Law & Order: SVU

Law & Order: SVU

"Thin Frames"

An Original L&O: SVU Story

2008 by Patricia L. Givens

Summer 2008

Disclaimer #1:This story is an original work of fiction set in the pre-existing world of Law & Order: SVU. As such, many of the characters and references used within belong solely to NBC, Dick Wolf and TPTB. I didn't gain anything here, so don't sue me…

Disclaimer #2:All original characters and storylines contained herein belong to the author. (Like anyone else would claim them!  ) This story may be archived upon request with the stipulation that it must be posted exactly as it was written, with all disclaimers intact.

Disclaimer #3:This story depicts a romantic relationship between two women. The scenes may be graphic, but they are lovingly so. If this bothers you then please tell me how the hell you found my site in the first place? Did you Google "Stuff to piss off intolerant red necks" or what? If you're under 18, take full advantage of your flexibility while you can! (Trust me, you've only got so many years of being able to play bedroom twister before you'll end up in the emergency room!) If this is illegal where you live…well…that explains what you're doing home reading this on a Saturday night…

PLEASE READ THIS:This story contains brief graphic depictions of violent crime and trauma. Rape may be alluded to, and explained in a forensic fashion, but will not be gone into in any great detail. As much as I love SVU, there are some things even my id rebels against. Oh, and my world is blissfully Loss-Free!

Who To Blame:Thanks, as always, to KY for continuing to be the pain in the ass that I know and love. Thanks to the Ladies of the Voyager Conspiracy for letting me take up their bandwidth while I babble about two women who never came close to the Delta Quadrant. (But by the time I'm done, they will have come in almost every other place…) Thanks to Kimly for being patient with me and thanks to Zoey for… well… pretty much just being fantastic.

This story is dedicated to Beep cuz she helped me get started on my newest obsession. (DAMN YOU, KING OF THE LAB!!)

Alex's wardrobe was not compromised during the writing of this story. However, her dry cleaner did have some pretty snarky things to say about button loss…

DAx /\ The EverBard

Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.
-Clarence Darrow

Chapter One: The Vic

So this was how it was all going to end…

Olivia pressed her back to the wall as she felt her legs give out. Slowly, she sank down onto to the dirty floor of the warehouse, her hand pressed tight against the excruciating pain in her side.

Taking a deep breath, she peeled her fingers away and stared down at the perfect black circle the bullet had made in her shirt. Dazed, almost fascinated, she watched as the sullen red stain that covered half of her abdomen seemed to pulse around the wound, almost vibrating in intensity as fresh blood leaked from the opening. Closing her eyes, she repositioned her hand and pressed hard, grimacing as tears slid down her cheeks.

If she could just get it to stop bleeding…

She shifted slightly and the agony flared white hot, a small gasp tearing from her lips as she gave in to the reality of the situation.

There was no exit wound; the bullet was still in there. And every time she moved, she could feel it digging in a little deeper, tearing her up a little bit more. Nothing would stop the bleeding… not now.

She felt her head begin to swim as dark spots filled the edges of her vision. With the last of her strength, she raised the Glock in her right hand and thumbed the release.

The clip fell onto her lap and she swallowed, realizing it was much too light.

Empty…

She was still looking at it when the footsteps that had been moving towards her stopped. She raised her head to find herself staring down the barrel of a .45 automatic.

There was an obscenely gentle laugh. "I win." A voice whispered.

The muscles in her arm gave out, causing her hand to fall to the floor beside her. The Glock slipped from her fingertips and skittered across the concrete. "Why, because you're gonna kill me?" She shook her head, her words punctuated by short, panting breaths. "There are fifty badges outside. One way or the other… you're going down."

"Maybe." A finger caressed the trigger lovingly. "But you won't be here to see it."

Olivia shrugged, biting back the gasp of pain that would have given away just how much effort the small movement cost her. "I've scraped enough shit off my shoes to know what it looks like. I won't be missing anything." She watched as a foot was drawn back and pulled her knees towards her, protecting her abdomen with the tops of her thighs. The three sharp kicks delivered to her shins hurt like a motherfucker, but it was better than the alternative.

"Goodbye, Detective…"

When she didn't close her eyes, the perp moved forward slightly, pressing the gun firmly against her temple.

She could feel the heat emanating off the barrel, left over from the shot that had impacted with her side, as the acrid scent of gunpowder assaulted her nose. Still she did not flinch. Lifting her chin, she stared directly at her attacker, a small smirk on her lips.

