Olivia exited the interrogation room, leaving Nick completely shocked. She was now more than aware of her appearance and the looks that she was receiving from the officers. Strangely enough she still wasn't embarrassed. Her task was to let the man that she loved know how she felt and she had completed her mission, that's all that mattered. Well a positive response from him also mattered but she figured that she would have to wait given the spontaneity of the confession. Olivia continued to strut out of the precinct with confidence and her head held high as she made her way onto the city's busy streets. A euphoric kind of feeling radiated throughout her body as she walked. Even though she left before Nick could respond it felt good to finally own her feelings, something that she had struggled with her entire life.

The brunette walked the entire way home floating on cloud nine. When she opened the door Lucy shot her a confused look, being that it was the middle of the day and Olivia was in gym clothes. Olivia dropped her bag at the door with this big goofy grin on her face. Lucy was worried, this morning she was visibly upset and crying and now she was giddy. Is she drunk? Thought the sweet babysitter.

"H-hey Liv…"

"Hey Lucy!"

What the hell is up with this chick? "Uhm, it's the middle of the day…is everything alright Olivia?"

Olivia headed to the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle. "Yep I'm great. How are you?"

"I'm ok…no, no I'm confused. It's the middle of the day. Why aren't you at work? And why are you in workout clothes?" inquired Lucy.

"I got sent home early for roughing up a sick bastard who deserved that and so much more," shrugged Liv so nonchalantly. "So I went to the gym to blow off some steam and now I'm home. Where's my boy?"

Lucy was just as confused before Olivia started explaining herself so she decided to drop it. "He's napping…"

"Ok thanks Lucy, you can take the rest of the day off. Go do something fun."

Lucy started gathering her things. "O-okay, thanks Liv. See you tomorrow?"

"Yes you will thanks again. Bye." Olivia closed the door behind the baffled babysitter with that dopey smile still on her face. Her vibrating phone stirred her out of her endorphin induced high. She walked the short distance to the counter and answered.

"Benson."

"Hey Sergeant..." a timid voice replied.

"Hey Kara, what's up?"

"I just wanted, uhm…I wanted to apologize to you for today. I know that you out rank me and I respect you and look up to you and I should have backed your play earlier. I should've been helping you kick his ass instead of holding you back and I feel shitty like I had a part in you getting sent home when we both should have been sent home if I would've stepped up and had your back. I know I'm new and you might not want to work with me again but I'm sorry and I—"

"Stop," Kara was rambling and had barely taken a breath, she was talking so fast. "Kara, first off I need you to breathe jeez. Two you have nothing to apologize for, you did the right thing, and I was the one at fault. I lost it for a minute. My yelling at you was just in the heat of the moment, nothing personal against you at all. You did back me up in there; you kept me from doing something that would cost me my badge. Yes you're new but you handled that situation like a vet and I appreciate it. You're ok for a rookie."

Kara was relieved; she took a couple of deep breaths to settle her rattled nerves. "Wow, not at all what I was expecting but I'm glad to hear that we're ok. Thank you Sergeant," Kara released a nervous laugh before continuing. "Do you know when you can come back?"

"Lt. Murphy told me not to come back until I got my head out of my ass, calmed down and was prepared to act like a leader. I'm only one for three so I might take another day," said Liv with a humorous tone and a smirk on her face.

"Right…well don't stay away too long, we need you around here. Take care Sergeant."

"Thanks for that Kara. You take care; I will be back soon better than ever. Bye."

Back at the 27th precinct, Nick was sitting in on an interrogation that he was supposed to be participating in. Ever since Olivia had come into the precinct, his mind was everywhere but where it needed to be. He certainly wasn't expecting a love confession from Olivia out of the blue. After all, they hadn't talked in over a month and he figured that she had moved on. He had just avoided the situation altogether by burying himself into his work. However, there was no denying the love that was still there but he tried not to let himself go there often given the fact that he and Olivia weren't communicating. All of the things that he had been wanting to hear for forever she said to him basically in front of his whole squad. The young detective had drifted further into his daydream when Detective Lupo shouted his name.

