Disclaimer: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. I own nothing. Quotes that are in italics and are underlined are taken directly from the show, and not my own dialogue.

A/N: This is the first chapter of my new one-shot series. I'm still actively working on The Longest Relationship, this was just a bug I got in my brain thanks to some fun I had in a group chat on Twitter. Thank you ladies for the inspiration, and thank you Jen for help coming up with the title of this series. I appreciate all of you more than I can possible say!

To Elliot, it felt like the standoff he was currently involved in had been going on for hours, when it had barely even been minutes. It seemed like a lifetime ago he had been up in the airport concourse, watching as Manuel Rojas approached his partner. He had had to stand by helplessly as the man grabbed Olivia by the arm and pulled her away, knowing instinctively that she'd been made as cop. Following as closely as he could, he'd discretely radioed for backup.

Somewhere on the airport grounds, not only where there other officers waiting to apprehend Rojas, but so was FBI agent Dean Porter. Though Elliot personally detested the man, he had no choice but to go along with the joint investigation once they'd learned their cases were connected. Truth be told, some of his dislike toward the man was personal – Dean had been Olivia's handler when she was undercover out in Oregon – but mostly their personalities just clashed. As the case dragged on, it was apparent that Olivia had grown weary of trying to act as a referee between the two of them.

As Elliot had approached the doorway leading to the outside where he knew Manuel had taken Olivia, he heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire, followed by a shout that could only belong to his partner. With his heart in his throat, he burst through the door to find a uniformed guard on the ground. The man was shaken, but unharmed. After instructing him to call in the situation, Elliot followed in the direction that the guard had indicated.

That was how found himself in this very place. A mirrored situation to where he and Olivia had been only a few years before. Only this time, she was the one with a gun to her head. Now he truly understood every emotion she had been feeling when they had encountered Victor Gitano. Despite all of Manuel's threats, Elliot really didn't know if he had it in him to pull the trigger. Could he take that risk? It was so windy out here, what if the trajectory of the bullet went off course? What if he hit Olivia? He'd never forgive himself.

So far, he'd been trying to talk Manuel down, with no success. The man still held Olivia in an iron grip, his gun pressed against her temple. It didn't make matters any better that she wasn't letting him try and negotiate. If anything, she seemed determined to antagonize the man who held her at gunpoint, and each time she opened her mouth, Elliot silently pleaded with her to be quiet. Trying to keep the desperation out of his voice, he attempted yet again, still holding his own gun steady on the pair.

"Manuel, I can't let you leave with her, you know that. Now, what else can I get you?"

"I want a car brought with my shipment inside, or I'll kill her!"

Before Elliot had a chance to agree or dispute the demand, Olivia piped up yet again. Though he admired her for staying strong and brave in the face of such danger, secretly he wished he could tell her to shut the hell up. Did she not understand that he was trying to save her life, here?

"Like you killed Ramona and Carlos?"

Rojas shook Olivia slightly, jamming his gun into her temple further. At her words, his anger had only escalated, and Elliot feared he was becoming more and more unpredictable. But the way he was using Olivia as a shield, there was still no way for him to get a clear shot – not without risking hitting Olivia in the process.

"Shut up, you lying bitch!"

Olivia's voice transformed, and took on an eerie calm. Her breaths became measured and even, and that frightened Elliot even more. He hoped she had a plan in her back pocket, because otherwise, he could swear that it seemed like she was giving up.

"You have a gun to my head, Manuel. Why would I lie to you now? I think you're the one who's been lying to me. You found Ramona with Carlos, and you slit their throats."

As the accusation hung in the air, Elliot felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand on end. Olivia made eye contact with him then, and then shifted ever so slightly to the left. She was giving him the best opportunity there was to take a clear shot. There was no mistaking her slight nod and the way she closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable.

CRACK

The report of a gunshot echoed around them, with another one sounding immediately after. Elliot watched in horror as both Olivia and Rojas crumpled to the ground together, her sharp and startled cry still ringing in his ears. Fumbling to put his weapon back in its holster, he shouted instructions over his shoulder to call for a bus before racing toward his fallen partner, his heart in his throat.

