How Does it Feel
Chapter Twenty
Disclaimer: ...Well, they don't belong to me, if that's what you're really after.
A/N: Alright, my bad. I realize that Emeril say's "bam". I should've known, with all those toothpaste commercials floating around. Anyway, I'm sorry I got it wrong, please don't bite my head off.
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One Week Later:
He sat down at his old desk with a smile, feeling no discomfort as he did so, which was a very good sign. Glancing across from him at Olivia he noticed that her face too held a smile, it was good to finally be back, without any boundaries. He had met with Cragen earlier that week and the man had given the ok on his return, now he could finally get back to working, instead of answering telephones and doing pile after pile of paperwork.
They only stayed at work for maybe half an hour when they were called away on a case; a teenage girl had been attacked at an ice-skating rink and would have been raped if it hadn't been for the fact her brother had practiced his wrestling moves on her when she was younger. She had managed to escape, but not after the damage had already been done, and the case was eerily familiar to one that had gone cold not even a month prior. The man had run off after the girl had caused him minor physical discomfort so they had their work cut out for them, luckily he had left a part of him behind, the girl had some pretty sharp nails.
Warner ran the DNA from the skin cells through the system; it spit nothing back at them. So, using the description that she had given them they went through their database. After two and a half-hours of searching through MO's and pictures they came across one that fit the profile, Justin R. Lane. He had been the suspect in a previous case, though instead of at an ice-skating rink it was at laser-tag, and he hadn't been convicted for the simple fact that his fiancée had provided a shaky alibi that they couldn't break. The two stories matched perfectly, though the current victims had never been raped.
So, they brought him in for questioning. He gave them a piss-poor alibi; he had been job hunting, although he could not provide any specific locations at which he had gone to. They then had the current victim come in for a line up, it didn't take her ten seconds to point out 'number three' or, more specifically, Justin R. Lane. When the first victim was brought in (her rape had taken place almost a year prior) it took her lest than such, she too picked out Lane. That, Alex said with her normal, professional smirk, was enough to get a warrant for his DNA.
Again, Warner compared the DNA from Lane to the DNA found under Meghan (the victim's) fingernails. When the results came back everybody (sans Lane) was relieved to see that it was a perfect match. When the DNA from the current crime was compared to the earlier crime it too came out as a perfect match; Lane had been the doer for both. Faced with the proof Lane broke; confessed to everything in hopes of getting a reduced sentence.
No deal was offered.
Elliot's first day back on the job ended seven hours after his shift ended; though he didn't mind much. Olivia volunteered to drive home, just in case his stomach had started acting up, but he protested, if he was well enough to work he damn well better be able to drive a car. She smiled at him and handed over the keys, muttering about his male superego having returned.
"I think I found it," he announced as they lay on the couch bed in her living room that night.
"Oh?" she asked, turning on her side to look at him. "Found what?"
"Where we're going to live," he replied as if he had made it obvious with his former statement. "I think that I've found it."
She smiled, resting her in the palm of one of her hands (elbow propped up on the bed). "And where exactly is this house that you have found?"
"Queens," he said, pulling at the covers. "Not that far from where I used to live, only about three blocks; actually."
"Really?" She asked with a little more enthusiasm than she actually felt, she wasn't fond of leaving her apartment so soon, but she said nothing of it. "What's it like?"
His brow furrowed in thought, "...Uh, two story, four bedroom, two and a half bath. Master bedroom is downstairs, along with it's own bath. The other three bedrooms and bathrooms are the only things upstairs. Big kitchen, nice sized living room. Fairly nice backyard, not too big but not so small, either. I think you'll like it, I made an appointment to go and see it, for Saturday." He paused, brushing a stubborn lock of hair out of her eyes, "You want to see it?"
She nodded, pulling the same strand of hair behind her ear. "I'd like to, it sounds wonderful. Just out of curiosity ... how much is it?"
"130,000." He replied, nonchalantly.
She began to chew on her lower lip. "It could be worse," she stated, "it could be a lot worse."
"You're right," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "It could." He glanced at his watch, "It's almost midnight, we should get some sleep."
She nodded, turning so that her back was facing him. His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer, into a spooning position. Within a few minutes both were drifting off to sleep.
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"...Well?" He asked, turning around in the empty room, then stopping to face her. "What do you think?"
A grin stretched across her face, "I think ... it's perfect." Her earlier apprehensions of moving had flown out the window the second they stepped into the beautiful hardwood floored home. "You certainly do know how to pick them," she said, walking up to him.
He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him, "So ... this is it?" He asked, a hopeful expression on his face.
"I think so," she replied excitedly. "Of course, we'll have to bring the kids here, it'll be as much their home as ours."
