Chapter One

17 Years Later

"She's going to kill you when she finds out." Ellie breathes, looking at her brother from her spot on his unmade bed.

"Don't you mean us?" He corrects, throwing another pair of jeans into the duffle bag beside her. "Just because I'm the one going doesn't mean I was the only mastermind of this plan."

"Okay, so maybe she'll kill us," she concedes as she pulls her legs up to her chest. "But Ryan, you should be prepared to take the brunt of her wrath."

"Why?" He questions with a smirk. "You gonna play the favorite card again? I do recall my dear, twin sister, that she has denied having a favorite countless times."

Ellie just sighs contentedly, glancing at her nails. "Alright, if that's what gets you to sleep at night..."

She screams as the pillow comes flying straight for her face and glares at him heatedly when she hears his triumphant chuckle. She throws the pillow back at him and crosses her arms over her chest angrily when he catches it.

"You know I hate it when you scare me like that," she says, avoiding his amused gaze.

"Yeah, well, in all life a little rain must fall," he answers with a smile.

There's a soft knock on the door and they both turn when their mother pops her head in. "I thought you were supposed to be helping him pack?"

"Mom, this is Ellie we're talking about, when has she ever helped me do anything?" She knows he's only messing with her and resists the urge to grab the radio clock on the bedside table and chuck it at his head.

Their mom just rolls her eyes and sends her a smile. "Well, whatever you're doing you need to hurry it up, Ryan's plane leaves in two hours and we need to get going."

"Yes, Mom," they answer in unison and she just shakes her head.

"You know it creeps me out when you two do that," she says and they both laugh.

"Yeah, but you've had seventeen years to get used to it," Ellie points out as Ryan ducks into the bathroom between their bedrooms to grab his shower stuff.

"It's still weird," she answers, grabbing the knob of the door to close it. "Just make sure he gets everything packed and you're both ready to go in thirty minutes."

"Will do," she confirms with a salute, and her mom laughs as she closes the door.

Ryan comes back in with his various toiletries and she hands him a couple small shower bags to put everything in.

"So, should we go over the plan one more time?" She asks, pulling a piece of paper from her jeans pocket.

"If I say no, will that stop you?" He questions, zipping the first full bag and putting it on top of his clothes in the nearly full duffle.

She ignores him and begins reciting from the piece of paper in her hands. "Mom thinks you're going to New York for a summer college program on computer sciences held at..."

"NYU." He finishes, reaching over her to grab his various cell phone and laptop chargers on the table beside her. "Which isn't a complete lie, because they are actually having one, I'm just not attending it."

"Note to self, don't bring that up when she eventually finds out what you're doing." She comments, writing it down on the paper. "Alright, once you get to New York..."

"I'm going to check into my hotel which is right by the airport and then I'm going to take a cab down to the- what's it called again?"

"Precinct." She answers, shaking her head and adding that to the paper as well. "Dude, Mom's a cop, how do you not know that?"

"She never called it that when we were kids and she calls the one here generic stuff like, 'work' or 'the office' or something." He defends and gestures over to her side of the bed. "Can you grab my laptop? It's on the floor by the-"

She hands it to him before he can finish his sentence. "Okay, now once you're at the precinct you ask what floor the Special Victims Unit is on and once you get there..."

"I find someone who knows who Elliot Stabler is and ask where I can find him." He says, placing his laptop carefully in its travel case before setting it in his carry-on. "Where are those books you told me to bring in case I get bored on the plane?"

"On my dresser." She answers and continues reading down the list as he walks through their bathroom to get them.

She doesn't think Ryan will mess this up, but she had still found it necessary to write out the plan just in case. They've always worked as a team on things like this and she wishes they could both go, but close as they are, their mom would never have believed that they both wanted to go to New York for a two week long computer sciences program. Ellie shudders at the thought of being stuck in a stuffy computer lab for two weeks and shakes her head when she thinks her brother would probably still enjoy himself if that were where he was actually going.

However, that's not where he's headed, so she continues quizzing him about the plan when he walks back in with the stack of books she had set out for him last night. "So, if and when you can find him you're..."

"I'm going to explain who I am and ask him if he knows who our father is." He answers, setting the books in the bag with his laptop.

