Happy Anniversary to me! Today was four years ago that I posted my first fanfic, It Had to be Over, on . I cannot believe it has been that long! Thanks to all of you who have become my faithful readers, encouragers as well as critics, and most of all friends. I 3 you all! Yes, even you lurkers! " ) Bensler
This first chapter is a setup for what is to come – so bear with me. For the sake of this story, Elliot and Kathy are divorced; O'Halloran did not die; but everything else that happened on the show pretty much happened with the exception of things involving Elliot and Kathy being together. Isn't that enough to make your EO heart race expectantly?
I know I have been MIA lately, and I really want to change that but it's just been difficult to keep up with everything since I have been working a lot more. I do promise to I'm trying. And I will update soon on the other stories I have going. And, of course, I want, I need, I'd love to know what you think of this first chapter. " ) Bensler
Too Deep for Words
(Sequel to Keep It in the Family)
by Bensler
Chapter 1 – TroubledSVU Squad Room Monday, June 9 – 3:35 p.m.
"No problem, babe. I'll pick it up on the way home." Elliot smiled into the phone. His wife wanted Chinese for supper and that was exactly what she was going to get.
"Thanks, honey. Oh, and don't forget the chopsticks." She laughed as his groan echoed in her ear.
"Ah...Liv. You know how I hate those things!" he whined, rolling his eyes as if she could see him.
For years she had tried, with little success, to teach him how to use chopsticks. He had to admit he had actually gotten better at it, and it was now more of a joke between them rather than him being opposed to using them.
"Don't roll your eyes at me, El," she warned, amusement ringing in her voice.
Even after nearly thirteen years, it still amazed him how well they could read each other; how well they knew the others' next action even over the telephone. He smiled to himself, thinking how much he loved this woman.
"I'm not!" he protested loudly.
"And you absolutely know better than to lie to me!" Her voice was low and threatening.
"Sorry, Captain. Won't happen again, Ma'am," he laughed.
"Elliot...I love you," she whispered.
"Love you, too, babe." He placed the receiver back in its cradle and leaned back in his chair.
In his mind he could see her, holding the phone, smiling, her eyes twinkling while she teased him. He remembered the outfit she wore that morning, her light gray suit with the deep purple scalloped shell beneath it. She had taken to wearing suits again since making captain, partly because it was more professional and partly because it was expected. Though most of them were slacks, she had several with skirts and he loved it when she wore those. She had great legs. Long, trim, tanned. She had come a long way from the sloppy suits and blouses she wore that appeared to be two sizes too big when they first met. Now the ones she wore were carefully tailored to accentuate her body, her curves, and her femininity.
Elliot's gaze drifted to the array of pictures adorning his desk and he thought of how much he loved his family. How much he loved Olivia, and all six of his kids. He grinned as he recalled the last family dinner they had a couple of weeks ago; how everyone pitched in and helped finish with the preparation, then serving and finally cleaning up.
Olivia had always had a special rapport with his kids; actually, all kids. Once she and Elliot knew they were going to marry, she transferred to an open detective slot in the Juvenile Crime Squad (JCS). He missed working side by side with her, but it was more than worth it to be together as a family. Besides, they had known they could not continue to work in the same unit after they married. Cragen had taken a risk just letting them 'switch' partners and stay in SVU while they were dating.
Shortly after Ben's first birthday, she had been offered captain of the 35th precinct's Juvenile Crime Squad. Her squad was responsible for handling cases involving juveniles, conducting juvenile lineups, interviewing juveniles under arrest, locating witnesses/complainants and identifying and arresting accomplices. The squad maintained a close liaison with city attorneys who were responsible for prosecuting juveniles in Family court. Elliot thought the squad suited her well and he was extremely thankful her new position kept her off the streets for the most part.
Glancing at the clock on his computer screen, he sighed. Two more hours before he could get out of there if they didn't get a case. Two and a half more hours before he could see Olivia, hold her, kiss her, and be with her. Two and a half more hours before he could play with his son, Ben. Benson Everett Stabler would be two years old in August. Elliot's son, Eli, his youngest child from his marriage to Kathy, would be five in November. Eli and Ben loved each other and got along very well. Elliot was grateful Kathy had finally gotten used to him and Olivia being together making it easier for Eli and Ben to forge a relationship. He was glad Eli had a sibling close in age to grow up with and if he had his way, there would be at least one more.
Convincing Olivia she was not too old and that a pregnancy would not interfere with her job had become his undeclared mission. She worried that if she became pregnant again, she might be demoted or even made to retire. Elliot tried to make her see that the three months maternity leave would be like when the previous captain had heart surgery and was out for three months. Besides, they were pushing for more equality for women in supervisory positions in the NYPD and she was one of a handful with the experience, brains, and the reputation to qualify for captain. And she was a good one. No way would they mess with her position. An added bonus for their family was her hours were much better than when she was a detective and the pay was very good.
