Disclaimer: Dick Wolf and NBC own SVU. I only own this story idea.
Happy Trails…
Chapter 9
"How did you guys get here?" Elliot asked Munch and Fin.
Munch smiled in his usual sarcastic manner. "Oh we took a turn about a mile back there at the corner of bumfuck and nowhere."
Fin gave him a look. "Actually, we doubled back and crossed this river,"
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, we're very well acquainted with that river," she said casting a backward glance at Elliot.
"Did you guys see which direction that Lake and Casey went?" Elliot asked.
They both shook their head. Munch looked over at Elliot. "We haven't seen Novak or Lake but there is something that I would like to show you,"
"What?" Elliot asked.
"Come on, I'll show you," Munch answered walking toward the door.
"I'll be right back," Elliot said kissing Olivia lightly on the lips as he slipped out from behind her. He hastily grabbed his boxers and jeans pulling them on underneath the blanket. Elliot walked over to Munch shooting Olivia a reassuring look before he left.
Olivia looked over at Fin who smiled at her walking over. Olivia smiled back at him as he sat on the bed on the floor beside her.
"Are you okay?" Fin asked softly.
Olivia nodded. She leaned her head over onto Fin's shoulder. "Fin, did she suffer?" She asked the question her voice tremulous.
Fin closed his eyes in remembrance. "You don't want to know, not really Liv."
"She was my friend. I am the reason she was even in this place. She was a really good person, Fin." Olivia whispered a lone tear making its way down her cheek.
Fin nudged her head from his shoulder. "Listen, Liv sometimes bad things happen and there is nothing any of us can do. Munch used to talk about Jeffries all the time when I first started. He really liked that girl in not just in the sense that he thought she was hot which he did," Fin smirked. "But he admired her as well. He said she was non-compromising."
"Non-compromising," Olivia shook her head a smile crossing her face. "Yeah, that was Jeffries. She was the only one who pissed Cragen off as much as Elliot and I did.
"Wow that much," Fin grinned at her laughing as she swatted him.
Olivia's expression grew somber. "When we get home, we are going to get those asses arrested, and we are coming back for her."
"Deal," Fin said shaking her hand. "Liv?"
"Yes," Olivia said wiping at the tears on her cheeks.
"So," Fin gestured to the bed. "What is up with you and Stabler?"
Olivia drew her upper lip between her teeth as she pondered the answer to Fin's question. Just what was her relationship with Elliot, now?
Outside, Elliot followed Munch a little way into the woods up to a clearing. He looked down at the tops of the trees that crisscrossed the mountainside. His eyes followed where Munch pointed at what looked like a road. "Is that what I think it is?"
Munch raised a slightly graying eyebrow. "I think it might be and it is not too far away, either,"
Elliot narrowed his eyes shading his vision with his hand. "I think so too. It is all downhill pretty steep too."
Munch nodded. "It won't be easy but we have to get out of here. We may have to come back for Lake and Novak."
Elliot nodded.
"I don't think we have any other options," Munch said dryly.
"Munch," Elliot started.
"Yeah," Munch replied looking over his colleague, the colleague who had been at SVU as long as he had.
"I am really sorry about, Jeffries," Elliot said.
Munch nodded a clouded expression in his eyes. "She was a great partner," he whispered. "A great friend, she didn't deserve this,"
Elliot placed his hand on Munch's shoulder squeezing lightly. "No, she certainly didn't."
Munch looked over at Elliot, they exchanged a look without talking but it spoke volumes. They stood there on the cusp of the mountain, on the cusp of getting away, and they paused to remember a partner, a friend.
Munch and Elliot made their way back to the cabin slipping through the boards and entering through the door. Elliot walked over to the bed sitting on the other side of Olivia. "We may have a way out," Elliot said rubbing his face.
Olivia who had been contemplating her answer to Fin's question turned to Elliot. "What's the catch?"
"Rugged terrain, all downhill, and this is just hoping that what we see is a road," Elliot answered truthfully.
Olivia stood up and walked over to the closet that she had opened last night. "Okay, let's go." Olivia said determinedly as she pulled a pair of discarded boots from the closet floor. "I am going to change,"
"Should we leave now?" Fin said. "We have already lost the morning hours,"
"I think we have to leave now." Munch said honestly.
"I agree," Elliot said as he stood up. "I don't know how far ahead of those men we got. They have a pretty big incentive to find us and make sure we don't talk,"
Olivia shivered involuntarily at his words but she knew he was right. They needed to make and keep as much distance between those men and themselves. "What about Casey and Chester?"
"There is nothing we can do. We have no idea where they are," Munch said.
Olivia hated this, every part of it. The thought of Casey and Chester lost and alone in the woods broke her heart. The thought of forging ahead without them, killed her. Nevertheless, she knew this was something they had to do. There was no alternative.
The three of them waited while Olivia changed quickly in the bathroom and walked out to join them. They stepped out into the bright sunshine so similar to the day their trip had started. They stood at the cusp of the thicker forest that lay in front of them hesitating for a couple of minutes before starting down the mountain, no trail, no path.
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter. I know I promised longer but it has been a long and exhausting week. This is a bit of a filler chapter sets tone for next chapter. Thank you for your reviews and for reading.
