A/N: Sorry it has taken so long to get this chapter up. Too many ideas and not enough time in the day. Also, my one shot kinda took over and made it self known, so I shared it with you. Hopefully, now, that it is out of my head, I can continue with this story and we can all finally get to a resolution. Anyway...I hope you enjoy it. There is some language and physical altercations described in this one. It isn't so much graphic but it is more detailed than before, so tread lightly if that isn't your cup of tea. As always, reviews are appreciated.

Chapter Twenty-Three - Breakdown

Olivia stood under the spray and willed the dream away. She should have known it was a dream from the beginning but it was so much like her memories of being undercover that until Frankie morphed into Alex it seemed like a memory replaying. She turned the water warmer trying to burn the filth that she felt covering her. She lambasted herself for turning to being naked next to Alex in a sexual innuendo.

Olivia got out of the shower and dried off. She stood in front of the mirror. She noticed that her hair was shaggy and browner than it had been in months. The red and blond highlights were fading. She was turning back into Olivia, detective. She smiled at the face in the mirror. She knew that Julie was blending into her personality. She knew that she would need Julie to finish getting everything out.

Olivia put a wife beater and boxers on before she made her way to the guest room. She watched Alex sleeping. She looked like an angel. Olivia stood in the doorway and watched her. Alex could feel her and sat up in the bed.

"You going to stand there all night or are you going to come to bed?" Alex asked her.

Olivia bowed her head and walked to the bed. She got in silently and lay on her side stiff as a board. Alex knew that she was retreating but she wasn't going to let her mentally run from her. She rolled over and draped an arm across Liv's stomach, pulling her into Alex's body.

"You're okay. We're okay. Relax, Liv, I've got you. I am not going to let her hurt you."

"You can't protect me, Alex."

"Can't I?"

"You hate guns."

"So? Liv, not everyone needs a gun for protection. I certainly don't. I believe in the law, no matter how fucked up the system might be. I still believe in it. I believe in you, because you uphold the law. I believe in what we've fought for in the courtrooms and on the streets. If I can't protect you with the law and with my love, then I can't protect myself."

Olivia just stared at her. She couldn't believe it what she was hearing. Alex believed that they would be okay and because of that, Alex knew that it had to be true. Olivia wished that she had to luxury to still believe that way. Too much had happened. Too much had been seen. Too much done. No, Liv didn't have that naivety anymore. She couldn't believe that Alex still did.

"There is more to it than that," Liv said dryly.

"I understand that, Liv. But, right now, we are here. We're alone and you're afraid. I want to help you. I want to help you fight the monsters in your head, but I can't if you won't let me. We can deal with this together. We can win, but you have to trust in me, in the law, in everyone who wants to help you that we will succeed. If you can't do that, they have already won."

"I'm not a victim you have to prepare for court, Alexandra."

"You may not be a victim that I am preparing for court, but you are a victim nonetheless. Abbie is going to be prosecuting the case. You will have to testify. You will have to tell the court what happened in the warehouse that night, Liv. You will have to relive it. I want to help you through that. I want to be there to comfort you, if you will let me."

"Alex…"

"Liv, I know that this is hard for you. I know that you want to breakdown and cry. Just do it. I won't think less of you for it. You're human and damn it, you've been too strong for too damn long. No, don't. Don't tell me that you haven't been. I don't know how you dealt with the pain of your conception. I don't know how you dealt with the blow from your mother. I don't know how you dealt with the pain your mother's drinking caused. I don't know how you dealt with loosing me, three times…all of them my fault. I know I didn't do so well on my end. So, please don't lie here and tell me you are okay. I know that you aren't. If you can't tell me, then who can you tell? Would you rather talk to Huang? I'll call him in the morning if you want."

"No."

"No, what?"

"I don't want to talk to Huang about the dream."

"Is that all?"

"No."

"Liv, talk to me. Trust me. Lean on me for once. Breakdown and let it out."

"I don't…I don't know if I can. I don't really know how. Alex, I don't know how to be weak."

"No one said anything about being weak. Even strong men break, it is what they do after that proves their real strength. Crying is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength and emotion. You should never be afraid to cry, especially in front of me," Alex told her.

"You don't know what to know what happened, Alex. Hell, I don't want to know and I lived it. I don't know how I could tell anyone the truth about those days," Liv replied.

"You are going to have to tell Abbie and Dana. I'll be in the courtroom. You might as well tell me now, so I won't be surprised then. You know I don't take courtroom surprises well."

"Alex, you don't know what you are asking."

"Don't I? Liv, I have heard some of the most depraved things while being an ADA for you. I doubt that there is anything that you tell me that I will find completely surprising. Just tell me and let it out. Bottling all that up isn't helping you."

