Disclaimer: neither the characters nor the lyrics are mine but I promise I'll put them back when I have finished playing.
Inspired by Burn for You as performed by John Farnham. Check it out on You Tube.
This book is a series of ONE SHOTS!!
Burn for you
Phil Buckle, John Farnham, and Ross Fraser
I got myself into some trouble tonight
Guess I'm just feeling blue
It's been so long since I've seen your face
This distance between me and you
That voice you showed me is not the one I know
I must be strung out on what I do
Don't hang up again
There's nothing else I know how to do
But I burn for you
What am I going to do
I burn for you
Burn for you
I guess it feels like you're always alone
And I feel that way too
It's so hard to explain to you
Please understand what I do
But I burn for you
What am I going to do
I burn for you
Burn for you
Took my trouble to a bar tonight
For another point of view
But there's nothing new
I'm missing you
But I burn for you
What am I going to do
I burn for you
Burn for you
/../../../../ Burn for You /../../../../
It had been another desperately long and torturous case and Elliot felt every year of his age as he slunk into his chair and flicked his computer on. He glanced wearily at his watch as he waited for the painfully slow IBM to load, another sign of the lack of police resources he faced in his daily battle. It was already midnight … once again he hadn't made it home to see his family.
Picking up the silver framed photo of his wife and children he traced his finger over the faces smiling up at him. He lifted his finger and kissed it before gently placing it on his wife's lips, wishing desperately she was there in front of him or better yet he was home with her. But this was his job…the only thing he knew how to do.
He picked up the phone and dialled his home number and waited for her to answer … he just needed to hear her voice …then everything would be alright … then he could cope with the next two hours of paperwork and not feel like a total failure as a father and husband.
"Stabler Residence," she croaked.
"Hello beautiful," he said, his body aching at the thought of her sleeping alone yet again. "I'm sorry to wake you."
"Hey, you! … still stuck at work?" she asked.
'Yeah …another few hours," he yawned.
"Baby, you're so tired … we haven't seen you in days," she said.
"You know how it is … Cragen is riding us … we need to get this bastard," Elliot grumbled.
"I know you do, El. I'd just like your kids to see you once in a while," she said and yawned again.
"Go back to sleep, baby. I'll be home as soon as I can."
He hung up and looked across at his partner, she smiled wearily at him. The endless days and non-existent nights had taken its toll on her too.
"How are they?" she said, nodding to the photograph.
"Missing me..." he smiled guiltily.
"Why don't you go home? I can get this done," she offered.
"Nah, thanks anyway … we're in this together. Besides I don't want to give Don another reason to chew me out." He stretched his fingers and began tapping at the keyboard … the sooner it was done the sooner he could be home.
../..
Ten minutes before he anticipated finishing Don called them in … another lead … another call and another night he wasn't going make it home at all. Out across town and back to the precinct after the sun was already up … with another lead that went no where, Elliot felt more dejected than ever.
His phone rang the minute he sat back at his desk.
"Stabler, SVU" he grumbled.
"Stabler, wife," she grumbled back. "I was expecting you to come home hours ago."
He bristled; her was voice colder than he had heard it in a long time. "I'm sorry, baby, we got a lead and …"
"And what? Did you get your guy? Is this over?" she asked.
"Nah, another dead end." His head fell back onto his chair and he closed his eyes. "I'm really sorry but I've gotta get him, baby … got to get justice for Charlie…"
"I know this is what you do, babe … I understand…" she said, empathy in her voice.
Elliot sighed deeply; he wanted nothing more than to be home with his family. "I miss you so very much, baby … I love you."
"I love you too, El," she replied. "When you've got time, you know where to find me."
../..
It was nearly midnight again before Elliot dragged his weary body into his house and slowly trudged his way up the stairs and to their bedroom. He smiled when he saw his two youngest children asleep with their mother, his daughter draped over his wife while his son was like a starfish spread over his side of the bed. He carefully scooped up his son and held the boy to him as he eased into the bed and tried to get as close to his wife as possible. He kissed his son and daughter's heads and began leaning in to the woman he loved more than life itself. Before he could make contact her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him.
"Hello stranger," she whispered, untangling her hand from the bedclothes and finding his face.
"Hello yourself," he replied, his lips brushing against hers, before releasing a huge sigh.
"I've missed you," she whispered, her hand caressing his cheek.
"Missed you so much," he replied, he kissed her again and edged minutely closer.
She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair before pulling his head back to her. "Get your man?" she asked.
"Yeah, got him," he smiled. "Full confession and all."
"Well done, baby," she said kissing him. "Does this mean we'll see a bit more of you?"
