Chapter Eighteen
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
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A week and a half after Chris moved to Pennsylvania a manila folder arrived with her mail, containing three documents. The first was signed divorce papers, the second his parental rights signed over, and the third was a bank statement informing her of the trust funds that had been opened in her daughters names. All the money that Chris had been saving for the girls over the years had been put away until either they went off to college or their 21st birthday, from what the letter said he would continue to deposit money regularly. Along with child support, her income, and now the trust fund Olivia wouldn't have to worry about the girl's education.
He called a few times, she let him talk with the girls briefly, but at the end of that week and a half they came to a mutual agreement that until they were both old enough to understand what had gone on between their parents the phone calls would be kept to a minimum. Olivia didn't want them wondering why they never got to see their father anymore, even though he was just a phone call away, they were still so young. They didn't understand that he really was gone.
Things at work got easier when the divorce was final. No longer did she receive sympathy looks from other female officers while walking through the precinct. Though, as with everything, there was a downfall. Now when she passed the single (and even a few of the married) officers they weren't as subtle when it came to sizing her up, it was taking a lot of her energy to keep from breaking every single one of their noses. Once, when she had been walking with Elliot, a passing uniform, Kingsley was his name, whistled at her. The look on the poor guy's face when Elliot backed him against the nearest wall was priceless, his eyes grew large and his face turned ashen.
"Sorry man," he apologized when Elliot had finished chewing him out. "I didn't realize she was taken so quickly."
Olivia was about to interject with a statement about how she was not 'taken' by anybody because she was not property on e-bay, there was no auction on her, when Elliot threw his own argument back at the younger man.
"Well now you do," he growled. "Leave her alone," he warned, "let your friends know, too."
"Yes sir," Kingsley whimpered before running off. When Elliot turned back to Olivia her arms were folded across her chest and anger was dancing in her eyes, how dare he?
"Elliot Stabler," she growled much like he had done only seconds before. "I don't know how in the world you would think that could possibly help any, to tell you the truth I don't want to know. But I can solve my own problems, thank you, I don't need your help on everything." Taking a threatening step towards him she continued, "Furthermore, instead of helping me out you just screwed things even worse than they already were. You know what's going to happen when what you just said gets to Cragen? He'll separate us; no doubt one of us will be working with Fin and the other with Munch. Do you want that?" She didn't wait for an answer, "I don't. And how dare you decide that I needed your protecting? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, if you ever thought otherwise. I don't need Super Stabler running to my rescue every time a man makes a pass at me. I learned how to deal with it long before I met you."
During the whole berating Elliot stayed quiet, a grin stuck on his face.
"What the hell do you think you're smiling about?" She asked, "I'm pissed at you."
"I can see that," he replied with a chuckle. "You're just really sexy when you're angry."
"Ugh!" Frustrated and highly peeved Olivia walked off, prepared for damage control. Thanks to Elliot's male superego she had a lot of mess to clean up. "Men," she grumbled to herself, pushing through a mass of uniforms, "are idiots."
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He had been trying to help, really he had, and no matter how idiotic the way had been his efforts were genuine. All he had wanted was for her to have some peace while she walked down the hallway, instead of being hit on every five seconds. They worked in an SVU, for crying out loud, you would think that the men on such a unit would have more respect for women, more couth and more maturity. But no, the second a pretty lady walks by they revert back to their natural dog-like form, tongues hanging out of their mouths, tails wagging. Had he ever been like that? -- He hoped not.
The 'sexy when you're angry' joke had only been his method of cooling things down, obviously she hadn't gotten the hint and thought that he was just being an ass like the rest of them. Truthfully, he had always thought that she looked great when she was pissed, though he had never voiced those opinions before because of the fact she was already married, and that he knew she could kick his ass if she wanted to. But, when he had said that he wasn't trying to make her mad, he just wanted her to smile. Looked like that plan had backfired, in a very, very bad way.
"Stabler you screw up," he muttered to himself as he ran off after her, in hopes of calming her down before she went off on some innocent bystander. Spotting her pushing her way through a throng of uniformed cops he sped up, catching her by the arm. She turned around with an icy glare, defenses on high. When she saw that it was him her look did not soften any, which worried him.
"'Liv," he began, using his pet name for her on purpose. "I was just joking with you. Come on, don't be mad."
"Oh, I'm not mad," she hissed, a smile that told him to back off spreading across her face. "I'm way pass mad." Pulling her arm out of his grasp she turned and began to walk away, he followed after inconspicuously, making sure he was a good ten feet behind. He didn't fool her and he knew it, but for now he was going to keep his distance. She was not a happy camper.
