Disclaimer: All recognizable svu characters belong to Dick Wolf. Mia and storyline belong to me.

~Exposed~

A few moments later Mia walked into Alexandra's bedroom. As the balcony was right across from the door she immediately noticed Olivia standing out on it just like she had been before. After a moments pause Mia walked over.

Olivia didn't move, she wasn't used to being approached and her normal response in a situation like this would have either been to stand on the offensive, or just walk away. But she didn't want to do that with Mia, there was something different about her, she wanted to meet her… Just not right now. Olivia knew her defenses were low, she felt so out of place and vulnerable that she didn't know if she could hide it just now.

"May I join you?" Mia asked as she came up behind Olivia, and to the latter's surprise she stopped and waited for permission to enter the girls personal space.

"Sure" Olivia said, a little more meekly than she had intended

"Thanks, I'm Mia" The slightly taller brunette took her place right next to Olivia, she leaned over the rail comfortably so that the two were in similar positions and at eye lever with each other,

"Olivia" She offered Mia a small smile as she glanced over at her. She hadn't intended to do either, but Mia was standing so close that Olivia couldn't resist the impulse. Mia smiled back warmly and for the second time that evening they regarded one another for a moment. It took Olivia by surprise that rather than wanting to break eye contact, as usual, she found herself comfortable returning Mia's gaze, she was magnetic. Still, Olivia looked away in short order. It was getting dark out, but even in the fading light, now that they were this close, she could tell that Mia was wayyy out of her league. Focusing on the darkening horizon in front of her, Olivia felt a familiar self-reproach rise again. This whole scene was way out of her league. "What are you doing here?" she thought, for what must have been the thousandth time in the last hour. Except this time she must have thought out loud…

"Excuse me?" Mia feigned insult. In truth she knew perfectly well that Olivia wasn't talking about her, but from what she had heard from Alex, Mia figured that questioning Olivia directly would probably only result in deflection. So she tried this rout instead.

"No, not you." Olivia said quickly. She wasn't sure why, but the last thing she wanted to do was offend her unexpected companion in any way. Running a hand though her hair Olivia took a breath "…Me… I don't belong here."

"How do you know that?" Mia asked gently.

Though Olivia didn't dare look at Mia now, she had a feeling that those big bright eyes could see right through her, she answered. Turning away from the rail with the unsettling feeling of the first cracks forming in her already fragile walls of defense.

"Because she doesn't want me here." Olivia referred to Alex

"That isn't true." Mia protested, but she gave Olivia her space.

"It is, and you know, its okay, I get it…" Olivia wandered away a little as the outdoor lights automatically came on leaving the balcony in a pool of light. "… I'm nothing like her, nothing like you… I don't have a nice house, and a nice family. All I have is…"She trailed off not wanting herself to finish. She couldn't understand why she had such an overwhelming urge to let this mere acquaintance in. Olivia normally trusted her instincts and they was almost always right… But then again her intuition normally told her to keep her guard up, not let it down

Mia watched with growing concern as Olivia spoke. She said nothing; not wanting to interrupt what she guessed was a rare vent (though she had no idea it was the first one of its kind). Olivia still had a hand in her hair, and as she went slowly off to one end of the large balcony. Mia noticed how the position caused the girl's waist length baby-t to ride up several inches exposing the small of her back. Mia followed now, and though she wanted nothing more than to rap her arms Olivia's expose waist, shielding it from the cold air, she wasn't about to push her luck that far.

"Olivia?" Mia prompted gently, coming up behind her again.

"…Nothing, it doesn't matter" Olivia turned and sat a hip on the balcony rail so that she was not facing Mia, but wasn't tuned away from her either. She could feel the cracks spreading in her even as she dismissed them

"Yes, yes it dose… To me it does." Mia came around in front of the dejected girl.

Olivia looked up at her for the first time in the clear balcony lights. Mia was with out a doubt the most beautiful person Olivia had ever seen, and her words and expression where so sincere… No one had ever looked at her that way; no one had ever spoken to her that way before.

"All I have is an abusive drunk for a mother and a rapist for a father." The Words spilled out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. She quickly looked away as her eyes brimmed over.

