WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTAIN IN THIS CHAPTER.

Erin Lindsey's phone began to ring as she put her key into the ignition of her car. She turned the key, starting the car as she bend down pick up her phone.

"Hello?" Erin answered.

"Detective Lindsey?" The voice said.

Erin switched her phone to speaker phone as she pulled out of her parking space. "Yes."

"This is Detective Rollins, from Manhattan SVU."

"Amanda! Hey! Yes, thanks for returning my call." Erin said.

"Oh no problem, I've got my parented Nick here as well, you remember him?" Amanda said.

"Yes, hey Nick." Erin said.

"Hey," Nick replied.

"So about your friend, Riley?" Rollins voice came from the phone.

"Yes, yes, Riley." Erin confirmed.

"I'm afraid I can't be of much help... The only thing you can do is put him under surveillance, without trespassing of course, considering you don't have a "reason" according to DCFS. And the only other thing you can do is see if you can get Riley a guardian at lidim, that can maybe get her emancipated. But that's going to be anywhere between extremely difficult to impossible. The process takes a very long time." Amanda finished.

Erin sighed, and rubbed her forehead.

"The only thing you really can do is wait for this guy to screw up, for you to really nail him." Nick's voice said.

Erin's face harden. She heard a hiss from Amanda in the background, before Nick apologized.

Erin shook her head. She was almost to work. "Thanks for your time Amanda, I really appreciate it."

"Oh no problem. I hope everything working out for your friend." Rollins said.

Erin hung up the phone. "Me too." She whispered.

It had been a week since Riley was taken and the young girl weighed heavily on Erin's mind. She had looked up Riley's home number and had called it the other day. Erin had held her breath until little Riley answered. She assured Erin that her father had not laid a hand on her since their return home. But she also had confessed that she had been feeling as if she was walking on very very thin ice. The calm before the storm as they say. Erin had gone to ask her something else when Riley quickly told her that her dad was pulling in the driveway and that she had to go. Erin didn't even get the words "goodbye" out before the little girl hung up.

It was after shift and Erin was having a quick beer with a few work pals when she fingered she'd try giving Riley another call. Erin picked up her phone as she finished her last sip and dialed the number. The phone rang and rang till it went to voicemail. Erin hung up and tucked her phone back into her pocket as she bid her friends farewell, before collecting her things and placing a few bucks on the bar for her drink, and leaving.

She was half way home when she took out her phone and tried Riley again. Still no answer. Something wasn't right... Erin had a dark, haunting feeling in her stomach that she couldn't shake. Something wasn't right... Something was wrong. Erin quick turned her car around and headed out of Chicago and towards Riley's home town.

Erin drove as fast as she could, breaking the speed limit if she had to. The haunting feeling in her stomach growing stronger. She took out her cell phone and called Riley's house again. Still no answer. If they had gone out, they should have been back by now. Erin tried to comfort herself with music, but even the radio seemed to be against her for the first three songs that came on were: "Concrete Angel" by Martian McBride, "The 11th Commandment" by Colin Ray, and "Hallelujah " cover by Imogen Heap. Erin finally got so sick and frustrated she turned the radio off and drove in silence.

*{For inteser cinematic effects google and listen to "Cold" - Jorge Medez, at the this point.}*

Finally Erin arrived at Riley's house and pulled into an empty driveway. She got out of the car and saw the front door wide open. Erin felt cold as she proceeded towards the house.

"Riley...?" She called out softly. But only silence was her reply.

Erin took out her gun and readied herself as she entered the already opened doorway.

That's when she saw her... Riley... all crumpled up on the floor. Motionless.

"Riley!" Erin screamed, holstering her weapon and running over to her.

"Riley! No. No.." Erin pleaded desperately as she rolled Riley from her side to her back.

Her right leg was all twisted and backwards. Erin could clearly see parts of her little body that were just smashed. The colors of blue, black, and grey covered her body. There was barely a patch of white creamy flesh to the girl.

Riley's eyes were swollen and closed, her lips cut and bleeding, her nose damp with blood and snot. Her right cheek looked bashed in and almost hollow.

"Riley no.." Erin whispered again. She placed her hands around her head as she went to move the girl again.

Erin felt something sticky and wet. At the touch of it she quickly let go and pulled her hands away. Erin looked at her palms... they were covered in blood.

Erin felt hot tears sliding down her cheeks. She took off her jacket and pressed it to the back of Riley's head. She took out her cell phone and desperately called for an ambulance.

"Please hurry!" She pleaded. "She's still alive."

And she was. Erin could see the irregular, ever so slight movement of Riley's chest that told her that the little fighter's light hadn't been snuffed out yet.

The next few events seem to happen in a slow motion blur. The ambulance had come and wheeled Riley's broken little body out on a stretcher.

Erin remembered getting into the ambulance with her. She remembered flashing back to her beloved friend Jewels, as she held Riley's still hand in her own. She remembered answering "her father did this" to every question she was asked.

They pulled into the Hospital Emergency Room, where Erin was forced to let go of Riley's hand and they were parted.

Erin watched through the glass as they doctors poked, prodded, and cut Riley open.. sticking all kinds of tubes and wires in her. A nurse caught her watching and pulled the curtain shut. Leaving Erin only to wonder... and pray.

To be continued...

I know this was a very heart wrenching and powerful chapter for a lot of you.. but I hope you did enjoy it in some context. Please R&R! I am heading back to college very soon so updates will be much more infrequent I'm am afraid... :( But I will try to as often as I can. School just comes first. Love you guys.

. . .

Though this story is a work of fiction, Child and Domestic abuse is NOT. Please always be vigilant to those around you. This is a cause I am very passionate about. Please, if you suspect, or if you or someone you know is being abused please call one of the following number I've listed below. Together we can save the lives of adults and children just like Riley. Thank you. (I do not work for or have anything to do with any services of agencies, just as a disclaimer.)

1-800-422-4453 National Child Abuse Hotline

1-800-799-7233 The Nation Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7 Confidential)

For Emergencies, 911