Chapter 9

Her laugh greets him as he enters the cafe. He looks through the crowd to locate the source of the laugh. He finds her sitting with a tall brunette man with his back to the entrance. She is mid laugh and touching the man across from her on his arm laying on the table between them. She seem comfortable with him. This man appears to be a friend, perhaps more than a friend. Elliot's blood pressure increases at that thought. Who is this guy?

Elliot sits at the counter outside her line of sight and watches them. He isn't suppose to meet her for another twenty minutes and he is curious to see where this conversation with this mystery man goes. He watches as they lean into their conversation. He watches as she smiles at him. He watches as this man touches her hand. He watches as she laughs out loud at this man's joke, not just any laugh either but the kind of deep gut, head tilled back laughter she use have with him. He has watched enough. He walks into her line of sight as if he has just entered the cafe and heads towards their table. He watches as she withdraws her hand and straightens as he approaches.

"Elliot, you are early."

"Yeah I finished with court early so I came straight over. " Elliot watches as she looks between the two men before her. He can tell she is trying to decide whether she should introduce them. He reads on her face when she decides she has no choice but to introduce them.

"Umm El, this is Matthew. Matthew this is my... This is Elliot.

Matthew stands up and turns to Elliot to offer him a handshake. It is only then that he realizes how tall this man really is. He is just as tall as he is and just as built. 'So much for any easy fight'

"Nice to meet you." Matthew smiles as they shake hand.

"Likewise." Elliot responds. There is an awkward moment of silence in which all three of them stare at each other. He can feel Matthew size him up too, coming to the same conclusion he did- no easy fight. Olivia seems to have a type.

The moment of silence is interrupted by Olivia's phone. She looks at the phone before responding, "Sorry I have to take this, it's my captain."

Both men watch as she walks away in the middle of what appears to be an intense conversation with her boss. Elliot watches as Matthew stares at her ass. He wants to punch this guy. Matthew is the first to speak when she is out of ear shot. "Well this is awkward." He smile as he attempts to lighten the mood.

Elliot is not impressed by the well dressed dark haired pretty boy. Nor is he intimated by his dimpled smile or bright green eyes. Where did she find this GQ model? "What's awkward? The fact that I interrupted you from trying to get into my wife's pants?"

Matthew smirks, "So I guess the polite portion of this conversation is over."

Elliot's only response is to step closer with fist clenched at his side. " Ok in that case, what's it to you? She is your ex isn't she?" Matthew also steps forward. Both men now stand chest to chest. Ego to ego.

"You seem confused so Let me clear things up for you. She is my wife, not my ex. She is the mother of my children. She is not now or every will be available for you to court or whatever else you have in mind."

Matthew smiles, " So in other words she is yours. You sound like a toddler. I am pretty sure Olivia would object to being objectified like that, No?" Matthew smiles. "Besides Olivia is the only person that can tell me she is unavailable and she hasn't yet."

Elliot smirks as well, "I have it on good authority that she already did."

"Really? Then why are we having coffee together?"

Olivia approaches the table as Elliot clenches his fist and steps closer forcing Matthew to step back. Both men are too engrossed in their cock fight to notice her approach. "Here's a bit of advise, stay away from my wife. You see as a side effect of being a cop for as longer as I have is that you get to know an abundance of scrupulous characters, people who would do all manner of evil to avoid the harsher side of the law. People who would promise to make a problem disappear in exchange for a blind eye."

"Did you just threaten me!"

"No of course not! No threats just promises. I will not lose her! And I certainly am not losing my kids to you or anyone else."

Olivia steps between them just as Elliot gives the first shove. "Both of you back up!" When neither step back, she exclaims again. "Now!"

Both men size each other up before taking a step back. "Liv-"

"What the hell is going on? What is all this about?"

"Elliot was just telling me how you belong to him and how harm with find me if I don't leave you alone. Isn't that right, Elliot?"

"Liv-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Olivia yells at him before turning to Matthew. " I am so sorry Matty, for everthing. Can we do this another time?"

"Its not your fault and we can definitely do this another time, I look forward to it." He smirks at Elliot as he answers.

Elliot clenches and unclenches his fists as he watches 'Matty' take Oliva in his arms for a hug and kiss on the cheek. Who the fuck is this asshole?

"I'll stop by on Sunday morning to fix that door bell, ok?

Like hell you will! Elliot thinks but before he can express that sentiment, she is already confirming their plans. He is so shell shocked that he doesn't realize when Matthew walks away, that is until she steps into his line of sight. She definitely isn't happy.

