Happy Endings Exist

Chapter 1: Exonerated

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and God am I glad that I don't because I'm not as amazing as the writers on this show.

SPOILERS: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR "FLORIDA". If you haven't seen that episode, go now, run and find a tape of it! GO WATCH IT! IT IS THE BEST EPISODE OF SVU SO FAR!

A/N: THANK GOD! SIMON DIDN'T DO IT! Olivia has a family and not an evil family either. I'm just so happy and I will be amending my story summary for "Bound By Blood" to clarify that I wrote it between "Philadelphia" and "Florida"

Dedications: To my friend Emily who earlier this evening I accused of doing something that I should have known better that she would never do to me and because she spent the first half of the episode telling me that Simon was innocent when I kept saying that "Innocent people don't run" when they obviously do in those rare cases where they know they're being set up but they don't know how. Also, this story is for the fictional character of Simon Marsden because more than a few times the thought that the evidence could have been planted crossed my mind but I ignored it. I feel that I owe this fictional man a story where he isn't a villain. The show's writers sure managed to make an ass out of me. Now I have a Billy Joel song stuck in my head and the person who guesses it wins a prize to be determined later.

Elliot knocked on her door later that evening. Olivia opened the door and invited him in. Flashing him a long buried smile that had only recently resurfaced. After so many years, she could finally believe that who her father was made no difference in the person she had turned out to be.

Simon was innocent. He was a victim of a woman who believed that she was avenging her little sister. Demons still existed in the world but for the first time, Olivia's demons seemed further away as if they had been banished to a place where they couldn't hurt her anymore.

She lead Elliot to the couch and sat down beside him "How was work?" she asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Not bad," he said honestly, leaning back against her couch cushions as if that was where he belonged. After the hectic afternoon that he and Olivia had endured, he had returned to the station to get the third degree from Cragen who, to his credit, had told Elliot to take the rest of the afternoon off. But Elliot had needed to finish some paperwork first so he stayed, though the second he had initialed the last form, he had torn out of the precinct and straight to Olivia's.

"I shouldn't have doubted him," Olivia sighed, letting her eyes drift closed.

"We all jumped to conclusions Liv," he said, understandingly as he draped an arm around her shoulder. "Even the cops need to believe that the cops are the good guys."

She let her head fall against Elliot's chest "I'm so glad he didn't do it," she smiled softly.

Elliot smiled as well "Me too," he let his chin rest on top of her head "He's lucky he's got a big sister to look out for him."

Olivia turned to him "Thanks," she said quietly. The two sat there for a few seconds, simply staring at each other before Olivia spoke again "Why did you come busting in like that?"

"I was scared out of my mind," Elliot admitted then when he saw the look in her eyes he quickly added "It wasn't because I didn't trust you," he sighed and closed his eyes "I didn't trust those state troupers outside. They probably would have blown both of you away just to get Milfield out."

Olivia was silent for a while, not sure what to say. Before she could speak, the phone rang. She pulled away and grabbed it off of the end table. "Hello?" she answered in an almost chipper voice.

"Olivia," it was Simon.

"Yeah, hi," she smiled softly "How's it going?"

"Lucy and I are going out to dinner tonight. Would you and Elliot like to come?" he asked.

"I'd love to," Olivia answered but she wasn't sure if Elliot would go for it "But why Elliot?" she asked, well aware that he was sitting right there and could hear her side of the conversation.

Simon paused before answering "I guess I thought that you and he were…"

Olivia laughed, Simon wouldn't be the first one to get that impression "We're just partners Simon," she smirked "But I'll ask him anyway." She turned to Elliot, covering the speaker of the phone with the palm of her hand "Simon wants to know if you want to come to dinner with us tonight."

Elliot smiled warmly at her. This was the way her life was supposed to be, happy. "Sure," he responded "Sounds like fun."

Olivia uncovered the speaker "Elliot's on board," she told her brother "Just tell me where and when."