May 30th, 8:20 AM.
Izzabella woke slightly with her head on someones shoulder, it's probably daddy's shoulder she thought to herself.
She let herself think that for a minute but then quickly shook her head to herself it can't be daddy's shoulder I didn't see him at all for a while, she remembered as she quickly rolled off of the shoulder her head was on as with out looking any closer at the people on the bed she tried to scurry off it.
Izzabella was able to tiptoe out of the room with out being noticed as she never looked at the bed at all just for a way out of the room she had been in as once she was out she quietly walked down the hallway "sissy Mo? Uncle Carl? W-Where a-are you guys? W-Where are we?"
When she got no response she began to grow more panicked "s-sissy Mo! U-Uncle Carl, I-I'm scared!"
Elliot started to wake slightly from his deep sleep having heard a noise as he held Olivia closer to him "s-s-sissy Mo... u-uncle C-Carl... h-help me pleas..." Izzabella cried as Elliot heard her and quickly laid Olivia down then rushed out of the bed.
Izzabella continued to cry as she scanned the rooms in a panic "Izzabella daddy's here kiddo, daddy's here theres no need for you to be afraid I promise," he said softly as he calmly approached her.
When Izzabella saw him she quickly ran into his arms and clung tightly to him "I-I was scared daddy I-I woke up in a strange room with white walls a-and a strange bed... W-where's mommy? W-where's sissy Mo and uncle Carl?"
"Shhh, shhh, shhh everything's okay sweet girl, everything's okay mommy's sleeping in the bed we were just in and sissy Mo and uncle Carl are safe I promise," he said softly as he swayed slightly.
Izzabella nodded her head a few times as she calmed down slightly "w-where are we daddy?"
"We're at grandpa Don's house baby me, you and mommy are gonna stay here for a couple days."
She nodded her head quickly in relief "I-I'm hungry daddy," she said after a couple minutes.
Elliot nodded slightly "okay sweetheart I'll fix you something, you wanna watch Team Umizoomi while I heat it up?"
Izzabella nodded her head with an excited smile as Elliot nodded and sat her in front of the tv then went about heating her up one of the sandwiches with some fries.
Before long Izzabella had happily finished her breakfast as Liv joined them in the living room around 9 o'clock "morning guys," she said with a smile.
"Good morning mommy! You wanna watch team Umizoomi with me?" Izzabella asked cheerfully.
"Sure kiddo," she said as she sat down beside her on the couch and Elliot walked over to them "morning baby how you feeling today?"
"Okay, still not quite right but better than last night you?"
"Rested, I actually feel rested this morning I think leaving mom's was the right call you hungry?"
Olivia nodded "yeah a bit, did Cragen make any coffee this morning before he left?"
Elliot nodded "he did, he even put the cream and sugar out for us," he said with a smile as Olivia stood to go make a cup "no mommy no please stay..." Izzabella said.
"I'll be right back sweetie I promise I'm only going into the kitchen to make me something to drink."
"But they're almost to the best part..." she whined pointing at the tv as Elliot chuckled slightly "I think somebody needs some mommy time hmm?" He said as he then looked to Liv "I'll fix you a cup honey," he said as he stepped away and Olivia went back to watching the cartoon with Izzabella.
By 11 o'clock the three of them had all eaten breakfast and watched four episodes of Team Umizoomi together as Elliot received a text message from Lizzie.
Lizzie: Me and Katie are about to pass through the Manhattan city limits, you wanna eat lunch at the 24 hour waffle shop on 4th av?
Elliot: We had a pretty big breakfast so we're not really hungry right now I'm sorry but you guys can get yourselves whatever you want and come over to captain Cragen's to eat.
Lizzie: okay dad sounds great, see you in 30, heads up Kathleen wants to run something by you when we get there.
Elliot: Okay sounds great, see you soon, love you honey.
Lizzie: Love you too daddy.
Elliot smiled when he read the message as he looked to Olivia "Lizzie and Kathleen will be here in around 30 minutes to hang out with us for a little while before Lizzie flies home this evening."