"Yes, but don't just come right out and ask that. You need to ease into it, be a little more subtle." She explains, writing down the word 'subtle' by that step of the plan.

"What if this doesn't work, Ellie?" He questions, sitting down on the bed beside her. "What if I get there and he tells me to leave, that he has no idea what the hell I'm talking about?"

"Ryan, do you remember any of those stories mom used to tell us about him?" She asks and he nods his head slowly. "Well, the way she talked about him makes me believe that he's not the kind of guy who would just tell you to leave after five seconds of conversation."

"Fine, but what if he doesn't even work there anymore?" He points out, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Then you get the lucky end of the deal and get to spend two weeks in New York doing whatever you want while I'm stuck here helping mom plan her wedding to The Loser." She answers, sighing as she hands him the paper.

"Why do you call him that?" Ryan asks, putting the paper in his back pocket like she'd had it in hers only a few moments ago. "I know he's not 'Man of the Year' or anything, but mom likes him and he's not that bad."

"Exactly!" She exclaims, pointing a finger at him. "She likes him, but does she really love him?"

He sighs, running a hand through his messy, brown curls, one of the only physical traits they both have in common. "I'm a guy; I don't really pay that much attention to who my mom is in love with."

"Okay, but at least tell me you agree with me that it's really annoying when Jeff tries to play 'Dad' whenever he's over here." She says, folding her hands in her lap.

"Yeah, okay, that I do notice and you're right it is kind of annoying, but Ellie, why are you resisting him so much? He's a decent guy." He looks at her, one of his eyebrows raised in question.

"I guess..." She trails off and looks out the window, fixing her gaze on the warm bustling street in L.A. that their home sits on. "I guess I can't accept the fact that mom is getting married until we've exhausted all efforts in trying to find our dad. I know that finding him is a long shot, especially because she's never talked about who he is or what he was like, but I at least want to try. Don't you remember talking about trying to find him when we were little? How we would imagine what he would look like and what he would say?"

She looks back over at her brother and the gaze he fixes her with is one of concern. "Yeah, Ellie, but that was a long time ago and I want you to understand that, that might not happen. I might get to New York and maybe I'll be lucky enough to find Elliot, but after that it could be a dead end."

She sighs and lays her head back against the wall. "I know, I do understand, and if it'll make you feel better, I promise to get along better with Jeff if this doesn't work out."

"It does, thank you." He leans his head back against the wall beside hers, and nudges her shoulder with his. "You won't have to put up with him that long, one more year and then we're off to college."

"I guess that's true." She sighs, glancing at him sideways so she doesn't have to move her head. "I will miss mom though."

"Me too. College sounds scary." He jokes and she laughs, and the nervous feeling in her stomach is alleviated slightly.

They sit in comfortable silence for a little while until there's another knock on Ryan's door and their mom says it's time to go. The car ride on the way to the airport is quiet, their mom tries to engage them in small talk every now and then, but they're both too nervous about the success of their plan to really invest in any conversation. They get through security and check Ryan's bag without any hiccups and before long it's time for him to board the plane.

Ryan hugs their mom first and Ellie can't tell what she says, but whatever it is causes her brother to hug her just a little tighter.

When it's her turn to say goodbye she wraps her arms around his chest and his slide over her shoulders like they always do. She knows he takes pride in the fact that he can still rest his chin on her head when they hug and she has learned to accept that as the taller twin he will always be able to do this.

However, this time before she lets go she gets up on her tiptoes and leans in towards his ear. "I'm counting on you, Ry. Don't mess this up."

He pulls back with a smile and squeezes her shoulder. "I won't. I promise."

She nods, gives him another quick hug and waves goodbye with her mom as he walks through the jet way to get on the plane. Her mom slips an arm around her shoulders as they turn and start walking back to the entrance.

"You're really gonna miss him, aren't you?" She asks and Ellie nods her head. "I think I forgot that this is the longest you two have ever been apart."

Ellie nods her head again as they step out into the sun. "Yeah, I think these are going to be the longest two weeks of my life."

Her mom laughs. "I bet by the time he comes back you'll be wishing he would've stayed away longer."

