Location: Rikers Island Correctional Facility
"He's in here. Follow me."
Fin and Munch followed the corrections officer down a long hallway and through a door at the end. They entered a small room with four gray brick walls. In the center of the room was a table and four chairs. Sitting there was Lowell Harris in an orange prison jump suit with his hands cuffed, his ankles in chains, and a satisfied grin on his face.
"Lowell Harris," Munch sat down across from him. Fin sat down next to Munch. "I'm Sergeant John Munch, and I believe you already my partner, Detective Fin Tutuola."
"I liked you better as Jasper," quipped Harris, staring Fin down. "You take your formal introductions and shove them up your asses. Now tell me, what the fuck do you want?"
"I think you know," Fin glared at him.
"How's Olivia doing?" Harris asked with a sly grin. "Or does she still go by Kat? I think it suits her personality well. Mmmm...feisty! Does she think of me? I know I think of her, rather fondly."
"She's lucky to be alive," replied Fin. "Can't say the same about her partner. If I find out you had anything to with tonight's drive-by shooting, you'll be in deep shit. Deeper shit if her partner dies."
"Is that supposed to scare me?" retorted Harris with a chuckle.
"You're just mad because she threw your sorry ass in jail," Fin taunted him, waiting for a reaction.
Harris stared coldly at Fin. "That bitch will get what she deserves."
"Meaning?" questioned Munch.
"You'll see," he grinned sinisterly.
Fin stood up and walked to the other side of the table, on Harris' right side. He brought his face within inches of Harris' face.
"You think you're such a bad ass." snapped Fin. "Don't you?"
"Tell me about three weeks ago," demanded Munch, getting up and standing on Harris left side. "What do you know about a bomb that blew up an NYPD detective's home with his family inside?"
"Not a damn thing," Harris smirked, staring straight ahead. "I've been locked up here for, oh, what's been? Three years now?
"True," Munch responded. "But there was a souvenir at the crime scene with your partial DNA on it." Munch brought his face to Harris' left ear. "Are you really that twisted that you'd send a family member to do your bidding."
Harris shifted in his chair, but didn't say a word. Beads of perspiration dripped slowly down his face. He continued to stare straight ahead, looking at neither Fin nor Munch.
"Why so nervous all of sudden?" quipped Fin.
"We're done here," Harris looked toward the door and yelled. "C.O.! Take me back to my cell!"
Harris stood up, walked to the door, where he stood and waited for a corrections officer to take him back to his cell. He stared straight at the door.
"By the way," Munch retorted. "We found something interesting in your file. Or should I say it was what we didn't find that was interesting?"
Harris turned his head and paused for a moment. The corrections officer entered the room. He secured Harris' cuffs and chains.
"Have a nice day detectives," Harris sneered. "Do send Olivia my love."
The Next Day.
"Elliot!" called a familiar voice.
"Who's there?" Elliot asked.
At first, he saw nothing but darkness. But suddenly he saw a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Was he dead? He hesitated a moment, then started walking towards the light.
"Elliot!" the voice called again.
Figures appeared at the end of the the tunnel, dark and shapeless at first, then they became clear as day.
"Kathy!" Elliot cried, overjoyed to see his family. "Maureen! Kathleen! Dickie! Lizzie! Eli!"
Elliot ran toward his family. He had missed them so much. All he wanted to do was hold them and tell them how much he loved them.
"No, Elliot!" Kathy said. "Go back. It's okay."
"We love you, Daddy," his children said.
"I love you, too," Elliot sobbed. "And I miss you all so much!"
"We want you to be happy," Kathy smiled. "Now go and live your life. GO!"
Elliot's eyes fluttered open. His family at the end of the tunnel had vanished. And in its place was a hospital room. Part of him wished he was still in the tunnel. His heart ached for his family. His head throbbed intensely. Cragen stood over him.
"Welcome back," Cragen said. "How are you feeling?"