"Liv! Liv, Are you hit?"

He called out her name as he ran to her, and the closer he got, the more the distinct scent of gunpowder assailed his nostrils. She wasn't answering. Why wasn't she answering? One look at Manuel Rojas told him that the man was dead, a gunshot wound to the chest. But for him to have been hit there, and if Olivia had been standing in front of him, that must mean – oh, God, no. The bullet had to have gone through her.

Elliot saw it then, the blood that stained the back of her jacket and was rapidly spreading. There was an exit wound just below her shoulder blade. As gently as he knew how, he turned his partner over and cradled her in his arms. Though he wasn't one to easily be affected by crime scenes or gore, the sight of Olivia's injuries caused bile to rise up in the back of his throat.

He found a much smaller entry wound on Olivia's front, with similar blood flow. What troubled him even more though, was the injury to her head. It appeared as though when he'd been shot, Rojas had reflexively pulled the trigger, causing a second bullet to graze Olivia's temple. A steady stream of blood trailed down the side of her face. To make matters worse, she was completely unresponsive.

For several precious minutes, Elliot knelt there on the asphalt surface of the parking lot, cradling the unconscious form of his partner in his arms. He was whispering to her softly and rocking their bodies back and forth, unsure which of them he was trying to soothe more. He paid no heed as Olivia's blood transferred to him and stained his suit. He never planned on wearing it again anyway. He kept one palm pressed to her front, while using the other to keep her head against his chest, trying to slow the bleeding any way he could.

As the siren of the approaching ambulance could be heard, Olivia's eyes fluttered open. She lay there staring up at him with a glazed look, and Elliot tried not to think back to a similar time when he had been crouched on the pavement – then, it had been Alex Cabot, and it was Olivia pleading for their friend to live. Remembering the debacle that had ensued following that event– believing that Alex had died, the lawyer being sent to witness protection – and the gravity of the case they were currently investigating, Elliot made a vow not to let his partner out of his sight for even a moment. He didn't care what he had to do – even if it meant he would have to scrub in and be in the operating room with her himself – he wasn't going to let her be alone. No one was going to take her away from him.

"El"

Her voice was a throaty whisper as she tried to speak, and he quickly hushed her. Glancing around, scarcely believing it had only been a few moments since the fateful shot had been fired, he scanned their surroundings. There, standing by his car at the edge of the parking lot, was none other than Dean Porter. He held a smoking gun in his palm, and his face held a look of sheer and utter shock. Elliot swore under his breath. It had been him? That bastard was the reason his partner was laying bleeding out under his hands? He had always thought being in the FBI meant you had to at least have decent marksmanship.

Elliot's thoughts were quickly shoved to the side, and he tamped his anger down along with it when the ambulance pulled up. Stepping only far enough out of the way to allow the medics to attend to his partner, he didn't hesitate to hop into the back of the bus with her. The medics had tried to object, but all he'd needed to do was flash his badge and insist. He knew he'd have a more difficult time once they got to the hospital, but he was prepared to fight.

In the back of the ambulance, there was naturally a sense of urgency, but they had determined that the gunshot wound was a through-and-through. Elliot tried not to scoff out loud when the medic proclaimed that to be fact, he could have told them that bit of news himself. How else do they think two people could have been shot by the same bullet? He kept his opinions to himself, though, and tried his best to stay out of the way.

When they arrived at the hospital, it was just as Elliot had feared. The first thing that happened was they tried to separate him from Olivia. He fought tooth and nail, but it was no use. The only thing that gave him any reassurance was that the doctors had acquiesced and agreed to let him stand outside the exam room doors. Not only was he able to stand guard, but he could look through the window, and make certain that nothing happened.

When his phone rang, he answered it automatically. He already knew who would be calling. No doubt by now, reports of what had happened at the airport had reached Cragen, and he would be wanting an update on the situation.

"Stabler"

"Elliot. What the hell happened out there today? Is Olivia all right?"

There was no mistaking the obvious concern in their Captain's voice, and for several moments, Elliot had to struggle to maintain control of his emotions. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and the reality of what had happened was beginning to hit him fast and hard. Still, no matter how upset he was, his anger at Porter won out.

