A/N: Same warning as the last chapter. Some parts may be triggering because of mentions of abuse. Proceed with caution.

Disclaimer: I don't own either show because if I did El never would have left.

The woman in his arms was a frightened shell of the partner he knew and loved and it worried him greatly. She was pale and he had a sick feeling about what it was she needed to tell him. All he could do was hold her and reassure her.

"You can tell me anything Olivia, no matter what it is. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't know if I can."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do I just...I hate myself for this El and I'm scared that-"

His kiss is gentle and reassuring and he deepens it slowly, pouring his love for her into the action and she allows herself to melt into him.

"Baby look at me." He strokes her cheek with his thumb. "I promise you that there is absolutely nothing you can say or do that will ever make me love you any less." Her sob broke his heart. "I promise you, Livia. I promise you that I love you so much right now and I will still love you when you've told me. I will always love you. I will always hold you when you need me and even when you don't. I will always protect you and be here for you no matter what. Ok?" She buries her head into his chest, thinking that maybe it will be easier to tell him if she doesn't have to look into his eyes.

"I don't deserve you El."

"You deserve so much better. But I hope I'm enough." She snuggled into him allowing his warmth and safety to surround her.

"You're more than enough Stabler. And everything you just said goes for you too. I love you more than I can put into words and I will always be here for you." They sit in silence for a minute, her trying to slow down her breathing. He hears her sniffle and sees new tears forming in her eyes and feels tears in his own. There is nothing more painful than seeing his partner hurting. He kisses her tears and cups her cheek in his hand and she closes her eyes and leans into his touch.

"Talk to me, sweetheart. Please." His tenderness causes more tears when she thinks of the contrast between him and the last man who called her 'sweetheart'. Elliot Stabler was her rock, and as scared as she was to tell him, he was the only person she never felt weak breaking down in front of. He would always catch her. Always.

"Can we uh-can we go somewhere? Your apartment? Or the precinct? I don't care I just-" In case he comes back because I don't think I can get through this here. He knows where I live and I'm scared and you make me feel safe so get me out of here. Her heart warms because he can read her like a book.

"Of course, you want to pack some things and stay the night?" not after that creep was in my bedroom doing god knows what. She shivers.

"I think I've got some things at your place already actually." She wasn't sure she was ready to go into her bedroom, she just wanted out of there.

"Ok." They stand up, her still in his arms and he moves to open the door but she stops him.

"Did you see anybody when you came in? What if he's hiding in here maybe we should-"

"He's gone honey, I promise. I heard someone running on the fire escape but I didn't look to see who it was because I wanted to find you."

"But what if he-"

"No one's going to touch you, Olivia. Not while I'm with you. You want me to look around and check?" While he might be waiting to kill you? Uhhh no, we're partners. We're staying together.

"No no, you're right. I'm ok I'm sorry."

"It's alright my love. It's alright." She grips his hand as they walk out and the smell hits them with a force.

"You got expired milk here or something?" Elliot jokes, trying to lighten the mood but Olivia's blood runs cold. "I left you a present Audine...she was fun, I'm almost sorry she had to go." He turns back to look at her and stops. "You ok Liv?" She swallows the bile rising in her throat.

"Call CSU."

X

She stayed in Elliot's arms as Crime scene techs combed the place she had considered home. It had been trashed. Cabinets open and emptied, broken glass and dishes, furniture turned over, a note on the wall in spray paint that said "You can't hide anymore.", her purse had been turned upside down and her wallet was missing. Her bedroom was a nightmare and Elliot stood in front of her, refusing to let her go in. He told her it was to protect her, that she didn't need the images in her mind. She already knew though because the monster had taunted her and told her what he was doing. All Elliot told her was that her gun, badge, and handcuffs; the items that identified her as a detective, were gone and that a woman's body had been found in her closet.

Some change had been stolen from her nightstand and what was perhaps most terrifying was an address book that had been stolen...an address book that contained contact information for the people she loved, the people she now considered her family. Her partner, her Captain, the other detectives in the squad, the ADA, and her mother. It also contained the address for the precinct itself.

