Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used as they are property of Dick Wolf.
this is my first fic...please comment...good or bad
Olivia sat in the interogation room, across from Micheal Taylor, the stepbrother of Leslie Burrows. Elliot stood behind Micheal, leaning against the wall, clearly illustrating an image of boredom, and annoyance. Micheal sat across from Olivia, his eyes still red and puffy from recently finding out about his stepsister's death. Olivia leaned in toward Micheal in an attempt to calm his emotions, before asking him about Leslie.
"You and Leslie were close?" she asked softly.
"Not best friends close, but we were okay with each other I guess," Micheal answered, rubbbing his eyes and cheeks.
"Did Leslie ever mention having problems with anyone at school? Maybe one of her friends, or a boyfriend?"
"Not that she talked to me about. She probably wouldn't have told me even if she was having a problem with someone?"
"Why not?"
"I dunno, I mean. She wasn't my biological sister. Up until a year ago, the girl was a complete stranger to me," Micheal answered, looking down at the table. Elliot stood up from his leaning position on the wall and walked slowly over to the table.
"Did she tell you anything?" he asked in an annoyed tone.
"Sure. Not her life story, but some things," Michael answered, beginning to get nervous with Elliot's presence next to him.
"You expect us to believe that you two lived in the same house and she never came to you with a problem she was having in school?" Elliot continued, his tone rising to irritation.
"Sometimes," Micheal answered, as confusion overpowered his nervousness.
"It's a yes or no question! Did she mention having a problem with someone in school or not!" Elliot asked again loudly. Olivia raised her eyebrow noticing Michael's confusion and nervousness.
"Elliot," she said with force, looking at him, indicating to him to back off. Elliot glanced at Olivia, then back to Micheal. After a short pause, Elliot slapped the surface of the table hard, startling both Michael and Olivia.
"Yes or no-Did she tell you!" he shouted.
"Detective! Outside now please!" she ordered standing up from her seat. Micheal looked at her, his eyes beginning to water as Elliot walked around the table and out the door into the hallway. Olivia smiled softly at Micheal before following Elliot out of the room.
"What the hell are you doing?" she said loudly, as Elliot turned making his way down the hallway.
"When someone can't answer a simple yes or no question, flags go up," Elliot answered turning the corner.
"He just found out about his sister's death, of course he's going to be flustered, Elliot. You just verbally harrassed the brother of a murder victim!" Olivia told him forcefully as they walked through the doorway of the squad room.
"You have a problem with it, get a new partner," he yelled, catching the attention of the entire squad room including, John and Fin who got up from their desks to try and calm the clash between their collegues.
"Maybe I should, because it's getting harder and harder to defend the partner I have now!" Olivia shouted over John's shoulder.
"Then stop defending me!" Elliot shouted over Fin, who had stepped in front of Elliot in case Elliot lost control.
"Look, Elliot. I'm sorry about whats happening with you and Kathy but whatever happens at home, hang it up at the door or something because when you pull shit you just pulled and verbally attack the brother of a murder victim, you open the door to more trouble," Olivia said, lowering her tone, but before Elliot could respond Cragen stormed out of his office and over to his four detectives.
"Hey! Hey! Cut it out both of you!" he shouted, looking at both Elliot and Olivia. "Now in case you two forgot I have the mother of a murder victim in my office trying to figure out why her daughter was killed, and I haveto leave her to come take care of this?" Cragen said. He looked at Elliot who seemed to not have a care in the world about the exchange he and his partner just had, and then at Olivia who clenched her jaw before calmly walking out of the squad room and away from thesituation. She walked down the hall and opened the door to the interogation room to find Michael in the same position as when she left. She closed the door behind her and began to walk slowly toward the table, in an attempt to ease Micheal's possible tensions.
"Micheal, I want to apologize to you for my partner's behanvior. He was out of line and shouldn't have talked to you the way he did," she said her tone and voice, comforting and relieving.
"It's okay," Micheal said shrugging his shoulders. Olivia examined Micheal's appearance. His medium length hair was messy from him running his hands through it repeatedly. His eyes and cheeks still puffy and red.
"You've had a pretty rough day. Why don't I take you to see your dad and stepmom, and I'll come by tomorrow after you get some rest," Olivia offered. The teenager nodded getting up from his chair and walking through the doorway. Olivia followed him out into the hallway to find John leaning against the wall, near the two way mirror. "Uh, Micheal, this is Detective Munch. He's going to take you to your parents, okay," Olivia said motioning to Jonh. Olivia mouthed a silent "thank you" to John who in return smiled before leading the boy down the hall and out of sight.