"No, Olivia is not all right! That fucker Porter shot her! I was talking Rojas down when out of nowhere he just takes this shot. Yeah, Rojas is dead, but he could have taken Liv out in the process!"

"I know it's useless to tell you to calm down Elliot, especially when you're this upset. What I will tell you is this – Olivia is going to need you, and she's going to need you to be the strong one. Can you do that for her?"

Bringing his fingers up to pinch the bridge of nose, Elliot exhaled sharply. Cragen was right. There would be plenty of time to get upset later. Olivia needed him now, and she didn't need to deal with his temper on top of everything else. Taking a few more deep breaths, he tried his best to calm himself – for her benefit.

"You're right Captain. I'm sorry. What information do we have from the scene?"

He listened carefully, never tearing his eyes from the doctors hovering around Olivia's gurney through the window. Still, he managed to hear everything that Cragen said – that they had recovered Rojas' cell phone, and they were going through airport security tapes. Whether or not the shipment proved to be what the man had been looking for remained to be seen. It seemed their case wasn't closed just yet.

Several hours had passed, and still Elliot hadn't been allowed inside the room to see his partner in person. People had come and gone, but none that he deemed suspicious. Plus, the window had always remained open, giving him a clear view of everything going on. There had been one occasion when the curtain around the bed had been drawn, but he simply figured they were trying to protect Olivia's privacy.

Elliot still stood kept his vigil outside her door, watching every moment going on inside the room through the window. He hadn't stepped away for a moment, not even to wash the blood from his skin. Glancing down at the crimson stains on his his hands, the realization hit him once more. Olivia's blood – her blood was marking him – his hands, his clothes. He didn't want to wash it off, not until he knew for certain that she would be all right. Until then, he would wear it like a badge of honor – or more accurately, an admission of guilt.

Now, though, it appeared everyone was leaving. Stopping the doctor before he could hurry away, Elliot practically begged for information. Recognizing the man as the partner of the Detective whom he'd been treating, the physician had no issue relaying some brief details regarding her condition.

"She's going to be just fine, Detective. As you already know, the bullet struck her just beneath the collar bone, exiting out her back. We had a brief concern that some of the scapula may have been chipped or fractured, but an x-ray proved that wasn't the case."

The younger of the two men gave Elliot time to absorb this news, then continued.

"It appears a second bullet grazed her along her temple, but aside from a laceration, it didn't cause any damage. We were able to close that wound with several steri-strips."

Before he could ask any questions as to if Olivia would need to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time, it appeared as though the doctor had anticipated his train of thought, and answered.

"Her blood loss was quite significant though, so we did want to give her a transfusion. We also plan to keep her overnight to make sure there aren't any complications. As you can probably guess, your partner isn't too happy about this arrangement."

Now that he knew she would survive, and was already behaving true to form, Elliot couldn't help the laughter that bubbled forth from his lips. It may appear slightly inappropriate to laugh in a situation like this, but the high stress of the day coupled with the relief he now felt had him feeling a bit light headed. He wasn't entirely sure how to react.

"Can I see her?"

"Go ahead in, Detective. She's been asking for you."

After taking a few moments to compose himself, Elliot pushed open the door, and entered the room. To his surprise, rather than resting on the gurney quietly, Olivia was wide awake. Her hospital gown had slouched down somewhat, and he could the see the edges of bandages poking out from the fabric. When his eyes met hers, and as he studied her face, he was relieved to see it had been wiped clean of the blood he had seen there earlier – although he was uncertain if that image could ever be erased from his mind. Instead, there was a small row of steri-strips, taking the place of more traditional stitches. The bruise that stood out against her skin tone was alarming, but he was just so relieved that she was alive.

Stepping close to the gurney, he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, holding her close. They didn't often engage in such forms of physical comfort, but if any occasion ever called for it, today most certainly did. Olivia sank into the embrace, turning her head against Elliot's shoulder and drawing comfort from the familiar scent of his aftershave. She'd never admit it, but there had been a moment or two today when she had thought she was about to breathe her last. When she was at her most frightened, it had been Elliot's presence that had brought her the most sense of peace. Knowing he was the one in need of reassurance now, she didn't hesitate to give it to him.

