CHAPTER 25

The next morning Elliot awoke to sunlight flooding into Olivia's apartment. He rubbed his eyes and waited for the sleepy fog to disappear. He looked around the apartment and could find no indication that Olivia had come out of the room. Pancakes it is. He thought to himself as he stood walking into the kitchen. When he opened the refrigerator he thought that he had heard a yelp coming from the room. Elliot paused with his ears focused in the direction of her room. Suddenly the most ear curdling screech slammed into his eardrums.

Elliot raced to her room opening the door. Elliot paused for a split second. He was shocked looking at her as she kicked in her bed, her head was thrashing left and right. Olivia was frantically speaking. "No!" her arms waving punching in the wind. "Get off of me!" She demanded

Elliot quickly came to her grabbing her shoulders, her clothes were soaked in sweat, her hair was flat from the moisture. She was wearing her boy shorts and a tank top but her body felt like an inferno.

"Liv?" Elliot said trying to wake her. "Wake up baby, wake up." The more Elliot shook her the more violent her strikes became eventually striking Elliot in his nose. He felt the warmth of the blood trickling down his nose and lips but did not take time to wipe it off.

Elliot retreated quickly into he bathroom turning the cold water of the shower on. In the background he could still hear her yelps, her pleas for her dignity. He ran back to her trying to wake her but to no avail. Olivia was locked in some dormant hell that Elliot could not pull her out of. He scooped her up into his arms his body still suffering the impact of her hands. He held her tight and stepped into the shower with her in his arms. The cold water hit her face startling her back to reality.

"Wha...wh...what happened, why are we...showering?" Olivia was understandably frantic, she had fell asleep in her bed and woke up in the shower...with Elliot. He tightened his hold on her and spoke softly rocking her to calmness.

"Shhhh...You had a nightmare, I couldn't wake you. It's okay now Liv, I am right here with you." Elliot reached over to turn the water off, he grabbed a towel from the wall and wrapped it around her trembling body.

"Wow, how embarrassing." She whispered, shocked that it had happened.

"Want to talk about it?" Elliot asked her taking her back into his arms.

"He haunts me in my dreams Elliot... I am sorry, if I scared you...your all wet now." She looked at his clothes that were clinging to his body and noticed stains. She looked at is face..."El? What happened?" She said touching his nose.

"Ah, Liv you know me, can't chew gum and walk, I ran into the door in your room." Elliot was making it up and he knew lying was wrong but did she really have to know that she had caused him to bleed. He didn't think so.

Olivia looked away from Elliot, she was embarrassed, for having inconvenienced him, embarrassed that she was standing in front of him in wet clothes, redoubtably see through. Elliot guided her head back to his gaze, "Don't you dare, be embarrassed." He told her lovingly but sternly. "I was starting to stink anyway." He told her with a smile trying to ease her insecurity but her eyes were already filled with that liquid pain. He embraced her.

"El?...I can't stay here anymore." her voice was shallow.

"Alright, not a problem, let's get cleaned up, sit tight and I'll grab you some clothes." Elliot returned still wet but laying dry clothes on the counter for Olivia who was standing holding her face in her hands. He walked to her and lowered her hands with one of his. He placed the other at the back of her neck and kissed her cheek whispering in her ear...

"I love you Olivia Benson."

Elliot could hear the sounds of Olivia's blow dryer working. He knew she would be a couple of minutes. He started to pack her clothes, one drawer at a time. After only minutes his phone rang.

"Stabler." He answered holding the phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Elliot? It's me." the older male voice responded

"Frankie?" Elliot asked

"No, your mama...yes it's me." Frankie chuckled. Frankie was an old friend of Elliot before he became a cop, in fact Frankie was Elliot's old boss.

"Frankie," Elliot spoke "Tell me good things buddy." Elliot's voice was happy and lighthearted.

"She's all done, ready for you to do the deed my friend."

"Oh man your timing is impeccable Frankie." Elliot responded smiling even though Frankie could not see him.

"Well, what can I say my friend, I try." Frankie was laughing. They said their good byes as Olivia walked into the room.

"Hey." She was smiling and happy, she was used to the nightmares and was able to put the pain aside. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Elliot spoke as he turned to face her "No one in partic-" Elliot stopped mid sentence when he stared at the creature in front of him.

"El?...You okay?" She asked. There was something about her after she had cried that made her look even more sexy. Perhaps it was the vulnerability she allowed him to see or perhaps it was the fact that she was shedding her sorrows one cry at a time. Whatever it was, Elliot's heart raced at the site of the woman before him.

"El...hello!" Olivia was standing directly in front of him. She snapped her fingers in front of his face but his eyes did not flinch. Elliot walked to her grabbing her gently by her bukel loops. The sexual tension between the two had become the proverbial elephant in the room. Elliot wrapped an arm around her petite waist, his right and on used to trace the contours of her face, brushing the hair from her eyes. There lips came together. He walked into her guiding her body backwards. Until her back was against the wall. Elliot placed his hands on either side of her head leaning into her. He was memorizing her lips, acknowledging their seduction. He kissed her again as he thought to himself "there cannot possibly be anyone or anything more beautiful than this woman."

Olivia changed roles from the Kissee to the kisser and still even though she was still against the wall, there was enough room for Elliot's hands to touch her. She felt his fingertips move along the trail of her spine going lower to the small of her back and still lower he went. Olivia was doing 'that thing with her tongue again and Elliot's body was on fire. He moved his waist closer to hers until they felt one another through their clothing. Elliot could hear the softest whimpers of passion come from Olivia as her body reacted to him.

Elliot was aware he was waking up a dormant part of her soul and that was his whole plan.