I'm back with a new story idea. I'll post the initial chapter, and if I'm given the appropriate feedback, I'll continue the story! Hopefully I can finish this one :).
Anyway, please let me know what you think in a review or a PM! If you have any ideas, you can let me know! Thank you all so much for you never ending support. I truly TRULY appreciate you all so much!
"Manhattan SVU. Detective Rollins speaking," Amanda answers the phone. The 1-6 is particularly quiet at the moment, the only sounds being the ringing phones and the quiet chatter among the hallways. She notices that Liv hasn't made it in, but Fin is coming in hot down from the elevator, looking like a man on a mission.
"Yes, Detective Rollins! Is Captain Benson in?" The voice on the other side of the phone asks. Amanda shifts uncomfortably in her seat. She's only been back a couple of months, the end of her pregnancy drawing near. She's stuck on desk duty although she doesn't mind, but she's enjoying being back in the squad with her team. With Olivia. She'd missed her while she was away, but Amanda had needed the time away to truly reflect on what she wanted in life. Sitting in her chair, she glances back down the hallway and still notes that there's no sign of Liv. The clock is reaching near 8:30 am, and she's a little worried about her captain. Her friend.
"Captain Benson hasn't made it in this morning. May I ask who's speaking?" Amanda quips. She grabs a pen from her desk and her writing pad to relay the coming message to Olivia, but she is stopped by the voice on the other line.
"Don't worry about it! I'll catch her later. Around what time is she usually in?" The person is highly interested in her captain, and Amanda isn't sure how she feels. It's just a name. She ponders for a moment before releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"Uh, she's usually in by now, but I'm sure she's just running behind. I can have her call you?" Amanda tries again. She notices Fin's gaze set on her, and she mouths a quick I don't know before turning her attention back to the unknown caller.
"I'll just call back later, thanks!" The call ends, and Amanda cradles the phone in her hand before placing it back on the receiver. She huffs and settles back in her chair. She can feel the unease rising in her spine, and she's not sure why. She knows something is up. She catches Fin's eye again and decides to bring it up with the Sergeant.
"Someone called asking for Olivia. Wouldn't give a name or a message. She said she'd call later."
Fin nods before turning his attention back to the computer, his eyes glued to something on his screen.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it's not important if they couldn't leave a message. Don't sweat it, Amanda."
His tone of voice doesn't coax the disturbing alarm of dread that is creeping up her spine. Something is wrong, and she can feel it. But before she has any more time to dwell on the sense, Olivia walks in, purse tucked under her arm and the gold compass necklace adorning her neck. She's dressed in black slacks and a silk white blouse and black blazer. Her hair is straight, and her glasses sit on top of it.
"Good morning, you two. Where are the rest of my detectives? You running off people already, Amanda?" She asks the blonde. Amanda chuckles nervously.
"Ha! They just can't keep up with the squad. I think Churlish and Velasco went to get coffee. It's been slow this morning." Amanda isn't sure if she should bring up the phone conversation from this morning, so she decides to hold on to that tidbit of knowledge before she shares it. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Fin grab his phone and shoot a quick text before looking up at Olivia.
"So where's Noah? School starts back soon, and I'm sure he's excited to head to middle school." Amanda notices the way that Fin has tensed up, but she doesn't know why. It doesn't seem like Olivia has picked up on it, and for her sake, Amanda hopes like hell that Olivia doesn't pick up on it.
"He's at a dance camp. He'll be home Sunday afternoon, and then he and I are going to see a play." Olivia smiles, and Amanda swears that there's something different about her. It's been different since May. Since Stabler.
"That's good. Tell the little dude Uncle Fin and Aunt Phoebe miss him." Fin stands to his feet and gives a small goodbye as he makes his way to the bathrooms.
"Yeah, Aunt Amanda misses the stinker too. I can't believe he's in middle school already. Next thing you know, you'll have a high school graduate." Olivia mutters something under her breath and laughs, and Amanda tries her best to give a convincing laugh, and it works as Olivia makes her way into the office.
Amanda observes Olivia as she unpacks her files and starts her day. She removes the glasses from on top of her head and sets them on her nose.
Meanwhile, Fin is on the phone with a long-lost friend, and he's anything but fine. He's fuming, not even sure how in the hell something like this could happen.
"I don't give a damn about good behavior. He's supposed to be for life. They are some twisted idiots to do this. How am I supposed to tell Liv?"
The person on the other end of the line tries their best to reassure Fin, but he isn't sure how he's going to handle this one. One thing is for sure; he can't do it alone. He picks up the phone and dials the one number he knows will answer.
Olivia glances at her clock when her stomach growls. It's just past 12:45 PM, and she's hungry. But she looks at the stack of paperwork on her desk and tries to shove the hunger ache down for just a little while longer. She spots movement out of the corner of her eye and watches as Fin checks his phone for the umpteenth time, and she wonders if he's got a date with Phoebe tonight. That's the only reason the man would be so on edge. Amanda is sitting at her desk, taking a bite out of some Chinese food that Carisi had brought her. She looks back at her computer and starts to type, but she hears the elevator ding. Surely Velasco and Churlish aren't back yet?
She glances up and finds none other than Elliot Stabler making his way towards her office. He's carrying what looks to be a takeout bag of sorts, and he's carrying a drink tray. She smiles because she's grateful... and hungry. He speaks to her two detectives, well her detective and sergeant. He smiles at her, finally making his way into her office.
