Disclaimer: Law & Order does not belong to me, has never belonged to me, and will never belong to me, so help me God!
Disclaimer2: The Kitchen is a real restaurant in Enumclaw, Washington. It has the greatest food, and good service. It's tiny, but it's a community place! I eat there every time I visit my family, and they literally know the entire family's favorite orders by heart! Sandy also exists; she is a waitress there, and I think she is the sweetest gal! I decided to use this restaurant because of how much I love it. I think of this as a little mini-dedication for the great times I've had there. Oh, and their pancakes really are as big as I describe them! I swear! Really! Go visit the place next time you're in Enumclaw!
AN: Here it is! Chapter three! Finally! Sorry it took so long – RL is interfering with my writing more than usual, and I have had to scramble to finish several different school assignments on time, including the HUGE final exam for Anatomy/Physiology. That was not fun. At all. I never ever ever ever ever ever wanna take an Anatomy course again. Anyways, I am having issues with a rather unkind review I received from a less-than-supportive reader, and I need to clear the air. Firstly, this is not strictly canon; it follows the canon storyline only to the extent of Kathy leaving Elliot. After that, it's free game for me. I will take this in whatever direction I please, and I have no problems with that. I find it unfortunate and very, very sad that a reader on this site could be so strongly against an author's creativity. The characters will not be perfectly in character. After all, El and Liv aren't together on the real show, are they? And I'm gonna tell you right know, they will be by the end of this story. Why? Because I say so. Pick up the latest addition of TV Guide. It's hard to miss. Has a BIIIIIG picture of our favorite couple on the front, and a great article inside in which the ACTORS THEMSELVES state that A LOT of us fans want their characters together. And I'm pretty much quoting the article when I say that Mariska proclaimed that she won't leave the show until she and Chris's characters make out! Also good news is that she and Chris Meloni are BOTH signed on for the next two seasons definitely, and hopefully many, many more after that! Keep your fingers crossed!
Now, if any of y'all are still with me, please continue on down to the thank-yous for the previous chapter's reviewers, and then go ahead and read my newest chapter. Don't forget to review this one and tell me what you think!
Note: Unless you are the anonymous reviewer "Annoyed Viewer," you can skip the next huge paragraph. It's just my reply to the rather rude review I received from them. Thanks so much to the rest of you!
Annoyed Viewer – I am sorry that you feel so strongly about my Elliot and Olivia being so completely out of character. And no, this is NOT a "fairy tale" as you put it. It is simply the wish of a dedicated fan who REALLY wants Elliot and Olivia to get together. If you can't handle that, then you shouldn't be reading any of my stories, or most of the others posted on this site. If you are still reading this, then 1) Elliot's wife had just left him, taking their children with her! Wouldn't YOU be a little upset? I realize that the "real" Elliot probably wouldn't act like that, but I am allowed a little lee-way as a fanfiction writer, don't you think? I see people writing characters way more out of character than mine are, but I don't go around flaming them for it. Perhaps I should have labeled this as a slight AU. 2) El and Liv were officially off-duty, which I suppose I should have stated more clearly. Olivia was showing support for her partner, which he desperately needed, and Cragen went along with it because he knew Elliot needed someone to help him along through the tough time he was going through. 3) Cragen is strong, and Olivia doesn't way that much. I have seen a woman Olivia's size carrying a man bigger than Cragen, and she was able to get him from point A to point B with no problems. So it IS possible, you just refuse to accept that. Try having a little imagination next time. That's what this site is all about.
LuthienGranger2004 – No cable or TV? THE HORROR! I am SO sorry! I sincerely wish there was something I could do to help! After all, Lack-of-Law-and-Order Syndrome can be very serious, especially the Special Victims Unit type. -shudders- I don't know how you do it! Thanks you kindly for taking the time to review! I hope you get at least a partial SVU "fix" when you read the stories posted here! Happy reading!
