Saving Elliot
Chapter 1: Late Night Visits
Disclaimer: I do not own Elliot or Olivia. I do however claim ownership of Fletcher Cline.
A/N: This is the long awaited sequel to "Finding Olivia". It took me a long time to write it and I've been distracted several times but hopefully I've written it well. I hope I can keep you interested throughout this continuation of the adventure as Elliot and Olivia seek the truth about the person who set them up.
"Elliot," she called softly. She was in a corridor that seemed to go on forever. Along the walls were several doors. She crept up to each in turn and tried the handle, none of them opened. She felt small in this place. "Elliot," she called again as she made her way down the hall. Suddenly the room was filled with light and a loud bang through her off her feet.
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Olivia shot up in bed, breathing heavily. The dream had been a common occurrence over the past month and it always ended the same way, with that explosion. She didn't know if she could call it a nightmare exactly but it left her feeling unsettled. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. She decided to go downstairs and make herself a cup of tea.
She crept past the closed door of Elliot's bedroom so as not to wake him up. She loved being so close to him but since the night in the hospital, she hadn't been eager to share a bed with him and she didn't know why. She knew that it had to bother him that while she was happy being so close, she still kept him at an arms length when it came to talk of something so simple as sleeping in the same bed.
She padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. She turned the lights on, peering cautiously around the room. She remained on guard at all times these days. It didn't matter how many times Elliot reassured her that she was safe or how many times Fletcher told her over the phone that they would catch Rickie any day now. The fact was they hadn't caught him yet. She wouldn't admit, even to Elliot, that she was afraid of Rickie. He had been able to break her, shaking her at the very core of her being.
She placed the pot of water on the stove and sighed. She reached into a cabinet and pulled out one of the mugs that she had brought from her apartment. She knew it was hers but it was almost seamless how her things had become a part of Elliot's house. She remembered the day she had moved in. It had been a month ago almost to the day.
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"Olivia," Elliot's youngest daughter, Elizabeth called into the house "Moving van's here."
Olivia appeared at the top of the stairs. She had been in the guest room, arranging the things that they had been able to bring in her car "Thanks Lizzie," she smiled as she came down to join the thirteen year old at the front door.
"I'm glad you're moving in with Dad," Lizzie grinned as the two walked towards the moving van "That way, he won't be so lonely when we're with mom."
Olivia nodded. No, she thought with a smile He won't be alone. I'll never let him be alone. They reached the van where Elliot and Dickie stood, talking to the moving guys, trying to convince them that they could take it from there. Olivia walked up to Elliot and resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him; they hadn't exactly told the kids about their relationship yet. She got as close to him as she could without arousing suspicion and whispered "Is this some macho man thing?" she winked at him "Give your ego a break for one day Elliot."
Elliot grinned and whispered back "Never."
"Come on Elliot," Olivia spoke at normal volume now "These guys will get the job done faster if they do it without being hounded by you."
Elliot agreed but made his presence very much known as the men moved through his house and up to the guest room with Olivia's bed and dresser. Olivia's couch and kitchen chairs and most every other piece of furniture that hadn't been in her bedroom was left in storage for the time being. There was no need for it at Elliot's house and really no place to put it either.
When the movers had finished and left, Olivia sank onto the bed in what was now her room. She still had a lot of unpacking to do but it could wait. She stared at the ceiling, memorized the way that the afternoon sunlight peaked through the curtains and streaked across the plain white plaster. Her eyes shifted to the wall and the atrocious flower print that Elliot had repeatedly apologized for, saying that it had all been Kathy's idea. Olivia would never admit it but she didn't hate the floral design as much as she professed to. It was silly but it made her feel like she was really a part of a real home, a real family.
"Hey Liv," Elliot knocked on the open door and poked his head in.
Olivia shot up, startled by the sudden noise. When she saw that it was Elliot, she sighed noticeably "Hi," she breathed.
Elliot entered the room and sat beside her on the bed "Sorry," he murmured.
"No," Olivia reassured him, taking his hand in hers "No, don't worry about it," she hated that she startled so easily even in this place. This place was safe and she shouldn't feel on guard here but she still did.
"Wanna come downstairs and join the argument over what to order for dinner?" Elliot asked with a small smile.
Olivia looked at the radio alarm clock on her bedside table "It's only 4:30," she stated.
"This argument won't be resolved until much later," Elliot laughed "Dickie and Liz are the two pickiest eaters in the world and they both like different things."
Olivia laughed and followed Elliot downstairs.
