Olivia acknowledged she wasn't always a patient person. She laid by herself in her hotel room, and she realized this was one of those times. She knew exactly how long a manhunt in the woods could be. Well, maybe not exactly, but she assumed it wouldn't be quick.

She checked her phone for the thousandth time. She wished someone would send a status update, but she assumed all available officers were engaged in the manhunt. She didn't even have a radio on her to listen to the chatter. It was probably for the best. If anything happened to him she wouldn't be able to help him, and she would probably kill herself trying.

She let out a long sigh and glanced at the clock. It had only been an hour since he left her at the urgent care. Her fingers wistfully brushed across her lips as she got caught up in the memory. He kissed her. That happened. It wasn't a dream, or some weird undercover kiss. It was real . It was them , and for the first time they were clear with their intentions. It felt freeing, but with that freedom came a different sort of fear. She was no longer scared for her friend when he entered dangerous situations, she was scared for the man she loved.

She glanced at her phone again. Nothing. She thought about turning on the TV. She couldn't really move and this was one of those times she needed to pace out her tension. Her brain felt full, and she wished it would quiet .

She snatched up her phone the second it made a noise. The FBI coordinator texted:

Kyle Wilkie is in custody, but he is critically injured. One other critical injury was reported. Both have been airlifted out.

Olivia frantically texted. She needed to know who was hit because there were far too many people she cared about in that forest.

Who was injured?

The coordinator texted back.

I'm not sure. Someone from Sergeant Bell's team. It was chaos for a while. Let me find out.

She couldn't breathe. She was sure she was hyperventilating. She needed to slow down. There were lots of members of Bell' team. She hated herself for hoping it was anyone other than Elliot. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing. Air in. Air out.

No matter who was down it would be hard. Over the past few years she'd gotten to know many of the members of Elliot's squad. This would be horrible no matter who it was.

Time snailed along, and she resisted the urge to call Ayanna herself. No. She could wait. The coordinator would update her. Eventually.

A knock at the door startled her. She winced as she slowly moved her body off of the bed and limped to the door. She unlocked the deadbolt and immediately sobbed when Elliot stood on the other side. His arms immediately wrapped around her, and she cried into his shoulder with relief. She ignored the pain that came with the pressure of his embrace.

She felt his body shaking in harmony with hers. He walked her back a couple steps so the door could shut behind them, but he continued to cling to her like his life depended on it.

She pressed a kiss on his throat while whispering, "I'm so sorry," over and over. She rubbed her hands up and down his back while he let out the emotion he probably kept pent up until this moment.

Her hip began to ache from standing for so long, and she tried to ignore it, but eventually she had to shift her weight. Attuned to her, as he always was, he lightened his hold on her, "Do you need to lay back down?"

She wanted to say no, but the honest answer was yes. "Only if you lay with me," she murmured.

She felt him nod against her head and she reluctantly withdrew. She gripped his hand and led him to where she had previously laid.

His hands held her steady as he helped her lay on her right side. He took a couple steps away to settle behind her, but she pulled on his hand and patted the place in front of her. He shrugged and laid in front of her. She laid a gentle hand on his hip and with her fingers drew soft circles on his back. She placed a kiss on the back of his neck while continuing the comforting motion of her fingers.

Once his shuddered breathing slowed, and his body stopped shaking she brought her mouth close to his ear. "You gonna be okay?" She didn't bother asking if he was okay, because obviously he wasn't. The day began with a shooting, that took her down, and it was ending with a shot that took a member of his team down.

He rolled over so he now faced her. Her heart broke when his watering blue eyes met hers. "No." His voice rasped. She left one hand on his chest, and situated her other arm beneath his head. His heart drummed against the palm of her hand, reminding her how grateful she was that he was alive.

She wanted to ask who had been shot, but she didn't dare. The pain in his eyes made the question stick on her tongue. He seemed to read her thoughts when he croaked out, "Whelan."

She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. "How is he?" She managed to ask.

"Alive," his voice answered hoarsely. "Uh, but barely." His eyes closed. "He's in surgery, the bullet passed through his neck. They're certain it severed his spinal cord."

Oh God. He scooted closer to her and she pressed his head to her chest, just beneath her chin. Her arms wrapped around him. She didn't care that her hip screamed in pain. Right now, she only cared about his pain.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, but the words felt hollow. Words were useless at this moment. Nothing she could ever say would make any of this better. But maybe something else could lessen the pain that so obviously gripped his heart.

Her lips fell on his, softly and affectionately. His hand lifted to her cheek as he returned the kiss. She felt all the pain and sorrow bleeding out as he kissed her.

She realized she wanted more and she was determined to take this as far as her broken body would allow. Her tongue traced the contour of his lower lip, and his tongue immediately found hers. He felt his hands handle her gently as he moved them from her waist to her back. She cupped his face and kissed him deeply.

She knew he wanted to let his hands roam over her body, and she hated that she couldn't let him. She wanted to help him forget about this God awful day. She broke away and her mouth wandered the length of his jaw. Not able to gain access in the way she desired she pressed her hands against his chest rolling him into his back. He kept his hands gently on her as he helped her slide on top of him. Her hip throbbed, but she pushed it away and focused on letting her lips explore his neck. He groaned when she nipped at his ear, and she knew she had pulled him out of his own head.

He carefully lifted her shirt enough to expose her bra. She felt her heart rate increasing, as his fingers brushed along the bottom of her bra line. His lips stole hers again and he kissed her deeply.

When his phone began ringing they both groaned in displeasure. "Damn it," he muttered. He kept one hand in the bare skin of her back, and the other reached for his phone.

Her lips continued brushing against his jaw as he answered, "Stabler."

The voice on the other end sounded annoyed, but Elliot didn't seem to care. "Fine. Yeah it's fine. I'll be there soon."

He nearly threw his phone across the room. His eyes held hers before he kissed her slowly once more.

"You need to go?" Her lips brushed against his with every word."

"Yeah." She knew he wanted to defy orders and stay, and part of her wanted that too. "I came straight here."

Which meant he didn't report to anyone. If she were his commanding officer she would kill him. Good thing she wasn't. Still, she needed to let him go. "You need to go," she urged.

The look in his eyes indicated how much he desperately wanted to stay . "I don't want to," he admitted. He kissed her quickly.

She carefully slipped her body off of his, hoping they both would think more clearly without her body pressing into his. "Your team needs you." She brushed her fingers over his cheek. "Go."

He sighed, kissed her once and got up. She could tell he was holding back whatever words sat on the edge of his lips. He hesitated, "Bye Liv." His eyes held hers with intensity, but only for a moment, before he left.