Mia's heart dropped, what could she possibly say that could remedy that? Nothing, So, instead she boosted herself up on the rail close enough that her leg pressed gently against Olivia's. It was a small gesture but, to a girl who's never received any genuine affection, it was a powerful one.

"You know," Olivia, continued, her eyes cast down as usual, though she somehow felt comforted by the other girl's subtle intimacy "I've never met him, but I know I look like him."

"You're beautiful." Mia added softly, casually reaching over and tucking Olivia's bangs behind her ear. She was naturally a very demonstrative person, but beyond that, she wanted to test the waters. Mia now understood why Olivia was so stand offish, but if she could accept Mia's minor affections it could only mean that Olivia trusted her… Why that would mean so much to Mia, she didn't quite know. She only knew that it did, and that she understood completely how this somber girl had caught her cousin's attention, and that her desire to help reach unassuming yet beautiful Olivia was strong.

Olivia shook her head slightly and brushed the now unhidden tear from her cheek. Mia's gesture had felt so natural that she barely took note of it "No…" She sniffed "I doubt that… The one person that is supposed to be biologically programmed too love me can't even bear to look me. " Olivia paused and took in a shaky breath "… At least not when she's sober, and when she's not (which is all the time) she looks at me like… like she hates me" Olivia swallowed heard, not bothering to fight the tears that kept escaping. At this point she didn't care that Mia was watching her slowly fall apart. In fact, she was glad Mia was there. Until now Olivia hadn't realized how badly she wanted someone to break though, to hear her, to see her, to care… "She doesn't give a shit that I'm her daughter, all she sees in me is him."

Mia's heart bled for Olivia, how could anyone not love her?

"What your father did to you're mother obviously really messed her up " Mia shook her head in distain, but she kept her words soft "…But just because she hates him, doesn't mean she can't love you."

"Tell that to her." Olivia sighed and slipped off of the rail. For a moment Mia feared she had said the wrong thing, but Olivia stayed just a couple of steps in front of where Mia was perched. "You know how I know my Mother hates me?" The question was rhetorical and Olivia slowly turned back around, to face Mia, as if unsure of her own actions. She reached up and folded her arms over her head deliberately causing her top to ride up high, revealing the thin gash just under her ribcage.

Mia felt completely torn between the tender and almost erotic beauty of the exposed figure in front of her, and the aguish she felt when the wound caught her eye. She was immediately on her feet.

"She did this to you?" Mia said in quiet disbelief.

Olivia nodded, her eyes cast to the side. She had never felt more vulnerable and ashamed in her entire life. Still, something inside held her there; she needed Mia to bear witness. Instinctively, Mia came forward and dropped onto one knee to inspect the wound. Though Olivia had always been self conscious (no attention was good attention) as she felt Mia draw near she knew that this what she had wanted- she couldn't comprehend it- but she wanted Mia to see her as she was now, to approach her…

"God…" Mia murmured in horror. Her parents would sooner dye than harm their daughter. And the very thought Olivia's mother was capable of this made her sick.

Olivia struggled to find her voice as she felt 18 years of suppressed anguish fighting to break free. "It could have been worse. She was aiming for my throat."

Mia shook her head, too angry to cry and two saddened to be angry. She ever so tenderly traced a finger under the line of broken flesh. "I'm so sorry."

Those simple words were the ones that Olivia had longed to hear from her mother, but knew she never would. And as she felt that most tender touch canceling out the dull sting of her wound Olivia could feel the last of her defenses shattering, she shut her eyes felt a wave of pain wash though her.

Mia felt and saw Olivia's stomach tremble under her fingertips. "Dose it hurt? She asked, automatically thinking she may have touched a tender spot. But as soon as she looked up she knew that it wasn't physical pain that was racking though Olivia.

"Yes" Olivia's voice broke.

Seeing the tears begin to stream from those dark lashes brought Mia swiftly to her feet. Olivia seamed nearly paralyzed by grief, she barely moved as her eyes met Mia again: Beautiful deep, dark wells of overwhelming pain that pierced Mia's heart and soul.

"Ohh Babe…" Mia brought her hands to Olivia's arms to guide them down, but only the slightest touch was needed.

"I'm sorry…" Olivia sobbed as she let herself fall into the safety of Mia's arms.

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