Hey! Here's chapter three for y'all. It took a lot of deciding back and fourth what i was going to do, but I really hope you guys enjoy it so far. If you have any suggestions feel free to send me a message :)

Thank you for reading.

Chapter Three: Set up

"MOVE! We've got a GSW to the chest. Sounds like a collapsed lung!" The paramedic yelled over the noise in the emergency room. To the doctor, Olivia held onto Elliots hand until she had to let go. All she knew was that this was going to be a long wait. Especially after the doctor said, he'd need major surgery.

Olivia was pacing the waiting room, at Mercy General. She had been checking her phone every 5 minutes, to see how the interrogation was going over at the precinct. It felt like days had gone by, but in reality, it had only been 2 hours. She was anxiously awaiting the doctor.

Over at the precinct, Cragen, Munch, and Fin we're grilling Kathy. She wasn't of much use, however. She just kept sobbing.

"Kathy, you need to tell us what happened! You're facing murder two, here." Fin prompted. Kathy sobbed, her voice catching.

"I-I… I went to the house to get some stuff. I had planned on staying the night with a friend. I figured, that since Elliot and I, had already basically called it quits, there was no harm in staying with a friend. The kids are old enough to be alone for a few hours when he or myself aren't there…. so, my friend brought me to the house. I told him to wait in the car…" Kathy explained.

The three men looked at her, willing her to continue.

"I went inside, and told Elliot I'd be spending the night at a friends house. And he got a little irritated. He told me I wasn't taking this divorce seriously, and that I just wanted a reason to cheat… and I got upset, so we started yelling at each other. The kids were in bed, so I tried to calm him down. But he wasn't listening to me. So I went into our bathroom and closed the door, to get some extra clothes. And, pack a bag. And in that amount of time, I heard the lamp shattered in the room, and figured Elliot was angrily breaking stuff. Before I exited the room, I saw him leaving and Elliot had been shot." She tried arguing her point, but it was no use. She looked guilty as sin. And, in a way, she knew she was.

Olivia had just come back from the cafeteria, after meeting up with Munch. When she noticed the doctor standing by the nurses station. She practically ran towards him.

"Detective! I was looking for you." He said, turning his direct attention to Olivia. "How is Elliot doing!?" She pushed.

The doctor walked her over to the waiting room chairs, and sat down. Signaling her to do the same.

"Your partner has sustained a bad injury to his lungs. A pneumothorax. The bullet missed the pericardium. But unfortunately collapsed his lungs. So, we were able to get the bullet out and repair the respiratory functions. He's asleep right now. And we're just waiting for him to wake up." The doctor said giving Olivia a sad smile.

"Can I see him?" She asked, with a lump in her throat. She was baffled. "Of course, he's in the ICU, I'll take you there." The doctor said, leading Olivia to her partner.

The trio of men were on their way to hospital, they'd had Kathy arraigned. And Casey, was in the process of getting a warrant to search the "friends" car. After they arrived, they met up with Olivia.

"Hey liv, hows el?" Cragen asked her, she shrugged, taking his hand. "He's asleep… they said, we're waiting for him to wake up." Cragen sighed, "So how'd it go with Kathy?" Liv asked. Cragen gave a bitter laugh, "She wouldn't fess up. Or tell the truth, for that matter. So she's having a sleepover at Rikers until she decides to tell the truth." He replied.

Olivia sighed, rubbing a hand down her face.

"What was her statement?" "Well, she claimed she brought her boyfriend over to grab some clothing and stuff. And that her and Elliot got into a heated argument… Which is believable. We all know Elliot, he's got a temper…"

Olivia looked at her captain, as if signalling him to continue.

"And, she said, she went into their bathroom, and heard the gun go off. And when she left the bathroom he passed the gun to her, and went out the window." Cragen finished explaining. It left a dazed look on Olivia. She shook her head, "Has CSU been through the room yet? Has Kathy been tested for Gunshot Residue? Has she asked for a lawyer?" Olivia began, questioning. Cragen was confused, Didn't she want the blonde locked up for shooting her partner? Why was she playing 21 questions with him?

