Chapter Nine

A few days later, Elliot brought Aaliyah over to play with Noah. They were starting to get along very well. "Thanks for taking her."

"Yeah of course," Liv said with a smile.

"I probably shouldn't have waited till the last minute to do my Christmas shopping." He laughed.

"Well take your time, we'll be here, having the best time."

"Mom said we can order pizza!" Noah added.

"I'll text you when I'm on my way back."

"Alright, have fun."

Elliot left and made his way to the forensic lab. He was nervous going in asking for what he wanted. But he had to try.

"Can I help you sir?" a man asked.

"Uh, yes, I am looking for an evidence bag. I think it's under the name Benson."

"Can I see some ID?"

"Oh sure." Elliot pulled out his badge. "Detective Elliot Stabler, NYPD Organized Crime."

"Alright, fill out this paperwork," he said handing Elliot a clipboard.

Elliot took the paper and started filling in the needed information. The man walked away.

A few moments later he came back with an evidence box. "Benson, Olivia?" the man asked wanting confirmation.

"Yup. Thanks," Elliot said taking the box.

Elliot walked out thinking that was a lot easier than he expected. He thought maybe the guy working was new and didn't know what he was doing. Either way, he wasn't going to complain.

Elliot drove back to his apartment and looked through the box. He was curious why she had an evidence box to begin with but he wasn't going to question it. At least not now. He dug further and found a bag with a few small items in it. The first he picked up was her "fearlessness" necklace. Why was this in evidence? He pulled more things out of the box: crime scene photos. Some of a beach house and some of Liv covered bruises and injuries.

Elliot threw the pictures face down on the coffee table. It had been ten years but he could tell she was still hurting from whatever happened to her. And without context, he wasn't sure how he should react.

He dug further through the box and finally, he found what he was looking for. He pulled out Liv's old gun. Pulling the little badge off the metal, he smiled, knowing Liv had this with her every day up until whatever happened.

~oOo~

The next day, was the last day of work for Liv before the holidays rolled around.

"Hey Liv," Rollins said, walking into her office.

"Amanda," she said.

"How's Eli holding up?"

"He's ok. Elliot's taken a few extra days to be with him. He's started therapy."

"That's good. You said this started with a few kids from work?"

"Yeah, he said they pick on him all the time."

"Interesting," Amanda added, thinking of the shy but polite boy she met at Stabler's house that one day.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

Leaving for lunch, Amanda made her way to the restaurant where Eli worked. She stormed in through the doors and made her way back to where the busboys were.

"Hey, which one of you knows Eli Stabler?" she demanded to know, flashing her badge and gun. They all raised their hands. "Alright, I'm telling you right now. Stop picking on him. He's my boss's partner's kid. If I hear anything about you guys again I will hunt you down. Do I make myself clear?" The boys nodded their heads. "I am a cop, so I know how to find you." And she stormed off without another word.

"Damn, that was hot," one of the boys said, the other ones nodding along, still visibly shaking.