A/N: If anyone is still reading, here is Captivity chapter three...

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mr Wolf and his cohorts. All words below are of myself.

Chapter Three

Olivia's sobs finally subsided and her tears ebbed away, but their tracks of sorrow remained. She pulled from Elliot's embrace, her eyes downcast and her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Elliot, I'm sorry. . .I. . ." she said as she ran the cuff of her shirt across her face, whilst turning to the window.

Elliot looked on, observing her from behind as she once again withdrew into the darkness of her own mind. The silence deafened him, causing the beating in his chest to rumble like thunder. He couldn't think straight, not when she was in front of him like this, not when she so clearly needed him.

"Olivia," he spoke quietly, keeping his usual growl to a soft purr, "talk to me."

He watched her shoulders rise as she fought for composure. He heard her sniffle in an attempt to clear her mind. His hand inched forward to graze against her shoulder, to touch her, to let her know that she no longer had to be strong. Tonight she could let him be strong for her. Tonight he would.

When Olivia didn't flinch from his touch, he continued. He ran his callused pads over the shoulder of her tee until they skimmed the bare flesh of her neck. Struggling to keep his mind free of more sensuous thoughts, Elliot spoke again, "Liv. . ." he prompted.

She nodded, but remained mute. Turning to face him her eyes drifted upwards to meet his gaze and she began her torrid tale.

"Elliot," she said quietly, unsure of whether her voice would carry her through these next few moments, "I'm sorry. . ."

"No apologising," he said, shaking his head, "just talk to me, Liv."

She swallowed deeply and began to unveil the secret she had tried so hard to cover for the last three years. The secret that only twoother people knew the true extent of. Neither of whom were the man standing in front of her now. The man who was her partner. Her best friend. Her. . .her. . .the man who was 'just'.

"The nightmares, they started three years ago. . .after Sealview."

Elliot nodded. He looked down at his partner, at the way she was now staring at her fingers, picking at her fingernails like they were the most interesting things in the world. Three years ago, he thought. He didn't need telling twice. He was a detective for good reason and knew instantly that whatever had happened in the damn basement of that prison had changed his partner forever.

He looked at her, his heart aching, longing to be able to hold her, to wipe away the memory and erase her pain. He longed to turn her darkness into light and her sorrow into happiness.

"Liv. . ." he whispered, encouraging her to continue.

She cleared her throat. "I've always had trouble sleeping," she said with a smile that was laced with sadness, "ever since I was a child. I had to grow up pretty fast, learn how to look after myself. A good night's sleep wasn't a luxury I could afford."

Olivia looked up then, meeting his gaze. Brown to blue. Friend to friend.

"After Sealview the sleep deteriorated even more. I could cope without much, me and insomnia," she crossed her fingers and laughed, "we're like 'that'. But even I couldn't cope with the lack of sleep after the Harris case."

He reached across, brushing a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"What happened in that basement, Liv?"

She looked to the floor, "I think you have a pretty good idea of what happened, El."

"I have an idea, Liv, I've imagined the worst, but until you tell me what really happened, I don't know how to help you. I wasn't there, Liv, I didn't protect you like I should have."

Olivia sighed. She hated that she was doing this to him, he had enough children to worry about without having her wellbeing on his conscience. Reaching out to him, she pressed a palm to his cheek.

"It's okay, El, none of this is your fault."

He shook his head. "I should have been there, Liv. It should have been me in that prison, not Fin." His voice cracked and for the first time she realised just how hard he had taken everything.

"I'm glad it wasn't you."

His brow knitted.

"In the basement. . .it got ugly. Very ugly."

Olivia turned again, gazing out into the Manhattan night sky. Silence engulfed the room and long moments passed before word was spoken.

"Fin saved me that day," she said, her voice timid and shy. "I tried to get away from Harris, I fought so hard, but in the end. . ." she sighed again, "in the end he was just too strong."

Her shoulders slumped and she wrapped her arms around herself as if it would shelter her from the memories.

His breath tickled the hairs at the back of her neck as he spoke and she was surprised at his closeness. "He stole from you that day, Olivia. He stole something so precious, so. . .so. . ."

"It's okay, El," she said as she turned to face him. "I'm okay."

He smiled at her. "I've always been able to tell when you're lying, Liv."

The soft chuckle that sounded from her throat was music to his ears, but it was short lived.

"Did he rape you, Liv?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

She shook her head, "no."

It's all he needed to hear. Pulling her to him, Elliot held her close, letting his relief wash over them both. His arms wrapped around her tightly, one large hand cupping the back of her head as she rested against his chest. He strengthened his embrace as she began to sob, her back shaking as she finally allowed the tears to fall.

He kissed the crown of her head. "He assaulted you so badly, Olivia, he didn't rape you, but he tried. He violated you in the worst possible of ways."

He pulled back and cupped her cheeks, staring into her eyes as he spoke. "I wasn't there for you that day in Sealview, Liv, but let me be here for you now."

Olivia nodded, knowing that although the night was about to take a more painful turn, her best friend would be there to see her though.

A/N: It's angsty now, but just you wait ;) Review and let me know what you think