It had been a long day in the squad room. Everyone had just about gone home except for Olivia, who was sitting at her desk finishing up her paperwork, and Rollins, who was gathering her things to go home.

"You about done?" Rollins asked the older brunette.

"Yeah, actually I just finished my last DD5. You headed out?" Olivia returned to the blonde.

"Ah no, not just yet… I was thinking about hitting up the bar before heading home. Been a tough day, you know? Gotta blow off some steam. I was actually thinking about asking you to join me. I really don't fancy sitting at the bar by myself ya know?" Amanda asked in her southern accent. The city could be dangerous at night. Even though Amanda could handle herself, she didn't like taking chances if she didn't have to.

"Um… hmm. Well, I usually would shoot you down but this has been a though case and a few drinks sound really good to me at the moment. Besides, it's about time for us to have some girl time to ourselves." Olivia smiled. "I mean you have been here a little over a year and all." After all, Olivia was tired of being alone, going out and drinking alone. Ever since David Haden had happened, she wasn't a real people person. Her trust had been tested. He had really hurt her and she wasn't forgetting it too easily.

*******************************Later at the bar*********************

"Liv, how come the bartender knows you by name?" Amanda innocently asked after they were seated at a corner table in the back of the bar. The bar was full but not packed.

"Ha well," Olivia looked around a little embarrassed, "I come here every now and then." Not wanting to give too much away from her personal life, Olivia tried to keep details at a minimum.

"Oh…" Amanda wanted to learn more but she didn't want to be nosey and dig into the older detective's business.

An awkward silent moment passed before Amanda decided to go ahead and be honest, "Liv, I wanna be friends with you."

Olivia was slightly shocked and she was sure it showed on her face, "Amanda, we are friends." clearly not sure what the younger detective was getting at.

"No, I mean yes, I know we're friends, and not to sound childish or anything but I wanna be actual friends. You know, like outside of work. Olivia, I don't know if you've noticed or not but I don't have any friends. I mean sure, I've got people back in Georgia, but that's on the other side of the country. I just need someone to be honest with and hand out with. I know Fin and Amaro hang around outside of work, Munch has his "old people" club online that he meets with every now and then to discuss theories and play cards and whatever the hell they do… I just… I'm alone here in the city and I don't like it too much."

Olivia was surprised, clear as day. It was obvious Amanda had been thinking about this friendship for quite some time. Olivia knew it was true, that Amanda really didn't have anyone in the city to hang with so she thought for a moment, maybe a moment too long because Amanda had started to regret ever saying anything.

"Okay." Olivia looked at Rollins.

"Okay?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, okay. I could use another girl buddy to hang out with. Both Casey and Alex have left SVU, and Melinda has her husband and little girl so she never has any time to do anything. So yeah, okay. I would actually like to get to know you more Rollins, you seem like a pretty cool kid." They both laughed.

"Haha, I was started to worried that I had crossed a line." Rollins added.

"Oh no, Amanda. Don't worry about crossing a line with me." Olivia smiled then added, "If you cross a line, you'll know it."

After a couple of drinks later and a few hours of girl talk, Amanda decided to be bold and ask more about why the bartender knew Olivia so well.

"So…" Amanda started off with.

"So, Rollins if you're about to ask me something then just woman-up and ask it…" Olivia stated, not being mean, just firm.

"There's more to why the bartender knows you so well, isn't there? I mean, I can see it in your eyes Liv." Amanda told Olivia softly. If this real friendship thing was going to really work then she just wanted honesty.

"You're getting awfully close to that line Rollins…" But Olivia smiled to let the blonde know it was a joke, that she wasn't being serious. "Ah, yeah. Yeah there is." Olivia took a deep breath. She didn't really want to reveal this part of herself to Amanda. She didn't want the younger detective thinking any less of her than she already did now being Amaro refused to be her partner.

"Wanna tell me about it? It's what friends do you know.." Amanda hinted at, "It's what I'm here for too. You know if you need to get anything off your chest I'd hope you know you can tell me. I mean I assume I can do the same with you?"

" Of course, Amanda. That comes with this friendship thing, I guess. Honesty. I ah… I just don't know how to fraise it without… without, well sounding like a bit of a slut…"

"Olivia look, if you had a thing with the bartender then it's none of my business but-" Amanda didn't even get to finish her sentence before she was cut off by Olivia.

"-No, no. Haha that's actually quite the opposite…" Olivia stated.

"How so?" Amanda said, then added "I've got pleanty of demons of my own, by the way. I might share some of them… You know, kinda like you show me yours and I'll show you mine…"

They both started laughing at Amanda's little joke as she was trying to lighten the mood.