Olivia nodded with a smile "did Kathleen say if she's flying back with her? I know Lizzie said she was short on money the other day."
"She didn't say, she has something to run by me though so who knows what it is."
"I doubt it's anything bad," Olivia said with a smile as she stood up "would you mind to go ahead and help me get dressed that way we don't have to spend any time doing it while they're here?"
Elliot nodded "of course sweetheart come on," he said with a smile as they walked to the guest bedroom in sync.
"The dot that was on your arm last night looks more like a bump now does it hurt or itch?" Elliot asked as he noticed it after putting cream on Olivia's now unbandaged burns as they were healing nicely.
She shook her head "not really it's just still a little tender I think it's just a little bug bight."
He nodded slightly but tapped his head with his fingers in thought "bug bights usually itch though and where would you have gotten it from?"
"Central park maybe or something could have bitten me while we were giving our press conference, I'm not to worried about it El it'll go away on it's own."
Elliot nodded slightly "a-alright," he said as he helped her put her bra and shirt on with a wary expression "if it starts to hurt though or gets any bigger please tell me."
Olivia nodded her head then smiled "you ready to go out there and see the girls?"
Elliot nodded "I am," he said as as soon as they walked out the girls pulled up "that was perfect timing," Elliot said as he went to the door and let them in as both girls greeted him with hugs.
Elliot hugged them back warmly as he noticed a hint of nervousness in Kathleen's eyes "everything okay honey?" he asked softly keeping his hold on her while Lizzie situated their food on the table.
Kathleen nodded her head "y-yeah everything's fine dad," she said with a slight smile as she pulled away after a moment and joined Lizzie at the table as Liv and El sat across from them.
"This is a really nice place your captain has," Kathleen said with a smile as she started to eat.
Olivia nodded "I agree it is he was holding out on us," she said as she chuckled "we had never been here before until last week."
Kathleen nodded "gotcha," she said as Lizzie sighed reading a text on her phone "what's the matter honey?" Elliot asked
Lizzie sighed "Jim's pestering me about getting home, says I don't need to be here, that the city is to big and that you guys don't need my help anymore, I told him my flight leaves at five but he said I should have gotten an earlier one."
Elliot sighed "whose Jim?"
"Mom's new husband," she said as Elliot frowned "you know if you don't want to fly home right now you don't have to right? Your an adult now and I don't want you feeling pressured into anything."
She nodded and sighed "yeah I know dad but I rather just keep the piece."
"Sis you've got to learn how to stand up for yourself in this world if you don't people will run over you," Kathleen said.
Lizzie sighed slightly as Elliot nodded "she's right honey, at least to a point but listen I don't want you to feel pressured by us either you finished your freshman year and you deserve the right to spend your time away from school where ever you want to not where anyone tells you you need to."
Lizzie nodded slightly and sighed "I wanna split it up, spend part of it with you and Liv and part of it with mom and Jim but I don't have the money to fly a lot and I know your house still isn't ready and I don't wanna be a bother so"-
"Lizzie sweetheart you are not a bother to us do you hear me? You could never be a bother to us," Elliot said adamantly as Olivia nodded in agreement "your dad is right sweetie you are nothing but a joy to have around I'm serious."
"But Jim said"-
Elliot shook his head "I don't care what Jim said you are not a bother honey and we'll be trying to go home pretty soon anyway, what is Jim's phone number?"
"Why?" Lizzie asked nervously.
"Just tell me Lizzie what is it?"
"Your not gonna fight with him are you? I-I wasn't trying to start any trouble I never should have said anything."
"I'll try to keep it civil please give it to me sweetheart?"
Lizzie sighed slightly and nodded her head "it's 305:555:1101."
"Thank you honey," Elliot said as he quickly put it into his phone "so Kathleen what were you wanting to run by me?"
Kathleen sighed and wrung her hands under the table "I umm have a new boyfriend that I'd like for you and Liv to meet."
Elliot nodded "I see, fly him up here I'd love to meet him."
She sighed "it's not that simple he refuses to fly to Nu York and he lives in Chicago, you'd have to fly to Chicago to meet him."
