Chapter 13: Reassurance

Olivia was shaking again. Elliot saw this and wrapped his arms around her. "It's OK, Livia," he soothed. "It's OK. Fin and Munch- they'll call us if they need us. They always do."

Olivia nodded. "I guess you're right, El," she agreed.

He smiled. "You want me to go get us a couple of salads?"

She nodded again. "Good idea," she said, smiling. "I'm starving."

He laughed. "Be right back," he told her.

She moved over to the other couch as she watched him walk out. She perched beside Hope and waited for Elliot to return. Without warning, she began to flash back to another time.

"You can run, Olivia, but you can't hide!" screamed a drunk Serena as she tried to grab Olivia's ankles. She let out a frightened squeal, attempting to escape her mother's grasp. "Run!" her mind screamed, but her heart was pounding too fast. She was beginning to feel faint. "I can't stop now," she thought to herself. "Serena will only hurt me worse if I do. On the other hand, I can't keep running. I've gotta stand up to her." "Stop!" she screamed aloud., turning to face Serena. "I can't take this anymore! You can't keep pushing me around like this! You have to stop drinking before it kills both of us!" She stepped forward to take Serena's bottle, but it wasn't that easy. They struggled over it for a long while, and even though Olivia landed on her back, she was holding the bottle. She got up quickly, running to the window. She took a deep breath before throwing the bottle down to the street below the house.

"You're gonna regret that,Olivia Rose Benson!" Serena cried as she ran out the door. Olivia watched her leave. She stood frozen in terror for a few seconds before running over to lock the deadbolt. Then, she squeezed her small body out a back window. As she ran away, she could hear Serena pounding on the door.

Back in the present, Olivia glanced up at the door. Elliot was on his way back with the salads. She let out a sigh of relief. That flashback had scared her, and she needed someone to tell her that everything would be all right. "Hey, El." She spoke softly, trying to hide her fear. The effort was in vain, though. Elliot knew her too well.

"What's wrong?" he asked cautiously as she left Hope's side and crossed the room to meet him.

"I had another one of my flashbacks," she answered.

"Which one?" he inquired.

She sighed, speaking as she took one of the salads. "I was running away from Serena one day, and I finally decided to stop. I screamed at her. I told her that I couldn't take it anymore, that she couldn't keep pushing me around, and that she had to quit drinking before it killed both of us. Then, we fought over her Vodka bottle for awhile. I got it away from her and ran to the window. I took a deep breath before I threw it down to the street below our house. She screamed, "You're gonna regret that, Olivia Rose Benson!" She screamed that right before she ran out the door to get it. After she'd left, I locked the deadbolt. Then, I squeezed my way out a back window and ran away. I could hear her pounding on the door for two blocks."

Elliot shook his head disapprovingly, wrapping his arms around Olivia. He may not have been able to keep her safe then, but he was determined to do so now.