Four

A week later, Lizzie Stabler was just packing her large purse to leave when there came a knock at her door. Both Maisie and Becca were here, so she left it to one of them to open the door; she was on her way out to meet Liv for lunch, anyway. However, her attention was drawn by the call Maisie was sounding:

"Lizzie, your dad's here!"

Lizzie let out a breath of relief that she didn't know she was holding in. She had called Liv five days ago and they had set up a lunch meeting (for lack of a better term). Immediately after that call, she had texted her dad to let him know that he had until then to decide on any kind of message she could pass along, if he had any. And she hoped more than anything that he had one for her to pass along to Liv.

After telling her father about seeing Liv again, Lizzie was convinced that her father's feelings for Liv went well beyond professional respect. When she'd talked to Maureen and Kathleen about it the next day, both had confirmed her suspicions with their own, and they'd seen more than she had when they had worked together. All could agree that their father had never been unfaithful to their mother while they had been married, but they could also agree that their father's heart had been Olivia's for quite some time.

Lizzie picked up her purse and left her bedroom. When she came to the front door, she saw her father standing there awkwardly, his hands behind his back. He smiled when he saw her, but Lizzie could feel a nervous tension radiating off him.

"Hey, Dad, I'm just on my way out," she said casually.

Elliot nodded. "I know, honey, I just wanted to…uhhh…" He brought his hands from around his back to in front of him, and Lizzie saw that he was holding an envelope. It looked to be filled with at least several folded pieces of paper, and on the front was one word in her father's handwriting: Liv. "If you could just give this to her…tell her to read it, not read it, throw it away, it's up to her…whatever she does, I get it."

"Of course, Dad," said Lizzie, taking the envelope from him and carefully putting it in her purse.

Elliot nodded and then pulled her into a hug. It was brief, but he held her tightly. "Thanks, sweetheart."

Then he was turning away and walking down the stairs of the walk-up building.

Lizzie felt like she wanted to cry. Her father had clearly been holding back some very strong emotions during that encounter. Was he hopeful or was he scared? Probably both. Him saying that Olivia could choose to not read the letter or throw it away…clearly he was trying to prepare for the worst.

For her father's sake, Lizzie dearly hoped that she wouldn't.

The two greeted each other outside a cute bistro that was just a block away from the precinct with a warm hug. "Come here often?" Lizzie asked as a server who seemed on first-name terms with Olivia led them to a table.

Olivia shrugged. "The food is great and it's close by. You know how it is: you find the right place and it becomes a part of your routine."

After the two had placed their drink orders, Olivia began the conversation. "So, Lizzie…what did you want to talk about?"

Lizzie let out a chuckle. "As I said, Olivia, it's nothing serious or wrong. In fact, I hope you'll be happy for me." She reached into her large purse and pulled out a paperback book. She handed it to Olivia, who got a spark in her eyes when she read it: Measure for Measure. Lizzie nodded excitedly. "I've just been cast as Isabella."

Olivia's face burst into a grin and she grabbed Lizzie's hand across the table. "Oh, Lizzie, I'm so thrilled for you! This is fantastic, and what a great part!"

"I knew you'd get it," said Lizzie, her own excited grin on her face. "Everyone else I know has never heard of this play. Not exactly one of Shakespeare's better known plays, even though it should be."

"Absolutely," said Olivia vehemently. "So much about it is still relevant today, especially how women are viewed and treated."

"The problem is that it's labelled a comedy," said Lizzie with an eye roll. "In Shakespeare's time, the definition of a comedy had nothing to do with the subject matter; it just meant no one dies in the end, unless it's the villain."

"Yep," said Olivia. "In a tragedy, everyone dies. In a comedy, everyone survives and is usually paired up."

"Mm-hm," said Lizzie. "Simple definitions. But nothing about Measure for Measure is simple."

"Nothing…I learned that when I got cast as Isabella in college."

Lizzie gasped. "Oh, my gosh, Olivia! I never knew that!"

Olivia nodded, a small but proud smile on her face. "Yeah. I also played Juliet, as in Romeo and Juliet."

Lizzie's hands went up in shock, and the expression on her face was comical. "Olivia! Why didn't you tell me this before? Especially when I told you I was reading it in middle school?"

Olivia laughed. "Because your father would have found out and he would never have let me live it down at work. But enough about me, we're here for you."

Just then, their waiter returned with their drinks and took their lunch orders. As they waited for their food, Lizzie told Olivia about her upcoming show. The play was being produced by a small but well-respected theatre company that owned a small performing space downtown. They had a long-standing tradition of hiring young actors just out of school and giving them a metaphorical foot in the door of show business in New York. Shakespeare plays were their bread and butter, but they also sprinkled in other classic Greek and English plays to round it out. Their productions were usually very stripped down, sometimes set in modern day, but always put on in a way that the words were the main event rather than set-pieces and costumes.

"I couldn't be happier to hear that," said Olivia after their waiter put down their lunch orders. "When do rehearsals start?"

"Next week, and then we open in two months."