When she slumped down at her desk and began to rummage through the stacks of paperwork he eased into his own chair, across from hers, and sat back; his eyes fixed on her. It didn't take her long to realize that he was watching her but she didn't let on that she knew, instead she kept on with her work, writing furiously and grumbling incoherently to herself. After doing so for a good ten minutes she had enough, threw down her pen, and stared back at him.
"What?" She demanded, her voice sharp and irritated.
"This can't be the only thing bothering you," he said, "what's wrong?"
"I'm 'taken'?" She spit out, "What the hell?!" She sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest; "I'm not a piece of property in your possession. If you have forgotten I'm not just your girlfriend, you'll be lucky if I'm even that now, I'm also your partner, your friend, a mother, and fully capable of kicking your ass. So the next time you think about 'defending' me, make sure that while doing so you don't do something stupid." Pausing, she waited for his reply, her usually soft, brown eyes harsh and directed at him.
"I really thought it would help," he confessed. "It was a stupid thing to do, I know that now." Sighing, he shrugged. "I should probably start to think before I speak."
"Ya think?" She asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Elliot, I'm not just mad at your for what you said and how you said it, but I'm mad that you didn't even give me the opportunity to defend myself. Had you given me said chance you would have seen that my way might have been a little more effective."
"What did you plan on saying?"
"Fuck off," she shrugged, "something along those lines. I wouldn't have threatened the guy and told him about our inter-office relations, but I would have let him know he needed to back off."
"And you think that would have worked?" He asked her, his right eyebrow climbing up his forehead.
"Yes I think it would have, it seemed to work every other time I did so."
"Wait - How many other times have you had to do so?" His eyes darted around the room, sizing up the other officers and looking for potential victims. "Who else has made a pass at you?"
"Why, so you can threaten them, too?" She asked, disbelief palpable in her voice. "I can't believe how you're acting, Elliot. Did you not hear me when I told you that I don't need your protection, I'm a big girl, I can watch out for myself when it comes to this sort of thing?"
"I heard you," he assured her, "that doesn't mean I'm not going to warn them away."
"Why do I even bother?" She asked herself, shaking her head. Still mumbling she added, "It's no use," and then went back to her paperwork. Successfully ignoring him for nearly the rest of the workday.
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There were only fifteen minutes left on the clock when Cragen came out of his office and beckoned. "Stabler," his voice billowed over the bullpen, "Benson, my office - Now."
Olivia shot Elliot an evil look before getting up from their chairs and making their way to his office. Olivia made sure to stay at least five paces ahead of Elliot, hoping that what the captain had to talk about did not involve Elliot's previous stunt. Her efforts were in vain, she knew, what else would there be to talk about with only fifteen minutes left to go? Unless it was a particularly bad case that needed their immediate attention. She was thankful that she didn't even consider wishing for the latter rather than the former.
"Sit down," he instructed them, an annoyed look on his face. "We need to talk."
"Sir," she began immediately. "I can expl--"
"Sit, detective," he boomed. Olivia obeyed and in a rush sat down, glancing over at Elliot as she did so.
"I am not happy with you two," he informed them. "You have a lot to own up for, and I suggest that you be completely honest with me."
"Yes sir," they both replied simultaneously.
"Good," Cragen sighed. "I got a rather ... interesting visit from a uniformed police officer earlier today, and I contemplated whether I should even question you on the content of our conversation." He paused, taking his own seat. "This particular officer informed me that, after passing by you and Olivia in the hallway," he looked at Elliot, "you backed him up against a wall and threatened him should he ever hit on her. According to this uniform, you informed him that Olivia was taken - By you."
"Cap, I never said that," Elliot defended. "The guy made a pass at her, I got a little carried away. I told him that she was taken, but never once did I say it was by me."
He looked over at Olivia, "Do you back him on that statement."
"As much as I wish he hadn't," she told Cragen with a grimace, "he said exactly that."
"Now, I'm going to ask you something and I want the complete truth. Got it?"
They both nodded.
"Alright." Cragen paused again, then continued on. "Are you two dating each other?"
"Well I wouldn't really...." Olivia began.
Elliot went next, "We're not exactly-"
"You see," Olivia added. "The truth is - Yeah ... we are."
"I see," Cragen mused, a frown settling on his face. "Well, you do understand that I'm going to have to do something about this."
"Yes sir," Elliot replied solemnly. "We do."
"Right then ... Elliot ... Olivia..."
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A/N: Alright, that's all you get right now. You'll figure out what he does in the next chapter. Anyone want to take a guess? Review!