1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I never will. Cross my heart and hope to cry.  
**

**A/N: This story may become more graphic in later chapters, so I warn you now.**

As always: Please review!

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**Chapter 1: The Briefing**

"Okay listen up, people!" Captain Don Cragen called as he walked across the room and handed Olivia a picture of a young woman. "Amy Wu has been missing for three days. If our perp is following the same pattern as he did with his last two victims, we have less than twenty-four hours to find this girl alive."

Cragen turned to crowd of police officers gathered around the board to which Olivia had attached Amy's photo. "Detectives Benson and Stabler have been with this investigation since the beginning and they will be in charge. You all will answer directly to them, and any questions regarding the case should be directed either to them or myself. Is that understood?"

Noises of assent and nods emanated from the other officers.

Cragen glanced about the crowd and continued. "I want to remind you all that your assistance on this case is in no way mandatory. If you feel you are not capable of working the investigation, we have no objection. There are plenty of other cases that need our attention. Any other cases that Benson and Stabler currently have open will be divided amongst those of you who opt not to participate, as this investigation will take priority on their end."

Of the near two dozen men and women gathered, only seven stepped back to their desks.

The captain nodded. "If at any time the rest of you lose your ability to handle the case, you are free -- and I encourage you -- to remove yourself as well. Psych services will also be available for anyone who needs them at any time during the investigation."

An odd and expectant silence followed.

"Good," Cragen responded after deciding his message had been understood. He turned and tipped his head in Olivia's direction. "Detective?"

Olivia Benson stepped forward. "Right. Three weeks ago, the first victim was abducted from her third-floor apartment. Four days later, her body was found. From what Detective Stabler and I uncovered during the first two cases, the perp allows each woman four days to live after her abduction. During those four days, he holds them in an undisclosed location where they undergo extensive bouts of torture and sexual assault."

She motioned towards an autopsy photo attached to the board. "Marilyn Koster sustained a hundred and seven knife punctures to her arms, legs, chest, and abdomen. According to the ME, the wounds were inflicted one at a time over the entire four days."

Elliot Stabler shook his head in disgust. "The perp would wait a certain amount of time after the first wound before going on to the second and so on and so forth so she wouldn't bleed out. The sick bastard wanted to keep her alive to experience every second of pain."

An uncomfortable air settled over the room. Several faces showed traces of green, and a few of those gathered began to whisper among themselves.

Benson waited for the crowd to settle back into a disturbed silence before pointing to a second autopsy photo.

"Our second victim, Ashley Marin, was burned repeatedly with what looks like a cigarette butt. Autopsy showed burns to her face, upper and lower extremities, chest, abdomen, and genitals. The ME stopped counting when the number surpassed four-hundred-and-thirty."

A white-haired officer broke off from the group and headed quickly for the restroom.

Cragen stepped forward and acknowledged the man's sudden absence. "I want to remind you all, again, that you are here strictly on a volunteer basis. If you can't handle it, please step back."

Detective Stabler nodded and crossed his arms behind his back. "This psycho needs to be stopped, and we will appreciate anyone who can be of service, but we don't wish to force any of this upon any of you."

A few others drifted away from the pack, but one woman raised her hand to speak.

"Yes?" Benson asked, gesturing to her.

"If he purposely stretched out the torture in order to keep them alive, what was the cause of death?"

"Both women were found with their throats slashed."

The woman grimaced, and a second officer found his voice.

"Besides their manners of death, what else was common among the victims?"

Elliot cleared his throat. "Both were Caucasian in their thirties. Their naked bodies were discovered in vacant apartments after the building managers received an anonymous phone call. These calls originated from two different pre-paid cell phones. Our guess is the perp dumps the phone as soon as he's made the call."

The man didn't miss a beat. "What about this third victim? She's Asian-American and only twenty-three. How do we know we're dealing with the same perp?"

"Amy Wu's sister received the same phone call that Marilyn's husband and Ashley's mother received on the days of their disappearances," Olivia responded. "We never released the intimate details of those calls to the press."

"And then there's the music," Stabler added, bringing his arms back around to the front, where he folded them against his chest.

The man shifted his weight. "Music?"

Stabler inhaled deeply before answering. "When police have responded to the apartments of the missing victims, each of their stereos were all set to replay the same CD over and over again. The CD was burned with only one song. According to Detective Munch's computer skills, we've identified the song as -- Munch?"

"'Tourniquet' by Evanescence," Munch faithfully replied. "An upbeat little ditty, I must say."

"CSU found smudges and one partial on the first CD only. They're still running it through the system, but so far, no hits," Benson explained, shooting Munch a warning look.

"What else do you know about the perp?" asked another brave soul.

Elliot rocked back on his heels. "We found a bloody shoe print at the first crime scene. CSU pegged it at a size eleven work boot. That in combination with the perp's apparent familiarity with apartment buildings and their security led us to believe he could be employed in some maintenance capacity."

"Now," Benson began, pointing to another photo. "Security cameras across the street from Ashley Marin's building captured the image of a vehicle outside the morning of her abduction, as well as circling the block suspiciously two nights before. After cleaning up the image a bit, we believe the vehicle to be an early-nineties Toyota Camry, dark blue in color. Lab techs are currently sorting through security camera footage from the vicinity of the first victim's residence as well as the two other crime scenes."

"The only other thing we know about him is he's accelerating. He waited two weeks after dumping the first victim to kidnap the second. There were only five days between number two and number three." Liv shrugged. "Beyond that, we're as much in the dark as you all are."

Captain Cragen checked his watch. "Alright people, time's wasting. Detective Benson, if you would, assign tasks to those still willing to participate in the investigation. Those neighborhoods need to be recanvassed -- at this stage, talk to anyone and everyone. Detective Tutuola --I'd like you to re-interview Larry Koster, and Munch -- go babysit those videotapes. I don't want any lab geeks taking unnecessary bathroom breaks."

"You got it, boss," Munch said quickly as he and Fin headed out the door.

Benson had already begun divvying out the areas among the other officers, and Elliot seemed to be ready to assist her.

"Uh, Detective Stabler," Cragen said in a quiet tone. "A word?"

Stabler narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously, but turned and joined him on the sidelines. "Yeah, Captain?"

Cragen glanced about the room, his eyes resting a moment on Detective Benson, before meeting Stabler's questioning gaze. "I called Agent Huang earlier this morning. He should be on his way over here any minute now."

"Okay."

Cragen donned an anxious expression. "It's about the press conference we discussed. He thinks Olivia should be the one to do it."

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**A/N: I know there wasn't much to this chapter, but what do you think? Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you TigreLily, Xella134, and Rockstargoddess101 for the reviews!

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**Chapter 2: Communication Preparations  
**

"I'm still not sure that holding a press conference is the best plan," Stabler muttered, crossing his arms as he challenged Agent Huang's prior assessment.

"I understand where you're coming from, Elliot," Huang said calmly, "but I think this perp is looking for attention, and a press conference is the best way to try and set up a pathway for communication."

Stabler shook his head and shifted his weight. "What if this plan backfires and he decides keeping Amy Wu alive is too much of a risk and he kills her?"

"What if he does?" Huang asked, his eyes waiting for a reaction.

Stabler's eyes pinched tightly together, and his mouth stood open in confusion.

Huang shook his head. "He'll kill her anyway if you don't find her before the day is out, and from what I've gathered, you don't have much to go on. It seems highly unlikely that not involving the media will bring about any better results."

"Hold on now," Stabler began. "What makes you so sure this guy wants extra attention -- he hasn't tried to contact the police or the media in any way."

"But he did contact the family members -- taunting them, in fact -- as well as placing anonymous phone calls to the buildings where he placed the bodies. He may not have called the police directly, but he wanted those bodies found. He wants people to know what he's capable of doing."

Benson stepped into the conversation. "So you think he might contact us if we address the media?" she asked, interlacing her fingers.

Agent Huang nodded his head vigorously. "I think he will."

He walked over to the board, and gestured to the time line they had drawn. "Just look at the abductions themselves -- he kidnaps these women from within their own homes during broad daylight in high-traffic areas. The possibility of being seen makes it that much more exciting for him, and his current successes has built up his confidence level. I'm willing to bet he's itching to lord it over someone, and who better for that than the police."

"Alright," Cragen said slowly, "I agree with you so far -- but why Olivia?"

Huang smiled. "Put yourself in the perp's position. Who would seem less threatening to your ability to manipulate the situation -- a man in uniform complete with shield and brass buttons? Or a woman? No offense, Liv."

Benson managed to grin tightly. "None taken."

"Personally, I think I'd be a little more confident if I were being chased by a slightly-portly teddy bear like yourself, boss, rather than by Olivia. Sorry, chief," Munch quipped as he strode into the squad room.

The group pretended to ignore him as Huang continued.

"If the perp sees the press conference -- and trust me, he's been anxiously waiting for one -- he's going to associate whoever speaks with the investigation. He's going to expect the speaker to be the one in charge of the manhunt. We already know from his choice of victim that he wants to control women. By putting Olivia at the helm, he's not going to be able to resist exerting his absolute control over her and the police simultaneously."

Stabler shifted uncomfortably as he watched Benson agree with Huang. "You said he's already waiting -- wouldn't he feel the urge to manipulate the police even if a man addresses him?"

Benson began making moves to object, but Huang answered the question. "It's more than likely. I believe he'd respond faster to a woman challenging him, but he still might respond to a man."

"There," Stabler reasoned, turning to his boss. "Why not let someone else do it? I really don't think we should put Olivia in his sights."

"Shut up, Elliot," Benson suggested. "I'll do it. We're racing the clock here, and if he'll respond faster to me, then so be it."

Huang turned to Olivia, his eyes filled with concern. "What I'm suggesting is no easy task -- I'm not going to try and sugar coat anything. This guy will fixate on you, Olivia -- and you will need to prepare yourself for that."

"No," Stabler said with force. "No way -- this guy is too dangerous."

Benson turned her head to glare at her partner.

"Liv," Elliot pleaded, responding to her look of contempt.

She shook her head. "Elliot, _you're_ not the one who gets to make that decision."

"No, but I am," Cragen interrupted. He turned to face Benson. "Olivia, are you sure you can handle it?"

Benson nodded in response. "I'm ready, Captain. I'll be fine."

Stabler sighed heavily and walked back to his desk shaking his head.

"Okay," Cragen agreed, checking his watch. "The press conference begins in a little less than three hours. Munch, I assume from your presence here that you have something to share."

Munch looked at him over his glasses. "I now see why they made you captain. First and foremost -- my currently absent partner called. Nothing new from the husband."

"Alright," Cragen stated. "And what did you get? Please tell me you got something."

He held up a manilla file folder in his hands. "I worked those lab rats to the bone, and came up with these: a dark-blue car not half a block from the Koster apartment the morning of -- presumably a Toyota Camry, but the lab can't be a hundred percent sure -- and a strikingly similar vehicle parked in an alley next to the second body dump. Trash cans at the edge of the alleyway managed to block the license plate, and the security camera wasn't turned on until after the car was already parked there, but we managed to get this."

Munch tossed the previously mentioned video stills onto the desk and pulled another sheet from the folder. "You guys don't pay me enough."

Benson rolled her eyes. "More like we don't pay the lab techs enough."

"Au contraire, Mrs. Doubtful -- I pulled this myself while the mice where having a cheese nip break." He dropped the photo on top of the rest.

"Oh my God," Benson whispered as she picked it up. "You didn't --"

She trailed off as she studied the photo intensely. In between her fingers, the shadowy image of a man stared at her as he pulled open the driver's side door.

Munch sat down on the edge of her desk. "Lab puts him at six-foot give or take an inch, Caucasian, with dark hair. That's about all we can glean from the lousy video. The resolution of the camera was little better than crap, but the boys down there are working on cleaning it up somewhat. They still aren't sure they can do much, but I promised a steak dinner to anyone who gets it done."

Stabler stood over Benson's shoulder and glanced at the photo. "White, maybe six-foot, dark hair? That narrows it down."

Cragen ignored the sulking detective's outburst. "That's all well and good, but how exactly do we know it's our perp? We don't even know if its the same vehicle yet."

"Ah!" Munch pointed his finger into the air. "As you can see in the picture, the upper right corner of the car's back end -- right there, just above the taillights -- is what appears to be a swatch of lighter paint -- either white or yellow, eggshell maybe." He dug around in the stack pulling out some of the other video captures. "That little swatch was outside of Marilyn Koster's apartment for sure. And in this photo," Munch said as he pulled another one from the folder,"which was taken five days ago outside of Amy Wu's residence, we are able to see just the rear right corner of a dark-blue car parked out-of-view. The same swatch appears there."

Munch handed the photos one-by-one to Benson, who then passed them on to her partner.

"Okay," Cragen breathed. "At the very least, its an extreme coincidence and he may have seen something. Dr. Huang, do we dare run it?"

Agent Huang stepped over and examined the photos. "This guy thinks he's unstoppable. If we reveal the fact that he may have slipped up right away, it just might be enough to turn him off. We need him to think we're chasing our tails. Release a description of the car, but refer to it being a dark sedan -- possibly black, even -- and forget about the paint swatch. Hold back the photo of him as well. The quality of the footage isn't good enough to be of any reassurance to the public -- for all we know it could be Detective Stabler. Plus, he won't try as hard to find us if he thinks we already know who he is."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Further Disclaimer: Lyrics of 'Tourniquet' belong to Evanescence -- not I.**

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews: ElliotOlivias, TigreLily, and fluteskickbrass!!  
**

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**Chapter 3: Making Contact  
**

Olivia stared defiantly into the lights and camera lenses. Millions of people were watching her right now, but she only cared about one.

"Again I remind you, if you have any details about this case or if you think you may have seen something, please call the number on your screens. Officers are standing by, waiting for your calls."

She paused briefly, before contuing with her closing remarks. "The New York Police Department will work day and night -- we will not stop until this killer is off the streets and the citizens of our city are no longer at risk. Thank you."

Detective Benson stepped away from the podium, tuning out the dozens of reporters shouting her name. They began quieting down when a man's voice replaced hers. She assumed it was the Police Commissioner speaking, but she didn't take the time to find out.

As she stepped off the bottom stair of the stage, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You did good," Cragen smiled at her.

Munch nodded his agreement from the other side.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The three made their way quickly back to the SVU squad room. The ringing of the phones could be heard as soon as the elevator doors slid open.

"Well, looks like the shit hit the fan," Munch stated, not quite mournfully. "It's been a while since I heard the latest whack-job gossip."

Benson tried hard not to smile as the lanky detective scampered off to pick up a phone. She soon followed suit.

Elliot gave her a thumbs up the moment he saw her, but his praise was cut short by another phone call demanding to be answered.

The phone in front of her also rang, and Olivia picked it up. "Manhattan Special Victims Unit, Detective Benson speaking."

"Yes," a female voice on the other end responded, "I'd like to offer my assistance. I believe I may have seen the man you're looking for."

Olivia grabbed a piece of paper. "Alright, go ahead."

"Well, he's tall -- probably six-four -- with dark, dark hair -- the deepest black you've ever seen -- and he wears a lip ring and eyeliner. He tried to take my daughter off to one of those Vegas chapels -- you know, with Elvis -- but I chased him on out of here with my good ol' twenty-two. I believe his name is Jo-jo, if memory serves me right."

Benson tried not to sound cross. "Well, thanks for your help, ma'am. If anything turns out, we'll be in touch."

"Okay, thank you."

As she dropped the phone back on its base, Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long night.

"Liv, catch."

Benson turned around in time to intercept a soda can hurled at her.

"Thanks, Fin."

"No probs. I wouldn't open that up right away, though, seein' as --"

He never finished, for he was interrupted by an arm being clamped down on his shoulder. Munch had come to share the latest wacko reports.

Olivia shook her head and thought he was enjoying himself a little too much.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Four hours had come and passed, and the calls had long since begun to taper off.

Huang walked towards the group of detectives gathered in the center of the room.

"So when is this jackass gonna ring?" Fin asked, growing ever more frustrated with his partner's recounting every crackpot's story.

Huang shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a psychic, but I'm sure it will be soon. He would have wanted to wait until he could have our undivided attention."

"Or until after he kills Amy," Benson added, disgusted.

Huang looked in her direction, but decided against a response.

Benson strode over towards her desk, and grabbed the can of soda about which she had all but forgotten. She popped the top, and carried it back over to the group before taking a sip.

Seconds later, the phone rang.

An awkward silence fell over the group.

Huang nodded encouragingly towards Olivia, who took a deep breath and picked up the receiver and then switched it to speaker phone. She had no reason to believe this call was special, but she could not get rid of the sick feeling she now felt.

"Hello?" she answered, hesitantly. Her stomach was in knots, and she couldn't trust herself to exactly remember her name, much less the standard greeting.

There was nothing but heavy breathing on the line.

"Hello?" she asked again. "Is someone there?"

At first, there was no response.

Benson was about to speak again, when a male voice spoke. "I'd like to speak to Detective Benson, please. I have something I would like to discuss with her."

"You're speaking with her. May I ask who's calling?"

Laughter could be heard on the other end. "That's a good one, Detective. Let's just say it's not in my best interest to go around sharing my name."

At the other end of the room, Huang picked up a receiver and called in a trace.

Olivia nodded to him, before continuing. "Alright, how 'bout we talk about the girl who's missing? Do you know her?"

There was a slight pause.

"You could say that -- in a couple senses of the word, but in any case it would have to be in the past tense."

Her stomach twisted tighter. "Past tense? Does that mean you've already killed her?"

" I don't want to talk about that."

Huang had returned to her side and held up a slip of paper reading '_Verify_.'

Benson gave a slight nod. "Okay, you don't want to talk about her -- let's talk about you. How can I be sure I'm not wasting my time? As you must imagine -- we get a lot of crackpots looking for publicity."

"Why Detective Benson, do you remember me, lost for so long? Will you be on the other side? Or will you forget me?"

The gathered group became even more silent as they recognized the lyrics to the song.

Huang pulled on Benson's sleeve and showed her another piece of paper. '_Play along_.'

"Alright, then -- that's good enough for me. What is it that you do want to talk about?"

The man snickered. "Let's talk about you, Detective Benson."

Olivia could feel Elliot's eyes upon her. "What about me?"

"I saw you on television. Let me just say before we begin, that blue shirt looked mighty sexy on you. Wouldn't you agree, Detective Stabler?"

Elliot startled beside his partner, but remained silent.

"I said, 'Wouldn't you agree, Detective Stabler.' I know you must be there -- you can't have Benson without the Stabler, isn't that right? Now answer my question." The man's voice had become a little less reserved.

Stabler wasn't quite sure on what to say. "I...uh...I guess."

"You guess, huh? Well I suppose that means the boss is standing within earshot."

Benson was becoming frustrated. "Did you call just to chit-chat about my clothing, or do you have something to offer?"

The man began to laugh wickedly. "Don't worry, Olivia -- I haven't forgotten about you. Believe me, who could forget about you? Such a pretty face. It's such a shame you haven't been able to find any one willing to impregnate you yet. I'd love to volunteer, but once we're finished I'd probably have to slit your throat. All of that warm, red blood on my new sheets -- it would make a bit of a mess. Probably be worth it, though. You look like you'd be a good screw."

Olivia bristled slightly in response, and Elliot struggled to control himself. He knew his partner was trying to contain her emotion, but he could see her hands shaking.

"Hey, fuckhead! Why don't you leave her out of this!"

"Why, Detective Stabler -- how charming! And they say chivalry is dead. Tell me, why is it you haven't taken it upon yourself to knock her up yet? I hear you're quite fertile."

Elliot's stomach turned. He saw Olivia step back from the phone, and lean against the desk. He had a feeling she was trying to figure out what to say next, so he decided to run interference.

"You know what, shithead -- you don't mind if I call you that, do you? How about we move onto something a little more about you?"

Stabler immediately regretted his outburst as he caught sight of the warning looks he received from both Benson and Cragen. Huang just watched him with the same intense curiosity.

The man laughed again. "Touchy, touchy. Maybe we've talked enough for one day. I'm sure you'll find Ms. Wu sooner or later. Oh, and Liv, darling, hasn't anyone ever told you not to drink that diet cola -- it'll ruin your digestive system, you know."

With that the line went dead, and everyone turned to stare at the can of diet soda in Olivia's hand.

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to JO, fluteskickbrass, Xella134, and ElliotOlivias for the reviews. You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter 4: Hitting Close to Home  
**

Cragen rubbed his temple as he stood at the window, watching teams of officers enter a handful of buildings that were within sight of the 16th precinct. There were too many rooms, however, and he just knew they would be too late to find any trace of the caller. Twenty minutes had passed already, and they had found nothing of interest.

Huang looked frustrated as he hung up the phone. "We didn't get it."

"Didn't get what?" Stabler asked, tension in his tone.

"The trace."

"How the hell could you not get the trace? He sat there on the phone abusing Detective Benson for an eternity!"

The shorter man blinked calmly as he judged Elliot's expression. "This guy is good -- I don't think he's using pre-paid cell phones any more. He doesn't have to. The number kept scrambling and he had FBI technicians bouncing everywhere from Cuba to Montreal to Japan. The trace hadn't even touched the United States by the time he hung up."

Benson snorted and walked away to stand by Cragen.

Stabler watched her leave and then turned back to the FBI psychiatrist. "So that's it? We wasted our time talking to this creep and got nothin'?"

Huang shook his head. "I wouldn't say that, Elliot."

"Oh, you wouldn't, would you?" Elliot accused, interrupting him. "Olivia puts her ass on the line in front of this guy -- and we get Cuba, Montreal, and Japan? How the hell was that supposed to help us?"

"Elliot, knock it off!"

Stabler turned to see his partner glowering at him. She stepped towards him, her finger pointed accusingly at him. "If you hadn't kept your damn mouth shut -- we may have had something! I don't need saving every time some guy says something to me, okay? I don't need you to be my big hero! You shouldn't have spoken to him like that! I was fine!"

Elliot's face twisted into disbelief. "You were not fine! You were --"

"Guys!"

The two turned to look at Huang, who held his hands up in neutrality. "You both played right into his hands -- you both let him get to you. Maybe it's a good thing he was watching you. Your reactions were real, and he saw that."

Stabler raised an eyebrow. "And that's a good thing?"

"Yes," Huang nodded. "In a way. If he sees how easy it is to manipulate you both, it builds up his confidence that much more. He's going to start communicating more with the police as he probably believes you're either too emotional or too incompetent to catch him."

Elliot stood up straight, trying hard not to be offended by the explanation.

Huang scratched his forehead before continuing. "Increased communication with law enforcement is almost always the eventual downfall of serial killers. Take BTK for instance -- he became so confident in his contact with police that he actually asked them if files on a floppy disk could be traced to the computer that made them. If police told him no, he'd send them one with more information on it. He had become so deluded in his power over the police that he honestly believed they were so dependent upon him for information that they wouldn't dream of lying to him."

"So, what you're saying is -- inflate his ego until it blows up in his face?" Munch asked from his chair.

Huang turned to face him. "Essentially, yes. He'll become so wrapped up in his hype that he'll think he's untouchable. So untouchable that he'll start making mistakes."

"And leaving traces?" Munch questioned, a slight smile on his lips.

Benson's eyebrows tightened together. "Why, what do you have?"

Munch leaned back triumphantly. "Remember when you two thought there had to be some connection between those apartment buildings?"

Both Benson and Stabler nodded. Cragen turned away from the window and walked towards the group, his hands in his pockets.

"Well," Munch began to explain as he stood up from his chair and walked over to the large computer screen. "I double-checked everything we thought of before, and sure enough all three had different security and maintenance firms, different laundry services, different plumbing and electrical firms, etcetera, etcetera. They even had different contractors and construction firms. I went all the way back to the architectural firms that designed them -- no two alike. But, I did find one common thread. The individual architect who came up with the final design of each of these is the same. Apparently, this Frank Lloyd Wright wannabe couldn't satisfy himself with one employer over the years -- he's worked at almost half a dozen architectural firms in the area."

