The recruits looked at each other as the more experienced cops were watching Marlow and Brown, Fin said,
"Considering what happened tonight you two really need to explain."
Brown nodded as he looked at Elliott. He said to Olivia,
"I live in on the top floor of the building next to yours. Our apartment has walk out access to the roof where I have a private patio. We like to go out there on warm nights and have a nightcap and look down on the street and over at Central Park as we have a good view of it. We were not stalking or spying on you. Yes I had seen you go in and out of the building sometimes, I also have seen you in the bodega down the street, but I did not know who you were until I entered your squadroom."
Marlow added,
"As for the Symphony, we have Seasons tickets."
Olivia nodded as Elliott said,
"So you saw everything that happened tonight then?"
They both nodded, as Marlow said,
"I told Mike that I had noticed a telescope in the window and even commented on how since we spent time on the roof that we should invest in one so we could check out the stars."
Elliott asked,
"Since you two are so observant have you seen the person behind the telescope around before tonight?"
Brown said,
"What we do know is that there are two people who live there, a girl and a guy, they just moved in a few days ago, I remember commenting on how strange it was that they did not seem to move very much in, just 3 big trunks. We now know what was in one of them."
Fin asked,
"Why did you find that strange?"
Brown answered,
"Because when we first looked at the area we looked at those apartments and they were very spacious but not very expensive and not well kept. I remember thinking how strange it was. So we looked at Detective Benson's building and the only one available was a bachelor on the first floor. We went to the one we are in now and got a great deal, everything we wanted and an outside living space. Rent is high but when we split it in two we end up each paying what the bachelor apartment would have cost."
Cragen looked at Fin and Munch and asked,
"Did you two find anything in the apartment?"
They both nodded and Munch said,
"Yes we did and we took a lot of pictures and honestly we would rather put the pictures on the big screen because El, Liv you would not believe what we found if we told you."
Cragen looked at Elliott and said,
"Well since you will be laid up for a few days maybe we should see some now."
Elliott shook his head taking in all the information he had just heard and said,
"No I just have a broken arm and a couple of busted ribs, I am fine and the pictures can wait til tomorrow. I can see them with everyone else. Tonight I am tired and am going home to bed, besides we still need to find Babs rapist, so that we can be back at it tomorrow."
Olivia did not even try to discourage him she just shook her head she knew Elliott very rarely took sick days and she knew that until Babs rapist was caught, he would not start even after falling off a building.
Chester asked,
"Are we expected to be there tomorrow considering we are suppose to have the weekend off?"
Cragen said,
"Once you get into a real SVU unit there might be cases that keep you up for days."
Fin, John and Olivia all nodded. Elliott said,
"The point of this field trip was for all of you to see the job first hand and this is it. So I will see all of you tomorrow morning at 8:00 am. Now get out of here so I can get dressed and get home."
They all said their good nights and left expect for Cragen and Olivia. Once it was just the three of them Cragen said,
"I know you are not part of the unit anymore Elliott but for this case I am your boss and I know I am talking to myself but take tomorrow off, let your bruises heal."
Elliott shook his head and said,
"No thanks Captain. My recruits need to know what the job is really about and unless I am ordered not to work by a doctor I am going in tomorrow..."
He always was a stubborn s.o.b, but that is why he is so good at the job. No one had seen the extra set of eyes and ears watching from behind the linen shelf in the hallway. But those eyes realized it was time to go or get caught...
Back at Olivia's
Olivia knew that since she lived the closest Elliott would be spending the night at her place. As she unlocked the door, she turned on the light as she walked through with him slowly following behind her. He closed the door and locked it, she turned and said,
"Since you are probably as sore as all those bruises look, I will give you the bed and I will take the couch."
He came face to face with her and said,
"Do you have any idea how much I have been looking forward to you showing me your dream?"
He put his good arm around her and pulled her close, but not too close because although he did not want to admit it he hurt like hell. She looked at him as he landed a kiss on her forehead, he said,
"I heard what you said when you got to me on the roof about 'I didn't have to jump to get out of you showing me your dream'."
She blushed slightly and said trying not to let him get the best of her,
"Good to know that you can hear when you are unconscious..."
They both chuckled. He added,
"As for me taking the bed and you the couch. Sorry I have waited as long as you have to be able to share a bed with you and it is going to start tonight."
She argued,
"But the bruises I don't want to accidentally hit them or bump them during the night."
He said taking her hand and leading her to her bedroom,
"We have a lot of nights to get caught up on, so let's go Beautiful."
That was twice he had called her Beautiful, both times catching her by surprise but giving her a sense of belonging and comfort. She headed to the bed and rolled down the comforters, Elliott stripped down to his boxers for the second time that night as she watched him and getting changed herself, she found it so sexy. Olivia went to put on her night gown and Elliott looked at her and said,
"No clothes."
She watched him as he removed his boxers and proceeded to get into bed he lay on his back completely exposed for her, she removed her undergarments and being in the same state of undress as he was she got into bed on his right side as to be away from his broken ribs and blue cast. She leaned over to kiss him and felt his tongue on her lips, she pulled away and looked at him he said,
"I may not be in a position to be on top and in control but its your dream and I assume you want that part."
She hesitated,
"I don't want to hurt you anymore than you already are."
