* daughtergrimes

                          ‘  OLIVIA WAS RIGHT — IT WASN’T HER FAULT._{But then how come it felt like her fault? She was BLAMING HERSELF — HEARING THE BLAME IN HER HEAD. She wanted so much to be as STRONG as her aunt, as strong as her father, but she felt like she was always failing. With her own lip TREMBLING, Alex took in what Olivia was saying and nodded, although TEARS streaked down her face. “I sh-should have been stronger though, Aunt Liv — should’ve been like you and Dad, ya know? I should’ve KNOWN better than to let some guy in my dorm! He — He was just so SWEET in the beginnin’.” Alex told her, shaking her head. She SMILED slightly, biting down on her lip. “—I don’t FEEL like a fighter, Aunt Liv. Feel like a failure — like some stupid slut. I should have KNOWN — any guy that wants to come up to your dorm wants somethin’. I just —I didn’t know.” The naivety of the girl was SWEET and unspoiled, so PURE, as she CRIED.} 

                             _{“We — We CAN’T tell Dad, right? He — He’ll go ballistic, Liv. He’ll — go nuts. And my mom — they’ll pull me out of school, make me go back to Georgia. And I wanted SO HARD to be here!” Alex exclaimed, new tears appearing on her slightly bruised face. She bit down on her lip, shaking her head. “You have to tell him that I’ll be okay — tell him that I can’t go back there. With you, I KNOW i’m safe here still.” Alex told Olivia, hugging her again. “You — You promise you won’t let him hurt me again?” As Alex got up on shaky legs, she nodded and as if in a trance, took the clothes her Aunt Olivia gave her and going to change.} 

                          _{“Liv — what’s going on? She okay?” She could hear Rollins ask her as Alex stood, hidden behind the doorway for a second. “Poor kid, looked like hell when she came in here.” She heard Carissi say as Alex entered, smiling WEAKLY, best she could at them, and going back over to Olivia, her protector. “Can I just — stay by you, Aunt Liv? Just for a little while? It’s okay if we — tell them and everythin’, talk about what happened with ‘em. I KNOW I’m safe here — I just don’t want to go back to my dorm room.” Her BIG blue eyes looked up at Olivia, as if pleading.} 

                    ^{NO AMOUNT OF TRAINING OR even experience can prepare one for something like this when it hits so close to home , and as alex clings to her still , olivia feels her heart nearly breaking . no one should experience this level of pain and hurt , let alone someone so young , and all the lieutenant wishes to do now is to be able to go back in time and keep any of this from happening … but alas , such a thing isn’t possible .          “ no , you can’t tell yourself that . do you understand me ? this is not your fault , and you got out of their on your own . that makes you strong — that makes you a fighter . ”          but words aren’t always enough for everyone , even more so when it comes to convincing someone else of something they’re so keen and set on believing in . if only olivia could take the pain away .}

                    ^{THE FEAR ALEX FEELS IN telling her father is understandable , but doing just that is unavoidable . the detective won’t keep that from her friend , for he has a right to know what’s happened to his daughter .          “ honey , we have to . i realize you don’t want him to know , but he needs to know . ”          she pulls alex in for a tight hug once more , trying to console the young woman so that panic might hopefully dissipate .          “ they won’t pull you out of school , but they might insist on coming here to you … whatever happens though , i do promise he won’t hurt you again . i keep my word , alex . if there’s nothing else you need to know about me , that alone is enough . ”}

                    ^{AT LEAST THE WOMAN CAN stand and move on her own , even if she does seem to be in a trance for now . such a thing is , sadly , normal post a traumatic event ; no one would hold it against alex . with attention on amanda as she enters the office a few minutes later , though , she’ll give a nod and look to her niece once more before they’re both exiting the room and walking out .          “ of course , alex . you can stay with noah and me for as long as you need . ”          looking to her team , one arm wrapped about the girl’s shoulder to keep her close , olivia goes on .          “ i want everyone in the conference room . we’ve got a new case to discuss . ”          she knows she won’t be able to be on this case herself , as family is involved , but she intends to have the others work it to the best of their abilities ; they’re all family , blood be damned .}

