Disclaimer: I do not own the show Law and Order SVU or characters, all rights go to Dick Wolf.
Chapter 1
Amanda walked down the empty hallway. She was late for class, but that was nothing new. She walked in and everyone stopped taking their test. Dr. Marlowe just looked at her as she stood in front of her desk. Amanda held out her hand, "Can I have my fucking test or what?" Her best friend Casey just shook her head. Dr. Marlowe wasn't even stunned, "Excuse me young lady. Who are you talking to in that manner?" Amanda sighed. "You're late!" Amanda shrugged, "And you're making me stand here, for what to prove a point. What high school teacher has her fucking doctorate? Slumming?" The class erupted in laughter.
Dr. Marlowe picked up her phone, "I need help with Amanda Rollins." Amanda asked again, "Can I at least have my test?" When Dr. Marlowe didn't answer, she simply said, "Whatever! You're such a bitch." The class responded with, "Wooooo!" Amanda looked at Casey and her face showed disappointment. She knew her best friend was capable of better. Amanda sat outside and waited for her favorite person. "Ok Amanda, let's go." Amanda stood up and went without any problems, "Hey Ms. Jeffries." Monique Jeffries was Amanda's counselor, "I thought we agreed on Monday, I wouldn't see you again this week." Amanda shrugged, "Yeah, sorry."
They walked into the office and Monique was giving Amanda a long lecture. They walked into her office and Amanda didn't see she had company. "I was late, but Dr. Marlowe didn't have to be such a fucking bitch!" Amanda turned to see her principal Alexandra Cabot and some tall brunette standing there in shock. "Amanda Rollins!" Amanda didn't give Ms. Jeffries or Ms. Cabot trouble, but everyone else was an open target.
She looked at the brunette who had a look on her face. Amanda knew that look. The look that said if you were my kid, you'd be picking up your lips. "What the fuck are you looking at?" Alex grabbed her by the arm and sat her down hard in the seat, "Don't move and apologize to Sergeant Benson right now!" Amanda looked at her and said, "You're a cop?" Monique slapped Amanda in the back of the head, "She said apologize, not ask questions." Amanda rubbed her head and sarcastically said, "I'm sorry for my inappropriate language and behavior Sergeant Benson. It won't happen again." Alex shook her head.
Olivia Benson was best friends with Alex and Monique. They not only went to high school, but Hudson university. Olivia bounced back and forth between their homes when her mother died when she was 17. They left Amanda but watched her through the open blinds. Olivia laughed, "I'm a cop, but she needs a belt across her ass." Alex and Monique laughed, "She's a handful, but so smart. If I can keep her temper in check, I may be able to get her a scholarship."
Alex sighed, "We have to sit with her, but breakfast is here." Monique grabbed Amanda's test and called for all of her work to be sent down. Alex, Monique, and Olivia sat at the table. "Here's your test." Amanda watched them unpack pancakes, bacon, eggs, and juice. Every time Olivia looked up she looked away. Alex and Monique needed a minute. "Don't disrespect her while we're gone and finish that test. I'll bring your other work back." Amanda put her pencil down as soon as they left.
Olivia asked, "I thought she said finish that." Amanda looked at her and Olivia saw the saddest blue eyes, "I am finished. Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be arresting bad guys?" Olivia smiled, "I'm here to talk to kids today, but I guess you'll miss it." Amanda's stomach growled loudly. Olivia looked at her 2 whole pancakes, "Are you hungry? I have 2 pancakes, but they have blueberries on them."
Amanda was starving. No one asked her why she was late, but she was on her own. Sometimes if Casey could sneak her in her family's apartment she would, but sometimes she had to stay on the subway and sleep or in abandoned houses. Luckily it was May and warmer, but the nights were still cold. Then she would have to look for a place to change. Alex and Monique knew. They knew the whole story. "Yes please."
Olivia smiled and got up. She cut the pancakes into little triangles and Amanda thought it was weird. "Do you have kids?" Olivia laughed, "Did the triangles give it away? I do. I have a son, Noah." Amanda smelled the pancakes at first but then Olivia's scent overpowered her. Amanda couldn't help it, "Fuck!" Olivia stood up, "Amanda, you have to watch your mouth. If you were mine." Olivia sighed and sat back down deciding not to finish her sentence.
Amanda thought she was hot, but way out of her league. She probably lived in this huge apartment and had a lawyer for a husband. Alex and Monique came back, "Liv, don't feed the animals." Alex took the test, "Did you finish this at least?" Amanda had a mouthful, "Yeah." They gave her an egg sandwich, "Here!" Alex gave Olivia a schedule, "Ok Liv, you ready to talk to the kids." Olivia nodded. Alex and Monique watched Amanda eat. They looked at Olivia. "Amanda, let's go and bring your sandwich.
They sat in the back of the auditorium with Amanda in the middle. Olivia started talking about being safe and going to college, but the talk turned serious. "Saying no to sex should be as simple as just, well, saying no. In reality, you might feel pressured or guilty when you say no. Pressuring someone to have sex is never okay, and you deserve to have your boundaries respected." Amanda looked at Alex and Monique, "What kind of cop is she?" Alex looked, "Be quiet and listen."
Olivia continued, "Be confident and know what you want. Saying no is ok, you don't owe anyone anything. Tell them what you do want. It's fine to kiss or touch without expecting sex. And if anyone does anything that you don't want or you told them no, tell someone."
