Author's Note: Quotes in the opening scene came directly from the episode "Surrender Benson" and do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them :)
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Chapter 7
"What's that look? Are you feeling sad? Thinkin' about someone you're never gonna see again?"
Olivia looked away, determined not to let Lewis see how his words were affecting her. Now that he mentioned it, Elliot's face refused to leave her mind. She'd give anything to see him again, for him to walk through the door and end this nightmare.
Sadly, she knew Elliot wasn't coming, and she was sure he didn't even know she'd been abducted. Even if her squad was searching for her by now, there was no way they would find her, not here. No one would rescue her out here. If she was getting out of this alive, she would have to save herself.
"Just try to put him out of your mind, ok? Because you don't make it out of here alive."
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Elliot stared at the clock.
7:19.
He brushed his hand over his face, questioning the decision he made to bring Olivia to New Jersey. This third night spent beside her was the worst since her rescue. When she woke up screaming his name the first time, his heart shattered all over again, and as it happened every time she closed her eyes for the rest of the night, it left him questioning if he should've ever come back in her life at all. He wasn't sure if it was the change of scenery, their discussion before bed, or the talk with IAB, but something triggered the worst nightmares and flashbacks he'd ever seen, and it scared him.
If Elliot combined all of the small periods of rest during the entire night, they maybe slept a couple of hours. Sometime after 5am, the nightmares ceased, and Olivia finally fell asleep. Elliot, too high on adrenaline, was unable to go back to sleep, so instead he watched Olivia for awhile. He was glad she was finally resting, and he hoped he could convince her to nap later in day. Olivia shifted next to him, and a section of hair fell over one of her eyes. Elliot cautiously reached over, moving it away from her face.
He didn't like admitting it to himself, but he was reminded of days during their partnership where he watched Olivia sleep in the crib. Even in her sleep, she was stunningly beautiful, and whenever he was sent to wake her, he would always spend just a few moments watching her first. When they were both ordered to get rest, he always waited until she was asleep before he even tried, something about her slumber giving him a unique sense of peace. Although it had been awhile, as he watched her sleep right now, he felt that same peace wash over him.
Elliot looked at the clock again.
7:27.
He reluctantly decided it was time for him to get out of bed. Eli would be up soon, and he wasn't quite ready for his son to see him lying in bed with Olivia. He couldn't resist planting a soft kiss on the top of her head before heading downstairs.
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Olivia woke to an empty space beside her in an unfamiliar bed. For a moment, she felt panic wash over her, before her mind fully woke up. She relaxed as she remembered she was in New Jersey, in Elliot's mother's home.
The night had been horrible. The never-ending nightmare was unlike anything she'd experienced, and while it continued to violently shake her awake, every time she tried to go back to sleep, the dream picked up where it left off. If Elliot hadn't been beside her each time she woke up, she wasn't sure how she would've survived. A part of her was slightly embarrassed that he saw her in such a vulnerable state, but a larger part of her was grateful that if she had to break down the way she did, it was with Elliot. She knew he would take care of her, and he wouldn't judge her for the turmoil raging in her mind.
Olivia slipped out of bed and went in search of Elliot. The scent of coffee welcomed her downstairs, and after breathing in the aroma, she breathed out a sigh of relief upon seeing Elliot at the stove, preparing breakfast. Silently, she watched him, unable to tear her eyes away from the muscles in his back and arms as he worked. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to touch them, to feel their movement beneath her hands. The feeling surprised her, but she couldn't stop herself.
She tiptoed into the kitchen, hoping he hadn't heard her, and worried that if he looked at her, it would break her concentration, and she'd lose her nerve. Since the moment he walked into her hotel room, Elliot had initiated all of their physical contact, not hesitating to put his hands on her, to hold her, and now, for just a moment, she wanted to feel that freedom as well. As she stepped up behind him, she tentatively reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders. She felt him briefly jerk, surprised at the contact, but he immediately relaxed under her touch.
"Good morning," he said softly, a sleepy rasp to his voice that caused her to curl her fingers tighter into his shoulders.
"Good morning," she whispered.
Elliot started turning around, but she pushed his shoulder, forcing him to stay put.
"Don't."
