Can you tell I really wanted to get to this episode? XD I thought I loved the trio of Buck, TK and Sylvie . . . and then I decided Owen, Olivia, and Elliot would absolutely rule New York, and here I am getting through half of "Return of the Prodigal Son" already.

Olivia struggles to deal with a case and the return of her former partner, Matt gets his appointment, Peter is a good boyfriend, Fin might get murdered and so might Sylvie, and speaking of the paramedic, she really can't go anywhere without getting into some form of trouble or wrapping someone around her finger. Not necessarily in that order.

Enjoy "Return of the Prodigal Son" and the start of "Natural Born Firefighter!"

***

"You've seen him since he left."

Olivia's soft voice made Owen wince as they stood outside the hospital. "He came to Austin after he heard about San Angelo," he nodded. "Stayed for TK's sobriety anniversary and helped solve 99's kidnapping. Saved Sylvie's life, too, he shot the son of a bitch who was about to shoot her."

Despite her overwhelming need to find something to punch, Olivia managed a smile. "That sounds like Elliot."

"That's absolutely him," Owen chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I made him promise to tell you he had come back, or I would tell you myself. I swear, Liv, if I had known he hadn't told you he was coming, I would've done it."

"I believe you," Olivia sighed, rubbing her face. "I know you, Owen, you would've done it."

"Liv! Owen!" They turned to see Fin jog up, his business face on, badge clipped to his coat. "You two OK?" he demanded, looking them up and down.

"We followed Elliot here," Olivia nodded. "I barely talked to him. According to Sylvie and Eddie, Kathy just went into surgery." She swallowed hard, barely able to comprehend what had just occurred. One of her two best friends had reappeared without a word, and said best friend's wife was now fighting for her life. "How did this happen?" she asked. "Why?"

"Rollins and Carisi are at the scene," Fin answered. "A uni told them it was a rental car parked on the street. Kathy went to get in, and the bomb went off. Arson thinks it misfired and threw her clear."

"Now's one of the rare moments I wish I still worked for the FDNY so I could look into this myself," Owen muttered.

Olivia nodded in agreement. "A rental car?" she asked. "Where are they in from?"

"Italy, I'm guessing," Owen remarked.

Fin nodded. "That's where they've been living. Elliot had to come in for some type of a task force meeting, and he and Kathy decided to make it a trip. He just called me out of nowhere and told me he was coming. I may have spoken about your award and my intent to ask Owen to attend. I thought enough time had gone down between all of you."

Owen snorted. "I think Nancy thought I was gonna rip his head off when he showed up at the 126."

Fin blinked. "He showed up at the 126?" he repeated. "When was that?"

"He didn't mention that?" Owen asked in surprise.

"Who's he working for?" Olivia cut in. "A task force?"

"He's back with NYPD, Liv," Owen told her. "Last I heard, he's the international liaison in Rome, has been since about 2017."

"2017?!" Olivia gawked.

"I just found out when he visited Austin," Owen held up his hands defensively. "I'm sure he can tell you more."

The doors to the hospital opened, and they turned to see Elliot walk outside with Sylvie, the paramedic whispering to him. "Fin," Elliot looked relieved to see him.

"Hey," Fin extended his hand. "I'm here for whatever you need, man."

"Appreciate it," Elliot sighed in relief, using the hand to tug Fin in for a quick hug.

"How's Kathy?" Owen asked, looking from Elliot to Sylvie.

"She was in pretty bad shape when we rolled in," Sylvie shrugged. "I diagnosed a concussion and several burns, they found her fractured pelvis."

"They're still working on her," Elliot bit his lip. "What do we know?"

"Local precincts are canvassing, and our explosion guys are tearing that car apart," Fin answered, turning to Liv. "Captain, if you don't mind, can I get back to the scene?"

Olivia nodded before he finished the question. "Go, go, go, go."

Fin nodded back, turning to Owen. "Sounds like the rest of your party's gonna be here soon."

"Thanks," Owen nodded.

Fin returned to his car, and Elliot blew out his breath in a rush. "Shouldn't have even been driving," he muttered. "I got a call, I slipped away, I gave her the keys . . . she was worried we were gonna be late for your award." He looked guiltily between Owen and Olivia. "I meant to give you a call that we were coming – "

"Elliot, please, no," Olivia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She could handle the influx of information Owen had just given her because it came from Owen. She couldn't handle a regretful Elliot, not without bracing herself for an onslaught of emotions. God, what I would do to have Peter here right now, she thought.

Elliot gulped, looking between his two oldest friends. "Tell me she's gonna be OK," he begged.

Owen's eyes slid to Sylvie, and the paramedic bit her lip, looking very uncertain. He knew they were thinking the same thing . . . they had seen explosion victims both survive and succumb to injuries like Kathy's. "She's a fighter," Owen finally said. "She always has been, Elliot, you know that." Elliot nodded numbly, then the squeal of car brakes made them turn to see a rental car pull into the parking lot haphazardly. "God, TK," Owen rolled his eyes fondly as Sylvie giggled.

But it was Buck who opened the driver's door, and TK all but fell out of the back, nearly slipping on the wet asphalt. "Elliot!" he raced across the parking lot, and Elliot braced himself as TK barreled into him. "What happened?"

"I'm alright, son," Elliot grunted, smiling for the first time that night as he hugged TK close. "Kathy's in surgery right now."

"Sergeant Tutuola said it was a 10-13?" Carlos asked as he and Buck joined them, Buck turning to lock the car.

"We saw the car bomb ourselves," Sylvie nodded. "Kathy . . . she isn't in good shape."

TK whimpered, then a cry of "Dad!" caught their attention. Elliot turned, TK still tucked under his arm, as two of his kids ran up to them, bundled in coats. "What the hell happened?" Dickie demanded, eyes wide.

"Um, we're not sure right now," Elliot shook his head. "Um . . . she's alive, and she's in surgery, and that's what we know, so let's go upstairs."

Kathleen nodded, then did a double take when she saw who was with Elliot. "Tyler?" she gasped, whipping around to see who else was there. "Owen? Olivia?"

"Hi, Katie," TK smiled. "Good to see you."

"Oh, my God!" Kathleen hugged him tightly. "You're here!"

"Didn't realize we'd be seeing you, though," Owen smiled, looking between Dickie and Kathleen.

