Title: Walking by A Dream (1/3)
Author: Demelza
Email: demelza81@yahoo.co.nz
Disclaimer: Special Victims Unit and Third Watch belong to NBC and their other owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission. All original characters are the author's creation, and may be freely used.
Category: Olivia/Elliot, Bosco/Faith...shipperness, angst, shipperness, angst..etc,.
Rating: R
Warnings: Deals with child abuse and rape. Violence and some language.
Author's Notes: This is my first ever SVU FanFic! Set directly after the second episode of the Third Season of the show.
Author's Notes #2: This story is actually a crossover with Special Victims Unit AND Third Watch, I decided to write it after as above mentioned Season Three episode of SVU. This story is set a few days after the events of that episode (and its tearjerker ending). Working as best I can with the Third Watch side of things, this story is set just after the episode 'Childhood Memories' (this isn't quite accurate, I know, but that's what I've decided to write it after). Spoilers up to and including these episodes. ALL events AFTER these episodes never happened in this fic. =)

Detective Olivia Benson sat on her sofa, the lone tear forming in the corner of her right eye as the day flashed in her mind all over again. Then came the thumping on her apartment door, followed quickly by the shrill ringing of her phone. She knew it was Elliot as that tear rolled slowly down her cheek and she stared across at her apartment door. She felt numb all over, knowing he was there, knowing he wanted to see her, but as the phone stopped ringing and the thumping on the door stopped she felt a soft sob creep up and she closed her eyes, forcing out more tears.

It wasn't nearly bad enough that the FBI wanted Captain Cragen to assign her to desk duty until the investigation into the three murders was over. Or that Eric Plummer, the guy she'd had locked up seven years ago, had killed three victims connected to her, as well as the father of the young boy who was murdered. No, that wasn't enough, it could never be enough, not when her partner turned on her and ordered a protective detail. She didn't need the detail, nor want it. But that was Elliot Stabler, thinking he knew best, thinking that she couldn't take care of herself. And why? That was the question roaming through her mind, why couldn't he trust her? Not when I trust him with my life... she silently cried, another tear rolling down her cheek.

* * * * * *

Four days later
Special Victims Unit
16th Precinct, NYC

After taking the mandatory four days leave from work, Olivia walked through the doors to the Special Victims Unit, instantly greeted by Detective John Munch. "Hey, look who's back!" he smiled over at her.

She forced a smile in his direction, "Hi guys," she said back, looking between him and his partner, Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola.

With the 'welcome back' greeting from them both and Captain Cragen finished, she quickly gazed around the room, searching for her partner, only she couldn't see him in sight anywhere. After heading over to her locker at the base of the staircase, she unlocked her locker and pulled it open, simultaneously removing her red scarf then placed it inside. She paused briefly, her reflection showing in the mirror sitting at the back of her locker. Her deep brown eyes reflected the tiredness she felt, her auburn hair with light brown tints looking limp, had she really withdrawn as much as her appearance gave way? She shook her head slightly, her eyes falling to a hand-written note from Elliot attached to the edge of the top shelf.

I'm sorry Olivia.

You were right, I should have trusted you.

Closing her eyes tightly, her mind flashed to the moments after she'd pulled the trigger on Plummer. He fell to the ground, landing on his back and her lip begun quivering as the realization hit her that she'd killed him. The next thing she knew, Elliot's hands were over hers, taking the gun from her.

'Olivia...it's okay...it's okay...it's okay... Elliot whispered to her, gently lowering her hands and taking her gun from her as she stared down at Plummer's lifeless form.

'It wasn't loaded,' the special unit officer said, checking Plummer's weapon.

Olivia stared at him in disbelief, Plummer had said his gun wasn't loaded, but she still shot him, thinking for sure the gun was and he was going to harm the woman that he held in his arms, threatening to kill.

There was a long silence as she swallowed, hearing Elliot's voice interrupt her thoughts. 'Let's go.'

"I gotta give my statement...' she said back.

