A/N: I got my laptop back, wohooo! So that means I will be able to wok more on this story! Thanks for reviewing so far! And this chapter is sort of slow, my apologies, but it is setting up some important framework… PLEASE keep reading and reviewing!

The tall and stocky FBI agent grinned broadly at them. "Who else did you think they would send to help you out on this case? A series of rapes all related to a major drug smuggling ring… seriously, I thought you would call me."

Olivia smiled back but was too surprised to say anything other than, "I thought you had retired."

Devon laughed and said, "I did. But after four surgeries, they finally got my hips into correct alignment and I passed the FBI's rigorous health test."

"Congratulations!" exclaimed Elliot, and Olivia jumped forward and gave her old friend a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you guys again! It's been what- three years since you last came out?" Devon said as Olivia released him.

"Just about." replied Elliot.

"Reagan's going to be getting here tonight. She was at a horse show in England, and she won so is coming to New York to compete in the Championships." Devon said with a smile, then looked at Olivia kindly. "How have you been?"

"A lot better." Olivia answered, looking up at Elliot, who gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I am glad to hear that." Devon replied, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"Agent Masters, where do you want us to take him?" came the quiet question of the man standing behind Devon.

Devon turned and said, "Back to the 1-6. My friends here will interrogate the bastard. I will see you guys tonight, we have a lot to discuss."

As they headed back to the Suburban Elliot gently took Olivia's hand. "You okay? That looked like a rough tackle."

"I'm fine El." Olivia answered, smiling up at him. He brushed a lock of chestnut hair from her eyes and held her face gently in his hands.

"Promise?"

"I promise. Elliot, what's been the matter with you lately? You are acting like I am going to die or something."

Elliot flinched and said, "I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't ever lose me." Olivia told him, kissing him firmly on the lips.

He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. The warm summer breeze rustled around them and the sun was shining brightly in a cloudless sky, perpetuating the feeling of extreme calm. Slowly Olivia pulled away, placing a couple of soft kisses to his jaw. "We have to get back to work." She said quietly. Elliot nodded and watched he walk around to the passenger side. With a hesitant sigh he climbed up into his seat.

The new captain, Greg Knolls, met Olivia and Elliot upon their return to the precinct. "Do you have the suspect in custody?"

"Yes." Olivia replied, and Knolls nodded in approval.

"Good. Well Elliot, I need to talk to you about something, so Olivia, you can conduct the interrogation with Officer O'Connor." Knolls said, and Olivia and Elliot shared a confused glance. Knolls ignored it and yelled, "O'Connor!"

A young man with light blonde hair trotted over towards them and smiled gently. Olivia smiled back, but Elliot only nodded stiffly. "Just out of curiosity, why are you pulling me from the interview and replacing me with a uni?" Elliot questioned the captain, who glared at him.

"Take it easy, Detective. Obviously you haven't noticed your suspect is German, and doesn't speak any English. Officer O'Connor is a Yale graduate and fluent." Knolls scolded Elliot, then nodded at Olivia and Winter to head off.

"You just tell me what you want me to do. I don't want to infringe on your game." Winter said to Olivia as they walked up to the interrogation room.

"You'll do fine." Olivia answered kindly, surprised by the young officer's amount of courtesy.

The man was sitting in the room looking more than a little nervous. When they entered he jumped to his feet and said, "Es was nicht mir! Nicht mir!"

Winter looked over at Olivia and translated, "He says it wasn't him."

Olivia looked at the man and said, "Sit."

"Du kannst sitzen." Winter told the man, and he sat immediately.

"Ist sie okay?" questioned the man, gesturing to Olivia.

"Ja… warum?" Winter asked.

"Gut. Sie ist nett." The man answered, and Winter turned to Olivia.

"He wanted to know if you were alright, and he said you were nice." Winter said, and Olivia glanced at the man in surprise- that wasn't something you heard very often. She pulled out her legal pad and began to write down what Winter translated for her in very neat cursive.

The interview progressed at a rather slow rate, and Olivia had to admire Winter's endless amount of patience. He was more than willing to ask a question fifty different ways and the man slowly began to talk. However, after about fifteen minutes Winter stopped translating for her and seemed to be getting quite confused. "What's going on?" Olivia asked Winter, who was looking at the man with a very curious expression.

Winter held up his hand to get the man to stop talking and then said, "I don't think he understands what he's here for…"

Knolls shut the door to his office and sat Elliot down, looking at him calculatingly as he filled out some paperwork. Elliot bit his lip to keep from sighing in irritation. This was one of those times that he wished Cragen was still around; Knolls was far to rule-orientated for his taste. After a long while Knolls finally leaned back in his chair and said, "So you and your wife have been partners for how many years?"

"About twenty, a little less." Elliot answered.

"I heard you were suggested for promotion to Captain several times. Why did you refuse?"

"I don't know. I just didn't feel quite ready."

"You mean you didn't want to stop being your wife's partner? Trust me Elliot I can understand how she would need you for support." Knolls replied matter of factly.

Elliot stared at him for a second and then slowly said, "She wanted me to take the position. Believe me, Olivia can take care of herself."

"Can she? Never mind. Look Elliot, I am a little uncomfortable with husband and wife teams."

"Captain, we have worked fine together for a number of years. We are completely willing to prove that to you."