"We're just here to help," Olivia gave a strained smile. "Whatever you need."

Kathleen and Dickie nodded, then Elliot cleared his throat. "Come on," he gestured to the hospital doors.

Kathleen and Dickie ran after their father, and Owen turned to Olivia, who was watching the family go with a dazed look in her eyes. "God, they grew."

"No kidding," Olivia blew out her breath in a rush.

"I'll stay with them," he volunteered, seeing TK and Carlos whisper together out of the corner of his eye. "Someone needs to try and keep him sane."

"Yeah, you're probably more fit for that than me," Olivia agreed. "I need to run this case, anyway."

Owen nodded, squeezing her hand. "You got this, Liv."

She smiled tensely, then looked up at Carlos approached with a polite cough. "Captain, if you'd like another set of eyes on this, I'd like to volunteer my services," he offered.

Olivia blinked in surprise, then gave a pleased smile. "Thank you, Carlos," she nodded. "I'd like that."

"We'll see you later," TK promised.

Carlos kissed TK's cheek, then TK ran after Owen, Sylvie, and Buck as they headed into the hospital.

***

Kat was waiting at the doors when Olivia arrived at the precinct with Carlos in tow. "Anything yet?" Olivia asked.

"Nothing," Kat shook her head, giving her report as they walked through the precinct. "Car was parked under the bridge, no witnesses."

"Traffic cams?"

"Still going through footage," Kat answered. "Also, this may be unrelated, but there was a curfew protest just south on Center Street. Bunch of guys in pickup trucks and flags met by counter-protesters. Someone started targeting police officers, and they lit two police vans on fire on Madison Street."

Carlos knitted his brow, trying to put together a mental map of downtown. "Isn't that two blocks from where the car blew up?" he asked.

Olivia nodded grimly. "Any arrests?"

"Dozen or so," Kat answered.

"Talk to all of them," Olivia ordered.

"OK," Kat nodded, disappearing towards the bullpen.

As she went, Olivia swore she caught a glimpse of someone she recognized, but before she could look further, she heard a call of her rank behind her. She turned to see Deputy Chief Garland walk up to her, concern written all over his face. "I heard what happened," he said. "How's the victim?"

"Seriously injured, but hanging on," Olivia answered.

Carlos bit his lip. "Captain, with your permission, I'd like to go help Officer Tamin?"

"Go ahead," Olivia nodded. "Uh, Chief, this is Officer Reyes, Austin PD, he's volunteered to help us out with the investigation. He was going to be at the ceremony tonight. Carlos, this is my boss, Deputy Chief Christian Garland."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Carlos smiled politely, holding out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Reyes," Garland nodded, shaking his hand. "And thank you for your assistance, even though this isn't your department."

"Family of Captain Benson's and Captain Strand's is family of mine," Carlos shrugged, turning to head to the bullpen.

Garland raised an eyebrow, and Olivia nodded, leading him to her office. "So you know, the victim is the wife of my former partner, Detective Elliot Stabler."

"So I was told," Garland nodded. "I thought he left the force?"

"He did, but apparently he's NYPD's man in Rome now," Olivia shrugged.

Garland hummed thoughtfully. "Any idea why he's in town?"

Olivia gestured helplessly. "Department meetings? I don't know."

Garland nodded. "Local precinct on the scene?"

"They are, and they're doing everything they can," Olivia confirmed. "But you know there was a riot tonight."

Garland sighed. "I'm aware," he grumbled. "Cops were targeted. Were the Stablers driving an NYPD vehicle?"

Olivia shook her head. "It was a rental, and . . . like Carlos said, I'm close with the family. I was hoping that we could take the lead on this."

"Family?" Garland repeated. "He's got kids?"

"Five," Olivia nodded. "Owen and I've known them all since they were in diapers."

Garland considered. "I'll put a call into 1PP."

Olivia sighed in relief, feeling a weight off her shoulders. "Thank you."

"To be clear," Garland gave her a firm look, "you're running the investigation, not him."

"'Course," Olivia agreed.

***

Ever since Amanda and Sonny had entered a serious relationship, Fin had developed a respect for the pair because of how they managed to keep their personal lives separate from their jobs. They went home to two little girls every night, yet every morning, they had their game faces on, ready to work and serve New York.

He figured, since the wife of an NYPD detective was in surgery, he could excuse how the two were attached at the hip as they discussed the crime scene. "Hey," he greeted as he walked up.

Amanda and Sonny looked up, worry clear on their faces. "Hey," Sonny nodded, squeezing Amanda's hand. "How's Kathy?"

"Touch and go," Fin sighed.

Amanda shook her head. "Arson said she's lucky to be alive," she said, leading them around the shell of the bombed car. "The blast went up and back, throwing her out before the fireball."

"Any witnesses?" Fin asked.

"No, it's a quiet block," Amanda said in frustration. "All the action was on Center Street, but there was an NYPD placard in the windshield, so local detectives are asking if any of the protestors knew about the award ceremony."

Fin's phone started ringing, and he picked up quickly. "Sergeant Tutuola."

Sonny eyed the car in disgust, shaking his head. "I can't imagine what would be going through my head if it was you or the girls who was hurt by this," he murmured.

"Neither can I," Amanda whispered, unconsciously stepping closer to his side.

Sonny risked a quick kiss to the top of her head, and they looked at Fin when he hung up. "Intelligence picked up a guy who threw a Molotov cocktail into an empty NYPD van three blocks south from here," he said. "They're bringing him in."

***

Olivia picked up a coffee she very desperately needed, then looked up when she heard the elevator doors ding. She saw who walked out, and she barely kept her composure, choosing instead to set her cup of coffee on the counter and walk as fast as she could. "Peter," she began to say, mentally cursing when her voice broke.

"Hey," Peter took her hand, tugging her into an empty conference room. He swiftly closed the door and shut the blinds, then turned to her and held out his arms.

Olivia fell into them, burying her face in Peter's jacket, whimpering as she felt tears sting her eyes. "He's back," she choked. "He's back, Peter, and Owen knew, and I get why he didn't tell, he was waiting for Elliot to do it instead, but now he just showed up out of the blue, and now Kathy . . . oh, my God – "

"Shh, Liv," Peter whispered, rubbing her back as he leaned against the table for support. "I got you."

