Chapter 6

When I wake up, I'm lying on my couch. My wrists hurt like crazy, and when I look at them I realize they are bandaged up with gauze-like bandages. They have spots of red on them; big spots of red.

"You kept scratching yourself in your sleep," Elliot explains as he walks into my living room, rubbing his arm nervously. "you were bleeding a lot...I didn't know what else to do."

I don't reply, just nod my head. My head hurts with a throbbing pound, much like my wrists.

"What happened to me?" I whisper.

"I don't know, Liv," he tells me honestly. "I come back to get my coat and you're in your room, trying to kill yourself. Do you remember now?"

I groan as the memories come flooding back: the dream; the glass; the lamp; the voice. They seem all too real to me now, even though my head is clear and everything I had experienced the night before had disappeared.

"Are you going to be okay, Olivia?" he asks me, sitting down next to me and allowing me to lean against his broad, muscular chest. "I don't want you to keep hurting yourself.. I don't want to see you like this anymore. It hurts me."

"I'm sorry, Elliot," I tell him, and he wraps his strong arms around me. "I don't mean to hurt you."

"I just don't want you to hurt like this anymore," Elliot smiles, his face very close to mine.

"Well, the worst of it is over for now," I tell him. "I feel a lot better."

"Good," he replies. He remains silent for a while, and I know something is on his mind.

"Well spit it out, Elliot," I order. "I know there's something you're not saying?"

He hesitates before saying "You scared me, Liv. I thought I was going to lose you for sure."

I don't reply. The full consequence of my actions has dawned on me, and I realize truly, for the first time, what I was really doing to myself.

What was I trying to do?

"I don't want to lose you, Liv," he whispers, holding me close. "I can't. I just can't."

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," he assures me softly. "Just, please, try not to do it anymore."

"I'll try," I say truthfully. "I promise."

"Good," he smiles. His mood seems to have lightened, and his eyes glimmer with a new hope. "Cragen called earlier, and he wants us to get to work. Do you think you can make it?"

"I think I can manage," I smirk, and I get up to change.

When I am ready, we walk down into the parking garage where he has parked his car, and he stops me from climbing into the driver seat.

"Not in this condition," he laughs. "I'm driving to work today."

"I can drive," I try to argue. "Just because I'm-"

"I'm driving," he interrupts, a broad grin on his face. "And you can either get in yourself, or I'll throw you in the car."

"Fine," I snap, and I get into the passenger side. Elliot gets in the driver side and puts the keys into the ignition. "So what does Cragen need us for?"

"A rapist targeting adolescents," Elliot replies, pulling the car out of its spot. "He needs us to check it out."

"What's his MO?" I ask, taking mental notes.

"He stalks them for a week, taking down their routines and making notes of every place they go," Elliot answers, pulling out onto the main road. "Then, once he has a good feel for where they go, he traps them and rapes them. Then, he stabs them in the stomach and leaves them for dead."

I gulp. "Has he left any survivors?"

"Fortunately, none of his victims have died," he replies, relief in his voice. "He uses a dull blade, and a small one. It doesn't penetrate deep enough to kill them."

"Good," I sigh. The last thing I need to think about is dead teenagers lying the streets, soaked in blood from stab wounds in their stomachs.

We arrive at the precinct and already the place is buzzing with people. Files are being handed off left and right, and voices are raised to the point of urgency.

"I didn't know this case was such high profile," I muse, walking past a couple of arguing unis.

"It's not," Elliot announces. He now has a lingering hint of worry and confusion in his eyes. He walks to Captain Cragen's office, taking my hand and pulling me with him. "Captain!" he calls. "What's going on?"

"He's raped again," Cragen replies, looking up from his phone call. He puts the phone receiver down and walks over to us. "I just got off the phone with the Chief of D's. I want you two on this case stat, kapeesh?"

"Sure, Cap," Elliot replies. He looks at me with a worried gaze, and I smile at him reassuringly. Cragen walks away, and Elliot turns to me. "How are you doing?" he asks.

"I'm doing okay at the moment," I reply truthfully.

"Good," he smiles. "You wanna head to our desks?"

"Sure," I smile.

We walk to our desks and notice piles of papers have already been plopped onto our desks unceremoniously.

"Great," Elliot groans. "More paperwork."

"Our favorite," I sigh. I sit down and pick up a file, clicking my pen and beginning to read. "Let's get to work then."

At midnight we have made no progress whatsoever. Elliot plunks his papers down on his desk in defeat, and holds his hands up to his head, leaning back into his chair and rubbing his eyes.

"I've got nothing," he announces, rubbing his eyes and looking at me. "You?"

"Nada," I reply. I quit my mad typing and lean back in my chair. "We have no name, no motive, and no identification of who our perp might be whatsoever. Not even a foreign hair in any of the crime scenes! Wiped clean! Jesus, El, I don't know how he's doing it."

"He's slick I'll give him that," Elliot sighs.

He puts his elbows on his desk and stares at me. I stare back.

"Yes?" I ask.

"You need some sleep," he replies with a smile. "And no fighting me, Liv, okay? Just go into the crib and catch a few hours of sleep."

I just nod and follow his orders, because truthfully, I was exhausted and drained entirely of energy. I would happily welcome a peaceful sleep. Little did I know my sleep would be anything but peaceful.

Notes: Next chapter we step up the intensity a bit, just warning you. :) Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review!