Olivia rummaged through her paperwork, occasionally looking over her desk at Elliot.
He kept grinning at her, so she kicked him under the desk.
"Behave yourself," she mouthed. She went back to her paperwork, filling out the requisite forms.
When she looked up the next time at Elliot, he wasn't smiling. He seemed frozen to the spot. "El?"
"Kathy!"
Olivia's eyes widened. She wasn't sure if she dared to turn her seat around.
"So, you finally got your claws into him."
Shit.
Olivia slowly stood up. "Kathy."
Kathy frowned at her husband. "You didn't even have the guts to tell me that you had an affair! That you were back here playing happy families."
Munch and Fin looked on from the other table. Munch could see Olivia was getting upset, and he frowned, wanting to take her out of the room. Fin was prepared to go and bat for his friends, should any trouble arise.
"Kathy, can we talk about this somewhere else?" Elliot asked, also getting up from his chair.
"No, Elliot, we can't. Your daughter had the guts to tell me that you were a dad again."
As the arguing rose to a higher crescendo, Cragen came out of his office.
Everyone froze.
"Mrs. Stabler, this is our place of business. If you want to argue with Elliot, please have the courtesy to do so somewhere else." He looked at Elliot and Olivia. "As for you two, you should know better."
Olivia sat silently at her desk. Elliot and Kathy were outside, and God knows she didn't want to know what was going on there.
That feeling of guilt and shame had crept up again with Kathy's arrival. She had slept with a married man.
"Don't."
Olivia turned around to see Munch hovering by her.
She blinked. "Don't what?"
"Don't regret anything that's happened between you and Elliot."
"John."
"It's taken you so long to get here. Don't let one setback ruin what you two have. And I don't just mean the twins."
Olivia paused but finally nodded. "I won't."
"This isn't the place, Kathy. Couldn't this have waited until I got home?" Elliot asked.
"Whose home?"
Elliot frowned. "Why are you here, Kathy? It's not time for the kids to leave yet."
"Kathleen called me when she first arrived here. She was hysterical, saying Daddy has two new children." Kathy folded her arms. "She was very upset."
"I think you'll find that her attitude has changed," Elliot replied. "And if you were so worried, what took you so long to get here?"
Kathy frowned. "I was on a holiday with Tom, as you well know."
"Of course, the friendly moron. Is he here?"
She scowled. "Yes, he's in New York with me."
"Elliot?" Olivia came outside, pausing when she realized Kathy was still there. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to Elliot. "Elliot, we have to go. Job."
"Olivia."
Olivia turned around to Kathy and nodded. "Kathy."
Quick as a flash Kathy's hand shot out and slapped Olivia across the cheek.
Olivia jumped in shock.
"Kathy!" Elliot cried, about to berate her.
"Don't," Olivia said, putting her hand on his arm. "Don't. I deserved that."
She turned and went back into the squad room.
"Jesus, Olivia! What happened?" Munch got up, seeing the red mark on Olivia's cheek.
"Nothing," Olivia replied, turning away.
Munch turned her to face him, his hand tilting her face. "That is not nothing."
"Double negative," she murmured weakly.
"Who did this to you?"
Fin came in and seeing the damage, went away to get some ice, which he quickly brought back.
"Here, put this on."
"Thanks, Fin," Olivia replied gratefully, pressing it against the mark. She winced slightly.
"Now will you tell me who did this to you?"
Olivia sighed. "I had it coming."
"Kathy Stabler?" Munch asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Benson, why are you still here? I thought you and Stabler had...What the hell happened?" Cragen asked, coming out into the squad room.
"Kathy Stabler slapped her," Fin reported.
Olivia let out a small noise of exasperation. "I'm fine. I'm just waiting for Elliot and then we'll go."
Cragen lifted up the ice and frowned. "That doesn't look so fine to me. In fact, it looks painful." He turned to Munch and Fin. "You two take the call." He turned back to Olivia. "Keep the ice on that. When your partner comes in, I want to see you both in my office."
Olivia cursed under her breath as Fin and Munch left.
A few minutes later, Elliot returned. He saw her with the icepack and immediately went to her.
"Liv."
"Don't," she murmured, putting a hand up. "Not here. And Cragen wants to see us."
A little hurt, Elliot took his hand away. "After you."
"Anyone want to clue me in on what the hell is going on?" Cragen asked.
"Personal thing, Captain. It won't happen again," Elliot replied.
"Personal thing isn't going to cut it this time, Elliot. Not when your partner is sitting there with an icepack on her cheek. And don't tell me you're fine," Cragen said, when he saw Olivia open her mouth.
Elliot looked at his hands and then back up at his Captain. "I want a transfer."
"No."
Both Elliot and Olivia looked up at him.
"Captain?"
"I said no. At least not yet." Cragen leaned back in his chair. "I don't want another incident like today ever happening again. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good." He gestured to the door, indicating it was alright for them to leave.
As soon as they got outside, Elliot tried to go to Olivia again, wanting to look at her cheek.
"I'm fine," she murmured.
"That's not fine, Liv."
"It doesn't even hurt anymore."
Elliot put his hand to it and Olivia winced, pulling away.
"Don't lie to me."
"Elliot." She sighed. "Just...leave me alone for a little while. Please."
"Mommy!" came Caroline's cry, as Olivia unlocked the door to her apartment.
Olivia smiled and knelt down, waiting for the inevitable tornado that was her daughter. But it never came.