Olivia closed her eyes, listening to Peter's heartbeat in her ear and taking deep breaths to match him. "Why couldn't tonight just be simple?" she complained.

Peter chuckled. "Because the day everything is simple for us is when everything proceeds to go to hell the next day."

"Good point," Olivia sighed, reaching up to rub the tear tracks away. "Sorry about that."

"Hey," Peter lifted his hand to her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "You just got bombarded with Stabler coming back, his wife landing in the hospital, and learning Owen knew he was back on the force. I think you deserve a moment to break."

Olivia gave him a tearful smile. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I'm on your side, Liv," Peter promised. "So if you want to be pissed off at them but can't be, I'll gladly do it for you."

God, thank you for giving me this man, Olivia thought, leaning up to kiss him. "Not yet," she told him. "But . . . maybe."

"You got it," Peter smiled, kissing her back. "Now . . . I got a call you havesomeone in custody?"

"I was about to head there myself," Olivia nodded, walking back to the conference room door.

She paused at it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to center herself. She could do this. With Peter and her squad at her back, she knew she could do this.

Still, when she opened the door and proceeded to the bullpen, she did not expect to see who she saw in conversation with Carlos. "Nick?" she stared, her mouth open in shock.

Nick looked up from a case file, and he grinned widely. "There's my favorite police captain!" he cheered, setting the file down and standing from where he sat on Amanda's desk.

"What the – " Olivia stammered, hurrying forward to hug her former partner. "You were in on this, too?!"

"I knew nothing about Stabler," Nick hastened to tell her. "But Fin worked very hard to get everyone here for the celebration."

"I'm gonna kill him," Olivia decided.

Peter laughed behind her, and Nick grinned. "Let me watch?"

"We'll see," Olivia smiled, then turned to Carlos, who had stood at her arrival. "We've got a guy?"

"We've got a guy," Carlos nodded, handing her the file. "Sergeant Tutuola and Detective Rollins already started the interrogation."

Olivia nodded, flipping through the file and entering her office with Carlos, Nick, Peter, and Kat. Sonny was already inside, watching through the one-way mirror as his girlfriend and the sergeant grill the man at the table. "Hey, Cap," Sonny greeted her with a somber smile.

"Hey," Olivia gave him a tense smile in reply, leaning into his one-armed hug.

The clatter of a tablet dropping onto the metal table made her look up as Fin leaned over the suspect . . . Jacob Peters, according to the file she held. "You did this?" he asked, pointing to the car in flames.

"That's Antifa," Jacob shook his head.

Fin flipped to the next image on the tablet. "That's you," he pointed.

"Proves my point," Jacob scoffed. "Big Brother's everywhere. Cell phone monitoring, facial recognition – "

"So it is you," Amanda leaned forward, narrowing her eyes.

"This isn't real!" Jacob insisted. "Someone photoshopped me into this. I'm being set up."

Olivia sighed and turned off the speaker, reading off the case file. "Jacob Peters, unemployed, five arrests in the past year, all for protests . . . including D.C., January 6th."

"Charges include arson, vandalism, brandishing a gun," Carlos continued. "And punching reporters."

"Well, as much as some of us would want to do that last one," Nick quipped.

Sonny bit his lip to contain a snicker. "Well, he wasn't wrong about Big Brother," Kat said. "I was able to pull his Google search history, and he has ben going down a rabbit hole of YouTube conspiracy videos for 10-12 hours a day for the last five years."

Sonny nodded. "He shows up at these rallies in paramilitia garb and just tears it up . . . and he thinks he's a patriot."

"Has he asked for a lawyer?" Peter asked, folding his arms.

"Not yet," Kat shook her head.

"Good," Peter nodded. "Better, anything put him near Kathy Stabler's blast?"

"No," Sonny shook his head. "But he was ID'd by multiple UCs tonight as an instigator, and they found explosives, zip ties, and a Taser in his backpack."

A rustle outside the door made Olivia peer past the group in her office, and she saw Elliot storm inside, Owen hustling behind him. "Sorry, I tried texting," Owen began to say.

Olivia checked her phone and winced when she saw her notifications were on silent. Sure enough, she had texts from both Owen and TK, warning her that Elliot was on his way. "It's OK, Owen," she said, standing. "Elliot – "

"Uni at the hospital says you picked up a suspect," Elliot interrupted, pointing to the mirror. "This him?"

Carlos was wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. Nick, Kat, Sonny, and Peter all turned to Olivia, waiting to take their cues from her. Olivia sighed. "Owen?" she prompted, and without a word, the fire captain left until he was out of earshot. "Yeah, we just started talking to him."

Elliot flipped the switch to the speaker back on, and Jacob's voice flooded into the room. "Doesn't matter what I say. You're just gonna railroad me."

"No, that's not," Amanda shook her head, leaning forward. "That's not what we're doing. Look, I know what you're talking about when you say we're losing our rights."

"I know!" Jacob gestured triumphantly. "So you understand! If we don't bring things to a head fast, you'll lose your guns, too."

Amanda shot a look at the glass, and Elliot looked bewildered at the reasoning. "What's his deal? He's targeting cops . . . to protect cops?"

"Yeah, there's a lot of this lately," Kat snorted. "These guys have been enabled for the last four years, so they're not backing down now."

Elliot looked around the room, seeming to realize just how many were occupying the office. "Hi, I'm Elliot Stabler," he introduced himself, shifting to a defensive stance. "Who are you?"

"He knows me," Carlos shrugged.

Kat smirked. "I'm Officer Katriona Tamin."

"Detective Dominick Carisi," Sonny answered. "Call me Sonny."

"Sergeant Nick Amaro," Nick replied. "Used to be Liv's partner, then due to an injury, I relocated out to California."

Elliot raised an eyebrow, appraising Nick before turning to the last person in the office. "ADA Peter Stone," he deadpanned.

Carlos smothered a grin at how that seemed to be who Elliot was most interested in speaking with. Judging by Olivia's amusement, she found the irony, too. "So the ADA is here," Elliot nodded, then pointed at Jacob. "You like him for this?"

"Well, we know he's good for two other firebombs on cop cars tonight," Peter quipped.

Olivia cleared her throat, interrupting before anything went further . . . not that she wouldn't have minded seeing Peter hold his ground against Elliot, because that was something she decided she would watch any day of the week now that she had seen it once. Yeah, she definitely did something right in her past to have him in her life now. "He has a record," she explained. "He's been escalating."