"So, the middle of August. How long will it run for?"

"Three months. Romeo and Juliet is being done now, and the next one is A Christmas Carol. Perfectly timed for Christmas." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, the main reason I wanted to talk to you, Olivia, is because I really want to get this right."

"And you will, honey," reassured Olivia. "You were amazing even in your high school shows. I'm sure you've only gotten better since then."

Lizzie shot her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Liv. But I'm talking specifically the situation that Isabella is in. The terrible choice that is forced on her."

Olivia inhaled sharply through her nostrils and nodded.

"I'm thankful every day that I have never been in a situation remotely like this," said Lizzie softly. "I want to make sure that I give the truest performance I can."

Olivia nodded, proud of Lizzie. "We must 'hold the mirror up to nature,' I know." She held out her hand to Lizzie. "Can I see the script?"

From there, the two women went into an intense discussion about the reactions that someone can have to serious threats of sexual harassment. Olivia spoke patiently about the subject, and Lizzie listened intently, taking notes in a tiny notebook she had brought with her. By the time the check came, Lizzie felt that she had enough to think about.

"Remember, Lizzie, that everyone reacts differently," said Olivia. "There are certain consistencies, yes, but the levels always vary. So really work with your director and your co-star on this, and trust you'll instincts. You'll find the right way to play it. And I'm here if you get any more questions on the way."

Lizzie gave her the most grateful smile. "Thank you so much, Olivia," she said. Then she reached for the check, but Olivia had grabbed it first. "Hey, no fair! This lunch was my idea, it's only fair."

"But the restaurant itself was mine, and you're a starving artist now," teased Olivia, taking cash out of her wallet with enough for a generous tip.

Lizzie laughed and got up from the table. "I hope I didn't take too much time out of your day or kept you from something."

"Don't worry about it," said Olivia, getting up and leading her out of the restaurant. "If something had come up, I'd have gotten a call."

"Ok," said Lizzie. They stepped out into the sunlight of the beautiful June day, and Lizzie followed Olivia's lead, assuming they were walking back to the precinct. "So, how is your beautiful baby boy doing?"

Olivia beamed and laughed. "He's just fine. He's got the wobble-walk down and is getting to be quite active on his feet."

Lizzie giggled. "Rosie's just the same. Hasn't said to many words but her names for all of us are precious. I am 'Wissie,' Kathleen is 'Kaween,' and Dad is 'Gampa.'"

Olivia had to laugh at that. The name 'Gampa' and Elliot might seem hard to imagine as a pair, but the thought wasn't hard for Olivia, and it melted her heart.

Taking this as the right opening, Lizzie stopped them on the sidewalk and reached into her purse. "Olivia…I have something for you."

Olivia's laughter melted into a curious expression. She then watched as Lizzie pulled an envelope out of her purse and hold it out to her. Olivia took it, immediately feeling that it was full of folded pages. Turning it over to the front, she saw her nickname written in very familiar handwriting.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Then she remembered Lizzie, and looked up at her. The young woman was looking at her with apology and pleading.

"I'm sorry, but…he told me to tell you to do whatever you want with it, that he understands if you don't read it and throw it away. I hope you read it, though." She sighed. "I know it's not my business, and I don't know the whole story by any means…but he really misses you, Olivia."

Tears filled Olivia's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She then slid the full envelope into the inner pocket of her blazer. "I'll read it, Lizzie," she said in a voice that was much calmer than she was feeling. "Tell him I'll read it when I'm ready."

And she meant every word. Like she had told Nick before he left: she needed answers, even if that meant closure from Elliot for good.

Lizzie was so relieved that she pulled Olivia in for another hug, which Olivia returned. When Lizzie pulled away, she asked, "And is it still okay if Maureen and Kathleen reach out to you? I know Kathleen is eager to reconnect and Maureen even talked about making a playdate for Rosie and Noah."

Olivia grinned. "Absolutely, to both of them. And I'm counting on you to keep in touch, alright?"

Lizzie nodded. They then said goodbye and parted ways.

Meanwhile, Elliot was taking his own lunch at a diner before he had to report to his private security firm to start his shift. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. It was a text from Lizzie.

She said she'll read it when she's ready. Hang in there, Dad. Love you.

For a split second, Elliot felt like crying. But it passed quickly. He let out a long breath he felt like he'd been carrying for years. Then he texted a simple 'thanks' to Lizzie.

He then turned his focus to finishing his lunch. Then, he would turn his focus to getting to work. Patience had never been his strong suit, but he was going to do his best now. He'd poured everything that was in his heart into that letter because she deserved nothing less. The ball was in her court; he'd finally thrown it back to hers from his after four years – a true Hail Mary pass. He would forever regret making her wait that long, and he had to accept that the ball would never come his way again.

Karma was a bitch, but she was on the side of justice. And Elliot Stabler had always been a man who fought for justice.

A/N: If you guys need a reason to smile today, look up this video on YouTube: Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni on Their "Effortless, Easy, Fun" Friendship | PEOPLE

It makes me grin just thinking about it. :)