A/N: Hey, everyone! Sorry this has taken so long…hope it is worthy of the wait. Our plans are to tie this up in a few more chapters. Let us know what you think! " ) Bensler for Bensler XOC
Chapter 12 Miscommunication 101
Benson Residence – Tuesday, July 1st – 10:50 p.m.
What was she doing? Why was she doing this? Not only did she have men crawling out of the woodwork, she seemed to be taking advantage of it and enjoying it to the fullest. This was not Olivia, he thought. She was not a player. Was she? Then another thought struck him. Hard. Did he really know that? Did he really know anything about his partner anymore? Elliot felt sick to his stomach. He picked up the whole phone, holding it in both hands as he raised it over his head, but just as he started to slam it onto the floor, he caught himself and replaced it. Gripping the edges of the table, he tried to calm his breathing by taking slow, deep breaths.
Even as he had these thoughts, the phone rang causing him to jump. He just knew it was Olivia calling to ask what he needed now. No way was he going to answer. Glancing down at the caller I.D., he very nearly picked up the phone again. O'Halloran. She goes from Old Man Moss to Kid O'Halloran and everyone in between. Elliot felt a major headache beginning its pulsating rhythm in his brain. The phone went to voice mail and he steeled himself for the message Ryan O'Halloran would leave. Mercifully, he heard only a click as Ryan disconnected the phone.
Rubbing his hands over his head and then down his face, he crossed the room to sit on the couch. Unable to get the thought of Olivia and Eckerson out of his mind, he knew there would be little, if any, sleep for him tonight. He looked around the apartment, the eerie silence of empty loneliness settling in around him, permeating his very core, leaving himwith a chill in the dead of summer. Her flip-flops were by the door; lip gloss on the end table; a pair of shorts and a tank top lay folded on the end of the counter, her empty tea mug with lipstick smudges, prints of her lips, around the edges sat nearby. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of her. The place smelled like her. After all, it was her home. He could not stay here. Not when she was with someone else. He could not chance seeing her come in to get ready for work as though not coming home the night before were nothing. No big deal. As though he did not matter.
Jumping up from the couch, he grabbed his cell phone and keys and left her apartment, careful to lock the deadbolts. He had a change of clothes in his locker. He would sleep in the crib tonight, making sure he got up early enough to grab breakfast to make it look like he was just getting to work so Cragen wouldn't know he had been there for the night.
O'Reilly's – Tuesday, July 1st – 11:15 p.m.
Nearing the precinct, O'Reilly's caught Elliot's attention and he decided to grab a drink before trying to get some sleep. He thought maybe a beer or two would relax him and help him get his mind off of Olivia…and Eckerson. Who was he kidding? He was on his second one, when he felt someone's arm slip around his waist. He tensed, daring to hope it was Olivia, and yet knowing the touch was not hers. Besides, he would have sensed her before she ever touched him.
"You know…they say you should never drink alone," the slight accent was hauntingly familiar.
He turned slowly to look into the twinkling, green eyes of Dani Beck. "Yea…well…who exactly is 'they'?" he asked, tipping the bottle to his mouth again, draining it.
This was the last thing he needed tonight. His ex-partner…temporary ex-partner…the ex-partner that had taken Olivia's place when she was undercover in Oregon with the FBI. The ex-partner he had kissed. Looking at her now he wondered what he had been thinking when he thought he could erase the memory of Olivia with Dani. She was nice enough looking but it would not have mattered if she had won the Miss Universe contest. She was not Olivia and no one would ever be able to fill Olivia's place in his life, his heart.
She laughed quietly, held up two fingers and nodded to the bartender. He quickly had two more beers sitting in front of them. Taking hers she wiped the top off with a napkin and took a long swallow.
"So, what brings you here to drink…alone?" She asked even though she was fairly certain she knew.
Looking her up and down, he smarted back, "Doesn't look like I'm alone."
She laughed again, this time there was no humor in it, "You haven't changed a bit, Stabler. You're still an s.o.b. and you're still working without Benson as your partner."
Grabbing her beer, she stood to go, but he grabbed her by the wrist, beer sloshing out of the bottle onto her blouse and his jeans. "Shut up, Beck!" He growled, his barely contained anger clamoring for release.
