"So Elliot Stabler's your husband huh.. He seems like a really good guy. I should have known it was him come to think of it your nickname for him is obvious Amaro chuckled with a smile. "Seriously though Liv why didn't you just tell us it was him? It would have saved you a lot of heartache and them a lot of wondering."
Olivia smiled at the first part "yeah it is isn't it... I've called him El for as long as I can remember just like he's always called me Liv, you know he's the first 1 who ever called me that?"
Nick smiled I actually didn't know that but for some strange reason it doesn't surprise me in the slightest" he said as he drove away from the precinct "I'm serious though Olivia why didn't you just tell us?" He asked again.
She sighed "I had several reasons Nick the main 2 being that I didn't wanna have to answer all kinds of questions about how he was doing after the shooting because it was his story to tell and I'm usually a person who keeps her personal life and work life separate."
Nick sighed "so you figured just not introducing us would be better.."
She sighed "yes... Look Nick it wasn't supposed to be forever, initially it was only gonna be until El got a little better but time got away from me, us... Cases got crazy, Izzabella got sick... For what it's worth though I'm really glad you guys met, I think it was good for El and I have no doubt that he'll stop by more now that he's done it once."
He nodded "that's good to here what all happened with him? I mean I remember when I first started working in SVU during your leave of absence that he wouldn't return any of Fin's phone calls."
Olivia shook her head at him "that's not my story to tell, any questions that you have about El's mental health or the shooting need to be asked to him not me."
Amarro nodded "fair enough do you think he'll tell me?"
Olivia sighed "he probably will in time once you guys get to know each other better but I wouldn't go asking him right now."
He nodded "that's understandable Liv I wont ask for now but I will say whatever did happen he had to have been a good cop because I know you learned from him and I'm learning from you now."
She nodded and smiled "he was the best... great with the victims, hard on the perps... He's really good at knowing when to be kind and when to be intimidating and it always showed out in the field... I know it's crazy and I know I'm his wife but I still miss him working beside me every day..."
Amarro nodded "yeah I know you do Liv and I think he misses it too I mean if he didn't I don't think he would have sat there with you for 25 minutes just watching you type today."
She chuckled and smiled "yeah your probably right do me a favor though Nick?"
He nodded "sure."
"If you guys do develop this friendship that for the record I really hope happens keep this conversation between us ok? I don't want him to feel bad for doing what he needed to do for himself."
Nick nodded "it'll stay between us Liv" he said as her phone then rang "Benson" she answered.
"Hey Liv it's Don, i know I've sent you to mercy i just thought i'd call and give you the heads up."
"Okay what's going on?" She asked slightly concerned.
"It's Lewis, he's officially out the judge declared the mistrial this morning."
"Damnit! He shouldn't be getting out there's gotta be something we can do. Some way we can stop this."
"I'm sorry Olivia, i really am but there's nothing we can do, it's out of our hands."
She sighed over the phone "Yeah i know, did they at least remand him while Barba considers a retrial?"
Cragen sighed "sadly no they didn't he was given a bail amount and his lawyer/girlfriend posted it for him."
Olivia sighed "that figures."
"This isn't over Liv I promise you that I'm pretty certain that Barba's gonna try him again, his good luck streaks gotta end somewhere."
"Yeah i really hope so, preferably before he gets to hurt someone else. Hey cap we're about to pull up at Mercy, I've gotta go but are we still good to talk later?"
"Yes Olivia of course is every thing okay?"
"Yeah it is Captain I promise."
"Alright just making sure Liv you seem off, see you back at the house" he said as he hung up and Olivia sighed.
"what is it Liv?" Amaro asked.
"Lewis is out, mistrial."
"Damn," he said as they got out of the car "whatcha gotta talk to the cap about?"
Olivia smiled "it's nothing bad or anything I just wanna get some furlough approved it's been 2 years sense I had a vacation or Elliot spent much time with his older kids besides on major holidays so it's about time that we do that."
Nick nodded understanding "how long you planning on taking?"
Olivia smiled "I figure around a month."
Amaro nodded "we'll miss you around here but it'll be good for you to take some time off we all need it once and a while."
She smiled and nodded "isn't that the truth" she said as they stepped into the hospital.
Across town Elliot and Izzabella wheeled a shopping cart together in the grocery store "so you wanted chocolate milk?"
"Yeah daddy" Izzabella said with a bright smile as El nodded, grabbed 2 gallon jugs of it and put them in the buggy "whatcha say we make some cookies tonight too? I think mommy would really love that considering the week she's had."
"Yay cookies!" Izzabella jumped up and down and clapped her hands as Elliot just smiled watching her.
"Your daughter is so cute", a man said to Elliot with a smile grabbing something and putting it into his buggy. He looked to be around 6 feet tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and a rough looking round scar on his left cheek. He also looked exhausted and like he had had a rough few days as he had some bruises on his face. Elliot smiled and looked over at him "thanks yeah she is, my kids and wife are my hole world." He said tossing the cookie mix into his buggy.
"I don't have a wife or kids but i imagine if i did i'd feel the same way you do. Lewis Wilkins", he reached his hand out to shake Elliot's.
"Elliot Stabler, it's nice to meat you Lewis, what happened to your face?" He asked noticing the bruises.
"Ahh it's nothing I just got into a bar fight this morning."
"Ahh" Elliot said with a slightly raised eyebrow
"Hi my name's izzabella" she said with a bright smile interjecting herself into the conversation.
"Hi sweetie it's nice to meat you as well, I know your mommy," he whispered the last part in her ear as El slightly smiled then discreetly pulled her closer to him "hey kiddo whatcha say we finish buying what we need, i can put our groceries away then we can go to the park for a while before it's time to make dinner and cookies?"
