Quote Prompt #85: "I know who you are. Hey, I know. It's OK. Shh. It's gonna be all right." — Bones
Remember Who You Are
~oOo~
Detective Olivia Benson sat in the passenger seat of the squad car, fighting back tears. Her partner, Detective Elliot Stabler, had picked her up outside the apartment building where she had gone to confront her biological father, the man who had raped her mother over thirty years ago. When Elliot had arrived, she had simply gotten in the car and said, "He's not my father."
"Ya sure?" Elliot pressed.
Olivia nodded. "It wasn't him."
Elliot opened his mouth to respond when he saw tears standing in Olivia's eyes, but she quickly ordered, "Just drive."
Knowing it was impossible to get anything else out of his partner before she was ready, Elliot had done as bidden. They were silent the entire ride back to Olivia's place.
Looking over at his partner once they arrived at their destination, Elliot could tell she was close to her breaking point.
"Talk to me, Liv."
Olivia shook her head, but a moment later she began to open up.
"I…I thought I would get closure today. Instead, all I have is more questions and more pain. It's not like I thought confronting the man who raped my mother would change anything. At the end of the day, I'm still the child of a rapist, whose mother is an alcoholic as a result. What does that make me, El? Who am I? My mother was right. No one could ever love someone conceived by a monster."
A few of the tears Olivia was trying to keep in leaked out and ran down her cheeks.
Elliot took her hand in his.
"I know who you are. You are a woman who is filled with so much empathy. A woman who helps survivors every day by showing them compassion as you fight for justice so they get the closure they need. You are the woman I am proud to call my partner and more importantly, my friend. Your mother was very wrong. What your father did to your mom and what she became as a result…those things don't define you, Liv. You are Detective Olivia Benson. One of the best, most compassionate, and empathetic people I know. You have so much love to give. Anyone who knows you can see that. That's who you are. Don't ever forget that."
Olivia stared at her partner for a long moment. Then, without warning she launched herself forward into his arms. He pulled her close and held her as she shook with sobs. She clung to him tightly as she let the tears flow freely, unable to control them any longer.
The two partners stayed in that position for a very long time. Finally, Olivia pulled back and looked Elliot in the eye.
"Thanks, El. You always know exactly what I need to hear."
Elliot wiped away her remaining tears with his thumbs and looked back at her with a small smile as he replied, "Well, Liv, I meant every word."
Olivia smiled back softly before pulling him in for one more hug. Then she opened the passenger door and got out of the car.
Leaning through the window, she smiled more widely and said, "See ya tomorrow."
"Yeah. Bye, Liv," Elliot replied.
As Olivia walked inside her building she felt a lot lighter, knowing that no matter what, she had a best friend and partner who knew her better than she knew herself. Despite her horrible childhood, there was someone who loved her for who she was. Her past and conception didn't have to define her. She wasn't her mother. She was Detective Olivia Benson, her own person. She would create her own legacy. That night, when she went to bed, she had the best night's sleep she had had in years.
The author of this SVU - Quills & Shutters story will be revealed in October