A/N: A month or so ago, I was listening to the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars and thought how it perfectly fits the working relationship that Elliot & Olivia have, which got me thinking about the idea for this story. So, my apologies to Mr. Mars, I've tweaked the lyrics of his song a little bit so they fit better.

This story is a sequel to Kindred and contains original characters that were introduced or developed in that story, so this one may be confusing on it's own. Go back and read Kindred-it's worth it! :-)

Grenade takes place about 9 months after Kindred ends.

Grenade

I'd catch a grenade for you

Throw my hand on a blade for you

I'd jump in front of a train for you

You know I'd do anything for you

I would go through all this pain,

Take a bullet straight through my brain,

Yes, I would die for you, baby.

And you would do the same.

Chapter One: Unthinkable

Elliot sees the dawning awareness in the perps eyes that there is no way out, no way is he going to be able to walk away from this mess he's gotten himself into and knows that a desperate man will do almost anything. He watches as the look in the scum bag's eyes changes from understanding to acceptance to defiance in a matter of seconds and realizes that the perp is going to pull the trigger of the gun he is holding to Liv's head. No! No, you're not going to take her down with you, you're not going to kill her, you're not going to leave my daughter—yes, my daughter damn it, even if no one will talk about it or admit it- without a mother. So he does what every rookie cop knows not to do and lunges for the hand that is holding the gun. He really, honestly thinks that he has the advantage of surprise and he'll be able to overpower him but of course that's what everyone thinks when they try that stupid move and it doesn't work, it doesn't, the perp is quick and yanks his arm away at the last second and now they are wrestling for the gun while Liv screams "Elliot, NO!" He feels a white flash of heat at the center of his body and then he is on the ground and everything is dark and hazy. He hears another shot, hears the perp grunt in pain as Liv's bullet finds it's mark—how did Liv get a gun? He is cold, so cold. He was sweating when they entered the warehouse but now he's freezing. He thinks of his wife and his other five children and his last thought before he surrenders to unconsciousness is what a fool he's been.

Olivia parks the squad car in the no parking zone in front of Jefferson Hall where Dispatch told her she will find the Queen's College Registrar's office. Someone there will be able to tell her which building Kathy Stabler is in for class. She didn't want to send a uniform car to pick Kathy up and tell her that her husband has been shot; she needs to do that herself. It's the least she can do.

She runs in the front door and quickly consults the directory: Registrar's Office, First floor, to her left. She bursts through the door of the first office she sees, startling a young woman typing at a computer. She flashes her badge and gasps: "I need to locate one of your students immediately. Kathy Stabler. She's in a class right now. Where is it?"

The young woman looks at her, her mouth agape. "I…I can't just give out that info…"

Olivia leans over the desk, getting in her face. She jabs a finger in the direction of the computer screen. "Her husband is a cop. He was just shot. Find her location for me now!"

The woman nods and begins typing. "She should be in Kissena Hall, Room 202—it's back across from the main entrance, over on Kissena Blvd. Do you want me to call ahead…?"

Olivia is already on her way back out the door. "NO!" she shouts back over her shoulder. She needs to tell Kathy herself, and get her to the hospital as soon as possible, before…she refuses to complete that thought because it's too unbearable to contemplate.

She parks illegally again and finds the classroom in short order. It's a large lecture hall with about 100 students, and when Olivia bursts through the door, all eyes turn to look at her. She's only interested in one pair, however, and as she scans the room, she sees those blue eyes turn took at her, puzzled at first and then wide as Kathy Stabler realizes why her husband's partner has just shown up in the middle of one of her classes. Kathy stands, and gathers up her things with shaking hands. Her notebook falls to the floor and another student bends to pick it up and hand it to her, but she is already gone, rushing down the stairs to Olivia.

"Is he…?" she can't finish the sentence. She takes in Olivia's disheveled appearance, the top to a pair of scrubs she has thrown on to replace her own blood soaked blouse because she couldn't show up to get Kathy covered in her husband's blood. Tears spring to her eyes, but she is calm. This is the moment that the spouse of every police officer has mentally rehearsed over and over; every time the phone rings in the middle of a shift or they are late getting home and don't call.

"Can I help you?" asks the professor at the front of the room in an irritated voice. "You can't just barge in here…" The two women ignore him; they are the only two people in this room who exist.

"He's alive," says quickly as Olivia as Kathy joins her by the door. She can see the relief wash over Kathy's face and Olivia grabs her arm to support her as she almost sags in relief. "But he was shot, Kathy, and—it's bad."

