A/N: these next few chapters may be especially triggering as they deal with abuse and abduction. They would likely be considered an M rating or at least high T. proceed with caution.

The car came to a stop outside what looked like an abandoned barn or warehouse of some sort that had to have been built about 50 years ago. Olivia was huddled against Elliot as she sat in his lap and he held her tight.

"Please don't let him take me El, please." She whispered shakily.

"I'm not letting go, baby. I'll get us out of this and we'll find a way to call Cap and-" He's cut off by the doors opening and a gun is pressed against Olivia's head. Equally horrifying is another gun being aimed at Elliot from the other side of the car by none other than Elliot's brother Matt Stabler.

"Say your goodbyes and get out of the car."

"You're not taking her! You're not touching her! Either of you!" Elliot growled.

Olivia was pretty sure Lester's laughter would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Oh your brother won't be doing anything with Audine, I don't share remember? He's only here to deal with you." She shivered and tightened her grip on Elliot.

"Matt...you're making a mistake, I'm the one you're mad at. Don't take this out on her. Please." Elliot tried to reason with his brother.

"You think I care about that whiny trash?"

"I think you care about not going to jail. You're better than this. You want revenge on me, find the other way to do it but this? An accomplice to a serial killer and abuser? You really want to be responsible for helping a guy beat and torture a woman to death? Think about this Matt...this isn't you."

"Says who?"

"Matt you can break your brother later. I need these two out of the car." He leaned down to whisper in Olivia's ear and she was pretty sure her heart stopped beating when he stroked her hair. "So I can have this one all to myself."

"Over my dead body!" Elliot snarled.

"That a request?" He snickered.

"No no no no no please." She sobbed, more worried about Elliot's safety than her own.

"We'll leave that up to Matt sweetie." Lester mocked using a pet name Elliot often used with Olivia and it made her feel sick hearing it come from someone other than him. She turns to the other man.

"Matt...he's your brother. You might be upset with him but I need him. Please. Your parents wouldn't want you to do this."

"My dad never got the chance cause your boyfriend here killed him. He's not my brother. I don't care if he's related or not."

"ENOUGH!" The partners jumped at Lester's voice. "I'm getting impatient Audine." His lips brushed against her neck and she whimpered.

"My name's Olivia...not Audine." She tried to make her voice strong but couldn't keep the shakiness out of it.

"You're mine. I'll call you what I want to." Elliot decided to change tactics.

"You think she's stayed loyal to you? What makes you think she's still yours?"

"Oh, she will be when I'm done with her."

"Don't you remember how you found us? You seem like a smart man. What do you think we did last night huh? She's mine now has been for a year and a half." He kissed a spot behind her ear, gently to not cause pain, but still trying to look possessive to the man trying to take her. She moaned. "You couldn't ever have that effect on her, could you? But with me?" He kissed her deeply right in front of them and she allowed herself to melt into the kiss, surprised by his bold move, but knowing it was to save them both. "All mine...right baby?" He kissed her jawline and her neck, giving special attention to her pulse point softly to 'mark his territory'. She ran a hand up his chest, playing along. "All yours El...all yours." He kissed her earlobe and whispered in her ear. "I love you. No matter what happens tonight." He nipped at her ear, not wanting to look as worried as he felt. "Elliot." She purred and for a few seconds forgot the situation they were in.

"You don't get it. She's not allowed to have anyone else, I own her and I'll break her of this insanity."

"You think you own her? You can't break what we have. You baited her as a vulnerable waitress, I got her when she was a cop. Pretty bold huh? She was mine the second our Captain introduced us as partners. No one can compete with this. Tell him, baby, tell him how our first time was in the squad car on a stakeout and how lucky we were that our Captain didn't hear us since he was in the bathroom when we forgot to turn off the radio. Tell him how quickly and how many times I got you to say my name? Tell him how you didn't have time to shower and still smelled like me the next morning. Tell him how you-" That wasn't actually completely false. Their first time was at his apartment, not in their squad car but the other stuff…damnit el...she knew he was doing this to try and get Lester to give up but cursed her body for reacting to his words when they were being held at gunpoint by a serial killer.

