Updated A/N (3/8/2015): Hey guys. If you are reading this then you got my messages from yesterday. I just wanted to say a few things. First of all, thank you for continuing to read this story. There may have been some rocky times in the beginning but you guys stuck with me and I couldn't be more grateful. Secondly, I want to tell you that I've decided to take a short break from fanfiction. I'll still read the stories I'm following but I won't read any new ones or update my fics (apart from getting one more chapter of From the Ashes done). With the move from my house and all the exams I just need a breather, I hope you'll understand. I don't know when I'll update again though I do know it'll be before May and I am not giving up on my stories. I plan on finishing all of them (and publishing three new ideas that I have). Thanks for listening to me and be sure to let me know what you think of my decision. If you haven't left a review for this chapter or my other fics please do so. There are so many familiar faces that I haven't heard from in a while that I'd love to get their opinion on how I'm doing, as well as the sneak peeks that are available to reviewers, wink. Also, if you have a twitter account be sure to follow me: The Congressman22. I'm free to talk any time :)
Take Care and God Bless
The Congressman
A/N: Hi all. Here's the new update.
This is what you've been waiting for, the one where Liv and El meet finally. I wasn't going to put it in originally but I thought it would be a welcome treat :)
Disclaimer: I do not own either SVU or US history. I'd probably be longing by the surf in Newport Beach if I owned the former though only God can own the latter ;)
This chapter is for Laudys
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter Nine: Dr. Elliot Stabler
3:10 PM, July 13th 1969; Columbia University, New York City
"Are you ok Elliot?" the young man asked him while the others returned to their conversation, not bothering to care.
Elliot couldn't speak; the sheer relief at finally finding someone that recognized him. His throat constricted, tears of joy pooling in his eyes. "I'm fine," he finally choked out. "Can we talk somewhere private?"
"Sure," said the younger man, likely someone in his early thirties. "There's an office at the back of the auditorium. The speakers gathered there before the speeches." He led Elliot there, closing the door behind them. "So what's up?"
Not knowing how to begin, Elliot decided to go with brutal honesty. "I lost my memory, and you are the only person I met that knows who I am."
"Dios mio," said the other man, stunned by Elliot's confession.
"Autobiographical amnesia. Still remember my science which is what led me to you guys." 'Plus some other things,' he thought, leaving them out. He still wasn't sure how he knew the secret agent crap. "But I have no idea who I am."
The young man was still gaping at him. "So you don't know who I am?"
"Shit," Elliot chuckled, "I'm not sure of my own name."
"Whoa," he started, bewildered. "Madre el Dios, you read about this stuff but never imagine it happening to you."
"I need you to tell me everything you know about myself," Elliot stated.
"I guess you do. Uh… where do I start?"
"You called me Elliot."
"Well of course," he said obviously. "Your name is Dr. Elliot Stabler, and I guess you never had a common nickname. I'm Nick, Nick Amaro."
Elliot closed his eyes, thanking God that he finally knew his real name. 'Elliot Stabler, Dr. Elliot Stabler,' he kept thinking over and over, savoring it. "Thank you Nick."
"I've only met you a few times at conferences in DC at the Smithsonian, so I don't know much about your family."
"Where do I live?"
"Uh," Nick shrugged. "I guess Houston, Texas. You work on the team that's putting Apollo 11 on the moon. It's based at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Your employer is NASA."
'Holy shit!' And to think in the morning he thought he was a drunken bum. Even in his wildest dreams Elliot had never expected to be such a big shot. He felt exhilarated. "You don't know how much of a relief it is to know this."
"Thanks. I'm surprised that you're in New York. The research team is supposed to be in Florida to watch the launch. It's scheduled for the 16th."
"So what am I doing here?" he mused out loud. "I should be down there for the launch, not waking up in a men's room at Grand Central!"
Nick chuckled. "You must've had a great party last night! Doesn't sound like you though, from reputation at least."
From what he knew about himself Elliot agreed. "I'm going to call Cape Canaveral," he told Nick. "Would you mind sticking around? I'll need a ride." His car would be no good since likely it had police swarming it right about now.
"No problem," Nick replied. He picked up the phone off the counter and got the number from information, handing it to Elliot.
Dialing the number, Elliot waited till a male voice answered. "This is Dr. Stabler," God it felt so good to finally say his name, "I'd like to speak with the person in charge."
