Don't forget to follow, fav, and leave a review! Enjoy!
Elliot's warmth fills her arms. She was glad she would have someone she could be comfortable with. Elliot releases her and looks back at Robert.
"How can you just let the press be on the doorstep like that?"
Robert looks at him, a bit insulted, defensive even.
"You're a cop aren't you? Tell them some bullshit, show them your badge, that way we can clear the way for investigators."
Elliot rolls his eyes but realizes it would be easier to keep the press of their asses. He walks towards the door and Olivia watches him open it. She is soon assaulted with flashes from every angle. The door closes again and Elliot is outside.
"Any of you step foot onto this staircase again and I will have you removed. All of you, stay on the side walk."
The press aren't happy, but they'd rather get the story then be arrested. Behind him, the door opens and Robert gestures him to come inside.
"That'll keep them off for a while, not too long though." Elliot says, shutting the door behind him.
"Elliot, did you tell..."
Suddenly the phone rings in the kitchen. Olivia looks at Elliot in a desperate way, her pleading eyes screaming help from the pain she's in.
"The squad?" he asks tentatively
He already knows what she means.
"No, but that might be them."
Robert makes it to the phone before Elliot can.
"Hello?" he says
"You're with the one six? How should we know-"
Before Robert can finish his sentence, Elliot grabs the phone from Robert's hand. A clear indicator that Elliot is the more powerful one here.
"Cap?"
"Elliot, I hope you and Olivia have a decent excuse as to why you're asses aren't here?"
Robert takes the phone back from Elliot. Elliot's clearly pissed off that he'd been overpowered.
"Captain Cragen is it? We can't discuss the matters over the phone, it would be better if you would come here"
Robert hangs up the phone and Elliot places his hand on the back of the man's neck, guiding him into the hallway. From what Olivia can see while she sits in the corner of the kitchen is that Robert is a good three inches taller than Elliot. Elliot stands at about 6,1 and Robert, 6,4. And James...6,2. Her mind shakes the memory from her brain. They walk out into the hallway.
"Now what the hell was that for?!" Elliot says, whispering in a harsh tone, clearly trying not to let Olivia hear
"The press, they'll do anything to get info, you should know that, haven't you dealt with ignorant bastards who can't leave you alone?"
Robert is calm, clearly the opposite of Elliot. Robert has seen this type of aggressiveness before. Usually the family member who tends to try and control everything. Elliot was a cop, Olivia's partner. Robert knew he had to keep his cool with him.
"Alright. When they get here, I need him to know, properly, and to make sure Olivia can handle it."
Together, the two men walk back into the kitchen and stare at the fragile woman who sits at the kitchen table.
"Liv, that was Cap. He doesn't know."
Olivia looks up at the two men who stare at her. Oh god. The squad doesn't know. Neither does Julia. Julia. Shit.
Her mind shifts to Julia's presence in the hallway, where all three turn to the little girl who stands in the door way, a mirror image of Olivia, her eyes that belong to her father.
Elliot immediately looks at Olivia, he notices her ghost white complexion, she almost resembles a type of chameleon, someone who wishes she could hide from what she had to face.
Robert moves towards Olivia and she gets up. Olivia moves towards the child with carefulness, she picks her up and places her on a nearby chair.
"Julia. Mommy has something important to say."
The little girl doesn't say a word, but only nods.
"You know Daddy?"
Olivia's throat tightens up, her eyes swelling with tears. The little girl reacts to her mother's face, suddenly looking older with each word.
"He isn't coming home. He's in the sky."
The little girl looks at her mother confused.
"He's flying Mommy!" she says
"No, not like that Julia. He's in the clouds now. Daddy isn't breathing anymore."
Julia suddenly comprehends the news, understanding that death is a thing, even at the age of four. Julia reaches for her mother, whom holds her in her lap, hugging the crying child. Elliot and Robert are left to watch the scene. Olivia, embracing her child, crying with her from the painful loss of a husband, a father. Five minutes later, Julia looks up at Olivia.
"Mommy, I'm going to play with my airplanes upstairs."
Olivia looks at the child in amazement, as if the child hadn't heard that her father just died. She wondered how children could take such a loss and move on so quickly.
"Okay sweetie, just come down if you want anything."
Olivia releases the little girl from her arms, the child walking out the room and back up the stairs. Elliot looks at the woman in front of him. Her hair is in a bun, strands scattered everywhere, her clothes, sweats and a man's shirt. She's falling apart, and he knew Olivia was the best at keeping herself from falling apart. But today, she didn't seem to care.