"We'll see how long she holds onto that when I kill you."

"She'd still want me. She'll want me for the rest of her life."

"Well dad was wrong about one thing, you know how to handle a woman," Matt spoke up and Elliot wanted to puke. He knew he was acting to protect Olivia, but he hated the words coming out of his mouth and how possessive he sounded. He wanted Olivia to feel loved, not controlled. I'm so sorry. He communicated to her through his eyes. You're not doing anything wrong. She tried to communicate back. She turned to Lester, determined to show Elliot that he hadn't upset her.

"He's right. I'll always be his. No matter what you do to me." Her voice was stronger than it had been earlier and it was amazing how her tears seemed to stop as she took in Elliot's words. Elliot had never been possessive of her in a controlling/demeaning way. He was protective. He was loving. He was nurturing. He took care of her and sheltered her and supported her. She had only been with two men in her life. Lester, who had cheapened her and Elliot, who had cleansed her of the filth and pain Lester had left on her. He had washed away her wounds. So while Elliot Stabler had never claimed he owned her and treated her like an object of possession the way Lester had, she still considered herself his and it was something she took comfort in. It was something that made her feel strong enough to stand up to the monster holding them hostage. Because she was no longer weak, naive, vulnerable, submissive Audine Higgs who had been baited, possessed and abused by Lester Sproles; she was Olivia Benson. Detective Olivia Benson to be exact. A bad-ass, strong, capable woman who had caught the eye and stolen the heart of the man who was assigned as her partner in crime. She wasn't a slave to Lester Sproles anymore, she was the partner, other half and love of Elliot Stabler's life. That was who she was, and no one was going to weaken her, cheapen that identity or steal it from her. Audine Higgs bowed down to Lester, Olivia Benson doesn't let anyone tell her so much as where to get her coffee from. Olivia Benson didn't back down. Olivia Benson didn't give in. Olivia Benson wasn't giving this monster any satisfaction without a fight. And when Olivia Benson fought, she fought like hell...and anyone challenging her or threatening someone she loved better be prepared. She narrowed her eyes at the man who had haunted her for so long.

"Lester I may have been weak 10 years ago, but I'm not that little girl anymore. I've got a whole squad behind me and believe me, they will find you and when they do you're gonna wish you'd fled to Canada and changed your name to Steven and became an accountant because the NYPD doesn't take to well to someone hurting one of their own...so what do you think is gonna happen when they realize you've got two of their own. Let me and my partner go, if you cooperate it'll look better to the judge and you might get out on parole when you're 80 if you live that long. Right now though, you're looking at life which will get increased to death row if one of us is hurt or killed. You don't think we've dealt with perps like you before?" Elliot notices a southern accent beginning to drip into her tone. She's pissed, she's daring, she's got her interrogation stance on. Lester laughed but this time Olivia barely flinched.

"You're nothing without that partner of yours." She locks eyes with Elliot and they instantly think of a plan. Her next words shock all 3 of the men surrounding her.

"You think our relationship is always like this? This guy drives me insane! Sure he's loving sometimes but he can be a real ass. You think he's never tossed me around? Gotten rough with me? Shoved me up against the lockers? Made me-"

"Olivia!" Elliot exclaims shocked and she gives him a look of 'just go with it'

"One of our colleagues asked me out once before we were together and this guy." She points at Elliot but continues to glare at Lester. "Beat the crap out of him in the interrogation room and told him I was off limits, then demanded that he was driving me home and stood outside my door all night to ward off any visitors. He's a psycho!"

"Takes after our dad." Matt snickers and Olivia glares at him in a way that makes him back up slightly. "You really want this guy as your partner in crime Lester? He just backed up cause he got glared at by a woman. Not much of a man are you Matt?" She mocked, remembering the way Elliot's father and brothers had treated him for not being as 'masculine' as they thought he should be. Matt looked angry but slightly nervous and gulped, Lester looked pissed, Elliot looked proud.

