Olivia walked to her desk, exhausted. Last night, her and Dean got into a huge fight. He came home and he smelt like a bar. But then when he denied it, they started fighting. Olivia ended up staying at Casey's and was called into a scene after she fell asleep.
Elliot walked in and handed Olivia a cup of coffee. He smiled at her, "Everything okay?"
Olivia nodded, "Yeah just Dean. We got in a fight last night."
"What about?" He asked as he turned on his computer and sat down across from her.
"He came home and he had been drinking." Olivia said.
Elliot nodded. He knows this has happened before. He thought back to a few weeks ago.
Elliot was walking out of the bathroom as Olivia walked down from the cribs. Casey looked at her and notcied she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
"Liv did you sleep here?" Casey asked.
Olivia nodded, " Dean came home last night. He was drunk. He smelled like cheap perfume. I knew he was with some girl." Olivia said as she shook her head.
"He had a hickie on his neck. But it wasn't from me. His phone rang, he said it was work." Olivia half laughed and sobbed. "I told him I believed him. "
Olivia worked on her case file. Munch and Fin were out on a call and Elliot went to the bathroom, then down to the vending machine. Suddenly the door to the squadroom swung open.
Dean made his way over to her desk. "Olivia where were you last night?"
"I went to Casey's, but I was called in last night." Olivia said quietly and looked down at her hands.
Dean's face got red , "Liar. I know you were with him." He spat. He grabbed her face to make her look at him, "Look at me when I'm talking to you. "
"Okay." Olivia whispered.
"When you come home tonight, we will talk about this. Understand?" Dean said.
Olivia nodded her head and Elliot walked back in the squadroom. He noticed Dean and he noticed Elliot.
"I'll let you go back to work. " Dean said as she kissed her. Hard. The kiss could have bruised her lips. "And you will come home." He whispered in her ear.
Dean left the precinct and Olivia went to the bathroom to try and clean herself up. She wiped away the mascara that had gotten messed up. She waited until it looked like she wasn't crying before she went back out to her desk.
Elliot looked at her as her face was buried in her paperwork. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the lone tear, that slowly rolled off her cheek and dripped onto ger paperwork and kiss away her pain. He would never treat her like Dean treated her.
He could tell Olivia didn't want to be with Dean. But from the looks of it, he didn't give her much of a choice.
Elliot doesn't know if it's a physically abusive relationship or just emotionally and mentally abusive one. Even if he did hit her, she wouldn't let anyone know.
Olivia looked up at him. He's looking at her with a sad smile. He let's out a loud breath. Finally he speaks.
"Liv- you okay?" He asks.
She rubs her temples, "I'm fine." There is that line. She said it no matter how she felt. If she was hurt, I'm fine. No matter what.
"You're lying." He said. He walked over and leaned on the side of her desk.
"El-" Olivia said.
"Liv, has he- has he touched you. Hit you?" Elliot asked.
"No." Olivia said and shook her head.
"Liv you can't protect him!" Elliot exclaimed. He was getting frustrated.
She raised her voice, "I'm not protecting him. You would do anything for someone you love right?"
Elliot opened his mouth to talk, but Fin and Munch came in. "Hey Cap just called, we got a vic down at Bellevue. He wants Benson and I to take it." Fin said.
"Thats okay. I'm due in court in 30 minutes anyways." Elliot said as he grabbed his jacket and stormed out the door. He glanced over his shoulder one last time before walking out.
Fin looked at Olivia with a questioning glance. She just shook her head and rolled her eyes. They went to the hospital and talked to the victim.
"Do you have any idea who did this to you? " Olivia asked the young woman.
She shook her head no but when Olivia asked her if she wanted them to call her parents she said no and started freaking out.
"Did your father rape you Claire?" Fin asked.
Claire looked up at him and nodded. "I cant tell anyone. I dont want to press charges. I just want this to be over."
"Claire, please we can help you. If you allow us to have the rape kit we can put him away." Olivia said.
"I can't. " Claire shook her head. "I cant do that to my family." She said.
"How is it even a family anymore? Do you really want to sit across from your rapist while eating Thanksgiving dinner? Or sitting next to him in church?" Olivia asked.
"I dont care. I can cope with the pain. I dont even want to imagine what this will do to my mother. "
"By not turning him in, it makes him feel powerful and he will do it again." Olivia said.
Claire started crying. "Leave. Now." She said. Olivia laid her card down on the stand next to her bed, silently cursing herself for being so hard on her.
She was a rape victim. She knew what it felt like to be in that same spot. Of couse she never reported Dean. She didnt want it to hurt either of their jobs.
Olivia grabbed her coat and Fin followed her. They drove silently to the station. Finally Fin looked over at her and decided he should ask about the tension between her and Stabler.
"Liv whats going on?" Fin asked.
Olivia acted like she didn't know what he was talking about " What do you mean?"
"You know what I'm talking about. What has got you and Stabler in such a pissy mood?"
Olivia huffed her breath. "Nothing okay. Just a stupid disagreement. Stabler thinks he knows me more than he actually does."
"Olivia he knows you like the back of his hand. He knows things about you that you dont know. " Fin said.
