Chapter 8
The next few weeks went by. As they moved forward, the tension between Elliot and Olivia began to grow. At first they stopped going out after work together. If they did other people were always around. Neither seemed to want another repeat of the night on Olivia's couch. Conversations then lessened. Twenty minute conversations were cut down to a few sentences. The sentences then turned in words. It was like a game. Who can use the least amount of words? They said what needed to be said when working a case and then stopped. Munch and Fin watched this happen and would try to make things better. But no matter how many they went to a bar or went to dinner or even started up a conversation, nothing got better. It got worse.
Munch and Fin stood in the squadroom looking between Elliot and Olivia. The two detectives were toe to toe with each other.
"Don't you dare tell me I don't know how to do my job!" Olivia seethed.
"Well maybe if you would pay attention to the evidence I wouldn't have to!" Elliot yelled back.
"What the hell is going on out here?" Cragen yelled coming out of his office. He came up next to them. "Back off." He ordered. They didn't budge. "Back off!" He pushed them both back. "What's with you two?" Olivia shook her head and sat in her desk. Elliot stood still with his arms crossed over his chest. They both stared at the floor. "I want answer. What is going on?" Still neither one spoke. "You're both off this case. I want..." He didn't get to finish his sentence because Elliot turned and head towards the stairs. Once he was out of view he focused on Olivia. "Benson, why did it look like the two of you were going to get into a fist fight?"
Olivia looked at her boss and then upstairs. "I don't know sir, but I'm going to find out."
"Benson I want both of you out of here. And don't come back until Monday."
With that Olivia headed up the stairs.
Cragen turned to his other two detectives. "We were talking about the case and all of a sudden they're fighting about the other not being able to do the job." Munch filled in.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
"What was that?" Olivia yelled as she burst into the cribs. "Since when don't you trust me to do my job? Since when am I incompetent?" She watched him as he paced between the lockers. "Elliot?"
Elliot kept pacing. "That was me trying to get you to pay attention to the evidence!"
"The evidence points directly to Megan sodomizing and murdering Ashley. All because her boyfriend wanted to go out with Ashley and not her!"
Elliot stopped in front of her. "The girl is seriously disturbed and needs help."
"She wanted revenge!"
"She's a kid. She doesnt know anything!"
Olivia looked at him like he was crazy. "She's seventeen! She knows the difference between right and wrong!"
"She should admitted or something! Not sent away for life!"
"Why the hell are you trying to protect her! What? Would you understand if Kathy found out you were cheating on her with some...body?" Olivia stopped and then let out a bitter laugh. "Should I be worried?"
Elliot let out his own bitter laugh. "Not everything is about you, ya know." He looked at her and gave her a fake smile. "And she would probably ruin your life instead of taking it."
"What's going on, Elliot? You and Kathy have a fight so you're taking it on me?" Olivia lowered her voice, but it still held anger in it.
"Like she would even talk to me right now. I haven't heard from her in a week." He leaned against the lockers and closed his eyes.
"You haven't been home in a week?" She questioned confused. "What? Are you to good to call your own wife and not tell her you're coming home? Want to keep all that rage piled up inside so you can let it out on me?" Olivia let out a tiny scream when she felt herself being swung around into a locker. "What do you think you're doing?" She screeched.
Elliot had his hands on her upper arms and her back pressed against the lockers. "She left me!" He yelled in her face. "Kathy kicked me out of the house last week and I've been staying in a crappy hotel since then!" Elliot waited for her to say something. When she didn't respond he roughly pushed away from her.
Olivia stood still for a moment. She didn't know what to say. "Elliot," He was on her again. This time his fingers dug painfully into her arms. "Ow! Elliot, let me go!"
"Shut up!" He yelled. "You wanted to know so I'm telling you! She was tired of me choosing the job over her and the family. She said she waited long enough for me to make a decision so she made it for me. She's drawing up divorce papers and we have a meeting to discuss custody next week!" Olivia fought against him but he held her in place. "She said that she couldn't go on like this and she wanted out. She even pointed out that I'm not invested in this marriage anymore. And I know that I haven't been there. But I've been trying to make it better. You know what I've been doing for the last few weeks?" He paused for a moment like he was waiting for her to answer, but she knew he wasn't. "I was looking into other job options. I was going to leave for her. I owe her that much because God knows I screwed up when I decided to start screwing you!" He finished and he would be surprised if the people downstairs didn't hear the last part.
"Let. Me. GO!" Olivia screamed pushing him back. She watched as he stumbled back and fell over the bench the ran down the row of lockers. They stared at each other until Olivia broke eye contact and headed for the door. "Get your hands off me!" She yelled when she felt as arm wrap around her waist.
