A/N: LOOK!! two chapters in one day! This chapter was going to be the last one, but I need to put Christmas in here! So I decided instead to dedicate this chapter to all you who have been there since day one, and also any of those wonderful readers who have ALSO been hounding me to bring back Elliot:
Obsessedwithstabler
Hkitty9013
LivNel4ever
Sweet-4-Stabler
Onetreefan
Phantomliberty
You all rock!!!! Now on with the chapter!
(Think about that scene in rent where Roger sings one song glory. That's where Elliot is. That's where I put him…that building in RENT, and he lives in the loft, in case no one caught that in earlier chapters. Yeah, I'm a nutcase, I know. :-D )
SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU
The night sky was cloudy and starless. The area was illuminated with the lights from the buildings and the air was filled with the sounds of the busy city. Elliot was leaning against the railing of the roof of his apartment building thinking. Not a day passed when he didn't think about Olivia. He smirked when he thought about what this felt like.
Maybe this is how Roger felt when he couldn't find Mimi. Alone, scared, and lonely. Only he had Mark. Who do I have? No one. It's almost Christmas, and I'm alone. What a way to spend the holiday.
With a sigh, the Witness Protection trapped detective turned from the rail and headed back down the stairs to the loft. He didn't see the small light in the staircase below; he was too intent on making it back to the loft to try and warm up.
SVUSVUSVUSVU
When Olivia first heard the news that Elliot could come home, she went up to the roof and cried. Once she was over the emotional part of her feelings, she put in the request to go and inform him personally. At first, Brass hesitated due to the 'personal' feelings she might have. But when Don got involved, permission was granted for Olivia to go to Elliot.
So she waited in the stairwell of the apartment building on the corner 11th street and Avenue A with a small lit candle. She was going to take a chance and surprise him with a scene from their favorite musical. After about 10 minutes of waiting, she heard a door slam from upstairs and then the telltale sounds of a man stomping down the stairs. She barely got a glimpse of his face before he slid the loft door open and closed it behind him. Liv smiled, and blew the candle out. It was show time.
SVUSVUSVUSVU
He hadn't been in the loft for more than 10 seconds before he heard a knock on the sliding door. He paused, a confused look on his face, before he turned and slid the door open. "What'd you want?
She held out the candle. "Got a light?" Olivia smirked at the look that crossed his face.
He couldn't believe his eyes. The woman he had been dreaming about for the past 5 months was standing before him with an unlit candle. The scene played out in his mind. She was playing out the scene where Roger and Mimi first talked. He decided to play along. "I know you, you're…you're shivering."
He took the bait! She thought excitedly, knowing he recognized the song immediately. "It's nothing, they turned off my heat. And I'm just a little weak on my feet."
He slid his jacket over her shoulders, his fingers brushing her cheek gently.
She continued. "Would you light my candle? What are you staring at?"
Elliot took his lighter out as he said the next line. "Nothing, you're hair in the moonlight. You look familiar." He smiled as she stumbled. "Can you make it?"
She smirked at him. "Haven't eaten much today, at least the room stopped spinning anyway. What?" He was staring at her again.
He shook his head, as if clearing it. "Nothing. Your smile reminded me…"
"I always 'remind people of'. Who is she?"
Elliot couldn't take it any more. "You. Oh my Olivia."
And she was in his arms. They clung to each other like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. "Oh, Elliot." She breathed before he kissed her fiercely. She leaned into the kiss and poured into it all the emotions she had felt since she found he was still alive. His hands came up and framed her face as he moved away slightly and smiled at her. She smiled back and pulled him back to her.
For Elliot, it was like coming home. He pulled her even closer to him and ended the kiss, keeping his face as close to hers as possible. "I've missed you, Liv." He whispered softly. "I'm sorry, so sorry for leaving you like that."
She halted his words with searing kiss. "El, I understand." She whispered back. "The point is that you are home. But…" She moved back enough to reach back and slap him. He held his cheek in shock. "That is for leaving me like that." She smiled before kissing the place that she had slapped. "And this is so you never leave me again." She met his lips again and he eagerly accepted her kiss. She parted her lips and was instantly met with his tongue gently brushing her own. She gave in and the two of them began a serious game of tonsil hockey.
One hand found its way into Olivia's hair while the other one traveled downward slowly until he reached the hem of her shirt. Her breath caught in her throat as he inched his hand under the shirt. "El." She breathed, her hands moving to his face. "Not here. I promise, later. But not here."
He pulled back reluctantly. They smiled at each other before kissing once more. "We should go." Elliot said breathlessly. "I'm sure the others want to see me. But more importantly, I want to see my kids."
He reached out to her and she took his hand willingly. "What about your stuff?"
"My agent will take care of it. He told me that when I could go home that I wouldn't have to worry about it. Let's go, I want to see the rest of my family."
