The morning sun gently peaked over the reaching skyscrapers, grey clouds dulling the piercing rays. The city below laid in an ignorant bliss, unaware of the ongoings of the one-six. Shards of glass lay scattered across the hard floor and screams of terror, anger and gunfire filled the tension-mounted air. She lay on the floor among the shattered glass, blood spilling from the gunshot wound in her abdomen. Her blood drenched hands were clamped over it, shaking as she attempted to apply pressure. Her trembling partner knelt above her, one hand over her own, the other clutching his gun.
"Oh god! Liv! No!" He kept repeating the same thing over and over again, occasionally leaning his head against hers, terrified sobs escaping his lips. "It's going to be ok Liv, I promise. Everything's going to be fine," Elliot murmured in her ear.
Olivia gasped at the shooting pain in her stomach and attempted to stifle her tears. But the attempt was futile as they began to roll sideways down her cheeks.
"Oh god," Elliot whispered. "Olivia just hang on. It's going to be ok. It's all going to be ok."
She felt his hand tug on her own, grasping her trembling fingers in his palm. Distantly, the sound of ambulances reached her ears and a flicker of hope floated through her. Elliot still knelt above her and she was thankful for his presence. He seemed to make the situation less of what it was.
However, as the sounds of the ambulances drew nearer, Olivia knew she wouldn't make it. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe by the second and her vision kept getting blurry.
"Elliot," she gasped.
He immediately dropped his eyes to her pale face, searching for something he couldn't find. "It's ok Liv. Don't talk. The ambulance will be here any second."
"Elliot no," she forced out. "Listen to me."
He studied her pretty face before nodding and saying, "Ok, I'm listening."
Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking. "Elliot I'm not going to make it," she gasped.
"Don't talk like that Liv," he said, fearful he would never get to say her name again.
"Shut up and listen El!"
She caught his attention and he shut his mouth before he could say another word.
"Elliot, you're the best partner a cop could ask for."
Elliot felt his eyes welling with tears. He couldn't loose her, she was about the only thing he had left nowadays. Without thinking, he pressed his lips against hers. "Olivia I need you. You can't leave me," he told her.
Ever so slowly, a smile spread across her face and her eyes gently closed.
"No ..." he whispered. "No. No. NO! Olivia! Damnit come back!"
"NO!" He shot up in his bed, forehead covered in cold sweat. He swallowed, trying to shake the all-too-real dream and reaching for his gently vibrating cell phone. The caller ID read 'Liv'. With trembling fingers he flipped open the phone and pressed it to his ear. "Stabler."
"Elliot." He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until he heard her voice and a rush of air escaped his lips.
Silence greeted the line.
"Elliot are you alright?" she asked, concern drifting through her voice when he didn't respond.
He took a deep breath and exhaled before answering. "Ya I'm fine." His eyes darted to the alarm clock on his bedside table. Two forty-one in blaring red LED lights stared back at him. "Are you alright Liv? It's twenty to three in the morning."
This time she was silent. "Feel like taking a walk?"
He paused before answering. "Sure. I'll meet you at your place in twenty minutes."
"No need," she responded immediately. "I'm sitting on your steps."
Elliot fought the urge to laugh. "I'll be right down."
