Part 2

1 hour. Wednesday, Elliot's Apartment, 9pm the night of the abduction.

Elliot's apartment was exactly how he left it. The lemon fresh scent left by the maid he hired was still in the air, but otherwise, all was still and unlived in. The only things that resembled his life were Eli's magnetic blocks, which neatly lay in a box next to the tv, and a large framed picture of him and his kids. A photo that Kathy insisted on taking, printing, and hanging on the wall over the decorative fireplace.

"A reminder that you have people who love you. I know you need to…find yourself…but I want you to know that you're not alone, Elliot." He recalled her words every time he looked at it. And though she wasn't wrong, his empty NYC apartment felt more like a reminder that he failed the people whom he loved.

He texted Liv to shake off his dark thoughts.

"Can't sleep. Had a great time tonight with you. Can we do it again tomorrow?..."

He deleted it.

"Missed you."

He deleted it again.

"It was good to catch up. Let's do it again before I have to go back. Good Night."

He hesitated and than sent it fast before he could overthink it.

When she didn't respond, he slammed a nightcap of whisky on the rocks, and headed to bed.

His bedroom was bare. In it was a queen-sized bed, a nightstand he took from Kathy after the divorce, an old dim lamp, and an empty closet. He tossed his suitcase in the closet, lifted his shirt off, and pulled his wallet out of his pocket before he sat on the bed.

The wallet was fat with miscellaneous cards, some cash, and two pictures. He flipped to the back and pulled out a tiny picture of him and Olivia. It was creased down the center and worn, but it was his favorite picture of them. It was the only picture he had of them. They were younger. It was a candid photo, taken by Monique Jefferies who was dabbling in photography classes, at the time. Olivia was sitting on the edge of his desk looking down at him laughing. He was leaning back with his own bright smile. He remembered their early days, fondly. They had a lot of fun back then. He was immediately smitten by her. The way she scrunched her nose when she smiled, and her wide brown thoughtful eyes when she was deep in thought. The body language between them in this picture spoke volumes, and she was luminous. It was his dirty little secret, but it made him happy.

He folded the picture back up and checked his phone again. No message back.

He ripped his jeans off, clicked off the light, and sat in darkness with his eyes wide open. Everything ready for the night, but his inner dad or…cop in him wouldn't turn off. He grabbed his phone again.

"Can't sleep. You make it home safe?"

He looked at the clock after he sent the text.

11:45pm.

He was about to spiral into anxious regret for sending the text so late, but she immediately responded.

"Will catch up another time. Headed out of town for a bit."

He smiled and texted back. "Good for you. Where?"

"I'm just gonna drive until I find the perfect spot."

The response was odd coming from a woman who took months to decide on a pair of new shoes.

"My mom has a beach house on Long Island if you need a place to stay. It's a little chilly this time of year though. She's on the east side."

It took a moment for a response back.

"Beach House perfect Address?"

The frankness of the text to his offer seemed out of sorts, so he decided to call. She didn't pick up. He clicked the nightstand lamp back on and sat up contemplating.

"Everything okay with you?"

He waited and watched the three dots move and then stop.

"Liv?"

And then.

"Sleeping. Drop me that address."

3 years apart, and he still knew her well enough to know something seemed out of character. He didn't want to seem presumptuous or pushy though, so he backed off.

"Call me in the morning and we'll talk. Get some sleep. Good night, Liv."

She didn't respond to his last text. He lay back in bed ill at ease, and tossed and turned until 7am.

Maybe it was the text or the cold empty apartment that vexed him. Maybe it was the jet lag. Maybe he knew her smile would haunt his dreams yet again. But it felt so foolish to feel troubled after a delightful homecoming with her on the other side of a warm candlelit table. He had taken for granted how much he loved her. Her smell, the way she touched his hand or his shoulder when he made her laugh, the easy conversation. Though, maybe deep down in the pit of his soul his 6th sense knew something was wrong.

