"Olivia? Olivia," he said, snapping her out of her shocked stance. "Are you okay? What did he say to you? I swear I'll-"
"I'm okay. He just surprised me," she whispered.
"What did he say?" he repeated.
"I never thought I was worth anything, anything at all. I told him I wasn't a prize, that he had even said so. He said 'no, you are everything," she whispered.
"That shouldn't be a surprise. You are worth what I have to go through to get you."
"That is exactly what he said," she told him. The song ended and they walked back to the table.
At about 9:30, everyone had had his or her share of drinks. Mike leaned over to kiss Olivia on the neck. She giggled at the contact.
"Can you not be an ass for five minutes?" Elliot snapped at Mike. The whole table looked between them. Some seemed amused, others knew of the bad to come.
"Something you want to say, Stabler?" Mike challenged. He possessively pulled Olivia closer to him.
"Elliot, don't," Olivia quietly, but sharply warned him. He had 4 beers, and two shots, only his jealousy and rage controlled him.
"You know what you are doing Mike! I am so sick of you," Elliot's voice became louder.
"What you think you can win this? You think you're better than I am? You are just a pathetic, lonely man," Mike yelled back at him.
"You don't even know what this is about, do you? Do you love her, Mike? Do you care for her like I do?" Elliot yelled, intoxication preventing him from actually realizing what he said. Olivia just gasped in surprise, the whole table watching her reaction.
"Maybe I do, how the hell do you know?" Mike screamed.
"Nine years! She is my best friend! You don't know what this is like at all!" Elliot yelled at the man.
"But you never got her, did you? She never cared enough! You never got her to even look at you! I got there first, Elliot, that is one challenge you can't win. She already slept with me!" He yelled back, not even realizing what he had said. The whole room got silent and Olivia stood up, spilling her beer.
"Get out, Mike! I can't even believe you would stoop that low, you both are ridiculous!" She yelled, turning to Elliot. "Yes, Elliot, he got to me. I guess I am a slut, like both of you and have this room believe I am." She ran out of the banquet hall to the streets of New York.
"Olivia!" They both shouted.
"Go home Mike, she won't talk to you tonight. Elliot, you should probably go too," Casey said to them. Mike got his jacket and left, not even seeing Olivia.
She sat on the wet steps, as far left as she could go. She did something she rarely did, she cried. Casey came out to see her friend.
"Liv honey?" Casey asked.
"This is so stupid, Casey. I-," she sighed. "Mike spilled everything, but that isn't what this is about. He had nine years Casey."
"Who?"
"Elliot. He said he loves me, granted he didn't realize it, but her said it. Neither of them is going to remember this. What if they regret everything they said?"
"Mike may love you. He was trying to get something that Elliot couldn't have on him. Mike is jealous; he doesn't have all the secrets about you that Elliot does. And Elliot is jealous because he doesn't think that he ever will have a chance," She sympathetically explained.
"Thanks, Case. I just need to be alone. I am going home. I'll see you tomorrow. Captain said, "Crime waits for no one"".
She got a taxi and went to her apartment. She saw someone sitting outside her door.
"Elliot?"
He sat against her door, a beer only half full in his hands.
"Jesus, El, what are you doing here? I thought you went home," she said.
"No one is there."
"Come on, you get the couch," she told him. They got inside the door and he fell onto the couch. She threw him a pillow and a blanket from the closet. He had started to sober up; the beer was from the bar. He hadn't drunk any more and it was two hours and a cup of coffee after the fight.
"Hey, Liv?"
"What Elliot?" she said, slightly angry.
"Do you love me? Or did you ever?" He asked her, figuring she thought he was drunk.
"You know what," she said, defeated at hiding it any longer. "Yes. I love you, I always probably will. But I need to move on. I really like Mike. You had Kathy. I knew I never had a chance. But yes, I love you with all my heart. But now I am going to bed. Hell, you won't remember tonight anyway."
She woke up to the smell of coffee. She walked to the kitchen, and he handed her some.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"Are you still mad at me? Cause I am assuming you are still angry about the vaguely familiar fight."
"Yes Elliot, I am furious of both of you. You don't respect me like I thought. If you did, neither of you would have done that."
"Oh my god, Liv. I respect you so much, I just am so jealous of the guy. He has someone wonderful," he told her.
"Do you even know what happened last night?" she asked, laughing at how naïve he was.
"We got into an argument?"
"Mike said he would win and you two yelled. You said you knew me better, he said he got to me first. You said you loved me, Elliot," she said, still surprised.
"Oh my god, I am so sorry it got like that, Liv."
"Did you mean it?" she asked him.
"Did you?" he asked her.
"What?"
"Last night, you said you loved me, with all you heart. Did you mean it?" he asked her, pressing.
"You were drunk Elliot, you don't even know what I said."
"No, I was sober. You said you loved me. Do you?" he asked her. She started to walk away. He spun her around. "Don't you walk away. Do you love me like you said."
"Yes," her voice weakly said. He kissed her roughly. She pushed him away. "No! This isn't right. Not after everything that you have done. You can't screw with me like this. I won't do it."
She was dressed for work by now and opened the door to leave, coffee in her hand. Mike was sitting beside the door, roses in his hand.
"Olivia!" he jumped in surprise. "Why are you here?" he eyes narrowed on Elliot.
"Stop, this isn't happening this morning," she warned him. "Why are you here?"
"I was going to give you a ride to work, my boss know I'll be late. I want to apologize."
"Good," she smirked. "You and Elliot can go together."
Both their jaws dropped in shock.
"Bye boys," she called down the hall.
In the car, an argument started, ending in a black eye for both men. Elliot walked in with his shiner.
"Elliot, what happened to you?" Munch asked. Olivia looked up, still drinking her coffee. She laughed and chocked at the same time on her coffee. One thought ran through her mind.
Today should be fun.