Meanwhile back in Amanda's hospital room she'd started begging as soon as Liv had left.
"Please Fin. Stop her. Let Justine go home." She'd kept her back to him and had her head down. He could tell by her voice she was crying. He kept quiet and kept his eyes on the back of her head. He didn't know how to help her and it scared him. He saw her wipe her face with the back of her hands and then she turned her head slightly so she could see him out of the corner of her eyes.
"Fin please? Don't let them tell her." Her eyes looked so sad and he wished he could just wipe it all away for her.
"Please don't let her know?"
"I'm sorry Amanda," he said quietly. He saw her lower lip start to shiver as her eyes tear up again.
"No Fin. Stop it. Please. For me. Please do it for me," she turned slightly more towards him and he could see her clinch her fists in her lap. Desperation grew in her eyes again as he shook his head at her.

"But you don't understand. She can relapse. Go off her meds and fall again. That can't happen Fin. Please don't send her back down again," she pleaded and he watched her closely. He wasn't sure if it was true concern or a defense she used to keep the truth from her sister. He figured a little bit of both. It didn't matter though, he knew what he believed was right and again he shook his head. He intervened before she could say anything else
"It's time to stop hiding now. You've protected your sister long enough. It's time someone protects you."
"But…" she tried but he interrupted.
"Enough Amanda. You've sacrificed enough. Give your sister a chance to step up."
"No," she cried and then turned back to the wall.

She kicked her bare feet in the wall as she growled. The hospital slippers were long gone. She put her fists to her temples and started pouring out curse words in between growling and puffing. Fin watched her, ready to jump in if she hurt herself or if it went on for too long. He too had seen the fourteen year old in her and she kept peaking out now. The weirdest thing to him was that it didn't feel weird. It felt like a normal reaction for someone who held such a dark secret inside for so long. It hurt him though to see her in pain like this. He just started thinking he had to intervene, he knew without nurse Cheryl telling him that it wasn't good for her to get so worked up right now, but then she seemed to calm down. She let her hands down and put them around her head as she fell forward into her own knees again. He could tell by her back that she was still sobbing even though he couldn't hear anything.

He kept watching her. He felt like reaching out and touching her but he knew he had to wait. He looked at her hands on top of her head. There were still traces of the alley attack on her knuckles. Maybe she reinjured them in her apartment as well. Her hair looked shiny and clean now. Nothing like when he'd seen them carry her out on the street a few days ago. Then it had looked wet with red stains of blood in it. He saw bruises on her arm and wrist that looked like they were made when someone held on to her too tight. Her hospital gown looked too big for her and her boxers were peaking out where she sat. Her legs were bruised too. Her body looked like a bad game of connect the dots. He looked at her tiny feet. She sported two black toenails on her right foot. She'd truly fought tooth and nail.

She felt as she just wanted to crawl into a ball and disappear. Why did this have to happen now? When everything was going good. Why did he have to come here and destroy it all? Now everyone would know. She would never get away from it and it made her so angry. She could feel him watching her. She'd felt like hitting him and then like hugging him. What did he think of her right now? That she was weak? A victim? She just felt like dying. Her tears had dried up again. She felt strangely drained but still with rage in her core. She let her head up so she could breathe better. She took a few deep breaths and she could feel his eyes on her. She put her arms underneath her legs and bundled herself up. She turned her head to him and peaked at him through her hair. He had no hair to hide behind nor did he feel like he needed anything to hide behind. He wanted her to see him.

"Will you kill him for me?" she whispered and there were no hiding the sincerity in her voice. The room fell silent as he watched every inch of her face carefully.
"Do you want me to?" he then asked with the same sincerity. They held each other's eyes intensely. If there ever was a moment to use the phrase 'you could touch the intensity in the air' this was it. It looked as though she was getting ready to say something when they were interrupted by a light knock on the door and Cheryl peeked inside.
"I know I was told to stay away but Amanda really needs to get her IV back in." The nurse didn't even wait for a clearance and pushed the IV stand inside. Amanda had broken their gaze once the knock sounded but Fin didn't look away until now.

