I don't own it, thank you for asking.

She could see her breath fogging in a cloudy puff in front of her as she walked the last few feet of the sidewalk to the precinct in the chilly air of a New York night. Well, if you were being technical about things, it was extremely early morning, 2:28 to be exact.

Olivia pulled her coat tighter about her, the wind whipping her hair and scarf simultaneously framing her face, and reaching her gloved hand out to open the door to her workplace. Yawning, she removed her gloves and balled them up before stuffing them into her right pocket and unbuttoning her coat.

She rubbed her now exposed cold, slightly reddened hands together and decided that for the sake of her warmth, exhaustion, attitude, and mental sanity, she needed to make some coffee, pronto.

Heading to the small break room lounge and makeshift kitchen space, she could hear the slight buzzing of the fluorescents, the motion activated lights sensing her presence and in return making their presence known. Her long, black coat moving from the position of being slung over her arm to being flung over a plastic chair, she grabbed a paper filter and filled the stained pot with water, placing both in their respective places in the God-sent machine in one, swift motion before sloppily and mindlessly measuring out a few scoops of heavenly-scented brown grinds from the metal tin.

While she waited for the caffeinated liquid to complete its cycle, she took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, hearing a faint, irregular clicking sound. Raising an eyebrow she waited for it again. Figuring it to be too loud for a scampering rodent and far too quiet to be a leaking drain pipe, she walked around to investigate.

Peeking out the door to the main workspaces she spied a faint glimmer of light on a desk. Calculating the positioning along with the small chunk of blond hair she could see, she assumed Rollins was seated behind the wooden table.

What would she possibly be doing here at this hour? Olivia wondered.

She herself was only here to file some paperwork and run some quick scans proving Gia's mental state and hospital record.

About to pull out a second mug out of courtesy and consideration, regardless of why she was here in the first place, she stopped herself and thought. After contemplating for a few moments, she now had a faint understanding as to why Amanda was here so late. When the wave of comprehending rushed over her, she reached for the mug again and started a second drink.

After she was finished with the prosaic tasks, she sauntered into the squad room, nursing the two warm glasses in her hands. A formerly focused Rollins glanced up in surprise and jumped a little as she heard the imposing footsteps, wondering who the impending strides could belong to. She gave a small smile filled with various emotions, and Olivia couldn't put her finger on it as she made her way over. Was it sheepishness? Nervousness? Relief? Fear? A mixture of all of them?

"Sorry if I scared you," Olivia said as she gently placed the cup graciously by the computer.

"It's all right; I just thought I was the only one in here. How long have you been here?" Rollins asked, closing the tab on her screen and turning to give her full attention to Olivia.

"Not long," Olivia said shrugging.

Rollins nodded. "What's this?" she asked, gesturing over at the cup now occupying the corner of the desk next to her elbow as her arms were crossed over her torso and resting on the surface.

"Peppermint tea, drink some," Olivia gently instructed.

"I'm not really in the mood to-"

"Amanda," Olivia cut her off, "you have to get something in you, and I know for a fact you skipped dinner," she said, recalling her passing when the rest of them ordered some Chinese food.

Rollins' eyes darkened when Olivia picked up on the detail. She should have known, she was a detective after all.

"Look," Olivia's voice softened, "you can't just stop eating. Plus, this stuff works miracles with soothing your stomach. I should know, I lived off of it the first couple weeks I worked here."

"I don't think it's really my stomach itself that's the problem," she mumbled before taking a small sip.

The two sat in silence for awhile before Rollins spoke up again.

"This job, does it ever get easier?"

"No," Olivia said honestly. After a pause she added, "But it does get better."

"How do you reckon that?" She asked, looking over at Olivia again.

Olivia struggled to find the right words, finally coming up with an explanation as best you could. "Because you figure out it doesn't matter how you feel. You don't do it for yourself, to feel like a hero; you do it for the victims. Because no matter what hell you think you're going through working it, they're going through it hundreds of times worse. Your job is to make sure they get justice by making sure the perps that caused them so much pain get it back ten-fold."

Rollins slowly agreed, soaking in the supposed wisdom of her superior.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Olivia asked.

"Researching possible predators near the institution," Rollins replied, touching the mouse and bringing the screen back to life again.

"Come up with anything?" Olivia asked curiously, pulling a seat over and peering over her shoulder.

"Not much."

"What exactly are you searching?"

"Anyone with a record involving a sexual crime within a couple blocks of the place, but no one seems like our guy yet."

Biting her tongue, Olivia let her go about it without making a suggestion.

"You can just say what you want, I know you're dying to," Rollins said playfully, looking behind her shoulder at Olivia.

"I wasn't going to-" she started to defend.

"Yes you were. And I want you to. You've been doing this longer, and I need a little help if I'm going to get the hang of it," she reassured.

"How did you know I wanted to say something?"

"Your clenched jaw kind of gave it away," she said with an amused expression.

Olivia allowed herself a bashful smile at her own expense and obviousness. "I was just going to say that I think who we're looking for wasn't random. Gia was targeted, and since she was mentally ill, I think it has to have been someone close to her. Ex-boyfriend, family member, co-worker, someone like that."

Without any sign she'd heard her, she glanced over to see Rollins looking in the distance, a glazed look in her eyes, a slight crease in her forehead and a barely visible quiver to her lip, a tiny twitch in the eyebrow, a minor flare in the nostrils and the minute detail that she was pressing her teeth together, clamping on a miniscule portion of the inside of her lip and letting out a barely audible, involuntary whimper. Olivia had to close her eyes for a second once she realized her now obvious mistake.

But now it was too familiar. Almost like looking in a mirror, besides the insignificant fact that her eyes were a light blue contrary to her own deep brown ones.

She was reliving a painful memory, the memory of her situation with a co-worker back in Georgia no doubt, and Olivia had triggered it. For that she felt miserable, knowing the pain she was making her go through, and by extent the pain she herself was causing for her own person.

Pushing the memories of Sealview to the very back of her mind, she controlled the various and numerous urges she had regarding the matter at hand. She wanted to demand her to talk about the assault, give her a hug, and crawl up in a ball and disappear from the mere thought of her own lurking nightmare at the same time, deciding against all of them and maintaining composure.

It might be good though, she thought, it might be okay. Even though Olivia was disappointed when Rollins had told her she didn't prosecute, she'd said herself that it wasn't about the putting away, it was about when you talked to someone about it, and they believed you. Maybe they could bond over this. Conditions weren't ideal, no, but the subject matter could give them a strong connection Olivia hadn't found with anyone else.

No one else had gone through the blame, the hurt, the guilt, the fear, the reliving, and the scars. They sympathized, but couldn't emphasize. And even after therapy, it never went away.

Not ever.

"If you ever need, or want, to talk about…that. Or anything really, you know where to find me," Olivia offered softly, a glimmering hope she would take her up on the offer immediately, curious and silently begging to help.

Rollins nodded, "I'll keep that in mind," she said, offering another minute grin.

Olivia nodded and stood up.

"Hang in there, kid," she said, both supporting her and affirming her presence. She put a hand on the younger detective's shoulder and looking into her eyes, "you're okay."

Rollins recognized the double meaning, and they both made her relieved as Olivia walked away to her own work.

She thought maybe she could do it. Maybe she could make it. And maybe, just maybe, she could live this life.

I know the timing of this scene is a little off, and since Rollins' past is a little blurry, I might have accidentally enhanced some things, but I hope you liked it anyway! I proofread, but I could definitely have let something slip. If I did, please tell me and I'll go back and fix it. Thanks! A review would be great! =)