"Get your hands off of me!" She hissed back, her eyes burning with her own anger.
He wasn't at all sure how it happened, but in the next second he was kissing or being kissed by Dani. He had no idea who precipitated it. All he could think of was Olivia with Eckerson. If she could do this, so could he. Still sitting, he pulled Dani closer, her body between his legs and felt her arm tighten around his shoulders, her hand down his back, the other cupping his face. His fingers slid into the mess of blond curls, tangling in them and pulling her face to him in a rough, bruising kiss. She pulled away briefly, her eyes drilling into his.
"This what you want, huh?" Her accent was thicker, her breathing ragged.
Silently, he locked his gaze on her. Then she was on him again and she wasn't gentle, but neither was he, both seemingly desperate for the contact. Any contact. Only he was not desperate, he was getting even and for just a moment, he thought it would serve Olivia right. He knew she had been jealous of Dani, and he felt himself grinning.
Dani took this to mean he was all for what they were doing, "You know my place is just a few miles away…" she trailed off as she kissed him still again.
He knew this would be the proverbial stab in the back to Olivia, and suddenly his senses returned bringing with them the realization that he could not take Dani up on her offer. It would serve no purpose. And he really did not want to be with her. Or anyone but Olivia.
Besides, he was technically unavailable, still married…and still in love with another woman. Dani would serve no purpose other than pure physical satisfaction that would result in guilt. Guilt over broken marriage vows even though he and Kathy were done. Guilt over what, to him, would amount to cheating on the love of his life, Olivia. Even if she could do it, he simply was not cut out for casual sex. He had to have an emotional involvement; it had to be sanctioned by the church. He knew any other guy would jump at the chance before him, but he simply could not do it. He pulled away and stood.
Wiping his mouth, his eyes huge, he stared at Dani. "I…I…can't…can't do this…I'm…I'm married and I…I…" he stammered, unable to speak a complete sentence.
She looked at him, puzzled, "But I heard you and Kathy were split up again."
"Yea…yea, we are…but it's not final," releasing a deep sigh, he ran his hand over his head.
"But you're legally separated?" she asked.
"Yea, but…" he tried to explain, but she interrupted.
"Then what's the problem?" She moved toward him, putting her hand on his face.
He reached up and pulled it away, "Dani…I…this isn't…me…I can't do this…not when…"
She nodded her head, "Not when you love someone else…you were born a generation too late," she told him, now shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" He seemed annoyed at what she was implying though he tried to pass it off as innocent as to her meaning.
"Benson. When are ever you going to just tell her, Stabler?" she demanded, her voice raised, her head shaking back and forth.
"What are you talking about?" He frowned and chewed on the inside of his mouth.
She sighed heavily, "You're gonna screw this up again, Elliot. You're gonna wait so long, she's gonna find another tree to hug or another man that's not afraid to tell her what she wants to hear from you. What you need to tell her."
Elliot watched as she turned and left the bar. His heart was beating rapidly and his stomach was knotted so tight, he feared something inside might have ruptured. He was not afraid to tell her. No. He was absolutely terrified. And he was utterly immobilized by that terror.
Regency Executive Apartments – Wednesday, July 2nd – 5:45 a.m.
When the alarm sounded, she immediately turned it off. She was wide-awake and had been for nearly an hour. Olivia tossed and turned most of the night, unable to sleep. She wanted to be in her own apartment, safe in her own bed, with Elliot nearby, sleeping on her couch. She was feeling guilty for letting him think that she had…well…exactly what she had intended to actually do before she realized she could not. Not anymore. Because of him; because of her feelings for him, feelings she had admitted to Andy. Of all people, she had admitted to Andy Eckerson, her one-time fiancé, that she was in love with her partner; her best friend; Elliot Stabler. And she had asked him to help make Elliot jealous. She was feeling a bit of guilt about that as well. Okay. A lot of guilt.
"Hey, you want to shower first? I'll make some coffee…oh, you like tea…sorry, I don't have any," Andy, clad in blue-striped boxers and a gray U.S. Marshal tee shirt, was standing halfway between the kitchen and his bedroom. His hair stuck up on one side and Olivia couldn't help but grin at him. He looked like a little boy.
