A/N: YOU GUYS. This chapter is huge, I know, don't kill me for the length, but it couldn't be helped! So much happens and I hope you guys are still entertained with this fic. I love writing it and developing the story for your entertainment. Reading your comments makes my day! Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!

March 20th – 10:01 a.m.

"Breathe."

Liv continued running her hand up and down Rafael's back, feeling his heaving body starting to simmer.

They'd rushed down to his office just ten minutes earlier and he'd been ready to pass out, on the verge of a mental breakdown. The adrenaline was still pumping through her veins and her own breathing had calmed considerably after she all but bolted out of the precinct, yelling into her phone for him to talk to her.

The absolute dread she felt as she ran down the hall to his office, stopping just inside the door to see him hunched over in his chair, with his head between his legs and his eyes shut, murmuring to himself that he was dreaming, was unparalleled to any sort of dread she had felt before.

"Keep breathing," she reminded him, squeezing his leg and running her fingers down the side of his cheek, locking eyes with his wide green eyes. He looked so terrified and vulnerable and it broke her heart. All she wanted to do was sweep him away from this place and take him back home; the overwhelming need to keep him safe from the world around him was threatening to take over, but she knew it couldn't.

Her eyes drifted over to the folded paper sitting directly in front of her. Anger surged through her mind and body at just the thought of it. Not only did she feel violated at the invasion of privacy with such a graphic picture of her and the man in front of her, but she felt exposed and out in the open. Like none of them were safe.

They probably weren't, if she were being honest.

But what scared her the most, was the fact that these men weren't giving up. Just like that little warning Zeke gave her squad before he was transferred out of the state for safe keeping. It was coming true around them all and she had a feeling it was going to get worse before it got better.

"Dodds is on his way up," Amanda announced, slipping her phone back into her pocket as she walked back in to the office. She shook her head, watching as the ADA, who they saw just fine and happy hours ago, trying not to fly into a full-on panic attack. His ties was loosened, his jacket was thrown on the floor and Liv was holding on to the back of his neck, whispering in his ear that everything was going to be ok.

How it all went to shit so quickly…this poor man couldn't catch a break. Not to mention Liv…

As far as she was concerned, it was even more personal now. Now, she was beyond pissed. More than she ever was before. When Barba had fought his way back to the precinct, she thought the worst was over, but this…this was far more disturbing and invasive and perverse.

Liv was humiliated and raging mad. She wasted no time in explaining what was on the page and, even if she was embarrassed by the contents of the picture on the letter Barba received, she knew it was better to be blunt in this type of situation. There could be no tip-toeing around anything anymore.

"Liv…Liv…," Barba struggled with his words, his breathing calmed considerably but he still had trouble grasping the words forming in his mouth. Liv rubbed his cheek, still kneeling in front of him. She kneeled there until she caught sight of Dodd's, coat blowing behind him as he swiftly walked towards them. She curled her lip and stood, unfolding the paper clasped in her hand and met him halfway, stopping him short.

She shoved the picture in his face, fingers cutting into the paper as he took a cursory glance and looked away, eyes wide and unsure as he met her angry gaze.

"This is what shelving that case did."

Amanda and Fin, who'd been on the phone in the ADA's office, wisely kept to themselves, seeing their Chief at a loss for words. Liv still held the picture in his face and refused to lower it. She was grateful he chose not to look at it again, because it was seriously humiliating having her naked body exposed in an intimate picture. She felt so severely violated, it honestly made her sick to her stomach. But what was much worse, was the fact that whoever sent this threat knew where she lived.

Lucy and Noah were already being escorted to her office via her quick thinking and Carisi. The few moments she had to take in the graphic picture were filled with so many thoughts, but they all centered on her child, tucked away in their home and probably playing the day away with his favorite toys.

The sickening thought that there could be more pictures of her child, sleeping in his bed, put her into a calm rage. If those people had the audacity…

Dodds grabbed her wrist and lowered the picture, mouth parted as he searched for words to say. He looked behind her, seeing Barba hunched over with his head in hands, shirt and tie unbuttoned and loosened while he took deep breaths. He looked like a caged animal, ready to lash out in fear.

