Warning: Language hereunder.
Also, I'm assuming that Liv and Elliot have been together as partners for seven years. I've heard several numbers so I'll just go with 7.
~/~
Elliot was very aware of the fact that Olivia was still in the stationhouse. She had went upstairs to give him some mediocre bit of privacy but wanted to make sure he was okay before she left; for that, he was grateful. He did not have a good feeling about the direction of this conversation.
"What's up, baby?" Elliot asked.
"What's up?" Kathy repeated, her tone somewhat incredulous. "It's one o'clock in the morning. You come in at three and then run back out a few minutes later. I have not heard one fucking word from you all day, Elliot, and you want to know what's up?"
"Kathy-" Elliot began, only to be cut off by his wife.
"No, Elliot!" she said angrily. "There is no reason for you to not call at least once during the day to let us know you are okay!"
"Kathy, we had several hits on this guy and-"
"I don't care, Elliot! Don't you get it? I don't *fucking* care. I'm sick of this bullshit! I'm sick of you coming home late and leaving early. I'm sick of you spending more time with that bitch Olivia than with your own family!"
"Don't bring Olivia into this. Kathy!" Elliot said, unable to stop his voice rising a pitch. He was very aware that Olivia could hear every word he was saying.
"Why, Elliot? Your little whore is the reason our marriage is breaking up!"
"No, Kathy, your pathetic jealousy and refusal to understand my job is what is tearing our family apart."
"So what, I'm supposed to be the mother and father of this family?"
"No, Kathy. You are not supposed to be the mother and the father. I am the provider of this family, though. I will do whatever the fuck it takes in order to make sure that we are financially secure. I want to make sure that Dickie and Lizzie and Kathleen can go to college."
"So you abandon them for 90% of their childhood? That's being a good father?"
"I have not abandoned our children, Kathy, and I do not appreciate you saying that."
"Well, then what the fuck is it, Elliot? What the fuck is it besides not spending time with your damn kids? You are the one who knocked me up three times-"
"Oh, so that's what it comes down to. Our making love and creating four beautiful children is now referred to as 'knocking you up'? That's really low, Kathy."
"Well what the fuck else is it?" Kathy repeated. Elliot winced, for she was screaming at him by now, obviously not caring whether she woke the children or not.
"It's called enjoying the love between two people and satisfying each other's desires, Kathy."
"You never satisfied my needs, Elliot. I was lucky if you lasted a minute!"
"Shut the hell up, Kathy," Elliot said. "Your insecurities have nothing to do with my nature as a man."
"My insecurities?" Kathy challenged. "You-"
"Why the hell did you call me, Kathy?" Elliot interrupted, tired of fighting with her. He knew they had said some nasty things and he hoped all would be better in the morning.
"To tell you not to bother coming home tonight. Or ever."
Elliot paused, surprised. "What the hell does that mean, Kathy?"
"It means I'm kicking you the fuck out. I don't want you near this house again."
"Excuse me, Kathy, but I am the one who pays for the house," Elliot pointed out.
"I don't care. It's either you stay out or I take the kids and stay in a motel. It won't look good for you at the divorce hearing if you kick me and our children out."
Elliot was silent for a moment, then asked, "You're willing to throw away twenty years of marriage because you're jealous?"
"There's more to that, Elliot." Kathy's voice lost all hostility and she suddenly seemed tired.
"Kathy..."
"Good night, Elliot. Please get your stuff out of the house soon."
Elliot heard the click of the phone in his ear and slowly hung up his phone as well. He stared at the item for a few minutes before sensing the presence of Olivia behind him.
"Olivia." He whispered her name.
"Elliot, what happened?" Olivia asked him, standing directly behind him and gently placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Kathy kicked me out," he whispered, closing his eyes and tilting his head back slightly.
Olivia was speechless for a second, then asked softly, "Why?"
"My job, I guess," Elliot replied softly, not wanting to tell Olivia that Kathy was jealous of her, opening his eyes. He looked over his shoulder to Olivia, his tear filled blue eyes meeting her concerned dark chocolate pools. He blinked when he saw the upset nature in her look. Turning away, he looked at the picture on his desk: one that had been on his desk for over seven years. With a quick sweep, he knocked the picture off his desk and to the floor, the glass front shattering the second it hit the ground.
Olivia jumped slightly at the noise, the loudness echoing throughout the empty office. With a sob, Elliot placed his head in his hands, allowing the tears to flow.
