Law and Order: SVU is the intellectual property of Dick Wolf. The use of the characters, settings, and plotlines is not malicious. This is a work of fiction.

Elliot jumped, hearing the shots, and he held up a hand to Olivia, sending her a warning glare. "Stay here," he told her, backing away and heading toward the door.

"Bullshit," she spat, running in his direction. Her hand landed on the knob first, and they fought for a brief moment, Elliot trying to shove her back out of the way of potential danger and Olivia doing the same to him. Finally, she gave him a hard nudge with her hip and opened the door, but was stopped from running off of the porch, by Elliot's strong arms.

"Don't," he commanded, holding her as they stood together, frozen on the stoop as they watched the commotion.

Munch was on the sidewalk, kneeling over a wounded uniformed officer, trying to help him up. The sirens in the distance were getting louder; an ambulance came rounding the corner and pulled up in front of the house, followed by two black and white police cars. Several cops, along with Captain Cragen, filed into the street, and seeing it, Elliot pulled Olivia tighter against him. Letting his eyes close for a moment, he kissed her temple, and then stared out at the scene as an EMT ran to the bleeding officer Munch was guiding.

"Benson! Stabler! You're out of here, now!" Cragen yelled, running up the steps. He grabbed Elliot's free arm and pulled him, who in turn pulled Olivia, down the steps toward a waiting car. "Get in," he spat, more domineering than ever.

Elliot, too surprised and scared to argue, helped Olivia into the backseat and then slid in beside her. Cragen was about to slam the door on him, but he pushed against it. "Wait, wait, damn it, just...tell us what's going on, would ya?" he barked, swallowing hard.

Cragen, his hand still on the door, shook his head. He began to babble, speaking fast and looking intently at Elliot. "He found you. I don't know how, but he found you. He was heading up the steps when Crighton stopped him. He turned, shot Crighton, Fin took off down the block after him, Munch called it in...you two need to get out of here."

Elliot's eyes widened. "Cap, my kids..."

"Are perfectly safe," Cragen assured him, "So is your wife. It's you two in danger, not them."

Olivia squeezed Elliot's hand, and then shot Cragen a nervous look. "Where are we going?"

"You'll find out when you get there," Cragen told her. "The only people who know are me and your escort, here," he said, nodding to the man behind the wheel. "Stay together, don't worry about your stuff, I'll bring it up to you later." He slammed the door, tapped on the hood of the car, and ran back toward Munch and the EMT.

Elliot narrowed his eyes a bit as he leaned forward to address the driver. "This must be making your fucking day, huh?"

Ed Tucker looked into his rear-view mirror and with a somber expression, he shook his head. "Of course not," he spat. "Would I be driving my ass upstate if I wanted this lunatic to get you? You really think I want to see anything happen to you? I want to kill you sometimes, but not...not literally."

Olivia took a deep breath, her eyes closing, and she let it out slowly through pursed lips. "Thanks, Ed," she said, sincerely.

Tucker nodded and cleared his throat. "So, uh, I can't really divulge anything, other than...we...we have a motive." He turned the wheel to get onto the expressway. "It's, surprisingly, not your fault. You were doing your jobs, a little too well. Just...just trust me, and this time, uh...we might..."

"Come on, just fucking spit it out. What the hell kind of trouble are we in, here?" Elliot huffed and slumped in the seat, desperate to pull Olivia closer to him, but knowing it would be a bad idea with Tucker staring at him in the mirror.

Tucker sighed and stepped on the gas, changing lanes and speeding up. "It might be bigger than just a paid hit by Koehler. Look, I can't give you details, I can't tell you anything right now. Keep your cell phones on, you've got your guns and your badges, you're alive. Fuck, that's pretty much all that's important right now."

Elliot raised an eyebrow and his head lolled to one side. He eyed Olivia and then looked back at Tucker, suspiciously.

"Yeah," Tucker sighed. "I know, you heard it, I said it. I actually do give a couple of fucks about the two of you." He bit his lip, contemplating saying something else, but he decided against it. "Just...relax, okay? We'll get this guy and get your lives back to normal, as soon as we can."

"That's not exactly comforting," Olivia mumbled, folding her arms. She scooted closer to Elliot, needing the security of being close to him and the affirmation that he was really there. She yawned, then, and let her head fall to his shoulder, knowing Tucker wouldn't hold it against her under the circumstances. She felt Elliot stiffen, but then she felt his body shift and his lips press to the crown of her head. That's when she raised up to look at him.

