I own nothing, all characters are the property of Dick Wolfe and NBC. Song is the property of writers Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge and artists Chris Young and Cassadee Pope. No copy write infringement is intended.
I walk in on Friday nights
Same old bar, same burned out lights
Same people and all the same faces
So why in the hell does it feel like a different place?
Elliot Stabler walked into a bar that he frequented a couple years back. It wasn't one of the usual cop bars where he went after work. It was off the beaten path and he never took any of his co-workers there, except for Olivia.
Meet my friends for a girls' night out
Seems there ain't much to talk about
Same drinks that we're all raising
But all of the toasts just don't feel the same
Olivia sat at a table with Casey and some of the other women from the precinct and DA's office. Everyone was laughing and drinking but the smiles just didn't quite reach her eyes. As she looked around the crowded bar something just felt off.
We used to be the life of the party
We used to be the ones that they wished they were
But now it's like they don't know how to act
Maybe they're like me and they want us back
It's like there's always an empty space
Those memories that nobody can erase
Of how bright we burned
Well now it hurts, but it's true
When they think of me, they think of you
Casey discreetly reached over and touched Olivia's arm, she knew exactly why Oliva wasn't the same. Her partner of 12 years had left. Turned in his papers and never said a word. Everyone always joked that they were like a married couple. Their fights and bickering were legendary. But everyone knew underneath, they were closer to one another than any partners had ever been. No one spoke of it, they were too afraid to. Even Casey didn't dare mention Elliot's name.
They keep asking how I am
But they're really asking where you've been
I can read between all of the lines
It ain't just us missing all of the times
Elliot sat at the bar occasionally chatting with another patron. All the ones he knew from the old days kept asking about him and commenting on how long it had been. He knew they were wondering where she was. It was like they knew something had happened; that they shouldn't mention her name. He was thankful that they didn't mention her; he wouldn't have been able to explain everything anyways.
We used to be the life of the party
We used to be the ones that they wished they were
But now it's like they don't know how to act
Maybe they're like me and they want us back
It's like there's always an empty space
Those memories that nobody can erase
Of how bright we burned
Well now it hurts, but it's true
When they think of me, they think of you
Elliot knew if he said goodbye, if he said anything at all, he wouldn't have been able to walk away from her. He tried to save his marriage, he really did. But he was always more married to his job. Without it he was just a shell of himself. Kathy seemed to realize that. She hated to admit defeat as much as Elliot. They parted amicably, but he still couldn't bring himself to contact anyone from the squad.
Ain't it funny how a flame like that
Oh whoa, when they think of you
It can burn when it's in the past
Olivia looked around the bar one last time as they were leaving. She saw a familiar man sitting at the bar. As she stood looking at him he turned. Her heart sprung into her throat, her eyes started to burn. They didn't move, or say a word. Casey turned and put her hand on Olivia's arm again to signal her that they were heading out. She followed Olivia's gaze and saw him sitting at the bar. She squeezed lightly to break the spell her friend seemed to be under. Oh, they think of you
We used to be the life of the party
We used to be the ones that they wished they were
But now it's like they don't know how to act
Maybe they're like me and they want us back
It's like there's always an empty space
Those memories that nobody can erase
Of how bright we burned
Well now it hurts, but it's true
When they think of me, they think of you
When they think of me
Baby, baby, oh, oh
When they think of me, they think of you
Olivia shook herself out of her trance and looked at Casey. She blinked her eyes, and pressed her lips into a firm line, glanced back at him, then turned and left the bar.