Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.


Elliot was inside his house just in time to catch the ringing phone. "Hello?"

"What is it, since we're not there, you come home at a decent time?"

"Kathy, please don't start. It's been a long day."

"I'm sure you were real busy." She replied sarcastically. "Were you with her?"

"I work with Olivia, Kath. She's my partner."

Elliot could hear Kathy snickering on the other line. She had thought he was putting in so many hours because he was sleeping with Olivia, which was one of the reasons why she divorced him. "Are you taking the kids this weekend? They miss you."

"Yeah. Maureen said she'd bring them up tomorrow. Didn't she tell you that?"

"Just making sure you're going to be around."

"I will." Elliot heard the front door open from where he was in the kitchen. "I gotta go, Kathy. Thanks for checking up on me." He hung up without saying goodbye, and went to see who came in the door.

"Maureen? What are you doing here, I thought you were at school?"

"I wanted to come by to get a few things and see if you were home. I don't have any more classes this weekend."

"I'm glad you came by." He said, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. When he relaxed his arms a bit, she hugged him tighter. "You ok, honey?"

Maureen shook her head against his chest. "I just miss you, dad."

"I just saw you last week. I'm not buying it. What's wrong?" They pulled apart from each other and sat on the couch. Maureen curled up next to her father, and laid her head on his shoulder.

"My roommate. Her dad was a homicide detective in Jersey, and he was shot and killed yesterday. She took off school for the next few weeks. But it got me thinking," Maureen started to cry, "I don't know what I would do if that ever happened to you."

"Oh, honey." Elliot wrapped his arms around his daughter and consoled her as she cried a little. His heart broke for her; what could he say to make her feel better? "Maureen, it's ok. His job was more dangerous than mine. It's rare that I'm put in a dangerous situation. I promise you, I'll be careful. Don't worry about it." His cell phone rang a moment later. Maureen pulled away.

"Who is it?" She asked when he looked at the caller id.

"Olivia. You mind?" Maureen smiled and shook her head. "Stabler… Yeah… Ok…Bye." He looked sympathetically at his daughter.

"Go ahead. I'm tired, anyway." She smiled, knowing it was his job to help others, and she didn't mind. Besides, her dad was a hero to others. It made her feel safe knowing such a great person was out on the streets protecting people. He kissed her on the head, and was out the door.

Olivia was waiting in her car outside. "I figured if I was going to drag you out, I'd at least pick you up." She smiled as he got in.

"So, where we headed?"

"Not far from here, actually."

"So that's why you picked me up." He smirked.

"No…" She smiled back, "Ok, maybe. We need to get there, though. Cragen said our suspect, Greg Sullivan, was seen at a nightclub not far from here. The lab report came back positive, so it looks like he's our guy. We are to arrest him and bring him in for questioning." Olivia explained to Elliot what Cragen had told her.

When they pulled up, the two got out and headed inside. There were young people dancing all around them to loud music and obnoxious lights. When Elliot spotted Sullivan dancing with a young girl, he nudged Olivia to show her. The partners walked up to him, "Excuse me, Mr. Sullivan?" Olivia asked.

Greg ran to the front door to make his escape. When they were outside, he came from around a corner and shot at Olivia. Elliot saw where the bullet was coming, and tried to push Olivia out of the way. The bullet landed in Elliot's stomach.

"ELLIOT!" She yelled in horror and disbelief as he slumped down onto her lap. She radioed for a bus to come right away. "Elliot, Elliot, stay with me. What did you do tonight, Elliot?" She asked, trying to keep him awake and talking.

"I didn't want him to shoot you, Liv."

"I know, El. Talk to me. How are the kids?" She pulled her jacket off and pressed it hard to Elliot's wound. "Tell me how Maureen is doing, Elliot." She smiled at him nervously, desperately trying to get him to stay awake.

"She… was worried. About me getting hurt. Ironic, huh?" He laughed a little, then closed his eyes in pain when he did so.

"It's ok, El. Stay with me."

"Tell Maureen I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Liv. I wanted to protect you." Elliot closed his eyes again just as the paramedics arrived.

"Come on, Elliot! Wake up!" Tears streamed from Olivia's eyes. She couldn't let him go, not without telling him how she felt.

"Ma'am, we're going to need you to get up. We need to take him." The paramedic said to her, pulling him onto a stretcher with the help of another paramedic.

"I need to come along." She said, pulling herself into the back of the vehicle after they rolled Elliot inside. She sat and watched through teary-blurred vision as they worked on Elliot's wound. Machines were beeping, and they were working fast. Everything was going too fast for her to keep up. Olivia grabbed Elliot's hand in hers, and placed her other hand on his head, stroking it to comfort him. "Elliot. Stay awake, El." She watched as his eyes opened a little, then shut again as if he was too tired to keep them open.

Elliot tried to hand onto her voice and her image. But his eyelids were getting heavier by the second. He tried to whisper 'I love you' to her, but no sound came out. He looked at her one last time, and gave into what his body wanted him to do.


Olivia paced through the hallway in front of the nurse's station waiting to hear from the doctor.

"Liv! How's my dad? Is he ok?" Maureen ran up to her and immediately hugged her, almost knocking her down in the process. She had tears running down her face, and held onto Olivia tightly.

"I don't know, yet, honey. The doctor hasn't come out yet. Here, come sit down." She tried to keep her calm, even though she was far from it herself.

"What happened? Please tell me." She pleaded to her dad's partner.

"We were chasing this guy out of a club, and when we got outside, he shot at us. Your dad pushed me out of the way, and got in the way of the bullet. He was shot in the stomach." Olivia paused for a moment then continued, almost not sure how to say it, "Maureen, he wanted me to tell you he was sorry. He told me what you had talked about before he left, and he said he was sorry."

Maureen's hand went to her mouth and she lost control, nearly falling out of her chair. Olivia caught her and sat with her on the floor, hugging her.

"I'm so sorry." Was all she could say, over and over.

"Detective Benson?" The doctor asked gently, bringing the girls to their feet.


A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger. Please review and let me know what you think! I will update soon!