SVUSVUSVUSVU
They didn't go to the hospital. Olivia's phone rang just as they reached her car. With an apologetic look, she answered the call. "Benson."
"Munch." Came a joking voice. "So, Liv. How's the El man?"
"He's fine, Munch." Her voice came out strained. "Is there a point to this call? Because if there is, you had better reach it in the next five seconds."
"Okay, okay!" Munch defended himself. "Captain wants you both to come down to the station. And before you say "but Elliot wants to see his kids" the captain knows that, but he regrets to tell you that you both are needed down at the station. How far out are you?"
"We're in Alphabet City, Munch. 20 minutes tops." She replied. "Any idea why he needs us?" She exchanged a concerned look with Elliot.
"Yes, but you need to be here. No use trying to explain over the phone."
Before Olivia to make a reply, Munch had hung up the phone.
"So, the station?" Elliot grinned.
"The station." Olivia sighed, getting into the driver's seat. "Let's go."
SVUSVUSVUSVU
"Yes, but you need to be here. No use trying to explain over the phone." Munch hung the phone up as soon as he had finished his sentence. He laughed. "Woot! They are on their way!"
Once the SVU family had found out that Elliot could come back, they had decorated the office with balloons, streamers, and banners. Dani had cleared her desk out and had already moved back into her desk down at Warrants, but she had returned to see Elliot and have fun at the party, as well as spend time with Fin. The moment she had returned after moving back to Warrants, he appeared by her side and didn't leave it. He was holding onto her hand tightly, as if saying 'don't leave me' to Dani. She squeezed his hand, almost reassuring him and smiled up at him. He rewarded her with a smile that he used only for her and kissed her lightly.
A huge cake baked by Melinda, no wonder, was sitting on the middle of Elliot's desk. Munch and Fin were busy teasing her about a mortician making a cake and if it was safe to eat it. It could have body parts in the mix. When Munch made that comment, she threatened to dismember him bit by bit with her scalpel. Casey stepped in and stopped her from causing Munch any bodily harm, saying that if he made another comment he would have her to deal with. The pair exchanged grins, leaving Munch feeling a bit worried.
Even Huang was there, and was happy not only that Elliot was back, but that Olivia didn't have a reason to see him any more as a patient. Seeing her for work was one thing, but seeing her as a patient was difficult to say the least. He mulled over what she had requested of him. He would go see Lizzy if Elliot's return didn't help her mood. But perhaps he would go see her anyway.
Don took to pacing about the room. He had made about ten laps around the room before he was sent to his office by the others, claiming that he was making them sick. So now he was stuck in his office, with nothing to do. Instead of pacing, since his office was a bit too small for that, he took to crumpling paper and playing basketball with the waste basket. 10 minutes later, Dani stuck her head in. "They are on their way. They'll be here in about 20 minutes. Turns out that they put Elliot in Alphabet City." She left the room and shut the door. He scratched his bald head. "Alphabet City. Wow."
Outside of Don's office, they were all waiting with restless eagerness for the arrival of Elliot and Olivia. They were all frantically running around with the last minute preparations for his welcome back bash. The 20 minutes couldn't pass fast enough.
SVUSVUSVUSVU
The drive back to the station was filled with laughter and stories. Olivia warned Elliot about Dani and Fin. He laughed when he heard about them. "Wow. I never would have put them together."
"Well, that's not the only shocker." Olivia grinned, making a left turn. "Try this match. Munch and Casey." She burst out laughing as she took in Elliot's bulging eyes and gaping mouth. "Yes, Casey and John are interested in each other. Amazing, isn't it?"
"Yeah." He managed to say, trying to process all the drama that had been going on in the past few months.
"Now keep in mind that it's nothing official for any of them. Or at least, not that they've told any of us. But then again, Don and I always are the last to know about these things." She winked at Elliot before turning into her parking space at the precinct. She turned to Elliot. "Well, partner. Ready to face the music?"
He gave her his famous shit-eating grin. "As ready as I'll ever be."
SVUSVUSVUSVU
"Shhhh!" Dani put a finger to her lips as she turned from the window. "They're here! And they are coming up the elevator. Kill the lights!" The lights were killed and everyone waited in hushed silence. The clacks of the elevator informed everyone of the descent then the ascent of the metal box that would bring the much beloved detective and his partner back into the world of the Special Victims Unit. A ding resounded through the darkened room and the doors banged open.
"Surprise!" Light flooded the room and both Elliot and Olivia took a step back in shock as the room exploded into excited shouts and laughter. Olivia gave a shocked laugh and gave Elliot a huge hug before he was pulled away to join the crowd.
"Elliot!" He was attacked by Munch and Fin. "Man, are we glad you are back!" Fin exclaimed.
