SVU: The One Shots

The Knock

Elliot took a shaky breath as he let his fist hover over the door marked with a gold 6E. He was nervous all of a sudden but didn't know why. Everything he had survived was leading to this moment, and he couldn't wait to see the look of surprise on her freckled face. Elliot took another shaky breath before knocking firmly on the door.

"Yes?" the occupant spoke as she cracked the door open.

"Liv? Did you not look through the peephole to see it's me?" Elliot chuckled as he rocked on his heels.

 A small sigh was heard as the door shut. Elliot looked at it for a moment before hearing as the chain was taken off and the door opened once again. Instead of Olivia standing there, Elliot was shocked to see Alex Cabot. 

"Elliot," Alex frowned as she leaned against the door frame.

"Where's Liv? This was her apartment," Elliot breathed, as he started to fear the worst. He knew Olivia loved this apartment and wouldn't trade apartments with Alex.

"I think you should come in," Alex replied, as she stepped back into the apartment.

"Alex-"

"Please, Elliot. Let's talk in private," Alex replied softly. Elliot gave her a hesitant nod before following her into the apartment. 

He looked around the living room and saw it was decorated just as it had been years ago. However, pictures of Olivia and a little boy had replaced many pictures of himself and his best friend. 

"Here," Alex spoke, as she offered Elliot a glass of water. He took it in his shaky hand before pointing at the little boy on the wall.

"Who's that?" Elliot questioned as Alex sat on the sofa and wrapped a blanket around her body.

"That is Noah, Olivia's son," Alex replied.

"S-son? She finally had that baby she always wanted?" Elliot asked, his lips forming into a shaky smile.

"She adopted him, and he's ten now. Elliot, I have some bad news," Alex sighed.

"Bad news? She got married, didn't she? She isn't here because she's on her honeymoon," Elliot frowned deeply as he scrubbed a hand down his face. He couldn't believe he kept postponing his trip home and now the love of his life was married to someone else.

"Olivia got shot during a sting and didn't make it."

Elliot turned slowly to look at Alex before stopping when he saw an urn on the mantel with Olivia's name on it. He turned to look at Alex, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"N-no," He whispered.

"I'm sorry, Elliot. I assumed you knew since it was all over the news," Alex breathed, as she reached out to her friend. Elliot took her hand and sank beside her, tears slipping down his cheeks.

"Nothing could be done to save her?" 

"She was wearing a vest, but they didn't aim for the vest," Alex spoke vaguely.

"In the head?" Elliot whispered, and Alex nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she whispered.

The friends sat in silence as both cried. Even though Olivia had been gone for a year, Alex still cried for the woman who was like a sister to her. After Elliot left, they got closer, and that is why Alex was living in her apartment and raising Noah. Olivia trusted Alex to be a good guardian to her son, and Alex had been proving that every day.

///

Elliot slept on the couch that night and woke to the sound of Alex and Noah making breakfast together. He sat up slowly and watched Olivia's little boy flipping pancakes and whispering jokes to Alex. 

"Hi, Mr. Stabler," Noah spoke, as he approached Elliot with a mug of black coffee. Elliot had been so zoned out that he didn't even notice Noah leave the kitchen.

"You must be Noah," Elliot spoke, and Noah nodded.

"Yeah... You used to be my mom's best friend, right?" Noah asked as he sat on the coffee table. 

"Before Alex, I was," Elliot replied.

"My mom got shot," Noah breathed, and Elliot nodded slowly as he watched the steam rise from his mug.

"I know, and I'm so sorry. She was the absolute best," Elliot spoke.

"Yeah, she was," Noah sighed. 

"Baby, breakfast is ready. Can you set the table for us and Mr. Stabler?" Alex asked as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Yes, Auntie. Uh, I made pancakes... Mom's recipe," Noah whispered, before he stood and ran back to grab plates and silverware.

Alex walked to where Elliot sat and gently touched his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"I was going to ask Olivia to marry me... I didn't care how long we had been apart. I was going to ask and pray she said yes... Now she's dead and you are raising her son. Now I don't know what to do," Elliot whispered.

"You should stay around and help with Noah. He knows about you since Olivia talked about you all the time. You may not be his father, but he could use a father figure. What do you say?" Alex asked as she smiled softly at Elliot.

"I think that I'll stick around... He's so much like her, even if she wasn't biologically his mother," Elliot spoke, as he looked at Alex.

"She raised him since he was a baby, so all her sass and quirks definitely rubbed off. Now, c'mon. Olivia's famous cinnamon pancakes are ready," Alex smiled.

Elliot took Alex's hand in his and stood slowly before they walked over to the table where Noah had sat. They sank across from each other and started to eat the pancakes and bacon that Noah and Alex prepared together. 

Elliot watched Noah closely and frowned. He wished that he had come back sooner to see Olivia, but not promised to be around for Noah. As a way to apologize to Olivia for abandoning her years before.