"I'm okay, El."

With his relief and concern temporarily set aside in the wake of knowing that his partner would be all right, Elliot's anger made a reappearance. Even though logically he knew she didn't deserve to have to deal with his temper in her present condition, he couldn't help himself. The words just started pouring out, and once he started speaking, he simply couldn't stop.

"No thanks to that bastard Porter. He could have killed you! Do you still think he has the best interest of our case at heart, or will you finally admit that he's only covering his own ass?"

Olivia pulled back slightly, and though Elliot was reluctant to let her go, he released her from the embrace. She was regarding him with an expression that was equally shocked and confused, and he suddenly realized his error – she had been mostly unconscious at the airport, and wasn't aware of just who had taken the shot.

"You mean Rojas didn't shoot me?"

Taking her hand in his, Elliot perched himself on the edge of the gurney by her hip. Looking deep into her eyes, he lowered his voice to a near whisper, as though he were about to divulge a secret.

"Rojas is dead Liv. I was trying to talk him down – we both were – when out of nowhere, there was a shot fired. Porter must have tried to take him out, but he caught you in the process. The bullet went through you, and hit Rojas in the heart. At the same time he was hit, Rojas pulled the trigger of his own gun, grazing you in the head."

Olivia exhaled a shaky breath as the reality of her situation fully registered. The doctors who were treating her had informed her she was there for a gunshot wound, but hadn't divulged any of the important details.

"When they told me I'd been shot, I just figured that Rojas had carried out his threat."

Elliot looked at her then, shaking his head in amazement. Why hadn't she suspected him? As though she had read his thoughts, her next statement confirmed his theory.

"I know you, El. If you'd have had a clear shot, you'd have killed the bastard."

Even with seeing nothing but trust in her eyes, he still felt the need to apologize and explain.

"Liv, I just couldn't. Not without putting you at risk like that. Now I know what you went through that day, and I'm sorry I ever asked you to even consider -"

"It's okay, it's in the past."

She soothed him again, and yet again Elliot was amazed at the fact that Olivia was the one comforting him, even though she was the one who was a patient in the hospital. No longer caring about perceptions and crossing boundaries, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, counting all his blessings that his partner was still by his side.

The next morning, Elliot got to the hospital shortly after doctor's rounds so he could drive Olivia home. Though he'd wanted to stay longer yesterday, they'd discussed it, and decided she should set her requests to 'no visitors', just in case Dean Porter tried to show up. As he waited at the lounge area by the nurses station for his partner, Elliot knew he was going to have a fight – or at the very least a debate- on his hands. Given the state of their case, there was no way Olivia was going to simply agree to go home and rest. He'd gotten word from the Captain that she could come to the station under one condition – she be restricted to desk work only. He wasn't looking forward to being the one to have to break the news.

"Elliot."

He turned his head at the sound of his name, and found Olivia approaching him, a scowl on her face. She was being pushed in a wheelchair, the bag he had dropped off for her earlier that morning resting in her lap. Clearly, she was displeased with her travel arrangements.

"Morning, Liv."

He stepped closer, picking up her bag so he could carry it. Falling into step beside her as the nurse led them toward the elevator, he tried to hide his amusement at her frustration. In his experience, Olivia never did deal with hospitals well. Although typically of the two of them, it was usually him who was the patient. Then again, he thought ruefully, he'd willing trade places with her now in a heartbeat. Even knowing she was going to make a full recovery would never erase those images from yesterday that were permanently seared into his brain.

Once they were settled in the sedan, and he was certain that Olivia was comfortable, Elliot started the engine. He was about to suggest that she go home and rest – at least for today – when it seemed that she had anticipated his game plan and spoke up first.

"Please, El, take me to the precinct. I promise I won't overdo it, but I simply have to keep working this case. Now more than ever, I want to find out who is responsible for the deaths of Ramona and Carlos."

She had sounded so sincere and heartfelt, he simply didn't have it in him to try and convince her otherwise. Vowing that he would do everything in his power to ensure she kept her word, Elliot pulled out of the hospital parking garage and turned onto the street, heading in the direction of the 1-6.