"Hold please."
There were a few clicks and pops before a kindly, older voice answered. "Canaveral, General Cragen speaking."
"This is Dr. Stabler-"
He was immediately cut off. "Elliot! Thank Christ! Where the hell are you?" General Cragen sounded very worried. He figured they must have been friends of some sort.
"I'm in New York City."
"Why the hell are you there? We've been going crazy over here, calling Army security, the FBI, the DoJ, the CIA, everyone."
That explained the agents trailing him, though it did not explain Brian and his shenanigans. "Listen, I've lost my memory. I've been wandering around the city until I finally found someone who knew my name."
"Son of a Bitch! Are you ok Elliot? How'd it happen?" The General's voice sounded almost fatherly in its concern.
"I was hoping you'd tell me that General."
"You always call me Don," he said with a chuckle.
"Ok Don," Elliot couldn't help but grin.
"I don't know for a fact Elliot. You told me Saturday that you needed time off and left Sunday morning from McCoy Air Base to New York. Melinda made the reservations?"
"Melinda?"
"Melinda Warner, your secretary back in Houston. Sharp woman too; she booked your usual suite at the Ritz."
"Did I tell anyone the purpose of the trip?"
"You told me that you made an appointment to see General Westmoreland at the Pentagon."
"Huh?" Elliot knew that William Westmoreland was the Army Chief of Staff. If he was meeting with the big man himself then it had to be important. "Did I give a reason?"
"I don't know Elliot; you were pretty mum about this. He's an old family friend of your father's so I can't gleam anything from just the circumstance."
It must have been something important, Elliot figured. What else would take him away from the launch of the most important space rocket in the history of mankind? "Do I have any friends in New York?"
"There was one who called every six seconds. A John Munch, I have his number." Cragen read it to Elliot who wrote it down. "Alright, now I think you need to talk to your wife."
"My wife?" Elliot asked. He had a wife? What was she like? Did they love each other? In his mind the first person that came up looked like Dr. Benson from the textbook.
"Yes, her name is Kathy. She's really worried about you, one moment."
His foot was tapping the carpeted floor nervously. 'What am I doing?" he thought. This woman was his wife after all. "Kathy speaking," came a new voice. "Elliot is that you?"
She had a warm, precise voice with excellent diction and no accent. She was obviously as educated as he apparently was. "Yes, this is Elliot. I lost my memory."
"I've been worried sick about you," she said, distressed. "Are you ok?"
"I guess I am now," he replied, telling her what he had experienced that morning. It felt good to have someone who cared about how he was.
"God," Kathy breathed, probably having a difficult time taking this all in. "Is someone helping you now at least."
"Yes," Elliot smiled at Nick. "I met a fellow scientist who knows me, and General Cragen gave me the number of a John Munch, apparently an old friend?"
He heard Kathy laugh over the phone. "He is. You bicker like cats and dogs most of the time but he's one of your closest friends."
Elliot breathed out, slightly relieved. "Good, but I really don't need taking care of. Answers yes, but I'm fin on the rest."
"I'm going to give you some privacy," Nick told him, "I'll be outside."
"Do you remember why I left for New York in such a hurry? Don doesn't know."
"You said it was better for me not to know, same it goes for Don I guess. I was frantic though when you didn't call me Sunday night like you promised. I called your old friend Finlay Tutuola – though we all call him Fin – at the CIA and asked him to help."
'CIA?' That could explain his skills if he had met this Fin while working there. "Did he do anything?"
"He called you Sunday night and arranged for a breakfast Monday but you didn't show. He's been looking for you all day, I should call him and tell him you're fine. You do feel fine right?"
"I'm fine Kathy," he told her. "There is a lot I want to know. How long have we been married?"
"Four wonderful years," she told him. "And we dated for three before that, though we met in college."
"Any children?"
There was a sigh at the other end. "No, we've been trying for a couple years now but we haven't succeeded."
Elliot felt a sadness seep through him, almost like déjà vu. This must have been a familiar pain for him. "Are my parents alive?" he asked, putting aside the ache.
"Your mom is, she lives in Chicago with your older brother. Your sister lives in Long Island and younger brother is in Washington. Your father," she paused. "I'm sorry Elliot but he died last year."
He felt a wave of grief wash through him, the realization that he'd never have any memories of his dad starting to sink in. However, he heard muffled sobs through the line. "Are you crying?" Elliot asked her, shoving aside his own pain. He must have been selfless that way.
