Sorry folks. Just got back from the concrete jungle of NYC. So happy to be back at my house, with my grass, my driveway and my basement. Easily missed in the bigger city. Any hoo, feel free to review this. I'm not above begging so please!
"How long," she asks, hoping it's a recent move so she doesn't feel like he's been lying to her.
Olivia knows it's not the same as if she straight up asked where he lived. But it does feel a lot like when he avoided telling her his mom was still alive. Elliot let her think Bernie was dead and she'd felt betrayed. A lie by omission is still a lie.
"A little over five months," he reveals.
"And that's why you said what you did in the hospital," she asks, as her wheels begin to spin on that conversation. "That you could've come to me sooner, that it shouldn't have taken you so long to talk to me," she continues. "Because you were across the damned street this whole time!"
Elliot can see her chest rising and falling with how angry she is. There's not a lot of time left before she kicks him out.
"Liv please," he begins. "Let me explain," he says, going to her but knowing not to try and touch her right now.
"Explain what Elliot," she yells. "How seeing me in the village probably wasn't some big coincidence!"
"Liv it wasn't like that," he tries.
"Then how was it Elliot," she asks, beginning to pace. "Did you watch as I went on dates to see if they went home afterwards," she adds. "Or maybe you had their license plates run to find out who they were?"
"No Olivia," he denies. "I didn't do any of that, I wouldn't do that to you," he tells her, chancing a hand to her cheek.
Olivia visibly calms but backs away from his touch.
"I took the apartment because it was available and I could actually afford it," he begins. "I know with your hours you barely notice the people in this building let alone the one across the street," he continues. "I really didn't think I'd see you and I've never intentionally spied on you."
"Intentionally," she says, raising an eyebrow. "So what did you unintentionally witness," she asks, eying him with distrust.
"I noticed…how you struggled for a little while," he confesses. "But then you seemed to find your way like I knew you would."
"What else," she asks, knowing he's not telling her everything.
"I noticed when you started seeing the man you told me about," he reveals. "And how you were after that missing boy from '99, Hector Rodriguez was back in the papers when his body was finally found."
"You know a lot for someone who hasn't been spying on me intentionally," she tells him. "And you didn't try to help me with any of it," she says, her voice breaking.
"Liv I'm so sorry," he begins. "But after what happened between us I didn't think you'd want me around."
"You're right," she says, suddenly cold. "I don't," she adds, entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind herself.
"Liv please don't do this," he begs. "I stupidly thought this wouldn't be an issue," he continues. "And I was wrong but please don't shut me out."
And just like that, she feel's shot all over again.
"Leave me alone Elliot," she says through the door. "I can't do this with you right now."
Elliot dejectedly puts a palm against the door. He thinks it's a new record on him screwing something up. He gathers his clothes and does exactly as she asks.
Olivia is hurt, angry and sad all at the same time. She takes a shower and shampoos her hair but doesn't bother putting on anything but lounge clothes. Leaving her apartment is not on her list of things to do today.
Before she questioned Elliot, the reason for that would've been because they were going to spend all day in bed. Now it's because she's too upset to leave.
They were happy together for three weeks. Olivia was hoping it lasted a bit longer and she's crying again.
Damn him she thinks, swiping at angry tears.
It's been an hour and he's already rang her cell phone six times. She's not in the mood to listen to any more heart felt apologies.
Sunday night and she's back to feeling in a brandy and bubble bath mood. Olivia brings her mp3 player into her bathroom and presses play. She took the Leela James song out of the rotation so she won't give into the urge to return his phone calls.
She had to strip her bed of the sheets they made love on, correction…had sex on (she refuses to call it love making) because they smelled of his cologne.
Monday morning finds her ready to focus on something besides Elliot. Even though Olivia's been benched, she's looking forward to the distraction of filling out paperwork to her heart's content.
Hell, she'll do other people's paperwork if it means she doesn't have to think about his hands on her, his mouth on hers and how he made her heart want his…in 21 lousy days.
They say that's how long it takes to break a bad habit or form a good one. If she can be half in love with the man in that short amount of time, then she can stop thinking about him on that same time table.
"Morning Liv," says Rollins as she enters the bull pen. "Welcome back," she adds in her southern drawl.