"Name?" Cragen implored without missing a beat.

"Timothy Todd Randolph. And he even designed one of those buildings across the street. Not to mention the fact he owns a Toyota Camry."

The group stared at him in silent appreciation.

"Good, go have a word with Mr. Randolph and inform the unit commander about the building," Cragen instructed Munch.

Munch nodded. "Already done. The officers should have already moved in and should have already started checking vacant rooms."

With that, he walked out of the squad room and down the hall towards the elevators.

He was not gone any longer than half a minute before the telephone on Munch's desk rang. Olivia reached out and grabbed it. "Special Victims Unit, Benson speaking."

"Uh, yeah," the gruff voice said. "You're gonna wanna come take a look at this."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Benson and Stabler quickly made their way across the street. It was easy to tell which building was the right one, as nearly a dozen uniforms were standing around the door. One of them gestured for the duo to follow him.

The officer caught sight of Benson's worried face. "No dead body or anything. Just thought you should see it before CSU takes it all into evidence."

The three of them rode the elevator to the third floor.

"Room 313," the officer said, as he pointed them on their way.

"Thanks," Benson nodded appreciatively.

"What do we got?" Stabler asked, crossing the threshold of the specified room.

A CSU tech gestured with his camera. "This."

The partners studied the room. A metal folding-chair was unfolded and placed directly in front of the window.

They crossed over towards the chair. As they looked out the window, they could see the well-lit SVU squad room through the early evening light.

Stabler looked down at the chair. A yellow sheet of paper had been taped to the seat.

"It was nice speaking with you. I look forward to meeting again -- very soon, " he read aloud. He shook his head, "Great."

Elliot turned to talk to the closest technician. He hardly noticed when Olivia's cell phone went off. He heard her answer 'Benson,' and then leave the room.

"We've dusted for fingerprints, but I gotta tell you, Detective -- this guy didn't leave much of anything." The technician tipped the chair back, and pointed to a couple smudges underneath. "We'll try running them, but I don't have much faith."

"Alright," Stabler nodded in understanding. "Check the window, too."

The CSU technician looked at him and smiled politely. Elliot glanced behind him and saw that a second technician had already begun dusting the window.

"Guess I can let you guys handle things on your own, eh?"

The other man smiled and nodded. "Guess so," he said before returning to his previous task. A few camera flashes followed shortly.

"Elliot."

Stabler turned around at the sound of his voice and found himself staring into his partner. Her face was pale, and her eyes held an inkling of fear.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Olivia didn't break her gaze. "They've found Amy Wu's body."

"Oh," he said, disappointed. "Where?"

Benson repeated the address, and he nodded briefly for a split second, before giving a start.

"Wait -- Liv, isn't that _your_ address?"

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you JO, fluteskickbrass, ElliotOlivias, loggie831 for reviews. I would love anyone else who is brave enough as well! There's enough love to go 'round.  
**

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**Chapter 5: Changing Pace  
**

Stabler watched his partner carefully as they made their way to the newest crime scene. The fact that Olivia didn't even flinch as she walked by her own door amazed him greatly.

"Oh, Olivia!" A stout, balding man shouted her name. Elliot recognized him as the superintendent. "I'm so glad you're here! I don't know what's going on...I don't know."

Benson gestured to the young officer who had been questioning him and waited until he found some place else to be before she spoke.

"Mr. Hart --"

The man sighed. "Olivia, how many times have I asked you to call me Paul?"

Stabler grinned oddly as he watched his partner resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Alright, Paul -- I know you already told that guy, but could you tell me what happened?"

The man nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah, sure -- uh, I was trying to fix that damn pipe that keeps leaking down in 1G. I had the door propped open to try and air out the joint when Lucy Gall in 1C walked by and told me my phone was ringing. So I hurried over, but just missed the call. I was turning to go back to the pipes, and it rang again. When I picked it up, at first it was just breathing. But then this voice -- it was a man's voice -- said, 'Those pipes can be a bitch, can't they?'"

Olivia fished in her pocket for her notepad and pen.

"I tell you -- it creeped the bejeezers out of me. I didn't know what to say to that, but I don't think he cared. He just went on to say there was a dead body in my building and that the police might enjoy hearing that. It took me a few seconds to grasp what he said, but by then he had already hung up. I dialed 9-1-1 immediately, and then you all showed up."

"Are you sure that's all he said?" Benson asked, without looking up from her notes.

"Uh, yeah," the man nodded. "That wa-- no, wait! He said something right before he hung up."

Benson waited expectantly. "And that would be?"

"Weird is what it was," Paul said. "He told me to give his best regards -- to you."

Liv stopped writing and raised her eyes to stare intensely into his face. She took a deep breath, closed her notebook, and clicked shut her pen. "Okay, thanks."

She began to turn away when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Olivia -- what's going on?" Paul Hart asked, concern etched on his face.

Benson shrugged and shook her head. "You know, Mr. Hart -- I'm not real sure I know myself."

She tried to give him a smile before stepping away and entering the crime scene. Elliot followed closely behind, and was instantly hit by the strong, metallic odor that hung in the room. He nearly gagged -- the stench was so heavy. He glanced at his partner. She didn't react at all to the smell. Stabler mentally kicked himself -- he had been a cop longer than she had and yet he still hated the smell of blood.

"Can't say it's nice to see you guys."

The two looked up to see Dr. Melinda Warner standing over the bodybag with a clipboard in her hands.

"I know what you mean," Olivia replied, stepping closer to the woman. She gestured to the body bag on the floor. "What do we have?"

"More than I wanted to deal with today," Warner said mournfully. She bent down and pulled the zipper open enough for the detectives to view the victim's face.

"Damn it," Elliot whispered as he stared into the cold face of Amy Wu.

Warner nodded in agreement. "Her throat was slit like the others. However, this psycho seems to keep getting more extreme in his brutality."

Benson narrowed her eyes as she crouched down next to Warner.

Warner unzipped the bag the rest of the way.

"Oh my god," Liv exclaimed. She locked eyes with Stabler who still stood over them and struggled to keep her stomach contents in her stomach.

Elliot read her expression and looked away without glancing at the body.

Warner sighed as she zipped the bag back up. "I'll know more when I get her on the table, but it looks like the son-of-a-bitch all but gutted her."

She pushed herself back up, and Olivia did the same.

Two young men from the ME's office lifted the bag onto a stretcher and wheeled it out the door. Warner dipped her head to the detectives, and followed them out.

"When I know something, you'll know," she said before disappearing down the hall.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Detectives."

Benson and Stabler whirled around to see Cragen behind them as they returned to the squad room.

"There's been another call to a family. He has another victim."

Their faces fell as they wrote down the address and turned to leave again.

"Olivia, can I speak with you for a moment?" Cragen's face was etched with worry.

Benson knew exactly what he was going to say, but nodded and paused in the doorway. She waited until Elliot was a safe distance away before speaking.

"Don, I'm going after this guy."

Cragen sighed deeply. "I know," he said quietly. "I just want you to be careful while doing it. Stay away from your apartment -- you can crash in the crib until we get him."

Liv nodded in silence.

"And I don't want you going anywhere without backup, you hear me?"

There was a hint of a smile on her lips as she agreed to the condition. "Anything else?"

He was silent for a few seconds, but his eyes spoke volumes. "Just make sure I won't have to dig out my uniform for a funeral."

"You got it," she promised before heading down the hallway.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Benson and Stabler stood in front of the stained glass door, which allowed for some light to spill out into the dark night. Before they could do anything, however, Olivia's cell phone began vibrating.

"Benson," she answered. Elliot watched her listen for a minute.

"Okay, thanks for letting me know." She flipped her phone shut and slipped it back on her belt. "That was Munch. They struck out on the architect. He's out of town until tomorrow morning."

She gestured to her partner. Elliot pushed the doorbell, and the door was yanked open before the chime had even finished.

The tall blonde woman stared at them expectantly.

"Ma'am, I'm Detective Benson and this is my partner Detective Stabler. We're with Manhattan Special Victims Unit."

The woman nodded. "You're here about the call?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The blonde backed out of the way. "Please, come in."

Olivia stepped into the house, followed by her partner. The woman gestured to the couch closest to them, and the detectives sat down.

Stabler cleared his throat and leaned forward after the woman sat in a chair. "Mrs. --"

"Miss."

"Sorry. Miss Tiarni, can you tell us about the phone call?"

She nodded. Her voice was shaky. "Yeah. I, uh, answered the phone and there was this heavy breathing on the other end. I threatened to hang up and was about to do so when the man finally spoke. The only thing he said was, 'Do you know where Cheryl is right now?' and then he hung up. I remembered the press conference this afternoon, so I called the police."

"And where is Cheryl?"

"Right here."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

The woman placed a hand on her chest. "Me -- I'm Cheryl Tiarni. I'm right here."

Benson and Stabler exchanged glances.

There was a slight moan from a back room, and the woman excused herself.

"We're wasting our time," Elliot whispered. "Just some punk pulling a prank. In his other phone calls, he allowed the victim to say good-bye to their family. Either she's messing with us, or someone's messing with her."

Olivia bit her lip. "I know what you mean, but I don't know," she answered a few seconds later. "I have a feeling about this. I don't know why, but I think its --"

"Sorry about that," the woman exclaimed loudly as she returned to her seat. "Dad just woke up and he needed his meds."

"No problem," Liv smiled. She leaned forward, pulling out her notepad. "If this is our guy, he targets women who live in apartment buildings. Do you own an apartment?"

Cheryl shook her head. "Nope. I used to, but I sold it when dad first got sick and moved in with him. Its been almost three years."

Benson nodded. "Okay, I'm gonna need the addresses of any apartments you may have lived in. We may somehow find a connection."

"Alright. How far back do you want me to go?" Cheryl asked.

"As far back as you can remember," Benson said, handing her a pen and paper.

Cheryl nodded and proceeded to write down the information. She had just finished when the phone rang.

Cheryl grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

Stabler had taken to looking about the room, but Olivia kept her eyes fixed on Cheryl. An odd expression crossed Cheryl's face as she pulled the receiver away from her ear.

"It's for you," she said, holding the phone out for Benson to grab.

Elliot immediately refocused his attention on his partner.

"Detective Benson."

"Hello again, Olivia," a familiar voice began. "Are you having fun yet?"

Olivia shifted her weight. "I thought you were done for the day."

The man laughed. "Liv, Liv, Liv -- have you lost track of time? Its well past midnight. A new day is dawning."

Benson paused, trying to figure out what to say.

"Cat got your tongue, detective? Perhaps you need some sleep, Olivia. But I wouldn't sleep too long if I were you. You only have two days."

She felt panic begin to set in. "Two days? For what?"

"You have two days to figure out who I have. You take any longer than that, and I kill her. Understand?"

The man didn't wait for her to answer. "Two days, Liv."

"Wait --" Benson began, but the line had already gone dead.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: As I said before, _Tourniquet_ is not mine.**

**A/N: I will be out of town for a few days, so I wanted to leave you with an update. If some of you have questions, feel free to ask -- they may be answered in later chapters. **

**Thank you JO, loggie831, fluteskickbrass for their continued reviews! Thanks for the support!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Games Begin  
**

"Liv, let's just call it a night -- and start over in a couple hours," Elliot suggested from the driver's seat as she finished her call. "We don't need to go bustin' peoples' doors down at three in the morning." He glanced at the clock. "Christ, it's nearly four."

Olivia opened her mouth to object, but then caught sight of him in the light of a streetlamp. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, and he looked half-dead.

_If he looks that bad, I don't even want to know what I look like._

"Okay -- just drop me back at the house."

Stabler slowed the car at a red light, and turned to look at her. "You need to take a break -- get some rest."

She nodded, but avoided his eyes. "I know. Cragen told me not to go home obviously, and he wants me safely tucked away in the crib."

Elliot snickered.

Ten minutes later, he pulled the car into its parking spot, and they both got out.

Olivia began walking towards the door.

"You better be heading to the crib, Liv. No pitstops at your desk."

She turned to him. "I promise. I'll go straight to bed, _dad_."

Elliot smirked as he pulled open the door of his own car. "Yeah, well you won't mind if I let the cleaning staff know you aren't supposed to be out and about, now will you?."

She shook her head and smiled as she continued on her way. "Whatever floats your boat."

She pulled open the door to the precinct and waited long enough to watch his car drive past. She turned and walked towards the elevators. While the elevators began their ascent, she weighed his words carefully.

_Even if he did call the cleaning staff -- what could they do? Why would they even care? _She shook her head._ Liv, he's just joking._

The doors opened with a ding, and Olivia strode confidently towards the squad room. She had already figured that as long as she was the only one there, she could probably put in another hour or two before her brain shut off.

_As long as I'm the only one there_, she reminded herself as she peered down the corridor, looking for any signs of life. There weren't any. Olivia breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted the squadroom doors were closed, and that the windows were all dark.

She pulled open the heavy door, and strode to her desk.

"Mornin'," a voice said from the dark.

Olivia brought her gun up towards the source.

A light clicked on at Munch's desk and revealed it's usual occupant.

"Shit, Munch," Benson breathed, re-holstering her weapon. "I nearly shot you."

The older detective laughed. "Well -- it would serve my partner right for crapping out on me."

Olivia followed his gaze and saw Fin out cold and slumped over on top of his desk. "How long have you two been sitting here in the dark?"

Munch checked his watch. "About three hours. Sleepy's been out about half of that time. Cragen, I'm not sure when exactly he bit the dust."

"Cragen? He's here, too?"

Munch pursed his lips. "Oh, you bet. Liv, we don't trust you farther than we can throw you when it comes to yourself. But with four of us, we figured we could take you."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Four?"

"Oh, right. Your illustrious partner just drove around the block. He's now parked out front, awaiting my signal."

She shook her head, a smile on her lips. "I should've known. You're the cleaning crew." She walked in the direction of the crib. "Well, I'm going to bed now, so you did your job."

Munch looked at her over his glasses. "I'll believe that when I see it. Cleaning crew, huh? Remind me to clean Stabler's coffee mug sometime. Give it the ol' spit shine."

"Will do," she laughed. "Just out of curiosity -- what's the signal?"

Munch looked about the room. "One if by choice, two if by force."

Benson rolled her eyes and pushed open the door to the crib. Munch watched her and then spun his chair around, kicking his desk in the process.

His partner moaned in response.

Munch kicked the desk again, jarring Fin awake. "I been up the whole time."

"Sure, you were. Then you are aware you're on crib duty, right?"

Fin groaned. "I knew that." He pushed out of his chair and sauntered towards the direction Olivia had already gone.

"Give the signal as you go by."

Fin glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got your signal right here!"

Munch grinned. "Just remember -- only one."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Olivia awoke to someone shaking her. She rolled over to see her partner holding out a cup of coffee.

"Hey, sleepyhead."

She glared at him and pushed herself up, exposing the open file folders.

Elliot sighed. "What time did you actually go to sleep?"

Benson shrugged. "Not exactly sure. I had to wait until Fin started snoring." She took a sip of coffee and then seemed to notice the morning light entering the windows. "What time is it?"

Elliot had picked up the folders and was looking over her notes. "A little before noon."

Olivia nearly did a spit take. "Noon!? Why the hell didn't you wake me up?"

Stabler grinned at her. "I figured it was probably near six before you finally came to your senses."

She tried to set the coffee down, but somehow she could not quite bring herself to it. "Elliot, we have to get out there. We've already wasted eight hours."

"Just relax, will ya? Give me a little credit -- it's my case, too. Someone finally got around to answering the call you placed this morning -- no reports of any families being notified. Munch and Fin have been out for a couple hours already. They're waiting to speak with that architect, but he isn't supposed to be home until later this afternoon. So, in the meantime, they've been working on Cheryl Tiarni's list -- they volunteered to take pretty much all of them, except for the one I said we'd take as soon as you finished your catnap."

Olivia stood up immediately, gracefully avoiding dumping coffee all over herself. "Well, let's go then."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Munch said this was one of the more likely candidates," Elliot remarked as the two exited their vehicle and made their way up the front walk. "This was the only one that had Randall as one of its architects."

Olivia nodded and pulled open the door for her partner. Elliot walked past her on his way to the superintendent's apartment. Olivia, however, stopped momentarily by the row of metal mailboxes. She glanced through the names above each door. Her eyes came to a halt on one in particular.

"Elliot," she called out, pointing to the box.

Stabler approached the mailbox and followed her finger to the name atop the box. _**C. Tiarni.**_

"Her name's still on the box," Benson exclaimed.

Elliot took a deep breath. "Let's go ask the super about that, shall we?"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Ten minutes later the pair followed an elderly woman up the stairs to the second floor.

"I don't know why we haven't changed the name on the box in five years, but I guess I must have forgotten to do that. Funny, Ms. Trusely never mentioned anything to me. She must have gotten her mail alright." The woman muttered as she flipped through the her key ring. She came to a stop in front of the door marked 17, and finally found the right key.

She knocked on the door. "Ms. Trusely, the police are here. Shannon dear, are you home?"

No answer came. The woman shrugged and raised the key to the door handle. She teetered a bit, and dropped the keys on the ground. "Oh, dear," she said as she tried to bend over and recover them.

Benson easily reached down and grabbed the keys, but stopped moving suddenly. She looked at her partner. "You hear that?"

He nodded. Olivia grabbed the old woman's shoulder and gently guided her out of the way, while Stabler stepped forward. He gave the door a quick kick, and it went sailing open.

Music blared in the empty apartment.

_My God, my tourniquet  
Return to me salvation  
My God, my tourniquet  
Return to me salvation_

Olivia entered the room behind her partner. Their guns were both out, and they swept every corner of the residence.

"Clear!" Elliot shouted as he came out of the bedroom, and again as he exited the bathroom. He slid his gun back into its holster, and joined his partner in the middle of the room.

_Do you remember me?  
Lost for so long  
Will you be on the other side  
Or will you forget --_

"Enough of that crap," Elliot grunted, using his elbow to hit the off switch.

Benson smiled in weak gratitude, but gasped when she happened to glance down at the kitchen table.

Stabler came to her side. He looked down and closed his eyes. Written across the table -- in what he hoped was not blood -- was the word **_Congratulations_**.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Back from vacation! Not nearly long enough, though -- have to go to work tomorrow. Ugh. Anyways, thought I'd throw you guys an update.**

Thanks ElliotOlivias, Call Me Sarah, loggie831, Rockstargoddess101, fluteskickbrass!!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Waiting  
**

Olivia stood out of the way as crime lab technicians swarmed the apartment. She chewed on her lip as she tried to keep herself under wraps. The substance had in fact in blood -- human blood. Samples were already on their way back to the lab, where they would be run through DNA testing. Benson hoped and prayed that the blood did not belong to Shannon Trusely.

"Liv."

She realized she had been staring into open space. Olivia re-focused her eyes and turned to face her partner.

"Warner called. She's finished the autopsy."

Benson just nodded and walked towards the door.

"Yo, Detectives -- over here!" The forensic technician they knew as O'Halloran stood by the door. Elliot followed the man's gesture and caught up with his partner.

"What do ya got?" he asked, eying the man suspiciously.

O'Halloran pointed to the door knob. "Door was locked from the inside when you got here, right?"

Stabler nodded.

"I checked all of the windows -- they're all locked, too. So I'm thinking this guy had to walk out the front door with the victim and then use a key to lock the door back up."

Elliot stared blankly at the door. "You've got to be kidding --"

He never finished his sentiment. O'Halloran had pulled the door back far enough so they could view the front of it. The dark fingerprint powder had formed the distinct outline of a hand.

"Not sure if its your guy's or not -- but its too big to be the victims. They way it's positioned seems to indicate he leaned into the door."

O'Halloran noticed the semi-confused look on the detectives' face. "Okay -- Detective Stabler, you're about this guy's height. Detective Benson -- you're only an inch or two taller than the vic, so can I have you stand here?"

Olivia stared at him, but moved into the position he indicated, right in front of the door knob. O'Halloran moved Elliot into position immediately behind her.

Liv knew it was only her partner, yet still his overbearing closeness to her was intimidating.

"The print makes no sense if you, Elliot, were to lock the door. You wouldn't have a hand free to deal with the vic. However, if you were to force Detective Benson to do the honors -- you'd have to make sure you could keep her under control. You might even lean in," O'Halloran emphasized his point by tilting Stabler's upper body towards the door.

Elliot played along, his left hand hovering above the handprint as he moved his right hand towards Olivia.

Liv jumped as his hand grazed the back of her neck. Elliot retracted his hand quickly.

"You okay?" he asked her, his voice full of concern.

Benson ignored him, and turned around to face the CSU. "So he forced Shannon to lock the door -- did he do that with the other victims? Is that a pattern?"

O'Halloran shrugged. "If he did, he must be getting sloppy -- this is the only set of prints we've found on their doors. Or maybe, he just had to improvise. Until I can find more, I can't really tell ya."

"Okay," she nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem," O'Halloran replied as he re-entered the apartment.

Elliot stared at his partner for a moment, wondering how to broach the subject. Finally, he opted to whisper, "Liv."

Olivia met his gaze, and then dropped her eyes as she began down the hallway. "Can't keep Warner waiting," she said, brushing him off.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"What's up?" Stabler asked of the medical examiner as he stepped into her morgue.

Warner looked up at the question. She took in the wrinkled appearance of the two detectives and sighed. "Thanks for coming so quickly. I really can't wait to wash my hands of this guy."

Benson gave a weak smile in reply. _I know what you mean._

Warner walked over to the table where Amy Wu's body was covered by a white sheet. The ME pulled the sheet back far enough for the two to see the face and neck.

"Like a mentioned before -- her throat was cut in the same manner as the other two women. All three slices appear to have come from the same knife."

Warner replaced the sheet over the woman's head. "She was also sexually assaulted. There was plenty of trauma, but I couldn't find any traces of the perp."

Stabler nodded. He had not really expected anything else.

Warner frowned. "I don't think I need to show you the rest -- you already saw enough to understand. Ms. Wu's abdomen was sliced open in two locations, and there was extensive damage to her digestive organs."

Olivia's eyes followed the woman as she grabbed something off of her desk.

"I don't get why," Warner said, holding up an evidence bag, "but this was inside her mouth."

Benson and Stabler cringed as they examined the contents of the bag. It was a label from a pop bottle -- the same diet soda that Olivia had been drinking the day before.

Olivia felt a burning sensation rising in her throat. She swallowed heavily, trying to ignore it.

"That's all I have for now, though. He didn't leave much behind. CSU will be here any second to work with the label, but I wanted to show you first."

Benson nodded as the two turned to leave.

"Detectives!" Warner called out after them. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but when you get this guy -- don't worry about crowding the morgue. I've got plenty of room on my table for this guy."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The afternoon sun was fading into sunset.

"Hey," Munch called out as he approached a man unloading his SUV. "You Timothy Randall?"

The man stopped and looked up. "What's it to you?"

Munch and Fin held open their badges.

Tim Randall placed his hands on his hips and stood up straight. "Yeah, that's me. What's this about?"

Fin pointed to the luggage on the ground. "Just get back from somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah," the man nodded. "I was upstate, checking out a site for a prospective client."

"An apartment building?" Munch asked curiously.

Randall narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't do those anymore. I did my time designing those people piles -- now I'm on to bigger and better things."

He grabbed the last suitcase from the back of his vehicle. "But if you must know, I'm helping to put up a resort."

"That's nice," Munch stated, "but we're more interested in your 'people piles'."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard about the serial killer on the loose?" Fin asked him.

Randall looked him in the face. "I heard about it on the radio on my way back -- what does that have to do with my buildings?"

Munch leaned in closer. "Every single one of those women lived in your apartment buildings."

"Whoa," the man held his hands up and backed away. "I have nothin' to do with that! I don't even have those blueprints anymore!"

Fin stepped forward. "You had copies of your blueprints?"

