Whew, it's been a while sice I've updated this, and I'm sad to say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not a train! Or is it?... (laughs maniacally, lightning appears in middle of day) Okay.. done with that. But there are some more twists and turns that our detectives and doctors must suffer before they can call it a day... So read, enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: They ain't mine... yada yada yada... poor as dirt... don't sue!

This chapter is dedicated to some of my biggest readers, reviewers and friends: The Confused One (who is also my wonderful muse), Kinseyjo, onetreefan, RoadRunnerGer, InfinityStar, Essy, El Chacal, fanciful geek, KateBA, JusticeIsBlind13, Podie1, Shadw, Kelly Of The Midnight Dawn, deliriousdancer, hotchner, bammi1, blucougar (even though she hasn't reviewed since the first chapter, LOL), iluvstabler, Sweet-4-Stabler and PsychoStrider (so they don't shoot me or eat my limbs) aweena, and Space Monkey. Thanks, everyone! I love you all!

Carolyn nearly screamed when the bullets splintered the wood of the door, and she prayed fervently that the door would hold until Deakins and Cragen could get them out. Finally Cameron began to stitch the wound in Bobby's chest, and Carolyn had to look away to prevent becoming sick. That's when she noticed the grime and dirt covered window that she had missed before.

Eyes wide, she caught Cameron's eye, then silently motioned to herself, then the window. Cameron's eyes widened, and Carolyn rose to her feet and silently crept across the room, quickly reaching the window. With a quiet grunt, she grasp the edge of the window, then attempted to open it.

But before she could force the window open, another bullet pierced the door, and both of the women gasped in fear. Gritting her teeth, Carolyn finally managed to coax the glass upwards, then cautiously leaned through the window and looked around. To her surprise and joy, two officers spotted her and quickly approached the window.

She motioned for them to be silent, then whispered, "We need a bus, now. Cameron's fine, but Goren isn't going to make it unless we get him to a hospital, and fast." One of the officers stepped forward and said, "We've got to get the three of you out, now. Do you think that you and Cameron can get Bobby to the window? We can get the three of you out that way."

Carolyn turned around and walked back over to Cameron, saying, "Allison, do you think you could help me get Bobby through that window? It may be our only chance."

Cameron looked down at Bobby's unconscious form, then at the window. "We've got to," she finally stated, rising to her feet. Carolyn walked over and stood across from her, and together they bent down and reached under Bobby's arms to pull him up. Awkwardly, they managed to stumble to the window, with Bobby's limp form between them. One of the two officers who were waiting outside managed to reach through the window, and between the three of them, they safely lowered Bobby out of the cabin, and he was immediately placed on a stretcher and rushed to an awaiting ambulance.

As soon as he was out of the cabin, Carolyn's detective instincts kicked in, and she grabbed Cameron's arm and pulled her to the window. Cameron looked at Carolyn in amazement, then quickly climbed out of the window to safety.

Carolyn was about to lift herself out of the cabin, but as she gripped the windowsill, the door of the room flung open, and she froze, unable to move.

"No."

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

Wilson and Cuddy saw the officers guide Cameron from the back of the cabin, and they weren't surprised when a blurred figure rushed up and swept her up into his embrace. Once he was satisfied that she hadn't been injured, he embraced her again, kissing her forehead as he held her in his shaking arms.

The officers guided them away from the cabin, and Cuddy, Wilson and Chase walked over to the couple and took turns hugging Cameron and expressing their relief that she was alive and unharmed.

Amidst the chaos and fear, gratitude and anger, Cameron finally broke and collapsed into House's arms. House caught her awkwardly, and they both sank to the ground, despite his leg's protests.

He didn't care that three sets of eyes were watching as he pulled her into his lap, and he certainly didn't care about anyone else as he pressed his lips to her hair and murmured words that only she could, or was allowed to hear. She mumbled something into his chest, and he dipped his head lower to hear her.

"...pregnant," he heard her whisper, and his entire body tensed. They had been trying for so long to get pregnant, and he was beginning to think that they never would. But now, on the worst day of their lives, she was saying the words that he had wanted to hear for so long. His mouth opened and closed several times before he gave up and tightened his arms around her, holding her tightly to his chest.

