Answering Machines and ADAs
Summary: Who knew Elliot and Olivia would get together because of an answering machine and big-mouth ADAs? E/O.
Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns Law & Order: SVU. TeenQueen661 owns the plot of this one-shot.
It was obvious. Elliot Stabler was in love with his bad-ass partner, Olivia Benson. It was obvious to everyone that he loved her more than a partner.
"It's love, man!" Fin yelled at Munch. "It's no damn conspiracy!"
Okay, maybe not everyone.
Ever since his divorce with Kathy, Elliot has spent more time with Olivia and most of the time, it wasn't work-related. They would go out drinking at bars, eat Chinese food, and even spend nights watching movies at each other's homes. You wouldn't see one without the other. They came in a pair, and everyone knew that.
Except for Munch, of course.
Needless to say, Elliot wanted Olivia. He needed her. He needed her more than the air he needed to breathe. He concluded that he loved her ever since she stepped foot in the precinct for the very first time. He remembered the time when he came so close to losing her. If that knife wound was just a bit deeper...
He didn't want to think about that. He refused to think about that. He almost lost her once and he was not about to lose her for good.
"Elliot, stop staring off into space!" Cragen scolded. "Get back to work!"
Elliot snapped out of his thoughts and realized that his eyes were on Olivia's ass. However, she didn't notice because her back was to him as she chatted with Alex Cabot and Casey Novak nearby. He shook his head and returned to completing his paperwork, while Cragen went back into his office.
Olivia's conversation with Alex and Casey soon ended and she returned to her desk, only to find a small empty plate on top of her desk. She didn't need to use her detective skills to find out who took her snack.
"Munch, why did you eat my donut!" Olivia yelled, turning to face Munch.
Munch, who was at his desk reading the newspaper, looked up. "I didn't eat it."
"Don't give me that bullshit!" Olivia snapped, irritated. "I know you ate it!"
"What makes you think I ate it?" Munch asked.
Olivia shook her head, holding up a magazine that was on her desk. "I don't read Conspiracy magazine."
Fin chuckled, as Munch's magazine, thrown by Olivia, hit him in the face. "Man, you're so busted."
"Guilty," Munch said, putting down his newspaper and holding up his hands in surrender.
"Are you going to arrest him, baby girl?" Fin asked, handing Olivia his handcuffs.
"Damn right, I will," Olivia said, smirking, as she took the handcuffs from him.
Before Munch could blink, Olivia had his arms around his back and handcuffed him.
"John Munch, you are under arrest for theft," Olivia stated, sternly. "You have the right to remain silent and if you take another donut from me, I will kill you."
Elliot couldn't help but laugh. "You still up for Chinese food later, Liv?"
"Well, it is Friday night," Olivia answered, smiling at him. "It's like a tradition now, huh?"
Elliot grinned. "It seems like it."
While Olivia returned to reading Munch his rights, Alex and Casey took the opportunity to pull Elliot aside and ask him some questions.
"So, when are you going to tell her?" Alex asked, looking him directly in the eyes.
"Tell who what?" Elliot asked.
"Tell Olivia that you like her, idiot!" Casey replied.
"It's obvious that she means more to you than a partner," Alex added, smirking.
"Will you quit interrogating me?" Elliot questioned, irritated.
"We will, once you pluck up some of the courage you have and tell her," Casey answered.
"And how do you suppose I do that?" Elliot asked.
"Tell her over dinner tonight," Alex suggested. "You two are eating Chinese food tonight, right?"
"Yeah, I'm meeting her at her place," Elliot answered.
"Perfect," Casey said, smiling. "Dinner with no interruptions. Tonight will definitely be the night."
Before Elliot could reply, Cragen stuck his head out of his office.
"Elliot, Olivia!" he called. "Seventeen-year-old rape victim at Mercy General! Her name is Tara McKenzie! Go get her statement!"
Elliot reached for his jacket hanging over his chair and put it on. Olivia reached for hers, slipped in over her, and followed Elliot out of the squad room. Fin needed to use the washroom and Alex and Casey decided to get some lunch, leaving a handcuffed Munch in the middle of the empty squad room.
"Can I get a little help here!" Munch called, but he got no response.
When work was done, Olivia left the precinct to go home. Cragen made Elliot stay behind until he finished all of his paperwork. Once the paperwork was finished, Elliot left the precinct and went to pick up some Chinese food, before heading to Olivia's apartment.
After finding a parking space outside her apartment, he headed inside and rode the elevator to Olivia's floor. He walked down the hallway, until he approached her door. He knocked and waited for her to answer it.
A few seconds later, the door opened and Olivia ushered him inside. Prior to his arrival, she changed out of her work clothes and into a navy NYPD T-Shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.
"Sorry about being late," Elliot said, taking off his jacket.
"Don't worry about it," Olivia answered, taking a seat on her couch. "I know Cragen can be a pain in the ass."
"Tell me about it," Elliot said, as he took a seat next to her.
"So, what did you buy?" Olivia asked, gesturing to the plastic bag he was untying. "I'm starving."
