Only in my fanfics do these awesome characters belong to me. " ) Bensler

If this story is not up to par, it's because I am just releasing some stress. My husband has been in the hospital since last Friday, Feb 18. They finally removed his gallbladder yesterday in a 3 and 1/2 hour surgery. He will be in the hospital for another 5-7 days and out of work 4-6 weeks. Also have and aunt and uncle in the same hospital. So it's a reunion every day! And my oldest brother had his appendix out the day before I had to take my husband to the ER. He makes the third family member in 11 weeks that has had to have an appendectomy! My sister in Dec; my youngest son in Jan. My youngest brother and I are holding our breath! I think I am in a hospital reality show! " ) Bensler

Pursuit Revisited

by Bensler

Chapter 1

Gathering clothes from around the room, she looked over to the bed. Elliot, sprawled with one arm stretched across her pillow and the other lying across his bare chest, snored lightly. He would be fifty in a few weeks yet he was still in prime physical condition from all the working out he did. Sure he had filled out as he aged but it was pure muscle.

Kathy found him to be even more cut now than when he was younger. She was a little surprised that even though he was still handsome and fit, she no longer felt attracted to him. And she was sure it had everything to do the fact that they did not really have a relationship. She could not remember the last time they had talked about anything other than kids, bills or the house. Apart from those topics, it seemed they had nothing to talk about. And they never did anything together alone. She was tired of it all. She wanted someone to share her life not live it in a parallel universe.

Until he dragged in at 4:30 this morning, it had been five full days, and nearly five full nights since she had seen him. He had been in Quantico for the week at some FBI training she did not understand but came back – though not home - early because of an SVU case. She thought she should be glad he was home after all that time, but she wasn't.

To be perfectly honest she was irritated. He tried to be quiet but the squeaky pipes from the shower had awakened her. She lay there thinking that if he had a regular job with regular hours she would not be wide awake at two o'clock in the morning. Especially not after she had spent an exhausting day at work, then running after a three year old while keeping tabs on twins via cell phone calls and text messages.

If he had a normal job maybe they would have found the time to nurture their relationship apart from raising the kids. Maybe they would still love each other and be happy they were together instead of merely tolerating each other. Don't get her wrong, she still cared about him but she did not want to be with him anymore. Twenty-six years, the last six or so, starting from when she left him six years ago, had been the worst. When Eli came along they got back together but neither of them changed their expectation of the other and all the good intentions of making things work quickly fell by the wayside. Now they simply co-existed and tried not to get on the other's nerves too much.

And after what her friend Dorie had asked her yesterday, she knew she and Elliot were headed for another split. Dorie wanted to know how often Elliot had to work nights? When Kathy asked why, Dorie told her she saw him and his partner coming out of an apartment building at seven that morning and watched as they picked up bagels and coffee at corner vendor. She had been in the neighborhood to babysit for another friend. When Dorie told her where, she realized it was Olivia's street. She knew Elliot would have a plausible explanation – he always did when it came to Olivia. But she was just tired of the whole mess and was looking for an excuse to bail again. Besides, she could play this game, too.

Elliot stirred as she dropped the basket of clothes on the bed and reached for his suit jacket carelessly tossed at a chair but ending up on the floor last night – this morning – whenever it was he got in.

He stretched, fluffed his pillow and fell back on it. "Hey. Sorry about waking you up last night."

Kathy stared at him. "How'd you know I was awake?" Neither of them had spoken when he came in.

"The way you were breathing,"

"Oh," she said dismissively as she held up his jacket. "If you'd hang your jackets up you could wear them longer and save money on dry-cleaning. How many times have you heard me say this, Elliot?"

Too many, he thought, as the beginning of a headache started behind his eyes. Less than a full a minute in her presence and he was already steaming. "Well, seventy-two hours straight is a lot longer than you wear any of your clothes!"

He angrily ripped the covers from his body, grabbed his sweats and left the bedroom. Downstairs he slipped into his clothes, put on his running shoes sans socks, downed a half carton of orange juice and went for a run.

Upon returning home, Elliot found Eli just finishing his breakfast. "Hey, buddy."

"Daddy!"

He picked the young boy up and tossed him into the air. Eli screamed in delight while Kathy frowned and shook her head.

Elliot mouthed 'what' to her.

"He needs to get dressed or we're going to be late."

"Late? For what?" It was Saturday morning.

"I'm meeting a friend at the science museum. Special hands on event for kids."

"Who's the friend?"

Kathy eyed him stoically. "No one you know."

"Can you cancel it? I want to take Eli to the park."

"This has been planned for weeks. I'm not canceling, Elliot."

"Okay. Then I'll go with you guys." He really wanted to spend time with his youngest son.

"No," she said quickly. "I mean, you wouldn't enjoy it. It's just a group of parents and a bunch of kids."

Elliot's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out why she really didn't want him to go to the museum.

"Well, I'm a parent and I've got a bunch kids, so what's the problem?"

"Elliot…"

The dull noise of his cell phone vibrating against the kitchen counter interrupted their conversation.

As he reached for the phone, Kathy rolled her eyes. "Besides, looks like your real family is calling."

Elliot gave her a sharp look as she took Eli by the hand and led him to the staircase.

"Stabler."

"El?"

"What's wrong?"

All he could hear was her breathing.

"Liv, what is it?"

"I'm…sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you…"

"Olivia!"

"I'll talk…to you later."

"Talk to me now!" he hissed as quietly as he could.

There was no sound. He pulled the phone from his ear and saw she had disconnected the call.

Exasperated, he made a beeline for the bedroom to change clothes. Rounding the entrance of the great room, he nearly collided with Kathy standing at the bottom of the stairs. From the look in her eyes he knew she had heard the phone conversation.

"Like I said, your real family was calling you."

"Kath…"

"The difference is, when she calls you go to her."

Kathy went to help Eli get dressed while Elliot changed into jeans, a long sleeved tee shirt and a brown leather jacket. He followed Kathy and Eli to the van and buckled the little boy into the car seat and told him to have a good time. He and Kathy exchanged icy glares. As soon as she backed out, Elliot got in his SUV.

The third time he knocked on the door, she answered. "What are you doing here?" Olivia asked, obviously surprised to see him.

Elliot snorted, "You kiddin' me? You hang up like that and think I'm just gonna let it slide? Especially after the last couple of nights?"

Since she didn't offer to let him in, he pushed past her and closed the door behind them.

~ ~ ~ eoeoeoeo ~ ~ ~