"Fine. I warned you. Frankie and I had just returned from the clinic in Tennessee. It had been another delivery to Knoxville for D. J. I stopped by the bar to give Dominique the ledgers. I knew that D. J. was out of town. He had another delivery he was on. Robin was there. She wasn't too pleased to see me. I wasn't too happy to see her either. I just ignored her and talked shop with Dominique before feigning fatigue. I knew that Frankie should get home and rest. All I wanted was some good tequila and a beer. I wanted to drink away everything. I had become too used to be Julie. I was becoming her and honestly, I wasn't looking for a way out. I liked my life. I had Frankie. We were going to have a kid. I was biker that did illegal stuff, but I was reporting it all to the Feds. I had a pretend family and it felt normal."

Olivia sighed and then continued, "I didn't know what Robin was up to. I wasn't watching her like I should. She'd left the bar seconds before me. I saw her Camero peeling out of the parking lot. I just thought she was mad. I had no idea what Robin had already done until I got outside and to the Seabrook truck.

"Frankie was gone. Robin had kidnapped her, right under my fucking nose. She took her in the parking lot at gun point. I didn't see a damn thing. She left me a note. It told me to come to the warehouse in two hours, alone and not to tell D. J. I was scared. Not for me, but for Frankie and the baby. I didn't know what Robin was capable of. I didn't know how far she would go."

Alex watched the tears start to form. She knew that Liv was finally letting it all go. She watched as her eyes changed from black to brown and back again, over and over, as she told the story. Alex knew that there was one difference this time while Liv told it. She wasn't telling the story as Julie. She was telling it as Olivia. Olivia was becoming whole again.

"I ran back inside the bar. I told Dominique. I told her to give me a few hours before she told D. J. I wanted to have a shot at Robin first. I needed to see if I could save Frankie first. Dominique reluctantly agreed. She was afraid of Robin, too, but she was scared for Frankie and the baby.

"I left the bar. I drove back to Russell's. I told him that I had another job to go on and that I was taking my boots. I told him to watch out for a signal. Something didn't seem right with the gang and to be prepared. It was the only thing that I knew to do. I couldn't risk a full assault. Robin would have killed her. I wouldn't have handled that well…at all."

The dammed tears began to flow. Alex just held her and let her continue. Both of them knew that the night was gone. Only the light of justice would bring them peace.

"I went to warehouse. It was dark and dank. It smelled of oil and gas, but there was something else. It was metallic and strong. I realized that it was blood. I thought I was going to be sick. I was too late. Frankie was already dead. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kill Robin. I had never felt such a blinding rage, except once before…a long time ago, similar circumstances…but, I had to control myself. I had to know. I had to know if Robin actually did it.

"I came around a corner and saw Frankie. She was tied up to a support pole. Her hands were behind her. Her eyes were red and puff from crying, begging to let go and pleading for her unborn child. Her feet were bound out in front of her and she was sitting somewhat, the best that she could in her position. Her brown eyes were scared. It was a sight I knew too well. I went into autopilot and ran to her, to release her. Then WHAM! I blacked out.

"Next thing I know, I'm handcuffed and on a hook. My feet are still on the ground but Robin has the lift control in her hand. She has a stiletto in one hand and a massive pistol in the other. It was then that I realized that my eye was pretty much swollen shut. I couldn't make out the size or the make of the weapon and it was making me angry. I had walked right in there and gave myself to Robin on silver platter. I walked into her trap with no thoughts on an escape route.

"Frankie watched me. I kept telling her that it would be okay. We would be okay. Robin would just punch me in the gut and tell me to shut up. She would then go back to Frankie and whisper to her. Frankie would shake her head and cry. Robin would stand up and stare at me, wondering what was so special about me that Frankie wouldn't leave me.

"Robin decided that if she made me ugly that Frankie would leave me. She came at me with the stiletto. But, I fought back the best that I could. I used my feet and managed to somehow kick the knife away. She still had the gun. I was working on that when she pistol whipped me. I was out again.

"I don't know how long that time, minutes, hours. I woke up and my toes barely touched the floor. She was keeping me off balance. She was stretching me and suffocating me without realizing it. I would have to pull up to breathe deeply, but then would have to sag to allow my shoulders some rest.

"Frankie, saw the predicament that I was in and began crying anew. Robin was lost. She didn't know why Frankie loved me so much. She couldn't understand the love that Frankie had for me. It was foreign to her. She wanted to erase me. She wanted to punish me. She punched me, kicked me, and once that I remember head butted my nose.

"Frankie never caved. God bless her. She was going to be strong for me. She wouldn't break for Robin. When beating me didn't work, Robin turned on Frankie. If Frankie wouldn't leave me, then maybe I would leave Frankie. She turned on Frankie. She grabbed a bat and raised it to hit her. I screamed out in terror. Robin just stared at me. She was surprised by vocalization.

"She walked back to me. Watching the emotions in my eyes, she was confused. I begged her to hit me. Take your anger out on me, I begged her over and over. Something finally broke in her, and she did. She took the bat to my legs. It stung. It hurt. But, Frankie was okay. I would be okay if Frankie was okay.