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The whistle of the tea kettle shook Olivia from her thoughts. She got up quickly and turned off the burner, fearing that the kettle might accidentally wake Elliot. She grabbed a tea bag from another cabinet and filled the mug with hot water.
It had been an easy transition moving in with Elliot. Even when they told the kids about their new relationship, they had taken it surprisingly well. Going back to SVU hadn't been as easy. Her first day back it had just been too much and she spent the day doing primarily paperwork. She opted for desk duty, willingly, for a few weeks. She sighed, remembering that tomorrow she would be going back into the field. Then she groaned, remembering that she would be going back into the field after a session with Huang.
She sat at the kitchen table and sipped at her tea. Huang had been trying to get a chance to talk to her alone ever since she had set foot in the squad room. She had shrugged him off for as long as she could but now it was inevitable that she would have to sit down and talk about what had happened.
The sound of footsteps in the house startled her. She had been lost in her thoughts and hadn't heard where they had originated from; all she knew was that they were coming closer to the kitchen. She tried to stay calm but her breathing became faster, she was afraid. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was cursing herself for being afraid and for her momentary laps in vigilance.
Her fear simply grew until she heard the words "Hey Liv," called softly from the kitchen door.
She looked up and it took all of her restraint not to run to him and bury her face in his chest. She wanted so badly to cry in that moment but at the same time, she prayed that she wouldn't. She managed a small smile "Hey El," she whispered back. "I'm sorry if I woke you."
He walked into the room and wrapped his arms around her where she sat in the chair. He didn't want to tell her that he had had a nightmare and had woken up in a cold sweat, that he had tiptoed to her room to reassure himself that she was still alive, still breathing, only to find that she wasn't there. He didn't want to tell her how afraid he had been until just now when he had seen her. In the end, all he ended up telling her was "It's okay, you didn't wake me." It was then that he saw the look in her eyes. He could see the unease and fear that she was still getting over. He sat in the chair beside her. "Oh no," he whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you," he hung his head.
"Elliot don't," she commanded in a small voice. She had told him time and time again not to apologize to her for that sort of thing. She practically got startled whenever anyone entered a room and she hated it but somehow it made it worse when Elliot apologized. She too hung her head "I just couldn't sleep that's all."
Elliot knew that what she told him wasn't the full truth. He also knew that he had indeed scared her and he hated himself for it. He would do anything for her but he was at a loss for how to help her. He knew how to deal with all kinds of victims but this was Olivia. He had no idea how to help her. He was slowly finding out that probably the only way that she would feel safe would be if they caught Ricky and recovered that missing footage. As long as that footage was out there, she was vulnerable on such a massive level and as long as Ricky was still out there, she would see danger around every corner. He held her as close to him as he could "Worried about your meeting with Huang tomorrow?" he asked.
"A little bit," Olivia admitted quietly. She looked up into Elliot's understanding, loving gaze "But I've hidden behind a desk for too long now." She was intent on getting back out there, catching the perps and helping the victims once again and she wasn't going to let something so trivial as her own emotions or experiences get in the way of that.
"You think you're ready?" Elliot asked before he had really thought the question over in his mind. She had told him time and time again that she had to get back out in the field if she was ever going to get over this. She had always added that she would be fine as long as he was beside her. The way in which she had said that last part and the way she had kissed him tenderly afterwards had melted away all of his protests.
"Elliot," she placed a hand under his chin and turned his face fully towards her "I'll be fine," she spoke softly but firmly as she made her point. "I have to do this," the speech was all too familiar. "Besides," she was leaning in for the kiss "You'll be with me," and there it was, that slight pressure of her lips against his that somehow always took his breath away and sent his mind reeling.
Elliot sat quietly beside her as she finished her tea. He didn't say anything more about the subject of her going back to active duty. When she stood up to put the mug in the sink, there was a knock at the front door. Elliot was on his feet at the exact same time that the mug fell from Olivia's hands and shattered, thankfully, in the sink instead of on the floor.
The two looked at each other. Elliot couldn't hide the apprehension in his face but it was nothing compared to the sheer fear that showed itself on Olivia's features. She was as pale as a ghost and her eyes were wide. Her hands shook as all she could think about was getting to her gun before Derek could get any closer. Derek was of course long dead but she suddenly didn't remember that.
Elliot took a step towards her "Liv," he called softly, reaching a hand out to her. "Olivia, it's just me," he touched her arm softly. At first she shied away but when he spoke again she allowed him to wrap his arms around her "It's just me," he whispered reassuringly "You're safe."
