Shotgun Rider

No ones fault but mine

"She left SVU?!" Elliot yelled, a mixture of shock and anger covering his voice as he slammed his fists onto the table.

"Watch it there, Stabler you're gonna hurt yourself." Fin said, eyeing his left hand that was now covered in blood. This is the reaction he expected, and honestly, it wasn't an easy choice to tell him. Okay, it wasn't a choice at all, it slipped out mid conversation as they were reflecting back on the life changing case from a few weeks ago, Elliot would've found out sooner or later regardless, but he didn't expect to end up revealing what was supposed to be a secret. Olivia was going to hate him.

The day she left, she made both Casey, John, Finn, and especially Cragen, promise they not only wouldn't tell Elliot she quit, but also that if he asked where she was, they would tell him she was out of town, that way he wouldn't decide to make his way over to her apartment complex and show up at her door step, the way he always did when they hit a rough patch.

This wasn't a rough patch, it was something far beyond that, far more complicated, with no space in sight for repair.

"I'm sorry, I just." Elliot paused, noticing the blood on his hand, he was visibly embarrassed but continued to yell. "what the hell has gotten into her?! This job is her life, you mean to tell me she just up and left entirely because we've been fighting?"

"No, she didn't leave because you've been fighting."

"Then why the hell did she leave?"

"How many times have we asked you to take an anger management class Stabler, your outburst are getting old." Casey rolled her eyes as she passed by him.

Elliot buried his head in his hands trying to compose himself. His voice coming out in a low mumble this time. "Liv left special victims."

"She what!?" Casey exclaimed in a tone that might've been convincing if he hadn't been working with her for two years now.

"Don't bother with it." Fin syed, waving his hand at her,"He knows, we know."

Elliot shot both of them a death glare in response.

"Ya know, for a lawyer that wasn't very convincing." Munch added, carrying a box of files over to his desk.

Casey bent her head back dramatically, "Oh give me a break Munch."

"What's with all the paperwork man?" Fin questioned.

"Don't even ask." He scoffed, "I hate days like this."

You'd think it would be a nice change, considering all the dead bodies you have to inspect."

Munch glared at Casey in annoyance, "You mean to tell me you enjoy doing paperwork Novak?"

She shrugged "it's a good reset sometimes."

"Be my guest then." He quipped, walking over and plopping a pile of papers on her lap."

What was with them? Elliot thought to himself, joking around with each other and acting like everything was normal, Olivia had left for god's sake, and she was pretty much the glue to the squad, he had a feeling there was something more to this that they weren't telling him.

"I'm gonna go talk to her later." He blurted, grabbing the attention of all of them at the same time.

Shit.

Fin turned to Elliot with a look that could only be perceived as a warning of some sort. "Elliot you can't."

They were all praying he wouldn't see through them.

Elliot furrowed his brow. Last time I checked, you guys aren't my boss and this has nothing to do with a case anyway so."

Munch interrupted him before he could finish. "She's out of town Elliot."

Out of town?" He repeated confused.

"Only for a few weeks, I'm sure she will talk to you eventually." Casey patted his shoulder in attempt to reassure him not to worry, they all knew there was no way he was going to stop worrying though.

How did Olivia expect them to pull this off?

How could they get him to buy this?

Silence filled the room as Elliot was deep in thought, his eyes still on them. He knew they were up to something, and it wasn't helping his anger any, in fact it was only making it grow.

But now was not the time to explode again, not if he wanted any answers, he knew what would happen if he flipped out on them, Cragen would come running and tell him if he didn't go cool off, he would drag him out of this building himself and never allow him back in, and now was not the time to lose his job. He was already on thin ice after all the fighting that had happened between him and Olivia the past three weeks.

Elliot was starting to wonder if it was her intention to ruin his life, cus' none of this made any sense.

"She's really out of town?" he said again. Attempting to crack them, losing patience by the second.

"Yeah, she's just visiting family." Fin mumbled, realizing a second too late that he probably just blew it.

Olivia didn't have any family.

They all knew that.

Fin was busy cursing himself for his screw up when he felt a sharp slap to his arm, "Owe!"

"What the hell was that?" Casey whispered.

Elliot snorted "nice try, Olivia doesn't have any family, what do you guys think I'm stupid?! I'm a freaking detective for crying out loud, did you really think I'd buy this?" Now he was yelling.

"Not to mentioned I've known her for the past seven years, she doesn't just go out of town, she hates going out of town, that's the part of this job she loathes."

Now Casey was the one shooting Fin a death glare, aiming it directly at him before looking over to munch, who for once looked like he had no idea what to do.

"Sorry, I can't save you guys this time."

Casey syed in defeat "Way to go Tutu, ya blew it."

Tutu? They all questioned in unison.

"First of all, don't ever call me that again, and second, really Casey? as if you didn't shout "she what!?" In the most high pitched, unconvincing voice any of us have ever heard in our lives! You were worst than a perp!" Fin argued.

"Whatever, now Liv is going to hate us."

"Are you guys seriously thinking about yourselves right now? She's completely ignored me for two days straight, and I just found out she asked MY coworkers, MY friends, to lie for her to avoid me even more?! Elliot was livid now, unable to contain the rage that had been threatening to spill out of him all day.

"She's our coworker and friend too." Casey uttered. "and she's in a really bad place Elliot, what we supposed to do tell her no?"

"Yes!"

They should've told her no, he thought. He may have been wrong but she was going to such extreme lengths to avoid him, to hurt him, why was she doing this and why were they going along with it?

"You're being selfish Elliot!" Fin finally yelled, matching the volume of his angered friend.

And that was the straw that broke the camels back.