Before you get on my case, Part Five will be up tomorrow. I promise. But I had to figure out a way to put Elliot and Casey together for my Aftershock series, so, here it is. LOOSELY based on the episode 'Authority'. Set in my Aftershock series between 'Running Away' and 'Her flame wouldn't die'. Anyways…

"Not guilty."

Elliot shook his head furiously and glared at Rook, even as the bastard stood up and said, "Oh, thank you so much!" Petroskey gave him a look that said 'shut up', so he smiled at her apologetically and asked, "Am I free to go?"

"Yes, because you got lucky. I would advise hurrying, because I know several cops who would arrest on just about any cock-and-bull charge they could come up with," she said coldly as she stood up and started to leave.

With a sigh, Olivia gestured for Elliot to follow as she headed out of the courtroom. He began to do so, then stopped when he saw where Rook was headed. "Back off!" Elliot shouted as Rook moved to hug Casey, even as the ADA raised her arms up defensively. Rook took an uncertain step back as Elliot draped an arm around a slightly shaken Casey's shoulder pointedly and said, "She already has a boyfriend."

Rook looked between the two of them then just shrugged. "Whatever. It was a pleasure, Casey," he said before he turned towards the door.

Once Rook was gone, Elliot dropped his arm and took a step back, giving Casey her space. She nodded at him gratefully before she started gathering her papers up and shoving them in her briefcase. "You okay?" he asked her, even though he had been there and nothing had really happened.

Casey looked up at him, slightly surprised, and nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"Come on," Olivia told her. "Let's go get drunk. After his closing argument, I could sure use a drink right now."

The ADA rolled her eyes as she walked with Olivia outside, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, Liv. Don't be a sheep." The two started laughing as Elliot stared after them, slightly unnerved, though he wasn't sure why.

SVUSVUSVU

"Liv! Oliiiiiiivia!" Casey slurred, shaking her friend's limp shoulder. "You passed out on me!" she accused with a chuckle, then started to get up as she pulled Olivia's arm over her shoulder. When she almost collapsed, the bartender pulled her and the unconscious Olivia upright and took her keys.

"I'm not getting sued because I let you drive like this," he stated. "Call a ride or something. Oh, and the guy over there asked me to give you this." He handed the ADA a note before he slipped back behind the bar.

Casey read it, then started laughing again. "Don't be a sheep! Baaaaaa! Don't be a sheep? What's that mean? Huh, Liv? Do you know?" She was still laughing as she called Elliot to come pick them up.

"Hello?"

"Hahaha, hi Elliot. Haha."

There was a pause where he probably checked the caller ID, then he asked, "Casey? What's going on? Wait a minute... are you drunk?" When her only response was to continue laughing, he exclaimed, "You are, aren't you? Ugh... okay, stay where you are, I'm coming to get you. What bar are you at?"

"Don't be a sheep. Baaaaaaa. Hehe!" Casey tugged on Olivia's short hair with a giggle, causing Elliot to wonder just how drunk the ADA was- hearing her laugh was rare enough, but hearing her giggle? Non-existent.

"Um... okay, I'll remember that. Now, what bar are you at?"

"Mmm... that one... you know, the one with the lights," she slurred, gesturing at the ceiling.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Yeah. The one with the lights. Real descriptive, Case."

"You know! It's that one! The one with the name... Fridays... Thursdays..."

"Thirsdays?" he exclaimed, smiling slightly at the very inebriated Casey's speech.

She giggled again before she said, "Yep, that's it!"

He sighed, passing a hand over his eyes. "Okay, don't move. I'm on my way there. Please don't try and drive home." Once Casey heard the dial tone, she dropped her phone and passed out onto the bar, out cold.

That was when a hooded man got up from his table in the corner and headed over to the two women. He picked Casey up as easily as if she were a doll and started to walk with her outside, stopping when the bartender called out, "Hey! Where do you think you're taking her?"

He turned back with a small smile and said, "I'm her boyfriend, and her ride. The brunette there's her friend from work."

The bartender hesitated, then waved him on, still suspicious. "All right, then."

SVUSVUSVU

Elliot walked into the bar, searching for Casey. Instead, he found Olivia, who was slumped down at the bar, passed out- but Casey was nowhere to be seen. After looking around for another second, he walked up to the bar and asked the bartender, "Hey, where's the blonde who came in with her?"

He shrugged. "Her man took her home."

Elliot blinked, then said, "Her man? She's single- and she called me to take her home." The bartender just shrugged again before continuing on with his work. Elliot hesitated, then noticed a slip of paper under Olivia's hand. He pulled it out and read it- Don't be a sheep? What the hell- Rook! He flipped it over, then froze in horror.

Detective Stabler- I have your girlfriend. Come to the abandoned warehouse across from Oxford street, alone, if you want to see her alive again.

He had just turned to run out the door when he remembered Olivia. Elliot hurried back to her and shook her awake. "Olivia! Olivia!

