No case story, just drama. Short storm fic. Just four chapters and they'll all be up before Season 26 starts again.
Just another way for Elliot and Olivia to run into each other after years apart. Elliot's backstory is mostly the same (i.e., Rome, etc.) with minor adjustments. Kathy's still alive and kicking. That'll be explained.
Takes place October 2019. I think the timeline should line up with most of the character's events (i.e., Noah's age and dance interest, Olivia becoming Captain, etc.). If not… It's AU, anyway. ;)
xoxoxo
Saturday 7:00 am
(October 2019)
Destin, FL
Elliot steps out onto his 6th-floor hotel balcony dressed only in a pair of shorts. He pushes the sliding glass door closed with one hand and carries a cup of coffee in the other as he steps up to the railing.
Not a bad deal that he ended up in Florida for his undercover assignment, with a view of the gulf from his hotel room. His gaze drifts, noticing the palm trees, boardwalk, and beach umbrella stands, then the sand and surf. A few runners and surfers are out.
He arrived late last night, checked into his hotel and he's free to settle in for a couple of days and get the layout of the town before the job begins.
His assignment in Rome is done. He went back to New York and has been staying with Maureen, Carl, and the two boys for the past two weeks. It's good to see his grand kids, but he feels like a fifth wheel and the place is a little crowded. So, a UC job in Florida seemed like a good idea.
His ex-wife Kathy and Eli are still in Rome. Kathy's boyfriend moved in a year ago after the divorce was final, leaving him to rent a small flat. He's glad to be back in the States.
Once this assignment is done, he'll return to New York and figure out his life.
From the TV in the background.
Xx
"…We'll bring you continuing coverage of Hurricane Lora, a strong category three storm that is projected to make landfall tomorrow morning near Port Arthur, Texas.
In Destin and the surrounding area, you can expect some impact from this storm, including up to 5 inches of rain and winds gusting to 65 mph. Coastal advisories will be in effect through tomorrow evening…"
xx
xoxo
1:00 pm
"Noah!" Olivia calls out as her 8-year-old dumps his bag in the entryway of the hotel suite and rushes for a look at the Gulf of Mexico from their 6th-floor balcony.
She scoots the bag to the side with one foot and enters to set her bags down.
A vacation seemed like a nice idea. Noah has a dance tournament in Destin on Tuesday. They arrived early, giving them time to settle in and enjoy a little vacation. Fin's managing things at SVU until she gets back to New York next Saturday.
"Sorry, Mom," says Noah, who leaves the balcony door open but hurries back to grab his bag and then drags it along the floor into the separate bedroom. She's giving Noah the bedroom for this trip and she'll be sleeping on the pull-out couch. It's all they had available when she booked the trip. The living room space has a balcony with gorgeous beach views. A mini fridge and coffee maker are within reach. It's hardly a sacrifice.
The breeze rushes in through the open balcony door. Like her son, Olivia can't resist stepping out onto the balcony. She looks over the railing, taking it all in. The white sand beach. The aqua-colored sea water near the shore merges into the dark blue waters further out. Waves crash at the shoreline and a few seagulls play in the surf.
The scents from an outdoor cafe near the hotel waft in her direction, prompting her stomach to growl since breakfast consisted of two bites of a scone many hours ago.
She needed a short break from SVU, which has been harder than usual these last few weeks. Despite the difficulties and heartache this job brings, she's not ready to leave it.
Being a mom is difficult sometimes, but Noah is the best gift she's been given.
Really, things are going well.
Xoxo
2:30 pm
Olivia and Noah step out of their hotel suite.
A nap would be great right now, but she let Noah talk her into a couple of hours at the hotel pool. His friends from the dance class are already there. Rather than socialize with the other dance parents before she's fully recovered from the plane ride and packed airports, she plans to find a lounge chair away from the crowd and read her book.
"Noah, wait up!" she hollers as he makes a dash for the elevator.
She tucks the hotel key card in her wallet and follows him.
Xoxo
3:45 pm
Elliot, jogging on the sandy beach, slows his pace before climbing the stairs to the pier. The pier leads to the boardwalk that runs parallel to the hotel. He catches his breath, then removes his shoes and shakes out any sand before continuing.
His gaze drifts as he walks.
There's an outdoor pool behind the hotel. He looks through the fence as he passes by. A few kids are running and jumping into the water. A few laps would be nice, but he'll wait until later. He also spots a hot tub, which would be a nice treat for his occasional lower back pain.
Suddenly, he notices a woman sitting on the opposite side of the pool under an umbrella with a book in her hand. A drink is on the table beside her. She lifts her eyes from the book every so often, watching a curly-haired boy jump in from the side of the pool.
After the boy's cannonball jump, he surfaces and looks back at his mom to see if she saw him.
"Yes, Noah, I saw! Good one!"
Elliot's focused on the woman.
Long chestnut hair. Beautiful. Looks a lot like Liv.
Elliot walks back to the hotel, shaking his head and chuckling, wondering if he just imagined seeing her because she's been on his mind a lot since he got back to New York.
