"Liv, don't go." Elliot Stabler pleaded with his partner, Olivia Benson. It was 11 o'clock and they were all alone in the Manhattan precinct.
Olivia took a deep breath, "I have to go. You know what happened last night wasn't right. It's better this way."
"My ass it is. Last night was just us, doing what we've both wanted to do for so long."
She packed the rest of her stuff. Then she looked at her partner. "Cragen knows there's something going on with us. It'd just create a big scandal. I'll be happy in L.A. Nice weather, nice people..." She was blabbering on and on, just to extend the time she had with Elliot now.
"Shut up, Liv." He stopped her.
"Don't tell me to shut up," she slammed the rest of her stuff in a box. "Asswipe," she muttered.
Ellliot smiled, "What would you say if I asked you to stay?"
"Don't get romantic on me. Now, I really have to go now," Olivia said, picking up her box. Elliot walked to the door with her.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Elliot couldn't control himself, he began to slowly cry. "Yeah, I guess it is." "L.A.'s lucky to have you." Olivia didn't know what to say, "I guess so." "Bye Liv." "Bye El." She began to walk out when Elliot called after her, "Love you, Liv. Always have." Her eyes glittered when she heard him say that. But then she realized that he didn't mean it the way she thought. Nevertheless, she smiled, "I love you too." She pursed her lips together, "Take care. Give your kids my love."
And with that, Olivia walked out of the precinct she called home for so long. Once she hailed a taxi, she took one look back and didn't see Elliot chasing after her. She sighed and whispered, "Bye Stabler."
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"And here's your I.D., Miss Benson," the airline clerk said, handing Olivia her driver's license. "You're going to want to walk to gate A17." She put on a fake smile, "Thank you."
Then she looked over her shoulder, hoping to see her partner running to her, out of breath, asking her to stay. "Is something wrong, ma'am?" the clerk asked. "No, I'm fine." "You don't seem like it. You've looked over your shoulder about 20 times within the last minute. Are you expecting someone?" "No, I'm fine, thank you. May I have my ticket please?" She was handed her ticket, she flashed a half smile, and walked to security.
They searched through her things, and then allowed her through. She slowly walked to her gate as she thought about what the airline worker had said. If she wanted Elliot to stop her so badly, why didn't she just stay? After a minute, she came up with an answer. If he had given a damn about her leaving, he would've went after her. But he didn't. He obviously didn't want her to stay that badly.
She sat down, pulled out a book, and waited for her flight to board.
But she was distracted by this little boy, who couldn't have been more than 2. He was screaming at his mother. "No! I'm not going on a pwane! It's scawy!"
The mother looked helpless. Olivia smiled, "Would you like me to help? I'm kinda good with kids." The mother smiled and nodded.
She looked down at the little boy. "Hi, what's your name?" The little boy looked at her, tried his tears, and smiled, "Eweot." She smiled, "Elliot?" "Yes, wit 2 t's," the boy held up 2 fingers. "Oh, Elliott. That's my best friend's name, but he has one t," Olivia held up one finger. "What's your name?" Elliott asked. "I'm Olivia." "Ohweeveeya." She smiled, "That's right. So why don't you want to get on a plane?" "It's scawy." "No it's not," Olivia pulled Elliott on her lap, "Just pretend like you're flying the plane. That makes it less scary." "Hm, like this?" Elliott pretended that he was flying a jet plane, pushing imaginary buttons and steering an imaginary wheel. Olivia smiled, "Like that." "It's kwinda fun." "Well, I'm glad. And no more yelling at your mommy, okay? She seems like a nice woman." Elliott scooted off her lap and walked back to his mom. "Thanks Ohweeveeya." "You're very welcome." Elliott's mother smiled, "Thank you, miss." "Not a problem." Olivia went back to reading her book, but every now and then, she would look around first at the little boy Elliott playing on the floor, and then look to make sure that her Elliot didn't come chasing after her. And every single time, she was let down. He never showed up.
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Just as Olivia's plane touched down in L.A., her cell phone rang. "Benson." "Hey Liv." She knew who it was. "El, what's up?" "Fin and Munch were bugging me to call you." Then someone pushed Olivia and she got a little angry. "Elliot, I'm busy right now. Can I call you back?" "Sure, yeah..." She hung up the phone and walked to the baggage claim.
Fin and Munch were crowded over Elliot as he hung up the phone, "She's busy." "Sorry man," Fin said. "It's okay. It's understandable, she was just getting off the plane anyway. She'll call me back in a few hours." Fin decided to act like a brother for a minute, "Look, man. I don't know what went on with you and Benson. All I know is that you're an jerk without her." Elliot laughed, that was something Olivia would say. "Don't let whatever you did keep you away from her." Elliot ignored him. He waited for Liv's call. And she never called back.
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Elliot was thinking about Olivia, 6 months later. He thought about how much he missed her. How much he needed to hear her voice. His cell phone rang and he jumped in excitement, hoping it was that one call he'd waited so long for.
"Stabler." "Hey Dad." "Oh, hi Kathleen," Elliot said, sounding let down. "Well it's nice to talk to you too, Dad." "No, it's not that. I just thought you were-" His daughter cut him off, "Olivia? You've said that every time I've called within the last 6 months." He took a deep breath, "Yeah, what's up?" "Can you we meet, you know where?" Elliot smiled, "Sure thing, honey. I'll be there in a few."
Elliot and his daughter met at a nearby coffee shop to discuss whatever Kathleen had her mind since she started to live with her mother. She needed him now and he was there.
He walked in the coffee shop and sat down at their usual spot, waiting for Kathleen.