"Um …yeah …" he paused trying to find the right words out.
"What is it?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.
"I…um… I could have been home a couple of hours ago but I went to the bar with Fin," he said quietly.
"Celebrating?"
"Um … no … he said he had to talk some sense into me," Elliot said sheepishly.
"Why?"
Before he could respond their daughter stirred and looked at her father.
"Daddy?" she whispered.
"Hey baby girl," he replied.
"Missed you, daddy," she yawned.
"Missed you too, baby," he answered kissing her forehead. She edged her way off her mother and to her father, slowly easing her brother over and clinging onto his neck; she had always been her daddy's girl. For the next few minutes Elliot held his youngest children closely, his eyes shut tightly trying to replace all the dark, traumatic images from his most recent case with images of his darlings.
Soon he opened his eyes and looked over at his wife, surprised to see her sitting up, watching him and the two children with tears streaming down her face.
"Hey, what's wrong, baby?" he asked, reaching out and taking her hand.
"Nothing," she whispered, reaching down to kiss him and their children. "Absolutely nothing. I've got it all now." She kissed him again. "Do you know how much I love you, Elliot?"
He nodded. "Do you know how much I love you, baby?"
She smiled; she did know … she had always known. "Do you know how much I want you right now, El?"
He nodded again. "Do you know how much I burn for you?"
../..
Gently easing the two children onto the bed, Elliot climbed out and went around to his wife. He tugged her arm so she moved to sit in front of him, her feet softly rubbing against his legs.
"Fin and I weren't celebrating … he was telling me a few home truths …" he began, holding her hands but she interrupted.
"About?"
"About the fact I was an idiot for being in the bar with him instead of being here with you…"
"Well, I'm with him on that one…"
"And the fact I was a lucky bastard that you were so understanding and gave me a second chance…"
"I'm liking Fin more and more…"
"And the fact I'd be a complete idiot for letting the job come between us again…" He sighed, remembering their painful separation two years ago.
"El, I know this job is you…"
"This job is the problem – you know it's an all or nothing thing … I can't do it half assed…"
"I know that, baby…"
"I don't want it to be who I am … I don't want to be Detective Stabler – Absent Father and Husband. You and the kids are my life… I don't think I ever tell you enough … I don't want to miss another dinner or school concert or bedtime …"
"El, we'll always be here…"
"And I want to be here too." He drew a deep breathe and felt his wife's arms wrap around his waist.
"So I left the bar and …"
"Came home?"
"Um … no, went back to the precinct and put in the paperwork for my retirement."
She pulled back and stared at him. "You retired?"
"Well, I have my twenty years up and …"
"You don't need to justify it, baby."
"Are you okay with it?"
"Definitely. Are you?"
"Yeah … never felt as relieved as when I left the papers on Cragen's desk and walked out." He kissed her head. "You don't mind being married to a retired old man?"
"Nope…so long as you're my retired old man I have no problems at all."
"And you have no problem with me being around the house?"
"Nope … lots of jobs to be done here."
"And you have no problems with me being under your feet?"
"Nope … gives me plenty of time to be under you."
His lips crashed onto hers while his hands tangled through her hair, deepening the kiss to impossible levels.
"You got any questions?" he finally said pulling away breathless.
"You have no problem with doing some handyman stuff here?"
"Nope…just give me a list."
"And you haven't retired from making me very happy every day?"
"Definitely not," he grinned.
"And you're not too old to be a daddy?"
He looked over at their sleeping children. "Nope."
"What about for this one?" she asked, taking his hand and resting it on her abdomen.
His eyes watered instantly. "When? How?" he whispered.
"I found out two weeks ago…"
"Two weeks?"
"Yeah …"
"And you didn't tell me?"
"When did we have the time to have such a conversation, baby?"
"Oh god, another baby."
"You are happy, aren't you?"
"Absolutely … might have to get another job though." His grin widened.
"You don't have to get one immediately … I have lots planned for you … to make up for lost time."
"And what would those plans be, Mrs Stabler?" he asked as he pulled her up into an embrace.
She brushed her lips against his before leading him out to the spare bedroom.
"Guess?" She winked as she opened the door and led him in.
Before he had the chance to speak her lips were on his, her hand tugging at his beater to remove it.
"I love you, Mr Elliot Stabler … husband and father," she said, kissing his now bare chest.
"I love you, Mrs Olivia Stabler … love of my life," he replied laying her on the bed. He now knew he would never have to sit at his desk in the middle of the night and burn for his wife, she would be next to him, with him, loving him … what more could he need?