A/N: Not mine, not fair.

A/N: Wow. That's about all I can say: wow. 18 reviews for last chapter! I am so happy I can't put it into words. You guys are amazing and totally rock. My thank-yous go to Neela149, Kelly of the midnight dawn, onetreefan, AliasCSINYFriendsER, thutinha, Sierra, KaydenceRei, Rosie, WuHaoNi, Abbey06, Caia, CarbyLivesOn, solciss1, Unconscious-Regret, Odakota, Cookie-ER, Alicat Sanders, and Kristine. Special thanks to Abbey06 and Alicat Sanders for also reviewing two of my one shots. Thanks again to everyone and please keep it up!

A/N: Okay, last week's question was too easy because so many of you got the right answer. Congrats to Neela149, AliasCSINYFriendsER, thutinha, Rosie, Caia, CarbyLivesOn, solciss1, Cookie-ER, Alicat Sanders, and Kristine for correctly saying that Paul Sobricki stabbed Carter and killed med student Lucy Knight during season six. Although, I must say the grand prize goes to anonymous reviewer thutinha (Claudia) because, in addition to the season six episodes,she also pointed out Paul reappears in one episode of season eight (Beyond Repair). You got mad skills girl! I'll end this soon, but first let me make it clear I was in high spirits as I wrote this and...Kelly, you got your EO.

Abby rested her head against the soft back of the airplane seat. She and Carter had only been in New York for two days, but it was already time to leave again. They had said good-bye to Elliot and Olivia at the cemetery when her mother and brother had been buried; the detectives had a case to work, or they'd been able to say good-bye at a more appropriate time. The engine beneath her began to rumble as the plane sped down the runway and took off.

Carter turned to her as the plane gained altitude, soaring through the puffy white clouds. "Abby, I have some news for you," he said quietly, taking her hand.

Abby opened her eyes and turned to him. "What?"

Carter cleared his throat. "I spoke to Elliot about your suspicions about Brian." He paused, waiting to see a reaction, but when she gave none, he continued, "He said it was unlikely, unless Brian is using an alias. In fact…they already have a suspect."

Abby's eyes widened, and her face paled. "Who is it?"

"His name is Michael Bloomberg; do you know him?"

Abby frowned, and then slowly shook her head. "I don't think so," she said softly, her eyes clouding with worry.

Carter smiled a sympathetic smile at her. "Abby," he said in a low voice. "Elliot and Olivia are going to find the guy, okay? I don't want you to worry."

Abby looked at him, her face full of pain. "I dream about it every night," she whispered.

"Dream about – Richard?"

Abby shrugged slightly. "Well…not exactly. Sometimes Richard is in my dreams, but…"

"But what?" asked Carter concernedly.

Abby hesitated, and then continued. "There are two different dreams with Richard…" Carter nodded at her, urging her to continue. "Sometimes I have nightmares about the rape – I mean, Richard raped me…and the nightmares…" She trailed off and shrugged. Carter nodded; he understood. "But then there are some times where Richard is…"

"He's what, Abby?" asked Carter; her voice had trailed off again. "What is je doing?"

"He's…choking me," she said, frowning, her eyes misting over as she tried to remember. "I don't understand that…Richard never choked me…"

Carter stroked her hand. "How often have you had these dreams, Abby?"

Abby paused and shook her head. "I don't know…every day, I guess."

Carter cringed and pulled her into his body, kissing the top of her head. He frowned down at her. "Abby," he said quietly, "are you…feeling okay?"

Abby frowned. "Yes," she answered slowly. "Why?"

Carter shrugged and continued to look at her, eyes filled with concern. "You have bags under your eyes…did you sleep last night?"

Abby shook her head again, slowly. "Not really," she admitted.

Carter lowered her head to his shoulder. "Sleep now."

The rest of the flight passed slowly for Carter. He tried to catch up on some paperwork, but after half an hour of getting less than a quarter of the chart done, he gave it up, and looked instead at Abby, who had finally fallen asleep on his shoulder. He smiled faintly at her sleeping form; she looked so peaceful. He could tell she hadn't gotten sleep in awhile, no matter what she said to him; she was clearly plagued by nightmares of her attack.

And why did she say Richard had "choked" her in some of the dreams? It seemed natural she have nightmares of the attack, but to have them of something he had never done? Carter didn't know what to make of that. He continued to muse over this until the announcement came on alerting passengers they were about to land and to put their seatbelts on. Carter looked at Abby again, and then decided to let her sleep through the landing. He gently kissed her forehead, and then pulled back, frowning. Abby felt surprisingly warm to him.

Abby woke up as the plane was taxiing to the gate. She and Carter began collecting their stuff to make a speedy exit from the aircraft; Carter didn't think he could stand the stuffiness much longer. They walked briskly off the plane and through the airport to the taxi pick up. The driver helped them load their things into the trunk of the car, and then they drove off.

