She was a seasoned detective. She knew what drew the press and the outrageous headlines, so when the arrest of their mom-to-be rapist led to the closing of a 12 year old cold case, Olivia knew that every news channel in New York would be swarming the courthouse every day of the trial. She had been very right. Even more so on this day where the verdict would be read.

Liv trudged tiredly up the many, many steps toward the massive wooden doors of the courthouse. It had been a long month, the trial, cases at SVU, growing a human. She was desperate for a full weekend off, but she couldn't not be there to hear the verdict. So, at 4:30pm on a Friday, she was back downtown to join the public and press to see what their perp would be charged with.

"Liv, wait up!"

She stopped mid-step and looked over her shoulder, to see Elliot fast approaching.

"Thought you couldn't get away from those DD5s?"

He shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "I realized if no one knew I was working on them, then no one would be looking for them."

The eye roll he received from her, turned his grin into a smirk.

She turned to keep walking up the stairs. Elliot watched her move at a pace just less than what was normal for her. Her usually curled mid-length hair was thrown up in a claw clip; he loved her hair up, but knew it was a sign of her exhaustion, a few extra minutes of sleep in exchange for a prolonged primping session.

When she paused for just a moment in front of the heavy courthouse doors and took a deep, steadying breath, he had to stop the urge he had to gently place a hand on her lower back, to give her just a small bit of the additional support she needed. He wanted so desperately to be a comfort to her, but he couldn't. Elliot was easing his way out of the dog house with Liv, but he had a ways to go.

They slogged through the busy hall to the courtroom and slipped in, three rows back from Barba's table, just in time to hear the judge ask the jury forewoman to stand.

There was a pit growing in Olivia's stomach the moment she sat down. She truly didn't believe anything but a guilty verdict would be given out, but there was always a part of her who feared the worst because she had seen it go wrong so many times.

Elliot could sense the nervous energy coming from her. "They'll get him," He whispered.

"They better."

"They will."

She just nodded in response this time. She ran a hand across the length of her stomach and moved it to rest on top, where the movements she felt were a stark contrast to the scenes that had led them to this courtroom in the first place. The world around her blurred for a moment, while she focused on the baby inside of her, moving repeatedly, a staunch reminder of how lucky she was and of how much she wanted this man to go away for life.

Guilty.

The word broke through and pulled her back to reality.

"Told you." Elliot said.

Whispers worked through the courtroom, nearly drowning out the final statements from the judge.

Olivia let out a sigh of relief.

Then a scream broke through every other sound and pierced her ears. A chill ran through her.

She was lagging, a second behind, and when she refocused enough to see what was happening, she was too late. The man was charging at her, shiv in his hand, aimed for her. Her breath caught in her throat and her hands shook so hard she couldn't find her gun.

Elliot worked fast, moving around Olivia quicker than she could think. He shoved her out of the way, harder than he needed to, but he was reacting, he wasn't being careful because there wasn't time to be. She stumbled, barely catching herself on the back of the wood bench.

She heard it first. The shiv pierced through his clothes.

Then she saw it. The blood dripped to the floor.

Her instincts took over, replacing the fear she felt with the years of training she had. Olivia found her gun and got off one shot so fast that she didn't realize what she had done until the man hit the floor, hands clutching his abdomen.

People were screaming, running from the scene. Security guards were entering against the flow of terrified spectators.

"Elliot." It came out as only more than a whisper.

He was slumped on the wood bench. He had his hand pressed to his left shoulder. Blood pooled around his fingers. She stood over him, quickly moving his hand and pressed hard with hers, applying as much pressure as she could. Her fingers still turned bright red.

In the distance the sound of muffled sirens could be heard.

"Just stay with me El." Liv felt tears pricking her eyes. "You'll be fine, okay? You'll be fine."

He groaned in pain, his only response.

"I've got you, El. I've got you."

"Liv?"

Cragen approached her, carefully. She sat in the back of the courtroom. A glazed over look covered her deep brown eyes and she didn't respond to him. He could see the blood still on her hands and on her sweater. It made him shudder, the bright red dried stains against her round stomach.

"Liv?" He tried again, a little louder this time.

She lifted her head slowly to make eye contact with him.

"You gave your statement?"

She nodded.

"Let's go." He reached a hand out to her.

Liv took his extended hand and allowed him to help her up. She took in a sharp breath as she stood up, her back protesting the hour she had spent sitting on the hard wood bench. She felt so heavy on her feet, the combination of being 7 months pregnant and the emotional burden of her partner being attacked weighed her down in a debilitating way.

She followed him out of the courthouse, only to find Fin at the top of the steps. He didn't say anything, but covered her other side. The lingering press started to swarm and her captain and friend protected her as they descended the stairs towards Fin's running squad car at the bottom. She had never been more grateful for an early 2000s ford, as she was the moment Cragen shut the door behind her. Fin was in the driver's seat and pulling away within seconds.

"Where are we going?" Liv asked.

"Elliot's at Mercy."

"Okay."

Fin walked with her into the hospital. He clocked the stares of the patients in the ER, looking at the pregnant woman wearing a blood stained sweater, but Olivia was too distracted to take inventory of what people were thinking. Fin thought that was for the best.

Liv flashed her badge at the nurse manning the station in the middle of the Emergency Room chaos. "I'm looking for Elliot Stabler."

"Give me just a second." The nurse was quick to look through her system for information. "Room 204, third door on the right through the double doors."

"You need me?" Fin asked.

"I've got it."

"Call me if you need a ride home."

"Thanks, Fin."

Liv got to Elliot's room and paused outside of it; a moment for her to gain some composure, before she pushed the handle and pressed the door open.

There he was. A weak smile crossed his face when he saw her.

He was shirtless, the defined lines of his abdomen and built arms on full display. A large white gauze pad was taped between his left shoulder and collar bone. A few spots of dried blood remained on his bare chest. An hour and a half ago, he had been in shock, in and out of consciousness and laid on a gurney. The sight of him sitting up and awake, made relief swell through her body.

"How are you doing, Superman?"

He chuckled. "I'd be better if you shot that bastard sooner."

Guilt suddenly wracked her. He watched her entire demeanor change.

"Come, on Liv." He was serious now.

The tears she had staved off earlier, returned and threatened to spill.

"Liv, I'm giving you shit. You know I don't mean that. This is not your fault."

"I was slow. I needed to work faster."

Elliot shook his head. "I didn't pull my gun at all. I pretended to be a fucking human shield, instead of taking that asshole out."

"Better you than me."

"Damn right."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Give me a hand?"

Olivia moved toward Elliot, helping him to slide off of the table. His hands were warm against hers, she held a little tighter than she needed to. Touching him, feeling him, made the tears fall.

She couldn't lose him again. She hadn't allowed herself to admit that. Until now, she was holding tight to the walls she had built around her feelings; they were her only form of protection around the hurt she had already been caused and the hurt he could inflict again. But it was more complicated than that. It wasn't as simple as turning off any and all feelings she had for him. There was far too much history for simplicity in their relationship.

Elliot was gentle. He had been trying so hard to not overstep his bounds, but there she was in front him, crying and asking for more from him than distance. He tenderly used a thumb to wipe away the tears streaming down her face.

"El." She whispered.

But he didn't respond.

He kissed her. It was gentle. It was slow. It was almost too easily returned by Olivia.

Years of unanswered questions, years of unanswered desires and here they were in a hospital, an ER room, and so many things were no longer a mystery.