10. Goodbye

He never wanted to let her go.

Olivia was looking into his eyes as she stroked his cheek with her hand. She seemed content and she was smiling. But somehow, he also felt some sadness. He didn't see it, he only felt it. Thinking about how he would be leaving the next day made him sad as well. She was still looking into his eyes, as if she was trying to read his thoughts. It was as if she could see right through him. He'd had that feeling before and he wanted to say something meaningful to her. But he was at a loss for words. So he decided to tell her just that.

"Liv, I don't know what to say."

She smiled and inched closer to him to kiss him softly.

"Neither do I."

I love you.

The words hit him hard. Because those were the words he wanted to say. But how could he? They'd only known each other for three days. He hardly knew anything about her but deep down, he knew he loved her already anyway.

Olivia moved to sit up and that forced him to focus on her and on where they were.

"We should get dressed," he said quickly before she could say it. He sat up as well and reached for her clothes. He handed them to her and got up to move away from her a bit to get rid of his condom.

They both got dressed quickly and Elliot put his flannel shirt on too. The temperature had dropped considerably now that it was completely dark. He gathered their things and put everything back in the basket before turning towards Olivia. She was sitting on the blanket, staring into the flames of their little fire. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded, not looking at him.

"Yeah."

She looked at him then and forced a smile.

"What time do you leave tomorrow?"

He sighed. He didn't want to think about leaving just yet. He pulled her closer and kissed her temple.

"I was planning to leave around ten tomorrow morning. Should be home before dinner."

Olivia nodded again and returned her gaze to the flames. Elliot moved behind her so she was sitting between his legs, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She relaxed against him, leaning her head against his cheek, and they sat like that for a while, staring into the flames.

"I hope they got your pedophile," Olivia said after a while.

He smiled. She hadn't forgotten about his case.

"So do I. Listen, you wanna head back to town? The drive back takes at least an hour so maybe we should go back."

Olivia nodded and moved to stand up, and he jumped up too. They started extinguishing the fire with sand when Olivia suddenly grabbed his arm.

"It's so dark. How do we get down from here?"

"Fear not, fair lady. I come prepared," he said solemnly. He walked over to the bag and pulled out a flashlight.

"My hero," Olivia sighed and they both laughed.

They finished putting out the fire and carried their things back down, Elliot leading the way with his flashlight. They pulled the roof of the jeep up and Elliot steered them away from the rocky clearing carefully. Olivia turned up the volume of the radio a bit and they drove back to town in silence. Despite what they had done, the silence still wasn't awkward. Just a little sad. They sang along softly with a few songs they both knew and smiled at each other from time to time. Elliot's mind kept drifting back to her beautiful body and how he'd made love to her. Because that's what it had been for him. He didn't know what to expect after this night but he knew he would never, ever forget it.

When the town came into view, Elliot put his hand on Olivia's thigh. He didn't quite know how to tell her he'd miss her terribly and that he really didn't want to leave. What if she'd meant it, that it had just been casual, no strings and no empty promises? Those had been his words, but that had been when he'd first seen her. Things had changed since then and he knew he'd never be the same. He couldn't just walk away. Not this time. But she didn't know that and he couldn't imagine she might feel the same way. How could she, after just three days? No strings and no empty promises. Those had been her words, right before they had sex together. He had no right to expect more from her. So he said nothing. Olivia put her hand over his and played with his fingers as they drove into town.

"I had a great day today Elliot. Thank you," she said softly.

He smiled at her and squeezed her thigh.

"I had a great time with you too."

He glanced at her, unsure what her plans for the night would be and if they would include him.

"You want me to take you home?" he asked when they reached Main Street.

Olivia looked straight ahead and took a deep breath. He wondered if she would be going out tonight, to The Saloon. It wasn't midnight yet and it was Saturday night so she might very well be meeting up with Kathy later. And Nick. He still wasn't sure what to make of the young Latino that was always hanging around Olivia. He looked at her when she squeezed his hand and then she said,

"Let's go to your room."

He honestly thought his heart stopped. She wanted to come with him to his motel room? Yes, yes, yes! He tried not to sound too eager but there was no hiding his excitement. He almost choked on his words when he asked her,

"Are you sure?"

She smiled shyly and nodded, looking him straight in the eye.

"Yeah."

He blew out a breath slowly. His stomach was doing back flips and he had to put both hands on the steering wheel and focus on driving, or he might run into a lamp post. Slick Stabler was nowhere to be found. This was lovesick Stabler. He hit the gas and Olivia laughed when he leaned over the steering wheel, as if willing the car to go even faster. He was good at joking around. Joking always provided a great cover for real emotions. And as a bonus, he could hear her laugh again. He loved to hear her laugh. The sadness that had hung in the car had evaporated for the moment, and they were still laughing softly when they made their way up to his room.

Elliot tossed the bag in a corner and stashed the cooler and the basket under the bed before turning around to Olivia. She didn't waste any time and walked up to him, pushing him in the chest until he dropped on the bed backwards. She let herself fall on top of him and started kissing him immediately. Elliot didn't need any more encouragement. Their clothes flew off and as soon as they were both completely naked, Olivia pushed him onto his back again and straddled him. They hadn't even switched on the lights and the room was only illuminated by the glow of the neon lights on Main Street filtering in through the window. Elliot's eyes swept over Olivia's perfect body and his hands cupped her full breasts. He squeezed them gently and looked at her face. She looked at him and let her hands roam his chest, leaning forward slowly until she could kiss his lips.

