AN: Thanks to everyone that read Aftermath. It was meant to be a one-shot, but once I posted it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The rest of the story was writing itself in my mind. So, for those that liked the angst and enjoyed it as a one-shot, just close this chapter and don't read it. For those that wanted more, read on. It will only be a couple of chapters long, and here's the next one! Thank you.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot had his back to the wall, and as the door closed behind Olivia, he slid down slowly, burying his face in his hands. He sat there, wondering what the hell he had just done.

The door burst open, and his heart jumped in his chest, thinking maybe Olivia had come back. He lifted his head, and saw Kathy marching towards him with a bewildered expression on her face.

"Elliot…" She said, her face lined with worry. "Are you alright? What's going on?" He watched her look back towards the door and then back at him, and her brows knitted together in confusion. "I saw Olivia rush out of here and she looked upset…" She stopped suddenly, and her expression morphed from one of worry to one of disbelief, as she focused on his pained expression. "Elliot…" She whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.

Elliot looked back up at her, and saw her shaking her head slowly.

"What have you done?" Her voice was small, but he could hear the accusation.

He wanted to deny that anything had happened…tell her it was just a fight about work, but he couldn't. He was done with lying. He'd been lying to Kathy…to Olivia...to himself. Some were outright lies, and others were lies of omission, but it didn't matter. Because even though he thought he'd been doing the right thing, the result was disastrous. Each decision he'd made had consequences, and he'd forced everyone else into their role.

"Kathy…I…" He pushed himself up against the wall until he was standing, but he didn't move any closer. He knew his silence was giving her time to fill in the blanks, but he couldn't find any words.

"I don't understand…" Kathy said, and Elliot could see she was struggling with a myriad of emotions. Anger…fear…denial. "You told me you wanted to come home…that you wanted to make things work…" She choked out the words. "I believed you." She swallowed hard. "I trusted you." She stared at him. "All these years. I've been such a fool."

"No." Elliot took a few steps towards Kathy, but she backed away, so he stopped. He knew he'd been an asshole and dishonest about his feelings for Olivia, but he had to make sure that she knew they had never crossed the line. "I never cheated on you."

Kathy pressed her lips together and Elliot could tell she was trying to choose her words. She was never one to make a scene; even though they could fight with the best of them at home. "Excuse me if I don't believe you."

"We never…Olivia wouldn't…" Elliot said. He knew it wasn't much, but he wanted to let her know.

"Olivia wouldn't…" Kathy let that hang there for a moment. "Well maybe I should thank her for keeping you faithful." The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable.

"That's not what…" Elliot started.

Kathy held up her hand. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear anything you have to say." She let out her breath slowly, and he knew she was trying to maintain her calm. She collected herself and when she spoke again, her tone was flat…cold. "Cheating isn't just physical…"

Elliot dropped his head, unable to look her in the eye. He heard a quiet sob escape from her, and then her footsteps as she walked away. He knew he should say something…that he should try to stop her and apologize. But he knew she didn't want to hear another apology from him.

He lifted his head and watched as his wife slipped through the same door as Olivia had just minutes before.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot arrived at the squad room on Monday morning, and Cragen was talking to Fin and Munch. He turned as Elliot joined them. "You're late."

"Sorry. I had some things to take care of this morning." That was an understatement. He'd spent New Year's Day and Sunday packing up his things and looking for an apartment. He couldn't pull anything off that quickly, so for now, a cheap hotel in Queens was his home.

"I was just telling Fin and Munch that we're going to be down to the three of you for a bit." Cragen looked pointedly at Elliot. "Olivia's taking some time off."

Elliot feigned surprise; he was anything but. His mind had come up with all kinds of potential scenarios of how this was going to end…none of which appealed to him. He had wanted to reach out to her; to tell her to please stay. That they could figure out how to work together. He had picked up his phone dozens of times to call or text her, but he'd never hit send. Whatever she decided to do…it was her decision. "How long?" Elliot asked, steeling himself.

"Two weeks." He sighed.

Elliot wanted to ask him if she said why she was taking the time, but that would only bring up questions.

"I'm going to see if we can transfer someone in temporarily." Cragen continued.

"It's just two weeks." Fin said. "We can handle it."

Cragen looked back at Elliot. "She said she might take more."

"What the hell?" Fin asked.

