Olivia sits watching her beautiful princess sleep. In just a few days, Alex's trial will start, and ever since her arrest, she has not been able to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. She's also been refusing to eat more than a few bites of whatever Olivia makes, and anything that she does eat, she throws up almost immediately. The trial is already killing her princess and it hasn't even started yet.

Olivia kisses Alex's forehead, softly, so she won't wake the woman in her arms. Finally, Alex has managed to fall asleep on the couch while watching a movie, and Olivia doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize this momentary peace.

Olivia has had to unplug their phone. It's been ringing off the hook, mostly with reporters asking for interviews, while others are just calls from strangers calls that make Alex feel like the monster they think she is. With Alex finally asleep and unaware, Olivia lets the tears she's been holding in for the past few weeks spill down her cheeks. She holds her princess tightly, hoping against hope that they'll have a million more moments like this, and that their time together won't soon run out.

A knock on their door makes Olivia jump and instinctively tighten her grip on Alex. She glances quickly at her girlfriend and is relieved to find Alex still asleep, which is a minor miracle. Olivia carefully sets Alex down on the couch and slips away to answer the door, wondering who it is. The doorman downstairs isn't supposed to let anyone in except if they live in the building or they are on a guest list, and Olivia isn't expecting anyone.

She looks through the peephole and lets out a sigh of relief when she sees who's on the other side. She opens the door to find Elliot smiling at her, and, overcome with all the emotion of the past few days, she pulls him into a hug. His smile quickly fades as he feels Olivia sniffle, trying desperately to hold back the tears that are bubbling over from all this stress. She's spent the last two weeks being strong for Alex, but there hasn't been anyone to be strong for her.

Elliot comforts her as best he can and ushers her back inside, closing the door behind them just in case the vultures happen to be watching the apartment.

Olivia finally pulls away, gathering her composure and wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, El. I didn't mean to cry all over your suit jacket."

"Hey, don't worry. You guys are more important than a stupid jacket." He glances over at Alex, who is still mercifully asleep on the couch. "How's she holding up?"

Sighing, Olivia leads Elliot into the kitchen. She doesn't want to wake Alex. "Terrible. She's trying to act strong, but I hear her crying in the shower when she doesn't think I can hear her. She can't eat, she can't sleep. Hell, we even tried to go out to our favorite restaurant but before we even got into the cab, people recognized her from the news and it was like an angry mob after Frankenstein's monster. They called her the most terrible things, Elliot. God, I wanted to beat the shit out of them and make them understand it wasn't true. That it was all a lie told by the real monster." Olivia hands Elliot a beer.

Elliot takes a sip. "And what about you? How are you holding up?"

Olivia glares at him. "How do you think?"

Elliot smiles slightly. "Sorry, dumb question. Is there anything I can do?"

Running a hand through her already mussed hair, Olivia takes a deep breath. "I'm going to try to talk to Lauren again. I don't know what Damien did to her or threatened her with, but she wouldn't listen to me or even talk to me. Then I need to talk to Ms. Bradley, the teacher that's on the prosecution's witness list. She swears that she saw what she saw, though, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince her otherwise. I don't know what to do . . . I can't lose her, El. I try to believe that everything will work out in the end, that the evidence will show the truth – but even the evidence points to her. This is really bad, Elliot. She might really go to prison." Olivia is starting to panic as she voices her fears, but she has to stay in control. She has to be strong for her Alex.

Elliot clears his throat. He really doesn't want to say this, but Olivia's like a sister to him and he cares dearly for her, and he knows she will end up hearing about it sooner or later. "Liv, the detectives at Brooklyn SVU looked into Alex's past and found some . . . they found some things she's been trying to keep buried. I didn't find out exactly what, but from what I heard – there's pretty damming evidence against her. Olivia, what if Alex really is battling something inside her?"

Olivia stares at her partner, soon-to-be former partner if he is implying what she thinks he is implying. "What are you getting at, El?"

Elliot can see that Olivia is getting defensive and protective of Alex. He understands completely, and he doesn't really believe that Alex is guilty, but he has to make sure. "I'm not getting at anything, Liv. I know Alex; she's done great things for victims and battles harder than any ADA we've had, but for just a moment, look at the situation as a detective. A past involving a sex crime, and you saw her put her hand up Lauren's skirt. The teacher says she saw more than what Alex is willing to admit to. Alex's blood was found under her fingernails. Olivia, they've found her blood on the outside of Lauren's underwear. It really doesn't look good for her."

"All circumstantial evidence, Stabler. She lifted Lauren's skirt to see the bruise Anderson gave her. She questioned Lauren, and after being threatened and brainwashed by that monster, she lashed out at Alex for no reason and scratched her. That's how the blood got on Lauren. Now what the fuck are you getting at? Because if you really knew Alex, you would know that she would never do something like this." How could her partner, her friend, her brother accuse her princess of such a heinous crime?

"Liv, I'm not accusing her of anything. I'm just stating the facts. Something is wrong and Alex isn't being 100% truthful." Elliot cares about Alex, but he has to make sure that Olivia is protected. If there's any chance at all that Alex has done these things, Olivia would be devastated. She'd be broken and alone, and Elliot wouldn't let Alex hurt his family like that. Elliot has to be sure Alex hasn't done anything wrong.

"She isn't hiding anything, Elliot! God, I thought you were her friend. I thought you were my family. How could you doubt her for a second?" Olivia yells, forgetting about her Alex sleeping in the next room.

