Charms Of Luck, by Balseirocharmed
Author's Notes:
This is my first attempt at writing a Law & Order SVU fan fiction. I know that the first tries are not always great, and that this story might not be so good. Despite all that, I want to let everyone know I am trying my best. I know I should be working on my story for Alice In Wonderland, but I just got really into this show and wanted to write before I lost my muse.
Disclaimer:
Law & Order Special Victims Units and anything that refers to the show is property of Dick Wolf, and not mine.
The lights were off, the blinking, bright screen of a small television and the moon being the only lighting in the otherwise dark room. Alone in her apartment, away from the stresses of her job, Olivia Benson sat on her couch, legs crossed. Laying on top of her lap was a medium-sized journal, which had a purple cover with yellow flowers splattered on randomly. Her fingers fiddled absent-mindedly with the thin pages as she nibbled absently on the blue pen which she held without grip in her other hand.
A low, soft buzz echoed in her ears, followed by quick, timid knocks. Forced out of her thoughts as the knocks against the door became more confident, the pen fell from her barely there grip. She stood without thought, and cursed softly under her breath as the journal fell down to join the pen. Instead of bending to retrieve the fallen objects, Olivia rushed towards the door where the knocks had become loud poundings.
She growled under breath, quietly cursing the person on the other side of the door for disturbing her. Her eyes glanced idly around the room for a clock, before stopping on the digital: 10:30. Stepping on the tips of her toes, she glanced out through the peephole on the door. Seeing her partner and best friend, Elliot Stabler anxiously standing there, a smile slowly found its way onto her face. With as much speed that was humanely possible, she unlatched the locks keeping her door shut and pulled the door open with a little bit more force than needed.
"El" she whispered, holding the door open with her left hand. "What are you doing here?"
Elliot smiled softly at her, and he stepped closer. "Can I come in?" he asked, so close that she could feel his breath on her as he spoke.
With him in such close distances, she could barely trust herself to speak. Swallowing back the gasp as his breath tickled her face, she nodded. She stepped aside, allowing him entrance.
He watched her intensely as she softly shut the door and latched the locks on the door shut. His lips curved into a smirk as he studied the several locks and the way she carefully locked each one.
Done with the task, she turned around and her eyes caught sight of his smirk. She crossed her arms, and mumbled softly under her breath, "Cocky bastard" before voicing loudly, "What?"
"That's a lot of locks for one door, don't you think?" he asked, a smirk still on his features.
She rolled her eyes, and retorted "One can never be too safe."
He simply arched a brown, fuzzy eyebrow in response. "Liv…" he spoke softly, drawing her eyes to him. "I understand wanting to feel safe, especially after all we see on a daily basis," he paused before asking with slight humor in his voice, "But isn't four locks going overboard?" She laughed in response, drawing a confused stare from him. "What?"
She shook her head, swallowing back the laughter. "El, if you think this is overboard, you should have seen the number of locks I had three weeks ago."
"Let me guess, it used to be eight?" he quipped.
"Seven actually" she remarked.
"Why only seven?" he asked, curious. He had a feeling of why, but he wanted to hear her reason, before jumping to conclusion.
She shrugged, and replied softly "When I was little, before I found a safe haven and family in the NYPD department, I used to tell myself these myths of luck." She sat down on the couch as she continued to speak. He followed her lead, taking a spot on the couch as he listened closely to her story.
"Sometimes I think it was my belief in luck that helped me find the people who have become my family. It is luck that I found a job where I get to help the people that come to us everyday, and keep them from going down a wrong path." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I only wish that my mother had had the help I give these victims. Maybe if she had, things would have been different for her." A lone tear fell down her face, and she quickly rubbed it away with her thumb.
When she remained silent, adding nothing more to her tale, Elliot asked "So that's why you have four locks, and used to have seven? Because of luck?"
She nodded, slowly. "Yeah, pretty much." She glanced at the man sitting across from her, and said softly "You must think it's silly how I think having a certain number of locks will bring luck, and decrease chances of a break in…" She sighed, and laughed cruelly under her breath.
His eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No. Liv, it's anything but silly."
She gasped softly, and tears edged the corner of her eyes. As the tears fell, the only sign that they were of joy was the way her lips curved upward into a smile. "Do you really mean that, El?" she asked, sniffling softly.
He nodded. "Of course I do." he whispered, his blue eyes boring deeply into her two pools of deep, brown. "Can I tell you something?" he asked her, taking her hand in his.
