Chapter Six: UNTITLED FOR NOW
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Olivia didn't have time to process Elliot's frantic confession because Cragen, Munch, and Fin walked up escorting Latisha Jackson with them.
"Liv! Elliot!" Cragen called as they approached. "Are you both okay? We heard the shot. SLED is in pursuit of the perp."
Elliot released Olivia, but sent her a pleading look as he turned around. "He shot at Liv, but it hit the vest."
Olivia wobbled slightly. "He knew I had on the vest."
Elliot whirled to catch her before she fell. "Liv. Liv!" He turned her to face him. His hand came away covered in blood.
"Oh, god, he opened her stitches." Elliot yanked off his jacket and wrapped it around her bleeding arm. Then, he slid his arms underneath Olivia and lifted her as she went limp.
Their three coworkers reached them in time to see Olivia pass out in Elliot's arms.
"Whoa, Elliot! What's wrong?" Cragen demanded, rushing to help with her. "Munch, get a bus down here!"
His eyes wide, Munch stepped away to confirm an ambulance.
"Olivia tried to apprehend the suspect. I could see it from far off. She was about to bring him down. She took a blow to the eye, then he kicked her in her arm. He must have yanked out her stitches. She's bleeding. Plus she hasn't slept but four hours in two days."
Elliot had never seen Cragen look so terrified.
"Ok, so it's probably a combination of sudden blood loss, exhaustion, and a possible concussion. Shit. I'll kill that bastard myself."
Elliot gave a dry chuckle. "How are you, Latisha?" Elliot asked, as he turned towards the confused young woman.
She raised her hands helplessly. "I'm totally lost. All I know is that woman saved my life. Is she okay?"
Elliot smiled. "She'll be okay. And I'm sure she'll want to talk to you when she wakes up."
Fin led Latisha away. "Okay, I need you to tell me exactly what happened…"
Cragen and Elliot were left alone. They could hear the ambulance approaching.
"Elliot. God, she's fast. If she'd only been a little slower, someone else could have helped her take down the guy."
Elliot actually laughed. "Well, she did put an identifying mark on him. She broke his nose right before I got to them."
Cragen gave a tight smile. "That's our Liv. She used that palm move she teaches all the victims, didn't she?"
"Yeah. Listen, Cap. I told you about my divorce. I was going to take Liv back to my apartment with me. I plan to be with her at all times. But I think she definitely needs a detail now."
Cragen was about to answer, but there was a muffled protest from the bundle in his arms. "I don't need a detail!"
"Shut up, Liv," Elliot said affectionately, as the paramedics came for her. "We're going to the hospital."
Cragen watched his two best detectives interact with each other. They were like his children. And he was their age not too long ago. Oh, and he wasn't blind.
Elliot and Olivia were off in the ambulance. No doubt Olivia was safe in a hospital with cops all over it. So, with a sigh, Captain Cragen turned around and began to fire off questions, which the officers present rushed to answer.
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Olivia passed out again in the ambulance. Elliot was holding her hand on the way to the hospital, not caring if it was interfering with the work of the paramedics, but despite the commotion in the ambulance, he gave into exhaustion as well and slumped over. One of the paramedics caught him before he could fall.
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Elliot woke up in a hospital bed. "What the hell!"
A laugh came from a chair against the wall. Elliot rolled over and saw Munch smirking at him.
"Easy, Stabler."
Elliot sat up, slowly, feeling a little dizzy. "Why in God's name is there an IV in my arm? I'm fine!"
Munch crossed his arms, unfazed. "Well, you passed out in the ambulance, pal. When's the last time you had anything to eat? Drink? How much did you sleep last night?"
Elliot rolled his eyes. "I had a muffin and an espresso at that bakery at… like 8 this morning. I slept like four hours last night. Didn't sleep at all the night before. What time is it?"
Munch nodded. "I figured as much. They checked you in for dehydration and severe exhaustion. And right now, it is…" he looked at his watch, "about 8 in the morning. So you haven't eaten or drank anything in 24 hours. That's why there's an IV in your arm, old buddy."
"Hold up. So I've been asleep in this god-forsaken hospital for 8 hours! Where's Olivia?"
"She's fine. Nice shiner on her right eye, but no concussion. They had to re-stitch her arm. X-ray says her ribs are fine too, but she'll probably be sore as hell for the next few days. Doc says she didn't lose enough blood to pass out. She passed out because of exhaustion, too. Plus that shot knocked the wind out of her. But overall, she's bitching about being in the hospital. Pretty much the same as you."
"So, who's interrogating the perp?" Elliot wondered.
Munch looked away. "About that."
Elliot cursed loudly, bringing a nurse peeking into the room. "Don't tell me he got away. Olivia kicked his ass. He was hardly walking straight!"
"Blame the SLED guys. Their fault, not ours."
The nurse approached timidly. "How are you feeling, Detective Stabler?"
He swallowed his anger. "Much better. When am I cleared to leave? I have to check on my partner."