She watched the hammer click back with a sick sense of fascination as she waited for her life to flash before her eyes.

That was supposed to happen right?

But it didn't.

If she was supposed to spend the last few moments of her life reminiscing about the things that were the most important to her, then it was going to be pretty hard to keep denying the only image that came to mind.

Intense blue eyes… behind thin black frames…

7 Days Earlier

Elliot Stabler smiled as he flipped open the box of Krispy Kreme donuts and saw one last cream filled with his name on it. He knew his partner would be pissed as all hell that he had swiped her breakfast, but she was late so it was her own damn fault.

"You snooze, you lose, Liv." He bit down on the pastry just as the door swung open and the woman in question stepped inside.

Detective Olivia Benson shook the snow out of her short, dark hair before unwinding the scarf from around her neck, throwing both it and her well worn black leather jacket onto a coat rack in the corner. Cold air seemed to vent off her well toned body in waves as she blew into freezing hands. Without so much as a grunt of acknowledgement, she made a beeline for the coffee pot, filling her mug with the steaming brew before sighing in relief as she wrapped her fingers around the heated porcelain.

Deep, auburn colored eyes studied Elliot over the rim of the coffee mug as she walked towards their desks, which sat back to back in the middle of the squad room. One eyebrow quirked up dangerously as she noticed the donut in her partners hand.

Correction: the half of a donut in his hand.

"Unless you want to be walking funny for the rest of the day there had better be another one of those in that box for me." She said darkly.

"Mmmph." Elliot choked on the bite already in his mouth before grinning sheepishly and handing her the uneaten portion. "I was just… checking to make sure it hadn't gone stale. What with you being late and all…"

She snatched the donut as she glared at him. "Two minutes, Elliot. I was two minutes late!"

"Hey, you're either on time or you aren't." He dropped into his chair, picking up his own mug. "That donut was lonely, I had no choice but to put it out of its misery and eat it."

Olivia slid behind her desk, taking the time to put her feet up as a slow, wicked smile played across her lips. "I'll remember that the next time you're late getting home to Kathy."

Elliot choked on his coffee. Leaning forward, he coughed violently as his lungs tried to expel the liquid. When he could breathe again he shot her a nasty look. "You know, I think maybe I liked it better when I just suspected you were a vagitarian."

The brunette laughed, glancing around the squad room to make sure they were still alone. She remembered the night her partner had ambushed her at O'Malley's rather fondly. He had been in the dog house with Kathy at the time and dropped in to find her nursing a beer and a sore jaw, both courtesy of the woman she had bedded earlier in the evening. "Hey, you were the one who came to me with your oh-so-serious look and your 'we're more than partners, Liv… we're family' spiel." She bit down on the donut, grinning at him as she licked the white cream from her lips. "You just wouldn't leave it alone."

Elliot glanced over his shoulder at Cragen's office before leaning towards her. "I thought someone had clocked you! I was ready to beat the hell out of the guy."

Olivia broke into helpless laughter as she remembered the look on his face when she explained that the bruise had actually come from her bedmates knee… which had collided with her jaw at the most inopportune time. "Well, at least I saved you from a felonious assault charge."

"The truth shall set you free?"

"Something like that." She grinned.

"Benson! Stabler!"

The two detectives glanced up to see Cragen standing in the doorway to his office. One look at his face and their laughter died immediately.

"What's up Cap?" Olivia took in the sag of his shoulders, the deeply haunted look in his eyes and felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. In her head the litany of names began.

Not a cop… not a friend… not Munch, or Fin or… She felt her blood run cold. Please not Alex…

"We caught an ugly one." The captain's voice was tired, and carefully devoid of any type of inflection. "This one comes with a price tag."

"What's the name?" She held her breath.

"Wainscott."

Olivia's jaw dropped. "Judge Wainscott?" She felt the panic that had been building inside of her dissipate as a hot flush of guilt took its place. She knew there was a framed photo of her boss and the judge on the wall in his office. They had been friends for a long time.

"Not him." Cragen swallowed. "His daughter, Samantha."

Your goddaughter… Olivia looked down at the floor,

"Where's the vic?" Elliot asked quietly.

"Waiting on Warner." The Captain's voice hitched slightly. "Apartment's on the upper east side. 74th street." He sighed. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the seconds are ticking loudly on this one. You've got whatever you need. Just find this son of a bitch."