"Hes my best friend but sometimes hes just too much. Like he is mad at me because of a fight me and Dean had."
"Well what did you and Dean fight about? " Fin asked.
"His drinking." Olivia said annoyed.
"Olivia has he ever..." Fin asked.
"No." Olivia said simply.
"Liv you can tell me-"
"Fin there is nothing to tell! Dean didnt rape me." She exclaimed.
When they got to the precinct she told Captain she had to go. She gathered her things and left without saying goodbye.
Elliot pounded on Olivias door. She heard him, she knew it was him, she still didnt answer. "Olivia open the God damn door."
He knew yelling at her wouldnt help him. He closed his eyes. "Please let me in." He said. He laid his head against the door.
Olivia leaned her back against the door. She cried silently for a few seconds then she gasped. Elliot heard her.
"Liv please open up to me- for me." He said.
He heard the lock unlock and the deadbolt slide over. The door slowly opened.
Olivia stood there in the doorway, wearing a large oversized hoodie, leggings and her hair in a bun.
"Elliot go home." She whispered.
He shook his head no. "Tell me whats going on."
"Nothing." Olivia said again. She heard the door knob moving and she grabbed Elliot and pushed him into her bedroom. "Do not come out of here. Please don't come out." Olivia whispered.
She ran into the kitchen and was finishing dinner when Dean came inside. "Hello Olivia." Dean said.
"Hi." She said not looking at him.
"Did you miss me?" He asked as he walked over to her.
"Dean we need to talk." Olivia said trying back away from him.
Dean only stepped closer until Olivia was pressed against the counter. "Youre right. We do need to talk." He grabs her and throws her against the refrigerator.
Elliot hears the loud bang and before he knows it his hand is on the door knob, getting ready to open the door. He thinks about what Olivia told him. He could see the pain in her eyes.
He opened the door and walked out to the kitchen. Olivia was pressed against the refrigerator and Dean was trying to take off her clothes.
Dean saw Elliot and his face dropped. He was scared of Elliot. He let go of Olivia and tried to smile but Elliot grabbed him.
"Dont ever touch her again. Don't come to her apartment. Don't come to the station. Don't even think about her because if you do, I will kill you." Elliot said as he grabbed Dean's shirt collar.
Dean stuttered " Elliot I've never hurt her. She-she- she's lying. I know she's been seeing you. You guys have been having an affair."
"We've never had an affair. I've never done anything with her. She's my partner and best friend." Elliot said.
"Whatever. Olivia I'll be back later after Stabler cools down." Dean said.
"Are you fucking stupid? Did you not just hear me say to never come here again?" Elliot said with a harsh chuckle.
"Dean, leave." Olivia said. "Don't come back. "
" I'll come by and get my stuff this week, after work." Dean said.
"No. I'll give it to you somewhere public. I don't want you here. Ever again." Olivia said.
Dean shook his head "Whatever. Have fun fucking your partner." Dean grabbed his coat and left.
Olivia looked up at Elliot. She smiled slightly. "El I said not to come out." She said looking away.
"I know. But I couldn't help it. You were getting hurt and I don't want you to be hurt, ever. " He said as she looked away from him.
"Everything hurts Elliot, all the time." She said with tears in her eyes.
"Tell me what hurts Liv." He said looking into her deep brown eyes.
"My shoulder." She said. Elliot pulled her closer to him. He looked her in the eyes as he moves her shirt out of the way and laid a light kiss on her shoulder.
"Where else?" He whispered.
"My wrist. " She said.
Elliot pulled her wrist up to his lips and laid another kiss there. He looked up at her and she knew what he was asking.
"My stomach." Elliot had dropped down on his knees. He smiled up at her and pulled her shirt up enough to give her a kiss above her belly button.
Finally Olivia closed her eyes and bit her lip. "Elliot, my heart hurts."
Elliot stood up, and smile at her as he leaned down and kissed her heart. He watched her as she bit her lip. "Liv-"
"Elliot- I'm sorry." She said looking away.
"Olivia listen to me. " He said looking her in the eyes. "I want to be with you, its as simple and as complicated as that. " Elliot whispered cupping her cheek.
"Elliot, I don't want to hurt you." She says, but he shakes his head.
"You'll never hurt me. I promise. But when you need space tell me, we can talk about it or I'll let you alone because I don't want you to run." He said brushing his lips against hers.
Olivia grabs the back of his neck and presses her lips to his. "I'll never run." She whispers. "I love you, but it's as simple as that. Because it's not complicated. "
Olivia kissed him again. As she pulled away she thought of something. Work. "El, what are we going to do about work? We won't be able to work toether."
"That doesn't matter. I'll leave." Elliot said.
"No. SVU is your home. I-I-I can't take that away from you." Olivia said tearing up.
"You're not taking anything away from me, because you're giving me something. You." Elliot whispered.
•••••••••
They both walked into work the next morning, hand in hand but Elliot had his resignation in his other hand. They sat down at their desks like they would any other time and smiled at each other.
Elliot stood up to go into Dons office. "Are you sure you so want to do this?" Olivia asked holding his arm.
"You would do anything for someone you love right? " He smiled and walked into the office.