The nurse smiled. "Actually, your Captain already checked you out. You are free to leave. Detective Benson is down the hall in room 161. Just let me unhook your IV."
Elliot allowed this, then realized he wasn't in a hospital gown. "Busy night last night?" he asked the nurse.
"Yes, Detective. In fact, I'm pretty sure half of New York's Finest came in here to either check on you and Detective Benson, or guard you. But yes, last night, there was an unusually large number of medical emergencies."
She bandaged his arm, then stepped back. "Have a nice day, Detective Stabler. You, too, Detective Munch."
With that she excused herself.
John began rattling on as Elliot stood up slowly, and joined him at the door. "Elliot, all I know is, if I get my hands on this guy, he's in for one hell of a Jewish ass-kicking!"
Elliot chuckled. "Amen." But underneath the renewed exterior, Elliot's mind was spinning in circles. His wife had filed for divorce less than a week ago, and last night, he'd confessed his love for his partner, who then passed out in his arms. He wondered if she remembered, if it would be awkward between them, if there were any way she felt the same way…
Munch and Elliot peeked into Olivia's room. She wasn't in a hospital gown either. Her arm was back in a sling, newly bandaged, and one eye was a brutal purple, and swollen shut. But the other one was wide awake, and shining lucidly. She was talking animatedly with George Huang, with Fin looking on, the silent protector. There were two officers guarding the door, but they allowed Elliot and Munch in after seeing their badges.
"Hey, mind if we join you?" Elliot asked casually, knocking as he walked in.
Olivia smiled at them as they walked in, nodded, but continued what she was saying.
"—and he said, 'I bet you have on a bulletproof vest.' Then he said, 'Yes. I can see it. You can't hide those bulky vests.' He knew I had on the vest before he shot me. And the last time, he clearly stated that he was trying to kill Jordan. I don't understand this guy at all."
Huang's narrow Asian eyes were knit with pondering. "There's something very complex about his obsession with you. And since we know so little, I can hardly guess what it is. He wants to cause you pain, but he doesn't want to cause you permanent damage. At least not yet. What I really don't understand is how he came to know everything about you."
"Join the club," Olivia mumbled bitterly. "I wish I knew that. That might give us a lead. Did Jordan give you anything that could help?"
Huang shook his head. "She told me very little more than what she told you. Same with Captain Cragen."
Olivia shut her eyes, and leaned back against the headboard of her hospital bed. "This is absolutely insane. This guy is a danger to the community. He needs to be off the streets."
"I agree," Fin muttered. "At least we have like three things we can book him on when we find him. Rape. Attempted rape. Attempted murder of a police officer. Assault of a police officer."
Elliot sat down in the chair closest to the bed, a jovial smirk on his face. "And we'll definitely know who our perp is. He'll be the one with the shattered nose."
Olivia opened her eyes, a rare grin filling her face. She crossed her arms. "Yeah, that was one of maybe two hits I got in. That guy kicked my ass."
Elliot waved that away. "No way. I saw you throw him over your shoulder. It was priceless."
Huang smiled at the interchange between the two detectives. "Well, even though I'd love to hear how Detective Benson brutalized a suspect—,"
She sent him a playful glare, knowing he was kidding.
"—I really have to go write my statement on Jordan. See you guys later. Take it easy, Olivia."
He left, leaving the four lead SVU detectives alone together.
Munch seemed to be pondering something. "You know, this could be a government conspiracy."
Fin rolled his eyes, shooting Munch a death glare. "For God's sake, Munch, this is not a conspiracy."
John leaned forward, already excited by the prospects. "No, listen. Maybe, the Feds want to test us and see how good we are at our jobs. So they planned this elaborate thing, which would be easy for them to do, since they spy on us constantly…"
"Shut up, Munch." Elliot ordered, grinning.
A knock made them all jump. Cragen was standing at the door, a very rare smile tugging at his lips.
"Looks like this case has everyone wound tight. How are you feeling, Elliot?"
Elliot knew his Captain had been looking out for him, so he forgave him putting him in the hospital. "Much better."
"Liv?"
She looked up, her good eye shining with rejuvenation. "Ditto. Sore as hell, but otherwise, I'm fine."
Cragen felt a lump grow in his throat. The woman had been through hell, but she could take it. She was brave and dedicated, and Captain Don Cragen had a fierce desire to kill whoever had blackened her eye and almost killed her last night.
"Glad to hear it. Listen, I'm sure you've both been told that the suspect got away. But at least we'll be able to identify him now, broken nose and all. Anyway, I have assignments for you. John, you and Fin need to go down to the station and get back to work on looking over Olivia's old cases and overseeing the tip lines. We're going to go public with this and give a televised warning to female police officers along with the pictures we have. Get to work on that, then wait for instructions."
"We're on it," Fin said, nodding at Olivia and Elliot in farewell, and left with Munch.
