"You want me to stay or go?" Elliot asked looking between to two women.
"Go" Olivia ordered
"Stay" Alex said at the same time.
"Someone make up my mind." Elliot stated not sure which woman's advice he should follow.
"I am" Olivia growled "Go."
"Ok" He said hopping up and quickly heading to the door "I'll be in the waiting room if you need me."
Alex waited until Elliot had left the room before slowly making her way to the chair next to Olivia's bed and taking a seat. She sat there quietly staring into space wondering how she could even begin to describe to her what she had endured.
"You know you can tell me anything right?" Olivia finally whispered breaking the silence.
"I don't know how to start." Alex admitted with tear filled eyes.
"Alex" Olivia whispered her heart breaking as she reached for the blonde "I don't want to force you to tell me but I really want to know. You understand right?"
"Here" Alex choked out shaking off Olivia's touch as she reached into her briefcase "Read this and it will explain everything."
Olivia quietly took the folder and held it in her hands for a few minutes as she studied the blonde. Taking as deep of a breath as she could she handed the folder back to Alex.
"I can see that you don't want me to know." Olivia whispered "I'm not going to force you to tell me but I do want to know when you feel comfortable enough for you to tell me. Can you promise me that?"
"I will." Alex answered taking the folder from Olivia "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Both women sat there in a comfortable silence. After a while Olivia laid back and began to doze off. She was almost asleep when Alex spoke up.
"She dislocated my left shoulder several times. It was usually done by her keeping me handcuffed for hours on in and pulling my arms up high to inflict pain."
"Alex it's ok if you're not ready."
"I know" Alex answered before continuing "Both of my arms have been broken numerous times. The most recent being my left arm, it was done just a few weeks before transferring to your unit. As you can tell my nose has been broken along with my eye socket one time. I have so many healed broken or fractured ribs that there are too many to go into detail on. My ankles and wrist bother me on rainy or cold days. That is because I have cartilage damage to the areas from being tied down for so long and struggling to break free. That is not counting the emotional and sexual trauma I have endured for a while now."
"Why didn't you come to us?" Olivia asked when she was finally able to find her voice.
"And tell you what Olivia?" Alex asked as she glared at Olivia "That I'm one of the very people I fight for justice for. How would that look?"
"That would look like you needed help and we would have provided it."
"NO it would have shown you how weak I was." Alex started to scream as she jumped to her feet.
"I swear to you if you run out that door I will be right on your heels."
"You can't move remember."
"I don't FUCKING CARE I will go after you" Olivia shouted back feeling herself close to losing her temper.
Alex stopped hearing Olivia scream and cuss at her. In the time she had worked with her she had never heard her cuss or scream maybe a handful of times. Those times were either at Elliot in one of their fights or at a perp. Never once had she cussed at her. Yelled yes, cussed never.
"And what teach me a lesson?" Alex asked "Knock me around till I learn that you're the boss. Maybe teach me not to defy you."
"Alex I will never raise a hand to you." Olivia whispered shocked that Alex would think that of her.
"Why not she did?"
"We're going to start with the most important thing. That is that I'm not her. Secondly because no matter what you never and I mean NEVER raise your hand to anyone with the exception of justified self-defense. What she did to you is not in any way a form of self-defense. Torture most definitely but self-defense never."
"Olivia I'm damaged she's proven that.'
"No you're not damaged not even remotely damaged. What has happened is that she's broken you down. That's what abusers do. They break the one they are supposed to love down in a form of control. All an abuser wants is control. It's not about love or anything else. It's about one thing and one thing only and that's control."
"Like that of a rapist." Alex said with a cruel sounding laugh.
"Yes" Olivia said struggling to get out of the bed "Now please come to me. I will not hurt you ever."
"Detective please stop moving you've had a major injury and just woke up." Alex said when she registered what Olivia was doing.
"Then come over here to me please." Olivia almost cried out as she grabbed her side once she had her legs over the side of the bed .
"Olivia please lay back" Alex whispered as she moved back toward Olivia. "You will bust your stitches if you don't."
"Then I suggest you get over here so I don't." Olivia stated still attempting to stand.
"You have to be the most stubborn and hard headed woman I think I have ever met" Alex said as she rushed to her side. "Please lay back before you cause more damage to yourself."
Olivia reached up despite the pain that course through her and gently caressed Alex's face. Even though she tried to mask it Olivia saw the brief flash of fear in those crystal blue eyes.
"I swear to you Alex I will not hurt you." Olivia whispered as she began to wipe the tears that were starting to fall from Alex's eyes "What I will do is help you in every way possible and keep you safe. I will only do that if you allow me too. I will not force you to take my help. Alex I ask of you and beg you to let me please?"
"Yes" Alex answered as she gently laid Olivia back down "I will let you help me. Now please rest."
A/N: There are no words to express my thanks and gratitude for everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, and follows my stories. Thank you so much.