Method to the Madness: An Elliot Stabler Story

Chapter Seven

A/N: What does everyone think so far? &*

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Stevie Nick's voice rang out through Lana's apartment as she sat sideways in a chair in her living room. Her legs dangled over one arm of the chair and her head was slumped backwards over the other arm as a Fleetwood Mac album played on the record player near her. The sad scene was accompanied by a sad soundtrack as she wallowed in her self-pity.

"Ooh, I had to stay," she sang along to the song. "Ooh, I had to stay."

She stared up at the ceiling, feeling more alone than she ever had in her entire life.

Five days had passed since Elliot had berated her with his words after his drug test. She hadn't seen him or talked to him since he stormed out of her apartment that day. He didn't call or text or suddenly show up at her door like he usually did. It saddened her, but she wasn't going to be the one to cave first and mend their relationship. He could blame her all he wanted, but he was the one who verbally attacked her so unnecessarily, completely catching her off guard and knocking the wind out of her, therefore he would have to be the one to initiate their makeup.

It was a long, slow, agonizing few days for her. Elliot was able to stay busy with work and his family, but not her. She had nothing to preoccupy herself with. Except drugs, of course. And Bert, who she had to meet at random places to keep him away from her apartment, just in case Elliot suddenly showed up. He would've flipped his lid if he had known how much time she spent with that moron while they weren't speaking. Bert helped the time pass by pumping her system with chemicals to keep her high and numb her pain. It made the lonely minutes evaporate in her mind.

Deep down, she knew Elliot was right, which was one of the reasons why she was so pissed. She hated the fact that he was right about the lack of accountability and responsibility in her life. However, she did nearly cost him his job, and she had a very nonchalant attitude toward his anguish. She understood where his anger stemmed from.

But that still didn't give him the right to call her out so rudely like he did.

Her warped concept of reality had her believing she hadn't done much wrong. Sure, she should've taken Elliot's situation more seriously, but she didn't think the issue was related to her drug use. In her mind, she didn't have a problem with drugs. The thought of going to rehab, or even needing to go to rehab, never even crossed her mind. But what she didn't realize was that any drug habit was a problem if and when it affected someone's life, whether it was her own or someone else's. And it was currently affecting Elliot's.

At the same time Lana was reeling in her depression, Elliot was in the adjacent borough, sitting on the floor of his home with his five-year-old daughter, Kathleen.

He hovered over her, tickling her sporadically, which sent her into fits of adorable childish laughter that he couldn't help but smile at.

"Daddy!" She giggled as he tickled her sides.

He could only laugh and smile in response at his beautiful daughter's smile that resembled his own. Sometimes it still baffled him that he played a part in creating such perfect, angelic, beautiful children.

When he stopped tickling her for a moment to give her a break to catch her breath, she lifted up her hands and perched them on each of his cheeks, holding his face close to hers.

"You're crazy," she stated simply, repeating the words she heard her father say often.

Elliot chuckled wildly at his child's adorable innocence. "No, you're crazy, sweet girl."