Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't sue!

A/N: this chapter is more E/O! YAY!

sorry about the fact that they wouldn't have had DNA tests and crap, but O WELL!


In the Back of My Mind

Chapter 3

A Cry in The Dark

"Are you okay?" Kathy asked the girl huddled in the corner.

She shook her head.

Monique Jefferies wrapped a towel around her body and crouched down next to the girl.

"You aren't in our cabin, where is your group?" she asked softly, handing an extra fluffy towel to the shivering stranger.

She shrugged, a tear falling down her cheek. "I-I don't know!"

"Are you okay?" Monique echoed Kathy,

The girl shrank back, clutching her face in her hands, Kathy stood quickly.

"I'm going to get Jess," she pulled her clothes on quickly and ran from the showers just as Olivia worked her way inside.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked, dropping her stuff on the floor and leaning down next to Monique.

"She's not talking Olivia," Monique said, "Can you stay here? Cragen will show up and I need to be decent."

Olivia nodded and took a seat on the tiled floor.

"I'm Olivia, what's your name?" she shot the timid teen a half smile.

"Melanie," she coughed out, "You're Olivia Benson?"

Olivia nodded.

"Do you want to tell me what happened? I might be able to help you out."

Melanie bit her lip and shivered. "What if he hurts me again?" she asked Olivia reaching a hand out for comfort.

Olivia grasped Melanie's hand and squeezed it gently, "If you tell me everything, I'll make sure that he doesn't."

Olivia found a strange thought hit her, Melanie looked about sixteen, she could have talked to Kathy, who was also sixteen or even Monique, who was fifteen but instead she was talking to a fourteen year old girl who acted more like a guy than a girl.

"I was going to take a shower, I like to wake up early because I'm kind of self conscious. There was a note on the door saying to use these. I assumed Cragen posted it for some reason." She paused to take a deep breath and Olivia patted the back of her cold hand reassuringly. "I stripped down and got into the shower, the next thing I knew, someone had tied a washcloth around my eyes and then he… he…" Melanie's eyes watered with tears.

She looked at Olivia; silently begging her not to make her say what had happened out loud.

Olivia's eyes filled too, "If you want me to help you, you need to tell me what happened. I can't push you in the right direction, I'm sorry."

"He raped me," Melanie lost her control then. She collapsed into against Olivia, neither of them caring that her wet hair was soaking Liv's red, ribbed tank top.

The door into the showers banged open and Melanie flinched.

"What happened?" Jessica demanded, crouching down next to Olivia and Melanie.

Elliot jogged in to stand next to his sister. His eyes locked with Olivia's pained brown ones. Melanie scooted away from him, still attached to Olivia's hand.

"You may want to get Cragen and the Special Victims Unit!" Olivia muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Melanie," Jessica soothed, "Let Liv go and hold my hand, we are going to get someone to help you, okay?"

Slowly Melanie's fingers uncurled from around Olivia's and she grabbed onto Jessica.

"El, go get Cragen, and take Olivia with you, she's the only one who knows what really happened here."

Olivia hoisted herself up and smiled at Melanie, "It'll be alright!" she promised before turning and heading towards the door with Elliot.

Once outside, she stopped to access the water damage to her outfit. Her black, cotton skirt was perfectly dry; the edge was just curled under from sitting on the cold floor making it a little shorter than normal. Her shirt wasn't so lucky. A large spot of water stained her right shoulder and small droplets had dribbled down her front.

"How'd you do it?" Elliot asked once they had started jogging towards Cragen's office,

Olivia spared him a glance, "Do what?" she asked, taking the steps two at a time. Elliot followed closely behind her.

"Kathy burst in on Jess and I saying that the girl was hurt but wouldn't talk to anyone. She talked to you." He opened the door for her and they hastened inside.

Olivia thought for a moment, "I didn't push her to tell me, I simply asked who she was first and offered support. She just needed someone who wasn't going to judge her."

Elliot smiled at her, "You're amazing Liv, you really are!"

Olivia brushed her hair out of her face and pushed Cragen's door open.

"Can I help you?" Cragen asked, campers usually avoided him at all costs. Of course, not all campers had a parent whom he worked with on a daily basis.

"Don, there's a problem in the girl's shower 3. Something happened to one of the campers." Elliot stated, talking as though Detective Cragen were an old pal.