Liv could see the wheels slowly turning the Chief's mind as he averted his gaze from Barba and back to her. He shook his head, mouth moving as if he was trying to come up with the words to articulate how sorry he was. Or, at least, that's what she wanted to think. Dodds wasn't very good at admitting when he was wrong, so she wouldn't expect an apology.

"From now on, this case is mine. I don't give a shit what 1PP and the mayor or the D.A. has to say about it. They've invaded my privacy, endangered my son's life just by knowing where we live…enough is enough. This ends."

She turned on her heel, hair whipping behind her just as her phone chimed. She looked at the screen, relief flooding her as Carisi confirmed that Noah and Lucy were tucked away safely in her office, unscathed but confused. She owed the babysitter a long explanation and a million apologies for what she'd been through.

"Hey," she reached down and cupped Rafael's cheek, her thumb stroking until he looked up at her with a heartbreakingly familiar look, "Let's get out of here. Personal security is going to escort us back to the precinct so we can regroup, ok?"

He nodded and stood up, running a hand over his face as he steadied himself. Just moments before, she recognized the same look of despair and fear dancing in his green eyes, but it was gone now and replaced with a determined walk. He would go through this phase a million different times before the day was through, and she knew that because he'd been there before.

Three long months of being put through the emotional and mental ringer and now, he was thrust back into it again. It terrified her, deep down, that this wasn't over yet. These people were serious and there were so many people potentially involved. At least, there were enough people who could get access to her address…

She lead Rafael on shaky legs out of the building and slid him into the back of the unmarked cruiser, clutching his hand tightly as they rode quietly together back to the precinct. It was a short ride and it took another five minutes before he was in the safety of her office, Noah sitting happily on his lap and giving him the biggest hug her little man could muster.

"Liv, what's happening?"

She'd been watching the entire exchange with tears stinging her eyes when Lucy piped up, a cup of coffee in her hands. Liv squeezed her shoulder and walked her out into the squad room and down the hall where it was void of prying ears.

"I'm assigning you a security detail."

Lucy opened her mouth, suddenly alarmed but Liv stopped her, "I'll explain everything, I promise you. But, for right now, Detective Carisi is going to escort you back to your apartment to pack up some clothes and bring you back here. Lucy," she stopped the young woman from speaking again, "Please…just do it. I promise, I'll explain later. We need to move fast."

She damn near had to pull Lucy out of the hall and handed her off to Carisi, who gently guided her towards the elevators, arm secured around her and speaking to her with a soft, comforting tone.

Liv took a second to gather her thoughts before she headed straight for her office and shut the door behind her. She smiled sadly at the two men in her life on the couch. Rafael was hunched over, Noah still in his lap, but his eyes were distant and his face was tight with fear and worry. Noah simply clung to his body, his little head shoved in the crook of his neck.

"Rafi," she said softly, coming to sit next to him. He looked up a little, but he didn't move from his position. She couldn't see Noah's face, but she could see his little hand rubbing Rafael's shoulder in reassurance, even if he was too young to understand that that's what he was doing.

"Tell me what went down. What you were doing before you called me?"

He exhaled sharply, pulling Noah tighter against his chest as he finally leaned back. It was almost as if he was using the boy to ward of an incoming panic attack. His hands were shaky and he was taking deep calming breaths and just having her son sit with him was like his medicine. She honest to God had no idea how he would have gotten any better had Noah been around.

"It…it was going fine. Nothing was wrong. I kept getting these arrangements and get well cards all morning. Then Alex, Alex Muñoz? He stopped by to see how I was doing- "

"Alex Muñoz? I thought he was in prison."

"Apparently, he got out a couple of days ago, I don't know. He just stopped by and then my mom came to drop something off and while they were talking, another delivery came and I waited until they both left before I opened the card and that's when I saw it…"

He took a deep breath, having spit that entire explanation out. Liv furrowed her brow in concern, mind working through the information with startling speed. Of course, Alex Muñoz wasn't a name to gloss over and it was rather worrisome that a man that supposedly hated Rafael was suddenly popping in to see him. The fact that they were old friends didn't seem like much of an excuse to her, but perhaps, this wasn't the time to be thinking about it. She needed to get them packed and into a hotel room under permanent protective custody.