"Maybe." She agrees as they locate the aisle they had parked the car in earlier.

Once they find it they get in and her mom starts to talk about what they'll be able to accomplish with planning the wedding in the time that Ryan is away, but Ellie can't seem to make herself get very involved in the conversation. Her mind is too focused on all the things that could go wrong with their plan and she just hopes her brother has everything under control. She looks up into the sky outside her window and sends up a silent message to him, thinking if ever there was a time for twin telepathy to kick in it would be now.

I trust you Ryan, but, God, please don't screw this up.

...

"Ellie, I don't think I can do this." Ryan says into his phone as he looks up at the tall building in front of him.

"What?" She asks and he can hear the confusion in her voice. "Ryan, what do you mean you can't do this? Where are you?"

"I'm outside of the precinct, and I mean I can't do this." He answers, moving a little to the right of the entrance so he isn't in anyone's way.

She sighs, "I'm going to need you to elaborate a little more, because when you left you seemed like you had everything under control."

"I shouldn't have talked you into letting me come here." He begins, running a hand through his hair nervously. "I'm computers and science and books. I feel at home in a lab, not talking to some stranger that our mom knew years ago, who may or may not know who our dad is. I should've just let you come, Ellie."

"Oh, Ry." She lets out a deep breath before continuing. "Ryan, you are not just computers and science."

"Um, yes, yes I am." He replies, nodding vigorously even though she can't see him.

"No, you aren't and don't interrupt me again because I was just about to tell you why you aren't." There's a beat of silence before she continues. "Good. Now, listen to me when I say this. You, Ryan Elliot Benson, are not just computers and science. You had the stubbornness to tell me that it was better that you go because you were worried about me getting lost or hurt. That is not just computers and science."

"Thanks, El." He says a little more confident after her pep talk.

"You're welcome. Now, it's like nine there, right?" She asks

"Yeah, I was also gonna ask you about that. Do you think he'll still be at work?"

"I don't know, but mom sometimes comes home late so there's a good chance he might still be there." She answers. "And if he isn't then you can just go back tomorrow, no harm, no foul."

"Okay, I guess I should go in then." He sighs, looking up at the building again.

"Good luck, Ryan, and if he tries to act like he doesn't remember mom or that they weren't as close as she says, just drop the 'My sister and I are named after you ' bomb and he should spill the beans."

He laughs, and shakes his head. "Okay, Ellie. I'll call you after, alright?"

"Like you even had the option not to." She scoffs.

He just rolls his eyes. "Bye."

"Bye."

He hits the end button and slides his phone back into his jeans pocket. He doesn't hesitate as he walks up the stairs and asks the receptionist in the lobby for the floor of the Special Victims Unit, because he knows if he stops for even a second he'll lose his nerve. The elevator he gets into is empty and he is thankful that he won't have to wait for anybody else to get off on the way to his destination.

When he gets off on the correct floor he isn't surprised to find the place relatively quiet. He walks down the hall until he comes to a room full of empty desks and lets out a sigh of frustration. After that pep talk with Ellie he'd been prepared to come up here and just get everything over with, but the only people left milling about are unis and it seems like all the detectives had left some time ago.

"Figures." He mutters and turns around to leave, only to find his path blocked.

"Is there something I can help you with?" The older man in front of him asks, his brow drawn together in question.

"No, I don't think so." He answers with a shrug. "I was looking for someone, but I think they've already left."

"Well, what's their name? I can leave them a message for you." He offers.

"Um, okay." Ryan thinks about something that would be good to say as the man walks over to one of the desks and grabs a blank piece of paper and a pen. "Can you tell Detective Stabler that, uh, that Ryan Benson was here to see him and that he'll come back again sometime tomorrow."

"What did you say your name was?" The man turns around and it looks like he's seen a ghost.

"Ryan Benson." He answers, swallowing thickly when he realizes who he is most likely speaking to. "You're um, you're not Detective Stabler are you?"

"No." He answers and Ryan sighs again, feeling stupid for even thinking it might have been him.

"No, it's actually Captain Stabler now."

A/N: Well how 'bout them apples? Let me know what you think and thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows from last chapter!

-Katie