It was midnight and Olivia Benson finally laid down to get a good night's rest. They had just closed a big case that had taken up most of the squad's time for the last two weeks. It was one of the rare cases that ended before the perp had hurt the victim. It made every minute of hard work worth while. Here lately she had been working in overdrive because her partner had some focus problems. He was going through a separation that only she knew existed so she was really having to cover him. He did not want everyone finding out because he hated sympathy and personal questions. Olivia was good not to give him either. She would ask questions sometimes but she knew better than to push. She knew her partner and she knew that he would talk when he was ready. She thought about calling and checking on him but instead she laid on her pillow and quickly drifted off to sleep hoping that no one would bother her until she woke on her own.

Across town in Queens, Elliot Stabler lay in his bed thinking of his family. They had been gone for a month but things never started getting easier. Elliot missed hearing his kids fighting as soon as he opened the door when he got home from work. He missed the chaotic mornings when everyone was trying to get ready at the same time and kept bumping into one another in the hallway. He missed helping Kathleen with her math and the twins with their science projects. Sometimes he even missed his wife. He still loved her but he wasn't in love with her. They had been growing apart for the last two years. He just couldn't talk to her about everything and she didn't understand that. She thought that he was keeping things from her and that is what they fought about mostly. So one day about a month ago when he got home from work all he found was a note from Kathy. It explained how she couldn't do "this" anymore and how he would have to pick her or his job, he couldn't be married to both. That infuriated him. How could she ask him to make that kind of decision. This job is who he was and he knew she would never understand that. Sometimes he hated his job but he felt like he had to do it. He couldn't see himself in any other department. He had called Kathy and talked to her but she stood by her ultimatum. They finally agreed to separate and see what happened. She had taken the kids and went to her mom's house and left him alone to think about all of the decisions he had made. Olivia had told him to call his wife when she seen how bad he was taking it but he wouldn't do it. He knew everyone would be miserable if they tried to work things out and he refused to put his kids thru all of the fighting and the huge let down when things went to pot all over again. He knew him and Kathy were not in love anymore and they never would be again. Even though he was still having a very difficult time he refused to get back together with her just because he couldn't stand to be alone. Kathy let him see the kids whenever he wanted to so that was not a big issue. He did miss coming home to them every night but he knew he could always go and pick them up if he got off work in time and he had even let them stay over and took them to school the next morning whenever he could. He finally started drifting off around 1:00. Little did he know, he would not have long to sleep.

At 3:00 am Olivia's cell rang waking her from her restless sleep. "Benson," she said groggily.

"Olivia, I know you haven't been asleep long but I need you and Elliot down 5th and Lexington as quickly as possible. We've got a rape homicide and Munch and Fin are already there canvassing. Call Elliot and have him meet you down there," Captain Donald Cragen said.

"Yea, be right there," Olivia said holding the phone away from her ear a little. She had a terrible headache probably from lack of sleep and Cragen wasn't helping any by talking so loudly into the phone. She ended their call and hit two on her speed dial. As she waited for Elliot to answer she grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and threw them on her bead.

"Stabler," he finally said impatiently into his phone.

"Sorry to rain on your parade but our full nights sleep got cut short. We've got a rape homicide at 5th and Lexington. Meet me there, I'll stop for coffee." Olivia said as she pulled her pants on.

"Ugh, I just got to sleep good. Okay, I'll see you in a little while." Elliot responded. They both flipped their phones shut at the same time. Olivia left about five minutes later and drove through Starbucks on the way. She finally arrived at the crime scene around 3:45. "What do you got for us?" she asked Dr. Melinda Warner as she walked up to the body.

"Female, late teens early twenties. COD is a knife wound through the heart but she was tortured before that. She has restraint marks around her wrists and ankles and a lot of cuts and bruises, some look to be at least a week old. She is also very dehydrated. See how when I pinch the skin it stays that way for a while. He probably held her captive for a week and didn't bother to give her any water much less feed her anything. Time of death looks to be between 11 and 1. I will have to get her back to the lab before I can give you anymore." Warner said before motioning to one of her techs to come and load the body. "Thanks, call if you get anything else. Elliot and I will hit missing persons and see if they have anything," Olivia said as Elliot walked up eyeing the body as it went by. "You got coffee?" he asked as he turned back toward Olivia. "Well hello to you to Elliot. And yes that is our only victim, she was killed from a stab wound to the heart. Thanks for asking. Oh by the way, your coffee is in the cup holder in my car," Olivia snapped. She knew he had been through a lot lately but it was her job as his partner to keep him on the straight and narrow. "Sorry Liv, I am just really tired okay." he apologized. "Yea Elliot, join the club. Everyone here got woke up in the middle of the night just like you. We are all really tired," she said as she turned and walked to her car. He took the coffee from her, "Thank you, why don't we meet back at the station house and grab a sedan before going to missing persons." he suggested. "Sounds like a plan," she nodded and got into her car.

By the time they arrived at missing persons it was 5:00 in the morning. "Liv, I'm sorry about this morning. I know your just as tired as I am and I want to thank you for taking up my slack here lately. I know I have been off my game and there is no excuse for that. Just start kicking me in the butt a little more often and get me going again. I don't want you to do my work for me anymore." Elliot said as they parked the car. Olivia let out a small laugh, "I have no problem kicking you in the butt," she smiled at him before continuing, "Elliot, I don't mind helping you out here and there. I understand you are having a tough time but I will promise you to do my best to keep you going on the job. In return, just let me know what is going on with you instead of brooding all the time. It will make you feel better." Elliot nodded in response. Olivia gave him a small smile in return. She knew how hard it was for Elliot to let things out but she also knew she understood him better than anyone else including Kathy. She knew what he saw every day because she saw the same thing. She also felt the same anger and frustration that he felt day after day. And yet again, here they go starting on another case of some unidentified innocent young girl who was unable to survive this deadly city in which they lived.