Which meant living out of a hotel until this shit was solved and the thought pissed her off more than anything. She was having to abandon her home because these gang-reppin' fuckers were trying to mess with people they shouldn't.

However, she would catalogue that familiar name in her mind for later, when she had time to remember that Alex Muñoz wasn't a name that shouldn't be involved in any facet of this case.

March 20th – 1: 25 p.m.

"You're gonna get my ass killed, you know that right?"

Zeke suppressed an eye roll and cradled the phone against his ear and shoulder, hands busy fixing another shitty microwave meal for his lunch. Somewhere upstairs in this empty house, Coco barked a few times before growling and quieting down. Her little feet pattered against the floor as she moved from one room to the next. Why they had to saddle him with that fluffy marshmallow of a dog, he didn't know. Probably to make him look less suspicious.

"I saved your life, bitch. You owe me one. Now shut up and type. You're the only one I know who can do this for me."

"Why you wanna help these people out anyway? I'm pretty sure you're locked up because of them."

Zeke growled, slamming the microwave door shut, "Just fucking do it, Diego. Your shit is untraceable. Not even that contract fucker from Denver can track your stuff."

"That's what they get for hiring some pinche gringo in the mountains. Alright, got it."

The beeping laptop from the kitchen island drew Zeke away from watching the spinning tray of shitty frozen food, the video files automatically downloading themselves into the private hard drive. He knew he was playing with fire officially, now that he had these files in his possession, but he was way too curious and way too in debt to the detectives back in the city.

Technically, he wasn't supposed to even have a cell phone or a computer, but thanks to a few clever tricks he learned with an ankle bracelet (he would return the laptop to its rightful owner soon) and his swift thinking, he was able to obtain key items that could keep him sane while being undetected.

He was surprised at first, when he was dropped off in this house with some basic toiletries, and a stocked fridge of food, that he was being treated that well. The officers assigned to his surveillance weren't the nicest guys he'd ever come across, but they treated him like a regular person. Perhaps, they were told to take it easy? In any case, he was grateful he wasn't being hassled.

Zeke ignored the beeping of the microwave as he expertly opened one of those video files to reveal a black and white grainy footage from the inside of Rikers with a familiar figure stalking down the hall with an officer, most likely one of their own as well.

Victor…

"Hey puto! You hear me? You done? My mamí's threatening to bust my door down if don't take the trash out."

Zeke kept his eyes on the screen, watching as the footage switched from a stark white hall to a dimly lit room. The footage was taken from a faraway security camera, only showing the tiny form of a man he couldn't out the identity of and Victor, recognizable in his walk alone. That cocky swagger he always held…Zeke wasn't surprised at how much hatred coursed through his veins at just the thought of his old mentor.

The things he'd been through and seen, all because of him. How many nights had Zeke stared up at the ceiling on his bed, in his sparsely decorated room, and wished the man dead? How many times had he woken up from nightmares, cold and sweaty, seeing Victor and Romero and him standing over him from the back of a car trunk, needles and knives in their hands as they laughed maniacally.

He wondered if Rafael Barba had nightmares like that…ones that woke him up and stole sleep from him. He imagined they were worse for him. Zeke had been there when they broke his arm and spit on his face. He was there when they beat him black and blue and told him no one was ever going to find him. They told him he was going to fade away into obscurity; that his friends and family didn't care enough to look for him.

Zeke could tell the man fought those negative thoughts every step of the way. Behind that brave, masked look, there was never any doubt that he wasn't being looked for, and he'd been right.

"Got it," he whispered into the phone as the last of files were downloaded completely onto his hard drive. He didn't bother saying goodbye to Diego and just slid the phone onto the kitchen island, eyes still focused in on the video, that had ended. The big, gray play button in the center of the screen covered the two individuals talking in a darkened room, but Zeke knew this was important video.

And there were about 50 other more video files that needed to be sifted through. God only knew what those held.

Zeke settled onto the sofa with his shitty microwave meal and his laptop opened on his lap, a list of video files open on the screen.

March 20th – 1:25 p.m.

