Title: The City Between Us
Chapter 3 – Escaping the Abyss?

'Come back again…in the summer time…New York is great in the summer time…'

'You need to move on…she left you…she wasn't worth it…'

'I want that spark…'

'Need to get back to Chicago…home…'

'Storm's bad…small plane…'

'Pilot's dead…going to crash…'

'Female passenger with me…'

'Have to look out for her…'

'Dog…'

'Mayday! Mayday!'

'WE'RE GOING DOWN….'

Kelly's watery eyes snapped open as his body jerked from the mental motion of the plane crash, most of which he didn't get to witness, thanks to his tightly shut eyes and the fact that he hit his head and then blacked out before the plane came to its final resting place on a snowy plateau.

"Oh…G…" he tried as his head instantly swam with dizzying pain followed by fresh pangs of pain that pulsed through his battered frame. "Erin…Sam…Buddy…" he tried with a hoarse tone as his eyes finally come into full focus and he realizes that it's not his eyes that were dark, it was actually dark outside. The storm had lessened but still raged overhead and the best thing he could do was stay in the plane until morning.

Kelly finally got his seatbelt off and then fished around for a small pocket flashlight he always kept inside the folds of his leather jacket. He flashed the light into the front where Sam was and even though he was sure Sam was dead, he had to be certain. He leaned forward and pressed his cool fingers against Sam's cool flesh and was rewarded with no beat of life. Sam was dead.

"Erin…" Kelly whispered as he was struck with another painful bout of nausea and was forced to brace himself against the cockpit frame before he heard Buddy whimper and knew he had to check the dog over.

"Hold on Buddy…she's first…" he stated as he staggered toward Erin's unmoving body. "Erin…Erin!" He exclaimed before some of the cool, dry air seized his throat and forced him to cough. But his pain was rewarded with a small moan from her and that was all he needed right now.

"Thank….God…" he offered as he stumbled and then quickly regained his footing and then shone his flashlight around her body. But as he moved his light lower he noticed that part of the left side bulkhead had broken away and was pressed up against her leg in an odd way and he feared her leg might be broken.

"Oh damn…" he cursed as he felt a discomfort in his chest and wondered if he had broken or cracked some ribs when his body slammed hard into the right side of plane and then jerked back toward the left. But as he tried to search his muddled brain he recalled something else had flung itself at his chest when the bottom of the plan slammed into the first mountain peak and that just added to his personal injury.

"Just…gonna check….you over…not getting fresh," he managed as his somewhat shaking hands started to feel her shoulders and then gently press her chest and move lower. "This is…awkward…at least wake up," he gently begged as her dirty blond lashes remained resting on her flushed cheeks. "Ribs…I think they're okay…moving lower," he stated as he recalled his training to always talk to a victim that was unconscious. Plus is made him feel better. That she was alive and he wasn't stuck…God knows where…all alone.

"Okay…" he stopped as he started to feel her legs and then stopped just below the knee of the left. "I think…maybe a sprain…broken…not sure…I'm gonna…" he looked around for something he could use and saw a small piece of metal from one of the side panels and used it along with some tensor bandages to wrap her leg and could only hope it would be okay and he'd check again in the morning.

He tucked the blanket a bit more around her and then tried to make his way back to Buddy. "Hey Buddy…" Kelly stated as the scared dog barked as he came near the kennel that was pressed up against the back tail section. "Just gonna open…" he started when he felt a blast of cold air on his face and quickly shone his light up and to his right. "Course…" he groaned as he spied the large rip in the back section of the small plane. He opened the button on Buddy's crate door but the scared Golden Retriever had no intention of leaving just yet.

"Okay…just rest in there…stay warm but stay put," Kelly told the dog as he tried to push something up against the opening and then looked down at buddy and frowned. "Gotta…sit back down…" he muttered as his head started to pound once more and his stomach tightened. "Just gotta…" his words slightly faltered as he managed to get back to his somewhat mangled seat. Thankfully for him it had become dislodged and he was able to pull it closer to Erin; wanting to do anything to try to preserve their body heat.

