Disclaimer: NO NOT MINE! He still won't sign it over to me. It could be the death threats he's received about how the season's going so far… Just jokin' all! Enjoy the chapter!

A/N: wow, you guys review fast! I might not be able to keep up with this! Much luv!

BTW, it's November 27 during this chapter and the last.

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Back and forth, back and forth.

Pause. Stare into the broken mirror.

He hardly recognized himself. His hair was longer, he was thinner, and he had some stubble. He no longer looked like the man he once was.

Resume pacing, add rubbing arms. Why is it so cold? Oh yeah, couldn't pay the rent.

Pause again, this time to stare out the grimy window to the dawn outside. Snow dusted the metal fire escape.

It's her birthday.

He knew that he shouldn't have, but he sent it anyway. He held the pad that he had written the note on, crying silent tears.

What is she doing, right now? Oh, God! How I miss her!

He sighed, his breath coming out in a small cloud of mist.

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Munch and Fin both leapt to their feet to catch Olivia before she collapsed. "Liv?" Munch searched her face concerned.

She wordlessly held out the note, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. Fin took it and read it out-loud, while Munch continued to hold Olivia.

"My dear Liv,

I hope you will forgive the shock this will hold, but I couldn't let your birthday pass without saying something. Happy birthday! I miss you.

E"

Fin looked up. "E? Meaning Elliot?" She nodded her head, speechless. "But, man, that's impossible! He's gone, I watched him die!"

Olivia broke in. "We all did, Fin. But that" she motioned to the flowers "seems proof that he isn't dead. Either that, or we are all wrong about God."

The three of them went silent, remembering that horrible day.

Flashbackand yes, you get to finally know how he died, and find out something else…bwahahaha!

Richard White had returned. And this time, he was not alone. When Elliot tried to resist him, the accomplice simply clobbered the detective with a metal pipe. When Elliot fell to the ground, the other man kicked him.

"Elliot!" Olivia barely had time to scream his name before a hand was clasped over her mouth.

"Now, now, Detective. I would be quiet, if I were you. You wouldn't want anything to happen to him, now would you?"

Richard White had never forgiven Olivia for what she had done to him, and now she was going to pay. She was going to pay dearly. However, what he didn't know was that both she and Elliot were wired to the outside.

Fin and Munch along with a squad of NYPD were waiting for the captain's signal to go inside. They could hear every word that was spoken, and most of it made them want to hurl.

Elliot moaned in pain. He felt like some of his ribs were broken. He could hear Olivia screaming his name but he couldn't move. I'm sorry, Liv! I couldn't save you! He could hear White's threatening tone and feared his life.

White continued. "Now, what shall I do first? Shall I kill Elliot then rape you? No, not painful enough. He won't get to see you become unworthy of his love. No, the best way is to force him to watch me rape you, and then you can watch me kill him." He had a sick smirk on his face.

Olivia recoiled in disgust and fear. Cap, why aren't you doing anything? Just as she thought that, she heard a welcome sound.

"Police!" In came a stream of cops followed by Munch and Fin. White was furious. Before they could reach him, he took the opportunity to shoot at Elliot, who was struggling to sit up. The detective collapsed, this time with a bead of red growing on his chest.

Damn it! I knew that I forgot something today. I'm sorry, Olivia.

White was shot from all sides as he shot Elliot and died on the scene.

A bus was called for Elliot and when they arrived, the found a distraught female clinging to the victim and two other detectives trying to console her. "Detective Benson? We need to check on him."

She moved so that they could get at him, the tears staining her cheeks. "He's still breathing! Get him on the stretcher!"

He was moved to the stretcher, and into the bus, and in all the chaos, no one noticed an FBI agent climb into the ambulance with Elliot, nor did they see the other man who had been with Richard run off.

End Flashback

Olivia began to pace. "But he's the only one who knew that today was my birthday, and he's the only one I know that signed notes to me as 'E', and he's the only one who knows that lilies are my favorite!" Her voice was becoming higher in pitch and coming out faster.

Don had heard the outburst and had come rushing from his office in time to hear Olivia's explanation. "Calm down, Olivia. You're hyperventilating." His heart broke at the sight of her tear filled eyes.

"Don. Is this some sort of sick joke?"

He took the note and sighed. "Afraid not, Liv." He held it up to the light and nodded. "It is genuinely Elliot's handwriting." He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Could it be?" He whispered.

The rest of the group stared at their captain. "Cap?" Olivia questioned. "Could it be what?"

"Take a look at the paper, Liv. Where have you seen that emblem before?"

Her eyes widened in recognition. Munch and Fin just gaped at the revelation that their best friend might still be alive.

Yet another flashback

Olivia, Fin, Munch, and Don all went together to the hospital, following the ambulance as best they could. But by the time they reached the hospital, Elliot was already inside. They were greeted by a surgeon. "Hello, my name is Dr. Wilson. I was told to look for a group of four. Are you Detectives Benson, Munch, and Tutola (sp?), and Captain Cragen?"

