Ten Codes

After the incident at Lindworsky's my Chief of Staff had ordered me to cut back on the cases. I was to be on call and would only go to the office on Mondays and Fridays, and if at any moment SVU were to need me, than I was to show. Knowing Olivia, she would exhaust every other option before having to call me in.

Being able to stay with my children during their summer vacation at home had truly been wonderful. We went out to the parks, and we always seemed to be out of the apartment when Olivia would make it home at night. My Braxton-Hicks were more constant now that I was thirty-three weeks pregnant. Our little Nugget was bound to be here and we still hadn't worked on the nursery, we still hadn't moved, and our agent was stalling on the closing of the apartment we had chosen and found.

Currently, I was sat in the living room, legs propped up, watching the kids play on their videogame console. I was laughing at my oldest two and their losing streak against the twins.

"You guys are cheating," shouted Cassidy between laughter.

"They have an advantage that we don't have, Cassie," Noah continued.

The boys giggled and looked at each other. I recognized the look in their eyes, they were communicating with the other, "You played it wrong, babies. You should've separated them, that way, both teams would've had the chance of winning."

Cassidy threw her hands in the air, "Divide and conquer!"

I laughed, "Exactly jellybean."

I felt Nugget move about my womb and I rubbed my exposed belly. This last trimester, just like with the twins, I'd been particularly warm. My attire consisted mostly of sports bras and shorts when in the home. Olivia loved it, she could have me at any moment and she'd have easy access to my body. The kids were getting ready to start another game when my phone rang.

"Baby," I husked.

"Hi Tori," Olivia responded, and if I knew anything, she had a smile on her face, "how are you feeling?"

I rubbed my swollen stomach and shrugged, "Braxton-Hicks are a bitch, but nothing I can't handle."

"You'll call me if anything doesn't feel right, right?"

"Of course ma, why wouldn't I?"

She sighed, "I know you think I'm still upset over Lindworsky, and I am, but I love you."

I smiled, "And, I love you, Liv. Nugget is wide awake right now," I mused.

"Yea," she said with excitement, "How about I pick up lunch for us and I'll be there in let's say fifteen minutes? We're having a slow day."

I smiled and rubbed at my active belly, "That sounds really nice. The kids will love having you by, baby."

"Don't tell them anything yet, I'd like to surprise them."

I giggled, "You're lucky they're playing that game you got them. Otherwise, you know I'd be fighting for the phone."

Olivia chuckled, "All right baby, I love you. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too, be safe."

Olivia hung up shortly when Cassidy turned around, "Was that your wife, Dr. Reyes-Benson?"

I chortled and rolled my eyes, "Why yes it was, Counselor Benson. Are you opposed to me speaking to my wife?"

She grinned, showing off her beautiful smile, "I am when you hinder my siblings and I from speaking to her."

I gasped, "Hinder?" she crossed her arms against her chest and raised her brow, "You're lucky I can't chase you around this apartment, but just you wait until your sibling gets here. You'll pay for that."

Cassidy laughed and placed her controller on the floor, standing to walk towards the couch, "I was only joking, Mama."

"Oh, now you're joking?" I said, reaching to tickle her side, "No retractions, young lady."

She laughed heartily when our door rapped with knocks. I furrowed my brow and glanced at the wall clock. I had only hung up with Olivia roughly five minutes before, it was impossible she had done all she said she would in such short time, and why would she knock?

I looked at Cassidy with a perplexed look and shrugged, lowering my legs from the ottoman and going to stand. I groaned as I felt the strain of my muscles. The door rapped once more with knocks, this time desperately and I groaned. I picked up my pace as much as I could and reached the door. As I looked through the peephole, whoever was on the other side, had covered it with their finger.

Maybe it was Olivia after all. I shook my head and worked on the locks, "That took you remotely nothing, Liv—"

"Liv? Who's Liv, Doctor?"