Kelly's body fought as long as it could against the painful fatigue that continued to assault him as he slumped back into the seat, pulled the blanket over his slightly shivering frame as best he could and then sunk back into darkness.

XXXXXXXX

~Chicago – Firehouse 51~

"What's wrong?" Gabby asked Matt as she noticed her husband's perplexed expression.

"Kelly…last text I got from him said the weather in upstate New York was bad and his flight was cancelled and he was going to try to find another way home but I never heard from him since. I texted back and asked him to let me know how or if he was going to stay with Katie but he hasn't answered back. I called no answer. I don't want to call Katie and alarm her if he's just taking the bus or the airport has no power."

"No…too late."

"But if I don't hear by morning, will you call?"

"Yeah…course," she replied with a tension-filled expression as his arm wrapped around her. The two of them stood in silence as they looked outside into the darkened night as a few light flakes started to fall. "He'll be okay. Kelly's too stubborn not to be."

"Right," Matt gently smirked as his brow instantly furrowed. He was worried about his friend and rightfully so; but he wasn't the only one to be worried, in another part of town, not so far away, another team was also worried.

~Chicago – Precinct 21~

"Hey boss…you're here late," Antonio commented as he neared the office of his superior – Hank Voight. "What's going on? Thought we were going to call it a night on Jackson."

"We are…this is about Erin."

"What's…going on?" Antonio asked in concern.

"Last text I got from her was some small airport in the middle of a snowstorm and her flight was cancelled. She said she was going to see about getting another flight and then nothing. I'm watching the airlines and such but I see no reports of…"

"Crashes?" Antonio dared to inquire as Voight's brow furrowed heavily. "Power could be out or something…"

"Something," he replied slowly as he looked up at Antonio in worry. "Get some sleep…it's late. I'm sure we'll hear something in the morning."

"Right…'nite."

Voight have him a nod and then watched Antonio Dawson take his leave and then looked back at the small airports website. He had called there and asked if passenger Erin Lindsay had checked in. They said she did but then her flight was cancelled and they hadn't scheduled her for another flight.

"Come on Erin…" Voight huffed as he dialed Erin's number only to be met with a dead ring tone and growled angrily. He tried to tell himself that everything was okay. But he knew inside…deep inside that his gut instinct told him that everything was wrong. That gut instinct was always right.

XXXXXXXX

A few hours later, it was Erin's turn to wake up; her head pounding and her mind reliving the moment she was told the flight was cancelled, meeting the handsome stranger, sharing the plane with him and then…WE'RE CRASHING! Her breath sucked in as her eyes snapped open and she started to slightly panic.

"Wha…" she started as her brain finally brought everything around her into focus and she was able to see the extent of the horrific crash she had just survived. Her and…"Kelly!" She exclaimed which instantly woke Buddy whose throaty bark continued the chain reaction and Kelly started to stir to life. "Kelly!"

"Hey…yeah…here…I'm here," he stammered as he blinked several times and then opened his weary eyes and looked at her worried expression. "Sam's dead," he stated somberly as Erin's heart sunk. "But Buddy's okay and…I think you either broke part of your lower left leg or sprained it or…does it hurt if you try to move it?"

"I….ahhhhh….yeah," she gasped as her hand quickly shot out and grabbed his for a few seconds. Despite the fact that the air around them was cool, the few seconds their skin was connected, heat instantly started to blaze. But it wasn't the time or place to discuss or act on any kind of chemical attraction – their first and only thought was – survival!

"Okay…I tried to wrap it but now that you're awake I can do a better job. I felt uh…you well…"

"What? You felt me up?" Erin demanded and then quickly calmed down as she noticed the mortified expression on his handsome face. "I didn't mean…that…"

"I had to check to see if you had broken ribs or…I had to be sure."

"I know I just…this whole situation…" she paused as she looked around the crumpled frame and then back at him with a small frown before she leaned in and gently dabbed a cut on his forehead. "How are you? Anything…broken?"

