Title: When the Smoke Clears

Fandom: Law and Order: SVU
Pairing: Elliot Stabler/Olivia Benson

Rating: PG

Length: 288 words

Content notes: Mentions of minor character death and gun violence.
Author notes: I am on a huge SVU kick right now and this prompt inspired me to write a little something about season 12’s “Smoked” and the aftermath of the episode. Contains a reference to “Fault” from season 7.

Summary: They were dancing on a very dangerous line and when Elliot had shot Jenna, he knew he had crossed it. So, he had to let her go.



Elliot held the phone in his hand, finger hovering above the number one in his speed dial. He wanted to call her. He wanted to apologize for everything. He wanted so much to just tell her all the things that he had been holding back for the past decade and a bit.

But every time, he thought back to Jenna, standing there in the precinct, aiming that gun around. IAB had cleared him of any wrong doing. They deemed it a good shoot, but in his heart, Elliot knew the truth.

When Jenna had turned that gun around, he’d been terrified for his partner. Olivia had been right there with Sister Peg’s body, pleading with Jenna. She had turned and Elliot had shot with no thoughts other than the instinctual need to protect the woman that had become his lifeline.

He had told Olivia once that they couldn’t put each other before the job again. Yet, he had done it in their own house. Jenna had just been a kid, but when she had turned around, Elliot had felt the same wave of fear that he had felt when he had seen Olivia lying on the floor of that subway station.

Elliot flipped his phone closed and ran him palm over his face. He couldn’t bring himself to call Olivia because he knew that the moment he heard his voice, he would break. They had clicked right from the get go, but somewhere along the line, they had become way too close. They were dancing on a very dangerous line and when Elliot had shot Jenna, he knew he had crossed it. So, he had to let her go, despite how much it pained him to do it.