Elliot sighed "honey I don't have the money to fly right now maybe we could try a Skype call? And if he's from Chicago how did you meet him?"
Kathleen smiled then "him and his buddies were vacationing in one of the condos close to mine about two months ago and we met then, it's been long distance ever since. He's such a good guy though and it's getting really serious so I just feel like it's time."
Elliot nodded "I see and I definitely want to meet him in person," he said as Olivia nodded in agreement "but I just don't have the money to fly all of us out there right now by the end of next month I probably will but right now I just don't, could you maybe set up a Skype call for us this evening? I know it wouldn't be the same but it'd be something until we can make it out there to meet him in person."
Kathleen nodded her head "I'll text him and ask."
Elliot nodded and slightly smiled "thank you honey has your mom met him yet?"
"No not yet, we were keeping it sorta on the down-low but then like I said it started to get serious so I told him we needed to slow things down a little until you guys can all meet him."
Elliot nodded "that makes sense tell me a little about him."
Kathleen smiled "his name is Brad Young but his friends call him skitter, he used to work at a factory in the south side of Chicago but he got laid off so now he's sorta in between jobs, he likes cars and working on cars, he's a really good guy I really think you'll like him."
"Skitter huh? Why skidder?" Elliot asked as Olivia was frowning slightly.
Kathleen still smiled "I asked him that too, he said it's because he's quick you know like skidding tires?"
Elliot nodded slightly "I guess so honey, definitely get that call planned we should definitely meet him."
Kathleen nodded "I'll try for sure," she said as Elliot nodded "good would you guys like a cookie?"
Everyone nodded their heads as Elliot smiled and brought the tray of them over as before to much longer it was time for him and Liv to go "we've got to go to an appointment it'll take a couple hours Lizzie have you already paid for your flight?"
She shook her head "I haven't yet was gonna pay when I get there."
Elliot nodded "why don't you cancel it? Hang with Katie for tonight and I'll talk to Jim and your mom a little later, see what we can work out to where you get to spend time with all of us at some point during your summer brake sound good?"
Lizzie nodded her head gratefully "and your sure it's not a bother dad?"
Elliot nodded "I'm positive, cross my heart honey and I'm pissed at whoever has put that idea into your head."
Olivia nodded "so am I," she said agreeing as Kathleen went over to Izzabella "would you like to go to the central park zoo?" she asked cheerfully.
Izzabella smiled brightly and jumped up and down eagerly as once see you laters were said and goodbye hugs were given to Izzabella Liv and El headed out.
"What the hell kind of a nickname is skidder? That guy is bad news," Olivia said as they sat stuck in a traffic jam on the way to Dr. Lindstrom's office.
Elliot sighed "I haven't got a clue and it definitely sounds like it, I'm trying to keep an open mind though until I actually talk to him... Not that I'm finding that easy to do right now..."
She nodded "yeah neither am I if the guy can't even hold down a job he shouldn't be dating her he'll just drain her dry."
He nodded "I'll agree with that but let me play devil's advocate for a second, we don't know why he was laid off."
Olivia nodded "you do have a point there I just can't get over the crazy nickname."
Elliot sighed "yeah me either and the fact that Chicago is gang central... Did you hear about the head of their gang unit getting arrested last year? I read about it on a cop blog."
She sighed "I think I did yeah his son was driving drunk, paralyzed a boy and he threatened a firefighter that was on the scene."
Elliot nodded "yepp that's the case, some of the bloggers thought he maybe took bribes from the head of the G Park Lords."
Olivia frowned "what do you think?"
Elliot sighed "you know how those blogs are, 90% of the stuff on them is either speculation or lies so I think it's possible but I'm not gonna say for sure that anything on that site is true."
Olivia nodded "for that cities sake I hope it isn't, do you remember the cops name?"
"Yeah me too, no I don't honey I'm sorry it was over six months ago. that I read it."
Olivia shook her head with a smile "no worries El I'm sure I can find out myself," she said as they finally were able to inch forward a little.
