37. Preparation for Court Pt. 1

The remainder of the afternoon at the play centre with Elliot and the twins was very enjoyable. Olivia loved watching Chloe and Elizabeth play together, they just got on so well together. Richard had Chloe in absolute tears of laughter, playing with her favourite stuffed animal, a monkey, and hiding it in different areas of the stroller before making it jump out at her. Olivia almost didn't want to have to separate them all, when it was time to go. Elliot held her hand in his for the entire car ride home, they had spent a lot of time discussing the following week and what it would entail for them. Olivia still didn't completely understand why Elliot wanted to take the day off work to come to the court house with her, but she appreciated the gesture none the less. Elliot had even expressed the interest to come to the next meeting with her lawyer, if she wanted him there. He'd said this as he really meant what he had previously told her, he would be there for her every step of the way through this. Olivia couldn't quite believe how lucky she was that she'd found such an incredible man who was willing to support her all the way through this. She'd really go lucky with Elliot.

Olivia didn't feel ready for what was likely to come over the next week or so and she knew that she would have many sleepless nights because of this. But with Elliot around to help, she knew that things would turn out alright and she wasn't completely alone in all of this. She knew that in the time that remained before the court case and possibly having to let Chloe meet Brian, it was important not to let on to the little girl that things were changing. It was going to be important that they keep the same schedule and that they keep things calm. Olivia knew just how easily Chloe can sense change and the last thing she wanted right now, was for the little girl to get thrown off by the change.

She had a meeting scheduled with her lawyer for Wednesday afternoon and he was apparently going to call her earlier in the week if this meeting with Brian and Chloe was still required. So, Olivia found herself constantly looking at her phone throughout the remainder of the weekend and into the week, almost expecting there to be a call. But by Tuesday, Olivia still hadn't heard anything from Lewis and that made her feel like Chloe wouldn't have to meet Brian and things would be alright. She had spoken with Elliot on Monday afternoon who told her that he had his legal team also looking into the matter, and he'd let her know if they found something. Olivia felt a big sense of comfort knowing two legal teams were working on the case and she was grateful that Elliot had been so eager to help when he could like this.


Tuesday morning had been an early start for Elliot, as he'd received a call from his legal advisor first thing, about Olivia's case. They'd been working tirelessly on the case since he'd first asked for them to do so last Friday but finally managed to find a possible loophole. The order of Protection that Olivia had, meant that she and Brian could not be within 100 yards of each other. So, in the family court case, given that Brian is still in prison, he would have to attend via video link, as he couldn't be in the room with Olivia. But this also meant that there was a complication in term of him meeting Chloe. Olivia was unable to take Chloe to Brian and Chloe was simply too young to be with someone she wasn't familiar with. As far as Elliot was aware, Olivia didn't have any family in town either. So, if there was no one suitable to take Chloe to Brian then the meeting simply couldn't go ahead. Only certain people can have access to meetings with prisoners and only certain people would be able to be with Chloe – and the two types of 'certain people' wouldn't overlap.

Elliot just couldn't help but smile at the news, luck was definitely in his favour today and he just had to deliver this information to Olivia in person. He knew his mother wouldn't object to him dropping the twins off to school today, she would enjoy another sleep in. Them tomorrow afternoon, when Elliot went with Olivia to see her lawyer, Elliot had already arranged for the twins to have play dates with a few friends from school, whilst his mother would spend a day at the spa. Elliot was doing all of this organisation in a hope to avoid having to deal with his mother's questions about what he was getting up to and where he was going all the time. He knew that conversation would have to come at some stage, he couldn't just keep putting it off from his mother, but that conversation didn't have to happen today.

Elliot successfully managed to get the twins out of the door for school earlier than intended, which gave him time to stop at the coffee shop on the way and grab coffee, both for himself and Olivia. He didn't want to turn up empty handed to give Olivia the good news, or at least the news he hoped that she found good, as he certainly did.


Olivia was at school earlier than usual today, partly due to the fact that she'd woken up earlier than usual this morning and hadn't taken Chloe to daycare like usual. The little girl was seeming a little unsettled and under the weather, so Olivia felt it would be better to keep her home with Lucy today, and see how things go. It was clear that this was going to be a big time of change and this would have an impact on Chloe, despite Olivia's attempts to shield that little girl. But being at school early had it's positives, it meant that she could finish up on a few reports that she still had to get done about students in her class, who required extra assistance in their learning. She also had to organise the cover work for her class next week, as she wouldn't be here. Olivia had booked the cover teacher for most of the week, as she really wasn't sure how much time she was going to be able to be in the classroom.

Olivia knew she had to be in court on Thursday and likely wouldn't be in the right head space to teach on Wednesday because of the court case. Then if Chloe was going to have to see Brian on Tuesday, there was no way that Olivia could be in the classroom and focused on her students like she needed to be, with what would be going on. Ideally, Olivia would be at school on Monday and Friday but even then, Friday would simply depend on how Thursday goes, Olivia may not be in the right headspace to teach on Friday.

Olivia knew the school was behind her through all of this though and her supervisor, the deputy principal, had been very supportive in her time off next week. Thankfully, Olivia did have a very good reputation and the school knew she wasn't one to take time off unless she really had to. It didn't make things any easier though.