"Yeah," Randall replied. There was a slight tremor in his voice. "In case a new client liked a part of a specific building -- I could, uh, just look it up. But, but... I don't have them anymore."

"Where are they, then?" Munch asked.

The man shook his head. "I don't know, man. I used to keep them in this old chest of drawers, but then my wife threw me out. I went back a year ago to see if I could get them back, but she told me she sold it at some garage sale she had. You have no idea how pissed I was!"

"What about the Toyota Camry?"

"What?" Randall asked, looking startled.

Munch raised his eyebrows. "Our records show you are in possession of a 1992 white Toyota Camry. Or is it blue now?"

"No," the man stated firmly. "I haven't had that car for almost two years. Ask my charming ex-wife about that one, too. I come out of work one day and the damn thing's gone. I told the police back then when I reported it missing. She was the only other person who had a key to it, but she denied ever taking it."

"Your wife stole your car?" Fin asked, disbelief etched on his face.

"Yeah," Randall nodded. "I swear -- the woman's frickin' certifiable!"

Munch looked at his partner. "Seems plausible. I've known a few of those in my time."

Fin rolled his eyes. Munch grinned and looked back at the architect. "You won't mind accompanying us back to the precinct, now would you?"

The man stared at him, a dazed look on his face. "Wha--"

Munch grabbed his arm. "Didn't think so."

Randall yanked his arm back. "Hey -- wait a minute now! I haven't done anything! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Munch sighed, and Fin translated. "How we supposed to know that? We wanna believe you, but you could be lyin' to us. It'll just be for a couple hours, just until we can check with your ex."

Munch smirked. "Or we could haul you down in cuffs. Your choice."

"On what charges?"

Munch looked at him over his glasses. "Your license plate tags are expired. That seems a bit suspicious to me."

Randall stared at him for several seconds before sighing heavily, and dropping his arms to his side. "Fine. Just let me put this stuff back in my car."

It took him just under a minute to reload the suitcases into his car. Afterwards, Fin held open the back door of their Taurus for him. He then watched Munch walk around to the driver's side.

"You saw those tags? That back hatch was open -- you must have better eyes than I thought." Fin stared at his partner amazed.

Munch smiled. "I wouldn't know. I didn't see them."

"Then how'd you know they were --" Fin trailed off, shaking his head as he caught sight of his partner's playful grin.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Benson sat at her desk, staring silently at the blurry photo of the man. She reached to grab her phone, but a hand clamped down over hers.

She looked up into the eyes of her partner.

"Liv," he said quietly. "You just called ten minutes ago. If the lab gets something, they'll call us."

Olivia sighed, almost wishing Elliot understood her just a little less.

Elliot sat down on the edge of her desk. "Why don't you go catch some rest? I can handle things for a couple hours, and you look beat."

She shrugged off the offer. "Elliot, I'm fine."

He stared at her for a minute, before nodding. "Alright," he said as he pushed up off of her desk and made his way towards the coffee pot. "You want some?"

Benson glanced over at him. "No."

"Okay."

Olivia turned back to the contents of her desk. She began tapping the pencil she held in her hand. She kept staring at the picture, tapping harder and harder.

She closed her eyes, trying to shut him out -- yet still there he was, a permanent imprint in her mind. Olivia dropped the pencil back to the desk, and at the same time violently flung the picture out into the walkway.

Stabler watched the entire incident as he leaned against the cabinet. His arms were crossed as he tried to decipher her current state. Elliot sighed, wishing he had never let Cragen be talked into using her essentially as bait.

Elliot raised his eyes to the ceiling. _Just let her get this guy out of her head._

"Benson, Stabler!"

Both looked towards the other end of the squad room, where Cragen had popped out from the conference room. He looked like he had been running; his tie was still swinging.

"We've got another phone call."

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'll admit it -- this chapter may be a bit weird. I thought about scrapping it completely, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think.  
**

Thank you to all who have reviewed: JO, Call Me Sarah, fluteskickbrass, loggie831, Rockstargoddess101, ElliotOlivias, FearLover!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Beginning to Crack  
**

"Detective Benson, are you there?"

Olivia closed her eyes, wishing she were somewhere else. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Good -- I just wanted to make sure you hadn't forgotten about me yet."

"Nope." _I wish I could._

The man's tone became more taunting. "Olivia, why so glum? You still have thirty-one hours left."

_The timeline_. Liv mechanically checked her watch.

Elliot stood next to her. He knew she was debating whether or not to take the risk.

Olivia glanced at him, the question written in her eyes.

Stabler shrugged, but then nodded his head. _It's worth a try._

"Olivia? You still with me?"

Benson felt the adrenaline rush kick in. Her partner agreed with her, yet still she was hesitant.

Elliot placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Olivia?" The man's voice was sounding more desperate. "I'm hanging up in three seconds, Liv. One -- Two --"

"Shannon Trusely."

"What?"

Olivia took a deep breath. "Shannon Trusely -- that's who you have."

There was silence on the other end.

The door clicked open in the room. Olivia jumped slightly -- as did the other members of the group -- as Huang joined them.

"Hello?" Olivia asked, worried she had made the wrong decision.

"Hello?! Hello?!" A woman's frantic voice replaced the usual smooth, cold one.

Liv's eyes grew wide, and she shifted in surprise. "Shannon?"

"Yes! Please, who is this? Please, please help me!"

"Shannon, this is Detective Olivia Benson with the NYPD -- I need you to tell me where you are."

There was a slight pause before the woman spoke again. "I...I...I don't know -- it's...it's dark...and cold."

"Shannon, are you in a basement?"

Olivia locked eyes with Huang as she waited for the answer.

"I..I..don't think so -- there's a --"

The woman's voice stopped.

Panic crept into Benson's voice. "Shannon, there's a what? Shannon? Shannon?"

"Sorry, babe -- time's up." The steely voice had returned.

Olivia collapsed into one of the conference chairs and held her head in her hands as a blood-curdling scream emanated from the speaker.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Munch and Fin walked into the SVU squadroom, each holding one arm of Timothy Randall.

"Have a seat," Munch instructed their guest, gesturing to the chair pulled up alongside Fin's desk.

Randall glared at him, but sat down without a word of protest.

"Hey, what's up?" Fin asked his partner, looking in the direction of the conference room where Huang and Cragen had just exited. "I thought the doc left."

Munch raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. "He's a fed -- they don't leave, they just lurk."

Fin glanced at his partner, annoyed.

"Hey, now -- you're the one who always asks, I just provide the answer whether you like it or --"

Munch stopped. He had glanced back at the conference room. Benson and Stabler were now coming through the door. Olivia looked about ready to pass out, and Elliot had a hand placed supportively in the middle of her back.

He glanced briefly at his partner. Fin was also watching the interaction with a concerned look.

The two were coming towards them.

"Liv, you okay?" Fin asked as they passed. They both could see the tears welling up in her eyes, and the sick look on her face.

Elliot held up an arm protectively. "She's fine -- we just need some air."

Fin watched them as they exited into the hallway and turned towards the pop machines.

"Munch, what do you -- " Fin turned expecting to see his partner next to him, but Munch was no longer there.

Instead, he was standing in the doorway, continuing to keep an eye on his colleagues.

The two stood just on the other side of the vending machines. Elliot was saying something to his partner, but Munch was too far away to hear anything.

Munch watched as the tears rolled down Olivia's cheek. Benson stepped backwards until her back was against the wall, and she slid down to the floor.

Elliot stood over her for a few seconds, and then crouched down.

Munch cocked his head as Liv began sobbing. Stabler placed a hand reassuringly on her knee. Benson jerked in response, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them.

Elliot, looking frustrated, glanced up and down the corridor. He caught sight of Munch, and gave him a slight, mournful nod.

Munch used his head to motion towards Olivia.

Stabler glanced at her, and then back at him. He narrowed his eyebrows into a question.

The gray-haired detective widened his eyes and gestured with his head again in a silent explanation.

Elliot looked at his partner again, and nodded. He stood up, turning so he was facing the same direction as Olivia was and sat down next to her. He gave Munch a somber smile and slipped his arm around Olivia's shoulders.

"Detective Munch?"

Munch paused for a minute in the doorway, waiting until Liv tipped into Elliot's shoulder before he responded to his captain.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Care to join us?"

Munch looked at him over his glasses. "Is that a trick question?"

Cragen stared at him, silent.

"S'goin' on, Cap'n?" Fin asked.

Cragen turned to the other detective. "Another call came in.

"Must've been some call," Munch noticed. "I've never seen her --"

"Well it was, John!" Cragen shouted, interrupting him.

Munch's eyes widened, and his head jerked backwards in surprise.

Cragen lowered his voice. "The son-of-a-bitch let Liv talk to the woman. Then he killed her while we listened."

Neither Munch nor Fin knew what to say. Instead, they just stared at their captain blankly.

"I thought we had two days?" Fin finally found his voice.

Cragen's face -- which had momentarily turned red -- became pale. "Apparently not."

Munch glanced over at Huang, who stood next to Cragen without saying a word. "What do you say, Doc? Why's this guy all of a sudden changing tactics? What happened to the four days?"

Huang kept his hands in his pockets, but brought his shoulders up in a shrug. "My guess is he kept them alive longer because he got off on torturing them. Now that he's got someone else to torture, he doesn't need them around for so long."

"You mean Liv, right? The bastard gets his rocks off making _her_ suffer?" Munch's face twisted in disgust. He loved Olivia like a sister, and it pained him to see her so upset.

Huang nodded.

"So now what do we do?" Fin asked.

Huang raised an eyebrow. "There isn't much else we can do."

A disbelieving look crossed Munch's face. "You're gonna keep Liv on this case? You can't be serious."

Cragen met his gaze, and Munch saw his eyes were filled with the same worries and fear. "Huang thinks switching horses midstream might spook this guy. Plus, Benson isn't willing to give this up."

Munch raised his eyebrows and extended his arm, pointing towards the hallway.

"I know," Cragen nodded mournfully.

Huang stepped in awkwardly. "I think Olivia can handle it."

Munch's arm was still pointing. He widened his eyes again and shook his arm.

Huang shook his head. "It's a normal response -- healthy, even. If she hadn't reacted in this manner, then I'd be worried. But, I think if given a few hours -- maybe even a few moments to herself -- she'll be perfectly capable of leading this case."

He glanced around at the group gathered around him. "She seems to be the only one who has realized the emotional toll this case has on her, and, as such, she can now properly prepare for that. Now, if you'll excuse me -- I have an appointment."

With that, Huang stepped between Munch and Fin and made for the door.

"Say, Doc?" Munch called out.

Huang turned to face him. "Yes?"

"You know -- if you're wrong, and Liv doesn't turn out okay, Stabler _will_ tear you to pieces. You know that, right?"

Huang gave him a tight grin and a small nod. "If that situation were to arise, I would welcome it. But I hope -- for Olivia's sake -- that it doesn't come to that."

He pivoted on his heel and exited the squadroom.

"Okay," Cragen stated, staring at the floor. "Benson stays with it, but I want you two to pick up the slack."

"Don't we always?"

Cragen shot Munch a warning glance. He then appeared to notice for the first time that they had a guest. "What's this schmuck doing here?"

"Well, he does look funny -- but you hired him, boss." Fin said with a satisfied smile on his face.

Munch grinned at him. "You've been waiting a while for that one, haven't you?"

Cragen did not appear to be amused, and Munch sighed.

He glanced back at the other end of the squad room where Randall sat calmly beside his desk. "That's Frank Lloyd Wright in the flesh."

"Oh," Cragen breathed. He thought for a minute, and then said, "Cut him loose."

"Wha -- Why?"

Cragen glanced at Fin. "Well, unless you two made a pit stop so he could use a phone and slash a throat -- he's not our guy."

"But, Cap'n," Fin interjected. "Just because he's not the guy, doesn't mean he don't know who is."

"Yeah," Munch agreed, sitting on the corner of a desk. "We thought we'd keep an eye on him -- just until we can verify his story. He says his ex had all of his building plans as well as the Camry."

Cragen studied him for a moment. "Why haven't you checked with the ex yet?"

"Tried to, Cap'n, but she wasn't home," Fin explained. "Housekeeper says she's out with some boyfriend and probably won't be back til mornin'."

"Fine," Cragen nodded. "But we can't hold him unless we have something to charge him with -- anything? Any outstanding traffic tickets?"

Fin shook his head. "Nah-uh. He's clean. So clean, in fact, he thought we could actually haul his ass in here for having expired tags."

"Which may or may not have been truly expired," Munch said, appearing thoughtful. "I never really did get a good look at them. There were numbers -- I believe one was a six --"

"John, shut up."

Munch smiled at his partner.

Cragen wisely stopped listening after Fin proclaimed Randall 'clean'. "Have you gotten anything from him?"

Munch sighed. "The usual -- 'I don't know why', blah blah blah. Though he did mention an award he received a few years back for innovative design -- something about maximizing airflow."

"Yeah, yeah." Fin agreed. "We couldn't get it out of him word-for-word, but we figure that means big vents."

"Big vents," Munch repeated. "Last I checked, they don't put cameras in air vents -- could be a possible way to explain why he seems to miss all of those cameras."

Cragen narrowed his eyebrows. "Make sure to check with the crime lab about that, but for now -- anything we can hold him on?"

The two detectives shook their heads.

"I guess you'll just have to drive him home, then," Cragen sighed. "But put a uniform outside his house, just in case he does have a reason to try and make a run for it."

Munch sighed. "Okay."

He and Fin turned and walked back to their desks.

"Hey, flappy!" Munch shouted.

Randall looked up, startled. "Me?"

"Yeah, you. Let's go. We're driving you home."

A relieved expression brightened the man's face. "You got a hold of Liza? She told you everything?"

"Nah, not yet. But we'll let you go for now," Fin told him.

"Yeah," Munch agreed. "Just no spur-of-the-moment trips to Canada, alright?"

Randall looked delighted to be on his way home. "Hey, you got it. No problem. Who needs Mounties when you have the NYPD, right?"

Munch broke into a grin. "You're really tryin', aren't you?"

The man shrugged, and the trio turned to leave.

_Flappy?_ Fin mouthed to his partner as a phone rang in the background.

Munch just shrugged. "Best I could come up with."

"What?" Randall asked.

"Nothing." Munch shook his head, and then stepped out of the way as Benson nearly ran into him.

Olivia sprinted to her desk. She knew the phone ringing was hers.

Elliot trailed behind her, maintaining a slight distance between them. _ At least she isn't crying anymore. _He could not stand it when Olivia cried -- it broke his heart that he could not protect her.

"Benson!" she all but shouted into the receiver.

She waited for a few seconds, and then a smile spread across her face.

Stabler took a deep, relieved breath. That was the first true smile he had seen in days. _She's okay, _he finally realized.

"Thank you so much." Olivia positively beamed as she hung up the phone. "Munch is gonna be out a steak dinner -- the lab's got a decent picture of the guy. They're faxing it over."

Elliot nodded.

"Good," Cragen exclaimed before heading back into his office.

"Damn right it's good," Benson muttered under her breath. She picked up the original picture from the floor. She looked straight at the fuzzy image again. "I'm gonna get you, you son-of-a-bitch."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! FearLover, ElliotOlivias, JO, Rockstargoddess101 -- You are awesome!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Catching Up  
**

A phone rang, and Olivia awoke with a start. She blinked several times -- adjusting her eyes to the light -- and then realized she was still at her desk. She lifted up her head and found her partner sitting at his desk across from hers.

He was leaning back in his chair, holding a file folder open. When he saw her move, he lowered the folder. "Sleep alright?"

Olivia yawned, relaxing a bit after realizing that it was not her phone ringing. "I guess."

She looked at her watch, noting the early hour. "Why'd you let me sleep here?"

Elliot smiled. "I thought about waking you up, but I figured getting you to go back to sleep would be an issue. So I left you there."

Olivia stretched, grimacing at the painful kinks in her back and neck. "Yeah, well -- maybe next time wake me up so I can sleep without injuring myself, alright?"

"Okay."

Liv rubbed her eyes. She could not quite figure out when she fell asleep. She remembered there had been some problem with their fax machine -- it would not print right -- and she remembered waiting for someone from maintenance to come fix it. The last thing she remembered was setting her head on her desk and deciding to close her eyes just for a minute.

_Some minute_, she thought. Then she remembered why they needed the fax machine. "Did you get it?" she asked, hopefully.

Elliot held up the file he had just been looking at. "Its a clear picture, but I don't recognize the guy."

Liv held out her hand for it, and he gave it to her.

Benson gingerly opened the manila folder. Inside was the crisper version of the same photo she had all but memorized the day before.

"Hmmm..." Olivia sighed, and then suddenly caught her breath.

"What?" Elliot asked, his face immediately becoming concerned.

His partner closed her eyes as if trying to remember something. She then shook her head. "Nothing, I guess. I thought he looked familiar, but I can't place him."

Stabler reached for the picture, and stared at it a while longer. He hoped something would leap out at him, but he eventually had to give up. He had never seen the man before.

Olivia glanced over at the two empty desks beside them. "Where are the two stooges?"

Elliot smiled, grateful his partner had not lost her sense of humor yet. "Munch and Fin left about ten minutes ago. They were gonna grab a bite to eat, and then go see if they can round up Liza Randall. They took a copy of the photo with them, in case she recognizes him."

Liv nodded in understanding. She pushed herself into a standing position. "I guess we can take the photo around to the families -- see if they know who he is."

Stabler glanced up at her. "Already got people on it."

"Okay, then," she said reluctantly. "Now what?"

Elliot appeared ready to answer, but he was never allowed the chance.

"Olivia."

Benson turned around to see Cragen holding open the door to the conference room. The phone was ringing in the background.

She gave a slight sigh and quickly made her way towards it. _ I guess that answers my question._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Stabler watched as his partner became frustrated. He was amazed at how well she was handling the call. The man taunted her relentlessly, and yet she seemed to ignore him without much effort and stay focused on one question.

"Where's Shannon?" she asked again, leaning over the phone with her two hands on the table.

Finally there came a pause on the other end.

Cragen breathed a nervous sigh as they waited for his response.

His anxiety did not dissipate, however, when it did come.

"Why, Detective Benson -- she's watching your every move," he said calmly before hanging up.

Olivia's eyes widened as she met Elliot's eyes. She shoved away from the table as realization hit her. "Across the street!" she shouted, sprinting out of the room.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Benson and Stabler paused briefly at the edge of the road to wait for traffic to slow. When openings appeared, they raced towards the other side.

Seconds later, they burst into the lobby of the building, startling the man at the front desk.

Stabler started towards the elevator, but his partner called him back, pointing out the large number of people who had just piled into the car.

She instead took a few short strides back until she was in view of the clerk. "Stairs?" she asked quickly.

The man pointed at a door next to the desk.

Olivia pushed through the door, and Elliot followed right behind her. On their tail were three uniformed officers sent courtesy of Cragen.

Benson took the stairs two at a time until she reached the door to the third floor.

The hallway was vacant, and the crime scene tape on Room 313 was still intact.

Liv flicked open her small pocketknife and quickly cut through the strands of tape. She was about to reach for the handle, when she suddenly changed her mind, opting instead to place a sturdy kick in the center of the door.

The door flew open, and Olivia knew by the smell that it was too late.

"Damn it!" she shouted, upon entering the room.

Elliot appeared beside her.

Olivia shook her head in disappointment, and turned back towards the door. "Get CSU down here," she instructed one of the officers before disappearing into the hallway.

Stabler watched her leave and then looked back at the scene. Another folding chair had been placed in the exact same spot -- only this time, Shannon Trusely's naked body sat where there had only been a note before.

Elliot groaned in disgust and headed off in the same direction of his partner. When he reached the hallway, however, she was nowhere to be seen.

Panic set in as he began running towards the stairwell. He burst back through the door, nearly tripping on the first step. He caught himself, though, and came to a complete halt as he spied his partner. She was a flight below him, leaning her head against the wall.

Elliot quickly descended the stairs that separated him from Olivia.

She turned around to face him just as he reached her.

"Son-of-a-bitch," she whispered harshly. "How the hell can he do this? I mean -- that was _our _crime scene, for fuck's sake!"

"I don't know, Liv." He held her gaze, and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "But we sure as hell are gonna get him."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Munch pulled the car up to the curb, put it in park, and switched off the engine. He and Fin quickly exited the vehicle and made their way towards the door of Liza Randall's house for the second time in two days.

The neighborhood was quiet as the two stood waiting on the front porch.

Fin became impatient and hit the doorbell again, only to be met with the same non-response. "Aw, fuck this, " he muttered beneath his breath as he ripped open the screen door and pounded heavily on the interior door.

Seconds later, the door opened. A short-statured woman with an obvious blonde dye job blinked back at him. "Do I know you?" she asked, coldly.

"No, ma'am," Munch answered, holding up his badge. "But we were hoping to speak with you anyway."

The woman stared at his badge, memorizing his number. "Fine. What do you want to know, officer?"

"Sergeant -- Sergeant Munch, and this is my partner Detective Tutuola. We're here to verify a story your husband gave us."

"Ex," the woman emphasized. "What story?"

"He says you were last in possession of a collection of his blueprints -- is that true?"

The woman shifted her weight, and leaned against the door jamb. "Yeah."

"Could you tell us where they are now?" Fin asked.

Liza Randall shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya -- I sold 'em."

"Alright," Munch replied. "How 'bout that Toyota Camry, then? Tim's under the impression you may have stolen it yourself."

The woman glared at him, and pointed her finger in his face. "I told the cops back then, and I'll tell you, too -- I did no such thing! Why would I have stolen that pile of crap?"

"Ex-wives do plenty of inexplicable things --"

Fin groaned.

"--maybe you wanted to leave him high and dry like he left you," Munch finished.

Liza snorted. "I kicked him out."

Munch leaned in closer to her. "We're not here to press charges about the car. For all I'm concerned, your ex could have forgotten that he lent you the car indefinitely. However, I need to know where that car is."

The woman narrowed her eyebrows. "Why?"

"We believe it may have been used during the commission of a crime."

Liza bit her lip. "Alright, alright. I took the damn car -- it's not like he really wanted it anyway."

Fin glanced at her. "Where is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "I sold it."

Munch sighed. _ It's like pulling teeth. _ "To whom?"

Liza shrugged. "Some guy."

"Named?"

The woman just shrugged and looked away.

Fin was more than ready to lose it. "Look, lady -- either tell us who the hell you sold your car to or we will haul your ass in and charge you with grand theft auto, lying to the police, and being an enormous pain in the ass!"

"Okay, fine! I gave it to my boyfriend -- Lewis Caldwell. I gave him the blueprints, too."

"Lewis Caldwell?" Munch repeated, pulling the photo out of his pocket. "This him?"

"Yeah, that's Lewis," Liza nodded.

"Where can we find him?"

The woman seemed slightly distracted by the ringing of her telephone. "He has a house in Queens. I can find you the address as soon as I answer this call."

Munch stepped into the house and held open the door for his partner. The two stood in the small foyer, watching as Liza Randall picked up the phone not four feet away.

"Hello? This is Liza speaking." The woman pulled her eyebrows together in confusion. "I'm sorry -- this is her day off. You'll just have to try her at home."

Fin cleared his throat.

"Well why even ask if you already know where she is?"

Munch and Fin threw each other glances. Something was not right.

They both took a few steps toward the woman on the phone, and thus were both able to hear a woman sobbing on the other end as she was forced to speak.

"Good-bye."

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Again, I have no claim to Tourniquet.

**A/N: Sorry about the wait -- unexpected emergencies. Also, I apologize -- this chapter is a bit shorter than the rest. I promise the next one will be longer -- I'll post it ASAP. Life is a little hectic, but I'll try to find some time.**

Thanks for the reviews: fluteskickbrass, FearLover, loggie831, Rockstargoddess101, JO

* * *

**Chapter 10: Moving On  
**

Benson had left the sanctity of the stairwell and had returned to the room after CSU's arrival. She now stood next to O'Halloran as he dusted for prints on the crime scene tape.

