All that Remains

A.N. Another drabble about Fault even though it aired what seems like forever ago. I had an inspiration flame when I was listening to James Blunt's song, No Bravery. I don't know why. Probably just a one-shot unless I get reviews. Please enjoy, and please no flame.

Oh! And congratulations to Mariska for her baby boy. I'm sure everyone knows by now but he was born on June 28th.

3's Ya Lot's.

Elliot and Olivia slowly walked into the deserted warehouse prepared for anything. They carefully looked around piles of metal rubbish and boxes making sure they weren't heading into a trap. Olivia smelled cigarettes and motioned Elliot over to where she thought they should go. He nodded and motioned for them to go different directions. Elliot went to the left and Olivia went to the right.

Olivia walked slowly looking for any clues to lead them to where the bastard was. Then suddenly she heard a loud crash and clanging of metal accompanied by the sound of two men struggling. She quickly followed the sound but waited behind a metal box until a sound of distress was heard. A gunshot rang out and Olivia jumped forward, gun ready, and landed on her stomach to see Elliot dropping his weapon. She saw Elliot in the grasp of Victor Gitano with his gun pointed at Elliot's head. Olivia swallowed hard and all three of them began talking at once.

"You hear me? He's gonna die!"

"Shoot him!"

"Shut up! Everybody shut up!" Elliot was telling her to shoot, and Gitano was telling Olivia to drop her weapon. Olivia slowly stood still holding the gun level with Gitano's head keeping her aim while trying to ignore Elliot's request.

"Victor, there's no way out of this."

"Stop talking!"

"You know what's going to happen if you don't put that gun down. Now, enough people have died. And I know that you don't want to die. You could have pulled the trigger on Detective Stabler and then I would have had to kill you. But you didn't do that. You didn't do that because you're being smart."

"You've only got one chance you've gotta take it." Olivia did not hear Elliot, because she didn't want to.

"Where's Rebecca? Is she alive?"

"I'm not gonna tell you dick until you drop the gun, bitch."

"Shot him!" Olivia could hear the rage in Elliot's voice. He wasn't angry at her for ignoring him, but angry at Gitano, not only for his pedophilic ways, but for saying such things to Olivia.

"Shut up, Elliot!" She needed Elliot to stop talking. That way, maybe she could forget he was there and then she could think straight. Now, thoughts of Elliot lying dead on the concrete were blurring her vision like a broken filmstrip playing before her eyes. She took one small step forward.

"Stop moving or he's dead."

"And then what? Do you really think that you're gonna walk out of here? Cuz, that's not going to happen." Olivia said matter-of-factly. "Now this is your choice. Dead or alive?"
"I go, he goes." Olivia would not let herself believe Gitano's words.

"Victor, tell us where Rebecca is and we can end this right now."

"Dead." Victor said without emotion in his voice. "I used her up and I bled her dry. Do you wanna hear how she screamed? How she begged for her mommy?" As she stared over the gun she realized that she wanted to shot this guy, she wanted to shot him more then once.

"Stop it."

"She was a slut, that one. A real little whore."

"I'm looking at a dead man." Elliot threatened through gritted death. Olivia took another small step forward.

"Any closer and you're going to be wearing his brains on your coat." Olivia stopped. She didn't lower her weapon, because she couldn't move. She just imagined that scenario. Luckily, Gitano didn't realize that fear.

"Olivia, there is no reason to keep this piece of crap alive. Pull the trigger right now. Olivia pull it! Shot him!" This time Olivia couldn't block out his voice. And she could feel the burning behind her eyes and in the back of her throat. She couldn't speak, all she could do was take all of her emotions and ignore them. She couldn't let it interfere.

"You know…you know that little girl. It's possible that she isn't dead. She could be locked up in the building somewhere, huh? Or someplace else fifty miles away you don't really know, do ya?"

"You're a liar." Olivia said in pure rage. She wanted to believe that the girl was alive, she knew that she was alive. And she knew that the girl was there, in that warehouse, probably no more then three steps away from where the three of them stood. But she could manage only a few words.

