I own no one but my own people

A/N Thank you all SO much for following and sticking with this story. I hope you all enjoyed it :-)

1986

"Benson!"

Olivia hurried over to the officer who had called her name.

"Can I help you?" she asked the officer perhaps a bit over eagerly.

Olivia had applied for a summer internship with the NYPD and, thanks to her acing the classes she had failed the previous semester and getting back on the Presidents List, had been granted it. She had her choice of a regular police precinct, IAB, Homicide, Narcotics, Vice, White Collar, or, and the person in charge of the internship program told her as much that the last option was very rarely utilized, Special Victims Unit.

Olivia had told her she wanted SVU before the officer in charge finished speaking. Apparently she and one other person choose SVU that year, which was two more than had volunteered to intern for SVU for the past 3 years.

She had yet to meet the other student who was in the program with her but she didn't care. She wasn't there to make friends with fellow interns, she was there to get good experience and to add to resume.

The officer, only about three years older than her, handed her a rather large stack of folders. "Yeah, I need you to file these,"

"Right away officer Dodds."

Dodds raised a very bushy eyebrow at her at her over eagerness. "I've never met anyone this actually excited to work."

Olivia shrugged. "I like to work."

"Obviously. Well, get to it."

"Of course."

Dodds watched as she hurried towards the file room with a small smile. She was cute, nice body, and actually seemed to like SVU as opposed to himself who was only here because it would have looked better working here than just being a regular police officer in a plain precinct.

Maybe he would ask her out one of these days...

Taking one last look at her as she walked away he turned and walked away.

Olivia sighed happily as she made her way to the filing room. Sure the internship amounted to nothing other than filing, running for coffee and occasionally sitting in a restaurant pretending she was a sixteen year old in order to trap men who had a thing for teenagers but she still loved it. She loved working in this area, she loved knowing that, albeit she played a very very small part, helping victims get justice.

She didn't want to do anything else in the world other than work SVU...

"Ex-... excuse me."

As Olivia was about to go into the filing room she turned and saw a young blonde woman a few years older than her with tears streaming down her face. Her hair was an absolute mess and what would have been a normally beautiful face was littered with bruises.

She was wearing a fairly short mini skirt and a dark green off the shoulder crop top with three inch heels although one had been broken off the shoe.

"I... I was told to come here for help?" the woman finished, wiping away tears.

Olivia's face fell as she set the stack of files on a desk beside her and walked over to her. "What do you need help with?" she asked, her voice as soft and gentle as she could make it.

The woman let out a sob, covering her mouth with her hand. "I was raped..."

The brunette took a deep breath as she quickly looked around trying to locate a detective but it was late and there were very few left in the precinct.

She swallowed hard as she turned back to the woman. "You... you wanna sit down while I go get someone?"

The woman sniffed away her tears and nodded before sitting down in the chair Olivia was standing next to.

"I'm- I'm sorry for coming in so late and bugging everyone," the woman told Olivia, wiping away more tears with the back of her hand.

"Oh my Gosh, no, don't be sorry at all," Olivia told her, handing her a box of tissues from another nearby desk and offering her them. "That's what we're here for. What's your name?"

"Linda," she answered taking one of the tissues and dabbing at her eyes.

"Okay, Linda, I'm gonna go get you a detective alright?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around her body and Olivia's heart sank when she saw more tears fall down her face. The brunette leaned down in front of her but kept her hands in plain view so the woman knew she wouldn't be touched. "You're gonna be okay," Olivia told her in the kindest voice she could muster. "You survived what happened to you, you can survive what comes after, I know you can."

"I was drunk," Linda told her in a tearful whisper. "It, it was my friends birthday, I was out celebrating and I- I took a cab home and the driver offered to walk me inside... I should have just said no, I shouldn't have let him walk me up. Because I know better than that."

Olivia shook her head. "This wasn't your fault, Linda. It doesn't matter rather you were drunk or sober or if you were in sweats or completely naked, NO ONE has the right to touch you without your permission. "

She had no idea if this was in her purview or not to comfort the victims, she didn't even know if she was saying the right thing to her or if she was just making things worse. But she did know that she had wanted someone to tell her this after her attack, she wanted at least one person to tell her that she would make it, that what had happened wasn't her fault, that no one had permission to use her body however they wanted just because she had decided to have a few drinks.

As God as her witness, she swore she would never let another woman go through what she had gone through...

"YOU did nothing wrong," Olivia emphasized. "He did. You are not to blame for any of this..."

