"You're going to lunch with Kath and me right?" Elliot asked Olivia as he hung up his coat.
"Yea sure I'll go." She responded with a smile. He seems really happy this morning, she thought, he must have had a good time with his family last night. "So did you have a good time with your family?"
"I had a great time … considering Kathleen's pissed off at me." He added with a sigh.
"Why? What happened?"
"She failed math and she blames me because I'm never home to help her."
"But Kathy…"
"Kathy is horrible at math." Elliot said with a small laugh.
"Oh." Olivia laughed.
Elliot went to work on the paperwork he hadn't finished the day before.
Next thing he knew it was one thirty. They were supposed to meet Kathy at Carinos, an Italian restaurant at two. Elliot looked up at his partner who was lost in a file. He noticed at how quiet it was in the squad room, which was very rare. Munch and Fin must have gone to a scene.
"Liv?"
Olivia jumped like she had just come out of a trance.
"Jesus Elliot!" She gasped.
"Wow, sorry I didn't mean to scare you." He said, surprised that he had scared her like that.
"It's… it's fine. I'm just not used to it being so quiet in here."
"Yea it's kinda creepy. So, you ready?"
"Ready? Oh right yea let's go."
At that Elliot started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
Elliot decided it was best to keep his mouth shut and just shook his head still laughing.
Carinos was only five blocks away from the precinct so they decided to walk. Their talk was small, mostly about what they were going to do over their very short Thanksgiving break. As they turned the corner they saw the restaurant and Kathy standing outside. She saw them and waved. Elliot smiled and waved back but his smile disappeared when he heard a shot and saw his wife collapse.
"KATHY!" He screamed and ran over to his wife. He bent down and saw that she had been shot in the throat. He heard somewhere in the distance Olivia calling 911. Elliot grabbed Kathy's shaking hand and held it in his hand.
"Don't leave me baby don't leave me." Elliot begged through his tears.
OLIVIA'S POVI am trying so hard not to cry but it's not working. I'm just standing here looking at my partner's life deteriorating. He probably doesn't even want me around. God it's killing me watching Elliot hold his wife in his arms, his shirt getting soaked in her blood.
I watched as Kathy slowly and painfully died. I watched as my partner tried to revive her. I finally put my hand on his shoulder and gently pulled him away just as the paramedics showed up. He was shaking like crazy. I pulled him into my arms and held him while he cried.
ELLIOT'S POVI couldn't believe what was happening. It all happened so fast; she was standing there smiling her beautiful smile next thing he knew he was next to her crying holding her blood-covered hands. I remember praying to God that she would be strong enough to make it through. I remember her slowly fading away then he was crying in Olivia's arms. There's no way she could be gone; he didn't believe it.
They stayed like that until the paramedics asked Elliot to come with them to the hospital to be treated for shock.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Olivia asked.
He looked up into her concerned-filled eyes; his own blue eyes were filled with grief and anger. Just by looking into them she started to tear up. He shook his head very slightly.
"Could you pick up my children and meet me at the precinct?" He asked wearily as he got into the ambulance. Pain filled his eyes as he said this.
Olivia nodded.
VISITERS CENTER AT RIKERS
"So did you get her?" Jimmy Cruz anxiously asked.
"Hell yes and I got her good too!" Carlos beamed.
"How?"
"Sniper; bullet to the throat."
"Did he watch her die?"
"Yup and cried like a baby."
AT THE PRECINCTElliot's children were all sitting in Captain Cragen's office. Maureen, nineteen years old, was crying and holding Lizzie. Kathleen was holding Dickie. Olivia was sitting on the corner of the captain's desk looking at the mourning Stabler children. The captain had gone to the hospital to be with Elliot, saying that he shouldn't be alone when he is like this. Olivia agreed with him there; she had seen him angry plenty of times and sad but never at the same time.
About two hours after Olivia picked up the kids Elliot and Cragen walked into the office. Elliot had regained his composure but one could still tell that he had been crying. When they walked in Lizzie, her face tear stained, ran over and gave her father a hug.
"I love you Daddy." Her voice muffled from so much crying and because she had her face in his chest.
At that Elliot's started to swell with tears. "I love you too sweetie."
Dickie got up from Kathleen's lap and walked over to his sister and dad and joined the hug. Maureen and Kathleen followed suit.
Olivia stood looking at Elliot and his children. She knew she wouldn't last long without crying so she walked out into the squad room.
After awhile Kathleen broke away. "What happened?"
"Olivia didn't tell you?"
"All she said was that there was an accident and that our mother was dead."
Elliot sighed. He knew that he would have to tell them sooner or later but he just wasn't ready.
"She… she was shot."
All of his children gasped. He could see the pain and confusion in their eyes.
"Why was Mommy shot?" Lizzie asked.
"I… I don't know hunny." But he did know. That bastard Cruz had something to do with this. "Maureen, would you please come with me?"
They walked out into the squad room where the Captain, Olivia, Munch, and Fin were sitting. They immediately stopped talking as Elliot and Maureen came in.
"Captain is there another room we could use?" Elliot asked, his voice so soft that the Captain had to lean in to hear.
Cragen nodded. "The last one down the hall."
Elliot put his hands on his daughter's shoulders and guided her into the room. She sat down in the straight-backed wooden chairs and Elliot sat across from her. She stared hard at her father trying to make eye contact, but he diverted his eyes.
"What's going on Daddy? And don't you say you don't know because I know you know something."
He sighed and said, " Yesterday I was threatened." God was it only yesterday?
"Threatened? By who and why?"
"Jimmy Cruz. He had just been convicted for rape and murder."
"But if he's in jail, then how…"
"He must've had someone do it for him."
Maureen sat there for a minute. "Are you going to do anything about it?"
Elliot looked up into his daughter's blue eyes that were identical to his. They were full of anger now.
"I'll do whatever it takes hunny."
She nodded. She knew her father was good to his word.
"Would you mind taking your brother and sisters home?"
"No not at all."
They both got up and walked back to the squad room. Maureen went into the captain's office to get her siblings. When they came out, they one by one gave their father a hug and said 'I love you'. He hugged them all back and said that he loved them. When they left Elliot flopped down in his chair, sighed, and laid his head on his desk. After five minutes he quickly got up and went to put on his coat.
"Where are you going?" Olivia asked, noticing the rage in his eyes.
"To visit someone." He said as he ran out the door.