"We are." Don answered for the group. "We are here for Detective Elliot Stabler. How is he?"

The doctor sighed. "I don't know the best way to tell you this. Detective Stabler didn't make it."

Olivia collapsed into Munch's arms. He looked at Don and Fin worriedly. Olivia never passed out.

The doctor offered to take some tests, but knew that she probably only passed out due to the shock of hearing that her best friend and partner was dead.

And he was right. Once she came to, he prescribed sleep and counseling as a cure, though he figured that she probably wouldn't go see a counselor. And he was right. She adamantly refused. All cops are so stubborn!

Back at the station

Olivia hadn't stop crying since the doctor told them the news. Once they had reached the station, she escaped into one of the interrogation rooms and curled up in the far corner, sobbing her heart out. She didn't hear the door open and started when Don sat down next to her. She looked at him and collapsed into his arms.

He stared down at the girl he thought of as a daughter and rubbed her back comfortingly. "Shhh, its going to be okay, Liv. We are going to survive." He whispered so she could barely hear him.

She just held him tighter. Nothing would make her believe that everything was going to be alright.

"Tell me he's not gone, Don!" She begged, her fingers almost ripping his shirt she was twisting and clutching it so hard. "Please! Please." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Take me home, Don." She whimpered pitifully.

Don shook his head. "No, you are coming and staying with me. We'll stop by your place and gather some stuff for you, okay?" She nodded and he helped her stand up.

She placed a hand on his arm. "Don? Can we stop by Elliot's apartment first?"

He nodded. "Sure, Liv."

"Thanks."

When they arrived at Elliot's apartment, she went straight to the bedroom while Don waited out in the living room. When she didn't come back, he went back to look for her. He found her sitting on Elliot's bed, staring at what was in her hands. At closer inspection, he realized that she was holding his sweat pants, flannel pants, and a couple of his NYPD shirts.

She looked up as he entered. "Do you think it would be alright if…"

Don interrupted her. "Take all you want, Liv."

She sighed. "I just want him." She held a hand up. "I know, I can't have him. I'll just come back for the rest that I want later."

"C'mon, Liv. Lets go home."

After a quick stop at her apartment to gather enough clothes and necessities for a week, they arrived at the captain's apartment. Don helped Olivia settle onto his couch which happened to fold out into a bed.

End flashback- there, ya happy now? sob

Realization dawned on Liv. "The Life Café?" Olivia said. "That's all the way on the other side of town!" (A/N: Sorry, I'm a RENT head as well…grin)

Munch, Fin, and Don were all as flabbergasted as the female detective. "What in blazes is he doing down there?" Don muttered.

Munch looked up slowly. "Actually, the only proof that we had that he was dead was the doctor." They all eyed each other suspiciously.

"And he wouldn't let us see him." Fin added, slowly understanding where Munch was going.

"Munch, for once, you aren't spewing out conspiracies. This one makes sense." Olivia said in a low voice.

The four of them stood there digesting this new revelation when a ding then a bang from the elevator alerted them to Dani's arrival.

"Why the somber faces?" Dani asked, before noticing the flowers. "Who are those for?"

"Me." Olivia said slowly, not wanting Dani to know who they were from.

"Who are they from?"

Fin broke in. "We don't know. We checked."

Munch quickly scrawled out For Olivia on a piece of paper without Dani noticing and handed it to her. Don slid the real note into his pocket.

Dani shrugged. "Aww, how cute. Olivia has a secret admirer." She stared at the group. "Didn't you have a stalker once? Richard White?"

Olivia wanted to laugh. "Dani, he's dead. Remember?"

"Yeah, but his accomplice isn't." She stared at Olivia before turning to Don. His eyes were wide.

The other three detectives exchanged glances. "I think I'm beginning to understand…" Olivia whispered to Munch and Fin. They both nodded.

"I'm going to go check that out." Don spun around and ducked into his office. After a few phone calls to the right people he sighed. Elliot, till alive, and in the WPP no less. Who would've thought? A phone call interrupted his thoughts. He closed his eyes as he heard the other side of the line. "Thank you." The whirr of the fax machine sounded through his office. He shook his head at the picture that came out. Time to make a new case folder. He phoned out to the desks. "Yeah, Dani, it's the Captian. Come get this new case."

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"Don just handed me this. There's another victim." Dani announced apologetically as Olivia turned off her computer. "Lucky for us, she survived."

A folder with a picture paper clipped to it dropped on her desk. Liv picked it up in shock. "Oh my God."

Dani had never heard such a horrified tone with Olivia before. "What is it, Olivia?"

It took a few tries, but the shocked detective finally got out a name. "It looks like Lizzy Stabler."

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Another cliffie! Wow, I'm good at these! Lol! So, I have no idea when Olivia's birthday is, but I decided to make it two day's after thanksgiving.

And sorry, I wont' be able to update for a couple of days. I have some HUGE tests coming up. But keep the reviews and idea's coming!