To assuage her worry, Elliot promised that if something happened with her job, he would put out feelers for another captain's position to ease the money crunch. He had passed the sergeants' exam and later was promoted to lieutenant, his current rank, but turned down an offer of captain because but he loved detective work and being in the field. He knew he would not be happy telling others what to do and sitting behind a desk most of the day. Besides, he was no good at kissing up to the brass, and one captain in the family was enough.
It had taken him a long time to get over not having Olivia as his partner in the field. But, he was ecstatic that she was now his partner in life and overall, Elliot considered himself a lucky man. He was married to his best friend, the love of his life. He had six healthy kids, all doing well in life. Maureen was on her own, having graduated law school two years ago. She was interning with New York County's district attorney, hoping one day to be a full-fledged ADA like their good friends, former ADAs Casey Novak and Alex Cabot, who was back at the DA's office after pursuing other interests. Casey had moved back home to Colorado and she and Olivia visited back and forth a few times each year.
The twins, Dickie and Liz, were juniors in college, and Olivia and Elliot also tried to help Kathleen with expenses for grad school as well. She was finishing up her masters in psychology and would graduate in December. Of course, there was child support for Eli as well as the cost of daycare for Ben. So, the extra money Olivia made as captain was more a necessity rather than a luxury.
Although she had a generous amount of money from her mother's estate as well as the rent money from her mother's apartment, Elliot refused to let her use it for their day-to-day living. She had insisted on using some of it to put a hefty down payment on the home they bought in Queens to be closer to Elliot's family. It helped make the monthly payments much more manageable and they would be able to pay the house off in ten years instead of the normal thirty. Elliot had also kept the apartment he lived in when he and Kathy had separated. He sublet it making $150 from it each month after making the payment from the rent.
It turned out to be a good thing, because he rented it out on a six-month contract and it was up for renewal when he and Kathy split the second and final time. So instead of renewing the lease, he moved back into it. He had often wondered if subconsciously he knew he would need it again; knew he and Kathy were not going to make it. He laughed to himself. The only reason he kept it now was for the little extra money it provided each month. He knew the woman who was now his wife was his soul mate; the missing piece of his inner being he had never realized was missing until she clicked into place in his life. She calmed the restlessness that had always beleaguered him. Never had he loved anyone in his entire life the way he loved her. Without her, he would not have a life.
He stretched, sat up straight and rolled his chair closer to his desk. He had been in court all morning, at the M.E.'s after lunch to go over an autopsy report and DNA analysis, and then helping run down some leads on a case Fin and his partner had picked up.
The inbox on the corner of his desk was overflowing. Olivia would never let him live it down if she were to see the mess his desk was in. She was the neat one in the family, though at times she could create her share of messes, too. He pulled the stack down to the desktop and began sorting through it. Two catalogs for guns, a memo from 1PP about the upcoming department wide picnic, 'American Cop Magazine', a DD5 Cragen returned for his missing signature, a form he needed to fill out for a class to make his yearly quota of classroom hours, a brown envelope addressed to 'Detective E. Stabbler', the misspelled name printed directly on the envelope. He frowned as he turned it over and discovered there was no return address on it. In law enforcement, this qualified as a suspicious package. He vaguely wondered how it got past the mailroom clerks intact.
Opening it, he pulled out a single sheet of paper, as a picture fell from the envelope. An audible intake of air escaped from him as he picked up the photograph. Quickly, he laid it face down and began to read the computer written, double spaced letter. 'Detective Stabbler: You may not remember me, but I will never forget you...' As he continued to read it, his hands began to shake. His heart raced and it became difficult to draw in enough air to breathe properly. He laid it down and ran his hands over his head. Picking it up again, he reread it; the paper began shaking once again before he threw it on his desk a second time. He stood up, rubbed his face with his hands, one hooked around his neck the other sliding down to rest on his left hip.
"Stabler? Everything okay, man?" Fin called out from his desk. Elliot's actions had caught his eye and after working with him for eleven years, he knew something was wrong.
Elliot's head snapped up toward Fin, "What?"
The look on his face was one of shock and something else, Fin thought. Fear? Yeah, that was it. Fear.
"You okay? Look like you seen a ghost or somethin'." Fin squinted at him as Elliot looked away unable to maintain eye contact and lie at the same time.
"Oh…yeah…yeah, I'm fine. Everything's fine." He turned back to his desk and tried to calm himself before he drew any more unwanted attention.
Fin's eyes remained on him for another minute or so before he busied himself with the report he had been reading. Periodically though, he still glanced Elliot's way. Suspicious. Curious. And concerned.
Elliot looked around the office. Fin glanced at him again. Brad Seigman, Fin's partner he had inherited from Olivia when she left the unit, was at the coffee table pouring another cup. Munch had retired three years ago due to an eye condition. After having a new surgical procedure done, he had regained a good portion of his eyesight and now worked as an on-call consultant for the NYPD. He would come to lend a hand when things were tight and extra help was needed.
