Title: Christmas Eve
Author: EOshipmate
Disclaimer: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf etc. No infringement is intended.
Summary: Christmas fluff and Wheatley drama, SVU season 23, mentions of Lewis.
"Liv, I haven't told you how proud I am of you for making Captain." Elliot had just settled down next to her at a café table outside a small coffee shop, a quick meeting as she headed off to meet her squad investigating a case nearby. Liv had taken his call while she was out Christmas shopping with Noah, but Fin had just called with a new case that required their attention. After dropping off Noah at Lucy's place, she had agreed to meet with Elliot for a few minutes before heading to the crime scene. Since her team was already there investigating, she figured she could arrive a little late.
Liv waved away the praise and sipped her coffee, the steam evaporating into the cool winter air. "It practically fell in my lap," she replied modestly.
Elliot shook his head. "You are so well respected in the department," he assured her. "People hear the name Olivia Benson and they have nothing but good things to say. You've accomplished so much good in your career."
"I try," was the best admission he could get out of her. "I just want to help the victims get justice."
He reached for her hand that was resting on the table and gave it a squeeze. "You have helped so many people over the years. I really am proud of you."
"Thanks," she replied. Her cheeks were red, and Elliot couldn't tell if it was from the cold or if she was blushing from the praise. He was beginning to really enjoy their newfound closeness, the ability to spontaneously touch each other. After she had greeted him with a big hug when she first saw him after his undercover stint was done, and after she had held his hand in comfort in the car as they went in search of Eli who had briefly run away, he realized that handholds and hugs were no longer off limits.
"But," he interrupted. "You are the Captain. Christmas Eve is tomorrow. You don't need to spend your holidays at work. You have people for that."
Liv laughed. "We're a team. I need to be there."
"Oh come on, I don't remember Cragen out in the field like you are."
"Well, I'm a lot more hands-on," she admitted. "I want my squad to be able to count on me."
"They know they can, Liv. But you don't have to do everything. You deserve to take some time off. To spend time with your son. To just relax." He hadn't let go of her hand yet, and he was slowly stroking the back of it with his thumb. The red was creeping further up on her cheeks. She was definitely blushing, and he loved that he was the reason. "You have done so much for so long. But you don't have to live for the job. Let your people handle it for once. You don't have to do it all. No one expects you to."
She replied thoughtfully in a quiet voice. "I do."
He held her gaze and nodded. "Sometimes we expect too much from ourselves."
She squeezed his hand back and let go, wrapping her hands on her warm mug as she took another sip. "I'm working on that. Not going so well." She grinned at him over her mug.
He laughed. "Come on, Liv. Go check in with your squad, delegate, then go home and spend time with your son. Or," he said with a twinkle in his eyes, "Or come spend some holiday cheer with the Stablers. It will be loud and chaotic and not relaxing at all. But at least it's not work."
"Really?" she considered. "Do you think it's a good idea? It's your first Christmas without Kathy. I wouldn't want to intrude."
"You're family, too," Elliot insisted in a firm voice. "Everyone loves you. I want you there… If you want to be there. But I understand if you'd rather just have a quiet night with Noah."
She sipped her coffee for a minute as she thought about his offer. "I'd like that," she finally answered with a smile. "If you're sure the kids will be ok with it."
"They're fine," he replied. "What time should we expect you?"
"You still don't like to take no for an answer," she observed.
"Nope," he agreed happily.
"On one condition," she added. "My team is doing ok and really don't need my help."
"I'm calling Fin," Elliot promised, "and making sure you don't stay too long."
She rolled his eyes at him as she stood up. "Then I better get going."
He stood with her and walked a ways down the street. They parted at the corner, but Elliot grabbed her arm at the last second and brought her into a quick hug. "Thank you," he said quietly.
She enjoyed the warmth and comfort of his embrace for a moment before pulling back and asked in amusement. "For what?"
"Letting me back in."
They held each others' gaze for a moment before parting ways, a happiness and completeness in their hearts that had been missing for a long time.
