Chapter Seventeen

The next few months went by pretty quickly. Liv got over the fact Elliot had left her again. She didn't even try calling or texting him this time. Emma still didn't believe that she wasn't the reason for Elliot's leaving. Emma managed to get a hold of Eli who had convinced his dad to meet with Emma.

Emma had finally gotten her own car, for emergencies only, according to Olivia but Emma decided that this was an emergency. Elliot and Eli had been staying at Elliot's mother's house in Jersey. Once Emma got there, she knocked on the door. A woman answered the door. Must've been the mother.

"Hi dear," the woman said. "You must be Emma." She said. Emma was relieved that she knew who she was, which meant Elliot or Eli must've told her everything. "Oh come in." she said. Emma walked in and set her sweater on the coat rack and put her shoes near the others.

Her house was old, but nice.

"Eli-"

"Oh, I'm actually here to see Elliot." Emma interrupted.

"Nevermind. Elliot, you have a visitor!" Elliot came down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Eli said you knew I was coming."

"Eli!" Elliot yelled.

"Yeah Dad?" Eli said, walking into the hallway.

"Did you tell Emma I wanted to see her?"

"You need to talk." Eli said, adn walked back into his room.

Elliot walked down the stairs and grabbed his jacket and put on his shoes. "C'mon let's go for a walk." Elliot said, walking towards the door. Emma quickly put on her shoes and grabbed her coat. She ran down the stairs to ketch up to Elliot.

They walked along the beach for a while. Neither of them said a word. Emma just kept following Elliot to wherever he was going. They stopped when they got to this restaurant on the beach. He got the two of the a table. They sat down. Still no word from either of them.

"Why'd you come?" Elliot asked.

"Because,"

"Because isn't answer."

"I didn't mean the things I said to you that night."

"Ya you did."

"No I didn't. I was angry and upset you were budding into my business, but I didn't mean for those words to come out; let alone actually taking my dumb advice."

"I know. I'm sorry. But that's not why I left."

"Then why?"

"I ruined my relationship with Dickie when he was around your age, maybe younger. It took years for us to get over it."

"What happened?"

"Got into a fight, similar to ours, except he ran away."

"Damn. I think that Liv would kill me if I did that."

"Yeah, I wanted to kill him.."

"But you didn't."

"But I didn't. However, his friend didn't make it. He ended up getting murdered."

"I'm sorry." The waiter came over and took their order. "Why are you here?"

"Why not?"

"That's not an answer."

"I'm here because I have nowhere else to go."

"Why don't you come back?"

"I want to. But I can't"

"What about Liv? Or your job?"

"I'm working security down here at the pier."

"Yeah that's not what you want to be doing."

The two of them ate their dinner then walked back to the house. "Are you still going to the wedding?" Emma asked. Elliot hadn't given this much thought.

"No I don't think so."

"Sad." Emma said. "By Elliot." Emma said, hugging him. "Don't tell Liv I was here."

"My lips are sealed."

Emma drove to the precinct. She entered the room and saw Fin sitting at his desk.

"Fin," Emma said, leaning over his desk.

"Emma, what can I do for you?"

"Convince Elliot to come to the wedding." Emma said.

"Why can't you?"

"I tried, but he still said no."

"So why do you think I can convince him?"

"I don't know. You're his friend, he'll listen to you." Emma explained. "He's staying here," she said, putting a piece of paper on his desk. "I have to go."

The next day Fin met up with Stabler at the pier, during his security shift.

"Stabler," Fin said, bro hugging him.

"Hey Fin." Elliot said.

"Elliot, why are you here?"

"It pays well."

"Sure it does, and you're one step closer to retirement. Old man."

"You're older than me."

"Heard you're not coming to the wedding anymore." Fin said.

"Look, it's nothing personal."

"I know."

"Just think about it ok?" Fin said walking away