Olivia had just finished marking the last of her spelling assessments that she had done the previous day, when she saw someone standing in the doorway to her classroom, out of her peripheral vision. She looked up and saw that it was Elliot, which the thought of alone, brought a smile to her face.
"Good morning" Elliot greeted as he made his way into the classroom. He'd been standing in the doorway, just watching her work and he thought she'd looked beautiful so deeply concentrating on something.
"Morning, where are the kids?" Olivia asked, not that she wasn't happy to see Elliot. She just wasn't used to it only being him coming into the classroom – usually he was accompanied by his twins.
"Outside, with their friends. Where's Clara?" Elliot asked as he looked around the room for the other teacher who was normally in the room.
"Not coming in today, she has a day at the university as part of her placement program. It's a kind of catch up day with theory after being in the classroom for a while" Olivia explained.
"Right. Well, this is for you" Elliot said as he handed Olivia a coffee, feeling a little less awkward now he knew Clara wasn't here as he didn't bring her one.
"You're bringing me coffee now? I could get used to this" Olivia teased as she graciously accepted the drink.
"Well…I figured, you're putting up with my daughter all day, and I didn't want to turn up empty handed with good news like this"
"Elizabeth is a delight to teach, and you know that. But I never turn a cup of coffee down and what's this good news you speak of?" Olivia asked, as she took a sip of coffee and Elliot pulled over a chair to next ot her desk. Elliot had managed to get her order just right and she was very impressed by this. Elliot proceeded to tell Olivia the news he had discovered from his lawyers this morning and he couldn't hide the smile at the look of relief that erupted on Olivia's face as she processed the news.

"So, Chloe won't have to see Brian?" Olivia clarified as she processed the news Elliot had given her.
"Nope, according to my legal team, your order of protection prevents that and I'm sure you're lawyer will say the same thing tomorrow. But I knew that as soon as I heard, I just had to tell you" Elliot explained.
"Thank you" Olivia smiled.
"You know you don't need to thank me after everything I do, right?" Elliot asked..
"I know, but it's polite and I'm showing my gratitude for it as not many other men would do what you have done already for me"
"Well…I'm not like other men"
"That's true"
"Now, I have to go but I'll pick you up from here tomorrow afternoon before our meeting with Lewis. My kids have respective play dates as their friends places, so we don't have to worry about them" Elliot said as he stood up and put the chair back at the desk before fixing his suit jacket a little.
"Just…come with me for a moment" Olivia said before guiding Elliot into her storage closet behind her desk and he was confused for a moment. But as soon as Olivia placed her lips over his in a soft kiss, he understood and couldn't help but smile. He refrained from wrapping his arms around her waist but he wanted to. Not in a professional location Elliot reprimanded himself.
"Thank you for the coffee, and the news" Olivia said as they pulled back
"If that's the kind of thank you I get, then….I'm going to start bringing you coffee more often" Elliot smiled as the pair walked towards the door of the classroom.
"I love you, have a good day" Olivia bid Elliot farewell.
"You too" Elliot replied, as he gave her a quick wink before leaving the classroom once more whilst Olivia just shook her head with a smile. She couldn't believe what this man was doing to her.


"Who's the special guy?" and asked as she stood next to Olivia on the playground, waiting for their classes to line up.
"I'm sorry?" Olivia clarified as she looked over to the woman. She was a little taken back by the questions and quickly trying to think on her feet.
"Someone brought you coffee this morning, who was it?" Many clarified. Olivia was not sure quite how she had been caught out like this but she had to think of a response quickly to get out of this situation.
"How do you know that I didn't just pop out and grab a coffee before school started?" Olivia denied.
"I walked past your classroom several times this morning and I've not seen you leave once, yet you had a takeaway coffee cup on your desk and you didn't have that early on. So who's the special guy?" Mandy continued to ask.
"A friend, who was in the neighbourhood, and knew I was at school already so they dropped by and brought me coffee. I had a rough night with Chloe and needed it" Olivia explained.
"Mmhmm, sure. Ok we'll go with that. But if you have parents bringing you coffee – there is a line that has been crossed"
"It wasn't a parent" Olivia lied. Elliot may be a parent but he's also so much more but Olivia wasn't going to let Mandy in on that yet.
"Whatever you say" Mandy teased as she lead her class away for the day, several of her students greeted Olivia in the process as they passed. Olivia had to admit she was a little worried now, had they been found out? Were there signs now that something more serious was happening? She thought that she had been so private with everything to do with Elliot but clearly that wasn't the case if she was getting questioned about coffee now.

Though maybe this was a sign, maybe she and Elliot needed to have a conversation about what the next steps for them were and she needed to think about what the possible consequences of those next steps might be. She knew that no healthy relationship was supposed to be secret all the time, she knew that whilst Elliot had been so understanding of her wanting to keep things on the secret side, she knew there would come a time where that wouldn't work anymore. If Olivia wanted to keep Elliot forever, like she did, then things would have to change. That time might jut becoming sooner rather than later and Olivia knew she would have to work out what ways in things changing she would be comfortable with right now and that they could make work. She didn't want to change too many things with how good things felt with Elliot right now, but she couldn't keep this relationship secret forever.

A/N: Thoughts?
Until Next Time ;)