"He's not even looking," he whispered to her, knowing what she was thinking. He sighed as he kissed the top of her head again, and then turned his attention toward the landscape blurring by his window. Watching the swirling greens and yellows, silvers and reds, mixed with the streaks of light that whizzed by made his eyes weary and soon, his head was dropped against Olivia's and both of them were fast asleep.

An hour and a half later, Tucker pulled the car into the driveway of an elite-looking home in a quiet cul-de-sac. He heaved another heavy sigh as he turned off the car and got out, unwilling to wake up the sleeping duo in the back. He banged on the door, chuckling when they shot up and leaped to opposite sides of the car. He gestured to them to come out, and walked toward the door of the stately home.

Olivia was the first out, and as she closed her car door, she looked around and smiled sadly at the house. In a slew of other situations, this would be a thrilling moment. This, under some other condition, would be her dream house. The bright white aluminium siding was glaring evidence that the air quality and traffic patterns here were much different than in the city; no greasy buildup or exhaust stains to be found. The perfectly trimmed lawn was emerald green, with beautiful blooms in several shades of red in scattered patches along the walkway. She smiled at the roses, wondering if she would ever have a lawn like this to call her own. She took a deep breath, marveling at the clear crispness of the air, and she looked over her shoulder at Elliot. Her smile grew brighter, and part of her, though she hated to admit it, was happy he was going to be here with her. It felt almost perfect to be heading into a house like this with him by her side. Almost.

Tucker unlocked the door and turned with a cough, handing the keys to Elliot. "Don't answer the door," he said, "For anyone. Cragen and I will always call before we show up, so you know if someone's knocking, it's not us, that means you don't know them, and that's..."

"Ed," Elliot interrupted, "What the hell is going on? You're scared shitless, which is scaring the fuck out of us, and you don't seem like the kind of guy who..."

Tucker held up a hand. "I am scared, for you, for your team," he said. "We need to get this asshole, tonight, or...or this won't be the only time we have to move you, and the next time might not be so...easy."

Olivia saw the look in his eyes, the way his lip twitched and the way his nostrils flared. "Oh, God," she breathed, realizing what words were scrawled along the walls between the lines. "You're not saying what I think you're saying."

"I'm not saying anything," Tucker sneered a little too quickly. "Not outright. Not yet. If I have to, then I will...tell you when it's time." He held out a hand. "I'm hoping it doesn't have to come to that," he said, looking at Elliot.

Elliot shook Tucker's hand, and then led Olivia into the house, closing the door behind him. He locked it and exhaled harshly, rubbing his eyes. He was exhausted, stumbling over the rug as he made his way to the couch. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and shook his head fast, only looking up when he felt the sofa shift. He turned his head and saw Olivia, just as shaken up and just as tired. He stretched an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into him, his left hand running up and down her upper arm. "This is one hell of a first date," he said, attempting a joke.

She chuckled but it was only halfheartedly. She looked at him and with her bottom lip pinched between her teeth, she whispered, "Date?"

He smiled at her. "Why not?" he shrugged. "We don't have anything better to do, we're all alone, and, uh," he raised his brows and sighed once again. "I think...Liv, I was...I was kidding. Sort of."

"Hey," she said, giving him a jab with her elbow, "I was teasing you. I'm just...this has been a helluva day, and I think...I would really just like to go to sleep." She leaned into him and kissed the corner of his mouth. "We can decide if we're dating in the morning."

He laughed. "You make it sound like we're in high school," he said, rolling his eyes. "But, uh, I'm pretty sure we're..." he stopped, looked at her, and saw the way her eyes began to glisten. "Don't...baby, don't...come here." He pulled her into his arms and felt her body start to shake against his. His heart broke. The one thing he hated most in the entire world was seeing her cry, and he'd long-ago had his fill of watching it happen. He kissed her forehead three quick times and rubbed soft, slow circles on her back. "Breathe, baby. I'm here, you're here, we're okay."

She nodded. "You know what Tucker meant, right?" she sobbed. "El, if they can't find this guy, they're gonna put us in..."

"Shh," he consoled, wrapping her tighter in his arms, "I know. I know, and...with the exception of missing my kids like hell, I'd...I'd be okay with it. As long as you were with me, I could deal with it."

She sniffled and her hands found their way around his neck. She shook her head as she clutched at his nape. "I can't...El, what the hell would I do? The only thing I..." she breathed fast and wiped her eyes on his chest. "I'm a cop. A fucking cop! I can't even pretend to be anything else. If we have to...I can't give that up, I can't."