A barista smiled and said, "Mr. Stabler, haven't seen you in a while." Elliot tried his best to be pleasant, "Kathleen's been busy, we haven't had time." "Well it's good to see you again." "You too."
Kathleen walked in, smiled, and hugged her father. "Okay, sweetie, what's on your mind?" Kathleen went on for about 45 minutes about her boyfriend, pressuring her to go farther physically than she really wanted to. Elliot took a deep breath, "Well, Kathleen, if you like him, tell him what you think about the whole thing. And if he doesn't listen, leave. Go home, or come to my place. Just get outta there. I've seen-" "Dad, I know what you've seen. I grew up, listening to you telling me what you've seen. I know what could happen." Elliot smiled, "Are we good?" Kathleen smiled back, "We're good. Thank you, Daddy." "Anytime, honey. Whenever you need me, I'll be there." "I know...and I kinda need you now. Give me a ride home? I know it's out of your way and goes right past your house-" "Kathleen, let's just go," he said, grabbing his coat.
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Just as Elliot was driving by his own house, while taking his daughter home, she told him to stop. "What is it?" he asked, stopping the car abruptly. "Did you leave the lights on?" Kathleen asked. "You know I don't, why do you ask?" "Because the lights are on..." Elliot looked at his home, and indeed, the lights were on.
"Kathleen, stay in the car." He got out and walked slowly to his house. He reached to unlock the front door and slowly opened it. He heard the TV, sounded like Monday night football. He tiptoed until he reached his living room, he was ready to put someone in a head lock.
But to his surprise, there was a beautiful brunette woman in a football jersey, sitting in his favorite chair, treating herself to his beer and chips. "Hey El, want a beer?" she asked. Elliot smiled, "What are you doing here?" Kathleen walked in, "Hey Olivia!" "Kathleen, I told you to-" Olivia interrupted him, "Hey Kathleen. Thanks so much for helping me out with this." They embraced each other.
"You helped her?" Elliot asked his daughter. "Well I had to get you out of the house somehow." Elliot just stood there, with a genuine smile on his face.
Olivia smiled back, "Careful El. With a smile that big, a girl just might fall in love."
Elliot kept on smiling, it was so good to have her to flirt with again. "I have to take Kathleen home, but I'll be back, kay?"
Olivia sat back down in the chair, "I'm not going anywhere." "Good."
He walked back to the car with Kathleen behind him. Elliot was all smiled the rest of the way home. "You're really happy, aren't you?" "Just a little bit." Elliot pulled up to his ex-wife's house and kissed Kathleen goodbye.
"Bye Dad. Have fun with your girlfriend tonight." "She's not my-" "We'll see. Love you Dad." "Love you too. Tell Dickie and Lizzie that I love them." "Will do. Bye." "Bye sweetie."
And as soon as Kathleen got out and made it inside safely, Elliot jetted back home at 70 miles an hour.
He barged back in the house and Olivia was right where she'd been before. "You missed it, the game just ended," she replied. "Oh, that's okay," Elliot said, sitting down on the couch next to her chair.
"How have you been?" she asked, still looking at the screen. "To be honest, pretty damn horrible." "Didn't seem like it when you walked in." "That's because you were here."
Olivia smiled, "You flatter me, Stabler." "In a way only Stabler can," he said, with a cocky smile. "Shut up." "Let's get to the real point. You were a mess without me, right?"
Olivia tried not to smile as she walked over and sat beside him. "Yes, El, I missed you more than you know. Especially those baby blues of yours." He smiled, "Ah, what can I say?" "How about 'I missed your pretty brown eyes too, Liv'?" "I missed your pretty brown eyes, Liv." Their faces were only a few inches apart. Just as Elliot began to shut his eyelids and lean in, Olivia stopped him.
"We need to talk," she stated.
"Okay, shoot." "I'm sorry about not calling you all this time. It's just that-"
"Liv, no need to apologize. I get it. You were busy, with your new job, with new friends, in a new city. No big deal."
"Okay, do me a favor and break down this manly macho, hide my feelings wall you have up. Tell me the truth." "Fine, want the truth? Yeah, it hurt. Satisfied?"
"I'm sorry."
"Why the hell did you even leave?"
"You know why. Things got too-" "Intimate. I know. But you did it with Cassidy, it didn't matter."
"Cassidy was sex. Period." "Well, isn't that we were?" He didn't mean it the way it sounded.
"Is that what you think, El? That I used you for cheap sex? Because poor me got lonely one night and couldn't take it?"
"No, Liv. That's not what I meant." "Well what did you mean?" "I...I don't know." "Well, you call me when you do," she said, getting up and walking to the door.
Just as she opened it, Elliot grabbed her arm, "Liv, stay. I know what I meant." "Well, what is it?"
"I was trying to cover up the fact that I love you." "Well I love you too, El. That's not anything that-"
"No, I mean, I love you, LOVE you. But I didn't know if you loved me, LOVED me."
Olivia closed the door. "Elliot," she said in a soft dreamy voice. "Yeah?" he said, as he gulped. "It would really help if I knew what the hell you were saying." "Way to ruin the mood, Liv."
She fought the urge to smile. Elliot went on, "I mean that, I'm in love with you. But I didn't know if you were in love with me. That's why I tried to play it off as just sex."
Olivia laughed, "Elliot Stabler, you are the biggest dumbass I know if you didn't realize that I fell in love with you the first day I saw you." Elliot smiled, "Then I guess I'm the biggest dumbass you know." "It's good to finally hear you admit it." He laughed.
Then he wrapped his arms around her waist. One of her hands went on his shoulder, the other around his neck. "I love you, Liv." Instead of replying, she aggresively pulled his head towards hers and gave him the most passionate, warm kiss of his life.