Cragen stood quickly and grabbed his badge. "What kind of problem?" he asked.

"She wouldn't tell anyone except Olivia." Elliot explained, placing his fingers in the small of Olivia's back.

Cragen looked impressed, "What happened?" he asked.

Olivia looked at Elliot before turning back to Cragen. "The girl's name is Melanie, according to her; a note was posted on her showers telling her to use a different one. While she was showering, someone tied a washcloth around her eyes and then raped her."

Cragen's eyebrows went up quickly, "Dear God," he breathed, tossing his cell phone to Elliot. "Call your Dad,"

The Detective dashed out the door and down the steps while Elliot hurriedly dialed his father's phone number. Olivia collapsed into a chair and buried her head in her hands. Elliot quickly belayed the message and hung up. His dad would call the correct New York precinct.

Olivia felt a hand brush the hair from in front of her face and tuck it behind her back. A finger trailed down her arm to gently grasp her hand and pull her to her feet. Elliot gently wrapped her into a comforting hug and brushed his lips across her wet shoulder.

"You did great Liv!" he whispered, kissing her skin again softly.

OOO

"What do you mean you can't do anything?" Cragen hissed. The two uniformed officers standing in front of him didn't say anything. "That girl spilled her whole story to another camper, why don't you think it's real?"

The first officer shrugged, "Look, sir, we understand that you are only trying to help but orders are orders!"

"Orders?" Cragen asked, "Why?"

"Sir," the second cop started, "She couldn't even tell us she was raped, let alone what happened, there is no physical evidence. Our captain said to drop it."

The first cop straightened up, "Please remember that this area is our jurisdiction."

They straggled to their car and left the camp. Cragen pushed his hands through his graying hair.

"They aren't going to help her are they?" Olivia twirled a lock of hair around her fingers

Cragen looked at the girl, "They can't!" he whispered.

She was stronger than most girls, that much was obvious. Olivia's eyes showed years that had not yet been completed and her face was usually serious unless she was around her close friends. Cragen knew her past; he had been at the 1-6 when her mother came in to report the rape. This girl was ten times stronger than her mother. She would join the force one day.

"I believe her!" Olivia mumbled, her eyes were blazing dangerously.

"So do I!" Cragen replied, pulling the teenager into a hug.

"I'm going to find out what happened to her!" She continued, daring him to disapprove.

"As long as I don't know about it, that's fine!" he released her and watched her walk away.

Munch locked eyes with Cragen from a few feet away,

"That one's going to end up working for you someday!" he commented.

Cragen nodded, "Either that, or she'll be in SVU."

"Wouldn't it be hilarious if all these New York hooligans grew up and joined NYPD?"

"John, you would die of a heart attack before work with any of them and you know it!"

Munch chuckled, "Yeah but I work in Boston, not the city!"

Cragen looked at him carefully, "Not for Long, Johnny Boy, Not for long!"

OOO

"That girl was raped and they aren't doing a thing about it!" Olivia paced the dock while Elliot surveyed her with his arms folded.

"There are very specific cop procedures!" he defended, "They need the complaint directly from the victim unless the victim is dead!"

"Well, I heard it directly from the victim, so I'll investigate."

Olivia watched the moon's reflection play off of the water.

Elliot stepped forward, "No, Livia, it's dangerous!" he took a deep breath, "Baby if something happened to you…" he trailed off.

"Did you just call me baby?" Olivia asked, trying not to smile.

Elliot nodded sheepishly.

"When Fin calls me Baby it's just annoying, but that, that was cute!" she raised one eyebrow at him.

"Does that mean you've given up this crazy idea?" he asked, knowing that she hadn't.

"El, the Police aren't doing there job in this case, so I'm going to do it for them!" Olivia let her hand cradle his cheek gently.

Elliot turned his head so that his lips brushed her palm, he felt her intake of breath and saw her step backwards, almost into the lake.

"You know, real Police have partners!" he added, giving her a half smile.

Olivia smiled back, "Are you saying you want to be mine?" she asked.

"No- I mean, yes, I mean… Do you want me?" she was a little taken aback by his wording "I mean," he started again before she interrupted him,

"Elliot? Shut up Partner!"


tbc...