Cragen's eyes softened slightly looking at his other detectives. "You two. Go home. Get some rest. Do something pointless. I want both of you to get your minds off this case for as long as possible. I know you don't want to, but you have orders. I'll be in touch with any updates or leads, and we'll call you in the minute we need you. And the doctors say you're free to go, Olivia."
Both of them resignedly stood to leave.
"Oh, and Liv?"
She looked up.
"Keep your cell phone on."
She gave a tight smile. "Right. Thanks, Captain."
Olivia and Elliot were left alone in the hospital room, and neither had any idea what to say.
Elliot decided to break the silence, because he was dying to know how she felt. "Liv," he said, huskily. "Last night…I was never so scared in my life."
Olivia looked up. And for the first time in his life, Elliot Stabler saw his partner cry.
"What's wrong, Liv?"
She was trying so hard to hold back the tears, but for once, she lost. "I… I destroyed your marriage! I destroyed your family!"
Shocked, Elliot pulled Olivia into his arms. She began to cry into his chest. With his leg, he gently kicked the door closed.
"Olivia. Kathy and I aren't getting divorced because I fell in love with you. Kathy asked for the divorce. Kathy was sick of how the job dominated my life. It was a miserable situation for her. And our kids were miserable, too. I was in denial that I loved you, Olivia. I ignored the feelings I had for you because of duty to my family. Kathy told me, the night she asked for a divorce. She said, 'Elliot, you've fallen in love with Olivia, and you don't even realize it.' She told me, I always did the right thing. I did the right thing by marrying her when she got pregnant. By not acknowledging my feelings for you. But being a cop. Then, she said, it was her turn to do the right thing. And she gave me the papers."
Elliot pulled away so he could look Olivia in the eyes. "Olivia, we didn't separate because of you, because I didn't even realize I was in love with you. But I know now. And you didn't destroy my family. My family was worse off when Kathy and I were at each other's throat all the time. You saved my family, Olivia."
Olivia looked up, tears streaming from her eyes. Her mouth opened, and words just spilled out. "I… I felt so guilty… when you told me you were getting divorced… I felt like a piece of slime because… I was… glad! God, I was glad you were getting divorced! And last night, when that creep shot at us, all I could think about for that instant was, 'God, don't let it hit Elliot! Don't let Elliot suffer even more because of me.'"
Olivia was still in his arms. She was trembling slightly, but the tears had stopped.
"Liv." His eyes seemed to pierce her own. "You have never caused me any type of suffering. You make my life better."
He grabbed his shoulders, as he had the night before. One hand trailed up over her shoulders, up her neck, to linger on her cheek. "What I said last night, was not me blabbering after a life and death situation. We face those a couple times a month. What I said last night was what I've been feeling probably since the moment I laid eyes on you. Since the first time you took up for me in front of IAC people or Cragen. The first time you saved my life."
His other hand trailed up her face to smooth her frazzled hair back. His fingers hovered around her bruised eye. "I am in love with you. Olivia Benson."
The weathered SVU detective closed her eyes for a moment, and for the firs time in three days, she gave a genuine smile. Slowly and tentatively, it spread across her entire face, giving her countenance a look of glowing peace.
"I've been waiting to hear those words since I was fifteen years old," she whispered, finally opening her eyes. "But for the past seven years, I've only wanted to hear them from you. God, Elliot. I love you, too."
Elliot Stabler couldn't remember ever being able to fly. But at that moment he thought he was walking on air.
It was hesitant at first, how their faces slowly drew together, their eyes slowly closed. They both paused, once more before their lips touched, each thinking of the consequences, the complications, the uncertainty of the future.
Then, each of them decided that the other was more important.
Their lips met in a shy, tentative kiss. A moment later, the two detectives seemed to wake up, and sought after the other's lips with passionate, wild abandon, pulling the other against them as if this was their last moment on earth.
Outside the hospital door, Don Cragen smiled wearily. He turned away, giving the couple some privacy. He'd happened to pass by the room after paying another call to Jordan McKinley and seen them kissing. Yes, it would cause complications in the workplace, but right now, the two of them needed each other. And frankly, his heart, wounded after so many years in SVU and the death of his wife, was warmed by the sight of the two of them finally coming together.
Cragen shook his head, smiling tiredly, and walked off to his car, thinking of his wife.
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Olivia and Elliot went by the Stabler home to pick up some of his things. Kathy was not there and neither were the kids because of work and school respectively. After this, they went to Elliot's apartment. Olivia shook her head, smirking, at the lack of decoration in the apartment, and did her best to make it look cheerful. Their interactions were still playful. They could still complete each other sentences, follow each others thoughts. In fact, they found being in love and knowing it, was hardly different than being in love and not knowing it.
Since Cragen told them to do something pointless, the two of them settled on the couch in front of the TV and watched Court TV with a bucket of popcorn, laughing at the melodrama and inaccuracies and clichés put into the reality of their jobs.
It seemed surreal that only hours ago, they'd been chasing a psychopath with a deadly fixation on Olivia.
That is, until her cell phone rang.