When they arrived, Olivia tried to be as subtle as possible, but word of her injury the day before had spread, so everyone approached her to express their concern. It was clear to Elliot that she was trying her hardest to be polite to the well-wishers, but the look she gave him clearly read 'get me out of here'. Swooping in to save the day, he placed his hand on the small of his partner's back and led her up to the squad room. They did have work to do, after all.

Following a brief welcoming reception in which she was embraced by each of her fellow co-workers, Olivia sat at her desk and immediately got right to work. They hadn't been pouring though files for long before two people entered - one from ballistics, the other from TARU. They were intent on sharing some valuable information they had just learned.

"What have we got?"

Cragen asked the question, having been out of his office as all the Detectives were bouncing theories off of one another. They were still waiting on video surveillance from Kennedy Airport, and trying to determine exactly how Rojas had figured out Olivia was a cop. All calls to Porter that morning had gone unanswered, and no one had been able to get in touch with Terri Banes, either. It was as if the woman who was so pivotal to their investigation had simply vanished.

They all watched, stunned, as the man explained how the cell phone gun operated. While they had all known such weapons existed, never before had they come into contact with or even seen them in person.

"He said that he had a gun. He threatened to shoot innocent bystanders if I didn't go with him."

Olivia's words were softly spoken, almost as if she was talking to herself, but Elliot caught the blame and self recrimination in her voice. Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he squeezed softly.

"It's not your fault Liv. We don't even know how you were made."

At that moment, Reuben Morales stepped up, laptop in hand.

"I think I can answer that. I have here all the data we were able to recover from Manuel Rojas' phone, including his most recent text messages."

Scrolling through a series of images and texts, the group observing the electronic device let out a collective gasp when they saw a picture of Olivia, dressed in the same clothes she was wearing the day before. That meant that whatever had happened yesterday hadn't been random. Rojas had deliberately targeted her – apparently at the orders of someone else.

"We did find a number that your photo was sent from, Olivia, but it's virtually untraceable. It's as if it never existed in the first place. So either whoever owns it has a blocker on their phone, or they destroyed their SIM card after sending it."

With a sick feeling to her stomach, and a nagging feeling in her brain, Olivia asked the question at the tip of her tongue. She was praying she was wrong, but had a feeling her theory – not to mention her worst nightmare – was about to be proven true.

"What was the number?"

Glancing down at the screen in his hand, Reuben rattled off a series of seven digits. As the sequence went on, Olivia kept growing paler. Now extremely concerned for her well being, Elliot wrapped his arm around his partner's waist and led her to her chair behind her desk, easing her into it. He quickly went to the water cooler, then rushed back to her side, encouraging her to drink.

"Do you recognize the number, Liv?"

With a nod, and a shaky voice, she answered.

"I do. I used it on a regular basis a few years ago when I was out in Oregon. It's one of Dean Porter's burner cell numbers."

Where he had simply been angry before, now Elliot could barely contain his rage. Not only had Porter been the one who had taken the shot that could have gotten Olivia killed, but now they had just learned he was the one who had set her up in the first place! What had been his intention? Was Porter so desperate to make him look bad that he would willingly risk her life just so he could swoop in and play the hero?

As much as Elliot had wanted to stay and comfort Olivia after her revelation, he had needed to excuse himself for a few minutes. If she had seen how upset he was, she would have tried to take care of him instead, diverting any and all attention away from herself. That was the last thing he wanted. Plus, just as he was leaving, Melinda had come in, and he knew that the medical examiner would check in on her friend before dropping any additional bombshells in their laps.

On his way back to the squad room, Elliot stopped briefly in the men's room. He was actually quite proud of himself. He'd managed to calm down simply by taking a step away – he hadn't even punched any lockers this time. The same couldn't be said about Porter's face should he encounter the man again anytime soon, though. In his mind, it would be well worth the risk of any charges for assaulting a federal agent in order to avenge what had happened to Olivia.

" - as I was saying, your killer's not a man. Our mystery DNA is female"

The first thing Elliot heard when he reentered the room was Melinda's shocking news, followed by Olivia's confused argument. She just simply didn't understand. In her situation, she had been standing close enough to Rojas to tell exactly who and what he was – there was no questioning his gender.