Elliot sighed, scratching his head. "How would he make me or Kathy out as cops?" he asked.

"You had a placard in your windshield," Sonny answered. "Rollins and I found it when we scoped the scene."

"Maybe you saw something," Fin told Jacob. "This car, the woman may not survive."

"That blast," Jacob nodded. "Yeah, I heard it. I was half a block away."

"So you were nearby?" Amanda raised an eyebrow.

Elliot ground his teeth, turning to Olivia. "Let me talk to him," he whispered.

"I can't," Olivia shook his head at once.

"He just put himself a half block away, close enough to see her get in the car!"

"And set the bomb off remotely?" Olivia sighed. "Yes, it's possible."

"It's an opening," Elliot coaxed. "Let's work it!"

Peter coughed meaningfully. "Detective, all due respect, but you shouldn't even be in the squad room right now."

Elliot snorted. "Said the lawyer to the cop."

"I'll back that up, and I'm a cop who is also a licensed lawyer," Sonny quipped, folding his arms and standing at Peter's side.

Elliot sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Look, guys like this, whatever their stripes, basically, they're terrorists. I've worked plenty of these cases over the last few years. I need to talk to him."

"You need to be at the hospital," Olivia corrected.

"You know, Cap, he's not the only one who's worked cases like this the past few years," Nick remarked.

Olivia shot Nick a look that was half grateful, half impressed. "You have?" she asked.

"It pops up every once in a while, but if you want someone to crack this guy, I'm more than happy to get in there and give it my best shot," Nick nodded. "He's your former partner, Liv, but he's also the husband of the victim. You get a confession while he's in the room, Stone can't use it."

Elliot grimaced, knowing Nick was right. As much as he wanted the chance to face Jacob himself, he knew what that could risk. Olivia nodded, stepping around Elliot to smirk at Nick. "You think you can keep up with me, Sergeant?" she snarked.

Nick cackled. "Oh, I know you missed me, Cap. You know what a joy I am to have around."

Sonny snorted. "Yeah, you and TK know exactly how to make sure we know what 'joys' you are to have around."

Nick put a hand over his heart, as if offended. "Carisi!"

Sonny gave him a deadpan look. "Four words, Amaro: Smuckers Incident of '15."

Kat's eyebrows shot up in interest, and Carlos let out a laugh before coughing into his elbow. Nick didn't bother to hide his laughter. "No witnesses, no proof," he said loftily, waltzing out of the office.

Olivia rolled her eyes fondly, walking backwards. "How did I work with this clown?" she asked, loud enough for Nick to hear her.

"You love me, Liv!" Nick hollered.

"Not like someone in the room," Sonny muttered under his breath.

It was Kat's turn to burst into laughter that time as Elliot gave Sonny a startled look. Peter just rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow at Sonny. "Smuckers Incident of '15?" he repeated.

Sonny sighed heavily. "It took me days to get all the jelly out of my desk . . . and eventually, I just had to replace the desk."

Peter whistled, impressed. "Was that him or TK?"

"Yes."

***

The tense atmosphere was cut when Olivia opened the room to the interrogation room, a blank look on her face. "Fin, Rollins, give me and Sergeant Amaro the room, please?"

"No problem, Cap," Fin immediately stood.

"Of course," Amanda nodded, following Fin out of the room.

Olivia stepped inside, staring down Jacob. "I'm Captain Benson, this is Sergeant Amaro."

"United States Park Police," Nick nodded.

Jacob blinked. "We aren't in a park."

"Well, gold star to you," Nick drawled, and Olivia bit her lip to conceal a smirk as Nick flipped through files. "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself, Jacob?"

Jacob shrugged. "Just fighting for our freedom like I told those two detectives."

"Well, I heard you tell those two detectives that you were half a block away when this car went up," Olivia pointed to the picture on the tablet.

Jacob fidgeted. "Yeah . . . about that, yeah, I don't know . . . I guess."

"You know what 'about,' 'I don't know, and 'I guess' all have in common, Jacob?" Nick folded his arms. "No straight answer. All we need is a 'yes' or a 'no.'" Jacob remained silent, and Nick and Olivia exchanged glances. Olivia raised an eyebrow, allowing Nick to continue, and the sergeant nodded, sitting across from Jacob. "Can you tell us what you saw? Anyone running from the scene?"

Jacob sighed. "When the police arrested me, I heard them saying the woman in the car was a cop's wife."

Nick nodded. "That's right."

"I could hear her moaning," Jacob mused. Olivia's jaw clenched, and she saw Nick's knuckles whiten from where he gripped his pen. Jacob must've noticed, too. "Oh, you know the vic?" he asked. "She wasn't your wife, was she?"

"No," Nick shook his head. "But she is an NYPD detective's wife, so you gotta understand . . . this is gonna be treated like it's an attack on the police. So the sooner we get answers, the sooner everything settles. So did you see who did this, or did you?"

Jacob smirked smugly. "It doesn't matter, does it? Sorry for the police's loss, but there's a war going on, and that woman bleeding out on the sidewalk? She's just another casualty."

Nick bristled, and Olivia thanked every god in existence that the sergeant had convinced her to take him into the interrogation room rather than Elliot. There was no possible way her first partner would have kept his temper under control if this had been said with him in the room, especially since it appeared they would be getting nowhere with this bastard. Nick appeared to have come to the same conclusion, as he stood from his chair and walked to the door without another word. Olivia followed, already guessing what would happen when he left.

Sure enough, Elliot was waiting on the other side of the door, and Olivia allowed Kat and Amanda inside before she shut the door before Elliot could follow. "That wasn't gonna lead anywhere except him trying to bait us," Nick announced, giving Elliot a firm look.

"He's right," Olivia agreed. "We ended up showing him a weak spot, and that's gonna bite us in the ass if we keep trying to push him."

"Liv," Elliot began.

"Right now, she's the captain of the unit," Nick interrupted. "It's her case, it's her lead. She says we stop here, we stop here because this is how we have to play in this day and age."

Elliot seethed, but Owen suddenly reappearing stopped them. "TK just called," he said, making them all turn. "Elliot . . . Kathy's awake."

"What?" Elliot spun around, eyes wide.

"Kathy," Owen repeated, grinning. "She's awake!"