The doorbell rings and Elliot and Robert guide themselves to the frosted glass.
"It's our Captain."
Robert opens the door and Cragen steps in amidst the flashing press that have moved up the staircase once again.
"What the hell is going on here?" he asks panicky in a serious tone
"It's about that plane that crashed off of Ireland."
Crane's eyes change to a somber look.
"Don't tell me James' was"
Elliot nods and Cragen immediately finds himself looking at Robert.
"Robert Shriver, I'm here with the union. She's in the kitchen."
Cragen walks himself into the kitchen and finds a woman he doesn't recognize.
Olivia sees a familiar figure enter the doorway and she bolts up out of her seat, clearly not wanting to be weak in front of her captain. Crane walks over to her and embraces her into a long embrace.
"I'm sorry" he whispers
Olivia releases from his grasp and the three men find themselves in the kitchen, looking out the window. Olivia, at her kitchen table, fingering a piece of string that had gotten lose on her shirt. She uttered something and the three men turned, staring at her.
"I loved him" she said when she could speak
She felt a powerful tense, as if time were opening her up like a envelope to swallow her , for a day, week, or month, maybe even forever.
"I know" said Robert
Cragen's phone suddenly rang and he walked out of the room, inaudible.
"Did you know my husband?" She says, questioning him
Elliot leans against the window sill, Robert in the middle of the room, leaning against the sink
"No" he said "I'm sorry."
Olivia eyes the cigarette box on the counter. She didn't smoke, but she didn't care at the moment.
"Can I have a cigarette?"
Robert glances at Olivia, who stares at Elliot with a empty expression, and Elliot with a surprised one.
Elliot never knew she smoked, or maybe she didn't. Maybe the stress of the event made her crave one. Robert knew he shouldn't say no, so he handed her the pack, and flicked his lighter on. Olivia, leaning over, inhaling the aroma of tobacco, she exhaled the smoke. Elliot stared at her, shocked at how much a night's worth of news could do to the woman. Elliot felt as if she stared at him in a way where she wanted him to snatch the cigarette from her, to tell her to get her shit together, to stop smoking. But he didn't, this was a situation where he had to be careful with her.
"What else did they tell you about him?" Olivia asks
And that moment, Cragen walks in, the smoke invading his lungs. Surprised, he see's Olivia inhaling the lit cigarette. The box resting under her hand.
"You smoke?" He asks out of turn
Olivia ignores him, as if she's in a trance, only talking to Robert.
"There mine. She wanted one." Robert says, looking at Cragen. He continues his answer to Olivia's question.
"Ten years with American Airlines. Before that, United for three. Before that, Air force for six, before that, Boston college, Holy Name, one wife, a child, a daughter age four."
She nodded.
"Tall" he said. "Six two."
"Good record, an excellent record actually."
"He scratched the back of his head."
"I'm sorry I know all this but didn't know your husband at all."
She looks down.
"Did they tell you anything about me?"
"That you're a decorated svu detective, and that you'd be here with your daughter."
She takes another drag of her cigarette, the smoke blending into the smoggy air of the cold house.
"How many were on board?" she asks, hesitating.
"Three hundred-forty five."
"Any survivors?"
"They're searching."
The phone rang, nobody moving to answer it. Four rings later and the answering machine turns on. James' voice on the receiver, a hint of a Boston accent telling them to leave a message. Olivia looked at the floor and inhaled the smoke. When she looked up again, she had noticed that the three men were studying her.
"It's to keep me from talking to the press isn't it?" She said, looking at Robert with cold eyes "That's why you're here."
Robert didn't answer.
"It's so I don't say anything that leads them to think pilot error", "you don't want them to think pilot error."
Elliot walked over to the phone and took it off it's hook, laying it on the counter.
"We can't have the investigator's stay out there forever Olivia. We need to get this done."
"No. I want the rest of my squad here. I don't want them out of the loop."
Cragen looks at Robert and gets the nod of approval. He walks out of the room again, making a call to the one six.
Munch answers his phone, tearing his eyes away from the tv, a reporter talking about some plane crash. Fin looks up at Munch, stopping his conversation with Casey and Alex about proceedings for a trial.
He stops, somber in his movement, hanging up the phone. He exhales a deep breath.
"James is dead. His plane was the one in the reports today."
I'm hoping you're all enjoying! I also have this story up on wattpad under svulover4015 as well! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! There's much more to come and you'll be surprised!