'I'll take it,' he told her, putting his arm around her to help her walk out.

But she pulled away from him, 'You leave me alone,' she told him, voice straining as she took off.

Her eyes painfully opened and she crumpled the note up in her hand.

After closing her locker, she turned around, then headed over to her and Elliot's joined desks and quickly removed her jacket before sitting down on her chair. She sat at the desk for the next half-hour or more working on one of her older cases, she was almost finished with it when her partner finally came through the squad doors, headed straight for their desks. She felt herself involuntarily cringing as he angrily removed his dark grey overcoat and tossed it over the back of his chair, slumping heavily into his seat seconds later.

Neither of them said anything to the other for the next couple of hours as they silently worked, but Olivia couldn't find it in her to really give a damn that something was bugging her partner. Instead, she buried herself further into her work. That was, until Elliot let out a long, angered sigh, following by him sweeping the work away from in front of him angrily, all of the papers landing on the ground in a mess. "Damnit!" he cursed, and she instantly looked up at him, frown stitched on her brow as she saw the anger in his blue eyes.

There was a brief moment as their eyes met, Captain Cragen appearing in the doorway of his office, his attention drawn to the two officers.

Olivia was the first to look away, eyes dropping to the report in front of her, while Elliot pushed his chair backward and knelt down on the hardwood floor as he started scooping up the paperwork that had gone everywhere.

Feeling guilt rush over her, she let out a sigh, got up from her chair and walked around to the other side to help him.

"I can do it," he told her flatly, refusing to look at her.

Ignoring him, she started gathering several of the files into her arms and that's when Elliot reached out and placed his hands over hers, eyes giving a stern warning for her to leave him alone so he could do it himself. "I'm just trying to help," she said in a low voice, a pitch of sadness freely mixed with determination in her tone.

"I don't need your help. Just like you didn't need mine," he replied, coldly.

Olivia felt her chest heave slightly and she carefully lowered the files back onto the floor, her eyes still fixed on his. "You should have come to me, Elliot..." she painfully whispered to him, her voice shaking as she willed herself over and over again to not cry.

"I was trying to protect you."

She shook her head slightly, "I'm not some little kid...I don't need protecting."

There was a pause of silence and Elliot swallowed hard, "Do you really believe that badge and gun is going to protect you from every scumbag out there?"

"No!" she whispered back, her voice a little louder.

"He would have killed you, I was doing what I thought was right..."

She closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them once more and she looked directly at him. "You didn't trust me," she swallowed, her will power fading as a tear shed from her right eye and slowly streamed down her cheek.

"I did. And I do..." he replied, reaching out and gently wiping the tear from her chin. "I wasn't doing it to question you, or your ability to do your job...I was..."

Olivia felt another tear well up in her eye and find it's way down her cheek, this time falling against Elliot's hand where it still sat, gently touching the side of her face. No words came as she closed her eyes against his tender touch, heart aching, her mind begging with the rest of her to not cry. To not show him how weak she really was. But it didn't work and she quickly felt tear after tear flooding her eyes and streaming down her face.

"Hey, it's okay..." his voice gentle, caring, but she pulled away from him, immediately standing up and staring back at him where he now stood in front of her. "Olivia, it's okay to cry..."

She shook her head, angrily, "No! Don't...don't you dare!" she shouted at him. Even though she could see him pleading with her with his eyes, she pushed past him and took off out of the squad room.

Elliot stood there facing the far wall, one hand holding onto a selection of files, the other buried deep in the pocket of his pants as he started to wonder in his mind what exactly it was he could do right for her. Ever.

* * * * * *

Olivia had just gone out the front of the precinct when the unpredictable stormy weather of New York City came pouring down from up above. She didn't care though, she'd rather be anywhere but near Elliot Stabler. She cursed in her mind, anger at him flooding up through her as she started walking.

