A/N: So here's the thing. I love Taylor Swift's songs and, these days, I was listening to one of them and the idea for this popped into my mind. I hope you guys like it. The first story is AU and, for the sake of it, Serena was never raped, therefore there's no reason for her not to raise Liv like a normal mother would. El, Liv and everyone are around eighteen, just out of high school and... Well, if I say anything else you won't have to read it.
Law & Order SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. The songs belong to Taylor Swift. The rest, all mine.
The church was full of people. Friends from school who were there mostly to show both the bride and the groom their solidarity instead of actually celebrating anything, relatives who though everything was cute, oblivious to the couple's current situation, and people who knew the teenagers and their families from the Sunday mass and showed up simply to watch the ceremony.
On the groom's side, at the last bench, four teenage girls argued in whispers.
- I can't do this!
- Liv, you have to. It's like the biggest mistake of his life.
- I agree with Alex – the red-haired one said. – Okay, so he had sex unprotected. So what? Who doesn't do that these days? He's just not lucky. He doesn't have to marry her because of a child that, rumor has it, doesn't even exist.
- I shouldn't be here, I wasn't even invited.
- You weren't invited because Kathy is a bitch and she hates you, but Elliot sure wants your support in this terrible day – The girl with black curled hair stated. – Kathy obviously didn't tell him you were uninvited because it would hurt his feelings and they would fight and probably break up which would lead him straight to you. If you didn't come he'd resent you; if he knows you're here he'll feel supported and the bitch gets... Bitchy. Consider that a bonus.
- I don't know – Olivia sighed. – That's not what my mom taught me, I wasn't brought up to be impolite.
- Yeah, we're aware that your good manners teacher would faint if she knew you were crashing at a wedding but this is an emergency. And your mom, she didn't teach you to be impolite and show up when you weren't invited, but she did teach you to chase love and your dreams – the girl named Alex said. – And help people in need – she quickly added after seeing the look on Olivia's face to the mention of the L word.
Olivia knew their friends were right. She and Elliot had been best friends since kids despite their "social differences" that showed up in high school – he was the quarterback, but she wasn't even close to being a cheerleader. That was Kathy's role.
But Elliot was always there – he cared for her, protected her, and since they were together in almost every class, they helped each other on the subjects they needed.
And she loved him, of course, even though she was never going to admit it, not even to herself. Because, of course, he would never notice her as anything other than a friend.
I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely bargin' in on a white veil occasion.
But you are not the kind of boy
Who should be marrying the wrong girl
She looked around the church. A few benches closer to the altar, right in front of them, were sitting Brian Cassidy, Chester Lake, Don Cragen, John Munch and Fin Tutuola, who were their friends too – for her, nothing like Elliot, but friends either way. At the other side of the aisle sat Kathy's family. As soon as Olivia's sight caught them, she thought she was gonna be sick. The women were all wearing pastel-colored dresses. It was almost like they were all part of one whole thing. Olivia shrugged and promised to herself that when she was to be married she would make sure the guests wore bright colors, such as red, green, purple and, of course, blue, her and Elliot's favorite. She was startled out of her thoughts by someone yelling.
- DAMMIT HELEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?
It was Kathy's voice.
- Oh, wow.
- One thing we can tell, Liv – Alex said. – You are much classier than she'll ever be. I mean, we're at a church for Christ's freaking sake!
- Talk about classy – the red-haired girl, Casey, joked.
- Well, I didn't attend good manners classes – Alex said.
- Yeah, Liv's a lady – Melinda agreed. – Her wedding dress would never look like a preview of the cake we will eat at the party.
The good manners classes were a joke, of course, because Serena was very classy and as the great student she was Olivia had learned every little detail.
The church doors swung open and Helen, the bridesmaid, started walking down the aisle.
I sneak in and see your friends
And her snotty little family
all dressed in pastels
And she is yelling at a bridesmaid
Somewhere back inside a room
Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry
This is surely not what you'd thought it would be.
I lose myself in a daydream
At the altar, Kathy's mother moved her arms quickly and the song started playing. Even though it was "Here Comes the Bride" just like in every Catholic traditional marriage Olivia had ever been to, the beautiful song sounded more like the theme of the villain of those Star Wars movies to her.
