AN: I'm sorry if this chapter is a little over the top emotionally. I've been watching the More than Partners SVU marathon on USA today and well…you understand. I'm sorry if people feel like this is going slowly but bear with me. Thanks!

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was only half listening to the discharge instructions as the nurse reviewed them with Olivia. He was too busy cataloguing her injuries. He was getting more upset by the minute as he realized what Jason had done to her. It also struck him that as bad as it was, it could have been so much worse. Jason had left her lying alone on the street of New York, passed out and bleeding. Thank God that the young guy that found her had the decency to call the police; that they hadn't been one of the hundreds of perverts in the city that would have taken advantage of the situation.

Those facts did nothing to quench his desire to get some alone time with Jason.

He looked at the tear in her skirt.

Maybe someone had taken advantage of the situation before the Good Samaritan arrived on the scene. Or maybe he wasn't such great guy.

He heard Olivia clear her throat and he realized he had been staring at the tear…and the exposed skin there. He looked up and caught her staring back at him, and he looked over at the nurse.

"Excuse me." Elliot addressed the nurse. "Have you given her a complete physical?"

"Elliot." Olivia said in an exasperated tone.

Elliot looked over at her. "I just want to make sure you're OK."

"What do you think we're doing here?" She snapped.

"The only thing I've heard is about your concussion and the stitches in your head. You don't know how long you were passed out."

The nurse looked back at Olivia. "Do you need a full exam? Do you think you were sexually assaulted?"

"No." Olivia said firmly. "I don't."

Cragen cleared his throat and stepped forward so he was standing next to Elliot. "Olivia. Are you sure?"

Olivia's cheeks reddened. Goddamned Elliot. There was absolutely no indication that she'd been attacked, and she didn't appreciate his questions. "I'm sure."

"I'm going to get the doctor." The nurse said, and she exited the exam room.

Olivia lay her head back against the bed and let out heavy sigh, trying not to scream.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia huddled as close to the car door as possible, and stared out through the windshield as they wove their way through the streets of New York. Even though it was very early on a Saturday morning, she was still surprised at how quiet the streets were. She shivered slightly, even though Elliot had insisted on giving her his sweatshirt to wear over her dress. It didn't help that her legs and feet were bare; for some reason, one of her shoes had been left at the scene. She had opted for bare feet instead of the flimsy slippers the hospital had offered.

"You cold?" Elliot asked.

Olivia ignored him, but saw him reach over to turn up the heat despite her lack of response. For some reason, that annoyed her even more.

"Why do you think you know more about what I need than I do?" She asked, breaking the silence.

Elliot glanced over at her and saw she was still staring straight ahead. He knew this wasn't about the heat in the car. "Because sometimes you don't take care of yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"I know that you're sitting there right now trying to figure out how to ditch me so you can look for Amy."

This time, Olivia turned to face him. "She's missing! Of course I'm going to look for her."

"No. You're not." Elliot said. Now he was the one staring straight ahead, but he didn't have to see her face to know that she was angry. She had been since he intervened at the hospital.

Olivia was stunned by his words…by his arrogance. She unconsciously put her hand on her head and then dropped it quickly as Elliot glanced her way. "That's not your call." She was frustrated with his macho tactics, and she felt her headache getting worse.

"I promised the doctor that you'd rest. It was the only reason you were discharged." Elliot said, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to sit around…"

Elliot cut her off. "I swear. I'll turn around and take you back to the hospital." He knew she would fight him on this, and he had been prepared, threatening her with the only thing he thought might keep her tethered to her apartment.

Olivia looked over at him, wondering if he actually had a smug look on his face, or if she was imagining it. She called his bluff. "Fine. Take me back." The hospital couldn't keep her against her will. She could sign herself out at any time.

Elliot's grip tightened around the steering wheel. He lifted his right hand and slapped his palm against the wheel, hard. He saw Olivia jump slightly, and he knew he had her attention. He wasn't holding back anymore. "Goddamnit Olivia! You're black and blue. Your eye is practically swollen shut. You have a bad concussion." He let out a strangled sound. "You may not care what happens to you… but I do!" He yelled and banged on the steering wheel again. "I do!"

Olivia was stunned by his outrage and his words. She was used to his protective nature, but there was something in the tone of his voice that made her pause.

"I know you're upset about Amy." Elliot said quietly, now that he had her attention. "And I'm sorry about everything that happened." He couldn't get the image of her, knocked out cold and lying on the city street, out of his head. He knew he was a son-of-a-bitch for being thankful that it was Amy that had been abducted and not her. But that didn't mean he still wasn't worried about Amy. "Half of the NYPD is out looking for her. You're not going to find anything they won't. Cragen is going to keep me up-to-date. And you're going to rest and get better so you can be there for her when we find her." He risked a glance over at Olivia and saw that she was still staring straight ahead. But now he saw tears on her lower lashes.

Olivia glanced at Elliot quickly and then looked out the window on her side. The sun was starting to rise, casting a strange glow in the city. The start of a new day. She thought of all the people waking up, looking forward to all the day had to hold. She wondered what Amy was going through right now. She couldn't help feeling that she should be doing something to help find her. But she knew that Elliot was right.