This time, she did bury her face in his chest as her body was wracked with sobs. "Oh God…" she murmured "He's coming for me," her voice was cracking with every labored breath as the tears came. "I just know it," she held on to Elliot as tightly as she could "He's gonna kill us both."
"I won't let him touch you," Elliot ran a hand up and down her back "I won't let him hurt you." The knock at the door came again and Olivia's grip on Elliot became so tight that he was afraid his ribs would crack. He slowly brought her to one of the kitchen chairs. "I've gotta go see who that is," he told her.
Olivia nodded "Please be careful," she whispered hoarsely. As Elliot got his gun and headed for the door, Olivia rethought the whole going back into the field plan. She wasn't stable, she wasn't ready. This type of behavior could cost more than a few lives. She put her head down on the table and cried some more. She wanted to be her old self again.
"Who is it?" Elliot asked with his hand on the lock of the door, not ready to turn it until he got a response. He had no idea who in their right mind would be coming to his door in the wee hours of the morning; he just hoped that it wasn't trouble.
"Fletcher," the response came back and Elliot recognized the voice instantly. He opened the door to see the young FBI agent standing there with a sullen expression on his face and something in his hands.
Elliot stepped away from the door to allow Fletcher to enter. "I wish I could say it's good to see you," Elliot sighed "But not a lot of people show up here at this time of night."
"I understand," Fletcher walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. "It isn't as if I have good news to report either."
Elliot nodded solemnly "Good news rarely comes before 5:00am," he walked into the kitchen to get Olivia. He saw her with her head on the table and he tapped her shoulder lightly "Liv," he called gently.
Her head shot up instantly as she peered wildly around the room "What's wrong?" she asked almost instantly.
"I don't know yet," Elliot said honestly "Fletcher's here."
"Oh," Olivia nodded in understanding. She got up and followed Elliot into the living room. "Hi," she managed a faint smile in Fletcher's direction.
"Hi Olivia," Fletcher shifted uncomfortably. He had hoped that she would be asleep. He didn't want her to have to see this. She had already been through enough. But she was awake and there was no way he could shut her out of the investigation even if he wanted to. He knew her and he knew how stubborn she was.
Elliot sat down beside Olivia on the love seat "Did you find Ricky?" was the first question that fell from his lips as his hand found Olivia's and he held it tight.
"No," Fletcher shifted uncomfortably again. He wished they had been able to catch Ricky before he had been able to do the damage that he had done. "We did find this," he told them as he handed a DVD to Elliot.
The single disc was in an unlabeled cardboard envelope. Elliot turned it over in his hands, not yet aware of its true meaning "What's on it?" he asked, finally.
Fletcher cleared his throat "It's Olivia," he said simply.
Elliot turned to her at the exact instant that she crumbled. He held her in his arms as they both cried. He tried to reassure her through his own tears but nothing he said seemed good enough. There was no way he could protect her from this. If the FBI task force had found the DVD but not Ricky, it meant that there were more than likely other copies in circulation. God only knew how many people had been privy to Olivia's most vulnerable moments.
If only Elliot or Olivia or even Fletcher knew that this was just the beginning. If Olivia only knew that her humiliation and pain had only been a small part of the master plan. If Elliot only knew that his past would soon come and try to swallow him. If anyone in that living room that night had had the slightest inkling that danger was just around the corner, they would have all fled the state of New York right then and there.
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Ricky Conrad stood beside the telephone booth in the small Oregon town. He was waiting for his new boss to call. The phone finally rang. Ricky looked from side to side, making sure no one was around, in the sleepy town, the precaution all but pointless.
He entered the phone booth and answered the phone "It's Ricky." He said into the receiver.
"How many copies have you made?" the electronically disguised voice on the other end inquired.
"More than enough," Ricky smiled to himself "I've got the others distributing them as we speak."
"Good," the voice on the other end sounded approving "I'd like to talk to you about something else."
"What?" Ricky asked, mildly irritated by his faceless employer. He had been paid well for securing the footage, or as his employer referred to it, the insurance policy. He had been told to leave Derek and the others early just in case someone came to stop them.
Ricky had said that there was no way that anyone would ever catch them but the mystery employer had insisted on his being able to procure something on tape and escaping with it. It had come to the employer's attention that help could be on the way for the latest star in their little horror show.
"I was wondering," the smile could easily be heard in the voice even through the distortion "If you'd be willing to make a sequel."