Title: Just Another Gamble

Author: Sara and Lizzie

Rating: T

Disclaimer: We don't own Law And Order: Special Victims Unit. If we did, our favorite detectives would be together. We don't own anything that we mention in the story that is owned by anyone else.

Author's Note: Ok, we're thrilled. Our goal was 10 reviews per chapter, and we're getting that. But we're floundering here. Please, tell us how we're doing, are we in character, where should this go, etc. Oh yeah, we promise that the action will increase.

The 1-6, 1:15 am

Olivia opened the envelope Cragen handed her. It was a map of Central Park, with a certain area highlighted. Wordlessly, she handed it to Elliot.

"I really hope this isn't what I'm thinking it is." He remarked.

She shrugged. "Has to be. CSU found it at the house."

Elliot sighed and rubbed his eyes. Olivia placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey tough guy." She said gently, "It's been a rough couple of days. Head to the crib, I got this."

He looked down at her. "You sure?"

She nodded. "Go sleep." She took her hand off of his arm and ushered him towards the crib.

He smiled at her and obliged. She felt a little heat creep to her cheeks, and hurriedly turned and left, to disturb Blair Robert's evening for the second time that night.

Lenox Hill Hospital, 100 East 77th Street
2:36 am

Olivia walked slowly up to Blair and put a cautious hand on her shoulder. Blair whirled around agressively, but her shoulders sagged at the sight of Olivia.

"It's you." She said with obvious relief.

"Only me." Olivia concurred. She jerked her head. "We need to talk." The young girl follwed the detective into an empty hospital room. Olivia shut the door. Blair sat down in the only chair and Olivia leaned against the bed.

She wordlessly handed Blair the map. "You enter the park at 86th, by the museum." Olivia began. "You run downtown, to the East Green and get off at 67th for lattes that you Emily drink in Sheep Meadow."

Blair looked at the map, where her route was highlighted and notes marked the route.

"You take a cab back home afterwards." Olivia said softly.

"Someone's been following me."

"The man who raped you has been following you."

"Also known as my father." Blair said bitterly.

"You don't know that." Olivia countered.

Blair shrugged nonchalantly. "Who else could it be?"

"You're taking it well."

"I don't really care." Blair said, rolling her eyes. "The only thing I share with that lunatic is DNA."

Olivia sighed. Blair was acting the way she would if Elliot were telling her similar information. Olivia looked at Blair carefully, for a long time.

"Blair, you and I have a lot in common."

"Really?" Blair asked skeptically.

Olivia nodded. "I hate when people baby me or pity me. So do you. I hate not being in control. So do you. I hate having my balance threatened. So do you. My father raped my mother. So did yours. I struggle with that every day. So do you."

Blair looked at Detective Benson for a while, silently appraising her. It did make sense. Why else would one decide to investigate sex crimes? She looked at Olivia. Before, Blair had seen someone who looked pretty, but stern. Now she thought she saw a little bit of a softness.

"So we could potentially be sisters." Blair whispered, testing her.

"We could. We could potentially be sisters with half the females in this city."

"Why are you telling me all of this stuff about you?"

"Because I want to form a relationship with you. Because I want you to know how potentially dangerous this situation is. I know it's a lot easier to be flip about the whole thing. But underneath the exterior, know that this could be life threatening."

It was silent for a long time. "How's Emily?" Olivia asked.

"She'll be fine. She wasn't raped."

"She could have been. None of this is your fault, Blair, but you're not safe now. And neither are your friends."

It was silent again. This time, Blair took the oppurtunity. "Where's your partner?" she asked casually.

"Sleeping."

"And you're not with him for that too?"

Olivia raised her eyebrows, wondering if she should get angry, or give in to her curiosity.

"Why would you say that?" Damn it.

"He never stops looking at you." Blair replied with a smile.

The 1-6, 7:34 am

Olivia heard the door to the crib open, and her eyes fluttered up.

Fin stood in the doorway, eyeing her. Olivia groaned inwardly. She had been asleep for less than three hours. She sat up.

"Munch is busy. Cap told me to get one of you to head back uptown to Columbia. We need more on Blair, and her friends. After that, we need to visit Mom and Dad."

Olivia looked over at Elliot, who had been sleeping longer, but also had gotten asked for a divorce in the last forty eight hours. She rolled her eyes at herself. He looked good asleep.

"I'll go."

Columbia University
Morningside Heights
8:29 am

Fin slammed his fist down on the Dean's desk. He and Olivia were meeting with the Dean Of Columbia and the University's head of Security. The security got their message. The Dean didn't.

"You need to let us do whatever we deem neccesary." Fin said sternly.

The Dean just sat there in silence. Olivia stood up. "Fine." She said. "Put your students and faculty in danger. But don't call us when one of them is killed." She moved toward the door, and stopped with her hand halfway towards the knob.

She smiled. "Oh." She added, as if were an afterthought, "And since you won't help us, maybe the public will. So don't call us when this is in all the papers tomorrow morning."

Fin bit back his grin, and got up to leave as well. "Have a good day."

"Officers." They heard. "We'll work something out."

"He's not taking this seriously." Olivia told Fin as they headed back to the squad car, laden with files and disks.

"He's got to save face with alumni and parents paying tuition. As long as we hold the press over his head, we'll get our way."

They walked the next few minutes in comfortable silence. Finally, with the car in sight, Fin spoke. "Heard about Elliot and Kathy." He said causually.

"I can't believe it." Olivia told him in a light, airy tone.

Fin looked at her, not buying the act. "Where does it leave the two of you?" he asked bluntly.

Olivia stopped walking and looked at him for a long time. She shrugged. "I wish I knew."

Gramercy, Manhattan
9:20 am

He sat in his apartment and studied the photos. Blair hadn't responded to his threats or pleas, even after his attack on Emily.

He was disappointed that she wasn't already picking up on his symbolism. Maybe she wasn't as bright as he had hoped.

Blair had been talking to detectives, too. They were no where close to closing in on him, he was sure, but he couldn't take any chances. He would have to start following them too.

And how to attempt to reach his darling daughter this time. He rifled through the pile and selected a third photo, and tacked it up on the wall next to Emily's.

He started to make plans.

Midtown Manhattan
10:54 am

Captain had ordered Olivia to go home and get at least three hours of sleep. She didn't argue. There was nothing else they could do right now. Munch was hard at work going through security tapes of the club Blair had been at the night she was attacked and the hotel's footage.

Fin was in court and Elliot was nowhere to be found. Olivia was fitting her key in the key hole when a piece of paper taped to her door caught her eye.

Liv-
Call me when you wake up.

She recognized the handwriting.