"She's got the time accrued." Cragen said. "For now, Elliot will work solo and we will change it up as needed." He backed away and then turned towards his office. "Elliot…a word." He said, without looking back.

Elliot looked at Munch and Fin and then followed him, knowing he wasn't going to like the conversation.

"Close the door." Cragen said as he rounded his desk.

Elliot did as he was told, and then leaned against it with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Anything you need to tell me?" He asked, remaining on his feet.

Elliot pressed his lips together and shook his head.

"Are you sure about that? Because I have to wonder when one of my best detectives calls me on a Saturday and tells me they need to take two weeks off."

"What did she say?" Elliot asked.

"I'm asking you."

Elliot hated this game. He knew Cragen had his suspicions, but in all the times he had talked to them over the years, he had never asked any direct questions. He always waited for them to divulge little pieces of information…make admissions. They never did.

He knew this was why they had survived as partners all these years.

And why Cragen had never really wanted the truth.

"Maybe that last case got to her."

"So, she didn't say anything to you about this?" Cragen asked.

Shit. Elliot tried to think of a plausible reason why Olivia wouldn't have said anything to him about it, but he came up empty. "Yeah…well."

"Cut the bullshit." Cragen said, shaking his head. "I've turned a blind eye for too long. But only because it didn't impact your work. But this time…" He looked down at his desk and then back up at Elliot. "This time, somethings different. Olivia was trying to hide it, but she was upset." He sat down in his chair. "I need you to tell me what's going on."

"It's not what you think." Elliot said. "Olivia and I have never crossed the line." He didn't know if he should be talking about the two of them to Cragen, but he didn't think he had a choice right now, and he didn't want to lie anymore.

Cragen didn't say anything, waiting for Elliot to continue.

"Olivia and I…it's just… we're close but we never… It's complicated." Elliot said, looking down at the floor and shifting back and forth on his feet. "I mean…" He let out a heavy sigh. "Captain…" He swung his head up. "It's not going to be a problem. Olivia and I had a little disagreement on Friday night, but we're going to work it out." He tried to sound convincing.

"A little disagreement?" Cragen challenged. "I don't think a little disagreement would push Olivia to take two weeks off. She hates taking time off."

"We'll work it out. This thing…" He shifted again. "It's not going to be a problem. Olivia has a boyfriend and she's happy." He realized he was rambling and he stopped. "We've gotten through worse."

Cragen seemed to consider his words, and it was obvious he was trying to decide if he should push it any farther. "This can't be a problem if you want to stay partners."

Elliot didn't say anything as the weight of his words sunk in. He hadn't expected Cragen to say anything different; he'd heard the words before.

The difference was that this time…he didn't think he could fix it.

EOEOEOEOEO

Two weeks turned into four, and in that time, Elliot realized that he had to be the one to leave.

He'd lost his wife and his home. He'd lost the love of his life.

Losing his job seemed trivial now.

He didn't want Olivia to be forced to leave; he owed her that.

Cragen had accepted his request for transfer stoically…as if he'd expected it. But he was genuinely surprised when Elliot asked him to tell Olivia about his transfer.

To his credit, he didn't say a word.

Elliot took a few weeks off while the transfer papers went through. Like Olivia, he had a lot of accrued time, and he used it to get himself settled in his new apartment.

Elliot thought about Olivia a lot.

He still hadn't talked to her, and the thought that he might never talk to her again was almost unbearable. He had nothing but time on his hands right now, which left him too much time to think. He turned it repeatedly in his mind. What he could have done differently…what he should have done.

The sad thing was, he didn't think he would do anything differently if he had to do it again. He had always been driven by his obligations.

Of course. Olivia had played a role in this as well. If she had told him…if she had pushed, even a little.

It was always at this point that Elliot had to distract himself to stop this torturous line of thinking. Because none of it mattered.

It was over now.

But every once in a while, he allowed himself to fantasize.

There would be a knock on the door and she would be standing there. She would tell him how much she loved him, and that she forgave him. And he would pull her into his arms and kiss her with a passion that would steal her breath away.

It always ended there, because he wouldn't allow himself to take it any farther than that.

He had a new life now. A job in homicide for the next couple of years, until he could retire. Weekends with his kids…or at least some of them. A new apartment in the city.

He tried not to hate it…to accept it for what it was.

He wondered if Olivia was happy…if she ever thought about him.

He knew she would…because as much as she was a part of him…he was a part of who she was too.