Okay, so I haven't written an SVU story in almost seven years. I used to write under the name SVUProductions (later changed to The Sarcastic Polar Bear). Long story short, I no longer access that account, so here I am, writing SVU for the first time in years thanks to binge watching the show all week.
Disclaimer: I don't own SVU. The title and summary are lyrics from the song The City, which belongs to Fleetwood Mac.
Something always sent him back to that city.
No matter how hard he tried to get out, tried to establish himself outside the city, no matter how badly he wanted to stay out (or did he want that?), something always dragged Elliot right back to that dirty, busy city. The city that brought back so many painful memories, and if he were being completely honest, many more fond memories that almost made him forget why he left.
He tried to settle down outside the city. He really tried. While the first few months (hell, first year or two) of retirement brought him a much-desire relaxation, the bliss ended soon enough. Once they got the twins through college, Kathy left, this time for good. It only made him question himself once again. Did he really want out?
Elliot tried to move on. He had Eli every other weekend, and he loved having the time to spend with his youngest. He missed out on so much of his older children's lives when he buried himself in his work, and he didn't want to do the same thing to Eli.
But no matter how hard Elliot tried to convince himself, he would never believe that he had truly made the right choice by leaving New York City. Sure, he had plenty of time to spend with his son the two weekends a month he had him, but what about the other twenty or thirty some weeks a year?
Time was a powerful force. With every month and year that passed, the time between phone calls and text messages grew. But he supposed he was to blame for that.
When Elliot laid down his gun and badge for the final time, he didn't realize how suddenly he was yanking the rug out from his feet, from Olivia's feet, from his family's feet. For months he woke up at night, seeing that dying girl's eyes.
But something, maybe the good memories, maybe the familiarity, always lured him back to New York City. Even if he only stayed a short while, a feeling he couldn't quite identify tugged at his heart when it was time to leave. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe it was his conscience reminding him that maybe he made the wrong choice.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched Eli show a small boy, a perfect stranger to his son (not that it mattered; Eli would befriend anyone he met) how to throw a spiral. Even as he watched, his mind kept drifting.
How many times had he and Olivia sat in this very park, drinking coffee and catching up or looking for a perp?
He watched Eli play with the younger boy until a familiar voice called out.
"Time to go home, Noah!"
The end? Maybe? Maybe not. The world may never know? Please be kind souls and review! It only takes a couple of seconds, and I'd really like feedback on this little drabble. I have no idea if I'll leave it as a oneshot, or if I'll add an epilogue. REVIEW. Bye.