He could kill them all and she wouldn't be able to stop him because she'd been stripped of everything that made her a detective, everything that made her Olivia Benson and not Audine Higgs. She had no gun, no handcuffs, no badge, no wallet...he had made her into his property. He owned her and no matter where she went she wasn't safe. He knew where she lived, where she worked, and where the people she was closed to lived and worked.

So she clung to Elliot, who normally by now she would have said 'I'm fine' too and convinced him to let her go because she was afraid of losing more things than she already had.

"We have to call Cragen don't we?" He nods grimly.

"Baby I need to know what's going on. Please this is….I want to protect you and I WILL protect you but if I don't know who I'm looking for if I don't know who I'm protecting you from…Whoever this guy is knows how to get away with this Olivia. He knows how to track you. He knows where I live...I don't know where to take you to keep you, safe honey." He looks distraught and as if he might cry himself. "I'm gonna call Kathy and have her keep the twins this weekend and maybe we can find a hotel or something."

"El I'm so sorry, I hate that you're involved in this, that you're kids are involved in this." She sobbed.

"Shhhh it's not your fault, it's not I just...I wanna find this guy before he-" He swallows hard, unable to finish his sentence. "I want to be your safe place, I don't want you to have to hold this in anymore sweetheart. I've never seen you this scared before. It hurts to see you in pain."

"You should stay somewhere with your kids and protect them I'll-"

"I'm not leaving you. I told you that." He stated firmly.

"Elliot I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, to any of you."

"I would never forgive myself if something happened to you that I could have prevented. Please baby. Please let me in. Please tell me so I can keep all of us safe." God, she felt selfish, the man had been devoted to her since day one. He had loved her, protected her and stood by her side even when she pushed him and now he was in danger, still worried about her and begging her to talk to him. "I know you're scared honey. I'm scared for you but I love you so much. So so much Olivia, and I need you to talk to me now...because we might not have much time to waste."

"Ok." She takes a deep breath as they sit on the couch. He wraps her in his arms knowing that this will be hard for her and he wants her to feel safe and secure.

"About 10 years ago I was a sophomore at Sienna college and my mother, well I told you about her showing up drunk to one of my classes one day right?"

"Yeah."

"I was so humiliated that I dropped that class, it was an intro to Criminal Justice course and I had one of the highest scores in the class. The professor contacted my advisor and she called me down to her office one day. She told me she had heard about that 'incident' and wanted to know if I had ever considered transferring out of state." She was hesitant so he reassured her.

"That makes sense."

"I thought that was crazy because there was no way I could afford to move. But my professor, with good intentions, had sent in a recommendation to a police academy in Kentucky and asked if there might be a scholarship. My advisor told me that I had been accepted that day, and I was speechless."

"Of course you were accepted, you're amazing, partner." He gave her a small smile, trying to soothe her as much as possible.

"Anyway my mother to my surprise didn't even protest. It was like she wanted me gone. She didn't even tell me bye, just that I'd probably get fat and to try and not get myself killed or trampled by horses. Not people, cause I was too ugly to be given the time of day." She scoffed and Elliot kissed the top of her head gently.

"She was so wrong baby, you're beautiful."

"El what I've told you so far isn't even the worst of it."

"For the first few months, it was great. I finally felt free! I was so fed up with my mother and being associated with her that as soon as I settled in, I went to the courthouse and changed my name."

"Olivia Benson the rebel, I never thought I'd see the day...and what was your new 'I'm a Kentuckian now and I live among the farm life and sweet tea drinkers' name?" He chuckled and she allowed herself to laugh with him.

"Audine Higgs." Elliot snickered and she slapped him lightly on the chest. "W-where did you th-think of that?"

"An obituary in the newspaper." They both laughed at that.

"So uh, you learn how to make casseroles and stuff?" She was hesitant and her mood was no longer lighthearted.

"I met a man while I was waitressing at the local diner one day. His name was Lester Sproles." He could feel her shiver and held her tighter.

"I'm right here Liv. It's me. It's your El. I'm not going anywhere. No matter what you're about to tell me."

She knew there was no going back now and she swallowed hard. She had reached the place of no return.

"Who was he Liv?"

A/N: Cliffhanger! Haha. She tells him the whole story NEXT chapter. How will he react and what will happen next? Also, what or 'who' was the second present Lester mentioned when he was taunting her? Thanks for reading :p I've got a couple tests this week but I will try to update when I can. :)