Linda looked at her for a moment before a sob ripped past her lips and she threw her arms around the teenager, crying into her shoulder. Olivia was stunned for a moment before she hugged her back, gently rubbing the blondes back.

"It's alright," she told her in a soft whisper. "You're gonna be alright, you're gonna be okay..."

When Linda finally calmed down enough she released Olivia who gave her a friendly smile. "I'm gonna go get a detective who's gonna take your statement alright? If he just sends you on your way come find me, and I'll get you in touch with some people who can offer you some help alright?"

The victim nodded and through her tears she managed to speak. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I'll be right back with a detective okay?"

Olivia stood up from the ground and went to find a detective who could take her statement. She managed to find a detective, one whom she knew would treat her the way she deserved to be treated, and started to head back to the filing room to complete her task when she felt someone tap her on her shoulder.

The person who had tapped her was a male about two or three years older than her. He had short bristly brown hair and the most dazzling blue eyes she had ever seen.

He smiled at her and she felt herself go weak in the knees.

"I saw what you did with the victim," he told her and Olivia had to remind herself to breathe.

His voice was like nothing she ever heard. It was strong but at the same time she knew it could be soft and gentle if he wanted it to be.

"That was really incredible," he continued.

Olivia looked at him for a moment longer before she cleared her throat and shook her head. "I'm... I mean, anyone would do the same."

The mystery man shook his head. "A lot of these detectives wouldn't have been that decent, especially to a victim that was drunk."

"Well it doesn't matter if she was drunk or not," she told the man. "Drinking is legal, raping someone is not."

"I know," the man said, surprising her with his agreement. Even though she worked in SVU, it was astonishing how many of the detectives still treated women like they carried some of the shame from their attacks if they weren't the 'perfect' victim. "It pisses me off how many of the guys here don't get that. Why even work SVU if you don't think every victim deserves justice?"

A smile made its way on her face. "Exactly... Well at least they have a guy working here."

The man chuckled. "I don't work here, I'm just interning."

"You're an intern as well?"

"Yeah... I know I'm a bit older than most but..." He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck and Olivia caught sight of the Marine emblem on his forearm. "Life got in the way."

"No I- I get it." She stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'm Olivia Benson."

The Marine took her hand and shook it, stunning Olivia. After her assault there had been two men she had allowed to touch her and she hadn't felt fearful, the man who had saved her and the person at the bar.

But it was different with him. She didn't just feel 'okay', even as she felt the gold ring on his finger, it was the first time that she actually wanted this mans touch to linger,

"Elliot Stabler."

The two interns smiled at one another before they heard a detective call his name.

"Probably wants another coffee," Elliot said with a slight groan.

"Probably," she told him with a smile.

He studied her for a moment before he spoke. "You should smile more," he told her. "You seem like the kind of person who doesn't do it as often as she should."

"You're very perceptive for someone who just met me two minutes ago," she told him, realizing that neither had yet to let go of the others hand.

…God she wished that ring wasn't there...

Elliot shrugged, flashing her a brilliant smile that made her weak in the knees. "Well I do plan to be a detective someday. Being perceptive is kinda in the job description."

"Very true," said Olivia with another smile that he could barely stand to turn away from.

The two interns looked at one another for a long moment, Olivia stunning herself when she realized just how easily she could get lost in the brilliant blue of his eyes when the detective called his name again this time less patient and he rolled his eyes.

"Time for me to go row with the other slaves."

"Same."

"So... I'll see you later?" he asked her.

A smile she could only characterize as flirty appeared on her lips. "I look forward to it."

Elliot grinned at her answer before taking her hand, that he still had let to yet go and brought it to her lips, making her heart flutter dangerously.

Taking one last almost longing look at the woman standing before him Elliot turned and walked away with Olivia staring after him.

...God she hated that ring...

She looked after him for one last moment before she went back to her work, a smile growing on her face as she did.

In the days, weeks, even months after her assault Olivia thought for sure that she would never be able to recover. She thought for sure she would never get back to who she was, she thought there was no end in sight. She would turn into an alcoholic like her mother just to erase the pain of what had happened every night.

Instead she was living life again. She was doing well in school once more, her nightmares were now, mostly, a thing of the past, she had even just FLIRTED with a man...

She had been given a chance to survive, to thrive, and she had taken it with both hands and held on as tight as she could.

As Olivia filed the folders in the spacious room tears fell from her eyes but, for the first time in forever, they were tears not of sadness or anger but of joy.

