Title: The Ties That Bind
Author: Sara and Lizzie
Rating: T for mild language, violence and sex
Disclaimer: We own nothing related to L&O. We can merely write fictious stories and curse Dick Wolf for teasing us.
Author's Note: This is our second SVU fic. It's set before Elliot and Kathy's separation, but they are having problems. We want to set it straight that we know it's out of character, and Elliot would never cheat on Kathy. That's why we call it fan fiction. We're trying to keep their basic traits the same, but in our situation. So to the person who sent us the scathing email, get over itIf you like it, REVIEW. Please, we're slaves to your opinions.
We're too cool to be alone,
but not too crazy to get busted.
Olivia was gently pulled from sleep by the distant ringing of a phone. She blinked, realizing she was in Elliot's bed. Elliot and Kathy's bed. Kathy had taken her kids to Long Island to see her sister. She sighed, and got up, throwing the shirt Elliot had worn to work that day over her.
She got downstairs only to find their phones now silent. She stood in the cool silence of the Stabler's kitchen, feeling utterly and hopelessly alone. No matter how perfect it felt to be with Elliot, she was alone with him. He would inevitably abandon her, even if not by choice.
It was laughingly predictable the way she felt when he ambled into the room in his boxers.
"So there's my shirt."
She smiled softly, sadly. She knew that this was it. "It looks better on me."
He grinned his cocky grin. "That it does, Liv."
"Our phones were ringing." She said by way of explanation.
"It's almost six."
"Late."
"Early."
Her soft smile graced her lips again. The end of their affair was imminent and she felt it. "Elliot, I need to…"
She was cut off by ringing. He picked up a phone and tossed it to her, and answered the other.
"Hello?" Olivia answered.
"Hello?" he answered at the same time. He smiled at her, moved away and lowered his voice.
"Elliot?" came Cragen's voice from across the airwaves. "Why do you have Olivia's phone?"
Olivia blinked as an unfamiliar femlae voice asked for Elliot. No. It was a familiar voice, she just couldn't place it.
"Who is this?" Olivia asked, confused. If they wanted Elliot, why didn't they just call him.
Elliot's mind frantically searched for a way to distract his captain from the obvious. "Why are you calling Liv? Is something wrong?"
Cragen sighed. "Her plan worked too well, Elliot. Ryan was followed and busted. He led us to Cammie and we recovered her. An hour later left a nice little threat, along with a switchblade was on Olivia's desk."
"They got in the precinct?"
"God knows how."
"So she's in trouble?"
"Big trouble."
Across the room, Olivia was getting a cold sense of comprehension. "Is this Olivia?"
"Yes, who's this?"
"It's Kathy Stabler. You just answered my husband's phone."
Elliot's clever diversion had only unfocused Cragen for so long. "Elliot. Level with me. I sent you and Olivia home hours ago. What are you still doing with her?"
Elliot sighed, but couldn't bring himself to say anything.
Olivia was having the same kind of feeling. Why had she answered Elliot's cell phone at six am?
"Olivia, is Elliot with you? Is he okay?"
Olivia snapped her fingers in Elliot's direction. "He's fine Kathy."
Elliot's face paled. He fell silent in his conversation with the captain, as Kathys voice came through the phone and penetrated the silence. "Is he with you?"
Olivia said nothing. She waited for direction from Elliot, who's mind was racing. he noticed something. Kathy's voice seemed to coming closer. "I realized yesterday I forgot to pack bathing suits, and we'll need them today, so I'm right outside the house now. Elliot's car is here. Hello?"
The door opened. And in walked Kathy Stabler.
Olivia froze, mind racing. But as clever as she was at manipulating situations to suit her, she could think of no logical reason why she was in the Stabler's kitchen wearing the button down shirt Elliot had worn to work that day, and not much else.
Kathy's jaw dropped. Her car keys and cell phone hit the floor without seeming to make any noise. Olivia's eyes met Elliot's, and she expected to see anger, but it was that same old feeling. Like they were the only two people in the room.
She turned her focus back to Kathy. "Kathy, this-"
"Isn't what it looks like?" she asked, eeriely calm.
"I…" Olivia can barely speak. Finishing sentences are out of the question.
"Go." Kathy says, the picture of calm. Olivia manages to go back upstairs and pull her jeans on. She slides her feet into her shoes, and walks out the door, with Kathy and Elliot in the background. She was several yards away from their house, when Elliot came striding out the door in jeans and an ancient NYPD t-shirt.
Kathy was close behind him. "Elliot, if you leave now, you leave for good." Olivia winced. Elliot turned around and looked at Kathy for a long, long time. Finally, he turned and walked the rest of the way to his partner.
Kathy slammed the door so hard, Olivia was sure the house would fall. She felt her own jaw drop down.
"Cragen called you. They're threatning you, it's not safe."
"Are you crazy?" Olivia hissed, ignoring his urgent warnings. "That was an ultimatum Elliot. I can get to the damn precinct by myself."
Elliot shook his head. "I'm your partner, Liv."
"She's your wife! You don't have to do this El!" She was rambling now. "I understand what this is, and what it isn't. I can let it go. We'll go to Cragen. Switch partners. Maybe I'll transfer. We'll work it out, you can't just-"
"Liv, stop!" he said, cutting off her rambling. "We're not getting new partners. And you're not transferring." He jingled his cars keys in the air. "Just get in the car."
She shook her head. "I can't just let you walk out on your wife!"
He threw his hands in the air. "Olivia, I'm in love with you!" he shouted, "Now will you shut up, and get in the damn car?"
Olivia did shut up and get in the damn car, mostly because she was too shocked to do anything else. They drove to the precinct in total silence. It wasn't until Elliot parked the car, and they were standing on the shidewalk that Olivia spoke.
"What happens now?"
"I don't know." Elliot said truthfully.
Tears that Olivia refused to shed gathered in her eyes, and Elliot reached for her again. He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. And then he heard the shots ring out.
Without thinking, he pulled her to the sidewalk, and instinctively covered her body with his. After the first shot came a second and a third, and then they subsided.
Elliot whispered to Olivia. "Get up, run inside. I'll be right behind you."
Moments later, they burst into the precinct, Elliot in his tattered tshirt and jeans, and Olivia still wearing his work shirt from yesterday.
Neither of them had expected to see Cragen, Munch, Fin, Huang and both ADA's standing there, staring at them. It was quiet as eyes shifted from Olivia to Elliot and back again. No one had anything to say, save for Alex, who already knew.
"We called you." She said. "You got a threat, so Casey and I called your cell. When you didn't answer we called Cragen, and he called your house, and then you didn't answer, so he called Munch and Fin…" she trailed off.
Olivia bit her lip and snuck a sidelong glance at Elliot. He returned the look, and without thinking, put his hand on the small of her back. Eye brows raised and scrunched, and Olivia looked at Cragen.
"How bad is it?"
"We should talk in my office."