A/N: Ok, here's the next chapter! It's starting to come to a close! I can feel it. What's gonna happen next? I hope you guys like this chapter. Sorry it's taking so long for updates, but life. Is. CRAZY. right now. I don't own SVU or its characters. ENJOY.

Monday – 10:37 p.m.

Rafael groaned when his body slammed back against the bed wall of the truck as it came to a screeching halt.

The hood over his head was scratchy and hot and the sweat rolling down the back of his head was making him desperate to remove it and breathe fresh air. He'd been in the back of this truck bed for some time now, rolling around at every turn and being jostled roughly every time they hit a bump in the road.

He was almost positive he was going to be sporting bruises all over his body by the time this entire thing was over, whenever that would be.

He muffled his pained groan as the car door opened and slammed shut and Juan shuffled quickly around to the back of the truck. He heard the bed door creak open and Juan speaking to him gruffly in Spanish, telling him to hurry. They had little time, apparently, and Rafael did his best to slide himself out of the truck blindly, with his hands tied behind his back.

"Move to fucking slow," the man grumbled and grabbed the back of his jacket as soon as he was at the edge of the door. Rafael luckily landed on his feet, albeit unsteadily and gulped fresh air when the hood was dragged roughly off his head.

"Let's go. We're running late."

Rafael looked around him as he forced his legs to move. It was dark, but the unfiltered moonlight shining down upon them and the ocean spread out in front of them made it light. It looked beautiful, as well. Like a painting. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about such things, but for some reason, all he could think about was how pretty it was out here. He wished Liv could see this.

She would love it.

The gun on the back of his neck brought him back to the harsh reality that if he didn't focus and get his shit together, he would never have the chance to see something so beautiful again. He sucked in a breath when the barrel pressed harder into his skin and he told himself to keep moving.

There was a large boat hitched near the shore by a man holding a rope, backlit by the moonlight. Rafael could make out a dark figure sitting on one of the seats and smoked curled in the air as he drew closer. Behind him, Juan withdrew the gun from his neck as they drew near the man, who he could now see completely. He was wearing a backpack and two holsters on either side of his hips.

"Strip," Juan said gruffly and shoved his gun in his pants. He took off the ropes holding Rafael's hands bound behind his back and gave him a little shove. Rafael hesitated, looking back at him, but was met with the barrel of the gun between his eyes.

"Now. We have a change of clothes. Can't get off the boat looking like you've been underground for three days."

Rafael nodded and slowly shrugged off his shirt, shorts, and shoes. He shivered as the breeze swirled past them again, waiting for Juan to search through the pack on the man's back. He eventually found himself in a pair of ill-fitting jeans, a baggy black t-shirt, a jean jacket and a hat and sunglasses he was to wear when they entered the port.

"Hold on," Juan murmured behind him as they stepped up to the water's edge. Rafael watched as the toes of his shoes were licked with water while Juan did something on his phone. He jumped when he heard sound from a video playing, but it was quickly cut off.

Rafael sighed when he felt the gun against his back again and he moved into the water, watching the shining water lap around the legs of his jeans the further they waded into the water. It was an uncomfortable feeling, having heavy wet denim sticking to your skin, but there was no dock here out in the middle of nowhere. He would have to deal with the feeling and keep his mouth shut. He needed to focus on staying alive. He needed to focus on getting out of this mess relatively unscathed so he could get back home to his life, his job, his apartment…to Liv and Noah and his friends.

His thoughts drifted back towards the kids, who he prayed to God were safe. He had taken Juan's word with a look that put him at ease, and left them behind in that house. For some reason, he knew the man would keep his promise to get them back safely. Something told him to trust him.

He kept this at the forefront of his mind when he climbed the ladder to the boat, half of his jeans, and both of his socks and shoes soaked completely. He watched his step as he climbed aboard and stopped at the sight of an intimidating man smoking a cigar. He had silver hair and sharp, Hispanic features. He wore gold jewelry and expensive clothing and Rafael immediately didn't trust him. He was on edge as he was forced to sit on one of the side benches of the boat, directly across from the man lounging on the other side.

"Did you send the video?"

"Yes."

Rafael kept his eyes on the mysterious man across from him, refusing to speak and not trusting him enough to keep his eyes away. The cigar smoke drifted over and assaulted his nostrils, and Rafael couldn't help but crave a cigarette just then. The stress, like it always did, made him wonder why he ever quit smoking in the first place.

"Drink?"

Rafael shook his head but a glass full of tequila was shoved into his hand. Juan glared at him when he didn't immediately drink it, so he brought it to his lips to sip at the liquid. It burned his throat. He hated tequila, but he would drink if it he had to appease these people.

"Rafael Barba, yes?"