Olivia didn't think she could follow through with what she wanted if Elliot was looking at her. After a brief hesitation, she allowed her hands to slowly travel from his shoulders down his back. Her arms found their way around his waist as she pulled him tight against her, laying her cheek against the back of his shoulder.
"You ok?" he asked.
Olivia nodded against his shoulder. Elliot put his hands over hers and smiled when her fingers separated, allowing his to slip in between. When he tightened his grip, he heard Olivia release a contented sigh. He wasn't sure what was happening, but if holding him like this was helping her in some way, he would let her do this all day.
After a few moments, Elliot removed one of his hands. He immediately felt her tense, and he worried she was feeling rejected. "I'm not telling you to stop what you're doing, but I need one hand to stir the eggs, or breakfast will be ruined."
Olivia nodded again, and he felt her relax. She didn't move from him as he finished their food, and when everything was ready, Elliot lifted his arm over her head as he turned around in her arms. His arms circled her shoulders as he held her close. Before pulling back, he kissed the top of her head. Olivia rose up to finally look at him, and while Elliot was unable to decipher her thoughts, there was still a little bit of turmoil in her eyes, and it hurt him to see it. He knew as her recovery continued, things would probably get worse before they got better, but he wished he had some kind of magic cure that would erase Olivia's pain.
Olivia gave him a small smile as she quietly said, "I'm sorry things got so bad last night, but thank you for taking such good care of me."
Elliot couldn't hold back his own smile. "You're very welcome. I'm happy to do it, and I'm glad you're letting me. I know this is hard for you."
Olivia nodded. "It is. You know that I don't do well being taken care of."
"But you deserve it. So right now, don't think, and just let me help you."
"I will. I don't think I could accept this kind of help from anyone else."
Elliot kissed her head again. "Thank you for saying that. I don't deserve to be the one helping you, but it means a lot. I wish the circumstances were different, but I'm glad to have you here."
"Me too."
As Olivia looked up at him, she felt herself wanting more from him, wanting to be closer to him. She knew it probably wasn't normal to feel this way just days after her trauma, but after so many years of wanting more from him, she didn't know if she was strong enough to fight her feelings any longer.
Elliot immediately recognized the look of desire that came over Olivia's eyes, and as much as he'd dreamed of seeing that look directed at him, he knew she didn't currently have the clarity to make a rational decision about taking the next step with him. As much as he wanted her, the last thing he wanted was to move too fast and for her to regret him later.
When Olivia's eyes drifted to Elliot's lips and she started leaning closer to him, he wanted let himself get lost in his feelings, but before their lips met, Elliot pressed his against her cheek instead.
"Liv, we can't," he whispered against her skin.
"El," she said as her arms tightened their grip around his waist.
"Not yet."
"But I want to."
Elliot gently brushed his nose against hers before his lips moved to her forehead. "Believe me, this is taking every bit of self-control I have to stop this, but we have to stop."
"I thought you wanted this?" she said, and as Elliot looked down into the big brown eyes looking up at him, the struggle to say no became even greater.
He tucked her head under his chin as he held her against his chest. "I do, more than you know. But not like this, Liv. I'm not going to let you do something you might regret later. If we do this, if we decide to explore these feelings between us, I want it to be because it's what you really want, not because you're in pain and wrestling with everything you've been through. When your head clears, when you feel better, if you still want this, I won't stop you. But for now, we'll wait."
Olivia nodded, loosening her arms from his waist and stepping back. "Ok," she said softly.
"Please don't be upset with me."
"I'm not. I'm more upset with myself. I'm sorry, Elliot." She turned away from him, covering her face with her hand for a moment, a little embarrassed by her actions.
Elliot wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him as he spoke softly in her ear. "You have nothing to apologize for, Liv. I want this just as much as you do. We'll have it, too. Just not today."
"Daddy?"
They turned around to see a sleepy Eli, rubbing his eyes as he clutched his blanket. Elliot let go of Olivia to greet his son.
"Good morning buddy."
Eli hugged his dad before walking over to Olivia. "Hold me Livia?" he asked, as he held his hands up to her.
Olivia looked up at Elliot, wanting to grant the little boy's request, but knowing she couldn't pick him up. As Elliot started to intervene, Olivia said, "Eli, let's go to the table. I can't pick you up, but maybe you can sit with me."
