Disclaimer: Law & Order SVU/OC and its characters don't belong to me. This story has been written for fun only, not for money. English being my second language, I had some help for vocabulary but all thoughts, ideas behind the story and dialogues are mine.

AN: Originally put at the end of the 5minCalls series but since this is in canon (ish) I'm posting it on its own, under the new 5minCalls (in canon ish) series. Hope it makes more sense this way!

Summary: Olivia calls Elliot back after his voicemail. Reference to the 5minCalls concept.

Spoilers: Set during OC S4x01, after the fentanyl lab operation.

Olivia Calls Back

by musical-Aven

Her timing couldn't have been worse. Elliot was still woozy from the lingering fentanyl fumes and his body was aching from the altercation with the crazy machete guy. He was sitting on the steps of an ambulance, an oxygen mask clinging to his face. Ayanna was standing on his left when his phone started ringing loudly.

He pulled it out of his pants and they both noticed the caller ID at the same time. Olivia Benson.

They hadn't spoken for weeks, before Elliot had left a message for her earlier that night, informing her that he was back. And he was. However, the chaotic circumstances surrounding him now wouldn't exactly reassure her.

Caught between the urgency to answer and the need to hear her voice, Elliot hesitated for a brief moment. Ayanna, recognizing the importance of the call, reached for the phone in his hand. She stopped her detective before he removed his mask to answer.

"You keep that on. I'll handle it."

Stabler hesitated, looking up at his boss trying to convey the significance of the call. She seemed to grasp that, despite not knowing where the two partners stood right not in their whatever-it-was relationship.

Reluctantly, Elliot let go of the phone, silently pleading for Ayanna not to disclose the precariousness of his situation. Bell indicated to Stabler that she wouldn't say or do anything to add concern to the person on the other side of the line.

"Captain, Hi." She greeted, trying to sound normal.

There was a pause, a beat too long.

"Sergeant Bell." Benson's steady voice was stable, although surprised and showing a hint of concern.

"Stabler's not far, but he couldn't pick up right now." Ayanna attempted to downplay the situation.

Elliot listened intently.

"Okay..." Benson replied carefully.

"He told me to pick up and tell you he'd call back as soon as possible, is that alright?" Ayanna offered.

"Sure..." Benson replied, clearly trying to read the situation. "I actually was just returning his phone call. He... he left me a message." She explained, her mind evidently racing.

"Alright, well, I'll tell him." Ayanna tried to conclude the call, but Benson wasn't ready to let it go

"Ayanna." She stopped the Sergeant. "What aren't you telling me?" she pressed, sensing something was wrong.

Bell glanced briefly at Stabler, who maintained his eyes on her throughout the conversation while still breathing heavily from the oxygen tank. Benson wasn't buying the explanation. Ayanna sighed.

"He's fine." Ayanna finally reassured.

Sighing, Elliot closed his eyes in defeat, realizing that this was going to be more complicated than he wanted.

"He's there," Benson continued.

"Yes. Just a few feet from here." Ayanna reassured with confidence.

"But he can't talk right now." Olivia pushed.

Bell faltered a little.

"He's…occupied with something."

Elliot couldn't endure it any longer. He moved to remove his mask and reach for the phone, but Ayanna intervened.

"You stay put, Stabler!" She ordered and then sighed in defeat. "Fine, he's right here, but he's currently French-kissing a bottle of oxygen after being exposed to a room full of drugs." She finally admitted.

"What?!" Olivia exclaimed.

Elliot rolled his eyes and groaned into the mask. So much for reassurance.

"We had an altercation at a scene, but it's under control now." Ayanna explained. "And Elliot is okay."

She left out the scare they all had after the episode in the trailer-lab, but she didn't need to verbalize it for everyone to understand it hadn't been smoothly. Olivia took a moment to process the information, trying not to overreact.

"Alright, well..." Benson began to retreat, but heard Stabler in the background.

"Give me that."

Ayanna didn't want to fight to keep these two apart anymore. She sighed, handing him the phone.

"I'm not lying to a Captain for you, so you deal with it."

Elliot picked it up, raising it to his ear.

"5 minutes!" Bell ordered loudly enough for both of them to hear before walking away.

They were used to the time constraint, anyway.

"Hey." Elliot breathed into the phone.

"Hi," Olivia replied, careful of his condition. "I thought you were back." She replayed his own words from his voicemail.

There wasn't much reprimand in her tone, but Elliot felt it nonetheless.

"I am," he answered quickly, his breaths short. "Case came to us instead. Unexpected."

Olivia hummed, still worried about his health.

"How are you?" He asked first, panting through the words.

Olivia laughed a little at his motivation to continue talking.

"I'm..." She stopped herself. She wanted to be honest. "Hard case on my end. I... I think I made a mistake, and I'm feeling guilty about it."

Elliot was glad she was opening up to him.

"Knowing you," he took a breath, "not your fault, Liv."

Olivia smiled at his attempt. Everyone was telling her it wasn't her fault, and it irritated her so much, but coming from Elliot, it shook something in her.

"I just need to find that girl, El..." She whispered, and Elliot had a hard time hearing her over the noise at the scene.

He took a moment before speaking back.

"You will." He said with the highest confidence in her.

They stayed silent for a moment, relishing each other's company. Elliot noticed Bell across the parking lot, keeping an eye on him.

"Time's up?" Olivia asked, both understanding and disappointed.

"Yeah…"

His breathing was now clearly difficult. He wanted so much to tell her how nice it was to hear her voice, but his breathing was shallow.

"Be safe." She uttered the words almost as a reflex.

"I'll call you." He managed, trying to be reassuring.

"Yeah…" Olivia answered, her voice carrying something that made Elliot worry about her state of mind about them.

Click. Unlike all the other call disconnections before, she was the one to force it this time.