A/N: Here is the next chapter. More reviews, faster updates, so please read and review for more.
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything you recognize.
Zachary's first birthday went without a further hitch but Olivia barely spoke to Elliot the rest of the day, which frustrated him but he didn't want to say anything to upset her further, so he just kept quiet about it.
It was three in the morning and Elliot couldn't sleep. He'd been banished from the bedroom and made to sleep on the couch in the living room.
Knowing sleep wasn't going to be coming for him, Elliot sat up and sighed, running a hand through his hair. This was the biggest fight that he and Olivia had had during their entire relationship and the first time that he'd been kicked out of the bedroom and made to sleep on the couch, she hadn't even done it while she was pregnant and hormonal.
Elliot got up and crept toward the nursery. He tip-toed in there, up to the crib and peered down at Zachary, who was sound asleep.
"Hey buddy," he whispered and rubbed his chubby belly. He forgot that the baby monitor was in there and turned on, Elliot continued to whisper to his sleeping son. "Daddy screwed up real bad, son. Daddy said something really mean and wrong to mommy and doesn't know how to take away the pain."
Zachary stirred and turned over to his side but didn't wake up.
Elliot sighed and kissed the side of Zac's head. "Sweet dreams, my boy, I'm glad that one of us can sleep," he whispered and tip-toed out.
Looking at the closed master bedroom door, Elliot decided to check on his wife.
He took a deep breath and opened the door, glad that Olivia hadn't gone as far as to lock him out.
The room was silent and dark but Elliot could see Olivia's curled up form in the bed, courtesy of the full moon shining through their window. He quietly walked over to the bed and kissed Olivia's forehead before turning to leave but a shaky whispered voice stopped him.
"Stay."
Elliot turned back to see Olivia awake. "Are you sure?"
"Not really but I still love you and you belong in this bed with me. Your wife," she whispered, sadly, stressing on the words, 'your' and 'wife'.
"I love you too," he whispered and climbed in to the bed behind her, on his side of the bed. He hoped with everything in him it would continue to be his side of the bed, beside his wife.
Olivia surprised herself and Elliot when she rolled over and cuddled up with him, resting her head on his chest.
Sighing in relief, Elliot wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her back but not game enough to slip his hands under her pajama top to rest his hands on her bare back, like he usually did. He kissed the crown of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo and whispered, "I'm so sorry, baby, so so sorry."
Olivia sniffled and shook her head. "Shut up," she whispered back painfully. "It hurt and I'm not ready to talk about it. I just want to sleep and I can't unless you are here with me. By my side."
Elliot rubbed her back. "Well I'm here now. Sleep, Liv. I'm not going anywhere," he promised.
It took about twenty minutes but Olivia finally drifted off to sleep.
Elliot could feel the wetness of Olivia's tears, which had soaked through his pajama top on to his bare chest beneath but he knew that he was the cause of those tears so he wasn't going to move her so he could change his top.
He kissed the top of her head again and leaned back, closing his eyes. He drifted off to sleep listening to the sounds of Olivia's soft, even breathing backed by Zachary's quicker, softer breathing coming through the baby monitor.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Elliot woke up again just three hours later to Zachary's sleepy voice coming through the monitor. "Dada! Dada!"
With Olivia curled up on the other side of the bed, lightly snoring, Elliot got up out of bed carefully and quietly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
He headed in to the nursery to find Zac standing up in his crib, clutching the side rail and shaking it, crying.
"Oh buddy, what's wrong?" Elliot asked softly, picking up his son. "Bad dream?"
Zachary snuggled in to Elliot and started to fall asleep on his shoulder in response.
Rubbing his back, Elliot walked in to the living room and sat down the couch. He turned on the television and Olivia appeared in the doorway. "Morning," he greeted her softly as to not wake Zachary.
"Morning. Is he okay?" she asked, just as softly.
"Yeah. I think he just had a bad dream. What are you doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep. I'm going to have a shower and go to the gym," she said simply and headed straight for the bathroom.
Elliot sighed. Olivia was still hiding something from him and was about to do something wrong but he had to make sure it wasn't happening at the gym because it only became obvious that something was wrong after she started going to the gym.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Once he got himself and Zachary ready, Elliot put him in the stroller and walked the three blocks to the gym that Olivia now frequented. It was a fairly new gym, which was run out of an old dance studio, which had been renevated to modernize it and so it was suitable.
Walking up to one of the tall, clear glass windows, Elliot stopped when he caught sight of Olivia and a male trainer getting way too close to his liking.
