Author's Note: Okay, I've been encouraged to continue, so I will, but I've played around with the sequence of events. This chapter takes place before the last one. Please review. Thanks.

Twenty minutes earlier

"What's the matter with you?" Elliot asks his partner. Its not meant to sound harsh but it does. Olivia gives him an annoyed look but no answer. She's not in the mood for an argument. "Olivia," he demands. She's been acting strange all day, all week in fact, and he's had enough of it. He wants to get to the bottom of this, like a good detective.

She takes a deep breath and grinds her teeth, willing herself to remain calm. She doesn't want to fight with him right now because it wouldn't be about him. It wouldn't be fair to him. And she just doesn't have the energy. Normally she would have no problem going at it with him, exchanging accusations and explanations, but not now.

His words attack her again. "Do you even care anymore?" he asks now, his voice cold. "You were all over the place in there." She glares back at him. Why is he telling her this? She knows, after all she was there too. "Liv, if something's going on with you just tell me." He's pleading with her to open up, but she quickly rejects him.

"Leave me alone Elliot," Olivia finally speaks. She turns and walks away from him. So she was a little distracted during an interrogation-a very critical interrogation. There's worse things she could do.

They're standing outside the station house in the fading sunlight. He had followed her out there only a few minutes ago after she stormed out of the squad room. Now she walks back towards the precinct. Her day isn't over yet, she just had to clearher head,get away for a bit, but he wouldn't even let her do that.

"Fine!" he shouts at her, throwing his arms up in resignation. "I was just trying to help you." He shakes his head and wonders why he bothers. Its obvious she doesn't want anything to do with him.

She doesn't turn around to respond. "Well, I don't need your help." It seems to be an automatic response lately, her answer to anyone's attempt to get over that twenty foot wall she built around herself.

"Yeah, you're right," he snaps back. "You don't need anything from anyone-keep telling yourself that." He can't help being frustrated. He's not getting through to her. Why do all the women in his life have to be difficult, he wonders.

Olivia stops and turns herself around slowly. "Why do you care anyway?"

He looks her dead in the eyes and answers, "because you're my partner." She rolls her eyes turning them away from his. She finds it hard to believe that all his nagging and meddling stems from care. It seems awfully convenient. She decides that he just wants to be able to fix things, to be important. It's a terribly pessimistic and unlikely notion and far from her regular outlook, but she figures she's entitled to it. She usually welcomes the interest in her life. Frankly, its nice to have someone looking after you. But now she wished he'd just leave her alone. Let her live her life, no matter how badly she's doing it.

She sighs and pinches the top of her nose between her two fingers. "Listen, I'm sorry if I'm messing up the case. I'll try to keep my personal life from interfering with my work." It's a feeble attempt to end the conversation. She knows that's not what this confrontation is about, but if it stops this exchange then she'd gladly accept it.

"Olivia, that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about you, and I don't understand why you just won't tell me what's going on. I'm sure, whatever it is, I could help." She silently snickers at that last statement. Help her? No one could help her. "We can't work together if we don't trust each other. And you keeping something from me is going to blow up in our faces eventually."

"I'm not keeping anything from you," she replies meekly in defense.

Elliot shakes his head. "Don't lie to me on top of it all."

"Why should I tell you?" she cries suddenly. "What's that going to do for either of us."

"You have to trust me, Liv! I can't read you god-damn mind." Again she's walking away. He goes after. This seems to be a common occurrence in their relationship. The familiar dance they do over and over again. One chasing after the other, trying to help, the other resisting, insisting there's nothing wrong. When is it enough? When do you accept that the other person doesn't want your help? They've both wondered that before on separate occasions. Working with someone shouldn't be this deep, but they're more than co-workers. "Alright, walk away! Pretend there's nothing going on! You're real good at that!"

Olivia's body whips around with the speed of lightening. "I was raped!" she spits at him. Tears start to fill her eyes. "There. Are you happy now?" There are people walking past them but she doesn't care. She drops her head. She can'tlook him in the eyes right now. He would see right through her. Past the pathetic facade of strength and ability to the debilitating truth of fear and weakness.

Elliot's mouth drops open. He's in complete shock-unable tomove or speak. Heprays he heard her wrong, but knows he didn't. His mind is telling him to respond, say something to her, but he just stands there staring at her wide eyed. Nothing could have prepared him for that.

Olivia looks at him with inconsolable eyes. She's waiting for him to make the next move because she's unsure what she should do now. Instantly she regrets telling him. She knows she just permanently altered his view of her. That single sentence will change the way her looks at her forever. She won't be is strong capable partner anymore. She's poor fragile Olivia now-the cop who couldn't even protect herself. She doesn't want to be a victim, that's why she refused to mention it, or even think about it. She tells herself she's different from all those women she encountered in her role as a SVU detective. She's in denial, deep dangerous painful denial. She nods and licks her lips, as if to say see what you did.

Finally she succeeds in walking away from him. It's only a matter of time before he goes after her.