Don't ask me where this storyline came from. It was quite random, but I thought of it halfway through "Misjudgment." For those of you who read that, thanks for bearing with me through it. I know it wasn't great. I guess only certain stories can handle sequels.

Pleeease be on the lookout for a story that will be posted by Cilla and myself within the next few days! We're extremely excited to get it posted, but things tend to come up to put it off. But we've been e-mailing back and forth getting the first chapter together, and, if I do say do myself, it has come along quite nicely.

Thanks to my dear friend Carrie for the title idea!

Disclaimer: If they were mine... Teehee!

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The case had been rough on Olivia. Of course, the heat was not much help either. She'd refused to leave the precinct, so she'd spent the night in the cribs. She couldn't go back to her apartment where all the memories would return.

Courtney Smithe was fifteen years old. She was a sweet girl, living under the same roof as her abusive, alcoholic mother and her negligent father. Olivia could relate. Of course, she never knew her father, but a negligent father was pretty much the same to a nonexistent one.

Elliot knew that Olivia would have a hard time dealing with the case. She knew he knew. Many times he'd offered to take over it for her. She loved him for it. But she knew she'd have to handle it on her own. Avoiding the past would be even worse than facing it, she knew.

Olivia looked at the clock. She figured that Elliot would arrive in about twenty minutes, followed by John, then Don and Fin. This would give her just enough time to run to the restroom and freshen up. She sat up in the small bunk bed, wiping the sweat off her forehead. This is ridiculous, she thought. Why can't they turn on the air conditioning?

The doorknob was suddenly wiggling. Olivia jumped out of the bed, acting as if she'd been ready to go downstairs.

"Olivia." Elliot poked his head through the door. "Did you spend the night here?"

Olivia nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Why?"

She cleared her throat. "Um. I. Um. Do you mind if I run to the ladies' room?" Without waiting for an answer, Olivia ran out of the cribs and into the locker room. She opened her locker and pulled out her spare clothes. She ran into the restroom where she quickly changed and washed her face.

Elliot was waiting for her when she walked out.

"God, El, you scared me."

"It was the case, wasn't it?" Elliot said, crossing his arms.

"What?"

"It hit too close to home. And that's why you stayed."

Olivia sighed. "Please, just drop it."

"All right." Elliot shrugged. "Come on. Let's go grab some coffee."

Olivia gladly followed Elliot to the coffee machine. He filled a cup for her, fixing it exactly the way she liked it.

"Thanks, Elliot," Olivia said. Together they walked to their desks, where John, Fin, and Don were waiting.

"Look who decided to join us," John said.

"We've been here," Olivia said, not in the mood for any of John's wisecracks. "What's going on?"

"Remember the case of Woody Samson? And how he shot those eight people, raped those three women, and was never caught?" Don asked.

"Yea. Why, did they get him?" Elliot asked.

Don held up a newspaper. "Found his body just last night. He fell into Passday Lake and drowned."

"I'm sorry, but that bastard deserved it," John said. "If he can kill eight people out of pure rage..."

"I know," Don replied.

"Well, I'm just glad it's over," Fin said.

"Yea. All right, guys, get back to work. Oh, and before I forget. Benson, this came for you today." Don threw a professional-looking envelope on Olivia's desk.

"Oh. Thanks, Cap." She shoved the envelope aside and began her paperwork for the Smithe case.

"Need any help?" Elliot asked.

Olivia smiled. "I appreciate that, but I can do it. Thanks, though."

"No problem." Elliot reached for the envelope on the corner of Olivia's desk. "What's this?"

"Oh. Cragen gave it to me. I'll take care of it later."

"I don't know. You should probably open it now. It seems pretty important."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's from the Witness Protection Program."

"What?" Olivia took the envelope from Elliot and studied it. "Well that's strange. I know it can't be about Alex. I just spoke with her last night. Maybe it's Jay."

"Jay?"

"Yea. At my old job we had to send away my coworker Jay Smithers. We kept in touch for awhile, but it didn't last long."

"Just open it and find out."

"Okay." Olivia tore open the envelope and read the letter. Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "Oh, my God."