Elliot all but ran out of the precinct, Owen giving Olivia a relieved look before following. "Thank God," Nick sighed, following Olivia back into her office.

All the occupants turned to look at them. "How'd that go?" Fin asked, no doubt referring to Elliot waiting for them.

"Well, the good news is that Kathy Stabler is awake," Olivia answered.

Amanda sighed in relief. "Oh, good."

"Think she can make a statement?" Peter asked.

"Elliot and Owen are on their way to the hospital," Olivia replied, heading for her chair.

Peter sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If she can tell us anything, another detective needs to be in the room."

Nick, Sonny, and Carlos nodded their heads, but Fin frowned. "Carisi, he's not gonna blow the case," he said. "End of the day, he's a good cop."

"I believe you," Peter held up his hand, stopping Fin from saying more. "I know he used to be part of the squad, but he's the husband of the victim. He can't be anywhere near this." He gestured to the one-way mirror, where Jacob was still visible in interrogation. "Jacob here, now he's claiming that he was just following some Antifa thug who threw a Molotov cocktail into Kathy's car."

Olivia frowned. "It wasn't a Molotov cocktail."

"And he doesn't know that," Peter nodded. "Look, the way I can see this, we've got him for the first two . . . but not Kathy Stabler."

Olivia sighed, but she trusted her boyfriend.

***

Sylvie sighed, rubbing her forehead as she stepped into the coffee shop not too far from the hospital. "She's awake, which is basically the only good news we have right now," she said into the phone.

"I'm guessing that means you'll be in New York for longer than you expected?" Tommy asked.

"Most likely," Sylvie nodded, approaching the pick-up counter. "At least as long as we can confirm Kathy's gonna pull through. I know that's longer than what we originally planned – "

"Hey, no worries," Tommy assured her. "Judd and I can handle the house while you're out. And I'll call Maddie to figure out something for Christopher. He'll be in good hands between all of us."

"You're a lifesaver, Tommy Vega," Sylvie sighed happily.

Tommy chuckled. "In Nancy's words . . . kind of in the job description. Give Owen and the others my best."

"You got it. Thanks, Tommy."

"No problem, Sylvie."

Sylvie hung up her phone and found the cardboard tray with all the coffees she ordered. She checked to make sure each of the orders were correct, and with a smile of relief, she picked the tray up and turned to leave.

She knew she made a mistake when she turned too quickly, and a wave of dizziness swept over her. She stumbled in surprise, not expecting the sudden fatigue, and she felt her grip on the tray disappear. She reached behind her for the counter, hoping to stop herself before she fell, though she knew the coffees were likely a lost cause.

That was until another hand quickly shot out to support the coffees, steadying the tray before taking it from her hand. She numbly watched the coffees be placed back on the counter, then she started when she felt a firm grip on her arm. "Hey," a worried voice said. "Ma'am? Can you hear me?"

Sylvie furiously blinked, trying to right herself before looking up. The dark-haired man in front of her had eyes that appeared grey in the light, and he looked at her in concern, his hand firm on her arm without being too tight. "Yeah," she managed to nod, wincing when her head pounded. "Sorry, I just . . . I turned too fast."

"Is it gonna happen again if I let you go?" he asked.

Sylvie bit her lip, carefully looking around the shop. "I think I need to sit down for a moment," she mumbled.

The man nodded, leading her over to one of the tables in the corner of the shop. She thought she heard him say something to one of the baristas over the counter, but she focused on sitting at the table and resting her head in a trembling hand, breathing deeply to settle her stuttering heart. She mentally cursed, her fingers digging into her scalp. She was a paramedic, for God's sake, how had she missed how low she was on energy?

"Here." She looked up with a start when she heard the man's voice, and he set a small bottle of apple juice on the table in front of her. "You look like you need some energy back. I don't think caffeine's necessary at the moment."

"No, definitely not," she agreed, unscrewing the lid and downing a large gulp. "Thank you," she added with a blush. "I didn't mean to almost pass out and spill all of that on you."

"I'm glad they didn't spill," he chuckled, then gestured to the other chair. "May I?"

"Go ahead," Sylvie nodded, watching him unbutton his suit jacket as he sat. She snorted at her situation, shaking her head and checking the bottle. "It's funny how many calls I get sent to where this happens, and yet I don't recognize it when it happens to myself."

"You caught yourself, at least," the man pointed out.

"You kept me from faceplanting on the floor," Sylvie countered. "And got me this when you didn't have to. So thank you . . . "

She trailed off, and she blushed furiously, already feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. The man chuckled, holding out his hand. "Nolan Price."

"Sylvie Brett," she introduced herself, shaking his hand. "Thank you, Nolan."

"Happy to help," he nodded, watching her continue to drink. "You feeling OK? You didn't look too good when you walked in."
Sylvie checked her watch, grimacing when she saw the time. "Just low on sleep."

Nolan frowned. "How low?"

"Well, since I wasn't able to sleep on the plane due to the excitement we originally planned last night . . . " She winced. "I've been up over 24 hours."

Nolan's eyes widened. "That long?!"

"I'm a paramedic captain who works 48-hour shifts sometimes," Sylvie huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This doesn't happen to me!"

"Yeah, do those shifts come with power naps of any kind?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "Or a kitchen where there's an easy snack to grab?"

Sylvie sighed, closing her eyes. "Sorry," she whispered. "It's just . . . been an overwhelming night." At Nolan's inquisitive look, she gestured to the coffees. "I was coming to bring those back to the hospital. Did you hear about the explosion on Center Street?"

"Yeah, I heard it around my office," Nolan nodded, his eyes widening. "You know who was caught in it?"

"It's the wife of a friend," Sylvie nodded. "The rest of our group's been at the hospital all night, waiting for her to get out of surgery and for her to wake up. The kids especially wanted to keep updating with everything going on, and while I'm not a doctor, I was the best medic in the room, so . . . never really got the time to settle."

"Wow," Nolan whistled lowly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Sylvie smiled unsteadily. "She's . . . she's lucky to be alive, especially with the size of that blast."

"I can only imagine," Nolan nodded. He watched her take another sip of the juice, then eyed the coffee tray. "You didn't drive yourself here to the shop, did you?" he asked worriedly.

"No," Sylvie shook her head, watching him sigh in relief. "I walked."

