Immediate Danger

(Chapter Thirty Four: Facing Demons)

The next couple of weeks were strange between them and didn't quite pass as quickly as they had both hoped they would. Olivia was almost afraid to be alone with him, she felt like she was teasing him, tempting him with something she was unable to give to him. But Elliot tried to keep them close. He would take advantage of every second he could get her alone and counted the days until he could finally make her his.

For now Olivia sat quietly at her desk reading from her computer screen as Elliot sat across from her desperately trying to get her attention. Just then a delivery man walked into the room with a dozen red roses in a vase.

"I have a delivery for Olivia Benson," the man called out across the room.

Olivia stood up confused. "I'm Olivia Benson," she answered.

"Here you go ma'am," he said handing her the flowers.

For a moment she felt excitement rise from the pit of her stomach as she turned to sit them down on her desk. She leaned in to smell the flowers as she shifted her eyes up to look at Elliot.

"Thank you," she mouthed silently. But Elliot shook his head. Olivia looked even more confused as she reached down and plucked the card from the bouquet to open it.

"Look up," was all it said. Olivia was almost afraid to. She shifted her eyes once more to look at Elliot who was watching her reaction cautiously. Then she looked out into the hallway. There stood Nick. She jumped knocking the vase off the desk sending it crashing to the floor shattering into a hundred pieces. The roses and water spilled all over the floor. Fin saw the fear in her eyes and quickly moved in behind her for support. They had been looking for this guy for a couple of weeks to bring him in and now here he stood.

Olivia stood still for a second just staring at him unable to even breathe. Elliot watched her as she started to walk toward Nick.

Fin moved in next to Elliot, "this guy can't possibly be this stupid! We been looking for him for weeks, he's got to know we have a warrant out on him. You want me to grab him?"

"No," Elliot replied raising his hand to stop Fin from moving in on Nick. "She needs this," he said softly and Fin could tell it pained him to stand back and watch Nick with her. "She knows we're here. If she needs us, she'll let us know." Elliot didn't take his eyes off her for a second. He watched every move she made, every tilt of her head and movement of her body waiting for a sign that she wanted him to move in and make the arrest.

Fin however was eyeing Nick and wouldn't even blink. He was like a pit bull awaiting command. He had been itching to take Nick down and punish him for hurting Olivia. Nick didn't know it yet, but he'd better hope that Elliot was the one to put the cuffs on him instead of Fin. Elliot would at least hold back a little in respect for Olivia. Fin was mad enough to kill him.

The two of them sat and watched unable to hear a word as Olivia and Nick were obviously arguing. Elliot felt Fin's hand on the bend of his arm for support when they realized that she was crying. But they didn't budge. Fin knew it was taking everything Elliot had inside him not to bust down the door and kill the man right there for hurting her the way he did. But this was what was best for Olivia.

Elliot almost jumped and took off across the floor when Nick reached out to put his arm around her, instead he just watched as Olivia pushed Nick away from her and turned to walk back to the desk. Nick grabbed her arm and spun her around kissing her and Elliot felt a small piece of his heart break.

Olivia drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. She turned to walk away from Nick and then spun back around and slammed him up against the wall. She was losing it, Elliot had seen this before. He watched carefully as tears poured from her eyes and she shouted at Nick. She pointed at him then pounded her fists into his chest. He reached his arm out to comfort her but she slapped him cold across the face. She had enough and wasn't taking it anymore. Elliot knew how hard this was for her, but he was proud of her for finally standing up to him. Nick no longer had any control over her.

Nick turned around and pushed her off of him and up against the wall then slapped her. With this Fin and Elliot walked toward the hallway to assist her. Nick turned to walk out of the precinct.

"Nick Parker," they heard Olivia call from behind him as Nick stopped in his place. "You are under arrest for assaulting a police officer and second degree murder." She walked up behind Nick as he turned around to face her. She stared into his eyes and Elliot watched her tears begin to fall once more. "You have the right to remain silent," she said as she slapped a cuff around Nicks wrist. Nick turned to walk away but Olivia hit him hard in the back of his head with her elbow knocking him to the floor. "Anything you say…" she continued placing the second cuff around his other wrist and rolling him over to look at him "can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Fin and Elliot stood watching her read him his rights as she flipped him back over and put her knee in his back pressing him to the floor. When she was finished Fin grabbed Nick and pulled him to his feet as Elliot reached to help Olivia up, her lip was bleeding again from where he had hit her.

"And that," Fin shouted at Nick turning him to look at her busted lip, "I'm gonna call resisting arrest. You're in a lot of trouble asshole!" Fin jerked him around and shoved him toward the booking department, painfully tightening the cuffs as they walked.

Olivia stood with tears on her face just watching as Fin let Nick out of the room.

"You did good," Elliot said raising his hand to her cheek for comfort. Olivia turned her eyes to look at him still trying to process what had just taken place. She fell into Elliot's open arms and he hugged her tight. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered with a sigh. "I'm just glad it is finally over."

"He's not getting out this time," Elliot replied. "Casey has enough to make it stick. You added the second degree murder charge, he'll get seven to ten years for that one alone."

Elliot could feel her tears starting to soak through his shirt, but refused to let her go.

"He asked to see the baby," she sighed without looking at him. "I told him there was no baby. He didn't understand. I told him that the baby died because he slammed me into the elevator wall. He said it was probably for the best. How could that possibly be for the best?"

She now looked up at Elliot for an answer he knew he didn't have.

Elliot took a deep breath and sighed as he held her against him. "He was saying whatever it took to make him not feel guilty, he knew he was responsible for that baby's death. And now he will pay for it. Olivia, he is never going to hurt you again."

"I know," she whispered softly squeezing Elliot's hand in hers.

That evening they visited a shady little place in the back row of a local cemetery. Olivia knelt down and traced her fingers over the words carved into the little headstone. "Baby Boy Stabler," she exhaled slowly and placed a single white rose on top of the headstone as she felt Elliot's hand squeeze her shoulder. She stood and he pulled her into his arms. They just stood there holding each other not saying a word, looking down onto the grave of their murdered infant. Somehow justice didn't feel as good as they had imagined it would.