Olivia sat on the hospital bed at Mercy's, Fin standing patiently beside her, offering some comfort. The nurse finished the bandage on her forehead and exited the room telling them the doctor needed to sign a final form before letting her go home. Olivia sighed internally, the day seemed interminable.
A perp had launched at her earlier this afternoon in the interrogation room, attacking her with his chair. Benson had tried to cover herself, but the metal bars had slammed into her temple before any help could arrive. She had insisted on being okay afterwards, covering her dizziness as much as she could. But since she had lost consciousness, even for a short moment, the paramedic had forced her into the ambulance.
Five hours later, she was sitting here, with a concussion diagnosis and a throbbing gush to the side of her forehead. The doctor had demanded that someone checked on her every two hours for the next twelve. Olivia cringed at the thought of burdening her son with that duty.
Fin cleared his throat, shifting on his feet before speaking.
"So… you might hate me for this," he began.
Her eyes lifted heavily, bracing herself for what he was about to say.
"I called Stabler."
"What? Fin, he's undercover."
She heard his voice before she saw him.
"Not anymore."
Her head snapped toward the doorway so rapidly that, when her eyes focused on him, she wondered if she was hallucinating.
"Elliot…" she gasped.
Stabler entered, genuine concern on his face. Olivia looked at him, still in a state of dazed confusion. He looked exhausted, the kind of weariness that extended beyond just the concern for her well-being. His bluer-than-usual eyes betrayed the hours he must have spent driving to reach her. Her brain was functioning slower than normal, but when it finally caught up, her mind went to his undercover operation. What risks did he take to be here? She was fine, she didn't want him to jeopardize everything for her.
"What are you doing here? Is this even safe?" she questioned, concerned and frustrated.
"You got hurt, Liv." He approached her bed, checking the bandage as if reassuring himself.
Fin, sensing an inevitable argument, attempted to exit, but Olivia halted him.
"Why did you call him? I was fine…" she reprimanded him.
Her Sergeant scoffed, unfazed.
"Yeah well, tell that to your subconscious." He retorted before closing the door behind him.
Elliot provided an explanation, his voice low.
"You were asking for me in the ambulance."
He stood before her, her legs dangling from the bed near him. Her responses were sluggish due to the injury, and concern grew in Elliot. Despite her anger at him, he was relieved he came back to be here for her.
"Oh," she muttered, realization dawning. "I didn't-" she started to apologize.
"I know, Liv. I would have come back anyway." He interrupted, his eyes persistently on her.
She sighed in defeat. Elliot noticed the compass necklace lying on her chest didn't comment on it.
"Does Bell know?" Olivia asked, knowing how impulsive her partner could get when it came to her safety.
"Yes." He answered simply.
"You didn't give her much of a choice, did you?"
He shrugged.
"You got attacked, Liv." He said, as if that justified his actions.
The fear in his eyes reminded her of the way he had looked at her back in the Ohio urgent care, earlier that year, and how deeply he was affected by her being hurt.
"I'm fine." She argued again.
Stabler didn't look convinced.
"Come on, let's get you home." He encouraged, grabbing her coat.
The car ride was spent in silence, mostly. Elliot, mindful of Olivia's injuries, navigated the streets with caution. She attempted to rest into the seat, but the realization that Elliot was right beside her after so many months apart disrupted any chance of that. She couldn't shake off the hint of guilt in the back of her mind for not welcoming him as she'd thought she would, with warmth and maybe a hug. She was mostly preoccupied by his well-being. Getting out of deep undercover with no plan or timeframe was dangerous. While she was glad to have him back, she hadn't imagined it to be so bittersweet.
Abandoning hope of sleep, Olivia decided to share her inner turmoil.
"You need to go back."
Elliot took a moment before engaging in the inevitable argument.
"It's done, Liv."
"You need to, Elliot. You can't just leave the ops like that!" Her frustration at his stubbornness evident.
"I'm here, and that's that." He responded.
Olivia shook her head through the pain. Her tone came out harsher than intended.
"I don't want you to throw away months of work just because of what happened."
"Because of what happened *to you*." He corrected.
"Whatever," she exhaled loudly, exhausted. "You're going back, Elliot."
Now, Elliot was annoyed at her push backs.
"Were you this stubborn back in the days, or are you just worse now?" He half-asked, making Benson's anger grow.
But she refrained from answering, either due to her tired state or the battle she knew she was going to lose. The silence in the car was heavy.
"You just don't get it..." Elliot mumbled.
Olivia kept quiet, still. Of course, she *got it*. She understood very well what he was doing and why he was doing it. But she refused to get into that right now, choosing the familiar comfort of denial instead. Leaving the argument in the air, she rested her head against the seat once more and closed her eyes. Her head was spinning again, but it wasn't because of her concussion. It was because of Elliot Stabler.
When they arrived at her apartment, Elliot parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt.
"I'm fine, El. I can get on an elevator." She insisted.
It wasn't that she didn't want him with her, she had missed him deeply, but this wasn't how she imagined their reunion. She felt a need to reassure him that he could return to undercover work, that she was fine and could manage on her own. Elliot sighed in frustration again, turning to look deeply into her eyes as he spoke.
