Okay, so I got to thinking: Why am I always torturing Bobby? So the idea for this little angst, guilt ridden fic came to me! And as most of ya'll know by now with me, things are never what they seem...

Disclaimer: Yes, they're mine! All mine! Mwahahaha! (sigh) No, they're not mine. All I've got's the dolls... Dang it...

This little chapter is dedicated to Runner, Confused, Sweet-4-Stabler, eames47, DeliriousDancer, Blucougar, InfityStar, and El Chacal, for all your wonderful reviews and adding me and my stories to your alerts! Thanks everyone!

He watched her fall, his heart skipping a beat as she hit the ground. The man who had pulled the trigger just smiled as blood seeped out of the hole in her stomach, and Mike turned on him and pulled the trigger. The man collapsed to the ground, and Mike spun around and dropped to one knee beside his injured partner.

Oh God, this can't be happening, he thought as he gently pushed her hands away and applied pressure to the wound with his right hand. With his left, he grabbed his radio out of his pocket and shouted into it the words that no cop ever wanted to say.

"Officer down! I repeat, officer down!"

Then he dropped the radio and placed his other hand over the wound, ignoring the nausea that bubbled up in his stomach as her warm blood gushed through his fingers.

"Hold on," he muttered over and over again as her eyes slid shut and her breathing slowed. "Hold on."

Finally he could hear the wailing of the ambulance, and he was somewhat thankful when the paramedics appeared at his side and took over. Once they finally had her stabilized, they lifted her onto a stretcher, and he quickly followed as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance.

One paramedic opened his mouth to say something, but Mike shot him a death glare, and he quickly shut his mouth and yelled that they were ready. As the ambulance tore out of the parking lot, Mike looked down at his partner's pale face, then hesitantly reached over and carefully grasped her hand.

"You hang in there, sweetheart," he murmured, squeezing her hand gently. She didn't respond, and he buried his face in his hand as the ambulance sped down the road.

CICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICI

The ambulance jerked to a halt, and Mike leapt out of the ambulance right behind her stretcher, following the paramedics into the emergency bay of the hospital. A doctor met them inside, and they immediately began shouting medical jargon that Mike couldn't understand.

"Is she going to be okay?" he demanded over the organized chaos, and the doctor prevented him from going any further.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't go back there!" he shouted. "We'll let you know as soon as we know anything." Then he spun around on his heel and ran after the stretcher, leaving Mike alone in the middle of the crowded, yet empty, room.

He hated feeling helpless, so he walked down and gave blood. When he was finished, he walked back into the waiting room, noticing that the room was nearly empty, with the exception of one or two people.

Not a minute after he sank down into his seat, the door flew open, and Mike found himself face to face with a very dark and furious Bobby Goren. "You son of a bitch!" Bobby roared.

Before he could explain what had happened, Bobby's fist collided with his cheek, and he hit the ground.

"Bobby!" a female voice shouted, and Mike opened his eyes to see his partner shove past the bigger detective to get to his side. He groaned as she helped him sit up, and she sat beside him, allowing him to lean against her.

Bobby still stood there, rubbing his fist and glaring at Mike. Carolyn shot Bobby a glare of her own, and he turned around and stalked away, his footsteps heavy against the carpeted floor.

Once he was gone, Carolyn focused her attention on her partner, who was holding his cheek and muttering to himself. "You okay, Mike?" she asked softly, cupping his chin in her small hand and turning his head so she could assess the damage. She started to reach out to touch it, but he recoiled from her touch, focusing his eyes on the carpet in front of them.

"I didn't see it coming," he said after several moments of silence. "This is all my fault." He bowed his head and hid his eyes in his hand.

"What didn't you see, Mike?" she prodded gently, squeezing his shoulder. "How was any of this your fault?"

"I wasn't watching. He got too close. I let him get too close," he stated simply, and she sighed quietly.

"Mike, this wasn't your fault," Carolyn insisted softly, but he shook his head and inched away from her. With a small growl of frustration, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his head down into the crook of her neck.

He stiffened, but slowly relaxed in her embrace, and his arms circled her waist, pulling her closer to him. After a few more minutes, she could feel his hot tears against her skin, and she rubbed circles on his back, cooing softly into his ear.

Deakins cleared his throat quietly, and Carolyn looked up at him and shook her head slowly. He understood immediately and disappeared, no doubt to go find and try to console Bobby Goren. But she was just fine where she was, right where she needed to be.

He shivered in her arms, and she managed to pull him into her lap, rocking him back and forth as she desperately attempted to console her wounded partner. She couldn't think of anything that she could say that would convince him that this terrible tragedy wasn't his fault, that he couldn't have foresaw it, but she knew him too well. He wouldn't listen.

So she finally settled for saying, "It'll be okay, Mike. She'll be fine. You know she will. I promise."

Some time later, Deakins and Bobby walked back into the waiting room with Mike and Carolyn, and she watched as Deakins sat close to her and her partner. But she also noticed that Bobby sat in the farthest corner of the room, away from the man he was certain had harmed his partner and best friend.

No words were spoken as they waited into the long hours of the night. Nothing could be said that would calm Bobby's fears, or assuage Mike's guilt. Carolyn remained beside her partner for reassurance and support, and Deakins continued to watch over his remaining detectives in an almost paternal way.

The first rays of the morning sun began to bleed into the waiting room, and Carolyn was still awake, but her partner was dozing as he leaned against her. Bobby was uncomfortably cramped in a stiff chair, dark circles prevalent under his red rimmed eyes, and Deakins was sleeping restlessly with his head against the wall.

The door opened, and everyone sat upright except for Bobby, who rose to his feet and looked at the doctor with a mixture of hope, grief and desperation on his face.

The doctor gave a tired sigh and ran his hand over his face.

"Are you all here for Alex Eames?"

Bobby, Mike, Carolyn and Deakins all held their breath in fearful anticipation as the doctor opened his mouth to speak.

TBC...

A/N: How many of ya'll thought that the woman who was shot was Carolyn? Don't worry, I'm writing a post ep for To The Bone next... (laughs evilly) So review, my bunnies! Thanks for reading!