"They have this case," Savina started, and Lindstrom adjusted his position on the couch. She had been quiet, unusual for her since she had seemed keen on starting the process, if not for her sake, then for Olivia and Rafael's. He took her at her own pace, never forcing a subject on her. Sometimes, he would lead at first, just to get the flow going, and sometimes she would. But today, she had been quiet. He asked her if she was alright, and she said she didn't know where to start, so he just told her to take her time. It had been about three mintues, when she finally uttered those words. "It was one of Olivia's first cases right after she started with SVU, but it wasn't until three years ago did they finally close it," she continued. "A young boy had gone missing, and they found his body three years ago. The trial took a turn right around the same time I started coming here," she added.

"You're worried that this might be the case with you?" he wondered, not entirely sure how Olivia's case had any bearing on Savina. Savina shook her head. "No, no. That's not what I mean. They've been pulling late nights at home since the case started," she elaborated. "And I usually stay up to get some school work done, since I sleep most of the day, or at least try to," she corrected.

"Nightmares are normal, they're gonna take a while to shake," Lindstrom interrupted, and she nodded. "I know, I know. I'm just grateful I don't freak Noah out, but that's not the point," she stopped, and released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "She seems different, they both do. Suddenly, I can see them looking at me differently, sneaking glances at me as I work, tiptoeing around me. They weren't like that….it's…..it's like they're waiting for me to fall apart or something."

Lindstrom smiled, realizing that the subtle looks weren't of pity or wariness, but something else entirely. "You said the case remained cold for ten years," he started, and she nodded. "And a little boy had gone missing, and only three years ago did they find his body and capture his killer," he continued, and she nodded yet again. "Doesn't the circumstances strike you as slightly similar?" he asked, and she frowned. "Look at it from their perspective, a little boy goes missing, his mother hopes for his return for ten years, only for his body to be found….." he trailed off when he saw understanding in her eyes. "Kinda like how it was with me, but I was found alive!" she concluded.

"And it's gonna take more than two weeks for that to be a subconscious thought. Many people when dealing with cases that involve children feel a need to go home and hug their own," he elaborated, and she nodded. "Those looks are simply reassurances that I really am there!"

Olivia couldn't believe what had transpired that day, the case was going from bad to worse. And now Huang was testifying for the defense that Hoda made up the confession just because she was aggressive with him. Bullying is what he called it, and now the jury had been deliberating for days…. stalling is what Rafael had called it, and he was going to take a deal. Eight years for the murder of Hector Rodriguez! It wasn't enough….it wasn't fair…but it was better than nothing. Because she knew as well as he did, that juries that take this long to come to a decision hardly come to a good one. After all, they had done it with her. If only Laurie Colfax would allow Wyatt to testify…. this case might have been stronger, and they wouldn't be in this place right now.

Her heart broke for Deloris, that man killed her baby in cold blood, and now he was barely getting punished for it. All because Huang decided to testify for the highest bidder, and threw his morale and their friendship to the wind. She had spent ten years hoping that one day Hector would return, and they took that hope away the second they showed up at her doorstep in the dead of the night. Olivia knew what was in store for her, she knew how she felt, how she spent the last three years. The birthdays at the grave, the little knick-knacks that you hold on to and keep hidden from prying eyes, the fake smile you wear for people, the tears you cry alone in the dead of the night. She had done it all…..she knew exactly what Deloris felt…..she had been feeling it for seventeen years. And no matter how hard she tried to hide her pain and agony, cases like these always brought it to the surface. She rested her head on Rafael's shoulder, glad that she didn't have to go through it alone anymore. She had him now, she had Noah. Her little boy, her pride and joy, her light in the seemingly unending darkness. She knew that she was probably going to stalk right past Lucy, straight to his room, and cuddle with him on his tiny toddler bed. She was grateful the brunette knew not to take it offensively when she did that anymore, especially that she knew the toll this case took on them both.

She sighed as she entered the apartment, immediately discarding her purse and coat, before she hastily slipped out of her shoes. She heard the rustling of papers, and footsteps in the living room, and she figured she at least owed Lucy a brief greeting, before she beelined for her son's room. She gingerly walked into the room, trying to get her emotions under control, before she met the young girl. She had a toddler to cuddle to, and a baby to mourn.

"Hey," she heard the soft voice, and her head snapped up from whatever it was she was studying on the floor to buy herself some time, and her heart sank. How could she think like that? How could she forget? A baby to mourn…..her baby wasn't dead…..not anymore. She was alive and healthy, standing behind the couch with a few of Noah's finger paintings in her hand, her hair pulled up, in sweats and a t-shirt, and her wrists in a bandage. She kept staring at her, her eyes brimming with tears of guilt, tears of longing. How could she forget that she got her baby back?

Savina simply smiled softly at her, her pained eyes showing nothing but understanding in them, as she placed the papers in her hands on the back of the couch, and allowed them to slide down. "It's okay," was all she said, as if she read her mind. And that was all Olivia needed to throw caution to the wind, purposefully cross the living room, before she engulfed her in a hug. She hadn't hugged her since they got back from the hospital, except once, and it was for a few short seconds. She knew Savina needed her space, and she happily gave it to her. But this case had taken a huge toll on her, she had wanted to hug her every day after court. And as it appeared, it had gotten so bad, that she forgot her baby was alive.