"Frankie called out, begging her to stop. I looked at Frankie and shook my head. I would sacrifice my legs if she kept the baby. It was a silent transaction between us and Robin was aware. She turned to go back to Frankie again. I pulled up against the chains. My shoulder was already dislocated. The pain was unbearable, but I couldn't let her hit Frankie. Something snapped inside, maybe it was pure adrenaline, I don't know. I pulled myself up and then dropped my weight. It was enough that I could flat foot the floor enough to push up and off. The extra motion got me high enough to unhook myself from the engine lift hook. I was still cuffed but I was standing on my own two feet, not dangling.

"My equilibrium was off. I was foundering in the haze and rage. Robin heard me hit the ground. Somewhere during the beating she'd found the gun again. I don't remember when, I might have passed out. I am not sure. I do know that when I landed, I activated the panic feature in my boots. I didn't know how long it would take, but I knew that cavalry was on the way.

"My only plan then was to stay alive long enough to protect Frankie. I wasn't prepared for Robin and pistol. She swung it around at me. I dodge the first two shots. Then I went for her. I lunged at her. We both hit the ground. We were wrestling for the gun. Over and over, shots rang out. Somehow I managed to keep all the shots away from Frankie.

"Out of nowhere D. J. appeared. Inwardly, I was happy. I knew that he would help me. Outwardly, I was scared. He was still Robin's brother."

"What happened?" Alex pushed.

"He went for the gun. Now, all three of us were fighting for it. I was silently counting. Most pistols that size hold between seven and twelve shots. We had already spent seven. If I was lucky, it was empty. If I wasn't, there could be five more shots. I knew that I wasn't as lucky as I'd hoped, because Robin still had a death grip on the weapon. During the course of fight, another shot rang out. I saw the blood mushroom out of Robin. I saw the horrified look in her eyes as she realized that she'd been shot. She stumbled away from us, dropping the pistol. D. J. looked at her surprisingly. She just stared at me in bewilderment. Then, in fit of last ditch rage, she came at me again.

"She grabbed me by the cuffs and rehung me on the hook. She grabbed the lift switch and pulled me up off the floor. She grabbed the bat and swung twice. I think it hurt too much after that. But the damage was already done. She had completely dislocated my shoulder with the final attack. She grabbed her side and smiled at me.

"D. J. heard the sirens first. He grabbed Robin and pulled her out of the warehouse. He left me and Frankie there. He knew that it was the safest thing to do. Robin had already done too much. He knew that we would turn on them because of her. He had to protect what he could of their operation and the get Hell out of town. I watched the run out the back hidden trap doors and passed out.

"The next thing I know, I'm delivering the baby. Russell comes in and saves the day. Weeks later, I wake up in a hospital in Knoxville. I barely remember them telling me that Frankie was dead. I barely remember the rest of it. Russell filled me on the flight to get me out of Atlanta and to Quantico. They were afraid that Robin would follow us, too."

"But, she didn't," Alex told her.

"She may not have had the chance. I don't know how badly she was wounded. I just know that she was shot. I don't know who or what they have told other members of the gang. The gang has affiliations everywhere. I am not safe. Xander isn't safe. They could find us."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, Liv. You're safe. They aren't going to hurt you anymore. I promise that."

"How can you promise something like that? You don't know them. You don't know where they are. No one does."

"But, we do know where they are."

"What?"

"BOLOs were put out months ago. Most of the gang from Atlanta was picked up soon after you were found. Raids were going on all over town. Your panic mode closed the investigation and Ike swooped in like a hawk. He took them all down. They got Robin and D. J. two days ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know until a few minutes ago. Dana texted me the news. They were hiding at hospital in Biloxi. A cop just happened to be in the hospital visiting his mother when he recognized them from the BOLO. They are in custody in Biloxi waiting for the Marshals to get them and bring them back to Atlanta to be tried. So, we are safe."

"They went quietly, no standoff in the hospital."

"Yeah, D. J. surrendered as soon as they came in the room. Robin tried to fight but injured so bad that she couldn't resist. They handcuffed her to the bed. When she is medically able to be transported she will be sent back too. Until then, she'll be under heavy guard"

"Frankie will get her justice?"

"Yes, Liv and so will you."

"We need to go back."

"Why? Why now? What's going on in your head?"

"I need to talk to Huang. I need to tell him more. I need to get him to help me fill in the blanks."

"It can wait a day or two. I'll call him in the morning. Promise. Right now, sleep. You need your rest. The battle has just begun in earnest now. You are going to have be rested to help everyone win this fight," Alex told her.

"I have you to help me. With you, I know we can win this. We have to, for Frankie and for Xander. "

"We will, Liv. We will. I promise that we will," Alex said, kissing her forehead and rubbing her arms, "But, sleep now. I've got you."