"I don't think I've ever done this before," he remarked as his brush traced along one strand.

Olivia stood silent, watching the path of the brush.

Two minutes passed before O'Halloran admitted defeat. "Sorry, Detective. I'd personally expect quite a few partials from when the police strung it up, but there just aren't any."

Liv let out a sigh. "Kay, thanks for checking, though."

"That's my job," he tried to smile at her. The grin vanished, however, when he caught sight of her withered expression. He cleared his throat. "Maybe your guy brought it with him? Cut through the first stuff, and then reapplied some later?"

_Lovely._ Olivia shrugged. "Maybe. If he did, he oughtta be on the security cameras."

O'Halloran nodded. "I have someone on that already."

"Great. Make sure you get that door handle," she stated as she reached for her ringing cell phone. "Benson."

She listened for a few seconds as Munch hurriedly spoke. "Wha -- slow down. Say that last part over."

"Holy shit," she whispered as he repeated himself. She popped out a pen and paper. "What's the address?"

She balanced the pad against her thigh and wrote out the numbers. She then hung up the phone.

"Elliot!" she shouted, heading towards the door.

Her partner's head came up as she called, and he quickly made his way through the room to meet her.

"We gotta go," she said as he caught up with her. As they ran down the stairs, Olivia explained. "Munch called. There's another victim already. Randall's ex's housekeeper Maribel Santos. Munch and Fin got a lead on this guy -- they're checking his place out, so we're gonna meet up with uniforms at the Santos residence."

Elliot stopped for a moment to take in all the information, and then chased after his partner.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Not quite twenty minutes had passed before Benson and Stabler pulled up to the apartment building. Several squad cars sat crosswise in the street, their rotating lights bouncing off the windows on either side of the street. A large crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle.

"You find something?" Elliot called over his partner's head, gesturing to all of the responding cars.

A uniformed officer looked up from his radio at the question. He shook his head. "No -- the detective who called it in must've sounded panicked. Dispatch got a little trigger happy. The apartment's empty. For all we know, the lady could just be out for a walk."

Benson snorted, glaring at the indifferent officer. _She could just be dead, you ignorant ass._

Elliot held the front door open for her, and the two made their way to the fourth floor.

Several uniforms lined the hallway and they dipped their head in a respectful greeting to the two detectives.

Olivia was first to the apartment door, which sat wide open. She gestured to the only officer in the room. "You call in Crime Scene yet?"

"Yeah," the man said. "Ain't much of a crime scene, though."

She used two fingers to point at all of the doors. "All the rooms been swept?"

"Yes, ma'am." The man gave a nod and then exited the room.

Olivia scrunched up her face in thought as she looked about the apartment.

Elliot came and stood beside her.

Without looking at him, she muttered, "Something's not right here."

He nodded, wrinkling his forehead. "If this is him, where's the music?"

Olivia brought her gaze up to his face, staring at him as if the answer was written on his forehead. Suddenly her eyes went wide.

"What?" he asked.

"Shhh..." She cocked her head, listening. "I thought I heard something."

Elliot became silent and listened as well. After a while he heard a slight bumping sound. He met Olivia's eyes. She had heard it, too.

"It's coming from over there," she said, pointing towards a closet door.

They sprinted across the room. Elliot ripped open the door, and Olivia stooped beneath his arm to see into the dark room. Shelves filled with books and games lined the walls, and on the floor was a large pile of clothes and an overturned basket.

Liv's breath caught as she saw movement. She bent over and dug through the pile, tossing clothes to the side.

Stabler stood off to the side, attempting to see around her. He heard her gasp, and then saw her turn around. In her arms, she held a young boy.

"Sweetheart, it's alright," she cooed as the boy began to squirm. "I'm a police officer. My name's Olivia -- what's yours?"

The boy stared at her, silent, his moist eyes wide in fear.

"It's okay -- I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to find your mommy."

He whimpered slightly, putting his arms around her neck and tucking his head under her chin.

Elliot watched as his partner turned towards the door. A speck of yellow jumped out at him from in between her chest and the child.

"Liv, stop."

She twisted around in response.

Elliot stepped towards her, pointing at the boy. "There's something on his shirt."

Benson looked down, tipping the boy back slightly. A folded sheet of yellow paper had been pinned to his shirt. Olivia repositioned the boy onto her hip so she could remove it.

Stabler took the paper from her and opened it up. He stared at it for a second and then turned it so she could see it.

"Oh my God," she whispered, reading it.

**_Do you remember me  
Lost for so long  
Will you be on the other side  
Or will you forget me  
I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming  
Am I too lost to be saved  
Am I too lost?_**

**_My God my tourniquet  
Return to me salvation  
My God my tourniquet  
Return to me salvation_**

**_I want to die!!_**

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I promise update -- and I deliver! Reward me -- with more reviews Please!  
**

Thanks for reviewing JO, Rockstargoddess101, FearLover, Call Me Sarah, sammyjane35, fluteskickbrass, loggie831, ElliotOlivias

* * *

**Chapter 11: Calling Names  
**

It was pitch dark outside by the time Benson and Stabler stumbled back into the squad room.

"Elliot -- you should head home. Go see your kids." Olivia eyed him carefully.

He shook his head. "They're asleep anyway."

She sighed. He looked terrible. "Okay, fine -- but maybe you should get a couple hour's rest at least."

Elliot wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, okay. But you're one to talk."

Liv smiled. "I just have to make a phone call."

"Liv -- the lab's already sending someone over." He said as he turned towards the stairs.

"I know," she nodded, sitting down at her desk. "I'm not calling the lab."

She waited until he was out of sight before she picked up her receiver. A nagging feeling had resided in her gut over the past few hours, and she wanted to ease some of her anxiety.

Olivia closed her eyes as she dialed the familiar number. She began to count the rings. _One -- Two -- Three -- Four --  
_

"Hello?"

"Kathy?" she asked, opening her eyes. "This is Olivia. I need you to do something."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
**

The crib was dark when Olivia pushed open the door. She tiptoed around the first bed, where she could just make out the outline of her partner.

The second bed was empty. She quietly made her way over to it and sat down, grimacing when the bed let out a godawful squeak.

She heard her partner snicker as he rolled over to face the wall. "Forgot about that one, didn't you?"

"Shut up," she hissed as she stood up and moved towards a different bed.

She had just laid down when the door flew open, bathing the room in a yellowish light.

"Olivia, Elliot -- phone," was all Cragen said before disappearing back into the squad room.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Liv, Liv, Liv..." The familiar voice slowly sneered. "You look good with a kid. Very maternal."

"Hey, dirtbag!" The vein in Elliot's neck was beginning to protrude. "How 'bout you cut the crap and tell us where that little boy's mom is, huh?"

"All in due time, Elliot -- all in due time. Olivia, how is little Raul holding up? I thought he looked a little shell-shocked, don't you?"

Olivia shook her head. "Look, Lewis -- you haven't hurt any children before. Just let Maribel Santos go and we'll forget you did."

"Lewis?" There was a pause on the line, before the hissing voice returned. "That's an interesting choice, Detective. I was quite partial to dirtbag, but Lewis does have a certain ring to it."

"May--"

The man cut her off. "It's not my name, however. Nice try. And Liv -- I didn't hurt Raul. Nothing that a hug can't fix at least. I left him for you. I heard the state wouldn't give you one -- so you're welcome."

Olivia's eyes opened wide. _How the hell?_

"And speaking of children, Detective Stabler -- how are yours? I hear Maureen has moved into her first apartment. You must be so proud -- and worried. It can be so heartbreaking to let them go. Though, I must admit -- I do love what she's done with the place. Those new curtains she put in her bedroom were an excellent choice, don't you think?"

"You leave my family out of this, you --"

"Now, now, Elliot. Perhaps when I've finished with her, I'll let her live. Then she can come running home to daddy and tell you all about it."

Olivia forgot about herself as she watched as her partner went from a shade of crimson to absolute white as the connection went dead.

Elliot slammed the phone back onto its base.

Liv grabbed him as he turned to run from the room. "Elliot, calm down."

"Calm down?! What the fuck is wrong with you?" He tried to rip his arm away from her, but she held on with all of her strength. "He's got my daughter! I'm going after --"

"He doesn't have her. He's lying."

Elliot narrowed his eyes at his partner. "And how the hell would you know?"

Olivia released her grasp on his arm and pushed the door open unto the squad room.

Kathy and the five Stabler children were huddled around their desks.

"I called your wife. I figured this guy was just as likely to go after you as he is to go after me. You have more to lose."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Fin sighed as he threw another drawer onto the floor. _Nothing._

He looked about the living room of Lewis Caldwell's house. It looked like a war zone. Hours of searching had turned up next to nothing.

"Got anything yet?" He called to his partner.

Munch turned around. "Nada," he said as he returned to pulling books out of the shelves. The next book he grabbed was red -- and it jingled.

"What the --"

Fin looked up from the couch where he had begun to remove the cushions again. "What you got?"

Munch propped open the book to find a storage compartment.

"Well, look what we have here." He dangled a pair of keys from his fingers.

Fin dropped the cushion he was holding to the floor and came over to see. "Great -- now what do they go to?"

His partner frowned and then turned to face a different direction. "You -- where do these go?"

Liza Randall sat at the dining room table and shook her head. "I dunno."

Fin glared. "Oh yeah? Try thinkin'."

The woman took a deep breath. "I don't know -- Honestly, I don't --"

Munch had reached the limit of his patience. "Lady, I swear to God -- figure it out or we're gonna nail you with accessory to felony murder."

"Four counts," Fin added. "For now."

Liza paled considerably. "I swear I don't know anyth -- Wait! I think he had a storage garage --"

"Where?!" the two detectives shouted in unison.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Forensic technician Ryan O'Halloran strode confidently into the squadroom. He paused long enough to look around and spot Detective Benson standing in front of the board.

"Detective!" he called out.

Olivia spun around, her eyebrows raising expectantly as she saw him.

"Thought I'd deliver this in person," he said, holding up a file folder.

"What is it?" she asked.

He pulled out a stack of photos. "We checked the video from the hallway of the, uh, double crime scene -- we got him. Same guy alright."

Olivia shuffled through the pictures in her hand. She looked down to see the man entering the room with a large, black duffel bag; exiting the room; pulling crime scene tape from the bag; ripping the old tape down and putting up the new tape; and finally smiling at the camera as he left.

"He knew we were watching," O'Halloran explained unnecessarily.

"Yeah," Liv agreed, exhaling. "Is this it?"

O'Halloran smiled as he shook his head. "Nope. Got a hit off of those prints from Shannon Truesly's door."

Olivia grabbed the sheet he pulled out.

"Name's Earl Allan Gardner."

"Hey, Liv!"

Olivia turned to see Munch step through the double doors.

"We checked out the storage garage. I think we found Caldwell's torture chamber. Fin's still there, supervising CSU. Only thing is -- the garage isn't in Caldwell's name, it's registered under the name --"

"Earl Gardner?" Olivia asked, interrupting him.

Munch stared at her, a mixture of amazement and disappointment across his face. "Uh, yeah, actually. How'd you --"

"Fingerprints," she stated, holding up the piece of paper.

"Ah," Munch nodded.

_Earl Gardner_, Olivia rolled the name on her tongue. _Earl Allan Gardner_. "Shit!"

Looks of concern and confusion plagued the faces of Munch, O'Halloran, and Cragen, who had just appeared from his office.

Elliot also just appeared at the top of the stairs. "What?" he asked, descending back to the squad room floor.

"He's NYPD -- or at least, he was."

O'Halloran nodded. "Yeah, I was just gonna get to that."

Olivia glared at him, and he shut his mouth.

Cragen narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?"

Benson closed her eyes. "When I was transferred temporarily to Computer Crimes, it was his job that I took. They had fired him -- or something -- just a few days before. That's why I thought the face was familiar! I passed him in the hallway the first day. He was hauling a boxful of his crap out with him."

"Munch," Cragen addressed the detective. "Get us an address."

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you so much for continuing to read and leave reviews! Livvie Benson, Mandy94, ElliotOlivias, loggie831, Rockstargoddess101, FearLover, MarshMyMellow, carrotdrop -- you guys rock!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Locking On  
**

"It all makes sense," Huang nodded the next afternoon. The address Munch had procured from NYPD records no longer existed, and the team now found themselves waiting for him and Fin to locate a new one.

Elliot narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. "How exactly does it make sense?"

"From what I've read, Gardner tried several times to transfer to a unit where he could be on the streets and was denied. After the last denial, he decided to take matters into his own hands. That's why he was fired. He started a virus on their entire system."

"Isn't that illegal?" Elliot asked.

Cragen cleared his throat. "I talked with his former supervisor about that -- they couldn't actually prove it was done on purpose or even if it was Gardner who did it."

"Right," Huang agreed. "But he had made some threats. He also said that the NYPD would realize their mistake and come crawling back to him. He believed they would need him. The killer functioned likewise. He didn't go to the police directly -- he did just enough to make us aware of his presence, but he didn't try to seek us outright. He waited for us to go to him. He waited for us to need him."

Elliot squinted his eyes. "I really don't think we need him."

Huang smiled. "No, but in his deluded mind he thinks so. He's finally found away to make the NYPD come crawling to him. Now that he has our attention, he wants us to make sure we know just how talented he is."

"But why rape and torture?" Olivia asked. "There's no history of anything remotely similar to that in his record."

Huang took a deep breath. "I think that's where you come in, Olivia. You said yourself you took his job. He's made you the face of the NYPD. He built himself up to grab your attention and to show you just how superior he is to you. He became so focused on you --" he trailed off.

"Great," she muttered.

Huang shook his head in disappointment. "It all fits -- I should have seen this before."

"Doc, how could you have known?" Cragen asked. "How could any of us have known?"

Huang turned to face him. "It's my job to know."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The evening sun had hung low in the sky when he had first arrived, but dark had long since settled.

Munch exhaled deeply as he stepped back out on to the porch of the Gardner family home.

"Take care now," the elderly woman smiled as she shut the door behind him.

Munch used two fingers to rub his temple as he reached for his phone. _Good Lord -- does the woman ever shut up?_

He crinkled his nose as he listened to the rings.

"Tutuola," the voice on the other end picked up.

"Yeah, it's Munch. Just finished a chat with Gardner's mother."

"What's she got?"

Munch sighed. "Too many damn cats. I'm never gonna get the fur -- or that delectable scent of cat piss for that matter -- out of my clothes."

"Besides that."

A smile appeared on Munch's face. "Well, the old bat doesn't know where he lives. Apparently they aren't that close -- shocker. I wouldn't want to be anywhere downwind of this giant litterbox. Anyway, she does, however, happen to know where he's been making a living. Seeing as I'm all the way out here in no man's land, I thought you could swing by. Got a pen?"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

It was dark by the time Fin swung his vehicle around the corner of the block where the electronics store was located. He pulled up to the curb and shut off the engine.

As he stepped out of the vehicle, his eyes cautiously swept the area. The street was quiet, but he caught sight of a group of boys standing under a streetlight.

Fin slammed his door shut and walked towards them.

"Hey," he called out, holding up his badge.

Four faces turned to look at him.

"What up?" one asked.

Fin pulled the picture of Gardner out of his pocket. "I was wondering if any of you could tell me about this man."

The boy who spoke grabbed the photo. He shook his head and handed it back to him.

"What about the rest of you?" Fin asked, showing the photo to the rest of the group.

One boy shook his head, but the other two began whispering to each other.

Fin raised his eyebrow. "Care to share?"

The shorter of the two boys stepped forward. "Yeah, I seen him. He works at that ElectroShock place round the corner. Fixed my computer last week."

"Okay," Fin said, slipping the photo back into his pocket. "Know where he lives?"

The two boys shook their head.

"Nah," said one. "Don't even know the dude's name."

The detective sighed. "Thanks," he muttered before making his way to the store.

He knew it would be closed, but he had to make sure Gardner was not hiding out in there.

The store front was dark. There was a light on in the back, but after watching carefully for several minutes, Fin decided it was most likely left on to discourage thieves.

The sign on the door front listed the hours of business.

_Opens at eight. _ Fin checked his watch. It was just after ten. _Guess that gives me about nine hours of shut-eye. Sounds good._

He gave one last look at the store and then strolled back to his car. Once inside, he cracked out his cell phone and reported back to his partner and then to Benson. After hanging up, he slid down in his seat and closed his eyes.

The ringing of his cell phone woke him up. He answered it without opening his eyes.

"Tutuola," he mumbled.

"Fin, you get anything yet?"

He recognized Olivia's anxious voice and cracked open an eye. The faint light of early morning greeted him.

"Shit, what time is it?" he asked.

She sighed. "Seven thirty-eight."

Fin ran a hand across his eyes. "Uh, store opens at eight, Liv."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you were up."

"Don't worry -- I am now," he yawned.

"Someone could be there early, you know."

Fin sighed and reached for the door handle. "I'm getting out of the car right now."

He stumbled into the street, stretching the kinks from his back, and then made the trek back to the store.

The door was locked, and the front of the store was still unlit. Fin shaded his eyes and peered into the window. He caught sight of movement in the back of the store and he pounded on the window.

A man's head appeared in a doorway. He made a motion to shoo Fin away, but stopped when the detective slammed his badge up against the glass. He then immediately came towards the door and unlocked it.

Fin stepped inside.

"What can I do for you, officer?" The man eagerly asked.

"Detective Tutuola, Manhattan SVU." Fin could tell he was a morning person. He hated morning people.

"What can I do for you, _detective_?" the manager corrected.

"Does this man work for you?" he asked, holding up the photo.

"Oh, yeah -- that's Earl alright. He's off today, though. Called in sick -- Nasty stomach virus. He's been out nearly a week already."

Fin ignored the manager's concerned tone. "Earl?"

"Earl Gardner. Is he in some kind of trouble?"

Fin snorted. "You could say that. This guy got an address?"

The man narrowed his eyes. "Well I'm sure he does."

Fin sighed. "Do you have it?"

"I may," the man said, concentrating on Fin's face. "Can I see your badge again?"

Fin rolled his eyes, but obliged.

The man studied it for a second, and then nodded. "I'll go check my records."

The manager disappeared again through the doorway and the sounds of computer keys could be heard. As Fin waited, he looked about the store.

_A computer geek's wet dream_, he thought as he glanced at all of the electronic equipment. _Munch would love it._

He smiled briefly as he imagined the conspiracy rants that all of the products would elicit from the mouth of his partner.

"Here it is," the man's voice rang out as he re-entered the room. "I ran you a copy of his employee records."

"Thanks," Fin said as he snatched the paper and turned to leave.

"One more thing, if you would, Detective."

Fin glanced back. "Yeah?"

The manager frowned and folded his arms against his chest. "If this is anything more than an unpaid parking ticket -- kindly inform Mr. Gardner that he is no longer employed here."

"You got it."

Fin stepped outside onto the sidewalk and heard the door being locked behind him. His hand went immediately to his phone and he punched in the number.

It was picked up on the first ring.

"Liv -- I got it."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Thirteen minutes and some odd seconds later, Stabler brought their vehicle to an abrupt halt outside of the apartment building. As the two stepped out onto the street, several heavily armed officers rushed past them.

Benson tightened a strap on her vest, and pulled out her gun. She fell into line behind the other policemen as they silently filed up the stairs to the second floor.

The two lead officers stopped outside the door marked 2E. One caught Olivia's gaze. _Ready?_, he mouthed.

She nodded her head.

The man nodded back and then pointed to his men, who then used a battering ram to knock in the apartment door. The group stormed into the room and checked every room.

"It's clear, Detectives."

"Damn it," Olivia muttered in response.

"She means thanks," Elliot explained.

The unit commander gave a small smile and a nod of understanding.

"We'll wait around a while downstairs if you need us," he said before disappearing out the door. His men followed him.

Olivia sighed as she finally re-holstered her weapon. "This guy is seriously pissing me off!"

Her partner closed his eyes and nodded. "I know -- "

He stopped suddenly and the two locked eyes. The phone had begun to ring.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry this took so very long -- unexpected travel plans. I managed to sneak a little time to work on this, but I move out in a few days and start college, so it could be another sizable stretch before an update. I apologize in advance.**

Thanks to MarshMyMellow, Livvie Benson, loggie831, FearLover, LangLangKent, ElliotOlivias, icedogfan, Rockstargoddess101, JO, WestSide Love!!

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Chase  
**

The phone sat on the edge of the kitchen counter.

Elliot pulled a tissue from the box next to it, used it to pick up the receiver, and then pushed the speaker button.

"Elliot, Olivia -- so glad you could drop by. Sorry I couldn't be there to greet you -- had a more pressing engagement. Feel free to make yourself at home, though."

Stabler snorted. "Oh, you bet on it, pal."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Listen, Earl -- I'm sick of playing your stupid games! Tell us where the woman is! Where is Maribel Santos?!"

The man made a clucking sound. "Tut, tut, Elliot. I'm just getting warmed up -- the games haven't even begun yet."

"Oh, yeah? What's that supposed to mean?"

"No -- I'm done talking to you, Detective Stabler. You're no fun. Liv, though -- I've missed your pretty voice. What are you thinking?"

The words caught in her throat and came out in a stutter. "I'm .. not."

She breathed nervously as silence met her on the other end of the line. "What should I be thinking?"

Laughter emanated from the phone's speaker. "Now who's playing games?"

"No games," she clarified, leaning over the phone. "I just want to know where I should be looking."

"Clever girl, aren't you? Just a little slow -- I've already taken care of that, you see." He paused briefly and his tone changed. "But, really -- Olivia. Look at yourself. Perhaps you should take a few moments to gather yourself before the show begins."

"Wha --"

"Good-bye," he sneered, and the line went dead.

"What the hell does he mean by that?" Olivia shouted. "What show? Is he watching us right now?"

Stabler listened silently, but his eyes were focused on something else. "Liv -- "

Benson stopped and followed his gaze to a small telescope placed on an end table in front of the large window. She could not quite squash the ominous feeling she had about its relevance. ** _I've already taken care of that, you see._**

She began to walk towards the window, but Elliot grabbed her arm.

"No," he whispered, staring straight into her eyes. _Let me._

Olivia challenged his gaze for a few seconds, before looking away in submission.

"Okay." Her voice was barely audible.

Elliot released his grip and stepped ahead of his partner. He had the same sinking feeling of dread, but he was not about to let Olivia see his fear.

Unbeknownst to him, however, she already sensed it, and she was not about to let him handle it alone. Olivia stood to his immediate right as Elliot positioned himself in front of the eyepiece.

As he scanned the windows in the general direction the telescope had been pointed, she was ready with her radio held close to her lips.

"Liv -- I think I got him. There's a pair of binoculars pointed straight at us. Parker building, fifth floor, fourth window from the left."

Olivia relayed the information over the radio, instructing the officers on the ground to take the room. She leaned over to look out the window. Near a dozen officers were sprinting through the building's double doors.

"It's him -- the son-of-a-bitch is waving."

Elliot's voice crackled. "Liv -- get a bus."

"Wha --"

"Get a bus!" He shouted in her face.

Olivia radioed in for an ambulance, staring at her partner. "What the hell is going on?"

"He's got her...he's...he just -- " Elliot's face turned absolutely pale as the blood splattered on the window.

Benson saw the telescope swing away, and watched as her partner fought hard to control the urge to vomit. She placed a cautious hand on his back and used the other one to hold her head.

"He just...killed...her."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Melinda Warner followed the bodybag down the hall and dipped her head to Olivia as the detective finished her phone call.

"Sorry, detective," she said before disappearing around the corner.

