A/N: Wow. How long had it been since i've updated? 20 years, maybe? Haha i'm so sorry you guys! I've been catching up with school, basketball, projects...EVERYTHING! But i'm back! ...for now. Anyway, here's the next chapter of Don't Stop Believing! Thank you so much for sticking with me! Love you all!
Oh, and i also wanted to say, sometimes the italics button doesn't work, so the letter from Elliot and Olivia's memory from New YEar's Eve in this chapter are all in italics, just in case...
disclaimer: I don't own SVU or any of the characters.
5 Months Later
Olivia stood behind the bar at work, fingering the necklace Elliot had given her almost half a year ago. She smiled just thinking about him, even though she missed him like hell.
Rachel walked up behind her. "Hey Liv," she said, wiping off the bar table. When Olivia didn't respond, Rachel stopped and put the rag down. "Liv?"
Olivia looked at Rachel, her eyes turning glassy. "I miss him so much, Rach."
Rachel sighed and brought her best friend into a hug. "I know, Liv. I do too. And you know he misses you more than anything."
Olivia nodded. "I've been trying to keep busy. Trying to keep my mind off of him. But it's so damn hard. It's like everywhere I go, I see him."
Rachel smirked. "Wow Olivia. You must really love him."
"I do! So much! And I need him!" Olivia responded.
Rachel nodded. "I know, Liv. Don't worry, he'll be home before you know it."
As soon as Rachel said this, Olivia broke from Rachel's arms and frowned at her. "Rach, you say that all the time. He said that all the time. But it's not true!" Olivia paused, wiping her eye. "It's been the longest five months of my life. I'm not kidding, Rach. It's been torture. I just want him back."
"Liv, I know you miss him, but you need to stay strong," Rachel replied, getting a stool and motioning for Olivia to sit down on it. "You know he would hate it if he knew you cried for him every week. He hates when you're in pain."
Olivia smiled slightly, her mood getting a little better. "I know. He would kill me." She sniffed. "But I'm still so worried about him, Rach. What if…what if he's hurt?"
Rachel chuckled. "You know he's okay, Liv. He's been writing to you every fucking day. Believe me, I would know. Whenever I run by your apartment, the mailman always makes me take your mail up to you. And there's always one, if not more, letters from him in that pile."
Olivia laughed. "The highlight of my day is getting those letters."
"At least you guys keep in touch," Rachel said, starting to clean the bar again. "My brother John used to write to me, but now Heaven knows where he is."
Olivia's smile faded as she remembered Rachel's brother, who was also in the Marines with Elliot. "Do you ever talk to him? Hear from him?"
Rachel stopped cleaning again and put the rag down. She turned around, facing Olivia, and for the first time in a long time, Olivia saw tears in Rachel's eyes.
"I haven't heard from him for as long as I can remember," Rachel told her, her voice shaky. "The only reason I know he's not dead is because someone would've notified me."
Olivia sighed and stood up, this time pulling Rachel into a hug. "Rach, it's okay to cry."
Rachel nodded. "I know. I just…I miss him. And I feel horrible saying this because I know how much you miss Elliot, but you have no clue how much I miss my brother."
Olivia nodded. "Rach, I know how hard it is. Believe me."
Rachel cried on Olivia's shoulder for a moment before pulling back and wiping her eyes. "This is so stupid. I don't know why I'm doing this. I should be the one comforting you."
Olivia smirked. "Rach, I think you've done that enough in your lifetime."
Rachel dried her eyes and smiled. "Well of course I did. You're my best friend." She hugged Olivia and smiled. "And that's what best friends are for, right?"
Olivia chuckled. "I've never heard a more stupid phrase than that." She hugged her back. "But yeah, it most definitely is."
The two girls finished their day at work and went home, spending the rest of the day with each other.
Later on that night, Olivia saw a pile of mail sitting on her kitchen table.
"Rach, is this the mail from today?" she asked her friend, who was in the other room.
"Yeah!" Rachel replied. She walked into the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs. "I meant to tell you. There's a letter in there for you." She winked at Olivia.
Olivia's heart sped up and she quickly looked through all the mail until she found what she was looking for. The letter with the Marine logo on it.
She ripped it open, and started reading out loud.
Olivia,
There is not a single day that goes by when I don't think about you. I miss you more than you could know. The boys here make fun of me, because I can never stop talking about you. I can't believe I've been away from you for almost half a year. It seems like an eternity. Only a year and a half left until I see your beautiful face again.
