One-shot SVU story, and it's not like anything I've ever written before, it's got a different tone to it, I guess you could call it. No romance, although I thought about it! ENJOY!!!

--

"Shut up! Everybody just shut up!" Victor's voice, ringing in the warehouse. Fear, coursing through her veins, gave her police instincts a run for their money. Eyes, diluted with terror, searched for his blue. Cool metal in her hand told her nerves: she had a defense. She wasn't going down without a fight. And she wasn't letting her partner die right in front of her.

Her eyelids flickered, her mind slipping from present to past. Victor muddled into Eric Plummer, Elliot dissolved into the curly haired woman Eric held hostage.


"He's gonna kill me!" Her voice said, distant and garbled.

"Just let her go." "Let's talk."

Fruitless words, coming from her own mouth. Words trying to muck up the fear she felt. And the anger. He had killed four people. Innocent people. And for her. That's wasn't right.

Two shots, ringing in her ears. Piercing the semi-silent air. Sirens, growing closer, getting louder. Too late. Eric lay dead, two bullets in him. Blood. On the walls, on the ground. She froze, feeling numb. Hands on hers. Pulling gently on her gun.

Her only chance of surviving. She grasped onto that metal like a lifeline. Soothing hands. Low voice. "It's okay." Words, repeated. Meant safety. She relinquished the grip. Blink. Snapping back to reality.

Elliot. Hadn't trusted her. Sitting on his porch, the past night. "I didn't tell you about the protective detail 'cause I knew you'd refuse."

"Only the rat squad puts cops on other cops, Elliot, without telling them. I deserve better than that. 'Specially from you."

"You've been under a lot of stress lately."

"I've always backed your play."

"And I did what I had to do. The guy's murdered four people, what's to stop him from coming after you Olivia?"

"If you can't trust your partner, Elliot, it's time to get a new one."

Olivia blinked back to the present. "You leave me alone." Words, charged with venom. A glare, from her icy brown eyes to his blue ones. Pushing through the crowd, hiding her emotions. Anger. Fear. Sad. Numb. Sitting in empty apartment.

No, not apartment. Warehouse. Life or death. Gitano. Gun against Elliot's temple. Blood. Elliot's blood. Red. It calmed her. Not anger. A little fear. But she could do this, couldn't she? The warehouse blurred, turning into an office.

She knew this office. Her boss. Cragen, Don Cragen. He was standing, compassion in his eyes. "Sit down, Olivia." His voice, low, charged with emotion. Refusing, knowing. Bad news. Something wasn't right.

"Your mother." "Fell down subway stairs." Facts, simple. Heartbreaking. Loss, shredded her heart in two. Tears, glittering in steel eyes. Refusing to show.

"She was drunk."Her voice, wasn't coming from her. Or was it? It was.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia." He said. Olivia nodded. Turning, walking out. Heavy heart. Eyes on her, everyone's. Ignoring. Walking out. Leaving everything. Not caring. Her mother was gone. That's all she knew.

That's all she cared about. Walking. One foot in front of the other. Sitting in her car. Tears splashing down her cheeks. Feeling too much. Loss. Pain. Her hand reaching. Gun. Cool metal. Taking it out. The car.

No, a warehouse. Gun, aimed at Gitano. He was using Elliot as a shield. That wouldn't do.

"One perfect, perfect shot." Evil voice, Gitano's evil voice. Tears, pooling in her eyes. Knowing Elliot might die. She couldn't do it. She felt too much. The scar, throbbing on her neck. Reminder of her supposed failure.

"Don't make my mistake." Elliot's voice, fear in his voice. She blinked. Needing clear thoughts. Drifting back to past.

Good times. Walking into restaurant. Seeing Elliot's back. Just closed Karen Smythe's case. Justice for her was attained. She felt good that she had patched up her relationship with the woman who had trained her.

"Negative. All negative." Elliot said of the test results. Shoving food in. Hadn't eaten well in days. Olivia smiled. Endearing to her. He didn't have HIV.

Laughter, coming from her mouth. She hadn't laughed in a long time. Glasses. Clinking. His orange juice. Her water. Drinking to his health. They got up, walking out. Made their way to Olivia's apartment. He disappeared, and the past blurred into the past, but recently.

Knocking at the door. Opening it to Elliot's smile. Thought you might want some company." His voice, quietly concerned. She let him in. Sitting, looking through pictures. She had a brother. Half-brother. Simon Marsden.

"Thank you." Two words. Meant whole-heartedly. From her to him. Eyes locked. Talking without words. Feeling, but not too much. Care. Best friends. Nothing could change that.

"I'm sorry." Mouthed words, from her to him. Now in warehouse.

"It's okay." He said, not for the first time. Tears started to form in his eyes. Both wishing they could turn back the clock.

"Hey!" Her voice, loud. Not in warehouse, in 16th precinct. Hallway. Arguing.

"I can't do this anymore, I can't, be, looking over my shoulder, making sure you're okay." His voice said, walking away.

"You SOB, you know that's not true." She said, still arguing. Cragen, interrupting. Breaking up the argument.

"All right that's enough." Cragen's commanding voice.

But still feeling anger. Bitterness. Still best friends? Maybe not. Maybe something could change that.

But now, with Gitano hanging Elliot's life in the balance. They both wish they could change the past. Closed eyes, Elliot, knowing death was coming.

A click echoed in the warehouse. BANG.

Gitano's head, shot by a sniper. Elliot stood, panting and shaking. Tears slipping down her cheeks. Staring coolly at Elliot. Eyes locked. Unsure of what would happen next. Feelings twisted, vulnerable. Not knowing.

The next few minutes were blurred. Saving little girl. Taking her to the hospital. Talking. "Did you really expect me to be responsible for your death? What about your kids?" "What about me?"

"You and this job are about the only things I've got anymore. I don't wanna wreck that."

She gets up. Leaves. Back to the 16th Precinct. Into Cragen's office.

"I want a new partner." Her voice, unwillingly coming from her brain. Not her heart. Her thoughts: No I don't.

--

The end! I hope you liked this little one shot, it's my first thing I've ever written for SVU! Thanks for reading, and drop me a review if you think it's a little too weird! Adios!