Then, the more the medical examiner explained - in particular when she indicated that a dark brown hair had been found that didn't belong to Ramona – it was as if a light bulb had gone off. Terri Banes. The missing link to the entire investigation. She must have been the one who killed Ramona and Carlos, but why?

Meanwhile, no one had heard from Dean Porter since the day at the airport. They knew that he'd had to report to his supervisor, and that he currently didn't have his weapon as the shooting was currently under investigation. However, there was something else going on, but Elliot wasn't sure exactly what. All he knew was that Cragen was making an awful lot of phone calls behind closed doors – even more than usual. Now that their lines were once again free and clear, he just couldn't help but wonder what they were all about.

Olivia on the other hand, had tried calling Dean herself. Elliot had desperately tried to persuade her not to, worried for her safety. True to form, she had insisted she was fine. He'd been able to listen in on her conversation though, and had to admit that his partner was talented. During the message she'd left, Olivia had insisted, with a breathy tone, that she wanted to 'thank' Dean for 'saving her life', and hoped he would call her soon. She had given no indication that she knew otherwise about his involvement in setting her up in the first place.

Now, Elliot sat doing surveillance with Olivia, who despite still being on the road to recovery, had insisted on joining him. They'd gotten a line on Terri, and were tracking her every move. Currently, they'd followed her to a grocery store. Olivia went in the front, Elliot taking the rear.

"El, it's a drop. She switched carts."

"Copy, Liv"

Unable to catch Terri, Olivia radioed to her partner, informing him the woman was exiting out the rear of the store. Then, she approached the man whom Terri had traded carts with, and questioned him. When he pretended not to understand her, she flawlessly switched to Spanish and began questioning him in his native language. Upon inspection of the bag in his cart, Olivia discovered Ramona's breast implants, and promptly took the man into custody.

Back at the precinct, Elliot tried not to be affected by hearing his partner speak in another language. Her skill set in this department never failed to amaze and impress him. Ultimately, the man in custody refused to talk, so they just ended up putting him in holding for the time being.

Once they had reached their desks, Olivia's cell phone rang. Looking at the display, she raised her eyebrows curiously, then glanced at Elliot. Mouthing the name "Dean" to him, she answered the call. A few minutes later, she hung up, meeting the disapproving gaze of her partner.

"Why the hell did you do that, Olivia?"

"Do what?"

He heaved a sigh, scraping a hand down his face. He hated when she tried to act so nonchalant. Does she not realize he had barely recovered from the other day at the airport, and here she was, already putting herself in harms way again?

"Invite him to your apartment like that! You're practically using yourself as bait!"

"So what if I am? This could be our one chance to get not only him, but Terri, too!"

Curious now, Elliot sat down and offered her his attention. It was clear that she had a plan – one well more thought out than anything he could have come up with. Minutes later, they were in the Captain's office getting approval, then on their way to TARU to get the necessary equipment and help from Reuben.

Later that evening, Elliot and Reuben were hidden away in the bedroom of Olivia's apartment while she waited in the living room for Dean to arrive. It felt surreal to Elliot to be in her bedroom under any context, but especially under these circumstances. Knowing, that in a few minutes time, his partner would be in the other room with a man who had willingly put her life at risk. The fact that she would have to be acting grateful toward him, accepting of his affections, sickened him to no end.

He and Reuben had been talking between themselves, but at the sound of a knock on the door, they instantly quieted. From here on out, it would be essential conversation only. Going to stand by the partially open bedroom door, Elliot tried to get the gist of what was going on in the main room. He had to try and hide his laugh when he heard Olivia say she wanted to cook. As far as he knew, Olivia didn't even know how to turn her stove on.

As she was pouring each of them a glass of wine, Olivia noticed Dean checking his phone. Not wanting him to be suspicious, she tried her best to distract him.

"Everything okay?"

Dean gave a noncommittal shake of his head before answering.

"It's weird. Checking my phone, and my Bluetooth suddenly kicked in."

Olivia tried her best to laugh it off, hoping she didn't sound nervous. She also made a joke, asking if he was planning on 'twittering' their date. That earned her a smile as he put the phone back in his pocket.

