Hi All! I wrote this a while back and realized I never posted it. So here you go! I'm working on part 2 now, So let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and please review!
"Noah come on get your shoes on. We are going to be late for school!" She yelled as she grabbed her phone and bag off the counter.
It was your average Monday morning. Noah is upset that he has to get up for school. There isn't enough coffee for the amount of paperwork she is going to walk into in the morning and the case they have been working on is getting nowhere.
She turns around and hears Noah running down the hall to put his shower on. "Do you have your backpack?"
"Oops!" Noah responded as he ran back to his room and returned a few seconds later.
"All ready mommy!"
Olivia smiled and roughed up his hair as they walked out the door.
After dropping Noah off at school she finally walked into the office to start another busy day.
The elevator doors opened and she stepped into the hallway to enter the bullpen. She was greeted by everyone and Fin yelled out her name.
"Yeah?" She asked as she stopped in front of her office door.
"Take it easy on him and try not to kill him." He responded and turned back towards his computer.
"What the hell is he talking about?" She asked herself as she opened her office door and walked inside not knowing what was awaiting her arrival.
"Hi, Liv." She heard from the couch in her office and froze. She would recognize that voice anywhere. That sound brought tears to her eyes and she dropped everything in her hands including the coffee that is now all over the floor.
"Elliot..." She whispered.
"Liv I'm so sorry. Here let me clean this up for you." He rushed over to her side and bent down to pick up her bag and coffee cup.
The way that nickname he had given her rolls off his tongue after all these years causes so many memories that she tried to suppress to come flooding back.
She finally looked down at him and saw that he was wearing an Army uniform.
"Elliot." She whispered again as she walked closer towards her desk. Still not sure what she wanted to say. She turned around to face him and really looked at him. He was dressed In a green camo army uniform with the name tag that said, Stabler. Short hair and those arms. Oh, those arms that she wished that were around her for so many years.
"Say something-" he began but was cut off when the words finally began to come out of her mouth.
"Why are you here Elliot? You can't just walk out of my life 7 years ago with no words and no returned phone calls and then think you can just show up here." She argued.
"I came here to explain. My plane just landed and I came straight here. I wanted to contact you to tell you everything so many times. But I couldn't ." He said as he threw the cup in the garbage and walked towards her stopping right beside her desk.
She felt the tears welling In her eyes again as she walked around the other side of the desk.
She pulled the blinds on her windows and then sat back down at her desk.
"You ruined me! You made me question every other person in my life and what I really meant to them. You don't just walk out on someone that you care about and think you can walk back in here and make amends "
Elliot sat down in the chair in front of her desk taking in the words she was saying and he agreed with every one of them.
"I get it, I do but please just hear me out. Give me 15 minutes...Please." He begged.
She sat in silence for a few seconds, took off her glasses and nodded.
"Well about a month before I left, my divorce was finalized and Kathy moved to her sisters in Maryland with the kids. I decided I needed something different or new so I enlisted in the Army. I told Tucker about it and he had brought up to the FBI because they were in the process of beginning this overseas mission. They gave me a week to think about it but 2 days later is when I shot Jenna and I didn't know what to do. Tucker called me that night and told me I was leaving in 2 days and I didn't have a choice. Liv, I didn't have time to tell anyone. Cragen didn't even know, all he knew was that I put in my papers. I've been in Afghanistan for the last 7 years. I wish I could tell you everything I did but I can't. That's all I can say. My mission just ended. I just got off the plane 2 hours ago and came straight here. I never meant to hurt you." He stood up and walked over sitting on the side of her desk.
"Look at me." He paused reaching out to touch her arm but she shrugged it away, "Say something. Please."
Olivia stood up and walked away from her desk wiping the tears from her face. "Elliot I.. Wow. Umm, can you give me some time? I wasn't expecting all of this and I need some time to process it all."
He turned his body towards her trying to gauge her reaction. He reached in his pocket pulling out a piece of paper, "Here, this is my new number. I promise you if you call I'll answer."
"Thanks."
Elliot nodded and they walked out of the door in silence.
She purposely avoided her team sitting to the right of her office as she walked through the main room. She stopped in front of the elevators and he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze which caught her by surprise and she jerked her head towards him.
"I mean it Liv, call me." He said as he walked into the elevator.
"I will. I promise," she said as the elevator doors closed.
She stood there for a few seconds and tried to gather her thoughts on what just happened.
She quickly turned around and headed towards her office.
"FIN! My office, now!" She yelled.
Amanda shot him a look like silent good luck and he gave her a grin.
"Yeah, Liv?"
"Shut the door and sit down."
Fin did as he was instructed and waited for her to talk.
