Elliot stood where blood had stained the hallway. Olivia's blood. He looked at the ruined tiles and couldn't help but wonder if Olivia would have stood there and looked at the stain if it had been his blood that had created it.
"Stabler." Cragen spoke quietly, as he came up to stand beside his detective.
"It's been eleven months." Elliot sighed, before turning to look at his Captain.
"I know. It doesn't get easier." Cragen frowned as he reached out and clapped Elliot on his shoulder.
"I wish I could go back to that day, Don. I wish that I would have jumped in front of the bullet... I loved her." Elliot breathed. He had tears in his faded blue eyes. For the last eleven months, he had been beating himself up. He didn't even tell Olivia that he loved her. She was walking out in the hall to leave because he told her that the friends with benefits they had been doing for a few months would never turn into a relationship.
"He came here for her, Stabler. He would have shot her no matter what. This wasn't your fault. Now, head home. They are tearing up the floor tomorrow, so everyone has the day off."
///
Elliot took the stairs down to the first floor before slowly making his way outside. He was just about to run across the street and to where his truck was parked, when he saw her.
He didn't know if he was going crazy, so he blinked a few times and still saw Olivia standing beside his truck. Staring at him.
"Liv?" Elliot struggled to speak, as he made eye contact with her. She gave him a small smile before waving. He started shaking as he quickly ran across the street.
He got to her and reached his hand out but didn't touch her. He didn't know if he was really going nuts, or if she was really there. Really alive.
"I've missed you so much, Elliot." Olivia breathed, as she finally reached out and pulled Elliot into a tight and warm hug.
"What's happening?" He mumbled into her hair.
"I need to sit you down and tell you what is happening. Okay? Are you going to be able to drive?" OIivia asked, as she held Elliot at arm's length.
"I-i think so."
"Good. I'll give you directions and then we can sit and talk..."
///
The directions that Elliot was given didn't make sense to him. But eventually he and Olivia were outside of the city and in Elizabeth. He pulled into the driveway of a small house before following Olivia's lead and getting out of his truck.
"Is this-"
"Don't ask questions yet. Just come inside."
Olivia unlocked the front door before stepping in and then pulling Elliot in. She shut and locked the door before hearing someone call her name.
"Yup, it's me. Can you wait just a few minutes? I need to talk to him before possibly shocking him for the rest of his life." Olivia sighed.
"Of course. Just call me when you are ready!" The voice exclaimed.
"Who is-"
"That is Lucy. She isn't really an important part of the story I need to tell you. Please, sit." Olivia spoke, before grabbing Elliot's hand and helping him to sit down.
"Story? Liv, you've been dead for eleven months! I watched you bleed out on the floor of the precinct!" Elliot whimpered.
"Josef had been planning on shooting me for months. The FBI caught wind of his plans and they set it all up. They let him shoot me and then rushed me to a private hospital. Once I was stable enough to be moved, they moved me here. They gave me a new name, social security number, occupation, and I even had to develop and accent to make it sound like I just moved to Elizabeth from Boston. They were going to move me further away, but they let me stay here and I'm so thankful they did. Then I could come and see you after Josef died."
"Liv-"
"For eleven months I have wanted to come and see you. I have wanted to tell you that I love you and that the months we spent together really did mean the world to me. I wish we hadn't fought, but if we didn't fight this might not be happening. Our whole squad could have been dead. Now, I think it's time for you to be shocked even more." Olivia smiled. She leaned in close and kissed Elliot's lips softly before getting up and moving down the hall.
Elliot stared ahead in shock before looking back up as Olivia came down the hall with a small bundle in her arms.
"Elliot, this is Amelia."
"Amelia?" Elliot asked softly.
"Yeah. Amelia Hanna Stabler." Olivia breathed tearfully. Elliot's eyes went wide as he looked up at Olivia.
"My daughter?"
"They were going to move us both super far away, but I told them that eventually I needed my little Amy girl to meet her Daddy." Olivia spoke as she brushed tears from her cheeks.
The last eleven months had been leading up to this point. To this amazing moment where Elliot finally got to meet his daughter and when Olivia didn't have to hide.
"Can you come back?" Elliot asked, and Olivia frowned before shaking her head.
"Not yet. They said that there might still be someone out there trying to kill me. But I promise that today will not be the last time you will see me and Amelia."
"What if someone-"
"No one followed us but a few agents. I know how to be a sneaky cop." Olivia chuckled. Elliot looked back down at his daughter before swallowing hard and looking up at Olivia.
"I want to stay with you two."
"That can't happen." An agent spoke, from where he had been listening from Olivia's kitchen.
"Why not?" Elliot asked, his anger bubbling up quickly.
"Because someone will realize that if you leave, you'll probably be with her. It won't be for much longer, just tough it out. Just like Olivia has since day one."