"They arrested her in Boston this morning, and brought her back here to the city." Cragen looked down at a scrap of paper on his desk. "She and someone named Derek Waters." He looked back up at Olivia. "Does that name ring a bell?"

Olivia racked her brain, trying to remember if that name had come up in conversation with Amy. "No. I don't think she ever mentioned anyone by that name." She looked over at Elliot, who was leaning with his arms crossed in front of him. "I don't know." She looked back over at Cragen. "I need to talk to Amy. Where is she now?"

"They're still at the Tombs. Arraignment is tomorrow morning."

"I can't believe this. Amy wouldn't do something like this." Olivia stood up. "What evidence did they have to arrest her?"

"They declined to share that information with me. You'll have to talk to Stone and Allen." Cragen picked up a message slip and handed it to Olivia. "In fact, they called. They want to talk to you again."

Elliot dropped his hands and took a step forward. "They're back to thinking we're involved somehow?"

"They don't want to talk to you. Just Olivia." Cragen said, pressing his lips together. "In fact, they're waiting for you now."

"I'm going to see Amy first."

"That's not going to be an option. Stone and Allen are on their way over here now." Cragen said.

"You told them we were here?" Elliot said with an indignant tone. "What the hell?"

"I don't appreciate your attitude Detective." Cragen said, clearly trying to remind Elliot who was in charge. "I didn't have a choice."

Olivia looked at her watch. It was a little before 7. Hopefully they could get this over with, and she could get to Amy by 9. She put a hand on Elliot's arm. "It's fine. I don't have anything more to tell them, so it won't take long. And I want to find out what probable cause they had to arrest Amy. I still can't believe she had anything to do with this."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, there was a knock at the door. Just as they had done previously, Stone and Allen walked in without waiting to be invited.

"Captain." Stone said, nodding his head towards Cragen. Then he turned towards Olivia. "Detective Benson." He ignored Elliot as they all crowded uncomfortably in Cragen's office. "I assume your Captain has filled you in." he continued.

"Amy didn't do this." Olivia said vehemently. "And who is Derek Waters?"

Stone ignored her questions and turned back to the Captain. "You have a place we can talk?"

Cragen motioned to the room next to his office. "Next door."

"Can Elliot come too?" Olivia asked, looking at Stone. "I want him to hear this."

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Stone said, looking up at Cragen. "Your call."

"Might as well." Cragen said with a sigh. "Anything Olivia knows, Elliot knows too."

Olivia looked over at Elliot, trying not to respond to the tone in Cragen's voice. And the insinuation. They had this situation with Amy, but this was a reminder that other changes were coming.

"Fine." Stone said. He headed for the door, with Allen falling in behind. Olivia and Elliot followed them out and into the room next door.

They all got settled: Olivia and Elliot on one side of the table and Stone and Allen on the other. Cragen followed them in and stood with his back to the door.

Surprisingly, Allen started the conversation. "We arrested Derek Waters and Amy Maddox this morning." He began.

"There is no…" Olivia started, but Allen held up a hand.

"It appears Amy Maddox conspired with Derek Waters."

"She hired him to kill Logan?" Elliot asked.

"No." Olivia said, shaking her head.

"Waters was supposed to rough him up a little. Scare him. He tracked him down, lured him into an alley, and assaulted him."

"That's a long way from murder." Olivia objected.

"It got out of hand. Logan fought back. According to Waters, Logan had him down on the ground and was punching him…Waters said he needed to defend himself. Picked up a large rock and hit him on the head, but it didn't stop him. Waters hit him again…and Logan fell. Waters ran." Allen said.

"And left him there." Elliot finished in disbelief.

"Logan had a traumatic head wound. Bled out in the alley." Stone finished the story.

"And Waters was arrested for involuntary manslaughter."

"Yes." Stone confirmed.

"But Amy didn't touch him." Olivia said, hoping to intervene on her friend's behalf.

"You know better Detective." Stone admonished. "She's the one that put this in motion."

"But it as involuntary manslaughter. He didn't go there to kill him." Olivia argued. "She just wanted to scare him."

Stone scowled at her. "Waters wouldn't have acted if it hadn't been for Amy Maddox."

"She must have felt threatened. She wouldn't just have someone try to scare him for no reason."

Stone and Allen looked up each other, and then back at Elliot and Olivia. "We have no proof that Logan violated the terms of his release by being in touch with the victim."

"You have no proof." Olivia repeated. "Which means she told you that he did, and you don't believe her."

"If I got arrested, I would say anything." Allen said. "And he can't corroborate her story. Did she say anything to you about seeing Logan?"

Olivia wished she had…she wished she had picked up the phone and checked on her friend more often. She had been too wrapped up with Elliot. "No. But did you check with her friend Chloe? Or Jamie?" She looked between the two of them. "Or any of her other friends?"

"The only information we got is that she was afraid he was going to come after her again. No proof that he did anything…or that he came anywhere close to her."

Stone leaned in. "Are you sure you don't know anything about this plan of hers Detective Benson?"

"I swear…I don't know anything about this. I wish I had been there. I wish she would have spoken to me. Maybe this could have been avoided." Olivia's voice was small, almost a whisper.

Elliot knew she was beating herself up and he wished there was something he could do to convince her that this wasn't her fault. "Can we go?" he asked, wanting to get her out of here. He knew she wanted to see Amy.

Allen and Stone looked at each other and then Stone nodded. "Yes. But I assume you don't have any more…vacations…planned."

Olivia bit down on her lip to keep herself from making a smart comment.