He nodded, looking down at the floor. Suddenly, his hands dropped from her hips and he went searching through his pockets. When he had found what he had been looking for he looked back up at Olivia, their eyes locked. When she looked back down he held a small, black velvet box in his hands.
"Elliot?" She asked, looking back up at him. "...What? ... I ... is that what...?" She gave up asking and just looked at him with questioning eyes.
The box popped open, revealing a tear-shaped diamond hidden inside. She gasped, her eyes glued to the ring, and felt a shiver travel down her spine.
"Olivia...." He said softly, regaining her attention. Her eyes traveled up to his, dancing with excitement. "Olivia," he said again, stroking her cheek with his free hand. "I know that all of this is a little ... sudden, I mean we haven't even been on an official date yet ... let alone any of the fun stuff." She smile crept across her face and her cheeks flushed, but she didn't break eye contact. "I want you to know that I love you," he continued, "more than I thought was ever possible. And, trust me, if all of this is moving too fast for you I'm willing to slow things down. But ... I feel like this," he glanced down at the ring, "is right." Looking back up at her he smiled, "Olivia, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter how cliché that may sound.... Will you marry me?"
Though she had anticipated the question it still stunned her, leaving her feeling breathless and lightheaded. "I..." she started, her voice coming out thick and scratchy. "Yes," she finally forced out, "of course!"
He breathed out a sigh of relief and without warning picked her up off of the floor, holding on tightly as he spun around. She laughed and demanded that he put her back on the ground, she was beginning to get dizzy. He did so, catching her off guard again with her lips on hers; she made no objections.
When he broke away he took the ring out of its holding place and slipped it on her ring finger, then kissed her again. When they came up for air she threw her arms around his neck again, squealing happily as she examined the ring. It was simple, which just made it all the more beautiful to her; she never had liked gaudy stones. "I love you," she whispered into his ear, holding on tightly. "I love you."
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Two Months Later:
She hung up the last of her shirts and glanced around the large walk-in closet, her things were on the right side and his were on the left, although from the looks of it hers would soon occupy some of the empty space he had left. Looking behind her, out the door of the closet, she saw the two large shoeboxes that had yet to be unpacked. Sighing to herself she slumped out of the closet and towards the boxes, God how she hated unpacking.
A smile spread across her face when she saw him lying on the bed, pretending to be asleep. Holding back her laughter she crawled onto the bed that they would be sharing from that point on, he didn't stir. "Ooh ... he's asleep," she said to herself as she made her way to where he was lying. "I guess I'll just have my way with him, then." A smile spread across his face as she began to unbutton his shirt, but he didn't let on that he was awake.
When the last button was undone she changed positions, straddling his hips. She leaned forward and started a trail of kisses from one side of his jaw till she reached his ear, which she then began to nibble on, knowing that it drove him crazy. Then, he caught her off guard, and wrapped his arms around her waist, flipping her over so that he was hovering above her, a sly grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. She grabbed the loose ends of his shirt and pulled him closer to her, meeting him with a deep kiss.
He pulled away and sat on the bed, re-buttoning his shirt. She pouted and sat up too, running a hand through her hair. "I've still got a lot of unpacking to do," she informed him, tugging at the bottom of her shirt. "Are you finished yet?"
He snorted, "Not even close."
"So ... why the catnap, then?"
"I dunno," he said with a shrug. "It was fun, though, huh?"
She rolled her eyes and slid off of the bed, making her way back to the two large boxes filled with shoes sitting in the middle of the room. "So ... everything besides our room is finished? Right?"
"I doubt that the kids' rooms are even halfway done, but other than that everything is finished." He scooted towards the edge of the bed and let his feet hang off of the side, "I was thinking that you and I could go out to eat tonight."
"What about the kids?" She asked, tearing the tape off of the box and unfolding it. "We're just going to leave them here?"
He shook his head; "I believe Dickie is staying the night with Nathan and Maureen is going to be in town and has decided to take Kathleen and Lizzie to dinner and a movie. So ... we're alone tonight."
She turned to look at him with a smile, "And you want to spend our night alone out ... eating?"
"We could always come back here for dessert," he replied, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
Leaving her box open in the middle of the room she walked back to where he was still sitting on the edge of the bed, and sat down on his lap. "I believe that I like that idea," she said, nibbling on his ear again. He groaned and pulled back, looking at her with amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Now, you know that can only lead to one place," he scolded. "We've still got a lot of work to do and the kids haven't even left yet."
"So?" She said, kissing him deeply. "The door locks."
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A/N: Alright, so maybe this isn't the last chapter. But, it's coming up soon, I'm sure of it. Anyway, thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far, you guys rock!