Lexi felt a dizzying wave of dejavu when she turned the corner and was swept into the squad room of SVU by swift moving police officers. She apologized and moved out of the way, tucking into herself to try and appear smaller than she already was. It looked different than when she was last here…

It looked bigger, with a lot of empty desks and darkened office rooms. It seemed a little weird for it to be this empty during this time of the day, but then again, Lexi didn't know much about anything involving the police. She was always taught to avoid them instead of run to them.

She shoved her thumbnail between her teeth and looked around, unsure of who to go to. She was looking for Detective Rollins, or Olivia Benson at least, but seeing her darkened office room and the door standing wide open pretty much told her the woman wasn't in.

A strong hand on her shoulder made her jump and turn, eyes wide as she looked up at a familiar face. He held his hands up, seeing her reaction and chuckled a bit when she bumped into the desk chair she'd been standing next to.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," she blurted out, voice shaky. She gripped the strap to her backpack with white knuckles, trying to calm her breathing and prevent a full-on panic attack. She'd been near tears with anxiety as soon as she stepped foot off the train just an hour ago, and almost had a mental breakdown in an alley way just a few blocks from the precinct. More than once she questioned whether it was smart to do this, but she always reminded herself of why she needed to do it.

Closure, or something along those lines.

"Lexi, right?"

She hesitated to nod but didn't flinch when his hand landed on her shoulder again and steered her towards one of the desks. Lexi sat comfortably in the chair across from his, holding her bag in front of her. She knew who this was and smiled gratefully when he offered a cookie from the open package on his desk. She was starving.

"I'm glad to see you doing ok, but why are you here? You're not supposed to be anywhere near the city."

"I know…," she trailed, tearing off an edge of the cookie with a particularly large chocolate chip in it, "…but I've always been to curious for my own good."

Sergeant Tutuola looked a little surprised by her answer, but he waved her on, taking a sip from steaming coffee cup. Lexi eyed the machine set up in the corner of the room and she wondered if it would be weird if she could get some herself.

"I wanted to see Mr. Barba…see how he is. How he's doing. That's all."

Sergeant Tutuola nodded after a long moment, lips pursed and eyes downcast. That usually meant bad news in Lexi's opinion. That was how her father looked when she came home from school one day and her mother wasn't there. She immediately feared the worst, feeling so conflicted at the same time. She hadn't even wanted to help this man before and now she was concerned about his well-being?

"He's…ok. Look, I can't tell you much of anything, but things were good until today. I would love to take you to him and let you two talk and stuff but…he's not in right frame of mind and we're extremely busy. I'm sorry."

Lexi smiled sadly, still fiddling with the piece of cookie between her fingers. She tried to hold back the disappointed sigh that bubbled in her throat, but all she did was pop the piece of cookie in her mouth and stood up, saying, "Guess I should probably head home then."

"If you give me twenty minutes to finish typing up this report, I'll give you a ride back to the train station or else it'll take you a good half-hour to get back," he nodded encouragingly and pointed towards the darkened office she first stepped foot in just months ago, "You can chill in Liv's office. Grab a cup of coffee."

She did just that, cupping a piping hot cup of coffee between her hands as she circled the large oak desk, taking in the mess of papers and pencils and post-it notes scattered on the surface. She smiled when she noticed a picture of a little boy smiling at her from a black frame. He was holding a toy car and his tongue peeking out between his lips.

The other pictures held his same, smiling face in different poses. One dressed in a Christmas sweater and the other, in pajamas and sitting on her lap, giving her cheek a big kiss. The only other picture on her desk was a group shot and she instantly recognized Mr. Barba, pressed into her side along with the few other familiar faces. It looked like a family photo almost, seeing what was surely to be a tight-knit group of coworkers posing together in this very office.

It made her wonder why they all decided to take a group picture together, or why they looked so happy. Maybe, it was because they felt like it or they just arrested someone they were looking for. What did these people even do?

Lexi's smile faded from her lips and she turned to take in the city view from the office window. It's where she stayed until Fin (he gave her the oddest look when she called him Sergeant) got her, keys in hand and ready to cart her back to the train station.

March 20th – Time Unknown

"Shit…"

"Ah, you made it!"

