AUTHOR'S NOTE: OKAY I KNOW I SUCK AT REMEMBERING TO UPDATE BUT, HOPEFULLY YOU WILL STILL READ ANYWAY. I KNOW THIS IS LIVID STORY AND I PLAN ON KEEPING IT THAT BUT, I HAVE DECIDED TO KIND OF CLEAR UP THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN ELLIOT AND LIV. THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR EACH OTHER WHEN THEIR NEEDED SO I ADDED SO STRICTLY FRIENDSHIP E/O STUFF. SO ENJOY! AS ALWAYS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISIM AND LOVE ARE VERY MUCH ENJOYED. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
Chapter 15: Forget Yesterday, We'll Make the Great Escape
Anya and her boyfriend gladly accepted her offer.
"Wait, when do we get our money?" Anya asked.
"I will wire it to you. I promise. Have I ever once steered you wrong?" Olivia responded. Anya shook her head and motioned for Olivia to run. "Where is David?" She asked.
"I don't know. Cragen hid him while we tied you up. He has to be in here somewhere." Anya admitted.
Olivia nodded and ran towards the door. As she pushed it open, the daylight reflecting off the snow blinded her. She blinked quickly to regain her sight. She scanned the area and realized she had no idea where she was. The trees were overgrown and the road was unplowed. She ran towards a SVU parked a few feet away. She grabbed a brick and slammed it against the window. After a few hits it shattered. She shimmied into the driver's seat. Olivia took a deep breath and tucked her hair behind her ear. She had never hotwired a car before but, she had watched Elliot do it a couple of times early in their partnership. She pulled at the plastic below the steering wheel and exposed an array of colorful wires.
Liv started touching and pulling all the wires loose.
"How the hell does this work?" She said to herself. She hit the steering wheel in frustration. She leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. "Just focus, Liv. Come on." She said. She suddenly had a picture perfect memory of the Elliot taking a car. She quickly touched the proper wires and the engine roared to a start. "Oh God thank you." Just as she threw the car into reverse Cragen came running out of the building, shooting at the car. Olivia just kept driving. She had no idea where she was or where she was going but, anywhere was better than where she had been. After driving for hours, sunset had begun and Olivia finally found a familiar road. She was prepared to return to the station house when she realized, Cragen probably had them all wrapped around his finger. Munch, Finn even Amaro and Rollins, they were all probably in on it. Olivia could only think of one person she could trust. She flipped a bitch and started driving the half hour to Queens.
Chapter 16: I'm Still Waiting Here, Waiting For You To Come Home
Olivia knocked quietly on the door at the Stabler house. She knew Eli would be asleep and she didn't want to wake him. The house seemed oddly dark. Elliot's car was parked in the drive way so Olivia knew he was there. She threw a few pebbles at his bedroom window. At that moment, she remembered they hid a spare key on the porch because Dick always lost his key. She ran up the steps and moved the leg of the bench that rested next to the door. She grabbed the key and unlocked the door in one quick movement. She tiptoed into the quiet house and checked around the corners. She prayed Elliot still kept his gun in the same place. She crept towards the hall closet and reached up on the top shelf. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the metal of his lock box. She pulled it down and placed it on the ground. Olivia had always known Elliot's passwords for everything. She dialed in Kathy's birthday and pulled at the lock. It didn't open.
"Shit" She whispered. After trying each of the kids' birthdays and Elliot and Kathy's anniversary, Olivia took a chance and twirled out her badge number. The lock popped open. She chuckled as she pulled the gun out of the box. She checked to see it was loaded and turned off the safety. She checked the main floor of the house and got very nervous when Eli wasn't in his bed. She made her way up the stairs. The boards creaked under foot as she checked each of the rooms. Each bed empty, some not slept in others appeared to be disturbed. Olivia came upon the final room, Elliot and Kathy's. The door was open just a crack so she kicked it the rest of the way. Looking around at eye level it seemed empty but, then she looked down. She saw a small foot peeking out from under the bed. She lifted the bed sheet.
"Hey, sweetie. Come on out you're safe. Come on." Olivia called.
"Olivia!" Eli called as he crawled into her arms.
"Hey there. Where is your Daddy?" She said as she hugged him and stroked his hair.
"He left."
"Really? Who is hanging out with you?" She asked. Eli pointed a door about six feet from where they sat. She grabbed him and stood up, hiding her gun behind her back. She opened the door to the master bathroom. The scene looked almost exactly the same as David's attack aside from the fact that the victim was fully clothed.
"Eli, sweetie, you stand right here face that wall and sing me your favorite song. Don't turn around until I say so okay? Can you do that?" Olivia said.
"Sure, no problem. In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight." He began as he danced.
"Good job, Honey. I like that song too." Olivia untied the girl and flipped over the body not sure which of the Stabler girls she would find. Kathleen gasped for air when she turned her over and began kicking and swinging her arms around. "It's okay, you're okay." Olivia removed the gag from her mouth.