He nodded and looked in the general vicinity of the gravelly, heavily accented voice, but he didn't make eye contact. He heard a low hum and then, suddenly, a bright light flooded his senses. He squinted his eyes and was disoriented for a few seconds until he felt a gun press against his neck again.

"You answer when you're spoken to."

Rafael pursed his lips and leaned away from the gun a little, locking eyes with dark brown ones across the way. This man was dressed in a lavish, three-piece, crisp white suit, looking unusually out of place against the faded and worn leather of the bench he sat on. He lifted his cigar to his mouth and nodded at Juan, who promptly withdrew the gun from his neck.

"How are you enjoying your time in Mexico?"

The corner of his mouth tipped up, and he couldn't stop it. It was an asinine question, given the fact that he had been abducted and held captive in a shack in the middle of nowhere with two kids the majority of the time he'd been there.

"It's been interesting."

He chose his words carefully and it earned him a chuckle from the man who had to be worth more money than the entire country.

"I'm glad you're liking it." The man threw back the entire tumbler of tequila and set it down on a small fold out tray next to him, "Thank you for deciding to help us out on our mission."

"I didn't have a choice," he said quietly, looking at Juan who stared back at him.

"Are they your kids?"

"No. They're my friends' kids."

"Well, now they owe you their lives…if you still have one after tomorrow."

Rafael looked up at met the man's dark brown ones. The little smirk on his face fell and Rafael felt cold at the sight of such a ruthless gaze pinned to him. He sat back in the seat but didn't look away.

"You're going to be doing something very important for me. You have instructions. If you think about running at any time, you'll wish you hadn't ever come to Mexico in the first place."

The man leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "And neither will those kids."

Rafael sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth, his sudden anger flaring at the words. He felt a fire in his gut ignite at the threat, but he wisely refrained. This man, although expensive and proper looking, looked like he could kill without flinching. Rafael didn't want to test that theory out.

He dragged his eyes away to see the man who had hitched the boat climb aboard, soaking from the waist below. The man in the suit stood and nodded towards Juan, who walked past them and towards the front of the boat, where a dark clothed man sat at the wheel.

"Have a good night's rest. We'll get better acquainted in the morning I'm sure."

Rafael watched as he descended down into the small cabin beneath the boat, leaving him alone in the back of this boat as it roared to life and took off slowly, gaining momentum. Rafael looked around nervously, the farther and farther away they drove from shore. He didn't relax until he felt his shoulders slumping and sleep reaching at the corners of his mind.

He was finally able to fall into a fitful sleep, rocking back and forth on the uncomfortable bench seat as the boat sailed through the water, headed towards their destination.

He didn't notice Juan watching him the entire time, nor did he notice the determined look on the other man's face either.

Tuesday – 2:56 a.m.

Rita sighed and rolled over in the bed for the tenth time in the past five minutes.

She couldn't get comfortable and her mind was racing far too fast to even contemplate falling asleep at that moment. She'd been in bed for a good three hours now, after pacing the floor and pecking at a plate of food she ordered, she finally decided to quit staring out the window every other minute and take a shower so she could lay down.

She hadn't bothered watching the news. She couldn't stand to see the video play again on one of the major news networks, that was following this story like a hawk. She didn't want to see Rafael with a gun to his head. She didn't want to see those poor children screaming and clutching to him for dear life.

It made her stomach turn even thinking about it. It was an image she was afraid she was going to have stuck in her head for the rest of her life.

She also tried to forget about the absolute bat-shit crazy plan she concocted and went through with earlier that afternoon. What possessed her to do that, she was entirely sure, but she didn't regret it. Had she told Finn, he would have never allowed it, and even though he knew he didn't control her actions and never would, he still would have argued tooth and nail until she gave in.

After another five minutes, she sat up in bed and rested against the head board, turning on the bedside lamp, bathing the room in light. She bit her lip, hand reaching for the remote. She flipped it on and was glad to see the news had moved onto another ongoing story, but she still changed the channel, settling on a local station the displayed the various tourist attractions around the city.

She would never visit here again. She was cursing ever agreeing to going on this trip in the first place. Maybe, had she not agreed and Finn backed out, so would have everyone else. They could have gone on a different trip, to Miami or maybe up to Maine. A trip to Canada? Anywhere else other than here.

Her stomach flipped when there was a sharp banging on her door and she sunk a little into the bed, eyes wide and worried when it startled her again. She slipped out of the bed and stood there, shifting back and forth on her feet, trying to decide whether to duck behind it and call the authorities or go and look through the peephole. She was cursing the fact that she had relieved the police presence Finn requested outside her door, finding their presence to be invasive rather than helpful.

There was another few sharp bangs on the door, and she was just about to reach for her the hotel phone on the table when she heard a noise that made her heart stutter in her chest.

Crying.