Throwing the light blanket from her body, she stood, yawned and stretched, folding the blanket, as she talked. She made her way to Andy, and placing her left hand on his chest, she kissed his cheek.
"Thanks, but I need to go home to shower and change. No way am I wearing the same thing two days in a row," she grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom. "I do work with a bunch of nosy, observant detectives, you know."
"My clothes always looked a lot better on you than me," he teased, pulling at the hem of her shirt…his shirt…as she passed him. His eyes remained on her as she crossed the room. He had given her a tee shirt and pajama pants to sleep in. She smiled again as she closed the bathroom door to change.
SVU Crib – Wednesday, July 2nd – 6:00 a.m.
The cell phone chimed its alarm. Squinting he saw the time – 6:00 a.m. He turned it off and sat up, scratching his chest. He stood and stretched, then went to his locker and got his change of clothing. Fifteen minutes later he had showered, shaved, changed and was across the street at the diner ordering breakfast. Though he had not eaten since lunch yesterday, he had absolutely no appetite, but needed something to do for the next hour or so. He looked around the diner and saw a couple of detectives from another precinct that he knew and some unis from the one-six. He sipped his coffee and pushed the food around on his plate for several minutes before finally taking a few bites. He sighed and leaned his back on the seat. He was not hungry. This was going to be a long day. And probably not a good one. He just knew it.
Benson Residence – Wednesday, July 2nd – 6:15 a.m.
Quietly unlocking her door, she stepped into her apartment and closed the door, careful to make as little noise as possible. She did not want to wake Elliot. A confrontation with him this early in the morning was not on her agenda. Turning slowly she looked toward the couch. It was empty. The blanket she had given him was neatly folded and the pillow lay on top. Looking around she noticed that his duffle bag was still there. Her eyebrow cocked in surprise at the thought that perhaps he had decided to take her bed since she told him she was not coming home.
Making her way across the apartment, she still tried to be as quiet as she could. The door was open and when she got to the threshold of her bedroom she was able to see her bed was still made up from yesterday morning. That was puzzling. Where could he be? Well, maybe he got up really early and left because he didn't want to face her anymore than she wanted to face him. That must be it. She began discarding her clothing as she made her way to the bathroom. Her detective skills kicked in and she noted there were no missing towels and the shower was dry. No one had used it this morning. Turning on the water as hot as it would go, her mind began playing various scenarios of where Elliot had gone. And she was not particularly thrilled with any of them.
SVU Squad Room – Wednesday, July 2nd – 7:15 a.m.
Just as Elliot came into the precinct building, Dani looked up from the front desk where she had been carrying on an animated conversation with the desk sergeant. Silently, he groaned to himself as images from last night flipped through his brain. He hoped she would ignore him but he figured he was all out of luck. As he passed he nodded to the sergeant and Dani fell into step with him.
"You made it…and early," she looked him over, a smirk plastered on her face.
"Some reason you thought I wouldn't?" he asked, barely glancing at her.
She smiled, "No. No reason."
Olivia had been at work almost thirty minutes. Captain Cragen had called a 7:30 meeting and she wanted to touch base with Elliot about Michael Whittington beforehand. She was relieved that there was a meeting because that would delay having to hear what Elliot would have to say about last night. She looked up at the clock again and sighed heavily.
"Where's your partner?" Munch leaned back in his chair and gave her a questioning look.
"That's what I'd like to know," she replied, looking at the clock again. "Maybe something came up with one of the kids."
"I meant Andy," Munch clarified.
She just stared at him, blinking rapidly. "Oh, yea…"
"He and Cassidy are in one of the interrogation rooms with Cragen," Fin told them as he came from the coffee table with a steaming mug.
"Oh," Munch strained to look over his shoulder at the room.
"Guess that just leaves Elliot and Dani," Chester noted, and as if he had conjured them up by his remark, they entered the squad room.