"I think a few ribs or are just cracked…comes and goes. Nothing punctured though," he assured her as she offered him a worried expression. "So far."

"Okay…" she replied nervously as his lips pursed. "I'm uh…glad you're here."

"Yeah…me too."

"Is Buddy okay?"

"Yeah…want to distract him while I uh…bury Sam? Don't feel right just letting him sit there and uh….rot," Kelly stated somberly as Erin was quick to agree.

"No…I agree. What do we have for food and supplies?"

"Not much. I'll take a look around and see if we can get down off this mountain and…" he started and then stopped when he noticed her expression turned to one of abject horror.

"What if…we can't get down?"

"Yeah…I don't know. I hope we're not up too high and I did see some trees so…just try to distract Buddy and I'll take care of Sam and then we'll make a plan. At least…the storm has passed."

"Did its job, screwed us and moved on. No flight plan means no one is looking for us right?"

"Except our friends. By now they'd know we're missing. At least they can alert someone right?"

"Right but…but where do they look?" Erin countered.

"We need to find something to signal with…check for flares," Kelly instructed as he found another piece of metal and re-bandaged her leg a bit better so that she could be a bit more mobile while trying to lessen the pain. But as soon as she tried to stand and put some natural pressure on it, her soft gasp in pain instantly stabbed him to the heart and he quickly held out his arms and helped her to steady herself.

"Thanks…" she replied softly as she looked up at his tender expression, the nearness of his frame and his husky scent not lost on her brain.

"Just try not to put too much pressure on it," he told her kindly as they remained inches apart a few moments longer.

"Okay."

He felt her body tremble in his grasp and couldn't fault her in that moment; he too was scared and worried for both of them. He was used to protecting people and getting them out of harm's way and to safety and her and Buddy were no different – he couldn't let anything more happen to them. "It's going to be okay."

As soon as they pulled apart, both were well aware of the instant cooling sensation but knew that there was work to be done. So while Erin busied herself with trying to get friendly with Buddy and seeing what supplies they had, Kelly carefully extricated Sam from the pilot's seat and then set about digging a shallow grave outside the plane and burying the old man.

"Hey Buddy…" Erin talked in a low tone as the dog's soulful eyes peered out at her from inside his dented crate. "I know…Sam's gone. I'm so sorry but uh…Kelly seems like a great guy and I'm sure he'd…" she paused as her eyes welled as she looked at the dog in remorse. His owner…his master…his friend…was dead. He was alone. Sam said that his wife had passed and he had grown estranged from his daughter. How could she call up a stranger and say…'hey your dad is dead, do you want his dog?' but take him to the pound after what he just survived? It seemed cruel. "'I promise if we all get out of this alive you will have a great home," she offered kindly as she extended her hand for the dog to sniff and get used to her. "Okay…I'm gonna look for…" she huffed as she felt her head staring to throb once more. "We need food or none of us are gonna survive."

She found a few edible rations but knew it wasn't enough for them to last long on and her agitated anxiety which had slightly subsided surged back up to extreme once more as she felt her stomach tighten. Erin heard Kelly come back into the body of the wrecked plane and turned to face him with a small smile. She was more that relieved that he had survived; at least she wasn't there alone.

"How you holding up?" Kelly asked in concern as he neared.

"I'm…holding up. I want to fall apart right now but I know I can't. Buddy needs us to be strong," she replied with a small smile. "I uh…you know you said about dangerous jobs…normally I can stare down one, two…armed guys and just go to work but right now…stuck up here…my leg…no food…I'm…holding up."

"I get it…when we run into burning buildings, it's not alone. Have my team with me…at my side…doesn't seem as scary but this…" he paused and gestured outside as Erin's lips drew thinly. "Not much out there. Barren…lots of snow and some trees…yeah it's kinda freaky. How's Buddy?"