It sounded like crying. Like a little child's stifled cries. She could hear the distant sound of heavy footsteps and she waited until they were gone completely before she shuffled to the door. She shivered when she passed by the vent blowing cold air into the room, the tank top and shorts she wore providing no warmth.

She stopped just a few inches from the door, listening to the muffled sniffling before she dared to get closer. She leaned up on tip toes and peeked through the peep hole. All she could see was the light blue wall across, but the sniffling and muffled cries had grown louder. Her stomach rolled again as she placed her hand on the knob and gently turned it.

Heart racing, she threw it open, teeth clenched together like she was waiting for someone to shove a gun in her face or tackle her to the ground.

What she got instead, was her breath taken away.

Two sets of eyes, one blue, one brown, teary eyed and terrified stared up at her, recognizing a familiar face. Rita stood there, shocked until she dropped to her knees in front of the them.

Tuesday – 3:04 a.m.

Liv woke up staring at a ceiling and it took her nearly a full five minutes to finally realize she was in a hospital, in a bed, and her head was killing her.

She was hooked up to a monitor that was beeping steadily, but she wasn't in a hospital gown. Her vest had been removed, along with any weapon she had been carrying and a light blanket covered her lower half. Her body was sore and she could see Finn and Amanda huddled together on a couch, propped up against one another and asleep.

She looked to her left, eyes narrowed against the bright light, but could see Carisi curled up in a ball on the other bed, dead asleep. He had gauze wrapped around his arm and his head, but he seemed to be sleeping calmly.

She sighed loudly, enough to wake Finn, who stood and walked over to her, eyes filled with concern.

"Hey, girl."

"You ok?"

"I should be asking you that."

Liv tried to sit up but he gently held her down, and she couldn't put up a fight. She was exhausted and she wanted to slip right back into sleep, but the memories of an explosion and fire and pain were flooding her and overwhelming her. Suddenly, a terrified thought crept up her throat and she gasped.

"Noah. Was he in there? God, please Finn, tell me he wasn't in there," she pleaded, eyes watering. Her breathing was erratic and the heart monitor was going crazy, but he grabbed her arms and shook her slightly, shaking his head.

"They weren't in there. They weren't in there. Calm down, Liv. The place was empty."

She swallowed the sob in her throat and closed her eyes, her heart still jumping in her chest. Finn patted her shoulder and shook his head. He looked exhausted as well, but she was glad both he and Amanda walked away from that bomb unscathed. Carisi took the brunt.

"Is he ok?"

"He'll be fine. We were halfway through the fire being put out before he even noticed the pain or the concussion. It's a mild one. No harm done."

She nodded and sat back in bed, relieved to hear that her son and Jesse and Rafael hadn't been caught in that explosion. If they had, that was something she would never recover from. This, she could. A little knock out wasn't going to keep her out of the game.

"What about everyone else?"

Finn lowered his head, "Cruz took a beating, but he'll recover. They lost six men…including Garver."

She briefly thought about the annoying man and found herself a little sad for Barnes. Garver hadn't been the greatest person she'd ever met, but he still put his life on the line to find their kids, and she would always remember him for that.

"President's addressing it tomorrow. Like he's gonna do something to help."

"I just want this to end," she whispered, feeling the deep sadness from before seep into her bones again. She ached for Noah to be back in her arms. She wanted to see and feel Rafael. She wanted to witness Rollins cradling her daughter to her chest.

She didn't want to be stuck in this fucking hospital bed a second longer than she needed to be. They needed to regroup and figure out-

Finn's phone jingled in his pocket and swiftly pulled it out.

"Rita," he said in the way of greeting. He furrowed his brow when she began to speak. Liv could hear her slightly from her end, and her voice was frantic and high pitched. Finn looked like he was having a hard time understanding her, but eventually, he responded.

"Room 237. Have the cops take you there…you did what? What the hell woman, I told you you needed protection," he growled out. Rita snarled on the other end, probably giving it back to him.

"Just...be careful. I know it's only two blocks, but still," he said. He glanced at Liv, who was staring at her booted feet, "I'll see you in five minutes. Don't be late or else I'm coming out after you."

When he hung up, she eyed him and he had a strange expression on his face. When she asked him what, he just shook his head.

"Thought I heard another voice when she was talking…"

Tuesday – 3:20 a.m.

Liv was lying on her side now, half-awake when Rita came barreling through the door. She heard the woman's voice and Finn's stuttered reply, but she kept her eyes closed, desperate to just fall asleep again. She didn't want to be awake right now. Not with the pain in her head and the growing one in her heart.

All she wanted to do was wake up with Noah snuggled into her side, in her bed in their apartment on a lazy Sunday morning. She wanted to wake up and go make pancakes together and eat them in front of the TV. She wanted to wake up and-

"Mommy!"

Liv opened her eyes, heart coming to a near stop in her chest when she heard the familiar voice. It took her a second to slowly look over to where Rita and Finn stood near the door, and when she did, she sat up, ripping the wires from the monitor off her skin.