She had expected Savina to tense up a little, but to her delight, she didn't. She simply raised her arms and put them on Olivia's back, one hand rubbing it comfortingly. She wasn't really hugging her, but it was a start. "It's okay, I'm here," she whispered into Olivia's shoulder, and Olivia tightened her arms around her, the tears finally slipping past her closed eyelids. Though she wasn't sure why exactly she was crying at the moment. Was it the situation? Or was it because she was finally holding her daughter?

Savina smiled at Barba over Olivia's shoulder, who looked devastated as well, and he too looked like he needed the assurance of her presence. So she offered him one hand, which he took without hesitation and squeezed it reassuringly.

After a few minutes, Olivia finally pulled back, and cupped Savina's cheek, who only smiled softly at her. "It's okay. I've been alive for two weeks, and back home for one. Consciously speaking, you know I'm here, you know I'm alive. But it's gonna take some time for your subconscious to catch up. It spent seventeen years with me being dead, and two weeks – especially with a case like this – won't erase those. It's gonna take some time, give yourself that," Savina spoke softly, her tone gentle, loving and warm. Barba saw so much of Olivia in her, especially the tender, caring side she used when dealing with victims. He smiled at Savina's thoughtfulness, how she knew what went through her mother's head. He hadn't missed how she used the word 'home' but didn't comment about it, and he knew that Olivia noticed it too. He also knew from Olivia's reaction that what Savina said was true, Olivia – in her current state of distress – forgot that her child was alive and well, and reverted to her default mode of mourning the loss of her child, seeing as how Deloris was mourning her. He knew the case was hard on Olivia, reminding her of the time she lost Savina, and he knew that as hard as it was to keep a distance from Savina, she desperately needed to hold her, to reassure herself that she was back. He knew the case and the distance were taking a toll on her, but he hadn't realized that it had gotten to the point that her mind reverted back to a time when Savina was dead. But she was right, it's gonna take more than two weeks to overpower seventeen years.

The next day, it all went straight to hell. The judge declared a mistrial because the jury couldn't reach a verdict! A hung jury! A split jury! He guessed it was better than a not-guilty verdict, at least this way they can re-try the case if new evidence ever showed up, but he had serious doubts about that. It was days like this one that he hated Olivia for making him care about the victims more than his bottom line, when he had joined SVU, he had been warned about her drive for justice for the victims, but he was arrogant enough to think that he will be able to shut her down if it's a lost cause. But as it turned out, she was the only one who could challenge him, and actually win. She changed him, made him better, made him fight harder, not just for the sake of winning, but for justice, for what's right. But it came with a price, now he was devastated for Mrs. Rodriguez. Hasn't that woman suffered enough?

They all stood outside the courthouse, wondering where it all went wrong. Most of the jurors were on their side, a couple believed the confession was coarsed, and one believed Lomatin did it!

"Some of the jurors would like to light a candle for Hector tonight," Deloris interrupted Olivia's rant about retrial, and Barba's angry face immediately became one of pain and sympathy for the grieving mother. "Is that alright?" she wondered, and he immediately nodded, "of course."

She seemed distraught, rightfully so, but thankfully, she didn't seem to hold a grudge against him. "Thank you, Mr. Barba. I know how hard you tried," she said after a little pause, placing her hand gently on his chest, and he felt like a terrible lawyer at that moment. He should have won that case for that poor woman. The logical side of his brain reminded him that this wasn't a perfect world, but he didn't listen to that side at the moment. He was overwhelmed with emotions, and awe of the woman. She had the presence of mind to reassure him at her current state!

"You guys going to the memorial?" he wondered, his voice choked with so many emotions, he didn't care to name any of them. Carisi and Rollins were standing with him and Olivia, since Finn was with Savina at her check-up. Olivia had tried to go with her, but when the jury came back, Savina all but kicked her out of the waiting room, so Finn went to get her instead. All three nodded, so they made their way over to their respective cars. He saw Olivia fish out her phone, and knew that she was checking up on Savina.

People gathered around Hector's graffiti, lighting candles, and placing flowers. Some of them said a few words to Mrs. Rodriguez, and some simply chose to stand in silence and pray for the little boy and his mother. Officer Lomatin was there, as well as most of the jurors, making it clearer for Barba and Carisi which of them were the ones to cause the problem. It reminded them both that a problematic juror is what started the entire situation with Savina, and Barba wished someone had shived Hoda in prison and just saved them all the trouble.

Mrs. Rodrigues was inconsolable, she held a picture of Hector close to her heart as the tears silently made their way down her cheeks. She looked over at her large portrait of her baby boy, his face looking back at her, and she wished with everything that she could just hold him one more time.