"What else?" he said, smiling, as he handed her a small container and a pair of chopsticks.
Olivia opened the container and grinned when she spotted the container's contents.
"Butter-fried cod with black bean sauce," she said, smiling. "You know me so well."
"Hey, a partner is supposed to know his partner's favourite food," he replied, reaching for his own container of food.
They spent the next half hour eating the food and enjoying each other's company. Their conversation topics were about Elliot's kids, work, Munch's wacky conspiracies, and life in general. By the time they covered all of those topics, the empty, styrofoam containers were scattered on Olivia's coffee table, along with two pairs of chopsticks.
"Thanks again for the food, El," Olivia said, as she started cleaning up.
"No problem," he said, reaching for a few containers, but Olivia stopped him.
"I got them, it's okay," she said.
"Let me help," he insisted, finally grabbing hold of some of the containers. "Half of this mess was mine anyway."
They made their way to the kitchen with the empty styrofoam containers and threw them in the garbage can. Elliot returned to the living room to gather the containers they couldn't bring on their first trip, and when he reentered the kitchen, Olivia was grabbing two beers out of the refrigerator.
"Want a beer?" she asked.
Elliot nodded. "Sure."
Once the coffee table was clean and garbage-free, Olivia leaned against the counter, drinking her bottle of beer. Elliot stood next to her, staring down at the closed beer bottle in his hands.
"El?" Olivia said, when the silence became unbearable. "Is everything alright?"
Elliot snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his partner. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"I'm okay," he replied, looking back down at his bottle of beer. "Just thinking about something."
"Care to share?" she asked.
Elliot sighed and took a deep breath. He wasn't ready to tell her yet. As much as he wanted to, he wanted to find the perfect opportunity to tell her. He knew that there was no time like the present, but he wasn't sure if it was the right time or not.
He sighed and looked at her, again. "Liv, I - "
Before Elliot could continue, the phone started ringing. Elliot reached over to answer it, but Olivia stopped him.
"That can wait," Olivia said, looking at him. "Continue."
"What if it's work?" Elliot asked, hoping to take her mind off of what he was about to say.
"Screw work," Olivia answered. "It looked like you were about to say something important."
Elliot sighed again, as the phone continued to ring. Should he tell her? It was a really big risk, and he knew that if he screwed up, he would lose everything in one hit: his partner and the woman he secretly loved.
Olivia continued to stare at him, her eyes not leaving him for a minute. She anticipated an answer and hoped he would just spit it out already.
Elliot was so deep in thought that he didn't realize that the phone stopped ringing and went to Olivia's voice mail.
"Hello, I'm not available right now. Please leave your name and phone number and I will get right back to you."
"El, what is it?" Olivia asked, getting a bit impatient.
Before Elliot could answer, a female voice spoke.
"Hey, it's Casey and Alex," the voice said.
This snapped Elliot out of his thoughts and he turned his attention to the answering machine. Olivia was listening to the message and knew it was Casey, who was likely speaking for herself and Alex.
"We're at the bar with the guys and decided to check on you two," Casey continued.
"Check on us?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow. "About what?"
Elliot didn't answer. At that moment, he was praying that this wasn't happening.
"So, did you make a move on her, Elliot?" Alex asked, taking her turn on the phone.
"Elliot what is going on here?" Olivia asked, confused and a bit frustrated. "And who is the girl they are referring to?"
"You would be surprised," Elliot said, hoping Casey and Alex would shut up.
"I really hope you took our advice and told her," Alex continued. "Olivia can't read minds, you know."
"What do you have to tell me?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing. She feared the worst: that he didn't want her as a partner anymore.
"It's a bit complicated," he replied, slowly.
"Like we said earlier, it's obvious that you love her," Casey said. "Not just as a partner, but as the woman you so obviously fantasize about."
"What the hell?" Olivia cried, staring at the answering machine like it just sprouted legs. "Are those two drunk?"
Elliot groaned. He had a feeling that they were going to continue, whether they were sober or not.
"I see the look on your face when you stare at her," Alex said, completely oblivious to what was going on in the apartment at that moment. "I can tell by that look that you want to hold her in your arms and never let her go."
Olivia went from staring at the answering machine to giving her partner a surprised look. She tried to make eye contact from him, but he slapped his right hand over his face, having the urge to kill two certain assistant district attorneys.
Needless to say, the message continued.
"You won't ruin the relationship you have with her if you tell her about your feelings for her," Casey continued. "And you want to know why?"
Elliot nodded, removing his hand from his face, so he could stare at the answering machine. Olivia gave him a strange look.
"It's because Olivia feels the same way about you," Alex said.
Now, it was Elliot's turn to give his partner a surprised look. Olivia's eyes widened in shock.
"She told us that she loved you ever since she stepped foot into the precinct and met you for the first time," Casey explained.
Olivia glared at the answering machine. She gritted her teeth, in anger and her hands clenched into fists.
"Liv, are you okay?" Elliot asked, concerned.