Olivia closed her eyes. _Not as sorry as I am. _ Munch and Fin had called in to report the fact they had arrived at Gardner's apartment and were just now starting in on the search; Elliot had hardly spoken a word to her, but had not even argued when she told him to call home; and she was beginning to feel like she was getting nowhere. _Every time I take a step forward, he takes two steps to get away._

She walked slowly back to the room. The door jamb was in splinters and the door hung slightly crooked. The officers she sent across the street had found the door firmly secured and had to use extra effort in order to bust it in.

Though the officers had reached the scene less than a minute after Maribel Santos's throat had been slashed, the perpetrator had seemingly vanished.

"Detective!"

Benson spun around to see a female CSU whose name she could not recall standing in the bathroom and pointing to the ceiling. She stepped into the smaller room and looked up. One ceiling tile had been pushed back, revealing a metal vent.

"Detective Munch called earlier and asked us about vents being used as an escape route. Well, looks like he may have been on to something."

Without removing her eyes from the ceiling, Olivia posed a question to the woman. "Just how the hell did he get up there?"

"He stood on the vanity," she said, directing Liv's attention to the bloody boot prints on the side of the sink.

"Is anyone gonna go up there?" Benson asked, her tone slightly angry.

The woman nodded. "Peters just went to get a chair. Didn't wanna ruin the print. He'll be up there in a second."

Just as she finished speaking, a second CSU arrived with a chair, which he placed beneath the hole. He went to climb up on it, but Olivia grabbed his arm.

"No -- he could still be up there. I'll do it."

Peters shrugged and stepped out of her way.

Benson unclipped her gun from its holster, pulled out a flashlight, and stood up on the chair. The chair had been tall enough that she could see straight down the metal shaft. Olivia quickly checked each direction with her gun, and then brought up her flashlight for a second sweep. Listening carefully, she was confident in her belief that the vent was currently vacant.

Liv set her gun and flashlight inside the vent and then used her arms to pull herself up into the shaft as well. Once in, she had no difficulty in determining the killer's path -- she just had to follow the blood smears.

The vent was not as quite as tight as she first imagined it to be. By moving carefully, Olivia managed not to strike her elbows against the side and could move rather quickly.

A few seconds later, she heard someone -- presumably Peters -- enter into the space behind her.

Olivia stopped as she reached an intersection. Cautiously, she checked each branch. The blood trail veered to the right, but she wanted to be sure. Satisfied that no one was lying in wait, she continued following the blood.

After moving steadily for three minutes, she reached a metal grate covering the end of the duct. Using the butt of her flashlight, she knocked the grating off and heard it clatter to the floor below. Peering out the hole, Olivia saw she was now in the back stairwell. The opening occurred in the middle of a flight of stairs, so she only had to slide out onto the step.

Standing up, Liv slipped the flashlight back onto her belt, but kept the gun in her hand.

The blood had disappeared, and she could no longer tell which direction he had taken.

_Probably down. _ Olivia peered over the railing. The stairwell was empty -- she was its only occupant. The killer was gone.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Where the hell have you been?" Elliot shouted as she walked back into the apartment.

"I was --"

"Holy --" He interrupted her, taking in her appearance. "What in God's name happened to you?"

Olivia narrowed her eyebrows, and then glanced down. It appeared her clothes had soaked up most of the blood that had been in the vent. "Uh -- "

"Are you okay?"

She stared at him incredulously. "I'm fine, Elliot -- it's not mine. We figured out how Gardner got out of here without running into our guys. I just followed his trail through the vents. He popped out in the back stairs. I sent a couple unis out to check the alley."

Stabler's eyes went wide in rage. "You went after him alone? What the hell is wrong with you -- what if he had been up there, waiting? You could be dead right now!"

She glared, shaking her head. "No. This guy is all about the chase, El. He was long gone. He's got a whole lot of games to play -- remember?"

"Detectives!"

The shout prevented Elliot from responding.

"What?!" They shouted in unison, turning their heads to face the female CSU. In her hand she held up a badge.

"I found this on the floor in the bedroom."

Benson's mouth opened slightly and she struggled to fish her notepad out of her pocket. She flipped to the page where she had written the name of the woman whose apartment in which they now stood. _Amanda Marlo, twenty-seven._

Her eyes darted around the room as her brain processed the information. A picture on a windowsill caught her attention.

"Elliot," she said, grabbing onto his sleeve and pointing to a picture of their newest supposed victim. Amanda Marlo had her short, blonde hair pulled into a bun and her green eyes burned with confidence as she stood fearless in her black NYPD uniform.

"She's a cop."


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you so much for continuing to read and leave reviews! I'm sorry updates have been so slow. College just started and everything's been a blur.

Grateful to all those who have reviewed, including: pinkydog123, loggie831, ElliotOlivias, MarshMyMellow!!

This is a little shorter, but I'll try and work on a longer update.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Surprises**

Olivia rubbed her eyes as she stepped back into Gardner's apartment building.

"Hey, Liv -- I think you should come see this!"

She looked up to see Munch leaning over the railing of the stairs.

"Okay," she sighed, following him up to the apartment.

He glanced back at her. "Nice outfit. Very, uh, standard issue."

Liv shook her head and failed to hide her smile as she looked down at the NYPD jumpsuit she was currently wearing. She had previously surrendered her clothes to CSU.

"What'd you find?" she asked as they stepped into the apartment.

Fin stood at the computer desk, and pulled out the keyboard tray. A file folder lay spread open on top of the keys.

Benson stepped over towards the desk.

"It's one of yours," Munch explained.

She glanced back at him and then leaned in to get a better look at the papers. She recognized her own handwriting.

"What is this?" she spoke aloud, picking up the folder.

Fin cleared his throat. "It's a copy of your case file -- Gitano."

Munch reached in and flipped over a few pages. "He highlighted his favorite part apparently."

Olivia's eyes met his and then quickly shot back to the folder. The yellow highlighted portion jumped out at her, and she began to read her own account of what had happened in the warehouse.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "How did he get this?"

Munch shrugged, figuring the question needed no response.

"Okay," she muttered and gestured to Fin. "You stay here, make sure these guys scour every surface. And you -- " she said, fingering his partner, " -- go take over for Elliot across the street."

The two detectives nodded and set off on their tasks, while Olivia sighed and flipped out her cell phone. While the rings sounded in her ears, she debated whether or not they were truly ready to go back.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Stabler had just pulled their vehicle to a stop when the Emergency Response Team exited the structure.

"The building's clear!" The leader shouted in response to Olivia's question. She took a deep breath and continued on towards the open entrance. She could feel Elliot tense up beside her without even so much as a glance in his direction. She also knew he could feel her do the exact same.

Though it was still light outside, the warehouse was dark. It was just as dark as she remembered it.

Olivia took a deep breath as she glanced about the building. It seemed almost empty. Most of the crates and other items that had been piled up before had since been removed.

She closed her eyes and could see in her mind exactly where everything had been. That day had played back so many times in her mind that she had memorized the location of every object. She remembered every move she had taken.

"I'm, uh, gonna go start over there," Elliot muttered, pointing to a pair of CSUs huddled in a corner.

Benson hardly heard him, though. She had already started moving in the opposite direction. Years had passed,yet Olivia found herself following the same path through the warehouse. She paused when she came to a dead end. A new stack of crates stood in her way. Stepping around the pile, she stopped again. She sucked in a breath as she realized this was the spot.

Liv could still see Elliot crouched on the ground, the gun to his head. She could feel her hands shaking.

"No," she whispered and shook her head. _He's not taking me there._

Olivia shook off the feelings that had crept in, and began treating the site with new objectivity. She wandered around the scene, waiting for some detail to jump out at her.

Stabler had returned to her side. "Lab guys don't have anything yet."

She grunted softly in response.

"You okay?" he asked.

Liv glanced up at him. "Yeah."

He could tell she was focused on something, and he waited patiently.

She exhaled loudly. "I'm just trying to figure out what he expects us to find. Or even, for that matter, if we are supposed to find anything. Maybe he's just toying with me, in which case --"

"Ssshhh..." Elliot held up a hand and twisted his head in the opposite direction.

Benson narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Sshh.." he whispered again. A few seconds later he shook his head. "I thought I heard something, but it could have just been CSU."

Olivia sighed and began moving again. She stopped, though, when she heard a soft scraping noise. Glancing about, she could see no crime scene technicians in the immediate vicinity.

The noise sounded again.

Liv glanced down to her right side. There was an old, wooden trunk that came up to her knee. The lock had been broken.

"Elliot," she called, gesturing to the trunk.

Stabler moved to join her in silence. She had slipped her weapon loose from her belt. He copied her motion, but then extended his right hand towards the trunk. She nodded as she aimed her weapon and he threw back the lid.

"Holy --" the breath loudly escaped from Olivia's lips as she jumped back. She dropped her aim to the floor.

Elliot's eyes widened as he took a large step back. His gun remained steady as it pointed at the open chest.

"Somebody get Animal Control!" he shouted, one hand hovering protectively in front of his partner.

Olivia, however, just stared silently as she watched the large snake slither over the edge of the wooden box.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I know this has taken ages, but I just haven't had any extra time. Sorry for the delay.**

Thanks to Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl, Rockstargoddess101, ElliotOlivias, loggie831, MarshMyMellow, greengal528, and JO for the reviews!!

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**Chapter 15: Connections**

The animal control officer smirked as he dangled the snake from his arm. "Don't have anything to worry about, Detective. Just a run of the mill kingsnake. He's a bit bigger than what you usually find, but still perfectly harmless -- unless, of course, you're a rodent or another snake."

Elliot stared at him in silence as the man gingerly lowered the twisting reptile into the wire cage.

The officer latched the cage and hoisted it from the ground. "Don't usually find these guys around here, though. My guess is someone brought 'im."

Elliot released a deep breath and then turned to glance at his partner. Her eyes were fixed upon the snake as she nodded. It was not until the snake and its transporter had exited the building did she realize he was watching her.

"What?" She asked, shrugging. "I'm fine, El."

He coughed slightly, and continued staring at her.

Olivia shot him a glare, and then walked away, shaking her head.

Stabler glanced about and then followed her out into the bright sunlight.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"What's with the snake?"

Benson sighed at Fin's question, and Elliot shook his head. "No idea."

Munch shot his partner a grin. "Well, obviously it's a clue."

"Shut up."

Munch ignored the withering look Fin had given him and concentrated instead on the tiny quiver of a smile that had appeared on Olivia's face as she shuffled through some papers on her desk. He stepped in a little closer and shot a careful glance over his shoulder.

Fin had wandered over to the coffee pot.

Olivia glanced up at Munch with a curious look.

"I guess there's a silver lining here," Munch began. "If our little slithery friend had popped out at my partner, he may never have lived down the embarassment."

"Say what?!"

The two glanced over to see Fin standing behind his partner with his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Well, you are severely afriad of snakes, are you not?"

Fin grimaced. "I ain't afriad of snakes."

There was a slight pause and Munch waited expectantly.

"I just don't exactly like them."

Munch quickly looked back at Olivia and was relieved to see that a real smile had crept upon her face. Stabler seemed to be annoyed, but Munch did not really care.

"So where do we stand?" Cragen asked, appearing from the other side of the squadroom.

Olivia sighed and scratched her eyebrow. "Crime scene's still going over the place, but so far we haven't found anything besides the snake."

Cragen cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "And we're sure the snake is connected?"

Stabler wrinkled his nose. "It seems a pretty fair bet, boss."

The captain nodded his head a few times in agreement. "Okay people, we need -- "

"Captain!" An officer poked his head out from the conference room. "There's a man on the phone asking for Detective Benson!"

Any trace of the smile that had remained vanished completely from her face, as she quickly made her way towards the phone. The four men followed closely behind her.

"Detective Benson?" The voice called out.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Great. I was afraid my little friend might have frightened you away."

Olivia breathed deeply. "Not a chance."

"Good, good."

The team waited, but Gardner made no further comment. Finally, Elliot spoke.

"What was the point of the snake, huh?"

The man almost cackled. "The point, detective? That was your clue!"

"Clue? Clue for what?"

The voice continued laughing. "You know, Stabler -- you're more of a simpleton than I first assumed. This is rather enjoyable."

Liv glanced at her partner. His face had gone absolutely red, and she could tell he was breathing harder. She reached a hand out to his arm, giving it a gentle, calming squeeze.

"Livvie dear -- are you as unintelligent as your partner?"

Olivia removed her hand from Elliot's arm and folded it beneath her own. She remembered the file folder spread out across the keyboard. "I suppose the snake has something to do with one of my old cases -- is that it?"

"You suppose? What -- am I going to have to spoonfeed everything to you?! I expected more from you, Olivia."

She stood in silence, unsure of how to respond. Thankfully, he did not allow her the chance.

"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify."

Liv blinked and narrowed her eyes as she listened to the man's words.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Elliot asked.

"Nice try, detective. That's all you get. Take too long and I find a new piece of cheese."

Elliot glanced back at the group, as he mouthed _piece of cheese?_

A look of sudden insight appeared on Munch's face. "Cat and mouse game, remember?" he whispered.

Olivia ignored the conversation behind her. "Does that mean Amanda Marlo is still alive?"

She could almost see the sneer on Gardner's face as he answered her. "I suppose."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify;" Munch read aloud from the computer screen. "Matthew twenty-three, thirty-three and four."

Fin raised an eyebrow. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

Munch tipped his head and looked at his partner over the edge of his glasses. "It's another slam against the Jews. We killed Jesus, so --"

"He's not using it that way."

Munch glanced over at Olivia, who was desperately searching through a file cabinet.

"Care to elaborate?"

Liv groaned as she pushed a group of folders apart. "He's too busy playing with my case files to do anything else."

Munch sighed and shrugged.

Olivia pulled a thick file from the back of the drawer. She flipped it open and set it on her desk.

Elliot craned his neck across the desk to see and narrowly avoided getting hit when she whirled around with a picture in her hand.

"Eugene Hoff, a.k.a. Abraham."

Munch pushed up out of his chair and wandered over towards his colleagues. "Said he was the prophet; claimed the serpent was Christ."

Benson nodded, as Elliot took a uncomfortable breath.

Munch raised an eyebrow. "But you didn't shoot him, Liv. The girl did."

"Maybe he doesn't see it that way."

The group turned to see Dr. Huang standing behind them. He took a few steps towards them. "He's focused on you, Olivia. He probably sees the girl as nothing more than a pawn under your control. To him, you caused his death. He's going to hold you accountable for it."

Stabler shifted his weight. "Exactly how does this fit in? How are we supposed to know where to look?"

Huang shook his head and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm willing to bet your next clue will be found somewhere with a connection."

Munch folded his arms to his chest. "The house, the hospital, his church, the warehouse, the bank -- we're going to search all of those places?"

"I can't be completely sure," Huang began, "but I would guess he'd pick the location with the strongest emotional effect -- " He turned to face Olivia. "-- on you."

Olivia closed her eyes. She could see the tiny bodies of the children who had been mercilessly slaughtered; she could see the skeleton buried within the walls; she could see the painting of Abraham staring at her from the wall.

"It's at the house," she said, without opening her eyes.

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**A/N: If you don't recognize it -- this comes from the episode Charisma. If you haven't seen it -- Get on that!**


	16. Chapter 16

Wow, time flies fast when you're having fun -- and when you're not. Thanks so much for the comments Piper-Jack06-Butterflygirl, JO, fearlessnessity, Rockstargoddess101!! Sorry I took so very long.

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**Chapter 16: The Next Clue Is on Ice**

Olivia shuddered slightly as she stood on the stoop of the familiar building. It was four years later, but she still half expected Abraham's face to appear from behind the door. She absentmindedly kept a hand placed upon the butt of her gun.

"I can't believe they put this place back on the market," Munch whispered behind her.

Liv nodded and chewed on her lip as she glanced over at the window. White, lacy curtains now hung there.

Elliot grumbled impatiently and pounded once more on the door. A few seconds later the door opened.

A middle-aged woman stuck her head out. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Olivia held up her badge. "I'm Detective Olivia Benson, may we come in?"

The woman's eyes widened and her voice sounded a bit flustered. "Uh, yeah -- sure, sure."

She stepped back and pulled the door open wider. "May I ask what this is about? I mean, I'm all in favor of the police, but two visits in two days -- a girl starts to wonder."

Olivia narrowed her eyes.

Elliot cleared his throat. "What do you mean two visits in two days?"

"You guys were here yesterday -- well, not you specifically, but another detective was."

Benson felt her stomach harden. "Ma'am --"

"Please, it's Louise."

"Louise -- did this detective happen to leave his name or a card or something?"

The woman looked to the floor, trying to remember. "Yeah, yeah he did actually. Let me see if I can find it."

She stepped over towards an end table and pulled open a drawer. "Here it is."

Olivia reached out and grabbed the business card. She closed her eyes in a sigh as she handed it to her partner.

"Detective ........ Special Victims Unit," Elliot read aloud.

Liv ran a hand through her hair and looked about the house. It was hard to imagine that the pleasant looking room had once held such horror. "What did he do while he was here?"

"Uh," the woman turned and began gesturing about the room. "He checked the back door and some of the windows, the bedrooms, the bathroom, the kitchen -- everywhere. He said there was some guy on the run and they thought he may have broken into a house on our block. To be honest, I was grateful he showed so much dedication. I don't want to run the risk of some whackjob hiding in my house."

Munch let out a snort. "I hate to break it to you -- "

"Munch," Elliot interrupted.

The older detective became silent.

Louise narrowed her eyes. "Break what to me?"

Elliot glared at his colleague over her head.

"What aren't you telling me?" the woman demanded, looking back and forth from Munch to Elliot. She glanced over at Olivia who was talking over her radio as she moved about the room. Suddenly the woman's face went pale. "He wasn't a cop, was he?"

Munch took a deep breath. "No. Not any more."

Her hands went to her face and she dropped to the couch. "He had a badge and I just let him in. What if my kids had been home? Oh my God!"

Elliot put a hand on her shoulder and shot Munch another glare.

Munch rolled his eyes and walked over towards Olivia. She was currently staring at the wall. Munch stood next to her and did the same. He knew what lurked behind the cream-colored paint -- the cruel eyes of a deranged child killer.

"She has kids -- in this house," he whispered.

Olivia closed her eyes and nodded. "She doesn't know what happened here, Munch -- and she doesn't need to."

He glanced at her. "I wasn't going to tell her."

"Yeah," she muttered under her breath as she walked towards the bathroom.

Munch began to follow her. "Is crime scene on the way?"

Benson nodded. "Yeah."

"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for?" he asked as he glanced about the small room.

Olivia ran a few fingers along the tiled wall that once served as a crypt. "Munch, could you not?"

"What?"

She turned to him, her head already pounding. "Could you just keep the talking to a minimum? Unless you have something constructive to offer, just keep a lid on it, okay?"

Munch glanced at the floor and nodded. He knew how stressed she was. "Yeah, I'll just go back out there."

Liv gave him a tight smile. "Thanks."

As soon as he had gone, she turned back to the wall and took a deep breath. "Okay, you asshole -- what am I supposed to be looking for?"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Elliot appeared at the top of the stairs and quickly descended to the main floor. Olivia was speaking with one of the crime scene technicians.

"Anything?" she asked of her partner as he joined the group.

Elliot shook his head. "Haven't found anything out of place upstairs."

The technician sighed loudly. "Well, if we knew exactly what we were looking for, it would help."

Stabler saw his partner close her eyes in frustration.

"I know," she said. "Just keep looking."

The tech dipped his head and turned away.

"Damn it," Liv muttered. "We could be here days and not find anything!"

Elliot grabbed her arm. "We'll find something. I know it."

"We're running out of time," she said, shaking her head.

"Liv! Come see this!" Munch called out.

Olivia looked up and began moving quickly towards his voice. She found him in the kitchen.

"What?" she asked.

He stepped out of the way and gestured to the refrigerator where a CSU with a camera snapped a photograph of the inside of the freezer.

Benson narrowed her eyes and walked to where she could see inside.

The top shelf had been cleared, and along the back wall of the freezer **_No Hard Feelings_** was written in red.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: It has been an eon! I am so sorry. Things have been so screwed up lately. I have a bit of time to myself though, so I'll try and get as much written as possible. **

**Thanks for all who have continued to leave reviews even when I have been MIA: TwilightgoddesslovesEdwardlol, loggie831, Piper-Jack06-Butterflygirl, yalcia!!!**

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**Chapter 17: Curtain Call**

"No hard feelings?" Elliot read aloud as he stepped behind his partner. "Richard White?"

Olivia nodded. "I guess that's the next case he wants me to relive."

Stabler and Munch both stepped back to make room for her as she turned to leave.

She gestured to the CSU in charge. "Have your men pack up -- we've found all we can."

"Liv -- what are you doing?"

Olivia turned to her partner. "He didn't leave anything else, El. I'm not wasting any more of their time -- we have to move on. He's switched cases, so should we."

The CSU looked at each of the partners and then spoke. "I'll leave a few men here and the rest will go wherever you need them. It's not like we're not getting paid to waste our time."

Elliot nodded, and Liv shrugged her shoulders in meek consent.

The CSU captain gestured to one of his technicians who began packing things into his evidence kit and then turned back to Benson. "Where are we off to then?"

Olivia closed her eyes in a sigh as she tried to remember which details had been written in her report. "White's apartment, Louise Billing's apartment, ..."

"The park bench," Elliot whispered.

His partner began nodding as she lifted her eyes to meet his.

Munch cleared his throat. "Fin and I can take White's old place, while Lewis and Clambor take Billing's if you and Elliot want the park."

Olivia pulled out her phone and walked towards the door without a reply.

Stabler turned back to his colleague and gave him an approving nod before joining her outside.

"Liv," he called out, quickening his pace to catch up with her.

She had already reached the car when she whirled around. "Elliot, don't start with me."

He stared at her, his brow furled in concern. "I just think you might be jumping the gun a little. We should keep our eyes open."

Olivia took a deep breath to regain her composure. "At his apartment, he left us the file folder. At the warehouse, the snake. He's only left us one clue for each case. Why change now?"

Elliot closed his eyes and dropped his shoulders. It was not worth an argument -- he knew she was right. "If you're sure --"

"I am," she bitterly cut in as she ripped open the car door.

Stabler silently walked around to the other side of the car and slipped into the passenger seat. He could not help but understand the frustration his partner felt.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Daylight was fading quickly, and the CSU technicians hurried to get as much done as they could before dark.

Elliot glanced about and noticed a few of them had started setting up halogen lamps. It would not be as effective as daylight, but every little bit helped. He looked for his partner, finally spotting her hovering over a group of techs down in the ravine.

He began moving towards her, but stopped when he heard his name.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning towards the source and seeing a petite CSU standing with an evidence bag in her hands.

"We found a piece of ripped cloth stuck on the fence back there and picked up some spent cigarette butts. Whether or not they have anything to do with the case -- "

"You don't know," Elliot finished. "I know."

The woman nodded and passed the bag off to a colleague who was on his way back to one of the vehicles.

"I don't really know how much help we'll be out here. Footprints and fingerprints aren't going to be of any value."

Elliot nodded. "I understand."

"Unless there's something that leaps out at us --"

He held up his hand and tried not to sound harsh. "I get it. Thanks."

The woman raised her eyebrows at him and watched as he walked away.

"Liv!" he called.

She looked up immediately with hopeful eyes. She sighed when he shook his head.

"Nothing for sure here either. They found some empty soda bottles -- the same brand as --," she trailed off as she looked back at the group.

"It's getting late, Olivia."

She glanced at him and nodded her head. "I know."

Elliot sighed, knowing full well how she would react to the next statement. "Maybe we should pack it in. We've been running steady for pretty much three days."

Liv's head snapped up at the suggestion, but the fire he expected was absent from her eyes. Instead of protesting, she just gave a nod and climbed up the incline.

Appearing somewhat startled, Elliot held out a hand to help her up the embankment.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The bed creaked as Olivia rolled over. She tried to pinch her eyelids shut to keep out the light, but it was to no avail. She groaned as she felt her belt digging into her flesh, and her head pounded. Reluctantly, she sat up and began massaging her temple. Liv sighed and blinked her eyes open.

