A/N: Hello! This is my new story! I've almost finished writing it, but it might take a while for me to post it. I'll try to post a chapter per week, but I don't want to make any promises since I've been having a lot of work lately.

Also, I don't know how many chapters this story is going to be, but most likely, they are going to be more than ten.

This story is set after 'Gambler's Fallacy' and before 'Criminal Stories' which mean, Amanda and Nick are not together (yet) :)

Thanks for reading. I hope you like this story, if you have the chance, do let me know your thoughts on it.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of L&O:SVU or its characters.

Phoenix

Chapter 1

The air was cool against his face. The night was so dark that he could barely see where he was walking, the light of a flashlight would've been nice, but he couldn't risk being spotted. Either way, he didn't actually need it, since he knew the place like the back of his hand. He had been coming on several occasions for the last couple of nights. He has known the importance of getting acquainted with the area in order for his plan to work.

Walking alone in the middle of the night, he looked down at the precious cargo in his arms as his lips curled into a winning smile. Who would've thought that he, an average man was going to accomplish such goal? No, he shook his head. He was not average at all, on the contrary, he was superb. Only an extremely intelligent person-such as himself- would've pulled the brilliant plan that he did without raising any suspicion.

Taking a deep long, breath, he stopped a minute to think about his plan as he held on tight to his precious cargo. He didn't want to let go of her, but he knew it was necessary, or else, she would never have the chance to prove herself to him. How else would he know that his precious bird is really worthy of his love? No, he shook his head from left to right in rapid successions. That wasn't an option, of course she was the one! He had chosen her right this time, he even went to great lengths to make sure of it. Moreover, she had proven it once and again during the past couple of weeks. He couldn't and shouldn't doubt it. This precious bird is his one and only, she is the one that is meant to be with him forever, but before he could take her for himself, his bird needed to pass one last test. He shrugged in anticipation as he continued walking. He was sure that his bird was going to pass the test, after all, it was just a minor requirement that he knew will be accomplished without further problems. He had seen her, his bird has overcome tougher tests, both before and during the time she spent with him. Even when, he paused one more time and tilted his head to the side, he wasn't sure if the time they had together should be considered as a test, since he knew it was highly enjoyed by her. The first days she had fought him with everything in her, but he knew she had liked it.

The only thing that bothered him was that, his bird might not remember clearly what they lived together; the drugs in her system would probably block most of their glorious memories. Which is why he came up with such a clever and easy test. It would both help her remember him and prove herself at the same time. Once she passed it, he would come back for her so they could be together for a lifetime, as he knew they were meant to be.

Finally, he came to a full stop and, casting one last glance to his surroundings, he laid his bird down gently on the ground. He didn't want her to get hurt –she was a bit broken already, but he knew she would be able to put all her pieces back together in no time, she was strong like that. His bird looked so beautiful with her eyes closed, perfect lashes resting on her porcelain cheeks. He ran one gloved hand over her beautiful face, moving the loose strands of hair out of the way so he could look at her properly. He leaned to kiss her, but he stopped abruptly midway. Stupid! He chastised himself! He couldn't be so careless! No, he just patted her cheek before walking away, leaving her in the cold of the night. Very carefully, he went back on his tracks, making sure to get rid of any footprints and any evidence that he might've left on his way. He didn't want to be caught. His bird would know though, but he didn't want to make it easy for her or her team to find him, he is the one who has the final word on how the game will end, when the time comes to collect what belongs to him.

Shadows, all she could see were blurred shadows. It was like trying to see something underneath the water.

Slowly, she tried to open her eyes properly, shying away from the immense pain that it caused as she felt like being pulled into an abyss. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. When she opened her eyes for the third time, the shadows solidified, they seemed to be dancing around her, growing up and down as they moved, like when someone danced around a fire pit. She loved fire. It reminded her back when she was a little girl and was watching a movie with her baby sister. 'The Secret Garden', the kids were dancing around a fire pit, trying hard to bring back the absent father. But she knew it was just a memory, right now, there was no couch, no sister and no movie.

She soon felt the cold and hard surface she was lying on, as the smell of wet grass filled her nostrils. She must be on the outside.

