Monday 14th 2022
Valentine's Day
Olivia had always thought that this day was a cheap holiday, and it was only to make single women feel unloved and unwanted. She also thought whoever made this day up was stupid. Never in her life was she anybody's Valentine.
She had taken Noah to school before making her way to work. Arriving at the office, she waved good morning to Amanda and Fin. She made her way to her office door which was already opened. Setting her bag in her drawer, she looked up to see a bouquet of flowers ranging from roses, daffodlils, and lilies.
She then noticed a note in the holder. She picked it up and began to read.
I've loved you secretly for a long time. When I see you, I feel like you have gotten even more beautiful.
I can't live without you in my life.
Her eyes lowered
Signed,
Hot for you
Her eyes widen
Holy fuck!
She walked to the doorway of her office, and she caught Fin's attention.
"Did you see anyone go into my office?"
He looked up from his phone, "No. I got here 20 minutes before you did." He then turned concerned "Why?"
"No reason."
She walked back into her office, sat down at her desk, and pulled up the security cameras from the squad room. She reversed the tape 2 hours ago and she watched it from the beginning. A half hour, she saw someone walking towards her office. She zoomed in on the tape, she didn't recognize the person, but she saw a logo on their shirt, the flowers were from a floral shop on 51st street.
She looked up the number and hitting the call button, she pressed the phone to her ear and waited until someone answered.
"Midtown Florist, how may I help you?"
"I had received some flowers from your establishment, and I was wondering who sent them to me. They didn't leave a name on the card."
"Name?"
"Olivia Benson."
"Hold please."
The guy grabs the boxes of receipts and starts going through them. It seems like he couldn't find a record of it.
"Miss, it seems he paid in cash."
"What did the guy look like?"
The guy thinks back to earlier or the day before last.
"He was tail, dark hair. Sorry I don't remember anything else."
Olivia sighed, "That's okay. Thanks for trying."
She hung up and went about her day. In between the case, she was still trying to figure out who sent her whose flowers.
Amanda walks into her office after finding out who they were trying to catch. She looked and saw the flowers.
"Oh, nice flowers. Who sent them?"
"Don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out."
"Well, it's like you told me once, we deserve a little pretty sometimes."
Olivia smiled softly, "yeah we do."
Amanda and Fin go to pick up the guy while they go over his records. Starting with Fin, they try to crack him within an hour, but he wouldn't give up. So, Fin took a break and Amanda went in to try to crack the guy. When that wouldn't work, Olivia went in being the badass that she was. She scared the guy within two hours.
48 hours of interrogating their suspect they finally got them to confess. They sat down at their desks, and they started typing up their DD5's. After that, they go home. Olivia was still in her office when Elliot appears out of nowhere.
Olivia looks up to see him holding the same flowers that were on her desk.
"I'm done hiding. It was me. Here, these are for you."
She took the flowers and held them up to her nose she could smell them.
"I had no idea it was you."
Elliot looks at her, "you sure? I gave you a hint. Does 'Hot for you' ring any bells to you?"
"I.."
She trailed off and then her mind went back in time to that one case
Flashback
They had found a dead woman which they found out she was gay. Later they met Babs Duffy who was the leader of the group. When more women started to get attacked, Olivia had stayed with Babs to make sure she wouldn't get attacked.
Babs Apartment (kitchen)
"I don't like sitting here while that prick is out there attacking my sisters."
"Babs, don't worry. Nothing pisses off my partner more than somebody targeting women. He is going to catch this guy."
Babs scoffs. "Well, he has the hots for you, you know."
"Excuse me?"
"Stabler."
Olivia scoffs this time, "No, no, that's never going to happen."
She looks down.
Elliot gives her a smug look, "maybe you're slippin' Captain."
"Maybe but.. not yet anyways."
She smirks and he just about died when she said that. Ever since the weeks of leading up to Christmas, they had flirted lightly.
Olivia started cleaning up her desk and stuffing her laptop in her bag. She then stood up and she walked around the desk to where Elliot stood."
Elliot got down on one knee and took her hand, "My friend Olivia, would you go on a date with me?"
Olivia looked skeptical at first, "I don't know El.. I'm trying to be respectful."
"Liv, I'm done grieving. I'm ready to be the man you deserve and the man you want me to be."
"You sure?"
Elliot nods, "Yes."
"All bets are off?"
Elliot smiles and nods.
"All bets are off."
They take the elevator down to the parking garage and they stop at her SUV. She puts her stuff in the passenger seat.
"Pick you up in an hour?"
"You bet."
They both leave. Elliot goes back to his place to get ready, and Olivia goes back to hers to get ready. She had texted Lucy on the way to let her know her plans so Lucy would be staying later then planned. Hi
Olivia gets home and she was greeted by Noah.
"Hi mom!"
"hey my sweet boy!"
