SVU: The One Shots

16 Years

They stood together in the rain, their clothes becoming soaking wet. His fingers ran through her rain soaked locks as their kisses got deeper.

"You gotta go," She whimpered as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I'll be back, eventually. Just try to be happy, baby," He replied, as he caressed her cheeks. 

"Promise?"

"I promise," He smiled, before leaning in close and kissing her again. Their lips parted, and he wrapped her in a tight embrace. The only thing that made them part was the sound of the horn honking on the Greyhound bus as it pulled into the stop. 

"I love you!" She cried, as he grabbed his duffle bag and tried to shake the rain from his head.

"I love you too!" 

///

Years went by and she didn't see him again. Things got complicated after he left, and she had no choice but to deal with it and move forward stronger than ever. 

"Daphne Grace Benson!" Olivia yelled, as she tucked her blouse into the black slacks she wore.

"I'm coming!" Daphne yelled back, her voice sounding almost exactly like her mother's.

"Yeah, you said that fifteen minutes ago! Get your ass down here before we are late!" Olivia huffed. She turned away from the stairs and went into the kitchen, grabbing her bag along the way. Olivia went out into the garage and got into her car as she waited for Daphne to finally make her appearance. After waiting five minutes, Olivia honked the horn as her daughter opened the garage door and walked out.

"Geez, hold your horses," the brunette teenager sighed.

"Daphne, you are always running late. Can't we try to figure out a way to ensure we get out of the house on time?" Olivia asked.

"Don't you remember what you say?" 

"Huh?" Olivia questioned, as she opened the garage door and backed out.

"Mom, being late is in my blood. From being born two weeks late to the countless milestones I hit a little later than other kids. I believe it's probably your fault. Maybe my father's," Daphne replied, a smirk on her lips. Olivia braked at the edge of the garage and looked at her daughter with tear-filled eyes.

"I've been waiting on your father for sixteen years, kid..." Olivia whispered as the first tear slipped down her cheek.

"Mom, I didn't mean-" Daphne started, but was quickly interrupted as her mother reached over and caressed her freckled cheek.

"It's okay, honey. Let's just figure out how to get around faster in the morning, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry, Mom. I love you," Daphne whispered.

"I love you too, kid. More than you could ever know."

///

Olivia couldn't leave work to pick Daphne up from school, so she had to ride the bus home. When she reached her house, she noticed a strange pickup in the driveway. Daphne pulled her phone out and got ready to dial her mother's number when the man climbed from the truck.

"Hey! Uh, is this Olivia Benson's house?" The man asked. 

"Who are you?" Daphne demanded, as she situated her keys so she could hold the pink pepper spray bottle.

"Hey, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just looking for Olivia Benson. We used to date almost sixteen years ago, and I'm in town and wanted to catch up."

"S-sixteen years ago?" Daphne asked, her words shaking as they left her lips.

"Yeah... But are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost," the man spoke, as he stepped a little closer. Daphne took a shaky breath and nodded.

"Mom's been waiting for you for sixteen years. You promised to come back, but ghost her for sixteen years instead?!" Daphne yelled, as her fear turned to anger. She turned on her heel and stomped up the path and to the front door.

"What do you mean?! Olivia is your mother?!" He exclaimed, as he watched the teen walk up the steps.

"You got her pregnant before you ran off! She was in love with you and hasn't been able to move on since! Fuck you!" Daphne yelled.

///

Daphne paced the living room carpet as she waited for her mother to get home. The man, her father, was still out in the driveway, but he appeared to be in a fog. He had been standing on the gravel driveway for hours without moving.

The moment that Olivia's headlights lit up the living room, Daphne was sprinting from the house. 

"Mom, make him leave!" Daphne sobbed as Olivia got out of her car. She was staring at Elliot and trying to figure out why he finally showed up after years of pretending she didn't exist. 

"Daphne, please go back inside," Olivia breathed.

"No! He abandoned us and thinks he can just come back and visit?!" 

"He didn't know about you, baby! I didn't find out for a few weeks after he left, so he didn't know that I was pregnant! Please go back inside!" Olivia cried. Daphne turned and ran back into the house as Elliot approached his ex.

They stood and stared at each other for a few moments, both were completely unsure what should be said first. Elliot had promised to come back eventually, and he was back now. When he first showed up, he didn't think he actually broke any promises. Then he saw his daughter and realized that he should have come back much sooner. Olivia had been a single mother for their daughter's entire life and couldn't make herself move on because she was still in love with the man that blessed her with Daphne.

"We have a daughter," Elliot whispered.

"Yeah, we do. She's fifteen, which means you took a sixteen year long break from me," Olivia frowned.

"I don't know why I didn't come back sooner-" Elliot started, but stopped when a bitter laugh left Olivia's throat.

"You never had plans to go away and work for a few months, then come back. Elliot, you used me and ran off... Leaving me with an unplanned pregnancy and a part-time job that didn't cover all the expenses."

"I'll make things better-"

"Fifteen years is too long to come back and try to control all the damage you have caused," Olivia snapped.

"Please, Olivia. I have missed so much-"

"Too much, Elliot. Leave, now," Olivia ordered, as she locked her car and left it in the driveway. Elliot froze for a few moments and only left after Olivia slammed the front door to her house.

Daphne was waiting for her mother, and she stood from where she had been sitting on the armrest of the couch the moment the door opened.

"What is happening?" The lost teenager asked as tears burned her sparkly blue eyes. 

Olivia bridged the gap between herself and her only child before hugging her tightly. 

"I don't know... But I know that I want to thank you for the best fifteen years of my life..."

"Are you leaving me?" Daphne sniffled as she clung to her mother.

"No, baby. I just don't know what is going to happen, so I wanted you to know that I don't regret what happened."