Here we go again! This chapter starts off a little lighter and hopefully answers some of your questions...it might also bring some new questions.

Thank you all for your kind and generous words. I really appreciate it! Please keep the feedback coming. Disclaimer, this chapter does contain rape.

"Arms behind your back."

Olivia winced at the firm tug on her arms. At least the sweatshirt cushioned the bite of the handcuffs. Her wrists seemed to scar more each day, the mass of red skin breaking open at the slightest abrasion.

Lewis tightened the cuffs around her hands, effectively restraining her. "There you go, sweetheart. Comfy?"

His lips brushed her neck, her hair barely blocking the sensation. Olivia's hands clenched as she fought a more visible reaction. The victim she had become quaked at his touch. The invasion that followed his lips. But she couldn't be that person anymore. Not if she was going to get out of here. And she had to get out of here.

Olivia took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing her muscles to relax. She wouldn't let Lewis rile her today. She had to keep her head low. She had to focus.

His lips moved to her ear and teasingly nibbled at her lobe. "You're quiet today. Don't feel like playing?"

Olivia pursed her lips together and set a pointed stare out the window. It was going to be a long day.

"Fine. We'll play later. I do need to get the rest of this done." Lewis released his hold and moved away from her.

Her tension faded, and she took the opportunity to look around the living room, noting the changes Lewis had made the day before. The room was no longer covered in dust. Most of the windows had been boarded up, and there was a futon in the middle of the floor. "What else are you doing?"

"Have to fix the window frames and the door." Lewis frowned as he squatted in front of the supplies. "Boarding up the windows took longer than I expected."

Olivia raised an eyebrow as she took in the two open windows in front of her, the sunlight streaming into the light brown room. "I think you missed one or two."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "Look who's feeling witty this morning."

Olivia shook her head. She wasn't feeling like anything this morning. She wanted to stay in bed, catch up on some much needed rest. Instead, she was tied to a hard chair watching Lewis tinker around the house. She had tried talking him out of it, but the harder she tried, the more adamant he became. He wanted her to stay with him. It was ridiculous.

Olivia wasn't happy about it. They were only moving into the living room, but her injuries made going anywhere a trying experience.

"I ran out of plywood to cover the windows. But that's okay. We probably need a couple to stay open for lighting. We'll just seal them shut instead," he said decisively.

Olivia fought the desolation rising inside her. Crawling out a window had never been part of her escape plan. Even still, the measures Lewis took against her escape were daunting at best.

"What are you doing to the door?"

Lewis grabbed the tube of caulk and twisted off the lid. "Need to switch out the deadbolt."

Olivia glanced to the front door, puzzled at his response. "What's wrong with it?"

"Other than there's no key?" Lewis flicked his pocket knife open and punctured a hole in the tip of the caulking tube.

"Why do we need a key?" Olivia couldn't follow his logic. This house was well hidden and had long since been abandoned. There wouldn't be any strangers knocking on the door. And if the NYPD found them, a deadbolt wouldn't offer any protection.

"We don't need a key. I need a key," he corrected firmly. "I'm going to take that old lock out and put a new one in. But I'm going to flip it around so you need a key to open the door from the inside."

Olivia's mouth went dry. "What?"

Lewis lifted his head, a partial smile showing his amusement. "You look worried, princess."

She tilted her chin up, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. "That's just a lot of work for you."

"Don't worry about that." He laughed. "It's easier than running after you. Though you aren't running much these days."

She couldn't argue with him on that. It had taken a fair amount of effort to walk from the kitchen to the living room. At least her feet hadn't bled this time. Walking still took all of her concentration, but the more her wounds stayed closed, the lower her chance of infection. The idea of having infected feet with only Lewis to clean her wounds…Olivia shivered. She couldn't do that.

Lewis began squeezing the caulk into the window frame, taking his time to apply an even coating. "It rained the other day and there were puddles everywhere. Stupid house is so old even the windows don't work right."

"We could always move to a different house," Olivia suggested half-heartedly. She would prefer one with heat and running water. One without a cement room for Lewis to hold her in.

"I'm always up for a challenge." He pulled away the caulking tube and ran his finger along the window to even it out. "Gives us something to do. Unless you have something better in mind."

Olivia curled her lip as he winked at her. She could care less what he did with his time, as long his hobbies kept his hands off her. She watched him take out a rag and pour water on it. Her eyebrows went up as he used the damp rag to smooth out the caulk. "You seem pretty good at this."

"My daddy liked to fix up the house. He was good with his hands." Lewis folded the rag and reached for the caulk again. "I learned a few things from him."