"I um… I pick up men here at this bar…" Olivia stated, looking away. It was obvious to Amanda that Olivia was embarrassed and ashamed as she had probably admitted a small secret that she had barely told anyone.

"Liv…" Amanda inquired, not fully understanding what this had to do with the bartender.

"Um… Sometimes after hard cases or if I just need to let loose I come here and look for a guy to pick up and take home for the night. Bob, the bartender is a sweet guy. He keeps an eye out all night, helps me make sure I don't take home anyone crazy and such." Olivia had admitted to the blonde more than she thought she ever would.

"Liv, I have no less respect for you but you don't have to do that. You are a beautiful woman. I'm sure you could get a decent number of men anytime you wanted. Why come pick up someone at a bar and have a one night stand?" Amanda honestly didn't understand. She'd had a few one night stand's herself, but she always woke up with a headache and a heart full of regret.

"It's just easier that way." Olivia looked to Amanda and shrugged her shoulders. When she saw the blonde still had a puzzling look on her face Olivia added, "Sometime you just get the urge, you know? Plus, after a hard case or a hard day at work, sex is a good stress reliever. Meaningless sex is better. No strings attached, no feelings getting hurt."

"Olivia, there are still risks. I mean do you use protection? There are STDs and-"

"-Jesus, Amanda! I'm not stupid! Of course I use protection. I'm on the pill, plus I always make my guy use a condom. And I get checked regularly." Olivia hadn't meant to but she kind of exploded on Amanda. Olivia wasn't some stupid teenage girl, she knew how to handle herself in the bedroom.

"Okay, okay Liv! Okay. I'm sorry. I just wanted to be sure." Amanda looked at Olivia, and Olivia raised her eyebrow. "Yeah, sure. So who are you banging these days?" She asked the blonde.

"Wh-what?" Amanda wasn't sure she'd heard right. Olivia had had a few to drink but those few drinks were making her bold.

"You heard me, Rollins. You already got the story of my current sex life out of me, now dish it out. I wanna know." Olivia didn't waste any time getting to the point. They came to the bar to start a friendship and have girl talk so that's what Olivia wanted to do.

"Uh, it's been a bit of a dry spell since I got here…" She tried to explain to Olivia. Rollins really didn't feel like going into detail about it but Olivia was very persistent since she had told Amanda about her current state.

"Rollins, you've been here for little over a year now. Are you trying to tell me you haven't had sex since before then?" Olivia stated softy, trying to get the blonde to open up to her.

Olivia looked in Amanda's eyes. She could see a bit of emotion. It was clear the blonde had been down a bumpy road.

"I uh.. yeah. You see… some stuff happened at my last job with a guy in my squad and I'm still trying to get over it…. It's kinda why I transferred." Amanda honestly confided in Olivia.

Benson thought for a moment, she knew her next words to the blonde were going to be very crucial if she didn't say them correctly. "Amanda," Olivia leaned in to look at the blonde, "did this guy hurt you in some way?"

Amanda made a small sound that was supposed to be a fake laugh. "Yeah, Olivia, yeah he did." Wow, Amanda thought to herself that was the first time she'd actually admitted that to someone other than the person she filled her report to back in Georgia.

"Amanda," Olivia started again, "what did he do?" Olivia wasn't sure if she honestly wanted the answer but when Amanda hesitated to answer her, Olivia added "Hey, we're friends, remember? We are gonna start telling each other stuff and honesty is a part of friendship." Olivia smiled at her.

Amanda smiled back, "Yeah, I know. Alright, well he uh, he tried to force himself on me one night late in the squad room," when she saw the look of panic on Olivia's face, she quickly added "BUT he didn't, Olivia, he didn't. He had had a few too many and I was able to stop him."

"Amanda, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I wouldn't have pried into it so much if I had. But you reported him?" Olivia asked praying the answer was yes.

"I did. I reported the incident. I may have watered it down a little when I was giving my statement but it was filed. No one in the squad could look at me the same way. Plus, I couldn't keep a clear mind and work around that place anymore so I got transferred. I wound up here." Amanda already felt better getting that information off her chest. She could really get used to this friendship thing with Olivia.

"I'm here. If you ever need to talk or vent or whatever. I'm here." That's all Olivia could say.

Olivia raised her glass to Amanda, "To friendship." They clinked their glasses together and both smiled as they sipped their drinks.

"Thanks, Liv," Amanda told the brunette.