EOEOEO
"Fin." He answered the phone as he watched Rollins hop in the back of a bus with the vic. Velasco was headed to the station with the suspected perp, and Fin was hoping to get home to Phoebe to enjoy some quiet time before her sister arrived tomorrow. He was glad Liv had decided to take some personal time and not visit the crime scene. If anyone deserved some time off to relax it was her.
"Hey, Fin. How are things going there?" A familiar voice replied. "I thought I convinced Liv to take the night off after she checked in on the case, but I haven't heard from her, and her calls are going straight to voicemail." Elliot was sitting in the garden of his apartment, taking a minute away from the frenzy of Stabler women baking for tomorrow's big meal.
"Stabler." Fin acknowledged. "What are you talking about?" A queasy feeling knotted in the sergeant's gut. "Liv never showed. She said she was meeting you for a nightcap, figured she decided to not to come."
.
"Maybe something came up with her kid?" Elliot suggested, trying to ignore the worry that was creeping in.
"Maybe," Fin agreed half heartedly. Ever since her abduction by William Lewis years before he kept close tabs on his captain. "You busy? Maybe you can swing by her apartment. Our detectives are on the way to the station so they can double check there. I think I'll stop by the sitter's house to see if she's with Noah."
When Elliot realized Fin was worried, he tensed up. "You think something happened?"
"Probably not," Fin tried to reassure him. "We got no cases that should cause trouble for her. But she usually keeps in touch. It's not like her to just not show up. I figured she was with you."
"I haven't seen her since we left he coffee shop a few hours ago," Elliot said going back inside to grab his keys. "Call me if you hear anything."
"You, too." They hung up and each tried calling Liv's cell, home, and SVU lines with no luck.
"Son of a bitch," Elliot commented to himself as he pulled into traffic and dialed his sergeant's line. She answered quickly, and Elliot filled her in. "It's Wheatley. It's got to be."
"He wouldn't," Bell tried to assure him. "He just got out, doesn't want to screw up his freedom." She grabbed her jacket and motioned to her wife that she had to head out. "But I'm gonna grab Maldonado and go talk to Wheatley. I'll call Jet and have her try to track Liv's phone."
"I'll be in touch," Elliot replied gratefully. Elliot never thought he'd find coworkers he had bonded with as much as he'd had during his time at SVU. But Bell had just helped him out in the recent bind with his son running away, and before Elliot could even relax and enjoy his family being together, now Liv could be in trouble. He would never forgive himself if Wheatley was behind this. He was glad he had someone like Bell who had his back.
EOEOEO
"Where is she?!" Elliot demanded angrily at the cocky man who leaned back in his chair in the interrogation room. Wheatley had a smirk on his face that Elliot wanted to punch off. No one had been able to find Liv, and Elliot was the last one who had seen her. Their squads had united in their search for Liv and were canvassing for witnesses and checking out surveillance cameras in the area from the coffee shop to SVU's crime scene, and unis had been searching Wheatley's various properties, but no one had any leads.
"Why would I want that trouble, Detective Stabler?" Wheatley replied conversationally. "I was trying to enjoy the holidays with my lovely wife and family when your officers so rudely detained me without probable cause. The jury found me not guilty of your wife's murder, so now you want to pin Captain Benson's disappearance on me? I should sue you for harassment."
"If anything has happened to her, I will see to it personally you will get the death penalty- one way or another," he threatened, fists clenched.
Wheatley just grinned. "Why are you so worried about her anyway? You were gone for ten years. You didn't seem to care about her then."
Elliot felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Where is she? This is your last chance."
Wheatley's eyes twinkled in mischief as he baited the detective. "Where were you when she was missing before?"
Bell chose that moment to enter interrogation. It was enough to ground Elliot, and he stormed out of the room. It wasn't the first time Wheatley had dropped this bomb on him. During his trial he had hinted at something bad happening to Liv, but Elliot wasn't sure if it was just one of his mind games, and with Eli running away, Liv and he had been focused on that. They'd had some brief, healing conversations about his leaving and how it had affected them both, but they hadn't had a chance to delve much deeper into their feelings or to discuss many events that happened to them during his absence.
Fin and Rollins were watching through the two-way glass. "Son of a bitch isn't budging," Fin commented as Bell took her turn with him.
