AN: Thank you once again for those who have reviewed me so far it means a lot to me. Thank you. Nevertheless, I am happy to see so many people reading the story until now; my muse however is a little disappointed that out of more than 1000 people who have read my stories it's only very a few that have commented. I don't know, it's nice to read what others think of my efforts and as I've said it's not about ego stroking, but my muse (that is standing over my shoulder agreeing wholeheartedly) feels differently. But even so I am very happy.

I don't know anything about law, so I know that in real life it wouldn't be like this, but this is fiction so I have taken literary liberties to bend the law.

Now, on with the show…

Chapter 3 Is that a Threat?

As a Detective, Elliot Stabler was no stranger to the drama of seeing a fallen comrade in the line of duty. And he certainly wasn't foreign to the medical terms used in emergencies to know what was happening to Olivia in the back of the ambulance. What was foreign to him was seeing his partner of over 5 years lying there on that gurney injured and in critical condition as one of the paramedics tried to resuscitate her while the other one administered medications through an IV. They continued to search for a pulse as they tried every way they could to keep her alive. There was a huge blood loss, it was everywhere. The portable cardiogram showed her as flat lined and Elliot closed his eyes. Seconds later he heard the blip, blip that indicated a slow but steady pulse once again.

He had refused to leave Olivia alone in the ambulance, he knew from past experience that the majority of paramedics had heard of the detective or knew her, that wasn't unheard of. But even if that were true, Elliot was not going to allow Olivia to die alone in an ambulance on her way to the hospital.

He felt guilty; she shouldn't be lying there with four bullet wounds. What the hell had they been thinking when they entered the apartment without the standard backup? It was true, that Munch and Finn were in the area looking for evidence that Michelle might have been seen by one of the neighbors, but weren't close enough to provide proper backup. True, they hadn't expected the scene that they walked into the apartment nearly destroyed but they had committed the error of breaking protocol by assuming that the perp was no longer there or that he might even be armed; an error that would now probably cost Olivia her life.

An error that he never thought he would ever forgive himself for if she died. It was assumed that he would be covering her back, that he would go in with her when she began searching the apartment for clues but his mind had been horrified by the scene that they had seen only a few minutes before, enough to stop and think for just a second that the crime scene wasn't secured.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Olivia was taken immediately to surgery. The update that the paramedic had sent to Bellevue ER must have been that there was no time to waste in the Triage unit. Just barely giving him time to jump from the ambulance and Olivia had already disappeared into an elevator with the best ER Team on top of her trying to stop the clock in order to save the detective's life.

She's so pale, Elliot thought, running his fingers through his hair, "Fuck, fuck." He murmured under his breath time and time again. Suddenly he felt someone at his side.

"How is she?" Captain Cragen asked having heard everything on the radio. Then after having confirmed who it had been wounded he took out Olivia's file. Don considered her almost like a daughter and knew that Olivia was alone in the world. Her only family in reality was her SVU co-workers, and he knew that since Alex's death, she had no one else; of course he supposedly wasn't aware of that fact.

Elliot opened his mouth then closed it waving his hands impotently, "I don't...I don't know. There was a lot of blood Cap. The bastard emptied his gun on her," he ground his teeth, "He was there Cap, he was there and I…" He lost his voice in the growl that escaped him, his hands covering his face in desperation.

"She'll be fine Elliot; she'll be fine, she has to be." He patted Elliot's back. If anyone knew what Olivia meant to Elliot, they would think that there was much, much more. Even to the point that perhaps Elliot's divorce had been caused by an affair that they were having, but what they didn't know was that the love between these two was not that of a man and a woman, but the love of a brother for his sister. The kind of love that you can only feel for family that is not your own blood, but that is created from work and loyalty.

"I don't know Cap, she lost a lot of blood, she couldn't breathe, she coded once on the way."

"Don't be so pessimistic Elliot, we have to have faith. She's as stubborn as a mule and a warrior. She isn't gonna let some SOB like him win." He tried to encourage his detective, even though he was actually trying to convince himself as well.

"She…" he didn't know what to say, before she died, why did she have to die dammit, they had already revived her couple of times and she had called for Alex. Her last thoughts were of Alex! "Is that her paperwork?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes, you're her next of kin Elliot."

Stabler nodded and extended his hand taking the folder. He knew something that he didn't believe Cragen knew or if he did, he hadn't said anything. He opened the folder and scanned the documents. A crooked grin appeared on his face; there it was, just as Olivia had told him.