"Amaro! Can you step outside with me for a minute?" asked Detective Lupo with a bit of an edge to his voice.

Nick knew that the detective was pissed at him for spacing out during the middle of an interrogation. "Yeah man sure."

"What the hell is going on with you Amaro?"

"I know man I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was distracted but I'm good now, I'm good."

"This is an important case to me; I've been chasing this bastard for months now. I know you have a lot on your plate and no one is blind. We all saw you and Sergeant Hotness' little scene earlier but come on man I need your head in the game. Do I need to bring Bernard in for this one or can you handle it? I need you one hundred percent focused for the rest of this case. Can you do that?"

Nick knew that he was dropping the ball and he didn't want his new colleagues to doubt his abilities. He made the choice right then and there to not focus on anything else until the case was over, however, he couldn't just leave Olivia hanging. "No you don't need to bring in Bernard, I've got this. I'm focused and I'm ready to close this case with you. Give me five and I will meet you back inside of the interrogation room."

Nick quickly left Lupo and headed toward the restroom. He silently chastised himself for letting his personal affairs affect his work. He had his share of issues at work when he was at the 1-6 but he wanted to give his best work for his new job with a clean slate. Nick washed his face and pulled out his phone to send a quick message. I'm not leaving you hanging but I have a very important case right now and I need to focus. You caught me completely off guard and my head has been gone ever since. I'm going to be working non-stop until this case is closed. When I finish I will call you so that we can meet up to talk. Hopefully it will be over soon. –Nick. With that taken care of, Nick put on his game face and got back to business while the woman on the receiving end of the text message was left with nothing to do but wait.

The next day Olivia woke up anxious and nervous. The text message that she received from Nick was vague and didn't really answer any burning questions. But she knew how it was when you were knee deep into a case, although she had never been on this end of it before. Liv had decided not to go into work to spend some time with Noah and to visit her therapist. Dr. Lindstrom had been a very instrumental part of Olivia's recovery after her kidnapping and she still saw the respected doctor to ensure that she kept progressing. Olivia and Noah had just gotten back home from their play date when Lucy arrived at the apartment.

"Hey guys did you have fun at your play date Noah?"

"Say yes we did Lucy. We also threw blocks at some of our friends and that wasn't very nice," said Liv with a look of disbelief for Lucy.

"Noah? Come here big guy," Lucy took him from Olivia's arms. "Buddy I know that you're going to be a great pitcher someday but for now we need to just build the blocks and not throw them ok," she tickled his little neck causing him to squeal which made her and Olivia laugh. Liv loved how good Lucy was with him. It was such a burden lifter to know that while she was out doing her job that her son was safe, cared for, and loved.

"Well our little pitcher is probably ready for a nap. I have an appointment in an hour. Can you put him down while I get ready?" Lucy nodded and Liv grabbed Noah to shower him with kisses all over his cute little face. "See you later sweetheart, I'm going to miss you. Mommy loves you, be good for Lucy." The brunette left the living room area and headed to her bedroom.

During her shower, thoughts of the things that she told Nick flashed through her mind. Those memories put a smile on her face but it quickly faded when she was saddened by the fact that they still hadn't been able to talk about it yet. She was definitely going to mention it to Dr. Lindstrom to see what he thought about everything. Before she had a chance to make it to therapy she received a call from Lieutenant Murphy. He had requested that she came in immediately; she knew that something was up by his tone and her stomach started to turn at the possibilities of what could have gone wrong.

Olivia walked into the squad room twenty minutes after she received the call from her Lt. She was greeted by a few stares from a few officers who witnessed her lose it on Scott Evans. Unbothered and on a mission, she made a beeline to her former office. "Lieutenant, you wanted to see me?" asked the worried sergeant.

