A/N: Hey thanks for reviewing again! I apologize for the relative random stopping point in the last chapter; I was dealing with a boyfriend who treated me like shit, so I wasn't entirely involved with this story at the time. Thankfully I am free of him now though, so I should be able to focus a little better on this story! Also, sorry for posting chapter one again with chapter two, still new too this site!!!However, that problem is now fixed!Well I hope you all enjoy- just don't jump to many conclusions, I promise any discrepancies will be resolved, just be patient.
Once again, I am going to say that this story I only loosely based on the show (it is fiction after all), years, ages, and other such things are all going to be manipulated by me! Oh yes.... I don't put spaces between characters different lines because I have never taken the time to do it in my other writing, and so am slightly out of practice! Sorry if that bothers anyone, but no one's forcing you to read this...
Italics indicate flashback!
Okay, I promise that's the end of my A/N!!!!!!
Elliot lay on Olivia's couch, only half watching the TV. His head spun with conflicting emotions although he knew that the prevalent one was jealousy. He was jarred out of his reverie when the newscaster suddenly stated, "And now, we would like you too hear the story of two of New York City's finest detectives, who went above and beyond the call of duty when they saved a young girl's life Tuesday night." Elliot sat up quickly, he hadn't expected the interview he and Olivia had taken would actually end up on TV. He heard the door click and Olivia walked in. "Liv! Come here!" he exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the events of the evening. She walked over and sat down beside him. Sure enough, their interview came on.
Meanwhile Maureen had just walked in from getting back from a date when she heard Lizzie exclaim loudly, "Maureen, daddy's on TV!" Maureen hurried in, her boyfriend close behind. Kathy walked into the room just at the moment when Olivia started to speak. "That's your dad's partner?" questioned Maureen's boyfriend rather loudly, "Damn, she's fine!" Maureen glared at him and he quickly supplemented with a, "But not as fine as you." Kathy could feel her temper flare. Compliments on Olivia were not what she wanted to hear at this moment. "She isn't that pretty." She snapped. Maureen raised her eyebrows, "Whatever mom." "Be quiet!" exclaimed Kathleen as her father began to explain how he and Olivia had found the girl. The interview concluded with Elliot stating, "Well, its all in the line of duty. We didn't do anything special." The newscaster shook her head and said, "You did wonderfully, Detective Stabler." He smiled and looked over at Olivia, "I have a wonderful partner, she deserves more credit than I." Olivia smiled broadly back as he wrapped an arm around her briefly. Naturally the news decided to pause on that moment. The family was silent for the whole time the news showed the frozen image of the two partners whose smiles said they were more.
"I haven't seen Dad that happy in a long time." Muttered Kathleen. "Me either." Answered Maureen quietly. The two oldest girls looked at each other. Kathy turned and was about to leave the room when suddenly the phone rang. Maureen picked it up and exclaimed, "Hi daddy! I just saw your interview!" Kathy watched as the two chatted for a moment, and then Maureen asked, "Could I talk to Olivia?" There was a seconds silence and then a "Hey Olivia, you looked awesome on TV..."
When the kids had all talked to their dad and Olivia, Kathy turned and glared at Maureen. "Where is he?" Maureen grinned and said, "At Olivia's apartment." Kathy's eyes widened and she was about to continue when Maureen interrupted, saying, "Mother, you have absolutely no room to get angry, you were the one that wanted a divorce. If you go and harass them I will tell daddy about your little secret." With that she turned and walked out with her boyfriend. "What secret?" questioned Kathleen, curiously looking at her mother. Kathy stood quite still.
Elliot and Olivia watched as their picture slowly faded. Elliot then shut off the TV and looked over at Olivia. "You could have told me you had a date." "El, I am sorry, I..." Olivia began, but he interrupted her. "Liv, I have known you for years, and you should have told me about Jake." Elliot said sharply. "Elliot, I really was going to tell you, I have only dated him for a month..." "Oh, only a month? Well that makes it so much better." He snapped bitterly. "El, are you jealous?" Olivia asked, and he stood up angrily. "Of course not! I just thought you ought to have told me! I am your partner!" "You are one too talk about my love life Elliot, when you have been happily married for the majority of the time I have known you!" Olivia exclaimed, standing up and glaring back at him. "And I am going to break up with him!" There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and then Elliot asked, "You are?" "Yes, and I hope that makes you happy." Olivia answered, her voice cracking slightly. "Liv..." Elliot started, but she turned and walked away, slamming her bedroom door.
