A/N: Thanks to everyone who left reviews!!! Please keep leaving them! They make me want to continue!

Chapter 3: The Plot Thickens?

The cake slipped from Olivia's grasp. The box tipped open as it fell and its contents splattered against the hardwood floor.

Olivia swallowed hard as she set off to run towards Elliot. The bullet, however, reached him before she could.

Everything happened so fast, but to Liv -- it appeared to be moving in slow motion. Seconds stretched into minutes as the event unfolded before her.

Elliot slowly dropped to the sidewalk, and blood sprayed from his wound. As she reached him, the shooter took off down the street. Olivia's stomach churned as she realized she was now in the same position that Elliot had been in just over a year ago. Her heart raced as she swung her head back and forth between the perpetrator and her partner. The former was nearly at the end of the street, while blood oozed rapidly out of the latter's leg.

"Liv, go!" Elliot shouted, waving and trying to send her down the street. He reached for his radio and called in his own "Officer Down." His voice jerked her back into real time.

Olivia nodded hesitantly, realizing his wound wasn't life-threatening. She began to run -- running harder; running faster than she had ever run before. With one hand she pulled her weapon back to the ready. She was quickly closing the gap.

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as the suspect disappeared around the corner and into an alley. She could have been racing headlong into a trap, but at the moment she wasn't think about that possibility. Even if she had, she wouldn't have cared.

She slowed and brought her gun up as she stepped into the alley. The gunman was on the opposite end, his back towards her. The alley was a dead end, brick walls on three sides. Olivia stood in the only entrance. The shooter was trapped.

"Freeze!" Olivia shouted, aiming her gun at a spot on the back of his neck. "Put your hands on your head!"

The man began to follow her directions, but then suddenly stopped. He started to turn around instead.

"Hey!" Olivia tightened the grip on her pistol. "I said, 'Put your HANDS on your HEAD! I will NOT hesitate to SHOO---"

Olivia stopped as she caught sight of the suspect's face. He couldn't have been any older than thirteen. He was just a kid -- a kid scared-out-of-his-wits.

He shook his head spastically. "N-n-no. I can't do th-th-that," he stuttered in fright.

"Just drop the gun and no one gets hurt, all right?" Olivia's mind raced as she watched the hand that held his gun. He's just a kid. I can't shoot a kid.

The boy just stared blankly back at her.

"Come on! Get rid of the gun and it'll all be okay. I promise."

Tears ran down the boy's face. "You're lyin'! That man -- he's a cop, ain't he? And you're a cop. So what's to stop you from shootin' me?!"

Liv tried to sweep past the last comment. "Look, it'll be better if you just do as I say. I won't shoot you." Olivia began to take a few steps forward, but the boy jumped and brandished his firearm.

"NO! She'll kill me...she will." The boy was literally shaking in his baggy clothes.

"She? Who's she?" Olivia asked, her eyebrows twisting as she stopped and re-trained her weapon.

"N-n-no one."

"Fine," Olivia sighed. "What's your name?"

"I ain't gonna tell you!"

"Okay, well...how 'bout this? If I lower my weapon, will you toss down yours?"

The boy shifted as if seriously considering the arrangement. "Alrigh'," he nodded, "but you first."

Olivia took a deep breath. I'm gonna be fine. "Okay."

She leaned forward, and placed her sidearm on the grimy pavement. She held her hands up, palms facing the boy, and stepped back. "Now you."

He glanced down at his gun, possibly reconsidering. Olivia's eyes flickered nervously to where she had just placed hers. Please, come on. Don't let me have made the wrong decision.

As if someone had heard her prayers, the boy nodded and tossed his weapon towards the dumpster. "You gotta protect me, though. 'Cuz I didn't mean to shoot 'im, I swear! It wasn't my fault -- she set it all up! I wasn't even tryin' to hit him --you gotta believe me! You gotta help me! She's gonna kill me -- I know it!"

Liv sighed in frustration. "I can only help you if you help me. And you need to tell me who this she is."

His face turned white, and more fear scampered across his eyes. He took several short breaths before finally bobbing his head in agreement. "J-J-Jill."

Olivia cocked her head, and her mouth dropped open. Jill? She wondered if she had heard right.

As if in response, two shots echoed down the street.

A/N: Okay, now this is where you come in. I'm going to listen to your input. Elliot -- dead or alive? Your choice. You can tell me in your review, or let me know in a message, if you don't want your vote known. I'll wait a little while before I write the end of the story, to get as many views as possible. It's such a hard decision to make!

Please speak your mind!!

--georgesgurl117