"Olivia, calm down. I just need to know that she really didn't do this. I need to know."

"You already know, Stabler! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Alex has been around my kids, Olivia!" Elliot finally says. This is his true fear, irrational as he knows it is.

A rift has now developed and a line has been drawn. Elliot gapes at his partner, feeling the burn in his cheek from Olivia's slap.

"Fuck you, Stabler. How could you ever think that Alex would ever hurt anyone, let alone your children? They are like family to her. She loves them."

"Olivia –"

"Do you really think I could do something like that, Elliot?" Both detectives turn at the sound of the voice, and Olivia can see the pain in her love's eyes.

Elliot sighs. "I need to be sure."

"If you doubt me now, I'm sure my word will mean nothing to you. How many times do perps say they're innocent? I'm a perp to you now. I can see it in your eyes." Alex can't hold back the tears of betrayal and pain; the emotions of the past few weeks finally bubble over. She hasn't cried once in front of anyone since she's returned from jail, but now, with one of her colleagues believing that she's guilty of molesting a little girl, there's no other outlet for her pain.

"Alex you have to understand – if you had kids –"

"I would love them just as much as I love your kids Elliot. I would never hurt them. I would never do anything like that to anyone. Now if you will excuse me." Alex tries to compose herself, taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes before she bolts toward the bathroom. She can't believe Elliot really thinks she might have hurt his children. She's going to be sick.

"Alex!" Olivia starts after her, but first she has to deal with her now former partner. Elliot has hurt the love of her life, and by doing so, he's hurt her as well. "I want you out of my house. You are not welcome here until you apologize to Alex." With that, Olivia rushes toward the bathroom, now letting her own tears flow as Elliot sees himself out. He will give Olivia time to breathe and then he will come back. She's mad at him right now, but she needs to know he won't abandon her, and after she's had some time to cool off, he knows she'll understand.

She finds Alex bent over the toilet, retching, but only water comes up, because she hasn't eaten anything in nearly thirty hours. Olivia has tried to coax her to eat, but Alex refuses. She's probably lost eight pounds in the past two weeks, and although Alex has always been slender, her bones are starting to jut, and Olivia can't help but be concerned.

"Alex," Olivia says gently, holding Alex's hair back from her face as she coughs. "Sweetheart, he's gone. It's okay."

Alex shakes her head. "No. It's not okay, Olivia. It's not okay." She pulls away and flushes the toilet before stalking out of the washroom.

Olivia sighs and runs a hand through her hair. First Elliot, now Alex . . . today just isn't her day.

She counts to ten, attempting to calm herself before following Alex into the bedroom. Her girlfriend is curled up on the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest, staring listlessly at the ceiling. Olivia sits down beside her and slides an arm around her girlfriend. "I'm sorry," she says softly, pressing a kiss to Alex's shoulder blade.

Alex sighs and pulls herself into a sitting position, dropping the pillow and turning to meet Olivia's eyes. "No, I am. I didn't mean to yell at you, Liv. I know you're just trying to help."

"Elliot was completely out of line, Alex. I know you didn't hurt Lauren, or anyone. I think he knows that too, deep down."

Alex rolls her eyes. "If you say so." But Olivia notices her body trembling slightly, belying the unconcerned façade she's trying so hard to erect.

Olivia goes to the closet to grab one of her NYPD sweatshirts and sits beside Alex again, draping the sweatshirt over her shoulders. She kisses Alex's temple. "I love you, princess. I will always love you."

Alex looks up, her fear evident in her eyes. "Even if –?"

"That won't happen," Olivia says firmly, as if not saying the words will keep them from coming true. "You didn't do anything wrong." She smoothes Alex's hair back from her forehead and gives her a kiss. "You're my Alex and I love you. Nothing will ever change that."

"Even if I did what they're accusing me of?"

"Alex, you didn't. I know you didn't. I know you."

"Not as well as you think you do," Alex says, her words barely audible.

"Oh, baby." Olivia takes Alex into her arms again and holds her close. Alex's muscles are coiled and Olivia tries to massage away the tension her poor baby is carrying in her body. "Baby, if there's anything you want to tell me, you know I'm here for you, right?"

Alex nods, but Olivia isn't convinced. She tightens her grasp on her girlfriend.

"Alex, I promise, we're going to get through this together. I'm not going anywhere."

Alex sighs, her body slackening as she leans into Olivia. She doesn't say anything, not because she fears that it isn't true, but because she fears that it is.

That night, Alex can't sleep again. Olivia tries everything she can think of to help; she runs them a bath; she makes Alex a cup of liquid whipped cream and doesn't even complain about how bad it is for her; she curls up with Alex on the couch and puts on a movie, holding Alex tightly in her arms as they cuddle. But tonight, nothing seems to help. Alex can't stop tossing and turning in their bed, and that means Olivia can't sleep either.

"Roll over, baby," Olivia finally says, and when Alex does so, she gently starts to massage Alex's back. "You can sleep, Alex. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Alex shakes her head. "I know that. It's just . . ." She trails off.

"Talk to me, baby. Tell me what's wrong."

Alex sighs. "My – my trial starts in two days. The day after tomorrow." She turns her face to Olivia's. "How did we get here, Liv?"

Olivia sighs, too. She doesn't answer, because she doesn't know, either.