A/N: Okay, this chapter is extremely depressing, but please don't stop reading my story! Please read and review!
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Devon met them at the steps of the warehouse, looking quite upset. "I don't think you should go in." he said immediately, and Knolls heard.
"Agent Masters, it is not your job to prep my Detectives. I resent your ill thought out remark." Knolls snapped, before turning to Elliot. Devon gritted his teeth and seized Knolls' shoulder, jerking him back around.
"You have no authority over the FBI. I resent your ill thought out plan to send your best detectives into certain danger." Devon spat, visibly shaking. Elliot and Olivia were quite stunned- they had never seen him this angry before.
Knolls looked absolutely floored by Devon's scolding. He slowly peeled Devon's hand from his shoulder and turned back to Elliot and Olivia. "Look, he has your daughter, Kathleen. The hostage negotiator's tried to get him to let her go, but he would only talk to you two. You have to go in. We will have you covered. He also said that you had better not look prepared for the worst- in other words no vests."
Elliot stared at him and looked about ready to run up the steps, but Olivia had seized his arm. Devon looked more uncomfortable and exclaimed, "Don't go in! Please, this is not what it seems, I can feel it."
"I haven't got a choice." Elliot said, and he turned to face the building. Olivia stepped up beside him.
"They are on the second floor." Knolls said simply, and with that Elliot and Olivia walked up the steps. Devon looked after them in absolute worry and then tightened his grip on his rifle.
Olivia hesitantly climbed up the stairs to the second floor, Elliot charging ahead at a much brisker pace. The clanging of their footsteps on the old metal steps was so loud that Olivia almost flinched. As they reached the landing Elliot indicated for them to split up and Olivia hurried down the left wing, weaving around stray pipes laying about the floor. "Olivia!" Olivia glanced to the end of the hall and to her relief saw Kathleen sitting on the floor.
"Kathleen, are you okay?" she questioned, running over and kneeling beside her.
"Fine. They only tied me up." Kathleen replied, shaking her hands lightly after Olivia cut the ropes.
Olivia froze and looked at her stepdaughter in confusion. "They? We were only told there was one guy."
Kathleen nodded. "There's two."
"Alright, now you run down the stairs and out the doors. Have Devon radio us to tell us you made it." Olivia told her, pulling her to her feet.
"But I can help you guys…" Kathleen began, but Olivia gave her a shove.
"No, we've got this handled. Now, run!" Olivia exclaimed, and Kathleen reluctantly took off. Olivia then turned and made her way down the nearest open pathway to find Elliot. As she ran, her radio crackled and Devon reassured her that they had Kathleen. Just as she was about to respond the grated metal floor gave a loud smash as someone landed heavily on it from behind her. Olivia spun around and saw the same man who had escaped from her at the horse show. A moment later he had leapt forward and seized her around the waist, dragging her against the wall.
"And so we meet again, Olivia. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I have other plans for someone as pretty as you." He whispered in her ear, and Olivia instantly recognized his voice as that of Nathan Myers.
Olivia slammed her elbow into his stomach and jerked free of his hold. She pulled his arm behind him and snapped a handcuff on it, then hooked the other end around a nearby pipe. With that she sprinted down the hall, and to her relief saw Elliot not far off. Racing to his side she told him, "I got Myers!" Elliot looked quite pleased and smiled at her. Just as she slowed to a stop, she looked down to her right and saw the second man standing calmly with his gun raised. "Elliot, look out!" she screamed, and lunged forward, slamming her shoulder against him to push him out of the way.
"You are sure you're okay?" Devon asked Kathleen, who was sitting in the back of the ambulance, wrapped tightly in a blanket. A piercing gunshot suddenly echoed through the air. Devon whipped around, and stared up into the window of the warehouse. Almost immediately someone came through on his radio. It was Elliot.
The man hadn't seen her coming. Just as he pulled the trigger she had shoved her husband out of the way. He screamed in anger as she sank to her knees. With that he galloped down the hall, searching for Myers. "What the Hell just happened?" Myers shrieked, fighting furiously against his restraint.
"She got in the way… I didn't see her coming!"