She sank to the floor quickly, intercepting Noah, who looked dirty and had tears streaming down his face. He looked like he had been crying for days, and just that thought made uncontrollable sobs erupt from her chest. She cradled her son to her chest and buried her face in his neck, one hand tangled in his curly hair and the other wrapped around his back.

She pulled back and took his face in her hands, looking him over while trying to utter words between her cries.

"Noah, baby," she managed and pulled him into a hug again, trying to calm her racing heart and tears still streaming from her eyes. Noah gripped the material of her shirt in his hands and held on just as tight. She could feel his tears seeping into her shirt and it was the most welcomed feeling in the world.

Somewhere, on the other side of the room, she could hear Amanda and a crying Jesse, and she didn't have to see them to know Amanda was crying as well.

Liv looked up at Rita, who was trying her best to hold back tears of her own, witnessing the reunions of the mothers and children. She looked at her with a questioning gaze and Rita just shook her head. She didn't need the story right now. All she wanted to do was hold her son and never let go.

They stayed like that, curled up on the floor for another half hour before Noah woke up from a small little cat nap he'd taken on her. Her poor baby was exhausted, and her back hurt, and she couldn't keep her mind from screaming about the fact that Rafael wasn't with them, but she didn't want to move for fear that this was all a dream.

She knew it wasn't though, when Noah pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes. Finn and Rita sat over Carisi, who was awake now and sitting with Jesse against his side, running his fingers through her hair while Amanda kept one of her hands pressed against the girl's back and trying not to dissolve into tears again.

They had been conversing quietly, thinking Liv was asleep, but she heard the short little story of what happened and how Rita came to find the children.

"Oh my God."

She gently peeled the tape away from Noah's mouth, who was whimpering at the slight pain it caused his irritated skin. He had tears in his eyes, but they lit up when they recognized who she was. Jesse was squirming against Noah's back, the ropes that tied them together looked tighter than they should have been and after she peeled the tape off her mouth, she went about quickly untying the children and ushering them inside.

"Jesus," she muttered and got down in front of them, clutching Jesse, who had thrown herself into her arms, looking for some kind of comfort. The poor girl looked absolutely terrified as she called for her mommy, thinking Amanda was in the room somewhere. Noah looked around nervously, wiping his tears away aggressively.

"I want my mommy," he said between shudders. Rita licked her lips and nodded, smoothing some hair back from his forehead. She wasn't good at comforting kids, especially after they'd been through a trauma like this one, but she steeled herself and picked Jesse up, knowing the girl wasn't going to let go.

"I know, Noah. Let me call Uncle Finn, ok? He's with your mommy. They're doing something important, and I don't know if he'll pick up, but we can try, ok?"

Noah nodded and followed her around the bed, sticking close while still looking around the room nervously. He bit his lip and pushed himself next to Rita's leg, wrapping his arm around her calf. She quickly hit the speed dial on her phone and prayed to God Finn answered.

When he did, she was surprised to hear he was at a hospital just two blocks from the hotel, and she was already making plans to throw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops and race the kids over there to their mothers.

Liv shook her head and closed her eyes, pressing her nose into Noah's head. He shifted away and looked up at her, "I'm hungry, mama."

"We can get you something, baby. Ok?"

"Mama?"

Liv took a minute to stand up, her body still in pain, but she looked down at him as she straightened his dirty shirt. She needed to get him bathed and in fresh clothing as soon as possible.

"Yeah, sweetheart," she responded and glanced over at her detective's, who acknowledged that she was up and ready to go. As soon as they were cleared to leave, they were going to.

"Where's Uncle Rafa?"

The question had captured everyone else's attention, and the sudden heavy weight of Rafael not being there with them hit them like a brick wall. He was still missing and Liv's heart wouldn't stop the ache until he was back with them.

Her fear was more serious with him. They had proven they wouldn't kill kids, but everyone knew they would kill a full-grown man without second thought. Her stomach churned at the thought of seeing him hanging dead from an overpass. She couldn't go down that road. Not now. Not when her son was staring at her with questioning eyes filled with hope and fear.

She smoothed back his hair and smiled tightly, enough to appease the five-year-old. He didn't know that she was on the verge of breaking down again, realizing that the man she had fallen in love with could be dead or alive as they spoke. He didn't need to know that she feared they would find Rafael dead somewhere, his remains spread across a vast desert.

"We're going to find him, honey."

Noah looked down at his feet and then back up again, eyes searching hers for truth. She hated that she had to put on such a fake confidence for him, but that's what he needed right now. Noah needed to see that she would bring Rafael back to them, even if in the back of her mind she was afraid they wouldn't. But they had to.

"Promise?'

"Promise."

And she swore, she would.