"He thinks he can't lose," Rollins replied wryly. They had both had a try at Wheatley before Elliot had arrived, and it didn't look promising for him to reveal any information.
Elliot paced in the hallway behind them. "Where would he take her?"
"The unis reported back that his properties are clear," Rollins informed him. "No one has seen anything on surveillance. She hasn't tried to contact anyone."
"She can't just disappear. Someone had to have seen something!"
"I agree, man," Fin told him. "I sent them back out. But so far nothing."
Elliot got quiet and asked in a low voice. "How did it happen before?"
Rollins and Fin exchanged a look before Fin replied. He had to give it to him straight. "It was a perp that had gotten away with raping and torturing women. He targeted Liv, went to her apartment, ended up bringing her to some beach house. Had her for a few days before she got away." He sighed at the memory. "Seems like that sonofabitch was always one step ahead of us."
"But he's dead," Rollins chimed in. "He ended up eating his gun when we were closing in on him."
"Who knows about him?"
"Everyone," Rollins replied. "It was all over the news. If you were in New York at the time, you knew about it. Even made some national headlines. Would have been easy for Wheatley to find out about."
"I was overseas," Elliot replied guiltily. "I didn't know."
"Liv knows that," Fin reassured him. "We all know you would have been there if you knew. Thought about trying to track you down, but we put everything into finding her, didn't have the resources."
"It's my own fault," Elliot replied. "But I'm here now. And this one's on me. Wheatley's had me in his crosshairs. He knows Liv is important to me."
"Oh my god," Rollins said suddenly, something dawning on her. The men looked at her questioningly. "It was all over the news. Wheatley knew all the details. He took her to the beach house."
Fin and Elliot exchanged a look, and Rollins knocked on the glass. Bell joined them outside the room, and Elliot said confidently. "We know where she is," and they rushed off to the parking garage.
EOEOEO
It was dark and cold. Liv had been sitting for hours in a hard chair, her hands cuffed behind her to the heavy wooden frame of the bed next to her. The man had blindfolded her as he grabbed her off the sidewalk. She hadn't seen it coming. Truth be told, she was a bit distracted. She was headed to meet her squad at the crime scene, but she was daydreaming about her time with Elliot. She had been trying to let her walls down, to let him in again. She finally had dared to admit to herself how happy she was that he was back in her life. They fit like missing puzzle pieces to each other, and were right in sync working together on an occasional case and just recently looking for Eli when he ran off over his disappointment at Wheatley's 'not guilty' verdict. Elliot had told her she was his rock, that she meant the world to him, that he loved her…. It was all finally starting to sink in that he really meant it, that he was really back for good, and she was as important to him as he was to her. So when a dark unmarked van pulled up to park nearby on a busy holiday shopping night, Liv wasn't paying much attention. Her mouth was quickly covered as she was pulled inside, gagged and blindfolded. No one spoke after a heavy threat in a strange voice for her to cooperate, and it was quiet on the long drive. She tried to count how many times they stopped at traffic lights, tried to listen to the sounds around her, took note of when they made it to the freeway, and the sounds of the city started slipping away. This wasn't good. They were taking her far from home, and she had no idea who had her. Well, she had an idea. Who would target her now? She and Elliot suspected Wheatley was behind her car accident. And when they finally turned off the freeway her suspicions were confirmed.
"Nice to see you again, Captain Benson," the man beside her on the backseat finally spoke. "I wish it were under better circumstances." He then released the gag from her mouth and she spat in his direction. He simply laughed. "You are a fighter."
"Where are you taking me?" she asked calmly. She had been in many predicaments in her career and knew how to keep cool under pressure, especially now that she knew who she was up against. If Wheatley wanted her dead, he would have just shot her. This was something else. And she was pretty sure it was to bait Elliot.
"You'll find out soon enough," he replied. "Hopefully, Detective Stabler will find you. Not many vacationers out this way in the winter time."
"Why are you targeting him? You already killed his wife."
"I did you a favor," he answered in mock hurt. "Besides he went after my wife. Ex wife, but still…"
Liv had heard all about Elliot's misguided near-fling with Angela Wheatley during the trial. She felt more sorry for him than anything. In his hurt and confusion he had turned to the woman who had murdered Kathy, and she knew he would never forgive himself for that. She certainly wasn't going to hold it against him.
