Disclaimer: I do not own any of the SVU characters! They belong to Mr. DW. C:
Chapter One: Surprise
She is going to surprise him.
She left, again. She left without telling anybody, without telling him.
Again.
A sense of excitement and anxiety quickens her pulse. It's been about a month since she left and every part of her yearns to feel his embrace. She barely feels it; it's grown into an addiction for her. Something about his very touch makes her hair stand on ends and she loves it. It's intoxicating. He's intoxicating. She loves the rush she gets when she's near him. She wanted to tell him she was leaving. Hell, she wanted to take him with her but she couldn't. It would've risked a whole lot and it just wasn't worth it.
Six months since the divorce papers were signed and handed in. He swore it was for good, this time. It was for the better. He was tired of feeling like a disappointment to his wife and kids. The jealousy, anger, and stress. He wanted out and he wanted out permanently. He didn't hate Kathy. He didn't dislike her at all. Granted, they haven't spoken to one another in months but they aren't enemies. It was a hard process, for both Elliot and Olivia. To detach from a marriage that lasted over two decades tore Elliot apart everyday and to see him break down so often was just as hard for Olivia.
It was the five-month mark that made Olivia break away from her job, her friends, and Elliot. It was a case that raced against the clock involving a defenseless girl tortured, raped, and held prisoner everyday for two months. Elliot and Olivia only had four days after the report to save her. The fights, the frustration, and the doubt overwhelmed Olivia and Elliot both. The fourth day approached. Never has Olivia felt so much failure in her. They found the victim, dead, mutilated, and defenseless; the rapist, gone. The rattling of the chains that trapped this poor girl's limbs remained in her head for days after. She temporarily took another job until she regained her confidence.
She is going to surprise him.
A slight flutter stirred within her. She begins to fret. Would Elliot be mad that she left without a single goodbye? Does he look any different? Does she? Maybe a small haircut and she probably lost some weight but nothing drastically noticeable. Her grip on the strap of her duffle tightens as she watches the night pass by her. Every streetlamp, every house, every terrain reminds her that the cab is getting closer to Elliot's apartment - closer to Elliot. She closes her eyes and exhales then inhales.
Exhale.
Inhale.
"Ma'am…ma'am," the voice is so distant, almost like an echo but it slowly becomes closer.
Olivia is quick to open her eyes, unaware of the fatigue she had. Her vision focuses on the driver with an innocuous smile.
"This is your stop."
The butterflies still flutter against the walls of her stomach. Elliot's apartment lights glow from across the street. She doesn't look. She can see them from the corner of her eye. Her focus goes back to the patient driver. She returns his harmless smile and gets out of the car to access her pocket. Feeling the pavement underneath her makes her feel more at home than she did back at the airport. The summer air fills her lungs. Her hand reaches into her the pocket of her jeans but she freezes when she hears a familiar voice.
All too familiar.
Only her eyes follow the sound to two figures across the poorly illuminated path across the street. The taller one is Elliot. She doesn't need a light to recognize his every feature. Her lips tug into a pleased smile. He walks a second person up his stairs. A woman. She's not Kathy. She's thinner than Kathy and her hair is red, long, and wavy. Olivia's smile slowly decreases with every inch closer they get, every touch they give one another, and every word that fills the air.
With her hand still in her pocket, she grips tighter onto the bundle of cash she intends to give to the cabdriver.
Elliot doesn't recognize Olivia across the street. He's focused on this new one.
This replacement.
He pulls her close to him. He kisses her pretty lips while his strong arms wrap around her skinny abdomen. Her hands cup his face and she immerses herself in his kiss. His hands buried in the back pockets of her jeans while he shows off this surprise.
Olivia watches. She can only watch.
She can't move. She can't speak.
Her excitement is replaced with belittlement and folly. She manages to release her grip on the cab fare and slide her hand out of her pocket and rest it on the open car door.
This has to be a dream. She shifts a little on her other foot. Her knee brushes against the blue duffle that rests on the seat. She left New York. She left her job. She left her life for a little bit. She's not dreaming.
What else has changed?
Elliot pulls away from his new lover to find his house keys. While she kisses his neck, he looks out at his visitor. Hair shorter. Waist thinner. She's still beautiful.
Spotted.
His eyes widen a little and he makes a feeble attempt to walk towards her. He suddenly wants to touch her, to make sure she's actually there and it's not tonight's alcohol teasing him.
A slow summer breeze rushes through her hair and gently strikes her cheek.
"Elliot, what's going on?" The woman asks. She looks over her shoulder, "Who's that?"
Olivia retreats back into the cab with full knowledge of Elliot venturing across the street to reach her. She closes the door and leans against the seat with a deep exhale. The driver looks at her from his rearview mirror, with some understanding of what went on.
"For what it's worth, ma'am. I'm not going to charge you for the standing time."
She nods, "Just drive," she says with a broken voice, "Please."
She was going to surprise him.