"You've gotten some balls Audine, I gotta say."

"More than you've ever had huh? You have to prey on the vulnerable cause no one actually wants you. That's kinda sad honestly."

"Shut up!"

"Did I hit a nerve? I didn't think you had those either!" She mocks surprise. "Now why don't you let us go and get out of here...and take your friend here before he pees his pants and cries for mommy, who by the way has a photo album just for Elliot. I didn't see any pictures of you in there Matt, I think maybe you were the forgotten child."

Why didn't I marry this woman already? Elliot thought as he heard her rip into his brother and her psycho ex at once. She had gone from shaking in his arms to full-on interrogation mode, staring the other men down, kicking ass and taking names.

"Who taught you you could talk to a guy like that? You don't make the orders Audine."

"I don't take orders from scum, I scrape it off my shoes at the end of the day." Elliot's protective instincts caused him to wrap his arms tighter around her waist, worried that Lester would snap and hurt her. Olivia couldn't keep the shiver of fear from going down her spine when she felt Lester's breath on his neck when he spoke threateningly in her ear.

"I will break you in ways you didn't know were possible. I will make you mine again." She didn't know what in her made her think her next move was a good idea, but as he pulled back she spits in his face. He moved to slap her but Elliot was quick to grab his wrist and twist it enough to make him cry out in pain. He stared them down, with a look that nearly made Olivia whimper again but she had to stand her ground.

"What? You giving up?" She snarled. That was the wrong choice of words. She didn't know which of the men fired first, but the next thing she knew Elliot's arms were no longer around her and he was groaning in pain, his shoulder and side bleeding from what looked like at least 2 bullet wounds.

"ELLIOT!" She sobbed, terrified for his life. Hands reached for her, attempting to remove her from his lap.

"NOOOO! NO, NO NO PLEASE." But being shot was nothing compared to the pain of watching the woman he loved scream and beg the monster not to take her from his arms while he bled in the back of the car. Lester Sproles was a really stupid man if he thought a gunshot wound was enough to keep Elliot Stabler from protecting his partner. Using every ounce of strength he had on his uninjured side, he grabbed ahold of Olivia's waist and yanked her back in the car. He cursed himself for being rough with her and causing her to hit her head on the ceiling in the process, but he had to keep her safe. He managed to position her between his legs and wrapped his strong legs around hers tightly, as his arms had been moments before, barricading her in a cocoon of protection as his uninjured arm locked around her waist. He was still bleeding and the clothes she was wearing as well as the seat she sat on was soaked in blood, but he was determined to protect her until the last drop left his body.

"I guess we're gonna have to kill your brother Matt, it's the only way I can get Audine." It happened so fast, Matt stuck the hand with the gun Olivia recognized as Elliot's inside the car and pressed it against Elliot's temple. Elliot, unable to defend himself without letting go of Olivia whispered a shaky "I love you" in her ear, worried it would be the last time he would ever get to say it. At those words, Olivia turned to Matt and the minute she saw his finger on the trigger she lifted her head and bit his arm as hard as she possibly could, causing him to howl in pain...and drop the gun into her lap. In an instant, before either man could say anything she had the gun aimed at Matt and fired 3 times, he fell to the ground, slack and unmoving. She then turned the gun on Lester who smirked at her.

"What are you gonna do shoot me? Go ahead, see if I don't kill your precious boyfriend in the process. He's lost a lot of blood Audine. The color is draining from his face and he can't even move that one side. Won't be long before he's unconscious. Who will protect you when he dies? You'll be all alone and at my mercy. You give up yet?" She smirked back.

"Nope." Before he could react she shot the hand he was holding her gun in, causing him to drop it at Elliot's feet. He howled in pain and before she could react he grabbed her by the neck, causing her to nearly drop Elliot's gun as she gasped for air and tried not to sob at the pain. Elliot was seeing red.

