Chapter 2
Olivia hadn't said two words to him since they'd left the station house.
"C'mon, Liv. I said I'm sorry. I'm also sorry I haven't told you what's been going on. I thought I could take care of everything."
"We should take turns driving. We'll stop in an hour to get food and take a bathroom break. Then I'll take over driving," she said as if he hadn't uttered a word.
"Are you going to be this way the entire drive?" he asked, now beginning to get a little fed up with his partner.
"No," Olivia said reaching over and turning on the radio.
"Fine. You just give me a clue when you're ready to talk like an adult and quit this damn avoidance crap." Figuring that was the last that'd be said for a while, he kept his eyes on the road and his mouth shut.
"I am not one of your kids, Elliot."
"Really? That's good to know because you're acting like one of them."
She turned to him with a complete look of fury on her face. "You seem to think you have this...this duty to save me from myself. I can take care of myself, you know."
Completely stunned, he fired back, "Have I ever, at any time, stated that you couldn't do your job? You know the rules as well as I do. You know two officers are required on transport. Why are you giving me such grief, Liv? I get enough of that at home recently." He stopped a moment to look over at her. "So I want to protect you...I thought that was what partners did? You've got my back, why not the reverse?"
"Because you go overboard. Or have you forgotten the last time you decided that I needed protection?" She looked back at him and he could see the anger in her gaze. She really was spoiling for a fight.
He sighed. Just what he needed. First Kathy had royally gone off on him when he'd called her earlier. Yes, he knew this appointment was important. No, he didn't know about the transport duty until just a few minutes before he called....they'd only just gotten the call from the locals shortly before that. Yes, it'd probably be overnight, he'd try to make it back if at all possible...just don't count on the weather cooperating. Yes, Olivia was going with him...she's his partner, why shouldn't she be the one going? No, neither Munch nor Fin could go. Why? Because they had court. Just thinking about that conversation was giving him a headache.
And now his partner was pissed at him. He just couldn't win with the women in his life today. He snapped back to the present and considered her question. "No, I haven't forgotten. Let's be totally honest here for a moment. Can you actually say that I was wrong to call in a detail? Did you know that Cragen had also placed the same call but mine had come in first? You going to be angry with him for doing so, or is this anger reserved strictly for me?"
"He at least listened when I said I didn't want one. That's more than you did. I don't need you to look out for me, Elliot. I'm not one of your daughters."
"That's not fair."
"Neither is treating me differently than you would Fin or John or Cragen."
"Of course I treat you differently. You're my partner. The other three aren't. Liv, what is this really about? Is it because I do see you as a woman? I try not to on the job. I've seen you take down perps twice your size. Have I ever interfered with you when you are working that way?"
"No," she admitted.
"That's right. I've backed you up when you've taken the lead like that. So where are you going with this? I don't want you and I on opposite sides right now. I can't have you there and I won't. I will keep at you on this trip until you explain to me why it is you feel that I don't respect you as both a detective and as a woman."
The car was silent for the next few miles as they both took a break and listened to the radio.
A few minutes later, Olivia quietly asked, "Elliot, are we friends?"
"Yes, definitely," he answered immediately.
"Best friends?"
Elliot thought for a moment. "Yes," he answered solemnly.
Olivia didn't know where to go next after that answer, so she just settled back into her seat, listened to the music and watched the snow fall just a bit heavier against the windows as they continued north.
*****
Police Department
Stowe, Vermont
5:25 pm
After the long, tension-filled drive, the two detectives finally arrived at the local police department. Exiting the car, they both stood and stretched a bit to relieve the tension in their backs from sitting so long. Looking over the roof of the car, Elliot took note of the quantity of snow that lay piled up in front of the façade of the department. "Too bad we really don't have skis, Liv. Look up there at the mountain," he said, pointing towards what must be part of one of the ski resorts.
She turned and looked. "I will admit that it is absolutely gorgeous. But, unless someone brought battery-powered socks, I'm going inside. C'mon, you can look at the snow later."
Elliot followed her up the steps and through the doors to the warm interior of the main office.
"Hi, folks. Can I help you?" asked the officer sitting behind the first desk they came to.
"Yeah. I'm Detective Benson and this is my partner, Detective Stabler. Your department contacted our SV unit in New York in regards to a suspect you have in custody. Brian Lake."
"Oh, the Sex Crimes unit. Yeah, Chief Gilson said they'd be sending someone up."
"Well, we're here, Officer Ford," Olivia smiled as she caught sight of his name badge. "So, who do we see about the paperwork?"
"That, unfortunately, is a problem. See, before the Chief called your boss, he hadn't checked with the county DA. When he placed that call later, the DA was unwilling to give up our case. He wants to file here in Stowe against Mr. Lake." Seeing the looks of disbelief on the faces before him, he continued quickly. "But, don't worry. Chief Gilson has been over at the DA's office since that call trying to get this all straightened out so you folks can get back on the road southbound."
"With or without the prisoner?" asked Elliot.
"Hopefully with, Detective Stabler. I'd like to get this guy out of my holding cell."