"Ok daddy!" izzabella said with a bright smile "can i sit in the front of the buggy?"
"Of course kiddo he said with a smile hoisting her up and putting her in figuring Lewis had already moved along to buy the rest of his stuff "what did that man whisper to you?" He asked softly.
She smiled "he just said he knows mommy, it's no big deal daddy he seems nice and mommy does have other friends besides you right?"
Elliot nodded with a slight smile "yeah she does sweetie, daddy just worries to much doesn't he" he said as he gently tickled her then resumed their shopping.
A little while later all of their groceries were bought as they stood in the checkout line with the milk, cookies, some charcoal for their grill, a package of ribeye steaks, a 5 pound bag of potatoes, a 6 pack of beer, a bottle of Olivia's favorite wine , a box of fruity pebbles, a box of gram crackers, a bag of marshmallows, , a new bottle of Izzabella's multivitamins and 2 packs of Hershey bars.
Lewis checked out at the other register with 3 bottles of vodka, 2 bags of bbq chips, 2 frozen pizzas, 4 king sized Hershey bars, a bottle of pseudoephedrine , a case of water, a cigarette lighter, a nuttybutty bar and 3 packs of cigarettes as once he paid for his items and walked out with his buggy in tow he smirked, totally unnoticed by Elliott who was busy texting Olivia and helping Izzabella into the car.
16th precinct.
"Ugh my phone's dead," Olivia complained to Amaro at the lockers as she put the picture that Izzabella had given to her earlier into hers.
He smiled slightly "I doubt your missing anything Liv, here I'll take it and put it on charge for you while you talk to the captain."
She nodded and smiled "thanks Nick" she said as she headed to his office and nocked on the door.
"Come in," Cragen called as she nodded and entered "hey Olivia , shut the door and have a seat."
She smiled, nodded and obliged "first tell me what we have on our new case."
She nodded the victim's name is Lory Taylor, 26, she was pulled behind some shrubbery at central park, the perp held a knife to her throat, gagged her with a rag, raped her from behind then knocked her out with a large rock before removing the rag and fleeing the crime scene.
He nodded "what'd the rape kit show?"
She sighed "there were signs of rape but no DNA was found."
He nodded "alright I'll talk to Fin and Rollins once we're through here, see if they interviewed anybody who saw anything. So to your furlough request, why now?"
She sighed "captain it's been 2 years since I took a vacation of any sort, I feel like I'm getting close to my burnout point and I just need to take some time to spend with my family and take care of myself."
Cragen nodded his head understanding "you know Liv I remember just a few years ago you'd bight my head off for even suggesting such a thing, I'm honestly happy that your taking this time, I'd even say I'm a tad bit proud how long do you need?"
Olivia smiled "back all those years ago I didn't have a daughter to go home to every night and me and El were partners, I was hoping to get a month starting tomorrow? Izzabella's gonna have a doctors appointment anyway tomorrow and I need to be there."
Cragen sighed "tomorrow's a little short notice Olivia and we just got this new case, I'll give you tentative time off starting tomorrow but if there's an emergency you'll still be called in until the 27th does that work for you?"
She sighed "I guess it does, we're probably gonna go out of town though so on the 27th at midnight my phone's going off and I'll be unreachable."
Cragen nodded "fair enough, I hope you guys enjoy your vacation and unless we get slammed I'll see you back here on June 28th."
Olivia nodded "thank you captain, I wanna do 1 more thing while I'm in here."
He nodded "what's that?"
She smiled "now that every one knows who I'm married to I wanna change my name on my personnel file to Olivia Benson-Stabler like it belongs."
Cragen nodded and smiled "I thought you'd never ask, I've been waiting for you to make that request for 3 years I'll get it done."
She smiled "thanks captain" she said as she stepped out of his office with a little more pep in her step.
5 PM: The Stabler home.
Elliot pulled up in the driveway of their house as he was quite exhausted from spending 2 hours at the park after putting all of their groceries away. "Hey kiddo you wanna jump on the trampoline while I get the grill started?"
She smiled big and nodded her head , still full of energy as she jumped out of the car and ran over to it.
Elliot smiled and chuckled if I could only bottle up some of that energy and sell it for 100 an ounce we'd be rich he thought to himself as he checked his phone again for a response to the text he had sent to Olivia asking her if she knew a Lewis Wilkins as he sighed, once again seeing she hadn't responded yet she must be super busy... Surely I'm overthinking this hole thing, I've gotta stop worrying so much Cragen was right this morning she can take care of herself and besides I'm sure William Lewis is still in jail... He thought to himself as he then saw a note on his front door "strange..." He said allowed as he went to read it as he was being watched unknowingly behind his shed.
When he reads this he's gonna be so mad, he'll take their daughter and leave then I'll have Olivia all to myself when she gets here. The man thought to himself as he smirked watching Elliot.
Elliot untaped the note from his front door, unfolded it then started to read.
Your wife might be your hole world but she's not the person you think she is, she is being unfaithful to you I saw it with my own eyes, she loves another man more than you, if you need proof text me at 555:967:3688 and I'll send you that proof, sincerely, anonymous.
Elliot chuckled slightly reading the note as he balled it up, tossed it into the trash can then put the charcoal on the grill. I thought April fools day came in April not May he thought to himself as he put the steaks on then went over to jump on the trampoline with his daughter.
Damnit that's not how I expected him to react... oh well I'll just have to get out of here before I'm spotted, think of another plan and try again another day the man thought from his spot behind Elliot's shed as he then got up and escaped into the night.