He said, pushing her hair behind her ear,
"I am sure there are other ways we can be intimate."
She smiled and nodded seductively,
"Oh yes there are and that is part of my dream."
The next morning
Olivia had woken up early and looked over at Elliott who was still asleep, he had not moved. Although he tried to tell her he was not tired he had fallen asleep just as she had started to stroke him, one would think she would have been upset but she wasn't – she wanted his full attention when she shared her dream. She also knew he needed his sleep, as she lie beside him watching him sleep she smiled to herself at how innocent and little boyish he looked as he took his slow even breaths. In the last 5 years of their partnership if anyone had told her that this is what he looked like sleeping she would not have believed them, in those years he was so angry and just plain unhappy for much of them. But now seeing him so calm and so relaxed it was hard for her to believe that he was the same man. She knew he was but Dr. Ross had really worked some magic. She lie there looking again thinking about what he would have told his Doctor about her, about them, their partnership, but more than anything she knew his distrust for Shrinks, although, if she really thought about it the only Shrink he actually really was comfortable with was Doc Skoda early on in their partnership and later her old friend, Dr. Rebecca Hendrix whom he had surprisingly confided in Olivia that he had gone to talk to her and it was the first time he had let himself cry, she had never asked why but she was always glad he did. But now as Olivia watched Elliott start to wake up she wondered what was so different about Dr. Ross that made him trust her enough to open up completely or had he really changed that much. Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt his hand on hers, he said,
"Good morning Beautiful, is every thing alright?"
She brought herself back to reality and said,
"Morning El, everything is fine. I was just thinking."
He continued to stroke her hand, and said sheepishly,
"If its about last night, I am so sorry I did not realize how tired I was..."
She stopped him by putting her fingers on his lips, she said,
"It is not about last night, I am okay with that. We have many more nights ahead of us where falling off buildings will not be part of them. I was thinking about you and wondering what made you obviously open up completely to Dr. Ross."
He started to sit up and his ribs stopped him. He fell back on the bed, he said,
"I'll answer that question but I need to use the washroom first."
She gingerly helped him off the bed and to the washroom. Once done he got dressed and they headed off to the kitchen where he could smell coffee, he looked at her, she smiled,
"Technology, brewer on a timer."
He smiled and nodded. He sat at her breakfast as she put a cup of coffee in front of him, he looked at her and said,
"To answer your question, I didn't at first but she knew that and could read right through me. She called me on my BS but the biggest difference was she is the female version of me. You know when I went for training with the bureau, I had heard her name mentioned. I never met her or even saw her but the stories were legendary. When I went to Huang I never expected him to send me to her, I figured I had lucked out, until Huang explained to me why he had asked her to help me. Then when I found out her history with PTSD I found myself wanting to tell my story and she wanted to hear it, and the more I talked the easier and more natural it felt and here we are."
She looked down at her coffee and then back at him. He asked taking her hand,
"You have another question so ask it."
She said,
"I am only wondering because of our current situation, but remember years ago the one time I got drunk and took Cassidy back to my place and we slept together and he wanted more and for me it was a one time deal?"
He nodded, he remembered that conversation clearly only because of what he had almost revealed about himself. She continued,
"And you told me to be nice to him and let him down easy. You also said it happens but the way you said it I got the impression it was personal for you. And I remember all the stories you told me about Joe your first partner as a detective and then how surprised I was to meet Joe and find out she was a woman. She asked me if I ever slept with you and I said you were married and she said something to the effect of, "don't let that fool you". The way she said it made me think back to your comment..." She looked down embarrassed to be asking about it after all these years but she had to know. He said looking her in the eye,
"It was one time after a particularly rough case, we had been drinking she was all emotional I got her home safe, she invited me in one thing lead to another and we ended up in bed. She told me she needed me for one night, I had never been with another woman and poor judgement on my part took over. I never told Kathy, she was insecure enough with me having an older female partner. But I think she knew and did not want to confront it. Kind of like an 'don't ask don't tell'."
Olivia nodded but said,
"Which explains why she was always insecure about our partnership..."
Elliott nodded sadly. He added,
"I always regret that night, but it always was a reminder that I was being all the things I hated about my father."
Olivia nodded knowingly, she remembered when she met his mom, Bernie had told her that Joe was a cheater and that his vise was nurses. She felt Elliott's hand squeeze hers as he cleared his voice, he said,
"Liv, you and I had plenty of opportunities to sleep together and we never did, not because of my marriage or even the job. I always wanted you as my first and only lady, never as a mistress or the other woman."
She asked,
"But did Kathy know that?"
He shrugged,
"I don't know, but if she did she never let on. She always called you my work wife. But the thing that split us was the job, the long hours, my never being home and once I retired it was more than over, I guess it was 'a little too late'. The divorce papers were already drawn up, the best part is now she has what she wants, I am where I want to be and I am friends with the mother of my children."
She leaned over and kissed him. She had her answers and now she asked,
"We have time you hungry?"
He looked at the clock it was 6:45am he nodded and said,
"Let me help you."
Together they made bacon and eggs.
That was a close call last night, but first great move, now it is mine. Continue to grow your relationship, how well you really know each other might be the only thing that saves you if anything does...oh and by the way 'Happy Sunday'...