10 hours

One peak of a sunbeam and he shot up out of bed and downed two cups of strong black coffee. He did a workout, called Kathy and Eli to set up their 2-week visit, grabbed breakfast, and found himself downtown at the new local office.

14 hours

By 11am she still hadn't called him and he tried her phone again.

She wasn't answering her cell or her home answering machine.

"Machine full."

He yawned, looked up at the dark window from the street, and decided to leave.

24 hours.

Lewis forced himself inside the older woman again and again, as Olivia sat 5 feet away strapped to a chair.

"Close your eyes again and I will burn her eyes next," he grunted and pushed.

She watched her soul rise above the room as she forced her eyes open and tried to memorize his patterns. If she could find a weak spot, she might have a chance. However, the hopelessness was outweighing years of professional tactics. That killed her more than death itself.

45 hours.

Over a course of 2 days Lewis held Olivia in the back of different cars. He stopped to rape, murder, and torture his lawyer's parents. Attempted to use their beach house, but there were cops already to thwart his plans, until finally he turned onto a gravel path and stopped at what she considered her final destination.

He pulled the SUV into the driveway of an abandoned Long Island cottage. It was dusk and the sun was almost over the horizon. Olivia took one final moment to take in the orange sky.

"Aw, look how cute this is," he pandered and pretended. "Does your boyfriend, Brian, know that your old partner, Elliot Stabler, invited you to his mother's vacation house?"

She could barely register what he was saying, and in fact, didn't react until he shook her phone in the air. "He texted last night. Elliot. 'Hope you're not mad at me. I really did have a wonderdful dinner. Can't stop thinking about you.' Barf! Does Brian know that you two had dinner? Must not have been that spicey of date or you would have invited him up..."

He laughed and grinned that frightening toothy smile at her, then he turned the phone back off and ripped the SIM card out. "It's pretty amazing what google can pull up these days. Kathleen Stabler on…the facebook has a grandma Bernadette Stabler. Then, BAM…an address…right here on Air BnB 5578 NE Ocean Shore Dr. Gosh, I hope she's here. You ever meet her?"

Olivia looked around at the dark house. Panic in her eyes.

"I didn't think so," Lewis continued as if Olivia had answered him. "Men don't usually bring their mistresses to dinner."

Olivia blinked back her anger and turned her face back to the horizon.

"Ha," he amused himself. "Struck a chord with that one, didn't I? Well, let's go check out the inheritance you'll never see."

He got out of the SUV.

Olivia shot up and tried to scream and wriggle her way out of the wrist restraints.

Tears flooded her eyes and she kicked at the car doors as she prayed Elliot's mother was not there.

60 hours

The Channel 4 news played in the background while Elliot flipped pancakes.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he yelled.

"Daddy," five-year-old Eli rushed through the door and Elliot pulled him into his arms.

"My man!," he held back tears. "You have to stop growing."

"Pancakes!," he shouted.

"Yeah, I made your favs."

Kathy quickly popped her head into the door. "Here's his bag. About a week's worth of clothes, so you'll have to do laundry. School starts at 11:30am. Maureen said she could pick him up if you're not able to, but really you'll need to take care of this on your own, because Tom and I are going to Mexico for 10 days, and you can't rely on Maureen all week."

"Tom," Elliot puffed as he licked the batter off of his finger.

"Yes, Tom," she quickly nodded. "The man I'm engaged to. You've missed a lot, but all of the kids would be happy to fill you in."

Elliot motioned for Eli to go play and walked Kathy to the door.

"Engaged. That's…quick."

She cleared her throat and pursed her lips.

"Congratulations, Kath. I'm glad to see you happy," he genuinely responded.

"I am," she blushed. "Are you happy?"

"I'm good."

Kathy sucked in air to end the awkward small talk. "Okay. Well, have fun. Eli, I love you. Be good for Dad."

"Love you mommy!," he yelled from inside the house.

Elliot closed the door and shook his head to himself. "Looks like everyone's on vacation but me and you this week, kid. Eli, get over here dude, these pancakes are gonna get cold."

"Yulyia."