"I'm not going back, Liv. Even if you order me to. I can drop you off here, leave you to your twelve-year-old son to care for you, then drive home. But I'm still not going back under. So let me do this, please," he pleaded. "Plus, something tells me you don't want to put that responsibility on your son."
Silence filled the space between them, and she knew he was right. Something in her resistance began to crumble.
"Were you this infuriating back in the days, or are you worse now?" she asked, parroting his earlier question, essentially giving in.
Elliot smiled, grateful that she was finally allowing him in. In response, she let herself smile back, acknowledging that she was being difficult with him, even though she really didn't want to be.
Once home, Olivia headed to change while Elliot busied himself preparing some tea. After pulling a comfy sweatshirt over her head, she stood in front of the mirror, taking her time to look at herself. She felt the adrenaline from the day's events slowly fading from her body.
Her eyes went to the compass necklace hanging around her neck. Lead you to happiness, Liv. Elliot was here. In her apartment. He'd came back, finally. For her. To her. Even though the circumstances weren't ideal, she had to admit it felt so good to have him near her.
Noah was staying with Amanda tonight, a decision to allow Olivia the chance to rest and recover, at least for the first night. Her head was throbbing, but she found herself glad for not being alone tonight.
Emerging from her bedroom silently, Olivia walked up to the island and watched an oblivious Elliot in the kitchen. Guilt rose in her, reflecting on her initial reaction to his return. While her concern for his undercover work was genuine, a deeper, unspoken gratefulness simmered beneath it. She took the moment to appreciate his presence, to let herself accept it. Even though she hadn't communicated it, the prospect of more than five minutes of conversation with him and the comfort of his protective presence made her heart flutter.
She stayed silently standing at the kitchen island, as flashbacks from almost a year ago came to her mind.
Elliot, I want to.
I want to but I can't.
I'm not ready for this.
Elliot's movement brought her out of her reverie. He turned back from the sink, his eyes meeting hers. The apartment was so quiet. They spoke in soft voices.
"Hey. Feel better?"
"Yeah."
Elliot observed her protectively for any signs of complications from the concussion. Beyond that, though, Olivia sensed his awkwardness, and she knew that he was reliving the same scene in his mind.
"Want to lay down?" he offered, leading them away from that conversation.
She nodded, exhaustion finally catching up with her.
"Couch or bed?"
Pondering, her thoughts moved slowly because of her injuries. A bed sounded really nice right now, but she didn't want to be away from him right now. She needed to be close to Elliot tonight.
"Couch for now."
Elliot nodded in acknowledgment and motioned towards the boiler on her stove.
"I'll bring this to you in a few minutes."
He was giving her space, without her even asking for it. Elliot was aware that just his presence tonight was a lot to deal with for her. Her boundaries were being stretched, and he wanted her to feel some sort of control, even though he was imposing his care for her.
"Thanks." Olivia responded, appreciative of his understanding.
Moving to the living room, she lied on the couch, her head propped up by a cushion. Eyes closed, she basked in the stillness of the room until Elliot joined her. The subtle rustle of him settling on the floor barely disturbed the quiet. When she opened her eyes, he was there, offering her a steaming cup of tea.
"Thanks." She repeated, a word she was muttering a lot tonight.
Elliot found a position for himself on the floor, his back resting against the lower part of the couch. Olivia took a couple of sips of the tea, each one a moment to ease the tension of the day. After a while, she passed her mug to Elliot who placed it on the table in front of him. It was a small act, but it made Olivia emotional for some reason, making her appreciate the simplicity of it all.
"I can make space for you on the couch, you know." She teased quietly.
"I'm fine." He replied simply, choosing to stay on the floor.
He was close, like this, but it wasn't as awkward as it might have been if she shared the couch. The familiarity of his scent, something uniquely him, enveloped her, a calming presence in the quiet apartment.
Elliot grabbed the remote, flipping through channels nonchalantly. The moment felt nice, normal, and Olivia allowed herself to not overthink it, seeking comfort in the hominess of it all.
Elliot finally settled on a documentary about lions in a safari. Olivia observed him from the side, taking in every line of his face, his neck, the broadness of his shoulders. He felt her gaze on him but didn't break the silence, allowing her the time to absorb the fact that he was really here to stay.
After a while though, he couldn't resist and turned his head to meet her eyes. Their gaze lingered, words unspoken but understood. Slowly, Elliot lifted his arm, placing it on the couch in front of her, his hand covering her forearm on the cushion.
"You okay?" he inquired softly.
Olivia, her eyes heavy with fatigue, nodded tiredly. Her free hand found its way over his in reassurance. Emotions overwhelmed her, and she took a deep breath to steady herself.
"It's good to see you, partner." She admitted softly, finally voicing her gratefulness for his return.
A small, knowing smile played on Elliot's lips.
"You too." He replied, his palm warm on her arm as he squeezed it gently.
Their eyes locked, silently communicating everything they should have said when they reunited after months of missing each other.
Olivia's eyelids grew heavy, the exhaustion finally taking its toll.
"Get some sleep, I'm gonna wake you in a few hours." Elliot whispered, watching her gently.
She nodded once more, closing her eyes, her hand still on his. As Olivia drifted into sleep, Elliot left his arm on the couch, turning back to the TV, sipping his tea. The apartment felt like their protected, intimate bubble.
