A/N: well I told you I'd update soon! Some of these chapters may be shorter because honestly, I don't want this story to end! But I guess all good things do! Please R&R! I love your reviews! Special thanks go to LawandorderSVUfan, littlesweetcupcake, Chronicleofabutterfly, tia-ballerina, psalm57, Cite Your Source CSI, Ellie, Liz, Kietah-chan, Elizabeth, Squanto, Stephanie, The coolest Peep on the street, Ella and Caden, Anonymous, Rebecca and Chris! I love you guys! And thank you so much for reviewing!

Chapter 8: Guilty

Kristin's POV

Saturday January 2 - Hospital 1130 Hours

I allowed the hospital door to ease open without making a sound, fearing that Natalie would wake. Lying still on a plain white hospital bed, was my best friend who I've known since the mere age of five. Her long brown hair lay scattered across the pillow that matched the bed, IVs sticking out of her arms. I couldn't help but feel guilty for her being in the hospital, you should be in that bed, not Natalie. As we were driving in the car, I overheard mum talking to Elliot about a note that they found at the crime scene. First fear ripped through me when I realized that someone was still out there waiting to find me, but within a few seconds guilt was the only feeling left in my body.

"Hey Nat…" I said sitting down beside her in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs. "I can't believe this happened… Natalie… my mother… my real mother that is… she wasn't a good person… I've never told you about this before, but I know why those men want me dead… and I know why they killed my mother… Natalie, you shouldn't be in bed… that should be me lying there… and I'm so sorry…" My eyes couldn't contain my tears any longer, and I regretted that I showed my weakness in front of my best friend who at this moment needed me to be the strong one. "This is all my fault Natalie… that bullet was intended for me…"

"Oh will you please shut up already?" she pleaded blinking her eyes open.

"Natalie… I… I didn't know you were awake…" I stammered, somewhat embarrassed that she witnessed me breaking down.

"Kris stop blaming yourself… if what you said about your mother is true, then this is her fault, not yours… look at me Kris…"

I lifted my green eyes to meet her gray ones. Natalie was like a sister to me. We spent every moment together and were literally inseparable. Looking in her eyes I just felt so thankful that she was ok. At least she wasn't going to be imparred for life or attack the way I was. I sighed, happy that she was alive.

"Kris, I'm going to be alright ok? And you know as well as I do that your mom and her partner will stop at nothing to catch the guy that landed me in this crap hole of a place! Besides, stop putting everyone else's problems before yours!"

"What do you mean?"

"Kris, nothing else is going to happen to me, but these guys are still out there waiting for you… I'm afraid for you Kris… they could…"

"I know…" I said simply, cutting her off before she could finish her statement with the two words that made me shiver. They could kill you…

"Where's my mom?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"She's down the hall in room 257, she had to get a cast on her wrist for minor fractures…"

"How did she get fractures?"

"You don't remember?"

"No… what happened?"

"After you were shot she jumped on top of you to shield you from the shooter…"

"Oh my god…"

"Yeah…"

"Can I see her now?"

"Actually I you can't leave until the doctor's let you… but I can get her for you…"

"Thanks Kris…"

I opened the door and smiled once at Natalie, before taking off towards her mother's room. This wing of the hospital was literally barren and if you didn't know that there were patients in those rooms, you wouldn't think anyone would occupy it.

I peered in the window and immediately recognized my mother holding Dr. Yei, who was sobbing silently in her arms. Elliot was leaning against a wall, his eyes told me that he felt like he was intruding.

"Excuse me…" I whispered, opening the door.

"Kristin… what is it?" Dr. Yei asked, wiping tears from her eyes with her jacket sleeve.

"Natalie's awake and she wants to see you…"

"What room is she in?" she demanded, leaping to her feet.

"106…" she nodded and my mother, Elliot and I followed her out the door.

Before Dr. Yei turned the doorknob to room one hundred-six, Elliot's cell phone began to ring. "Stabler… ok… alright… ok…" his eyebrows raised as the person on the other line talked to him. "Are you sure you'd be ok with that Captain? Yeah… yes… ok I will… we're on our way…"

"What did the Captain want?" my mother questioned, nodding to for me to join Dr. Yei in Natalie's room.

"Wait Kristin… Liv, the Captain told me that I should drive you home…"

"Don't tell me he's taking me off the case…"

"No… he wants the two of you to pack up your stuff…"

"What?"

"He wants you to stay somewhere until they catch the man responsible for putting Natalie in the hospital… I was wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"Cragen suggested that the two of you stay with me… and well… I'd like that…"

"Elliot…"

"Yeah?"

"I would love to stay with you but…"

"But what Olivia?"

"I don't want to put your life in danger…"

"Olivia… Liv… look at me…" he grabbed her face in the palms of his hands and I smiled at how in love they were. I had never seemed them act like this before and though most teenagers would find it embarrassing, they're behavior was what I had wished for my entire life.

"Olivia… I would die for you…" Oh my god… I sighed.

1330 Hours

OLIVIA's POV

We had brought the first round of boxes into Elliot's house and collapsed onto the couch. In two hours, we had packed our entire lives into several brown cardboard boxes. Kristin curled up in a chair across from Elliot and me and instantly fell asleep. Elliot took my hand in his and we silently watched her sleep.

"I can't believe we still have another round of boxes to bring back!"

"I know Liv… but don't worry about it… I'll go get them…"

"No Elliot… you stay here… I'm Casey said she was going to help me out anyway…"

"Ok, if you're sure…"

"It's not a problem…"

"You ok Liv?"

"Elliot… we need to find out who's threatening her… these men are serious…"

"Why do they want her dead Olivia? What did she do…?"

"I think there's something she's not telling us…"

"What do you mean Liv?"

"The first time I met her was when her mother died… I noticed something about her… something so… familiar…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It was that look in her eyes… I remember that look… I may sound crazy but… I think someone's hurt her…"

"You think she's been abused?"

"Yeah… by her mother…"

A/N: another short chapter I know, but my partner in crime gave me advice and told me that I should make them shorter and end with cliffies… yay cliffies! well then… please review! no reviews no writing! lol I do love your feedback though!