Elliot nodded "if you do let me know if any of it was true."
Olivia nodded "will do," she said as a few minutes later they pulled into the parking lot "you ready honey?" Elliot asked.
Olivia sighed "yeah I'm just a bit nervous."
Elliot nodded and gently squeezed her shoulder "it'll be okay baby I'll be right with you and he won't judge you just listen to you."
She sighed slightly "you won't be with me at first the receptionist said he'd wanna talk to us separately."
Elliot nodded and sighed slightly "do you wanna pull away? Head back to Cragens? If so just say the word and that's what we'll do but I know you can do this."
Olivia thought it over for a minute as her expression then grew determined "no, no I'm ready, I'm gonna do this," she said as she nodded several times to herself then determinedly stepped out of the truck.
Elliot smiled as he walked around to where she was standing and gently kissed her right temple as he then looped his arm through hers "lets do this partner," he said softly as she smiled slightly and they walked in together.
Around 30 minutes passed as in that time they filled out all of the mandatory paperwork "my last page is through at," Elliot looked at his watch "12:56."
Olivia chuckled, smiled and signed her last sheet a minute later "we had pretty good timing you want me to take the papers up front?"
Elliot shook his head "I've got it baby," he said with a smile as Liv nodded as while he was gone she held the back of her hand to the now warm and slightly bigger spot on her arm as the fact that the area was so warm to the touch perplexed her.
When she saw Elliot coming back to his seat she quickly moved her hand not wanting to worry him about it right now as he sat down "the nerve of some people," he said through a sigh.
"What happened El?" she asked concernedly.
Elliot sighed "the woman asked me if I consented, like you'd force me here against my will or something people like that piss me off."
"She was probably just following standard procedure El," Olivia said calmly.
He nodded "yeah maybe but still," he said as Lindstrom then stepped out into the waiting room "Mr. and Mrs. Stabler?"
"That's us," Elliot said as Lindstrom nodded "which one of you would like to go first?"
"You know we'd actually feel more comfortable staying together if that's okay," Elliot said as he remembered what Liv said earlier but figured it was worth a try to ask for the chance of keeping her a little more comfortable.
Lindstrom nodded "I understand but I'd like the opportunity to get to know you both as individuals before I talk to you together."
Elliot sighed and glanced at Olivia as after she gave a slight nod he nodded to Lindstrom "okay fine," he said as he then faced Olivia again "you wanna go first baby?"
Lindstrom watched them closely as he was learning quite a bit from their body language as Olivia gave a hesitant nod "I'll be right out here if you need me baby," he said softly as Olivia nodded then stood up "she'll be safe with me Mr. Stabler I assure you," Lindstrom said.
Elliot gave him a slight nod as Lindstrom returned it with a friendly smile "this way Mrs. Stabler," he said as he walked towards his office.
Olivia followed him with a slightly nervous look "where do you want me to sit?" she asked once the door was closed.
"Where ever you'd feel the most comfortable, I want you to feel safe here this is a safe space."
Olivia gave a slight nod as she had a seat on the couch and Lindstrom slightly smiled "so to start with I'd just like for you to tell me a little bit about yourself."
Olivia nodded her head "well my name is Olivia Benson-Stabler, me and Elliot have a beautiful daughter together, Izzabella she just turned three, he also has four kids from a previous marriage that I love like they're my own."
Lindstrom nodded "it seems like family is very important to you."
Olivia nodded "it's everything."
Lindstrom smiled "what do you do for work?"
Olivia sighed "I'm sure you know already," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
He smiled "maybe I do but just humor me?"
Olivia gave him a nod "I work with the Manhattan special victims unit, I've worked there since 1998."
He nodded "do you like your job?"
She nodded "I do yes it gives me a purpose and it's really rewarding when me and my team get a rapist off the street."
Lindstrom nodded "does your husband support your work?"
She nodded "he does he did it alongside me for a really long time."
"He doesn't anymore?" Lindstrom enquired.
Olivia shook her head sadly "he needed to retire for his mental wellbeing."
He nodded "how did that make you feel?"