"Thanks," she tells the younger woman. "Good to be back," she adds, though she knows it's because she needs the distraction.
"Hey Liv, welcome back," says Fin, as he enters and claims his desk.
"Thanks," she responds. "Happy to see something other than the walls of my apartment," she adds, continuing to work.
"Thought you could use this on your first day back," Nick says as he enters, sitting a cup of coffee from her favorite spot in front of her.
"Now you're just sucking up," Fin tells the dark haired detective. "Do your own paperwork rookie," he adds, ribbing the younger man.
"Thank you," Olivia tells him, shaking her head at her old friend's comments.
They all work diligently for about an hour before a call comes in. The captain sends Fin out with Nick, leaving the two ladies virtually alone in the squad room.
"So how you doin'," asks Rollins.
The blonde woman walks the two feet to Olivia's desk, planting herself in the chair next to it usually reserved for complainants.
"I'm good," she begins, giving Amanda a small smile. "The shoulder's healing nicely and I was able to stop taking the pain meds."
Rollins leans in a bit closer to dash the hopes of any would-be eavesdroppers. She hasn't known Olivia long, but all detectives are students of human nature. And among other things her woman's intuition is telling her something's up.
"That's great," she begins. "But I don't mean the gun shot wound," she tells her. "You're trying just a little too hard not to look like somebody stole you're puppy or somethin'," she explains colorfully.
Olivia thinks the blonde is a lot more intuitive than she originally thought.
"Just ran into someone I knew once," she says, downplaying her time off. "And it was great…until it wasn't," she adds, without elaborating.
Amanda nods her understanding. Olivia doesn't have to tell her who she's talking about, Rollins knows it involves a man and that it didn't end well.
"Rollins," Cragen calls, stepping outside his office.
"If you ever want to get a drink some time and talk," Amanda offers, before getting up.
"Thanks but I'm okay."
Rollins gives her a smile before stepping into the captain's office. She comes out a short time later with an address on a slip of paper. The younger detective grabs her jacket and takes off to interview a witness.
Cragen calls Olivia into the office after she leaves.
"Welcome back," he tells her, gesturing towards a chair for her to sit in.
As she takes a seat she observes that the captain has chosen to lean against the front of his desk instead of sitting behind it. She's noticed over the years that this means he wants to have a personal conversation with her. If she was in trouble he wouldn't have asked her to sit at all.
"Thank you," she responds. "Hopefully I'll be able to qualify with my weapon sooner than three weeks," she begins. "I know Amaro and Rollins are still learning the job."
"Good to hear," he says. "But that's not why I called you in," he reveals.
Surprise, surprise.
"I'm the one that told Elliot you were shot," he confesses. "The doctors said you'd lost a lot of blood and I knew he'd want to know."
"With all due respect captain it wasn't his business to know and it wasn't your place to tell him," she says, standing abruptly.
"You can't honestly expect me to believe that if you thought he was dying you wouldn't want to say goodbye to him," he tells her sternly. "I've known you both long enough to know the answer so don't bother lying," he says, surprising her.
She knows that as angry at Elliot as she is and as hurt as she feels, if the situations were reversed Olivia would still want to see him.
"I'm sorry-you're right captain," she acknowledges, regaining her seat. "I wouldn't have made you my next of kin if I didn't think you'd always act in my best interests."
"It's okay," he tells her. "I'm just glad you didn't leave me alone with Munch, Fin and two SVU rookies," he adds, his way of saying he's glad she's not dead.
"Me too," she agrees, standing again. "I'm gonna get going on that massive stack of paperwork out there," she says, heading for the door. "Thanks."
Captain Cragen nods as she shuts the door behind herself.
"Look who borrowed one of her former partner's nine lives," comments Munch as she returns from Cragen's office. "Wouldn't have been the same without you kid."
"I'm glad I'm still alive too," she tells him, taking her seat again. "And thanks."
A week, turns into two and Elliot's calls slowly taper off before stopping altogether. Olivia doesn't know if she's relieved or saddened by that fact.
She's able to qualify with her weapon early so she's back to full duty and it's a good thing, a new case has drawn their attention.
Nina Lance was a thirty-two year-old nurse, wife and mother of twin eight year-old boys. She was found raped, strangled to death and left in the trunk of her abandoned car, naked.