All eyes went to them. Dani was smiling at something Elliot said. Then slowly, Fin and Munch, turned their eyes upon Olivia. She thought she covered her shock…and jealousy fairly well. But not well enough to keep Elliot from reading her eyes. The minute his baby blues connected with her coffee brown eyes gone black, he knew his 'not very good day' had just become a reality.
Michael Whittington flew out of Olivia's mind as she began to process the fact that Elliot and Dani had just walked in at the same time. Together. They were talking and smiling, so things must be okay between them. Did they just happen in at the same time? That was it. Just a coincidence. Or had they been together? All night. Was that why her apartment looked so unused this morning? He stayed with Dani? She felt her stomach tightening and realized she could not get a good breath.
"Okay, people. Since everyone is here, let's go ahead and get started," Cragen came out of the interrogation room with Andy and Brian following behind.
Thirty minutes later, each set of partners had given a synopsis of what they had done the day before and what they planned to do that day. Munch and Cassidy were to do some research about investments that might link the victims; Fin and Lake were going to interview Sabrina Ferrell at Bellevue; Elliot and Dani were to interview Lydia's friends; Olivia was going to talk to Rosa again while Andy had a meeting with the U.S. Marshal. Cragen made a few additional assignments and suggestions then told them they would meet again in the morning at the same time. He wanted to see some significant progress on this case the next two days. Friday was July 4th and he informed them he expected them all to be at the NYPD picnic at Central Park unless they had out of town plans.
Andy and Olivia discussed a possible theory that had come to him. When they finished he told her he would call her when his meeting was over and catch up with her. She still needed to ask Elliot something about Michael Whittington, but when she and Andy were finished talking, he was nowhere to be found. She knew he had not left, because the keys to the cruiser were still on his desk.
Elliot had gone to the locker room to get the papers he needed to drop off at the attorney's office. Just as he slammed the locker, Dani spoke. Not realizing she had followed him, his head snapped in her direction.
"So…you're doing okay?" She asked, her hand touching his arm.
He could not believe she had followed him. He stared at her a minute, "Yea. Why?"
"Just wondered if you had a hangover," she grinned, her eyes locked with his.
He chuckled, "I didn't drink enough for a hangover."
"Good…then your mind was clear enough to think about us," she spoke quietly, almost seductively. "I did."
He shuddered involuntarily and wished she would just go away. How was he supposed to spend the next several days in the field with her all day? "Look, Dani…I thought I explained this last night… I…it should have never…listen, last night…it was a mistake, okay?"
"You didn't act like it was a mistake last night…" she moved closer to him and tried to kiss him.
"Dani!" he protested, grabbing her by her shoulders and holding her away from him.
"Come on, Elliot. I promise it will be even better than last night. Give me a chance and I'll change your mind about us," she pleaded, suggestively.
From the opposite side of the row of lockers, she heard them clearly, and the mirror at the end of the room held their reflections giving her a clear view of Dani and Elliot. Escaping before she realized it, the sharp intake of air, trailed right past her lips into her constricted chest. It was very audible, echoing in the room, and she knew they had to have heard it. So, she made a beeline for the door even though she was conscious of the fact that they would inevitably see her. It was of no consequence because she had to get out of there. Now.
Both of them turned sharply toward the sound, and Elliot caught the reflection of Olivia's retreating back in the mirror. Roughly shoving Dani aside, he sprinted after her.
"Liv! Liv, wait!! Olivia!!"
Rosa Tellez Residence – Wednesday, July 2nd – 8:20 a.m.
She was gone. Gone before he could get back to the squad room. Heading for Rosa's, she gunned the cruiser. Shaking her head to try to rid her mind of the images of Elliot and Dani, she told herself she would not think about what she had just seen and what she had heard. She told herself she would not cry. Not over Elliot Stabler. Not anymore. Even as the thoughts stampeded through her muddled brain, tears shot over the edge of her eyelids, like a river over a canyon wall. She angrily wiped them away and swore there would be no more tears.
She screeched to a halt in front of the lower east side apartment building. Rosa let her in and looked around outside as if she were looking for someone else.
"I'm alone. My par…" she swallowed hard. Andy was her partner on this case. She didn't think she wanted to partner with Elliot ever again. "My partner tends to overreact at times. I thought you would be more comfortable without him."