"Abby," said Carter in a low voice, "you feel warm to me. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Abby nodded, slowly. "Yes, fine. " She paused, and then said, "It's warm in here, isn't it?"

Carter frowned; he didn't find it too warm. But he chose not to say anything as Abby lay her head against the glass window. He looked at the passing buildings instead; it was nice to be home, though they were only gone for a couple of days.

They reached the apartment shortly; there was very little traffic. Abby got out and began starting towards the steps, while Carter hung back and paid the driver. After he had paid, Carter grabbed his bags and went inside.

"You okay, Abby?" he called, as he walked in. She didn't answer, but perhaps she hadn't heard him. He frowned at her. She was standing at the end of the hall, one arm practically clinging to the wall for support. "Abby?" he said again, walking towards her. He looked at her face and was unnerved to see it was drained of color.

"Abby!" He said frantically. He took her shoulders and looked at her more closely. "Abby, talk to me; please talk to me. What's wrong?" Carter asked, his brown eyes searching hers for answers.

Abby opened her mouth slowly. "John…" she murmured, "John…I…" But words failed her as her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head. Abby let out a shuddering gasp as she collapsed, fainting in her husband's arms.

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"Come in."

Olivia entered the door slowly and entered the office of Dr. George Huang. Somehow it was a rather pleasing environment, even though Olivia herself was not the world's biggest fan of psychiatry. Huang looked up as the door opened.

"Olivia," he said softly, only sounding slightly surprised. "Please, sit down." Olivia smiled weakly as she sat in the chair in from of Huang's desk. "Did you want to ask me something about the case?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, actually, I'm here about-"

"-what happened in Chicago," Huang finished for her.

Olivia nodded. "You know me too well."

Huang looked directly at her. "What's on your mind, Liv?"

Olivia shrugged, as though unsure of where to begin. "I…I can't get the images…out of my head."

Huang looked at her with concern. "Tell me about it."

Olivia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Take me through the scene, Olivia," said Huang slowly. "It's okay, take your time."

Olivia sighed, and then began. "Richard had Abby with his foot pressed against her chest. Carter was unconscious on the floor, and Elliot and I had your guns pointed at Richard. Richard also had a gun. We told him to let Abby go, but he wouldn't. He – he got agitated…and shot Elliot in the arm."

"That must've been hard for you, Olivia," said Huang in his soothing voice.

Olivia nodded, feeling the tears begin to build up in her eyes. She blinked to keep them from falling. "I was…so shocked…that at first I didn't even know what to do."

"It's understandable," said Huang. "You were scared, and you were cautious of what to do next."

"I aimed my weapon to shoot Richard, but he lowered his gun to Abby's head. I…couldn't shoot him…"

"You couldn't kill Abby, Olivia. That makes you compassionate. You care so much for the victim, you wouldn't risk their life."

Olivia let his words flow over her, as she continued recounting the scene. "Richard told me I was weak…Elliot…Elliot said I wasn't," she managed as her voice broke and the tears spilled down her cheeks.

"You're not weak," Huang said softly, as he tried to convince her to believe the truth. "You're strong to have spared Abby's life, and it takes courage not to have shot Richard."

Olivia smiled faintly through her tears. "I just…I keep seeing it in my head."

"Seeing what?" asked Huang, confused.

Olivia looked down at her hands. "I see Elliot dying. Richard shot him…his blood is all over me, and I…I just wasn't quick enough to save him."

"Is that a dream?" inquired Huang. Olivia nodded, and he continued. "You're having a nightmare based on twisted events from the horrific scene. You know in the end that that's not the same as reality and Elliot is perfectly fine, whilst Richard is dead. You're a strong and compassionate woman, Liv, and you did everything exactly right. Don't beat yourself up over this."

Olivia nodded, and dried stray tears with the back of her hand. She considered this before speaking again. "Does it…go away?"

Huang frowned. "Perhaps not anytime soon. And talk to Elliot or me again if you need to. You know Elliot supports you and he'll do whatever he can to help. He loves you, Olivia."

Olivia smiled. "I know." She rose to leave.

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Steam rose gently from the pot of sauce that was simmering over on the stove. Next to it, a pot of water boiled, droplets of water splashing around happily. Olivia stood, chopping carrots for a salad on the cutting board, one eye watching the pots on the stove carefully. Elliot, who was returning from setting the table, came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Olivia smiled at his touch.

"I heard you talked to Huang today," he said softly, resting his head on her shoulder.

Olivia nodded. "I needed someone to talk to and I just…"

"Olivia," said Elliot, "I think it was a great idea." He paused, in thought. "Is there anything you want – or need – to talk about? Because you know I'm here for you, Liv."

Olivia smiled. "I know…Thanks, El."

Elliot sighed, his breath sending a gentle breeze over her neck. "Do you know how much I love you, Liv?"

