I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.
"Come on sweetheart, I want to hear you beg. Beg me not to shoot you. Tell me how much you want to live".
Olivia tried desperately to speak, but the total lack of moisture made it impossible. A pathetic squeak forced itself out of her mouth, making her tremble even more than before. She had been in this situation before. A gun held to her head while she was completely disarmed was becoming a familiar occurrence. This time however, she had no back up. Despite her captain's orders, she didn't wait for Elliot and Fin before entering the old factory. How could she wait when there was seven year old Alexis Dunn in there with a homicidal rapist? She hadn't even been able to find the girl before she was caught and disarmed.
"Nothing to say? Well then, I guess it's time to go".
She couldn't look. Her eyes squeezed shut as he cocked the gun. This was it. Her heart was pounding so hard that the erratic beat was all she could hear. The cool metal pressed firmly against her forehead, giving her no chance of survival.
"Liv! Liv! Olivia, open up!"
Olivia gasped, nearly falling off the couch as she awake from her nightmare. She had only fallen asleep twenty minutes earlier, but she was happy to be freed from the memories of the day.
"Olivia, please!"
She walked over to the door, yanking it open to see a frantic Elliot standing in the hall. He was breathing hard.
"What's going on?" She asked as she walked back to the couch, using her blanket to cover her pj clad body. Elliot plopped down next to her, clutching his chest.
"Liv, I think I'm having heart problems" Elliot said in a very serious tone.
"I'm not a doctor, but you seem fine. You're speaking with no problem".
Elliot shook his head. "No, I'm not. It comes and goes. It's happened three times since I got home from work and I've never felt something like this before".
That caught her attention. "What exactly happens?"
Elliot shifted uncomfortably, and she could tell that whatever it was, was happening again.
"El, tell me what's happening" She said firmly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Everything will be okay, but I need you to explain what's happening".
"My heart is racing faster than I've ever felt before. I feel like I'm struggling to breathe because of a boulder on my chest" He forced out.
Admittedly, it was difficult for her to focus on figuring out the problem when all she could think about was the fact that Elliot had come to her with this. He never showed his pain, physical or emotional. The fact that she was an anxious mess from her brush with death earlier definitely wasn't helping. Then it hit her.
"Were you thinking about anything in particular before each incident?"
Elliot thought about it before nodding. "The case".
Olivia sighed in relief. "I think what you're experiencing is a panic attack. I know that this case made me anxious".
Elliot suddenly put his arm around her, coaxing her to come closer.
"I could have lost you today" He whispered into her curly locks. She could tell by the way he tensed up that he was having another panic attack
"El, it's okay. Thanks to you, I'm here" She tried to reassure him. She moved until she could rest against his shoulder, letting her hand rub his arm. If it weren't for Elliot knowing her well enough to expect that she didn't wait for them, she would have been dead. He wouldn't have made it in time to shoot the bastard before he shot her. She would be dead.
"What if I hadn't gotten there in time? What if I saw him take the shot and there was nothing I could do?"
"You can't think like that, El. It's not healthy. Just think about the fact that you saved me from a situation I put myself in. Take a deep breath".
He knew that she was partially right. He wouldn't agree that the whole thing was her fault, but he did think it was unhealthy to bombard his brain with the "what if's". He should be thankful. The problem was that there will always be another psycho that could take his partner away from him. Olivia's cheek was now resting against his own, bringing him back to the present. She carefully lifted his hand, placing it directly over her heart, letting him feel the pounding of it. Before he could say anything about it, her soft lips pressed against his own.
She had no clue why, but her near death experience gave her the courage to make the first move. Maybe it was because she could see the pain in his eyes at the thought of losing her.
His eyes closed as a sigh passed through his lips.
"Why don't you spend the night? I don't think either of us should be alone tonight"
Elliot had spent every single night alone since his divorce, so her already tempting offer was impossible to resist.
"What exactly will we be doing?" He asked with the sexiest smile she had ever seen. She leaned in and kissed him again, with more confidence and passion.
"Something that will make your heart race in a good way".