I want a new partner.
The words swam through Olivia's mind as she lay in bed. She didn't want a new partner, she wanted Elliot to be her partner, but she couldn't put her feelings towards him in the way if there's a victim in trouble. She did the right thing, she thought.
Someone began banging on her door. "Olivia, damn it, let me in!" yelled a familiar, gruff voice.
Olivia, wearing only a skimy night-gown, gets up and stumbled her way to the front door. When she saw a frantic Elliot, her heart immediately squeezed, making her breathing shallow and weazy. "What do you want?" she said finally.
His eyes moved down her body, giving her shivers. He quickly looked up and looked in her brown eyes. "You," he said confidently. Before Olivia's heart could flutter out of her chest, he adds, "as my partner."
"I can't," she whispered weakly. "I can't be your partner, Elliot."
Elliot walked towards her and she scurried back. He took off his jacket and closed the front door. "Liv, we've been partners for a long time. Ten years. We've known each other for a long time. You're all I have left, and I can't lose that." He grabbed a hold of her hand.
She quickly retreived her hand and put it on her stomach. "I can't," she repeated - her voice much more confident. "Elliot, I can't. As you said we can't chose each other over our assignments."
He rolled his eyes. "I didn't say that," he defended, "I said we can't chose each other over the victims."
"Calling me out on a technicality?" she raged. "You're calling me out based on words? What the fuck is your problem, Elliot? Honestly, you said that we couldn't put our feelings ahead of our vics, so I made a choice and I'm sticking to it!" By time she finished her little rant, she was breathless. Maybe from Elliot's closeness, or from the fact that she's trying to shut her love out.
Slowly, Elliot closed in on her, his face so close to hers. "I didn't mean it like that," he whispered.
Olivia glared. "How did you mean it, huh? Did I simply misinterpret what we can't chose each other over our victims? " she asked, tears stinging her eyes. "No!"
He rested his hand on Olivia's shoulder, giving her goosebumps. "I don't want to lose you in my life, Liv," he said slowly, simply. "I can't lose you. I need you."
Just like that, her heart turned to mush. "You don't need me," she said quietly, "you just don't want to get a new partner."
Elliots eyes bored into hers. "I need you," he promised. To seal off the promise he moved his face to hers - his nose touched hers before their lips touched. Olivia's lips moved softly against his and his moved hard against hers.
Just like that their relationship became even more complicated. Elliot had Kathy...Olivia had no one. But now, she'd be the other woman.