"It's just, it must have been awful for you. I'm so sorry Elliot."
"There were some bad moments," he shuddered, remembering what he felt waking up in the men's room. "Are we rich?"
"We are well off. Your father was very successful in his business and he left you and your siblings quite a bit of money. We live well in Houston but neither of us are really flashy people. Why?"
That fit into what he knew of himself Elliot figured. "Cragen said that I was booked at my usual suite at the Ritz Carleton."
"Oh that. Your dad was a big shot in political and business circles. He had people come to see him all the time, so he'd put them up in a hotel room there as a token of appreciation. When you graduated valedictorian from high school and got accepted to Harvard he said you could stay there whenever you wanted at his expense."
"I could keep asking you questions all day Kathy, but I really need to know what happened to me. Would you fly up here tonight?"
"What?" Kathy asked, almost shocked that he asked her that. After a moment of silence she continued. "My God, why?"
"I want to know what happened to me," he told her, a bit puzzled as to why she seemingly didn't want to come. Weren't they happily married from what she told him? "I could use some help – and companionship." Truth be told, he wanted to be with someone who loved him, craved it even after the day he had.
"You should come down here," she stated.
"I need to know what happened to me Kathy, I can't just let this go."
"Elliot, I want to but I can't leave Cape Canaveral now. We are about to launch the first manned mission to the moon! They need me here. I can't let them down."
"Well, I guess not," he said, disappointed she wasn't coming but understanding her reason. "I'll give John Munch a call then."
"Good idea, and call me later please," she gave him the number. "Elliot, be safe. I love you."
"I will. Love you too," he said, though the words were a formality. He still didn't know her well enough to say it definitively. The phone clicked off.
Elliot slumped down on the threadbare couch, exhausted from his almost twelve hour ordeal. All he wanted to do was to go to the hotel room Kathy had mentioned and relax, maybe take a long nap; but he just couldn't. He came too far to stop now. He needed to now why this happened to him. Standing back up, he dialed this John Munch person.
"Hello?" answered a woman.
"Uhh," Elliot was unsure if he got the number right. "This is Elliot Stabler."
"Elliot? Jesus Christ we were worried about you," the woman said to his relief. "John!"
"What!" he heard through the receiver.
"Pick up the phone!" the woman shouted.
"Leave me alone woman!" he heard the muffled reply. "I'm busy!"
"It's Elliot you boney jackass!" she yelled back.
"What! Why didn't you tell me God damn it!" there were some pops and clicks before a new voice came on the line. "Elliot, son of a bitch it's good to talk to you. What the hell happened man?"
"Everybody is asking me that," Elliot responded, sick of that question. "The truth is I don't have any God damned idea. I lost my memory."
"You lost your memory?" Munch questioned, sounding like a typical New York Jew. "Shit; well in that case I'm John Munch and the lovely lady you talked to is my wife Alex."
"Must be going through some problems eh?" Elliot remarked, chuckling. It was either laugh or cry with the frustration he was feeling.
"Why would you think that?" Munch replied with confusion.
"But, uh, you two, never mind. Do you know why this happened to me?"
"I might but I'm not sure."
"Well spill!"
"You called me Saturday and said you needed to see me and that you were on your way here; booked your usual room at the Ritz-Carleton and everything. You also said you would call me Sunday night but you never did."
"Something must have happened on Sunday night," he thought out loud. "Can you help me out with this?"
"Of course Elliot, but there's someone I know even better suited to this kind of thing. You need to go to Belleview Hospital and see Dr. Olivia Benson; she's a world expert in these disorders."
Elliot's jaw dropped. "Olivia Benson? You mean the gorgeous woman from the textbook? I know her?"
The voice on the other end started laughing. "Oh God, that's the Elliot I know and love. Yep, she's an old friend of yours. I'll call her and let her know you're coming."
His head was spinning. To think he actually knew that stunning creature. "To think, this happens to me and I'm friends with the world expert on this sort of thing."
"We used to say all the time that God always watched your back." Though this hell happened, Elliot couldn't help but agree.
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
3:30 PM, July 13th 1969; Belleview Hospital, New York City
Olivia was distracted. She had completed her rounds with her patients, including a new one; he had been a football player who got "dinged" – a concussion in medical terminology – in a tackle with the opposing team. He could remember everything except the interval between getting dressed in the locker room and waking up in the ambulance being taken to the hospital.