Ben Taylor hadn't beaten her. If anything he had made her stronger. She had done something she hadn't thought was possible.

Olivia Benson, for the first time in a very long time... Had actually won.

PRESENT DAY

Tears filled Olivia's eyes as she sat in the waiting room waiting for some news on her best friend that had gotten shot simply for being in her apartment when

The doctor had yet to come out with any news, she hadn't even given a statement to IAB yet until she knew for a fact that Barba was gonna be okay. If he didn't make it, she wasn't sure how she would be able to handle it.

The lieutenant saw Carisi and Amanda hurry around the corner and came into the waiting room where Olivia was waiting she stood up, wiping her own eyes so they wouldn't see that she had been crying.

"Where is he?" Carisi asked, failing to keep the panic out of his voice.

"He's still in surgery," she told the detective. "I'm waiting for the doctor now."

Her heart broke as she saw her detective close his eyes, struggling to hold back tears. She swallowed hard before she placed a hand on his shoulder, waiting until he opened his eyes to look at her before she spoke.

"I know why you're scared," she said softly in an all too knowing voice so only he heard her words, not knowing if Amanda knew about her partners relationship or not. "But he's gonna be fine, Carisi. I know he will."

"You... You know?"

Olivia nodded. "Barba told me. But it's fine, Carisi, I don't care," she added when she saw the flash of fear in his eyes. "He's going to wake up."

"You don't know that, Lieu..."

"I DO know that. He's strong, Carisi, he's gonna get through this."

Olivia started to lift her hands to hug him but she then, rightfully, figured, he didn't want to be consoled like that in front of his partner so instead she just offered him the seat she had been sitting in. "I'm gonna go get some coffee, okay? Do you want any?" she asked, not really thirsty but wanting to give him some privacy.

The young detective just shook his head so Olivia walked out, giving a look to Amanda, silently telling the blonde to follow her out of the waiting room which she thankfully did.

"Lieutenant," Amanda began when they were a fair distance away from the grieving detective. "Are you alright?"

Olivia said nothing and just walked into an abandoned room with Amanda coming in behind her.

"Liv, what-."

"Did Taylor rape you?" Olivia interrupted, far more bluntly than she would have otherwise.

Amanda took a deep breath and shook her head. "He... I think he tried too but Frannie knocked over the drink before I could finish it."

Olivia closed her eyes and leaned against the door as relief flooded her face. "Okay... Okay, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Amanda told her. "I know you thought he was a rapist... Turns out you were right, and I defended him," she muttered embarrassed.

"Taylor can be... very convincing," she told her youngest detective. "It's not your fault you got swept up in his charms."

"It is though. You knew, even before Annie was attacked you knew something was off about him and I didn't see it."

"Amanda," Olivia began with a sigh. "I knew he was dangerous because... I knew him before came here."

"I know. He told me you two dated."

Olivia raised her brow. "Dated?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "The first day he came he told me you and him dated in college, and that's how he got the scars on his face. You slapped him hard enough to leave marks when he broke up with you."

She bit her lip, holding back her tears as she listened to the lie he had told her detective.

"No... Amanda we... we never dated. I only knew him for... for one night. We were at a party together, I was drinking..."

The blondes face fell as she looked over her lieutenants face. "Olivia, did... did he-."

"Whatever he did is in the past," she interrupted. "He's in lock up right now and he's gonna pay for what he did to Annie and to Barba."

"And to you," Amanda added.

"...And to me," said Olivia in a whisper.

The two women stared at one another for a moment before Olivia cleared her throat, pushing a piece of hair from her face. "You wanna go bring Carisi some coffee?"

"Sure. And um... I know why he's so upset as well." Despite all that had happened, Amanda couldn't help the small chuckle. "They didn't exactly try to hide it did they?"

"Oh they tried," said Olivia. "They just failed miserably."

Another chuckle. "Very true... You sure you're okay, Liv?"

"I'm fine. Go and bring the coffee to Carisi."

With another smile towards the Lieutenant the blonde left. The second she did Olivia leaned back against the wall, letting a few tears slide down her cheeks and before she knew it she was sitting on the floor sobbing. She sobbed for what had happened to her teenage self, for almost hurting her son because she had turned to alcohol again, for what Annie Richards had endured, for what had nearly happened to Amanda, for the fact that Carisi might lose the man he loved, for the fact that she might lose her best friend, for the fact that she was almost a victim once again by the same man...

