A/N: This story takes place in basically the same universe as 'Taken Away'; those of you who have read that one will recognize similar elements. However, this story is in no way, shape, or form a prequel or a sequel and stands completely on its own. Enjoy! :-)

"Fin, take Rollins and go arrest Master Jonathan Pike for battery and assault, and submissive abandonment. And inform him that we've started the process to strip him of his title." Olivia ordered as she handed Fin a slip of paper with an address written on it.

"Yes, Captain." Fin and Rollins left the precinct to do as they were told while an SPS Coordinator gently guided a battered and bruised submissive out of the precinct to be taken to Mercy hospital to have her injuries tended to and then taken to a Transition Station where she would live and be provided for until a proper placement could be found for her. This was the fourth submissive to come through the precinct today in need of protection, and everyone hoped that this would be the last one for today. Olivia's hope was dashed when she looked up and saw a young brunette with a collar around her neck walk into the precinct with tears streaming down her pretty face, her long brown hair matted with mud and debris. She was hugging herself in fear and Olivia could see fear and anxiety in her big brown eyes.

"Can I help you, little one?" Olivia spoke kindly and gently.

"Is this… is this Special Victims?" the young submissive asked with a trembling lower lip.

"Yes, it is. I'm Captain Olivia Benson. What's your name, little one?"

"Grace Muncy. I… I… I think I need to report my Mistress." Grace choked on a sob, and Olivia caught the younger brunette in her arms before Grace could sink to the floor in tears.

"Let's go find a more private place to talk than in the middle of my squadroom." Olivia gently guided Grace into an interview room and guided her into a chair. Olivia closed the door and sat down in a chair across the table from Grace with a pen and a pad of paper in front of her, "Can you tell me what happened, Grace? Take your time, there's no hurry."

"I screamed my safeword so many times." Grace sobbed as she hesitantly pulled up her sleeves, revealing both of her wrists sporting deep, purple bruising from a rope digging into her delicate skin. Her shaking hands were a very light shade of purple, but still detectable to the trained eye, indicating that her circulation had been cut off for a number of hours.

"I'm just going to look, little one, that's all. If I hurt you or if you get scared, just say red." Olivia instructed as she very, very gently took Grace's wrists in her hands, watching carefully for any signs of fear. Grace couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the delicate way Olivia was holding her wrists and so intently examining the damage made her feel safe.

"Can you feel that, little one?" Olivia lightly stroked the palms of Grace's hands.

"Yes, Ma'am." Grace replied honestly, and Olivia was relieved that Grace still had feeling in her hands. "Red." Grace whimpered as Olivia's gentle fingers lightly brushed over her bruised wrists, and Olivia immediately let go of Grace's hands.

"That's a good girl." Olivia praised, hoping to help Grace make the connection that this was the way a safeword was used properly.

"Everything was fine at first. My Mistress tied me up and was tickling me the way I like as a reward for being a good girl. I guess I was wriggling around too much, and the knots slipped and were digging into my skin. It hurt really bad and I said my safeword, but she ignored me. I said it again and again until I was screaming and crying. I had to scream it six times before she stopped. She told me that I was being a bad girl and Topping her from the bottom by using my safeword, and that I was insulting her by implying that she didn't know how to tie a knot properly. She beat me with the single-tail whip; she said she didn't care that the single-tail is on my list of hard limits, and dirty sluts don't get to have hard limits. When she was done beating me, she left me tied in the dungeon in her basement. It took me hours and hours to free myself and I managed to break a window and crawl out of it."

"When did all of this happen?"

"Yesterday. I ran here because I heard that this is a safe place for submissives, but the officer at the front desk wouldn't let me come in here; she told me that I was a bad girl and that I needed to go home and beg my Mistress to forgive me. I spent the night sleeping in an alley." Grace motioned to the state of her hair from sleeping outside in the storm last night.

"Look at me, little one. If you need to report your Mistress for breach of contract, you are a very good girl for coming here, and very brave and smart. We take breach of contract complaints very seriously around here, and as soon as we are done talking, I will send two of my detectives to arrest your Mistress so you never have to see her again, and I promise that she will never hurt you or anyone else ever again. Just because you wear a collar around your neck doesn't mean you aren't worthy of dignity and respect. Can you tell me the address you came from and your Mistress's name?"

"Sarah McPherson, 287 Camden Drive."

Olivia got Grace settled with a cup of coffee and then left the interview room. She gave two of her detectives the information Grace had given her and they left the precinct to do their job. Olivia then went to her office and sat down at her computer to make a formal request to start the process of stripping Sarah McPherson of her title. With that accomplished, Olivia picked up her phone and called Don Cragen's office to request that an SPS Coordinator be sent to the precinct to take Grace to Mercy hospital and then to a Transition Station. Several hours later, the officer at the front desk who turned Grace away had been fired at Olivia's insistence. Olivia looked up and was shocked to see Abbie Carmichael walking back into the precinct with Grace trailing behind her, freshly showered with both of her wrists wrapped in bandages and the color coming back to her pretty face after being fed a proper meal.

"What happened?" Olivia asked, walking over to Abbie.

