Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns all recognizable characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, I promise to return them in perfect condition!
A/N: This comes from a kinda strange idea that bugged me until I started writing it. I'm not saying that there's NOT a story out there like this, cause there very well might be. But if it is, I haven't seen it yet! Let me know what you think ok?
Chapter One
Detectives Elliot and Olivia Stabler sat at their desks, facing each other, as they both worked to finish paperwork on their recently completed case. Both were tired and ready to go home but a glance at the clock proved it was only early afternoon, nowhere near time to go home.
Olivia sighed as her desk phone rang. Continuing to write, she picked it up, "Detective Stabler." There was a brief pause. "Yes, that's me," she responded, still not looking up from her paperwork. Another brief pause, followed by the sound of Olivia's pen hitting her desk.
Elliot looked up from his own paperwork. A frown of concern crossing his face as his wife looked up.
She met his gaze, the color slowly draining from her face.
"What?" he asked quietly.
"What about Embree?" Her voice was strained.
Elliot's eyes widened as he watched Olivia's expression swing from worry to anger, then back to worry again.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Oh no…" Elliot mumbled as he dropped his pen and quickly scooped up the paperwork off of his desk. He reached over and grabbed Olivia's as well before standing. He hurried over and handed the papers to Fin, "Can you take care of these for us?"
"What's going on?" Fin asked as he took the papers.
Elliot shook his head and called out, "Cap!"
"Where's Embree?" Olivia's voice rose in pitch as well as in volume. She paled even more as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Cap!" Elliot called again as he began hurriedly gathering his and Olivia's things.
"What's wrong?" Captain Cragen asked, stepping out of his office just in time to hear Olivia yell.
"How can you not know where she is? You're idiots! I'll find her on my own, don't trouble yourselves!"
Fin and Munch stood as Olivia slammed the phone down, rattling everything on her desk.
"What's going on?" Captain Cragen asked, coming out of his office.
"We have to go…" Olivia looked from Cragen to Elliot. "now."
"Baby…" It slipped out as he took a step closer to her. He never let their private life slip into their work life, but the look of panic on her face had him reeling.
"Now," she repeated, her hands and voice shaking as she reached for her badge, gun and keys. "We have to go now."
"Not until you tell me what's up," Cragen spoke up, stopping her mid-stride.
"It's personal, Cap," she sighed then ran a shaking hand over the top of her head and through her hair. "Can I fill you in later? I have to go find Embree."
Flashback:
A Little Over Four Years Earlier:
Elliot and Olivia sat in the New Jersey hospital waiting room, holding hands. The small, quiet room was empty, except for the two of them. The soothing blue hue of the walls helped to calm her nerves a tiny bit. And the surprising plush couch allowed her to settle into him, drawing strength from his presence.
"Hey…" Elliot whispered as he gently squeezed his wife's hand.
"Humm?" Olivia's nervous gaze turned to meet his calm gaze.
"Everything's gonna be ok."
"I hope so."
"It will. Trust me."
"I do. It's not you I'm worried about."
"We're gonna work this out," he promised as he held her trembling hand tighter.
She nodded silently, fighting to hold back tears.
Elliot let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her even closer to him.
"What if something goes wrong? What if she's… sick?" Her voice was almost inaudible.
"The doctors' are taking good care of her… of both of them. And if she's sick… then we'll deal with it."
"You're amazing, you know that?" Olivia looked up at him, tears slipping down her face.
He smiled, reached over with his other hand and gently wiped away tears. "Nah. I just love you. You and that little girl."
"I love you, too," she whispered as she returned his smile then laid her head on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head and settled back to wait.
It wasn't long before they were startled out of their quiet reflection when a nurse stepped into the waiting room. "Detective Stabler?"
Elliot and Olivia both stood quickly.
"Yes?" Olivia asked anxiously as she gripped her husband's hand tightly.
"You can come back now," the nurse smiled.
"Is…" her voice wavered. "Is she ok?"
"She's fine. A beautiful little girl."
"She's not…" She bit her bottom lip, nervously. "Is she sick?"
"No," the nurse's voice was kind and reassuring.
Olivia sighed in relief, raising a trembling hand to her heart. "Oh, thank God."
Elliot pulled her into his chest, holding her tight. Gratitude flowing through both of them.
"Now, let's get you into some scrubs and back there to see the precious little one. She's waiting to meet you."
A few minutes later, Elliot and Olivia, both in scrubs, entered a hospital room and looked around anxiously.
"Come on in," the nurse smiled welcomingly. "You want to hold her?"
"Yes!" Olivia answered quickly as she crossed the room. Her heart beat rapidly against her chest; she waited eagerly for her first glimpse of the baby who had immediately captured her heart almost 9 months before.
"Get comfortable," the nurse nodded toward a couple of rocking chairs. "I'll bring her to you."
Olivia sat and Elliot pulled the second rocking chair closer as he too took a seat.
"Here we go…" The nurse gently lowered a small pink bundle into Olivia's arms then quietly slipped out of the room.
Tears of happiness flowed down Olivia's cheeks as Elliot reached over and gently pulled the blanket back revealing the tiny face of a beautiful, brown eyed, dark haired baby girl.
"Oh El…" Olivia breathed, "She's gorgeous!"
"She looks like you, Liv."
"No," she wiped away a few tears as she stared down at the tiny bundle in her arms. "She's perfect."
Elliot leaned over and kissed Olivia's cheek.
"She needs us," her voice shook with emotion.
"She has us."
"We have to protect her."
"Always," he promised.
"Alright," Captain Cragen agreed. "But please answer one question before you go."
"What, Cap?" She sighed as she reached for Elliot's hand. She closed her eyes as she waited for the question she knew was coming.
"Who's Embree?"
Elliot squeezed her hand in silent support and Olivia opened her eyes, tears glistening but not falling. "My sister," she answered quietly. "I have to go find my sister."
And with that, Elliot and Olivia walked out of the squad room hand in hand, leaving three very surprised men staring after them in shock.
After driving over half an hour in silence, Elliot finally spoke. "Did you see the looks on their faces?"
Shaken out of her own little world, Olivia turned to look at him. "Huh?"
"Captain, Munch and Fin," he glanced over at her then turned his eyes back to road. "Did you see the looks on their faces when you said 'sister'?"
"No," she responded as she turned to look out the passenger window again.
"I've never seen any of them look so shocked."
"Mmmm," she mumbled in response.
"We'll have a lot of explaining to do when we get back."
"How am I supposed to explain the existence of a little sister that no one but us knows about?"
Elliot drove one handed as he reached over and took his wife's hand. "It's going to be ok," he tried to reassure her. "We're in this together. We'll handle it and work it all out."
Olivia sighed and gently squeezed his hand. "I hope so."
"Have a little faith in me," he glanced at her and she knew he was teasing her by the sparkle in his eyes.
"I do," she smiled. "We just have to find her first."
"We will. We won't give up until we do."
"How the heck did they wind up in Springfield, Missouri?"
"They were running, baby. They knew we were getting close to being able to take Embree from them."
Tears pooled in her eyes and spilled down her face. "So they took it upon themselves to run."
"They know that Embree wants to live with us. They know that she feels safer with us than she does with them."
"That's because we don't beat the poor girl," she muttered as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Turning her face from him, she watched out the passenger window as hurtful memories of the abuse she endured as a child flooded her mind.
"And we never will," he reassured her. "Love is not violent.
A/N 2: So, what do you think? Is this worth continuing? Or is it too strange? Please review!