Olivia was squeezing Barba's hand so tight, she was sure the circulation was cut off, but it was the only thing she could do to stop herself from sobbing. She put herself in Deloris's shoes, someone had hurt her baby, a lot of someones…and if one of them ever walked…she couldn't even imagine it, and she was praying to anyone who listened with everything in her that she won't have to live it. She dropped her head heavily onto Barba's shoulder, and that's when she saw something from the corner of her eye. She raised her head, and found Laurie Colfax standing right behind Deloris, looking up at the picture of Hector herself. She merely smiled at Olivia's questioning, and surprised gaze, before she placed her hands on Deloris's back to get her attention.

The Hispanic woman turned around, and sobbed at the sight of the now-brunette. "He's getting away with this," she hiccupped past her tears, and Laurie shook her head. "No, he won't. I spoke to my ex-husband, and to Wyatt," she started, and Deloris's dark irises immediately filled with hope. "Wyatt will testify, we'll cooperate. We're going to trial, and he won't get away with this," she promised her, before she engulfed her in a hug.

Carisi and Rollins both looked baffled, and exchanged glances with an equally surprised Olivia and Barba.

"Will that be enough?" Laurie asked, once she pulled away from Deloris, and Barba nodded wordlessly.

"What changed your mind?" Olivia asked, and Laurie smiled at her, before she turned around and looked at something across the street. They all followed her line of sight, and to their surprise, Savina was leaning against a squad car with Fin standing beside her. "She's the spitting image," she commented softly, and Olivia's head snapped back to look at her.

"Officer Lomatin told me the story," Deloris started, and Olivia averted her gaze. "I'm very happy for you, Lieutenant. And I'm very happy that you got your baby back after all these years, and don't have to go through what I am any longer," she spoke softly as she patted Olivia's hand. She looked over at Savina, who was still leaning against the car, and waved her over. Savina and Fin both walked over to the small crowd, and Deloris smiled at the younger image of Olivia, as she engulfed her in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered against her shoulder. Savina simply smiled at her when she pulled back, before she glanced over at Hector's graffiti. "He's beautiful," she stated softly, and Deloris half sobbed half smiled. "So are you. You look just like your mother," she said, and Savina nodded.

"I know."

The simple words took Olivia by action, especially when Savina reached for her hand and squeezed it, as she snuggled into her side. She looked over at Fin for the first time since her oldest friend showed up at the scene, and he simply smiled and looked at Savina, who was lost in thought as she watched the candle flames dance with the late-night breeze. Olivia's breath hitched when Savina dropped her head to rest on her shoulder, as a content sigh escaped her lips, their hands still holding on. She desperately wanted to turn around, pull her into her arms, and hold on till the ache went away. But she had more than one reason why she couldn't do that at the moment, so she simply dropped a kiss to the top of her head, before she whispered, "thank you, baby," into it. Savina's only response was to squeeze her hand tighter.

They were all drained after the little memorial they had, both emotionally and physically, so the ride back to Barba's apartment was a quiet one. They all made quick work of changing into their sleepwear, and Olivia was standing over the sink in the kitchen staring at the water as it circled the drain. This case was particularly hard on her, harder than the rest of them. Hector had disappeared a short while after she joined SVU, her wound of losing her child still oh-so-fresh. She had tried that day to find him, to spare Deloris the fate that she was living. And now, seventeen years later, the situations were reversed. Deloris was still mourning the death of her son, and Olivia got her baby back. She hated herself for thinking that she knew what Deloris felt like, because she didn't. Her baby was alive, moving about in her room right down the hall. She had gone through a terrible ordeal, but she was alive. Hector wasn't. They found his body! His decomposed body! There was no chance of him ever coming back. Deloris couldn't even pray for that miracle. That bastard had robbed her of that chance.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a hand was placed on her back, and she looked up expecting to find Barba's golden-green eyes, but she found herself staring into the identical set of dark brown eyes that matched her own.

"You're not a fraud," she said softly, and Olivia was taken aback.

"What do you mean?" she almost whispered, her voice hoarse from the lump of emotions in her throat, and the held back tears.

"I saw the look on your face when Deloris said she was glad you don't have to go through what she is," she started, and Olivia swallowed heavily. "I know you were lost about what to tell her, that's why I stayed on the other side of the street," she continued, and Olivia interrupted her. "Sweetheart, I didn't…" she tried to say something, but Savina shook her head to stop her, and she was grateful, for she honestly didn't know what to say to that. "No, it's okay. I would be lost too, it's a tricky situation. And the truth is, nobody knows how to handle it, we're all doing the best we can. But what I do know is this; you're not a fraud. Thinking that you know how she feels when I'm alive doesn't make you a fraud. You do know, you've lived it for seventeen years. Yes, it turns out it was just one big misunderstanding, but that doesn't change what you went through for nearly two decades. It was a part of you, a part of your life. You went through it, and me coming back doesn't just sweep it all under the rug. You know she feels, because it's what you felt," she finished, and Olivia was speechless. Savina merely smiled at her, squeezed her hand and walked away. Olivia stood frozen in her spot, and looked at Barba when he came into view.

"It appears we've got ourselves one hell of a daughter!"