They had gone through a really bad scare, a perp had hit her when she had tried to arrest him, shoving her against the wall and leaving her unconscious and kicking her a couple of times before Elliot could stop him. Consequently she had a severe concussion from the hit she received on the head and she had to spend a couple of days in the hospital under observation along with a couple of broken ribs from the kicks. She had been unconscious for a couple of hours and Elliot had been scared. When she finally returned to work Olivia confided in him.

"Before Alex had been killed, I had my legal documents revised. You know that same sex couples don't have the same rights as married couples and she and I were planning on living together before this happened. I gave her my power of attorney and my medical power of attorney. I never got around to changing them although with her supposed death they are worthless. Nevertheless El, you and I know that she is alive and if someday something happens to me I'll put them in the folder that has all of my emergency medical documents in Cragen's office. You and she are my next of kin El. I don't have anyone else and I trust that you will make sure my will is done.

Elliot hugged her and promised her he would do it no matter what.

It was time to keep his promise, Olivia was closet to death and he would never be able to forgive himself if Alex didn't get there in time to be by her side in case Olivia didn't make it. God, Alex wouldn't forgive herself if it should happen. They had both had enough of pain and suffering being so far apart. When Olivia had confided in him about the true nature of their relationship with the attorney he could not fathom it, he had never imagined not even in his wildest dreams, heck, he could swear that his partner could barely stand Cabot that first year and the lukewarm friendship was more out of professional respect than anything else. He never imagined that they'd be in love, much less that they'd been together for six months.

It came as a total surprise, to say the least. That Olivia was bisexual wasn't a surprise, Liv had a horrible record in her love life and had never known her to have a study or long relationship in all the time that they had been working together at SVU; It certainly didn't bother him if she were gay, for God sake, after all the things they saw in their line of work it was the last thing he thought about. What was so hard to believe was that the attorney was actually gay and had a long stable relationship in every sense of the word with Olivia.

At first he was jealous, jealous because he was used to being her confidant and Olivia's best friend. After all he considered himself her adoptive older brother and he wasn't sure that the blue blood attorney had any serious intentions, but nevertheless he could not deny that he had ever seen Olivia as happy or as relaxed, nor could he deny that Cabot seemed to be more human and warm for some time now. Actually ever since the incident with Eric Plummer, Cabot seemed very different, she acted differently and when Olivia confessed everything all the pieces fell into place.

And when Alex was attacked and declared dead, Elliot was there at her side every moment, giving his unconditional support because only he knew the nature of the relationship between the ADA and Olivia. And he was the only one that knew the shadow that became of Olivia without her.

Thank God, she refused to leave for the WPP without first seeing Olivia, she would never have survived otherwise. He had worried for her mental health during the two days that she thought that Alex had died; Elliot could see the alarming rate in which Olivia was slowly sinking into a deep depression. It was obvious that she wasn't sleeping or eating. When the Suburban left with Alex, Elliot hugged her before she could fall down crying with a broken heart. Olivia didn't deserve to end like this, she didn't deserve to be far from the love of her life and she certainly didn't deserve to be alone without Alex.

He pulled out his cell and found a secluded corner so he could talk. There was only one person that could help him keep his promise, and he was determined to keep it.

"Hammond" A gruff voice answered on the other end.

"Elliot Stabler" he identified himself.

"Detective, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The DEA agent answered impatiently.

"I would like, no I demand that you tell me how to get in touch with her." No names were mentioned, he wasn't stupid but he knew that Hammond knew whom he was speaking about. "It's a matter of life or death."

"Are you crazy? That's impossible!" Hammond almost yelled "No."

"Hammond" Elliot said in a rough voice, "I am not asking for a favor, I am not asking, I am demanding that you get me in touch with her. Olivia is between life and death. She needs to know!"

"I'm sorry to hear about your partner." His voice lost a bit of impatience, sympathizing with the detective. His last partner had been killed by the same group of people that had ordered Cabot's assassination, but he couldn't break the rules because of that. "But it's impossible, you know that, she is under the protection of WPP and there is no way that I can put you in touch with her. Keep me posted and I'll let her know when her life is out of danger.

"You aren't getting me agent, I ordered you to get me in touch with her. Olivia needs her and she needs her here. It's in your best interest to do so.

"Are you threatening me?" The agent spit out.

"No agent I don't threaten, it's a promise."

"And I am not promising anything detective." Hammond said with contained fury. "Let me see what I can do."

"Oh, and don't forget with who you are dealing with, if you think that I am bluffing, I guarantee you that if she finds out that you know what is going on and you didn't tell her, there won't be a corner in this earth where you can hide from her wrath Jack ol' boy."

Elliot snapped the cell shut with an audible click starring off into the distance. "It's done." He said under his breath, now it was time to wait and pray. "Hang in there Liv, fight for her."

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