CincyRedsAllTheWay05 – Thank you very much!
heartandy112 – I agree! "Salute to the Olivia/Elliot shippers of the world" indeed! I am sure that Cragen will understand and not get in the way of an Olivia/Elliot 'ship. Wait – of course he won't! I'M the writer, aren't I? So I'M the boss, and I say he won't! See? No problem. Cragen will be 100 percenthappy for them! (probably after he pretends to be disappointed with them for breaking the rules lol) Thanks for the support!
Faded Pictures – Yes, the Cragen/Olivia father-daughter stuff makes me very happy, which means it shows up in my writing a lot! Has anyone guessed yet that I'm a Daddy's girl at heart? -grins- And Olivia/Elliot RULES! -BIG grin- Thank you for reviewing! Hope you keep reading!
psalm57 – Thank you! I love Cragen, too! -grins-
Chronicleofabutterfly – Here's the MORE MORE MORE ya asked me for! I'm so glad you like it! Thank you for you support!
chrisluver – Thanks! Love the screenname, by the way!
tianathetiger – Thank you! I don't think there's gonna be any tantrums (or tummyaches), but I'll keep them in mind, just in case! -winks-
cara – Thanks, I've just always seen Cragen as a kind of father figure to his squad, especially Olivia, and I wanted that to play a part in this story.
CHANGES
Chapter Three: Awakenings
Olivia awoke with a start, her eyes widening when she caught sight of her alarm clock's display – 8:45AM.
"Shit!" she cried, scrambling up out of the mess of blankets she found herself tangled in. She looked down at herself, realizing that she was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. What the hell…?
She ran her fingers through her hair, her thoughts racing. She remembered last night, falling asleep still holding Elliot… Damn it. Had he brought her home? And how? He would've had to… carry her… All color drained from her face as she groaned in embarrassment.
"Oh, geez." She scrubbed her face vigorously with her hands to wake herself completely, and then went out to her kitchen, where she noticed a slip of paper lying on the counter. He picked it up, her eyes scanning the note's contents quickly. She recognized the Captain's handwriting, but wasn't sure if she was relieved or not at the thought that it might have been him that carried her, and not Elliot.
Olivia
You were exhausted. You crashed, and Elliot looked like he was asleep on his feet. I sent him home, which is where I'll be going next, to check on him. Don't worry. Hope you slept well. And 'Liv? Talk to him. I think he needs you more than anything right now. I know you'll be there for him no matter what.
Don
PS – Take the day off. You deserve it.
She took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy, but she needed to be strong for Elliot. She had to support him, help him get through this at all costs. Even if it meant pushing away her love for him.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Elliot was startled out of a sound sleep by the shrill ringing of a phone. Cracking an eye, he glared at the offending object: his cell phone.
Heaving a great sigh, he hit the 'talk' button and said, "Hello?"
"Elliot?"
"Yeah."
"You all right?"
"Would you believe me if I said yes?"
"No."
"Then no, I'm not."
"Well, you've got the day off. Take it easy, will ya?"
"What about Liv?"
"She's got the day off, too."
"Oh. All right. The whole day?"
A heavy sigh could be heard on the other end of the line. "Yes, Elliot. The whole day. All 24 hours. You're not back on 'til tomorrow."
"But—"
"No 'buts,' Elliot. Stay. At. Home. That's an order." Before Elliot could object, there was a soft click, and he realized he'd been hung up on. He stared at the phone for a long moment before finally hitting 'end' and tossing it back onto the nightstand.
His mind wandered back to yesterday, when he'd awoken in Olivia's arms. That had been the best sleep he'd had in years, and his dream… His dream had been beautiful, and vivid.
