This story is a prequel to "I'm Glad You're Here" that I originally wrote for the SVU-Summer Love challenge on twitter. You do not have to read that one first to understand this story. This story delves deeper into Eli's thoughts and feelings about the whirlwind that is his life between Rome and New York. It will include his point of view of things that have happened in Organized Crime and his own, along with his dad's, relationship with Olivia and Noah. Pretty much all of the Stabler clan will make an appearance at some point.

"Don't forget your English project is due Friday." Mom spoke up as she put her toiletries in her suitcase, "do you need me to read over it before I go?"

"No," her head popped up quickly as she turned to look at me. I could tell she was about to reprimand me for the disrespect in my voice, but I quickly cut her off, "No, thank you."

I heard the sigh she let out before she spoke again, "help me zip this please."

I slid off the bed and walked around to the end of the bed and pushed down on the top of the suitcase as she zipped it, "where's Dad?"

"He's at work," I saw her roll her eyes and heard the annoyance in her voice, "he should be home soon. He had to finalize some things before we leave."

"Figures," I mumbled under my breath as I picked up the zipped suitcase to carry it to the front door.

"Eli," Mom called from behind me.

I turned to look at her once I placed her suitcase down, "yes?" I raised my eyebrow as she thrust an envelope out toward me.

"Money for the week," she explained, "I put in a little extra so you and Luca can order pizza one night and maybe buy a new game for your Switch. I know you've been wanting that Mario game for a while."

I smiled, "thanks."

"Will you promise me you will behave for the Rossis, and," she paused placing emphasis on the and, "keep up with your school work while Dad and I are gone?"

"Yes, Mom." I rolled my eyes, and then quickly, "I could just go with you."

She turned back around to look at me as she placed some cookies she baked in a container. There was a look on her face I couldn't quite place, "We've talked about this Eli. Dad is going for work, and you have school."

"School is online right now anyway, and it's not just a work thing. I saw you pack your fancy dress." I stole a cookie, and she slapped my hand away, "I could go stay with Grandma or Maureen during the day."

"These are for the Rossis as a thank you, so stop trying to eat them." She took a breath, "you're not going. School is supposed to start up again in person soon, so you need to attend. Plus, the risk of COVID is still too high. You have—"

I debated on adding how I didn't understand her logic when she was going too. If the whole trip was just for Dad's work, then why was she going? If the risk of COVID was still too high, wasn't it an even bigger risk for her to go when she really didn't need to go? I knew from her evasive responses that something was going on. I had overheard her and Dad arguing about going to some award ceremony in New York. I had texted Katie and tried to ask her about it, but she wouldn't say anything besides "mind your business, Eli." I hated when Maureen, Katie, Liz, and Dickie acted like that; they always acted like I was just a kid and shouldn't get involved with anything besides school and futbol. It sucked being so much younger than my brother and sisters; sometimes I felt like I got along more with my nephews than my own brother and sisters.

I snatched another cookie from the container while Mom's back was turned as I remembered what I had witnessed last night. I had gotten up to get a drink of water when I overheard Mom making Dad promise to give someone named Olivia a letter when they saw her. Dad had huffed and gone defensive when Mom had whispered something that was unintelligible through the closed door, "It's been ten years Kathy. Ten years and still this. She probably hates me, as she should. I didn't even tell her I was leaving." He sounded so defeated and sad when he said the last part, and I decided to quickly turn back and go back to bed as I heard the door open and slam shut again.

There was always something with Dad that never seemed right; I never could figure it out what it was, but I knew something was off. The few times we visited Grandma, Maureen, Katie, Liz, and Dickie he always seemed worse. It was like he was waiting on someone or something to find him and the whispers would start among the adults. Whispers that never included me, but I would always hear words such as partner, her, detective, and Olivia. I knew things had been different when our family lived in Queens, and Dad was still a cop. He wouldn't talk about those days often, and when he did, it was like he was missing a part of himself and reliving memories that only he knew. Mom also didn't like when he talked about his New York cop days; she would always huff and excuse herself and instantly become busy with whatever cleaning, cooking, or gardening she had to do. It became a thing to just not talk about New York and Dad being a cop; it was easier and would cause a whole lot less tension between Mom and Dad. Honestly, it was fine with me anyway; I didn't remember much about our time in New York since I was so young when we left. The only thing I could remember, and still had in my room, from our time in New York was a stuffed elephant. I knew it was from my first birthday, but other than that, I didn't know where it came from. I just knew that Ollie the elephant had always just been there. Honestly, he made me feel safe, and as many times as I tried, I couldn't ever get rid of him. He was looking a little rough from years of being carried around, but Grandma would always stitch him up and make him look new again.

"Eli?"

I looked up at Mom as she called my name. I hadn't realized I had zoned out while she was still talking to me, "huh?"

"Promise me you will behave this week. The Rossi family has been so kind to let you stay with them. Help around the house when you can, keep things clean, do your school work, and mind your manners."

"Of course, Mom." I wanted to roll my eyes again, she was acting like I was some irresponsible, disrespectful kid.

"Good," she paused as she heard the front door open, "go wash up. Dad's home with pizza."

I walked past him toward the bathroom and waved; he was on the phone so he nodded and smiled. I overheard part of his conversation as I turned the corner, "yes, we'll be there around seven-thirty for the ceremony. Fin, I don't know how—Liv will probably—yeah, I have to go too. Talk to you again soon."

It dawned on me in that instant who Olivia was; she was Dad's partner when he worked for the NYPD from before we left New York. I honestly didn't remember much about her; I knew there was a special story from the day I was born that had her in it, but no one talked about that anymore. Sometimes it felt odd that there was a before New York that was like a distant, unspeakable memory and the after New York that made me feel as if I was an only child. Honestly life wasn't so bad in Italy. I had Mom all to myself and Dad too when he was home, which according to the older kids was a lot more than when they were growing up. Life in Italy was happy, but there always felt like there was something, something that was just off and I had no idea what it was, but I knew it had something to do with New York and Dad's job as a detective. And maybe, I was starting to realize, it wasn't just Dad's job, but maybe, maybe it had something to do with his partner Olivia.

"Eli!" Dad called, "pizza!"

I broke out of my thoughts, "coming!" I didn't know what was going on, but I was starting to think that maybe this trip to New York, that I wasn't invited to, wasn't just a work trip after all.