"

She blinked blearily, looking up at him in confusion, then asked slowly, "Elliot? Huh? What's going on?" He hesitated, unsure of how much time had passed, then pressed the note into her hand and dashed out of the bar.

Olivia looked after him in confusion, then read the note. The moment she understood what was going on, she was running after him as she called Cragen. Knowing Elliot, he was likely to go crazy and kill this bastard. Hell, she was going to kill him if she got there first.

SVUSVUSVU

Elliot pulled up outside the warehouse and jumped out of the car before it had fully stopped, looking around for any signs of Casey. There was a car across the street, one that he didn't recognize, but other than that, it was deserted. Elliot pulled out his gun and dashed inside, searching around for any sign of Rook. There was no sign of him until he reached the final room- that was when he found him... just sitting in a chair, waiting for him. "Detective Stabler," he greeted with a nod. "Did you see the sheep I named after you? I thought it was cute."

Elliot stalked up to him and pressed the gun into his chest. "Where is she?" he asked coldly, glaring right into his eyes.

"Who?" Rook asked with a shrug. "If you're asking about-"

"I'm asking about Casey Novak, as you very well know! Now, where the hell is she?"

Rook just smiled slightly, then flicked on the light switch next to him and gestured behind him. "She's right there."

Elliot looked up in shock, then felt his breath quicken in anger and his finger grip the trigger tighter. Casey was behind the glass, tied to a chair, clearly scared out of her mind. There were some wires and sensors attached to her neck and wrists, with a seemingly unknown purpose. "Casey?" he shouted frantically, taking a hesitant step forward.

Rook shrugged with a chuckle. "Don't waste your breath- she can't hear or see us. And the door's wired with explosives- if you open it, we all die. And you can't send a surge through the conduit lines- she's part of the circuit." Elliot turned back to the window in newfound horror and realized the wires on her were, indeed, running to the door. There was a small device that was out of Casey's sight and, while Elliot couldn't tell exactly what it was, it had to be the bomb. "I can shut the circuit off, but, first, put down your gun."

"Not a chance in hell."

"Of course... well, I could always use the detonator here. So put your gun down, or I'll kill her, you, and me. Only one choice, really, detective." Elliot hesitated, then glanced back at Casey. She was breathing heavily, her eyes wide with panic and fear as she looked around the room in fright, clearly terrified.

Elliot slowly put his gun down, never once taking his eyes off Casey. "Good detective," Rook patronized like Elliot was a dog. Or, by Rook's pathology, a sheep. "Now, I suppose I should explain what's going on here- your lovely girlfriend is not only pat of the circuit- I have her on a makeshift electric chair. If I activate the electricity, the circuit is automatically shut off, so I don't fry them and the bomb. Right now, it's set to 250 volts- certainly not enough to kill her, but enough to put her in some severe pain."

Elliot swallowed back his nerves, his hands curled into fists. "What's your point, Rook?"

"This," he stated simply, then pressed a button on his remote. Immediately, Casey let out a piercing scream, her back arching as she threw her head back, the chords in her neck straining, the blood draining from her face as her painful scream grew louder by the second. Elliot's fist was so tight his fingernails cut into his skin, making it bleed, Casey's scream seeming endless.

When Rook finally took his finger off the button, it left her Casey breathless, her chest heaving as she her scream died away, still paler then he had ever seen her. Rook flipped on the intercom and called, "Oh, Casey! Your boyfriend's here!"

There was a flicker of hope in her eyes, and confusion, and she wheezed, "No... not..."

"Casey!" Elliot shouted just as he turned the intercom off again.

Rook smirked, then said, "That was two seconds. I want you to push the button, or I double the voltage and make it four seconds." Oh god, this was all his fault. Just because he had to make up that lie about Casey being his girlfriend. All the pain suffering she had endured and was in right now and was going to... all his fault.

"Push the button!" Rook shouted, and Elliot looked back at Casey, then at Rook and just shook his head.

"I can't."

"Push it!" he half-screamed, then did it himself. Casey's resulting scream was louder this time, and every single agonizing second for her was, if possible, worse for him, as he stared at her, unable to tear his eyes away from her straining body until Rook stopped the electricity and left her exhausted body trembling and wheezing, even as continued to fight weakly to get away from the restraints.

Elliot looked between Rook, Casey, the remote, then repeated, "I can't!" Rook pushed the button again, and the ADA's scream was, if at all possible, louder then before. Elliot didn't breathe until she relaxed, panting for breath, her eyes only half-open. "I can't," he said hollowly, only looking at Casey.