"It's okay, Elliot," Olivia soothed, kneeling in front of him. "It's okay," she soothed, unsure of what to say; after all, his marriage of more than twenty years was ending. She took Elliot's right hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. Guiding his body to hers, she pulled him into a small hug with one arm, unsure of how he would react.
She didn't have to wait long to find out. Elliot quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding on tightly, burying his head into the nook of her throat, careful to avoid her broken wrist. Olivia had to act fast to keep from falling at his sudden move. Her back bumped the base of the desk from his swift movement, though not enough to hurt her. She braced herself against the desk, hesitantly reaching up her hand to stroke the base of his neck.
Olivia wasn't sure how long they stood there but after awhile her arm began to ache. She didn't want to say anything, though. He needed someone to hold him right now. Elliot's tears were finally starting to lessen. With a sigh, he looked up and pulled away. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely.
"It's okay, Elliot," Olivia said softly. "I understand."
With a low growl, he flopped back into the chair and sighed. "I need to go to sleep," he muttered, glancing up the stairs to the crib, not wanting to sleep on the hard bed.
"Come home with me," Olivia said, the words leaving her mouth before she had a chance to think.
"Excuse me?" Elliot asked, the slight twinkle reentering his red rimmed eyes for a second. "I've only been booted out for half an hour and already you're making moves at me?"
"You know what I mean, Stabler," Olivia replied, smiling slightly. "You aren't going to get any sleep here. At least come to my apartment. It's warm, it's free, and it beats being here all alone." Seeing the doubtful look on Elliot's face, she insisted, "Come on... it gets boring talking to myself."
Elliot sighed and said, "I guess so, Liv. I promise I'll find a hotel and get out of your hair soon enough."
"Take as long as you need, El," Olivia said softly. "Come on, gather your things so we can go. I have a Chinese food craving."
She turned away to grab her jacket, only to have Elliot grab her hand. She turned in surprise, allowing Elliot to easily pull her back to him. "Thank you. For everything," Elliot said quietly.
"Anytime. You'd do the same for me."
Impulsively, Elliot leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheeks. His lips brushed against the smooth skin for a second before he pulled back and turned away.
Olivia brushed her fingertips against her cheek, blushing with pride.
Their relationship had just become a whole lot more complicated.
~/~
End Part 7.
Also, I'm assuming that Liv and Elliot have been together as partners for seven years. I've heard several numbers so I'll just go with 7.
~/~
Elliot was very aware of the fact that Olivia was still in the stationhouse. She had went upstairs to give him some mediocre bit of privacy but wanted to make sure he was okay before she left; for that, he was grateful. He did not have a good feeling about the direction of this conversation.
"What's up, baby?" Elliot asked.
"What's up?" Kathy repeated, her tone somewhat incredulous. "It's one o'clock in the morning. You come in at three and then run back out a few minutes later. I have not heard one fucking word from you all day, Elliot, and you want to know what's up?"
"Kathy-" Elliot began, only to be cut off by his wife.
"No, Elliot!" she said angrily. "There is no reason for you to not call at least once during the day to let us know you are okay!"
"Kathy, we had several hits on this guy and-"
"I don't care, Elliot! Don't you get it? I don't *fucking* care. I'm sick of this bullshit! I'm sick of you coming home late and leaving early. I'm sick of you spending more time with that bitch Olivia than with your own family!"
"Don't bring Olivia into this. Kathy!" Elliot said, unable to stop his voice rising a pitch. He was very aware that Olivia could hear every word he was saying.
"Why, Elliot? Your little whore is the reason our marriage is breaking up!"
"No, Kathy, your pathetic jealousy and refusal to understand my job is what is tearing our family apart."
"So what, I'm supposed to be the mother and father of this family?"
"No, Kathy. You are not supposed to be the mother and the father. I am the provider of this family, though. I will do whatever the fuck it takes in order to make sure that we are financially secure. I want to make sure that Dickie and Lizzie and Kathleen can go to college."
"So you abandon them for 90% of their childhood? That's being a good father?"
"I have not abandoned our children, Kathy, and I do not appreciate you saying that."
"Well, then what the fuck is it, Elliot? What the fuck is it besides not spending time with your damn kids? You are the one who knocked me up three times-"
"Oh, so that's what it comes down to. Our making love and creating four beautiful children is now referred to as 'knocking you up'? That's really low, Kathy."
"Well what the fuck else is it?" Kathy repeated. Elliot winced, for she was screaming at him by now, obviously not caring whether she woke the children or not.