Later that night, Olivia sat in her kitchen, sipping a glass of wine. She twirled her diamond engagement ring on her finger, watching the sparkles reflect on the almost empty wine glass. She rinsed out the glass and dried her hands. She walked slowly back into her living room when she heard a knock at her apartment door. She walked over, opening it, to reveal her fiance, Dean Porter, who was still in his work clothes from the day.
"Hey beautiful," he said stepping into the apartment, kissing Olivia lightly. She smiled soflty as she took his hand in hers and led him over to the sofa.
"Dean, I uh…I need to tell you something," she said, concern and worry in her voice. Dean looked at her, confused as he sat down on the couch next to her.
"What's wrong sweetie?" he asked rubbing her thigh.
Olivia felt her eyes begin to water as she placed her hand over his. "Dean. You don't want to marry me," she said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek as she looked up at Dean, still confused but now stunned.
"I don't?" he asked confused as to why Olivia was telling him this.
"No, you don't. Dean, you and I both know that I am practically married to my job….and my partnership," she said, looking down at her lap.
"Elliot," Dean whispered.
"Dean, Elliot's going through a rough time right now. He and Kathy just had a baby, and he's not sure whether to move back in with his family or not and as his partner, its important for me to make sure that his personal situation isn't affecting his performance at work," she told him as more tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Dean who sat in silence, looking at the floor unsure of how to repsond to what was happening. "Dean look at me," she said softly taking his hand in hers. "Dean, you're going to marry someone who works normal hours during the day, who doesn't carry a gun on her hip and use violence to fight for justice," she continued, her eyes completely wet from tears, her voice beginning to shake. "Dean, you're going to find someone who loves you as much as I do, and who sees someone who is the most wonderful man I have ever met."
"Olivia I don't know what I shoud say," he said, confused and hurt.
"You don't have to say anything. Dean, I am so sorry," she said, as he got up from the couch and headed toward the front door. She followed him, opening the door, niether of them saying a word. Dean turned to Olivia, tears in her eyes and continuing to fall down her cheeks.
He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I will always love you," he whispered before turning and walking down the stairs. Olivia closed the door and leaned against the other side, tears continuing to roll down her cheeks as she slid the engagement ring off of her finger and squeezed in the palm of her hand. She walked down the hall and into the bathroon, leaned over the sink and splashed her face with water. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks as she walked back into the living room and laid down on the couch. She pulled the blanket down off the back and covered herself. She sat in silence for twenty minutes before a knock at her apartment door. He slowly got up and walked over to the door, slowly opening it to reveal her captain standing on the other side. Olivia, startled by her captain's presence, smiled lightly, trying to hide the fact that she was crying.
"Captain, uh come in," she said opening the door wider allowing Cragen to step into the apartment.
"You know I don't usually make house calls but with todays events, I thought I'd stop byand make sure everything's okay," he said as Olivia closed the door and walked around him, trying to think of ways to hide her puffy eyes. She looked down at the floor.
"Everything's fine," she answered quickly walking into the kitchen. "Can I get you something to drink?" she called from the kitchen. Cragen walked into thekitchen, to find Olivia blowing her nose in a napkin.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. Olivia turned around, realizing that she had to tell him about Dean, and what happened.
"Dean came by, about twenty minutes ago, and I called off the engagement," she confessed pulling herself up onto the counter, sitting on the surface.
"You what?" Cragen asked, surprised.
"Captain, you know that my performance at work depends on my relationship with my partner, and with Elliot trying to deal with whats going on at home, I need to make sure that his performace doesn't suffer."
"Yeah but how is breaking up with the only person who made you as happy as I've seen you, going to help at work?" Cragen asked confused and stunned.
"I spend pretty much all of my time at work. I don't think its fair to Dean to be married to someone who needs to help another man deal with his life," she answered.
"Liv. You and I both know that helping Elliot figure out his life is not your responsibility," he said before walking closer to Olivia. "Don't throw away the best thing that's happened to you, because Elliot can't leave whats happening with his personal life at home," he said rubbing her arm before turning and walking through the apartment. Olivia heard the front door click open and then close. She sat on the counter thinking about the days events. She slowly hopped off the counter, walked into the bedroom and laid in bed, burrying herself in the blankets and falling asleep.
