Stork (SVU Fanfic)

Chapter Ten

"What do you mean I'm not allowed to go in?! We've been looking for this guy for over a year! He took my partner away from me! I'm going in there if it kills me!"

"Liv, listen to yourself. You're too close to this case."

I feel my anger rising, but I have to suppress it. I know I'll let my anger get the best of me. Cragen's right, though I hate to admit it.

"Fine."

"I got this, baby girl," I hear Fin say as he grabs my shoulders. I look behind me at him and nod. With a final squeeze, he's off and I have to watch behind the glass.

It doesn't take long for Fin to get severely pissed off. This guy just won't give up.

Eventually I have to walk away and sit at my desk, staring across at what used to be Elliot's. I wish he was here, though I know he can't be. The only other person who knows is Cragen.

Surprisingly, he comes over to make sure I'm okay. When he asks, I nod.

"I'm fine."

"Go home. Go see the baby. It'll make you feel better."

"No it won't. Putting that asshole in jail or injecting him with the most lethal substance ever will."

"Have you talked to him lately?"

That question takes me back. "Yeah, I just did. Remember? Lizzie ran away."

"I meant just to talk. About you two."

"Nothing is going on between us!" I say, a bit too jumpy.

"Nine years, Liv. There was something. Romantic or not."

He stands back up and goes back to the outside of the interrogation room.

I know he wouldn't care if I left, so I do. I go straight home to my baby boy.

Entering the nearly empty house, I relieve Lucy of her babysitting duties and take Eli to the couch with me. He's asleep, but I snuggle him in my arms, wishing my life were as simple as his.

"I'm gonna get your daddy back," I whisper, tears from pent up stress, anger, and sadness beginning to fall down my cheeks. "I promise."

Almost as if on cue, my phone buzzes from my pocket. I take it out, answer, and say, "Benson," hoping my voice isn't too off kilter.

"Liv, it's me."

A shudder runs through me at the sound of his voice. "Yeah?" I ask.

"What's going on? Cragen called and said he sent you home."

"It was a mutual agreement," I defend.

I hear a slight chuckle coming from the other end. "Sure, Liv. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Cragen doesn't send you home if you're fine," he points out. I know what Cragen told him. I don't get why he's beating around the bush.

"I know. He told you I was about to have a nervous breakdown and you needed to check on me," I snap. I'm not in the mood for coddling right now, though I never am.

"No, he said he sent you home. But I know if he had to call and tell me that, I should make sure you're okay."

"What did I just say, Elliot? I'm fine!"

"Liv, please. For once in your life let someone comfort you."

"I have Eli. He's doing a fantastic job," I say.

"That's not what I meant."

I roll my eyes, wishing he could see that. "Well I can't go out there. So this is gonna have to make do for now, alright?" I ask harshly.

"Well I could go out there..."

"Elliot Joseph Stabler you will not risk your life again because of something so stupid."

"I risked my life like that for you, Liv. It was my job. When I was on the clock and when I wasn't. And you're not stupid."

My heart skips a beat at that. Does he really mean that? He can't.

"Do not leave that house. Do not give yourself away. I will personally shoot you in the head if our perp doesn't get to it first," I threat.

"Don't worry, I'm not. Calm down."

"That's the one thing I never do."

"You have to. Look, the twins should be back from school soon, right?"

I look over at the clock. "Yeah. Like 45 minutes."

"Well after they're home take them all out and do something. The park, dinner, anything. Get your mind off the case."

"I can't do that, El, you know that. And just my luck, they'll each have about six hours of homework they have to get done."

"I doubt it, Liv. And if they do, help them with it."

"I can't do algebra, sorry."

"English?"

"Who has English homework? What would you do for that, even? Write a paper about a book?" I ask.

"Stop being so stubborn," Elliot tells me.

"I can't do anything else."

"Just...Just relax."

Elliot and I continue this charade until I hear the twins opening the door. Like I thought, they have homework, but not much. After they're done, they eat the hot dogs I make them and then we make our way down to the park.

I sit back and watch as the twins chase Eli around in the grass. Their laughter helps brighten my spirits, though my mind doesn't diverge from the case all too well.

And once my phone starts to ring, I know any peace I had is gone.

"Benson."

"Liv, we have a situation," I hear through the phone.

My heart stops. "What?" I can barely form the word.

"They released Marcos."

•••

Sorry about the short chapter 😁😁