With a clink of glasses, they gave a silent toast, and each took a drink.

"Olivia, I have to ask, what is this about?"

"You helped me out of that mess with my brother. You saved my life three days ago. I think its time I properly thanked you."

As their lips met in a kiss, Olivia did her best to quell the nausea rising within her. She wrapped her arms around Dean's shoulders, biting back her cry of pain as her gunshot wound pulled in the process. Fervently she hoped that her phone would ring soon and spare her this misery. Then, just when she thought it would never happen, she heard it.

"Don't answer it."

"I have to. That's Cragen's ringtone."

Knowing the volume was already as high as it could possibly go, Olivia carried out a pre-planned conversation with her Captain, knowing Dean would be listening in. As soon as she hung up, she made her apologies, agreeing to his suggestion of a rain check. Then, after she checked the peephole to make sure the man really had left, she ran for her bedroom to check on the two who were waiting inside for her.

"He's gone."

Elliot's relief was just as apparent as hers, as he turned to her. Still worried about their plan, he quickly asked a question.

"Did he hear Cragen say Terri's name?"

"I hope so. I had the volume maxed out."

Reuben interrupted them to confirm that Porter had, in fact, heard the conversation between Olivia and the Captain. The tracking software he had put on the FBI agent's phone proved that not long after leaving, he had made a phone call to a hotel in Midtown, presumably to warn Terri. Now all that was left to do was make an arrest.

It had been no surprise to anyone that immediately upon her arrest, Terri Banes had insisted upon her innocence. What they hadn't expected was for her to cooperate and go along with their questioning. There were quite a few revelations that no one could have ever possibly guessed. The case they had been involved with was one tangled web, indeed.

As it turned out, Terri wasn't a traitor after all – she had been working to try and feed intelligence to the Cuban resistance. Because of her employer, it would have been impossible for her to carry information back to Cuba on her own, so she had enlisted the help of Ramona to do it on her behalf. The young woman had been in need of money, so when Terri had offered her cash along with the opportunity to have her surgery paid for, Ramona had jumped at the chance. Then, she got too greedy and kept wanting more and more money.

"So you killed her."

Elliot put the hypothesis out there, not yet realizing the connection between the two women. There was more he and Olivia had to learn but still Terri seemed eager to talk – in fact, there was no stopping her. As they sat across the interrogation room table from one another, the partners sat, incredulous, listening to the tale.

"She was my cousin. We were like sisters."

This was the first real emotion Terri had shown since her arrival at the precinct. Olivia offered her a drink of water, which she refused. Continuing on, she kept pouring her heart out. All the dots were starting to connect, except for a few final things. Elliot still had a few questions.

"All right, the guy at the supermarket, who's he? Plan 'B'?"

"No, he's a double agent. I knew he could get the information back to the resistance."

That cleared up one of his questions, but not the burning one that had been in his brain since they had learned who had sent Manuel Rojas Olivia's picture at the airport. With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, Elliot asked the question he was dreading hearing the answer to, more for his partner's welfare than his own.

"How much of this did Dean Porter know?"

Looking at him blankly, as if she wondered how he could ask such a thing, Terri gave her response.

"Everything. After I killed Ramona and the boy, I called him and he told me to stage the bodies and hang Ramona's underwear up."

There was a loud news as the door to the interrogation room burst open, and in walked a very irate Dean Porter. One could almost feel the anger coming off of him in waves. He advanced on the pair of detectives, then turned abruptly to face Terri.

"Terri, shut your mouth."

Elliot was quick to respond, trying to keep his own temper at bay.

"It's too late."

Before he could say anything else, Olivia was on her feet, and squaring off against her former handler. Deferring to his partner, Elliot decided he would let her have the honor.

"You prick."

She exhaled sharply, then continued.

"Dean Porter, you are under arrest for accessory to commit murder."

With a smug grin, the FBI agent shook his head. Gesturing again toward the woman on the other side of the table, he beckoned her to walk toward him.

"No, I'm not. This is a matter of national security. Come on Terri, let's go."