He held Olivia in his arms, her back against his chest as she rested between his legs. Their hands rested on her round belly, feeling their baby kicking and rolling within her. Their wedding rings winked playfully in the sunlight as they watched their three-year-old daughter fly down the slide into her Uncle Fin's arms. He threw her up into the air, making her shriek with laughter, and caught her. Uncle John then stole the child from his partner's arms, running several feet before collapsing into a heap of arms and legs, dropping kisses on her cheeks and forehead as he exclaimed that he'd rescued her from the horrible monster. The child giggled and firmly corrected him, stating that her 'Unca Fin' wasn't a monster, he was just big. They all laughed at that, Munch looking a little put-out that she hadn't sided with him. He tugged gently at one of her pigtails, a few dark curls escaping the rubber band and framing her delicate features. Her deep brown eyes were alight with mischief as she tackled her honorary uncle.
Beside him and Olivia on their picnic blanket, 'Auntie' Alex and 'Aunt' Casey grinned at the girl's antics, and 'Grandpa' Don shook his head at the childishness of the all-male half of his team. Olivia turned her head to look up at Elliot, a soft half-smile gracing her lips, and he brushed a kiss across her mouth, his arms tightening a little around her. One of his hands wandered up her side, tracing the curves of her hip and breast and dancing across her collarbone before brushing his knuckles against her cheek.
"I love you," he said, his breath tickling her ear, and she placed her hand alongside his jaw, her dark eyes meeting his as she kissed him lightly and whispered, "I love you, too, Elliot."
His heart ached as he thought of their child, a beautiful little girl who'd looked just like her mother. He imagined their second child would have been a boy, one with his hair and her eyes and coloring. He closed his eyes, shivering at the memory of holding Olivia in his arms, able to express his love for her so openly, feeling their unborn baby moving inside her. It had felt so real, as if he were actually touching her. He tried to shake off the strange feeling, but it wouldn't go away. He sighed.
He wanted all of that so badly… but he knew Olivia didn't feel that way about him. She'd never shown anything more than a platonic interest in him. And while she might have that 'sixth sense' about him, knowing subconsciously when he enters the room she's in, she's never reacted the way he does to her. Whenever Elliot saw his partner, he was left breathless by her beauty and the fluid grace of her movements. Her hair fell in lovely waves around her face—she was keeping it a little longer now, much to his joy—and her eyes were so soulful and expressive, even though pain lurked within their depths. She'd been through so much in her life, and still she persevered. He admired her strength, and her dedication to her work. And even after all these years of working together as partners, she still took his breath away. He'd had to will away his body's reaction to her more than once in recent months—hell, if he was honest with himself, he'd taken more cold showers than hot for the past two years. Guilt still ate away at him for that first year-and-a-half that he'd been truly attracted to her, since he'd still been married. He learned to control himself much better around Olivia, but after Kathy left him, he'd had trouble whenever she was near him. The proximity of her body, the light scent of her perfume combined with a fragrance that was all Olivia, all served to make his struggle to maintain his composure that much harder.
His head dropped into his hands. He wasn't going to get any more sleep now. He rolled out of bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor with a dull thud. The random thought that wooden floors in a bedroom was never a good idea passed through his mind without him really noticing it, so focused was he on his goal of getting to the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. It rumbled to life, making a strange grating noise as it began to produce the dark, bitter liquid he so badly needed. He winced at the sound, realizing that it was time to start looking for a new coffee maker. When the pot had filled up, he filled a mug, dropped a spoonful of sugar in, and took a sip. He immediately spat it out in the sink, gagging a little at the horrible taste. Damn, he thought to himself, that's worse than the coffee at the station! He poured himself a cup of water and gargled a few mouthfuls to get rid of the nasty taste. Apparently, he'd be going out for coffee this morning.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
An hour later, Elliot pulled up to The Kitchen. It was a small mom-and-pop restaurant that he favored; he'd stopped here for breakfast on his way to work more times over the years than he could count. He climbed out of the car, locked it up, and went inside, his stomach growling at the delicious smells floating out of the kitchen area.
He sat down at the small, three-stool bar counter, avoiding the other ten booths and tables intended for couples and families. Laughter could be heard from the opposite corner of the small, cozy room, and baby was babbling in her high chair several tables away. A tall, pink-cheeked woman with straw-colored hair appeared at his elbow, smiling widely.