"Ha, what are you thanking me for Amanda?" Olivia politely asked. She was really getting use to having a true friend in Amanda.

"For not freaking out, ya know? And for being a friend. Ha," Amanda looked to Olivia, "Most people either freak out or run for the hills. They think I can't be a good cop if one of my coworkers tried something on me. It's just not a good feeling to be judged." Olivia looked to Amanda with emotion in her eyes.

"Amanda, I know you haven't really known me for all that long, but I do not judge. Not judging is actually one of my main rules. I… Amanda, I've been there." Olivia told the blonde with a little bit of caution.

"Liv… what are you talking about?" Amanda asked. She was starting to get worried. She didn't know what the brunette was about to reveal but she could hear the emotion behind her voice.

"I um… I've been there. I was attacked. Not by a coworker, but I was sexually assaulted."

Olivia looked down. She knew she had told the blonde entirely too much. She'd revealed way more than she ever dreamed she would. It must have been the alcohol running through her veins.

Amanda thought about how to fraise her next words. "Olivia, look at me." When Olivia hesitated Amanda added, "Please." Rollins was beginning to sympathize with the older woman.

Olivia slowly looked up and met Amanda's eyes. "Liv," the blonde started with, "Not judging is my policy too. Now you can tell me what happened or you don't have to. I'll understand either way but just remember I'm here, alright? Same as you said you're here for me."

Olivia took a deep breath before she looked to Amanda again. She was going to try her best not to tear up but she was going to give Amanda some insight to what happened to her. After all, Amanda did instill trust into her when she opened up about her assault.

"I was undercover at a jail named Sealview. I was taken to the basement of the jail by one of the guards and he tried to rape me. I fought, hard. He beat me, handcuffed me to the door, pulled down his pants and was about to force his penis in my mouth. He was centimeters from my face when Fin busted through the door and stopped him."

She couldn't look up, Olivia just stared at her lap. She didn't look up until she felt Amanda's warm hand on her own.

"Olivia," Amanda started, "It's alright." Her eyes were shinning bright as she smiled at Olivia. "Looks like we've both been there, although your experience was a bit more intense than mine. Don't be ashamed and don't feel embarrassed. I know it's easier said than done though, believe me, I know." When Olivia just stared at Amanda, taking in what she had said, Amanda continued, "I see you no different. I still see you as the strong, smart, senior detective. What happened to us is not our fault. We got through it and we've moved on. I know it's not easy telling it again, but sometimes it does us good to get it out of our system to someone new, ya know?"

Olivia let out a small laugh and moved her hand to wipe away a stray tear that she had somehow let escape down her face. She honestly didn't know why she was being so emotional. Maybe it was all the booze. They were both a bit tipsy by now.

Olivia sniffed a little before saying, "Thanks, Amanda." Olivia let out a small laugh before looking away. "I um… I don't tell that story to many people. In fact, the only ones that know it are Fin, and my old therapist…"

"Oh…" Amanda thought for a second, "Wait, you mean not even the Capt-"

"-No." Olivia cut her off pretty quickly. "Um no, not even Captain Cragen knows. He knows something went down but I didn't put it in the paper work and he knows me well enough not to ask any further questions."

"Oh, alright." Amanda didn't quite know what else to say.

"You tellin' me Cragen knows about your incident?" Olivia looked up toward the blonde waiting for an answer.

"Ah, yeah. It seems once I reported it, it'll always be on my record. So now no matter where I transfer, it follows me everywhere…" Olivia didn't even think of it like that. She simply thought once the report was filed it would follow the perp around, not the victim.

The brunette could tell Amanda was questioning her decision to report the attack.

"You did the right thing Amanda, reporting it I mean." Olivia inquired.

"Yeah, I know. It's just sometimes I regret it. You know, sometimes it comes back to bite me."Amanda thought for a minute but then added, "You didn't report your attack to anyone did you? I mean you said you didn't put it in the paper work. You didn't get justice did you, Liv?"

"Ah, no but I didn't need it. I got justice for the little girl I was working the case for and for her mother. The guard that attacked me went away for a long time. That was good enough for me." Amanda looked at Olivia with sad eyes.

Olivia duley noted the mood was getting way too heavy. They needed to change the subject and lighten the mood a little. Girl talk and friendship was supposed to be fun.

"Alright, well enough of that, haha. I say we order some shots of Whisky then be on our way. What do you say Rollins?" Olivia put her offer on the table waiting for the Blonde to accept or decline.

"I say I think we deserve a few shots after what all we've talked about tonight. Count me in." Amanda smiled at Olivia. She truly thought this was going to be a great friendship.