Rosa stared at her with big, brown eyes. Her black hair had streaks of gray at the temples and was pulled back into a long ponytail. Her white blouse was full and looked almost too big on her. Her skirt was a cotton print in mostly blues. Remembering that Rosa spoke little English, Olivia tried to repeat her statement about Andy in Spanish.
"Mi socio…uh…tiende a overreact ocasionalmente. Pensé que usted sería más…uh…co…cómodo sin él," Olivia smiled and Rosa seemed to relax. Just a little.
"Sí, él hace. Sit," Rosa pointed to an empty chair at the kitchen table as she sat down and picked up another cob of corn to shuck.
"May I help? I haven't shucked corn since I was little girl. Uh… No he…" she could not think of the word for shucked, so she made the gesture with the cob. "Uh…maíz desde que era niña.
"Desvainado," Rosa told her as she held the cob and pulled the husk from it.
Olivia smiled and repeated the word. "My mother used to take me with her to the Columbia Greenmarket… mercado de los granjeros…to get fresh vegetables during the summer," Olivia picked up a cob of corn and began shucking. She saw the smile twitching at Rosa's lips even though she tried to hide it from her.
They shucked in silence for a few minutes and then Rosa finally spoke, "I loved Senora Nora. Good woman. A good amiga."
"Senora Nora? So, you called her Nora? I noticed that her friend Esther Duvale also called her Nora. Sorry…noté que su amiga Esther Duvale…también llamó a su Nora," Olivia told her.
Olivia and Rosa continued talking, going back and forth between English and Spanish and a mixture. Olivia was surprised she remembered as much as she did, and even more so that Rosa seemed to have a much better understanding of Englishthan the Senator seemed to think.
"Si. She did not like me to call her Senora Whittington or Senora Lenora. She laughed at the rhyme…insisted that her friends called her Nora. She say she knew I would be her friend," Rosa's eyes filled with tears.
"And she was right," Olivia smiled. "Ella tenía razón."
Rosa's smile lit up her whole face, "Yes. Ella tenía razón. She was wonderful woman. She have money, but she not like so many rich people. She not like…" shaking her head, she paused then spoke again. "She was kind. Good."
"She was not like…what? Who?" Olivia pushed her, as she pulled the silk from the cob.
Rosa looked up at her as if trying to decide whether or not she could trust Olivia, "Not like the lady."
"The lady…you mean Lydia Whittington?" Olivia continued working.
"Yes. She think only about the money. She try to get Nora to sell her land and was angry that she refused."
"Do you think Lydia had anything to do with Nora's injuries?" Olivia asked carefully.
"I do not know. I do not like the lady. She start to ask every time she come for her to sell the land. She did not want to and the lady she get very angry. The lady and Nora fight, but she act in front of Senator like she take good care of Nora," she explained. The bowl was full now and she stood and went to the stove and turned on the hugepot of water.
Olivia nodded, thinking back to the Senator telling them that Lydia got along wonderfully with his mother. So, she faked it in front of him. But surely a woman like Lenora Whittington would not have remained silent on this issue. Surely she would have told her son, unless…unless she were truly afraid for her life. Olivia scribbled some more notes.
"What do you know about Michael's relationship with Nora?" Olivia looked up from her notes and watched Rosa closely.
She smiled, "Michael…he loved his abuela…his grandma."
"And his mother? Does Michael get along with his mother?" Olivia asked.
"No. They fight because he say for her to leave Nora alone about the land. That it was hers to do what she want. Not the lady," she spoke with a tinge of anger and a scowl befell her face.
"What about James Peterson? Could he have hurt her?" Olivia carried the bowl of corn to her and watched as she put it into the pot.
"James…I don't think so, but his son, his son would come to her home sometimes to beg his father for money. James say no, the son ask Nora. She say no. She tell him he need get education to get good job. She say she would pay for his education. He laugh at her and call her names. I hear him telling her to buy more property, that James had bought…what you call it…inviert…inversión… that she should put her money in, too," Rosa had paused and was staring out the window in the kitchen.
"Inversión?" Olivia could not think of the meaning. Suddenly, it hit her. "Investment?"
"Si. Investment," Rosa agreed.