"Elliot! Wonderful to see you! It's been a while since you've been in here! What can I get you? The regular?"
He nodded. "Thanks, Sandy."
"Ah, pleasure's all mine. It'll be up in a jiffy."
She moved to the counter behind the bar, lifting a pot of coffee from its heated base. He held out his mug for her to fill, and then ripped open a packet of sugar, pouring it in. He then dribbled a little milk in, just for good measure, stirred it carefully with his spoon, and lifted the steaming beverage to his lips, taking a long sip. His eyes drifted shut as he savored the flavor… Sandy always had made the best coffee around. Better than Starbucks, even. Ten minutes later, Sandy reappeared with his order, setting two plates in front of him and grabbing a container of syrup from behind the bar. He stared down at the enormous pancake, amazed as always at the abnormally large portion sizes The Kitchen was famous for. The damn thing was a good ten inches across, and was a perfect golden brown, just the way he liked it. Kathy had never been able to get pancakes to come out this way—for that matter, neither had he—but he could always count on it here. On the second plate was a heaping mound of extra-crispy hashbrowns and a good-sized pile of scrambled eggs. Licking his lips, he set to work on the pancake first, downing three-quarters of it in five minutes flat before moving on to the eggs and hashbrowns.
He froze as a familiar prickling sensation crept up the back of his neck. Ten seconds later, Olivia plopped down on the stool beside him, and turned to greet him.
"Hey, El. Figured you'd be here." She looked down at his meal. "Geez, ya get enough to eat!"
He shrugged, grinning at her. She took the fork from his unmoving hand and pilfered a few bites of his pancake before inhaling half his eggs and a third of his hashbrowns.
"Full?" he asked her, shaking his head.
She patted her belly and thought for a moment. "Nope!" She reached for the fork she'd set down, but he got to it first.
"No way, you little thief! This is my breakfast! Get your own!"
She pouted for a moment before calling Sandy over and ordering her own pancake, scrambled eggs, and extra-crispy hashbrowns. He shook his head at how eerily alike they were, and went back to eating his breakfast. He swatted her hand when it darted out to snatch another bite of food, but she still managed to escape with a bit of his pancake. She dunked it in the extra syrup that had gathered on his plate, and then popped it in her mouth, savoring the delicious taste.
He tried to glare at her, but was unable to prevent himself from giving her an ear-to-ear grin when he saw the drop of syrup that clung to her chin. He reached over and wiped it off with his thumb, bringing it to his mouth and sucking the sweet concoction from the sticky digit. He froze when he realized what he'd done, and slowly, his gaze turned to his partner, who was sitting perfectly still on her stool, staring at him. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and she looked embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, 'Liv, I shouldn't have done that—"
Olivia was startled by the sound of his voice, and shook her head to clear it. She fought back the wave of arousal that had swept over her, struggling to push away the image of Elliot sucking the syrup off his thumb. She shivered, feeling her cheeks burning in response to the thoughts running through her mind. His touch had sent a shot of pleasure down her spine, leaving her wanting more.
"I—" She damned her voice as it cracked. "It's all right, El. You didn't do anything wrong." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Forget about it."
His eyes were cast downward as he turned back to his breakfast, finishing it silently.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
PLEASE REVIEW!
AN2: What did you guys think of the dream sequence? Kind cheesy, I know, but I wanted it to be sweet. If you look back at the second scene in chapter one, you'll understand what happened then. Elliot and Olivia, however, shall remain clueless. As usual. Elliot doesn't know he said it aloud, and Olivia thinks he was talking to Kathy. shakes head They're both too thick-headed to get it on the first go-round. It'll take a few more tries, and possibly some banging of heads against the wall (whether theirs or mine, I'm not sure) before they get their act together and ride off into the sunset. OK, not exactly like that, but you catch my drift... right?