A/N: They're still not mine...But Estrelita tells me that Kelly, Kay, Dani, and I are going to change that somehow...:P

A/N: Sorry for the delay, guys! I had a touch of writer's block, but I think I'm back on track now. Thanks to my awesome reviewers: KaydenceRei, Kelly of the midnight dawn, onetreefan, SVU101, estrelita lovesSVU, BrittanyLS, Neela149, CarbyLivesOn, AliasCSINYFriendsER, and WuHaoNi for reviewing. I don't know what happened to my other reviewers, but oh well, the show must go on.

A/N: Tissues may be needed for the first section if you're extra sensitive...Enjoy!

Olivia watched in horror as Bloomberg closed the door smugly. She just stared at him, keeping her face void of emotion, even though her insides were clenched with terror. Olivia lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.

Three hours…Olivia couldn't help but think that Elliot wouldn't get there in time. For al their proficiency in solving riddles, Bloomberg had made it sound as though this riddle was difficult; there might even have been a chain of riddles for all she knew. Olivia suddenly had a fleeting image of the RDK chain of riddles she and Elliot had tried to solve only a year earlier. Only a year? It seemed like it had happened in another lifetime…the memory brought tears back to Olivia's eyes.

So this is what it felt like to die, what it felt like to be a death row inmate counting down the hours until the needle was injected and their life ended. She wondered if they had felt the same fear and dread she was feeling right now…did they also torture themselves with memories? Did they close their eyes and enjoy their last moments alone, or did they keep them open to see as much of the world while they still could?

Is this what it's like to be a victim? Olivia wondered, as more tears streamed silently down her face. Is this what it feels like in the place of so many I have helped; is this what it feels like to wait for your assailant to come back and kill you? Is this the fear they felt? Is this what it felt like to be…Abby?

The pain was almost unbearable – the emotional pain of knowing she was going to die. There was so much she hadn't done yet, so much she wanted to say…this was not the way she wanted to die. She wanted her family – her SVU family – with her so she wouldn't have to die alone. She wanted Munch and Fin to tell her jokes and conspiracy theories…she wanted Casey to rant about some biased judge…she wanted to see Alex again, see her return from the program…she wanted Warner to make another report, Huang to form another analysis…She wanted to tell Elliot how much she loved him, she wanted to hug Cragen and tell him how much of a father he was to her, she wanted to find her real father, find out who he was, where he lived, what he looked like.

She wanted to hug Abby and tell her how sorry she was. Apologize for not being able to stop Bloomberg from killing her. Olivia knew that she would not be the last to die at Bloomberg's hand. She looked at her watch – it was 9:36.

She sighed, feeling more tears hit her cheeks; they came harder, faster. She just couldn't stop them. Olivia continued to cry until she had no tears left, and then she closed her eyes again, feelings her cheeks wet with tears. She let out a shuddering sigh, forcing herself to accept her fate, accept what was happening to her. She suddenly pulled herself into a kneeling position with her hands clasped.

"Dear God," Olivia whispered. She felt so awkward; she hadn't prayed since she was a young girl. "I don't know if you're listening to me, but if you are…I'm not going to ask for my life because I think that's an empty plea now. I ask you to…watch over Elliot. If I die tonight…please find a way to show him how much I care, how much I love him. Please…find a way to show him happiness…" Tears came again and her voice caught in her throat. Olivia lay back on her bad and closed her eyes, but not before it crossed her mind that she may never open her eyes again.

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Abby's breathing had become shallow; her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. Tears formed in her eyes as the true weight of her realization hit her. Captain Cragen was looking worriedly at Huang, who nodded, and then the two of them disappeared into Cragen's office. Munch and Fin were placing numerous phone calls, barking orders into the receivers. ADA Casey Novak ran out of the bull pen after muttering something about getting warrants. Elliot was staring at the blackboard with a hardened look in his eye. Cragen had said nothing would happen until he and Huang were finished. Carter wrapped his arms around Abby's waist.

