This is more of a missing scene/post-ep for Swing. I wrote this a while ago, and it felt kind of weird to me, but I couldn't think of any way to improve it.

Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Disclaimer: They're not mine, sadly.

Fine

Olivia was sitting at her desk finishing up some paper work for her current case, when Elliot suddenly blew through the doors of the Special Victims Unit. She could tell from his demeanor that he was angry, this latest mess with his daughter, Kathleen, had put him on edge and it was showing at work. Olivia knew that Kathleen had a court date today, and she figured the outcome of the court appearance was the cause for Elliot's current rage. Olivia watched as Elliot made a beeline for the stairs and she figured he was headed for the crib. She was tempted to follow him, but decided that the best thing for him at the moment was a little time to himself.

Half an hour later, Olivia was still filling out paper work when her desk phone rang, "Hello, this is Detective Benson?"

"Olivia?"

"Kathy?" Olivia was quite surprised to hear the other woman's voice, "Are you looking for Elliot? He's not here at the moment."

"No. I was looking for you. I wanted to talk to you."

Olivia's stomach dropped. The last time Olivia got an out-of-the-blue call from Kathy, the conversation started much the same way as this one, and resulted in Kathy asking Olivia to help put the final nail in the coffin of the seemingly dead Stabler marriage.

"I just...I didn't know who else to call."

Olivia sighed, "I don't how I can be of any help."

"Just talk to him. He and I aren't speaking right now. And all our fighting is doing nothing to help Kathleen, who's sitting in jail right now."

"Kathleen's in jail?"

"Yeah, Elliot turned over the necklace that Kathleen stole, and she had a melt down and had to be removed from the courtroom."

"Great. That'll do nothing to help her case."

"He's just been so angry since this all started and it only got worse after..." Kathy paused as if just realizing something, "I'm not sure, but I think something happened when he went to go see Bernadette."

"Who's Bernadette?"

"Elliot's mother. You didn't know her name?"

Elliot's mother? Olivia had no idea that she was even alive let alone what her name was. She was confused as to why Elliot had never thought to mention his mother to her before, "I thought she...he never...no, I didn't know."

"They don't really talk. He acts as if she never existed. I think his biggest problem with her is that she refuses to admit that she has a problem."

Olivia closed her eyes against the small sting of betrayal she felt. All these years...years spent trusting him and few others, with her darkest thoughts and feelings about her own mother. She remembered when Serena died, and she felt as though the only stable thing she could rely on was Elliot, and he gladly offered his support and stood by her in that moment of confusion. Yet, he never returned the same confidence in her, by withholding sharing his own problems with his mother with her.

"What problem?"

"She's bi-polar."

"Like Kathleen." Olivia sighed once more. Things were beginning to become more clear to her, "I'll talk to him, Kathy. Um, do you have Bernadette's number?"

"Yeah. She lives out in Jersey."

Olivia jotted down the information, then wrapped up the conversation with Kathy. She turned in her chair and looked up the stairs. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and ascended the stairs, preparing to confront Elliot about this secret he'd kept from her for far too many years.

The banging of the gavel rang out in the courtroom. Elliot was dumbfounded. Kathleen was free to go home?

"What the hell just happened?"

"Maybe God remembered how cute you were as a carrot."

Olivia had talked to his mother? Elliot was so caught off guard that his mouth was unable to form the two words that were running through his brain, 'Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.' Instead he just stood and watched her as she walked out of the courtroom, walking as if it was just another day. He turned as Kathy and Kathleen approached him.

"You okay?" Kathy asked.

"Uh, yeah. I gotta go. I'll be home later." Elliot said as he began making his way out of the courtroom.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's fine. I'll be back in a while." Elliot said as he left the courtroom as quickly as possible.

Elliot wasn't sure how, but the next thing he knew, he was standing outside his mother's house once again, knocking on the door. Bernadette answered, but didn't greet him, she just stood waiting for him to explain his presence. When he spoke, Elliot was finally able to get out the words he'd been meaning to say earlier, "Thank you...just, thank you."

"You don't have to thank me."

"But you said you didn't want--"

"I did it for Kathleen."

"But how--"

"Your partner, Olivia. She's quite pretty I must say."

"Mama, please..." Elliot said, imploring his mother not to continue down this path, he got enough of that bull from everyone else, he didn't need it from his mother too.

"What? I'm just making an observation. I'm allowed to do that." Bernadette pushed some of her hair out of her face and sighed, "When I talked to her...she made me realize that it wasn't about me, at least not just about me...oh, it doesn't matter now," she paused before continuing, "Why did you let her think I was dead?" When Elliot remained silent, Bernadette turned and walked over to the window, gazing out at the ocean, "She was very kind to me...you know, Kathy told me about what she did for her and Eli, in the accident. She's obviously a very important person in your life...I mean it's bad enough I don't get to see the kids very often... but it hurts me to know that you want to keep me out of your life so much that you'd let your friends think I don't even exist."

Elliot sighed in frustration. This was not what he came to talk about. He just wanted to find out what brought about her change of heart about the situation, say thank you, and leave. Nowhere was dissecting what he does and doesn't share with Olivia a part of that plan. Bernadette turned away from the window and met his eyes, "She's a good woman, Elliot. Be good to her. She cares a lot about you and your family. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to see me."

"How did she even find you?" Elliot knew Olivia was involved, but he was just now realizing the lengths to which Olivia went to for him. He knew his next stop after this would be to Olivia's. He needed to show his gratitude and let her know that her efforts did not go unnoticed.

"Don't worry about that. What's done is done. The important thing now is Kathleen's at home and getting the help she needs." Bernadette smiled and continued, "Every thing's fine."

For now.