Olivia's smile deepened. "How much?" she asked flirtatiously.

Elliot turned her around to face him. "This much," he whispered, as he gently kissed her. Olivia moaned slightly against his lips as he slid his tongue into her mouth. Olivia draped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, all thoughts about chopping the carrots forgotten."

It was the sound of the timer Olivia had set on the pasta going off that brought the two detectives back to their surroundings. Olivia hastily pulled herself from Elliot's embrace as she ran to turn the shrill beeping off. She opened the refrigerator and began shifting multiple items around, frowning.

"Elliot, we're out of Caesar," she said disappointedly, turning to him.

"Want me to run to the store quick?"

"Would you?" asked Olivia gratefully. Elliot nodded and planted a quick kiss on her lips good-bys.

"I'll miss you," he murmured against her lips.

"Will you?" laughed Olivia as she pulled back from him. "You'll be gone for ten, maybe twenty minutes."

"When I'm away from you, twenty minutes seems like an eternity." Elliot turned to leave as Olivia smiled at his retreating form.

"Hurry back!" she called after him. Elliot just waved his hand as if to say he had heard her as he exited the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Olivia turned her attention back to the spaghetti on the stove while she waited for Elliot to return with the dressing. She sampled the noodles, and then strained them in the colander. She continued to stir the sauce while she stood at the stove.

The door opened behind her. Olivia frowned; it had been barely seven minutes; where had Elliot gone to get the dressing? The store might've only been a couple blocks away, but Olivia didn't think he could've gone that fast.

"Elliot," she said, without turning around, a grin unfurling on her face. "You must've really missed me; you're back so soon." She turned around, expecting to see her partner, but instead received a strong punch to her face.

Olivia fell backwards, landing hard on the cool tile floor. Nose dripping with blood, she tried to look up at her assailant. His face was covered in a ski mask that prevented her from getting any detail. Before she could notice much more than that, the man grabbed her and punched her again. Olivia groped for the side of the counter, trying to stand up.

Her assailant drew his fist back again, but Olivia was more prepared this time. Though she could barely see, she grasped the heavy handles of the pot of spaghetti sauce and thrust the boiling sauce at the man. She felt it hit the floor in many splotches of sound as her attacker let of a howl of agony. Olivia staggered from the kitchen; the blows to her head had disoriented her.

Get to the phone.

Olivia raced for the nearest phone, but before she could lock the door, the man dashed through the doorway as grabbed her in his strong grip. His hands were wet with the warm sauce and he seemed as angry as ever. He rammed Olivia up against the wall, and hit her over the head with the lamp that was on the nightstand. She sank to the floor at his feet. As the assailant raised his weapon again, he heard the front door open again. He paused, listening hard.

"Liv?" called Elliot as he entered. "Liv, I'm back…Where are you?" Elliot walked down the hallway and restrained himself from screaming when he saw the kitchen. The floor was splattered with the spaghetti sauce from when Olivia had thrown it at her attacker; blood was also plentifully staining the white tile. "Oh my god," he whispered to himself. "OLIVIA!"

He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and spotted Olivia's gun on the side table. He snatched it up and aimed it as he walked cautiously down the hall, dialing Olivia's number as he went.

The man froze when he heard the ring going off from the unconscious detective's phone. He presumed, judging by the muffled sound, it was somewhere in a pocket. He reached into her jeans pocket and pulled it out, looking at the caller ID: ELLIOT STABLER, it read. The man smirked and stomped on the phone. Olivia herself had begun stirring as she heard the sound. The assailant raised the lamp again and stood, posed in the doorway, waiting for her partner to show up.

Elliot began running when he heard the ring tone of Olivia's cell phone. It seemed to him to be coming from the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar.

"Liv?" he called softly. "Liv, are you in there?" Elliot pushed the door open and was immediately received a blow to the side of his head as the man whacked him with the lamp post. Elliot staggered, but managed to stay on his feet as he seized his attacker and threw him up against the wall. "Where's Olivia?" he growled at the man. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" Elliot yelled, lunging at the man. The man caught him and threw Elliot from him and to the ground. Elliot's head hit the edge of a hall table on his way down and he was knocked unconscious. The assailant bent down and kicked Elliot's leg. Elliot didn't move. Satisfied, he returned to the bedroom where Olivia was now moaning slightly as she stirred. He snatched her into his arms and, with one last appraising look behind him, opened the window, climbed down the fire escape, and ran off with the detective into the night.

A/N: I couldn't resist the cliffhangers...all right, I'll update soon. School lets out on Friday of next week which means I have exams all week next week so don't expect an update that soon. However, I also find out the results of my orchestra audition, and if I make it...I'll be on such a high, I'll probably update earlier! Please wish me luck!

Thanks guys, Color Esperanza (AKA Colores, Essy, Free, or Lucy, depending on who you are :P)