Elliot pulled her down on top of him and grunted when she knocked his rock-hard erection with her hip. He needed another condom fast. He reached for his nightstand and Olivia slid next to him on the bed to give him room to put the condom on. She started kissing his chest, blocking his view with her head, and Elliot let his head rest on the pillow for a moment, reveling in the touch of her lips on his body. She licked his nipple slowly and he grunted. He really had to get that rubber on so he could get in on the action.

"Liv," he warned, "do you want me to put it on or not?"

She lifted her head to look at him and he saw a mix of emotions in her eyes. He didn't dare think that this was actually more than just a hookup for her, but it wasn't just lust he was seeing. He wasn't sure what it was though.

"Yes," she said finally. "I'll get out of your way."

There was a small smile on her lips when she sat up, arching her back a little so he had a mouthwatering view of her chest. Elliot got ready quickly and sat up as well to wrap his arms around the beauty in his bed.

"Come here you," he gruffed and Olivia giggled when he attacked her neck as he pushed her down on her back.

He moved over her until he was on top of her, between her legs, but Olivia had other plans. She kissed him deeply but then broke off the kiss to flip them over until she was straddling his stomach. Elliot wasn't going to object and took the opportunity to sit up and suck her breasts. Olivia leaned forward until she was leaning on her arms and arched her back again, giving him better access as she was pushing her hot center into his stomach. She was making soft sounds of excitement that made him even harder, and his manhood twitched in anticipation. He didn't know if he should be disappointed or relieved when she scooted backwards after a while. He had to let go of her perfect breasts but now she was hovering over him, ready to take him in. He was so ready to slide into her again and grabbed her hips to guide her into position.

Olivia closed her eyes and licked her lips as she started to descend over him slowly. Elliot felt himself get even harder as he saw himself enter her. He tilted his hips and Olivia spread her knees even further, until he was buried completely inside her. They started moving together and Elliot felt the pressure build up in his body fast. He held on to her hips as he bucked up faster, and Olivia leaned back slightly to find a new angle, leaning her palms behind her on his muscular thighs while continuing to bounce up and down. Elliot moved one hand to her front, finding her clit with his thumb. Olivia started making high-pitched sounds each time she exhaled, and as he continued thrusting into her and rubbing her simultaneously, he could feel her body contracting around him. She had to be very close and he continued rubbing and pinching her at high speed. He wanted to see her come. It was becoming a need that was greater than his own need for release. Olivia threw her head back and tried to say something but all he could make out was 'El ... El ...' and then she gasped. Her body was convulsing and she let herself drop forward on his chest as her orgasm washed over her.

Elliot wasn't done yet and flipped them over quickly. He slipped out of her and draped himself over Olivia's trembling body. He kissed her deeply, languidly, until she moaned. He looked down at her flushed face and waited for her to open her eyes. When she did, he pushed back into her, making her gasp. She spread her legs for him and he latched on to her left breast as he started pounding into her again. It wouldn't take long and when she started moving with him again, he knew he was going to go over the edge very soon. He let go of her sensitive nipple and pushed himself up on his arms so he could go even deeper. He was grunting and panting loudly and Olivia joined in, scraping her fingernails up his back and down his arms until she grabbed his biceps.

"Liv! Oh!" he shouted and she answered him,

"Go baby!"

He plunged deep inside he one more time and stilled for a second before releasing all he had, feeling like his insides were exploding with pleasure. He continued moving until the waves of his orgasm subsided and Olivia gasped again as he felt her contract around him once more. He slumped over her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and then rolled them both to the side. He held on to her, stroking her back as they caught their breaths.

They hadn't even turned down the bed and once they had calmed down a bit, Elliot slipped out of Olivia and asked her to sit up. He pulled the blanket and sheet from under her and put them over her and then retreated into the bathroom quickly to clean himself up. When he returned, Olivia was lying comfortably in his bed. He joined her and wrapped her in his arms. She kissed him softly and closed her eyes as she put her head on his shoulder. Elliot had never felt as peaceful as he did right now, and within a few minutes he drifted off and fell asleep.

...

When Elliot woke up the next morning, Olivia was gone. He sat up and looked around for any sign that she'd actually been there. Then he spotted the note on her pillow.

"Thanks again for everything Elliot. Have a safe trip. O."

He checked his watch and saw it was 8.30. He couldn't believe he'd slept this long and that he hadn't noticed Olivia leaving. And if he wanted to be on the road by ten, he'd have to start packing and go out to get some breakfast. He went through all the moves on autopilot. All he could think about was Olivia and his night with her. He wondered if she was going to come and say goodbye, but her note told him she wouldn't. When he walked past the doorman's booth and was greeted by Simon, he realized that Olivia had probably left before her brother's shift started. After breakfast, when he was putting his bags in the back of the jeep, he kept looking around, hoping to see her. She wasn't there and at 10.15 he finally decided to leave. He needed to get home, but leaving had never been as difficult as this time. He felt like he was leaving part of himself behind.

He drove away slowly, waving at a few familiar faces on Main Street. Just before he turned away from Main Street he saw a woman wearing a white cowboy hat. She was leaning against a store underneath a canopy, her arms crossed in front of her chest. It was her. It had to be. His hand shot up high and he was waving. He saw a hand going up hesitantly. It was her. He understood. If she had felt anything of what he'd felt those three days, she wouldn't know how to say goodbye. He didn't know either. How could he ever say goodbye to her? Elliot sighed as he left the town behind him. He had to leave but he would be back. He would definitely be back.

...

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A/N: And now what? Any ideas? Let me know if you're still enjoying the story.