***

Olivia watched almost fascinated as she tried to keep her mouth from hanging open. In a matter of no more then thirty seconds Jessie had completely devoured the huge meatball sandwich. "Hungry?" Olivia asked, trying to keep the tone out of her voice.

"Poor college student," Jessie explained, licking a thumb clean of tomato sauce. "With bills to pay." She finished off. Then she noticed a bit of meatball left on the wrapper and ate that too.

"Jessie Bear you worry me like crazy you know that?!"

Both Olivia and Jessie turned to see Casey Novak striding up to them.

"I don't worry you, you worry yourself." Jessie corrected, whipping her mouth clean. Then she stood and Casey hugged her so tightly Jessie whined out, "All right enough! I'm fine!"

Casey took her by the arm and pulled her away so they could talk a little more privately. "What happened?"

"Nothing, everything is fine I'm just here because-"

Olivia turned in her chair to watch them. This was something she normally wouldn't do, she was pushing into a personal family business but she almost couldn't help but to observe them. Even though they were almost complete opposites in physical manner it was obvious they were related, and close at that. They made the same body gestures and Olivia had noticed that they both had that glaring stare that could bore into anyone. They looked almost like mother and daughter. Strength.* That's what it was! That's what had been bugging Olivia ever since she had first seen Jessie. That was what made them seem so the same. While Casey kept her strength showing mostly on the inside Jessie showed it off in her tough grins and muscles. But it shined through their eyes.

"One...day...you are going to go home with the wrong person!" Casey was scolding Jessie as Olivia came out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine Aunt Casey! I can handle myself, besides I always go to their place." Jessie cocked a smile but that only made Casey frown at her more disapprovingly,

"Even worse!" She was trying to keep her voice low but it wasn't working out to well.

"Please not another lecture!" Jessie gritted out,

Casey paused a moment and then something lit up in her eyes, "This is about Anngie isn't it?"

For a moment it was like Jessie had stopped breathing and her whole face went pale then she spat out, angriest Olivia had seen her, "I'm not going to be like you! I will no cower behind my work and let the pretty ones pass me by..." Swallowing hard Jessie took a few steps back towards the door, "No way in hell." Then she turned and sprinted out of the station.

Elliot who had been watching as well walked slowly up to Olivia and the two met eyes and then very softly he gestured with his head towards Casey.

Olivia just looked at him and he did it again, this time almost more urgent. Olivia got it, she bit her lip, not sure how to approach this. She hardly knew ADA Novak, and certainly not enough to go comfort her over personal issues. Finally she couldn't take her partner's look anymore and she got up and went to the chair was Casey had sat in.

Her face in her hands Casey whispered out, "She hates me."

"I'm sure she doesn't." Olivia offered, she pressed her teeth for a moment, what else could she say? She took a seat in the chair next to Casey. She put a hand to Casey's shoulder, who looked up at the touch. "I'll drive you home."

"All right." Casey agreed.

Outside it was already dark and only getting darker and a strong wind had started to blow the leaves and trash across the almost empty sidewalks.

Olivia paused to put her coat on and when she was done she looked up to see Casey standing off to one side, looking at something that wasn't there. "Worried about Jessie?" That sounded like the dumbest question to ask.

"Yes." Casey answered back, her voice almost monotone. Then, "I love that kid like she was my own." Emotions creeping into her voice and threatening to consume her whole. "And I worry about her; I worry about her every second of the day."

"Does she know?"

Casey smiled a sad smile, "I'm sure she does it on purpose, just so I'll worry."

Olivia smiled back the same sad smile, "No, I mean does she know how much you care about her?"

"I hope so..." Casey stopped,

"What?" Olivia asked leaning forward a little bit, they were whispering now.

"It's just that...her whole life Jessie was never allowed to come out of the closet and then she comes here and it's like...overkill almost."

"What happened before? What made it bad before?" Olivia asked, she suddenly realized how close they were standing; she didn't remember either of them moving closer to each other.

"I love my brother," Casey took a quick glance at Olivia meeting her eyes for the first time all day; maybe it was the first time ever. "But he married the biggest homophobe known to man. When Jessie was sixteen her mom walked in on her and a girl."

Olivia took a sharp intake of breathe without meaning to.

Again Casey glanced at her, "Yeah...she hit the roof! She threw the girl out right away and then charged at Jessie..." Casey closed her eyes against the pain, "The things she said...she beat her senseless and then ordered her out of the house. She's been with me ever since."

"God!" Olivia whispered, looking far away. She couldn't image the pain if her mother did that to her, if she had done that when she was Jessie's age or even now. "What about Anngie?" Olivia asked and then kicked herself mentally, she shouldn't have asked that, now it was clear she had listened in on their conversation.