Elliot flipped pancakes on a plate and pulled the kitchen stool to the side for Eli to hop up on. "Come on, let's eat up."

Eli pointed to the TV. "Look, Dad, Yulyia."

Yulyia was Eli's word for Olivia. When he was a toddler he couldn't say her name and the sounds came out Yulyia instead of Olivia. The name stuck and even though he could say Olivia now, he still called her Yulyia. Elliot had forgotten about the nick name and then he saw her face on the television.

The plate slipped from Elliot's hand onto the counter with a loud clank.

"NYPD Detective Olivia Benson has been missing for 2 days and is said to be abducted by this man, Lewis-"

Elliot's face went white.

"Yulyia," Eli pointed.

"Yeah, that's Yulyia. Bud, let's take these pancakes to go."

He practically shoved Eli into the backseat of his sedan with the sticky plate of pancakes running and dripping everywhere.

"But what about my booster seat?," Eli panicked.

"It's okay, Daddy will get it later. Hold onto your pancakes, bud," he said in half shock, while slamming on the gas and peeling down the street with his lights on. "You're gonna get to school early this morning, okay."

"Why?"

"Because Yulyia's in trouble."

"Oh. And you're going to save her?"

"Yes."

He beeped his horn and swerved recklessly around a few cars. The plate of pancakes flew to the ground and Eli started whining.

"Daddy, my pancakes!"

"Shit!," he said, glancing at the plate of sticky syrup on the backseat floor.

"That's a bad word!"

"Sorry, Buddy. I owe you a buck. Hang tight."

He pulled into the school with a sharp turn, and then hustled Eli into the building with no lunch or book bag.

A woman with thick blue glasses and a fuzzy orange sweater with pink flowers on it, sat with a big smile on face as they rushed in.

Elliot had no charm to give this Miss Goodman this morning.

"Claire-," he started.

"Miss Goodman," she corrected him with a bubbly lilt to her voice.

"Miss Goodman, I know it's not time for drop off, but there is an emergency at work, and his mom, my ex-wife, is on her way to Mexico. I need you to take Eli now."

"Oh, no. Hi Eli," she smiled and then looked up at the clock. "Well…I'm so sorry….it's only 8am…and we don't really do early drop-off here. This is a public school not a day care, Mr. Stabler."

"Okay, and my tax money pays for you to take my kid-"

"From 11:30am-2pm," she smiled.

"And you can't make an exception? This is life or death."

"I'm so sorry. We just don't…I feel so baaad though," she smiled with a pained look in her eye.

Elliot slammed on the counter and everyone in the office, including Eli jumped.

"Mr. Stabler, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He lifted Eli from the ground infuriated. "Yep. Come on, Buddy."

The door slammed behind him and they got back into the car, Eli was in tears, and Elliot felt a rush of guilt hit his chest.

"I'm sorry, Eli. I didn't mean to get upset."

"Yes, you did."

"Please, I'm not upset with you. Did you see Yulyia on the TV this morning?"

He sucked up a few tears and nodded.

"She was kidnapped by a very bad man. And I just needed Miss Goodman to let you go to school early today. And she wouldn't help us. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. Stupid Miss Goodman."

"Ah…," he rubbed his eyes in frustration. "No, she's not stupid. She is just doing her job. Daddy's just upset, because he helps so many people, and he just needs other people to help him sometimes."

"I'll help you," Eli said with wide eyes.

Elliot kissed him on the head, and pulled his booster seat out of the trunk. "Sure, bud. You're gonna be Detective Eli today, okay. Seatbelt on."

"Yeay!"

45 hours

Olivia's heart was beating a thousand beats a minute. She stopped to listen and didn't hear any screams, so she hoped that was a good sign. Minutes later Lewis returned sweaty with a wide grin on his face. When he opened the door she kicked him as hard as she could and he laughed hard.

"Nice one." His gun aimed at her head and she froze. "The place is empty…for now. Looks like it's just you and me, sweet tits."

