51. Spending the night

Olivia was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Elliot was next to her, sleeping on his right side, his left arm slung protectively - or was it possessively? - over her stomach. It didn't really matter. He could be protective as well as possessive of her. It made her feel young and desirable again. Her drive to be independent had mellowed over the years and she wasn't afraid to acknowledge anymore that she enjoyed belonging with someone.

They were both still naked. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept naked and smiled in the dark. They had napped a little that afternoon after their first time, and when they had gotten hungry, they had gone out to get some takeout and had gone to her place. She had wanted to be alone with him a little longer, and Catherine would come home eventually. Elliot was the first man she had let stay over for as long as she'd had this apartment. And it felt right.

She turned her head to look at him. She couldn't see him clearly in the dark but it was as if she could sense him without seeing. She knew what he looked like when he was asleep. She'd seen him sleep countless times, either sitting up in a car, hanging in a chair or when they'd crash in the cribs. They had both changed in a lot of ways, but in some ways they hadn't. He was still the same man. Strong. Responsible. Dependable. Handsome. She grinned at herself. Yeah, he was still handsome at 68. It wasn't fair how men just got more attractive over time while women had to go to extreme lengths to slow down the decay for as long as possible. She had always taken good care of her skin and still dyed her hair but time had been good to her too. Elliot had told her that several times that day.

Making love to Elliot was almost indescribable. It was totally new and at the same time, they knew each other completely. Everything clicked, even when they were clumsy or cramped up and needed to change positions. She loved to laugh with him and laugh at themselves. It made her feel even closer to him. She chuckled softly, not wanting to wake Elliot just yet. It would be light soon but she wanted to enjoy the quiet for a little while longer. To process and wallow a bit in their newfound happiness.

She had wondered what would be left between them without the rush of the job. She was still adjusting to retirement even after several years, but just breathing and living in the moment was becoming a lot easier now that she and Elliot had made up at last. The biggest thing that they had left between them, was that they truly knew each other. They knew the parts of each other that nobody else knew. She had longed for someone knowing her like that. Knowing her like Elliot had. And no one else had come close. She knew she hadn't let them get closer. She had had several suitors. She thought of Ed Tucker, who she knew would have wanted to marry her. But she had freaked out at the thought of retirement at the time. She and Ed had never wanted the same things in life at the same time and in the end, she'd only hooked up with him because he was familiar; not because they fit. She had been done looking for a new man in her life and had responded to the advances of someone she'd already known. It had been doomed from the start and she regretted hurting Ed the way she had. He'd taken it well though and she appreciated that he'd kept in touch. She actually missed him a little now that he was gone.

Elliot stirred beside her and she held her breath. Was he waking up?

He moved his arm and it was as if he suddenly realized he wasn't alone. His breath hitched and she knew he was waking up.

"Hey you," she whispered and she heard Elliot breathe out.

"Hey you," Elliot whispered back.

"Fancy meeting you here," she joked and she knew he was grinning now.

"I need to use the bathroom. Old man's issues," Elliot replied unromantically and Olivia chuckled.

"Go, old man. Before you wet my bed."

Elliot huffed and hoisted himself up into a sitting position. He groaned and supported his back as he stood. Olivia could make out his naked form in the dark, because it was getting lighter outside already, and bit her lip. Even at his age, the man's butt was a vision. She turned on her side and pulled the blanket over her shoulder, knowing she'd need her own trip to the bathroom as soon as he'd return.

Elliot had brushed his teeth after using the bathroom and smiled when he smelled toothpaste on Olivia's breath as well when she got back into bed. He'd slept like a baby in her bed and he felt happy and light and young again. Olivia's skin had cooled off and he wrapped her up in his arms, warming her with his body. Olivia moved her right hand to his back and started drawing invisible patterns on his skin, her lips skimming the nook of his neck. On of her legs was resting between his legs and she rubbed her thigh against his. He felt his body starting to respond to her again. He couldn't remember a time where he'd gone three rounds within 24 hours and it was even more incredible that it was happening now, while they were in their sixties. But on the other hand, it made complete sense because this was Olivia. He wondered how old they would need to get to ever not respond to each other. They had been gentle and tentative the first time at his place, but when they had rolled into her bed that evening, Olivia had been more confident already. He'd seen a determined passion in her eyes that had reminded him of when she'd been his partner on the job. And now, she seemed to be taking the lead, tapping into her seductive side. He wondered what would happen if he took over from her, and before he could worry about any old reflexes kicking in, he propped himself up on one elbow and rolled Olivia on her back. The early morning light was beginning to chase away the darkness in the room, but he still couldn't make out the look in her eyes when Olivia looked up at him. He moved one hand over her chest and felt her taking a few deep breaths. When he leaned in to kiss her, she wrapped a hand around his neck instantly and pulled him down. He groaned and moved a hand over her breast. Olivia moaned too and deepened the kiss while arching her back a little. Elliot moved again and felt her make room for him between her legs as he moved over her. He broke off their kiss and whispered,

"You're so amazing."