She didn't even stop, not once, just kept on walking until she was a long way away from the precinct, hell she didn't know where exactly she was. The buildings around her were familiar; hell she took this route several times before, almost weekly in her job. Then suddenly, there was another wave of anger, frustration and humility rushing over her, she hated it, wanted it to just leave her alone, but it wouldn't. So she walked faster as more tears were shed, sob after sob coming. Why don't you just leave me alone!? she screamed at the tears, at the sobbing. But it didn't work.

And that's when suddenly she felt a blow to her right hip and she was sent to the ground. Every part of her hurt all over, her stomach, back, legs, arms, neck, head...her vision started to blur as she tried to move but couldn't, her body feeling like it was trapped.

"Someone call 9-1-1!!!" a woman shouted.

Then came the sound of a car door opening and a man frantically screaming out, "She wasn't looking, I swear to God she wasn't looking..." the man cried, his voice trembling and all Olivia could think about was what in hell had just happened, why she recognized the voice. Her body was telling her she was hit by something, a car, maybe a van, small truck...her mind couldn't process the thought, couldn't bring her to do anything but lie there on her back staring up at the sky as the rain came down on her. Everything fading in and out, noises, pictures, none of it seeming real as she felt the concussion strip the last of her strength and her eyes drifted shut, everything seemingly ceasing.

* * * * * *

A half hour earlier
Locker Room of the 55th Precinct

Around 2.50pm

Officer Faith Yokas stood in front of the mirror and basin on the wall just behind her partner, Maurice Boscorelli's locker. She was biting down on her red toothbrush, her hands otherwise busy as she tied her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair up in a bun. She had just finished when the locker room door opened and Bosco came waltzing in, whistling some tune or another. "Hey Boz..." she said to him, looking in the mirror and watching as he flashed one of his pearly white smiles in her direction before he turned to his locker and, after unlocking it, pulled it open to get into his uniform.

Faith was busy scrubbing her lower teeth when the reflection of her partner in the mirror caught her attention. His auburn hair was tousled, as if not yet brushed, and he was stripping from his jeans into his boxers, before proceeding to pull the T-shirt he wore off over his head.

She stared for a moment longer when she realized she was gawking. Quickly peeling her eyes away from him, she continued brushing her teeth, her face burning red.

"Where's Sullivan and Davis today?" Bosco asked as he pulled on his uniform pants and started to fasten the zip and buckle on his belt.

"I don't know..." she replied, leaning over the basin and spitting out the toothpaste before cleaning the toothbrush and rinsing her mouth one last time with a handful of water. "I think Sarge said something about them working doubles last night, maybe they took today off."

"Maybe," he mumbled.

Faith once again diverted her attention to Bosco's reflection, her eyes scanning every inch of his muscular back. Closing her eyes tight, she shook her head, mentally reprimanding herself for gawking. She had almost completely controlled the urge in her to open her eyes and stare again when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, eyes wide open to find Bosco standing there, huge grin on his face. "What?" she quickly asked him, her face reddening with embarrassment.

"Nothing," he said back, and she knew he was resisting an urge of his own. Only his was the urge to not laugh at her. "Hey, you okay today, you look kinda pale...I mean, aside from those rosy red cheeks of yours," he replied, winking at her.

"I ah, yeah...I'm good..." she flatly lied, "Just didn't sleep much last night."

"Ah," he nodded, smiling once more. "Hey, I uh...I never thanked you."

Her brow creased, "For what?"

"Covering my ass, if you hadn't stuck up for me I could be in a world of mess right now..." he replied, looking down at the ground. "I could be fired, if it weren't for you."

Faith smiled faintly, "Anytime. You would have done the same for me."

"Yeah," he replied, nodding, finally bringing his eyes up to hold her gaze. "Thanks the same though, you saved my life, my career...I owe you, more than I can ever repay."

"Like I said Boz, anytime," she said back just as the door to the locker room opened and Sergeant Jason Christopher peered in, frown on his face.

"Roll call," the red headed man told them flatly, glaring at Bosco before stepping away from the door and walking away.