"Water under the bridge," Liv replied. "Let it go, and leave him and his family alone. Live your life. Pretend to be the upstanding citizen you claim to be. We can all put this behind us."
"Perhaps," he commented in amusement. "But let's see how this all plays out, shall we?"
After awhile, the van came to a stop. The cold air rushed through the door as it was opened by the driver. A man pulled her out, and she could smell the distinct odor of the ocean. They were at the shore.
"Good-bye, Captain Benson. Hope to see you around." The man shut the door at Wheatley's farewell, and he ushered her along a path. She heard a door being unlocked then she was led into a house and pushed down into a chair. Her hands were cuffed, and the blindfold was pulled off. The room was dark, but dawn was beginning to bring faint light through the nearby window. Liv saw the man's shadow depart without a word and heard the car drive off, leaving her very alone.
As the sun continued to rise, Liv could make out furnishings in the quiet room. She struggled against the cuffs, but it was an old fashioned heavy wooden four-poster bed, and it wasn't budging. She realized that Wheatley would leave a trail for Elliot to follow, and she expected he would find her at some point. She just hoped it was a game and not a trap. And she hoped he would figure it out fast. It was Christmas Eve morning, and she would be as devastated as Noah to not be with him tonight.
One thing on her side was that she was sure someone was looking for her by now. She was a no show to her squad, a no show to Elliot, and Lucy had been expecting her to pick Noah up before bedtime. Someone knew she was missing. Unlike-
Liv gasped and felt the sudden urge to throw up. She instantly realized where Wheatley had taken her. It had been repainted and refurnished, but not much else as had changed in the little beach house she had last seen eight years ago. As the sun began to illuminate the room more clearly, Liv tried to calm her breathing. Flashes of her time with William Lewis appeared in her mind, the terror she felt, the pain he inflicted, the uncertainty if she would make it out alive, the hope that someone would come to her rescue. In the end she had rescued herself, subdued Lewis- more than subdued him- she thought wryly, and survived. The scattered scars on her torso were a constant reminder. But after the second time he'd taken her that resulted in his death, after years of therapy and dealing her PTSD, she rarely thought of Lewis. An occasional nightmare or anxiety attack still plagued her, especially if a case hit too close to home, but overall she had come out stronger and more determined. But she never expected to end up back here, and it was too much. She closed her eyes and tried to use relaxation techniques taught to her by her therapist. She didn't expect the ghost of William Lewis to physically torment her, but she wished for the same thing as when he was there in person- for Elliot to come to her. But this time, she was certain that he actually would.
EOEOEO
Fin drove with the siren flashing, making good time in the early morning hours. Elliot sat quietly beside him, his body tense, praying that Liv was safe. Bell had stayed behind to monitor for other leads, while Rollins and Velasco followed Fin's car. A quaint neighborhood finally appeared before them, and the vehicles pulled up to the all too familiar house.
"Liv?!" Elliot yelled as he raced to the door.
"Stabler!" Fin admonished, knowing they should be taking a more cautious approach for everyone's safety. But he knew Elliot wasn't going to listen. Rollins and Velasco motioned to Fin that they would cover the back and headed that way. Fin slowly approached the front door where Elliot had disappeared, ready to cover him if needed.
In and out, in and out. Liv focused on her breathing. Her eyes were still clamped shut. She imagined she was with Noah at the park. He was playing tag with Elliot and she watched them together, happy. In her mind Elliot turned to smile at her and called her name. "Liv!" She could almost hear his footsteps as he came over to her. "Liv, it's me. You're ok." His voice sounded relieved but shaky. "Hey, look at me. It's ok now. I'm here." She was pulled back to the present with a jolt.
"Elliot," she whispered in a raspy voice as she opened her eyes to see him smiling at her for real. His eyes threatened to leak as his hand reached out to tenderly touch her cheek.
"Hey," he greeted her. "We'll get these cuffs off you."
Rollins, Velasco and Fin all entered the bedroom. "It's clear," Fin remarked. "You ok?"
"Yeah," Liv managed to speak. "He didn't do anything. Wheatley just left me here. Playing mind games with Elliot."