When she was seated in a chair, Elliot settled his son in her lap. Olivia helped as Eli tucked himself against her, directing him to the right side of her body, in order to avoid the worst of the burns on the left. The pressure of his little body against her stomach burns hurt a little, but she loved that Eli felt close to her and comfortable enough with her to want to snuggle her first thing in the morning.
Elliot couldn't help but smile at the scene between Olivia and his son. He knew Olivia always felt a special bond to Eli since she was present for his birth, and he loved this new budding friendship between the two of them. He only hoped that as their relationship grew, Eli's relationship with Olivia would continue to grow as well.
Eli insisted on eating his breakfast from his place on Olivia's lap, and although Elliot pushed to remove him, Olivia waved him off, refusing to make the boy move. As they finished their meal, Olivia's phone rang.
Elliot could tell it was someone from the squad, someone he didn't know, so he cleared their plates in order to allow Olivia a bit of privacy for her conversation. He was glad that someone was reaching out to her, and he hoped that whoever it was, was someone with good news, considering the early hour.
He returned to the table when Olivia's phone call was complete. "Everything ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, that was Barba. He asked if he could come out this afternoon, and I told him he could. I hope that's ok."
"Of course it is," Elliot said, reaching across the table and putting his hand on top of hers. "I told you last night that you were welcome to have anyone come over any time. Whatever you need, Liv."
"Thanks El," she said, squeezing his hand.
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After breakfast, Eli requested a movie, and Elliot agreed, hoping a quiet morning would give Olivia time to rest and recover from their rough night. He was pleased when she drifted off to sleep against his shoulder.
Partway through their movie, he managed to shift Olivia's head onto a pillow in his lap. He longed to run his fingers through her shortened hair, but he resisted, now that she'd shared how Lewis couldn't keep his hands out of it.
A part of Elliot still struggled to comprehend everything Olivia had been through. He found himself mostly able to see past the cuts and bruises on her face, but watching her sleep, her injuries seemed to glare at him, taunting him for disappearing from her life.
Olivia was by far the best person he'd ever known. Her strength, her determination, her independence, her intelligence, and even her beauty were beyond anything he'd ever experienced, and although she'd been beaten down, he saw every one of those qualities were still present. He hoped as her healing continued, she'd allow him to remain in her life to watch her grow through this experience.
She shifted against him, and the bottom hem of her shirt rose slightly, revealing one of the bandage-covered wounds. She'd yet to give him the details behind those particular injuries, and Elliot had to force his mind not to spiral into a multitude of scenarios. Hopefully soon, Olivia would be able to confide in him more about her ordeal.
Moments later, Elliot's thoughts were interrupted as Olivia jerked awake, clutching her ribs as she tried to breathe, seemingly plagued by yet another nightmare.
"Shhh," Elliot said softly, as he rubbed gentle circles on her back. "It's ok. You're ok."
Olivia leaned against Elliot as she attempted to regain her breath. Her heart rate sped up even more when Eli rushed over to her. She hadn't wanted Eli to see her in this kind of state, worried the effects of her flashbacks would frighten him.
Eli stood next to her, taking hold of one of her hands and putting his other on her shoulder. "It's ok, Livia. Dad and I will protect you from the bad dreams."
"Thanks Eli," Olivia said, as her breathing began to slow. She was grateful for the care the little boy had shown her from the moment they arrived at the house, and she appreciated seeing so many qualities she loved about Elliot in his son.
After a few more moments of soothing words and touches from the Stabler men, she was feeling much better.
"Do you want to go upstairs and try to nap?" Elliot asked.
Olivia shook her head. "I'm a little afraid to go back to sleep right now. Maybe we could go down to the beach for awhile?"
"Yes!" Eli said excitedly. "Let's go to the beach!"
"Get your shoes on while I grab some water for us," Elliot called after his bouncing son.
Eli rushed back over to the couch, carrying both of their shoes in his hands. He placed Olivia's down in front of her as he sat next to her, putting his own shoes on. "Do you need help, Livia?" he sweetly asked.
"I can do it. Thank you, Eli."
"I can tie shoes now all by myself!"
"I'm very proud of you," Olivia said as Eli's smile beamed up at her.
When Elliot returned to the living room, the trio was ready for their walk on the beach.
