Immediate Danger

(Chapter Thirty Five: Beautiful Distraction)

It had been a long and tiring day and Elliot caught Olivia as she walked toward the elevator on her way home.

"Hey, look there is something I have been wanting to talk to you about but I haven't really had the chance. With Nick's arrest and the trial and work I just have not had five minutes alone with you in over a week. Do you think maybe we could go somewhere and talk?" Elliot stood with her in front of the now open elevator door, but neither of them got into it.

"Elliot, I'm tired. I really don't want to go out tonight and I'm not in the mood to drink."

"We don't have to go out or drink. I just want to see you, Liv. I have not even seen you in forever, I miss you."

The truth was she had kind of been avoiding him. Not just him, everyone. She just hadn't been in the mood to socialize with anyone or hear them comment on the situation with Nick or anything else. She had just needed some time alone. Olivia looked at Elliot as the elevator door closed.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked.

"Let me come over and make you dinner. Whatever you want. I can pick up a bottle of wine." Olivia shot him a look of disapproval, "or something else. Come on, it will be nice."

"Conversation about the Nick situation is off the table," she said.

"Agreed," he replied. She stood considering the agreement. "Look, I will behave myself, I promise. Hands to myself."

"Okay," she said softly. She was after all starting to miss his company as well.

Olivia went home and took a hot shower. She knew this was a casual evening with a friend and not meant to be a romantic dinner. She wanted to wash the smell of work off of her so she could completely relax and figure out what it was that Elliot was up to.

Around five thirty Elliot arrived and started cooking some kind of pasta in her kitchen. Elliot was a wonderful cook. And whatever it was he was making made the apartment smell wonderful. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out two wine glasses sitting them onto the counter.

"What is this?" She asked staring him down.

"I know you said no wine, but I thought one glass with dinner to help you unwind."

Olivia took the glass of red wine from his hand and smiled. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. He was glad to see her starting to relax. This past week had been really hard on her. After Nick was arrested, Olivia had to go to the trial and testify against him. She had to sit in front of a group of total strangers and relive all of the pain and abuse that she went through because of him.

Nick was sentenced to ten years in prison for the second degree murder of her son and another two years for the assault and battery charges against Olivia. But he would be up for parole after just seven years. He lost his license and would never be able to practice medicine again. It was all kind of bittersweet. He went to prison, but not for as long as they had hoped. And something about reliving all of this was really torturing her. She had tried so hard to put it all behind her and was just starting to move on with her life. Then she was forced to face it all again. Elliot was pretty certain this was why she had been so distant lately.

Tonight it was his goal to make her smile again and to help her be happy again. He hated seeing her so down. Elliot placed two plates of the pasta on the table and lit the candle between them. Then he motioned for her to sit down as he pulled the chair out for her.

"I thought this was just going to be a casual dinner?" She asked.

"It is," he replied. "I casually lit the candle and poured you another glass of wine." She laughed a little and he smiled at her. Then he reached across the table and took her hand kissing it. "Just relax, you don't have to have your guard up with me. I am not after anything here. I just want you to loosen up and not be so tense. Unwind a little."

Olivia lifted her glass and placed it to her lips taking a sip of the sweet red wine. She sighed and set the glass back on the table as she took a bite of the pasta.

"What do you think?" Elliot asked.

"It is really good," she replied with a smile. He was so sweet. He had been worried about her so he came over to take care of her. Sometimes she neglected to let him know just how much she appreciated him in her life. And lately, she had all but pushed him out of it. Olivia looked across the table and smiled at him again. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You don't have to thank me for this," he replied.

"Well, for this and for just being here for me, always. Thank you."

"Well, you are welcome my dear," Elliot said reaching for her hand. But Olivia leaned in and kissed his lips instead.

"I know I have been really distant lately. I guess I kind of pushed you away. I was just…"

"It's okay, Liv. You have had a lot to deal with. I understand that. Everything is okay now," Elliot said smiling at her until she smiled back at him.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" She sat up at attention and focused her eyes on his.

"Oh yes," he said looking into her eyes. "Next weekend, is the annual policeman's ball… I always go with Kathy…"

"I never go," Olivia cut him off.

"I know you don't. But I have the tickets already. I was really hoping that maybe you would make this exception and go with me. Liv, come on it would be fun. And it is your birthday."

"Oh God," she exhaled placing her head in her hands. "I was hoping that the entire world would somehow forget about that."

"Not a chance! I have never forgotten your birthday, what makes you think I would start this year?" Elliot looked at her and she seemed almost uncomfortable.

"Elliot, I just don't know if…"

"Liv, it will be fun. We can dress up and dance and everyone else will be there. And I can show you off. I'm sure I'll have the most beautiful date in the place. It will be fun. Kind of like prom. Then there is the after party every year at Cragen's cabin. Liv? Come on? Are you going to make me beg?"

She didn't realize this meant that much to him. What was the big deal? It was a stupid dance they held every year to raise money for the department. Olivia took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "So we're talking dress, tux and limo, right?"

"Yes, you get the dress I will take care of the rest."

"Elliot," she laughed, "I have never seen you like this. I just don't understand what the big deal is."

"I don't know really, it is just fun. We get out away from here and spend a night out relaxing and having fun, everyone, together, nothing to do with work. And we raise money at the same time. Liv, I paid over $300 for these tickets. We can't just let them go to waste. It will be fun, I promise."

"Okay, I'm sure I will have a good time as long as I am with you," she said with a smile.