Kathy searches her face for clues but Olivia can't even begin to explain how bad it is, how Elliot was gray and lifeless in her arms, blood pouring out of the close-range shot in his chest. How she held him and screamed for help into his phone until Fin arrived to help her apply pressure until the ambulance got there. Kathy sees enough and her eyes well with more tears. "Why did you leave him, Olivia? Why didn't you stay, he shouldn't be alone…"

"Cragen and Finn are with him, Kathy—and he wanted you. I told him I'd come get you." She doesn't have time to explain how Elliot regained consciousness briefly in the ambulance, after the paramedics had started an IV to replace some of the fluid he'd lost. How he'd held her gaze and asked her to tell Kathy that he loved her. "You can tell her yourself, El," Olivia had said, trying to smile through her fear. She'd seen Elliot hurt many times in the course of their long partnership, but never like this. He was so pale and his eyes looked vague, as if he were already on his way to somewhere she wouldn't be able to reach him. "Then you'd better get her fast," he'd said, and closed his eyes.

"Where is he?" Kathy asks in a choked voice, as they go out in the hall toward the front door.

"They took him to New York Hospital Queens," Olivia is telling her when her phone rings. She flips it out and answers quickly. "Captain? How is he?"

"He's in surgery, Liv," Cragen explains. "They couldn't wait for Kathy to get here to give permission, they had to act fast. Did you find her?"

"Yes, we're on our way. Did…did the doctors say anything before they took him in?"

Cragen's voice was low. "Not much, they were in too much of a hurry to get him into the O.R. But it's not good, Liv."

"Ok, Captain," she tried to keep her voice light for Kathy who was hanging on to every word on her end. They were out of the building and getting into the car now. "We'll pick up Eli and be there in a few minutes. Did you track down Dec?"

"Yes, he's on his way here—he'll take Eli back to your apartment to stay with your au pair and August and then he'll go get the twins. I've already called Maureen; Munch has gone to pick up her and Kathleen."

"Olivia, why is he at the hospital here in Queens?" Kathy asked. Olivia was driving to the campus day care where Eli stayed while Kathy was in class. She often picked him up when Kathy had a late class and knew exactly where it was.

"We…we were in a warehouse on the river when ….when it happened." Olivia said. She didn't even want to think about the clusterfuck that had led to them being there and Elliot getting shot. "Let's get Eli and get to the hospital and then I'll explain everything, I promise." As they walk into the day care center, she tells her the plans that are already in motion. Declan will go to the high school and get the twins, but Kathy will need to call the office and give permission for him to take them first. When Kathy hears that the Captain has called their oldest daughters, her eyes widen in fear.

"Is he going to live?" she asks, her hand on the door to Eli's classroom. "Just how badly was he hurt, Olivia?" Her voice is trembling.

Olivia leads her to a bench outside the classroom door. "He took a close-range shot to the chest, Kathy. It did a lot of damage. He was wrestling with a perp for a gun and it went off."

Kathy's eyes are wild. "Elliot would never do anything that foolish! Every time someone grabs for a gun on a television show he laughs and says how no cop would be dumb enough to do that."

Olivia doesn't tell her that her that it's her fault Elliot did something so stupid ; that she'd walked right into a trap and let the perp grab her and that Elliot had risked his life trying to save hers. "Sit here for a minute and breath, Kathy. You don't want to scare Eli. I'll get him and we'll get to the hospital and you can see El. "

Kathy nods and closes her eyes, leaning into the wall behind her. She takes a deep breath and Olivia goes to get her son, praying that it won't be too late when they get to the hospital.

"Libia!" Eli shrieks when he sees her, leaving the group of kids he is playing with and running to jump on her. He peers around to look behind her. "Where's baby August?"

"She's at home with Mariclair," explains Olivia. "Dec is going to take you to see her in a few minutes; your mom & I have to do something."

"Something with Daddy?" Eli asks. "Can I come with you?" He looks up at her with those big blue eyes that are so like Elliot's that Olivia has to take a deep breath to avoid bursting into tears. This little boy idolizes his father and the thought that he might have to grow up without him because of her stupidity is more than she can bear right now.

"It's a grown-up thing, sweetie," she manages to say. "And I know Mariclair would love your help with August. "

"Okay," he says agreeably, and run to his cubby to get his backpack while Olivia signs him out at the front desk, her hand shaking so badly she can barely write. Please God, don't let Elliot die because of me.