When they reached the sand, Elliot clasped Olivia's hand in his, intertwining their fingers. "This ok?" he asked. Olivia nodded, giving him a small smile.
They continued silently walking hand in hand as Eli bounced and flipped around ahead of them. Olivia couldn't hold in a smile as she watched the little boy, so carefree and relaxed. She tried to focus on him as they walked, but there were more people on the beach than the night before, and she could feel nerves creeping in. Everywhere she looked, she caught a glimpse of someone who looked like Lewis, or she heard his voice or someone calling his name. Maybe this little excursion was a bad idea.
Elliot sensed the tension in Olivia's body, as her hand gripped his tighter with every step. He was unsure if it was pain, flashbacks, or something else entirely, but it worried him, especially after the night they had.
"You seem tense all of a sudden Liv. Do we need to head back?"
Olivia nodded. "There's just…a lot of people, and I just…feel like he's going to jump out at me any second."
Elliot released her hand, placing his arm around her shoulders and holding her tight against him. "Then we'll go back. But I promise you, you're safe here with me."
"I know, but I can't shake this feeling. I'm sorry everything is so complicated today."
"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," he said softly as his lips pressed against the side of her head. He yelled for Eli, and as his son joined them, they made their way back to the house.
When they got inside, Olivia watched Elliot stand in front of the living room window, one that overlooked the beach.
"Liv, does looking out the window bother you? Watching the water?" he asked her.
"No, it's just being out there with all of the people that's making me a little nervous."
Elliot surveyed the living room until his eyes landed on an oversized comfy chair. He drug the chair over to the window, situating it where the occupant would have a beautiful view of the ocean. He took out a blanket and a bottle of water before extending his hand to Olivia. She walked over, and with his help, he lowered her into the chair, tucking the bottle of water beside her and covering her with the blanket.
"It's not quite what I think you had in mind earlier, but this is a little more manageable isn't it?" he asked.
"This is great. Thank you Elliot."
He knelt down in front of her, and she couldn't resist cupping his cheek with one of her hands. "Eli and I are going to get some groceries this afternoon when your friend is here, so I'm going to go work on our list. You'll let me know if you need anything?" Elliot asked.
Olivia nodded as her thumb gently brushed back and forth against his cheek. Elliot turned his head, briefly kissing her palm before standing and leaving her alone in her new corner of the living room. Surprisingly, watching the waves was calming for her. A part of her had been nervous that being in another beach house after her ordeal would be triggering for her, but she was feeling the peace that Elliot had described to her, and she hoped that as her body healed from the physical injuries, her mental wounds would also benefit from this new environment. After awhile, she unintentionally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
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Later that afternoon, their quiet day was interrupted by a knock on the door, signaling the arrival of Olivia's friend. Elliot was a little nervous to be thinking about leaving Olivia alone with someone he didn't know, but if she trusted this man enough to allow him to visit, Elliot would try to trust him too.
When Elliot answered the door, he said, "You must be Rafael Barba."
Rafael silently studied him. "You must be Elliot Stabler."
"Nice to meet you," Elliot said, shaking Rafael's hand.
"Yeah, you too," Rafael said, as he continued to try to get a read on Elliot. He'd heard of this man and the damage his abrupt disappearance did to Olivia, and now with this first meeting, he wasn't sure he trusted his friend to get the help she needed with a ghost from her past.
Rafael followed Elliot to the living room, and he was relieved when he finally laid eyes on Olivia. His heart broke a little as he took in her injuries, and he couldn't stop himself from giving her a small hug.
"I know this is a dumb question, considering everything, but how are you feeling, Liv?"
"Exhausted. In some pain. I'd probably be better if I could get more than a couple of hours of sleep. But Elliot and Eli are taking really good care of me," she said, looking up at Elliot.
Elliot sat down on the armrest of the couch closest to Olivia. "Liv, Eli and I are going to go get some groceries and give you two some time. Any special requests?"
Olivia thought for a moment. "Some tea, maybe?"
"Same kind as before?" Elliot asked.
"Yeah. Thanks El."
"Call or text if you think of anything else. We'll be back soon," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "Promise," he whispered in her ear. He looked at Rafael. "You'll stay with her until I get back?"
"Of course," Rafael said.
Eli rushed over and gave Olivia a hug. "Bye Livia. Stay on the couch until we get back."
