AN: Second to last chapter guys. Sad that it's coming to an end. You've all been soooo amazing. But this isn't the end quite yet, so I'll save my goodbyes. Haha. Enjoy!
L3: He kissed me.
El: Who did?
L3: Who do you think?
El: Your partner?
L3: Duh.
El: Did he now?
L3: Yes. This has been established.
El: And how was it?
L3: I can't describe it.
El: Try.
L3: Why do you enjoy dirty details so much?
El: I'm a guy. What else do you expect? So, was there tongue?
L3: If you must know, than yes. There was.
El: I told you so.
L3: Told me 'so' what?
El: That he's in love with you.
L3: You can tell that because he "tongue-kissed" me?
El: I do believe the technical name for it is "French kiss."
L3: What is this? 9th grade?
El: Might as well be.
L3: *eye roll*
El: haha. So what does this mean for the two of you?
L3: I really don't know. I mean it was just a kiss. The same thing that happened with Dani and nothing happened beyond that.
El: Well, what happened before he kissed you?
L3: We were fighting. He basically told me he knew I had feelings for him. He started to leave, but I stopped him. He turned around, looked into my eyes, tangled his hands in my hair, and kissed me. It was deep, passionate, hot.
Elliot smirked at the memory of it. She had tasted sweet, like she'd recently eaten chocolate. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to do more than kiss her…
El: I think he wants it to go somewhere.
L3: Did I mention that he upped and left without a word after he kissed me?
El: Ok, so the guy's a jerk. That doesn't mean he's not in love with you.
L3: It doesn't mean he is either.
El: Okay so pretend I'm your partner. You show up at work on Monday and I'm there. I'm avoiding you because I thought I may have hurt you. What do you do?
L3: Well if you're avoiding me, I'd assume it was because of the kiss, but assume it was a bad thing. I'd avoid you too.
El: And what does that accomplish?
L3: More of the ever-growing tension that is our partnership…
El: Is it sexual?
L3: Partially, I'm sure.
He wanted her. Maybe even needed her. He pictured what her face would look like as he pushed into her…
L3: You still there?
El: Oh yeah. Sorry.
L3: El, what am I supposed to do about…El?
El: Talk to him. I've told you this like a million times before. Tell him how you feel.
L3: We haven't talked a hundred times before let alone a million.
El: You know what I mean.
L3: What if the feeling isn't mutual?
El: Trust me on this one, Liv. It is. He kissed you didn't he?
I really do have feelings for you, Olivia. You're all I have left. I need you.
L3: I'll tell him at the Christmas party on Wednesday.
El: Oh dang, that is Christmas Eve!
L3: It is. Find a gift yet?
El: I'm working on it. You?
L3: Same.
El: Just talk to him, Liv. It'll be worth it.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
She walked into the precinct on Monday morning. There he was, sitting at his desk. He didn't look up when she walked in or when she sat down across from him.
"El?"
"Olivia," he said without looking up.
"What did I do now?"
He looked up at her with red eyes. Had he been crying?
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he muttered, looking back down at his desk.
"Liv, your dad's been cleared again," Cragen told her. "You're back on the case."
Olivia nodded and Cragen headed back into his office.
"You're still wearing my sweatshirt," Elliot mumbled.
"There are still scars on my wrists."
"Don't you have your own long-sleeved clothing?"
"Why are you such a jackass?"
Olivia turned to leave and nearly ran over Casey in the process.
"Where's the fire?" Casey joked.
Olivia groaned and shoved passed her. Casey went after her.
"Did I miss something?" Casey asked.
"Something? Where've you been?"
"Florida actually. Visiting family, remember?"
"Oh. Right."
"Liv…"
Olivia pulled up the sleeves of Elliot's sweatshirt. The gauze was gone and thick, ugly scars remained on her wrists.
"I was almost raped and Elliot kissed me."
Casey just stood there staring at Olivia's wrists.
"What?" Casey asked.
"You really want to make me say it again?"
"How close did he get?"
"Elliot or the bastard?"
"The bastard."
"He handcuffed me to a pole and tried to kiss me. That was as far as he got because Elliot woke up from being knocked out."
"Oh, Liv. I'm so sorry," Casey said, taking her hand.
Olivia rolled her sleeves back down.
"Elliot kissed me yesterday while we were fighting. Then he just left and started acting like a jackass this morning. I just don't know what to do about him anymore…"
"How's your Match Elliot doing?"
"Amazing. He's such a nice guy…"
"So ask him out, already."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I think I'm in love with my Elliot."
"But you just said…"
"I know, it's just… he's just…"
"Just what?"
It wasn't Casey who had asked that question. It was a man. It was Elliot. All of the color drained from Olivia's face.
"How long have you been standing there?" Olivia asked.
"Since Casey told you to ask someone out," Elliot replied.
She was going to be sick. He heard her say it, admit it. Heard her say she had feelings for him.