From the stories he told, Lewis had picked up more than a few things. Disgust swarmed her belly, but Olivia forced herself not to focus on it. She had to change her approach if she was ever getting away from him. "I'm sure your mom appreciated that."

Lewis focused on a crack at the bottom of the window frame, squatting down for a better angle. "She was always coming up with those honey to do lists. Drove daddy crazy, but he did them anyway."

"Sounds like he really cared about her." Olivia watched him turn to the splintering cracks coming from the window. "Are you going to fill all of those?"

Lewis ignored her question, methodically filling each crack one at a time. Reluctantly, she had to admit his focus was impressive. She didn't know why it surprised her. That was how Lewis worked. "That is going to take a long time."

"Why is it some days you won't say two words, and then other days you won't shut up?" Lewis huffed as he pushed himself off the floor.

"You're the one who wanted me out here. What was it you said? We need more bonding time?" Olivia rolled her eyes. "Like we don't have enough of that."

Lewis raised an eyebrow at her attitude. "Well sweetheart, would you rather us bond in bed?"

She set her lips in a thin line and fixed him with a stony glare. His comment didn't warrant a response.

He turned his back to her, going back to working on the window. "Didn't think so."

A sharp pain spread through her back, and Olivia winced. The cuts on her back were aggravating. She leaned forward to ease the chair's pressure off her skin, feeling the sting fade. "So what else are you doing to the house?"

Lewis studied the window frame, barely processing her question. "Need to look at the roof. With how many puddles we had, there's bound to be some leaks in it somewhere."

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "You're going on the roof?"

He tilted his head and observed her furrowed brow. "Worried about me, sweetheart?"

Lewis wasn't her first concern, but he was one she had to consider. Unfortunately. "It's like you said," she started softly. "You're the only person with me. If anything happened to you, me and the baby would be in trouble." She smiled weakly, barely able to force the words out of her mouth.

Lewis watched her curiously for a minute before replying. "Been a long time since I saw you smile."

"I feel better today," Olivia offered meekly. "Your mom's sandwich does the trick. It settled my stomach."

"Good."

Olivia shivered at the sweet smile he sent her. She had to remain calm. Focused. "Your mom teach you any other tricks?"

He shrugged and cleaned off some extra caulk. "She was always in the kitchen finding new recipes. Momma had a knack for making odd things that tasted pretty good."

She observed his subdued nature and let a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What did she look like?"

Lewis offered a half smiled, tinkering with the tools in his hand. "She was beautiful. Smiled all the time. It made her eyes sparkle. And she had short, wavy hair. Momma hated it." Lewis laughed. "She called it her afro. Daddy teased her about it all the time. Said a bird could get lost in there and no one would know."

Olivia's lips parted at the homey picture he painted. Lewis preferred the stories of him and his dad. The rough, manly figure he idolized. It had simply never occurred to her that Lewis had grown up like a normal kid.

He went back to caulking the remaining cracks, giving a confused Olivia time to gather her thoughts. She thought of the stark difference in the stories and realized what happened. There were few things that could change a loving husband into a drunk rapist. "How old were you when she died?"

Lewis froze and gave her a startled glance.

Olivia almost laughed at the unguarded panic in his eyes. "Come on, Lewis. I'm a detective."

He swallowed and turned his back to her. This wasn't something he talked about often. And he had little desire to confide in his captive.

"When we first met, you said your family was military. Was it your mom? Did she pass away overseas?" She bit her lip as he shook his head briefly. "No? Was it your dad then? Did he – "

"Daddy never laid a hand on her!" Lewis turned towards her with fury in his eyes. "He loved Momma."

Her heart pounded at his anger. She should have known better than to tarnish his father. "Of course he did," Olivia agreed quickly with a smile. "I was just trying to figure it out. I mean, if we really are having this baby – I should learn about your side of the family. If it was a health problem, the baby could have it."

His eyes darkened and lowered to her middle. "It wasn't."

"Then what happened?" Her anxious eyes followed his movement, desperate for answers. She needed to know what changed his normal childhood into one of brutality. "I've read your case file. I saw the crime scene photos. I've watched you torment women. Heard their screams. Lewis, I already know your darkest secrets. Just tell me. What happened to your mother?" she urged quietly.

"It was an accident," he hissed. "Okay?"

"An accident?" Her voice rose, her confusion mounting by the minute. "That's it?"

Lewis dropped the caulking tube. "I caused it. All right? Are you done with the twenty questions now?"

Olivia jumped as he kicked the wall. She opened her mouth to argue with him, but his rant cut her off.

"I dropped my ball. A stupid, god-damned ball. Momma unbuckled to grab it. Car rammed us from behind. She was dead before the ambulance got there."