"My head is killing me," grumbled Elliot.
"You're one lucky son of a bitch," Cragen told him. "The bullet only grazed your skull. If you hadn't ducked when you did, you'd be dead. Not to mention you saved Olivia's life. You're a hero."
"Where's Liv?" Elliot asked as memories of the shooting flooded his mind. "Is she okay? Is she here?"
"She's fine," Cragen assured him. "She had some minor scrapes and bruises, but more importantly she's alive, thanks to you. She was here with you for a while till I sent her home?
"Why?" asked Elliot, sitting up.
"Well," Cragen began. "I had Munch and Fin pay Harris. He didn't give away much, but he let it slip that Olivia not in the clear. Fin is at her apartment with her. Also, she was a mess. Her clothes were bloody, and she was way too emotional. She had been with you for almost twenty-four hours. She needs to get some sleep. Tomorrow, she'll be moved to a motel room."
"I should go over there," Elliot said.
"Oh, no you're not!" Cragen ordered. "The doctor's keeping you overnight for observation."
"But I'm fine," Elliot protested. He looked down at his right arm and noticed he had two cuts that were stitched up. He checked the rest of his body to find the biggest gash of all on his right leg.
"You lost a lot of blood," Cragen said, watching Elliot closely. "If Olivia hadn't given you her blood, we would've lost you."
Elliot smiled. Olivia had saved his life.
"Evening, Detective," IAB Lt. Ed Tucker stood in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"
"I'll live," Elliot quipped. "What brings you here?"
"Just checking on your well-being," said Tucker. "Also, to notify you that you and Detective Benson are suspended without pay until further notice."
"What?" Elliot couldn't believe it. "Why?"
"Because," Tucker replied. "due to these two incidents, you two are now under IAB investigation."
"This is bullshit," exclaimed Elliot. "Some asshole is seeking revenge on me and Benson, and we're the ones being investigated?"
"I understand your frustration," continued Tucker. "And that's what it looks like, but I just want to be sure."
"Why?" Elliot snapped. "You think we intentionally did something to piss them off?"
"I don't know," Tucker retorted. "Did you?"
Elliot glared at him angrily. "No. And neither did Benson. You can investigate all you want. You won't find shit on either us."
"Very well then," Tucker said, smugly. "Have a good night."
Elliot and Cragen watched Tucker leave before opening their mouths to speak.
"Jackass!" Elliot waved his middle finger in the air.
Cragen snickered and shook his head. "Just like a rat to give you bad news after you wake up in the hospital.
"Tell me about it," Elliot said, sarcastically.
Location: Motel Room. Two Days Later.
Olivia sat on the bed of the motel room staring at the TV, yet she paid no attention to what was on. Fin, who had spent the better part of the day with her, sat on the other bed reading a newspaper, and routinely surveying their surroundings. He would occasionally ask Olivia if she was alright, but she barely spoke a word. He knew she was still traumatized from the shooting, so he did not press on. Olivia's mind kept replaying the events of that awful night.
"Can you tell me what happened?" a uniformed police officer asked her.
Olivia fidgeted on the exam table as a nurse examined her.
"I'm fine," she told the nurse. "Where's my partner? Detective Stabler?"
"He's in the O.R." the nurse said. "They need to remove glass fragments from his skull."
"Glass fragments?" Olivia repeated. "No bullet?"
"No," replied the nurse. "The bullet only grazed his skull. But he's got several cuts on his right arm and leg that need stitches. He's lost a lot of blood though. He's gonna need a transfusion. But he'll be just fine."
Olivia sighed in relief. Elliot was alive!
"Give him my blood," Olivia insisted. "He and I have the same blood type."
"I just need to finish examining you first," said the nurse, as she treated Olivia's scrapes and bruises.
"I'm fine!" Olivia protested. "Just take my blood already!"
Elliot had risked his own life to save hers, and she was willing to do whatever it took to save his, even if it meant risking her own life.