"Gives you the creeps, huh?" Olivia smiled.
"Yes, ma'am. Got four daughters. The farther away this Lake guy is from here, the better I'll feel," said Ford.
"I hear you," she replied. "Well, if that's the case, where could we get a good dinner and coffee? Well, coffee for Elliot," she turned and glanced at him. "Hot chocolate for me." At Elliot's look she said, "Hey, how often do I get near the ski slopes? You have to have hot chocolate when you get up here."
"Mable's is down the road. Best hot chocolate in the area."
Olivia looked over at Elliot expectantly. He sighed, "Oh, all right." Looking up at the officer, he continued, "Guess we'll be down at Mable's, Officer Ford. And from the look on my partner's face, I'm guessing that this little excursion is my treat." A small grin appeared as he looked at Olivia out of the corner of his eye. Phew. I was hoping she'd smile at that one. Maybe she'll lay off for a bit, he thought.
"I'll call you when the chief gets back," said Ford as he held up the card Olivia had given him.
******
"Hot chocolate, a burger and fries. Make them cheese fries and a house salad," Olivia ordered.
"Gee, Liv, hungry? You only snacked about a hundred miles ago," Elliot grinned at her before placing his order of the same. It actually did sound good. Even the hot chocolate.
"Bite me, Elliot," Olivia said with a dark look at her partner before she trained her gaze on the scenery that was viewable from their booth.
Uh oh, still in the doghouse, he thought as he took a sip of water. Aloud he said, "Guess that answers that." At her questioning look, "You're still pissed at me."
"I'm not pissed at you, Elliot," she said while still looking out the window.
"You sure act as if you are."
"Maybe I'm pissed at myself for not asking Cragen to come with me, or waiting for Munch or Fin to be done so one of them could come with me so you could be back in New York with Kathy."
He thought about her words. "I'm your partner, Liv. My place is here. The appointment can be changed."
She sighed. "Our partnership will be there as long as the both of us are still breathing. A marriage, on the other hand..."
"...Is a constantly changing creature, Liv. This isn't the first time we've had difficulties and it probably won't be the last. Please don't worry about it, okay?"
"I just can't make the little voice in my head that keeps saying 'He should be in New York' shut up."
"Well, tell it to talk in one of your other languages then. Everything will be fine. Now, to totally change the subject, I almost wish we didn't have to return tonight. I saw a sign for cross-country ski rentals. That'd be fun. My legs would never forgive me, but you were right earlier. How often do we get out of the city? I know it's been at least seven years since I've skied. We've never taken the kids because it's so expensive for the six of us."
Olivia looked at him as if he'd fallen off his rocker. "Elliot, I'm pretty sure you're already in the dog house for this little day trip. If you decide to stay and have fun, Kathy will throw all of your clothes out on the lawn and change the locks. We get him, we go home. Period."
Elliot sighed. "I know. But even I want to have fun sometimes without the family, Liv. If this had been just a normal run, you know we would be treating this as one of our escapes. It's more than dinner, but it'd be fun and a break for us. And look at it this way, if my best friend was still the guy who was my best friend back in college, Kathy would care less if we did a weekend up on the slopes. She'd actually encourage it because it'd be someone non-police. But, because my best friend is a woman, it's automatically taboo and honestly, that just isn't fair. Yeah, we'll get this guy and go home. But the idea of a fun weekend like that will still be in my head."
"Take Fin," was Olivia's advice as the salads were set down in front of them.
His mouth gaped slightly. "Fin? You want to scare everyone on the hill? His music alone would have them running away." He shook a finger at her. "And don't even think of mentioning Munch. I'd hurt him before the first conspiracy theory about fake snow killing people left his mouth or that the Abominable snowman actually resides in Vermont." He watched a tiny grin appear and disappear rapidly on her face. "Did the words 'best friend' not register in that mass between your ears? That's what would make a trip like that fun." He looked down and dug into his salad.
"Yes, and it would also make a divorce lawyer happy as Kathy sues you for everything you and she have accumulated over the years; including Kathleen, Dickie and Liz."
"Yeah, well..." he muttered the rest of which she couldn't understand. At her raised eyebrow, he said, "Nothing. It was nothing."
"Liar."
He let the conversation wane as the waitress brought the remainder of their meal and they dug in. Elliot looked out the window and thought as he worked through the basket of fries next to him. I'm not lying. I'm just not being totally honest...with myself.
"Elliot, talk to me," said Olivia as she watched the emotions cross his face. She set her burger down and crossed her arms on the table.
"What about, Liv? My marriage?"
"If you want to."
"I'll admit, it's been rocky lately. But, I'll also be the first to say that I do not want to go to these appointments. If I can't talk to a shrink at work about my work, how in the hell am I supposed to talk to one about my marriage?"
"Elliot—" Her cellphone chirped. "Hello? Oh, hello, Officer Ford. Okay, great. We'll be right there." She closed the phone and looked Elliot, who had just finished the last of his sandwich. "Chief Gilson is back and needs to talk to us. Ready?"
"Yeah, but I want another of those hot chocolates. Ford was right, they really are great."
*****