Chapter 2: Struggling

Olivia could feel Hope shaking in her arms as she entered the RWHC.

"It's okay, Hope," she soothed, stroking her back gently.

"Olivia, it's not safe." she whispered into her shoulder. "If Daddy finds out I'm here, he'll be really mad, and he's scary when he's mad."

"Does he drink?" Olivia asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

Hope nodded. "He's always drinking," she replied softly. "He can't even get through one day without at least six beers."

Sighing, Olivia shook her head disapprovingly, She couldn't fathom how anyone could put their family through this kind of torture. Suddenly, as if on cue, Doctor Andy Campbell came out of her office. She noticed Olivia standing by the door with Hope in her arms and rushed over to them immediately.

"Olivia, what happened?" she asked.

Olivia looked down at Hope. "Honey, can you tell Dr. Campbell what you told me?" she asked. Hope glanced up at her with frightened eyes, silently telling her that she couldn't trust anyone else.

"Dr. Campbell won't hurt you." Olivia assured the shaking girl. "She's here to help."

"That's right," Andy chimed in, trying to help ease Hope's fears. "And if it'll make you feel better, Olivia can come into the exam room with us."

Olivia flashed her old friend a grateful smile. "Would that help?" she asked Hope, who nodded.

"Ok, let's go see what we can do about those bruises," Andy said as she and Olivia exchanged worried glances.

"Can you go with Dr. Campbell for me for a few minutes, Hope?" Olivia asked gently.

She nodded, but she looked confused. "Aren't you coming with us?" she questioned.

This time, it was Olivia's turn to nod. "I'll be right back," she promised. "I just have to run back to the precinct really quick. Don't worry, you're in good hands with Dr. Campbell." With that, she transferred her into Andy's arms and headed toward the door.

"I'll take care of her." Andy called as they watched Olivia leave.

Back at the precinct, Olivia found Elliot in her office, which was where she'd left him earlier.

"Hey, El," she said, trying to hide the fact that she could burst into tears any minute. The effort was in in vain, though. Elliot knew right away that something was bothering her.

"What's wrong, Liv?" he asked as he came to her side and squeezed her shoulder.

Olivia knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she decided to tell Elliot what was going on. "You remember that voice I heard earlier?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I remember," he answered.

"Well, it belonged to a seven-year-old whose dad drinks six beers a day and beats her and her mom when he loses his temper," she told him with a sad, bitter sigh.

He shook his head disapprovingly. "Whoa, that's rough, Liv," he said as he gave her shoulder another squeeze. She nodded.

"You're tellin' me." she agreed. "I took her over to the RWHC. She's with Andy now. I just came back to grab my camera so I can take pictures of her bruises for evidence."

"Do you want me to go with you?" he offered, knowing that it must be hard on her to face that alone. She nodded, offering him a small smile as she grabbed the camera off her desk.

"Let's go," she answered bravely as they headed back to the clinic.

"Andy?" Olivia called as they entered.

"In here." Andy called back from her office.

"This way," Olivia said as she led Elliot down a hall and into the open office.

"Olivia, you're back!" Hope cried when she saw her.
Olivia nodded. "I am, and I brought a friend with me this time," she said with a smile. "This is my partner, Detective Stabler. "

"You can call me Elliot, though," he told her, his smile matching Olivia's.

"So, what's the verdict, Andy?" Olivia asked cautiously.

"She's a very lucky girl," Andy replied. The x-rays I did didn't show any broken bones. She told me how she got the bruises, so I had someone take pictures of them as evidence against her dad. The photographer works in the lab upstairs. I gave her a painkiller to take the sting out. The bruises should heal in a few days."

"Did you get the pictures back?" Elliot asked.

Andy nodded. "They're over there," she said, pointing to a manila envelope that was sitting on her desk. Elliot walked over to it, picking it up cautiously. Inside, just as Andy had promised, were pictures of Hope's bruises. He shook his head again as he showed them to Olivia.

"Can she leave?" Olivia asked as she flipped through the photos.

Andy nodded. "Sure," she replied. "I'll do the paperwork."

Hope held her arms out to Elliot, who picked her up gingerly. Olivia knew why she trusted him. It was because he was a friend of hers. Suddenly, she looked frightened again. "Olivia?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" Olivia answered.

"You're not taking me home, are you?" she questioned.

Olivia shook her head. "No, Honey, we're not," she assured her. "We're going back to Elliot's house."

"That's right," Elliot chimed in. "You'll be safe there."

With that, the trio headed out the door and back to Elliot's 2-story house that was nestled in the heart of New York City.

Author's Note: For story purposes, Elliot and Olivia are both single.