Rollins came over and gave her shoulder a squeeze as Velasco worked at the cuffs. "Noah spent the night at Lucy's. He doesn't know anything."
Liv smiled gratefully. "Thanks." Her hands were free, and she stood up carefully, Elliot holding her arm protectively.
"I'll call Bell to formally arrest Wheatley," Rollins added and headed back outside, Velasco following.
"I need to get out of here," Liv said and headed towards the back door. Fin nodded at Elliot, who trailed after her out onto the sand. Liv took a deep breath of the clean ocean air as she watched the sunrise over the horizon. Seagulls could be heard faintly overhead, and the faint sound of horns drifted in the wind from fishing boats bringing in their latest haul down the shore.
Elliot gently put his arm on her shoulders and they stood quietly for a few minutes. Finally he said quietly, "I should have been here." From the heaviness in his voice, she knew he wasn't talking about Wheatley. They had already talked briefly about his guilt surrounding his leaving SVU, leaving HER. But he hadn't known about Lewis then, and she could only imagine the inner turmoil he was putting himself through. He had always been her biggest protector, and the time she needed him the most he hadn't been there for it. They both knew it, but nothing could change the past.
"You're here now," she said firmly. Their eyes met, an unspoken understanding. Elliot nodded and pulled her in close. He held her tightly, grounding each other, taking comfort in finally being free to hold each other as long as they needed.
Rollins walked around the house to the back to check on her friend and to let her and Stabler know that Bell was throwing Wheatley back in a cell- for good this time. Kidnapping a NYPD captain wasn't something he could easily weasel his way out of. She stopped in her tracks as she watched the tender embrace. It was like they were the only two people in the world.
Fin came up beside her. "Good," he commented, noting the couple before him.
"I've never seen Liv like this," Rollins observed. "I want to hate the guy for the way he ghosted her, but it seems like since he's been back, she's been so happy. I tried talking to her once about her trusting him, but she got pretty defensive so I backed off. And she's letting him comfort her. She's so fiercely independent, ya know. She just doesn't let people in like that."
"It's Elliot," he replied as if that was enough of an explanation. "Let's give them a minute."
She nodded and followed him back out to the cars. Unis had arrived and were beginning to check the house for evidence. Liv would need to be questioned, but it could wait until they got back to the squad room. It was still early. Everyone should be able to get back to their families by Christmas Eve night.
EOEOEO
Loud and chaotic was what Elliot had promised her, and he was right. Maureen and Carl had brought Carl's nephews for Christmas Eve dinner, and they were chasing each other around the living room with nerf guns. Dickie and Liz were bickering good naturedly like they did when they were kids. Bernie and Kathleen were cleaning up the dinner dishes after shooing away Olivia's offer to help. Maureen and Carl were watching Noah in amusement as he practiced his latest dance moves that he had recently performed in a holiday recital. And Eli sat in the corner with his headphones on and his mind focused on a game on his phone, but would occasionally look up at the scene before him. The man his dad thought was responsible for his mom's murder had gotten away with it, and it was hard to deal with. Eli had taken off after the trial and ended up at the cemetery, crying at his mom's grave. But when his dad and Olivia found him there, he was relieved. They weren't mad at him, they understood. After a long heart-to-heart with his dad, Elliot had walked away to make some calls, and Olivia had kneeled down next to Eli.
"Your mom was an amazing person," she commented. "She was a great mom, and she loved her family more than anything."
Eli nodded in agreement. "Dad said you saved her life once, when I was born. My life, too."
Olivia smiled at the memory. "One of the scariest days of my life. But she and you pulled through just fine. You were so tiny. It was the first time I ever held a newborn. I was so scared I would drop you. But I knew I had to keep you safe until your mom and dad could hold you."
"I hadn't heard that story before," he admitted. "Not until Dad told me the other day. He didn't really like to talk about New York." He shrugged. "We would visit Grandma every couple years for the holidays. My brother and sisters would take me out to explore. But dad just stayed close to home. I always thought he hated New York. Then suddenly we're living here."