He watched Cheryl, knew it was her job but still thought to himself that her timing really sucked. The nurse avoided his eyes, probably because he wouldn't hide his raw feelings. She headed straight to Amanda. She put down the supplies she was carrying on the floor as she knelt down by Amanda's side. She grabbed Amanda's arm even though she tried to pull it away from her. Fin rested his head back on the wall while Cheryl cleaned up Amanda's arm, put a new needle in and then hooked her up to the IV bag. She then checked on Amanda's head. The patch had stayed put.
"Can I help you back in your bed?" Cheryl asked but Amanda shook her head. "Then can I at least get a blanket or a robe for you?"
"I'm fine." Amanda whispered annoyed. Cheryl sighed and then looked over Amanda's head in hope of getting some support from Fin. He just shrugged his shoulders at her and the nurse finally gave up and walked out.

It took a while but then Amanda peeked up at him. He already had his head turned to her and their eyes met again. Once she spoke it came out as a whisper and sounded as important as the best kept secret
"I don't want you to do something that can get you in to trouble." He thought about what she'd just said and then said quietly
"If I get the opportunity I'll shot him." She managed to look scared, relieved and exhausted all at once. As the realization of what they'd just agreed upon hit her though she didn't know how to feel any longer. Could there really be a life without Eric for her? And once the threat was gone would she have anything to fight for? What would keep her going then? The thoughts that kept popping up terrified her.

She felt tears stream back to her eyes and she started to tremble. He could tell and couldn't just sit there any longer. He carefully moved a little bit closer to her. She'd broken their gaze but he could see some fear in her eyes as he reached for her. She didn't move though as he carefully put one hand around her neck and slowly pulled her towards him. He placed his other hand around her when she was in reach. He felt some resistance but still kept pulling her to him and once her head reached his chest he could feel her relax into him. As he snaked his arm around her body it was like a tap being released and her body started shaking with the outpour of tears. He could feel her fists grabbing on to his shirt and a spot by her eyes soon became moist and warm. He held her as hard as he dared to. The room was silent except from the sobs that escaped her throat every now and then.

Once she started to calm down and the trembling subsided he tried to not hold on too tight. One of his arms was occupied holding her head and back but the other one was free for him to do whatever with and he started to stroke her hair gently. He was careful so not to go over the patch in the back of her head. He bent down and kissed the top of her head before he leaned his head back onto the wall. He'd felt her fists loosen and she just lay peacefully in his embrace. Even though he felt drained it was a good moment for him and he wished they could sit there for a long, long time. It felt like no one could touch them there. For a while they could just be safe in the moment. The past was the past. He would make sure she would not have to relive anything else like that. He didn't know what the future would hold but Eric would not be in hers. That he would make sure of.

They stayed there for a long time and it felt like she was starting to drift off to sleep when he heard a gentle knock on the door. Liv peeked in and her eyes looked for them once she didn't spot them by the bed. Once she found them still in the spot she'd left them in she smiled at him.
"Can her sister come in?" Liv whispered. Amanda had heard her though and stirred in his arm. He helped her to sit up and Liv let Justine and Corinne pass her. Justine rushed to her sister, the way Fin had wished she could have swept in once they first met out in the corridor earlier. Once Justine was on the ground she grabbed her sister at the same time as Amanda grabbed her sister's waist. They both started sobbing loudly.
"My sweet sweet Amber." Justine managed to say in between sobs. Fin backed away and got up on his feet. The moment felt very intimate. Corinne gave Fin a smile and a nod as she slid down the wall a few yards away from them. She'd take over from there. Liv stood teary-eyed in the doorway, he moved over to her and they both sneaked out of there to give the sisters some privacy.