"I really hate that guy," Bosco shook his head, speaking through clenched teeth. "Someone oughta..."

"Oughta what?" Faith asked, curious as she took her toothbrush back over to her locker and placed it inside of it before closing the door and fastening the padlock. She was half surprised that he hadn't finished what he was saying when she went back over to the bench in front of his locker where he was fastening the straps of his bullet proof vest. "Someone oughta what, Boz?"

"Kick his sorry ass," Bosco replied, flashing a grin in her direction and making her laugh slightly. "You go ahead, I'll catch up in a few."

"Okay," she nodded, then headed out of the locker room.

* * * * * *

Roll Call
Shortly afterward

"...we want to catch this guy," Lieutenant Swersky continued, "So if you see him, bring him in," he informed the gang, when Sergeant Christopher stepped up to him and whispered something in his ear. Swersky nodded, then turned back to the officers seated at their desks. "That's it, you all have your sector assignments. Officer Yokas, I'd like you to hang back, everyone else...dismissed."

After all the other officers but Faith and Bosco had left, Faith walked over to the Lieutenant and Sergeant Christopher, brow creasing, "Sir?" she quizzically asked. "What's this about?"

Swersky didn't reply, instead he looked over at Bosco who was standing a few feet behind Faith. "Bosco, you can go."

"I'd really prefer him to stay, thanks," Faith said, her voice flat and the Lieutenant nodded.

"We got a call just a few minutes ago, your husband...he was involved in a vehicular accident."

She stared at him, "What? Oh my...what happened? Is he okay?"

Swersky nodded, "He's fine, he's down at the One-Six."

Her brow creased, "What? Why?"

Christopher stepped up, clearing his throat slightly. "Yokas, your husband...he was arrested after he hit a pedestrian...the officers down at the One-Six have charged him with driving with an excess alcohol limit, reckless driving, and negligence with a motor vehicle causing bodily harm."

Faith closed her eyes and shook her head, hoping beyond hope that they'd arrested the wrong Fred Yokas and thought it was her husband. "No, Fred, he...he doesn't drink. There has to be some kind of mistake."

"I'm sorry," Swersky told her, "He asked for you by name." There was a pause of silence as he looked in Bosco's direction, "I've given you the next two hours free, take her down there?"

"Yes sir," Bosco replied, stepping over and placing his hand on Faith's shoulder, a shocked expression on her face.

* * * * * *

16th Precinct
Special Victims Unit
A little later

Elliot sat at his desk, his eyes glancing up at the clock on the far wall every few minutes, wondering where Olivia had gotten to. She hadn't officially signed out of work, so he knew she had every intention of returning, whenever that would be. He had just returned to writing his final report for the day before being able to get back to his normal duties outside of the squad room when his cellular rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he flipped the casing open and pressed the 'Talk' button. "Stabler..." he said into it as he pressed the phone to his ear. There was a moment's silence and he let out a sigh. "Can we talk about this later? No...no I won't discuss this over the phone...you're being ridiculous...oh for...no, no you listen to me, don't you accuse me! I was trying to help a friend...what the hell is that supposed to mean!?" But the other end went suddenly dead and he angrily turned the phone off, running his hand over his head to try figure it all out.

"You can't do this to me..." he muttered under his breath when the cell phone rang again. "Honey?" he said into it, but it wasn't his wife on the other end this time. There was a long silence, painfully long and he looked over at his partners seat. "When? Is she...is she okay?" He was silent again as the woman on the other end replied with no uncertainty, 'It's too soon to say at this time...'

He was quiet for another long moment, this time longer as the woman explained how a man had been arrested in connection to the accident. "Okay, thank you, I'll be right there."

After closing the casing on his phone, he pushed his chair out from under him and stood up, gathering his overcoat as he did so and headed out of the squad room wordlessly as he headed to the holding cell down the hall. It seemed to take an eternity before he came to the room where the man responsible for his partner being in hospital was being held. Two officers were sitting in the room filling out a report as Elliot walked in, headed straight for the holding cell where the man sat, eyes glazed and red as he stared back at the Detective.

