"He's going to prison. There's nothing he can do now that we've got him in custody. Stop pacing already, you're driving me up the wall."
Olivia's voice breaking into his thoughts is not helping, and he doesn't stop pacing, because although they've closed the investigation, he can't help but worry.
"He knew that I've got kids." Elliot trails off, and shakes his head, looking annoyed. "For heaven's sake, the guy knew what my wife's name is. What'd he do, go look up my jacket?"
"Probably," says Olivia mildly, "There are ways to do that, you know."
"Our department files aren't supposed to be public access," Elliot mutters. "There's a reason I don't ever give names when I'm talking about my family."
"Well, I didn't tell him my mother's name, but he knew, anyway." says Olivia. "Granted, he probably looked at my jacket, too, but still."
"It scares me how people can just do that," says Elliot, without looking at her. "Just get into our personal lives like that, and use 'em against us."
"And the department wonders why people burn out so quickly," says Olivia, a weak attempt at humor that doesn't really work. Elliot stops pacing and comes to sit beside her on the bunk in the precinct crib.
"I can't believe this guy even tried to go after you," he remarks. "Like he didn't know you weren't really going to come alone."
"I think somehow he knew, but he didn't want to believe it, so he came anyway, and thought he was gonna get away with doing away with me," says Olivia. Elliot gives her a sideways look.
"And this doesn't scare you at all? Liv, the guy could've killed you, and you're acting like it's nothing."
She puts an arm around his shoulder, and gives him a mock-serious look. "Well, I knew you were hanging around somewhere," she quips. "I had nothing to be afraid of."
"Given the fact that you could've kicked his ass without breaking a sweat, I'd say so, but still…" Elliot trails off again, and shakes his head. "It's not funny."
"I know it's not. But the fact is, we nailed the guy, so he's off the streets, and we have nothing to worry about," Olivia replies. "Besides, we're cops. It's not like we can go around acting like we're afraid of things."
He pokes her. "I'm not afraid, I'm just…concerned."
She rolls her eyes. "Play it however you want, Stabler, you should've seen yourself a few minutes ago."
"Yeah, I know what I was like a few minutes ago, and I still don't like how that guy knew about my family."
"Neither did I, to be honest with you. Nor do I appreciate your drinking my orange juice after you show up at my apartment just to keep an eye on me."
"I was in the neighborhood."
"Like hell you were." She pokes him back. "All the way from Queens to the precinct, to pick up the unmarked, then all the way across town to my place. Lot of neighborhood."
"It was worth it, and a hell of a lot better than you getting hurt because you're too damn stubborn."
"I'm stubborn? Let's talk about stubborn, Mr. I'll sit outside your apartment building until you flash me."
"Are you aware of how wrong that sounds?"
"Jerk. I meant my lights."
"I know what you meant, I'm just pointing out how wrong it sounds since you didn't mention the lights."
Silence, and then both partners laugh, the tension from the case gone. Olivia glances over at Elliot and smirks.
"Think I should say that to you in front of Munch and Cassidy?" she asks, and Elliot shakes his head at her.
"You're awful," he tells her, and then, "Ten to one says Munch gets it and Cassidy thinks something other than what you mean."
She laughs. "I think we should test that little theory," she says.
"Maybe later. Aren't you tired? You can't have slept any last night after getting that phone call."
"You'd be surprised. Not much rattles me."
"I noticed. You're sitting here poking fun at comments you've made and not worrying at all about some guy who not only knew about your mom, but knows about my family, and probably isn't afraid to do something when and if he gets out of prison, if he goes to prison at all."
"You worry too much."
"I have two teenage daughters and a pair of six-year-olds, of course I worry." Elliot leans back against the bedframe and closes his eyes. "This is one of the stranger ones, I think."
"Can't say I don't agree," says Olivia. "To think some guys actually do this sort of thing just so they can feel like they're in control."
Elliot opens an eye to look at her. "You know, if you really do think about it, they're not really in control of anything, because they're not really in control of themselves."
"How do you figure?" Olivia asks. "You can't tell me White didn't plan these things out before he did them."
"Well, sure he planned them, but he didn't plan on getting caught," says Elliot, and then, "I think that people who do this sort of thing have gotten to a point in their own lives where they're spiraling out of control, so trying to control someone else is the only way they can get control of themselves back."
"Maybe you should've been a shrink," Olivia remarks, and Elliot shakes his head.
"Bite your tongue," he tells her. "I'd have never made it as a shrink. I've got too many issues of my own to work through."
She wonders what he means, but decides not to press the issue. "I've got 'em, too," she says. "Probably why all the weird guys seem to be attracted to me."
"I'm sure there are a few good ones out there," says Elliot, and she gives him an amused look.
"I've yet to find him," she says, and then, "What do you think it was that made White want to come after me, anyway?"
"The fact that you're always put together, like nothing can rattle you," says Elliot. "That, and the fact that you're stubborn as hell, he knew you didn't like him, and he wanted to knock you down a peg or two."
"And apparently, he wanted to take you down with me," says Olivia, and then, "You know, I really would drive all the way out to Queens to save your ass."
He gives her an amused look, much like the one she gave him moments before. "I know you would," he says. "Just like I came into Manhattan at that ungodly hour just to save yours."
She gives him a mock affronted look. "Hey, I'm worth saving," she says, and he laughs at her.
"Conceited, aren't we?" he asks, and she rolls her eyes.
"For the record: I think you're worth saving, too."