The other doctors and duckling took in the exchange with light hearts, until they all remembered that there was still one person trapped in the cabin with a mad man. And when they heard the shots, their fears increased as they were forced to wait once again.

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

The first bullet lodged into the wall a few inches from her head before she had a chance to duck, and Carolyn found herself face to face with a wide eyed, leering maniac. She knew that she had to disarm him somehow, but as he inched forward, the gun trained on her, she simply didn't know how.

Outside, she could faintly hear the voices of the people who were working to save all of them, and for a moment, she entertained the idea of throwing herself through the open window. But she knew all too well that before her hand ever reached the windowsill, she would be dead. And she couldn't risk it, not only for herself, but for Mike.

So she raised her hands in the air in a slow and non threatening manner, hoping to deter Stevens. But he kept the gun trained on her, and she swallowed thickly before finding her voice.

"Just... just let me go..." she pleaded softly. "Don't make things any worse than they have to be. If you let me go, it will look good for you." Her voice grew stronger as she spoke. "But if you pull that trigger, they'll gladly put a needle in your arm, regardless of whether I live or not."

His sneer faded a little, but Carolyn didn't relax. Instead, she continued to talk, seeing that it was her only chance to possibly walk out of the cabin alive. "You seem like a smart man. Let's just think about this reasonably. You want to live, right? Well, so do I. If you just put that gun down, we both can live and walk out of here. That sounds good, doesn't it?" she asked quietly, and he lowered the gun fractionally.

But just when she thought that she would get out, that she would see Mike again, the gun went off, and she closed her eyes instinctively. Time seemed to crawl as she waited for the inevitable, and images of Mike's face and their past flooded her mind.

"Mike."

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

Mike was sleeping in Alex's bed beside her, with his head beside hers on the pillow. But she was unable to sleep, and with the room and her arms achingly empty, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she knew.

Suddenly the same young rookie who had come in earlier to inform them about Mike appeared in the doorway, and Alex looked at him curiously. He paused, and Alex motioned for him to step into the room. He did.

He stepped across the floor until he was standing by the bed, and he spoke quietly but urgently. "Detective Eames, I'm supposed to tell you that they got Detective Goren out of the cabin, and he's due to arrive here within the hour."

Alex froze, happiness surging through her veins. He would be there soon, her Bobby, and she could hold him. No, she would hold him for as long as she possibly could.

"Thank you, God," she whispered, and when she opened her eyes, the rookie was gone. She looked at the slightly ajar door, then relaxed slightly, taking peace in the fact that she would be able to hold her partner, her Bobby again soon.

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

His head was pounding, and as he opened his eyes, the world swam around him. He groaned and closed his eyes again, trying to make the feeling disappear. But it hit him with full force, and the black night swallowed him whole again.

The I.C.U. nurse rushed in to check Elliot's vitals, then, once she was satisfied that he was fine, she walked back out of the room.

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

Several painful seconds crawled by, and Carolyn finally forced her eyes open, surprised by what she saw. Stevens laid sprawled on the wooden floor, and blood was beginning to pool under his body. She looked around, but saw no one.

A few seconds later, the door was flung open, and Carolyn found herself in the center of dozens of pairs of hands that searched her for injuries. She just shrugged them off and tried to take a step away from the hell hole that she had been trapped in. But as she applied pressure to her left ankle, it gave out, and she felt herself falling to the floor. But before she landed on the floor, a pair of arms caught her and helped her up. Those same arms helped her out of the cabin, and as she walked into the sunlight, the applause and cheering was deafening.

As she was led to an ambulance, Cameron approached her, her eyes shining. "Thank you, Carolyn," she whispered, and Carolyn smiled slightly and nodded at her. Then she climbed into the ambulance, the doors slamming shut before anything else could be said.

The ride to the hospital was quick, and Carolyn was barely aware of everything as they examined her, then fitted her leg with a cast and gave her a pair of crutches. Finally the room was empty, and Carolyn eyed her crutches as she sat on the bed that she had been placed on.

