"Elliot, Katie, come in," Mrs. Stabler said.

"Thanks for seeing us," Elliot added.

"Sit," Bernie said, gesturing to the couch.

"I'm fine," Elliot said.

"Here, have some tea." Mrs. Stabler added while pouring some tea into two mugs. "How's Olivia?" she added while sitting down on the couch.

"How do you know about Olivia?" He asked, confused.

"Oh, remember when Katie was in trouble, and you asked me for help? Well after you visited me, she came over and talked to me. Such a sweet lady, anyways she convinced me to talk to Katie while she was in jail."
"Wait, so that's why you came and visited me in jail. Because she asked you to?" Kathleen stated.

"Of course she did, she cares very deeply for you and your siblings. Such a shame what happened to her."

"What are you talking about mom?" Elliot asked.

"You didn't know?" she paused and fixed her blouse. "Well, from what I've read, she was kidnapped, burned, beaten, and who knows what else happened."

"Excuse me," Elliot said headed out the door. "Nice to see you, mom."

Elliot got into his car and drove to Olivia's apartment. He got into the elevator with his blood boiling. He got off and made it to her door, he knocked. "Elliot," Liv said opening the door.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah sure," Liv replied.

"I wanna talk about the letter." Elliot blurted.

"Elliot, I have nothing to say."

"Look, I know something happened to you. I need you to tell me about it. Liv, I need you."

"You need me? I needed you when the worst happened, but guess what?! You weren't here! For all I knew, you were dead. Even when you were here, you weren't there."

"Liv, what are you talking about?" Elliot asked sitting on the couch.

"Look, it happened a long time ago. We don't have to talk about it."

"Liv, c'mon."

"Alright," she said sitting on the coffee table. "Do you remember the time I went undercover at Sailview?"

"Yeah, you're talking about the basement."

"Yeah," she looked down at her hands. "I never told you, because I was afraid of what you might do."

"Liv, just tell me what happened, I swear I'm ok."

"Well, he took me down to the basement, where he, well, where he assaulted the women. I was so scared, I didn't know what was going to happen. Fortunately, I made a friend while I was under, she told Fin where I was, or something. Fin luckily got there on time before anything else could happen. That's why I knew about the mole."

"Liv, I wish I could've been there," Elliot added with sorrow in his voice.

"El, it's fine. Like I said, it was years ago."

"But there's something else, isn't there?"

"Well, I mean-"
"Liv, I know. I know someone hurt you, I know."

"Look, El. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Fine, that's your choice," he said getting up from the couch. He headed towards the door

to leave.

"It happened about 2 years after you left," Liv said so he wouldn't leave. He sat back

down on the couch, she stood pacing while she continued. "He was a suspect in a rape case were investigating. He got off. Craigen suggested I take a few days. I went home and he was there. He tied me to a chair, duct tape my mouth, forced vodka down my throat several times, burned me, and held my own gun to my head. El, I thought I was going to die." she could tell this was getting to him on a personal level. "The next day I was taken, he stuffed me in the trunk and I was later forced to watch him rape a woman and almost kill her. He took me to a beach house, where he handcuffed me to a bed frame-"

"Liv, please don't tell me, I'd rather not know." He interrupted.

"El, he didn't, he was close, but he didn't." She paused. "I broke free, I beat him with the metal bar, I wanted to kill him. But I didn't. I couldn't."

"Oh, I would've," Elliot added.

"I know," she said.

"Is he, still alive?"

"Oh, no. That's a whole other story. He broke out of jail, killed a few more people, and kidnapped a 12-year-old girl. He said if I didn't go to him she was dead." she paused. "I met up with him, and he drove me to an abandoned building. There he tied the girl with a rope, hanging from a pole, he handcuffed me to a table. He said he can rape me first or make me watch him rape the girl."

"Liv, please-"
"I didn't fight back so he stopped and got bored. We then continued to play Russian roulette with his pistol. One bullet, five rounds. He went first. I put the gun to my head, and every time I thought I was gonna die. The last round was his turn, instead, he pointed the gun at me, and that's when I truly thought I was over. He turned his hand towards him, and he was gone."

"Liv," he said standing up. "Why didn't you call me?"

"How could I?! I mean, it was two years after you left. I didn't even know if you were dead or alive! Hell, I wasn't even sure if you even wanted to see me again, so why didn't he shoot me instead?! I mean for all I knew, you would've been happier if you heard the news I was killed." she said, walking away.

Elliot pulled her arm and pulled her close. "Liv, if I would have known, I would've been there for you. I should've been there. If I was there, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"El, don't blame yourself." she let go of the hug, but their foreheads touched, both looking down. Elliot could see the scars on Olivia's chest. They both looked up, both made eye contact, both with tears in their eyes.

"Mommy?" A sleepy Noah asked entering the doorway of the room.

"Noah," Liv said walking over to him. Liv took Noah back into his room and tucked him back in.

That night Elliot had spent the night with Liv. Not because he needed to, but because he wanted to make sure Liv was ok. Liv woke up to her phone ringing. "Benson," she said. "Hi, Amanda. Yeah, yeah. Hey, can you come and take Noah to school? Alright, thanks see ya then."

"Hey, you don't have to do that. I can leave." Elliot said rolling over and waking up.

"I know, but I don't want to leave you alone. I have to go let Noah know." she got up and walked into the kitchen to see Noah waiting for breakfast. "Hey Noah," she started. "Aunt Amanda is going to take you to school today. I bet if we asked she'll take you to breakfast."
"Pancakes?" Noah asked.

"Sure," she said, handing some cash to Noah.

Around 7:00 am Amanda came and picked up Noah. She and Noah walked to a local breakfast diner. "So, Noah, what's new?" Amanda asked.

"Not much,"

"You liking school so far? Jesse just went back."

"Yeah, school's nice. My mom was having a fight with some man last night."

This caught Amanda off guard. "A fight, with a man? Are you sure it wasn't just a bad dream, and she was talking in her sleep?"

"No, I saw him. His shoes weres still in the living room this morning."

"Huh," she added.

Amanda dropped Noah off at school and went back to the precinct. She walked in and knocked on Liv's office door.

"Rollins, everything ok?"

"Yeah," she said closing the door. She took a seat at the chair across from her desk. "Noah mentioned you were fighting with a man last night, and he was still in your apartment this morning. Anything I should know?"

"I'm fine Amanda."

"I know, it's just. You know the last time I knew someone in an abusive relationship, I shot him."

"Amanda, it's nothing like that."

"Ok," she said. "Are you going to tell me who he is?"

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" Amanda didn't answer. "Fine. Elliot came over and we talked. Nothing, like that, happened."

"Alright, I believe. It's just I worry about you when he comes around. I know he meant a lot to you, but I also know he hurt you when he left."

"Amanda, I trust him, I know him better than anyone else."

"I get that. Just be careful. Guys like Stabler, ya know."

"Yeah, I do."