A/N: A little something that hit me after this week's episode. If you haven't seen it - SPOILER ALERT. Wait until you have seen it. This doesn't fit in with my current multi-chapter fic "Fear". It's just a one shot. Enjoy. :)

Farewell

By

18lzytwner

"And Olivia, do something with the place will you?" With that the man that she had often thought of as her father was gone. In a blink of an eye the last fifteen years had flew by and now it was punctuated by the biggest changes in her life.

She had openly cried when he said he was leaving. There was no point in hiding it. They had grown too close for her to keep it in when he said that he was retiring. Still it was as if her family was leaving her behind and she worried that what the Captain had been talking about might be truer than she wanted to admit.

First Jeffries had left. She was a good cop and a good friend to have at the precinct. She had promised to keep in touch but after her transfer it didn't happen. The phone worked both ways but it never seemed like the right time to call.

Next was Alex. The blonde had been the best friend she'd had in her entire life. They actually did things after work that could be classified as hanging out. Then Alex was ripped away by Witness Protection, which was only necessary after she and Elliot had pushed too hard on a case that involved Columbian drug lords. After that, they couldn't talk until she came back. Finally even after she was back, things were never the same and once Barba took over her job, she and Alex lost touch.

Casey was another good friend. She didn't take Alex's place but the two of them got along great and often did things together. Even after she was censured by the New York Bar Association, they kept in touch but not long after she returned they got into a spat. It had been childish but just the same they were not the friends they used to be.

Elliot. He was the next to leave. No matter the ups and downs of their relationship she had always thought that he would never leave her. Turns out she was wrong. He left without a word. Not even so much as of his famous smirks. She had cried over him when the news came from the Captain. She wasn't ready to lose the only man who had managed to stick with her for so long. Just like that however he was replaced by Nick. He was a good partner but he wasn't Elliot. She couldn't fault him for it. He was never trying to fill Elliot's shoes only do a job that he loved and was good at. They had come to a good place in their partnership despite the recent ups and downs. Now she was the Sergeant, though, so she wasn't sure how things were going to play out. Would she have to be that figure that everyone looked up to or would she struggle to remain a good member of the team?

Then there was Munch. He was the crazy uncle she'd never had. Always one to give advice or ramble on about how you needed to be paranoid about big brother, he could also keep a secret with the best of them. It was odd to come in everyday and not have him there. She knew that Nick missed him and they hadn't been working together that long so the ache in her chest just grew when Nick had gotten into trouble.

Finally, stirring from her reverie, she realized that now the spot that had once been occupied by the man, who had been such a huge part of her life, was now hers. She had never really had aspirations to take his job. The Sergeant's exam had been kind of a joke. Just because she took it didn't mean she would pass let alone actually get promoted.

Yet, here she sat. She was now heading up the newest group of detectives in a unit that had become her home away from home. The thoughts sunk in. So much had happened in the last six months that she didn't even know how to handle it all.

"Hey, you ok? I was knocking on the door and you didn't answer," Fin said.

"Oh yeah, sorry," she heaved a sigh.

"It's a lot to take in huh?" He asked.

"Yes it is," Olivia nodded.

"Well I know you can lead our little ragtag group," Fin smiled.

"Oh yeah despite everything that has been happening around here?" She wanted to know.

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You've been here the longest now," he pointed out.

"I guess I have," she nodded. The realization of it had been enough to make her think even more about what the Captain had meant by taking care of herself.

"Well Sergeant, I think it's time to go home. Might want to get some knick knacks or something for your new office," Fin said.

"I'll see what I can do," she gave him a slight smirk. He nodded and was out the door. She sat there watching as Nick and Amanda started grabbing their things. It had been a long few days and sleep was probably the first thing on their minds. Wondering if Brian would be home or if he'd be spending another night away, she stood from the top of her new desk and headed for the door. Reaching the light switch, she looked around at the now empty office, void of all personal touches the Captain had had on the walls and the desk. It was an end of an era and the beginning of a new one. With a flick of the switch the lights went off. She closed the door and stopped at her old desk to grab her things when she saw a note in the Captain's handwriting. Looking around and seeing that everyone was gone, she opened it and looked at its contents. There was a just a simple sentence written on the page which made her smirk,

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Then there was a phone number. She didn't recognize it and she wondered if it was his new personal cell phone. Without hesitation, she dialed the numbers to let him know she'd gotten the message and put the phone to her ear.

"Olivia?" The voice on the other end was not Don Cragen's. Not only that, the voice on the other end had recognized her number.

"Elliot?" She'd been duped.

"It's me," he said as if they had just hung up the phone and the reason they hadn't spoken in three years didn't exist.

"I…" she didn't know how to say what she needed to say as the feelings that were quickly bubbling to the surface were taking over.

"Is everything all right?" He asked. Olivia Benson did not hesitate.

"Can we get a cup of coffee?" She finally spit out.

"I can be to the diner in fifteen," he said, referencing the diner not far from the precinct.

"See you there," she told him before hanging up. What did she just do? How could he have been so casual as if he was expecting her call? Did all that really matter? Her shoulders dropped. Scooping up her coat, she decided one way or the other that tonight would dictate the rest of her life and no matter what she had made a promise. She was going to take care of herself.

The End