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Chapter 1
Elliot was at home, lying in bed, wide awake. Like most other nights. He was staring up at the ceiling, 'a particular boring ceiling' he couldn't help but think.He could hear Kathy's soft breathing next to him. He turned to look at her before rolling over and giving her a soft kiss on her silky golden hair before silently shuffling out of the bed. He reached down onto the floor and pulled his t-shirt on and walked over to his small sons cot.
He was sound asleep on his back with his thumb tucked neatly into his mouth, softly snoring. Elliot smiled at his youngest before brushing his soft hair off his face and then pulling his blanket up to cover him better, it was turning into a very chilly night.
He continued staring proudly at his son until the shrill ring of his cell phone filled the silent bedroom. He ran over to where it lay on the bedside table, he thought he'd turned it on silent but clearly he hadn't.
"Stabler," he answered, wincing when he heard Eli's protests to being woken up fill the room and Kathy's tired voice say, "Coming baby boy."
To him the room suddenly went silent again as Cragen's voice spoke to him. "I'll be right there." he said, his voice shaking like his entire body suddenly was.
"El, honey, what is it?" Kathy asked as she comforted their now soothed, and almost asleep son.
"Olivia's been attacked, she's in the hospital." he said, panic evident in his voice.
"Is she ok?" Kathy asked, genuinely concerned for her husbands partner.
"I don't know, I gotta go see her."
"Yeah, go," Kathy said reaching out and squeezing his arm, soothingly.
He kissed her and then Eli before grabbing a pair of jeans and rushing out whilst putting them on.
- - - - - -
When he ran through the hospital doors, he was thankfully fully dressed, but only more distressed. Luckily Munch was there to meet him.
"How is she?" he asked.
"The nurse is just finishing cleaning her up. She's got cracked ribs, she's had stitching, she looks worse than she is. She's tough El!" Munch shouted after Elliot, unable to keep up with him.
Elliot had spotted Fin and Cragen who stood outside Olivia's cubicle. Without asking for permission, Elliot pushed the curtain aside and stormed in.
"Sir, you can't come in here!" a nurse shrieked at him.
"She's my partner." he quickly informed her. "Liv, what happened." Elliot asked her, her beaten an bruised face shocking him.
"I didn't even hear or see him until he was dragging me into the alley." she told him.
"What did he look like?" Elliot questioned.
"This can wait, you need to rest." the nurse said, finishing up.
"Bout six four, maybe five. Dark hair, I think. Slim but muscular. His hands were big and rough. He had this smell. It all happened really quick." she answered, not bothering to acknowledge what the nurse had said.
"Think you could describe him to a sketch artist?" Elliot asked her.
"Not tonight!" the nurse said, more firmly.
"If you can get one in, maybe." Olivia said positively.
The nurse sighed and huffed before walking out, not willing to be ignored anymore.
With her gone, however, it became silent. Elliot could only look at Olivia. "Did he..?" he began to ask.
Olivia quickly shook her head, not wanting him to finish his sentence. Tears began to form in her eyes as reality finally sunk in. "He was going to." she said, her chin beginning to tremble as she forced tears to stay in.
Upon seeing this, Elliot walked up to her and perched on the bed next to her and then held her close to him. It was then that she let her tears fall, holding onto him tighter than anyone had ever held him before. "It's okay." he said supportively to her.
- - - - - -
4 days later.
Olivia sighed as she waited for the lift doors to open. She was expecting to walk out into the usual busy SVU. As the doors opened and she stepped out she walked straight into the unexpected.
She grunted in pain as someone carrying a pile of boxes barged right into her. She was bored of sitting around at home and was ready for work again, even if it was only ass duty but it didn't mean that her body was any were near ready. She was still sore everywhere. However, she was going to be in the same amount of pain no matter where she was and being here beat being at home alone with day time TV.
She stepped aside to let the clearly busy person continue walking, she then headed into the bull pen. Munch was the first to see her.
"Liv, what are you doing back?" he asked, causing Elliot and Fin to turn around and see her too.
"Your supposed to be resting." Elliot said to her.
"Believe me I can do that better here. Look I'm happy to just stay behind my desk, I just can't sit at home anymore when I know the Night-time serial rapist is still out there. I heard he'd got another woman." Olivia said.
The night-time serial rapist was the squads latest case. He'd been at large for a little over three month, and the entire city was fearing him. He was seemingly unstoppable. He left behind no evidence, except for the bloodied, mangled bodies of his victims, all of whom were killed in their homes. All women, all beautiful, about their only connection. It was perfectly safe to say the case was going nowhere and Cragen in particular was getting hell for it. Another victim was only going to make this worse.
Olivia looked around the squad room, confused. "What's going on here?" she asked.
Elliot was about to answer when Cragen walked out of his office followed by the Chief. "Captain, what's going on?" Elliot asked.
"I'm being replaced." Cragen said, shocking them all.
"What?!" they all asked in shock.
"Too long this case has been going on. We can't help but feel with the proper guidance this case can be wrapped up." the Chief said
"We need this guy to slip up. He knows what he's doing, he's smart. But we're getting there. We're gonna find this guy soon." Elliot said confidently.
"And in the meantime more women get raped and killed. That makes me look like I'm not doing my job." the Chief stated.
"So this is really about your reputation, not the vic's." Olivia said.
"Think what you want Detective Benson. You shouldn't even be here, but this case needs all the hands it can get. With certain exceptions." the Chief said.
"So what we supposed to do without the Captain?" Fin asked, annoyed.
"I've already got a replacement on the way." he said.
"Wonder what ass-hole we're gonna get stuck with." Elliot mumbled to the others.
"Oh, I'm really not that bad Detective Stabler." A tall, man standing in the doorway, wearing a long beige coat, and an expensive looking dark suit said. "In fact, I think you'll all learn to love me." he said.
Olivia couldn't help but think he was a smug, arrogant prick already. The others opinions were all similar.
"This is your new Captain, Cyrus Owens." the chief informed them all.
"Now, who wants to get me up to date." Cyrus said.
They all just looked at each other. The last thing this case needed was someone who didn't know it. They needed people who knew it, who could help solve it. Who knew how quick this monster had to be stopped. Now it was like they were starting from the beginning again. It could only be a bad thing.
TBC
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