"Detective Stabler, what brings you to SVU?" She's toying with him, but she's excited to see him. He's been gone for a few weeks, but they've managed to keep in touch here and there. His smile widens as he places the takeout box in front of her.
"Well, Captain Benson, I was just in the neighborhood and took the chance that a certain captain hadn't eaten and would like to have lunch with an old friend." She can feel the blush in her cheeks, and she prays that he doesn't notice. She motions for him to have a seat and they begin their ritual of halving everything. He's brought her a lemonade to drink, and she couldn't be more thankful.
"So, Captain, any news? I see you're down a detective."
She nods, chewing the food in her mouth before speaking up.
"Yeah, Muncy was asked to join the DEA, and she took it. She would've been great here, but I can understand wanting the change. What about you? Any news?"
He gives her a closed lip smile as he swallows the wonton he'd just eaten. He ponders for a moment, deciding to spill the beans.
"Well, we found Mama a home, and she seems to be enjoying it. It was hard to do that and the assignment, but I feel comfortable with our decision. As long as she likes it, I love it."
She gives him a glowing look, much like the one they'd shared outside of the courthouse back in May. They talk about Noah and dance, Elliot's kids, and then just about life in general.
"You straightened your hair." He notices, and he likes it straight, but it's a rare occurrence because now, she usually favors loose waves or ponytails.
"Yeah, just something different I guess. I thought about cutting it again, but I decided on a trim and here we are." They laugh, knowing Olivia would never keep long hair. It's the longest it's ever been, sure, but it still wasn't long, per say. But before they could continue the conversation, Carisi knocks rapidly on the door and bursts in, effectively ruining the tiny bubble that they'd created.
"Liv, I did everything I could to stop it. I even brought up the past, and what happened and how revenge could be sought-" Olivia cuts of his ramble with a simple saying of his name.
"Carisi, slow down. Take a deep breath, and calmly tell me what is going on." Olivia wipes her mouth and hands before standing to walk to Carisi, and Elliot does the same. He stays in his seat and turns to the DA. She sees Fin walking towards her, and suddenly, she's very aware that Fin doesn't have a date, and she sees Amanda on the phone, but her gaze has shifted to the office and she feels so suffocated.
"Remember a case in 2008ish, an undercover op that you and Fin did?"
Like Olivia could ever forget, and she feels the ground shift beneath her feet and the air inside of her lungs constricting. Oh God. She feels the panic rising before she's even had a chance to grasp what Carisi is saying.
"Counselor-" Elliot begins, but Fin cuts him off with a look. And Elliot reads the room, and notices the panicked look on Olivia's face, and in an instant realizes that this is so much worse than he remembers.
"What happened in the basement?"
And he's acutely familiar with her "Nothing. I'm fine", and he knew back then that she wasn't, but for far more different reasons than the one he's thinking now.
"Carisi, what are you saying?" Olivia feels for the back of her desk to lean on because if she stands any longer, she'll be on the ground in front of these men. Elliot takes a step towards her, and she blindly reaches for him. He takes her hand into his and just cradles it with his palm. He can feel her pulse pounding through her veins, and he wishes he could take the panic away. Whatever she's feeling, it isn't just dread. It's utter fear coursing through her body.
"Olivia, he's out."
"You mean to tell me that the sick son of a bitch actually did it? Good behavior, my ass. I'm gonna kick his ass," Fin says. And Olivia focuses on him now.
"Fin, you knew?" Fin shakes his head because he'd only heard this morning.
"Olivia, I knew he was trying, but he went to jail for life, but something about overcrowd and good behavior were in the mix. I figured they'd move him."
"Oh my God." Olivia can't breathe. She can feel the lump in her throat forming, and she's grasping Elliot's hand tighter than she ever has. "Carisi?" She manages to choke out. Fin hands her the lemonade from her desk as Carisi speaks.
"I'm sorry Liv. I even presented the case files. And yours." Olivia's eyes widen because she's very conscious of the fact that the man holding her doesn't know. He thinks nothing happened when something did happen and she lied to him about it. She can hear the metal of the bars, the taunting in his voice, his hands, his body on hers, the sheer and utter terror-
"Y-your case file?" Elliot asks as he steps in front of her. He lets go of her hands and places his on her shoulders. He's trying to ground her back to reality and pull her from wherever she's gone. She finds his eyes, and he sees the glazed look and comes to the conclusion that something happened in the basement. Even though she'd told him nothing happened, he'd known something occurred. She'd become different, distant. Cold almost. Always tired... classic PTSD response.
He watches her as she looks into his eyes, the loving gaze she was giving him ten minutes ago nowhere to be found. In its place is a look that he could only describe as scared. Utterly terrified. He sees her attempt to take some deep breaths.
"Liv, you don't have to-" Fin is cut off when Olivia speaks, never breaking his gaze, but her voice dropping to where only Elliot could hear clearly and Fin and Carisi struggled to hear.
"My case file when Lowell Harris assaulted me and tried to rape me in the Sealview basement."
And that is the initial chapter. Should I continue? If you don't think so, I can scrap the whole idea and present a new one later on, but this is the first chapter draft of Return of Harris.
Let me know what you guys think!