She hugs him. She pulls away and she looks at him. She was so proud of who he was becoming.
"So, mom, I heard you have a date. Do I know who it is?"
"Ah you'll figure it out when he gets here."
With that, she goes and takes a shower. Once showered, she walks out, and she starts to get dressed. She goes to her closet and for some reason, there was an emerald, green dress in there that she doesn't remember buying. She slips it on, and she puts some earrings on, and she chooses wedges so her ankle wouldn't hurt too much.
She soon steps out of her room. Noah looks up from his phone.
"Wow mom!"
She smiles," What? Too much?"
Noah shakes his head, "absolutely not. You look fantastic!"
20 minutes later, there's a knock on the door.
Olivia though to herself, "oh my god. I'm going on a date with Elliot."
Making her way over to the door, she takes a deep breath, and she opens the door to find him standing there wearing a three-piece suit completed with a tie and dress shoes.
He was about to speak when the door opened and then he saw what she was wearing. His breath caught in his throat.
"You look.. ravishing."
Olivia smiles and looks him over.
"You look dashing." She smirks "don't let that go to your head or anything."
Elliot laughs, "Alright." He then looks at her "you ready for your last first date?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Together they leave and he opens the door for her, and she gets in. He rounds the car to get in himself and then he starts the car and drives off. It's quiet for awhile then Olivia speaks up.
"So, where are you taking me?"
"Not telling Benson. Don't want to spoil the surprise."
A little way later, they pull up.
"We're here."
Olivia looks over seeing out of the window and she gasped as she sees the sign. The Capital Grille. It was an upscale steakhouse that was fancy and elegant.
"Elliot-"
He just smiles and he gets out of the car and goes around to open the door. He then helps her out and they walk in; him holding the door open for her. A waiter walks up.
"Reservation under Stabler."
He looks back at a book confirming it, "right this way."
They follow the waiter to the second part of the restaurant where there were booths in the back for a more private setting. They get seated and the waiter pulls out a notepad and pen.
"What would like to drink Sir?"
Elliot looks at the menu
"We'll have the Casa Lunardi. That okay?"
Olivia nods slightly.
The waiter goes and gets it while they look at the menu. When he comes back, they order.
"I would like to have the ribeye with potatoes."
The waiter writes it down and looks at Olivia.
"And you Ms.?"
She looks at the menu again
"Roasted chicken with a Caesar salad."
The waiter writes it down on the notepad and they take the menus.
"Okay. It'll be 30 minutes and I'll have it right out."
The waiter then disappears with the order and gives it to the cook. They start cooking it along a few other orders for other guests. Elliot pours the wine into the glasses and they both take a sip.
"So, I really do want to know what I missed.."
Olivia nods softly and decides to tell him all the light stuff first before she tells him about the dark stuff.
"Uh, well I was promoted to Sergeant and then we caught a case. Me and Amanda found the suspect at a motel and there in a dresser drawer; was a baby in nothing but a diaper and wrapped in a blanket. He got put into a foster home but didn't last long."
Elliot listened to her and at the mention of the baby, he watched as she smiled warmly. She then explained that she kept going to the court hearings. The judge had a hunch and let her foster him.
"And that's how I got Noah."
Elliot sighed in relief, thinking that Noah's father was whoever Ed was. "That's great Olivia." He smiled but then he left guilty for not being there.
The waiter came over with their food, "enjoy."
He walked away and they kept talking but only about light stuff. She told him how she then got promoted to Captain.
"So enough about me. How's Eli?"
"He's doing better. We both are. Went to therapy the other day."
"Good. I'm glad for you both."
"Yeah. We're working on being close again."
They continue eating and talking lightly. After that, Elliot pays the bill and then they go to his car. Elliot holds the door open while she gets in. He goes and gets in on his side. He drives back to her place. Once they arrived back to her place, he turns to look at her.
"May I walk you up?"
Olivia smiles and nods. They get out of the car, and they walk into her apartment building. They get in the elevator, and they ride up to her floor. The elevator dings and the doors open. They step out and walk a short distance and around the corner to her door.
"This was very relaxing. I don't get to do that often considering I'm a captain and all."
"I hear ya."
Elliot then grins at her, "God Benson, I am so hot for you."
Olivia raises a brow, "oh yeah? How hot.."
He then does something she always wanted him to do not couldn't. He has her up against the wall next to her door with nowhere to go.
"This is how."
He plants one on her.
He pulls away from her lips so quickly that she hardly realizes it happened. Did Elliot Stabler just kiss her. He pulls back with a wide grin and drops a peck on her forehead.
"See you tomorrow?"
Olivia just nods and watches him walk away. Her fingers find her tingling lips as her knees give in.
"See you tomorrow," she says into the empty hallway, her eyes sparkling and her lips forming into a smile.
"Tomorrow."
fin