"You son of a bitch..." Elliot stammered, "You selfish son of a bitch!"

"Detective Stabler?" One of the officers in the room said, rising from his chair and walking over to him.

Holding a deep glare against the man in the cell, Elliot turned to the officer, Rick Steinburg.

"How...in hell, did this happen?" he demanded.

Officer Steinburg nodded over toward the man in the cell, "He was driving with an excess alcohol limit, hit your partner as she crossed the street. Witnesses say he deliberately drove out when he saw her walking out from the footpath."

"That's a lie!" The man hollered, placing both hands on the top of his head as he stood there, "She walked out in front of me!"

"Why don't you just shut the hell up!?" Elliot shouted back at the balding man, "If I wanted your statement, I would have asked for it!" Angered, he released his hands from the fists they'd formed at his sides and he turned back to the officer next to him. "How many witnesses?"

"Seven," Steinburg replied. "One witness, the man in the car next to his delivery truck said he overheard him shouting obscenities at Detective Benson."

"Bastard," Elliot cursed, turning to the man once more. He went to yell at the man, show him exactly how angry he was when he heard a woman clearing her throat behind him, and he swung around.

"Would someone kindly tell me what's going on..." the uniformed officer standing there asked, her nametag reading 'Yokas'. Her partner stood at her other side, his nametag reading 'Boscorelli'. Officer Yokas walked over to the cell where the man inside was, disbelief and anger in her eyes as she shook her head at him.

Elliot let out a breath, turning to the woman, "This your husband? " He asked, she nodded without hesitation, looking back at him when he spoke to her. "Well, your *husband* deliberately ran down my partner."

* * * * * *

Faith stood there, looking back at the detective. "Why would he deliberately run down your partner, Detective...?"

"Because he's a moron..." Bosco muttered at her side, she shot him a glare and he shut up.

"Stabler," Elliot replied, "Your husband was the prime suspect in a rape case my partner and I worked six years ago. I'd say revenge was why he ran her down."

Faith felt her face drain of all color, her arms and legs growing weak as she stood there. Fred, a suspect in a rape case? Disbelieving what was just said, she turned to her husband, waiting for some kind of denial, waiting for something, but he cast his eyes down at the ground, refusing to look back at her. Her chest tightened and she turned back to Detective Stabler. "Fred wouldn't have done what you're saying," she said, trying to make herself believe that was true. She wanted to, he was her husband, the father of her children, but he was no rapist. "If it were true, he'd have a record, would have gone to jail."

Elliot nodded, "Right. But the case was closed after the woman said they'd been having an affair, that the rape charges were payback for his ending the relationship between them," he replied, clearing his throat slightly as he then looked over at Fred.

Faith looked over at her husband, too, he was shaking his head, remorse in his eyes as he looked back at her. "An affair, Fred!?" she demanded, "You bastard!!"

"One mistake," he told her back, but she shot him a glare and he shut up.

"Ma'am..." Officer Steinberg began, and she looked at the dark haired man. "Will you be posting bail?"

Faith laughed, and turned to her husband again, "You know what...after all the crap you put me through, and now to find out you had an affair, you *deserve* to stay in jail!" she shouted at him. Not caring about the pleading with her he was doing, she turned to Bosco, "Let's get out of here," she said, though not looking him in the eye as she headed out of the room.

Grinning, Bosco followed behind her. "Freddy, Freddy, Freddy..." he mumbled to himself, laughing.

* * * * * *

Slightly confused, yet not completely, Elliot let out a breath and turned back to Fred. "If my partner dies because of you, I'm gonna come back and kill you, do you understand!?" he asked, his teeth clenched.

Fred stared at him for a long moment, before he stepped backward in the cell, not saying a thing.

"Good," Elliot added, turning to Steinberg once again. "If he says anything, shoot him," he said, voice serious, he then walked out of the room.

* * * * * *