"Yes, close the door and have a seat," began Declan, visibly worried about something. Olivia did as she was told and was preparing herself for the worse. "As you know, I don't like to sugar coat or beat around the bush so I'm just going to be blunt. Scott Evans' confession was thrown out, his lawyer argued coercion and his battered face backed up his claim. He was released earlier this morning. All we have is the DNA but he claimed that she was a prostitute and that the sex was consensual."

Olivia was fuming; she couldn't believe that he was back out on the streets. "He confessed before I ever laid a damn finger on him! This is such bullshit! Snow was in there with me, she can corroborate my story."

"It's done Benson! He's a free man unless we can find more evidence to prove that it wasn't consensual. As for now all that we have is a he said she said and an angry female cop with a vendetta against the accused," explained Murphy.

"Ok what about him charging at me and threatening a police officer?"

"He never physically put his hands on you so no assault. And his lawyer claimed those things were said in the heat of the moment while an out of control cop beat and provoked him to lose his temper. They promised not to press charges against or sue you if we didn't take the threats seriously. We didn't charge him but we are taking the threats very seriously, trust me."

Olivia was so outdone. She ran her fingers through her hair as rage and anger coursed throughout her body. "I can't believe this. That sadistic son of a bitch is getting a free pass. You know he's going to rape again right?"

"There's more that I needed to tell you," Olivia wondered what could possibly be worse news than that. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for the next blow that she was about to receive. "Evans threatened you and we believe him. This guy is dangerous and is mad as hell at you. I've assigned you a protective detail and one for your family."

Olivia started to protest but she thought about Noah, no way would she let her stubbornness put him in harm's way. "Ok, just assign the detail to watch Noah and Lucy. I don't need one while I'm working…"

"That's the last thing that I wanted to talk to you about," said Declan. What now? "Although Evans didn't press charges, IAB still heard about your little incident and they forced me to file a disciplinary action against you. They also wanted me to pass the word that another incident like that and you can forget about making Lieutenant, their words not mine. This is your squad Benson, play by their rules so that you can keep it that way."

"Yes sir, anything else?"

"Yes, on a personal note…I don't think that this guy is anywhere near as psychotic and obsessed as Lewis was but a threat is still a threat. I want you and your family to be safe Olivia. Maybe you should stay with some family or friends until Evans make a mistake and we catch his ass."

Olivia thought about Murphy's suggestion for a minute and decided that it was actually a good idea. "Thanks Lt. I think that I will make a call to a friend. Do you think that I could have tomorrow off too? I just want to make sure that Noah is protected. I also want to make sure that I have a clear head when I come back to work."

"Absolutely, do what you need to do and I will see you back here the day after tomorrow. Be safe, Benson."

"Thank you, Lt. Murphy."

Olivia headed back out into the squad room where Carisi, Rollins, Fin and Kara were waiting for her. She sighed heavily because she knew that she was about to be bombarded with a million questions. She also knew that they were just concerned and wanted to make sure that everything was alright but she was really eager to just head back home to Noah.

"You alright? I know Evans' bitch ass threatened you," asked Fin with a knowing look. He and Rollins were the only ones around during the Lewis fiasco and they didn't want to take any chances of a repeat performance.

"Yeah," said Liv trying to reassure the concerned detective. "I'm just pissed that I'm the one responsible for that piece of filth being back on the street."

"It wasn't your fault Sergeant," said Kara. "He charged at you first and I told the Lieutenant that. I don't understand how they let him go, especially after he threatened you."

"One PP and the city will do anything to keep their ass from getting sued even if it means putting a dangerous man back on the streets," chimed in Rollins.

"We've got your back though, Sarge," reassured Carisi.

"Thanks guys I really appreciate all of your concern but I will be fine. They put a protective detail on Noah and Lucy so they will be safe also. Plus Noah and I are going to be staying with a friend until all of this mess is over with," explained Liv as she lowered her head trying to avoid but eventually making eye contact with Amanda. There was still some awkward tension there, just a little. Rollins shook off the image of Liv and Noah staying with Nick and refocused on the task at hand.