He was counting the seconds until she was shocked again, but was amazed to hear Rook say, "Then congratulations, Elliot Stabler, you are a human being and not a sheep, like I was. There is no bomb- the circuits are fake. Just go in and untie your girlfriend; nothing will happen." Elliot breathed a sigh of relief, quickly cuffing Rook to the chair then paused, uncertain. He knew he had to get to Casey, but there was still the possibility of Rook escaping. After a second of deliberation, he grabbed his gun and took a step back, aiming right at Rook's heart and fighting the urge to shoot him right then and there. He pulled out his cell phone and called Olivia.

She picked up on the first ring, gasping, "Elliot! What's going on there? Is Casey all right?"

He hesitated, then said slowly, "Yeah, I think so- how'd you know...?"

"I read your note, I'm waiting with Cragen, an ambulance, and ESU around the corner- Elliot, what happened? Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, just hurry up and get in here. I've got Rook at gunpoint, but I'm sure if Casey's okay or not." He desperately wanted to go in with Casey and hold her, comfort her, but he knew he couldn't' let Rook escape and besides, Olivia was always her protector. Olivia was always the one that was there for her. Besides, this whole mess was his fault. He found it very unlikely that Casey would want to be with HIM right now.

Still, she was still waiting in absolute terror for another shock, one that wasn't coming. Without taking his eyes off Rook, he turned on the intercom and called, "Casey, it's Elliot. I've got Rook, you're safe now."

"Elliot!" she gasped, her voice hoarse as she wheezed, "Get me... out of... here! Now!"

He winced at the amount of fear and pain in her voice, still fighting the urge to run in there and be with her. "Soon, Case, I promise- Liv's coming, and she'll get you out in a second."

"Just... hurry. Please," she begged softly, and the urge to go in and untie her was strong Elliot was actually shaking from the effort of holding back.

Olivia dashed into the room a second later, looking around in a panic. "Where is she?"

Elliot gestured to the door as Fin, Munch, and Cragen hurried in after her. "In there; be careful, he shocked her."

Olivia stared at him in horror, then unlocked the door and burst inside, freezing for an instant when she saw Casey, then rushing to the ADA's side. "L- Liv!" she gasped in a panic, once again struggling to get free.

"Shh, it's okay, honey, it's okay," she soothed as she took out a pocket knife and started sawing at the bindings. Once she had gotten one hand free, Casey immediately started pulling at the wires and such attached to her neck. Olivia's eyes widened once she saw the vivid red burns where the sensors had been attached, and she froze for a second. The moment she was free, Casey sagged against her, wrapping a trembling arm around Olivia's supportive body.

"Oh, god, Liv," she panted, burying her head into her neck.

Olivia stroked her hair comfortingly for a second before helping the shaking ADA to her feet. "Come on. You've gotta let the EMTs check you out, Case." Casey clung to her like she was her lifeline, allowing Olivia to lead her outside. They passed Elliot on their way out, and he looked at Casey sadly, almost longingly, before shaking his head and returning his attention to Rook.

SVUSVUSVU

The moment Casey heard the door to her office open, she said without looking up, "Yes, I'm fine, yes, I'm busy, and no, you can't give me any more work. Goodbye and I promise to help you at a more convenient time, like when I'm in labor on a plane that's crashing. In case you couldn't tell, that means I'm not going to help you. Now leave me alone."

Elliot blinked, then asked, "Um... what?"

Casey gasped and got quickly to her feet, waving him in. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Elliot- I didn't know it was you. I thought you were one of the never-ending streams of people coming to ask, a, am I okay, b, am I busy, and c, will I do extra work for them. So, what can I do for you?"

He hesitated, looking her up down, his gaze pausing on the still obvious burn marks on her neck. The whole incident with Rook had only been 18 hours ago- Casey, stubborn as always, was already back at work like nothing had happened. After looking her over, the EMTs had grudgingly released her, saying she really should spend the night in the hospital but that it wasn't absolutely necessary. Olivia had stayed the night with her, but, as far as Elliot knew, the ADA wasn't talking about her experience and was trying to maintain as much normality as possible.

"Um... listen, Casey- I sort of wanted to apologize. I mean, I know Rook wouldn't have gone after you if I hadn't said you were my girlfriend, and-"

She waved her hands at him, shrugging off the apology. "It's nothing, Elliot. I know you didn't mean for any of... this to happen."

Elliot smiled slightly, then, slowly and awkwardly, asked, "Well, then... I just got off work, and Branch gave you the day off anyway- so, you want to get a drink or something?"

Casey raised an eyebrow and stepped out from behind her desk, looking him up and down skeptically. "Detective Stabler? Are you asking me out as a friend or as your date?"

He hesitated, shifting on his feet, then mumbled, "A date..." Then, louder, "But it doesn't have to be a date if don't want it to be- it can be just friends, really, Casey, it doesn't actually-"

Casey silenced him with a finger on his lips and a smile. "I would love to be your date tonight."

I know, I know, it should have been longer, not enough descriptions, blah blah blah- well, I wrote this in two hours, so I know it's not that great. And I've written Part 5, it'll be up tomorrow.