What would Liv be doing here?
Xoxo
6:30 pm
Hotel Restaurant and Bar
Elliot sits on a barstool, glancing through a dinner menu. He's thinking about a hamburger, but knows he should be sensible and get a salad or the turkey burger. His daughters keep reminding him to eat healthier.
Italy has incredible food, though he learned quickly that he needed to resist some of it. Fortunately, he kept up the exercise. Plenty of places to run or work out, and with the job stress and tension in his crumbling marriage, he put them to good use.
Now back in the States, he's missed the New York pizza, hotdogs, and burgers.
At the moment, he's eyeing a picture of a cheeseburger, and finally mutters 'fuck it', and tosses the menu down.
Whenever the bartender finishes flirting with the guy in the suit who is trying to get some charge removed from his room bill, she'll come over and take his order. After a minute of watching the two on the opposite end of the bar, he decides he's got time to use the men's room.
A few minutes later, he finishes and exits the men's room.
As he enters the restaurant area on his way back to the bar, he sees Olivia at a table for two with the same curly-haired boy he saw at the pool.
No way.
But it's definitely her.
She's only gotten more beautiful over the years.
Elliot looks at the boy. Liv has a son. Liv has a son…? Damn. How much time have I missed?
He remembers Calvin and how much he meant to her, and how that turned out.
Olivia deserves to be a mom. He couldn't be happier for her.
Then, suddenly, Olivia lifts her eyes and looks over in his direction. Elliot's about ten feet away, feeling like a deer in headlights.
He'd been staring at her like an idiot.
Olivia sees him, recognizes him and gives that excited smile that makes her infinitely more attractive. "Wow" she mouths.
He approaches, while still a little in disbelief.
She looks at the boy and says something that Elliot doesn't hear, then gets up out of her chair to greet him.
Olivia's wearing a sleeveless apricot-colored dress, with a slit in the skirt. Her long chestnut hair lays in soft curls.
Olivia opens her arms first, and they hug.
He's relieved that she seems happy to see him, because it's been too damn long. Also feels like a third wheel, because she's having dinner with her son and he's interrupting.
They step back from the embrace, and their eyes meet.
"Elliot! Wow!" she says excitedly. "What are you doing here?"
"Just thinking the same thing when I saw you. Liv, you look beautiful."
"Thank you. So… Elliot Stabler in Florida."
"Olivia Benson in Florida."
They laugh nervously.
"You took a vacation?"
She smiles and chuckles. "Yeah, I do once in a while." Then, gesturing to the boy, she says, "My son Noah is here for a dance competition on Tuesday."
Elliot smiles over at the boy. "I'm sure you'll do great, Noah!"
"Thanks!" he says.
"Yeah, so we came early to get some vacation time in. Fin's holding down the fort."
Elliot smiles. "Sounds good."
"And you?" she prompts.
"Oh… It's work." The wait staff is glaring at him to move, since he's blocking access to the other tables. "I should… Let you two enjoy your dinner. Just saw you and came by to say hello. Maybe we can grab a bite sometime while we're here?"
"Sure."
Her 'sure' gives him hope. "It was great seeing you."
"Yeah, you too. Good night, El."
"Good night, Liv."
Xoxo
8:30 pm
Olivia takes the elevator down to the main floor and enters the hotel lobby area.
Noah, two of his friends from the competition, and their families had gathered in their hotel suite. They're talking, laughing, and playing, all of which are great. She loves the excitement her son has over this trip and the competition.
But she's tired and needs a breather.
Since she knows the parents, she asks them to watch Noah for a little while, so she can go to the lobby and talk to someone about places to eat near the convention center. She has her phone, but recommendations can't hurt. She promised Noah a spaghetti dinner after the competition.
After speaking to a desk clerk, she steps away and looks toward the beach entrance at the back of the hotel. The door leads to the back deck and pool, the pier, and the beach.
Just a short walk, she thinks to herself. Proceeding to the back door, she makes her way to the beach.
She wanted to go to the beach when they got here, but Noah had his heart set on the pool. Then the afternoon got away from them.
After dinner, she changed out of her dress and into a pair of jean shorts and a blouse unbuttoned over a tank top.
At the top of the pier stairs, Olivia removes her sandals before carrying them down to the beach. She sinks her toes into the sand. Even though it's cooled down after sunset, it feels nice.
Moonlight filters through the clouds, casting light on the whitecaps. It's beautiful. She listens to the waves crashing.
The sea breeze lifts the sand, some of it hitting her legs. She walks closer to the surf, stepping onto the coarser wet sand until she feels the rush of water at her toes.
The water's still warm.
There's a tiny part of her that wants to soak this up for a while, but even a few minutes will help.
She closes her eyes and lets the serenity of it wash over her, erasing the past few weeks at SVU. No noise. Just calm.
"Liv!"
She turns toward the voice. About 50 feet away, Elliot is coming toward her.
She takes a deep breath and approaches him.
xoxo