"No one will make you," he said, moving his hands from her back to her face. He held her in his hands and pressed his nose to hers, rubbing gently. Kissing her lips, he said, "I'm not gonna let that happen, okay? No matter what, you and me, this is who we are, and I'm sure...they're gonna get him. They're already close to nailing the son-of-a-bitch." He kissed her again and wiped away her tears. "But...honey, if it comes down to it...and we don't have a choice..."

"No," she said firmly. "Pretending to be your wife, fine, we've done it a million times, and Lord knows now it would be...easier," she let out a small laugh with her last word. "But I am not giving up my entire life, I am not going to play doctor, or be some kindergarten teacher, and we both fucking know this is the only thing you can do, too! Your heart is in this as much as mine, and your attitude isn't exactly office-appropriate. Oh, and fuck, I am not letting this asshole rip you away from your kids!"

He shook his head and kissed her again. "Baby, stop."

"No, damn it!" she yelled, pushing away from him. She got to her feet and she looked down at him with narrow eyes. "Don't you get it? For years...fuck, the first time Kathy tried to leave your ass, she came to me...flat out asked me to convince you to sign the divorce papers. She said...she said that I had to be with you, because I was the one that gave you stability! It was like she was offering you to me on a silver fucking platter, but ya know what? I couldn't do it! I thought you'd be fucking miserable if she left you!" She ran her hands through her hair and started pacing back and forth, her shoes dragging through the lush green carpeting. "I did what I had to do, and I talked her out of it, because I needed you to be happy! I needed you to be okay!"

Completely befuddled, he watched her, listened to every word, and he fell in love with her all over again. "Liv, calm down, would you just sit by..."

She cut him off again, this time with a bitter and self-deprecating laugh. "Even then, I knew how in love with you I was, and I couldn't...I couldn't be that selfish. I couldn't let her destroy you, even though it would mean my chance to..." she shook the thought away. "So I did what I always do...I fixed things, for you." She folded her arms, running her hands up and down her bare skin, suddenly cold. "Don't you fucking get it? I will always make you..." she paused, turned around, and looked at him with tear-stained cheeks and raw, red eyes. "I've leaped in front of guns, knocked your ass to the ground to get you out of the way...and I've made more personal sacrifices than I will ever admit...and it killed me, Elliot! It broke my heart, seeing you with her, knowing it could've been me, but it didn't matter. So, yeah, I was fucking miserable, but as long as you were happy...I was...I was okay." She licked her lips and dropped her arms. "I decided a long time ago that I would kill for you. Even if the person who ends up dead is me. I've always been prepared to die for you."

He stood up and walked over to her, slowly slipping his hands around her waist. He worked them under her shirt and let his palms rest on the surprisingly hot skin of her back. He looked into her eyes, felt his heart pound against his chest five hard times, and then he kissed her. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, and as soon as she opened her mouth for him he invaded, taking over, trying to tell her he felt the same exact way. He pressed himself into her, moaning softly, deepening the kiss. He let his hands dance up and down her back, soothing and comforting in the most intimate way he could at the moment. "Baby," he breathed, pulling away from her, "You have to know...I've done the same things, for the same damn reason. I would lay down my life for you, in a heartbeat." He kissed her quickly, once more, and he said, "But neither of us are dying, baby. Not tonight, not anytime soon."

She nodded, taking a deep breath, and she looked up at him now that her tears had dried up. "I'm sorry, I...I didn't want to..."

"It's been a long fucking day and an even worse night," he said, stopping her. He kissed her again and pulled her by the hand, turning to look down the hallway. "I think this is the bedroom," he said, leading her toward an open door. He stuck a hand through, reaching blindly, and flipped the light-switch, then peeked in cautiously. "Okay," he sighed, relieved. He pulled her with him, into the room, and with his free hand he yanked down the comforter and sheets. He looked over his shoulder and watched as she kicked off her shoes and tugged off her socks. He moved aside and did the same, still watching her. A smile spread across his face as he took in her effortless beauty, using the moment to thank God that He saw fit to finally give her to him completely. With a yawn, he moved toward her and kissed her again, and then made sure she got into the bed first. Then, he turned off the light, crawled over her with a laugh, and slipped into the space beside her. He pulled the sheets over them and wrapped her up in his arms.

She turned, slanting her lips over his, surprising him. Smiling against his lips, she moaned as he pulled her closer. She broke away and nuzzled herself into his chest, curling her entire body around his. "Night, El."

"Goodnight, baby," he whispered, and he wound his legs around hers, tangling them together. He exhaled and let his eyes close, and as much as he hated the circumstances, as terrified and worried as he truly, deeply was, there was one resolute feeling he couldn't deny. He was home.

Peace and Love

Jo

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