He grinned when she wrapped her arms around his neck, wiggled her hips and told him,

"Stop talking."

She didn't need to tell him twice and he leaned down to kiss her deeply again while her hands roamed his body and her movements spurred him on. He wasn't going to wonder who was really in charge. They had always been equals and they wouldn't be any different in their sex life. He closed his eyes as he let his lips travel across more of her body and the realization hit him again that he and Olivia now actually had a sex life. Sometimes he didn't know whether to laugh out loud or cry softly that he'd been blessed with this second chance after all these years. He channeled all his emotions into their lovemaking and when he looked into Olivia's eyes, he knew that she was feeling the same things as they expressed their love for each other with their bodies.

They fell asleep contently after making love and didn't wake up until hours later, still wrapped up in each others' arms.

Sarah felt like she was starting to adjust again. She'd been sleeping better and had had a few nights without any nightmares or disturbing dreams already. Having Jen by her side at all times was a huge help. Jen had crawled into bed with her a few times after she had woken up in a cold sweat and she knew she was blessed to have her best friend as a roommate. Jen and Tyler had really hit it off, but Jen always made sure Sarah would be okay before making time for her new boyfriend. They studied together for the classes they shared and Sarah was managing to focus on school again for the most part.

After waking up that Wednesday morning, her thoughts had drifted to Melinda's birthday party and she was actually looking forward to it. She had gotten up to go through her clothes, trying to decide what to wear to her first party after the assault. She knew there would be a lot of old people there, but she always wanted to look nice in a crowd. She looked all over for a specific colorful dress and frowned when she found it near the bottom of her laundry basket. It smelled of dirty socks.

Jen had already left, having an early class. Sarah didn't have to be in class for another few hours and so she decided to head over to her mom's place to ask her if she'd wash her dress for her. The party was in two days so there was just enough time to wash and dry the it. Her mom was an expert at washing delicate fabrics by hand. She'd told her once that it had been therapeutic for her and that washing by hand had actually helped her channel her emotions and learn how to control them again, so she wouldn't cause any damage by letting herself go at the wrong time. Sarah was always too rough and knew she'd destroy the dress if she tried it herself. She sent her mother a quick text and then stuffed the dress into a plastic bag and left the dorm.

The sun was out already and Sarah sighed once she was outside. She wanted to feel like her old self again and tried to enjoy the moment when the sun warmed her face. When an older man grinned at her, she walked a little faster. She still felt a little threatened sometimes, knowing first hand now how nice and innocent-looking men could turn out to be violent after all. Maybe she should spend some of her savings on a motorscooter so she wouldn't be dependent on public transport anymore. She pulled her long grey cardigan a little tighter around herself and forged ahead. She could do this.

When she arrived home and opened the door with her key, she was surprised not to find her mother in the living area or the kitchen.

"Mom?" she called out, and then she spotted some of her mother's clothes on the floor in front of the sofa.

She frowned and picked up a few pieces of clothing to throw them into the laundry bin in the bathroom. She grabbed what she thought was a blouse, but when she held it up, she realized it was a dress shirt. A man's dress shirt …

"Mom?!" she called out a little louder. "Are you home?"

"It's Sarah!"

Olivia had shot up in bed, clutching the sheet to her chest. She looked at Elliot with wide eyes and punched him in the shoulder when he just grinned triumphantly at her.

"What?" he said innocently. "It's gonna come out anyway."

"I don't want my daughter to know we … shit."

"She's gonna know Liv," Elliot said. "Better get it over with right away."

He got out of bed to find his boxer shorts and jeans, and Olivia bit her lip when she watched his muscles move. She snapped out of it when Elliot chuckled and jumped out of bed as well, to grab her robe.

Sarah called out again and she hurried to the bedroom door while tying the sash of her robe.

"I'm here honey!" she called out, just to make sure Sarah wouldn't come into her room.

She gave Elliot a warning glare before opening the door just far enough so she could slip out, and closed it behind her.

"Mom, you scared me," her daughter sighed. "Are you sick?"

Olivia swallowed when she saw that Sarah was carrying the shirt she'd pulled off of Elliot's body the night before.

She met Sarah's eyes then but Sarah was looking at something behind her, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She didn't need to look behind her to know what her daughter was looking at. Or rather, who. She should have known better than to think Elliot would let her hide him in her bedroom and she hung her head.

...

Uh oh … busted!