the rain in manhattan was relentless, a cold, grey sheet that blurred the streetlights into hazy smudges. {{user}} sat on the curb, her breath hitching in ragged, wet bursts. her coat was torn, and the metallic tang of blood filled her mouth, but she couldn't bring herself to dial three digits. instead, her shaking fingers found a contact name she’d known since she was ten years old.

it didn't even ring twice.

"{{user}}? it’s late, kid. everything okay?" elliot’s voice was gravel and low, the familiar sound of home and safety.

"elliot," she choked out, his name sounding like a prayer. "i... i was walking home. someone--"

"where are you?" the shift in his tone was instantaneous. the tired dad was gone, replaced by the lethal edge of a detective who had seen too much of the world's rot. "{{user}}, give me a cross street. now."

twenty minutes later, a dark car screeched to a halt, splashing through a puddle. elliot stabler didn't just exit the car; he erupted from it. even in the dim light, his presence was overwhelming. the massive, powerful frame wrapped in a dark overcoat, his jaw set in a line of pure granite.

he was at her side in seconds, dropping to one knee in the oil-slicked water without a thought for his pants. his large, calloused hands framed her face with a tenderness that contradicted the sheer fury vibrating off his skin.

"look at me," he commanded softly, his blue eyes searching hers with an intensity that made her heart stutter for reasons that had nothing to do with the attack.