"Give me a general description of your vic and I will see if I have a match," said Tores, the man that Olivia and Elliot were talking to. "Around 5'7", 125 lbs, brown hair, green eyes, late teens/early twenties, no visible tattoos or markings," Olivia said. "Hmm, let me see, we have five possible matches. I'll pull up their photos," Tores said. He pulled up all of the photos and then enlarged each one so that the detectives could see them up close. "That's her," Olivia said as Tores pulled up the third picture. "Andrea Stinson, age 21. Missing for five days, reported by her mother" Tores said as he was interrupted by Olivia's cell phone. "Benson…we'll be right there." She closed her phone and attached it back to her hip while nodding her head to Elliot. "That was Warner. She's got something for us." Elliot nodded and turned towards Tores, "We will call you later for the address and the rest of the information on Ms. Stinson." Tores nodded, "Ill print it out and have it faxed to your office if that will help you any." "Thanks, I will let my Captain know." Elliot replied as he followed Olivia towards the exit.

A few minutes later the two partners entered the morgue. "What gives?" Elliot asked when he seen Warner hard at work. "Well, I missed this at the crime scene because I didn't roll her but when I was doing my pre autopsy exam I seen it," Warner replied leading them to the victim. "I still haven't made sense of it though. It is definitely odd." Warner uncovered the victims back to reveal the mark the perp had left on her shoulder blade. Olivia and Elliot looked at it and then each other. Olivia then looked back at Warner, "Bastard child, I wonder what that means." Elliot shrugged his shoulders, "Lets go figure it out. Thanks Warner, call us if you get anything else." Warner nodded and the two detectives left.

"Munch is running the perps Mo and then him and Fin are going to finish canvassing the area," Elliot told Olivia as he pulled the car over at Carla Stinson's house. "A knife through the heart seems pretty personal. Maybe we can call Huang over later to start a profile," Olivia suggested. "You really think that is going to help?" Elliot scoffed. He was not big on psychiatrists and everyone knew it. Olivia rolled her eyes as they exited the car and walked to the front door. "I hate this part of the job," Olivia commented before Elliot knocked on the door. A middle aged woman opened the door and looked at the two detectives. Elliot and Olivia flashed their badges, "Are you Carla Stinson?" Olivia asked. "Yes, this is about Andrea isn't it?" Ms. Stinson asked with her bottom lip quivering. "Yes it is. I am so sorry Ms. Stinson but we think we may have found her body last night. Is there any way you can come make an identification," Olivia asked in a soft soothing voice. Ms. Stinson covered her mouth and a few tears ran down her cheek. She then nodded, "Let me get my coat."

After Ms. Stinson had made a positive ID Olivia led Elliot over to a corner in the morgue, "I will take her home and you can stay for the autopsy. I want to ask her a few questions and then I will be on my way back." Elliot shook his head and leaned a little closer so that Ms. Stinson for sure wouldn't here him, "She is handling this way too well Liv. That woman is a ticking time bomb and if she explodes it may get ugly. We will take her home, ask her a few questions, and then both come back for the autopsy.." "Fine," she snapped, "I was just trying to save some time. Let's go."

When they were back at Ms. Stinson's home, she invited the two detectives inside. She told them she would answer all of their questions if it would help find Andrea's killer. "Ms. Stinson, do you know anyone who would want to hurt your daughter?" Olivia asked. The woman shook her head, "No, as far as I know Andrea did not have any enemies. She worked at a day care and she never talked about having any problems. She loved working with the kids. They were all she thought about." Olivia smiled, "What about a boyfriend? Did Andrea have one?" "No, she dated some but she never stayed in a relationship for very long. There wasn't many people that she would let get close to her. Her best friend Julie at the daycare may be able to help you more," Ms. Stinson said. Elliot nodded then asked, "What about Andrea's father, where is he?" Carla Stinson's eyes fell to the floor, "Detective, I don't know who Andrea's father is. I was…I was raped 24 years ago. They never found the man who did it. A few weeks later I found out I was pregnant with Andrea. I have never forgotten that night but I love my daughter very much. It was hard at first but she was still my baby. I was always afraid that I would see his face in her but she got most of my features. I just thank God everyday that she was a girl. If she had been a boy I don't think I could have handled it." Elliot glanced at Olivia before replying. Olivia nodded, "Okay, if we need anything else we will be in touch. Here is my card, call me if you think of or need anything." And with that Olivia was turned and headed for the door. Ms. Stinson grabbed her arm and Olivia froze in mid stride. She looked at Ms. Stinson, "What is it?" Carla looked up at her, "Detective Benson, please catch Andrea's killer. She has suffered her whole life. She deserves justice." Elliot was a little confused but Olivia simply nodded in understanding. They walked out the door and toward the car. She could feel Elliot staring at her. "I'm fine Elliot, it's just another case," she said without turning to face him. "Liv, you know, it's okay not to be," he said. Olivia stopped and turned to face him, "Look, I'm okay. I don't want to talk about how this case affects my personal life. Let's just get through it okay," she snapped. Elliot threw his hands up in defense, "Fine, whatever you say." They got into the sedan and headed back towards the morgue for the autopsy.