A big, big, thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter so long ago. I was very excited to get them. Please keep reviewing because they make me so, so happy! And I want to say thank you to Michelle because your review made my day. Especially considering I could swear I have been unable to write all year.
This chapter is for "New Castle" who influenced several of the additions in here and because she has a lifetime supply of pot. (...Not really.)
Elliot drove through the streets of New York, barely conscious of the traffic around him. Where he was heading was a destination he knew as well as the back of his hand. He was sure he could drive there in his sleep. What had just happened was something that was not so familiar to him. What had happened? One second he'd been asleep, and the next he was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing and the overwhelming scent of Olivia.
He was sure at first that he had just been dreaming. He could not see any reason as to why his room should smell so strongly of her. But as he rolled over onto the next pillow to answer the phone and the smell of Olivia's hair and perfume came crashing even more strongly into his nose, so too did the memories of last night crash back into his mind. The feel of her lips against his. Her fingertips tracing his body. His body engulfing hers. The memories collided with one another and Elliot groaned, aware of the complications that were going to arise from not only sleeping with his best friend but also falling in love with her.
He could barely pay attention to what Cragen was telling him-something about another attack somewhere-until Olivia's name came up.
"I've tried calling Olivia," Cragen was saying, "but her cell was turned off and her phone was engaged."
Elliot's heart constricted as a million possibilities flowed through his head: what if she had never made it home? Or what if she had made it home but something had happened there? It would be so much harder to lose her now that he knew her fully-now that he knew how she felt. Beneath each concern was the underlying theme: what if something had happened to Olivia and he hadn't been there to protect her?
Without hesitation, Elliot told Cragen he'd go over to Liv's-check up on her and then take her to the crime scene. That was how he found himself here, standing in front of the door to her apartment while he unlocked it with his key. He was too concerned to try buzzing her, to see if she'd be there to let him in. All he could think about was the smell she had left in his room-an earthy but feminine scent: roses mixed with coconuts mixed with something else he couldn't put his finger on-and how he'd rather die than never be able to breathe that in again. He would face all of the difficulties that were sure to result from last night just as long as she was okay.
He barged into her apartment, not noticing the fact that every single light had been left on and every door closed. He headed for her bedroom, praying with desperation that she would be there when he opened the door.
"Liv?" Elliot called out, opening the door.
He could have cried with relief when he saw her body just rousing from sleep in her bed, watching as the sleepy confusion in her eyes morphed into angry defence.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Olivia gasped, sitting bolt upright in her bed and clutching her sheets to her.
"Cragen couldn't get onto you," Elliot explained, feeling confused himself at her mood. "So I told him I'd check on you myself. We have a new case."
"Give me a few minutes to get ready," Olivia mumbled, sounding annoyed still and carefully avoiding his eyes.
Olivia breathed a sigh of relief when Elliot left the room. She didn't want to be around him because she didn't trust herself with him. If she looked in his eyes, Olivia knew that would be all she'd need to break down and seek comfort in his arms after what had happened last night. And she didn't want to break down or recall last night-she just wanted to keep living her life. Even if she had to push away the one person she allowed herself to love.
Melinda Warner was already examining the victim's body by the time Elliot and Olivia arrived after their silent trip. When they got in the car, Elliot was going to suggest they talk about last night, but Olivia had been so icy, so cold that she had reduced him to silence as well. He spent the rest of the ride confused, wondering if their sleeping together alone could produce such out of character behaviour in her. Needless to say, it was a relief for both of them to finally be amongst other people, even if it was for a rape and murder case.
Olivia walked briskly, staying several paces ahead of Elliot while he trailed behind, trying desperately to focus on the case rather than her. Warner was busy telling them her current conclusions but the words disappeared around Elliot, lost in his own world. He hoped Olivia was paying more attention than him.
"Abrasions to upper thigh," Warner started.
Elliot ran his hands through Olivia's soft hair, looking deeply in her eyes to ensure that she was ready.
She had to concentrate. She had to remove herself from the situation. But Olivia couldn't look at the body or listen to Warner without the thought running through her head: this could have been me.
"Shot twice in the chest."
Olivia nodded, gazing into Elliot's eyes with such love and trust that he wondered how they both could have waited so long before giving in to their passion.
She swallowed hard. Tried to ignore the numbness seeping into her body and the dizziness clouding her mind. She'd never had trouble being strong before but Olivia didn't know how much longer she could take this.
"Dead for about four hours, I think."
He entered her, their love finally consummated. Olivia moaned and both knew that from that moment on, nothing would be the same.
The dizziness got worse. So did the numbness. She needed to grasp onto something-anything. Her hand clutched the first thing it could find.
Elliot felt her hand grasping his arm, surprised that her mood could change as suddenly as that. He looked over at her only to be met with her ashen face and unfocused eyes.
"I think..I-"
Elliot took her body in his arms a moment before she passed out. Fear infiltrated his body as he carried Olivia somewhere to lay her down, barely aware of where he was going.
Gently, he laid her down and it was only then that he noticed her sleeves had slipped back enough to reveal angry bruises circling both wrists. He knew without doubt that those bruises hadn't been there when she was at his place. He breathed slowly, trying to concentrate on his inhalations and exhalations, unaware that Warner had just come up to check Olivia.
Elliot's heart constricted with simultaneous pain and fury as he realised that Olivia's mood had nothing to do with him.
Updates should hopefully be a bit more regular for the next month or so because I'm on holidays for the next five weeks before my final semester of school. (Thank God.) Providing I have enough motivation. And providing the plot's okay. So, if you think it's worth continuing, you know what to do to keep me motivated...
(I'll give you a hint: it starts with r and ends in w and has a nifty little button to do this right underneath...)