Olivia recapped his story in her head, trying not miss anything. "You were in the car?"

"We were all in the car." He shook his head and crossed his arms. "It happened so fast. One minute, Daddy was singing with the radio. The next, Momma was laying on the hood. Surrounded by broken glass."

Olivia wracked her brain for a way to connect with him. This was a rare side of Lewis, and he had just handed her an invaluable piece of information. "Accidents happen. You couldn't have known. You were just a little boy."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "You playing that empathy card now, detective?"

A flicker of uncertainty passed over his face, and Olivia eyed him with hesitation. She didn't like this. As much as she wanted answers, she wasn't prepared for the person she saw before her. Lewis was a monster. He always would be. His sadistic nature didn't allow for anything else. But in that moment – the monster wasn't standing before her. Rather, a haunted little boy was elbowing his way out. Someone Olivia had no idea what to do with.

"I need a hammer," Lewis muttered as he headed to the kitchen. "And the duct tape."

She watched his retreating back with bewilderment. What was she supposed to with this?

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Brian turned to Amanda with a scowl. "This is what you've been wasting your time on?"

"Take it easy, Cassidy." Nick interjected. "We're doing everything we can."

"Yeah?" Brian rounded back at him. "Have you thought about this at all? Even if this idea worked, how long would it take? Huh?"

Detective Stiles stepped between the two feuding men with a sigh. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Neither is combing acres of empty woods," Brian retorted.

"Brian," Amanda rebuked softly. "We're trying."

"Oh, as long as you're trying…never mind. I'm sure that's good enough for Liv. She's only fighting for her life. But sure, yeah, as long you're trying." Brian's face turned red with anger.

Detective Stiles closed his eyes and counted to three. "Why don't we all sit down."

"How much land is that to cover anyway?" Brian continued with frown. "Say if he's two to three hours away from this store you're talking about – how much land is there to comb?" He fixed each person with a steely glare.

"It is a lot of ground to cover," Detective Stiles admitted. "But it's a start."

"How much?" Brian repeated.

"We're estimating they're within 120 miles of the store. So a 120 mile radius leaves us with about 76,000 acres." Amanda fell back into her chair.

Brian's eyes rounded. "You can't be serious. This is your plan?"

"Feel free to come up with a better one, lover boy," Nick snapped.

Detective Stiles leaned against the desk, stifling a yawn. "Maybe we should call it a night. Get some rest and start fresh in the morning."

"I just got here," Brian argued. He had spent the entire morning at IAB signing papers with Tucker and Cragen doing their due diligence. Reminding him to act professional while working this case. Screw that.

Detective Stiles looked heavenward in an attempt to gather his patience. "I know Detective Benson means a lot to you. To all of you." He looked down and fixed a pointed look Cassidy's direction. "But you are no good to her when it takes five cups of coffee just to keep you upright. Go to the hotel. Crash."

Nick stood up shaking his head. "No, we're fine."

"No, you're not," Detective Stiles pointed out. "As much as it sucks, we know Lewis is keeping her alive for the baby. We have at least five months before he kills her. Lewis knows how to hide. We aren't finding them tonight. Or tomorrow. That's just where we are. So get some sleep. I know I am." He tossed his empty coffee cup in the trash. "I'll see you in the morning."

The three detectives watched him head out the door, all too tired to protest.

"Who put him in charge?" Cassidy asked with disdain.

"Not our jurisdiction." Amanda shrugged. "Not our call."

Nick put his head in his hands, the weight of his missing partner becoming too heavy for him to carry. "How was the captain?" he asked, needing to concentrate on something else.

Brian thought back to that morning. The weary and quiet captain urging him to make quick work of this new assignment. Cragen was like a father to Liv. Their relationship had blossomed through the years. The guilt in Cragen's eyes had been more than even Brian could process. The captain had let Lewis go twice. Both times, people he cared about were hurt. The lines on his face showed how little sleep Cragen was getting. Then again, no one was sleeping. Liv wasn't. Why should they?

"He was busy." Brian settled for the simplest answer.

Nick nodded, his eyes glazing over.

"He is reaching mandatory retirement soon," Amanda noted out loud.

Both men looked at her, startled at this news. The idea of someone else taking over SVU was unthinkable on a normal day. But while Liv was missing?

Amanda took in their mild panic and held her hands up. "It's not that soon," she defended.

Quiet settled in around them as each detective swam through their thoughts. Each person knew sleep was the wisest decision, but no one was willing to voice it.

Brian took in the faded green police station with a detached expression, pausing when he saw the board across the room. "What's that about?"

"Missing girl," Nick answered with defeated sigh. "We think Lewis took her when he picked up the supplies."