"Yeah, well, that's the point."

"Tell us where she is, Victor." Olivia's emotions evaporated. How? She didn't care. She had a job to do.

"She's here! She's not dead, otherwise he would have been long gone." Elliot yelled at Olivia. Olivia wanted to punch him for making it seem like she didn't know this. But it didn't matter now. She made herself believe. "Unless you like 'em dead. You like that, too Gitano? You like to play with corpses?" Elliot taunted Victor.

"Yeah, I love that. The deader the better, they don't fight as much." Victor said, thick sarcasm spread on his voice.

"Olivia, you think about me, Rebecca is dead." Olivia knew this too. "Pull that trigger, shoot him. Shoot him. Olivia, shoot him." She knew what she should do, but what she should do, she couldn't. And that was to risk Elliot.

"Yeah, do that. But you better make sure you take me out with one shot. One perfect, perfect shot." Olivia didn't hear him, because it didn't matter. All he said, she knew already. Before his taunt. "Of course my reflexes are pretty tight, I could pull the trigger before the bullet even hits me. Or maybe you miss me all together. Either way, there's an 80 chance that I'm gonna take this guy's head clean off! But you try it, definitely, it'll probably turn out great."

"You can kill us both, Victor." Inside, she knew that if Elliot died, even if Victor didn't shoot her, she would die anyway. "You'll still never walk out of here." She would die…on the inside. And internal wounds, rarely heal. She knew from experience. That is why she didn't pull the trigger.

"Right, right. Because…uh…because you've got some buddy's coming, huh? When's that all going down?"

"Any minute."

"Great. Great."

"Just tell us where you hid her."

"You know, you could put the gun down. At least then you might find her otherwise she's gonna die. She's gonna die, he's gonna die. And it'll be all-your-fault. Just like with the little boy. How's your neck?" Gitano forced Elliot to stand after being forced on his knees for this entire time. The three of them began talking again but all Olivia could really hear was Elliot telling her to make the right choice and just shot the damn gun.

"It's not the same thing, Olivia. You know that."

"Yes it is-Olivia. God you two couple of screw-ups.

"Olivia."

"How could you let that little boy go?"

"Olivia, look at me."

"Maybe you were just incompetent."

"You can do the right thing, I didn't. I made that choice with Ryan and it was wrong."

"Elliot."

"It was my fault. Don't do it."

"Shut up."

"Don't make that mistake."

"Stop talking."

"I would have done the same thing."

"I said shut up."

"Don't make my mistake." A slight bang outside shocked Gitano, but barely penetrated the ears of Elliot and Olivia.

"Drop it! Drop the gun! Drop it now! Put the gun down now!" Although Gitano was yelling, to Olivia it was a mere whisper compared to the sound of her heart beating. "You cops don't come in here! Or everybody dies! Hey. Hey! Hey!" Elliot and Olivia stared only at each other, ignoring Victor Gitano completely. Until, "I'll tell you where she is."

"Where?" Olivia was sick of this game and knew better then to believe a word that Gitano said, but she had to keep him on the same page as she should be. The Case.

"She's in a van, parked in Newark she might still be alive." A moment of silence and Olivia spoke only to Elliot, because Victor Gitano was a waste of their time. This could be the last time she saw Elliot, and she would cherish it, no matter how morose it may turn out.

"He's lying."

"I know."

"He's never gonna tell us."

"You're right."

Gitano noticed them ignoring him, but he couldn't allow that. "We can all walk out of here alive if you just put the gun down."

"It's alright." Elliot whispered.

Moments of silence ticked by on an imaginary clock in Olivia's mind, blocking out any sound that may have come from anywhere. She considered handing her gun over to Gitano for just one embrace of her partner, Elliot Stabler. But she knew better. She considered pulling the trigger, no matter what the outcome would be. But her heart wouldn't comply with her head. Instead, Olivia Benson stood there not knowing what to do. It was a life or death situation and she didn't know what to do.

She made the conclusion then, that she was not strong.