"What the fuck was that?"she grabs his arm to hold his attention as if her angry stare wasn't enough. "Did you just threat to kill someone? Have you lost your mind?"

"Well technically I threaten to have someone else kill him."

" Are you really joking about this?"

"Look I am sorry but I have good reason to be angry. You said you ended things with him and now you are having lunch. What's that about? Not only is it not over but I had to witness it."

Olivia sighs and sit down at the table. "I don't know what you think you saw but Matty is just my friend."

Elliot sits across from her, "Just your friend? Well he doesn't think so, does he? I thought you ended things with him."

"I told him that I couldn't see him romantically anymore but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"Just how romantic were you two anyway?"

"What exactly are you asking me?

"You know what I am asking?"

"You have no right to ask me that? Its none of your business!"

"You still wear my ring! You are my wife! Who you sleep with is my business!"

"Have you slept with anyone else since the separation?" Olivia turns it back on him.

"No one has even come close! I only want you, Liv. I only want you." He looks her in the eye as he responds.

Olivia sighs. Why does he have to be sweet. "Matty and I have spent the night together, we have kissed and cuddled but we have never had sex, ok?"

"No it's not ok but it's better than the alternative." he sighs, "Look I am sorry, I threatened him but the thought of you with someone else kills me. I don't want anyone replacing me in your heart or your bed. I don't want anyone replacing my role with the kids or in our family."

She reaches for his hand that lies on the table between them. "No one will ever replace you." She squeezes his hand but releases it quickly. " But we are not together right now and it's not ok to threaten my friends."

"I don't like that friend."

"Well I don't like Lindsay but you have a right to any friend you like so I have to deal with it." Olivia sighs before she continues. "Look we didn't meet for lunch to argue about our friends so lets drop it please. "

"Fine I will drop it for now but this isn't over."

Olivia is grateful when their server comes to take their order ending the silent standoff they seem to be engaging in. She stalls over the menu despite eating here nearly everyday, only to order a salad. She can't help but smile when she realizes he is just as nervous to continue their conversation as she is. Well at least he isn't angry anymore.

"Cali had her first therapy session yesterday."

"Really how did that go?"

"It didn't."

"Well first sessions are alway hard it will get better." Elliot reassures.

"No you don't understand. I mean it didn't happen. She sat in the office for fifty minutes without uttering a word, not even her name." Olivia runs her hand through her hair in frustration. " She is the most stubborn person I have ever met!"

"You use to say that about me all the time."

"Yeah well therapy didn't work so well when you were involved either." Olivia smile but quick her expression becomes somber as she recalls why they needed therapy in the first place.

"I am so sorry, Liv. I did know that it meant that much to you or I would-"

"What you would have bothered to show up!" Olivia is instantly angry at him and make a conscious decision to end this line of conversation before it really starts. "Look I don't want to fight can we drop this too."

"Liv, I should have been there. I have no excuse, I screwed up! I keep wondering if we would be here if I had shown up that day. Would my clothes have been packed and waiting for me that night if I had shown up that day. "

Elliot waits for her to respond, he waits for her to look at him, to acknowledge he spoke but is only greeted by her silents. In frustration he grabs her hand that fiddles with fork on the table. He can't keep the anger out his voice. "We are suppose to be talking about this stuff. I need you to talk!"

He expects anger when she speaks but instead she almost seem emotionless when she answers.

"What do you want me to say, Elliot? Do you want me to tell you it's okay, that what's done is done? Do you want me to pretend that you not showing up didn't break my heart? Do you want me to pretend that finding out where you were instead of trying to save us wasn't the straw that broke the camels back? Do you want me to pretend that it didn't hurt to know that you turned to her instead of me? Or is better to remember how you wreaked of alcohol that night?"

Elliot watches as slowly tears make their way down her cheeks. She make no attempt to wipe them away, she makes no attempt to look anywhere but into his eyes. "How could you, El? All you had to do was show up. Thats all it took but instead you failed to be there for me again. You chose her, you chose to get drunk with Dani Beck than come to therapy. You made that choice so please forgive me if I don't accept your attempts to fix things now. Excuse me if I have no desire to play your little game." She stands up, grabs her purse and starts to walk by him as she heads for the door. As she walks by he grabs her hand and tries to plead with her to stay with his eyes. She stops by him, bend and whisper in his ears- " Maybe I chose to forget us too, maybe I chose to sleep with Matthew tonight instead." With that she walks away and out the restaurant.