* tragicfated

                        this was a situation that phil NEVER thought imaginable. and now that it had actually happened, he felt like he was losing control of himself. he needed to bring the situation to the authorities before he found  h i m s e l f  in jail. approaching the woman’s desk, his fingers fidgeted at the hem of his hoodie.  “ i uh… i need to report a sexual assault. my sister… she feels too ashamed and embarrassed to come forward, but i want to HELP HER, ”  that was phil. he loved his family, even if he was just unofficially adopted in as a teenager.

                    ^{SUCH A RESPONSE PROMPTS OLIVIA to remove her glasses immediately to set them upon the top of her desk before she’s standing up and approaching the male . worry is evident in her gaze , the woman’s willingness to hear more and help as much as she can obvious .          “ where is your sister now ? when did this happen ? ”          the sooner they can question the woman , the sooner they can have her checked out , the more likely it is they can catch whoever hurt her . maybe she’s asking too many questions too fast now , but they’re ones that must be answered sooner or later .          “ does she know who sexually assaulted her? ”}

* daughtergrimes

                  ‘ LITTLE SOUTHERN GIRL ALEX HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE BIG CITY HELD ! S_{he was only eighteen, young for her age to be a college freshman, but always so SMART. Getting into Columbia, a little girl from KING COUNTY, GEORGIA, was such a feat and everyone had been so proud of her. Her parents, she knew, were so, so incredibly PROUD and while it had been so TOUGH to say good-bye to her, to leave her in the BIG CITY, they had and for the most part, Alex was OKAY. It did help, also, that her sheriff father was GOOD FRIENDS with the NYPD Lieutenant, Olivia Benson, but ALEX? Alex just called her AUNT LIV, since she had basically been in her life since she was BORN. There was so much love, so much CARE that Alex had for her aunt, and she knew she had a guardian watching over her. Sweet, naive Alex didn’t think she’d NEED a guardian though — that was until a night in December.} 

                      _{NEW YORK CITY was so cold and Alex was freezing, only in a RIPPED dress now and boots, walking into the SVU squad room, looking DAZED AND DEFINITELY BEAT UP. She just FELT her feet going to the NYPD office — her father’s words in her head: “ IF YA GET IN TROUBLE, GO SEE AUNT LIV.” She saw a blonde, with a SIMILIAR accent try and talk to her, another tall man with a THICK New York accent, but she didn’t say anything. She was TERRIFIED, shaking and the near hundred pound female wanted her Aunt Olivia.} 

        _{That was when she SAW her aunt come out of her office, look of HORROR on her face. Alex, with TEARS already streaming down her face, walked over to her and fell into her chest, crying. “Au-Aunt Liv — Aunt Liv!”}

               ^{THERE IS NEVER A SLOW day with the nypd , though olivia doesn’t often expect things to hit so close to home . sure , she’s had her own experiences over the years ( as well as with noah recently ) , but even those hiccups aren’t normal … but it is always personal where family is concerned . she’s stepped out of her office to fetch herself a cup of coffee , going on hour nine of her shift , when alex catches her eye … alex ? why is she here ? not that the young woman doesn’t visit every so often , as she definitely does , but not this late at night …} 

               ^{ARMS ARE ALREADY PREPARED TO catch the other , one arm wrapped around the girl’s petite frame as her other immediately cradles her head to keep her close .          “ what happened , alex ? talk to me , baby . ”          hand strokes her ruffled hair gently and comfortingly , olivia’s gaze catching a few others of her team and silently telling them to ease off but be ready should something become pressing .          “ what happened to you ? ”          words are kept soft and comforting , as the lieutenant doesn’t wish to startle the obviously distraught young woman .}