Title: Just Another Gamble

Author: Sara and Lizzie

Rating: M, Just to be safe

Disclaimer: We don't own Law And Order: Special Vicitims Unit. If we did, our favorite dectectives would be together. We don't own anything that we mention in the story that is owned by anyone else.

Author's Note: We've wanted to write an SVU story for a long time, but we've been slightly intimidated. So we want you to know a few things about this story: 1) We are taking some creative liberties. The divorce thing wont be exactly like the show. Many things will differ from the show. 2) We wanted to show a little more of Kathy's side of the divorce. 3) We are trying to keep everyone in character, but if we mess up, please let us know. 4) We welcome advice. We're new at this genre. Also keep in mind some of these scenarios may seem a little far fetched . Just try to go with it. And please review!

Kathy Stabler drove her car downtown to pick up lunch for some of the girls on her floor at the hospital. She hated driving during the lunchtime rush, but today she had volunteered to pick up the food.

She volunteered because as the day wore on, it was getting harder to keep up the act. To keep a smile on her face, despite knowing what she planned on doing that night.

She loved Elliot. At least she loved him when they had married. But she couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't handle the late nights, the fear. Her husband hadn't even come home from the precinct last night.

She was emotionally dead from the never ending obsessing over what Elliot and Olivia had shared that day. It was her constant jealousy of Olivia that prompted Kathy to take other lovers.

And by tonight, it would be all over. No more waiting. No more suspicion. No more guilt. Tonight, Kathy Stabler was finally going to do what she knew she needed to do. She was going to tell Elliot she wanted a divorce.

Kathy was so caught up in these thoughts that she didn't notice that traffic was slowing down. It wasn't until later, when traffic ceased to flow completely that she looked around.

In the lane next to her, the cars were stopping as five police cars surrounded a large SUV. Kathy watched as the doors to the squad cars started opening. Out of the car to her left jumped two men, who Kathy immediately recognized as John Munch and Odafin Tutuola from the Special Victims Unit.

Her eyes trained on the car that was closest to her, and Kathy couldn't help but roll those eyes when Olivia Benson emerged from the passenger seat.

Kathy stared at the woman she was so jealous of, the woman who created the insecurity that caused her to cheat on her husband. And then he appeared. Kathy gazed at Elliot for the first time in 48 hours.

The four SVU detectives, as well as a collection of other officers she didn't recognize surrounded the offending vehicle.

Kathy felt crazed. She should be worrying right now, but her focus stayed fixed on the way Elliot was looking at Olivia. He watched her constantly, out of the corner of eye, obviously ready to protect her with his life if he deemed it neccesary. Disgust coarsed through Kathy as she noted that Olivia managed to look strikingly wonderful, even in her bulletproof vest.

The doors to the large SUV opened, and a fight broke out, drawing Kathy's attention to the scene, and stopping the monolouge in her head. She watched in fascinated horror, as she finally saw her husband do his job, something she had never before witnessed.

Her car window rolled down in the spring heat, she heard the noises coming from the fight, and the intensity of it dawned on her. Just as Kathy had become engrossed in watching a struggle between a thuggish looking man and Fin, she heard a distinctly feminine yell.

She watched as one of the men who had piled out of the large vehicle twisted Olivia Benson's arm, and launched her into a squad car.

The guy who threw her followed her and kicked her in the ribs several times. "Olivia!" she heard her husband yell.

Kathy's eyes trained on Elliot, who was about to cuff someone. He let go of the perp he was about to arrest, and let his handcuffs drop to the ground. His wife watched in terror, as Elliot pulled out his gun and shot the man who was attacking his partner.

Kathy had averted her eyes before Elliot pulled the trigger. She refocused them again just in time to see her husband scoop his partner up in his arms. Kathy could see that Olivia's mouth was moving. She watched as her husband smiled in obvious relief and pressed his lips to Olivia's forehead.

Kathy almost laughed out loud. Because she knew now that what she would ask Elliot for tonight was justifiable. He was in love with anohter woman. Olivia Benson. It made sense in a way. Whenever she had been around them, at an office function, or when she stopped by their house, Kathy had seen it. The way they looked at each other, like they had shared so much it was impossible not to have these feelings. It was in the way they always seemed to be moving toward each other, like they couldn't get close enough.

And now it was over. Not her marriage. That had ended a long time ago, and would end officially soon. What had ended then and there for Kathy Stabler was the agonizing feeling of not knowing. Now she knew. Whether Elliot and Olivia were sleeping together was irrelevant. He was in love with her, and maybe he always had been, and he and Kathy no longer had any reason to remain husband and wife.

The fight was slowing down. People were getting cuffed and shoved in squad cars. Her husband was kneeling on the sidewalk close by, holding Olivia protectively. His eyes were darting around frantically and, somehow, Kathy managed to understand what he wanted. She sighed and got out of her car.

"Elliot." She called. Her husbands head whipped her way. He dug in his pocket and produced keys. He nodded to a police sedan. "Drive." He commanded. "Nearest hospital. And quickly. She keep slipping in and out of conciousness."

It was the strangest thing Kathy could imagine. She was driving an unmarked police car, sitting alone in the front seat. Her husband was in the back with Olivia Benson, refusing to let go of her hand.

"Come on Liv." He said. "Stay with me." Kathy watched them in her rear veiw mirror.

Olivia's chocolate colored eyes fluttered open. "El?" she murmured.

"Hey partner." He said, smiling.

Olivia glanced around the vehicle, disorientedly. She caught Kathy Stabler's eye just before she blacked out again.

"Olivia." Elliot said, sounding worried. "Don't give up on me now."

Detective Stabler's full attention was on his partner. He never once glanced at his soon to be ex wife.

Author's Note: The next two chapters will cover that same day, only from Olivia's perspective and then Elliot's. Each chapter will reveal a few more hours of the day, and then the chpaters will just progress normally. Review, please!