Nolan did a double take. "You walked while you're this tired?!"

"I didn't even notice!" Sylvie protested weakly, wincing when her head throbbed again.

"OK," Nolan sighed, pulling out his phone and tapping out a message. "Look, you're still wincing and I know how I feel when I pull something like this with little to nothing keeping me going. I'm assuming you came from Mercy? It's the closest one."

"Yeah, I did," Sylvie nodded with a sigh.

"Alright," Nolan nodded, putting his phone in his pocket. "I'll walk you back to the hospital."

Sylvie's eyes widened in shock. "You don't have to do that!"

"You've been up straight for over 24 hours, somehow managed to walk here without passing out, and you nearly did because you turned too quickly," Nolan recounted. "Can you make it back without stumbling into someone, getting another dizzy spell, or – God forbid, because it's a waste of good drinks – spilling all those coffees?"

Sylvie was certain she had never blushed harder in her life. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Well, there we go," Nolan gave her a small smirk. "I promise I won't let anything happen."

Sylvie ducked her head, trying to hide her red face. "Thank you," she muttered. "Can I finish this first, though?"

"I expect you to," Nolan grinned.

***

"He's saying all three were Antifa," Elliot recounted as he and Olivia walked down the hall of the hospital. "We know he's good for two of 'em."

"Right, Molotov cocktails," Olivia confirmed, seeing the frustration on Elliot's face. "Look, he's not going anywhere, Elliot, OK? We're searching his apartment, his truck."

"The size of that blast . . . " Elliot muttered, and Olivia shuddered. She had seen the devastation the blast caused, and she did not want to hear from Owen what the damage must've been. "Where's Arson with all this?" Elliot finally asked.

"Well, they're working on it, but they have three different explosions to look into," Olivia responded. "Is Kathy lucid enough to tell us what she remembers?"

Elliot nodded, holding open the door to her hospital room. TK was inside, chatting softly with Kathy, Owen standing behind him. All three looked up when Olivia entered, and Kathy managed a small smile. "Olivia," she greeted, her voice a rasp. "I'm sorry I ruined your big award ceremony."

"Oh, did me a favor," Olivia smirked. "I hate making speeches." Kathy smiled a little wider, and Olivia took a deep breath, stepping closer. "Owen, TK . . . can we have the room?"

"Sure," TK nodded, squeezing Kathy's hand and standing.

He passed them first, letting Elliot sit by her bed, and Owen squeezed Olivia's shoulder before departing behind his son. Olivia watched them leave, then turned to Kathy. "Kathy, can we go back to last night?" she asked.

Kathy closed her eyes, swallowing. "I don't even remember starting the car," she admitted.

"Did you see anything or hear anything?" Olivia coaxed. "It could be the smallest detail."

Kathy bit her lip. "Elliot was on the phone," she recounted slowly. "It was dark. I didn't see anything." She looked up at Olivia apologetically. "Sorry."

"It's OK," Olivia shook her head.

"You're fine," Elliot assured her, gently stroking her hair. "It's fine."

Kathy chuckled weakly. "It's like the old days," she remarked. "The two of you together, always so in sync. You're just missing Owen." She looked at Olivia. "You really didn't talk for ten years?"

"I didn't even know he was back on the job," Olivia confirmed. "Owen and I, we had each other . . . but we never heard from him."

Kathy sighed. "That's what Elliot told me . . . I didn't believe him."

"It's true, Kathy," Olivia nodded.

Kathy nodded, her head lolling a little. "Kathy?" Elliot stood in concern. "Hey, Kathy?"

"I'm OK," Kathy rasped, blinking away tears. "I'm just so tired."

"OK," Elliot nodded, squeezing her hand. "Why don't we let you get some sleep, then?"

Kathy nodded weakly, and Olivia backed out of the hospital room, gently shutting the door behind her.

***

"She couldn't remember?" Owen guessed when Olivia rejoined him.

"No," Olivia shook her head.

"That's not a surprise," Owen sighed. "It's a miracle she survived the blast. I'm glad she woke up."

"Me, too," Olivia nodded.

Elliot walked down the hall, jacket over his arm. "She's asleep," he reported.

"Good," Owen nodded. "After pushing through all that, she deserves to."

Olivia was silent, and Elliot cleared his throat, gesturing to the water jug in the corner of the room. "You want some water?" he offered.

"No, I'm good," Olivia waved him off. "Thanks."

Elliot nodded, walking over to get himself a drink. "Back at the station, I was about to put you in a bad situation," he said. "I know it's not the way it was back in the day when I had free run of the place. Now it's your house now."

Olivia grimaced. "Thank you," she nodded. "I appreciate that."

Owen fidgeted in his seat, feeling awkward from his place in between the two police officers. I could cut the tension with a butter knife, he thought. It was Elliot who cracked first. "Liv, I'm sorry."

Olivia flinched, turning to him. "Elliot, we don't have to do this," she began. She stopped when Elliot gave her a pained, knowing look, and she sighed, running a hand across her brow. "OK, I guess you wanna do this now," she muttered, dropping heavily into the seat next to Owen. She chewed her lip, forcing herself to meet Elliot's eyes. "You're sorry for leaving?" she asked. "Or are you sorry for walking? For not giving me the courtesy of telling me?"

Elliot sighed. "Both," he admitted. "I think I thought, if I talked to you about how – "

"You walked away," Olivia accused through gritted teeth, fighting to contain her tears. "'Cause that's what you did, Elliot. I had to find out from Cragen. Owen had to find out from me."

Elliot gulped. He had thought facing Owen upon his return would be the hardest thing he would do. He had been so wrong. "Olivia – "

Olivia shook her head, fury rising in her. Once she started, she found she couldn't stop. There was no need for Peter to be angry on her behalf, unless anything was directed at Owen. She understood why Owen hadn't said a word, she knew how close the two men had been before Elliot disappeared. Hell, they had practically co-raised TK for a time after Owen divorced from Gwyn. In her mind, Owen had a pass for this. Elliot, on the other hand . . . "Elliot, you were the most. . . single most important person in my life," she told him coldly. "After his divorce, you and TK were Owen's lifelines."

Elliot blanched. "Olivia . . . "

"And you just disappeared," her voice broke. "You disappeared on both of us, on TK. How . . . how did you expect us to handle that?"