"You shot the wrong person!" screamed Myers in rage, "She wasn't supposed to die!"
With that the other man sprinted off, leaving Myers still hooked to the pipe.
Elliot pressed his jacket harder against the wound in Olivia's side, his eyes already glossy from tears. She lay with her head in his lap, her breathing heavy. "Come on Liv. You have to hold on, alright?" he told her, and she nodded slightly. Elliot radioed again for the medics and then focused on Olivia. She was growing paler and her breathing was starting to steady. Elliot shut his eyes and felt tears drip down his face. When he opened them again, he found that Olivia was starting to close hers. "No, no. Liv you can't go to sleep now. You have to stay awake." He said, shaking he shoulder gently.
Olivia looked at him with eyes filled with pain and muttered, "It hurts."
"I know it does. But you are going to get help in just a minute, hold on for me, okay?" Elliot cried, panic rising in him. She was going into shock faster than she should.
With a staggered breath Olivia closed her eyes again. Elliot shook her gently, but she didn't open them. He pressed his forehead into hers, feeling her short breaths against his cheek. As more of her blood soaked against his arm, Elliot considered just carrying her out to the doors. But he knew she could die in such a transfer, as he couldn't put enough pressure on the wound on his own while carrying her. He needed help.
Devon heard Elliot's desperate cries for help on the radio, but Knolls refused to send anyone in, as they hadn't apprehended the second man yet. "Knolls, you have to send the paramedics in there!" he screamed, approaching the police captain again.
"I can't. We don't know where the other perp is."
"So you are just going to let he die?" yelled Devon, his hand gripping his gun.
"Agent Masters, more people could die if we send them in. I have no choice."
"You may not, but I do. I will take care of the second perp, and the moment I radio you, send them up." Devon said, striding off to the stairs.
"You can't do that!" exclaimed Knolls.
"Yes I can."
"You need backup!" Knolls yelled, and just as Devon was about to open his mouth in response and loud voice interrupted him.
"I'll go with him." Winter O'Connor said, walking to stand beside the FBI agent. Devon smiled at him in gratitude and then sprinted up the stairs, the young officer close behind.
The area in front of the warehouse had turned into an absolute frenzy. Paramedics, police, the FBI, news reporters, photographers, and passerby's were all swarming around and several police officers had been dispatched for crowd control. Among them was Henry Samsry, a mounted police officer and husband of Alex Cabot, the ADA. As he kicked his horse forward to stop an overzealous photographer from getting any further, he picked up his phone and called his wife.
"Liv… come on, look at me." Elliot whispered to Olivia, shifting her slightly on his lap. She reluctantly opened her eyes. "Remember that time we went skiing with Devon and Reagan? I was making fun of you for falling and then I hit a patch of ice and slammed right into the ski instructor with a train of little kids behind him? How I lost both my skis and somersaulted through the air until I landed flat on my back? I don't think I've ever seen you and Devon laugh that hard before."
Olivia smiled slightly, a tear dripping down her cheek. Her body shook slightly as the cold overcame her and she tried to take in another breath. But the pain tearing through her stomach was starting to affect he lungs, and they just didn't want to work anymore. Her body was quitting on her. Olivia screamed at herself to fight it, but the rising level of cold numbness mixed with pain was winning. More tears dripped down her face as she forced another breath, this time tasting blood in her mouth. As her stomach seized in another round of stabbing pains, she muttered, "I'm sorry, Elliot."
"You don't have anything to be sorry for. I love you." Elliot told her, kissing her forehead gently. As he did so, he glanced at his watch. It had been almost five minutes.
As he looked desperately down the hall Olivia closed her eyes for one last time. When he looked back down, she had an expression so quiet that she could have been mistaken for sleeping. "Liv! Liv! Wake up!" Elliot screamed, but she didn't respond.
Olivia heard him yelling, but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. She was felt herself going, and never for one instant stopped fighting it. As she struggled to keep breathing, she was suddenly taken by a fear of being left alone. But as she felt Elliot's warm body pressed up against hers she realized that he wouldn't leave her. And so it was that she managed to take in another gulp of air.