He spun her around away from the door then let her go. Olivia took a few steps back and watched him with fire burning in her eyes. "You came up here for a reason. You wanted to talk. So talk. What's on your mind, Olivia?" He asked sarcastically.
Olivia stared at him. She couldn't believe how he was acting. No doubt there would be bruised on her arms in the morning. She took a deep breath before she spoke. "I'm sorry your marriage fell apart. I'm sorry if I played a role in it, but I will not let you blame me for it. I will not let you yell at me and criticize me in front of the whole department. And if you ever treat me like this again I will go to Cragen." She looked at him for a few more seconds before walking past him. He didn't bother turning around. Before she left she said, "Cragen doesn't want us back here until Monday." With that she slammed the door behind her."
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
That night found both of the detectives in the same situation only in different bars. They wanted to forget that day. It was Friday night so the bars were relatively full. The differences were clear though. Elliot was well on his way to blacking out while Olivia nursed her second beer between her hands. Elliot sat in the far corner out of the way of everybody and had body language that alerted people that he did not want to be bothered. Olivia sat in a seat that was in the middle of the bar trying her best to entertain the man who was clearly interested in her.
An hour later Elliot was still working on his drinks and Olivia was walking into her new friends apartment. As soon as the door closed behind them they were on each other.
A few hours after that Olivia awoke to the sound of her cell phone. She clumsily picked it up, wondering who would be calling her. "Hello?"
"Um hi detective, this Mike, the bartender from The Hole?" He waited for her to recognize who he was. I have Elliot here who can barely walk. Do you think you can come and get him?"
Olivia let out a sigh. Of course he would be getting drunk. That's what she would be doing if it weren't for whoever was lying next to her now. She wanted nothing more than to just hang up, but instead she said, "Yeah, I'll be there soon." She stood up and started putting on her clothes.
"Leaving so soon?"
"Um, yeah. My friend needs to be picked up from a bar. I'm the lucky one to go get him." She answered, looking for her shoes.
"Him, huh?" He got up and wrapped a sheet around his lower body. He stood in front of her before she could walk out the bedroom door. "Not the same him who gave you those bruises on your arms, right?"
She looked at her arms and saw a few angry marks. "Uh, no." She lied. She leaned up and kissed him. "I had a good time."
"So good that I can call you?"
Olivia smiled. "I don't think that would be a good idea." She answered sadly.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
Elliot sat at the bar with his shoulders slumped over his glass. The bartender took his phone and wouldn't give it back. Elliot knew who he called. Although he wanted to leave, he realized he couldn't. When he stood up the room spun so he sat right back down. In the background Elliot could here Mike greet her. He finished the rest of his drink and then stood up. Making sure he held on tightly to the bar, he headed over to her.
"Evening" he slurred.
"Morning" Olivia shot back. "Thank you" she said when Mike handed her his phone. "Can you walk?" Elliot pushed himself off the bar just to start swaying. "Okay." She threw his arm around her shoulders and headed out of the bar.
Once they were outside Elliot spoke, "Just get me a cab and I'll be out of your way."
"Elliot, it's almost two in the morning." Olivia reasoned. "We're not on one of the busiest streets. A cab wont be around for awhile. " She explained on the way to her car.
"I don't need your help." he slurred.
"Then walk on your own." She challenged. She waited for him to push off her. "Thought so." They slowly moved the rest of the way to the car. Olivia got out her keys and maneuvered them to the lock on the passengers side. It was a little difficult with a man twice her size leaning on her with nearly all his weight. It became even more difficult when all his weight ended up on her when he pushed her up against the door. "Elliot?" She wasn't sure if he passed out or not. "Elliot, what are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" He asked. Olivia barely understood him what with his slurred words and his face buried in her neck. "You're so tense."
"Elliot stop." She tried to push his hands away from her but he was persistent. "Elliot we're not doing this." It was amazing how this man could barely walk but he was able to keep her firmly pressed against her own car. "We are not going to do anything tonight."
"Tonight?" he questioned looking at her.
"Ever" she snapped right before his lips crashed against hers. "Stop it." She pushed him back, still careful not to knock him down.
"Why not?"
"You're drunk!"
He smirked before he tried to kiss her again. She pushed back. "We've had drunk sex before." He pointed out.
"Yeah well that was before..."
"Before what?" He laughed. "Before I got divorced?" He stood back and wavered for a moment. "You have weird timing."
Olivia stared at him for a moment. "Just get in the car." She unlocked the door and opened it for him before walking to her side. By the time she pulled out of the parking spot he was passed out against the window. She started to head the way towards his house when she remembered that he was staying at a hotel. She gently shook him. "Elliot? El, come on wake up for a minute." When he didn't show any sign of waking up she let out a sigh. There were at least four hotels within walking distance of the bar. She let a breath and turned down the street that would take them back to her apartment.