She nodded slowly without breaking the eye contact. "Anything"
"I believe in luck, too" he said, as he, with his unoccupied hand, softly caressed circles into her tan hand.
She studied his face, looking for anything that would tell her that he was lying, but when she found nothing, she asked quietly "You do?"
He smiled. "Yeah." he answered.
"What brings you luck?" she asked, a sparkle in her eyes.
The words he wanted to say were on the tip of his tongue, but at the last second he felt himself biting back the desired words. "Guess" he said in a hoarse whisper.
She hummed to herself as she thought of what or who could possibly be Elliot's good luck charm, before settling on the most obvious answer, at least to her. "Your wife, Kathy?" she suggested.
He shook his head, a teasing smile on his face. "Nope, though" he said, "I can see why you would think that. But she's not my good luck charm, just the mother of my children, and before you go saying what I think you are going to say…my children are just that, my children." he paused, "I love them with all my heart, but my good luck charm they are not."
Olivia stared at Elliot in wonder. She curious; If Kathy and the children weren't the good luck charms, then what could possibly be his good luck charm?
"Give up, yet?" he asked, smirking.
Olivia Benson was not a quitter. "No" she said. After moments of thinking and no possible answer coming to her, she caved "I give up…what is your good luck charm, Stabler?"
He chuckled at her use of formalities; both of them knew they were passed the usage of last names. "You really don't know, Benson?"
"If I knew I wouldn't be asking you would I now?" she retorted with a roll of her eyes.
He nodded, smirking. "True."
Her arms were crossed, and she stared at him silently, waiting for him to speak. "Anytime now. Preferably before next year" she joked.
"You" he said, finally.
She blinked twice, unsure if she heard him correctly. She rubbed her ears softly, and said "I'm sorry…did you just say what I think you said…"
He nodded, smiling. "You have always been my good luck charm, Benson" he said. This time she knew her ears weren't playing tricks on her, and that she had heard him correctly the first time.
"Wow" she breathed out, surprised. "I would have never guessed…" She tried to scowl as Elliot chuckled at her reaction, but it was futile as a smile broke onto her face.
Looking down at his watch, he said in a whisper "It's late."
She yawned, and asked "How late?"
"Almost midnight" he answered with a shake of his head; how the day had gone by so quick was beyond him. "You should go to bed…I wouldn't want my good luck charm exhausted tomorrow" he said, as he saw her rub her eyes sleepily.
"Not tired" she mumbled, but the yawn that escaped her lips betrayed her words. He arched an eyebrow, and she pouted her lips as she gave in. "Fine." She stood up from the couch; her legs wobbled, and almost let out. He took grasp of her before she fell down. "Thanks" she muttered, blushing.
"Maybe I should make sure you get to bed without any problems?" he whispered against her ear. He reached for the remote and turned off the television, leaving the room in total darkness. The glow from the moon outside was the only light, and even that light was little, but it was enough guidance for the two detectives in the dark apartment.
After tucking her in, he turned to leave, but her hand grabbing his caused him to halt. He looked down at her, curiously.
Her eyes were shut as she mumbled "Stay"
Elliot looked intensely at her before the words made sense. He nodded. Needing no other invitation, he kicked off his shoes and tore away the thick coat, throwing both to the side. He undid the tie, and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing both articles of clothing on top of the pile with his shoes and coat. Usually he would sleep in only his underwear but for tonight, for Olivia's sake, he would leave his pants on as well. Climbing into the bed, he scooped her into his arms, and buried his face into her hair.
"Night" he whispered softly, before his eyes shut and he became captive to sleep.
He slept with a smile on his face as he held her in his arms. For the first in forever he was able to hold her without reason. All the other times he had his arms around the woman, who was his good luck charm, he had either been comforting her: like the time he had held her in his arms the day where a man had held a gun to her head, leaving her spooked; Or trying to ease his own mind after almost losing her: for example, the day where he had heard that she, along with his pregnant wife had been in a car crash, he had held Olivia, just glad that she had survived. But holding her now, just for the sake of having her in his arms, felt pleasantly different; she was after all his charm of good luck.
Author's notes:
Well that's the end of my one shot story for Law and order Special Victims Unit. What do you think? Please review letting me know what I did good and what needs work on, and what you liked and disliked. I'm not too pleased with how I ended it, but I think it's as good of an ending that I could come up with. But I'll leave you guys to be the judge of whether this is good or not.