It would have been quite the interesting case but she couldn't stop thinking about the whole thing with Huang and the Foundation. Earlier Olivia had approached her boss and asked him point blank what was going on.
"The Foundation is insisting on George as the new director. I wanted to give it to you but they're making it a condition of their grant."
"What!" Olivia seethed, pissed off beyond belief at her colleague's brownnosing and being passed over. The job should go to the best doctor, not the one with the most connections. "This is unfair. My work is much more promising than his."
Her boss looked at her sympathetically. "I don't know what to say Olivia. It's unusual of course, since foundations don't normally nitpick about these things. It's not illegal though.
"Did they say why?"
"I had an off the record talk with the chairman. They think George is better qualified. Do you know anyone on the foundation board?"
"Yes, an old college friend. Fin Tutuola."
"You should call him. He might know."
Olivia's eyes flashed dangerously. "I definitely will."
For a moment, Olivia's mind flashed back to college. She had been furious at Fin over the fiasco that led Elliot to join the Marines and ship off to Korea and broke up with him then and there. She forgave him and became friends since he had really treated Kathy well. The other woman had become depressed after Elliot left her, and only got back on her feet due to Fin's help and support (only as friends though). He won back Olivia's respect and she was happy about that; he had been one of her rocks when she dumped Dean and was subsequently pregnant with Maureen.
Feeling impatient, Olivia finally called his office at the CIA only for them to tell her that he was on agency business. After a massive run around she finally used her status as his friend to find out he was in New York at One Police Plaza. She dialed there next and managed to get to him after another run around. "Fin, it's Olivia. What the hell is going on?"
"Well," he replied. "There's heavy fighting between Israel and Egypt in the Saini. We're still recovering in Vietnam from Hamburger Hill, and on the Soviet front…"
"God damn it Fin, you know what I'm talking about," she spat, getting angrier at his evasion. "I was passed over for Director of Research in favor of George Huang. Do you know anything about it?"
"I heard about it, but I'm not sure what it has to do with me."
She controlled the impulse to yell at him. "Don't bullshit me. I could understand losing it to someone more qualified, but everyone knows my work is far better than George's."
"Do they?" he asked.
"Fin come on! You know it for a fact. So why didn't I get the job?"
"How the fuck am I supposed to know?" he shouted.
Olivia was a bit taken aback; Fin was never usually this irritable. "
The foundation is insisting on George. And you're part of the Foundation."
"I don't know Olivia, there hasn't been a meeting about it. Probably George went to the Cosmos Club while a higher up was drunk on apple martinis and kissed his ass till they gave him the job. That's how these things work, though I'm surprised how candid your boss was with you."
"He was shocked, as am I. I was hoping you could shed some light on this."
"Olivia, it might boil down to just this," he told her bluntly. "George is a family man and you're not; some people are uncomfortable with the women working thing. Betty Friedan gives all of you a bad name after all."
"But I have a young daughter to take care of!" Olivia said exasperatedly. "You don't expect Dean to help me? I still don't know where in Europe he fled to!"
"I didn't say it was logical. Listen Olivia, I have to go, sorry." Before she could say anything he hung up.
Setting the phone down, Olivia pondered the call. It had seemed harried and false to her. While it was perfectly plausible Fin didn't know the inner machinations between the other board members why did Olivia disbelieve him? It was because he was evasive and trying to get away from the questions, only telling her what little he knew after prodding. That wasn't like him; Munch and Casey would always take forever to get to the point, while he, Elliot, and Alex were always straight to the point kind of people.
It all added up to one thing: Fin was lying.
The phone then rang again. "Benson," she answered.
"Olivia, it's John."
"What is it John. I'm kind of busy."
"It's Elliot," he stated flatly, causing her to freeze. "He needs your help."
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
4:00 PM, July 13th 1969; Belleview Hospital, New York City
Saying goodbye to Nick after the younger man dropped him off, Elliot started slowly into the imposing building. His mind was racing with what was going to happen now. Munch had told him that he would set up a meeting with Dr. Benson, but Elliot was worried and apprehensive about seeing the beautiful woman in the picture. Something told him it was strange to be intimidated by someone; from what Nick and the others told him about his life and work Elliot could understand.