Her partner was asleep on the other side of the crib. She stood up from the bed and wandered over towards him.

"Elliot," she whispered, shaking him awake.

He popped open an eye. "What time is it?"

Olivia glanced at her watch. "About ten to eight."

"Ugh," he groaned and sat up.

She narrowed her eyes. "You should have gone home."

Elliot yawned and shook his head. "No, I had Kath take the kids and stay in a hotel."

"Then you should have gone to the hotel."

"No. I don't know where Gardner is -- he could be watching us. I don't want him to know where they are."

Olivia was silent as she took a step back. In the last few days, she had forgotten how much this was affecting him as well.

"I didn't think of that, Elliot. I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I talked to them on the phone last night."

The two wandered out into the squadroom, where Munch and Fin were struggling to look alive.

"You guys look bad."

Munch gave Olivia a slight grin. "Thanks, bedhead. I hadn't noticed."

Olivia's hand shot up to the back of her head and she tried to blindly tame her hair.

Fin shook his head. "Don't worry, girl. It ain't that bad. He's just punchy. Needs a nap. Or a diaper change."

Munch nodded in agreement.

Her hand dropped back to her side. "Why don't you guys go grab a couple hours, then. You let us sleep -- it's only fair."

Fin stood up and sighed. "Sounds good. Oh, and the lab dropped off what they found. Which wasn't much."

"Thanks," Elliot responded as the two made for the stairs.

Olivia stepped to her desk, where Munch had set the file folder. Inside were photos and an inventory of items collected. A note was attached stating they would call if results came in from tests. She began flipping through the photos. Most of these, she had seen collected. She paused briefly on the photos of the ones she had not. None of it made sense to her as a clue to a next case. Nothing had any meaning to her.

She slid the stack of pictures back into the folder, dropped it on her desk and grabbed the reports from the other locations. Nothing had been found there either.

Olivia crossed her arms and leaned against her desk. _No Hard Feelings -- did I misinterpret it? White was an easy guess -- too easy?_

A sound of surprise from Elliot made her pull back from her thoughts. She looked around, and saw that Kathy had brought the kids to see Elliot.

"Babe, what are you doing here?" Elliot asked.

Kathy's eyes widened and she shifted Eli into her other arm. "We wanted to see you. Since you couldn't join us for breakfast -- we brought it to you."

Dickie and Elizabeth proudly held out bags of fast food.

Olivia watched her partner. She knew he wanted to be angry that his wife had not done as he said, but she knew how much he missed them. The tension in his face had since decreased.

"Liv, we brought some for you, too," Kathy added, turning in her direction. "Munch and Fin, too, if they're hungry."

Olivia smiled. "Thanks. They just scampered off to the crib, but I'm sure they won't mind re-heating it."

Elliot reached over and took Eli into his arms. "Where's Maureen?"

His wife sighed. "She's at work."

Elliot tilted his head and opened his mouth to speak.

Kathy held up a hand. "Don't say it. We tried, but no one else could open today. She has to work, Elliot."

He held her gaze and then nodded. "Okay," he whispered as he kissed Eli's head.

"Um, food?" Elizabeth interjected, shaking her bag.

"Right," Olivia answered. "Here, I'll just move some of this stuff."

Liv pushed clear a spot on her desk, knocking the file with the pictures from the park onto the floor.

"Shit," she whispered, causing Dickie to giggle.

She shot him a bemused look and then made her way around her chair to begin clearing up the mess.

Kathy bent down to help her. Suddenly, she froze with a photo in her hand.

Olivia noticed first. "Kathy?" she asked.

Elliot glanced up and narrowed his eyes. He handed Eli over to Kathleen and stepped towards the two women.

"Where did you get this?"

Liv stood up and took the picture into her own hands, finding herself looking at the fabric caught in the fence. She glanced back at Kathy and saw fear in her eyes. "What is it?"

Kathy's hand was shaking and she glanced between her husband and his partner as she pointed to it. "That's what I made Maureen's curtains out of. We put them on all of her windows."

Olivia's head jerked up to meet her partner's gaze. The photos fluttered to the ground as they raced out the door.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks TwilightgoddesslovesEdwardlol for your continued reviews!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

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**Chapter 18: In Hind Sight**

The elderly man exiting the apartment building jumped back in alarm as the two detectives flew past him through the open door.

Elliot took the steps two at a time, and Olivia followed closely at his heels. Their guns were drawn as they sidled up to the apartment door.

Elliot glanced to his partner, who nodded to him and shifted to cover him. With one swift kick, he sent his daughter's door swinging back on its hinges.

Maureen's stereo had been left playing, and Olivia closed her eyes in disappointment as the smell floated out to them.

_I lay dying  
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal  
I'm dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming  
Am I too lost to be saved?  
Am I too lost?_

She bumped the stop button with her elbow as Stabler moved quickly through his daughter's small apartment. She heard him gasp after disappearing down the hallway.

Olivia followed his trail to the bedroom and stopped when she saw what they had both been expecting. The naked body of Amanda Marlo was sprawled across the bed, one arm handcuffed the bedpost. Liv dropped her eyes to the floor and pulled out her cell phone to call it in.

Elliot, too, removed his phone and hit a number on speed dial.

Maureen answered on the second ring. "Dad?"

"Oh, thank God," he sighed as he collapsed against the bedroom door frame.

"Dad -- are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat and raised a hand to wipe away the tears that had begun to form. "I'm okay, baby. I'm okay."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Benson watched from the hallway as men from the coroner's office bagged the body. She was focused so intently on the process; she barely managed to hear her own name being spoken.

"You doing okay?" Warner asked.

Olivia turned to her. "Uh, yeah." She focused her gaze back on the body as it was lifted onto the gurney and followed it with her eyes as it rolled past her. "She was a cop, Melinda."

Warner nodded in understanding. "Olivia -- "

"Hmm?" she mumbled without breaking her stare.

"Is it true that this is his, um --" she trailed off while gesturing with her clip board to Elliot's statuesque form.

"Daughter's? Yeah, it is." Liv began to walk away.

"Liv!"

Olivia stopped and glanced back at the Medical Examiner. "Yeah?"

Warner took a deep breath. "What I said before still applies, but if it means I have to see someone I know on the table -- I don't want it. Okay?"

Liv tightened her lips and nodded. "Okay."

Warner walked past her on her way out the door. As she reached it, she turned briefly back. "Take care of yourselves."

Benson waited until she had left before walking over to her partner.

"How are you holding up?" she asked him cautiously.

Elliot rubbed his face with his hand and stared her square in the face. After a second he shrugged and looked away.

Olivia gave his arm a squeeze before answering her ringing cell phone.

"Benson," she iterated in a tired voice.

"There's something you're gonna have to see," Munch began. "I'm going to send you some pictures."

"Okay," she sighed as he disconnected the call.

Elliot watched her curiously as she waited silently for the messages. Finally her phone began to vibrate, and she impatiently flipped it open. As each new picture message came in, he saw her face become paler and the sick look in her eyes become more prominent.

"Shit," was all she managed to whisper, looking ready to vomit.

Stabler pushed off from the chair he had been leaning on. "What?"

His partner handed him the phone and then ran her hands through her hair in frustrated guilt. Elliot watched her for a second and then began viewing the messages. The first was a crime scene photo from Amanda Marlo's kitchen. The curtains were of the same material they had found in the park. The next was from the warehouse, where a scrap of the same fabric caught on the corner of a crate had been unknowingly photographed. The last was from Eugene Hoff's former residence. The bathroom curtains looked identical to those in the Marlo kitchen.

Elliot looked up suddenly and glanced about his daughter's apartment. "Liv," he whispered gesturing to the windows.

Olivia followed his fingers, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. "Shit," she repeated.

"They're gone. He took the curtains from these windows and dispersed them throughout the other crime scenes."

Benson swallowed the sick feeling rising in her stomach. "Elliot, he told us where he would stash the next victim."

"What?" he asked.

"Oh my God," she sighed. "The phone call after he snatched Maribel Santos -- he mentioned Maureen's apartment, and the bedroom curtains. They're the only ones he left here."

Elliot did not say a word as he held out her phone.

She took it and scrolled back through the photos. "I should have seen it," she mentioned somberly, shaking her head. "Those crates were blocking the path in the warehouse. I studied every inch of that bathroom and didn't even notice them even though the rest of the windows had ones made of white lace. I stood in that kitchen for twenty min -- "

"Olivia, stop."

"--utes." She looked up into her partner's eyes. "You said it yourself, Elliot. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions -- I should have kept my eyes open."

Elliot dropped her gaze, immediately regretting his words. "It's not your fault, Liv."

Her head was shaking as she struggled to contain her emotion. "I should have seen it, Elliot. If I had, we wouldn't have wasted an entire day -- we could have gotten here and --"

"And we would have found her body a day sooner. There wasn't anything you could do. It's not like he would have let her live."

"But maybe we would have caught him this time. He could have another woman already."

The ringing of her cell phone cut off his reply.

"Munch, I know I fucked up. I don't need anything else to show me," she sighed, answering the call without even glancing at her Caller ID.

"Congratulations, Detective. It's a strong man who can admit his failures. Even a stronger woman."

Olivia's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the voice. Her own had become thin and fragile. "How did you get this number?"

Elliot stiffened beside her.

"A gentleman never reveals his sources. Tell me, Liv -- are you enjoying yourself? I imagine you've just discovered you could have won the game several paces back."

Liv chewed on her lip, attempting to maintain composure.

Gardner, however, kept at it. "Maybe if you had played more games as a child, you would have been quicker to figure it out. Did you think of that? Perhaps if you would have had a father to play with --"

"Stop it," she bit suddenly.

"Ooh," he cooed. "A bit touchy on the subject, are we? Growing up without a father must have been tough. I wonder, then, if sweet little Olivia ever tried to find a replacement daddy."

Benson's angry stare bored straight into the floor as the call ended abruptly.

"Olivia, are you okay?" Elliot asked. "Liv?"

She did not bother to answer. Something shiny had caught her eye and she kicked the chair. The friction of the carpet did not allow the chair to slide backwards, and it crashed to the floor.

"Liv, what the hell!" he exclaimed, jumping backwards.

Again there was no reply. Olivia's stomach had crawled into her throat. Underneath the chair had been a badge. Her heart pounding, she turned her open phone towards her. The last call was listed **Cragen (home)**.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Happy Holiday Season to all. Thanks especially to those of you brave enough to leave reviews: MarshMyMellow, TwilightgoddeslovesEdwardlol, yalcia, WestSide Love, Piper-Jack06-Butterflygirl!!**

**This is a little shorter than some of the other chaps -- don't worry: I'll make up for it next update!**

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**Chapter 19: To The Next Level**

"Do you even know where you're going?!" Elliot shouted as Olivia sped dangerously through a busy intersection.

"Yeah," Liv replied without taking her eyes off of the road for even a second. "I had to drive him home after the Darius Parker trial."

The flashing lights and siren calmed traffic a little, but still horns blared as they sped their way towards Cragen's house.

Elliot braced himself against his seat as their vehicle took a wide turn -- narrowly avoiding the row of parked cars. "Liv, slow the fuck down! You'll get us both killed!"

Benson glared at him, but dropped her speed a fraction.

"Thanks," Elliot muttered. The speed reduction did little to boost his confidence, but he understood her urgency. After all, he had driven the same way to Maureen's apartment not two hours before.

His cell phone rang. "Stabler."

Olivia heard him suck in a deep breath, and she resisted the urge to look at him. She did, however, glance at the clock in the dashboard. _Ten thirty-seven_.

"Okay, we're on our way there now. We should be there in --" He turned to his partner for the answer.

"Five minutes," Liv stated, understanding the pause even without looking.

"Five minutes," Elliot conveyed to the voice on the other end. "Alright," he answered a second later and then closed his phone.

"Cragen was a no-show at the precinct."

Olivia's stomach dropped. Cragen was never late -- much less without leaving word with someone.

"Munch and Fin are on their -- Jesus, Liv!" Elliot was interrupted momentarily as he was slammed against the side of the car. "Munch and Fin are on their way. They're calling in back-up and will meet us there."

Benson nodded, trying to ignore the tears welling up in her eyes. Cragen was more of a father to her than any man could ever hope to be -- related or not -- and she was not about to lose him this way.

"Shit," she muttered as she saw the traffic jam looming ahead of them.

Elliot narrowed his eyebrows. "Looks like an accident -- Liv, we aren't gonna get through."

Olivia slowed the car and looked in every direction. The cross streets were blocked by stopped cars. A near empty extra-wide sidewalk gave her an idea. Turning around in her seat, she checked to make sure no one was behind her. She put the car into reverse and floored the gas pedal until she was clear of the vehicles in the lane to her right.

"Liv -- what are you doing?" Elliot's eyes widened as the car swung towards the side of the street. "Are you nuts?" he shouted as the car made a violent crunching sound as it flew over the curb.

Benson drove back onto the road as soon as she had rounded the corner onto the cross street.

Elliot turned and looked out the rear window and then glanced back at his partner.

Two minutes and several blocks later, Olivia turned onto a residential street and slammed on the breaks. The tires squealed as the car slid against the curb. Almost immediately, she had sprung out of the car and was making her way down the sidewalk with her gun drawn.

"Liv!" Elliot called from behind. "Wait for back-up!"

His partner ignored him.

A thunderous rumble caused Elliot to glance up at the sky. A few dark grey clouds had developed, but it did not feel like rain. He sighed and pulled out his own weapon. He had the same thought she had._ It could be another fifteen minutes before additional units could respond -- if Cragen was in there, he may not have that kind of time._

He shook his head as he ran after her. _There'll be hell to pay later, though._

The front door was locked. Elliot tried once to kick it in, but it had been to no avail.

"If he's in there, he heard that," Benson whispered. Elliot nodded in repsonse.

Quickly and silently, the two crept alongside the white, stucco house until they reached the back door. A sinking feeling entered both of their guts -- the door was ajar.

Elliot used his gun to nudge the door open the rest of the way. They found themselves at the end of a short hallway into what appeared to be the living room. Beside them, a stairway led to the second floor.

Stabler motioned for his partner to take the second floor. Olivia nodded and cautiously climbed the staircase, keeping her back to the wall and her gun trained high above her.

Olivia swept each and every one of the rooms upstairs, but found nothing out of the ordinary. She was just leaving the last bedroom when she heard a heavy noise below her. Worried, she ran back to the stairs. _Where the hell was back-up? Where were Munch and Fin?_

"Elliot?" she whispered as she descended to the main floor. There was no response.

_You can't panic yet,_ she told herself. _He would have called if he ran into trouble._

She quickly made her way through the carpeted living room, searching for her partner. She paused for a second, listening at the top of the stairs going to the basement. She heard nothing and moved on. _He would've waited before going downstairs._

Olivia stepped into the kitchen. There was no one else in the room. However, there was a lamp tipped over on the edge of the counter. She imaged Elliot swinging his gun and knocking it over on accident. Her heart fluttered, hoping that had been the case.

There was only one room left -- the dining room. Benson popped her head in the doorway for a quick sweep, and pulled it back again. She had not seen anyone in view, so she turned her whole body to face the room. Her gun moved gracefully with her -- a cold, metal extension of her arm.

She cautiously entered, taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer.

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she threw herself to the ground. A vase flew through the air above her and crashed against the wall, raining shards of porcelain down upon her.

"Welcome, detective. You cannot imagine how pleased I am that we are finally meeting." The voice was the same, but it held a greater sense of terror now that she was hearing it in person.

Olivia remained silent as she laid on the floor, attempting to steady her nerves. She quickly rolled onto her side, bringing her gun around with her. The porcelain pieces crackled as they shook loose from her jacket.

The scene in front of her brought Benson to a new level of anxiety. Although Earl Alan Gardner held no gun, it was of little comfort to her-- for he did have her captain gagged and duct-taped into a dining chair.

Olivia found it suddenly hard to swallow. Gardner crouched behind his captive and held a knife tight against his throat.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Fearlessnessity, yalcia, tammy, MarshMyMellow, Piper-Jack06-Butterflygirl, Reckoning in Death, and the anonymous poster -- thanks so much for the reviews. This story has hit triple digits!! It makes me feel all warm and chocolate-chip-cookie-ish inside.

Bit of trivia -- the majority of this chapter was actually the first thing I wrote.

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**Chapter 20: Deathmatch**

"Why don't you put down your gun, Olivia?" Earl suggested. "It might go smoother that way."

Olivia had no sudden urge to follow his instructions, but still she evaluated the situation. From her prone position, anywhere she aimed included a piece of her boss.

The knife glinted in the morning light as Cragen's captor adjusted it, and Olivia found she could not remove her eyes from it.

"Drop the knife, Gardner!" she shouted, "Don't be stupid!"

"Liv, sweetheart. I don't exactly believe you're in a position to negotiate." He smiled at her from behind Cragen's head. He paused for a few seconds, and then spoke again. "I'm still waiting."

Benson glanced at her gun, and then back at her Captain. Though he was gagged and physically unable to move his head without getting stabbed, she could read the message in his eyes.

_No_, they told her. _Don't do it._

Tears started to well up in her own, causing Olivia to curse herself silently. She managed to hold her gun steady, though, and she watched carefully for a clear shot to appear.

"I guess you'll just have to wait a little longer, jackass." Olivia had gathered all of her strength into that sentence.

"Suit yourself," the man shifted his weight a little.

Olivia saw a shot and put pressure on the trigger. However, Gardner saw it as well, and before she could squeeze off a round, the opening disappeared behind Cragen's head.

Gardner smiled at her brief failure. "I've got plenty of time to wait, detective. How 'bout you?"

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. _Where the hell is Elliot? Or back-up? What was taking them so long?_

"We could wait for your partner -- but I think that could be a while."

Olivia shook her head. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" He matched her intense stare.

Olivia was beginning to get a crick in her neck, and her abs were killing her, but still she held her position. "Let go of the knife! Let him go."

"I don't think so."

"Let him go, and you walk out of here."

Gardner tilted his head. "You really think I believe that? What's to stop you from putting a bullet in my head, detective?"

Liv tighted her grip on her weapon. Her arm was beginning to go numb, but she was desperately trying to buy more time. "I wouldn't," she stated. "You have my word."

"Your word? Sorry, no good. Only one of us is walking out of here today, Miss Olivia -- either you or I." He glanced down at the knife. "And I guess that depends on how well you play the game."

"No more games, Earl," Olivia spat. "I'm not playing any longer."

Gardner sighed without looking up from his weapon. "You know -- you're a stubborn pain-in-the-ass, Olivia Benson."

"I'll be a pain-in-more-than-your-ass if you don't drop that knife and let Captain Cragen go."

The man shook his head. "Charming -- but this time it will cost you."

Liv opened her mouth to reply, but she was not afforded the chance. Without a further word, Gardner had turned the knife downward in his hand and had thrust it hard into Cragen's left shoulder.

"No!" Olivia screamed as Cragen cried out through his gag, writhing in pain. "You son-of-a-bitch!"

Her hands had begun to shake violently.

"Put the gun down, Olivia!" Gardner shouted. "Or I put a matching hole in his neck."

Cragen moaned. His face was contorted in agony, but still his eyes screamed _No!_

Olivia did have to face reality -- she knew there was not a chance in hell. She could not trust her hands to be steady even if she did have the slimmest chance of a shot. She felt her whole body trembling as she came to a decision.

_I'm sorry_, she mouthed silently to her boss. Her gun clattered to the floor. She could not bring herself to look Cragen in the face. She could imagine well enough the disappointment that resided there.

"Good. Now push it away."

Benson stared at him defiantly. Gardner raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No?"

He twisted the knife in Cragen's shoulder. Muffled cries of agony echoed in her ears, and she could no longer hold back tears. Olivia shoved her gun away as hard as she could. She heard it hit the wall a second later.

Cragen groaned, grimacing as Gardner pulled the knife out from his wound. Gardner stepped over to where Olivia's gun had landed.

Benson saw an opportunity. She leaped up from the floor and prepared to rush him.

Gardner, however, was faster and whirled around, pointing her own gun at her chest.

"Stupid move, Detective." He gestured with the gun. "On your knees."

Cragen was shaking his head at her and moaning, but Olivia tuned him out. She obeyed the instructions and knelt on the floor.

"Okay, okay," she said, raising her arms in surrender.

In an instant, Gardner was upon her. He slipped her gun in his belt and then grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet.

Liv gritted her teeth at the sudden flash of pain. She then felt an arm wrap tightly around her waist, and the knife thrust against her neck. She closed her eyes in disgust, feeling the warmth of Cragen's blood upon her throat.

Earl Gardner's face was pressed up against her own.

"We've enjoyed watching you make stupid moves all over the place. Admit it, Olivia -- you've been two steps behind us the entire time. How many bodies did it take before you actually got off your duff and gave a damn. Three?"

"Shut up," she whispered.

"Those bodies are on you, Olivia. They're on you and on the NYPD."

"No," she spat bitterly. "They're all on you, Gardner!"

He laughed. "You can try to think that -- if you think it'll help you sleep better at night. But now, perhaps you'll think long and hard about the offer I made you during our first encounter?"

Cragen violently twisted in his chair, trying to stretch the bonds enough to break free. Blood had already soaked his shirt, and he became paler with every second.

Olivia felt sick to her stomach watching him flail about helplessly as Gardner whispered into her ear. She nearly lost it when she felt him getting hard against her back, and she tried to pull away.

"I don't think so," he spat in her face, shoving his hand between her legs and pulling her towards him. Benson fought the urge to cry out as he squeezed. "Game over, Olivia -- you lose."

A crashing noise came from somewhere else in the house. Liv sighed with relief as the hand disappeared from her crotch, and she found herself turning along with Gardner as he moved to face the door.

"Detective Stabler, is that you? You've finished your little nap already? Well, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait in line then -- she's mine first. I hope you don't mind corpses!"

Olivia paid little attention to his words. She was more interested in the face that his grasp on her had loosened. Benson knew she had to use it to her advantage. Gathering all of her strength, she thrust her elbow between his legs.

Gardner cried out as he dropped to his knees.

Olivia spun around, bringing her knee up to his face. She heard a sickening crunch as it connected with his nose. Blood spurted all over her jeans as Gardner flew backwards.

As he had moved away from her, Olivia had managed to remove her weapon from his belt, and in one fluid motion, now aimed it at him.

Gardner was sprawled out on his back, yet he had somehow managed to hold on to his knife.

Liv vibrated as she pointed the gun at his head "No. You lose."

Gardner pulled his face together wickedly. "You're not going to shoot me, Liv."

She shook her head in response. "Just give me a fucking reason!"

His smile vanished and was replaced by a frown. He sighed and made motions to surrender the knife.

"You know -- my father lost his life in the line of duty. I've come to terms with his death. How long do you think it will take you?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Cragen's head suddenly drop on to his chest. She panicked, and her gaze instinctively shot to him.

However brief it was, her distraction gave Gardner an opportunity.

Benson turned back to him just in time to watch him plunge the knife deep into her thigh.

Gardner smiled as she screamed out in agony.

Blood seeped up around the edges of the knife and ran down her leg. Olivia felt as though a white-hot fire burned in her thight, yet still she managed to apply enough pressure to squeeze the trigger.

The first shot blew away part of his face, but still she kept firing. She was no longer in control, and she no longer saw him. Instead she saw Marilyn Koster's tortured body. She saw Ashley Marin's twisted form. She saw Shannon Trusely, Maribel Santos, and Amanda Marlo. She saw the fear in Elliot's eyes and the terror in the shivering body of little Raul Santos. Now she saw the life slipping away from the only man she regarded as a father. Before even realizing she was still firing, Olivia had emptied the clip.

She dropped the gun and collapsed to the floor. She stared at the knife still protruding from her twitching leg -- she watched as the blood trickled down to the floor.

