"It had been a long day. All Olivia wanted to do was kiss her kid goodnight and crawl into bed. Her feet were dragging on the walk between the car and the elevator and the elevator to the apartment door. She fumbled with the keys before finally getting the door open. She quietly relocked the front door, secures the bolt lock and throws her bag and coat on a chair. She slips off her shoes sticking them with the other shoes by the door and quietly walks to her son's room. Noah is fast asleep. He looks so content curled on his side resting peacefully. Olivia gently moves his hair to the side and gives him a gentle kiss goodnight before closing his door.
"Olivia walks into the master bath stripping her clothes off as she goes until she is in only her panties. She haphazardly throws on an old NYPD t-shirt as she quickly washes her face and brushes her teeth. Olivia is exhausted. Not just physically but mentally. Elliot was here. He had come to surprise her at her award ceremony that they never made it to. They barely had time to talk in the chaos of the evening but there he was. Looking as exhausted and serious as ever. Olivia didn't even plug her phone in as she climbed into bed. She set it on the nightstand knowing it would wake her if needed.
"The bed shifted next to her as her wife instinctively moved closer. Olivia gave her a soft kiss as she tried to settle down. Despite feeling drained she was wide awake. Olivia couldn't tell if her wife had gone back to sleep, so she decided to test it. "Did you know he was here?" Olivia asked quietly. "mmm?" her wife responded. Olivia tried again "did you know Elliot was in town? That he was coming tonight?". Alex shifted on the bed to sit up more and look at Olivia. "Say that again…." Alex prompted slowly. Olivia asked again "did you know Elliot Stabler was in town and that he was planning on coming tonight?" "What?!" Alex exclaimed now knowing she had previously heard her wife correctly. "Elliot is in town? Did he leave town? He was going to come tonight? How do you know? You didn't even make it". Alex was rambling off questions without stopping before Olivia softly put her hand on her wife's arm. "Ok" Olivia interrupted, "you didn't know". Alex looked at Olivia waiting for more information.
Alex knew she had been called to a scene and that is why she didn't show up to receive her award. Alex had accepted it on her behalf spent an appropriate amount of time engaging in small talk and had gone home to relieve the sitter. It wasn't abnormal for Olivia not to tell Alex exactly what was going on so after checking in via text message Alex had gone to bed. "Liv—" Alex started reaching out to hold her wife's hand, "what happened?".
"I was on my way to meet you and Finn when we got a call. I got to the scene; it was a car bombing. As they lifted the vic into the ambulance. I saw her and I knew right away that it was Kathy. Before I had any time to process what had happened he was there" Olivia started. "He just started talking as if nothing had changed and no time had passed. He told me 'they tried to kill her'. I didn't know what or who he was talking about. But just as soon as I got there he was gone. I followed the bus to the hospital where Finn met me. He told me that Elliot has been working in Rome as NYPD international liaison. I didn't even know we had that. I guess Elliot was coming to town for a meeting so Finn invited him and Kathy to come tonight. You didn't know?" Olivia paused to ask again.
Alex squeezed her hand gently "I had no idea Liv, I promise". Olivia took a deep breath before continuing, "I didn't even really get to talk to him. I met with Finn and Elliot had just come outside when his kids showed up. Kathy is stable but not doing well. And there was nothing else I could do tonight, so I came home. But…." Olivia trailed off as tears started to silently fall from her eyes. Alex noticed the change in her wife and moved so that she was holding the other women close rubbing her back and giving her gentle kisses on the head. Olivia laid in Alex's arms for a few minutes before speaking up again. "why is he here? What is going on". Alex didn't respond, she didn't have an answer. Alex just quietly laid down with her wife keeping Olivia tucked in close to her. "I don't know babe" Alex finally offered. "I don't know" she repeated "but whatever is going on I have your back. Here and at work. Whatever is coming. We got this". Alex felt Olivia nod slightly as she held her close. Alex was almost certain Olivia had fallen asleep when Olivia whispered "he doesn't even know" she paused taking a deep breath. "He doesn't even know about you being back, about us, about Noah". Olivia paused again. "He just comes back and says 'Liv' like nothings changed. Like he didn't just disappear 10 years ago. Like nothing has changed". Alex feels the breast of her shirt getting wet from Olivias tears but she doesn't say anything. Olivia continues, "everything's changed". Alex rubs her back and whispers to her wife "I know baby, I know" over and over again until Olivia succumbs to total exhaustion in her arms.