"So what do you need us to do?" asked Amanda.

"Nothing, I'm all set guys. I'm going to take a day to clear my head and to get Noah and I settled. I need to make sure that I'm under control when I see that prick again."

"We understand, go and do what you need to. We will be holding it down until you come back, be safe Liv," said Fin.

"Thanks Fin and thank you all. See you guys later."

Olivia headed out of the precinct on her way to Noah. She felt like such a fool for letting that low life get the best of her and under her skin. She kept thinking about what a disservice that she had done to the victim, Lisa Tyler. Her temporary loss of composure had ensured that Ms. Tyler wouldn't get the justice that she deserved unless they found more evidence. And Olivia was more than ready to make sure that she found whatever to put the nail in his coffin. Before she went deeper into her rabbit hole, the sergeant decided to make a call that she had been unsure about. She dialed the number and waited for the voice on the other end to pick up.

"Hey Liv,"

"Hey El, I know I'm probably the last person that you want to hear from right now."

"No. That's not true, I mean I am a little surprised but I told you that we're good. So what's up?" asked Elliot.

"I need a huge favor and you know that I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important."

"Anything Liv, what is it? What's going on?"

"There was a threat made against me and our acting Lieutenant put a protective detail on Noah and my babysitter. He also suggested that I stay somewhere else until we can bust the perp. So I was wondering if we could stay a few nights with you. I know things are weird with us but I don't want to take any chances after everything—"

Elliot stopped her excessive chatter and explanations. "Liv of course you guys can stay. I uhm, I don't want to make things more awkward but why aren't you staying with…"

"He's deep into a case right now, I haven't even told him about the threat. It's a huge case for him, he needs a win and I don't want to distract him right now. If it makes you feel uncomfortable we can always go to a hotel."

"No Liv, I was just curious that's all. You two will be safe here, I'll make sure of it. Anything you two need."

"Thanks El, normally I wouldn't be so freaked out over a silly threat but after everything that I've been through plus I have Noah to worry about now, I can't take any chances. I really appreciate it you helping me out."

"Anytime Liv, I've always got your back, always. Call me when you're on your way."

"Ok, see you later."

Olivia ended the call and felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She was happy that Elliot meant what he said and was willing to still be her best friend despite her choice. The other internal battle that she was having was whether she should tell Nick or not. She definitely didn't want him to hear from anyone but her that a threat was made against her. She also didn't want him to find out that she was staying with Elliot and hadn't told him. Olivia felt like Nick made it clear that he would contact her and that he needed to concentrate right now. So she decided not to bother him and would fill him in after both of their cases were closed.

Later that night…

"Tell that bitch that this is all her fault…" Several shots rang out and the room went silent. Five minutes later the room was flooded with cops and EMTs. The place was wrecked. Broken glass and blood was scattered throughout the apartment. Two gurneys ushered out two bullet wounded bodies to the ambulance. Nick was one of the detectives on scene following a lead. He didn't expect to see the young rookie detective that Liv had told him about fighting for her life. The guy he recognized as Scott Evans was one of the names given by the main suspect in the big case that he was currently working on. The suspect named Evans as a co-conspirator. Nick knew that Olivia would want to be there with Kara so he gave her call.

"Nick…hey I've been hoping to hear from—"

"Liv," he interrupted. "This isn't about…Kara Snow has been shot. She's in pretty bad shape; you need to get down here ASAP."

"Shot?! What? How? Who shot her?" Olivia started firing off questions left and right.

"A guy named Scott Evans." There were no more questions from her. Silence was all that Nick heard until Liv's cellphone hit the ground. "Liv! Liv can you hear me? Liv! Are you alright? Liv!" If Elliot hadn't been there to catch her, Olivia would have had a similar fate as her cellphone. This is all my fault.

Wrapping it up, almost done. Thanks for reading.