Nobody's Mistress
Olivia's sleep was interrupted by the familiar ring of her ever present cell phone. With a sigh, she rolled over, checked the time (1:42 am) and the caller ID (Elliot Stabler), and scooped up the phone.
"Benson."
"Come to the door."
Olivia sat up in bed, her brow furrowing in confusion as she pulled back the covers and swung her feet onto the floor, still holding her phone to her ear. There was a certain twinge of pain in Elliot's voice that she'd rarely heard there before, and the sound of it struck her with urgency.
"El?" She asked. Her decidedly steady voice masked her concern as she flicked on a light and grabbed her badge. "Where are you?"
"I'm at your apartment," he whispered, holding back tears rather unsuccessfully. Olivia grabbed her gun off her bedside table as her heart pounded in her chest. She wasn't one to panic, but it took a hell of a lot to make Elliot Stabler cry. "I can't find my key," he explained breathlessly. "Please let me in."
Olivia kept her gun at the ready as she moved from her bedroom to the front door and peeked through her peephole, by now fully expecting to see a stranger holding a gun to her partner's head. Seeing no such thing, she fumbled her locks open as quickly as she could, then holstered her gun before swinging open her front door. Her mind was racing with possible explanations, each more tragic than the last.
"Elliot," she said quietly as he pushed the door shut behind him. He'd managed to dry his tears, but his face was still red and puffy. After staring at his partner for a moment, Elliot rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly, catching Olivia completely off guard.
"What happened?" Olivia whispered after a moment, wriggling her arms free so she could reciprocate the unexpected hug. Elliot's shoulders shook with fresh tears, and he took a few shallow breaths in attempt to regain some semblance of composure.
Olivia pulled back slowly and looked up at her own tiny reflection in Elliot's familiar blue eyes. It wouldn't have taken a detective to realize that something was very wrong. "El," Olivia said quietly. Her partner's obvious pain was reflected in her own shaky voice. "Talk to me."
Elliot's body visibly tensed up - his teeth barred, his shoulders went rigid, and his fists clenched as tears continued to roll down his face. Olivia had seen him angry plenty of times before, but this was different. He wasn't just angry; he was out of control, and this unfamiliar wildness frightened her more than she wanted to admit. She took a tiny step back, a movement that would've gone unnoticed by nearly anyone.
Unfortunately for Olivia, Elliot Stabler wasn't just anyone.
"What, you scared of me now, 'Livia?" He slurred, and she could smell the alcohol on his hot breath.
"Should I be?" She snapped, eyebrows raised.
"Kathy's really fucking mad," he stammered after a brief pause.
"She'll come around."
Olivia was about to respond when she felt Elliot's thick breath coming closer and closer until his lips were launching an unwelcome assault on hers. He was kissing her hard, trying to force his tongue between her unyielding lips.
"Elliot, no!" She shouted, pushing him back. "What the hell are you doing?" He stared at her blankly, but didn't try anything. "I don't care how angry you are, or how drunk you are, or how lonely you are. We're not doing this. You need to leave. Now."
"Liv, I just thought-"
"Thought what?" She demanded. "That you'd have Kathy at home and me on the side? Newsflash, Stabler: I'm nobody's mistress."