"Hey," he whispered into her ear. Abby turned around to face him with her tear-filled eyes. "Hey," he said again softly to her. "We're going to find her, okay?" Tears began to stream down Abby's face. Carter hugged her close to him. "Abby…it's okay. We'll all be okay…"

"He's keeping her at Eric's house," Abby whispered in a constricted voice.

"I know," Carter sighed. Abby's face suddenly drained of color. "Abby? Abby, are you okay?"

Abby shook her head. She groaned, unable to open her mouth. Carter frowned at her, placing a hand on her forehead. "Abby," Carter said, frowning at her, concerned. "Are you-" Abby suddenly vomited into Carter's shirt. Elliot leapt to his feet and came over to help.

Abby began coughing violently. "I'm sorry," she choked. Carter shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he said. He chuckled weakly. "We're all doctors, remember?"

Elliot nodded at him. "Go back to the hotel and change, John. I'll take care of Abby for you."

Carter nodded gratefully. "Be right back," he said to Abby, kissing her cheek. Abby nodded vaguely and committed into Elliot's waste bin. She coughed again.

Elliot looked around for Casey, and then remembered that the ADA had left. There weren't any female detectives nearby either. Oh fuck it, he thought to himself.

"Let's go to the bathroom, Abby," Elliot suggested bracingly. He picked up the waste bin. "Come on." Abby obediently followed, still coughing.

That's it," Elliot thought, hatred of Michael Bloomberg deepening as he heard Abby retch again. He gets an extra kick in the balls for that one.

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Meanwhile, Captain Cragen and Dr. Huang, though blissfully unaware of the drama in the bull pen, were having their own heated conversation in Cragen's office. "I won't do it, George!" Cragen was shouting.

Huang sighed. "I don't think it's going to work any other way."

Cragen shook his head and began pacing his office with frustrated footsteps. "I can't sacrifice her like that," he said softly. "I'm not going to choose who to save and who to leave behind to die."

"Michael Bloomberg is forcing our hands," Huang explained. "If Abby comes, he will kill her instead of Olivia-"

"And if she doesn't, he won't give up Olivia," Cragen finished dully. "So it's a sacrifice either way; the quest to find the least of evils."

Huang nodded, glancing at the clock; it was 10:41. "I can't tell you who to save, Don."

Cragen shook his head. "There had to be another way," he said. "There had to be a way to keep everyone safe." He closed his eyes, thinking hard.

Huang cleared his throat. "I don't know that there is one."

"Then you are thinking creatively enough!" Cragen shouted at him. He sighed. "I'm sorry…it's just…I love her like a daughter, George," Cragen said quietly. "I'm not going to give up that easily."

Huang nodded. "Abby has to come with us to ensure Olivia's return; I don't' think Bloomberg will negotiate without her present."

Cragen nodded; he didn't like it, but he understood. "I'm not going to force her to come with us if she doesn't wish to."

"She will come," Huang said confidently. "She feels guilty," he continued softly, and there was a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I'm worried about her, Don. Even though you aren't so willing to sacrifice one for the other, I don't think that Abby is as unwilling. She would die for Olivia." Huang paused. "And that thought absolutely terrifies me."

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Abby found herself in the same bathroom stall she had sat in only a few hours before. The only difference was that it was Elliot sitting with her this time instead of Casey. Even though Abby barely knew Casey, she would have liked her there more than Elliot – and not just because Casey was female.

She couldn't stand how Elliot was looking at her with concern clouding his blue eyes. She couldn't look at him in the eye because she didn't want to see the pain masked and hidden behind them, knowing she was the one who had put that pain there. How can he care so much? Abby asked herself. Why doesn't he hate me yet?

"It seems to be slowing down," Elliot said quietly. Abby nodded vaguely.

"I'm sorry you have to sit here with me," Abby apologized dully.

