Lonesome Dove

Mwhahaha! Here is my 77th story, Lonesome Dove. Now this story is different from all my others, because it takes place in Texas in the 1800's, so it was harder to stay true to the characters. But I think I did a fairly good job. The idea for this story came to me several months ago, and I finally managed to finish it just now. The song I'm using is the Garth Brooks song Lonesome Dove, which if you haven't heard it, you really should listen to it! Now, please don't forget to review, bunnies, cause reviews make all our worlds go round!

Disclaimer: They're coming to take me away, ha ha! They're coming to take me away, ho ho hee hee ha ha to the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds and basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes and they're coming to take me away, ha ha!

Oh, you're actually reading this? Well, in that case, I have no affiliations with Garth Brooks, Law And Order or Ray Stevens. Just the oranges...

This little story is for JusticeIsBlind13, for all the pm's and patience with me while I wrote this, and for being the only person I know (other than me and my dad) who actually knows and loves the song! Thanks, bunny!

Olivia Benson sighed as she looked out across the plains that seemed to stretch on forever. Her mother sat down beside her and affectionately touched her dark, thick hair. "What is the matter, daughter?" she asked, and Olivia sighed again and shrugged her shoulders.

"I am so tired of all these journeys," she confessed softly, and her mother chuckled and clicked her tongue.

"I know, love. But once we reach California, it will have all been worth it," her mother promised. Olivia shook her head, and her mother kissed her cheek and patted her hand, then rose to her feet and walked away.

Olivia watched her mother go, then laid her head down on her arm and closed her eyes, allowing the familiar sounds of the children, horses, and women talking to lull her to sleep.

The deafening sound of harsh rainfall startled her from her slumber, and Olivia raised her head and looked out. Rain was falling the hardest that she had ever seen in her life, and she could hear the men arguing over what step to take next. She listened as the argued about whether or not to keep going or return home, or which way to go for either decision. They were lost.

_She was a girl on a wagon train _

_Headed west across the plains _

_The train got lost in a summer storm _

_They couldn't move west and they couldn't go home_

Then in the distance, Olivia could make out a faint outline appearing on the horizon. For a horrible second, she was certain they were about to be attacked by a band of rogue outlaws, and she shut her eyes and prayed. But when she opened them again, he was much closer to their train, and she saw that he was alone.

He rode over to the front of the train, and Olivia watched in amazement as he quickly took charge of the wagons and effectively organized them with ease. Her heart fluttered as she caught brief glimpses of her hero, and she knew that something inside of her had changed.

The rain began to ease, and Olivia looked down to see the man looking up at her. Her breath caught in her chest as she stared down into his brilliant cerulean eyes, and she was immediately stricken. He gave her the most amazing smile she had ever seen, effectively stealing her heart from her.

Beside her, Serena took in her daughter's smitten appearance, and she sighed wistfully. She knew that look all too well. With a small smile, she rubbed her daughter's back and said, "Stay, love. Be happy."

Olivia looked at her mother with bright eyes, and they smiled at each other.

_Then she saw him ridin' through the rain _

_He took charge of the wagons and he saved the train _

_And she looked down and her heart was gone _

_The train went west but she stayed on _

_In Lonesome Dove_

Ranger Elliot Stabler looked down at the beautiful woman cradled in his arms, sleeping soundly. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, and she stirred a little and sighed softly in her sleep.

He tightened his arms around her, and his eye caught glimpse of the simple golden band that adorned his left ring finger, making a smile appear on his face.

She stirred again and opened her dark chocolate eyes, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a long, gentle kiss.

_A farmer's daughter with a gentle hand _

_A blooming rose in a bed of sand _

_She loved the man who wore a star _

_A Texas Ranger known near and far_

Olivia smiled as she laid her newborn son in his bed. "Sleep well, my love," she murmured as she kissed his tiny forehead. She watched him sleep for a few minutes, then she went outside to await her husband's return to her. But with every hour that passed, her heart sank a little. As the sun disappeared into the distance, she could hear horses approaching, and she looked out onto the horizon, hoping to see her husband appear.

But instead of her husband, several other rangers rode up to her, with pained looks on their faces. Olivia hurried off of her porch to greet them, and that's when she saw it. She stifled the pang of fear when two of the rangers climbed off of their horses and lifted a third figure down in between them, nearly carrying him to Olivia.

"Oh God, no," she whispered, falling to her knees as she recognized the man that the other two rangers were supporting. They carefully laid Elliot in her arms, then respectfully backed away. But the presences of all the other men dissolved as Olivia cradled her husband to her chest, running one hand over his face and kissing his cheek.