Olivia sighed "I-I understand it but I'm not here to discuss that, I-I don't want to talk about that today."
Lindstrom nodded his head "okay that's fine we don't have to, what has brought you guys here to see me today?"
Olivia sighed slightly and rubbed her finger across her wedding ring "I-I was abducted by a serial predator, his name was William Lewis, he broke into our home, tortured me on our bed, I won't go into all the details now but I've been really jumpy since it happened and I've had several nightmares."
Lindstrom nodded slightly "I see, those are both normal reactions to trauma can you tell me about the nightmares?"
She sighed slightly but nodded "t-they all have a common theme, they'll start out with Lewis about to rape me or something of that sort then I'll scream for Elliot , he'll come for me t-then die trying to save me..."
Lindstrom nodded "it seems like you have a fear of losing him in some way and it might be manifesting itself in your dreams."
Olivia shook her head adamantly "our marriage is great, we hardly ever even fight I'm not worried about that at all."
Divorce isn't the only way to lose someone, he thought to himself as he nodded "does your husband know about the dreams?"
She sighed "sort of, I know they've woken him up a couple times which I've felt horrible about."
He nodded "has he ever given you a reason to feel guilty?"
"No he hasn't and he's able to calm me down pretty easily I guess I just feel bad that he has to do it."
Lindstrom nodded "you should never feel bad for that you can't help what you dream and if he's a good man, which from my sense he is he'll think the same thing as me. Tell me, how does he react to the dreams?"
"The time that I told him what the dream was about he assured me we were both safe and held me while I cried, when I don't wanna talk about it he'll stroke my hair until I fall back asleep or if I can't sleep we watch a movie together or play cards."
Lindstrom nodded "how do you feel when he strokes your hair?"
Olivia smiled slightly "safe and protected, like nothing in the world can ever hurt me."
He nodded "do you always feel safe in his presence?"
"Yes absolutely, even when he's angry I feel safe around him."
Lindstrom nodded "how about when he's not with you? How do you feel then?"
She sighed "it depends on when your talking about, do you wanna know about before Lewis or after?"
"Both," Lindstrom said.
Olivia sighed "I think we've always been sorta co-dependent I can't speak for him but I always feel more myself when we're together. Before this happened though I functioned with out him, it was a little hard at first and I stopped working so much overtime but now?" she sighed "for short amounts of time I'm fine, like right now I'm fine because I know he's right outside but if he had left me here at your office by myself..."-
"You would have panicked," Lindstrom said finishing her sentence.
Olivia lowered her gaze in shame "y-yeah. T-That makes me a clinger doesn't it? I-I don't want to be that person that clings to her spouse constantly I'm stronger than that."
"It actually doesn't Olivia if you truly were a clinger to the point of it being a problem right now you wouldn't be in here at all having this one on one session with me, Elliot is your protector and you both went through a terrible experience so as long as you guys are both respecting each others requests for space then I don't see a problem with what you've described to me."
Olivia nodded her head slightly "how long should I allow this to continue before I force myself to do things with out him? Go places with out him?"
"I can't really give you an exact answer to that question but what I can tell you is that the recovery time for every victim of trauma is different and that if you feel like you need to force yourself then it isn't time yet, you'll know when you're ready to take that step."
Olivia nodded slightly m-may I ask one more question?"
Lindstrom nodded "of course this is your session and I'm here to talk to you about or help you understand whatever you need."
Olivia nodded slightly "what if Elliot loses patients with me before I'm ready? Right now he's being really patient with me and protective of me but if I'm this way for to long he could grow impatient with it."
"Do you think that might happen?" Lindstrom asked.
Olivia sighed "he hasn't given me any indication that it might no if anything I've had to tell him that it was alright for him to step away from me for a few minutes but he said something to me a few years ago that makes me worry."
Lindstrom nodded "what did he say?"
Olivia sighed "it was during a difficult case and stress was really high," she shook her head "you know what never mind I shouldn't have said anything about it," she said as she stood up from the couch.
Lindstrom frowned slightly and decided he'd push her slightly "you know you're here to talk through these things in a safe space right?" he asked gently.
