Authors Note: Thanx to everyone who reviewed. Hope you like the chapter. Please remember I'm new to SVU, never wrote for them before, and I have some understanding of the characters, but I'm not perfect. So if you read something you think is out of character please let me know. Happy reading :-)

Olivia woke with a start. Her head felt like a jackhammer had been bouncing around inside her skull. She tried to raise her hands to soothe her pounding skull but found that they were cuffed around a pipe above her.

She was momentarily disoriented, not remembering what had happened or where she was. Reality came crashing in on her a few seconds later.

'Riccoli.'

He had drugged her, violated and abducted her. Olivia closed her eyes tightly, trying to drive away the tears that threatened to escape. Elliot's face filled her mind. The fear that she had seen in his eyes, the barely controlled rage as he had witnessed Riccoli hurt her.

'Elliot.'

Tears fell down her face uncontrolled, instantly despising the weakness. She mentally scolded herself for breaking, now was not the time. Olivia took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She needed to find a way to escape.

She tested the handcuffs, pulling her hands tight against the metal rings with all her strength. Pain shot through her wrists up her arms, forcing a small cry of pain from her.

Olivia's eyes darted around the room, searching for something to help her, some way to get out of her restraints. She was in some kind of large room, it was mostly dark but there were a few scattered patches of light. She could hear running water in the distance, it echoed off the walls. There was a faint smell persistent in the air around her, a smell that she couldn't quite place.

Olivia forced her weight back hard against the pipe her back was against, straining into a kneeling position, putting as much pressure on her restraints as she possibly could.

The pain in her wrists was so extreme that she was beginning to see spots in front of her eyes. She continued pulling, feeling her wrists beginning to slip through the cuffs.

She froze when she heard a deep rumbling chuckle erupt from the surrounding darkness.

"Don't tell me you're trying to escape," Riccoli jeered. "There's really no point," he said dismissively. She heard the sound of a gun cocking in the darkness. Her heart sank into her stomach and she visibly deflated.

"Good girl," he crooned.

Olivia's stomach lurched, the contentment in his voice causing her lunch to come perilously close to surging from her throat.

"Never had a cop before," he mused, his voice echoing through the room, the sound coming from all around her, completely unnerving Olivia.

"You'll be my first," he growled, his voice still disembodied by the darkness.

Olivia pushed her rising fear aside, slipping into cop mode, relying on her experience and training to get her through this.

"You can still get out of this," she said, her voice stronger than she felt. But he just ignored her completely. She could hear the sound of his footsteps as they tracked around her, shrouded in shadows.

"You and your partner seem close," he drawled.

"Bet he's anxious to hear how you're doing." He snickered petulantly.

Olivia closed her eyes and tried to focus, her concentration wavering. Elliot would be a pressure cooker right now, and Olivia knew better than most what happened when that pressure built too high.

She silently willed him to keep it together, knowing that if he blew apart Cragen would have no choice but to take Elliot off the case. And she needed him on the case. She was unshakable in the knowledge that Elliot would find her, he wouldn't give up until he did. She needed that to hold onto.

Olivia shook her head, trying to clear away the thoughts crowding her head. She needed to focus, to try and reason with Riccoli. Everything depended on it.

She heard him take a few more steps and opened her eyes to see him walk into the light, his eyes gleaming unpleasantly.

"Maybe we should give him a call," he said pulling her cell phone into view.

Elliot sat motionless, his eyes locked on the empty space where she should be. He stared across his desk, his heart aching with regret.

She'd sat there for more than eight years, right across from him. He'd taken her for granted; assuming she'd always be there, that there would be more time.

The tip they had received was a waste of time, the people whose door they had broken down hadn't never even heard of Riccoli.

Elliot had run out of leads and had come back to the squad to try and find some fresh ones.

But as soon as he'd sat down at his desk he hadn't been able to keep his eyes away from her vacant desk.

Elliot growled in frustration, tearing his eyes away and standing so fast his chair toppled onto its side.

'I'll find you Liv.'

He felt like he was coming apart at the seams, his skin crawled, and he felt every indrawn breath with a deepening irritation.

"Where the hell is the Riccoli file?" Elliot yelled, his voice echoing through the squad room causing several young officers to jump. He shuffled through the papers on his desk, barely noticing the looks of sympathy that were being directed at him, still unable to find the file. He felt his temper begin to mount.

'Just hold on Liv. I'm coming.'

Munch stood from his desk, walking over to Elliot, a folder clutched in his hand. He stopped in front of Elliot, peering over his glasses, and handed him the file he was searching for. "We're gonna find her Elliot," Munch said quietly before walking back to his desk.

Elliot gripped the file and walked out of the squad room, leaving his overturned chair, not bothering to pick it up. He knew what would be in the file, he'd read it ten times, practically memorized it. He didn't need the file to tell him what he already knew. They were out of leads, and now it was a waiting game.

Every cop in the squad was chasing down leads, talking to informants, putting the word out on the streets. It was just a matter of time before someone came up with something. But he couldn't just sit there while Liv was in trouble. He couldn't just wait. He'd bust down every door of anyone who'd ever known Riccoli if he had to.

He wouldn't fail her again.

Elliot stood in front of the elevators waiting for the doors to open.

He felt a hand land on his arm and his nerves roared with aggravation, his skin crawling at the contact, his anger still too close to the surface. Elliot shrugged the offending hand off him and turned to face the owner, his annoyance barely masked.

Elliot's eyes landed on his captain.

"Elliot," Cragen began quietly, his concern written across his face.

Elliot held up his hand to interrupt the words he knew were coming.

"I'm fine Captain," Elliot assured him. "Completely in control," he said with more confidence than he felt.

Cragen nodded. "Ok." He paused for an instant; momentarily unsure whether to verbalize the words he realized shouldn't be spoken. "We all love her Elliot," he said quietly.

"No one is going to rest until we find her."

With that said Cragen turned on his heel and walked back into the squad room, leaving Elliot alone with his thoughts.

How had he been so blind to what everyone else apparently knew? When had he started seeing her this way?

Elliot's phone rang, startling him from his trance. He pulled it from his coat, glancing at the caller id. He felt his heart stop beating briefly when he read the name.

Liv.

His heart sped wildly as he flipped open his phone. "Liv?" Elliot said his voice filled with hope.

Silence answered. "Liv, are you there?" He questioned, desperation creeping into his voice. Out of the silence Elliot could hear the laughter start to build. It was a sickening sound, filled with delight.

"Liv can't come to the phone right now. She's a little tied up," Riccoli informed him, his voice taut with laughter. Elliot felt the muscles in his arms jump, his hand clamping tightly to the phone.

"You listen to me, you sick son of a bitch …"

Riccoli's laughter rang out.

"Such language detective," he clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "You should really see someone about that temper," he counseled smugly.

"If you hurt her I will hunt you down and make you pray for a quick death," Elliot vowed wrathfully, his voice tense with anger.

Riccoli snickered. "That wasn't very nice," he said feigning hurt. He let out a heavy sigh. "Now I'm going to have to teach you a lesson," he said, his voice taking on a menacing tone, the line falling temporarily quiet.

Then Olivia's scream shattered the silence.

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