"Okay," said, the nurse deciding it best not to argue. "I'll be right back."
The nurses left the exam room. The officer cleared his throat, letting Olivia know he was still there and waiting for an answer.
"Detective Benson?" he nudged. "Your statement, please."
"Well," she began her story when Elliot dropped her off. She told the officer every detail she could remember. She finished just as the nurse returned to take her blood. The officer thanked Olivia and left. She laid down on the exam table as the nurse took inserted the syringe into her upper arm and drew blood. Afterward, the nurse led her to a waiting area outside the operating rooms. After what seemed like hours on end, a doctor finally came out and told her that Elliot was in recovery. Eventually, he was moved to a room, where Olivia sat with him, holding his hand and drifted off to sleep.
She was awakened several hours later by Cragen. Olivia rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes, and noticed she still clutched Elliot's hand. She updated Cragen on the shooting and Elliot's condition.
"What happened to your arm?" asked Cragen, noticed the bandage on her upper arm.
Olivia softly touched her bandaged arm. "I gave him my blood. He would've died if I hadn't done it. He saved my life. So I saved his. We're partners. It's what we do."
"I know," Cragen agreed. "But I need you to go home."
"Captain, I'm fine," she insisted. "I really should stay here with Elliot."
But he knew she wasn't. She was clearly in shock, her clothes covered in Elliot's blood. She looked exhausted and pale, but Cragen assumed that was because she gave Elliot blood.
"We have another problem," he informed her.
"What is it," Olivia asked.
Cragen updated her on Munch and Fin's visit with Harris. "Fin will stay with you at your apartment tonight. But tomorrow, you'll be moved to a motel until we lock up this bastard."
Olivia reluctantly went home, but not before making Cragen promise to update her on Elliot's condition. She spent most of that night tossing and turning, her mind refusing to give her any peace. The next morning, she packed her bags and Fin escorted her to a motel. There they met up with Munch, who relieved Fin of his duties and stayed with Olivia for a good part of the day. Cragen had called her as promised, letting her know of Elliot's progress and of Tucker's visit. She wasn't at all thrilled with what he said, but she was more upset that his visit had stressed Elliot. She spent the rest of the day and night in quiet, no one coming in or out of her room without proper authorization.
"Dinner's here," Fin called to her.
Olivia snapped out of her daze and went over to the table in the corner of the room. She sat down as Fin took a burger out of a bag and handed it to her, along with fries and a soda.
"Thanks,"she spoke softly, then ate in silence.
"Don't worry," he consoled her. He took his burger and fries out of the bag. "We're gonna get him."
"I know," Olivia forced a smile. "I guess I'm just..., still in shock."
"Well, that's expected," he said, biting into his burger. "I'd be more worried if you weren't, considering what you went through that night."
"Any luck with the DNA or fingerprints?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Not yet," Fin replied. "CSU is still running them."
A knock on the door made both Fin and Olivia turn their heads. Fin stood up, pulling his gun out of its holster.
"Identify yourself!" he called aloud, nearing the door.
"It's me, Elliot Stabler," answered the voice from the other side of the door.
Fin peered through the peek hole in the door. Sure enough, it was Elliot standing outside. Fin quickly unlocked the door and ushered Elliot inside. Gun still in hand, he peeked outside and quickly surveyed their surroundings before returning to the room and locking the door again.
"What are you doing here?" asked Fin. "Aren't you still suspended?"
"Not anymore," replied Elliot. "I've been cleared. And so has Liv."
"That was quick," remarked Fin.
"You're telling me," commented Elliot. "By the way, you can go home. I'm here to relieve you."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Fin grabbed his coat and bagged up the rest of his dinner. "See ya, Liv. See ya, Elliot."
Elliot let him unlocked the door to let Fin leave, then he secured the room and their surroundings, and locked the door again. He then turned to Olivia, who had not taken her eyes off him since he first walked in.