"No, we'll be in town." Elliot confirmed.

EOEOEOEOEO

They were at the Manhattan Detention Complex, known as the Tombs, less than thirty minutes later. Olivia appreciated the fact that Elliot came with her, but she had let him know that she wanted to talk to Amy alone. Thankfully, he understood, and told her he would wait for her. Now she was sitting in a small, concrete room, waiting for Amy.

She was getting impatient as she sat in the drab, windowless room, and she shuddered at the thought of Amy in a cell. She was most likely locked up with the prostitutes and crack addicts…she didn't belong there. Ten more minutes passed before the guard opened the door and pushed Amy into the room.

Olivia saw relief wash over Amy.

"Olivia." She cried, and rushed towards Olivia with open arms.

Olivia caught Amy as she collapsed in her arms, and she could hear her break down, sobs wracking her small frame. Olivia hugged her close and let her cry, knowing Amy had to get it all out. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. That I wasn't there for you." She whispered as Amy's sobs turned diminished.

Amy pulled herself out of Olivia's arms and dropped into the chair next to her. Olivia sat down across from her, and saw the stricken look on her friend's face.

"Amy…tell me what happened." Olivia said quietly, silently hoping that somehow, Amy wasn't involved.

Amy just stared at her…her face devoid of expression and her eyes red from crying.

When Amy didn't answer, she forged ahead. "Who is Derek Waters?" Fin had pulled up information on Waters for her, and she knew he had a rap sheet. Some minor drug charges…public nuisance…battery.

"Derek?" Amy repeated.

Olivia could tell Amy wasn't thinking clearly…she seemed a million miles away.

"Amy." She said, placing her hand on Amy's arm. "How do you know Derek Waters?"

Amy focused her attention back on Olivia. "He's a friend of my brothers. Maybe not a friend…but…someone he knows."

Olivia sighed. Amy's brother had been in and out of trouble for years, so it didn't surprise her. She should have thought of that, but frankly, she had forgotten all about him. "But why go after Jason?"

"They called me and told me he was out. I thought it would be OK, but…he was watching me."

"You saw him?" Olivia asked, remembering what Stone and Allen had said.

Amy nodded. "The next day. He was there when I came out of work. He was standing across the street."

"Did you report it?"

Amy ignored her question, seemingly lost in her memories. "I saw him two more times…once outside my apartment and once outside the gym. He was following me." She looked back at Olivia and leaned forward. She whispered. "I just wanted to scare him." She looked away again. "I thought if Derek talked to him...maybe roughed him up a little." Amy dropped her face in her hands and started crying again.

Olivia felt helpless as she watched her friend. She had admitted her role in this. She was responsible for the outcome and there was nothing Olivia could do to help her. But she understood what had driven her to it, and it tore at her heart. Just like so many other victims…but more so, because this was personal. She understood the feeling of helplessness that Amy had felt. Sometimes it seemed the criminals had more rights than the victims.

Amy lifted her head and swiped at her tear-stained cheeks. "I didn't ask for any of this." she sobbed out. "But he was never going to stop." Another sob escaped. "I wanted my life back."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was quiet on the ride back to her apartment, and Elliot could tell she was trying hard not to cry. He didn't push her, hoping she would talk to him when they got home. He glanced over her and saw she was looking out the side window, with her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Olivia walked quietly up to the apartment. She appreciated that Elliot hadn't asked about her conversation with Amy. She felt so useless…she felt like she had failed her friend…and she didn't know if she could make Elliot understand. He would just tell her that there was nothing she could have done, but she didn't believe that, and that wasn't what she wanted to hear right now. She wasn't even sure if she wanted him to be here right now.

Elliot hustled ahead of her and quickly unlocked the door before she could even look for her apartment key. He opened the door to let her pass, but he saw her hesitate as she crossed the threshold. Olivia turned to face him, leaving him standing in the hallway.

"El…" she started. "I don't…" She had been looking at the floor, but lifted her eyes slowly until she met his. "I kind of want to be alone." Elliot's eyes narrowed, and she knew he didn't understand.

Elliot knew she was used to dealing with things like this on her own. Sometimes, they all went out for a drink and tried to forget. But when they had a really tough case, or one that hit too close to home, she always retreated. She wasn't used to having someone to lean on. Someone to talk to.

Elliot leaned his arms on the doorframe. "I'm here for you." He thought she should know that by now but he wanted to be clear that she could rely on him. "You don't have to sit here by yourself."

Olivia shook her head slightly. "We've been together for the past five days." Really, they hadn't been apart much for the past six weeks. "I just need some time to myself."

"Liv, don't shut me out."

"How is telling you I need some time alone shutting you out?"

"You only want time alone so you can sit here and beat yourself up." He leaned in slightly. "This isn't your fault."

Olivia rolled her eyes. That was exactly what she expected him to say. "No? Well, maybe if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own life, I would have been talking to Amy. I would have been making sure she was OK. She would have told me what was going on and I could have been there before her. But now…I wasn't there and she got desperate and she did something stupid. Something that's going to impact her for the rest of her life." She ran her hand over her face and threw her hair. "And all because I was too busy getting laid."

Elliot bristled at her crass description of their relationship, but he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from reacting. He knew she was hurting and didn't mean it. At least he hoped she didn't. "Just…let me stay. I won't push you to talk."

Olivia was getting frustrated. Elliot had managed to make this into something about them, when all she was asking for was a little space. "Elliot. I'm asking you for some space. Please don't read anything into it." She took a step backwards, and closed the door, leaving him standing in the hallway.