She couldn't pull the trigger. She couldn't risk being the cause of Elliot's death, she loved him. She let this thought cloud her vision along with tears. Her heart began to loose it's defensive barrier. It slowly melted away when she looked into Elliot's moist eyes and saw too many emotions to name. Her finger slowly…very slowly put the least amount of pressure on the trigger of the heavy gun in her hand. A echoing gunshot rang throughout the warehouse.

"Suspect down! Move in! Move in!" An unknown voice was heard. Olivia ignored them all. The sniper, the road cops, the paramedics. She ignored all of their faces and all of their voices.

Elliot and Olivia stood there with tears in both of their eyes and stared at each other. There was nothing they could do. Olivia wanted to run to him, hug him, make sure that his heart was really beating, tell him that she loved him. But she didn't.

Unlike Olivia, Elliot took in each specific detail of the warehouse. And he heard the faint whimper of a little girl somewhere that no one else seemed to hear.

"Quiet. Everybody quiet!" Elliot turned. Now Olivia paid attention, and she too heard the faint whimpering.

"Rebecca? Rebecca Clifford?" The two detectives followed their ears. "Say something, honey!" A child whimpered. "Rebecca?" They found a wooden crate and Elliot took it off. "Rebecca?"

"Rebecca, honey, come on out." Elliot reached down toward the girl. She was afraid. Of what? Neither could be one hundred percent sure. "Come on out. You're safe now. Come on out." Elliot scooped the little girl into his arms. Olivia sighed and put a reassuring hand on Rebecca's shoulder.

"It's OK." They chorused to the girl. Nothing mattered at that moment except that they had found the little girl, and she was safe.

After Olivia finished answering Elliot's questions about Rebecca's condition she sat on the couch and they were enveloped in silence. Elliot spoke up.

"That sniper hadn't beaten you to it, I know you would have taken that shot, Olivia." Elliot looked to Olivia and she looked to him. He saw sadness in her eyes. It wasn't the first time, but it still hit him with the same force.

"No I wouldn't of. Did you really expect me to? Did you really expect me to cause your death?" She paused, but there was no reply. "What about your kids?" She figured that, 'what about me?' would have been inappropriate.

"I don't know." Elliot looked away, but Olivia continued to stare at the side of his head. "I just couldn't get that boy out of my head."

Olivia paused, then quietly stated, "What about me?"

Elliot looked to her feeling her eyes never leaving him. "Look, we both chose each other over the job. We can't let that happen again. Otherwise…" Olivia knew very well what he was going to say… "We can't be partners." But it still shook her. She looked into his eyes and saw pain. She didn't dare ask why he hurt, besides…it didn't really matter. She fought the tears she was certain would come anyway.

"I can't believe you're saying that." She said, only because she knew she had to say something. To keep herself from leaning on his shoulder and sobbing. To keep herself from telling him that she loved him. She couldn't…

"You and this job are about all I have anymore…I don't want to wreck that. I couldn't take it." Elliot stood and walked away but Olivia didn't pay attention as to where. She looked forward but when Elliot disappeared down a well lit hallway she looked to the ground and let out a deep breath. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, still uncertain of what to do.

About two minutes later. Olivia looked up slightly. She waited until the darkness from pressure on her eyes subsided. She stood, now knowing what she had to do. Not what she wanted to do. That didn't matter anymore. This is what she had to do.

Olivia hesitated before knocking on Captain Cragen's door. She didn't wait for a reply. She just opened the door. Cragen looked up surprised and dismayed.

There are children standing here, arms outstretched to the sky, tears dying on their face, he has been here…

"Olivia, what's up?" Olivia closed the door behind her and leaned against it for the support that she needed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I want a new partner." She looked to the ground to avoid eye contact because she wanted to leave it at that. A simple statement that she prayed that Cragen would understand. He did, but he still needed an explanation.

…brothers lie in shallow graves, fathers lost without a trace, a nation blind to their disgrace, since he's been here…

"For what cause? Elliot didn't mean what he said about you not being able to do your job. He was upset." Olivia looked up suddenly, she had forgotten all about that. But that was because all the petty things drift away when your staring your true love in the face and he has a gun to his head.