He pulled her from the car wrapped his hands tightly around her waist and he breathed into her ear as he walked her around the inside of the house. It was clear Elliot's mother was living there or that maybe someone was renting the space. Dirty dishes were stacked on the counter tops. An easel with a painting of the ocean stood at the large bay window.

"The honeymooners air bnb. Comes with a dirty ass updated kitchen, ocean view, and oh-" he pushed open the bedroom door. "The perfect master suite."

She sobbed and shook through the tape on her mouth.

"I got the rope all ready for you," he whispered before tossing her on the bed.

61 hours

Elliot pushed his way into the precinct and sat Eli down at Olivia's desk. "Stay here."

"And do what," he pouted.

"Ah…color."

"Is this your desk?," he asked and pointed to a picture of him and Olivia.

The small framed picture of them on her desk, out in the open, next to a picture of her mother and her niece…it was a punch to the gut.

Elliot cleared his throat. "This is Yulyia's desk. Maybe color her a nice picture while I talk to her friends. Can you do that for her?"

Eli nodded. "Okay, Daddy."

Rollins faced the bulletin board as she walked through the case with Fin, Cragen, Amaro, and Brian Cassedy. "He would hold the vics for two to three days while he found a secluded spot, and that's where he would torture, burn, and rape them."

Brian hunched over the table sick to his stomach and shook his head. "Did he kill them too?"

"Not all of them….," she stopped herself at the sound of his shaking voice, and then looked over Brian's shoulder to see Elliot Stabler standing five feet away listening to the briefing. A kid sat at Olivia's desk and she held her hand up to stop everyone from saying anything too loudly. "Ah…Hang on. I'm sorry, can we help you?"

"Elliot," Cragen stepped in. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw the news. I'm here to help."

Fin leaned back on his chair to get a better look at Eli. "This is not a good time for bring your kid to work day, Elliot."

"I know. Maureen's on her way. Just fill me in."

Rollins looked to Cragen for the go-ahead. "Team this is…the infamous Elliot Stabler. And if anyone can find Liv it's…," he stopped himself when he caught Brian's crest fallen face. Remembering that Brian and Elliot didn't always see eye to eye, he tried to switch back to Olivia.

"Oh don't pause for me, Cap," Brian spat. "Let the wonder boy hear what yeah got. Oh wait, long story short, they got nothing," Brian pushed the chair in front of him and paced on the opposite side of the table.

Rollins butted in. "Now that's not altogether true. We know he's on or near Long Island. He stole his Lawyer's parent's Long Island house keys and he bought duct tape and rope at this hardware store, here," she pointed to a map of Long Island in the middle of the table.

"Okay, and why aren't we canvasing Long Island right now," Elliot barked.

"We have a team-," Cragen started.

"You have a team. Great. And you all are what…," he started to interrogate.

"Well, we have a hunch he's finding a beach house," Rollins added quickly.

"So instead of canvasing beaches, you're all sitting here reminiscing old victim pics," He snapped.

Brian slammed his hand on the map Elliot was hovering over. "Which Beach you going to canvas, smart ass. This one?," he pointed. "This one. This one. This ONE! OH WAIT the whole fucking island is BEACH! You gave him the idea, so why don't you make the guess, asshole!"

Elliot puffed up. "I gave him the idea! This is the first I've heard of this guy-"

"Elliot. Cassedy," Cragen barked. "Calm down or you'll both be ordered to stand off the case."

Rollins pulled up the text records. "Elliot, you texted Olivia's phone at 11:45pm two nights ago. You said your mom live-"

The text.

Elliot slapped a finger next to Brian's hand. "We'll start here."

Everyone looked at him confused.

"That's my mother's beach house."

"You got an address," Amaro asked as they all moved.

"I'll text it."

"Daddy," Eli smiled. "I made a heart for her."

Elliot paused as the group rushed past him.

Cragen touched Elliot on the shoulder. "I'll stay with him until Maureen gets here."

"Thanks, Captain."

"It's good to see you, Elliot. Go bring our girl home."

AN: Thanks for reading. If you're liking it, let me know.