Victor tore his eyes away from the bulletin board filled with pictures, freshly printed with recognizable faces decorating every square inch available. He traced every detail of every picture, traced the lines of their faces with familiarity. Computer monitors lined the wall of the small, underground space.

The combination of old must and new technology, hot hard drives working overtime on the computers to provide security footage, made his nose wrinkle uncomfortably. He felt the slightest disturbed twinge at the amount of thought out and pain-staking detail Athos (weird fucking name for a client of the gang but that's what he wanted to called) put into this. From the looks of it, he wasn't wanting to take down one of his oldest friends who turned against him.

He wanted to take out the entire NYPD. On top of that, he had the manpower available; it sat at his very finger tips, because Athos had a lot of money from embezzlement during his short stint in politics, thrusting it into stocks and shares that were guaranteed money makers thanks to a little birdie working on Wall Street.

Out of everyone, the man could get shit done and Victor realized, right away, he was not a man to be messed with. He knew of the entire back story between Athos and Rafael Barba, and if Victor could admit it to himself privately, he knew this guy was 'off-the-rails- crazy for attempting this shit.

He got caught sending pics to a little girl and he went down, simple as that. Even if the man who took him down was like a brother, still. But, those thoughts would always remain private. He wasn't about to get added to this ever-growing hit-list with the very man's name, whom he captured and tortured for five days, at the top of the list.

Victor walked behind Athos, overwhelmed by the amount of paper and technology buzzing around in this small closet of a room. They were underneath an apartment building right now, in an old janitorial area that hadn't been used in years. The building itself looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years, but that wasn't unusual for the projects in the Bronx. Most buildings in these parts had no upkeep at all.

"Sorry about the mess."

"Do you…run all this stuff by yourself?"

"No! No, I hired a few of your tech guys. I just like to watch."

Victor nodded, brows furrowed as he stopped in front of a wall of monitors that reached floor to ceiling, all showing grainy feeds of security and traffic cams from around the city. He recognized a few places, but none so more than the outside of the court house, where people milled about their daily lives. His eyes traveled the length, feeling overwhelmed at the sheer amount of footage he was taking in.

He spotted a monitor up in the very right corner, showing his back and his head angled up towards the corner of the room, Athos standing just a few feet away with a suit case in his hand and staring at him.

"I know, it's a bit much. But, when you have the money to spend…," Athos trailed, a charming smile gracing his features. For a moment, Victor smiled back but erased it, feeling like he shouldn't be returning such a disingenuous gesture. However, he couldn't help but think this psychotic man in front of him was likeable. He had a warmth about him that drew you in, made you comfortable. Victor wanted to sit down and get to know him.

He wouldn't be doing that. But, still, the feeling remained as Athos drew him further back into the long, concrete room where a fenced in area held a table and small kitchen area. It was an obviously well used area.

"Alright, here it is," the man slammed the brief case down on the table and snapped open the clasps, throwing one half of the case up to reveal cold, hard cash. Victor's eyes widened, smelling the fresh scent wafting off the bills. There were so many bills…

"What's this?"

"Your cut," Athos patted him on the back and closed the case again, transferring it from the table to Victor's hand. The younger man was shocked.

"Not that I don't want this…but why?"

"For everything. For all of that shit you went through before, dealing with those two amateur street toughs they shoved you with. I had a talk with Money Bags and he sends his apologies.

Money Bags. Victor stood up straight and nodded. That was a code name, everyone knew, for the big man on top, who was currently serving a jail sentence for kiddie porn. No one fucked with Money Bags, not even while he was locked up. The man had more connections than anyone in the city, but that's what was provided to him when he worked within the political and law enforcement sectors of the city.

"Yes, sir," Victor nodded, now knowing Athos was really not meant to be fucked with if he had connections to Money Bags.

"Now get on out of here. I'll call you later with more work. For now, go buy your mamí some lunch and take her shopping."

