AN: I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long for the end of this story. Real life has been kinda hectic. These last two chapters will end this story. Like I said before, I do have plans for sequels. But there are some other projects I want to do first, so they won't be right away. Anyway, I hope the promptness of the rest of the story helps to make up for this long wait. And thanks for reading!

*

Olivia didn't discuss her own experience. She figured that Sara was dealing with enough just then. No doubt it would come up again, but for now it wasn't really important. It would probably only serve to upset the girl even more.

"You need to rest. Go ahead and take my bed, I'll sleep out here," Olivia said after Sara had calmed down.

Sara was quick to counter. "Oh, no, you don't have to do that. I can sleep on the couch."

"Does it help if I say I insist?"

Sara's face reddened and she shook her head in appeasement. "Ok... Do you mind if I keep the light on?"

"Of course not," Olivia replied. She watched Sara make her way down the short hallway to the bedroom. It didn't surprise her when she saw the door remain wide open.

Olivia pulled out an extra blanket and pillow and settled down on the couch. Her body still remembered the many nights she had used her couch as a bed, and Olivia was quickly asleep.

She wasn't sure what woke her back up. Olivia stayed still for a few moments while she figured it out. The sound of crying had her up in an instant. She walked over to her bedroom, the lamp light reflecting down the hall. Before she stepped through she stopped, not wanting to startle Sara.

"Sara?" Olivia called softly. "I'm coming in, ok?"

Sara was sitting in the middle of the bed, a pillow folded up against her chest. Her head hung down against the material as she continued to cry. Olivia sat down next to her, wrapping her arms around Sara. The girl wasted no time in abandoning the pillow and curling up against her.

"It's ok," Olivia said.

She sat that way until she started to feel Sara drifting off against her. Olivia tried to settle Sara back against the bed without waking her, but the motion caused the girl's eyes to open.

"Try to get some sleep," Olivia insisted as she started to pull herself up.

Sara's hand remained latched to her arm. "Can you stay, please?"

It was clear just how hard it was for Sara to ask. Instead of replying, Olivia simply sat back down and pulled the covers up over them both. She laid on her back and Sara snuggled up beside her. Mere moments passed before they were both asleep.

They both woke up to the sound of the alarm. After getting ready, Olivia dropped Sara off and pulled into the precinct.

Olivia sat at her desk with a sigh. It was more to lament having to be at work than for what sleep she had lost. She was relieved that Sara had slept soundly after she had stayed in the bed. They both were dead to the world until the alarm had gone off.

The fact that Sara could sleep at all gave Olivia confidence that the girl would be ok given enough time.

"Earth to Liv," Elliot called out.

Shaking out the cobwebs, she looked at him. "Huh?"

"Gonna daydream all day, or actually get some work done?" He smiled mischievously.

Olivia glared at him, though the expression was equally teasing. The way he commented made it clear he noticed her good mood. In response to that she found it difficult to be angry.

She looked down at her notes for the latest case "So we're interviewing the family today?"

"That's the plan."

The case was straightforward enough; they were just covering their bases. Melissa Trent recognized her attacker. Olivia and Elliot were going to his family to verify the alibi he'd given, and get any other pertinent information they could manage.

Olivia wasn't expecting much except for a long drive upstate.

Elliot returned to serious mode. "How is Sara?"

"As you'd expect. Nightmares, anxiety... all that lovely stuff that comes with something so traumatic. She's getting through it."

"And you?"

Olivia smiled with a bit of humor. "Getting through it."

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, well Eli was sad to see you go the other day. You bring out the best in him."

Olivia could see Elliot reliving whatever the toddler had put them through. Now it was her turn to be mischievous. "Well I can get away with it. After all, I can just leave after."

"I'll be sure to remember that," he said wryly.

Olivia gave him a look of mock horror, feigning innocence.

The questioning was about as interesting as the drive there and back had been. Everyone agreed that they had met at a restaurant in Manhattan for a family dinner. It was tight, but the times they had given made it at least vaguely possible that Damien Kindler could have made it across the island to attack Melissa at her home. A far from airtight alibi, as they had already suspected.

It would have taken some wild driving and the grace of Hermes, but it could be done.

Olivia wasted no time in stretching out the kinks as the car came to a stop in the garage. She had one final chore before she left for the day...