Elliot chuckled. "Don't worry about it; I've had four kids of my own, so I'm used to this kind of thing." Abby winced; it would be easier if he had just hated her, complained about sitting here with her, instead of telling him it was not a problem…

Perhaps Abby's pain showed on her face because Elliot was looking at her again with concern. "You okay?' he asked her.

"Why don't you hate me?" Abby blurted out.

Elliot was taken aback. "Why would I hate you?" he asked her quietly.

Abby shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Elliot."

Elliot looked at her, confused. "Abby – why…?"

"It's my fault Olivia was kidnapped," she said quietly. "Bloomberg is trying to get to me by hurting everyone around me – and I'm just so sorry you had to be one of them. Why can't you just hate me? It would make everything so much easier!"

Elliot hugged her. "Abby, you can't blame yourself for what that sick psychopath is doing. I don't blame you, and I certainly don't hate you. I could never hate you, not only because you're my friend, but also because you're a victim. He's hurting you too, I can see it."

Abby nodded, feeling more tears form in her eyes. "I would do anything to get Olivia back," Abby said fiercely.

Elliot smiled. "We will get her back safely, I know we will." He swallowed hard; he knew he was trying to convince himself as much as her. He continued, "We know where Liv is now; all we have to do is wait for Cragen and Huang to stop fighting." He frowned.

Abby nodded again. "How many more people is he going to hurt? How many more friends to I have to see in pain or hurt before he can kill me and just end it?"

Elliot bit his lips. Somehow the 'I don't know, Abby,' he was planning on saying seemed so heartless. He shook his head hopelessly. "We will do everything we can to end this now…no one else is going to die, Abby."

Abby looked at him in disbelief. "How do you know that?"

Elliot shrugged. "I'm not going to let anyone else die. The chain of terror ends here."

Abby smiled. "You are one hell of a cop, Detective Stabler."

Elliot chuckled. The sound of his cell phone suddenly echoed throughout the empty bathroom. "Stabler…in the bathroom…yes…yes, I talked to her…she'll do it, she wants to come…okay, okay that's fine…yes, and we'll be right out. Thanks, Huang."

Abby looked at him. "I'm coming with you."

Elliot nodded. "I knew you would say that. That's why I told Huang you were coming…it's time – time to go."

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Michael Bloomberg glanced at the clock. It was 11:13. Everything was ready for the detectives to show up. He sat in an armchair, wallowing in the glory of being in control. He absolutely loved his plan, convinced that it was the most effective because it not only got certain people out of the way, but also made others the most vulnerable, and gave him the feeling of oh so sweet revenge. Bloomberg turned on the television, flipping through channels lazily.

He kept his eye trained on the clock, and his fingers gently stroked a knife, which he was holding in his lap. He had thought long and hard about how he wanted to end Olivia's life…a gun seemed too quick, too impersonal. But a knife… he thought to himself. What a way to make her suffer…He watched as the clock slowly changed to 11:30…and then 11:47…and then 11:58. Bloomberg crept slowly to Olivia's room. He smiled, looking at her sleeping form. He stroked her hair, admiring the silkiness of its touch. He ran his eyes up and down her form one more time, still so beautiful…Bloomberg thought to himself. Do I really want to…? Bloomberg looked at her one more time; she reminded him so much of Sydney…the thought brought tears to his eyes and hatred to his heart.

"Make her suffer," he whispered to himself. The clock in the corner of the room slowly changed to 11:59…and then it struck midnight. Bloomberg paused, listening to Olivia's breathing. He raised the knife high; he knew what he had to do.

A knock sounded on the door at 12:08. Bloomberg smiled widely. Too late..

A/N: Ah...yes, the joy of cliffhangers. Well, I will be updating again probably tomorrow or Friday - tomorrow if I get a lot of reviews. So hit that little button there and tell me what you think!

SVU readers...bit of an easy question, I think, but what does RDK stand for? (If you need a hint, the episode was from season 6...)