Olivia nodded her head slightly but still made no move to sit "c-can we stop here for right now?"
I'll get them back on this topic when I have them in here together later, I need to get his perspective now, Lindstrom decided as he nodded his head to Olivia "yes of course, if you'd like you can step out into the waiting area and be with your husband while I jot down some notes."
Olivia nodded her head slightly "these sessions will be kept confidential right? I don't want everyone knowing that I'm in therapy."
Lindstrom nodded his head reassuringly "yes Olivia your one on one sessions are only between us and the same will apply to your husbands one on one sessions, your group sessions will be between the three of us but doctor patient confidentiality will apply to all of the sessions."
Olivia nodded her head and sighed in relief "thank you doctor Lindstrom," she said as she stepped out of his office and into the waiting room as he watched Elliot gently pull her into his arms and kiss her temple through his blinds then got to writing.
"Did it go okay honey?" Elliot asked softly once they were sitting beside each other in chairs.
Olivia nodded "yeah be careful though El he's really easy to talk to, I'd even go as far as to say to easy I almost screwed up and mentioned something I shouldn't have."
"Nothing's off limits in there baby this wasn't mandated and nothing's gonna get back to the brass we're only here so he can help us," he said softly.
Olivia nodded slightly "I know," she said as they ended up reading through part of a magazine together as Lindstrom then came out "Mr. Stabler I'm ready for you."
Elliot nodded as he gave Olivia a quick kiss on the head then followed him into the room as he sat down on the couch and was quiet while Lindstrom closed the door.
He seems to be a more guarded person I think it might be a little harder with him Lindstrom thought to himself as he looked to him "can you start by telling me a little bit about yourself?"
Elliot nodded "yeah sure, I'm Elliot Stabler, my wife and kids are my world I'd do anything for them, I used to be a cop, was on the job for 25 years."
"Wow that's a really long time what made you retire?"
"Didn't Liv tell you that?" Elliot asked.
They're so similar Lindstrom thought to himself as he hid a smile "she actually didn't say much at all only that you retired so if I could hear it from you that'd be great?"
Elliot sighed "my last day on the job I shot a teenaged girl, her name was Jenna she had a gun and had shot and killed several people, I probably wouldn't have retired if it had just been that going on for me but my older kids moved out of state around the same time and our youngest daughter Izzabella was born on the same day so after considering it for a while I decided it would be best to stay home with her, Liv agreed because of my PTSD but it was cowardly of me really I should have faced my fears and gone back when she did."
Lindstrom frowned slightly "shooting that young lady was a very traumatic experience and PTSD is a very normal reaction to that type of trauma. What makes you think that leaving the police force was cowardly?"
Elliot sighed "it was cowardly because I wasn't there for Liv when she needed me, instead all this time I've been baking pastries, strolling through parks or watching cartoons instead of keeping my wife safe."
"I'm sure that Olivia really appreciated your pastries after a long day," Lindstrom said.
Elliot sighed "she did she's asked me to teach her how to cook some of them but that isn't the point, the point is if I had just made one different choice I could have prevented all of this."
"Prevented all of what?" Lindstrom asked.
"What that sick bastard did to her, the bad press he's caused her to get, all of her nightmares and fears," he sighed "just all of it and I have so much rage doc, so much rage that first day after she was rescued all I wanted to do was punch a hole in the wall."
Lindstrom nodded "did you?"
He shook his head "not that day no once Liv fell asleep I went outside and pummeled an oak tree, I should have stayed inside though I wasn't gone for long before she had a terrible nightmare."
Lindstrom frowned "it wasn't your fault that she had a nightmare, would you like to tell me about it?"
Elliot sighed "no, I'll tell you it broke my heart watching her have it but the contents of her nightmare is her story to tell."
Lindstrom nodded "I understand and it's really good that you respect your wife's privacy like you do, it seems like you blame yourself for a lot of things."
Elliot sighed "I do yes, Liv's told me it's not my fault what happened to her and I hear her when she says it but my mind refuses to accept it."