"Olivia…" he said quietly.

"Take me home." She whispered as she swiped a tear from her cheek.

EOEOEOEOEO

They arrived at Olivia's apartment about twenty minutes later. They had both been quiet on the way home, but Elliot had seen Olivia swiping at her cheeks. He wanted to say something, but he stayed quiet. He had already accomplished his main goal…getting her home.

As soon as the car came to a step, Olivia opened the car door. The tension in the car was unbearable and her head was pounding so hard, she thought she might be sick.

"Liv. Wait." Elliot said as she slammed the door closed. He pulled the keys from the ignition and hopped out of the car quickly. He came around the front of the car just as he saw Olivia brace her hands on the car. He rushed over and placed his hand on her lower back as her head dropped down between her shoulders.

"You OK?"

"Just a little light-headed." She wanted to brush Elliot's hand off her back, but she found his touch comforting.

"Take your time." Elliot stayed rooted in place, ready to catch her if she fell. He heard her breath hitch and he felt horrible that he had yelled at her. She was beating herself up enough.

"What do you think he's doing to her?" Olivia whispered in a raspy voice.

"Liv, stop thinking like that. He hasn't hurt her in the past…"

"I should have done something…"

Elliot realized she was full out crying now and it broke his heart. He had never really seen her cry like this. He slid his hand around her side and pulled her against him. He was surprised when she turned her body to face him, and buried her face in his chest. She balled his t-shirt in her hands and sobbed against him. Elliot wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. He knew that there was nothing he could say that was going to make it any better, so he stood and held her, hoping that somehow, it could be enough.

EOEOEOEO

They had made slow progress up to Olivia's apartment. She hadn't said a word since her breakdown on the street, and she hadn't complained when he wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her into the building and up to her apartment. Elliot knew she must be in a lot more pain than she had let on in the car, to let him help her like this.

When they were inside, she pulled herself away from him and walked into the kitchen. She steadied herself against the counter as she reached for a glass in one of the upper cupboards. Elliot rushed in to help her.

"I've got it." She said.

Elliot stopped and watched her, ready to catch her if she faltered. He saw her fill the glass and take a long drink. She set the glass on the counter and just stood there, her hands braced against the edge of the sink. He hated seeing her so upset…in despair.

"They'll find her and she's going to be fine."

Olivia turned to face him. "You can't promise me that."

Elliot didn't have anything to say to that because he knew it was true.

Olivia dropped her eyes. "I know you're just trying to help." Olivia was slightly embarrassed about her breakdown by the car, and she knew it had surprised the hell out of Elliot. She could tell that he didn't know how to deal with her now…when she was feeling vulnerable and so much less than her typical confidant self. "I'm going to lay down."

Elliot nodded, surprised at her acquiescence.

Olivia unzipped his sweatshirt and shrugged it off her shoulders. She handed it to Elliot as she passed by, and he watched her as started to head towards her bedroom. He saw the abrasions on her shoulders and elbows…the skin scraped where it had made contact with the concrete. She must have hit the ground hard if she had passed out, and he knew that her eye probably wasn't the only thing that was sore.

Elliot watched as she paused a foot away from him, almost as if she read his mind.

"Would you mind?"

Elliot wasn't sure what she was referring to, but knowing her, he assumed she was asking him to leave. "I told the doctor I'd stay with you."

Olivia knew there was no way Elliot was going to leave her apartment. She was going to lay down, sleep a little, and get rid of this headache. Then she'd be in better shape to join in the search. "I know. I just need help with the zipper on my dress."

Oh. That wasn't what he had expected to hear. He walked towards her and stopped about a foot away. He couldn't stop looking at the dried blood on her shoulders and before he knew it, he was running his fingers lightly over her wounds. "I'm so sorry you got hurt." He said softly. He let his eyes leave her shoulders and up the back of her head, and he saw the white bandage buried in her hair. All of these were minor compared to the black eye and the large bruise on her cheek, but they still shook him. He would take every punch…any knife wound…any gunshot…if it meant she would never have to suffer any pain.

"I'm fine Elliot." Olivia said. She could feel his breath in the back of her hair and the feel of his fingers against her skin made her shudder. But it was the emotion in his voice that shook her to her core. "I'm fine." She repeated.

Elliot stood there for a moment, listening to her try to comfort him, and it reminded him of the million reasons he loved her. "Liv…" His voice was heavy with emotion. "I…"

"The zipper El." Olivia said. She didn't know what he was going to say, but she had a feeling that whatever it was, she wasn't ready to hear it. Not right now.

Elliot hesitated. The words were on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed hard. He had felt her tense beneath his fingers and he knew it wasn't the time.

He reached for the zipper and pulled it down slowly. He knew he should look away. If this wasn't the time to tell her how he felt, it most certainly wasn't the time to be ogling his partner. But he couldn't; these were the moments that kept him awake at night. The dress fell away, exposing the skin of her back, but he stopped when he saw the lace of her black bra. He let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding and he let his fingers graze her skin.

"El." Olivia said softly.