"Good. That's what I was hoping you would say. For this case, you are going to be partnered with Detective Adrianna Young, from Narcotics. You are going to go undercover."

"Captain, Olivia and I go undercover all the time." Elliot argued.

"You said that you were willing to do anything, Detective. If you refuse this, then you both will be permanently split up."

Elliot furiously left the room, heading over to interrogation. He glanced in through the one-way glass, seeing that Olivia and Winter still weren't getting very far. Elliot smiled despite everything as he looked at his beautiful wife. "Elliot!"

He turned and saw Devon trotting over. "They sent me over to supervise the interrogation. We think this guy has some major information on the drug smuggling organizations." Then he glanced at the wall clock and asked, "Could you pick my wife up from the airport? I'm sorry, but her flight should be getting in shortly."

"Sure thing." Elliot responded.

Elliot hurried over to the gate where there was already a flood of passengers exiting the large jet. He stood close to the doors and kept a look out for Reagan. Much to his surprise, she was last off of the plane. Her trainer was walking in front of her, dragging his bags along and carrying hers as well. He glanced at Elliot and a fleeting look of concern passed over his face. Then he smiled reluctantly and turned back to Reagan, who was looking quite ill. This struck Elliot as unusual- Reagan was a pilot, she was plenty used to flying. "My horse? Is he okay?" Reagan asked her trainer in a panicky tone.

"He's fine, I am going to stick around and help get him off his plane. You just go with your friend and get some rest." He told her, gently taking her shoulders. Reagan jumped and flinched. The trainer immediately let go of her and said, "Reagan, you need to relax. Just get some sleep okay? We can work Siegfried tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay." Reagan said softly.

Elliot had watched the entire exchange with a horrible feeling in his gut. As Reagan sat down in one of the chairs, her trainer went over and told Elliot very quietly, "Take good care of her. She's been horribly sick. Threw up almost the entire second week of the show, and she hasn't eaten hardly anything."

As he walked off Elliot slowly approached Reagan. "Hey. Sorry Olivia and Devon got stuck at the precinct, but I can take you to our apartment."

Reagan looked up at Elliot with a wavering smile and said, "Don't worry about it. I have a hotel room."

"Don't be ridiculous. You are welcome with Olivia and I."

"No, I don't want to be a problem Elliot. Really I don't." Reagan muttered, putting her face in her hands. As she did so the sleeve of her sweater slipped down to her elbow and Elliot saw a dark bruise and gash on her arm.

"What happened?" Elliot asked gently, and Reagan instantly jerked the sleeve back down.

"I tripped over a loose bale of hay, nothing big." She told him dismissively.

Elliot decided not to press anything further and led her out to the car. Reagan climbed painstakingly in, and Elliot shut the door for her. After a while of driving in silence he said, "I am sure Devon will be done soon. I can have Olivia drop him off at your room."

"No!" Reagan exclaimed, and Elliot turned to look at her in shock. "I can't see him yet… please don't call him." Reagan was now in tears and was looking at Elliot pleadingly.

Elliot nodded and pulled over at her hotel. He walked her up to her room and helped her put all her bags away. "Thanks Elliot." Reagan said, gently touching his hand.

"Reagan… what happened?" Elliot questioned, taking her hands gently. Reagan looked up at him and hesitated a moment before dissolving completely into tears. She threw her arms around his neck and her entire body shook as she cried. Elliot gently patted her back, and inwardly felt a sharp stab of sympathy for her.

"I didn't want too… but he told me that he'd… kill my friend if I didn't." Reagan gasped out, holding tighter onto his shirt.

"What did he make you do?" Elliot asked her softly.

"He… I couldn't stop him! He said that we had been really stupid and were going to pay for it."

"Who had been really stupid?"

"Us… Devon, Olivia, me… and you." Reagan answered, her voice shaking.

"Do you know who it was?"

"Yes, it was someone at the show, but I can't tell you who."

"It's okay, Reagan, he can't hurt you anymore." Elliot told her gently, and Reagan immediately pried herself from his arms.

"You don't understand! He doesn't want to hurt me anymore- he told me he'd kill you if I said anything."

Elliot stared back at her, his mind reeling. Never before had he had such an awful feeling for the outcome of a case. As Reagan looked back at him with fear dancing in her eyes, Elliot was seized by a sudden concern. "Did he say anything about Olivia?"

"No. Just about you." Reagan answered, and Elliot sighed in relief.

He had no idea just how misplaced that relief was.

"Come on Reagan, I need to get you to a doctor." He said gently, and as he took her by the arm, he picked up his phone and called Olivia.

"Liv… I need you to meet me at the hospital."

A second plane touched down at the runway of the airport, and an older man got off, looking around for his associate. He saw him standing in the distance and hurried over to him. "Is everyone in place?" he asked urgently.

"Yes, they are."

"Good. Remember… you can't just kill whichever of them you want." The man said quietly.

"We know that. Relax, it's going to be fine. Reagan has already given them an advanced tip off- it always makes it so much more fun when they try to figure it out."

"It does. It does." Laughed the one man, and then his cell phone started to ring. Picking it up, his expression changed from amusement to anger. As he put his phone away he said, "The police have the German in custody. One of the Stabler's is interrogating him."

The other man looked stunned and exclaimed, "We have to hurry."

A/N#2: Sorry, I know that probably none of the questions were answered in this chap… but next chap will have a lot more OE!