"Did she do this?" Olivia now had a pencil and pad out and was writing.
"I am not sure. I hear her tell James that she had lost much money, so maybe," she looked away from the window and back to Olivia.
"Do you know the company?"
"No," she shook her head.
"What's his son's name?"
"Ronnie. He live in the Bronx, but I do not know where."
"Thank you, Rosa…gracias tanto por su tiempo," Olivia stood to leave.
Checking her watch as she left Rosa's, she saw it was just after nine. A few minutes later Olivia stopped at a small diner and ate a bagel and drank some tea and juice. While eating, she rewrote her notes that she had taken at Rosa's. When she finished, thirty minutes later, she headed back to the precinct. Andy still had not called, but she thought she could do some research on Ronnie Peterson and then she and Andy would pay him a visit.
About half way there, her cell phone rang. "Benson."
"Detective Benson. Davis Whittington. How are you today."
She was totally shocked, caught off guard at this call. "Oh…uh…Senator Whittington…I'm fine. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. I found those papers on that investment that Mother lost so much money on and thought you would like to see them. I have about an hour and a half to spare if you are free now."
She did not know why, but little red flags popped up all over her mind, yet she heard herself telling him she would be there in twenty minutes. She should not go alone. She knew it. She sensed something; what she was not sure. Andy's cell phone went straight to voice mail and she left him a message saying where she was headed and for him to meet her there if he could, but time was of the essence. After hanging up, something prodded her to call Cragen and let him know, too. She just wanted to talk to a real voice and know that someone knew where she was going.
SVU Squad Room – Wednesday, July 2nd – 10:00 a.m.
John and Brian were telling the captain what they had found out about Lenora Whittington's investments. Turned out that all of the women had made investments with the same company, BlueWater Financial. A company that, on the surface, bought beach property and land in the Bahamas and either rented it out or built new homes for sale.
This was a break in the case. From here they could hopefully track down the owner or owners and trace them back to the women. Cragen was pleased with their find and hoped that Fin and Lake fared as well in their interview with Sabrina Ferrell at Bellevue. Suddenly, loud voices could be heard in the hallway and a commotion broke forth.
Elliot stormed into the squad room, Dani close behind, a scowl on her face. "How was I to know they were best friends since kindergarten?"
Elliot whirled around and glared at Dani, "We were going to talk to Lydia Whittington's friends! Friends! We discussed that on the way, Beck! What didn't you understand about that!?"
"Yea, okay, okay, you're right. I screwed up. So, shoot me!" She hollered back.
She had no idea how much pleasure he would take in doing that right now…if only for a minute. Yes, he was furious about how she dealt with their interview of Lydia's friend, but even more so, he was still in a blind rage with her over the way she came onto him that morning. And he was torn to pieces over what Olivia saw and heard. Or what she thought she was seeing and hearing…and he knew she misunderstood both. He wanted to talk to her, he needed to talk to her, but he couldn't very well do that with Dani right there. Cragen must have slipped off the wagon to have teamed him with her again, he thought to himself.
"You never come right out and tell someone you are trying to get information from that, 'hey, we think she offed her ma-in-law…what do you think? Is your friend capable of killing someone? Oh, and by the way, if she's not, how about her husband? Think he killed his mother?" He was yelling, his face red, his hands fisting.
"Okay…that's enough. Lower your voices or you'll both be signing a written reprimand," Cragen did his own barking.
Elliot glanced at Captain Cragen, but went back to glaring at Dani, and she, in turn, fixed him with an icy stare of her own.
"Beck, get started on the DD5 for this morning's visit…now; Elliot I've got an assignment for you…" Cragen started to tell him.
"Look, Captain, with all due respect…" Elliot interrupted.
"Can it, Stabler. Olivia called about fifteen minutes ago. She needed Andy to meet her at Senator Whittington's residence, but he is going to be tied up in the Marshals'meeting until lunchtime. Go," Cragen nodded his head at the door and Elliot took off without another comment.
Whittington Residence – Wednesday, July 2nd – 10:20 a.m.