Nick was waiting outside and the guard was back in his chair. Fin had to take a roundabout in the corridor to get blood back to his feet. Liv drew a deep breath meanwhile.
"How is she holding up?" Nick asked once Fin faced them again. He looked at the young detective not really sure how to answer him.
"A whole a lot better once we get this SOB off the streets," came his answer shortly thereafter. Nick nodded in agreement.
"You got anything?" Fin's turn to ask. Nick nodded while Liv answered.
"Some names. A possible link to the bar they met at."
"Good."
"Yeah. I wanna put a stakeout on that bar and head back to the station to look through those names," she pointed to the pad Nick was holding. "You wanna come with us or…" Liv looked to the door Amanda was behind.
"I think I just wanna make sure she's okay. Then I'll head back in," he looked back and met Liv's eyes as she nodded sympathetically.
"Take my car. I'll ride in with Nick," she said as she got her keys up and then handed them to Fin. He smiled at her. Liv gave him a hug before they left and Nick gave him some knuckles.

Fin went down the corridor to the floor desk and asked if he could get some water anywhere. The friendly nurse behind the desk disappeared for a while and then came back with a bottle of water for him.
"Are you hungry too?" she asked but he turned her down gently even though he was. For once his stomach had to give way for more important things. He went back to her room but waited outside. He leaned against the wall opposite the door and small talked with the guard. It would take a while but then suddenly the door open and Corinne peaked outside. She immediately pinned her eyes on Fin and smiled at him.
"You look like you're strong. I have two very exhausted sisters in there and I need help getting at least one of them off the floor." Her eyes were big and with a touch of mischievousness in them. Fin didn't know why, or how she'd earned it, but he liked her. He hurried to get off the wall and over to her.

As he entered he saw Justine turn her head towards him. They had moved slightly from where he'd left them. Justine still had her arms around her sister but Amanda's had fallen to the floor. She was wiped out. Fin could see on Justine's face there had been many tears. Her eyelashes were still wet and so were her upper lip. Fin squatted down next to them. Justine helped him get his arm underneath her sister's head. Corinne moved the IV stand so he could get his other arm underneath her knees. He lifted her just slightly off the floor so Justine could untangle from the IV line and her sister's hair. Once that was done Fin rose. Even though he was tired he had no trouble lifting her. He made sure Corinne came after them with the IV stand. He went around the bed and slowly put Amanda's sleeping form down. Justine came up on the other side of the bed and helped him remove the blanket from underneath her and sweep it over her. Corinne got the IV stand in place while Justine stroked her sister's hair out of her face.

"You're Fin," Justine said quietly. Fin nodded.
"You're my sister's partner. You're a good man," she said just as quietly.
"I try to be," he said and managed a smile. Her face had been blank but then she suddenly smiled back at him. He could really see the family resemblance once she smiled. Once he'd made sure Amanda was safely tucked down and Corinne said they would stay with her he felt as though he could leave her. He didn't really want to but at the same time he wanted to track Eric down and perhaps deliver on a promise he'd made. He wasn't sure though how he felt about the fact that he felt oddly numb about executing this promise.

Once he got back to the station Nick, who was the first one Fin ran into, quickly informed him what they had so far. Dale Harris was a longtime friend of Eric. He'd moved to New York three years ago to get away from some hassle with the law in Atlanta. His uncle had a bar in Queens. The same one Amanda and Eric had met at. Judging by the description Amanda had given to them of the bartender this was not Dale though. They had put an undercover car across the street from the bar while they tried to track down Dale. He had been evicted from his apartment a few months back apparently so they had no address to him as of yet. They had put another car outside Dale's uncle's home though in case he was giving him shelter too these days. Later that night that stakeout would pay off. Unfortunately the police gave themselves away too soon though so Dale and Eric managed to get away. Fin was furious but at least they had a solid sighting.

During the night the narcotics would help them track down Dale's friends. Cragen ordered the team to take a break for the night. Fin went by the hospital. Amanda was sound asleep but since the family had gone back to the hotel for the night he stayed and slept in the chair by her bed. He woke up twice during the night as she was haunted by nightmares. He managed to get her back to sleep both times without waking her up and he felt good about being there. He left early, before she woke, and went back in to the station. He got in touch with his old friend from narcotics and got the latest news. Dale and Eric were keeping out of sight but it felt like they were closing in on them and they would soon run out of places to hide.