'This isn't right", Olivia thought desperately, "but I can't stand up, I can't break them apart. I mean, what if he actually loves her and ends up hating me?"
Alex pulled her back just on time and she sat back on the bench as far as she could from the aisle in which Kathy was walking now.
- Her dress is white – Casey whispered. – Bunch of hypocrites.
Olivia couldn't agree more. She'd never forget when Elliot told her that, when he and Kathy broke the news of the baby to her parents, her father almost killed him and her mother exploded into tears and screams.
"– They're forcing me to marry her, Liv – Elliot said. – This is so unfair. Yes, I was a jerk and I my friend should have put a raincoat on but come on, give a guy a break. I mean, it's the 1980s, not the 1920s. I still should be able to actually choose my bride – he gave her a meaningful look."
It hadn't been the only time Elliot gave her a slight hint that he felt something more than just friendship for her, but Olivia had always dismissed it, assuming she was seeing, hearing and feeling too much – and reading way too many novels, also.
Now, as she watched the ceremony fly before her eyes, every single hint she dismissed came back to her like a punch to her stomach.
Fun gestures are exchanged
And the organ starts to play a song
That sounds like a death march
And I am hiding in the curtains
It seems that I was uninvited by your lovely bride to be.
She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen.
But I know you wish it was me
You wish it was me
Don't you?
It was time. They were about to exchange their vows and their rings, but Olivia barely realized it, until Melinda shook her lightly.
- Liv, it's a trap. It's a lie. Two days ago? The prom? – Olivia nodded, showing she remembered. – I was at the bathroom and heard her asking Helen for a tampon. If she's actually pregnant that means her period won't come, why would she need a tampon? Liv, she's lying. She's trapping him and it's up to you. Do you want your best friend to attend Queens College and live a lie forever or do you want him to attend Yale or any other great university he applies to, join the Marines, become a cop and be as happy as he deserves?
Lie. Trap. Two days ago. Prom. Tampon. Why? Queens College. Trap. Lie. Yale. Marines. Cop.
Melinda's word pounded on her head.
- ...Speak now, or forever hold your peace – the priest finishes his saying.
Shaking both out of anger and fear, Olivia stands up. Kathy's family stares at her in horror as she walks towards the altar. Kathy looks homicidal. But nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the relief in Elliot's face and the joyful smiles she received from Bernie and Joseph Stabler and all of Elliot's friends.
I hear the preacher say
"speak now or forever hold your peace"
There's the silence
There's my last chance
I stand up with shaky hands
All eyes on me
Horrified looks from everyone in the room
But I'm only looking at you.
- I am not the kind of girl who should be rudely bargin' in on a white veil occasion, but you – she turns at Elliot – are not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl...
Elliot offered his hand and Olivia took it gladly. They started walking, then running, through the church aisle towards the big back doors. When they got there, Elliot opened them and, as soon as they were outside, he hugged her and spun around with Olivia in his arms.
- Thank you for saving me. I thought you wouldn't come.
- Actually, I wasn't supposed to. My invitation got lost on Kathy's mail accidentally on purpose. But I couldn't let you do this to yourself, you deserve so much more. Now, you're going to Yale, then to the Marines, and then when you come back we'll join NYPD. Together, just like we promised.
- There's one thing I want to change about that promise.
Olivia hesitated.
- There is?
- Yeah. We made this promise as friends and we planned to keep it that way, but I can't – Elliot let Olivia go and got down on one knee. – Olivia Elizabeth Benson, you crashing at my wedding made me the luckiest guy in all New York. Would you push my luck a little further and be my girlfriend?
It was a dream come true.
- Oh, my God I... Wow... Yes, Elliot! Of course! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! – Olivia nodded frantically.
Elliot stood up, cupped her cheeks and kissed her happily.
So don't say yes
Run away now
I'll meet you in your alt at the church at the back door
Don't wait or say a single vow.
You need to hear me out, they said speak now
And you say
Let's run away now
I'll meet you in an alt in my tux at the back door
Hey hey, I didn't say my vow
So glad you were around when they said speak now
A/N: I hope you liked it. You know what to do already ;)