"No Liv, we haven't had her tested for Gunshot residue, and CSU is there now.. They're going over everything with a fine tooth comb." Olivia just let out a sigh. "So no lawyer?" She asked. "No lawyer…"

Olivia was having a very hard time believing Kathy shot her own husband. It didn't add up. She wasn't the biggest fan of how often Kathy and Elliot fought. And she wasn't too fond of how often Kathy constantly accused Elliot of sleeping with her. But she didn't hate the woman, or wish harm on her. And she knew for almost a fact Kathy wouldn't have shot her own husband. Olivia left Elliot's room, Cragen following her. "So you don't believe anything she said?" "It's not a very thorough story, the details are jumbled, and until we have proof she didn't do it… We have no choice-" Olivia cut him off "But to believe she's guilty…" She finished for him, to which he nodded.

"Let me have a go at her.. I know, I can get through to her Captain." She pleaded.

Olivia watched Kathy enter the questioning cell, and almost gasped seeing the woman in a prison jumper. "Hey Olivia…" She said, sadly. "Hi, Kathy." Both women sat down, and stared at each other for a brief moment, before Olivia finally spoke.

"What happened Kathy?" She asked the blonde. "I already told the guys… But, they didn't believe me…" "That's why I'm here. To get every single detail from you." Olivia explained.

Kathy sighed, and nodded. "I went to the house to get some stuff. I had planned on staying the night with a friend. I figured, that since Elliot and I, had already basically called it quits, there was no harm in staying with a friend. So, my friend brought me to the house. I told him to wait in the car… I went inside, and told Elliot I'd be spending the night at a friends house. And he got a little irritated. He told me I wasn't taking this divorce seriously, and that I just wanted a reason to cheat… and I got upset, so we started yelling at each other. The kids were in bed, so I tried to calm him down. But he wasn't listening to me. So I went into our bathroom and closed the door, to get some extra clothes. And, pack a bag. And in that amount of time, I heard the lamp shattered in the room, and figured Elliot was angrily breaking stuff. Before I exited the bathroom I heard a gunshot, and ran out of the bathroom to see him leaving out the window, and Elliot had been shot." She explained, tears welling up in her eyes. "Okay, so Kathy why'd you have the gun?" She asked, the blonde across from her. "He put it in my hands as he made it out the window…" She said, giving Olivia a pleading look.

Olivia now understood why she sounded guilty. Because Cragen was right, the story just didn't sound right… However much she hated admitting it.

"Why would he come inside, risk being seen by the kids, and shoot Elliot?" Olivia asked, bitterly. Kathy noticed the change in Olivia. "We had been talking about getting together after the divorce… And he made what I thought was a joke, 'kill him off to get him out of the way, And then you're all mine.' And as fucked up as it sounds… I genuinely thought it was a joke." She said. Olivia was enraged "So your boyfriend made a 'Joke', about killing your husband off and you thought he was kidding? Why wouldn't you report that?" She asked, with an irritated tone. "Look Olivia, you're his best friend… And his partner, it's your job to protect him…. It doesn't matter what I say, you're never going to believe me." She said, with an understanding tone. "What's your boyfriend's name?" Olivia asked, completely avoiding what Kathy had just said. "Charles Fontain" Kathy admitted.

It almost made Olivia stop breathing when she heard the name.

"Isn't he on the Sex Offender Regsistry List!?" Olivia asked incredulously, giving the woman a confused look.

"I didn't know that…" She said, honestly. "We collared him about 5 years ago, for assaulting 5 women in the tri-state area. He only spent 6 months in Jail though, because none of the women would testify…" Olivia stated. She wasn't only angry at Kathy for cheating on Elliot, and getting him shot, but she was angry that the woman wasn't being more careful with who she dated.

A look of Horror spread across Kathy's features.

"I've been in danger, and so have my kids…." She said, the realization had just hit her.

"And Elliot…" Olivia added.

"You have to believe me, Olivia…. I didn't shoot him, I do love him… I would've never hurt him like that…" Kathy practically begged Olivia to believe her. Olivia couldn't though, as much as she wanted too. She couldn't believe Kathy. Because all the evidence pointed to her. And as of now, they only had her side of the story. So until Elliot woke up, she'd only have one side to go off of.