They didn't speak much the next morning, and went to work in a fairly bad mood. Olivia irritably began ruffling through papers and Elliot started on some phone calls. It was an unusually slow day, what Olivia knew from experience to be the calm before the storm. After while Elliot asked her, "Hey Liv? Would you mind running and getting the file of the Smith case out of the car?" She looked up and saw he was about to take a phone call on the case and nodded. Elliot watched as she got up and walked outside. Then he focused on the call and said, "Stabler speaking."
When Olivia came back in Huang was standing at Elliot's desk, waiting for him to finish the call. Elliot saw her walk in and said, "Mrs. Smith, would you mind speaking to my partner, detective Benson?" Elliot smiled and then said, "Hold on one second." He got up handed the phone to Olivia and walked off with Huang. Olivia smiled at her partner, who was in for his second consultation that week evaluating his progress with the other psychiatrist he was seeing aside from Huang. Elliot was hit particularly hard by some cases and as a result had to undergo treatment, though he ardently insisted he would be fine without it. However, Olivia had in the end convinced him to go along with it, as he wouldn't be able to keep his badge otherwise.
Elliot flopped down in a chair in Huang's office and folded his hands together. Huang looked at him and then asked, "So Elliot, how has it been going?" "Fine." Answered Elliot, his mind not exactly on the task. "Elliot, you must talk to me." Huang began as usual, and then Elliot sat up, far more interested. "I have an idea. I have been being so good going to my other appointments that maybe we could talk for a little bit about Olivia." He said, and Huang nodded curiously. "Well, she has been acting really odd lately. Not like her at all. I think you ought to talk to her. I know she is hiding something." "Alright, I will do that Elliot." Huang said, "As soon as I am done with you. Now how long has it been since Kathy first asked for a divorce?" "Three months ago tomorrow. This last week we had been fighting constantly, until I left." "You left?" "Well, yes, technically. She completely overreacted when she saw the drugs I was taking to help prevent me from contracting HIV, and kicked me out. I would have argued and stayed, as it is also my house, but I didn't want my kids to keep hearing us fight. I have been staying with Olivia until the divorce is finalized." Elliot said, probably the longest run of coherent sentences he had ever had when talking with Huang, as usually he was a little temperamental about it. Huang nodded and said, "And how do you feel about this? Upset?" "I feel bad that my kids have to go through it. But Kathy and I just haven't really been getting along." "And why are you staying with Olivia?" questioned Huang. "Isn't it obvious? She lives close by, and I have someone to talk too." "I see. And how do you too get along?" "Oh we argue quite a bit, but it never is bad, its just what we have always done, ever since I met her." Elliot smiled, "She is a very stubborn woman, but I wouldn't have it any other way. And she is really very kind, and extraordinarily sensitive to me. She always knows when something is bothering me." Huang smiled back, and then said, "Well, just out of curiosity, when did you too start working together?" "Six years ago. I will never forget that day. She saved my life." Elliot said. Huang looked at him and he pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly. Jut below his collarbone on the left side was an old scar. Huang looked at it and asked, "What happened?"
Elliot began to tell the story.
"Detective Stabler, please come to my office. Your new partner is in there and I want you two too meet." Cragen said, and Elliot looked up. "Now." Cragen added, walking away. Elliot stood painstakingly slow and shook his head irritably. Munch walked over to him and said, "Elliot, you will want to go meet her. I wish she was my partner." Finn looked up, glaring at Munch, who laughed and said, "Sorry, but honestly, wouldn't you want her for your partner?" Finn thought about it for a second and then nodded vigorously, "Yes, I would. You would be kicked to the curb, Munch." "How is it that everyone has seen her but me?" Elliot asked, and Munch replied, "Well, she came in early, you came in late... Does that make sense to you, Elliot?" Munch questioned, and Elliot cracked his knuckles jokingly. "See her for yourself Elliot. Young, gorgeous, single, and your new partner!" Elliot rolled his eyes, but was slightly intrigued as he walked into Cragen's office.
As he stepped inside he realized that gorgeous hardly began to describe her. He stood frozen for a long while until a slight smile came to her lips that lit up her dark intense eyes. At that he abruptly regained his composure, knowing that she was probably laughing at him. After all, he thought to himself, the guys are probably all over her 24/7. "Elliot?" Cragen asked him. "Yes?" "Meet your new partner." "Nice to meet you Mr. Stabler. Olivia Benson." She said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear and then shaking his hand. Elliot smiled back and then turned to Cragen. "See Elliot, I didn't do too badly picking you a new partner." he said quietly, and then continued, "Now, its her first day being a detective, so take good care of her." "You haven't done any other detective work with another precinct?" Elliot questioned, and she shook her head. "I got out of graduate school a year ago with a degree in law." Elliott nodded and thought, so, about 26 years old, six years younger than I. "Alright you two, get too work!" Cragen said, and Elliot lightly took her arm and led her out.
