It's only three in the morning and something woke me up. I'm not exactly sure what but, I know it was something. I push the covers off of me and head toward the living room to check things out. Nothing was out of the usual. I made my way to the door to make sure it was locked. It was. I was worried for nothing. I let out a breath and was going to head back to bed when my buzzer went off. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I peeked outside of my window and saw a man wearing a black hooded jacket rushing away from my building. I realized my buzzer had stopped. Chances are I was worried for nothing. It was probably someone playing a prank. I heard my cell phone ringing from its place on my nightstand and ran to answer it.
"Benson."
"I saw him too, Liv."
"What? Elliot, what the hell are you doing? Stalking me?!" I was livid. "What gives you the right to do that?!"
"Calm down," he said, "I told you I saw that man before we left for the café. I was worried. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I saw you look out your window so, I knew you saw him too."
"It was probably just a prank," I said to him.
"The sound of your voice tells me you don't really believe that."
I sighed. He knew me too well. "Look, El, I'm tired and it's late. Go home. I'll see you at work tomorrow." I was just about to hang up when Elliot stopped me.
"Liv, there's a box down here that has your name on it."
"What is this? Richard White all over again? Go home. I'm fine. Leave the box alone." Of course Elliot didn't listen because I could hear him messing with the cardboard flaps.
"Liv… come let me in."
"Elliot, I don't want to do this."
"Please, Liv. Just let me in."
I hung up the phone without saying another word and Elliot must have known that I was going to let him in because he didn't leave. I opened the door for him and he was standing there with the box in his arms.
"Its pictures of you," he said as he walked into the kitchen and sat the box down on the counter.
I swallow the lump in my throat and reached into the box to pull out a small stack of the pictures. There was one of me as a little girl sitting on the stoop of our house. I was playing with a doll of some kind. There was me as a teenager helping my mom stand straight as we shopped because she was too drunk to function. Then there was a picture taken of me from not that long ago through my bedroom window. I froze.
Elliot looked across the counter to see the picture and took it from my hands once he did. "He's stalking you."
"Just like he did my mom," I said in a hoarse voice that was barely above a whisper.
"Liv…" Elliot threw the pictures back into the box and grabbed my hand, leading me to the couch to sit down. "How did he get your address?"
"I didn't tell him! He's a rapist for crying out loud."
"Did you tell Simon?"
"No," I answered, "Simon and I met at a cafe nowhere near here."
"Do you think he could have followed you home?"
"Do you think he wants to attack me?" I had been thinking that ever since I went to his house. I was too scared to ask the question out loud because what if it was true? I looked like my mom and he had a type…
"I don't know, Liv," Elliot said gently, "I really don't. I'm not going to let that happen though."
"I should have never gone to his house," I admitted, "why did I do it, El?"
He ignored my question. Typical Elliot when he didn't have an answer. "We should tell the Captain."
"We can't," I said, "Cragen told me not to go to his house because it wasn't safe. He's going to be pissed."
"I'd rather him be pissed off than have you in harm's way," Elliot explained. "Tomorrow, we tell him."
I nodded my head even though I really didn't want to. There was no way Joe was going to come after me. He would have done it by now. He wouldn't have waited all these years. Elliot was just being his usual nosey self; always trying to be the hero.
"Can I go back to bed now?"
He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He got off the couch and grabbed the box of pictures and headed for the door.
Elliot waited until the lights were out in my apartment before he turned his car on and left. He wanted to stay but he knew I would be beyond pissed if I caught him. He was right. Elliot was worried that Joe had been stalking me for several years and was just waiting for the right time to hit. The only thing Elliot couldn't figure out is what made now the perfect time.
I climbed into my bed and snuggled back under the covers. I wasn't going to worry myself. I turned to the picture that rested on the nightstand beside my bed and smiled. It was a picture of my mother and I, and I always looked at it before bed. It reminded me of the good times I used to have with her.
A/N: So, Joe is after Olivia. Will he attack her? Or is he stalking her for a different reason? Can Elliot & Olivia solve the case before Joe gets what he wants? Keep reading to find out