Before Olivia could respond, Alex's voice was heard again.
"She was greatly disappointed when she saw the wedding band on your finger," Alex continued. "But it was only a matter of time before fate gave her a chance at love."
Elliot watched Olivia mutter something that he couldn't quite understand. However, he managed to pick up the words, "shoot," "kill," "Casey," and "Alex."
"Oh, we got to go," Casey said. "Munch and Fin had too much to drink and are puking their brains out."
Olivia shuddered. "Too much information."
"I agree," Elliot said.
"Anyway, make a move on her, Stabler," Alex said. "You know you want to."
With that said, the beep sounded, ending the message. Elliot couldn't believe what just happened. He stood there for a moment, thinking about what happened, and concluded that the next time he saw Casey and Alex, they would wind up in intensive care.
Elliot turned to face Olivia and realized that she was gone. He panicked, slightly as he searched her apartment for her. She wasn't in the living room nor the bathroom, so he figured that she was in her room.
When he approached her bedroom, he wasn't surprised to find the door closed. Sighing, he knocked.
"Olivia, open up," Elliot said.
Olivia didn't answer. Elliot knew she was in there, though.
"Liv, open the door," he said. "We need to talk."
Again, Olivia didn't respond.
Elliot turned the doorknob and was surprised to find the door unlocked. He opened it and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. It was quite dark in the room, so he ran his hands on the wall and flicked on the light switch when he found it.
On the bed was Olivia, who was lying down under the blanket, staring at the ceiling. Elliot watched her, hoping she would say something, but minutes passed and neither one said a word. He just leaned against the closed door. He knew she would talk to him when she was ready.
It seemed like hours had gone by before Olivia finally spoke.
"I didn't expect you to find out this way," she said.
"This isn't exactly how I wanted to tell you either," Elliot answered.
Olivia sighed, finally making eye contact with her. "So, what now?"
"I don't know," Elliot replied, taking a seat on her bed.
Once again, the silence was unbearable, and Elliot had questions that needed answers.
"So, since the first day, huh?" Elliot asked.
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, but what about you? You fantasize about me?"
"It's hard not to, Liv," Elliot answered, slightly embarassed. "You're beautiful."
Olivia scoffed. "I'm not, Elliot. I'm just me."
Elliot shook his head. "You are beautiful, Liv, and you have to stop denying it."
Olivia's lips curved into a small smile, as she sat up. "Only one thing remains, though."
"What's that?" Elliot asked.
"Where do we go from here?" Olivia asked, curiously.
"I think you know what I want," Elliot said, his arms making their way around her waist.
Olivia nodded, as he pulled her closer to him.
"The thing is, what do you want, Liv?" he asked, their faces only inches apart.
Olivia's rested her hands on his shoulders. "You."
With that said, Elliot's lips met Olivia's. Years of built up sexual tension and passion were finally being released through that kiss. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her, so he was on top of her. Their kiss became more intense and passionate as Elliot's tongue ran across her lips and she allowed him entrance to her mouth.
It wasn't long until they desperately need to breathe and Elliot pulled back, his cerulean eyes meeting her chocolate-brown ones.
"I love you, Livia," he whispered.
"I love you, too, El," Olivia replied, tugging on his shirt.
Once Elliot obeyed and removed his shirt, he went back to looking at Olivia. "Are you sure about this, Liv?"
"Yes," she said, as she started unzipping his jeans. "Make love to me."
"With pleasure," Elliot answered, leaning in for another kiss.
Luckily, Elliot and Olivia had the weekend off, which they spent together. Their weekend included dinner at a restaurant, a walk in Central Park, and more intimate moments in Olivia's apartment.
When Monday came along, Fin was at the precinct, in the squad room, making a cup of coffee. Casey and Alex was standing by the door, in a deep conversation with each other.
All was well until Munch ran into the squad room, nearly knocking Casey and Alex over as he passed them by. He stopped at his desk, panting after a long run. He was waving a newspaper in the air.
"Whoa, man!" Fin said, startled. "Where's the fire?"
"It's a conspiracy!" Munch yelled at the top of his lungs.
Casey and Alex walked over to Munch, who was still waving the newspaper in the air like a complete lunatic. They tried to get him to calm down, but Munch kept waving the newspaper around, and Casey and Alex backed away from fear of injury.
"Calm down, Munch," Alex said.
Munch didn't listen to her and continued to shout. "Conspiracy!"
"What is going on here!" Cragen yelled, walking out of his office and heading towards Munch.
"It's a conspiracy, Cap!" Munch said, throwing the newspaper onto his desk. "See for yourself!"
Approaching the desk, Cragen read the newspaper. On the front page of the New York Times was a picture of Elliot and Olivia in Central Park, sharing a passionate kiss. Elliot's arms were wrapped around her waist, while her hands rested on his shoulders.
Extremely shocked, Cragen read the title of the article and nearly had a heart attack.
"Detective Love In The SVU."
Ta-Da! Another SVU one-shot! Like? Dislike? Reviews are greatly appreciated! :D
-TeenQueen661.