Aftermath (An SVU Fanfiction) *EDITING*

Bloody Mess

Her heart stopped pounding, though she was wishing it'd stop beating, What did she do to deserve this? The endless torture and pain she's being subjected to? Little did she know that in just a few hours, her squad, her fellow detectives would bust the door down and she'd finally be free. She'd finally get to go home to her husband. All she could think about was Elliot. That's all she wanted-him.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Lewis emptied himself inside of her. She had lost track over the past two weeks of how many times he had. It never surprised her, though. He was always pretty quick, but he's become used to the pleasure, it's starting to take him longer and that's what she's afraid of. She's afraid it'll last longer, the beatings..the internal beatings, everything will last longer. It'll hurt worse than normal. Normal. It's become normal. How? How did such a horrific thing turn into a normal part of her life?

Ever since that stupid fight, her life has been a living hell. Now, she may never get the chance to tell him she's sorry. She's sorry for something she can't quite remember now that Lewis has his hands wrapped tightly around her neck, making her struggle for oxygen. Her nails clawed at his hands, trying to pry them off of her, but she's too weak. Weak.

Olivia shot up in bed, sweating and gasping for air. She wasn't aware of how loud she was while crying, so she was surprised when Elliot rushed in to comfort her. His arms wrapped around her, not knowing that she just had a nightmare.

"Please don't touch me! Please!"

It was then that it occurred to him what just happened. He quickly removed his hands from her shaking body."Liv, baby, look at me," he tries. "It's me, it's Elliot."

"I-I know, just..just don't." Her breathing hitched as she took long, deep breaths in attempt to calm herself down. "I can't stop crying" It's not something she's used to anymore. She already went through that phase thirteen years ago and didn't want to go back, but things aren't ever in her favor. Hell, her daughter's going through the exact same thing. "I don't like it," she cries.

"Okay, listen to me, i'm gonna hug you now."

"If you hug me, I won't ever stop."

He gently eased his arms around again. "Then cry. You can cry, okay?" he whispers to her. "You've been through a lot, even if it was a long time ago, it feels like yesterday to you at times. I know that. I know it does because it feels like that for me, too. It hurts and it's uncontrollable, but you're stronger than you think. I'm here for you, always have been."

Olivia warmed up to his hug and allowed herself to not be so tense, to let herself be comfortable in his embrace. Her hands fisted his shirt and she cried harder than she already had been.

"You survived. Do I need to give you that speech? Because I can give it to you a million times if that's what it takes. What would you tell a victim? You survived, and when people who've been through this much hell, they have a will, and with that-"

"They thrive," she finishes. "They thrive.."

"Exactly. They thrive. You thrived, still are, and Dylan..she's gonna thrive, too. She's a strong girl just like her mother."

"Just like me, huh?" she chuckles to herself.

"Yes; and I can tell you that she's pretty great. You're pretty great, Olivia."

"I'm so scared and I don't wanna be. I was scared for two years, two years I spent being afraid when I could've been happy during my pregnancy. I could've been happy when I held my baby-"

"And you were. No matter what, no matter how scared you were, that little girl made you the happiest woman on earth. I saw pain and fear in your eyes, but, Liv..I also saw so much joy, even if you couldn't see it, I did."

She pulled away to wipe her tears, but Elliot stopped her, doing it for her, and then running the back of his forefinger along her cheek. She smiled a bit. "How do you put up with me?"

"I love you. That's how." He kissed her forehead. "Are you okay now? Do you wanna lay back down or.."

"No, I think i'm okay. I'm actually a little thirsty."

"Alright." They both stand and begin walking to the hallway.

"What time is it?"

"It's noon."

"Guess I didn't get as much sleep as I thought.."

"You're okay, Liv," he tells her, walking side by side down the stairs. "You're okay."

"Please..stop saying that."

*******

Later on, Elliot went to the school to get the kids. They had a pretty good conversation i the car, though Dylan didn't say too much. She just wanted to get home and tell Olivia about her day, a horrible one at that.

When they got back, Dylan wasn't wasting any time getting inside. Being the middle of winter and it's snowing, it was slippery. Dylan fell and twisted her ankle. It's nothing serious enough to go to the hospital, but if she could feel pain, it'd be excruciating. The only reason she was crying was out of pure frustration.

Elliot came over and picked her up. Dylan cried harder. The casual hug was okay, but the fact that a man was holding her, regardless if it was her father or not, made her feel so isolated and scared. They just thought she was crying because she's frustrated, maybe that and the bad day she clearly had. Aiden held the door open for them and then they all went inside.

She could hear Olivia coming around the corner and when they made eye contact, Olivia saw it in her eyes. "Put her down," she demands.

"Liv, she fell and-"

"Put her down! I've got her!" He did as he was told. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Olivia supported her as they walked to the couch. "See, she's crying!"

"Yeah, she had a bad day and she's frustrated, Liv."

"Or she's having a panic attack!" she yells.

"Okay, Liv, I think you're panicking more than she is right now, so how about-" He stopped mid-sentence when he realized what they were doing.

 They were both sitting there, tightly hugging each other, and bawling their eyes out. It's quite sad, actually. Both mother and daughter crying in each other's arms over their rapists? That's far from what life is supposed to be like.  "It's okay, baby," Olivia whispers."We're gonna be okay."

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"I'd be worried if it didn't hurt, Dylan." Olivia wiped Dylan's tears and then her own. "We're gonna be okay, baby girl. Me and you." She looks up at Elliot and Aiden. "Me, you, daddy, and Aiden.." he sat on her lap and Elliot sat next to Dylan. "..we're all gonna be okay."

"I'm ready," Dylan says to whoever was listening.

"Ready for what?" Elliot asks.

"To get better."

Olivia smiled a big smile. "It's the first step."

The doorbell rang, so Olivia got up to answer it. She was more than surprised to come face to face with this person.

"Hello, Olivia."

*******

Blood poured from her abdomen and her eyes began to shut as she drifted off into sleep. Sweat is pretty much a new layer of skin. The many thoughts racing through her head, the many people she wants to say goodbye to, the 'I love you" she'll never get to tell her husband and kids again. Better her than them, though, right? 

"Wake up!" Elliot yells. Dylan is on the phone with 911 as she also holds her brother in a tight hug, trying to calm him down. It's pretty hard considering their mother is bleeding out in the middle of the living room, though.

If she wasn't mentally paralyzed, if it wasn't the most painful injury she's ever sustained, Olivia would pinch herself awake..but she's not dreaming. This is the end.

A/n: The next part to this will be a CONTEST, so look out for it! It'll be posted really soon, all information will be there!