Rooftop of the 16th precinct

Manhattan, New York City

Friday-August 3, 2012

12:30 PM

Olivia "Liv" Margaret Benson's point of view

It's been exactly one year today since my then 12 year old daughter Susan went missing. I miss her more and more every single day that passes by and I know that not only Elliot but also everyone in the squad feel the exact same way that I do. Susan has been a bright spot in all of our lives starting from the very day that she was born.

To this day, I can still remember how Don had cried the very first time he had held Susan in his arms just a few hours after she was born. He has always seen Susan as his granddaughter and I know that he misses her just as much as myself, Elliot and the rest of the squad do.

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't even hear the door to the roof of the precinct which is where I have been for the last half hour or so open behind me.

"Livia?"

I turn slightly to the right and see Elliot standing at the rooftop door, an all-too familiar concerned look in his ice-blue eyes. He walks over to where I was standing and looking out at the city before he arrived, wrapping both of his muscular arms around my waist and pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

"It's been one year, El. A whole year has passed since I've seen my little girl and been able to hold her in my arms. I miss her so much."

"I know you do, baby. I miss her too. I wish so badly that we could figure out where she might be.

I feel Elliot's lips press softly against my temple once again and I can't help but be reminded once again of just how different this wonderful man is from Scott Nolan and every other guy I've dated since the former was first incarcerated back when I was about 2 months pregnant with my daughter. Ever since Elliot and I revealed our romantic feelings for one another one night about 2 months after Susan had first gone missing, he has always made sure that my happiness and needs came before his own.

I am pulled from my thoughts once again by the sound of Amanda's southern drawl telling me and Elliot that we need to come back down to the squad room right away because there is an SVU detective named Jane Rizzoli from Boston who is all but demanding to speak to me right away because she might have information on my daughter's location.

Elliot and I exchange a look before we make a mad dash down to the squad room where Fin is waiting for us, the receiver from my desk phone in his hand. He passes it to me and I take a deep breath before I speak to one of my oldest friends in the world whom I haven't seen or spoken to since I was 19 and I had left my hometown of Boston with Scott and moved to New York without saying a word to anyone in my family or any of my friends there.

"J-Jane? It's um it's been a long time."

"Yes, it has. Just so you know Benson, I'm still extremely pissed at you for leaving the way you did."

I chuckle at Jane's blunt greeting. She was never one to keep any thoughts or opinions that she had to herself.

"I honestly don't expect you to not still be pissed at me, Jane. You always did hold a grudge when you felt it was appropriate."

Jane lets out a laugh of her own on the other end of the line before explaining that she had gotten a call from a nurse at one of the local hospitals in Boston about an injured teenage girl being dumped out there by an unknown person and how she had recognized the girl as Susan from all of the news alerts that went out the night that she had gone missing. She also tells me that the girl had identified myself and Elliot as her parents when she had asked her for their names.

"Elliot and I will be on the first available plane to Boston, Jane. Please do me a huge favor and make sure nothing else happens to my daughter until we get there, okay?"

"I promise you that Susan will remain safe until you and her dad can get here, Olivia. Do you want me to tell her anything for you and Elliot?"

"Just tell her that we'll be there to see her soon, that we love her so much and that we can't wait to see her again."

"I definitely will, Olivia. See you and Elliot soon."

"Thanks again, Jane."

I hang up with Jane and turn around to see Elliot, Fin, Amanda, Nick, Munch and Cragen all looking at me. After a moment, Amanda asks me if I would like her to help out with getting me and Elliot tickets on the quickest available flight to Boston so that we can be reunited with Susan as soon as possible.

"Yeah. Thanks, Amanda. I really appreciate it."

I take a deep breath and let it truly sink into my brain that I am just a few hours away from being able to hold my daughter in my arms once again. Once it finally does sink in, I can't help but wonder what exactly happened to Susan that had resulted in her being abandoned at the hospital in Boston.

I guess that I will have to find out what happened once Elliot and I get to Boston and I get to see my little girl again.