A/N: I'm sorry for the longer wait for this chapter, but I'm currently doing improvements on this fic thanks to shelovesshoes, who provides me with the critical input I'm always longing for with my writing.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ever since Diane bumped into Elle in front of the office bathroom she's felt that something is wrong, but she had to wait until they get home to inquire about the reason. Elle's hesitant at first but she finally takes Diane's hand and pulls her to sit next to her on the couch. She doesn't let go of her hand as she focuses on the ground and when she finally lifts her gaze on Diane again she can see the sadness in her eyes.

"Kalinda has an incriminating photo of the two of us."

"What?" the answer upsets Diane, it couldn't have been more unexpected, "How did she get it?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd stalked me."

"How dare she?" Diane feels the anger spread through her as she raises her voice.

"She said she's looking out for me, that we are making a mistake"

"It's our life, she has no right to interfere," Diane jumps from her seat nervously, shouting the words this time. Cursing the day when Elle didn't take her advice and went to bed with the firm's investigator. She wouldn't be surprised if Kalinda was only jealous, but it was unacceptable either way.

"But she is right, you have a reputation to maintain and I don't fit in with your public image."

"My public image?" Diane looks at Elle with disbelief, stunned that the girl is so easily pliable. Did the last few days, years mean nothing to her? Why does she trust someone else's judgment more than hers? "What we have has nothing to do with my image. I'm with you because I want to be with you, because you make me happy," she sits down next to Elle again and takes her hands in hers.

"But on the long run it will do more harm than good. Please don't get me wrong, I'm happy too, but it will hurt even more if we let it continue and we cannot hide forever. We had some wonderful days together, let's keep them in our memories."

Diane can hardly believe her ears. Elle's words hurt her immensely.

"Do you really want to end it? Because of what she said?"

"I think she's right."

"I thought you have more faith in me."

Diane lets go of Elle's hands and stands up again to distance herself from the other woman. She's making it clear that she's disappointed and she can see how tears start running down Elle's cheeks as she mumbles a quick 'I'm sorry' and hides her face from Diane. But somehow her tears don't affect Diane this time. It was her decision and no matter how much Diane hates that she made it for the two of them she doesn't intent to fight it, because Elle has obviously made up her mind already.

And besides the pain she feels because Elle has given up on her, on them so easily, her anger is rising again. She doesn't want to let it out on Elle, so she aims it at the third woman, who should never have been involved in this on the first place. She doesn't care if what Kalinda said is true, she and Elle should have decided on their relationship together.

But she won't beg her to change her mind, she will accept her terms, she will let her go if she wants to go. Elle is crying already, but she can't, she's not even willing to comfort her, to support her decision in any way.

"I assume you want to leave now."

"It would be for the best," Elle looks up at her, with red eyes and Diane nods in agreement and watches her leave the room, collapsing on the couch when she's gone.

She tries to make sense of what just happened, how Elle put an end to this short lived relationship and claimed that she did it for Diane. While all Diane wants from her is love and trust, but Elle obviously doesn't love or trust her enough.

It's not like she doesn't know that she's not supposed to have an affair with a younger woman, who also happens to be her employee, but Elle has made her happy and nothing else mattered. For once she didn't take the safe road, she let her emotions guide her to a side street, but she enjoyed every step of the way. She doesn't want to end it yet, it's too soon, they should still be in the 'want to be together all the time' phase. But if Elle isn't ready to fight for what they have, she won't do it either, she's already said more than she should have.

She will let her leave, no matter how much it hurts to lose her. But she has no idea how they can go on from here. She doubts that they can go back to the way they were, have a successful work relationship and friendship and pretend like nothing happened. Elle's presence would always remind her of these wonderful days they spent together and she'd keep asking herself what if she'd never let her go. She can accept that it's over, but she's not ready to see her day by day like before.

Not that she can do anything about it. Firing her is out of the question. She could never do that and it would also look really bad. She knows that Elle would never turn against her, but she still prefers to be safe than sorry. So unless the girl wants to leave on her own, she needs to figure out how to make their professional relationship work in the future, which will never come close to what they had before they ruined it forever. But she isn't sure if she could handle not seeing her again either.

A while later she hears Elle coming down the stairs with suitcases in her hands. As she gets closer Diane can see that her eyes aren't red anymore, she's probably calmed done while packing her things. Diane's waiting for Elle to say something, but she's just looking at the other woman without a word.

Diane knows it's the end, that Elle will walk out that door and from tomorrow they'll have to get back to a different kind of normal, which cannot mean her having any kind of grudge against the girl. They have to try to handle this situation as adults and that is what makes her offer what she would have done for her any other time, even though it feels a little more difficult tonight.

"I'll drive you home," she says as she stands up from the couch and even though Elle tries to protest, she takes one of her suitcases and walks to the door and Elle follows her.

Even though Diane doesn't know what to say to her anymore, she wants to make sure she gets home safe. Because no matter what Elle, her lover just did to her, she's also Elle, the girl who needs her, relies on her and has always been grateful for everything she's done for her and they have to at least try to save some of that friendship if they want to continue working together.