She tried to stand up, but all she could do was to come to a sitting position. After a few moments, she started taking in her surroundings as she finally looked properly at the trees around her, the branches and leaves swaying with the cold wind of the early morning, her fire dancers.

Overwhelmed by a stabbing pain in her head, she placed her hand to her forehead and was startled to the sensation of wetness near her hairline. Looking at her hand, she gasped as she noticed her fingers covered in blood. Her entire body ached and she quickly ran a hand over her entire body, looking for other injuries. She felt the overwhelming need to know why. As she moved her hands, she felt, rather than saw, the cuts and scrapes in her neck and wrists. She felt that some of her ribs were broken, but what startled her the most was to feel a deep cut in her midsection. She immediately took off her jacket and tied it around the injury as tight as she could in an attempt to stop the bleeding. That's when she realized the clothes she had on. She was wearing lycra pants, a top and of course, a jacket, none of the items she seemed to recognize as hers, though. And where were her shoes? The outfit looked like the one she would wear for her running routine, but, why would she dress for a run and forget to put her shoes on? She knit her brows in confusion. It didn't make sense.

Looking at her hands, she noticed they were deeply hurt, there was some dried blood on her knuckles and some of her fingernails were missing. Where had she been? Had she been burglarized or into a fight? Had she fallen? No, she decided there was no way she had sustained those injuries from a fall, as she knew them very well, they looked more like the ones she saw in some of their victims on a regular basis, they were defensive wounds.

She closed her eyes tightly and tried hard to shake the confusion that overwhelmed her. She didn't know where she had been or what had happened to her.

Opening her eyes, she tried to reach for her cell phone, but she soon realized that she didn't have it with her.

The bleeding in her abdomen hadn't fully stopped and she feared for the worst as she felt darkness threatening to overcome her. She started breathing fast. She couldn't lose consciousness, she needed to get some help. She was very weak and she knew it was a matter of time before she passed out, as she felt some air caught in her throat. She didn't have much time left .

With the little strength she had, she crawled to the nearest tree and pushed herself up. Pain and nauseas threatened to invade her, but she did her best to ignore them. She wasn't giving up.

Taking small steps, she walked aimlessly through the forest. Her feet were so cold and her feet were hurting badly, which made her task even more difficult. She hadn't known how hurt her feet were, until she started walking. They felt like burning and even when the feeling seemed to cut through her entire body, she kept walking.

She heard some voices in the distance and she walked towards the sound, a sheer of hope in her heart. Fortunately, it wasn't as dark as it was when she first woke up.

Finally, she spotted them. It was a group of people and she walked towards them, her heart racing in anticipation, she tried going faster, but she was swaying. The pain was too much to bear. The group seemed to be closer now. Help! The words came like a whisper. Help! She tried calling out again, but it came like a voiceless plead.

She tried to reach for the group, but her knees were shaking so much that, they buckled under her. She noticed one of the persons was looking her way as darkness claimed her once again.

Removing his gaze from the binoculars, he sighed in ecstasy. His precious bird didn't disappoint him, she was doing great!

With a wide confident smile, he made his way to his truck. The test was up and now, it was just a matter of time to get her back.

He knew it, he had picked her right. She was so strong and confident. He knew she was meant for him since the moment she walked into the room. She didn't acknowledge him, though, and that hurt, but soon he understood why she had ignored him, she was just pretending. He could feel it. He knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her. They were connected, there was no doubt about that.

And she has proven to be so passionate and full of fire. She had showed him just how much in the past couple of days. His smile faded away, a pity indeed, the drugs he had used to subdue her would cause amnesia, he knew she would've enjoyed the memories of them just as much as he did. The time they spent together had not been as long as he would've wanted, but it was unforgettable. Hopefully, those memories will come back to her in time, but it was okay if they didn't. That was why he had taped everything that happened, and when she came back, he will show the videos to her and they will enjoy them together.

After that, they could create new memories, and this time around, they will be imprinted in her mind forever. He was looking forward for that day to come.

But for now, he couldn't wait to go back to his lair where he would watch the tapes over and over again. That will help him cope until she is reunited with him and that will happen soon. He knew it. His bird will reborn from the ashes, just like a phoenix, just to be with him.

tbc…