"Yes, Olivia is impossible to handle!" Munch joked. Olivia had made her way over to Elliot in time to hear Munch's statement and gave his arm a good whack. "Hey, what was that for?"
Olivia just grinned and laced her fingers with Elliot's. The other two detectives smiled at the simple intimacy of it all. Casey joined the group, placing a hand on John's arm. "Hello, Elliot. It is good to have you back."
"Thanks, Casey. I'm glad you got that case solved. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be back at all." Elliot reached out and pulled her into a side hug. He smiled over at Olivia. "You brought me back to Liv."
"I just did my job, Detective. Besides, I hated seeing Olivia so depressed." She smiled at Elliot. She looked over his shoulder and grinned at the person behind him. "C'mon, Dani. We don't bite."
"I do." Fin muttered with a grin at Dani. She blushed as she took a stand beside Fin.
"So, you and Fin, huh?" Elliot teased, poking her arm. "It's about time, Beck."
"Well, it's about time for you and Liv." She shot back with a small grin, taking Fin's hand in hers. She winked at Olivia. "I am so getting you back."
Olivia groaned. Elliot just looked confused. "Never mind, baby." Olivia whispered. "It's better you didn't know, I think." Olivia, Dani, and Casey shared a laugh together. "Hey, Melinda!" Olivia noticed the mortitianer standing by herself at the cake. She came over to the group.
"So, no comments about my cake, Elliot?" She asked with a huge grin.
"I haven't seen it yet. Why, did you put dead body parts in it?" He asked, faking a horrified face. Melinda just rolled her eyes.
"Behave." Olivia tugged on his arm. "She worked hard on that cake."
"Thank-you, Liv." Melinda smiled. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I have a cake to cut."
"Elliot!" Don came barreling out of his office. "Sorry I wasn't out here earlier. Someone locked me in my office." He glared at Dani and Munch who suddenly became interested in the floor or the ceiling. Elliot just burst out laughing. Don turned his glare to El. "Thanks for the sympathy. I was going to offer your old job back. Now maybe I'll keep Dani here."
"No thanks!" Dani said quickly. "I've had enough with SVU. The only part of it I want now is Fin, thank you very much."
"And I want El back." Olivia added. "As much fun Dani and I have had…" They shared another grin and Olivia continued. "…we both think that its time I have my old partner back."
Elliot was beginning to feel impatient. "Guys…"
"Go, Elliot." Don interrupted. "I won't keep you any longer from your kids."
"We're coming with." Olivia, Dani, Casey, Fin, and Munch chorused together.
Don just sighed. 'GO!"
SVUSVUSVUSVU
The five detectives and a certain ADA walked into the hospital, huge grins gracing all their faces. With a smile, the nurse on duty informed the group that all the Stabler kids were in Lizzy's room and that they would welcome a visit from them. Elizabeth Stabler was about to get the surprise of her life.
SVUSVUSVUSVU
Lizzy sat up when a knock at the door sounded through the quiet room. She exchanged a look with her siblings before calling out "come in!"
The door slowly opened. She gasped. "Daddy?"
"Dad!" The other three chorused, standing up in surprise.
"Hello, Lizzy." He said softly. "Maureen, look at you! And Dickie, you are growing more every day." He turned to Kathleen and smiled softly. "You look more like your mom every day." He turned back to Lizzy. "How are you, squirt?"
She was crying hard. "Daddy, you're okay!" He sat on the edge of her bed and held out his arms. She fell into them. "Daddy!"
SVUSVUSVUSVU
Even Munch was wiping his eyes. Casey smiled at him. He grinned back and nodded to the other's standing there. "We're going to make an exit now. We have dinner plans!"
"Have fun, Munch!" Three voices chorused together. "And Munch?" Olivia added. "Don't bore her with conspiracies."
Casey laughed as they left, with Munch making a show of putting his nose in the air and strutting off.
Fin squeezed Dani's hand. "I'll be right back. The call of nature is ringing."
Dani smirked. "Just go, Fin, before you have an accident!"
Olivia and Dani were standing side by side, neither speaking. Finally, Olivia broke the silence. "You once told Elliot that we don't make a difference in SVU." They both kept their eyes on the reunion between the Stabler children and Elliot. "That right there is proof that we at special victims make a difference." Elliot looked up and smiled at her through the window in the door. She turned and smiled at Dani before walking into join the family.
Dani watched the reunion alone for a minute before turning and walking down the hall. She saw Fin standing at the corner.
He held out his hand to her. "C'mon, Dani. I'll take you home."
Life is definitely looking up.
SVUSVUSVUSVU
AN: One more chapter after this. Oh, and the time to get from Alphabet City to Manhattan, I have no idea if it's correct. I haven't been to New York in what seems like eons, and I've never been to Alphabet City. Toodles!