I hitched a breath and grasped at my stomach, "D—Damian, what are you doing here?"

He grinned maniacally, revealing his hands and the shiny metal piece in them. He pushed the door open, "Am I not allowed in?"

I took a deep breath, "My children are here, Damian. My youngest are three, you can't do this to them."

I could feel the tremble of my hands, but he needed not to know that I was feeling that way, "O—Ok," he said, tucking his gun in his waistband, "Where are they?"

"In the living room," I conceded, walking backwards as he approached me. He grabbed at my arm and dragged me towards the open area.

"Mama," Cassidy gasped, "What's going on? Who are you?"

Damian squeezed at my arm and I saw how all three of my boys took their eyes off of the TV. I cleared my throat, "Babies, why don't we say hi to Daddy's friend, Damian."

Noah furrowed his brow, "D—Daddy, Mama," I squinted my eyes briefly and saw as the boy registered everything I needed to say, "How do you know our Dad?"

"What?" Cassidy questioned, looking at Noah. Their exchange wasn't lengthy, but she understood.

"He works with your father, don't you Damian?"

Damian squeezed at my arm and I yelped, "Get them out of here, now!"

I took a shuddering breath. I needed to think of something and I needed to do so quickly. Our building had a playroom for the kids downstairs, "Cassidy, why don't you take your brothers down to the playroom for a little while. You can see if Casey or Alexandra are downstairs, or maybe even Victor?"

Cassidy smiled, "Ok Mama, I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

I saw as Cassidy grabbed both Hunter and Hudson and Noah followed suit. They all disappeared into their rooms and Damian had finally released my so that I could walk my children out and away from any harm. I knew Cassidy had understood what I was trying to say. Victor was the older gentleman that worked our front desk. You didn't need a code to access the elevators unless you were coming up from the garage, and if Damian had a gun, that probably meant he threatened someone with it to allow for him to come up with them.

I took one last look at my children and I felt the stinging threat of my tears, accompanied by the feeling of tightness in my throat. Once I turned I was met with a slap to my face. It wasn't hard, but it stung, "Quite the brood you have there, Dr. Reyes."

I cupped my cheek, "Damian, how did you escape the facility and how are you here? How do you know where I live?"

He turned around in haste, gun wielded and pointed at my face, "I'll be the one asking the questions this time, Dr. Reyes. For example, you're expecting someone named Liv, who's Liv?"

I stammered, "It's—It's Liev, my husband."

He guffawed, "So, Reyes is your surname?" I nodded, "Why not take your husband's surname? You've given him five heirs already," he asked, moving the gun from my chest to my stomach and back again.

"My work is dangerous," I smirked, "It's so that I can protect my children."

He pouted and sniffed, wiping at his brow with the back of his free hand, "Well call him and tell him that you don't want him to come any longer."

I shook my head, "I can't do that, Damian. That will only raise his suspicions and he'll want to be here faster after that."

"T—Tell him that you took the kids out to play," he tried again.

"Damian, he knows I'm supposed to be resting. He's not going to believe that."

"WELL, MAKE SOMETHING UP," he shouted, causing me to flinch. The hand holding the gun wavered and he sniffled again, "Make something up," he tried softly.

I held my protruding abdomen, attempting to stop the shake of my hands, "Ok," I whispered, "Ok."

I moved with hesitation, trying to keep Damian in my line of vision, but also trying to prevent him from actually entering the living room or approach other parts of my home where a multitude of pictures of Olivia, the kids, and I were on display. I grabbed my phone from the couch and walked back to Damian, making the call. I pressed my phone to my ear and prayed that Olivia didn't answer so that I could leave a message.

