Please note: This chapter includes bullying and suicidal thoughts

Chapter Eight

The next week, Eli hadn't shown up at school and wasn't anywhere to be found at home or work. Elliot had been calling everyone he knew trying to find him, including Liv.

Olivia was busy working with the squad on three different cases when she got a phone call from an unknown number.

"Hello?" he said answering her phone.

"Olivia, it's Eli."

"Eli," she said, immediately worried.

"Can you come get me?" he asked, sounding scared.

"Where are you?"

"I'm in New Jersey. 5th Precinct."

"Yeah, of course."

"Oh and Olivia?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell my dad. Please. Not yet."

Liv got up and quickly made her way to New Jersey. She found Eli in a local precinct, sitting inside an interrogation room.

"Captain Olivia Benson," she introduced herself, walking into the squad room.

"You must be the boy's mother. He said you were coming," an officer greeted her. Liv was shocked to hear that Eli would call her his mother but she went along with it.

"Uh, yes. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Found him on the bridge, about to jump. Talked him out of it. When we got here he said he was going to call his mom."

"What happens next?"

"Well, we're gonna admit him into a mental health institute for further evaluation."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Of course."

Olivia walked into the interrogation room and Eli turned around to her. He was so shaken up by whatever had happened, that he barely managed to get up. Liv walked over to Eli and pulled him into her arms. They hugged and Eli started crying into Olivia's arms.

They made their way back to the table and both took a seat.

"Eli, why don't you tell me what happened?"

"A group of us from work wanted to ditch school today. A girl I liked was going, so I decided to go too," he started explaining.

"Alright…"

"We went to Times Square and were hanging out in this alley. A few of the guys brought something to smoke but I told them I don't do that. They started laughing at me, telling me how it would fix all my problems. How I am the problem everywhere I go and should just kill myself. They told me that I would fix everyone's issues if I just followed my mom. Even the kids at school say it all the time."

Olivia was heartbroken and tightened the arm she had around him.

"So, I took a cab, told the driver to drive as far as they could go, and ended up in Jersey. I got out of the cab and just started walking. I found the bridge and started to think maybe they were right, maybe I should just jump and everyone's problems would be fixed. But then that officer talked to me and helped me realize I got more to live for than those other jerks."

"Eli, why'd you say that I was your mother? Why didn't you call your dad?"

"They said I was only allowed to talk to a parent. I thought if I call my dad he'd yell at me. The only other person I knew was you." Olivia hugged Eli tight again.

"It's going to be alright. But I have to call your father." Olivia walked out and called Elliot who arrived less than an hour later.

"Hey, how's he doing?" Elliot asked Liv, holding Aaliyah in his arms.

"He's ok. They want to do an evaluation on him." Olivia stretched out her arms and took Aaliyah from him.

Elliot turned towards the interrogation room.

"El?" He turned around just outside the door. "Please be gentle with him."

Listening to Liv, the first thing Elliot did when he entered the room, was pull Eli into a hug.

"Is Eli going to be ok?" Aaliyah asked Liv, watching her foster family through the window.

"He'll be fine," Liv reassured her. Elliot walked back out.

"I'm going to stay here with Eli. Do you mind taking Aaliyah?"

"Of course."

Giving Elliot a comforting squeeze of the arm, Olivia and Aaliyah left the precinct and drove back into the city.

"Elliot says Noah and you are spending Christmas with us," Aaliyah said from the backseat.

"He did?" Liv asked in shock.

"Yeah! You can even ask him."

"I might just have to," Liv said with a laugh. She parked the car outside her apartment building.

"Is Noah going to be here?" Aaliyah asked as Liv took her out of the car.

"Lucy is going to be dropping him off soon."

Olivia opened her apartment door and set Aaliyah down.

"What's in the boxes?" Aaliyah asked curiously, toddling towards the handful of moving boxes in the living room.

"Just cleaning some stuff out."

Aaliyah fished into one of the boxes and picked up a folded piece of paper. "What's this?"

Liv looked over at Aaliyah to see what she was holding. "Oh, it was a present from Elliot."

"What was on it?"

"It was kind of like a little badge, I had it on the end of my gun for a few years," she explained.

"And you don't anymore?"

"Well no. I was involved in this case and now it's in an evidence bag somewhere."

"Oh," she turned around and picked up a necklace. "And this?"

"That's also from Elliot."

"Well, you should wear it. It's pretty." She dropped it back into the box and looked around the room some more. Can I watch TV?"

"Sure." Olivia was glad the interrogation was over.

Later that night, Elliot came over to pick up Aaliyah. Eli had been cleared to go home but the doctor had suggested that Eli get checked out for bipolar disorder and ordered to start seeing a therapist to help with his anxiety and depression.

"Hey, thanks for taking Aaliyah."

"Of course." Liv smiled. "I enjoyed having her."

"So did I!" Noah said, looking up from playing with his toys.

Elliot smiled. "So I wasn't sure what your Christmas plans are but—"

"Aaliyah already invited me." Liv laughed.

"She did now?" He looked down at Aaliyah who give him a big smile.

"We'd love to come over," Liv said.

Elliot and Aaliyah bid their farewells and made their way down to the car where Eli was waiting for them.

"Elliot?" Aaliyah asked. "Do you know what you're getting Olivia for Christmas?"

"A ring probably," Eli said, laughing.

"Eli, no. I do not know what I'm getting her yet."

"Well, I took this from her house," Aaliyah said, giving him the piece of paper that read "semper fi". "She doesn't have this gift anymore. She said it's in evi— eve— dence somewhere. I think you should give her a new one."

Elliot took the piece of paper from her. "You know stealing is wrong."

"I know, but she wants a new one. She was sad and I just know!"