"It isn't mine. The blood isn't mine."
"Who's is it, Sweetie? Who did this to you?"
"Can I turn around now?" Eli asked.
"No, Hun. Can you sing me another song?"
"I guess. Any requests?"
"No, you can pick, Buddy."
"Okay, WWWWWAAAARRRRRRR ! HUH! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?" Eli started singing again. Olivia couldn't help but, smile at his adorable innocence.
"Kathleen, look at me, who's blood is this? What happened?"
"Captain Cragen's." She cried and leaned on Olivia's shoulder. Olivia stood Kathleen up carefully. She wiped the blood from Kathleen's pale face. She picked Eli up after he finished his final verse of War. She guided Kathleen down the stairs to the kitchen. She laid Eli down on the window seat.
"Get some sleep, okay?" She whispered as she placed a blanket over him.
"I will but, I am thirsty."
"Oh yeah? Is that so?" Olivia remembered Elliot telling her how Eli would try to get out of going to bed. His favorite tactic was his thirst. "How about you try and sleep and if you can't sleep after half an hour you can drink as much juice as you want. I will turn on the timer and if you are still awake when it goes off that's what we will do." Olivia walked over to the microwave and pretended to turn on the timer.
"You got a deal." He said as he shifted and closed his eyes.
"You're really good with him." Kathleen said as she held a pack of frozen peas on her face.
"Thanks." She said setting a cup of tea in front of Kathleen and joining her at the kitchen table. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"A man came here this afternoon at like two or three. He was a little taller than my dad and had dark brown hair. He talked to my Dad for a few minutes and then left. Dad looked really worried. I asked him what was wrong and he said he had to find you. He begged me to watch Eli for a bit. So I agreed. He left for maybe an hour and came back even more riled than he was before he left. I asked if he found you. He said no and then told me to sit down. He explained to me that Captain Cragen had some really bad stuff to you and the other detectives. He also said he might be next. I have never seen my Dad look so scared. He said that Captain Cragen had a lot of power and knew a lot of people and that he didn't think we were safe. He told me to pack a bag for Eli and I and he would take us to Aunt Gina's house. That's were Mom, Liz, Maureen and Dickie are. So I went up to my room and packed my stuff. I went into my parent's room to get Eli's toothbrush. I turned on the light and felt something hard smack my face. I screamed as loud as I could. He tied my arms together and wrapped my mouth so I could barely breathe. Dad came running in soon after and beat the shit out of Captain Cragen. Demanding to know what he did to you. He just kept hitting him and hitting him until Cragen stopped fighting back. Dad shook him and begged him to wake up. But, he didn't move. Dad dragged him down out of the bathroom and he left. I thought my Dad was done with this stuff when he retired. I don't know how long he has been gone but, I am worried. What happened between you and Captain Cragen?" Kathleen told the story tears streaming down her cheeks.
"That's very helpful, Kathleen. Thank you very much. Captain Cragen and I are dealing with some stuff right now. It is a very long story and you need to rest. Go ahead. I am going to wait for your Dad to get home." Olivia told Kathleen as she picked up Eli to move him to the living room where Kathleen could lie down too.
She still had Elliot's gun in gripped tightly between her fingers. Kathleen fell asleep almost instantly. Olivia sat alone in the darkness. She dialed Elliot's number for what had to be the twelfth time that night.
"Hello?"
"El?"
"Liv? Thank God you are alright."
"I am fine. I am with Kathleen and Eli."
"Are they okay?"
"Eli is great. Kathleen is a bit peeved that you left her bound and gagged in the bathtub and I can't say I blame her but, she is okay too. Where are you?"
"I am on my way back to the house. Liv, he is dead."
"Cragen?"
"Yeah. I, um, I killed him. He told me if I didn't come back to the precinct and take my job back he would kill you. I don't know what happened I just got so angry. Liv, What did I do?"
"Elliot, you did what you had to do. You saved my life."
"Well, I have been saving your ass for thirteen years, what's one more day?"
"Hey, easy Stabler, I can recall quite a few occasions when I was doing the ass saving."
"Ha, you wish, Benson."
"By the way, who is this David Haden?"
"My boyfriend, why, you jealous?"
"Do I need to be? No but, he just shows up at my door today begging me to help you."
"Ha ha, I don't know. It is pretty serious. Where is he now?"
"He is sitting next to me."
"Thank God, He is alive."
"You're Welcome."
"Oh you're God now?"
"Well, if the shoe fits?"
They both laughed.
"Can I talk to him?"
"He is sleeping."
"Oh Okay Never mind then."
There was a brief pause. As they decided where to take the conversation next.
"Hey, El?"
"Yeah, Liv?"
"Why didn't you call me?"
"It hurt too much. I couldn't be the one to tell you. Liv, you were my best friend. I told you everything and to have to live without that, I just couldn't be the one to end it."
There was a long pause.
"I will see you in a bit."
"Yeah."
"Kay, bye."