"None of our Transition Stations have a bed for her. I could potentially send her out of state, but apparently Sarah McPherson never found it necessary to file Grace's contract with an attorney, and I can't send her out of state without all of her documentation properly notarized. She made a fuss when I mentioned taking her to Coldwell Dormitory, and begged me to bring her back here. I'm going to make some calls and do everything I can to find emergency placement for her, but if I can't, I'll have to take her to Coldwell Dormitory tomorrow whether she likes it or not." Abbie explained.

"She can sleep here in the crib tonight. I'll stay with her, my apartment won't miss me."

Later that night, when it was just Olivia and Grace alone in the precinct, Olivia guided Grace out of her clothes and into an oversized NYPD t-shirt for her to sleep in. Olivia smiled quietly seeing Grace's panties peeking out from underneath the hem of the t-shirt, and she guided Grace to sit down on one of the cots in the crib.

"Let me see your wrists, little one. The doctor at Mercy hospital said your bandages have to be changed every night before bed, then I'll have you lie on your belly while I put more ointment on your back." Olivia explained, showing Grace the fresh bandages and the tube of ointment.

"Yes, Ma'am." Grace trustingly handed over her wrists, turning her head to look away while Olivia carefully removed the old bandages, gently applied ointment to the bruises, and then wrapped Grace's wrists in new bandages. With that accomplished, Grace obediently laid on her belly on one of the cots in the crib. It wasn't luxurious by any standard, but Grace recognized that she was essentially homeless and in no position to turn down a warm, dry place to sleep, if even for just one night.

"That's a good girl." Olivia praised as she gently raised the t-shirt and gently applied ointment to the various angry crimson whip marks on Grace's back. Olivia felt her blood boil as she applied ointment to the whip marks covering Grace's kidney area; any Dominant with half a brain knew how dangerous it was to strike a submissive in the kidneys, and luckily the doctor at Mercy hospital hadn't found any internal damage in Grace that a properly nutritious meal couldn't fix. Olivia capped the tube of ointment and set it aside along with the extra bandages, "Now, it's very late. Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

"Yes, Ma'am, please stay. Could you… I mean… never mind, goodnight, Ma'am." Grace blushed in embarrassment.

"You can ask me for anything, little one, there's no need to be embarrassed. What is it?" Olivia spoke kindly.

"Could you… um… could you rub my bottom until I fall asleep?" Grace's blush intensified.

"Yes, baby, I can do that. Lay your head down, it's time to sleep."

Grace obediently laid her head on her pillow and made herself comfortable. Olivia raised Grace's t-shirt up off her bottom and began to lovingly rub Grace's panty-clad bottom. Grace took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she melted under the affection. Sarah McPherson very rarely offered any sign of approval or affection; the tickle session that had started out as a reward for being a good girl was the first time Grace had been given any kind of positive attention in months. Grace's big brown eyes were half closed with sleep when the young submissive felt Olivia gently lifting the t-shirt further up her back. Grace giggled softly and sleepily when she felt the very tips of Olivia's fingernails very slowly and very lightly tickling her sides, barely grazing her skin, and Grace recognized the gentle, loving touch as the reward it was meant to be.

"I don't deserve a reward." Grace mumbled tiredly.

"Yes, you do," Olivia countered kindly, "just relax now, sweetheart, you are very safe here and it's time for good girls to go to sleep."

The next morning, Grace's big brown eyes fluttered open. She was still laying on her cot in the crib and it took her a moment to remember where she was and why she was there. Remembering the loving way Olivia had soothed her to sleep, Grace gazed about the room, but did not see the older brunette. The young submissive got to her feet and stretched, wincing a little when she felt the whip marks on her back protesting the movement, and then she opened the door and left the crib. She knew that she should probably stay put until someone came to fetch her, but she needed to find a bathroom. Grace walked out into the empty precinct just as Olivia walked in carrying a bag filled with take-out containers, and the older brunette smiled.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. Breakfast is served." Olivia held up the bag in her hand.

"Good morning, Ma'am. Where is everyone?" Grace asked, glancing around the empty precinct.

"It's Sunday, and our shift doesn't start until noon; right now it's only a little after eight thirty." Olivia explained, "The bathroom is across the hall and I left you a clean change of clothes hanging on the back of the door. Go freshen up, and then come to the break room for breakfast. I'll start a pot of coffee."

"Yes, Ma'am." Grace recognized an order when she heard one, however kindly spoken.

Grace changed into the slightly oversized clothes Olivia had given her and then found Olivia in the break room pouring herself a cup of coffee. Olivia looked up and smiled.

"I don't know how you like your coffee, so you can come fix it yourself. Are you used to feeding yourself, or do you want me to feed you?"

"You can feed me, please, Ma'am." Grace replied, wanting to prove that she was a good girl and knew how to behave like a proper submissive.

Being on her knees at Olivia's feet felt completely natural as Grace opened her mouth to receive a morsel of food, chewing carefully before swallowing. With a satisfied belly, Grace laid her head on Olivia's lap to show her appreciation and sighed happily as Olivia's gentle hand stroked her long brown hair. Grace didn't know what the day ahead of her would bring, but right now in this moment, she felt perfectly safe.