A/N: Thanks for reading!
Elliot stared straight ahead, keeping his hands at the 10 and 2 position for the first time in years. Beside him he could feel Olivia's glare burning into him. Elliot shifted in his seat and kept his attention on the road.
The swooshing sound of the windshield wipers only served to accentuate the audible silence in the car. Elliot toyed with the thought of turning on the radio, but he resisted. Doing that would mean acknowledging his discomfort, and he wasn't about to let Olivia see that.
He knew she was pissed at him. She had expected him to be on her side and back up her claim that she could look for herself and didn't need him as a bodyguard. Instead he had handed her her jacket.
Olivia sat fuming in the passenger seat with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. After realizing that her glares were proving ineffective, Olivia turned her head to the side window and watched the raindrops race down the window before merging into a single streak.
She hated when he was like this. Milner hadn't even threatened her. They had little reason to believe he'd come after her and even less to think she couldn't handle herself.
He was being overprotective and treating her like one of his daughters. He wouldn't have done this for Fin or Munch. She was sick of being treated like a fragile china doll every time there was a potential threat.
A few moments later, Elliot pulled up next to the curb in front of Olivia's apartment building. Olivia reached to eject her seatbelt, but Elliot placed his hand over hers.
"Olivia, I know you're mad at me, but I'm not doing this because I think you're incapable. It's my job to watch your back; you're my partner. And you're more than that." Olivia was caught off guard by the sincerity reflecting in Elliot's eyes.
"You're my best friend, Olivia. I'm doing this because I care about you."
Olivia felt her anger begin to ebb away. This wasn't Elliot being overprotective and chivalrous; this was him doing what he did best, looking out for someone else, looking out for her. She couldn't exactly be mad at him for caring. Olivia questioned the onset of her uncharacteristic ire; perhaps Milner had rattled her a bit.
"I'm sorry Elliot." Olivia apologized. "I know you care and I do appreciate the ride. I'm just tired I guess. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
"Well it's been a hell of a week Liv. I'd be surprised if you weren't pissed off." Elliot remarked as he reached to turn the ignition off.
"You don't need to walk me up Elliot." Olivia cut in before Elliot could shut off the engine. An inscrutable look crossed Elliot's face at her comment, and for a moment both of them were reminded of what had transpired the last time he walked her all the way home.
Sensing the increasing discomfort that was beginning to permeate the car, Olivia jerkily gestured to the window where the raindrops were still making their steady descent.
"It's still raining Elliot; no sense in both of us getting wet." Olivia diffused.
"Fine," Elliot conceded. He didn't want to go out in the rain, but a part of him wanted to be absolutely sure Olivia made it inside safely. He raised his guard every time a perp expressed any interest in Olivia, and Milner was no exception. "But flash your lights as soon as you get in."
"I will Elliot," Olivia promised before unlatching both her seatbelt and the door and making a dash for her building. The cold rain pelted down on her while she raced inside. Olivia shook the stray drops off her purse and climbed up the stairs.
Once inside her apartment, Olivia unlaced her boots and left them atop the mat she kept by the door for rainy days such as this. She walked over to her living room window and pulled back the drapes, making sure Elliot could see, before she switched the lamp on and off.
Outside in the idling car, Elliot squinted up at Olivia's window. From his position he could see the lights turn on and off then on again. Shifting the car back into drive, Elliot felt himself relax. He could rest easier knowing that Olivia was safe at home, at least for tonight. Frankly, he wouldn't be fully at ease until Milner was behind bars. Although Olivia didn't seem worried, something about that man rubbed him the wrong way.
Adjusting his grip on the wheel, Elliot pushed away his nagging thoughts and pulled back onto the road. Logic won out over worry as Elliot reasoned through the situation. Olivia was a capable detective and Milner wasn't dumb enough to go after her; not when he knew they had to be keeping an eye on him.
From her window Olivia watched Elliot's taillights fade from view. She couldn't believe she had ever flitted with the thought of leaving the unit, but the morning after everything that happened between them her mind had been everywhere. She was afraid to deal with what they had done and her first instinct was to flee. The thought was quickly extinguished; she loved her job too much to abandon it, but the fact that she had even considered it scared her. Aside from her passion for her work, she knew the other reason she would never leave. No matter how tense things got between them, she simply couldn't walk away for Elliot for good. Olivia let the drapes fall shut and a wistful look flickered over her face. She almost let him walk her up if for no other reason than to prolong their goodbye.
But that was dangerous territory, and they both knew it. Olivia brushed a damp ringlet away from her face and a sigh escaped her lips. Being 'just friends' with Elliot had never seemed so hard.
Olivia stepped out of the bathroom, her fluffy blue towel loosely wrapped around her. Steam wafted from the agape doorway, the evidence of her hot shower filling the air. Olivia sifted through her pajama drawer looking for her favorite nightshirt when she heard a soft thud that came from her closet.
Olivia froze, reflexively tightening her grip on her towel. Her free hand instinctively flew to her hip only to grasp the empty air. Peering past her doorway Olivia glanced into the kitchen and silently cursed herself. There on the counter her gun, along with her cuffs and phone, lay innocently out of reach.
The thought of running to the kitchen raced through her mind but Olivia quickly ruled it out. She wasn't keen on turning her back and she wasn't sure if she could make it in time. Flight was out of the question and only one option remained. In her right hand Olivia picked up the decorative candlestick that rested on her vanity and inched slowly towards her closet.
Olivia could feel her heart pounding painfully against her chest as she clenched the brass object tighter. Right now she wished more than anything that she had allowed Elliot to walk her up. Knowing him, he would have insisted on searching her apartment and knowing her, she would have let him.
Olivia shook the thought from her mind. Elliot wasn't here. She could handle this by herself; she had to. Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves Olivia grasped the handle and threw open the closet door with her arm raised and poised for attack.
Instead she found herself face to face with her own neatly arranged clothes. Olivia stared at the familiar scene and hesitantly lowered her makeshift weapon. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but she was sure she had heard something, hadn't she?
Olivia scanned the row of dress shirts and slacks when something caught her eye. Her cable knit sweater lay in a crumpled heap on the floor while above it an empty hanger gently swung.
Olivia stared at the sweater for a moment before bending down and snatching the fabric off of the floor. She balled up the sweater and flung it into the hamper, not even bothering to rehang it. As she repositioned the candlestick on her vanity, she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
Olivia frowned as she took in her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils. In mere seconds she had gone from an in control cop to a terrified woman, all because of a sweater. As much as Olivia hated to admit it, she was afraid. Something about Milner had set her on edge and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something.
Olivia shakily ran her hand through her hair and took one final glance at her reflection. Resting both arms on the vanity, Olivia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled before reopening her eyes.
She straightened up, feeling her confidence resurface. Milner isn't coming after you, he knows he wouldn't get away with it. It's too risky, you'll be fine. Olivia repeated her newfound mantra to herself while she changed into her pajamas. She slid under the covers and set her alarm, but her hand hovered by the lamp.
Olivia tossed back the sheets and slipped out of her bedroom. Moments later she returned to her spot in bed, with her gun on the nightstand.