"Yes, sir," Victor nodded, feeling the handle of the case in his hand burning. He was itching to tear into this money because fuck there was a shit ton of it in his possession now. He turned to leave, but another gander at the wall of monitors made him glance back at Athos, who was tapping on his cell phone. He caught the glint of the man's wedding ring on his finger as he called out to him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Athos stepped out of the fenced in area and came to a stop just a few feet away, phone still cradled in his hand. Victor licked his lips, eyes still glued to the monitor showing the court house. There was more of a police presence hanging around outside and he wondered if something had gone down over there.

"What did this Barba guy do to you anyway?"

The charming smile that seemed to be plastered to Athos' face disappeared the moment the name slipped from Victor's lips. The silence that stretched between them was tense as Athos shook his head and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He took a step forward and slapped his down on Victor's shoulder.

"I have one rule and one rule only, Vic," Athos started, quietly but still audible over the buzz of electronics lined up against the wall, "Don't ever ask me about my business. The next time you do, I'll make sure three other pinche pendejos actually kill my target. Got it?"

Athos patted him on the shoulder and dismissed him, leaving Victor to turn and leave the underground room, suit case full of cash banging against the wall of the stair well in his haste to leave.

March 20th – 3:07 p.m.

"Lucia, really- "

"Shut it," Lucia said sternly, waving her finger in Liv's face. Noah stood with his hand in hers, pulling on it towards the bank of elevators while a personal guard stood behind them, waiting. Lucia had said the 'no-no' word (cookies) and since Noah was more than likely starving because of a skipped lunch, he was eager to go with Lucia. Normally, her son wasn't that open to strangers, but he'd taken to Lucia quickly, sensing the motherly nature about her.

"Let me do this. Rafi needs time and frankly, so do you. Besides, I know how to take care of hyperactive three-year-old, believe me. But, is it necessary for Mr. Clean back here to follow us around? We're only going to the hotel lobby. Besides, I can kick some ass if need be, trust me. Ask Rafi, he knows."

Liv cast a look back the bald, large man who had a hint of a smirk on his face, "Oh I have no doubt, but it makes me feel better…with everything going on, you know."

Lucia pursed her lips but nodded, not about to say anything more. She could understand the worry a mother faced when her child was in potential danger. The issue wouldn't be pressed further.

"Alright, well, we'll be gone for a while. I saw a playroom down there and one of this movie with the yellow things that wear the blue overalls? They're showing that at 2:30 so that'll give you some extra time."

"Thank you, Lucia," she finally leaned in for that hug and felt just slightest bit better about the entire situation. She quickly kissed Noah goodbye, seeing him grow restless and ready to go with the elderly woman already. She reminded the guard to give her a call if anything was needed before she turned back into the room and latched the door closed.

She was apprehensive about staying in a hotel room, just because they weren't all that safe either, but there were two cop cars down below and her gun was tucked away safely in the nightstand by the bed, so she wasn't completely out in the open. Those curtains were going to stay closed for the remainder of their stay, however long that was.

She shot a quick text to Lucy, apologizing yet again for the inconvenience. When she managed to find a moment to talk to the poor girl and explain, she'd been worried about the three of them rather than herself. Liv had urged her to take time off and go back home to Philadelphia to stay with family. It wasn't an easy conversation, but the young woman had already bought a plane ticket and that was one less person Liv had to worry about.

"Your mom has Noah down in the lobby. Guard is with them, don't worry," she cut him off, already knowing what he was going to ask when his lips parted. He nodded and hung his head again, fingers playing gripping the fabric of his slacks. He sat on the edge of the bed, silent and unmoving, leaving Liv to stare at him. Eventually, she sat down next him, their bodies touching.

She waited for him to say something for the longest time, but his green orbs still searched the carpet like it was going to solve the answers to their problems. He was beyond shaken, she knew that, even almost five hours after the fact. However, she was going to be damned if he thought she was going to let him be to wallow in the shit that muddied his mind.

"Raf- "

"I don't want to talk about it," he moved to turn away, but she wasn't letting him do that. No way in hell.

"Don't do that to me. Don't you dare. Look at me," she said forcefully, grabbing his chin and turning his head to look at her like he was some child. His eyes were glassy with unshed tears and his chin trembled in her hand, but she kept her stare strong and steady, unwilling to bend to the urge to just hold him.