"I have to see him," she stated to the four walls, and she managed to push herself off of the bed. Grabbing the crutches, she awkwardly pushed them under her arms and limped around the room until she felt comfortable enough to leave the room. Then she hobbled out of the room and quickly found a receptionist's desk, smiling at the woman sitting in front of the computer as she said, "Hi. Can you tell me which room Mike Logan is in?"

The woman looked at her curiously, then began typing on the keyboard. "Mr. Logan is in... ah, room 305."

"Thanks," Carolyn said as she hobbled away from the desk. She located the room quickly, and after taking a steadying breath, knocked on it quietly. When she received no answer, she knocked again, hoping that he was just in the bathroom. Again, no answer. With a trembling hand, she grasped the doorknob and slowly turned it, stepping into the room.

"Mike?" she called, looking around the empty room. He was nowhere to be seen, and panic was building inside of her. Backing awkwardly out of the room, she hobbled down the hall, not stopping until an open door and familiar voice caught her attention.

She turned around and fumbled to the open door, knocking softly before poking her head inside. Alex was on the bed, and she smiled brightly when she saw Carolyn. "Come on in," she called softly, and Carolyn gladly maneuvered herself into the room, but froze when she saw Mike on the other side of Alex, hidden from her view at the door.

Alex caught Carolyn's worried stare, and she smiled reassuringly and said, "He's fine, Car, but he's been worried about you." The smaller woman carefully sat up and climbed off of the bed, her hand automatically going to her side. Carolyn opened her mouth, but Alex shook her head and pointed to an empty bed a few feet away.

Once Alex was lying in the second bed, Carolyn hobbled over to where Mike was sleeping, and she carefully sat on the edge of the bed. Discarding her crutches, Carolyn laid back in the bed, draping one arm over her partner's sleeping form. He instinctively turned into her and buried himself in her side, and she smiled a little. "Mike," she whispered tenderly, threading her fingers through his hair.

Yes, things were slowly coming together again.

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

Olivia followed Cragen and the doctor into the cool and quiet atmosphere of the Intensive Care Unit, her heart pounding and her palms sweating. She hadn't seen her partner in nearly three days, and under these circumstances, five minutes was far too long. So she stayed directly behind them, until they stopped in front of one of the doors.

She looked at Cragen, who paused before briefly embracing her. The understanding was unspoken. It was up to her to travel the rest of the road. So she thanked the doctor, then slipped into the room, the door shutting quietly behind her.

Her hands and legs trembled as she approached the bed, and her hand automatically slipped into his as she gazed upon his pale face. She could see the bandages that were wrapped tightly around his chest, and the red lines that bled through them made it hard for her to breathe.

Exhaling slowly, she raised her free hand and traced his mouth with her thumb, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. A lone tear fell down her cheek and hit his blanket, followed by another. "I'm so glad you're okay, El," she whispered, stroking his hand with her thumb. "I don't know... I don't want to know what I would've done if you..." Her voice trailed off, and she shoved her fist against her mouth to prevent a sob from escaping her lips.

She didn't notice when his left hand twitched, and she gasped softly when the fingers of his right hand curled slowly around her shaking hand. She looked down, but his eyes were still closed. Thinking it was just a reflex, she sat down in the chair beside his bed, leaning forward so she could rest her head on his arm. Closing her eyes, she quickly became lost in thought as she continued to hold her fingers against the soothing feeling of Elliot's strong and steady pulse.

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

"Still no word," Deakins stated regretfully as he walked into the room, and Alex covered her eyes with her trembling hand. Carolyn reached over and covered Mike's hand with hers, and he rested his head on her shoulder.

Nearly three hours had crawled by since Bobby had been admitted into the hospital, and all the doctors or nurses would say was that he was in good hands. Deakins had somehow arranged for the three Major Case detectives to share a room, and right now, Mike and Carolyn were in the same bed, while Carver was sitting in a chair beside Alex's bed.

Alex sighed and rolled over in her bed, so that her back was to everyone else. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she made no attempt to wipe them away.

Carolyn's arm snaked around Mike's waist, and she said, "Don't worry, Alex. He'll be fine. He fought like hell at the cabin to get back to you. He's not going to give up now."

Alex prayed that she was right.

Later that night, Mike and Carolyn were sleeping soundly in their bed, and Alex was lying on her side, staring out the window, when Deakins walked in. He walked around the bed to look at her, and Alex looked at him expectantly.