Their first stop that morning was too interview the mother of one of their murder victims. Olivia seemed remarkably comfortable working with him, a far easier adjustment than he thought it would have been. "When was the last time you saw you daughter?" Elliot questioned the woman, who sighed. "About a year ago. I didn't see her much." "Why is that?" "Well... I wanted her to learn to be independent during her college years and we always had a slightly strained relationship." The woman said, somewhat evasively. Elliot began too lose patience but Olivia intervened, asking, "Where is her father?" "I never know him. I was raped." The woman answered. Olivia nodded and said, "So I suppose that's why you had a strained relationship." "Yes." She answered, looking at Olivia with a certain degree of spite. "You cannot even begin to understand what it was like. I loved her. I truly did. But every time I looked at her, I remembered. So I didn't mind not seeing her very often." "You would be surprised at how much I understand, Ms. Lawrence." Olivia responded bitterly. But Ms. Lawrence didn't seem to be listening anymore, and said, almost too herself, "I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision, having her."
When they had gotten back into Elliot's car he had noticed that she was wiping her eyes slightly. "Are you alright Miss Benson?" he questioned, somewhat gruffly. "Yes, I am fine." She responded. "No, you're not." Elliot answered. She looked up and snapped, "I am sorry, Mr. Stabler, I just got too emotional. I promise I won't let it happen again." "Miss Benson, I am here to help you. And we are going to be partners, so we might as well get too know one another." Elliot replied, glancing at her. "Alright. My mother was raped. You are looking at the product." Olivia said, and Elliot looked for a long time into her fiery eyes. "I am sorry." He said finally, "Though I wouldn't call you a product. I would call you a person." She looked over at him, a smile lighting up her features, "You are perhaps the nicest person I have ever known." "You have got too be kidding me." Elliot responded, his eyebrows raised. "I am not kidding. Most guys flip when I tell them that." Olivia answered matter of factly. "Well, I must admit, I would have thought that they would be able to see past that. You look quite capable at making men flip for other reasons, Miss Benson." Elliot answered, and she blushed, turning away. "Just Olivia is fine." "Alright, then just call me Elliot."
"Now, this girl has been a problem. She is the only person who really knew our victim and isn't cooperating." Elliot told Olivia as they stood outside the door to a dingy looking apartment. Olivia nodded and he knocked loudly on the door. No one answered, so Elliot banged louder. When there was still no answer, Elliot turned the handle of the door, finding it too be quite loose. "Looks like we may have forced entry." He said quietly. He pulled out his gun and noted Olivia did the same. He then kicked out and the door swung open, eerily creaking in the stillness of the apartment. "Miss Johnson!" Elliot yelled, stepping in front of Olivia. They stepped around the corner and found Miss Johnson.
She was laying on her back, shot through the head and chest several times. Elliot sprinted over to her and looked around. "Olivia, call the paramedics." "Elliot... there's someone in here." Olivia said, standing up. "Murderer's don't usually linger at a crime scene." Elliot said off handedly. "No, Elliot, I know there is someone in here!" Olivia exclaimed. "Look Olivia, I am supposed to take care of you, not you of me. I have been a detective considerably longer than you." Elliot said. "Fine." snapped Olivia, walking around the body and glancing around.
She walked down the hall, her gun raised. Peeking around the corner into the bathroom she heard Elliot call the paramedics. Olivia glanced around the bathroom, turning on the light and seeing nothing that caught her attention. Suddenly Elliot ceased speaking, and Olivia heard a crash. She ran back into the living room, finding a clearly deranged man standing over Elliot. His hands were dripping in blood, and he held a gun to the back of Elliot's head, who lay still, blood oozing out of a cut on his head. "Sir, put the gun down! Put the gun down!" she screamed, and he raised his gaze to her. He snickered madly and then said, "First I kill your boyfriend. Then I do too you what I did to that other bitch." "If you take one more step, I will shoot you!" Olivia shrieked, pointing her gun at his head. The man hesitated, then stepped over Elliot, taking a few steps toward her. Olivia saw what he was going to do the second before he did it. As the man wheeled around Olivia fired. Just as the killer pulled the trigger, Olivia's bullet ripped through his chest. He staggered, falling to the side. The bullet meant for Elliot's heart went far to the side of its mark.
Olivia ran over to Elliot and turned him over. "Elliot! Elliot! You have to stay with me!" Olivia cried as she pulled him up into her lap, pressing her knee against the bullets exit wound and holding her jacket against the front in an effort to slow the bleeding. She picked up her phone one handed and dialed. "This is Benson. We need paramedics here immediately. My partner's been shot!"