"I know," Elliot nodded, staring down into his water cup. "Like I told Owen . . . I was afraid if I heard your voices, I wouldn't have been able to leave."

Olivia stared at Elliot, then turned to Owen, blindly hoping for some kind of explanation. Owen just sighed. "I can't tell you how you should feel, Liv," he murmured. "But I know better than anyone . . . sometimes you see things on the job, and things are never the same again."

It was as if a pin popped a balloon, and Olivia slumped in her chair, feeling her face crumble. Owen was right, God, she knew he was right. She had heard her share of stories from other police officers, stories about how certain crime scenes and shootouts were the end of the line for them on the force. She had heard from Owen, especially, how 9/11 had been the breaking point for all sorts of first responders, and how those first responders had then made no contact with former coworkers ever since. That Elliot was here to begin with, and to be attempting to explain himself . . . "I can't do it again," she whispered, her left hand fumbling for Owen's. "I can't . . . if you do this to us again, Elliot, I swear to God – "

As Owen's fingers curled around her hand, gripping it tightly, Elliot's own hand, shaking as much as hers, gently took her other one. "I won't," he vowed. "I swear on my life, Liv, I am not shutting either of you out again."

"You better not," Olivia choked.

"Never again," Elliot assured her.

"Never again," Owen agreed.

Olivia exhaled shakily, nodding. "Never again."

Elliot nodded, giving her a thankful smile, and she felt Owen press a kiss to her temple. She leaned into his side, squeezing Elliot's hand as she rested her head on Owen's shoulder. Now that all of that was out of her . . . the only feeling that was better than being reunited with her best friends was when she was with Peter. She owed Fin so many drinks when this was over.

She was brought out of her musings when she heard the door to the waiting room open, and she wondered if that meant Sylvie had returned. Then she heard TK gasp, and she looked up to see the three men in the corner shoot to their feet. "Sylvie!" Eddie was the first to move, running past them.

The three still sitting abruptly stood and turned in time to see a dark-haired man in a suit lead a very pale Sylvie into the waiting room, the paramedic leaning on the man, his arm slung around her waist to support her. "Oh, my God!" Owen sprinted over.

"What happened?" Olivia demanded, watching Eddie sling Sylvie's arm over his shoulders.

"Probably wasn't smart for me to go by myself," Sylvie answered faintly.

"She turned around too quickly after she picked up your coffee order and nearly fainted on the spot," the man held up the tray in his other hand, which TK quickly took. "She complained of a headache on the way over. According to her, it's been a very long night."

"She isn't wrong," Buck sighed.

Elliot turned around, waving to get the attention of a nurse passing by. "Do you have a juice box or something?" he asked.

The nurse nodded and disappeared as the man helped Sylvie sink into one of the chairs. "I didn't think it was smart for her to come back alone," he explained.

"You're right," Eddie nodded, crouching in front of Sylvie and pressing his fingers into her wrist, finding her pulse point. "We've been up for hours and we haven't had much to eat . . . or sleep."

"That's what she said," the man nodded.

"Hey," Owen bent down, cupping the back of Sylvie's head. "How're you feeling now?"

"Like I did after we crashed the helicopter," Sylvie admitted quietly.

The man blanched. "You crashed in a helicopter?"

"In the middle of a wildfire, too," Owen nodded with a sigh. "Alright, you're finishing whatever they bring back and then you are sleeping, you hear me?"

"Copy, Cap," she nodded, leaning into his hand.

The nurse quickly returned, handing a juice bottle to Elliot. "Here you are, Detective."

"Thanks," Elliot nodded, unscrewing the lid and placing it on the table next to Sylvie. "There you go, Sylvie."

Olivia sighed, watching Eddie continue to check over Sylvie, and she turned to the man who was still watching her carefully. "Thank you for bringing her back," she said.

"Of course," he nodded. "Captain Benson, right?"

"That's right," she confirmed, tilting her head. "I've seen you around, haven't I?"

"Maybe between cases at the courthouse," he nodded, holding out his hand. "Nolan Price. I'm one of the city's defense lawyers."

Olivia nodded, recognizing the name. The man had one of the best records of all the lawyers in the city, and she knew he was one of the go-to lawyers for innocent men. "My unit's prosecutor finds it lucky he's never had to face you in court," she told him.

Nolan chuckled. "The feeling's mutual. Counselor Stone is vicious when he wants to be."

"That's Peter for you," Sylvie sighed, taking a long drink of her juice. "Thanks again, Nolan."

"You're welcome, Sylvie," he patted her shoulder. "Just try not to pass out on any of this group."

"We'll make sure she won't," TK promised, giving Sylvie a pointed look.

Sylvie sighed, gesturing to the coffee tray. "You might as well take mine," she said. "I'm probably not gonna drink it, since I should probably get some sleep."

"You sure?" Nolan frowned.

Sylvie snorted. "You got enough sugar in me to get me back to the hospital. Yes, I'm sure."

Nolan shrugged. "If you insist."

Sylvie huffed. "Buck? Give coffee."

Buck snickered, searching through the orders before plucking up a cup and handing it out to Nolan. "And if you're a lawyer, you'll probably need it."

"Good point," Nolan conceded, taking the coffee and examining the label. He did a double take when he saw it. "Hazelnut?"

"No allergies, I hope?" Owen asked.

"Oh, no, just surprised," Nolan grinned. "This is actually my go-to."

Eddie snorted, looking fondly at Sylvie. "You just planned this out, didn't you?"

"Yeah, what a coincidence my go-to is also his," Sylvie rolled her eyes, finishing her drink. "I'm laying down now."

"Yeah, good idea," Owen nodded. "We'll keep you updated if anything else happens."

Sylvie nodded, shifting to lay across the chairs. "Thanks."

Nolan smiled. "Feel better, Sylvie." She gave him a thankful smile, and Nolan turned to the older members of the group. "She said someone's wife is here in the hospital right now?" he asked, looking across all of them. Elliot winced and nodded, and Nolan gave him a small smile. "I hope she recovers."

"Thank you," Elliot gave a grim smile.

Olivia's phone chirped, and she glanced at the incoming message, then sighed. "I gotta go," she said. "That's my chief. He needs me back at the station."

"I'll walk you out, Captain," Nolan offered.

Olivia nodded, turning back to Elliot. "She's a fighter," she reminded him.