"Get your hands off her you filthy animal." He growled.

"Or what? I'm not gonna kill her yet, I just wanna choke her a little to shut her up. Not like you can do anything about it, you're gonna die while holding her, what a way to go." He let go of her neck and trailed a hand down her shaking body possessively as Elliot moved his foot slightly to reach for her gun that had fallen on the floor. He grabbed it with his foot and brushed against Olivia's leg so she could help him reach it. She's squirmed under Lester's touch, whose hand was inching its way up her shirt. Shakily, she gripped the gun and placed it in Elliot's uninjured hand. Elliot gripped it and shoved it against Lester's temple as hard as he could, causing him to stumble back slightly and remove his hand from Olivia. In a tone angrier than she had ever heard Elliot speak in before he growled.

"No one hurts my Liv and gets away with it." A sharp pain shoots through his arm and the hand holding the gun to Lester's head trembles. The creep smirked.

"Whoops. Those basic functions are getting hard with all that blood loss, aren't they? How much longer do you reckon he's got left Audine? Come on shoot me! You think you've still got fight in you, Stabler? Pull the trigger! Pull it before I have my hands all over your precious Olivia. Better save her while you still can."

"El please." She sobbed. His hand drops and she notices how pale his body looks. She's losing him. The pain is so intense he can only hear muffled voices, his upper body is too numb to hold onto Olivia, making him defenseless to protect her. Lester grabs the back of her neck and jerks her head to the side, his voice taunting in her ear as he forces her to look at the state Elliot is in.

"He can't even lift his arms anymore and look at his eyes. Notice how the light is fading from them. You think he can even hear you? He's in so much pain that you're the last thing on his mind right now. Look at him Audine! Look at him! Look at your precious El one last time!" He jerks her head forward with force and she sees double for a moment. "His organs will shut down one by one. He'll either bleed out or a blood clot will go to his lungs. Either way, he'll start to have trouble breathing and eventually his heart will become exhausted from the effort and just stop beating altogether. Now we can give him a little show before he's dead or I can take you into that barn with me and at least spare you from watching his final moments." Olivia's sobs were hysterical.

"NO NO NO ELLIOT! ELLIOT STAY WITH ME! PLEASE, YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME EL! YOU PROMISED! PLEASE!" His eyes drooped. "NO PLEASE EL STAY AWAKE PLEASE YOU HAVE TO STAY AWAKE YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! I NEED YOU! I'M SO SCARED I CAN'T….I CAN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT YOU." She tries to appeal to his protectiveness. "Elliot you're the only one who can keep me safe if you...if you die...Lester will be able to do whatever he wants to me." She shivered. "You promised you'd protect me...you promised El." He coughed, trying to get air in his lungs. "I-I l-l-love you, Livia." She reaches out to cup his cheek and Lester slaps her hand away and forces her mouth open before she can react. She gags between sobs and squirms under his possessive hold.

"I'm doing you a favor Audine...he can't talk to you anymore, but at least he said something nice in his last few breaths." This time when he kisses her she bites down on his tongue as hard as she can. He slaps her across the face and yanks her off Elliot's lap and out of the car.

"Scream all you want...no one can save you." He kicks her onto the ground and takes off his belt, but before he can hit her a gunshot goes off.

Then another...then another. She's frozen in fear and curled up to block his hits, oblivious to the fact that he's groaning in pain.

The 5th shot sends him tumbling to the ground on top of her. She screams and tries to push him off. Her mind is delirious with fear and it takes her a few moments to realize the man is unmoving and has no pulse. She's trapped and sobs underneath him. She doesn't hear the sirens, her only thoughts are of Elliot, unconscious and unmoving in the back of the car.

A/N: Few notes

this story is almost done, only a couple chapters left probably

Is Lester really dead this time?

Who shot him?

Is help really on the way? And one last question to leave you with:

Will Elliot be ok?