As he started to head for the door, he found Cragen blocking his exit, another man standing with him. Dean stopped in his tracks, the smirk erased from his face.

"SAC Jessop, what are you doing here?"

Dean Porter was obviously shocked to find his superior standing in front of him. Even more so, it was apparent that the man had been made aware of his most recent activities.

"I've been having the most interesting conversations with Captain Cragen on what you've been up to. We've been watching you for awhile, we just needed proof. Really, Porter? Interfering with an investigation? Accessory to murder? Not to mention targeting an officer of the law and actually attempting to murder her yourself?"

Jessop took a breath in the middle of his tirade, then continued.

"You should have known the FBI wouldn't condone murder, Porter. Or sacrificing a police officer. Not to get a low level cartel operative. You're finished with the bureau."

Turning to Cragen, SAC Jessop addressed the other man.

"Captain, with your permission, I'd like to amend the charges we will already be filing against this agent and add the accessory to kidnapping and attempted murder of Detective Benson to the list."

"You'll have no argument from me, but I'm not the one who should be making that call. Detective?"

All the faces in the room turned to Olivia, including Dean and Terri, who were in handcuffs by now. Without feeling an ounce of guilt, she simply nodded her consent. Then, as an afterthought she held up her hand, halting the officer from pulling Dean from the room. The others removed Terri, with the Captain and Jessop following behind. Only Elliot remained, though he pretended to be shuffling through a file on the table so as not to directly eavesdrop.

"Why Manuel Rojas? How did he end up as collateral damage in all of this? For that matter, how did I?"

"No matter what I tell you, you're never going to believe me."

He had a point, Olivia figured, but it still wasn't enough of an answer. Licking her lips, grateful that the tears that were pricking at her eyes hadn't yet begun to fall, she tried again.

"I trusted you. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you trust me?"

"Our feelings don't matter."

The officer appeared again, to lead Dean out of the room, tugging gently on his cuffs. Olivia was left behind in the wake of his words, feeling them still washing over her. She had thought that being shot was the worst pain that she could possibly experience, but she was wrong. This man, who she had foolishly believed at one point in her life cared about her, had been willing to sacrifice her as though she were nothing more than a pawn in some sick game.

Forgetting that she wasn't alone in the room, Olivia let a sob escape her throat, and gave in to the pain that had been consuming her all day. She'd definitely overdone things, and felt the moment her knees buckled. Rather than hit the ground though, a pair of strong arms caught her securely. Elliot. He was speaking to her, words in an endless cycle, and as she came out of her daze, they finally reached her ears.

"Your feelings matter, Liv. You matter. I swear to you, you've always mattered to me. You always will matter to me."

She turned into the embrace, accepting the comfort he was offering. For once in her life, she wasn't afraid to ask her partner for a favor.

"El, do something for me, will you?"

"Anything."

Olivia took a deep breath, then let her request be known.

"Help me get my things together, and drive me home. Also, if we could pick up some extra mouthwash on the way, I'd really appreciate it. I haven't needed it this bad since Dale Stuckey."

Memories of another time Olivia had kissed someone - in that particular instance, to save his life – came to mind. Again his admiration for her grew. She really was willing to do whatever was necessary in order to take a suspect down. He just worried that one day, her risk would be too great. Determined not to worry about it now, especially when she needed him most, he shoved those thoughts aside. Instead, he focused his attention on her once more as she questioned him once more.

"El? One more thing? Do you think you could stay for awhile tonight? Maybe we could order in or something? I know you have to get home, but -"

"Whatever you need, Liv."

Elliot knew now was not the time for teasing. He'd do anything she asked of him at this point – honor any request. In fact, if she told him she didn't want to be alone tonight, he'd even sleep on her lumpy couch just to make sure she would be okay. For now though, his primary focus was on getting her out of here. The one thing they didn't have to worry about though, was Dean Porter. With luck, the charges would stick, and the man would be going away for a very long time. His only regret was that he'd never gotten to punch the bastard for what he'd done to Olivia. Oh well, if karma worked the way he believed it did, Elliot figured Porter would get his due in prison. With his arm wrapped securely around his partner's waist, Elliot led her out of the precinct, determined to see that nothing or no one spooked her tonight.