This is a piece that just struck me while getting ready to go to bed. It's a short little thought piece, but it gives you insight into a detectives mind. This is my first SVU story, and I have to admit, it's a bit harder to write for than my other fandoms. But I think I'll get the hang of it. Please review and let me know how I can improve my writing!!

Disc: I own nothing. Dick Wolf owns SVU, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler.

Author: Kara

Date: 1-9-2004

Faith

Faith, which is belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence, often the theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.

Faith was something that Olivia Benson found hard to believe. She never quite understood how people could base their life on the existence of a higher being that allows pain to happen to good people. People like her mom, who was raped while on her way home from her college library, thus resulting in become pregnant with Olivia. From that moment on, her mom's life was filled with constant pain, pain from giving birth to an unwanted child, pain from carrying the burden of raising her daughter alone, pain from whenever she looked at her daughter, she saw the same eyes of her rapist. What God would allow a person to feel so much pain in their life? What God would allow a woman to give birth to a child that was unwanted and a product of a rape? If there was a God, surly he wouldn't allow such an innocent child such as Olivia, grow up knowing so much pain.

Maybe it was because she didn't believe in God that she felt so much pain. But with her work with the Special Victims Unit, and what she saw, she knew there was no God. No God would allow his creations to commit such violent acts like the ones she saw everyday. No God would allow the victims to have to live with what they have to live with. What kind of God plans a will for a human's life such as the one lived out by a victim? Even though she didn't believe in God, she didn't have a problem with the people who did. She respected those who had so much faith, that they could believe in something that holds no proof or evidence. 

Faith, can also be a confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Being a detective, Olivia had learned to always trust her instincts. She knew to always trust the people around her, while always keeping her guard up. It was sometimes hard to do. Of course it was easy to let her guard down, but that was what the perps that she tracked for a living wanted her to do. She always had to maintain constant vigilance. But sometimes, when you least expect it, your truths, and values can be broken in pieces. Olivia knew first hand what it felt like to be a victim. What it felt like when everything you believed in was no longer truths. Everything she trusted to be true was wrong when she turned an innocent guy into a victim by sending him to jail, when he was released, he decided to turn her into the victim by stalking her. He ended up driving her to the farthest ends, to the place where she didn't know what was right or wrong, but only that she wanted him gone. An instance like that would make anyone have a hard time believing in faith.

Faith is also loyalty to a person or thing; an allegiance.

After all the things she had seen, after all the emotions she had felt, she still believed in faith. She still believed that in the end, her partner will be there for her, and in the end, he will remain loyal to her. She had been partners with Elliot Stabler for six years now. Six years of viewing horrendous crimes committed against the innocent. Although in those six years things had happened that tested her devotion to her partner, but in the end, it was him who was there for her whenever she needs him. It was him who tried to comfort her and heal her pain. She often felt bad for his wife since she herself, saw more of him than his wife ever did. It was that reason why many on the streets mistook them for husband and wife, rather than partners. Maybe that was how they built their relationship with each other. A relationship built on faith rather than sex, glances at each other rather than kisses, and late night phone calls instead of sharing a bed together. It was because of Elliot Stabler that Olivia Benson, a person who had no reason to, believed in faith.

Please review.