"Benson, Amaro," says Cragen. "Talk to the husband and find out what kind of marriage they had," he orders.
Olivia and Nick grab their coats, heading out into the chilling October air.
"Fin, Rollins," Cragen continues. "Go to the hospital where she worked and talk to the other nurses," he adds. "They probably knew her better than her family."
They find that Nina wasn't having an affair with anyone. She'd never stolen anything or wronged anyone. She was honest, decent and she loved her family until the night she was taken from them.
Olivia feels ashamed to find she wishes Nina wasn't so squeaky clean. It makes the suspect pool for those who may have wanted to kill her much deeper because it was probably a stranger.
Munch does an internet search of other boroughs and finds the M.O. repeats itself in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.
They all stand around the white board in the squad room brainstorming over the case.
Rollins offers up a decent psychological profile. All three of the women killed were nurses, all in their mid to late thirties and all brunette.
"Most rapists have a type," she begins in her southern accent. "This guy seems to like dark haired, athletic women of taller than average height," she continues. "That and the condition of their bodies say he wants them to struggle."
"So he's also probably athletic himself," observes Fin.
"Yeah," Amanda concurs. "He's also likely the same age, early to late thirties, white, educated and has forensic or medical knowledge," she adds. "No semen or other fluids found on or in the bodies."
"Sounds like he's been at this awhile," comments Cragen.
"I'd say so," Olivia chimes in. "You don't get that good without practice," she offers. "And unfortunately you also don't stop until you get stopped," she continues. "We have to find this guy and soon."
"Go back to the first case in Brooklyn," orders Cragen. "Get the M.E.'s report and check over the witness statements," he tells Fin and Amaro. "He didn't start off so perfect," he concludes before returning to his office.
The two men leave immediately, hoping to crack the cases or at least something that will point them in the right direction.
"Why do you think he kills nurses," asks Olivia of Rollins.
The fair haired detective looks over the notes and the crime scene photos taped to the white board with interest.
"Maybe he works or has worked in or around hospitals," she offers. "Maybe his mother was a nurse."
Olivia gets up from their conference table, joining Amanda at the board. She pays particular interest to the cars of each crime scene.
"Or maybe he felt victimized in some way by one," says Olivia. "He beats them, strangles them, rapes them and throws them into the trunks of their own cars. It's personal for him."
She leans in to each crime scene photo noticing scratch marks on or near the trunks of each vehicle as if something was scraped off, like a sticker of some sort.
"What's up," asks Amanda, trying to understand what her colleague is seeing.
Olivia goes to her desk to retrieve a magnifying glass before returning to the white board.
"Do you see these markings," she asks Rollins. "Looks like something was scraped off of all these cars," she tells her.
"Yeah," responds the junior detective. "Maybe a parking sticker," she offers.
Olivia shakes her head.
"I don't think so," she tells her. "They worked at three different hospitals, lived in three different boroughs and didn't have any places in common to have parked in the same area," she explains.
"But they all got temp tags," Amanda notices.
Benson smiles, happy that she's caught on.
"Yep," she confirms. "So let's see if they all bought cars from the same place," she tells the rookie.
Rollins does a DMV search and discovers that all three women had recently purchased their vehicles from the Manhattan Auto Group.
Seeing as though it was nearly eight o'clock and the dealership was about to close, they decide to save the tip for tomorrow.
"That's good work," Olivia tells the Georgia peach.
"Hey it was your idea," she acknowledges. "So good job," she adds.
"You can pat each other on the back tomorrow," says the captain stepping out of his office. "You two get out of here. I want you back bright and early to compare notes with Fin and Amaro."
After they say their goodnights to the captain he re-enters his office.
"You know Rollins, I think I'll take you up on that drink now," Liv tells Amanda.
After a few rounds with the rookie doing some venting without giving her the details, she feels a lot better and a little buzzed. The southern belle can definitely hold her liquor and ends up putting Olivia into a cab. They say their goodnights and part ways.
When Olivia reaches her apartment door, she sees a familiar figure sitting outside of it with his coat draped over his arm. It looks like he would've waited all night if necessary. He is one determined S.O.B. For all the ways he's changed he's still just as ornery and steel willed as he's always been.
Elliot.