The Move [A Bensler Fan Fic]

~~Six~~

Lance and Olivia woke up at 3 on Saturday morning and got ready to head to the airport. They only had a suitcase each, so there wasn't much more that they had to pack before heading from their home of only a week.

"Did you double-check everywhere?" Lance asked as he looked at his daughter. She was sitting on the floor as she tied her sneakers. Olivia looked up at him and nodded slowly.

"Every room is empty, just how we found it." Olivia sighed. She slowly stood up before tugging on the bottom of her jeans.

"You'll be fine. A few kids from the old base live there now. You'll have friends and you'll fit right in." Lance spoke because he was still so very annoyed about how his daughter was acting. He just couldn't understand that pulling Olivia away from place after place was really hurting her. Emotionally and mentally.

"You don't understand, Dad. You'll never understand. So I'm going to stop trying to get you to understand me. You just aren't made out to be a single father to a teenage daughter. It's not something you are good at." Olivia whispered. She was heartbroken that she didn't have a real relationship with her father anymore, and she knew that telling him the truth was stomping on any chance of them ever being close again.

"Just go to the taxi. We have to be on the plane in two hours."

~~~

It was just like before. The plane ride seemed endless, and neither Lance or Olivia spoke to each other. Lance was reading, but he was really realizing that Serena was the only reason why he and Olivia tolerated each other. If it wasn't for her, they wouldn't have had a relationship. Now they don't even have the relationship that they had when Serena was still alive and keeping them together. Keeping their family tight.

Once in Germany, a vehicle from the base came and picked them up and took them to the base.  They went through the usual entrance protocol before they were driven to their on-base house. It was small since there were only two people living in there.

"I asked them to put the boxes with your name on them in your room. Mine are in mine. The rest of our stuff can just stay in boxes till you get time to unpack those boxes." Lance spoke, and Olivia just ignored him and walked into her room. 

She shut the door before looking around at her second new room in a week. She noticed that it was smaller and that her desk had been broken in the move. It laid in pieces in the corner, and her heart broke from the sight. It was her mother's desk. Was her mother's desk.

"Daddy?" Olivia struggled to speak, but Lance heard it. He walked out of his bedroom and walked down the hall to where his daughter's room was. He slowly opened the door and saw where she was kneeling beside the desk.

"Livvie?" He asked.

"They broke Mom's desk... as if it didn't mean a thing... Every scratch. Every little line of Sharpie from when she was drawing. It's destroyed." Olivia whimpered. Lance walked over to his daughter and sat beside her. He drew her close and rubbed her back gently.

"I'll fix it." He spoke.

"Really?" Olivia asked.

"I miss her too, honey. I guess I just keep forgetting that my wife was your mother. That we both lost her. I was focusing on getting as far away from where she was, while you were trying to stay connected to her." Lance breathed. Olivia rested her head against her father's shoulder before swallowing hard.

"I'm sorry Dad... I can't lose another parent." 

"And you won't, Livvie. Now, let's get your bed put together because I think you need some sleep. A lot of it."

"I don't think I've been this exhausted since Mom died."

~~~

As promised, Elliot and Olivia exchanged letters. Elliot even sent Olivia care packages of stuff she couldn't seem to find in Germany, while she sent Elliot Germany candy and books so he could try and attempt to learn the language that his best friend was surrounded by.

Elliot read the letters from Olivia at least ten times for each one. He would make sure that if Olivia asked him a question, he'd answer it. She was the same way. They made sure that their letters were very personal. As if they were talking over the phone, but just a few weeks apart.

The years went by quicker than they had anticipated they would go by. But they were so much closer than either had thought they would be by the time Olivia moved back to Manhattan to attend Hudson University.

"It's been 3 years, Mom. I'm going to drive to the airport and pick up my friend. I want to see her... like right now." Elliot spoke, as he stood in the kitchen and tried to convince his mother to give him the keys to the van. Olivia had already gotten a few boxes shipped to the Stabler's house so they were safe, but she still had a lot that she brought on the plane with her.

"Elliot, the airport is very busy. And you totaled your truck after not paying attention to the road. I think that Olivia is more important than that burger you had been focusing on... Elliot, just let me drive you." Bernie replied and Elliot groaned.

He sank down onto a stool and let out several noises that resembled an elephant.

"Mom, please!" He whined, as his father came into the kitchen from the garage.

"You are 18 and you are whining like you are 3. Grow up, son." Joseph spoke, but he did find it amusing. He hadn't seen his son so excited about someone coming into town in awhile. He hasn't been this happy since Olivia was living in Manhattan.

"Dad, please let Mom give me the keys to the van. I promise to be careful and make sure to bring Olivia here alive and in one piece." Elliot begged, as he stood up and walked over to his father.

Joseph and Bernie looked at each other for a moment before Joseph handed Elliot the keys to the van.

"If you are not home within two hours of her flight touching down, you will be grounded and we will send her back to Germany," Joseph spoke, and Elliot nodded.

"I'm not letting you send my best friend back to Germany. She's staying here for good. Now, I have to go because she may be coming in early. Thanks!" 

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