Chapter 1 - Three little words

Elliot and Olivia were working a chilling case. A young girl was kidnapped the week before, the prime suspect, a pedophile who tormented women of all ages and races during the 1980's. He had spent the last 20 years at Riker's. He got paroled just 5 days ago for good behavior.

The SVU unit had been working themselves around the clock for the past 5 nights trying to track down any lead. Emotions were raised, tempers were flying. Olivia and Elliot were managing about 3 fights a day. They were both tired and emotionally drained. And then finally, there hard work paid off. They got a solid lead. A witness saw the suspect Grant O'Hara with a young girl enter a motel on 64th street.

The detectives were on it. When they arrived at the scene the little girl opened the door. O'Hara who was in the bathroom when they knocked panicked, and held a 45mm to the terrified girl's head.

"Calm Down. Just calm down," Olivia began, "You can still get out of this. Just let the girl go, and we can work something out." Olivia pleaded with O'Hara. Her eyes fixated on the perp. For she could not bear to look at the young girl. It was too heart breaking. She was dirty, scared and her clothes were ripped and had spots of dried up blood on them. She needed to focus. She would not be able to focus if she let her emotions get the best of her.

She felt Elliot's hand on her back. The small affection made her stay focused on the task at hand. The little gesture made her feel safe and secure. Her partner, her best friend had her back.

"You think I'm just going to hand the girl in and let you guys take me back to prison? I don't think so. You're going to have to come up with something better then that!" O'Hara barked at Olivia.

Elliot eyed the perp, then Olivia and then the girl. "What can we do to get you to give up the girl? We'll give you anything you want" He said.

O'Hara eyed Olivia up and down. When Elliot saw this he immediately felt his heart plummet to the floor. He wished he could take his last statement back, because he knew exactly what O'Hara was going to say he wanted. Olivia.

"Ok, I'll give up the girl. But in return you let me have this gorgeous, beautiful lady that stand before me." O'Hara said undressing Olivia with his eyes.

Elliot felt sick to his stomach. "No! Absolutely not."

"Elliot!" She said looking deeply into his eyes. "I have too." She whispered to him. She would do anything to save a victim, even if it meant she would become the victim herself.

Elliot began to panic. If anything happened to her it would be his fault. He put her in this situation. He would never be able to forgive himself.

"Let the girl go, and you can have me in her place." Olivia said in a very soft tone. She felt Elliot's hand slip around her back and on to her waist, and he squeezed very gently. She felt her heart beat up in to her throat.

"Liv, you don't have to do this." He whispered in her ear.

"You know I do Elliot." She said underneath her breath so that just Elliot could hear.

"Ok then. This is how it is going to go down," O'Hara began, "I'm going to give the girl to you," He said to Elliot, "Then you will take the girl outside, and forget about this one," He said walking over to Olivia, "I don't want to you see you back here, you got it? Or God even knows what I will do her." He said rubbing his gun up and down Olivia's body.

Elliot gazed into Olivia's honey brown eyes. Her eyes were strong, warm and reassuring. Elliot's weak spot for Olivia were her eyes, for sure. They were beautiful; they were the gateway to her soul.

"No. No deal. I'm not leaving Olivia alone with you." He said his rage erupting inside of him.

"Then you don't get the girl." O'Hara spat out.

"Elliot, I'll be fine. Go Elliot; bring the girl home to her family. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Really El, go." She said looking him directly in his eyes.

He noticed something change in her eyes, something he rarely saw in Liv's eyes, fear.

He couldn't do it, he couldn't leave her alone. "No. Liv No. I'm not leaving you." He said holding a tight grip on her upper arm.

"Elliot, what is with you? Let me go Elliot." She said looking in the eyes of the little girl. She didn't understand why Elliot was fighting this. They needed to save the little girl. What was so hard for him? She wondered.

Elliot took a deep breath. He knew he had to leave her, and get the little girl to safety.

He was scared for Olivia, he didn't like the idea that Olivia would be alone, with out protection. This guy was vicious and very dangerous. He couldn't help the feeling that this would be the last time he would see Olivia alive and well. He needed to tell her.

"Liv," He turned her around so that they were looking in each other's eyes, "I'll come back for you, I'll always come back for you." He cupped her face and kissed her on the forehead. He chickened out. He couldn't get the three little words out. His eyes began to water.

Before Elliot could even pull himself together, O'Hara was pushing him and the girl out the door. He began to panic; O'Hara was strong literally pushing Elliot out the door. His heart began to pound faster and faster, all he could think about was Olivia being left alone with that psycho. Something came over him, he didn't know what it was, but it was stronger then anything he had ever felt before.

"LIV! I LOVE YOU!" He shouted as the door slammed in his face and he heard the deadbolts lock along with the laugh of a crazy person.