How's New York? Anything change since I've been gone? How's Rachel doing? Tell her I say hello. How's work?
Life sucks out here. War sucks. I would give anything to be back home with you and Rach. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually think I miss her and her annoying personality (don't tell her I said that) ;).
My sergeant is getting pissed at me because I'm taking too long to write this letter, so I should go. I love you so much, and I'm close to counting down the days until I see you again. Stay safe!
Love,
El
After Olivia finished reading the letter, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Rachel stood up and pulled her into a hug. After a few minutes, Rachel frowned.
"He thinks I'm annoying?" she asked, trying to lighten Olivia's mood up.
Olivia chuckled through her tears. "Well…"
Rachel's mouth opened and she rolled her eyes. "My ass…"
Olivia laughed, then sighed. "Well, like he said. Only a year and a half left until we see each other again."
Rachel nodded. "You gotta take it one day at a time."
"One day at a time…" Olivia repeated. "Easier said than done."
Rachel smiled. "You can do it. I know you. You're Olivia fucking Benson. You can get through anything."
Olivia's mouth opened. "Rachel! Language!"
"Oh like you've never said that before…" Rachel trailed off, smirking.
Olivia shook her head and walked into her room, putting the letter from Elliot on her night stand next to a picture of the two of them.
In the picture, they look so happy. Olivia smiled as she remembered the exact moment it was taken. At a bar, at midnight, on the first New Year's Eve Elliot and her had ever had. Her lips were on his, and they were smiling like crazy.
She sat down on her bed, remembering that night perfectly.
"Liv! It's almost time!" Rachel yelled to her friend, who was sitting right next to her in the crowded bar. "The countdown's about to begin!"
Olivia smiled. She had been waiting for midnight of New Year's Eve ever since she met Elliot. She turned back around to her boyfriend, but he was gone.
Olivia frowned. He was just there five seconds ago. She stood up off the bar stool and looked around. She could barely see anything because of the massive crowd of people. Of course Rachel would choose to go to the bar right on Time's Square for New Year's Eve…
"10! 9!…" The crowd started counting down, and Olivia started to panic. Where was he? This was supposed to be a magic moment! They were supposed to kiss! It was New Year's Eve! Where could he have gone?
"8! 7!…" Olivia's face grew more and more worried. She stood up on the bar stool to see if she could find his face in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"6! 5!…" Olivia shook her head. If he didn't come back, her whole night would be ruined. She had been waiting for this moment forever. She sat back down on the bar stool and shook her head. Rachel noticed Elliot wasn't near Olivia, and frowned.
4! 3!…" Olivia wanted to cry. He wasn't here. He wasn't going to make it back in time. Screw this night. Screw this year. It was ruined.
Then, out of nowhere, someone grabbed her into their arms. She turned around, caught off guard and completely surprised. When she saw who it was, however, she let out a sigh of relief, and chuckled.
"I thought you were going to miss this," she said to him.
Elliot shook his head. "Never in a million years."
2! 1!…Happy New Year!" Elliot's lips found Olivia's immediately, and they both smiled because it felt so perfect. Rachel saw and grabbed her camera, quickly getting a picture before a random guy pulled her away.
After a huge applause and the music started, Elliot pulled away. "Happy New Year Liv," he said to her, his smile still spreading across his face.
Olivia laughed. It definitely was.
"Liv! Olivia!"
Olivia was pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of Rachel's voice.
She looked at her friend. "Sorry, I was just…thinking."
Rachel frowned, then shook her head. "I don't even wanna know. Anyway, you wanna go get some food. I'm hungry and there's nothing in this house."
Olivia nodded. "Sure."
Rachel turned around and walked out the room. Olivia looked at the picture one more time before doing the same.
A/N: Alright. Give me a show of hands...how many people hate Olivia's little boyfriend? Okay, a few of you. Now, give me a show of hands...how many of you want Elliot to come back? HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.
As you can see, i miss Elliot. hahaha...ALOT. and you guys do too. i know it.
Drop me a review here, or follow me on twitter! Fiord_thewin.
I love you all!
-lawandorderSVUismylife-
A/N: (2) Oh, and i forgot to mention this...are you guys familiar with 'Stop Kony' and the 'Kony2012'? Well, you could make a giant difference in the world, and it would really help if you could get involved with me. I already have alot of friends helping, and a giant population of America, also. Go to Google and type in "Kony2012". Read and find out who Kony is and how we can stop him. Thank you all so much!