The next day Olivia went after work to find a dress. She still wasn't sure what the big deal was, but this meant a lot to him so she was going to go and enjoy herself for him. She looked through a hundred different styles until she found one she liked. She tried it on and it fit perfectly. This dress made her feel like a princess. The dress was black chiffon and layered and fell just above her knee. It had spaghetti straps that crossed in the back and kind of floated when she walked. It looked amazing against her tan skin. "This will work," she said to herself as she held her hair up trying to decide how to fix it.

The next several days flew by fast and before she knew it the big night had arrived. She slipped into the dress and her hair and make up were perfect. She slid on a pair of stiletto heels and a pair of dangly chain earrings just before Elliot arrived at her door.

"Wow," he said as she opened the door and he stared at her.

"You are looking pretty sharp yourself," she said as he stepped inside.

He put his arm tight around her and kissed her lips. "I thought I would get that out of the way, I have the feeling I am going to be wanting to kiss you all evening and wont be able to in a crowded room." Olivia smiled.

Elliot poured them a glass of wine as she rushed around the apartment trying to make sure every detail was perfect. "Almost ready," she called to him.

Before long they were seated side by side in the back seat of a limousine.

"Here," he said handing her the tickets to put in her purse.

Elliot held tight to her hand as the long black car pulled up in front of the hotel where the event was being hosted. Waiting in the lobby were Munch, Fin, Cragen and their dates. They stepped out of the car and Elliot proudly escorted her into the building. Olivia felt like Cinderella on the arm of her Prince Charming. As they approached the door to the main ballroom Olivia reached for the tickets.

"Elliot," she said with concern. "Do you have the other ticket?"

"What?" He asked looking at her. "I thought I gave them to you to put in your purse?"

"El," she said smiling nervously, "I only have one ticket."

Cragen and the rest of the group stood at the door waiting for them. Elliot checked the pockets of his jacket and pants, but the ticket was no where to be found. He grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her aside.

"I must have dropped the ticket back at the apartment. You go on in with them, I'll run back and get it. It won't take twenty minutes. I will be right back."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah baby, I will run across town to the apartment grab the ticket and be back before dinner is over." He pulled her around the corner by the hand. "It will be okay, go in and have fun. I will be right back," Elliot kissed her soft lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She watched as he ran back outside to find their limo driver.

Olivia rejoined their group of friends and they all sat around the table in the ball room for the evening meal. She sat distracted wondering how on earth they could have lost that ticket and hoping that he was able to find it. Finally about half an hour later and just in time for the dance to start Elliot returned.

She spent the rest of the evening wrapped in his arms as they danced and enjoyed themselves with their friends. It was so hard for them to hide the way they felt around their friends. Everyone knew he was sweet on her, but no one knew exactly how far their relationship had gone. Before long the dance was over and it was off to the smaller event with about thirty people at Cragen's cabin. Here everyone drank and talked and just hung around each other.

The place got pretty loud after a little while and Olivia walked around looking for a rest room. After about ten minutes of searching she found it. She sat her glass of wine on the counter near the sink and checked her hair and make up. Then she shut off the light and walked back out into the hallway.

"There you are," she heard a voice behind her say.

She smiled and then turned to face Elliot, who leaned in to kiss her. He backed her up against the wall and kissed her passionately.

"El," she whispered. "Everyone is right down the hall." She ran her fingers through his short hair as he kissed her neck and collarbone and then moved back to her lips.

They moved along the wall kissing and touching until they reached the first door then ducked inside and Elliot locked the door behind them. It was an office, dark and quiet. The perfect place for the to be alone for a while. He lead her over to the desk where a dim moonlight shined in between the blinds. Olivia sat her wine glass on the edge of the desk and reached out for him. Elliot lifted her to sit on the edge of the desk and he continued kissing her as he moved his hands over her body, up her back and shoulders.

Olivia tipped her head back allowing him full access to the sensitive skin of her neck and he kissed it. Elliot slid his hand between her knees and under her dress, up the inside of her thigh and past her stockings. She could feel how turned on he was as he pressed his body against hers and kissed her. He continued his hand up under her dress and she moved hers down to unbutton his pants.

She exhaled softly as Elliot slid two of his fingers inside of her. She trembled and held her body close to his. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing and it took everything inside her not to scream out in pleasure. She leaned back and the straps of her dress slid off both shoulders. Elliot placed one hand behind her back as he kissed down her shoulders and across the top of her dress, still moving his fingers gently inside her. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and slid her body up to him. With a quick move he slid off her panties and pushed her skirt further up as he tilted her body back pulling her hips toward him. He was just about to enter her when the office door flew open.

Olivia closed her eyes and fell against his chest. She slid one hand down adjusting her skirt so that neither of them was exposed. Elliot still had his pants up and they were just undone in the front, but in the dark the intruder could see nothing but them sitting there kissing.

"I am so sorry," a drunken woman's voice muttered. "I was looking for the bathroom."

"First door on the left," Olivia said pushing her skirt back down between her legs.

"Thanks," the woman replied and then she was gone again.

Elliot and Olivia just sat there for a moment in the dark. Then they both laughed.

"That was close," he said smiling at her.

"I thought you locked the door," she said softly.

"Apparently the lock is broken. Liv, I'm so sorry," he said buttoning his pants.

"Don't be," she replied as she slid off the desk and picked up her panties off the floor. She looked up at him and they both laughed.

She exhaled deeply and hugged him. And he kissed her as he stared into her eyes. "This will happen," he said confidently. "It is liable to be the event that kills me, but it will happen."

Olivia smiled and kissed him then turned around to put her panties back on before they returned to the party. Not a word was said between them about what almost happened in Cragen's study.