Elliot dropped his hands. He had momentarily forgotten where he was…what was happening right now. "I…" It was on his lips to apologize but he found he didn't want to. "I'll get you some ice."

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot walked into the kitchen and took a second to collect himself. Ice. He needed an icepack for her head and her eye. He looked in the freezer, hoping for a bag of frozen vegetables, but no luck. He saw ice in the icemaker and dumped a bunch in the sink. Then he dug around in the drawers until he found some kitchen towels. He dumped ice into the towels and wrapped them up. It would have to do.

While he had been in the kitchen, he had heard water running in the bathroom and then silence. He walked to her bedroom door, and saw it was slightly open. He knocked lightly. "Liv?"

"Just a minute."

Elliot stood in the hallway, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet until he heard her tell him to come in. He saw her sitting on the edge of the bed looking at her phone and he wondered briefly where it had come from since he hadn't seen it at the hospital. She had pulled on some black leggings and an old NYPD t-shirt that he recognized as one of his.

"Any messages?" he asked as he loitered by the doorway.

"No."

Elliot walked into the room and Olivia looked up at him. He gritted his teeth as he looked at her damaged face, wishing once again that he had the ability to take away her pain. "Let's get you in bed."

Olivia set her phone down on the nightstand as Elliot reached for the comforter on her bed. When she had slipped her legs into bed, she laid down, and he saw her watching him as he pulled the covers up her body. "Do you want the ice for your eye?" he asked as he leaned over her slightly.

"Maybe just for a little while." Olivia took the towel from it and winced as she settled the ice against her swollen eye.

"What else can I do for you?"

Olivia closed her eyes. Her emotions were on overload, and she couldn't look into Elliot's eyes any longer. "Call Cragen. See if there's any update?"

Elliot nodded. "Get some rest."

He walked towards the door and turned out the light. He started to pull the door closed behind him, but then turned and looked at her lying there. He heard her let out a small sigh as she adjusted the towel wrapped ice. He decided to leave it open a bit, and walked out into the living room to call Cragen.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot woke up suddenly, and realized he must have fallen asleep. He looked at his watch and saw it was just a little before 8. They'd gotten back to Olivia's pretty early, but by the time Olivia had climbed into bed and he had talked to Cragen, he realized he had only been asleep for about an hour.

He listened to the sounds of the apartment, trying to figure out what had woken him up. He didn't hear a sound, so he assumed Olivia was still sleeping. He hadn't bothered to wake her with an update after talking to Cragen.

It turns out their suspect's full name was Jason Logan. They had pulled a sheet on him, and besides the complaints filed by Amy, there wasn't anything else in his file. The only thing it gave them was a headshot. From there, the police pulled all the video from the hotel for the past three days and they were going through it now. They had started with the most recent video first, and they hadn't seen any sign of Jason loitering at the hotel. Just Olivia arriving, and then Amy and Olivia leaving. But they weren't done looking through it yet.

They had searched Amy's room, and were also trying to get surveillance video from the club and the street where Olivia and Amy had been attacked.

Cragen said they had reached out to the Boston P.D. and were waiting to hear back. They were tracking his car, his phone and his credit cards, but so far, nothing popped.

Elliot couldn't argue with anything they were doing. It was amazing what they had done in the last four hours or so since Olivia and Amy had been attacked. It was just going to take time and he knew they were doing everything they could to track her down.

He pushed himself up so he was sitting, and scrubbed his hands over his face. His phone was on the coffee table and he snatched it. No new messages. He stood up and stretched, and looked towards Olivia's room. He needed some more sleep, but he wanted to check on her first.

He walked as quietly as possible, wondering about the wisdom of trying to sneak up on someone that was armed. But he really didn't want to wake her. When he reached the door, he pushed the door open slightly and saw her lying in much the same position he had left her. The only exception was the towel and ice on the floor. He was about to back out when he heard her voice, hoarse from sleep.

"Any news?"

He took a few steps into the room, not wanting to invade her space. "They're doing everything they can to track him down."

"So, that means no."

"They have his name, his car, his phone. Video from the hotel, the street, the club." He took a few more steps into the room until he was standing next to the bed.

Olivia closed her eyes again and sighed.

"It's only been a couple of hours. They've got a lot of manpower on this."

"We shouldn't have gone out."

"Liv. If this Jason guy was going to do something, it was going to happen. At some point or another." He hated that she was still blaming herself.

Olivia opened up her eyes and looked up at Elliot. "I guess. But if I'd had my gun."

Elliot leaned over slightly. "This isn't your fault."

"It's easy to say and hard to believe." Olivia said.

"I know. But please, you have to let it go." He brushed her hair back from her face. "Just try and get some more rest, OK? I'll wake you when I get another update."

Olivia reached up and grabbed his hand as he started to pull away. "El…"

Elliot stopped and looked back down at her. "Yeah?"

"Will you…" She closed her eyes again. "Never mind." She dropped his hand and let hers fall onto the bed.

"Liv. Anything. Just name it."

Olivia opened her eyes and saw him still hovering over her. "Will you stay here, with me?"

"Sure." Elliot looked around the room and eyed a chair in the corner.

"No." She slid her hand towards the empty side of the bed. "I mean here. With me."