Elliot looked around the squad room. Cragen was standing by his desk, talking on the phone while trying to reach the file cabinet across the room. Elliot knew what he should do, but he couldn't. He could not take that risk. He picked up the letter and the picture and stuffed them back into the envelope, careful not to put any more prints on it than he already had. Just in case. Opening his bottom drawer, he found an evidence bag and carefully slipped the letter into the bag and zip locked it. He then made a quick phone call. Turning his wrist, he checked the time. If he hurried, he would have time to run by the lab and be home at a decent time with the Chinese food.
Gathering his things, he saw Mack, his partner coming his way. "Hey, El. You heading out early?" Mack asked, clearly surprised he was wrapping things up for the day.
"Yeah…gotta take care of a couple of things." He smiled as he picked up the letter, his keys and cell phone. "Mind telling Cragen when he gets off the phone?"
"Sure…I'll tell him," Mack eyed the evidence bag with rising curiosity.
"See you in the morning," Elliot started for the door.
Pointing to the letter sealed in the evidence bag, Mack nodded toward it. "We catch a new case?"
Why did he always get stuck with such observant, perceptive partners, Elliot wondered? "No…just some important papers I want to protect." Maybe because he worked with a bunch of detectives, he reminded himself.
He could tell by Mack's squinting brown eyes and knowing nod that his explanation was being taken with a grain of salt and almost certainly filed away for future reference and/or blackmail. Well, he would worry about that later. Right now he did not have time to add it to his list of concerns.
"Okay…see you in the morning." Mack smiled, leaned back and watched Elliot leave the squad room. 'Stabbler'. Important papers, huh? How important could they be when his last name was misspelled? How interesting, Mack thought.
Crime Scene Unit Forensics Lab Monday, June 9 – 6:03 p.m.
An integral part of the Detective Bureau's Forensic Investigations Division, the Crime Scene Unit assists investigating detectives in all homicides, most sexual assaults and any other investigation in which their expertise is desired. The Crime Scene Unit has at its disposal the necessary tools and equipment required to perform a multitude of tasks including the trajectory of bullets fired, lifting fingerprints, cast tire impressions, forensic biology including blood, semen or other body fluids, hair, nail scrapings or blood stain patterns.
Rarely are the initial responding detectives responsible for collecting, processing, or analyzing evidence in sexual assaults, major investigations, or homicides. Be it ballistics, fingerprints, photographs or serology, the evidence is best left up to detectives specifically trained in forensic assignments. The NYPD's Crime Scene Unit (CSU) is an elite team of forensic detectives who form the backbone of any homicide investigations in particular and almost all investigations in general.
Ryan O'Halloran was the lead forensics technician, but Elliot was not happy to see him at the lab. He had hoped it would be someone he didn't know. Ryan just looked at him when the picture slid out of the envelope as though waiting for an explanation. Elliot offered nothing.
"Need fingerprints…DNA…anything you can tell me. How soon can you get me the report?" he asked quietly, trying not to show the turmoil that had completely gripped him and was threatening to overwhelm him.
"I'll make it a priority," Ryan answered. Sensing something about the situation he could not quite put his finger on, he added, "I'll do it myself."
"Thanks," Elliot nodded once. "I'd really appreciate that." The unspoken pact was clearly understood. Ryan would tell no one what Elliot had brought him.
The ride home was monopolized by Elliot's memories of him and Liv, and that package and its contents. Once he and Kathy split the second time he wasted no time in letting Olivia know exactly how he felt about her. He was not going to sit around paralyzed by fear this time and risk losing her completely. This time, he had learned his lesson. This time he had almost lost her to another marriage, hers to another man, and had it not been for some pretty horrific events, he might still be pining for her.
He thought back to when he had showed Captain Cragen the wedding ring he'd had made especially for her. Don had laughed when Elliot had made the comment 'if she says yes' when he asked her to marry him. He chuckled now in spite of the letter. He had taken her to Moretti's, their favorite Italian restaurant, arranging ahead of time for the waiter to bring the ring on top of scoop of Italian ice he had ordered for them for dessert. There it sat on top of the cherry that adorned the ice. If he lived to be a hundred, he would never forget the look on Olivia's face when she saw the ring. It would forever be in his total recall.
Unfortunately for him another newer memory was now thrown in there with the good and even the aroma of Kung Pao chicken and Mongolian beef could not make him forget the package that had come in the mail. The picture was seared into his brain like a hot poker had etched it there. The words in the letter played a continual loop in his mind. He was fraught with concern over the very specific threat. Was it valid? Should he worry? Should he tell someone? The detective in him screamed a resounding 'YES', to all of the questions, echoing the answer in his head; the husband, the father begged, 'NO. Maybe it's a joke. Someone's twisted sense of humor. No one needs to know. Not yet.'
Elliot had the feeling his life was about to change but he had no idea when or how. All he knew was, it troubled him greatly.
~~~ eoeoeoeoeo ~~~