AN: This is for Onetreefan.; thank you! And to the rest of my reader's, I extend my deepest apologies for the long delay. I haven't forgotten about this story, I just got a little side-tracked :) I'll update as often as I can, but I'm still hesitant to make any promises as of yet. Anyhow, I present to y'all chapter 10 of Company. Enjoy!

I disclaim. Dick Wolf owns 'um. I only borrow 'um to play out my twisted ideas.

Chapter 10

Olivia nestled her piping cup of coffee between her hands and inhaled deeply, allowing the strong aroma of Dark Colombian Roast, Elliot's roast of choice, with two sugar's and a cream, her signature to any coffee she consumed, to fill her senses and drive out the imposing fog of a restless night. She licked her lips and took a slow sip, slumping back into one of the five deep, high-backed chairs in front of Elliot's breakfast bar. She sighed and brushed her long bangs to the side. He was still asleep, and she woke up an hour before the alarm, wrapped possessively between his strong arms and rock hard, bare chest and despite everything, all she wanted to do was melt into him and that made her angry as hell that he could do that to her. She ran a hand over her hair and dropped her fingers to the counter, drumming them anxiously.

She had been thinking over the whole phone call ordeal for the better part of the morning and arrived at the conclusion that while it did piss her off, it only served as a catalyst to the case of worms that were about to be opened; Rebecca or no Rebecca. And, at the heart of everything she'd been stewing over was this, their relationship was too deeply entrenched and complicated and broken for simply a 'friends with benefits' type deal and deep down, from the start, she feared that; that at any given moment, something or someone would come along and break the rose colored glasses they'd been hiding behind. And despite all of her instincts and reserves, she still fell for him- hard.

She took a longer gulp of the warm liquid and chewed at her bottom lip. All that had initially occurred to her when Elliot suggested they take the shell of their friendship, and the facts that they were both utterly miserable and achingly alone, and combine it with mind-numbing sex, and agree to keep each other company. She knew it was a mistake; that he was broken, they were broken, and sex wasn't going to fix anything, but she wasn't strong enough to object to something she'd been wanting everyday for so long, wrapped up neatly and laid at her feet. She'd fought the longing in her gut for so long and then there it was mirrored in Elliot's desperate blue eyes and she couldn't fight it anymore. The problem was though, she still wanted him. She loved him; only he was merely interested in the warmth her naked body had to offer him at night.

She wanted more from him though; much more in fact. For the first time, in a very long time, she wanted the whole nine yards from a man, while, at the very same time, the man she wanted was loosing his. That was what hurt and she thought, at the beginning, that she could handle it, that 'just keeping each other company' would be enough to satisfy the need, but it didn't, and now she ached ten times worse! "Damn, I am in love him," she mumbled into her creamy coffee. "Fuck."

She needed a second opinion. A diagnosing of this immensity demanded it. She needed a friend, a girl-friend; and Casey Novak fit that bill. She pulled her phone from its resting place snug in her side pocket against the swell of her left hip and flipped it open.

"Casey Novak," she was greeted with in Casey's exhausted, throaty voice.

"Hey Casey."

"I hope you're not calling for a warrant at this hour! I'm running out of judges to wake up for them!" Casey replied dramatically. Olivia's lips tightened. She was too tired and it was a bit too dramatic.

"I was actually calling to see if you've made dinner plans. I'm in desperate need of a night without testosterone and brooding with a lot of hard liquor," Olivia replied, hoping that she was feigning enough pleasantry and mystery to reel Casey in.

"Sounds great actually, but I'm going to have to skip the hard liquor. I have opening statements in the Turner case early tomorrow."

Olivia cringed. That was a bloody, terrible case she worked with Fin over three months ago. She was still trying to repress those images. "I understand, but you'll still come right?"

"Yea, time and place?"

"8:15 on the corner of 9th and Park at a place called Jack's Pride," Olivia replied as she heard the alarm sounding behind the closed bedroom door.

"Okay. I'll meet you there," Casey agreed and ended the conversation.

Olivia was thankful she wasn't much on phone formalities and pocketed her cell phone as she heard the bedroom door open behind her.

"You headin' in?"

She didn't turn or respond; she only sipped her rapidly cooling coffee.

"Liv?" He questioned as she felt his hand press flat against the small of her back. "Are you leaving?"

She licked her lips, hoping that her words came out calm and her tone smooth and even. "I got called in."

She felt him nuzzle the side of her neck and place a warm kiss where his lips met her skin. "Oh. Why didn't you wake me?"

Olivia sighed closing her eyes to emotions the gestures stirred deep within her. "You looked so… content," she whispered with a feathery sigh.

She felt him smile against her neck and then step away and into the kitchen with his back to her, and she took the moment to deepen her breathing and calm the onslaught of butterflies he managed to produce with a simple kiss. She was nervous and insecure and in love, and all while desperately trying to bury the vulnerability that that combination of emotions produced in her. She had it under control; she just didn't expect such … such a gesture of domesticity from him.

A shrill ring sounded from the bedroom causing her to flinch and jarring her from her thoughts.

"I guess there's my call," he stated with a chuckle as he was pouring milk and sweetener into his coffee mug filled only one third full of actual coffee. "Wouldya mind grabbin' that for me Liv?"

She obliged with a mixture of dread that it would be Cragen and she would be caught in her lie, but also afraid that it wouldn't be Cragen but someone far worse. She cringed at the screen and gritted her teeth together, while picking it up and delivering it to Elliot.

She tossed it to him and picked up her briefcase as he looked down at the small screen. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as Rebecca Hendrix's name flashed across the screen. He reluctantly lifted his shocked gaze to her rigid silhouette.

Olivia cocked one eyebrow up sharply and opened the door. "Answer your phone Elliot," she dared and then disappeared behind the heavy click of his apartment door.

Elliot's gaze returned to the desperate calls of his cell phone. "Hello?" He questioned still somewhat stunned.

"Elliot, I'm glad I got you! I apologize for calling so early, but I really need to talk to you," Rebecca stated in a flurry of words.

He sat down with a look of pure perplexion etched across his face. "What?"

Rebecca sighed softly, regrouped, and tried once more. "I tried calling you last night around ten, but I got your voicemail. I have to reschedule our session for this morning."

He drew his eyebrows closer together in thought and then smiled. "I won't be able to make it Rebecca. I got called back to work yesterday. I'm due to report to Cragen in about an hour in fact."

"I'll call and clear the time for you if you'd like. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," she replied, her words heavy with double meanings. His enthusiastic excuse to cancel wasn't lost on her.

He scowled, clearly receiving her sugar-coated threat. "Alright, see you in an hour then?"

"That'll be fine Elliot," she replied gently and ended the call.

Elliot sighed and scrubbed his hands across his tired face. "Damn women," he muttered to himself as he drank his coffee in the quiet solitude of his kitchen. It was too early in the morning to deal with women and the mysterious complexities and emotions that encompass their frustrating sex.

Thanks for reading and for your patience and please don't forget to leave me a review!