"Have you washed your hands yet?" Olivia asked her.

"N-no… I haven't" She stuttered. "Alright, well let's go get you tested for gunshot residue, and see what comes out." It would be a shot in the dark, though. Because usually gunshot residue comes off within 6-8 hours. And can easily be wiped off with almost anything. Especially sweat.

At the ME's Office, Kathy was being tested for remnants of GSR, on her skin, and the clothing she was wearing during the shooting.

Melinda Warner, the ME was the one administering the test. And she hardly spoke to the blonde. And while not everyone was fond of Elliot Stabler, they all did care about the man. But to believe Kathy killed him, enraged most all of the NYPD force.

After running the tests, Kathy was cuffed, and being put into the back of the police car once more, by a uniformed officer.

"Olivia…" Kathy said, drawing Olivia's attention from her phone. "Yeah?" She replied, "Just… watch my kids okay?" She asked, sincerely. "That I can do…" Olivia said, with a sad smile. And just like that, the cop car was gone, and Olivia was standing outside the station, staring out to the city.

She decided while waiting for the test results to come back, that she'd go to Queens to check on the kids at their grandparents house.

As Olivia pulled up, she noticed Kathy's father outside water the flowers with Eli.

She got out of the car, and made her way towards them, it wasn't long before Eli spotted her. "Livaa" He managed to mumble. He was only a year and a half, but the kid was smart. "Hi buddy." She said, holding the little boy. Kathy's father turned to look at Olivia.

"Detective Benson." He said, with a half smile. "Hello Mr. Mortenson." She replied, with a smile. "I'm just here checking on the kids, I told Kathy I would…" She explained. He seemed to soften, at the mention of his daughter. "Is she okay?" He finally asked. Olivia nodded, "Yeah, she's fine. She's not liking jail very much.. But I've put money on her bill… So she can buy stuff from the commissary… She's going to be okay sir." She said, trying to reassure Kathy's father. Even though she didn't quite believe Kathy's story 100% anymore. She still didn't want any of this to be true.

"If you want to see the kids, they're inside, with Linda." He said, pointing to the front door, "I think they're going to be happy to see you, Detective." He said, offering her a soft smile.

"It's Olivia… And, thank you sir." She said, and she made her way into see the the other two stabler kids.

To her surprise, she saw Maureen and Kathleen in the house too. Receiving hugs from all 4 Stabler kids, she then took the seat Kathy's mother had offered her.

"Detective, is my daughter okay?" She asked Olivia. Olivia nodded, trying to focus the conversation elsewhere. "You have to know, my daughter didn't do this!" She said, becoming erratic. "Grandma, Olivia knows that… She's just here to check on us, and make sure we're okay. Right, Liv?" Elizabeth asked. "That's right, sweetheart. And Mrs. Mortenson, we're doing everything we can to figure out what actually happened. But the details are shoddy. But I can assure you, I am doing everything in my power to get Kathy out of there." She explained. Kathy's mother just sighed, and left the room. Olivia knew this had to be hard on them, but she also knew it had to be equally if not worse for the kids, and she would do everything in her power. "Mom didn't shoot dad… Did she Liv?" Kathleen asked, sounding defeated. "I don't know for sure yet, honey. But I like to believe she didn't…" The kids were all enjoying Olivia's presence. And Olivia theirs.

That was until her phone went off, and she knew she'd have to say goodbye to them, for now. It was Warner, and she needed to get to the lab to get the test results back.

"Hey you guys, I have to go… Work calls…" She said, with a sad look. "Can I call you, Liv?" Maureen asked her. "Of course you can, sweetie. You all have my number." And with that, Olivia took her leave. After saying goodbye to the kids, with promises of a lunch date sometime soon, and maybe a visit with their mother, if she could arrange it.

Hey you guys, thank you for your lovely comments, I enjoy them so much. 3 I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I should be updating at least once every other day. Maybe more frequently. If I can fit it into my day.

Does Elliot wake up? Is Kathy Innocent? And do they have a repeat offender on the streets again? Find out next chapter. :)