"He's scared. Misses Sam. He'll come out when he feels up to it. I don't think he's injured. I think he was just hunkered down when the plane struck so I think it helped him not break any legs. Don't think I could have bared to see him…put down or something. So…speaking of outside…did you see a way down or out of this place?"

"I'll take a better look. What did you find in here?"

"Some emergency food supplies, a few flares…some first aid stuff…but not much else."

"Doesn't sound like enough to survive on," Kelly stated glumly as Erin nodded in agreement.

"We can't stay here for very long," she agreed somewhat reluctantly as he moved in a bit closer. But as soon as he did, he heard Buddy growl and looked at Erin in surprise. "He's protective," she stated with a nervous giggle before her brow furrowed and she tried to swallow. "Everyone he loves…is dead."

Even though he didn't know her that well, he couldn't bear to see this strong woman so vulnerable and with a few strong strides was at her side in seconds and despite Buddy's agitation, he offered her a supportive hug.

"We'll take care of him," Kelly promised her as she looked up with a small frown. His fingers tenderly brushed away a stray tear before she pulled back and offered a small curse. "Sorry…"

"No it's me…falling apart like this…this isn't me," she insisted as his brows knitted. "I'm not usually this…emotional or…I don't know but I'm stronger than this."

"No one is disputing that," Kelly assured her in haste. "I'm kinda freaked out also…I mean…yeah had a few flats by the side of the road and such but this is uh…something new."

"Think people back home are looking for us?"

"Well by now they'd be alerted, that's for sure. But…where do they look? Sam didn't file a flight plan and I just know we're somewhere over the Appalachian's and what did he say…a million miles of bare ass nature?"

"Yeah…he did," she agreed with a morose glance. "But I hope they at least try…"

"Yeah…me too!"

XXXXXXXX

"Did you sleep at all?" Gabby asked Matt as she slowly approached her husband as he stood looking out the window of his office at Firehouse 51 in snowy Chicago.

"No. You?"

"Was worried about you worried about Kelly," she retorted with a small smirk. "Want me to call Katie?"

"Yeah…just uh…"

"I got this," she assured him as they watched Antonio approach. "Tonio…what's going on?"

"Can't make dinner tonight. I already talked to Sylvie."

"Stakeout?"

"No…one of our team is missing. Erin.

"Who?" Gabby asked her brother. Since Precinct 21 wasn't near their Firehouse they didn't have many dealings with their CPD team, usually worked with another and Antonio gossiped mostly to his wife Sylvie and talked shop with them only a few times so her not knowing all of her brother's team so well wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Jay's partner."

"What happened?" Matt asked in haste.

"She was closing a case in New York when her flight was cancelled. She texted Voight and told him she was going to find another way home…maybe another flight and we haven't heard from…her…since…what?"

"Kelly's missing too."

"What?" Antonio asked in shock.

"That's what happened to Kelly," Gabby stated in haste. "Wonder if there's more?"

"Okay…I'll tell Voight that there could be others involved and he'll get on this. Might even fly down to New York to check it out for himself."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah…he doesn't need much urging to go there," Antonio smirked as Gabby's brow furrowed. "I'll call you as soon as we know anything."

Gabby's hand slipped into her husband's as she looked up in concern. "They have to be okay," she stated more than asked as his hand tightened around hers.

"They will be," he whispered as they both stared out into the dismal grey morning.

XXXXXXXX

"Okay so…this is all portable and…" Kelly started only as he stopped talking and looked at Erin in shock. "Is that…"

"A PLANE!" She exclaimed as her eyes widened. "They found us!"

Kelly grabbed the flare gun and a flare and rushed outside, telling himself their disastrous plane trip was now over.

But…was it?

A/N: Okay so I had to make Precinct 21 and Firehouse 51 not have many dealings b/c otherwise Kelly and Erin would have met by now…hope that's okay but hey…this is fiction! Hehe and I've always liked a Voight/Benson (Olivia L&O SVU) pairing yay #venson hehe so lots of next day angst and some pain – ouch! But is that a plane looking for them? Will they be rescued this fast? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!