"Dada! Dada!" Zachary screeched from the inside the stroller as he tried to escape. He wanted to go play. "Dada! Mama!"
"Mama's busy, champ. Hang tight for a second," he told his son before looking up through the glass again.
It looked like Olivia and the trainer were kissing.
Elliot growled angrily as he shook his head. "You lied to me," he seethed and walked away.
He couldn't believe she'd lied to him and then made him feel guilty for accusing her.
He would have ran in there and seperated them but he couldn't with Zachary with him.
"Let's go see grammy, son," he said sadly and listened to his son cheer happily as they walked away from the gym.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Get the hell off me!" Olivia cried and pushed the trainer away from her before wiping her mouth.
"Aw, come on, Olivia, you know you want me."
"No, I don't. I love my husband and my son. You're too old for me anyway. Get lost," she said and went to walk away but Nigel the trainer grabbed her wrist roughly and pulled her back.
People had stopped what they were doing and were watching them now. All trying to see what the commotion was about.
"Let me go!" she yelled and pulled her wrist out of his grip before running out of the gym. She just wanted to go home and cuddle up with Elliot and Zachary, so she could feel safe and loved. She thought going there that early that he wouldn't be there yet and she would be safe but he was there and ready to torment her.
Olivia ran the three blocks back to her apartment building and ran all the way up to her apartment before letting herself in. It was too quiet and there was no sign of her husband or son. "El? Zacy?" She got no answer, so she looked around for a note. No note. She sighed and headed back out, locking the door behind her. "Angie's," she muttered and rushed back down the stairs and out of the building. "Damn it!" she cried, seeing that Elliot had taken the car. She'd have to walk there.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
She finally made it to Angie's house and let herself in. "El? Zac? Angie?"
"We're in the living room, darling," Angie called back.
Walking in to the living room, Olivia only found Angie and Zachary, who was playing on the floor. "Zacy."
Hearing his mommy call him, Zac slowly got up on to his feet and walked wobbily over to her. "Mama," he squealed happily.
Olivia instantly scooped him up and cuddled him close. She needed his comfort. "Hi, my little man. I love you so much," she whispered as a couple tears fell.
"Mama," Zachary breathed, content with being in his mama's embrace as he started to drift off with his head on her shoulder.
"Has he had a nap yet? He woke up early this morning."
Angie shook her head. "He kept calling for you. Wouldn't sleep."
Rubbing Zachary's back, Olivia asked, "Where's El?"
"He's out back but if you got out there, you should leave Zac in here," Angie told her gently but firmly.
Confused, Olivia furrowed her brows. "What... What did I do?"
"Go talk to him. Tell him the truth," Angie answered, standing up.
"Huh?" Olivia asked, genuinely confused. "Truth about what?"
"About what happened at the gym this morning." She gently took Zac from Olivia and headed upstairs with him.
Olivia shook her head and went out the back, where she found her husband standing on the back deck, leaning over the rail. "Elliot?"
Elliot turned around sharply with an angry glare. "How could you?!" he spat.
"How could I what? I don't know what you're talking about," she said softly.
"Oh, don't act so innocent, Olivia! I saw you kiss that trainer! How could you cheat on me?! Especially after you said you didn't and made me feel guilty for accusing you!" he yelled at her.
"I didn't cheat!" she yelled back, just as strongly. She wouldn't let herself break in front of him right now. "He kissed me and I pushed him away! I love you and Zachary too much to do something like that." Her voice lowered as she continued. "I'd be nothing without you two. Zac and I will be at home, if you ever decide to believe me," she finished in a whisper and walked sadly back in to the house.
Elliot sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to believe her but he knew what he saw. He stood there for another few long minutes before walking back inside.
He found his mother clearing up Zachary's toys from the living room floor. "Liv take Zac?"
Angie nodded. "Yeah... She was hysterical, El."
"I'm going down to the gym to talk to that trainer," he said and picked up the car keys.
"Don't do anything illegal, Elliot. Don't do anything stupid," Angie stressed.
"I won't," Elliot promised and headed out.
Angie sighed and ran a hand through her long hair as she slumped down on to the couch. Her son had a tenacity to jump to conclusions too quickly and most of the time he was wrong. And her gut was telling her that this was one of those times, where her son was absolutely wrong and she hoped that he wouldn't take it too far and ruin his marriage. This was the ultimate test to see just how strong Elliot and Olivia's marriage was.