Disclaimer: See Chapter One

CHAPTER TWO:

"Well that went better than expected," stated Olivia after stepping outside of the Walker's house and into the warm New York air and bright sunlight for almost noon.

Elliot only nodded in response and kept his gaze straight ahead.

When they had told the parents about their daughter, both had been able to hold themselves together to give the detectives with some details. Olivia admired them for that; even though both were concerned about their daughter they still tried to help the detectives catch the guy so he couldn't hurt more innocent people. Not many people could do that as quickly as the Walkers did.

They had seen Stephanie last night at around six-thirty, when she stopped by after class for dinner. Apparently, it was a custom for Stephanie and her family to have dinner together every Friday night. Since she was an only child, it was just Stephanie and her parents. She left at about seven-fifteen, according to Mrs. Walker, because she had to go home to get ready to go out with her friends. Close to midnight, her friends called Mr. and Mrs. Walker, asking about Stephanie. Apparently she hadn't shown up that night and she didn't call, and then they became worried. Her parents thought she just decided to stay home and forgot to call. After that, neither of her parents could talk much more about the situation, and the detectives decided to let them have their peace.

Olivia shook her head and cursed silently. Now, not only were Stephanie's parents talking to her, but neither was her partner. Their conversation would definitely have to be soon.

X X X

"Stephanie was a sweet girl from what I knew. Then, again, she is one of the many students to have walked through our doors," stated Principal Nora Front, the principle of St.Francis College, as she led Munch and Fin into her office. "She did quite a lot of volunteer work and liked to help out at some of the hospitals around here. She was rather quiet and shy, but she always seemed to be with a loud crowd of friends."

"How 'bout her grades?" asked Fin preferring to stand while his partner took a seat.

"They were very decent, a top student in most of her classes. She was never a problem either, but that friend of hers, Kim Leahey, now she was quite the character. I don't know why they were friends; I never would have guessed it until I saw them talking together a couple days."

"Can you give us the room number of Stephanie? We'd like to search her room for any evidence," asked Munch as politely as he could. Nora went over to her computer and typed in something before returning to her desk.

"Sure, anything to help catch this guy," replied Nora as she wrote down the number on a piece of paper and handed it to Munch.

"Do you know if she has a roommate?" asked Munch getting up.

"Hang on," said Nora as she went back to her computer to check. She clicked her mouse a couple times and typed in some more before turning to the detectives. "Well, I guess I knew less about Stephanie as I thought." She turned back to the computer before giving the detectives a doubtful look. "Apparently she shared a room with Ms. Leahey."

X X X

Olivia decided on cornering Elliot before he left work that evening. If he wouldn't talk to her now, then she was going to ask Dr. George Huang, the Unit's Psychiatrist, to address him.

She decided to take the opportunity to do so when he got up to go get his belongings from his locker in the locker room. The only people left at the 1-6 besides them were Munch and Fin and they were just finishing up paperwork.

Olivia quickly got up and followed behind him. She placed her forearm on a locker and leaned against it, watching him and waiting for enough courage to finally confront Elliot.

"What do you want?" he asked after a couple of seconds. He didn't even bother to turn around.

"We need to talk," stated Olivia simply, coming closer.

"About..?"

"Your divorce."

This got his attention. He stopped searching, turned around and gave her a questioning glance. "What about it?" he asked without even the littlest hint of emotion.

"Elliot," she began trying to keep her cool, "you have been nothing but miserable for the past two weeks! You have barely said more than a sentence to me since Scarry announced it to the public! Talk to me Elliot, It'll help."

He sighed and shook his head before meeting her gaze again. "There's nothing to talk about. Stop worrying about me, Olivia. I don't need you."

Olivia's jaw dropped about three feet. That last part had certainly hit her hard and she suddenly couldn't keep it in any longer.

"No, Elliot, I think you do need me," she replied, her voice raised just enough to let her anger have the better of her. "You just keep pushing me away! All I have ever done was try and be there for you through all this! If you would just talk to me-"

"I already told you," he cut in, raising his voice to a loud yell, "there's nothing to talk about!" He looked away form her then and lowered his voice a great deal, but it was still much of a yell. "You wouldn't know anyway."

By now Olivia was fuming. She spoke before considering her words in an attempt to just get him to talk to her.

"I might know, Elliot, if you would tell me what's been going on! Maybe I do know what you're going through if you'd just-"

The next thing she knew, Olivia found herself slammed up against the lockers and a sharp pain shot through her back. She closed her eyes and winced in pain. When she opened them again, she found herself staring into her partner's blue ones. However, the usual lightness and calm in them had been replaced with a dark cloudiness.

He had on the same look as he got when interrogating an 'un-cooperating suspect'. It was often able to make them break for fear of losing an arm or leg, or receiving a broken rib, but hell, it made Olivia want to scream for the sheer terror that her partner had finally gone off the deep end.

She managed to keep her scream in long enough to see the desperation and depression in his eyes. He had her pinned by her shoulders up against the lockers. She tried to lift a hand up to caress his cheek in an attempt to calm him a bit, but he grabbed her wrist and clenched it tightly. She let out a small yelp as he forced it hard against the locker, while keeping her pinned with the other hand.

"Don't tell me you know how I feel," he said through gritted teeth as he shoved her again against the locker. "You've never had anyone care about you. You and your pathetic relationships! They never last more than a month! Most of them don't even make it to a second date!" He was yelling again and Olivia felt herself on the edge of tears. "You've never had a family to care for you!" He leaned in so their faces were inches apart and whispered through his clenched jaw "You don't even know your father. All you had was your drunken mother, and she couldn't stand to look at you."

Olivia couldn't hold it in any longer. She felt her salty tears sting her cheeks as they flowed faster and faster down her face. How could her partner of six plus years say something that cruel? She knew he was going through a lot, but there was absolutely no reason for him to be like this; especially to her.

"Elliot," she began; her voice no more than an audible whisper. "I-I-" she stuttered trying to find her voice and the right words. She was still in complete shock over what he just said. Still silently crying, she tried again, "there was n-no reason for-"

And then his hand dropped her wrist and she thought he was regaining himself. But then he drew it back and struck her across the face. Hard.

She felt the throbbing pain of her jaw and tasted blood on the inside of her mouth. Although she was temporarily stunned, she was still able to see him draw his hand back and almost if by natural instinct she screamed.