Post Zebra – As if there isn't enough of this! I own NOTHING!

Here goes nothing! Be gentle.

"Connected"

"What a way to end." Elliot said.

"The bus is on its way" Olivia said.

After the body of O'Halloran was taken by the coroner and Stuckey was put in lock up and Elliot was taken to the hospital to clean up his wounds from Dale. Olivia gave the statements and rushed to the hospital where Elliot was.

She walked to trauma room 1 and saw Elliot with dressings across his chest, his cheeks red from the blows she gave him, he looked exhausted. Cragan called Kathy to give her the news but Elliot insisted that she wouldn't come , he wasn't badly hurt. She took a deep breath and walked into the room. He opened his eyes when he heard the door slide open. She looked him straight in the eyes and saw pain confusion and something else…

"Hey" she whispered "how are you doing?; Did you need stitches?'

"No, no stitches I just need to keep the wounds clean and change the dressings, everyday, but I will be fine… and ready to work in a week!"

"That's good"

There was a moment of silence between them she walked to the window and was looking at the emergency bay while an ambulance pulled up and then he whispered "Liv…"

She turned around "Yes Elliot?" looked him in the eyes

"Do you think we areconnected?" He asked quietly

"What do you mean?" She walked to stand by his bed.

"Are we connected? All the things you said to Dale you were talking about us, weren't you?"

"El, … I just said things to save us both from that son-of-a-bitch, I was desperate you couldn't do anything, so I took matters into my hands and it worked, I can't even remember what I said."

"Liv, don't lie to me!" He took her hand and stroke it with his thumb just as she was with Dale's hand, a single tear slid down her cheek. She wanted to pull away and leave but his grip on her hand tightened and she couldn't "Liv, talk to me, tell me what's on your mind, tell me what you want."

"Elliot I don't want to do this now, not like this not after a stressful night like this… I can't"

"Olivia, I need you to do this now or it will never happen." He said.

"What will never happen El?" she wiped the tear away from her cheek.

"You tell me … " he challenged her still holding her hand tight so she wouldn't leave.

"Liv we have been dancing around this subject for too long already and just as you I am tired of this and it's putting a toll on our work relationship"

"Elliot don't do this… THIS cannot happen…" she sighed .

"What cannot happen Liv?" He still wanted her to say the words.

"El, please…" she cried out, tears now falling freely down her cheeks.

"No Liv I want you to admit it." He wanted to wipe the tears away but tried to hold back from touching her, because if he did it would never be the same.

"No…"

"Liv, if you don't say anything neither will I." he said "now, Olivia please tell me!"

"No Elliot , I can't it's complicated and it will complicate our relationship even more I can't do this wecan't do this" She slid out of his grip and walked to the door to leave him when he whispered "Is it because I am married?"

She froze "Is it Liv?" she pressed her forehead into the cool glass door and whispered "El you know the answer…" "But I want to hear it from YOU, Liv"

She turned around and slowly walked to the bed he was lying in and sat on the edge and started to pick on the white sheet, she couldn't look into his eyes she then whispered

"Yes, it's one of the reasons, we cannot do this…"

Elliot then picked up her hand and pulled her toward him she didn't resist and put his finger under her chin so she would look him in the eyes and said "There - was it that hard… Liv, let's take it slow and not rush into this, but what I can tell you is that we are Both on the same page, there was never a good time…"

She wanted to look away but he did let her "Olivia, please don't run… "

"El, I cannot do this to your family, your kids need you and I cannot be the OTHER woman, I just can't …";

"Liv you can't change what I feel for you and it wouldn't be the first time that my marriage fell apart, I will work on it and you will be with me every step of the way… it's going to be hard but we are connected -we get each other…"

She gave him a light smile, he then cupped her cheek and said "Now can I take the nasty taste of Stuckey's lips off yours so you can sleep tonight?"

"Please do" she whispered as she leaned into the gentle kiss she longed for a very long time…

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