Amanda was packing up her bag and Olivia walked in. She saw clothes in her bag. "So Amanda, are you going to behave tomorrow or do I have to come back. Alex stepped in, "Oh you would be back every day." Amanda shrugged, "I'm out of here." Alex stopped her, "Do you need a place to stay tonight?" Amanda looked at Olivia, "No." She saw Monique, "Night Ms. Jeffries."
Olivia waited for her to leave, "What's her deal?" Alex sat down, "She's 18, she turns 19 next week. She moved here with her dad. He had trouble with drinking and gambling. CPS took her away when she was a freshman and just starting here. She bounced around different foster homes. She really had trouble adjusting and had even more when her dad died." Monique was sad, "She acts tough, but when I pulled her out of class to tell her, she was broken."
Alex sighed, "She's a year behind because of him, missed so much school it's ridiculous. We kept her straight for 4 years. She has a 4.0. She knows Monique and I are together. We let her stay with us for a couple of months. We still feed her and wash her clothes when she shows up. But she won't stay." Olivia remembered them taking a kid in, but she never actually laid eyes on her. "You guys put her out?" Monique shook her head, "We punished and she didn't like it."
Olivia shook her head, "What happened to her foster home?" Monique shrugged, "Last May when she turned 18, she signed herself out. We never got the truth from her, but we questioned abuse." Olivia felt bad, "Sexual?" Monique shrugged, "I don't know." Olivia shook her head, "Poor kid. That's why she acts like that." Alex shook her head, "She acts like that because she lacks discipline. Everyone has struggles, Liv you know that better than anyone. Sometimes it's about choices."
Olivia headed to the squad since she was gone all day. "Hey Fin! Hey Cap! Burning the midnight oil?" They asked her how school was and she told them great. She called Lucy and said she was on the way home, but grabbing Chinese first. Olivia called in the order and she couldn't believe who she saw sitting outside. "Amanda?" Amanda looked up, "Hi." Olivia asked, "What are you doing out here?" Amanda looked around, "Waiting on a friend."
Olivia didn't know how much she was about to cross the line, but she knew she was crossing it, "How about you come with me. I have lots of Chinese food and I'll take you wherever after we eat dinner." Amanda thought it would be 2 hours of warmth and safety. She didn't answer and Olivia was afraid to push. "I'm going to grab the food ok." Olivia paid and watched to make sure she didn't run. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she was still there, "You ready?" Amanda nodded.
Amanda watched where she was driving. "What's your kid and husband going to say?" Olivia laughed, "Noah will probably say Hi and play with me. My husband won't say anything, because I don't have one." Olivia pulled in the garage, "This is where Ms. Cabot and Ms. Jeffries live. Will they see me?" Olivia shook her head, "Not if you don't want them to. They don't live on my floor. We have been best friends since high school. I won't tell them if you don't want me to."
Amanda didn't want to cause her problems, "It's ok. I don't want you to lie to your friends." Olivia smiled, "Do you want them to come over and eat? It might make you feel more comfortable." Amanda liked that, "Yeah ok." Olivia and Amanda walked in. She texted Lucy to give her a heads up, then she texted Alex and Monique. Everyone had dinner and laughed. Amanda felt normal for the first time in years.
Lucy waved, "Ok Liv, dishes are done, Noah is bathed, and I'm leaving. See you in the morning." Noah loved Amanda. She was playing with him, "I was worried that I was crossing the line Alex." Alex looked at Amanda, "Liv, see if she will stay the night. I don't think she'll stay with us. We did punish and she broke the rules constantly, but I think the real reason she left was the relationship. I think it made her feel weird. We worry about her at night." Amanda came over holding Noah, "He's asleep."
Alex grabbed him, "Let me put my Godson to bed." Monique left with her. Amanda looked around, "I'll just go. He's asleep so I don't want you to drive me anywhere." Olivia took a chance, "Well, you could always spend the night and I'll get you to school on time." Amanda shook her head, "Why are you doing this? Why are you being nice to me?" Olivia smiled, "Because when I was your age, I had trouble too and those two putting my son to bed helped me. We all could use some help Amanda." Amanda agreed.
Alex and Monique said goodnight, "Don't act up and listen to her." Monique wanted to warn her that Olivia would tap that ass, but decided not to scare her. Olivia showed Amanda to the guest room. Amanda was embarrassed, "Can you wash these for me. I don't have any clean clothes." Olivia grabbed them, "I'll be right back." Olivia threw her stuff in the wash and handed Amanda some pjs. "They are a little big, but they will do. When you're done with the shower, throw in what you are wearing and I'll wash them." Amanda took a shower and got dressed.
She looked down the hallway and put the rest of her clothes in the washer. Olivia's door was open, "Hello Sergeant Benson?" Olivia popped out of the closet, "Yeah? Are you ok?" Amanda nodded and looked at her in her night clothes, "Yeah. I was just saying goodnight. I put my clothes in but I don't know what button to push." Olivia smiled, "I'll take care of it. Goodnight. I have some work to do so I'll be up for a little while. Help yourself to anything you need. And it's Liv, not Sergeant Benson." Amanda laid down and the bed was so soft. She thought it would be hard to sleep, but she was out. Olivia did some work, and put Amanda's clothes in the dryer. She checked on her and she was completely knocked out.