She cried for everything and everyone that Ben Taylor had ever hurt...

Olivia was crying so hard she didn't hear the door open nor the person step inside. She didn't notice she was no longer alone until a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"Liv?" the voice she knew so well said.

She looked up from the tears and saw Tucker kneeling in front of her, his eyes full of worry and comfort and love all at once.

Without wasting another moment she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder and he returned the embrace as tight as he could, stroking her hair as he spoke. "It's alright," he told her barely above a whisper. "Everything's gonna be alright, you're safe now, Liv... It's alright..."

When her sobs finally ceased, Olivia laid her head against his chest as he held her.

"I'm so sorry," said Tucker. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there, Liv, I should have thought to check on you and Noah when we found out he was gone."

Olivia sniffed, shaking her head. "It's not your fault."

"No but I still should have been there for you."

She just snuggled up closer and said nothing, simply enjoying the strength of his arms around her.

"Did... Did he do anything to you?" he asked.

The second it took her to answer was the longest second in Ed Tuckers long life.

"No. He wanted me to take the pills so he could but he didn't touch me this time."

He let out a sigh of relief, kissing her on top of the head.

"He shot Barba though," she said.

"I know. Me and Fin got the call from Amanda."

"I'm sorry I didn't call you first but I had to call Carisi and then I just was worried about keeping him alive until the ambulance came..."

"I know, Liv. You're fine, you did exactly what I would have wanted Barba to do if you had been shot."

Tears gathered in her eyes once more. "What if he doesn't make it, Ed?"

"He will."

"But what if he doesn't? He... He might die just because he was in my apartment with me and Taylor was obsessed with me."

"Exactly. TAYLOR was the one obsessed, TAYLOR was the one who pulled the trigger, if something happens to him, TAYLOR is responsible..."

He turned her face up to look at him. "YOU did nothing wrong," Tucker emphasized. "He did. You are not to blame for any of this..."

Olivia looked up at him for a moment before she pulled his face close to her and kissed him. The Captain kissed her back, running his hand through her soft silky hair.

They pulled away and went back to holding one another. Even when Amanda stuck her head in he continued to hold her and Olivia didn't bother lifting her head from his chest.

"The doctors back form working on Barba, he's talking to Carisi now," the blonde told them.

Tucker thanked her, turning to Olivia afterwards. "You ready to go see what he has to say?"

Olivia took a deep breath before she nodded, kissing him one last time before they both stood up and, clutching one anothers hands, they walked back out to the waiting room, both of their hearts pounding nervously.

The moment when they turned the corner into the waiting room Olivia wanted to cry.

Not out of sadness but out of joy, seeing the beaming smile on Carisi's face and a relieved grin on his partner standing next to him.

Carisi noticed Olivia and Tucker standing in the doorway and he hurried over to the two leaders, hugging the lieutenant tightly. "He's gonna be okay!"

Olivia let out a relieved laugh as she hugged her detective back.

Barba was gonna survive, he was going to live... Taylor hadn't beaten him.

When Carisi finally let go Tucker wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning in and kissing the side of her head as the doctor turned his attention to them, chuckling at what had just taken place.

"He's going to be a little sore for a while, but Mr. Barba should make a full recovery. If the bullet had hit an inch lower, he would have bled out almost instantly."

As the doctor spoke, Olivia eyes grew wide with a realization.

When she slammed int Taylor the force of her blow had forced his hands to jerk up.

Olivia had been the one to actually save him...

"He's resting now," the doctor continued. "But one of you is welcome to sit with him until he wakes up."

"Go," Olivia told Carisi before he even opened his mouth. "Let him know I'm alright but go be with him, Carisi."

The detective gave her a grateful smile before he followed the doctor down the hall to where his boyfriend was recovering.

"Barba's gonna be okay, Liv," Tucker told her with a happiness in his voice. "He's gonna be fine."

"He didn't beat him..."

Olivia turned and, for the first time in a very long time, smiled a true genuine smile.

She had her best friend, her boyfriend, she didn't know it yet but Dodds had already told 1PP to go to Hell and had reinstated her into her command position, she had her son, and Taylor... Taylor, who was not only a rapist but a cop, would be in solitary confinement for almost the rest of his days for his own 'protection;. He would have nothing apart form a shower once every few days and an hour let out of his cage with no other human contact apart from the guards...

She had everything she could have ever wanted while he had nothing.

Olivia smiled a true, genuine smile at Tucker, leaning into his touch.

"He didn't beat anyone this time..."

The End