The whole way to the Whittington residence, Elliot tried to think of how to start the conversation with Olivia about this morning's scene. He still could not believe Dani did that to him. After him telling her last night he was just not into it, after her telling him he needed to let Olivia know how he felt; after all of that, she still had the nerve to come onto him this morning. In the precinct. In the locker room. With all their colleagues milling about, where anyone could have come in at any time. Maybe that was what she wanted, he thought. Maybe she wanted Olivia to see her all over him. That only fueled his fury at Dani all over again.
Pulling up to the O'Neil building, Elliot was surprised to find a parking space on the road across the street and behind Olivia. He stared up at the magnificent architecture and sighed deeply. Sprinting across the street, he soon found himself at the Whittington's door. James had met him in the hall on his way to run an errand, and told him Detective Benson was there. He came back with Elliot to unlock the door, let him in, and pointed toward the library where the Senator and detective could found. He could hear their voices, so he headed in that direction.
Olivia was more caught off guard now than she had been when he called her. He had shown her the papers he found for BlueWater Financial and told her again how he got his mother out of the investment. Then as they had their heads bent close together looking over one of the papers, he commented.
"Olivia…you don't mind if I call you 'Olivia' do you? You smell wonderful," he leaned closer to her, his breath hot on her neck.
She instantly pulled away, but not before his hand covered hers. "Look, Senator, I am not…"
"I've asked you to call me Davis. Please," he scooted closer to her on the couch, his one hand still holding hers while the other pushed her bangs behind her right ear.
She jerked away from him this time and stood up, "Senator Whittington, I'm going to pretend that…"
"Oh, so you are into fantasizing…please…I want the details…believe me, you are in mine," He grinned, stood and came to stand about a foot from her.
Her heart was about to pound its way out of her chest. Where the heck was Andy? This was why the red flags were flying.
"You are so beautiful, Olivia. I've thought about you since the first day I laid eyes on you," he whispered.
"Senator," she started.
"Davis. My name is Davis," he reiterated as his eyes traveled her body.
"Davis, you're married, I'm not interested. You're a Senator; in the public eye…" she thought maybe this would bring him to his senses.
"Oh, Detective…I know you are not concerned about my marriage or my reputation. Not in the least," he chuckled and stepped a bit closer.
She took a step backward, "What do you mean?"
"Your partner…the first one…Statler…no, no, no…Stabler…he's married and that has not stopped you," he stated as a smirk began at the corner of his lips.
"What?" She felt confusion clouding her mind, as she tried to maintain some distance from him. She should never have come here alone.
He laughed at her, "You think I didn't have both of you checked out before I let you investigate my mother's rape and murder?" he stepped closer to her.
"Yes, I know all about you and your 'partner', Olivia." He made air quotes, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him. "You put out for him, so you and I should not be a problem at all."
She wondered was she hearing him right; she wondered was this a dream; she wondered where he got his erroneous information; she wondered what kind of trouble she would be in with Cragen and IAB if she decked a state Senator; and she wondered where the heck Andy was for the hundredth time.
Senator Davis Whittington leaned in to kiss her and momentarily, she froze. But then just as she prepared to pull back to deliver a solid punch to his face, she saw the fingers of her knight in shining armor curl around Davis Whittington's shoulders, snatch him away from her and deliver the punch himself. The force of the blow sent Whittington flailing backward where he fell over an ottoman and landed with a thump of his butt on the floor.
"You need to find some new sources, Davis," Elliot growled, as he snatched him up by his shirt fisted tightly in his left hand, the right ready to deliver a second blow.
"Elliot…don't," Olivia's plea broke through his rage when she placed her hand on his arm, and he let go of the Senator.
"You okay?" He forced himself to look away from the man holding his bleeding nose and look into her eyes.
"Yea…let's get out of here," she glanced at Whittington in disgust.
"I will be filing assault charges against you, Stabler," he called out.
Elliot turned and took a step toward him before Olivia jumped in front of him, facing Whittington. "No. You won't. Not unless you want attempted sexual assault of a police officer filed against you."
They stared at each for a long moment until the Senator finally looked away. Olivia grabbed Elliot by the arm and led him out of the apartment.
16th Precinct NYPD – Wednesday, July 2nd – 11:15 a.m.
