Welcome Home Elliot

Chapter 2: Argument

"El?"

Elliot was talking to one of his employees in the hall about the current case they were working on. It was a hate crime and they have not caught whoever done the crime yet. He has only started like a week ago, but he was catching up quick. He was the head person of the group just like his old boss.

Since he has started the job, every time he steps in the building it always reminded him of her. It has been 9 years since the last time he had seen her. He remembers that day in the squad room when the shooting happened. It all happened so fast. He had to do something before Jenna accidentally shot her. After that happened, he was in a very dark place that he thought Olivia did not deserve to be in.

About a month of him moping around the house, Kathy dragged him to a therapist. The first few weeks he did not talk much but over time he did. Sometime after that, him and Kathy decided it was best to get a divorce. The kids were grown. Little El was now a teenager; Maureen was engaged to a man name David. Kathleen had just finished collage and was now helping people. The twins, Elizabeth and Dickie were in collage.

He knew that she was still working there. It was just a matter of time before they bumped into each other. He started to walk back to his squad room when he heard someone call his name. It was her.

He turned around and there she was. Standing there right before his eyes. His breath caught in his throat at how beautiful she was. She has aged well.

"Liv?"

DUN DUN

Staring at each other seemed like time has frozen. It felt like the earth had moved. Olivia looked at him. She was shocked to say the least but also stunned. Then she had remembered that he had left her. No goodbye. No text. No call. She started to walk towards him.

"You son of a bitch."

She slaps him across his face.

He rubbed his cheek, "I guess I deserve that."

She looked at him like "ya think?"

He sighed a little and started to talk.

"I know I messed up. I should have talked to you first. That day, I could not take it anymore. After that day, I tried so many times to pick up the phone and call you, but I couldn't."

"So, the 12 years we were partners meant nothing to you?"

"Now you know that isn't true. Remember the Gitano case?"

In the squad room after interviewing his friend

"He doesn't know anything."

"Have you got something you wanna say to me? Cuz if you do, let's hear it."

"Why didn't you shoot Gitano?"

"He was using the child as a shield."

"How could you let him get so close to you?"

"There were innocent civilians around. I couldn't get a shot."

"Well he got close and Ryan's dead."

"So this is my fault?"

"No, I can't do this anymore. I can't be looking over my shoulder making sure you're okay." Elliot said as he began to walk in the opposite direction

"You son of a bitch." Exclaimed Olivia as she walked towards him

"You know that's not true. I need to know you can do your job and not wait for me to come to your rescue."

After the case was over…

"Look, you and this job are about the only things that I've got anymore. I do not want to wreck that."

Present day

"Yes I do. You also told me that myself and this job were the only two things you had anymore. Well guess what? I didn't get a email, no text, no call. I didn't know if you had.."

"Liv.."

Olivia gives him the cold stare, "Don't "Liv" me. You could have sent me a text saying you're okay or something."

Elliot sighed, "You don't know how many times I had wanted to pick up the phone and call you. After the shooting, I was a wreck, and I didn't think you deserved to carry what happened on your shoulders. I had to shoot Jenna before.."

Olivia raises a brow, "before what?"

Elliot swallowed hard. Well, this is it. He thought.

Elliot took a deep breath "Before.. she would've shot you."

Olivia looked at him, surprised. They couldn't have known what would have happened if Elliot didn't shot Jenna.

"El, we've couldn't have known what was going through Jenna's mind at the time. I know she wanted justice for her mother's death but she didn't have to shoot up the squad room."

"I get that she wanted her mother's killer to pay for what he did. But truth is, I've never meant to leave you. I just couldn't handle the job anymore. I mean, I shot a girl who was around my daughters age."

"I guess I understand that.."

Elliot sighed, "Why don't you come over to my place tonight so we can talk more?"

Olivia nodded and Elliot found something to write on and wrote down his address. As he was writing, Olivia noticed he wasn't wearing a wedding ring and she bit her lip. Was he not married to Kathy anymore? She guessed she would find out tonight.

They both went their separate ways and continued working til both of their cases were over. Remembering to call Lucy to let her know her plans, she offered to stay with him at Liv's apartment. She went home to freshen up and she gave Noah a kiss even though he was going to be 11 soon.

She left and she got into her car to start it then she took out the piece of paper Elliot had given her to put his number in her phone. She opened up a new text message.

Hey El, I'm on my way. Need me to bring anything? – Liv

She could see those 3 dots indicating he was typing out his reply.

No, just bring yourself. I picked up your usual. – El

Okay. Be there soon. -Liv

She drove to the upper west side of Manhattan where Elliot lived now. She guessed if he wasn't married anymore, he would be living in a bachelor pad somewhere, but she had no idea where.

20 minutes later she arrived at her destination. She parked her car and she got out. The building super let her in and she made her up to Elliot's apartment.

She knocked on the door. She heard his footsteps coming close to the door. He opened the door and looked at her.

"Hey, come on in."

Olivia walked in. She looked around the place and it seemed to have looked like her place, but it had different furniture in it and the rooms were in a different order. She followed him into the living room and there was takeout on the coffee table. He sat down and she sat next to him but not that close.

"Let's eat and then I'll explain why I left."

They ate in silence Olivia sat her now empty takeout container on the table and she leaned back on the couch to look at him. Elliot seemed to be nervous, but he took a deep breathe.

"Earlier, I ran over in my head on what I was going to say but there's no easy way to explain why I left and didn't come back. I realized that I just could not handle the job anymore, but I left the job, not you. I was planning on coming back but then days turned into months then those turned into years. I was just waiting for the right moment to come back."

"So, what are you trying to say?"

Elliot thought about this long and hard. He had realized the reason why he went straight to Olivia instead of trying to save Ryan and why he had shot Jenna. He realized that he was falling in love with his partner and that scared him. Him and Kathy were never really in love, they were young and after he had gotten Kathy pregnant, they had gotten married at 17 and then he went into the Marines.

Elliot thought of a way to tell her without scaring her.

"Liv, I like you a lot."

She smiled, "I like you too."

He shook his head, "No Liv. I'm trying to tell you something without scaring you."

"You could never scare me. What the hell is it!?"

He was about to say something, but he thought actions are better then words. So, he moves closer to her and he slowly brings his hand up to her cheek. She just stares at him and she could feel her heart beat a little fast.

Was he about to kiss me? Olivia thought.

Olivia could feel the beginnings of a panic attack but before she could say anything, Elliot closed the gap between them, and he planted his lips on hers. She felt sparks flying. In the back of her mind, she always dreamt of this happening, but she would never cross that line. There were only a few times she would ever think of them together. When he was separated from Kathy and when he went undercover in an animal smuggling ring. He was married and she would never betray Kathy's trust plus she would never be the other women.

The moment she felt his lips on hers, she closed her eyes and she felt flushed from thinking about that night because she called him "daddy" and she took her shirt off right in front of him while he had nothing on except underwear but damn, no one should look that good at that age.

Her past relationships were never too serious and if they would get close, she pulled back and ran because that is what Olivia Benson did. She ran before she would let anyone in. She probably didn't want to let anyone in because she didn't want to get hurt but she ended up getting hurt anyway. Even though they were not together, she got hurt because he left without an explanation.

Olivia started to respond back, she did not feel like running like she did in her other relationships, this felt.. She felt like the world was spinning.