He finds her, as she is leaving autopsy. She moves past him, towards the elevator. He follows her. She presses the button in frustration. He looks over at her, and he can see that she's staring to break.
"Olivia talk to me," Elliot insists.
She shakes her head, "We spend our entire careers trying to understand criminals. We try to empathize with victims, but..." she trails off.
"But what?"
She shakes her head, and stiffens her jaw, trying not to cry.
"Olivia, whatever it is, you can say it to me."
"Hell is a one way road, and sometimes there is no coming back."
Without a word he wraps his arms around her. She pushes him away.
"Don't!" she warns.
He takes a step back. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Sorry doesn't even begin to cut it. Elliot why the hell are you even here?"
"I was your partner, for twelve years."
"You're not anymore."
"Why are you angry at me? I didn't do anything."
"You're never going to get it, are you?"
"Get what?"
The elevator doors open, and she walks towards the squad room. She enters the squad room, and finds Fin.
"Liv, what's wrong?"
"I want to go home," she answers.
He doesn't question her, he simply nods, "I'll take you."
Their car ride is silent. He follows her to the apartment. When she reaches the door she realizes that she doesn't have a key. He expects her to feel around, somewhere, and pull out a spare key, but she doesn't. He pulls his keys out of his pocket. He puts a key into the lock, and pushes the door open. She steps inside. He follows her in, and closes the door.
"Why do you have key?" she wonders.
"New door," he admits.
She looks around the apartment. The living room, and kitchen are exactly as she left them. She swallows hard, and heads towards the bedroom. She gets to the doorway, and finds a hand on her shoulder.
"Olivia I don't think that you're ready for this."
"I have to come home at some point."
"Maybe not yet."
"I have to do this," she argues as she flips on the light.
She expects her bedroom to be a disaster, but it isn't. It is exactly the way she remembers it, except for the bedding. Now there is no bedding. She steps into the room, and it doesn't look like a crime scene. It only takes a few seconds for it to feel incredibly overwhelming in that room. She steps back, and heads into the living room. She takes a seat on her couch.
"Talk to me," Fin begs.
"All I have wanted for all of these months is just to come home. And now I am here, and it is not where I want to be. How can I stay in there? It brings everything back."
"Olivia you need to talk to someone," he suggests.
"I am talking to you."
"A professional. This isn't all going to magically disappear in a day, or two."
"Not to mention that he is still on the loose, and he could show up here, at any time."
"You can't think like that," he tells her.
"No one has ever gotten away from him."
"That's not true. The first woman he abducted managed to get away from him."
"What happened to her?"
"Cops found her days later, they didn't believe her."
"Did she live?"
"She's alive."
"Does he know where she is?"
"I don't think so."
"Do you think that he'll try to find her now?" she wonders.
"I don't think so, but..." he trails off.
"But what?"
"She has a son."
"And?"
"He was born less than a year after she was found."
"So it's his son?" Olivia queries.
"We could not confirm that, because she wouldn't let us test his DNA."
"Oh."
"I understand that she is trying to protect her kid, but..."
"Fin does he know that the boy exists?"
"I don't think so."
"He is a control freak. I can't imagine that he doesn't know where she is. I am sure that he keeps tabs on her somehow."
"Olivia I think that you're being paranoid."
"You weren't there. You have no idea."
"You're right, I wasn't, but you're safe now," he reassures her.
"You can't promise me that."
"Can I ask you something?"
She nods.
"Are you ever going to forgive him?"
"Who? My captor?"
He shakes his head, "I would never expect you to forgive him. I was talking about Elliot."
"I don't think so."
"Olivia he worked day and night to try and find you."
"So did you."
"Olivia he was your partner for twelve years. That's kind of cold, don't you think?"
"He left without a word, that is kind of cold, don't you think?"
"You both made mistakes. Now is not the time to be burning bridges, is it?"
"I..."
"You're lucky to be alive," he reminds her.
"Am I really? What if I can't be cleared for duty?"
"You just got back, and that is what you're worried about? Olivia that is going to take time."
"I am going to have to jump through hoops. I am going to have to pass a psych eval, and..."
He cuts her off, "Olivia slow down. Work can wait. Let's heal some wounds first."
"I live for my job. I just want to get back to work."
"You have to help yourself, before you can help anyone else."
"What if I can't?" she looks him in the eye, and asks, on the verge of tears.