"Will do, Eli." Olivia said, hugging the boy back.
When Elliot and Eli were gone, Rafael couldn't wait any longer to get his questions answered.
"What on earth was that?" he asked.
"What?" Olivia asked, genuinely confused by his question.
"You're not just playing house with the guy, but you're playing mommy to his son too?" Rafael asked.
Suddenly realizing where his line of questioning was going, Olivia looked away as she pulled her blanket tighter around her.
"Liv, what's going on?" Rafael pressed.
"What do you mean?"
Rafael sighed. "Well, I was very surprised to find out you walked out on Cassidy in the middle of the night, spent the night in a hotel with Amaro, and then ran off to Jersey with Stabler. Are you…ok?"
"Are you trying to judge me right now?" Olivia asked.
"No, I'm just trying to understand the decisions you're making."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Rafael. Elliot is really helping me."
"But is this a good idea? Being here with him? I obviously don't know him, but I've heard of him, and I have to say, this worries me a little bit, Liv. Even more now that I know his kid is here too."
Olivia glared at him. "I told you, I'm fine. Being here…it's good for me."
"Is it?" he questioned, so far unconvinced. "What does Cassidy think about all of this?"
She looked away again before answering the question. "We…aren't together anymore."
"What? Why?"
"He told me if I left town with Elliot, we were over. So I told him that we were over," she said, looking down at her lap as her fingers played with the blanket covering her.
"You broke things off and then left town with Stabler?" Rafael asked.
"Yeah, and?" Olivia asked, growing increasingly annoyed with her friend and beginning to second-guess her decision to allow him to visit.
"So that's it? Stabler walks back into your life and you leave Cassidy in a second?"
Her eyes finally met Rafael's again. "I thought you hated Cassidy."
"Hate…is…a strong word. Do I think he's good for you? No. But do I think you should just up and leave him like this?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Liv, I don't know that you're in the right frame of mind to be making drastic decisions about your future days after enduring what…you endured."
"Well I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."
Rafael knew "fine" wasn't the right word, and he knew he was pushing her into a conversation she wasn't comfortable with, but his concern for her was growing by the minute. "But Stabler left you. Without a word."
"He did."
"So Amaro calls, and he shows back up, and you ride off into the sunset with him? Doesn't he have a wife?"
Olivia sighed, dropping her head back against the couch, growing continually more frustrated by the questions. "Not anymore."
"So…"
"So?"
Rafael put his hand on Olivia's arm, hoping that in spite of his rapid-fire questions, she would see his concern for her. "Liv, what's really going on here?"
Olivia took a deep breath, trying hard to remember why she agreed to let Barba into her little safe haven.
"I don't know. I don't know, but he's here. Rafa, you don't know our history. You don't know…who I was with Elliot. You met me after one of the hardest years of my life. You met the heartbroken, sad, angry Olivia. With him, I could be…just Liv. And now that he's back in my life, and now that I'm here with him, yes I'm still in pain, yes I'm still having nightmares, yes I'm still looking around every corner waiting for Lewis to randomly appear, but when Elliot is next to me, I…feel more like myself than I have in a very long time. He's been the rock that I've needed. He's the only person I feel I can breakdown and fall apart with and know for a fact that I'm not being judged. I know that I can say when I'm not ok, and he won't think any less of me."
"Clearly he meant a lot to you," he said softening his tone as he took in her words.
"He did, he…does. I loved him Rafael. I loved him a lot."
"And you still do?"
Olivia nodded. "Thank kind of thing never really goes away."
Rafael covered his face with his hand for a moment before asking the question he knew may be her breaking point. "But is it possible you're caught up in memories of the past because it feels better than living your truth right now?"
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. But what I do know is that at the end of the day, regardless of whatever caused Elliot to leave, whatever caused him to stay away from me, when I needed him more than I ever have, he dropped everything and came for me."
As she felt tears welling up in her eyes, she knew the conversation was over. She refused to cry in front of him.
"Look, I'm glad you came by, but I really can't talk about this anymore. You should go, Barba," she said dismissively.
"Liv."
"I'm going to try to nap. Thanks for coming by."
Rafael stood up as Olivia did. "I'm not leaving you. I told Stabler I'd stay with you until he gets back. If you need to go to bed, go ahead, but I'm staying here until he's back. I don't make promises that I don't intend to keep."