Ring after ring I listened, until Olivia's voicemail box message played loudly in my ear, "I got the voicemail," I said looking up at Damian. I waited until the end of the message to place the phone on speaker. I had used the time it took the phone to ring to think of something to say that would tip Olivia off without sending bells to Damian, "Hey there, ten. Listen, I know you said you were going to be home in fifteen minutes, but no need. The kids went to lunch with Casey and Alexandra's parents so it's just me. Also ten, I have told you thirty-two times to not leave your coffee mug by the bed and this morning I woke up and spilt what was left in it. You're going to drive me insane, ten. But, I'll keep telling you, even if I have to repeat myself ninety-eight more times. I love you, and see you later."

I hung up and looked up at Damian, "Is your husband Russian?"

"Does it matter, Damian?"

"Why did you call him 'ten'?"

"Because," I smiled at the ground, "he's my ten."

Damian scoffed and sniffled, what is it with the fucking sniffling? "I—I just thought he was."

I sighed and gripped at my stomach, "C—Can I sit? My back is hurting."

Damian nodded and I slowly approached the bar to sit on the stools, now to wait until Alex, Casey, or Olivia could put an end to this.

(Olivia's POV)

I had gone to pick up food for Victoria, the kids, and I. It had been a little bit since I could just see them play and spend time with them during the day. SVU cases would pick up during the summer and it was always hard for me to be home at a decent hour to at least get to see my kids be put to sleep. Even though I would make it a point to take almost two weeks off to take them up to the Adirondack Mountains to Tori's aunt and uncle's home, I wanted and craved more time with them.

As I returned to the SUV, my phone's screen lit up with a voicemail message from Tori. I furrowed my brow and played the message, "Hey there, ten. Listen, I know you said you were going to be home fifteen minutes, but no need. The kids went to lunch with Casey and Alexandra's parents, so it's just me. Also ten, I have told you thirty-two times to not leave your coffee mug by the bed and this morning I woke up and spilt what was left in it. You're going to drive me insane, ten. But, I'll keep telling you, even if I have to repeat myself ninety-eight more times. I love you, and see you later."

"What?" I said to myself, looking at the screen and replaying the message. As I listened to the message for a third time, I felt my stomach turn. Something wasn't right, but what? And, who the hell were Ca— "FUCK!"

I placed the car on drive and sped back towards the precinct. Once I parked, I rushed back to the inside, only to find my squad on the phone with Casey and Alex, "Liv," Fin begun, "something is going on at your house."

I breathed out harshly, attempting to catch my breath, "Yes, I know. I just received a weirdly cryptic voicemail from Tori."

Carisi approached me, "What does it say, Lieu?"

I handed Carisi the phone with the voice message on display. He pressed the phone to his ear and walked away, "What the is going on, Rollins!"

"I don't know, Liv. Here," she said, pressing the speakerphone button on her desk phone, "Casey, Alex?"

"Amanda, is Liv back?" I heard Alex plead.

"Alex," I said shatteringly.

"Olivia! Cassidy called my office, but she got my assistant instead. She asked to be transferred to Casey and when Casey answered she told her that some guy named Damian was at the apartment and that Tori had said 'Daddy' instead of 'Mommy' when referring to you."

"Oh my God," I felt the bile rise rapidly inside of me and I placed a hand on my forehead, "D—Did she call the cops? Where is she? Are Noah and the boys with her?"

"She said they're downstairs with Victor. Casey told her to wait there and to not call the cops just yet until we had spoken to you."

"A—Alex, can you get to them?"

"I'm due back at court in an hour, Liv. But, Casey is on her way," I closed my eyes and sighed, thank God for Casey, "How the hell does he know where you live, Olivia?"

Before I could answer Carisi came running back, shouting my name, "She's using ten codes, Lieutenant."

"How'd you get that from a voicemail, Carisi?" Fin prodded.

"Here, here, listen," he said pressing on the screen to play the message. Tori's velvet voice played smoothly as we listened to her message, "Notice how she's saying ten? After she says ten she uses another number. She said, 'hey there ten', and then followed it by 'fifteen minutes'."

"10-15 Liv, that's a civil disturbance," Amanda mentioned as she stood.