"You have not come this far to close back up. Someone is out there and they're not done with you yet and we're going to do everything in our power to make sure this ends. But that means you need to stay strong. Nothing, and I mean not a damn thing, is going to get to you, you hear me?"

It took a few seconds, but he hesitantly nodded, sniffling and closing his eyes. A few tears fell, but when he opened his eyes again, there was a look of determination. It was the same look of determination in his eyes she saw the night she came home and he opened up to her about what happened to him. It was so distinctly Rafael Barba, it brought a bright smile to her face despite what was going on around them.

He sniffed and she let go of his chin, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck to press their lips together. She let the anxiety slip out of her body as she laid them back against the bed, their bodies pressed together and their hands wandering. The picture flashed through her mind, reminding her that they were under watchful eyes, but she pulled off her shirt anyway and enjoyed his hand dipping into her pants. He was desperate to feel close to her and she wouldn't deny him that.

After they were done, they faced each other, their faces barely visible in the darkened room with lights off and the curtains closed, and they just looked at each other. One of his hands played with a lock of her hair, his eyes closing longer and longer each passing minute. She waited in silence as he fell into a fitful slumber, his fingers eventually stopping the twirling of her hair.

She slipped stealthily out of bed and grabbed her cell phone and a towel, prepared to take a shower, but before she would, she scrolled through several contacts in her phone and pressed the name of a colleague holed up in records.

They were shorthanded as it was down there, but Liv was owed a favor or two and she knew they would move her to priority if she requested any police records or personal information on a certain person. So, she took advantage where she could and spoke quietly into the phone, the one name that had stuck with her since Rafael had whispered it to her in the comfort of her closed office.

"I need all you can give me on Alejandro Muñoz."

The call was quick and she was in and out of the shower, dressed in casual clothes and leaning against the headboard of the other queen bed, drifting through television channels when her phone buzzed again. When she pressed it to her ear, she expected Amanda to be checking up on her and asking her if she needed anything.

Instead, she sat up when Amanda's panicked screams blared straight into her ear. Panic struck her as she listened to the words tumbling from the detective.

"Fin was in a drive by! He was shot three times! Carisi, go with him! No, I've got Lexi…"

Liv raced towards her overnight bag and quickly pulled on socks and a pair of running shoes in record time, waking Rafael in the process.

"Amanda! Hey! Is he ok?! Is he going to the hospital?!"

"He's being transported right now. Lexi was with him in the car and Fin ran the car off the road and into a building and there was a lot of blood- "

"Amanda. Calm down. Take deep breaths."

She could hear the blonde woman's teary sighs as, Liv's own gathering in her eyes. She could hear Rafael sitting up in bed, questioning her with sleepy, worried eyes. She glanced back at him, "Fin was shot."

She didn't hear his explanation as she grabbed for her jacket and badge, listening to distant voices and sirens. It sounded chaotic.

"Where did they take him?"

"Mount Sinai. I'm headed there now with Lexi."

"Why is Lexi here? She's not supposed to be in the city. Just…"

Liv pressed the phone into her shoulder and looked at Rafael, who still sat in bed, covered with a sheet, but looked dismayed at the random turn of events.

"I have to go. I'll be back as soon as I can," she said, her voice thick with tears. He waved her out of the room, knowing she was seconds from breaking into worried sobs if she didn't get out of this room and to the hospital. This was one of her worst nightmares…

To go through it with Dodds, who they worked with for a short time, was difficult. But, to go through it with Fin, who she's known for years?

"Call me later."

Rafael nodded, "I will. Now go. We'll be fine here. I love you."

"I love you," she rushed out, already half way out of the room. One of the guards followed her at her instruction while the other stood to attention in front of the now closed door. She pressed the phone to hear, only to find that Amanda had hung up and that was fine. Her focus needed to be on the situation happening where she was.

But what situation was that? A drive by shooting? Was that it? With everything that had happened that morning, was it merely coincidence? She wasn't sure and there were so many questions that still hadn't been answered in the wake of new ones cropping up.

She tried to stop the stray thought that popped into her head the moment she slid into the back of police cruiser parked in front of the hotel, but it had been a private suspicion of hers for a while now and it was only growing stronger as they raced through crowded streets of the city.