dared to look back to see if he is following her. As much as she wants him to, she doesn't know if she ahs the energy for this right now. There is so much to talk about, and she is so fucking exhausted. She decides that the next move is his. If they are even to rebuild their relationship, he has to start doing some of the fucking leg work.

She rounds the corner of the courthouse as she sees Fin approaching her with a less than pleased look on his face. She immediately stops, bracing herself for the news of Burtons arraignment. Praying he got remand but knowing her likely didn't.

"Judge let him go for $500,000 and also gave you an OOP" Fin Says, as he is jogging down the steps.

She feels the anxiety set in again. She isn't afraid of him, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want him locked up.

"So, he's out now?" she asks, trying to hide the utter exhaustion in her voice. She is just so tired of fighting.

He nods, seeing the defeat in her face and he moves to give her a hug. Something they rarely do. Both having tough exteriors but knowing each other so well. She collapses into him, enjoying, if only for a moment, being taken of. Their hug only lasts a few seconds. They pull apart and share a glance.

This glance is not full of a complicated history, jumble with guilty and lust. This glance is simple and communicates only a few words.

I got your back Liv.

Getting the message, loud and clear, she smiles and turns to walk away, resuming her path back to the precinct.

Fin watches as she walks away. He knows that she can take care of herself. She is the strongest person he has ever known. But God he wished she didn't have to always fight. His friend deserves better.

Elliot is approaching Fin at a wary pace. He is still debating the wisdom of his decision not to follow her, but he knows he'd probably just fuck it up even more. Just as Elliot is about to call out to Fin, Fin turns around and sees Elliot approaching him.

"Is she okay?" Elliot asks, trying not to overstep.

"Listen man, you can just stick your nose into her life whenever it suits you and then run back to being UC at your convenience." He says, the annoyance evident in his voice.

"I know" he responds "my UC op is done now. I'm home for good, I swear. I know I've fucked up but I want to try and work things out, you know"

"'fucked up' doesn't even begin to cover it man. That night you showed up at her home, high as a fucking kite. That was fucking not okay. Noah was asleep in the next room. I would've fucking beat your ass for that alone." Fin says, in a not so jokingly manner. "I don't know what you said to her but you showing up like that scared her."

Fin stopped, watching Elliot come to some kind of implicit realisation.

Scared

That is not a word readily used to describe Olivia Benson. Something had changed.

Elliot stood there, trying to comprehend this realisation. Not only had something recently happened to Olivia, as evident by the bruise on her face, but something else had happened. Before. Something much worse. All of these thoughts are flying through his head making his stomach churn once more.

"What happened today, Fin? What is that bruise on her face?" he says, trying to avoid any thought of what that 'something else' could be.

"It's not my place to say, man. But you need to talk to her. She has been hurt by too many people, including you. You can't just pop up every now and then. If you're here. You have to be here. Be here for her. She needs you. She needs you to be there for her, like she has been there for you these past twenty three years." Fin says, staring Elliot right in the eye.

"I will… I mean I am. I am here to stay, and I really want to make things right. I just…. Don't know where to begin." Elliot responds, with a pleading look in his eye.

"Listen man, you guys got to sort this out. You need to talk. I will tell you this though, Noah is at a dance camp for all of this week. Might be a good opportunity… as long as you check with Liv first, okay."

Elliot nods, appreciating the bone he has just been thrown.

"You hurt her again and I'll kill ya" Fin says, as he turns to walk away.

Olivia is sitting on her couch, nursing a glass of wine, taking a mental catalogue of the past week. The past month. The past year. The pas fucking ten years.

Once again, she is under attack. It may be in a court room, but she is still being victimised.

He is coming for you, is what Fin had said.

She knows what that means. Although she was grateful that Fin has explicitly shared what Burton had said, she could imagine what he has in store.

There was plenty in her history that he could bring up. Many traumas. Not to mention their shared history. Their sexual relationship when she was sixteen, whilst illegal might provide some sort of ammunition for whatever cockamamy defence his lawyer could concoct. Then, there was also that night at the hotel. It hadn't exactly been straightforward, or strictly vanilla for that matter. She had enjoyed it, physically. Although she knows that it should mean nothing in relation to the case, she's been working special victims long enough to know that Juries don't always look at it that way.

God, every fibre of her being just wants to crawl up in a ball and stick her head in the sand. Whilst she knows she can't do that forever, she can tonight. She was home. Safe. Comfortable. Had no responsibilities while Noah was away, and she also had the next day off. She could, if only for a day, proverbially stick her head in the sand and enjoy it.

As she was contemplating what she will do with her newfound hermit status, her phone dings. She goes to pick it up, praying to anyone who will listen, that they haven't caught a case. She opens her phone and just stares at the text before her.

Is it alright if I come over?