"It's not about that." She paused and saw both confusion and realization cloud Don's eyes. "It's a--" Olivia searched for the right words. "Personal matter." He nodded but stopped her before she turned and left.

"Sit." Olivia did, reluctantly.

…and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore, only sadness.

And I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore, only sadness, only sadness…

"On a business level I have no right to pry any further into this…but as a friend, I think that you should care enough to let me know what it is that is tearing you two apart." Olivia nodded because she knew what he said was true and she did want to tell him, she just didn't know what to say.

"Elliot and…I…Well…" She sighed exasperated. "I don't even know what to say."

…Houses burnt beyond repair, the smell of death is in the air, a woman weeping in despair says, he has been here…

"I care about him as more then a partner…more then a friend, even." She looked up and realized then what the realization was from earlier. He knew, and she figured he had always known.

…tracer lighting up the sky, it's another families turn to die, a child afraid to even cry out says, he has been here…

"If you know, then why are you asking me to tell you?"

"I just want to make sure I'm right." He smiled slightly, as did Olivia. But the smile didn't stop the pain of the memory that came flooding back, and the pain did nothing to stop the tears that she didn't want to cry.

…and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore only sadness, and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore, only sadness, only sadness…

"He said that…if we let this happen again…we couldn't be partners." She sputtered out. She felt like a child but Don didn't say anything, he knew the best thing he could do was to stay quiet, and let her talk. "I know he's right, but…" She swallowed another burst of tears before they came. "And I know why he doesn't want to mess this up." Don stood and Olivia did, too but she held her palms to her eyes to try and stop the tears.

Don slowly wrapped his arms around her in a hug, like the one a father gives his daughter. Olivia hugged him back and laid her head on his shoulder.

…there are children standing here, arms outstretched into the sky, but no one asks the question why, he has been here…

"I'm sorry about this, Don." He patted her back and said,

"If you feel anything right now, it shouldn't be apologies for this." They pulled apart and she looked at the floor before Don put a hand under her chin and made her look him in the eyes. "You made the right choice Olivia." He paused as he thought his words over quickly yet carefully. "About everything."

…old men kneel to accept their fate, wives and daughters cut and raped, a generation drenched in hate, yes he has been here…

Olivia was confused. About more then just Don's remark. About how she was feeling, wondering if she really had made the right choice, wondering what would happen. Would she be taken off the squad? Don wouldn't do that but the IAB might. Anything could happen. All she knew was it was too late to go back now. She leaned up against the wall until her tears stopped.

She excused herself from Cragen's office and walked up to the roof. She sat down and leaned against the block boundary around the edge. She was probably only alone with the cool Spring breeze for about five minutes before Elliot came up.

…and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore only sadness, and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore…

Elliot walked towards where Olivia sat and reached down a hand but didn't say a word. Enough had been said that day, enough had been said for the next day as well but that couldn't be predicted at that moment. Olivia looked up and placed her hand in his. He helped her up and wrapped his arms around her waist. She laid her arms upon his shoulders. And without saying a word, and without one trace of music in the dusky New York air, Elliot began to sway Olivia and himself back and forth in slow circles.

Olivia was tired and didn't mind this at all. She let Elliot hold her close, and be her support for that time. There was nothing more she knew to do. They just danced there, in their last day as partners, drenched in silence.

Neither of them knew what would happen, but at least they knew the truth. They loved each other. The future was not in their hands. It never had been, and never would be, and they had to except that. All they could do is hope and pray that something good could come from this.

…and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore, only sadness, and I see no bravery, no bravery, in your eyes anymore, only sadness, only sadness.

A.N. OK, I know the first part was more of a script thing then a fan fiction but I tried. I also know that the ending was almost identical to my last Fault Fic but I added lyrics. Speaking of which they were to the song:

No Bravery by James Blunt on his new CD: Back to Bedlam

Hope you liked it, please review.

3, Seriesfanatic