"It's called enjoying the love between two people and satisfying each other's desires, Kathy."
"You never satisfied my needs, Elliot. I was lucky if you lasted a minute!"
"Shut the hell up, Kathy," Elliot said. "Your insecurities have nothing to do with my nature as a man."
"My insecurities?" Kathy challenged. "You-"
"Why the hell did you call me, Kathy?" Elliot interrupted, tired of fighting with her. He knew they had said some nasty things and he hoped all would be better in the morning.
"To tell you not to bother coming home tonight. Or ever."
Elliot paused, surprised. "What the hell does that mean, Kathy?"
"It means I'm kicking you the fuck out. I don't want you near this house again."
"Excuse me, Kathy, but I am the one who pays for the house," Elliot pointed out.
"I don't care. It's either you stay out or I take the kids and stay in a motel. It won't look good for you at the divorce hearing if you kick me and our children out."
Elliot was silent for a moment, then asked, "You're willing to throw away twenty years of marriage because you're jealous?"
"There's more to that, Elliot." Kathy's voice lost all hostility and she suddenly seemed tired.
"Kathy..."
"Good night, Elliot. Please get your stuff out of the house soon."
Elliot heard the click of the phone in his ear and slowly hung up his phone as well. He stared at the item for a few minutes before sensing the presence of Olivia behind him.
"Olivia." He whispered her name.
"Elliot, what happened?" Olivia asked him, standing directly behind him and gently placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Kathy kicked me out," he whispered, closing his eyes and tilting his head back slightly.
Olivia was speechless for a second, then asked softly, "Why?"
"My job, I guess," Elliot replied softly, not wanting to tell Olivia that Kathy was jealous of her, opening his eyes. He looked over his shoulder to Olivia, his tear filled blue eyes meeting her concerned dark chocolate pools. He blinked when he saw the upset nature in her look. Turning away, he looked at the picture on his desk: one that had been on his desk for over seven years. With a quick sweep, he knocked the picture off his desk and to the floor, the glass front shattering the second it hit the ground.
Olivia jumped slightly at the noise, the loudness echoing throughout the empty office. With a sob, Elliot placed his head in his hands, allowing the tears to flow.
"It's okay, Elliot," Olivia soothed, kneeling in front of him. "It's okay," she soothed, unsure of what to say; after all, his marriage of more than twenty years was ending. She took Elliot's right hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. Guiding his body to hers, she pulled him into a small hug with one arm, unsure of how he would react.
She didn't have to wait long to find out. Elliot quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding on tightly, burying his head into the nook of her throat, careful to avoid her broken wrist. Olivia had to act fast to keep from falling at his sudden move. Her back bumped the base of the desk from his swift movement, though not enough to hurt her. She braced herself against the desk, hesitantly reaching up her hand to stroke the base of his neck.
Olivia wasn't sure how long they stood there but after awhile her arm began to ache. She didn't want to say anything, though. He needed someone to hold him right now. Elliot's tears were finally starting to lessen. With a sigh, he looked up and pulled away. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely.
"It's okay, Elliot," Olivia said softly. "I understand."
With a low growl, he flopped back into the chair and sighed. "I need to go to sleep," he muttered, glancing up the stairs to the crib, not wanting to sleep on the hard bed.
"Come home with me," Olivia said, the words leaving her mouth before she had a chance to think.
"Excuse me?" Elliot asked, the slight twinkle reentering his red rimmed eyes for a second. "I've only been booted out for half an hour and already you're making moves at me?"
"You know what I mean, Stabler," Olivia replied, smiling slightly. "You aren't going to get any sleep here. At least come to my apartment. It's warm, it's free, and it beats being here all alone." Seeing the doubtful look on Elliot's face, she insisted, "Come on... it gets boring talking to myself."
Elliot sighed and said, "I guess so, Liv. I promise I'll find a hotel and get out of your hair soon enough."
"Take as long as you need, El," Olivia said softly. "Come on, gather your things so we can go. I have a Chinese food craving."
She turned away to grab her jacket, only to have Elliot grab her hand. She turned in surprise, allowing Elliot to easily pull her back to him. "Thank you. For everything," Elliot said quietly.
"Anytime. You'd do the same for me."
Impulsively, Elliot leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheeks. His lips brushed against the smooth skin for a second before he pulled back and turned away.
Olivia brushed her fingertips against her cheek, blushing with pride.
Their relationship had just become a whole lot more complicated.
~/~
End Part 7.