Brian's eyes darted between the two broken detectives. His mind struggled with what was left unsaid. "Not again. Liv couldn't – not again…" his voice trailed off at the horror of it. Liv fought harder for victims than she fought for herself. A fact Lewis had figured out a long time ago. "How many would that make?"

"Five." Amanda clenched her jaw. "Should have just shot the bastard in court."

Brian sighed and closed his eyes. "We have to find her. Combing the woods won't work. It's too large a search area."

"If you have any ideas in that thick head of yours, feel free to share."

Brian glared at Nick in response. If he made it through this without punching Nick through the wall, it would be a miracle. Brian pushed aside his anger and tried to think. Liv was dealing with a sadistic psychopath. He could handle her partner.

Brian studied the map in front of them, trying to piece the puzzle together. "This whole theory of yours is based on them staying in some abandoned house, right?"

"Everything he bought fits that idea." Amanda gestured to the print out pinned beside the map. "The receipts are over there."

He stood to his feet and glanced through the list. "Nails? Lewis bought nails?" The color drained from his face, every other item blurring away.

"It's probably for the house," Amanda reasoned.

Brian shook the thought from his head, the image of Lewis torturing his girlfriend with nails too much to handle. "He bought a lot of food. How long can it last? A few weeks? A month?"

"Depends what else they had on hand," Nick answered.

"They will need more eventually. So instead of spending our time chasing a ghost, how about we flood all the grocery stores and hardware stores within the search area? It will increase the chances of Lewis being seen when he leaves the house. The supplies he bought won't last forever," Brian reasoned.

Amanda's eyes narrowed as she thought through his idea. It couldn't be that simple. "I don't think we have the man power to flood every single store for an indefinite amount of time."

"Then we send pictures. Speak with the locals. Make them understand this is not a nice guy, and we need their help. Put out a reward. People will do anything for money." Brian nodded his head and pursed his lips. "That is our best shot at finding Liv."

Nick shook his head slowly. "I don't know, man."

"Amanda's right. We don't have the man power to find her with this much ground to cover. So we start now, handing out flyers. Lewis will have to leave for supplies again at some point. And when he does, every employee at every grocery store will know his face. They'll call it in and we can follow him to Liv." Brian glances back at the map and frowned. "The stores aren't marked on here?"

"We didn't see the point," Nick replied lamely. Cassidy's idea sounded far more reasonable than theirs. He didn't understand why no one had thought of it. Maybe Detective Stiles was right. Fresh eyes helped. Maybe sleep would help the rest of them think clearer.

"I'm calling the Captain. See what he wants to do about the reward." Amanda grabbed her phone.

"No," Nick objected. "Stiles was right. We're exhausted. Lewis is running a marathon, and we keep acting like this is a 100 yard dash. We have to take a break. Lewis will make a mistake at some point, but we have to be alert enough to find it. Come on," he urged. "Let's go back to the hotel and crash. We'll be back bright and early. Sleep deprivation isn't helping Liv."

Brian didn't want to go. There was far too much work to do. He could stay to map out the stores, print off the fliers, negotiate the reward amount. But he knew in his heart Nick was right. Liv needed them at their best. And that meant getting some sleep.

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly.

Amanda stood to her feet and took a sip of coffee. "You don't have to tell me twice. I'll drive."

Brian turned to her with an apprehensive look. "Nah, that's okay. I drove."

"I'm with him," Nick added quickly. "Someone has to keep him in line."

Amanda shrugged and grabbed her coat. "Whatever."

When she was safely out the door, Brian glanced at Nick. "Her driving any better?"

"No." Nick shook his head with a wince.

Brian shrugged and reached for his keys. "At least she hasn't killed you yet."

"Yeah it's that 'yet' part that has me worried," Nick commented as they walked towards the exit.

Brian chuckled and pushed the door open. "Cheer up. You can ride with me when we check out the stores tomorrow."

"Can't wait," Nick commented dryly.

"That was pretty successful." Lewis walked back into the living room with a satisfied smile. "The door is fixed, the key is hidden, and the windows are sealed shut. Pretty much all we can do for now."

Olivia barely registered his presence. The sun was setting over the trees, turning the sky an orange hue with a tint of purple. She had forgotten how beautiful that scene could be. The moon peeking through the trees, the nighttime sounds starting to set in. A soft smile tugged at her lips. She liked the window.

Lewis finished putting the supplies away and headed towards Olivia, continuing his recap of the day. As if she hadn't been present for each tedious part. "Even patched up the roof and made it down without a scratch. Nothing to it."