Casey didn't say anything for a while then decided to be truthful. "It's a long twisted, soap opera kind of tale, but in short. Anngie and Jessie have been best friends forever and Jessie's been hopelessly in love with her since the day they met. But Anngie could never feel that way back and Jessie knows it, so instead she goes out and sleeps with every girl that'll take her." Casey pressed her teeth together. "I try so hard..." Then she stopped; she had no more words in her.

Olivia studied her face for a few moments, "You know I think this is the first time we've ever talked, I mean really talk."

Casey smiled the first real smile all day, "Take me home Detective."

Jessie came into the house using her key and then once inside she tossed her keys effortlessly onto the corner table.

"Hey Dear heart!" The sweetest voice in the world rang out from the kitchen.

Jessie breathed in deeply a few times before shrugging off her coat, she tossed that towards the table as well, it fell to the floor. "What did you burn?" Jessie asked as the smell came from the kitchen to her nose.

"Mac and cheese!" Came back the reply.

"Oh make something else Ann!" Jessie said, throwing her head back in annoyance. She went into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Anngie from the back.

"Hello to you too." Anngie said with a smile as she tried to scrap burnt pasta and cheese from the pot with a wooden spoon. "How was your day?"

Jessie shrugged, "Whatever." She released her and started down the hall towards her room.

"Let's order pizza," Anngie suggested.

"You can, I'm good."

Anngie frowned, "Since when do you say no to pizza?"

Jessie didn't answer, she just slammed the door to her room.

"Thank you Detective." Casey said sincerely, as Olivia dropped her off at her apartment.

Olivia smiled and waved, "Do you want me to see you up?"

Casey paused, considering it, but decided not to, even though she wanted her to. "No thanks."

"All right bye."

Casey watched as Olivia drove away and then after a while she went into her building.

After dropping Casey off Olivia started the drive back to her own apartment. She was doing what she always did when she was driving, she thought about her work. She thought about the case, she thought about Jessie and how hard her life must have been and then her mind wondered to Casey. For the first time in a really long time her head, heart and soul wasn't filled with gruesome sights and realities of the human race, it all went kind of...peaceful for a moment. Olivia found herself smiling when suddenly something hit her. "Shit!" Olivia muttered softly and slammed her palms against the steering wheel again as she felt the frustration hit her. "Shit!" She said again, a little louder this time. After another moment of thinking Olivia turned the car around. She headed towards Jessie's house.

Olivia parked the car in the driveway and jumped out and headed towards the front door in a fast walk. It was more then just forgetting a central point she needed to discuses with Jessie about. It was a feeling of dread deep down in the pit of her stomach she couldn't ignore.

"Jessie?" Olivia called out as she reached the front door and realized it was slightly ajar. Olivia unholstered her gun and with the tip of her foot pushed the door open. "Jessie?" She called out again, nothing answered her back. The house seemed empty. She glanced around; it was a living room with nothing but a chair and a small table. There was something on the edge of the lock. Olivia leaned closer and realized it was blood.

Hair prickling up on the back of her neck and her gun raised, Olivia made it through the doorway and into the kitchen, it was empty. She started slowly down the hallway, close to the wall. There were three doors, the first one was the bathroom, it was empty. The second one had its door fully open; it was a bedroom, which was empty too. The last door was at the very end of the hallway and that was about halfway open.

Swallowing hard Olivia crept closer and with her foot pushed the door open all the way. She looked around and saw that the walls were literally covered floor to ceiling in posters of singers, bands and a whole lot of woman. This had to Jessie's room. Olivia walked in the room a little more and on the other side of the messy bed was Jessie lying on the floor bleeding. "Jessie!" Olivia cried out and flew down to her side. "Jessie!" She said again, more urgent as she realized she was unconscious and her breath was shallow. Olivia took in Jessie's body fully and she had to look away. She thought she was going to be sick. After a moment Olivia looked back and saw that it wasn't only her vaginal region that was shredded and pooling blood but there was several large cuts running up and down her thighs. It only took a split second to take this all in and then she slapped Jessie's check lightly. "Jessie." She said again, quieter this time. Nothing happened, fighting back tears Olivia brought out her cell phone. "This is Detective Olivia Benson-"

Just then Jessie's eyes opened weakly and she moaned out in pain. Her pupils darted slightly and then she focused on the older woman.

She gasped something out but Olivia couldn't understand her. She leaned closer, her ear right up to Jessie's mouth.

"My dumbbell." Jessie's voice was so faint Olivia could barely understand it the second time. Then Jessie's eyelids fluttered and closed.

"No stay with me!" Olivia commanded and then in the corner of her eye she spied a twenty-pound dumbbell with blood on one head. Pressing her lips tightly together Olivia took her eyes off of it and started to tend again to Jessie.