"He's out of surgery," Deakins stated quietly. "They've got him stabilized, but the next twenty four hours are crucial."

"When can I see him?" Alex asked, and Deakins shrugged.

"It was bad, Alex. Blood had built up in his lungs, and Dr. Cameron had to open his chest to drain the blood. When he got here, he had already lost a lot of blood, and I'm worried that other things went wrong," he said, his eyes drifting from hers.

She didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

Olivia was sleeping fitfully with her upper body draped across Elliot's legs, and her right hand clasping his left, when he stirred a little. She bolted upright and looked down at his face. "El?" she murmured, grasping his right hand gently.

His eyes fluttered open, and she smiled with relief and traced his lips with her thumb, murmuring, "Hey there, stranger."

He looked at her, and a smile slowly played across his lips as she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Liv." His eyes slid shut again, and she sighed and rested her head on his chest, careful to avoid his wounds.

"I love you, El. I love you."

SVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCIMDSVUCI

Alex wasn't prepared. She thought she could handle seeing her partner. Hell, she was thrilled to pieces at the fact that she could finally be with him. But as Deakins wheeled her up to his bedside, and she saw all of the machinery that was helping her partner to live, she wasn't so brave anymore.

She sat up straighter in the chair and reached out to hold Bobby's right hand, threading her fingers through his. "Oh, Bobby," she sighed sadly, and Deakins squeezed her shoulder before stepping out of the room.

When she heard the door shut, she leaned closer to the bed and squeezed Bobby's hand, attempting to distribute some of her warmth into him. The room was silent, with the exception of the steady hums of the machines and the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears.

She sighed again and stroked the back of his hand with her thumb before finally finding her voice again. "Bobby... I've got some good news. As soon as you're awake, and if you don't get an infection, they're going to move you into a room with me, Mike and Carolyn," she said through teary eyes. She received no response.

She felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she ignored it and gently pressed her lips to his hand, then rested her forehead against it.

"Please, Bobby..." she choked out, gripping his hand tightly. "Just hang in there. Come back to me. Please."

Her stomach rolled suddenly, and she lowered her free hand to her belly, rubbing it slowly. She raised her head again and wiped the tears away, then said, "I never got the chance to tell you, Bobby. You're going to be a daddy. You hear me, Goren? You can't leave us alone like this. So just hold on, and come back... to both of us."

On a prayer

In a song

I hear your voice

And it keeps me hanging on

Raining down

Against the wind

I'm reaching out

Till we reach the circle's end

When you come back to me again

When you come back to me again

TBC...

A/N: Told ya'll there were still a lot of twists! Now, we've still got one or two chapters to go, so hold on! Oh, and the lyrics I used at the end were from the amazing Garth Brook's song When You Come Back To Me Again. Thanks for reading everyone, and for my CI fans, I've got a special treat for ya'll... a sneak at my first full length Mike and Carolyn story, When You Come Back To Me Again. Enjoy!

When You Come Back To Me Again

He was surrounded by darkness. Every time he tried to move, his entire body protested, and a pain unlike any he had ever known surged through him. He could hear voices, but he couldn't understand what they were saying, and it frustrated him.

He tried to move again, and a small moan passed his lips, the sound foreign to his own ears. As the fog cleared, he could hear a gentle voice whispering to him, and he strained to understand the words.

"Shh, Mike. I've got you. I've got you," the tender voice cooed, and he felt a soft hand against his cheek. Suddenly his hands were free, and he felt two arms circle his upper body, holding him tenderly. The soft voice suddenly became urgent, and he heard them yell something about a bus and blood loss. He couldn't make sense of anything but the soft and gentle arms that were cradling him close.

Suddenly the memories hit him, and he began to panic, struggling against the person who was holding him. But he was too weak to offer much of a fight, and he finally gave in and collapsed against the warmth and security of the comforting arms. The gentle hand caressed his forehead, and he turned into the soft material, burying his face in it. Bits and pieces of his memory of the attack were pouring over him like ice cold water, and he shuddered and closed his eyes.

Like it? I think it's going to be good. Review, please!