A/N: Did anyone else get so sad after Rescue? Dick Wolf's such a jerk, leaving us like that and making us wait so long. Poor Liv needs a family, and even though so many people have done this already,here is my postep for Rescue. Everything until the chapter break is the ending scene. I own nobody at all. And the same rule applies to this story that applies to all mine- El and Kathy are divorced, Eli no existy! Haha.
"Vivian! Vivian, you did this! You talked to David, you're the one who's shipping him off to Vermont." Hurt accusation lingered in Olivia Benson's voice.
"I'm doing it because it's the best thing for him," Vivian Arliss shot back. "And I'm his mom."
"It was always temporary," Elliot whispered into her ear, not loosening his grip, the only thing preventing her from lunging at Vivian.
"Come on, son," coaxed the social worker, pulling Calvin away.
"No! I don't wanna go anywhere!" Calvin cried, launching himself out of the man's grasp and into Olivia's arms. She pulled him close, closing her eyes. "Olivia, don't let them take me! I'll do anything, please!"
"It's okay," Olivia whispered, her voice faltering as she rested her chin on the child's head. It wasn't okay. It was far from okay. It was anything but okay.
"We gotta go," Vivian interrupted, grabbing Calvin's shoulder.
"No," he whimpered, clinging to Olivia even tighter.
"Let him go!" Vivian yelled, yanking her son out of Olivia's arms. "Let him go!"
"Olivia!" he cried.
"It's okay, Calvin," Olivia whispered, feeling hot tears spring to her eyes.
"Olivia! Olivia! Please don't let them take me! Olivia!" Calvin's screams rang out as he was dragged away from her.
Her vision blurred, eclipsed by her field of tears. How could this have happened? She had let herself get too close again. All she had ever wanted was a child, and as soon as she had one, he was stolen from her. She had merely known him for a short time, but she had grown so attached to him.
And now she had lost him. Her lip quavered as she tried not to cry. She couldn't cry, not here, not in front of Elliot.
Her heart split in two. Her chances of being a mother were shattered. Why was it that every time she found some happiness in her life, it was taken in the blink of an eye?
She knew she could fight for custody, but what judge would grant her custody of a child she barely knew? Calvin would be sent to Vermont with his grandparents, and she would never see him again.
She didn't want to hate Vivian, but her crushed emotions dragged her into a fiery world of hate that she couldn't seem to escape. Anger and hurt swelled up inside her, and she didn't know which she felt more.
EO-EO-EO
Elliot sighed to himself. Olivia had walked away the second he reached to touch her in hope of instilling comfort into her. He too grieved for the scenario, he knew how much his partner wanted to be a part of a family.
He tried calling her- no answer. "Liv, it's me. I just wanted to know if you're okay. I'll come by later." And by later, he meant right away.
His instincts told him to call Kathy, but his true feelings told him not to. He needed to talk to Olivia. She needed somebody.
He let out a deep breath before knocking his knuckles against her door. A thought crossed his mind. Why was he knocking? He had a key, and she wasn't going to answer. It was the Olivia way, she would shut everybody out, including him.
He fished the key out of his pocket and stuck it into the keyhole, turning it with a flick of his wrist. He gently pushed the door closed after stepping inside. "Liv?"
Olivia didn't answer, she merely sat in icy silence on her sofa, her eyes fixed upon the painting Calvin had drawn for her. The signature- Calvin Benson, stuck itself in her mind. Not Calvin Arliss, Calvin Benson.
Elliot sat next to her and peered over her shoulder, not making a sound. There was no need for words- she was going to let him in.
It was Olivia who shattered the eerie silence. "He said he signed it that way because I rescued him." Her voice sounded so broken, hoarse and distraught.
"You did," Elliot said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder. Olivia finally looked into his eyes, and his heart shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces. Her deep brown eyes were rimmed in red, and dried tears stained her cheeks.
"I let them take him. I didn't do anything to stop it."
"There's nothing you could have done," he whispered. Olivia looked down at her lap, feeling another wave of tears swim in her eyes.
"Vivian told me that Calvin could my little boy forever. She said I deserved him." Her voice was but a faint, shattered whisper.
The words replayed in his mind as he remembered walking into that abandoned building to see Olivia and a drunken, sobbing Vivian standing amid the destruction, with Vivian pleading that Olivia make a decision.
"You do, Liv, You deserve a family, not this." It was true. His best friend deserved so much more than this. What she deserved was to be happy.
"I'm never going to have a family, El."
Her words shattered his heart. How could she not see that she did have a family? She had him. He gently began to rub her shoulder. "You've got me," he murmured.
How could he say that? He would never feel the way for her that she felt for him. He had just recently divorced Kathy, and there was no way he'd chose her.
But she did have him. "I know," she said softly. Her eyes slid shut, and everything she could hear was drowned by the replaying of Calvin screaming her name over and over. She tried to bring herself back to reality, but no matter what she tried to think, no matter what she tried to hear- it was all chased away.
She let a sigh escape her mouth. Why did these things always happen to her? A new voice made its way into her head- Elliot whispering that it was always temporary. She had always known that, but she had let herself get close, and now his words whispered in her head over and over, like a broken record.
"It's gonna be alright," he assured, trying to instill strength into her. She shook her head. How was it going to be alright?
She shuddered, letting out a trembling breath. A new wave of tears sprung to her eyes, and without a second thought, Elliot reached toward her and gathered her into his arms.
She surprised both of them by letting him hold her. She took him aback by slipping her arms around him. Neither of them spoke. They didn't need to. They just embraced each other, and she buried her face into his shoulder, allowing silent tears to escape.
The clock ticked as they sat in silence. They let go after five minutes, and chocolate brown eyes met cerulean blue.
"Thanks, El," she whispered, reaching for a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. She pulled away and fixed her gaze on the wall. She was exhausted. She tried to stifle a yawn, and failed.
Elliot stood up. "You need rest," he said. Olivia shook her head. "Liv, you've had a hard day. You need to go to bed."
Olivia yawned again, too tired to argue, and lay down on the couch.
"Honey, you should really get in bed," he urged gently. "You can't get a good night's rest on the couch."
"I don't want to," she murmured. Realization struck her. Had he really called her "honey"? He had never called her that before, and under the circumstances, it seemed perfectly natural.
Elliot sighed softly and grabbed a blanket, pulling it over her. "Alright. Just get some sleep." He hesitated before smoothing her hair back. "Good night."
"Night," she mumbled, curling up under the blanket. Elliot crept toward the door and opened it quietly, not wanting to disturb her. He leaned in the doorway, staring at his partner's slumbering form for several long seconds before he closed the door, locking it behind him.
Olivia snuggled deeper into the couch, which has practically become her bed. She had given Calvin her bedroom, and the thought of sleeping there brought too much pain. Why had she let herself get so close again? It was the way she was- she always got too involved, and it always wound up with her getting hurt. And now that she had finally let Elliot in, she didn't know if she could push him away again.
Well, aww. Review. Want more? Or do you like it as a oneshot? I may add more.