Hello all! I am back, with a new story. I wasn't planning to start another SVU fic, but I've had so many kind PMs requesting I write a new story that I just couldn't resist. Plus I had this idea in my head and figured I'd just go with it. It is not a sequel to my last story Changes (although I know I've had many requests for that.) This one is completely different, a little darker, and hopefully won't be as long. Who knows how long it will take me to finish this, as I am in no rush this time...taking it slow. I hope it meets your expectations.

"Damn it!" Olivia Benson looked at her phone, knowing the text alert she'd just heard was going to drag her back to work. After a full day, all she wanted to do was stay home, curl up on the sofa with her new baby boy, and read one of the many Dr. Seuss books she'd bought at the book store on her way home. The last parenting article she'd read insisted reading to babies helped build their vocabulary early, eventually helping them succeed in school and she was determined not to fail at motherhood. Her son was going to have every advantage she could give him, and if that meant reading to him at night before bed, even when she was pretty sure he didn't understand a word she said, she was going to do it. She glanced at the text and sighed, "Great…" looking at the baby she smiled gently, "I have to leave for a little bit, Noah. But I'll be back soon. I promise."

After leaving Noah with her sitter, she rushed through the doors of Mercy Hospital. "What've we got?" she asked, as Fin and Nick walked up to her. "I have to make this quick…I need to get home."

Fin looked at her and couldn't help but smile. For someone who had always lived for the job, Olivia had let motherhood change her in ways no one could have expected. He knew he was about to crush her, and he wished he could have handled things himself, but she deserved to know. "Twenty year old pregnant rape victim…she was brutalized, stabbed. She coded in the ambulance on the way here. They were able to deliver the baby by c-section a while ago, but the mom didn't make it."

"Oh God," Olivia felt sick thinking of this poor girl and her little baby. She thought of her son, at home with the sitter and she wanted more than anything to hold him safely in her arms. "How's the baby?"

"She's stable…a little premature, but healthy," Nick added. "But Liv…there's more…"

"What?" she asked, the tone of his voice making her suddenly nervous. "What's going on?"

"She had ID on her," Fin answered. "We need to notify the family."

"Oh," Olivia said sadly. It was her least favorite part of the job and it tore her up inside each and every time. Facing a mom or dad, husband or boyfriend…a loved one who probably didn't even know the victim wasn't coming home yet…telling them she never would. And now that she had Noah, she felt like it was even harder. She knew what it felt like to be part of a family for the first time in her life, and she dreaded tearing someone else's apart. "Do you want me to do it? I know sometimes it's easier on parents when a woman comes…"

"Liv, you don't understand," Fin interrupted. "You know her…"

Olivia bit her bottom lip, confused by what he was telling her. She'd worked with hundreds of victims over the years, so the fact that she knew this one didn't come as a big surprise. "Who is it?" she asked, and when Fin didn't answer her she knew it was worse than she could imagine, but she still couldn't think of who it could be. He handed her the girl's wallet and she opened it slowly, looking at the photo of a young woman, blonde hair, blue eyes staring back at her and the familiarity of it caused her heart to pound. Then she glanced at the name, fearing the worst as a slight gasp escaped her lips, "No…" she shook her head in disbelief. "No, no, no…."

"Liv…" Fin took the wallet from her and tried to steady her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I can't tell him…" she looked at Fin and tears pooled in her eyes. "I haven't seen him in so long...and to just show up, like this..."

"You don't have to," Nick spoke up. "Amanda and I can do it. Neither of you have to go."

"They don't need to get this news from strangers," Fin added. "Liv…I think we should be the ones to do it."

"Yeah…of course…you're right. It should be us," she cleared her throat, exhaling sharply. "I want to see her first. I need to…"

"Sure," Fin took her arm and led her to the room. They both stood, staring at the lifeless body on the table and he shook his head with frustration, "Such a waste of a young life."

"Oh Lizzie…" she whispered, looking at her former partner's daughter, taking in the sight of her battered body. "What happened to you?" She turned to Fin, her eyes stinging with painful tears. "I haven't seen her in years," Olivia said sadly. "I think she was a senior when he left." She looked at Fin, "This is going to kill him…do we know who did it? Any leads? He's gonna ask…"

"She has a boyfriend according to the friend who found her, but he's gone with the wind," Fin told her. "We've got people looking for him. We'll find him, but there isn't any evidence to prove it was him. It could be a stranger for all we know."

"He's gonna go after the guy himself," Olivia said honestly. "You know that."

"I know," Fin nodded. "We have to try to keep that from happening."

"She's his youngest daughter," Olivia reminded him. "What do you expect him to do?"

"Exactly what he will do," Fin answered. "But we still have to try to stop him. And don't forget about Kathy...this is her little girl. She's the one who's gonna need a woman's touch...someone to cry on..."

"I doubt I'm the one she'd want," Olivia admitted. "Elliot and Kathy..." she realized it was the first time in longer than she could remember that she'd said their names and she was scared.

"Liv…maybe I was wrong," Fin said seriously. "Maybe you shouldn't come."

"I want to," she insisted. "I need to…for Elliot, and Kathy…"she looked back at the body and closed her eyes trying to hold back her tears, "For Elizabeth…she deserves justice. I want them to know we will get this guy."

Fin nodded, pulling the sheet up over Elizabeth's face and putting his arms around Olivia as she cried. "We need to head to Queens," he said softly.

She nodded, "I want to see the baby," she said. "I want to make sure she's okay…maybe that can be one small comfort to them…to know their granddaughter is all right."

They walked to the NICU, and Olivia showed her badge and asked to see the baby. A nurse led her into a small room where the tiny baby lay in an incubator. "Is she okay?" she asked, worried by the baby's fragile appearance.

"She had a rough entrance into the world," the nurse said softly, "But she's good. Almost five pounds and breathing well. She just needs to gain some weight and then she can go home. Does she have any family?"

Olivia nodded, "I'm going to notify her grandparents…I'm sure they'll take her." She reached her hand in through the side of the incubator and stroked the baby's arm gently. "Hang in there, little girl," she whispered. "I'm sorry your mommy is gone. If I know her like I think I do, she was probably a little surprised by you at her age, but I bet she loved you with all her heart…your grandma and grandpa…they'll take good care of you. They're good people…and they deserve a little happiness right now when their world is going to be crumbling. You're gonna be a blessing to them."

"Do you know if she has a name?" the nurse asked, pointing to the label on the side of the incubator. "It would help us…"

"Just Baby Girl Stabler," she answered. "Maybe her mom had a name picked out. I'm sure her grandparents will know." She looked back at the baby, "They are going to love you so much. I wish I didn't have to break their hearts on your birthday…"

"You ready?" Fin asked, unsure if either of them were strong enough to do the notification. "We should head out."

"I don't think there is a way to be ready for this," Olivia sighed. "Let's go."

More to come...