Carisi nodded, "Yes, yes, and then she says, 'ten, I told you thirty-two times'."

"10-32, person with a gun," I breathed out harshly, running my fingers through my hair, "Shit."

"And finally she says, "ten... repeat myself ninety-eight times," Carisi renewed.

"10-98, prisoner escape," Fin mentioned angrily, "All right, Rollins put a message out to ESU and call Dodds. Carisi, call Tori's boss and make sure Novak has the kids."

"Fin," I started.

"No, Liv. Your wife is involved in a hostage situation and I am not gonna let this prick harm her. You have to sit this one out," he said with conviction.

"He's right, Liv," said Alex whom I had temporarily forgotten was on the line, "You cannot be involved in this."

"It's my wife," I bellowed.

"She's one of us, Liv," Amanda said, placing a hand on my shoulder, "We have to do this right if we want to nail his ass to the wall."

In the following hours, everything seemed to go by in slow motion. I was able to meet with Casey and drown my kids with my love. I had commended my little fire engine and my boys for their bravery, not everyone that's placed in their position handles it as such. The unis had taken them for interviewing purposes with me in the room, and once more they had handled everything beautifully. I was proud of my children. I was always proud of them, but seeing them be so resilient and adamant about what was going on filled my heart with a little bit of extra contentment. After the police had taken their statements, I had called Emilio and Vivian whom were devastated and freaked out about the situation. Damian and Tori both had to know that by now, there was ESU surrounding the building and my squad was outside of my door ready to make the bust.

"Fin," I called through the HT, glancing up at my building.

"Yea Liv."

"Status update?"

There was a brief pause, "He's demanding Liev to come inside the dwelling. He thinks Tori is married to a man."

I scoffed and glanced at Dodds who stood next to me, "You have to let me go in there, Dodds. That's my wife."

"And, put you both at risk? No Olivia, that guy is a psychopath."

"He's not!" I grumbled.

"And, how would you know, Lieutenant," he challenged.

"I just know. Being married to a shrink, you pick up a thing or two."

He narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head, "Let me see what I can do," he finished as he disappeared through the front entrance of my building.

I paced the sidewalk, running my hands through my hair, and sending continuous prayers up above. Why didn't I rush home when I said I was going to? I could've been there to protect her, to protect them all from happening. According to the kids, he came by after I had hung up with her so it wouldn't have been much different, would it? Why didn't I think of it sooner? I growled and kicked at some trash on the sidewalk. Berating myself wasn't going to help my wife, and even if I was able to do something, all I could do at this point was pass the information down. I wasn't allowed to take place in what was happening, not if I wanted Lindworsky's charges to stick. And this time, he wouldn't be sentenced to a psychiatric hospital, he would be sent to a psychiatric prison wing.

I saw Dodds exit my building after roughly an hour of being in there, "What the hell, Dodds?"

"Olivia, calm down. We sent Carisi in, he's g—" two shots rung out through the building. I could place them, clear as day and I whimpered, feeling myself take several steps back as the air left my body.

I went to run forward, but was stopped by the arm surrounding my waist that I quickly placed as Dodds. He gripped and pulled me to his body, preventing me to go forward into my home. I screamed out her name. I clawed at Dodds' arms and begged him to let me go.

"Olivia!" he shouted, "You have to calm down, let the ESU and your team do their jobs. Are you going to be calm?"

He was right. I needed to be levelheaded if I wanted this to end. I nodded and he released me. I sighed and turned, placing my back to the building. I ran my fingers through my hair and puffed when I saw Lindworsky being escorted out on a stretcher. He had no apparent signs of gun shot wounds, but he was writhing in pain. A few more minutes went by and Tori and Carisi exited the building, Victoria in a gurney.

"No," I mewled, running towards my wife. As I reached the gurney, I spoke, "Tori, Tori, talk to me," I ushered quickly, running my fingers through her hair.