"I'm going to go," Casey said, shying away from them.
"No, Casey…" Olivia tried to stop her, but she was already gone.
She turned back to Elliot. He had a cocky grin on his face.
"Say something," Olivia begged. "Anything."
"Hello."
"Elliot…"
"You said say anything."
"Well 'hello' was not what I meant. I should go."
"Where? You can't avoid me, Liv. We're partners; our desks are right across from each others."
Olivia clenched her jaw and stared back at him.
"What's your problem?" she asked.
"What's yours?"
"Okay team listen up," Cragen interrupted. "Ashley's trial is this afternoon. Is she ready Casey?"
"Ready as a girl in her condition can be," Casey replied.
Cragen continued. "We showed Rebecca a picture collage to try and help her pick out a suspect. She found one. Munch and Fin went to pay the man a little visit."
"Who is he?" Elliot wanted to know.
"Some guy on the cleaning staff. Oh and just a reminder, Wednesday is our office holiday party. Only two more days to get your person a gift!"
"At least someone's in a good mood," Olivia mumbled.
"Haven't you noticed that he always gets this way around this time of year?" Elliot asked.
Have a holly, jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year. The music rang out from Cragen's office, accompanied by his whistling. Suppressed chuckles from the throughout the bullpen added to the noise.
"Find a gift yet?" Elliot asked.
"I already told you that I had an idea," Olivia responded.
"No, you didn't."
"Yeah I did. Yest…oh."
Shit. Wrong Elliot.
He shot her a confused look.
"Sorry, that must have been Munch that I told."
Oh good save…
"What about you?"
"It came in this morning. My person better appreciate it too. Not the easiest item in the world to track down…"
"I'm sure they will," she smiled.
"So that's it? We're done fighting?"
"It's getting a little old, don't you think?"
"We have a lot of unresolved issues."
"We'll talk Wednesday."
"Christmas Eve, Liv? You really want to get in a huge fight then?"
"Maybe we won't fight."
"Have you met us?"
"It's the Spirit of Christmas, El. Anything can happen."
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Liv: I'm going to tell him.
KoQ: Really? I got to you didn't I?
Liv: I don't know what it was. One minute we were fighting again and then our captain said something about our cases and the Christmas party. Then he started playing Christmas music… Maybe I was just inspired, but suddenly I didn't want to fight with him anymore.
KoQ: So you were inspired by Christmas?
Liv: I really don't know.
KoQ: How do you think it'll go over?
Liv: Hard to say. He sort of overheard me talking to my friend about my feelings for him.
KoQ: Oooo… How'd that go?
Liv: He wouldn't say anything. He just sat there with this cocky grin on his face.
KoQ: Maybe he didn't know what to say.
Liv: I knew there was a reason I don't get out much.
KoQ: Because your partner's a jerk?
Liv: No, because I hate men.
KoQ: Oh, so you're a lesbian. That's hot.
Liv: Again with the 9th grade maturity…
KoQ: Oh lighten up, Liv. It's a joke. The whole point of this thing is to find somebody to talk to. At this point that includes teasing.
Liv: What are you doing on Christmas?
KoQ: I'm spending it with my ex and our kids. Why?
Liv: I was just wondering.
KoQ: Liv, do you have anyone to spend Christmas with?
Liv: Just my brother, but I don't really know him all that well and like I said before he has his girlfriend…
KoQ: What've you done since your mom died?
Liv: I don't know. Watch 24 hours of "A Christmas Story." Get caught up on paperwork.
KoQ: Really?
Liv: Yes.
KoQ: Then your partner really is a jerk.
Liv: Why do you say that?
KoQ: Has he ever invited you to spend Christmas with his family?
Liv: No…
KoQ: Does he know that you're all alone?
Liv: Yeah…
KoQ: Hence him being a jerk.
She'd never really thought about it. Even when her mother was alive, Christmas had never really been a big deal. Even when she was a little girl. They had a fake tree that fit on their dinner table. She stopped believing in Santa before she was five when Serena got drunk on Christmas Eve and never put the presents out. So why did this year suddenly have to be different?
Liv: I'm okay with it, really.
KoQ: No, you're not.
Liv: You don't even know me.
KoQ: Yes I do, Liv. I know that you can't sleep when there's a kid case. I know that you chew on your pen when you're frustrated or anxious. I know the look you get in your eyes when a case reminds you of Serena. I know you Olivia. That's how I know that this is getting to you. You're not okay with being alone.
Liv: Stabler? What the hell are you doing?!
KoQ: Stabler? Is that a name?
Liv: Don't play dumb with me, Elliot!
KoQ: Who's playing?
Liv: I never told you that I chew on my pens. You've "never seen me" so you can't know what my eyes look like. I can't believe that I've been so blindly stupid.
*Liv. Love. Laugh. has logged off.*
AN: Peace. Love. Review. :)