_Get it out! Get it out!_ Every fiber of her being screamed it. Her hands hovered over the instrument, itching to pull it out. She wanted so badly to take the knife and throw it as far away as she could, but something kept holding her back.

A creak sounded behind her, and Olivia jumped. The fire in her leg became more intense, but when she saw the source of the noise, she forgot all about the pain.

Cragen had slumped over in his chair. His face was pale, and his eyes were closed.

"No, no, no!!" Olivia shouted. She tried to stand, but her leg immediately buckled beneath her. Benson fought back tears of pain as she fell back down to the ground.

Grimacing, she tried to block out the pain again. Liv knew she could not walk, so she used her arms to drag herself across the hardwood floor. A deep red blood trail followed her until she finally reached the chair in just a few seconds.

Once at Cragen's side, Liv found that by stretching her arm as far as she could, she could search for a pulse. It was weak, but definitely still there.

"Stay with me, Don -- stay with me."

Olivia sat up completely straight and used both hands to place pressure on his wound. Blood gurgled through her fingers. She gasped in fear and pressed harder.

A second later she finally noticed something was jabbing into her side. Looking down, she saw her radio which had been knocked to the floor earlier.

Olivia grabbed it with one bloodied hand.

"SVU Detective Benson to Central. Officers down!" She frantically shouted out the address. "Send a bus!"

The radio crackled. "Central to Detective Benson. How many down?"

Olivia closed her eyes. She hoped Elliot was okay, but she feared for the worst. _Elliot, Elliot -- please be alright. Please._

"Three officers -- including myself," she reported. "Suspect is down also."

_But he won't be getting up again_, she thought as she glanced at the lifeless form in the middle of a pool of blood.

"Ten-four. Back-up is already on site. Bus is en route."

"Ten-four," Benson managed to breath before dropping the radio. She was feeling a numb, tingling sensation in her fingers. She tried to squeeze her hand into a fist to wake it up, but it did not appear to work.

Suddenly she became aware of the fact that the blood seemed to be seeping slower from Cragen's shoulder. She prayed with all of her might that it was a good thing.

"Damn it, Don -- don't you dare leave me here! Don't you dare!" She tried to shout, but only came out in a hoarse whisper. She leaned her head in Cragen's lap. "Don't you dare."

Olivia felt the rest of her arm growing weak, and dark edges appeared in her vision.

Munch bursting into the room with a bulletproof vest and gun drawn low was the last thing she saw before everything faded to black. There had been a scream etched upon his lips, but Olivia could hear no sound of it.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: You reviewers -- Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl, svulover15, MarshMyMellow, WestSide Love, TwilightgoddesslovesEdwardlol, Fearlessnessity -- are AMAZING!! Please continue to leave the feedback! I love it so!**

**Sorry this took some time to put up. I had some creative differences -- with myself.**

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**Chapter 21: Waking Up**

The darkness began to fade, and tiny beeps echoed across her thoughts. Louder and louder they seemed to become, pounding against her skull. Her eyelids felt as if they were made of concrete. They were so heavy. Then suddenly, she forced them open and the colors rushed in.

Olivia gasped as she woke. Cragen's living room, Gardner's body, the blood -- it was all gone, replaced instead by a small hospital room, whirring machinery, and a sleepy Munch.

Something caught in the back of her throat, and she gave a slight cough. The action jarred her body, and she groaned in sudden pain.

Munch's eyes flew open. He pushed himself farther up in the chair as he saw she was awake. "Welcome back."

Liv blinked and adjusted her eyes to the shallow light. Her voice was hoarse. "Uh, thanks."

She looked around the room. "I'm still alive then, huh?"

Munch grinned. "You think you can skip out on us that easily? No way."

"And Cragen? What about Cragen?"

A concerned expression crossed his face. "He hasn't come out of surgery yet. We're still waiting."

Olivia closed her eyes in disappointment. "Where's Elliot?"

A sly quiver of a smirk crept onto his chin. "About that – you wanna go back to sleep for a few minutes?"

She narrowed her eyes in response.

Munch grinned and shrugged. "I think he wanted to be here when you woke up. He's been sitting here pretty much since they brought you out. I just sent him to get some coffee and call his wife. Don't think he'll be too happy with me. I had to promise him you wouldn't wake up when he was gone. Should've known you'd foil my plans one more time."

She grinned. "You'll be fine, don't worry."

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Suit yourself," she sighed. "How is he? Was he okay?"

He coughed. "Nothing six stitches couldn't fix. Though, he's been beating himself up more than Gardner ever could have."

Liv dropped her eyes. She had been expecting that. "How long have I been out?"

Munch tilted his head. "You mean, 'how long has he been blaming himself'?"

She glared at him, but then gave a slight dip of the head.

"Better part of a day. It's almost tomorrow, in fact."

Olivia nodded, noticing the dark windows. She glanced at the lower portion of her body, covered in the standard hospital blanket.

The smile disappeared from his face. "I was wondering when you were gonna get around to that. Before I tell you anything, I just want you to know that saved as much as they could, which --"

"What?!?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening as her voice squeaked. She threw back the blankets in alarm, and froze when she realized she still had both of her legs.

" -- Which just happened to be all of it."

She glared at her colleague. "Oh, he's definitely gonna kill you now."

"There's the Liv I remember." Munch began laughing. "Your leg's fine -- docs were able to repair the damage. The knife barely missed your femoral artery, and they managed to control the bleeding. It'll be a while, though, before you're up and chasing perps."

He stood up. "If you don't mind -- I'm gonna go tell Stabler you're decent."

"Thanks." Olivia nodded.

He was almost out the door when she called out to him.

"Yes?" he asked, turning around.

"Did the docs have anything to say about Cragen?"

He sighed and tipped his head. "He lost a lot of blood, Liv. They're working as hard as they can. When I know something – you'll know it. We just have to wait."

He paused for a second before adding, "And pray."

Munch disappeared, and it was barely two minutes before Elliot appeared in the doorway. Relief was apparent in his facial expression.

"Hey," he smiled at her.

Olivia pushed herself up in bed, attempting to ignore the shooting pains.

"You okay?" her partner asked.

She nodded her head, wincing. "Yeah, I think the drugs are wearing off, though." She looked up and saw the bandage on his forehead. "I could ask you the same question."

Elliot absently touched the injury. "Bastard surprised me from behind and I took a tumble down the basement stairs. Don't remember anything after that. I didn't even have a chance to warn you."

Liv shook her head when she caught him eyeing her exposed leg with guilt written on his gaze. "Hey, hey," she said, quickly covering it back up. "It's not your fault, El. I was the one who went in half-cocked. It was my decision, my consequences."

An awkward grin appeared on his lips as he rolled his eyes. "Liv, you know you're not going to change anything by talking right?"

There was a small chuckle as she nodded. "I forgot -- the whole Catholic thing."

"The whole Catholic thing," he repeated.

Olivia's smile faded as his did. "So -- when do I have to pay the piper?"

"IAB, you mean? I've already gone through that fun, but for you, Munch has been trying to fend them off as long as possible. He's only human, though, so I imagine it won't be long." There were a few moments of silence before he spoke again in a more serious tone. "You were right, though, not to wait for back-up. I don't know how Gardner would have reacted to all of the sirens."

Her eyebrows came together in confusion. "But they would have come in silent -- like we did, to try and take him by surprise." _As that had worked so well._

Obviously thinking the same thought, Elliot glanced down at the floor and took a few steps towards the bed. "That traffic jam we ran into had been caused by an accident. About the time you took off for the house, the fuel tank on one of the cars exploded. Fire engines usually don't arrive on silent."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She did not want dwell on what could have happened.

"Munch said you were still waiting on Cragen?"

Elliot nodded. "Uh, yeah. They rushed him into surgery, and you right after. You've been in recovery for a few hours now, but we haven't heard anything on Cragen. A nurse mentioned a complication -- some of their sutures burst or something. From what I got out of it, they had to basically start over."

"Oh my God," she breathed, covering her eyes with her hands.

The tears that rolled down her cheeks startled her partner. "Liv, don't," he pleaded, sitting on the edge of her bed. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and ran his hand along her cheek to brush away the tears. "You did everything you could -- it's up to Cragen now. You fought as much as you could for him."

His words did little to cheer her and she stared at him with watering eyes.

"C'mere," he whispered, slipping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug. Liv sniffled as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I can't lose him, El," she breathed between tears.

"I know," he replied, gently stroking her back. "He's tough, though. He won't go without a fight. He's going to fight it, Liv. You're not gonna lose him."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Wow...I really take a long time, when I take a long time. My bad, guys. Life is too busy. I envy my dog.**

**Thanks for all of the continued reviews: Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl, TwilightgoddesslovesEdwardlol, svulover15, TigreLily, MarshMyMellow, WestSide Love, april, loggie 831, EOlove, LegaspiWeaver, Fearlessnessity, yalcia!!!**

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**Chapter 22: Making Good**

A hazy light drifted beneath Olivia's eyelids as she awoke on her side. Her head was throbbing; the muffled voices from the nurses in the hallway seemed to amplify as the sound entered her head. When she finally fluttered her eyes open, her vision was blurry. Olivia squinted and blinked, trying to clear away the fuzziness. She began to stare at the clock on the wall, trying to comprehend just what it meant. It took her brain a few seconds to understand.

"Wha --" she whispered. It was nearly one in the afternoon. Liv wiped her face with her hand. She couldn't have slept that long. _All morning?_ _There was no way_. She remembered waking up earlier. _I must have fallen back asleep – or was it a dream?_ She thought she remembered Elliot standing in the hallway talking with someone who was out of view, but she didn't remember him coming into speak to her. She groaned slightly. Her head was killing her, making it hard to think.

Olivia covered the right side of her face with her hand. She had slept so long, and yet she still felt exhausted. She attempted to roll onto her back, and pain shot up her leg.

Liv cursed through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes until the feeling subsided. When she opened her eyes, she found herself a little more focused. One thing the pain managed to do was clear away some of the cobwebs from her thoughts. The painkillers were obviously wearing off.

The nurses' conversation was less muffled, and Olivia was able to catch a few words and phrases. The blonde one had said something about an explosion. Olivia drew her brow together in frustration. A distant thought came to mind, but she could not quite piece it all together.

Her mind too shadowy to eavesdrop, she looked for something else to occupy her attention. Her eyes came to rest on a folded piece of paper left on her nightstand. She snatched it as quickly as she could and unfolded the note. Immediately she recognized Elliot's handwriting. _So he had been here after all._

_**Liv,  
**__**Just wanted to let you know –  
Cragen's out of surgery and doing ok.  
Told you not to worry.**_

A smile spread across her face as relief travelled through her body. Her leg be damned, she was going to see him for herself. Olivia threw back her blankets and ignored the pain as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Hesitantly, she touched her feet to the floor. Gradually she began to stand, attempting to put all of her weight on her good leg. She was still groggy, however, and lost her balance. To keep from falling over, she placed some weight on the other leg. Her knee buckled beneath her and she stumbled back against the bed.

"Hey!" The red-headed nurse had poked her head into the doorway. "Where you think you're going?"

Olivia blinked hard to shut out the pain. She shook her head. "Um, I just had to use the bathroom."

The nurse folded her arms across her chest. "Uh-huh."

Liv swallowed back a gulp, feeling somewhat threatened by the harsh stare in the woman's eyes.

The nurse sighed. "And you thought you were gonna walk there, huh? You wanna rip stitches?"

Olivia took a deep breath and feigned a smile. "Not particularly."

The nurse dropped her arms to her side, allowing Olivia to see her name badge displayed Betsy. Betsy shook her head, muttering under her breath and disappeared momentarily in to the hall. She returned a few seconds later with a wheelchair.

"Your partner told me you were stubborn, so there's no use in me trying to keep you in bed." She wheeled the chair around to where Olivia sat, and held out her hand. "Let's just try to minimize the damage, shall we?"

Liv smiled and let the woman help her into the chair. She waited patiently while Betsy hung her IV drip on the back of the chair, before speaking. "Um – I wasn't actually planning on going to the bathroom."

Betsy snorted as she began pushing her. "Shocker."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The nurse stopped Olivia's chair when they had reached a room on the second floor.

"Give me a sec," she said before walking to the open door. "Knock, knock," she called out.

A second later, an older doctor appeared from the room.

Betsy smiled as she spoke. "Just wondering if he was up for a little visit."

The doctor looked past her at Olivia, glanced back into the room, and then nodded his head. "Just try to keep it brief – he's been having difficulty staying awake for very long."

The man smiled at the nurse and gave a slight nod to Liv before continuing on down the hall.

"Well, you heard the doc." Betsy returned to her position behind the chair and pushed Olivia into the room.

Liv took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves as she glanced at the motionless form lying on the bed.

Cragen's eyes were closed, and he looked oddly frail. His color, though, was better than she had last seen. As she came closer, images of his unconscious body drooping from the chair and blood gushing down his shirt flashed before her eyes. She could hear herself crying out and she could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"I'll just step outside – when you're ready, just give me a holler."

The nurse's voice forced Olivia to shake the thoughts from her mind, and focus on the present situation. Once the nurse had exited from the room, she took another deep breath and reached out towards the bed. Her hand shook violently as she extended her arm, so she paused for another second to regain composure. Cautiously, she took hold of his hand.

At her touch, his eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," she whispered.

He blinked a few times and glanced about the room before his eyes came back to rest on her. A small grin appeared on his face. "Olivia," he croaked in a hoarse voice. "You're okay."

Liv smiled back. "Yeah – I'm okay. Even better now that you are, too."

He gave a small chuckle. "Worried about an old man, huh?"

Olivia glanced down at her lap before looking back at him.

Cragen cleared his throat. "Liv, I would have been okay."

She nodded silently, but he grabbed her hand – forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I would have been okay," he repeated. "Why didn't you take the shot? You would have had him."

"And hit you as well? No," she shook her head. "I made a promise – to you and to someone else. Most importantly to myself."

Cragen narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Olivia smiled in an attempt to hold back tears. "I had to make sure we wouldn't have to dig out your uniform for a funeral, remember?"

He stared at her for a few seconds, and then a grin spread across his face and he began to chuckle. His laugh turned to a cough, however, and Olivia withdrew her hand in concern.

"You need your rest," she stated. "I should leave so you can."

Cragen took a deep breath and nodded, wiping away some moisture from his mouth. His eyes closed again and soon his chest began to rise and fall rhythmically.

Olivia again took his hand in hers and sighed deeply. He did not stir at her touch, and she was grateful. As she watched him sleeping peacefully, she contemplated her feelings towards him. In the back of her mind, she had always regarded him as a father figure -- but it was not until his life was in jeopardy that she had realized the full extent of the matter. She closed her eyes, remembering all of the times he had defended her, protected her, sacrificed for her. Now, as he slept before her, alive and healing, she was content in the knowledge that she had sacrificed something of herself in order to return the favor. There was nothing anyone could say to make her regret her decision -- she would have acted no differently.

Munch could joke all he wanted, but she would have gladly forgone the use of her legs if it would have ensured Cragen's life.

Liv smiled as she watched him for a few minutes longer. She then gently placed his hand on the bed beside him, and whispered a good-bye.

A throat cleared behind her, and she glanced around to see Betsy leaning in the door. _You ready?_ she mouthed.

Olivia nodded, and the redhead took her place behind the wheel chair once again.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I apologize profusely for such a long delay. Blizzards, floods, family stuff -- you name it, I've had it. That and creative differences with myself. I am so sorry.**

**Thank you for sticking with me, though. Your reviews are amazing: svulover15, WestSide Love, Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl, Lady Jayne DeSota!!**

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**Chapter 23: Liability**

"Welcome back, Detective."

Olivia Benson glanced at the young man who stood behind her in the elevator and recognized him as one of the computer technicians. She smiled, thanking him politely.

When the elevator doors slid open, she stepped out and took a deep breath. She had barely made it to her floor and she was already growing weary of all the attention being paid to her. Those who didn't outright greet her vocally smiled at her, and a few glanced concernedly at the cane she currently held at her side. Some tried to hide their pity, but Liv still sensed it – and it bothered her.

In her own mind, Olivia believed herself to be perfectly fine. It had been two weeks since she had been released from the hospital. Her wound was healing quickly, and the pain had greatly diminished. She had hated spending so much time in physical therapy, but she now vowed to step it up a notch. With everyone looking at her cane, she was feeling rather self-conscious and could not wait to lose it.

"Liv!"

She heard her partner's voice the moment she stepped into the squad room.

Elliot had been standing at the coffee pot with Munch, and now he walked towards her. "What are you doing here?"

Olivia grinned as she gestured to her desk. "I work here."

"Not for another week, you don't." He did his best to look disapproving, though he could not say he had not missed her company. He took a sip of coffee before continuing. "You should be at home resting."

She rolled her eyes as she began to make her way back to her desk.

"Good attempt, though," Munch grinned, stepping forward and gesturing with his mug. "Really thought you'd get her with that one."

"Shut up," Elliot glared as he turned towards him.

There was a sparkle in Munch's eye as he continued. "Next time you should throw in something about eating all her vegetables."

Elliot exhaled loudly and glanced at the ceiling.

Fin shook his head as he sat at his desk. "Well, I'm glad to see you back, Liv."

He pushed up from his chair, and stepped around his desk. "You have no idea how much a pain in the ass your partner is."

Olivia laughed out loud, a coy smile remaining on her face. She had missed all of the bantering while she was stuck in her apartment. It felt good to be back.

Liv took a deep breath and watched as Fin walked down the hallway towards the restroom, and as the other two slowly went back to business, before focusing on what was in front of her.

Her desk was somewhat of a mess, but she was actually looking forward to clearing through it all. Reiner had made it clear to her that she would be on desk duty until he said otherwise. Olivia did not mind all that much – she knew she wasn't physically ready to be out on the streets. Besides, being stuck behind a desk was much better than being stuck in her apartment.

A haphazard pile of folders lay in the middle of her desk. Liv flipped them open one by one in order to figure out which paperwork had to be done first. She was halfway through the stack when her hand brushed on a folder with Gardner's picture clipped to the front.

Her breath caught in her throat, and her heartbeat quickened. Panicked, Olivia glanced about the squadroom to see if anyone had noticed her reaction. Munch had returned to his desk – neither he nor her partner, who was talking to another officer across the room, seemed to be paying any attention. Quickly, she pulled the folder from the stack and slipped it into her shoulder bag.

"Detective Benson!"

Captain Jonas Reiner had appeared from Cragen's office.

Olivia's heart sank a fraction when she realized it was no longer Cragen's office. The brass had doubts as to whether he could retake command of the unit, even in the event of full recovery. Retirement had been heavily suggested, and Reiner – a tall, slender man with graying hair – was brought in as a permanent replacement.

"I didn't think I was going to see you back so soon," Reiner commented, walking towards her desk. He leaned down with both hands holding on to the edge of the desk. "I believe you're still on leave."

Olivia breathed deeply, and nodded. "I know. I just needed a break from home."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you came here? To work?"

Liv gave a small smile and shrugged.

Reiner shook his head. "Well, I admire your dedication, Detective. I really do."

"But?" Olivia whispered.

"But I can't let you come back yet." He lowered his voice to prevent any eavesdropping. "I need to know you're ready to be back. You may think you are; Stabler may think you are – but I need to know you are." He stood up, crossing his arms to his side. "So – I want you to use this next week to your advantage. Get in your PT and whatever else. If you need sometime away from home -- go for a walk, go shopping, have someone take you out for lunch. Just keep a good distance from here until at least Monday morning. And if you want to go ahead and visit with one of the shrinks now, feel free – because you're not coming back until one of them clears you. Understand?"

Olivia nodded.

Reiner sighed. "Good. Enjoy your time off, Detective. You'll be back to work before you know it."

With that sentiment, he turned and headed over to a uniformed officer who had been trying to get his attention.

Olivia straightened the pile of folders on her desk, stood up, and pushed in her chair. She slung her bag over her shoulder without a word, and picked up her cane.

Elliot stood next to her, an apologetic expression on his face.

"I guess I'll see you next week, then," she offered.

He nodded and smiled. "You bet."

Olivia waved to the rest of her colleagues and made her way back to the elevators. As the metal doors once again shut in front of her, she let out a disappointed sigh. She knew she should expect no different – the department had set out this timeline with her doctors' recommendation, and Reiner was following it fairly. She could not resent him for anything – she knew she would make the same call if she were in his position.

She was a liability yet. The department knew it; Reiner knew it; she herself knew it. And if there was anything she resented, it was that.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I only have a few chaps left on this bad boy -- I'll try to get them done soon, but it's somewhat slow-going. Like I don't want to let it go. Ha ha.**

**Thank you Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl, KSUnsungHero and WestSide Love for the reviews!**

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**Chapter 24: Still Unfinished**

Olivia took a deep breath as she knocked on the door to Huang's office the next day. She had been dreading this confrontation ever since she was released, but she had decided to take Reiner's suggestion to heart. Therapy had never really worked well in her opinion, but she was firm in her resolve to treat this as an opportunity. If Huang was going to pick apart her brain, it was only fair that she could use him as something of a mental backboard. Determined to make the session successful, Olivia even managed a smile on her face when the door opened.

"Good afternoon, Olivia." Huang stood in the doorframe, politely inviting her in with a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, pretty good actually. Thanks." She followed his gesture and took a seat in one of the chairs.

Huang closed the door quietly and silently seated himself in the chair nearest her.

"I heard you opted not to keep taking the pain medications."

Olivia sighed and slouched slightly in her chair. So far that decision had not come back to bite her on the ass. _Yet_, she thought.

"You gonna write me up for that?"

A bemused grin appeared on his face. "Not exactly. I merely asked in order to get a feel for your current condition. That's all."

Liv raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

Sensing her ability to see through his words, he decided not to hold anything back. "It's common knowledge that pain can have substantial effects on an individual's well-being – physically, emotionally, and mentally."

Olivia straightened and absent-mindedly shifted her cane so it was less visible. "Pain isn't really that big of an issue anymore. My leg can be a little sore and stiff from time to time, but it's nothing I can't handle."

Huang tilted his head, blinking thoughtfully. "So physical pain is not an issue. What about your emotional pain?"

"What about it?" she asked, after clearing her throat.

He leaned forward in his seat, noticing her deflection of the question. "Olivia, how often do you think about Gardner?"

Liv hesitated, debating how to best answer. _How often do you think about Gardner? Maybe the better question would be, how often don't you think of him?_ She was not purposely trying to picture him, but he was always there in the back of her mind. Every time her leg stiffened, he was there. Every time she tried to sleep, he was there in her dreams. It was as if he were a ghost haunting her.

"Olivia?"

Honesty had always been the best policy when it came to Huang's evaluations. Acknowledging this, she took a deep breath and locked eyes with the shrink. "I think about him much more than I would like to."

Huang nodded, but said nothing. He only continued to stare into her face, waiting patiently for her to continue.

She paused, wishing he would throw her another question, but was met only with his silence. She became unnerved, and dropped her gaze to her lap. "It's like he's always there."

Huang let loose a breath, and leaned back against his chair. "What is it that you see when your thoughts go to him?"

Olivia bit her lip and ran a shaky hand through her hair. "At first, I only saw the victims. I couldn't sleep without stumbling across their bodies in my dreams. I would find their bodies, and all I could hear was his laughing…laughing at me."

"And now?"

"Now," she paused briefly. "Now there are no bodies. Just Gardner – I can only see him now."

The shrink touched his chin in contemplation. "Where are you in these dreams?"

Liv shrugged and slowly shook her head. "I don't know. Sometimes it seems like I'm there, but mostly – there's just this feeling that I'm missing some big piece. It's like he's laughing at me – mocking me because I can't put it all together. He's always two steps ahead."

Suddenly she stopped. "Always two steps ahead…"

Huang narrowed his eyebrows as she trailed off and stared out into space. "Olivia?" he asked cautiously.

At her name, she snapped back to attention. "Huh?"

Huang leaned forward again, interested in her reactions. "What were you just thinking about?"

