She had always been stubborn. For as long as she can remember. Everyone knew it too. It was her strongest quality and that's how she found herself in this position.

It was late and she knew she had no food at home. This week has been horrible but she was ready for it to be over and for her son to come home. The hairs on the back of her stood up the minute second she stepped out of the aisle of the store she slipped into instead of her detail's car.

She walked to the counter and saw movement in the far corner of the store. She turned and her heart dropped at the sight in front of her. There were at least 6 of them all in masks with machetes in their hands. She then heard movement behind her. There were three more. She was surrounded and she knew. She knew she wasn't leaving that store alive.

She stood in the middle of the gang bangers and took and deep breath. She closed her eyes and immediately thought of her baby boy. He saved her when she was ready to give up. Gave her something to fight for. Something she always longed for. He was the piece of the puzzle that she needed the most. She then thought of the love of her life.

Elliot Stabler

She never told him but she knew that after the first attack on her that she needed him to know. To know that she had everything she wanted but him. He was the last piece of her puzzle. The last piece to complete her heart. They could never get it right but she wrote her own letter that tells him everything. It also tells him that there's no one else she would trust to take her son if something happened to her. He would raise him as his own just like she would.

She didn't move. She didn't go for her gun. She knew there was no point. She opened her eyes and a single tear slid down her face as she watched the man in front of her raise his arm. She had been through what she thought was hell before but nothing could have prepared her for the pain of this.

The machete slashed her straight from her shoulder down her chest. She felt another slash on her back. She dropped to her knees with her eyes clenched shut and waited for the rest of the crew to join the attack but instead of another cut her lungs were now filled with smoke.

The pain was too much for her to move and after a minute or two, something was placed on her face. She felt hands grip her armpits and she was snatched from the ground.

She opened her eyes to find those blue eyes staring at her. "You never could manage to keep yourself out of trouble." She couldn't fathom how he was here. How he got her out of there.

"I know Liv. I was following you. I heard about what happened and when you didn't call me I knew that I should keep my space but I was worried. I saw the last kids entering the alley. I'm sorry it so long for me to get you out of there. A bus is on the way. Don't move." She stared at him when disbelief but she was almost killed. She would've been killed if Elliot didn't save her. Again.

She ignored his warnings. Ignored the pain. Ignored the sirens and ignored the water that was now falling from the sky. She grabbed his jacket and pulled herself up. He opened his mouth to protest but before he could speak she pressed her lips to his.

Her eyes fluttered open and closed as she tried to focus her blurry vision. She no longer felt the pain of the slashes. She raised her hand to her chest and felt her chest where she felt a big bandage under her hand. The door opened and her heart machine began beeping.

"Elliot." He all but ran to the bed and grabbed her face. "I'm so glad you're awake." She smiled up at him looking into his deep ocean blue eyes. "You saved me." He nodded. A smile graced her lips. "You were following me." He nodded again. "To protect me." He once again nodded.

"I love you Elliot Joseph Stabler. I always loved you. I'm not ready for this change between us but I want it so bad. I want you so bad. I'm not ready but you're never going to be ready for change."

She watched as he silently processed her words. He didn't speak but let his actions speak for him. He leaned down and brushed his lips over her lightly to test the waters. When he went to pull away her good arm wrapped around his neck and pulled him back to her lips.

"I fucked up and leaving you was the hardest I've ever experienced and I would never again. I'm never leaving you again. We're going to do this and it's going to work because it's you and me in EVERY universe."

"Mom, are you ready?" She smiled at her son. He saved her and didn't even know it. "Am I ready? Are you? It was always me and you against the world and once we walk out that door it's us and the Stablers.

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had a growth spurt and now almost towered over his mother. "No. It's me you and our family now." He laid his head on er shoulder and she in turn laid her head on his.

"Yeah. Our family."