Through Thick and Thin

16. Just a Normal Day...Almost

Today was just a normal day but Olivia had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. She didn't know why but she just couldn't shake the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. Trying to brush it off, she and Alex got ready for school and met up with the gang at Elliot's locker before the bell rang, signaling that it was time for their first class of the day. Once Olivia was in Elliot's arms, she felt safer but she still had that awful feeling.

Sensing that something was bothering his fiancé, Elliot brushed her hair back gently and looked into her chocolate brown eyes. "What's wrong, baby? You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I just have a feeling that something bad is gonna happen today, I don't know why." She replied as she snuggled into his arms, trying to mold her body into his.

He lifted her chin gently and kissed her nose. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you, baby. I promised you that I would do everything in my power to protect you and I plan on fulfilling that promise for as long as we live." He said sweetly as he cupped her face in his hands and ran his thumbs gently across her cheeks in a soothing way.

"I love you." She said as she kissed him softly.

"I love you, too, baby." Elliot responded with a soft smile as he returned her kiss and they held each other close.

"Get a room already! Jeez!" The rest of the gang teased and they all laughed as the bell rang and they each went to their first class of the day.

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The day was going smoothly and the gang was grateful it was finally lunchtime because they were all starving. They were all munching on their food happily when all of a sudden, they heard a gunshot and screams erupted everywhere. Thankfully, the bullet got lodged into the side of the wall...but it wouldn't be the last shot.

"Listen up! No one is gonna get hurt if I get what I came for!" The shooter yelled into the large cafeteria. "Now, who can tell me where Olivia Benson is?"

So much for nothing bad happening today, Olivia thought to herself as she stood up slowly. "Brian, what're you doing here?" She asked calmly, trying to see if she could calm him down.

"I wanna know why the fuck you and Kathy think I raped you. You know you and that slut wanted it. It was just a game. You just didn't wanna play along and that's not part of the game so you needed to be punished." Brian sneered as he pointed the gun at her. Elliot squeezed her ankle from under the table and tried to pull her under to protect her but she gently released her ankle from his hold and slowly started to walk towards Brian.

"Brian, you knew we didn't want that. Why would we be screaming 'no' and trying to fight you off if we wanted it? That's not 'punishment' for not wanting to play a game, that's rape." She said as she tried to keep both herself and Brian calm but he wasn't having it.

"Well, since you don't wanna play this game, I guess you have to be punished again. Wanna guess what the punishment is this time?" He didn't give her time to answer as he pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed the side of her head but it was enough to make her fall to the floor, unconscious.

"Oh, my God, no! Baby, stay with me! Come on, stay with me!" Elliot screamed as he held Olivia's unconscious body in his arms. All of a sudden, NYPD and the SWAT team came rushing into the building and were able to disarm Brian and drag him to one of the many police cars outside. Someone must have called them when Brian wasn't paying attention. Paramedics rushed in as well and loaded Olivia onto a stretcher as they tried to stop the bleeding from her head. The gang followed close behind but only one person was allowed to ride along in the ambulance.

Elliot looked at the gang and they all nodded. "Go, it's okay." They all said as they held each other for support and cried, hoping their best friend would be okay.