"Elliot!" He looked up and saw Officer O'Connor looking down at him. "The medics are here."
Elliot allowed Olivia to be pried from his arms but was crying quite freely. As they ran back down the hall after the medics hauling Olivia out, Winter paused. "Devon! She's out!" Elliot stopped briefly, and saw someone staggering in their direction.
"The other one got away through the back door. I'm sorry." Devon panted, clutching his arm close to his side. Elliot saw blood streaming from it, along with the tip of the bone sticking out.
Alex arrived just s the helicopter landed in the middle of the street. She caught a brief glimpse of her friend being rushed on a stretcher towards it and her heart contracted in shock. When she turned around she saw Elliot coming out of the warehouse, red staining his arms. Alex felt a sob rising in her throat as she looked over at her husband, who was walking his horse toward her, looking defeated. And just then, a heavy rain picked up.
Riley woke shortly after her parents left. The rain pattered away on the windows and the silence in the apartment was unnerving. She stretched and yawned, rubbing her eyes. Slowly she got up and walked out into the hall. Riley sighed. Her bare feet smacked across the floor as she made her way into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a Pepsi. Gulping half of it down in less than a minute she waited for the caffeine to start working. She had to finish her calculus because the huge unit exam was tomorrow. Riley was just about to head back to her room when the phone rang. Her exhaustion stopped her panic for a moment, but as she reached for the phone it hit her, hard. She always worried when the phone rang and her parents were gone. They were always in danger. But tonight… something was different. The sick feeling in her gut increased ten fold when she read the caller ID. Her hand shook slightly as she picked up the phone.
"Stabler's."
When Riley arrived at the hospital she was greeted by Devon and Winter at the doors. "How's my dad?" she exclaimed, looking fearfully at them.
"He's going to be fine. We'll take you up to see him. But he's going to be asleep, they gave him some heavy sedatives." Devon said, his voice amazingly gentle and quiet.
Riley nodded, biting her lip nervously. "What happened?"
Winter and Devon looked at one another. Winter finally slowly answered, "He and your mom got stuck in a building. There was still a shooter inside, and he took a few shots at them. But your mom shoved him out of the way so he didn't get hit."
"Okay… so where is she? Can I talk to her? She's probably going nuts, with dad almost getting hurt and all." Riley said. Winter immediately dropped his gaze to the floor and Riley was sure she saw tears in his eyes. Devon gently took her shoulder, tears dripping down his face.
"Your mother took the bullet for your father. She didn't feel much, though. She was DOA." Devon said, his voice cracking.
"DOA?" questioned Riley, taking a giant gulp, "That's dead on arrival… she can't be… there's no way…" They didn't answer, desperately trying to regain their composure. Riley suddenly broke down, falling to her knees with her face in her hands.
The dark office was especially sinister looking that evening. The older man poured himself a glass of wine and sat down, awaiting news from his people. Much to his surprise, his door came flying open and Winston Perry came stumbling in. "They caught Myers. And I shot Olivia Stabler on accident."
The man nearly dropped his glass in surprise. "You did what? We wanted her alive, you idiot!"
"I know, she got in the way! The bullet was meant for her husband!"
"Good job, Perry. Now you've killed a cop. And the wrong one for that matter!"
The funeral was not long after, on a bright and sunny summer day. The turnout was astonishing. The events in the warehouse had been all over the news for the weeks following; it was like one of those things that people just couldn't seem to move past- the death of a beautiful lady cop with a family. Her picture was on the cover of the paper more than once, and perhaps it was her haunting brown eyes that kept people so transfixed. Something about the case made it impossible to just get over and move on with life. Something begged to be remembered about it.
Elliot hadn't seen Olivia after she died, the medical examiner had insisted that it would be a horrible idea -that he didn't want to remember her that way. And in the end, Elliot agreed. His loss was so great that nothing could possibly bring any sort of closure. Riley always said that he died in the warehouse with her, that she lost both her parents on the same day. And in the midst of all of this, Reagan approached Elliot after the funeral and said, "I'm keeping the baby."
End Part One
A/N#2: Please don't kill me! Read the next chap and it's a little happier I promise! And yes, there is still plenty more too come!