He nodded "why do you think that is?"
Elliot sighed "like I said earlier doc I just could have made different choices, I mean even as a stay at home dad I could have told Liv I wanted her to stay at the doctors office with us, I could have pushed her harder to talk to Cragen."
"Mr. Stabler we can't predict the future, did you know that you were sending her to an unsafe home when you told her she could go?"
He shook his head "I didn't but I should have checked it before I left."
"Why would you have though? Did anything seem out of place before you left?"
Elliot sighed heavily and shook his head "no," he said.
Lindstrom nodded his head, letting Elliot's statement speak for itself "do you feel like Olivia's safety is your responsibility?"
Elliot sighed "yeah doc, yeah I do, she'd kill me if she knew it though she's always been a really independent woman."
Lindstrom nodded knowing it was a figure of speech "do you like that about her? Her independence?"
Elliot nodded "I love it about her, I admire her for it," he smiled "when we worked together and before we were married I dubbed her with the nickname badass Benson because of how fiercely independent she was."
Lindstrom nodded and smiled "how do you feel that Olivia is doing in terms of her recovery?" he asked wanting to get his perspective on it after the way his and Olivia's conversation ended.
Elliot gave a small smile "amazing, she's doing amazing doc her bravery is like nothing I've ever seen, I worked in the special victims unit for over 15 years and I never in my entire career saw a victim brave enough to do a press conference a week after her assault."
Lindstrom nodded "so you don't believe she clings to you to much?"
Elliot shook his head adamantly "god no d-did she tell you that? I-I can't let her think that," he said as he stood from his seat on the couch and made his way towards the door.
Shit I shouldn't have asked him that question, this is why I rarely see couples it's to easy to commit confidentiality violations Lindstrom thought to himself as he looked to Elliot "can you please sit back down Mr. Stabler?"
Elliot sighed, shook his head and paced around the room as Lindstrom nodded "have you been having nightmares since Olivia was rescued?" '
"D-Did Olivia say that? D-Did I push her to much? I-I only did it because I didn't wanna patronize her and she seemed to really feel like she needed to do it for herself, m-maybe I misread her, m-maybe empowering her was the wrong move..." Elliot said completely ignoring Lindstrom's question.
Lindstrom frowned "we'll touch back on that once you're both in here together, tell me though, have you had any nightmares since Olivia was rescued?"
Elliot sighed "y-yes several."
He nodded "can you tell me about them?"
Elliot sighed "L-Liv is raped in them while I'm forced to watch, can I go? I need to make sure Liv knows it's not true."
Lindstrom sighed lord what have I done? he thought to himself as he looked to him "why don't you have a seat and I'll have her come in in a few minutes."
Elliot shook his head "n-no I need to go," he said as he quickly left the room and Lindstrom sighed and began to jot down his notes on Elliot.
A minute later Olivia walked into the office with a frown "what did you say to him?" she asked.
Lindstrom sighed "I asked him how he thought you were doing in your recovery, he responded then when I asked him if he felt you were clinging to him to much he put the dots together and became distraught."
Olivia sighed "shit, shit I-I knew I shouldn't have said anything..."
Lindstrom shook his head "no you should have your fear was valid"-
"I-It was valid? S-So I am clinging to him to much..."
Lindstrom sighed "Olivia don't read to much into that... Listen You guys should really have this conversation together, where is Elliot?"
"I-In the restroom, h-he left your office crying and went straight to the restroom."
Lindstrom nodded "okay, why don't you have a seat on the couch then? I'm sure he'll come in here looking for you in a few minutes."
Olivia sighed slightly and nodded "a-alright," she said as she sat down and tapped her foot anxiously while rubbing the growing spot on her arm as before long the door opened...
A/n: Oh my huh? Therapy is never comfortable though, secrets and deeply rooted fears always end up coming to the surface. On a personal note I want to wish my mother Jessica a happy heavenly birthday. I lost her in 2019 and she's the person who introduced me to Law and order SVU so with out her who knows, I might not have even found this show to subsequently write about. Until next chapter everyone.