The phone on Elliot's desk had rung three times before he sighed. At first he had been picking up after every ring, hoping to hear her voice. But after three weeks, he resigned to the fact that she was going to be lost for a while. He took a breath and answered. "Stabler." He waited a moment. "Hello?" Elliot pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Last chance or -."
"El." The voice on the other end cut him off.
He stopped and stared at the phone before tentatively putting it back to his ear. "Liv?" The squad's ears perked up like a bunch of dogs responding to a whistle.
"Hey. I'm ready to come home." She sounded better to him than the night he had dropped her off. She sounded…happy?
"You sure? You can take all the time you need." As much as he wanted her to get as well as possible, he wanted her safe and back in his arms even more.
"Yea, El. I'm sure. It's going to take some more time but the doctors have gotten me through the worst of it." He could hear the relief and smile in her voice.
"Okay. I'll be there in thirty. See you soon." Elliot hung up and grabbed his jacket, smiling over at Fin and Munch before heading out.
Olivia sat on the bench outside the hospital. Her fingers played with the draw string of her hoodie. The past three weeks had been an emotional and physical roller coaster for her. She had told her life story countless times and each made her want to crawl back into a ball. She had spent so many hours just talking to people and she just wanted to stop. Except, there was still one person who deserved to know the truth. Elliot. She also knew that she would need him to be there for her when things went bad. She worried about going back to work. Olivia sighed as she thought about how the squad would treat her after this. Olivia looked at her watch, eagerly waiting for the familiar brown sedan to pull up in front of her. She had missed her best friend and was anxious to see him again.
A few minutes later, Elliot pulled up in front of the hospital and saw the silhouette of his partner. A smile tugged at his lips as he got out of the car to get her. Elliot walked up to where the brunette was sitting and smiled down at her. "Hey there stranger."
Olivia looked up at him returning the warm smile. "Hey yourself." She stood and went to grab her bag but was stopped when Elliot picked it up himself. "Thanks."
He nodded and placed his hand on her back protectively, leading her to the car. "Home or precinct?"
Olivia got into the car and waited for Elliot to get in as well. "I really miss everyone but right now I just want to go home. Think they will be mad?" she asked him, afraid that the answer would be yes.
Elliot looked at his partner confused. Since when did Olivia Benson think that her friends would do anything but support her decisions? Since when did she look so scared at something that really meant nothing? He shook his head smiling. "No Liv, they won't be mad." He placed his hand over hers, which her resting on her lap. "You okay?"
Olivia nodded and laid her head against the window, closing her eyes. Elliot had not noticed, until now, the subtle changes in his friend's physical appearance. Her skin was paler than her normal olive tone, she had lost some weight, and the shine in her eyes was now replaced by a dull black color. What happened to the Olivia I love? Elliot thought to himself as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot. He checked on her every now and then from the corner of his eye. She had fallen asleep all too quickly and he worried that her recovery was far from over, and that his beloved Olivia would be lost forever.
Elliot pulled up in front of Olivia's apartment building and watched her sleep for a few minutes before placing his hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Wake up sleepy head." He smiled when her eyes opened slowly. She looked around a little confused then smiled when she recognized her best friend sitting beside her. "We're here."
She looked up at the building and nodded, failing to stifle a yawn. "Thanks for driving me El. I can take it from here."
Elliot shook his head and opened his door before his friend could argue. "I am going to take you upstairs and make sure that you have what you need."
Olivia sighed and gave in, being too tired to argue. They walked up the few flights of stairs to get to her door. Once inside the apartment, Elliot dropped the bag next to the couch and watched his friend take a seat on the couch, sinking in with drooping eyes. "Liv, maybe you should go to bed. You're obviously exhausted." But he had gone unheard, the light snoring of the brunette filling his ears. He smiled and shook his head, walking over to the couch. He picked Olivia up in his arms and took her into her bedroom, laying her down under the covers. He pulled the blanket up over her and kissed her forehead lightly before closing her bedroom door and heading back into the living room. Elliot walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, forgetting that she had been gone for three weeks. He sighed and wrote a note, leaving it on the kitchen counter before grabbing his wallet and keys and headed out.
