A/N: A few things first. This is my first fic ever, so be gentle. The reviews have been great so far, so thank you! I do not have a beta, but I try to proof it best I can. If anyone wants to be my beta let me know.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the L&O characters. I wish. I do own Abby though and a couple of others later in the story though. Better than nothing I guess.

Chapter 2

Elliott Stabler was having a really bad day. If he thought about it he'd been having a bad year, but he didn't like to think about that. So he kept it to the present. It was only 9 am and nothing seemed to be going right. But when did it ever?

"Yeah...thanks...bye," he slammed down the phone.

John Munch, or Munch as everyone knew him, friend and fellow detective looked up from the file that he was reading. "Problem?"

Rubbing his hands over his face and sighing he replied, "Just another dead end in the Higgins case. We got nothing."

"Hey man, we'll get the guy. There's always something." This was from Odafin Tutuola, or Fin, who was Munch's partner.

Before anyone could respond Cragen walked out of his office. This was the first time that they'd seen him all morning. They knew that he was there, but what he'd been doing all morning was a mystery. The door had been closed as well as the blinds which was somewhat abnormal. But he was the captain; he could do what he wanted.

"Elliott, Fin lab called. They got something in the Higgins case. Get down there and find out what it is. Munch, you're due in court in an hour. Oh, and I'll need you here around 6:30 tonight." He held his hand up before his detectives could ask. "You'll find out tonight. Now get moving." With that he turned and went back to his office and once more shut the door.

"I wonder what that's all about?" Fin pondered.

John spoke up. "I don't know. I heard from one of the uniforms that he's been in there all morning with a victim with a baby. What was weird was that she had an appointment. What vic schedules an appointment to report a case? Why all the secrecy? Why not get us on the case. I'm telling you something weird is going on."

"Oh please, don't get started on your conspiracies. It's too early in the morning. And what's with the gossip. What are you a fourteen year old girl now." Fin interjected.

"I'm just saying it's what I heard," Munch said defending himself.

By then they were outside and parted.

Fin had noticed Elliott was unusually quiet. "You okay?" He asked once they were in the car on their way to the lab.

Elliott looked out the window and mumbled, "Yeah just didn't sleep well." He wasn't about to tell Fin about the dreams and nightmares that plagued him each night. On top of that today was the day. It'd been one year ago when his world had fallen apart.

"Hey, if you ever need to talk or something, you know I'm here for you man."

"I know. I appreciate it. I'll be okay."

Fin knew not to push. He also knew what or who was on his mind. She was never very far from anyone's thoughts. The rest of the ride was silent; each one lost in their own thoughts about one particular woman.

Once the guys left Olivia let out a breath. She'd been hiding out in Cragen's office all morning telling her story. He'd been amazed at what she told him. He'd then filled her in on the news of the station and her friends. She'd been shocked at some of the things she heard. Though she knew it wasn't her fault part of her knew that in a way it was. She may not have had control over the situation but she was the one that had been gone.

Cragen came back in his office. "Alright Olivia, they're gone. Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"

"Yeah. I don't want to run the risk of someone seeing me. I'll be fine. I have somewhere to go. They don't know who I was before last year. To them I'm just a friend of the Morgan's. They're expecting me. I'll be back later." She gave Cragen a hug and then put her hood back on. Just in case.

"At least take the back way out. And then come back in that way okay."

She picked up her daughter. Throwing a smile over her shoulder she said "thanks" and left.

By the time Elliott and Fin got back to the precinct they had forgotten about the mystery guest and about the captains odd request from the morning. They'd finally gotten the break that they needed in their case, thanks to the lab. They spent the rest of the afternoon re-interviewing witnesses. It looked like they were on their way to catching the perp.

Elliott sat at his desk trying to concentrate on the paperwork in front of him. It wasn't working. Maybe he could ask the captain if he could get out of there early. Surely he'd understand. He was about to stand up when he remembered Cragen wanted them to stay. Damn.

His gaze went to the desk across from his. It had been hers. For a long time it had stayed the same. Eventually though it had been cleaned out and he'd been assigned a new partner. The guy hadn't lasted long, only about ten months. Who could blame him? Being a detective in the Special Victims Unit was one of the hardest things to do, due to the cases that came their way. So for now it sat empty. Which was fine by him. He didn't want another partner, he wanted her. He sighed and went back to his paperwork.

Just before 6:30 Casey Novak and Alexandra Cabot walked in. They were the two prosecutors from the DA's office that worked with the SVU detectives. Both were very good at their jobs and both had been good friends of Olivia's. Alex had been in the Witness Protection Program, but in the last year her case had been closed and she had been allowed to come home and was offered her old job back to help out Casey who had filled her shoes. The two surprisingly had become fast friends.

Munch spotted the pair first. "Hey ladies. What brings you by tonight? Did someone call you about a case?"

Alex answered. "No. We got a message to meet Cragen here at 6:30. Do you know what is going on?"

"No idea. He just told us that he needed us here at 6:30. Maybe it has something to do with his mystery guest from this morning."

As Alex asked what he was talking about, Casey walked over to Elliott. She knew what today was and knew some of the pain that he must have been feeling. "Hey Elliott. How are you holding up?" She asked softly.

"Hey Casey." He said without looking up. Casey and Elliott had become closer in the past year both being able to share their feeling about their best friend. She'd really been there for him. More than he'd ever asked for. Casey was the one person that he could be honest with. "Not very good. Hopefully whatever Captain has to say won't last long. I need to get out of here. Today has been hell."

She leaned down and gave him a hug. "I know. It was difficult for me too. I almost broke down in court and then later I cried for 20 minutes in my office. How about we get a drink afterwards? Just you and me."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks Casey." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Good you're all here." Cragen had come up to the group.

"What's this all about cap't?" Fin asked voicing the one question on everyone's mind.

"Why don't we all go in to one of the interrogation rooms and I'll try to explain." He knew that this was going to be one of the hardest things he'd ever do. Listening to the story had been hell in itself. He was now being entrusted to tell it. The story was horrific, but this time it was personal, which made it that much more difficult. He was just glad it had a happy ending.

Olivia carefully watched the group from the captain's office. She's gotten back before the guys had and settled herself in there at his insistence. Thankfully Abby was being quiet for the most part. She didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention. There was Alex out of the Program. God it was good to see her happy again. Munch and Fin looked like they were arguing about something, probably another one of Munch's conspiracy theories. And then her two best friends. She saw Casey walk over to Elliott and quietly speak to him. She so badly wanted to run out the door and shout "I'm here! I'm alive!" But she didn't want to scare her friends to death. Getting Cragen to tell her story first was the right way. She wanted them to hear it from someone else. She wasn't sure if she was able to do it. They needed to understand what happened and where she'd been before they saw here.

After everyone left the squad room she began counting to a hundred. Crossing her fingers she stepped out of her safe haven taking Abby with her. She walked quickly to the viewing room. It would help her prepare herself for when she walked through the door and showed her friends that she in fact wasn't dead, but very much alive.

Looking through the window she could see the confusion on everyone's faces. For the moment she left the speaker off. She'd turn it back up in a few minutes. She just wanted to watch her friends as they were told her tale. She smiled slightly and looked at Abby. She whispered "We're going to be okay baby girl. We're finally home."