"Was he here when you got here?" She asked.
"Yeah, one of the uni's recognized him and let him in." He replied.
"What did you say to him?"
"I almost ripped him a new one, but then I noticed the uniform. I told him he needed to tell you everything."
"Did he tell you anything?" She asked, then taking off her glasses.
"No, I didn't ask. I figured you should be the first to know."
She nodded and leaned back in her chair as if she was trying to find a place to start pouring out the information.
"Well, he and Kathy are divorced. She took the kids to Maryland, he's been in Afghanistan working undercover with the FBI for 7 years and do you know who was behind the whole thing? Tucker. He and I were together for almost a year and Elliot came up countless times and the asshole didn't even bother to tell me." She explained trying to hide her anger.
"Damn baby girl, I'm sorry. Why don't you take a day or two? I can hold down the fort."
"Are you sure? I need to go talk to Tucker first. I'll have my phone if you need me." She picked up her bag and threw her glasses and phone inside.
"Yeah of course! I'll keep you updated if we catch anything." Fin stood up and opened the doors for her and she walked out into the bullpen.
"Alright, listen up. Fin's in charge until I get back." She announced, "call me if there are any problems or you have something I should know about. I'll have my phone on me."
Liv smiles and turns to Fin grabbing his arm and pulling him into a hug whispering thank you in his ear.
With that, she smiled at the rest of her team and out the door, she went.
IAB
Tucker's Office
She stormed through the doors not even bothering to ask if Ed was in his office. She noticed the door was shut but she didn't care who or what she was going to walk in on because she wanted answers.
Gripping the knob she twisted and pushed it open with excessive force and before he was able to say anything she beat him to it.
"We need to talk. Now!" Words full of hurt and anger.
He looked at the two older men sitting in the chairs in front of his desk and advised them he would be in touch.
"What's wrong Liv?" He asked after she slammed the door shut.
"What's wrong? You will never guess who was in my office this morning when I got to work after 7 fucking years of being MIA." She yelled in his face.
He ran a hand down his face and walked around her. "I know I should have told you."
"You're right you should have, but that was one of many other things you probably should have told me. Was our entire relationship a lie Ed? I loved you. I told you so many things including things about Elliot that I had never told anyone else and you are the one that took him from me in the first place?" She yelled and probably everyone on that floor heard her but she didn't care. The Man she loved was taken from her by a man she thought she loved.
"Liv, listen I can explain. Please just sit down and hear me out." He pleaded.
"No. I brought up Elliot how many times to you and how we used to be and you always came up with some answers on how you were so sorry that he just up and left but in all reality, you took him from me. Why did you force him to go?"
"I never meant to hurt you." He tried to reach for her but she pulled away.
"Don't touch me. Answer my question! Why did you force him to leave?" She stepped closer.
"Because I wanted him to be as far away from you as possible." He confessed.
"Are you kidding? So you sent him on a fucking death mission and hoped that he was killed so you could have me for yourself? I can't believe you. I opened up to you and let you get close to my son but you are the one that caused me so much hurt in the first place.-" backing away she turned her back to him pondering what to say next. "you know there is only one good thing that came from him leaving." She turned back towards him. "Because if he didn't, I wouldn't have Noah."
"Olivia-" Ed began.
"Don't talk to me. Don't call me. Don't text me other than it has to do with work." She turned away from him and walked out of his office not looking back.
She blew past people in the hallway and she knew they were staring at her but she didn't care. She ran out to her car, got inside and sobbed.
Later that night she put Noah in bed and sat on the couch with a bottle of wine.
She reached in her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper and stared at the numbers in black.
She pulled out her phone and debated calling his number. What would she say? Should she invite him over? Should she ask him to go out to dinner or get a few beers like old times?
Grabbing her glass of wine, she dialed up his number and sat back listening to it ring. Her heart was racing. She had no idea what she was going to say or do but she felt like she needed to hear his voice again.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey, you're not busy are you?"
"No just settling into my hotel. I'm glad you called. I want you to know I really am s-.
"I know it wasn't your fault. Listen, I'm not sure what to say or do right now but can we get together tomorrow? Breakfast at our old spot?" She asked quietly.
"I'd like that. I'll meet you there at 8?"
"Sounds good. See you then."
"Goodnight Liv."
"Goodnight."
Suddenly after she hung up the phone her emotions came over her and she began to cry.
It wasn't that she was upset, it was more so she was relieved to hear his voice and to see his face after so long, even just knowing that he was okay.
Drinking down the remainder of her glass she wiped her tears streaming down her face. She laid down on the couch and covered up with the throw draped across the arm. Closing her eyes she tried to get some sleep.
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