I've wanted to do this type of story for awhile now, but I realize how overdone it truly is and I don't want it to be just another carbon copy. Hopefully I can make it into the story that I think it has the potential to become. Reviews are welcome, especially constructive criticism. Enjoy. :)

It started off as a routine house call.

Cragen had passed on the rudimentary job to Elliot on a rather slow day of work. He had been reluctant to pursue the call that had come in about a disturbance from a woman's apartment for the sole reason that his own partner had not shown up to work that morning. Olivia was never one to miss work without some sort of indication as to why and although he knew she was a woman who was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, it still worried him to no end. The unknown circumstances surrounding her absence were becoming more and more suspicious as he called her cell phone and immediately got her voice mail. It was uncanny of her to not inform him of her whereabouts.

And this thought was his first piece of evidence that this police patrol of a seemingly random woman's apartment was anything but ordinary.

He used his badge to persuade the landlord to let him gain access to the woman's floor. Even though he still had vague ideas about what the nature of the call presented itself as, the eerie silence and gloomy lighting of the hallway made it hard to determine exactly why he had been sent to check up on a stranger.

He wasn't too surprised when the knock on the door rendered no response.

But there was a certain spot on the back of his nape that always tingled when he sensed there was something amiss. And tonight the skin above his collar was causing goosebumps he fought to control as they spread throughout his body.

Elliot shouted a few times, pleading for the woman to open the door and explaining to her he was just a cop there to assist her. Clearly his words were falling on deaf ears as he could hear movement inside but no reply.

He didn't see any other option but to break down the door; he was sent to help whoever was inside and if he couldn't do that, he at least wanted to satisfy his curiosity and uncover the identity of this mystery woman who was the person responsible for this goose chase.

The wooden door was locked from the inside but he took two steps back, releasing the safety on his firearm, aimed his weapon and fired two rounds straight into the locking mechanism. The wood splintered around the knob and loosened from its frame. Leaning his shoulder against it, he braced his legs and pushed forth. The door swung open and he stumbled inside only to find an apartment with darkened rooms and no sign of the victim.

The apartment was far from large which meant the woman had limited places to run but he cursed under his breath as she swiftly outmaneuvered him. The lights flashed on long enough for him to see an object hurtling towards him as he was plunged into more darkness upon impact. He shook off the momentary blow, finding it to be not life threatening but his head still throbbed with pain.

"Police! Put down your weapon!" He recited the line by rote, feeling the rising rush of adrenaline crowding out his more rational thoughts. He reached out blindly once more and found himself the unwilling victim to yet another striking blow, this time to his wrist and knocked the gun clear out of his grasp.

His temper told him this game of cat and mouse was the end of the line and he pummeled the woman with the finesse of a police officer tackling the perp to firm ground. Whoever this woman was had guts beyond measure; attacking a police officer and writhing against him with incredible strength that nearly matched his own.

With her weight secured beneath him, he felt the familiarity of her form. Her shallow breathing, her quick movements, her adamancy in his pursuit of her, her lean body and the outline of hair that fell across her face but not past shoulders that seemed to carry the weight of the world; he knew her.

The lights flickered on again, giving Elliot a glimpse of the woman's pale, terror stricken but anger ridden features and smoky brown eyes that glared at him with fierce intensity.

Olivia.

But the mutual recognition he had hoped for fell short and her fist slipped out of his and slammed into his upper left cheek. "Dammit, Olivia! It's Elliot!"

Her struggle slowed and he rolled off her, letting her regain her pattern of breathing and take a hard look at him. The look on her face conveyed to him that she hadn't expected a visit from anyone, let alone her partner who had just bested her in a brawl. Olivia breathed in deeply and released the air gently across the generous curve of her bottom lip.

"Why did you attack me? Who did you think I was?" he asked, forcing himself away from any other unprofessional concerns.

Olivia shook her head vigorously. "I get to ask questions first. Who the hell called you?"

Elliot furrowed his brow in confusion. "Youdid. Cragen sent me over here to check on a woman who called in with a disturbance."

"I didn't call anyone!" she replied angrily.

"We got a call specifically informing us that a woman at this address was in some kind of trouble," he told her. "And it turns out to be you."

"There would be no need for me to call you even if I was in trouble," she said with a dismissal of her hand. "I can take care of myself."

The words hit his heart. She thought that she couldn't rely on him when she needed him most. But the way she avoided his eyes and chose to study the floor instead was proof that she did need him far more than she cared to admit. "Why didn't you show up for work today, Olivia?"

"Because I had something to take care of first," she mumbled almost inaudibly. "And it didn't involve you."

He heard the disdain in her voice but it didn't match the uneasiness of her eyes. "Is everything okay?"

She shrugged. "Everything is okay. Aside from you breaking into my apartment."

He stepped toward her, cautiously examining her for any injuries he might have caused, his voice not much above a whisper. "Something scared the hell out of you."

"You did!"

"No, before I showed up there was something that wasn't right," he advanced further and studied her. Over the years he had been able to develop the talent to read her. But right now, he hadn't a clue as to what was going on inside the head of Olivia Benson. "Why did you attack me?"

"I thought..." she began, but cut herself off. She looked up at him with weary eyes and turned away from him. "I found a note this morning."

His head snapped up as her words caught his attention. "What kind of note?"

"A threatening one," she said and handed it to him. "Do you remember Richard White?"

"He was one of the first cases I ever worked with you. Why?"

Her pulse raced with the fear burning through her veins. "It's Richard White."