She breathed out harshly, struggling with her words, "I—I'm fine, Liv," she said, turning her head to face me, "I—I s—shot him."

They had placed an oxygen mask on her, "W—Where did you shoot him? With what?"

She chuckled and coughed, "You do know I carry a service weapon, Lieutenant, don't you?" she looked at me and smiled, raising her hand to run her thumbs across my cheekbone, "I just choose to have the first three bullets as rubber ones. I don't deal with hardened criminals, just mentally unstable people. They don't deserve to die."

I snickered and removed her mask briefly, placing my lips on hers quickly, "Oh, I thought I lost you, Tori," I whispered against her mouth.

She smiled, keeping her eyes closed, "Never in a million years, Lieutenant."

"D—Did he hurt you, Tori?"

I felt her shake her head, "No, Liv. I'll need a few sessions, but I'm fine. I promise. I don't want to go back to that apartment anymore, Olivia."

I nodded and shushed her when commotion broke out. I tried to point where it was coming from, but everything had mixed in together. Cops, paramedics, civilians, my squad, but then I saw him through all the fog. Quickly limping towards me after having elbowed a few uniforms and effectively shooting one of the ESU members catching them on the vest. His lip was curled in a snarl, his eyes were an eerie obsidian color; he was upset—clearly—and he was coming towards me. Towards Victoria and I. Unacceptable. I placed my hand on my belt clip when he raised his arm, pointing the barrel of a cop issued arm at my chest.

"I'd think twice if I were you, Liev!" he sniffled and heaved.

I heard Victoria whimper behind me, "Carisi, take Tori away."

"No," she shouted, "No, I'm staying right here."

"Tori, come on," Carisi begged.

"No, I'm staying right the fuck here, Sonny," her voice was calm, soothing almost, "Back away, Sonny. Please."

I sighed and shook my head, "What do you want, Lindworsky."

"The truth from your little lying whore back there," he sniffled again.

"Come on Damian, you know this won't work out well for you," she began, "I never lied."

"You didn't exactly correct me either, Doctor! Why didn't you say you were married to a woman?"

"My private life is private," she answered simply.

"Damian, put the gun down," I tried, "Put the gun down and we can resolve this. All of it."

He sneered and shook his head, "Grab her gun, Doctor."

"What?"

"GRAB IT!" he shouted. I felt Victoria's hands on my hips, quickly undoing the clip and sliding my weapon out of its holster, "Aim it at her head."

I could hear Victoria's broken breaths, the sharp intake of them like bullets through her mouth. She was trying to keep calm whilst Lindworsky still had the barrel pointed at my chest, "Liv," she said shakily.

"It's all right, baby. Just, do as he says."

I felt the cool steel on my temple and I nodded, watching as Damian snickered at the scene unfolding in front of him. Everything had gone quiet, no one dared say a word, "Pull the trigger, Doctor. That way your children can be part of a real family."

I heard Victoria gasp lightly, "Liv," she said softly.

"I know Tori, I know," I needed to provoke him somehow, "Damian's jealous, right? Isn't that what you said? Does he wonder about our sex life?"

Victoria snickered, "He does, but he'll never take me to the heights you do, Liv."

Damian shouted, taking a start towards us, and Victoria turned the weapon away, giving me a chance to quickly react when the three shots rang through the scene. I trained my gaze to the lifeless body of Damian, surrounded by members of ESU and then upward to the trembling arm of my wife. I stood, placing my hands on her wrist, "Baby, you're ok. Let go of the gun," I gently pried the weapon off of her hand and immediately wrapped my arms around her, feeling her limp body shake with sobs, "It's over. You're safe now."

A/N: We're done with Lindworsky, happy times ahead and I think the end is near for this series guys. It's been a good run, but I have to focus on 'The Assistant' which might I add, is going to turn out really good. Let me know what would you like to read on this. :)