Olivia exhaled deeply. "I was, uh…something just, uh…I just thought of something."

He waited only a few seconds before she turned to look at him. "I have a question, doc."

"Go ahead," he said, motioning with his hands.

She tilted her head before speaking. "When we caught on to Gardner as a suspect, you claimed he fit the profile."

"Yes, perfectly," he nodded, failing in his attempt to hide the guilt from his eyes. "I should have seen it sooner."

Olivia ignored the last part of his response, and she was again staring at nothing in particular. Huang could see the wheels turning in her mind as he carefully watched her face.

"What if you were wrong?" she thought aloud. "What if the entire profile was wrong? What if we were missing something?"

Huang frowned. "Something like what?"

"Like a second perp," she spoke, still without looking at him. "Could there have been a partner?"

He took a deep breath, carefully guarding his expression as to not give anything away. "What makes you think that?"

She shook her head, and relaxed back into the chair. "There was just something he said. We have always been two steps ahead of you. 'We,' not 'I.'"

Huang sat in absolute silence for a few moments. "I suppose it's possible I could be wrong – it definitely wouldn't be the first time."

Olivia stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

After a brief hesitation, he did. "There's no indication at any of the scenes that there was an accomplice. No evidence that would point towards someone other than Gardner, correct?"

She sighed, and shook her head. "No. Not that I can find." _Yet_, she added mentally.

Dr. Huang nodded calmly. "The only way I can see there being two perpetrators is if one had complete control over the other. He would have to be in such a dominant position that he would be virtually invisible. Untraceable. And in that regards – it's very difficult for me to accept that. Anything is possible, Olivia, but it just seems like the work of a single individual."

When Olivia said nothing in response, Huang could no longer hold back his concern. "There is another possibility."

When she met his eyes, he knew she had been considering the same thought. "That he did it on purpose – to throw me off?"

Huang tightened his face. "He did his best to control – and torture – you during each phone call and at each crime scene. Gardner was smart. He might have even acknowledged the possibility that he was fallible, and as such created a back-up plan. What you might have seen as a slip-up, could have been a planned attack. Even if he were to die, if he could leave you with the smallest amount of self-doubt, he could claim it a success."

"Self-doubt?" she whispered. She took it all in for a minute, and then shuddered. "How exactly am I supposed to finish this?"

Huang shook his head. "Maybe you'll never know. Maybe you just have to accept the fact that you're fallible, too, and move on. But I can't tell you what to do, Olivia. You're the one who has to close this case for yourself, even if you can't actually close it– however long that may take. It's controlling you, and you have to find some way to conquer it."

Olivia stood from her chair, thoughts swarming in her head. She began attempting to sort them out as she walked towards the door to leave.

"Olivia!," Huang called out.

She turned silently.

"I'd like you to come back in a few days and see where you're at."

Liv gave a slight smile and nodded. "Sure thing."

As the door closed behind her, Huang exhaled loudly and turned to the window. He watched a pigeon land on the ledge, before turning his attention to his thoughts. _Was I too quick to place her in the spotlight? Did I misjudge how damaging he could be?_

He silently walked to his desk, and took a seat in his leather chair. He knew Olivia was tougher than anyone could guess, but he severely hoped he had not thought her more durable than she actually could be.

Olivia had to find a way. If she could not overcome her hesitations, they would eat at her – and as such, Huang would not feel comfortable in her return to duty.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I have been super-lax on updating this and I apologize. Hopefully I can wrap this story up soon. Sorry for all of the delays.**

**Thanks to WestSide Love, PiePerson, and SoRightItsWrong for their reviews!**

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**Chapter 25: Illuminated **

Beads of sweat dripped down her face as Olivia collapsed onto the couch later that week. She wiped away the perspiration forming on her brow, and gently massaged the increasing stiffness out of her thigh. Her physical therapist had cautioned her to not over-extend herself in her exercises, and she had so far heeded the advice. After her short trip to the precinct however, she had found new motivation – and new fear. She was afraid recovery would take too long if she failed to push herself.

The pain was not overwhelming, but enough that the bottle of ibuprofen on the kitchen counter called out to her. Her knee put in protest when asked to bend, so she resorted to grabbing the edge of the coffee table and pulling herself to her feet. She stretched out her leg a bit before limping towards the countertop.

Swiftly, she cracked open the plastic bottle, and dry-swallowed two capsules.

The exercise had warmed her body, and she felt overheated as she stood there in her tank top and shorts. Glancing back to the window, Liv checked that the blinds were closed.

Grabbing the bottom of her tank top, she pulled it over her head and let it fall to the floor. She continued stripping out of her clothes as she hobbled towards the bathroom.

Liv jumped at first when she stepped into the shower, but after the initial shock, the cool water felt almost heavenly against her skin. She placed her face directly under the spray, and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Olivia then leaned back, blinking away the drops of water that ran down her eyelids. She rested her head against the shower surround, closing her eyes as the cool water cascaded down her body.

She could feel the muscles in her body relax, almost as if they had molded themselves into the wall of the shower. The physical pain seemed to drip away with the water, and her body seemed to drift into a half-sleep.

She was tired – so very tired. She could sense it with every ounce of her being. As she stood there under the falling water, she tried as hard as she could to chase away the thoughts and images that had accrued since the first victim had been found.

At long last, she could feel her mind switching off. Olivia turned off the water, and stepped out of the tub. She reached for a towel, and paused for a moment when she caught her reflection in the mirror. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and her wrinkles were more defined than usual. The lack of sleep had been taking a toll on her physical appearance as well.

The key was to not think about it – not think about the pain, about the case, about returning to work. Olivia sighed. The key was to not think at all.

At the moment, Olivia tried to focus on the present. She wrapped the towel around herself, and then grabbed her toothbrush. When satisfied, she rinsed her mouth, dropped the brush back in its holder, and pushed back from the sink.

Liv ran a hand through her wet hair as she folded her arms against her chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to shut everything out. She focused only on the noises around her – the blare of a horn from the street outside, the hum of light above the sink, and the dripping of the water from the showerhead.

Olivia turned and watched as each drop of water splattered against the bottom of the tub. The drips began to slow until they almost ceased to fall. Liv's eyes caught the last drop as it left the showerhead and followed it as it slowly descended into the pool of blood on the floor. The shower – her entire bathroom – had vanished and been replaced by Cragen's pale, slumped body. She felt as though she were spinning in place – her cries were echoing about her as she spun.

Liv gasped as she threw her hands to her head and collapsed to the floor. By the time she had managed to close her mind to the images, tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes. As she blinked those away, Huang's words came back to her:

"Maybe you'll never know…"

_Maybe I'll never know._ Olivia narrowed her eyes as she stared at her dingy tile floor. She was not ready to accept defeat – Gardner was dead, she was not. He did not have the ability – nor the right – to control her from the grave. He may have been two steps ahead, but it was now her chance to take the lead. She need to be in control again. As Huang had said, she would have to conquer this.

Olivia lifted herself from the ground. She would be in control again. For now, however, she needed sleep.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Hours later, Olivia threw back the covers in despair and sat up. She sighed as she leaned against the wall. Sleep had not come to her for more than a few minutes at a time – her mind was running full speed, flying through possibilities. She chewed on her lip, staring at the clock as her brain recanvassed her memories of the crime scenes.

Liv slid to the edge of the bed. There had to be something she was missing – something that would explain why she could not let it go. Her fingers brushed across the file folder that had recently become a fixture on her bedside table. Everything there was to be found within its pages was already chiseled into her mind – she could recite the information from memory.

Sighing, she stood up and walked over to the window. She crossed her arms, and placed her forehead against the cool glass.

The street below her was quiet. An older gentleman from her building was swaying slightly under the streetlamp as he waited for his poodle to find an adequate spot to do his business. She briefly rubbed her tired eyes, and then returned to her watch. The dog had finally finished, and the two hurried back into the building.

Liv winced slightly as the headlights of a car turning onto her street lit up the window.

And then she froze.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: A delay yet again..... My deepest apologies. If only life would go as planned. I appreciate your patience -- as well as your reviews! The end is near, I promise!**

**Thanks to dares to dream, nicole812us, silver and rubies, and Detective Mariam K.!**

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**Chapter 26: Missing Link**

Elliot groaned in sluggish frustration as the telephone woke him. He groped around for it with his one free arm -- Kathy was sleeping on the other. Finally he succeeded and he pulled the receiver to his ear.

"Stabler," he whispered hoarsely.

"Elliot! The car! I know what we missed!"

"Liv?" Attempting to process her panicked outburst, he drew his eyebrows together without actually opening his eyes. "What? What are you talking about?"

Olivia slowed down as she tried to offer a better explanation. "I've been going through all the evidence logs for the Gardner case trying to find what we were missing. I think there's a second perp -- "

"Liv, stop." Stabler groaned as he pulled his arm free and sat up. He sighed when he caught sight of the clock. He had been running a case forty-eight hours straight, and he had only been able to stumble into sleep three hours prior.

Breathing in, he continued, "You caught him. Gardner's dead. The case is closed."

"But what about the --- " she tried to continue, but Elliot once again interrupted.

"Olivia," he hissed, rubbing his temples. At this, Kathy began to stir, and Elliot dropped his voice in response. "You need to get some sleep."

"Yeah, tell me about it." He could almost see her eyes roll in his mind.

A yawn escaped him. "How 'bout we talk about this later? Like when the sun is up."

"Elliot! Listen to me!" The sheer desperation in her voice caught his attention and melted some of the sleep from his brain.

He sighed. "Alright, I'm listening."

"We didn't ever find it, did we? The car, I mean."

Elliot took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. His thoughts were finally coming together. "No, no we didn't." He paused for a few seconds before adding, "But he could have ditched it somewhere no one noticed."

"And what – he walked to the house? Come on, Elliot."

He closed his eyes as he shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he took a cab."

"Or someone gave him a ride," Liv pressed. "Someone else had to be there, right? Someone who is still out there. Someone still has the car. That's what we need to find."

Elliot's eyelids were drooping as he listened to her theory. He was troubled by her inability to let go of this case, but was not sure how to approach the situation. At the moment, he thought it best to humor her and wait to sort it out later when he could get a handle on it.

"Mmmkay," he whispered. "I'll bring it up with Reiner later this morning. Good night, Olivia."

"Bye," she murmured after a momentary pause. Her voice had dropped several tones. He knew she was disappointed, but there was not anything he could do at the moment.

"Get some sleep," he added with concern.

She sighed audibly before hanging up.

Elliot grunted as he was met with the dial tone. He placed the phone back onto the receiver and settled back against the mattress.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Damn it," Olivia spat as she threw the phone into a chair. She crossed over to the couch and sat down, placing her chin in her hands.

She let out a long breath of air.

Captain Reiner was not going to do anything – as far as he and the brass were concerned, the case was closed. Elliot was well aware of that fact, and she knew it. Her own partner was dismissing her.

_Am I crazy?_ Olivia slumped back against the couch and tried to sort out what to do.

A few minutes later, she groaned in defeat.

"Maybe it's all in your head, Olivia. Maybe you are crazy. You're crazy, and no one believes you. Huang's not going to sign off on you if you're crazy. And Reiner – pssh. Good luck with that. A shot in a million. A crazy shot at that." She shook her head. "You don't have any evidence at all, do you? A theory, no proof. Just another conspiracy theory for the world to laugh – "

Her words ended abruptly as she bolted upright and scrambled for her phone.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Munch set down his glass of juice and muted the television as he picked up his cell phone.

"Detective Munch," he answered automatically after checking the Caller ID.

"Oh thank God," Olivia exhaled. "You're awake!"

A bemused grin crossed his face. "As far as I know – though it could all be an elaborate ruse." He heard her sigh, and he smiled wider in response. "So, why the late call, ma'am?"

"Well," she paused. "This might sound a bit strange – even crazy. I mean, Elliot doesn't even really believe me."

Munch raised his eyebrows. "And so naturally you thought of me. I have to say I'm touched."

She inhaled loudly. "I figured you might be the most likely to consider what I have to say."

"You may have a point." He nodded and shrugged. "Alright, challenge my perceptions."

"Okay." She took a deep breath and proceeded to explain it all in detail.

He listened quietly while she spoke, not saying a word until he knew she had finished.

"Well," he breathed, "that's quite a thought."

Her voice almost sounded crushed. "Are you saying you don't buy it either?"

"I didn't say that," he quickly corrected. "You know me – always one for the conspiracy theories. I'm just keeping in mind what the head-shrinker said. He does make some sense. But don't get me wrong. I know where you're coming from."

"So…?" Olivia was confused.

"So," he continued. "I think you have a valid point. I think we need to know where the whack-job parked his car. If we find it, maybe we can put it all to rights."

He could hear the smile on the end of the relieved sigh. "So you'll look for it, then?"

"You bet. Though, seeing as though any decent human beings should be way past counting sheep at this point in the night, I thought I might wait a few more hours. It usually helps if the people you call are actually awake."

"Okay," she relented. "Though you might also want to – "

"Fly under the radar?" he finished. "Way ahead of you, sister."

"I just didn't want Reiner to squash it or anything."

Munch laughed. "Yeah. He's not exactly my biggest fan. Perhaps I went one too many with the 'that's not how we used to's."

"Ugh, yeah – maybe," she agreed; a smile attempting to tug at the corners of her mouth. "But I should let you get some sleep even if I can't."

His shoulders slumped in response. "At least close your eyes and pretend to sleep. Eventually you won't be pretending – the mind is relatively easy to trick. I've found this out in my many years."

"Okay." She allowed a small laugh. "I'll give it a shot."

Munch grinned. "Good. G'night, Olivia."

"Good night," she responded. After a pause, she added, "And thanks."

"No problem," he assured. He waited until she had disconnected before he let loose a heavy sigh. He dropped the phone back to the table and took a long sip from his glass.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: THANKS FOR READING! It's been a long drawn out process, and I wish to thank all of you for your patience! Peace.**

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**Chapter 27: Untimate Control**

Two days passed before Olivia received a phone call from Munch, requesting her presence at the precinct.

Liv popped through the squad doors expectantly, barely supporting any of her weight on her cane. Spotting Munch standing by the window talking to a fellow detective, she dropped her bag on her desk and hurried over to him.

"You called? You found something?" she quizzed as he looked up at her.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Detective Benson!" Reiner had stepped out from his office. "Can I speak with you for a minute?"

Liv glanced hesitantly at Munch, who nodded and gestured for her to go. She took a deep breath and began wobbling towards the open door.

"Have a seat," he instructed, as he closed the door behind her. When she had followed instructions, he cleared his throat. "Detective Munch tells me you have doubts about the Gardner case."

Olivia closed her eyes in a grimace. _So much for 'under the radar'._

Reiner took her silence in stride and crossed in front of her, being careful not to trip over the end of her walking stick. He perched on the edge of his desk and locked eyes with her.

"I'm not going to pretend like I know you, but I'd like to think I did my homework pretty well." He crossed his arms and continued. "You know, Captain Cragen speaks very highly of you."

Olivia's hard gaze softened a touch, but she remained quiet.

"He said you have an aptitude for dealing with victims. You empathize, and they trust you. You're dedicated to finding them closure."

Liv shifted in her chair and inhaled. "Well, I'm flattered, but is there a point to this?"

Reiner smiled and dipped his head. "He also made me aware of a downfall of yours. He says you have a penchant for devoting too much of yourself to cases and to victims. Bordering on obsession, almost. I must admit, at first – I wasn't sure quite what he meant." He paused a moment as he reached behind him on the desk for a remote control. "However, I think I'm starting to understand."

Olivia, unsure of her professional footing, dropped her gaze to the floor.

The captain stood and stepped over to his chair. "In regards to the Gardner case, I have no doubts whatsoever in your performance. It was a clean shoot; it was a clean case. I have no questions regarding your integrity or ability – even the rats over at IAB crawled back in their hole faster than you can say 'Here, kitty cat!'" He leaned back in his chair. "But you? You're punishing yourself over the one bent nail in his coffin."

"But – " she attempted.

He waved her off. "I know, I know – it leaves room for doubt. Despite what the brass says, I would have agreed with you."

Olivia narrowed her eyebrows in response.

Reiner cleared his throat and leaned forward. "Which brings me to why I had your colleague call you down here. He would have told you personally, but I wanted to make sure we clear everything up. I thought it would be best if you were to see this for yourself."

He aimed the remote control, turning on the television against the wall.

Olivia turned in her seat to see. The blue screen was shortly replaced by a video of a crowded New York City street. Cars were lined up at a stoplight and the sidewalks were modestly packed with pedestrians. Suddenly, the normal traffic noise erupted into screams. The picture swung wild before settling on the other end of the block where smoke and fire had engulfed several cars. The camera bounced wildly as its holder ran towards the intersection.

"This video was shot by a tourist who was fortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you remember, this took place just before your confrontation with Gardner. Detective Stabler noted in his report that you had to pull quite the James Bond maneuver to get out of the backed-up traffic."

She rolled her eyes as she remembered. A vague memory drifted to her from her hospital stay – the nurses had been conversing outside her room. "Car bomb," she whispered.

"Yeah," Reiner sighed. "Bomb squad investigated; found an explosive device wired to the gas tank. They believed it had been built with the intent to trigger it remotely."

Olivia turned back to him. "What does this have to do with the case?"

He pointed to the screen. "The vehicle involved was a Toyota Camry. Witnesses reported it was blue. Partial VIN number was recovered, and it matches your missing car."

"And this –" He paused to hand her a photo.

Liv glanced down and saw the image of an automatic start keypad.

"This was in the pocket of Gardner's pants. It was rigged to act as a remote detonator."

Liv tried to quickly process all the information. There was something that was not connecting. "I don't understand. Why would he try to blow up a street? He wanted me to confront him – the bomb could have prevented that. And how did he do it without help? He couldn't have been in two places."

"I don't think things went exactly according to his plans." Reiner cleared his throat and handed her a manila folder.

She opened it to find photos of charred remains – both vehicular and human. Beneath the photos was a man's rap sheet.

"Nathan LeMont, twenty-nine years old, recently paroled," he listed from memory. "Grand Theft Auto."

Olivia's gaze shot up to his face. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

The man slowly nodded. "LeMont's aunt lives down the street from Captain Cragen. He had been living there since his release. His aunt stated he had gone for a walk that morning, never came back. Probably saw Gardner drive in and leave the car unlocked. He probably figured he'd take it for a spin down to his buddies at the chop shop, and walk away with a couple extra bucks in his pocket. May have been a crap car, but the spare parts business always has room. Little did he expect his empty pockets to be blown all to hell in the middle of a busy intersection."

Liv closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. Everything she had been chasing was screeching to a halt, and her mind had yet to comprehend the sudden stop lying ahead.

"Bomb squad said the remote only had a radius of less than two miles. The second LeMont drove out of range, it automatically detonated." Reiner cleared his throat and watched as she took in all the information.

Her face had gone blank, but her brain was running on overload. For weeks she had laid awake at night, haunted by any and every possible piece of misunderstood evidence or missed clue. For weeks, she had felt as though the dead had risen again. Gardner lived in her apartment; he lived in her mind. He laughed at her struggles and failures, while playing with and distorting her memories. His victims would visit while she slept – pleading with her to save them, beseeching her to save the next victim, warning her to save herself. Every night she listened to them; every morning she felt powerless to prevent their suffering. She had known there was someone out there – someone who was responsible; someone about whom she knew nothing; someone who was watching her; someone who would strike again.

And now everything had changed. There was no one there – no one was watching her; no one else was responsible. Gardner's laugh was silenced, and the sick smile on his face contorted in painful fear before being blown away by her bullets. When the gun powder cleared, he had been reduced to a crumpled mess in a pool of blood.

Olivia took in a deep breath. The blood evaporated and the body vanished into a single tear that trailed down her cheek. She wiped it away as she again became aware of her surroundings.

She cleared her throat. "He planted a bomb."

Reiner nodded, but said nothing. He knew she was not speaking for his benefit.

"He had a back-up plan like Huang said. He was smart – he had to have known he wouldn't make it out alive. He probably didn't plan on it at all. He needed an insurance policy. The dining room overlooks the driveway – that's why he chose it. He planned on our confrontation taking place there. Once he had derived what he wanted from the situation, he would have detonated it. He would have taken ultimate control over our fates."

The captain sighed, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "Too smart to realize that no man can control fate."

"No," Liv shook her head. "Too confident. He was too fixated on me – on controlling me – that he neglected to consider outside variables. Anyone in New York knows to lock their car doors, but he thought he was untouchable. He lost control of everything because of that mistake, and he had to quickly find some way to reclaim it. If he couldn't do it physically, mentally was the next best option."

Reiner rested against the back of his chair. "He created a phantom."

Olivia nodded. "He was smart."

"Not smart enough," he smiled, gesturing to her. "Agent Huang better watch himself. I nearly forgot you were a cop for a moment with all that shrink babble."

She allowed herself a grin as she dipped her head. "Well, he's been in my head for long enough. It's only fair I get a glimpse at his."

A chuckle escaped the police captain. "I assume you've come to terms with it all, then?"

"I believe so," she tentatively agreed.

"Alright, then. I think a few more days' rest can't hurt. Have a visit with Huang, and if he signs off on it, I expect to see you at your desk on Monday morning."

A full smile spread across her face as she stood. "Thank you, sir."

Reiner nodded, standing to shake her outstretched hand. "I'll be glad to have you back, Detective. Anything to dilute the Munch effect."

"Give it a couple years – you'll get used to it," Olivia advised as she stepped towards the door.

**X x x x x x x x x x x x x X**

Once free of the office, she let a large sigh escape her body. Numbness had crept in following realization, and it had now spread through most of her tissues. Auto-pilot steered her back to her desk, and habit caused her to pull out the chair and sit down. Liv leaned back in her chair and chewed on her lip. A few silent moments passed before she shook her head in astounded disbelief.

"Ultimate control, huh?" she muttered beneath her breath, reaching for her shoulder bag and extracting the worn manila file folder. She flipped it open and stared briefly at the man's photograph.

_Guess who has it now, you son-of-a-bitch_.

Olivia cleared her throat and stood from her chair.

"Hey, Munch!" she called out, walking over to his desk.

"Yes?" The older detective glanced up at her from his paperwork.

She smiled and held out the folder. "File this for me, would ya?"

Munch pushed back in his chair. "You got it," he nodded, taking it from her.

Liv thanked him and then grabbed her purse before leaving the squadroom. She was almost to the elevators when she heard her name being called out. Turning, she saw her partner coming from the other end of the hallway.

"Did Reiner talk to you?" Elliot asked as he reached her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I just came from his office."

He folded his arms against his chest. "And?"

"Back to work on Monday, with Huang's approval, of course."

Elliot smiled. "That's great, Liv. We've missed you."

"Yeah," she said glancing at the floor. She waited a few seconds before speaking again. "By the way, you were right."

Her partner shrugged in understanding. "Bound to happen sometimes, right?"

Olivia grinned. "Right," she added, with a chuckle.

Elliot cleared his throat. "So what's your plan now?"

"Well, I figured I'd head over to Huang's office at some point. First on the order of business, though, is crawling into bed and actually getting some sleep."

"Good," he replied with a wink, patting her arm before turning to walk away. "You definitely look like you need it."

Liv rolled her eyes and punched the down button for the elevator. "There is something I find ironic, though."

"What's that?" Elliot asked with a grin as he turned to face her.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, she answered. "If Gardner hadn't planned to blow us up by planting that bomb – I probably wouldn't be coming back. We probably would have never found the car, and I'd still be out there chasing ghosts."

The elevator doors opened with a ding as the reality dropped the smile from his face.

Olivia stepped into the elevator and took notice of her partner's sober visage.

"Just something to think about, I guess," she stated with a shrug.

Elliot had remained rooted in place when the doors clicked shut, but Olivia let loose a relieved sigh nonetheless. At the present moment, she thought only of the bed faithfully awaiting her return.


End file.