Olivia winced as he removed the handcuffs, her wounded shoulder screaming at the strain. The skin was finally starting to close, but she needed some ointment to put on it. The skin was too dry and would crack if she wasn't careful. The scab tearing open would be far worse than blisters breaking apart. Olivia shuddered as the memories of her burned thigh bombarded her mind. The aftereffects of the blowtorch were far more daunting than she initally thought. Not that being burned by one had ever occurred to her before Lewis showed up.

"Bathroom?"

She nodded her answer, wincing as Lewis pulled her up. Pain had become her constant companion in the time spent with him. The intensity fluctuated, but was never far away. Reminding her to think before she moved. Before she spoke. Before she could do anything to anger Lewis.

They took their routine trip to the bathroom, the walkway blessedly shorter this time. Olivia didn't fight Lewis as he cleaned her, or when he pulled her back up. Her energy had been depleted, and her mind still spun in circles about his mother's death. She knew Lewis more than she knew herself some days. He still hadn't told her everything, but what she did know…it threw her more than she expected.

Lewis led her back to the bedroom, shoving her towards the bed. "Hungry?"

Her stomach rebelled at the thought of food. The pop tart she had choked down for breakfast and lunch had somehow stayed down. She doubted it would stay that way if she ate anything else. "Water?" she asked meekly, sitting gingerly on the mattress.

He walked to the corner and picked up a new water bottle. "I can do that."

She accepted the bottle he handed her, pathetically relieved Lewis was letting her drink it without his help. After her mouth was sufficiently satisfied, she screwed the lid back on and handed it to Lewis.

He tossed the bottle behind him, making Olivia jump at the noise. Her eyes darted back to him, startled at the unbridled lust she found there. Her lips parted, her brow beginning to sweat. "Lewis, please."

"What's your excuse this time?" He walked towards her with darkness in his eyes. "You've been to the bathroom. You're not hungry. You had water. There's nothing left, baby."

Olivia opened her mouth to reason with him, but the absurdity of talking Lewis out of rape made her stop. She couldn't prevent this. That was the very definition of rape. The definition of her new life.

"Take the clothes off." Lewis moved his eyes down her body. A smirk played on his lips, only one thing on his mind.

A new wave of panic threatened to overwhelm her. She wasn't prepared for this. A part of her had hoped Lewis would be just as tired tonight as he had been the night before. Too tired to cause any harm. As she contemplated the growing horror rising within her, Olivia realized how misplaced that hope had been. She caught herself shaking her head, not sure of when she started.

Lewis glanced back at her face, the smirk fading. "Don't tell me no."

His warning tone set her teeth on edge. His eyes repeated the warning he had issued earlier. The condition of wearing clothes. The one rule he had set. Olivia's eyes closed, wetness seeping through her eyelashes. She didn't want to be like this. She wanted to be strong. She wanted to fight, to prove she hadn't been beaten into submission. But time had taught her that wasn't always the case. Sometimes, it required more strength to give in. To do what he wanted. As much as she wanted to fight for her dignity, her pride – her body desperately needed to heal. And healing only happened when Lewis was happy.

Olivia forced herself off the bed, holding on to the wall for stability. Her body moved on its own, her brain having already fled the room. Her fingers curled around the soft gray material and pulled it over her head. A distant part of her was aware of her body's protest, but that didn't matter. Not right now.

Lewis crossed his arms, feeling proud of himself. He watched his unrestrained captive drop her clothes to the floor and grinned. His clothes joined the pile a moment later as he stepped into Olivia, feeling her flinch at the contact.

Breathe. That's all she had to do. That's all Lewis would make her do this time. Breathe in. Breathe out. At least, that's what she hoped.

Olivia winced as his arm closed around her, his lips finding a spot on her neck. She could do this. She could breathe.

Lewis lowered her slowly to the mattress, his lips moving down her body. "Are you going to be a good girl for me?"

She nodded woodenly, letting him maneuver her body as he wanted. Olivia closed her eyes, traveling to a different world. She picked a different place each time. A coffee shop sounded nice tonight. Her hands around a hot mug of coffee. The heater going on full blast. The happy chatter of people around her.

Lewis pried her legs open and settled on top of her, breaking Olivia's train of thought.

Breathe. That was her only job. Lie still and breathe. A sharp pain between her legs brought a grimace, and Olivia fled back to that coffee shop. One with chalkboards on the walls. The daily specials written in green and white. Muffled words floated around her, but Olivia chose not to listen to them. She focused on the coffee mug instead. It was warm. Inviting. Safe.

One day, she would feel those things again. One day, she would get out. And one day, she would be safe again.

As Lewis moved violently inside her, Olivia focused on that thought. She was going to make it. She had to.