"Mommy hurt!" Caroline said, reaching out and letting her hand softly touch the red mark on Olivia's cheek.
"Mommy needs a hug," Olivia told her, holding out her arms.
Caroline obliged, wrapping her arms around her mother.
"Where's Andrew?" Olivia asked, picking up her daughter.
"Kitchen. With Mauween." Caroline peeked over her mother's shoulder. "Where Daddy?"
"Daddy's at his house tonight," Olivia replied.
"Why?"
Olivia put a hand to her head. She was getting a headache. "Because."
"Hi, Mommy!" Andrew said, waving from the table where he was eating some apple. His eyes narrowed when he saw her cheek. "Hurt!
"Mommy has owie," Caroline explained.
Maureen looked at Olivia. "Jeez! What happened!?"
"Slight altercation at work. Nothing major." Olivia set her daughter down on a chair. "I'm just going to take a shower. Can you watch the twins for a little longer?"
Maureen nodded. "No problem. Uh, is Dad here?"
Olivia shook her head. "No. He's with your brother and sisters. And your mother too I guess."
Maureen's eyes almost fell out of her head. "Mom's here?"
"There silly!" Andrew giggled, pointing at Olivia.
Olivia nodded at Maureen. "Yeah, she's here. I'll just be in the shower. If the phone rings, I'm not here."
Olivia let the steaming hot water stream down over her body. Part of her wished it would wash the day away.
She was still confused over what had transpired in Captain Cragen's office.
The main thing that worried her was that his 'no' meant that he wanted the relationship ended.
And now Kathy was back. She absent-mindedly touched her cheek where the other woman's hand had left an imprint and she winced.
It still hurt. Everything still hurt.
Kathleen looked up at her father. "You're mad."
"Not at you," Elliot explained.
"At mom?"
Elliot nodded. "She did something she shouldn't have."
"Like what?" Dickie asked.
"Just something."
"I didn't know she'd come," Kathleen replied. "Actually, I didn't think she'd come."
"It's not your fault," Elliot assured her.
"Where are Olivia, Maureen and the twins?" Lizzie asked.
"At Olivia's apartment."
"You guys still haven't shown us the new house you liked," Lizzie reminded him.
Elliot nodded. "I know."
"Are you and Olivia going to break up?" Kathleen asked quietly.
"No."
"Good."
Elliot looked up at her, surprised. He finally nodded. "Your mom and I have some things to work out. So do Olivia and I."
"Then can we move?" Dickie asked. "Cause I swear that ceiling is gonna collapse in the bathroom."
"Then we'll move," Elliot said firmly.
Olivia came out to find Maureen sitting on her bed. "Can I help you?"
"The twins are watching Rugrats. I swear that's where they get half their ideas from."
Olivia's lips curved into a small smile. "That wouldn't surprise me."
"Who hit you, Liv?" Maureen took a deep breath. "Was it Dad?"
Olivia's eyes widened. "No! God, no, Maureen. Your father would never do anything like that."
Maureen let out the breath. "I didn't think so. Who was it then?"
Olivia sighed. "Maureen."
"Please?"
"Your mother," Olivia mumbled.
"Mom hit you!?"
"Well, more like slapped but." Olivia put up her hand to stop Maureen's questions. "Don't. This is something between your mother and your father and me. I deserved it."
Maureen's eyes darkened. "No one deserves to be slapped."
"Everything will be fine," Olivia assured her. "Some things need to be worked out, but it'll be fine."
"Wouldn't they be better if you talked to dad?"
"No," Olivia said, shaking her head. 'Not at the moment."
"Elliot."
"Kathy."
"I'm here to see my kids."
Elliot leant in the doorway. "Guys! Your mother is here."
Dickie walked past, on his way to the kitchen. "Hi, mom."
Kathy arched an eyebrow. "What's gotten into him?"
"Maureen came home last night."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"She had some things to share."
Kathy frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Really," Elliot growled. "Apart from the fact that Olivia has a handprint on her cheek?"
"She deserved it. She even said she did."
"She did not deserve that," Elliot said. "If anyone did, it was me. It was my choice too."
The elevator door opened, revealing Maureen and the twins.
"DADDY!" Andrew cried, racing across to him.
"Hey, Andy," Elliot said, picking him up. He turned to Maureen. "What's going on?"
Maureen shifted Caroline to her other hip. "Olivia said she needed some time alone. I said I could take them to the park with Lizzie, Dickie and Kathleen."
"DICKIE!" Andrew cried out, looking over Elliot's shoulder.
"Hey," Dickie grinned, coming over to the little boy.
"Go to park!" Andrew decided.
"In a minute, buddy," Elliot told him. He put the little boy down, letting him run into see his brother.
Maureen looked between her parents. "Uh...Caroline and I are going to see what Lizzie and Kathleen are doing."
"That's them," Kathy murmured.
"That's them."
She shifted on her feet. "I take the kids back soon."
"I'm surprised you let them stay a little longer." Elliot folded his arms. "Tom's idea?"
"Don't start."
"What did you want, Kathy?"
"Just to see if they wanted to go out today."
"It's up to them. Although I think they're going to the park. Maureen said something last night about a movie night." Elliot moved back inside for a moment. "Maureen?"
"Yeah, dad?" Maureen asked, coming out.
"I'll be back, okay? I want to go check on someone."
Maureen smiled slightly. "Sure Dad."
"Bye Kathy," Elliot said quickly, before there could be any argument.
TBC