"Life is complicated," Liv replied thoughtfully. "I'm really sorry about what happened to your mom. But if you ever need someone to talk to, my door's open. I know you don't remember me well, but I love you guys. If you ever need anything, you can come to me."
A knot swelled in the teen's throat as he nodded. "Thanks. I know my dad trusts you and… if you guys are together or something it's ok with me. He seems happy."
"You're a good kid, Eli," she told him with a smile. "Your dad and I are taking it slow. We have to get to know each other again. But I hope to spend more time with both of you. And maybe you can meet my son. I've always been a single mom. He could use a mentor like you."
Eli smiled thoughtfully at the memory as he glanced at Olivia over his phone. She knew about the drugs, knew he'd run away and caused problems for his dad. But she still wanted him to be her kid's mentor. He was proud that she trusted him. He was beginning to understand why his siblings liked her so much. And he was amused at the little boy who was twirling around the living room. He had played with him before dinner on his PS5 and promised he would teach him soccer another time. In return, Noah had promised to teach him some dance moves. Eli laughed to himself as he continued his game. Dance was not his thing, but you never know.
Elliot caught his youngest son glancing at Liv from time to time and was happy. He missed Kathy, god knows he never wanted anything bad to happen to her. But while she was in everyone's mind, his family was able to appreciate what they still had and enjoy being together. It was a new house, a new tradition. And he hoped that Liv would continue to be a part of it.
"Ow," she commented next to him on the couch as a nerf bullet bounced off her arm. She pointed her finger accusingly at the shooter. "Do I need to arrest you?" she joked.
"Sorry!" one of the boys yelled and chased after his brother. Elliot laughed and stood up, grabbing her hand to pull her up off the couch with him.
"This way," he said conspiratorially as he led her out back, noting the knowing look his mom gave him as they walked by. "Peace and quiet." He took a deep breath as he shut the door behind him. "Sorry you came yet?"
"Never," she laughed as she walked up to him and unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him. "This has been really nice."
"Yes," he agreed as he held her close. Light snowflakes were beginning to fall around them. "Maybe a white Christmas for the kids."
"Maybe I'll take Noah sledding tomorrow after Santa comes."
"I miss those days," Elliot commented as he stood back, his hands wrapped around her waist.
"Noah suspects the truth, but he doesn't want to take any chances," she replied with a grin, her hands resting on his shoulders. "You know," she continued thoughtfully, "Christmas when I was a kid wasn't all that great. But I've come to realize that Serena did love me in her way. She did her best."
Elliot nodded. "My dad wasn't exactly father of the year. And my mom, if she realized it was Christmastime she usually went a little overboard. I'm glad she's back in my life," he confessed. "I feel like I have a second chance with her. I'm getting to appreciate her for who she is."
"She's pretty special," Liv agreed. "And making her kid dress up as a carrot is pretty cute."
Elliot narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I have a feeling there's something I don't know about."
Liv laughed. God, how he loved to hear her laugh. And she was so beautiful standing out here with him, snowflakes softly decorating her wavy chestnut hair.
"You're pretty special, too," he said softly. They smiled fondly at each other, blue and brown eyes gazing tenderly. He pulled her in a bit closer, leaning down to touch his lips to her forehead. "I never want to lose you again, Liv."
"I'm not going anywhere," she answered quietly. She moved her hands up to his neck and pulled him closer. Their foreheads were touching, and their breath was visible mingling in the cold night air. Liv felt like she could stand there like that forever, feeling safe and loved and protected. She had missed him so much. She slowly moved her face so their lips brushed against each other.
Elliot's heart swelled. He moved in closer, their warm lips pressed together. He gave her several light kisses, then her mouth parted with his and they finally tasted each other. They breathed each other in, tongues caressing and exploring. She grabbed his shirt to pull him closer as he stroked her hair. When they finally came up for air, they held each other tight, their faces nuzzling.
"Merry Christmas, Liv," Elliot said contentedly.
"Merry Christmas, El," Liv replied happily. And happy she was, more than she could ever remember. She was accomplished in her career, she had the son she'd always dreamed of, and her best friend- her soulmate- was back in her life. It was definitely a very merry Christmas, full of hope and love, and Liv realized with a full heart that their parallel universe was now.