He stirred a little in her arms and let out a weak moan, and she held him tighter, murmuring softly to him. Forcing his eyes open, he looked up into the face of his angel, and he managed a small smile at her. Olivia watched tearfully as he raised a trembling hand and ran his bloodstained thumb along her jaw. His lips moved in an effort to speak, and she leaned closer to hear his words.

"I… I love you… Olivia," he whispered, and she ignored the tears that fell from her eyes as she gently pressed her lips to his. She felt his hand on her neck, and she ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled her down closer to him. His breaths were labored and strained, and she held him tighter to her.

"I love you too, Elliot," she murmured tenderly, choking back a sob as she laid her head over his heart. His heartbeat grew steadily fainter, and she closed her eyes and shuddered. His hand fell from her neck, and she lifted her head and watched as his eyes slid shut, and his chest stilled. Burying her face in his neck, Olivia let out the most gut wrenching sob that she had ever cried in her entire life. She cried for herself, for her husband, and for her son who would never know his father.

_So they got married and they had a child _

_But times were tough and the West was wild _

_So it was no surprise the day she learned _

_That her Texas man would not return _

_To Lonesome Dove _

_Back to back with the Rio Grande _

_The Christian woman in the devil's land _

_She learned the language and she learned to fight _

_But she never learned how to beat the lonely nights _

_In Lonesome Dove, Lonesome Dove_

As the years passed, Olivia watched her beloved son grow from a beautiful baby into a strong, confident, headstrong man who looked more and more like his father with every day that passed.

She wasn't surprised when he decided to become a ranger, like his father, and truth be told, she was proud of his choice. And she knew that her husband would be, too.

The day he had earned his badge had been the proudest day in both of their lives, and he wore it proudly and took his job seriously, just like his father. He was well respected and admired by everyone who knew him, and it didn't take long for people from miles around to know who he was, and who his father was.

_She watched her boy grow into a man _

_He had an angel's heart and the devil's hand _

_He wore his star for all to see _

_He was a Texas lawman legacy_

Elliot was sitting on the front porch with his mother, holding her hand as they talked. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you were your father," Olivia said softly, and he smiled sadly and squeezed her hand.

Their talk was interrupted when Ranger Smith rode up to their house, his lips taut and his expression dark. Elliot stood up and walked down the steps to talk to the other ranger.

"Ranger Stabler, I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you," Smith said sadly, and Elliot listened as he told him that the men that had murdered his father were intending to come through Lonesome Dove on their route to freedom in New Mexico. "Word is that they'll reach Lonesome Dove in an hour," he stated, and Elliot nodded before climbing back up onto the porch.

Olivia had heard the other ranger's words, and once she saw her son's determined face, she knew that there'd be no stopping him.

_The one day word blew into town _

_It seemed the men that shot his father down _

_Had robbed a bank in Cherico _

_The only thing 'tween them and Mexico _

_Was Lonesome Dove_

Elliot frowned deeply as he looked down the deserted street. At the end of the street, three men appeared and walked towards him, their guns at their hips and their hands on their belts.

They stopped about ten feet away from him, and the biggest of the men said, "Get out of our way, boy. This doesn't concern you."

"You killed my father," Elliot growled. "This has everything to do with me. You're not getting past me." The leader reached for his gun, and smoke rose over the street as the shots were fired from two different directions. A few moments later, the shots ended, and a dark silence fell over the street in Lonesome Dove.

The smoke finally lifted, and Elliot looked down at the three men who lay dead at his feet. With a sigh, he tucked his gun back into the holster at his hip. But a flash caught his eye, and he turned his head to look down the alleyway that seemed empty.

A tall, dark man stood with his head bowed at the mouth of the alleyway, and when he raised his head, Elliot gasped at the striking familiarity of his bright cerulean eyes and white smile. He blinked, and the figure was gone, leaving him alone on the dusty road. He looked down at the bodies again briefly, then turned around and started walking back home.

_The shadows stretched across the land _

_As the shots rang out down the Rio Grande _

_And when the smoke had finally cleared the street _

_The men lay at the ranger's feet _

_The legend tells to this very day _

_That shots were comin' from an alleyway _

_Though no one knows who held the gun _

_There ain't no doubt if you ask someone _

_In Lonesome Dove_

_Back to back with the Rio Grande _

_The Christian woman in the devil's land _

_She learned the language and she learned to fight _

_But she never learned how to beat the lonely nights _

_In Lonesome Dove, Lonesome Dove_

The End...

A/N: Okay, so how was it, bunnies? Good? Okay? And for those of ya'll who didn't know who the person in the alleyway was, that was the ghost of Elliot... Woooo (makes ghost sounds) Ahem... Anyways... Please leave me a little review, bunnies, while I go work on the newest chapter of Matters Of The Heart (I'm working as fast as I can, Sweet! Promise! LOL) Later, bunnies!


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