"Yeah, she is," Elliot agreed.

She gave him a tight hug, then gently tapped Sylvie's foot. "Feel better, Sylvie."

"Will do, Cap," she smiled.

Olivia nodded, then turned to Nolan. "Thank you, Counselor."

Nolan nodded, holding open the door for her. "After you, Captain."

***

"Alright, now just follow my finger."

At the doctor's order, Matt leveled his gaze on the raised finger and followed the movement. Ever since he and Kelly had walked into the hospital for the appointment, his heart had kept up a steady, nervous tempo. He hadn't been able to sleep during shift, so he was running on adrenaline for the appointment. Thankfully, he didn't think he would be here much longer.

"Great," the doctor nodded, lowering his hand. "And can you discuss with me the vision issues that you're having?"

"Yeah, it was basically tunnel vision," Matt told him. "Everything looked kind of dark and fuzzy around the edges."

The doctor hummed thoughtfully, writing it down on his clipboard. "OK, I'm gonna do a strength test, now. I just want you to push out towards me, with your right hand, extending your elbow." Matt nodded, feeling comfortable as he did the exercise required. "Great," the doctor told him. "Now, same thing with your left."

Matt raised his left hand, pressing against the doctor's hand, and he didn't need the doctor's expression to know what he was thinking. He could feel that his strength wasn't the same as in his right.

***

Buck: Alright Squad

Buck: Tense up

Capp: What did you do

Buck: I did nothing

Eddie: Can confirm

Eddie: Buck is innocent

TK: For once in his life

Buck: Hey now

Joe: So what happened

TK: Well

TK: Since none of us can break into Sylvie's place and scan her fridge

Tony: Did you say "break in"

TK: What's her favorite type of fruit juice

Kelly frowned as he watched the texts roll through the group chat, and after one last check at the door through which Matt had disappeared earlier, he joined the conversation.

Kelly: Cranberry, grape, or apple

Kelly: Those are her top three

Kelly: How do you not know this?

Buck: We're not juice drinkers at the firehouse

Buck: And we don't really play 20 questions to find out

Capp: And why can't you ask her this yourself?

Joe: Better question

Joe: This is the Squad chat

Joe: Why isn't she answering this herself

Tony: And where's Captain Strand in all this?

TK: What a loaded question

TK: So

TK: Storytime

TK: Liv was supposed to have an award ceremony last night

TK: All of Squad and our SOs got invited to be plus-ones so we could get out of Austin

TK: And then Elliot's car got bombed

Kelly: Excuse me?!

Joe: Who's Elliot?

TK: Elliot Stabler

TK: Liv's first partner and Dad's best friend

TK: If I ever needed watched as a kid, Elliot did it

TK: And his wife is currently in the hospital because she got caught in the blast

Capp: Holy shit

Joe: How's she doing?

Eddie: She made it through surgery and she's been awake

Eddie: She went to sleep not too long ago

Buck: After she woke up Sylvie went out to get coffee for all of us

Buck: And she returned walking like a zombie with someone she nearly spilled everything on

Buck: Turns out she almost passed out in the shop

Owen: Don't walk around without eating or sleeping for 24 hours boys

Owen: I will report you to Boden so quickly if you do

Kelly: . . .

Kelly: You mean my paramedic best friend

Kelly: Who has likely attended dozens of calls for this

Kelly: Wore herself into the ground that easily

TK: To be fair

TK: Considering Dad and I saw Elliot before Olivia did

TK: And they've been out of touch for over a decade

TK: There's been a hell of a lot to deal with in those 24 hours

Joe: Jesus Christ Sylvie

Kelly: I'm gonna kill her

Kelly: Forget the argument I had with Casey

Kelly: I'm gonna find Sylvie and kill her

Kelly: And since it's Captain Benson

Kelly: I assume you're in New York

Eddie: Don't kill my partner when I just put her to sleep

Capp: Say what

TK: Oh my God Eddie

Eddie: That did not come out right

Owen: No one is killing my paramedic captain!

Owen: Not even you Severide

Owen: I'll sic Elliot and Liv on you if you try

Joe: You

Joe: You actually think that'll work?

Owen: Well I'm not sacrificing Carlos

TK: Um

TK: Thank you?

TK: But you'd sacrifice Elliot and Olivia?

Buck: Honestly

Buck: 20 bucks on Stabler and Benson

Capp: 50 on Severide if it includes Casey

Tony: ^

Buck: Alright then

TK: NO

The door to the examination area suddenly opened, and Kelly had to put his phone down as Matt emerged, stress written all over his face. "Well?" the lieutenant asked, getting to his feet.

"I need to get an MRI," Matt seethed, running a hand through his hair. "He said it's possible the repeat trauma has left behind permanent damage. It could be I'm having temporal lobe seizures."

Kelly took back what he said in the chat. He would need Sylvie to explain things like this to him. "What would that mean?" he asked.

"They can get progressively worse," Matt ground out, storming down the hallway to the elevators; Kelly had to jog to keep up with him. "Turn into full body seizures. I'd have to quit the CFD, obviously."

He stabbed the button to go down, then started when Kelly grabbed his hand. "Matt, hang on," the lieutenant ordered, and Matt huffed, turning to him. "Take a minute and slow down. Did he say this was certain?"

Matt slumped. "No," he whispered.

"Then we can't jump to conclusions," Kelly told him firmly. "So you get the MRI, and we'll go from there, OK?"

Matt sighed, nodding. "OK."

Kelly nodded back. "In other news . . . " He handed over his phone as they entered the elevator. "You're no longer the only one being an idiot with your health." Matt raised an eyebrow, taking his phone, and Kelly was grateful the doors closed before Matt screeched.

"Sylvie did what?!"

***

I think y'all can guess who Sylvie's older half-sibling is now, right? XD

I really wasn't sure how much I would include the revival of Law & Order, since so far all we've had is Liv's cameo in the season finale, but once I really started watching it, I was really drawn to Price's character. Maybe it's my attachment to the SVU ADAs, Stone and Carisi, but I love him, and when the plot bunny to make him and Sylvie half-siblings hit . . . well, here we are! So, expect a lot of Price from this point forward.

The hunt for the bomber continues next chapter, and Matt and Kelly work through all of the former's appointments. It will come to a satisfying ending, I promise. ;)

graphic by marvelity