Disclaimer: I do not own Law & Order SVU or any of its characters. Dick Wolf does. This story is solely for fun, practice, and hopefully someone's entertainment. I only own this story and any characters I create.

A/N: This chapter is for BuckenBerry because they some of the most hilarious reviews! Coming up in the next few chapters a little more detail from our victim, Olivia and Elliot take the next step, and George becomes very involved in the case but at what cost. If you are interested in reading more?

Monster

Chapter 3

Olivia looked over at George from her position by the stove. For all intents and purposes, he looked like the same Huang. His hair had grown back in enough that she could almost forget the image of him hairless and naked in that cage. Almost. Olivia watched as George cut the peppers and onions at a precisely perfect angle on the chopping board. His fingers danced carefully along the silver blade as he cut the bright red, orange, and green peppers. She desperately wanted to know how he was doing to talk to him but what was she going to ask him, was he okay that just did not seem to cut it.

George sighed though not in frustration. "Olivia, it is okay. Whatever you need to say, it is okay."

Olivia nodded. "Are you okay, George?" Olivia asked hating both the simplicity and stupidity of her words as soon as they left her mouth.

George laughed ruefully. "Okay? I think I forgot the definition of the word." George scooped the vegetables up and into the bowl. He unwrapped the steak on the counter and started cutting it into strips. "I should be okay. I am going to a counselor and we meet twice a week. I tell her everything but the truth."

"George." Olivia said sadly.

"I can't bring myself to tell her the truth. I don't think I can tell anyone, Olivia." George stopped cutting. "I'm a therapist. I am an FBI psychiatrist I should be okay or at the very least dealing with this. I know all the stages of coping, all the defensive mechanisms but still I can't seem to get anywhere."

Olivia lowered the heat on the burner turning away from the stove toward George. "Could you talk to me?"

"I jump every time Trevor touches me even on the shoulder. I cringe if it is slightly intimate. I sleep with the lights on when I do sleep." George whispered.

Olivia's eyes were brimming with tears as she nodded encouraging him to go on.

George looked at her tears in his own eyes. "I can't forget it, Olivia. I can't forget even one single second of what happened in that basement. How do our victims do it? We are so arrogant telling them everything will be okay, that time will make it all alright. Nothing is ever going to make it alright." George said.

Olivia tentatively reached for George who accepted his friend's hug unashamedly.

Trevor and Elliot sat in the living room with the game on television though neither was paying attention to it. Trevor balanced his beer in his hand nervously peeling at the label. "How is Olivia doing?"

Elliot looked over at him. "Good, she is doing well. She still has some nightmares but things have gotten a lot better."
Trevor nodded. "That's good."

"How's George doing?" Elliot asked.

"Not so well." Trevor admitted honestly. "There are a lot of nightmares most nights he doesn't even sleep. I don't know how to help him."

"Well, it is a different situation for George than Olivia. Yeah, Henson burned her and tried to rape her in that basement but he didn't. He had George for days, Trevor. Does he ever talk about what happened?" Elliot asked.

"He doesn't want to talk about it. He says it is over and no amount of talking is going to erase it." Trevor said his voice low and sad. "How am I supposed to help him if he won't open up?"

Elliot rubbed his hand down his face. "It is hard. Liv is not exactly an open up kind of girl so I know a little about that situation. Did you know Olivia was almost raped before?"

Trevor shook his head a look of surprise on his face. "When?"

"It was a while ago when we worked Ashley Tyler's case. She and Fin went undercover in the prison." Elliot's jaw twitched. "One of the guard's took her downstairs handcuffed away from everyone when the jail went into lock down mode. Luckily, Fin found her before the asshole got to rape her but she relived it for months. She didn't tell me any details until recently. I felt like a total jack ass for believing her when she said she was okay. Don't believe George; get him to talk to you even if it is only a little bit at first. Let him know it is safe for Olivia that was the most important thing that and not letting it go until she did open up."

Trevor nodded silently.

"Eventually if he knows how much you care and that it is safe, he is going to open up." Elliot said.

"I really hope so. I love him so much. Things were so good before. We were happy." Trevor said tipping back his beer.

Elliot shot him a sympathetic smile. "Give it time and give him love."

Olivia came around the corner with George both balancing dishes. "You guys ready?"

Elliot and Trevor both stood up. Elliot went over to the table that they had set earlier making room for the dishes Olivia and George were balancing.

Trevor sat his beer down at the table. "This smells awesome, Liv."

Olivia grinned. "Thank you."

George smiled at her sitting his dish down and taking the seat Trevor had pulled out for him. George sat down looking at the obvious love on Trevor's face as he looked at him. Love that was laced with apprehension and concern every movement carefully choreographed to avoid hurting George. George reached under the table and squeezed Trevor's hand reassuringly rewarded with a more at ease genuine smile that shined with happiness.

Olivia saw the exchange and felt her heart ache a little less. George deserved to be happy. She pledged there in that kitchen to be the best friend to George that she could be. She slipped into the seat beside Elliot leaning forward lightly to press a soft quick kiss on his mouth. They smiled at one another as they sat across from two of their best friends sharing a nice intimate dinner devoid of any pain, drama, or sorrow not knowing they were on the cusp of something so malevolent so destructive that it would test all of them and everything they believed.