Olivia opened her mouth, preparing to shower him with angry words, but before she could spew her frustration, she just turned around and made her way to Elliot's room.
Rafael knew he'd upset her, and although he was sorry for that, he knew that no one else in her life would be as blunt with her as he had been. He knew the others would be walking on eggshells around her, trying anything to not upset her or cause any further distress. But someone needed to make her think, and he appointed himself to be that person. He'd let Fin and Amaro know about this conversation, knowing they'd be the ones left to pick up the pieces if Stabler walked out on her again.
Olivia curled up in Elliot's bed, hugging his pillow to her chest, the scent of him bringing her instant comfort, even though Barba's words were ringing in her head.
It wasn't that she needed Elliot, not in a way that indicated she couldn't function without him. The simple truth was that she wanted him. She wanted the help, the comfort, the safety of his presence, not because she couldn't survive this alone, but that she didn't want to. Wanting him wasn't an indication of weakness; if anything, for her, admitting she wanted help was a sign of her trust in him and her strength, a strength that allowed her walls to come down and her vulnerability to show. She could never let her guard down with anyone the way she could with Elliot.
Olivia knew Barba said those things because he was looking out for her. He hadn't intentionally set out to cause her any undue stress or further pain, but Olivia had been looking forward to a visit with her friend, not an interrogation.
As she drifted off to sleep, one question continued nagging her, refusing to leave the forefront of her mind.
"But was he right?"
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Downstairs, Rafael had resumed his spot on the couch, scrolling through emails on his phone when Elliot and Eli returned from their grocery trip. He could see the concern on Elliot's face when Olivia was nowhere in sight.
"Where is she?" Elliot asked.
Rafael stood as he said, "She went upstairs to rest for awhile."
Elliot realized immediately that something was wrong, as a new tension had filled the atmosphere.
"What did you say to her?" he asked.
Rafael shrugged. "Nothing she didn't need to hear."
Elliot found himself invading Rafael's personal space as his anger increased. "Is she upset?"
"She's not happy with me, but someone needed to have an honest conversation with her. Look, I understand you're trying to help her. I'm sure you have a lot of guilt for leaving her the way you did."
"You know nothing about that."
"I wasn't here for it, but I was here a year or so after, and I've heard about it from the people that witnessed the immediate aftermath. I don't know why she's let you back in, but if you hurt her Stabler…you're going to have a lot of people to answer to."
"You're threatening me?" Elliot asked.
Rafael smirked at him. "You bet I am." With that, he picked up his suit jacket and walked out the front door.
Elliot was very surprised at the words from Olivia's ADA. He'd heard nothing about this man, and while he was glad that someone was being protective of her, he hoped that Barba hadn't said anything that would be damaging to Olivia's recovery. He could handle anything thrown at him by the people in Olivia's life, but he wouldn't stand for anyone causing her any setbacks. After instructing Eli to play in his room for awhile, he went up to check on Olivia.
Her eyes fluttered open when she sensed Elliot's presence in the room. A small smile crossed her face when she watched him lie down on the bed next to her, rolling onto his side so they were facing each other.
"Good nap?" he asked.
"Didn't really sleep. Just kind of floated in that in-between space for a little while. But no nightmares, so that's a positive."
"Good," Elliot said, reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear. "I was a little surprised to find you up here instead of downstairs with Barba."
"Yeah, I…couldn't do it anymore," she said quietly.
"What happened? What did he say to you?"
Olivia shook her head. "He's just being protective."
"Liv."
"That's all. It was just…Barba being Barba."
"I can see the wheels turning in your mind," he said, reaching over and gently touching her temple. "What's going on in there?"
Olivia closed her eyes for a few moments, wrestling with whether or not she should tell him what she was thinking, unprepared for the complex conversation it would inevitably trigger.
When her eyes opened, she asked, "El, coming out here with you like this, dropping Brian, leaving everything…am I crazy?"
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Author's Note: Barba fans, don't yell at me! He is one of my absolute favorites, but if you are a writer, you know the characters tell you what THEY want you to write, so the day I wrote his scenes, that's the attitude he showed up with. Don't blame me, blame him :)
Thanks for all of your support on this fic!