They were in separate cars so they did not get to talk on the way back to the precinct. Now they stood outside the building, Olivia was leaning against her car, Elliot standing in front of her.
"Sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You shouldn't have…"
"Gone alone. I know."
"I was going to say, 'you shouldn't have called him Davis'."
"I thought that maybe that would get him to listen to me."
"Did you want him to kiss you?"
"What?!"
"Come on, Liv. It's a legit question. As far as I could tell, you didn't really do anything to stop him. You should have decked the guy. I think you wanted him to kiss you."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "You're kidding me, right? I mean, surely you don't think I wanted to be with that slime ball?"
"I hardly think Senator Davis Whittington could be called a slime ball…I mean, you know…tall, good looking, rich, famous…and he was coming onto you big time. You had to get a rise out of that, huh, Liv?" He felt the anger boiling inside.
Nodding, she straightened, got right in his face and said, "Yea, just like when Lydia come onto you at the Black Pearl and Dani came onto you last night…and this morning. What kind of rise did you get out of that, Stabler?" She shoved him in the chest, turned and was at the top of the steps leading into the building before he even realized she had left.
He wished there was a way he could literally kick himself through all five borough of New York City and back. His whole life could fall under the heading 'Miscommunication 101'. And most of it caused by him opening his big mouth when he shouldn't and keeping it shut when he should speak!
Rounding the corner to the hall where the elevator bays were, Elliot ran right into Olivia talking with Ryan O'Halloran. Great. At every turn he was met with an old flame of hers or someone hitting on her. Standing a good distance away, he punched the up button and waited, trying to ignore them. He could hear Ryan asking Olivia to the department picnic. She looked over his shoulder at Elliot and her eyes narrowed. They had talked about it weeks ago, but neither had mentioned it since. He was supposed to let her know if the kids would be going so they could make necessary plans to accommodate everyone, but he hadn't even found out.
"Well, I appreciate you asking me, Ry, but it's like this, my friend Andy is in town and well, if you don't mind, could we all go together and just hang out with everybody?"
"Oh…uh…sure. No problem, Liv. I'll get with you later about the details, okay? See ya." The elevator opened and Ryan went on down the hall.
Elliot got on and Olivia followed him in and stood just behind in front of him to his left. Though she could barely see him in her peripheral vision, he had a good view of her. She was beautiful. Angry, happy, sad, laughing, crying…it did not matter. He loved her. He loved everything about her. Why couldn't he just tell her? He was paralyzed by the fear that she would not want him and he would loose her as his friend and partner. He had told her once he couldn't take it. He meant it then and it was still true. He took a deep breath.
"Liv?"
She said nothing, but did turn slightly to her right, though she did not look at him.
"I…I took the signed…uh…papers by this morning."
"Papers? What papers?" She was thinking about the myriad of reports and forms they dealt with day in and day out.
"The divorce papers. It'll be final in thirty days. Maybe less."
"Oh…" the word was barely a whisper. She didn't know what to say, but she did turn to look at him.
Oh? That's all she had to say? Well, he couldn't stand it any longer. He grabbed her to him with one hand and pressed the close door button with the other. Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her - like he had been wanting to kiss her since the other morning. And she kissed him back. Again. With such sweetness and passion. How had he lived all these years without her kisses?
As they pulled apart, her arms falling from his shoulders, his hands releasing her face, she turned to face the front again. Her heart in her throat, she nearly stopped breathing as he whispered into her hair, "You're the only woman I want, Olivia. The only one."
Stepping into the squad room, they looked around and saw Fin, Lake, Dani, Brian and Andy hovering around or sitting on Munch's desk. He had been leaning back, but now stood as he saw Olivia coming toward them.
"Hey, Olivia," he said in a singsong voice. "Another one of your boyfriends is here..."
He nodded toward Cragen's office where he and Dean Porter stood, heads bent in conversation.
Just as they looked over at them, Dean looked up and smiled at her. She did not even have to look at Elliot to know he was upset. She heard his low growl and she felt the air around her being sucked away by the force of his anger. Would they ever be able to be together, to be happy, without all of this miscommunication?
eoeoeoeoeoeo
