Olivia's apartment

"Forget it. It wasn't a good idea. I'm too tired for this". Olivia grabbed her suitcase and tried to make her way to her bedroom but Elliot's body was blocking the way. Olivia stood in front of him, waiting for him to move, which he didn't. "Close the door behind you" she added, just in case he didn't get the hint that he was asked to leave. But he still didn't move.

"No" he simply said, his eyes burning with anger.

"You're not gonna move until we talk, are you?" Olivia asked, annoyed. Elliot nodded. Olivia let go of her suitcase in frustration and turned abruptly, which only caused her to whimper in pain. She was in such a mood that she had totally forgotten about her injuries.

"Liv, what's wrong?" Elliot asked concerned, using her nickname for the first time – which didn't go unnoticed by Olivia. He walked in front of her and saw that she was holding her stomach with her unharmed arm. Her lips were pressed together, like she was trying to hold back another whimper.

"I'm fine, I made a bad move. I just… forgot". Olivia slowly walked back to her living room and slumped into her couch.

"Let me see". Elliot kneeled next to her and gently raised her sweater up, not waiting for her permission. Olivia was surprised by his initiative but let him, since she was wearing a tank top under it. "Take it off" Elliot said in a low voice – or did Olivia just imagine it? – when he saw the tank top.

"Wh-what?" Olivia stammered.

"Your sweater. Take it off, so that I can see your injuries"

"Elliot, no" Olivia protested as she tried to lower the sweater. But Elliot didn't listen to her and took it off for her, careful not to hurt her arm in the cast. She was too stunned by his behavior to offer any resistance. When Elliot laid eyes on her arms, he frowned and Olivia shifted uncomfortably, knowing too well what he was thinking. Judging by her features, Elliot could have told that the sweater was too large for her, but he hadn't expected it to be that large. During those last two months, Olivia had lost a lot of weight she couldn't afford to lose. But right now, it wasn't what scared Elliot the most. Right now, Elliot was concerned by all those nasty cuts and stitches she had all over her arms. Even under her cast, Elliot could tell she had other cuts. His eyes lowered to the hem of her tank top, and he gently raised it a bit, just like he did before with her sweater.

"Elliot" Olivia pleaded, but he wasn't listening. Olivia shivered as Elliot's fingers ran across the purple and blue skin of her stomach, and his eyes widened in shock. What part of her body wasn't covered with bruises and cuts? Elliot's eyes caught a glimpse at a white tissue and he raised her top a little more. He stopped under her bra and discovered a large bandage under her left breast.

"Damn, Liv, what happened to you?" Elliot asked staring at her bandage.

"I uhm…" Olivia cleared her throat. "I was shot. Amongst other things" Olivia admitted.

Elliot's head popped at her last statement. "What other things?" he almost yelled.

"Oh no! Not that thing! I mean… not what you're thinking." Olivia quickly cleared out. "I was beaten, shot, I almost exploded, I mean literally exploded, but I wasn't raped El. Just relax."

Elliot got back on his feet, too agitated to stay still and started to pace up and down. "Oh well that's great. You obviously went through hell and almost died, but you weren't raped, so I can relax. Sure."

"Ok that was a stupid thing to say" Olivia admitted. She shifted on the couch to take a seating position. "But I'm alive, so it's not that bad, considering that this morning you were convinced I was dead."

"That's true". Elliot walked to the kitchen and decided that he needed a drink after all. He reached for a glass and poured whiskey in it. He did the same with Olivia's glass and gave it to her.

"Thanks". She took a sip and put it on the table as Elliot sat next to her. She sighted heavily, aware that sooner or later, she would have to give him some semblance of explanations.

"So?" Elliot asked.

Olivia didn't need to ask. She knew what Elliot wanted from her. "I don't know where to start".

"The beginning"