Expecting to have to ask the receptionist where the office was, he was surprised to find Dr. Benson waiting in the lobby, looking at the ceiling while standing on the balls of her feet. He couldn't help smiling at the sight of her. "Uh, Dr. Benson," he called over to her.
The woman dropped onto her soles and looked at the disruption. A radiant smile formed on her face upon seeing Elliot; he couldn't help but smile wider. The picture in the book didn't do this woman justice. Her hair was the perfect shade of brown, cascading down her olive skin beautifully. Her features were just perfect, well-proportioned cheekbones, chocolate brown eyes that one could get lost in, and a curvy hourglass figure accentuated by the lab coat.
Olivia ran to Elliot, who was just as handsome as ever in her eyes. "It's so great to see you El!" she gushed, throwing her arms around him.
Elliot felt an overwhelming urge to return the embrace; it was almost as if this gorgeous creature fit perfectly into his arms. But on the other hand he was married apparently and was unsure of what was going on.
Sensing his confusion, Olivia looked up at him. "You don't remember me do you?" she asked. At his shake of the head she smiled consolingly. "Don't worry, I'm harmless."
Something told Elliot that Olivia Benson could be quite a handful in certain cases, but she seemed genuine now. He relaxed and returned the embrace, her body feeling perfect in his grasp. She smelled of soap and vanilla, a perfect combination, almost familiar to him. An eyebrow arched upward. "El?"
"Yeah," she chuckled. "It's a nickname I have for you. In college you gave me one as well. Liv."
"Liv," he rolled off the tongue. It sounded great from his lips. Elliot vowed to call her that from now on.
"You must be tired El. Come on," she broke the hug, grabbing his hand. She almost pulled away, the electric shock still present whenever their hands touched. It delighted and saddened her at the same time. "Let me show you to my office."
Reaching the floor, Elliot found himself being looked over by a short, petite blonde woman. "I like your new boyfriend Olivia," she said, grinning.
Olivia smirked back, rolling her eyes playfully. "Please Amanda. He wishes," she said with a throaty laugh (one that made him gulp, flushing red) and guided him through a door adorned with a plaque: Dr. Olivia Benson, Assistant Director of Psychiatrics. It was a small room but Liv had made it her own, a few decorations and pictures of her and a young girl that looked just like her, Elliot guessing she was her daughter. He felt a longing in his heart that this girl was his. 'Where'd that come from?'
Pulling her chair forward, Olivia saw Elliot's gaze drift to a platter of chocolate chip cookies on her desk. "Go ahead El, you and I have the same sweet tooth," she quipped.
Gratefully, Elliot tore into the cookies, having eaten nothing since the oatmeal at the soup kitchen. "So Munch said you could help me," he mumbled through bites.
"Well if there's anyone who can you're looking at em. I think I have a pretty clear picture," she said, eying him over. His muscles hadn't lost their definition, still lean and firm as ever, and his eyes were no less striking with age. 'Damn,' she thought. 'Keep it together Benson.' "You have global amnesia, but otherwise seem the peak of health. I would advise you have a thorough physical soon."
"Is there a cure for global amnesia?" he asked. Despite finding out who he was Elliot wanted to have his memory back, to know about everyone in his life. He had lost so many memories of his loved ones and the thought pained him.
Olivia looked at him with empathy in her eyes, hating herself for having to crush his hopes. "I'm sorry El, the process is generally irreversible.
He reacted if he was physically struck. "Christ," Elliot muttered, looking away. A sudden touch caused him to look back; Olivia had put her hand on his. If felt instantly calming.
"Don't be downhearted. Patients have an ability to bounce back from this kind of thing. I have no doubt you'll relearn everything you need and pick up your life back from where you left off." 'And back to Kathy,' she thought with a hint of sadness. 'Don't Benson, remember what he did.'
Elliot was reassured by that, but he didn't know how much of it was due to the knowledge or just to this woman. They seemed to have a connection, a rather strong and instinctual one. "We're friends right Liv?"
"Yes," she answered, not wanting to burden him with the whole truth. "Best friends."
"This may be forward, but did we ever date?"
She grinned, memories flooding back. "Oh boy, did we ever!"
A/N: I hope you liked. Next up is another flashback.
Huang is not a major character in this. In fact he won't even make an appearance. I just used him since I like using SVU characters where they seem fit.
Be sure to let me know what you think on this and Prey and From the Ashes.
God Bless.
