Chapter 4

"What's going on?" Kathy asked.

"Oh Kathy!" Elliot was laughing as he set Olivia down. Her cuffs had caught on to the back of him and they tried to undo it. She was facing him now, and smiling.

"Hold on" she said as she took a step closer to him. He watched her as she looked around the back of him. She was trying to get his hair untangled from the cuffs. He couldn't help but stare at her as she smiled. He squinted a few times when she pulled on his hair.

"I'm sorry" she smiled as she rubbed the back of his head a little. She just got the cuffs undone when she looked at him. She didn't realize how close they were standing. Her nose lightly touched his. She stood for a second, they looked into each others eyes. She didn't know what she was feeling- and she didn't want to know. She lifted her arms from around his neck and looked away. She walked over to the sideline where Dickie and Lizzie were catching their breath from laughing so hard.

"Hey Lizzie, get my keys from my pocket" she told her as Lizzie got them and undid the cuffs. Kathy walked over to Elliot who was still in a trance. He finally looked away from Olivia and half smiled at Kathy.

"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.

"I finished faster then I thought- I have to go back tomorrow though. I'm ready to play basketball!" she smiled excited.

"Oh. Well I think the kids are tired" he walked over to Olivia, Dickie, and Lizzie.

"Do you two want to play more or go home?" he bent down and asked his kids, who sat on either side of Olivia on the first bench of the bleachers.

"I want to go to Olivia's!" Lizzie leaned against Olivia happily.

"Me too" Dickie announced. Elliot took in a deep breath and looked up at Liv. He placed his hand on her knee as he got up and turned to Kathy. His touch sent a tingle through her.

"The kids want to go with Liv" he told her.

"Is she ok with that?" Kathy asked surprised.

"Yeah" Elliot turned to Liv and she nodded smiling.

"I don't know…" Kathy looked away,

"Come on, just let them go" Elliot tilted his head.

"Fine" Kathy folded her arms across her chest as Elliot turned back to Olivia and the kids.

"You guys can go with Liv" he told them. Dickie smiled wide, along with Lizzie. Olivia tickled them a little- excited they would spend time together. After Elliot told Kathy he had to drop Olivia off, Elliot, Olivia, Dickie, and Lizzie all got back in the car and headed to Olivia's place. The kids and Olivia unbuckled their seatbelts as Elliot pulled up to her building.

"You guys have fun" Elliot told them as he turned back to face his kids.

"You're coming to dad" Dickie said.

"I am?" He asked.

"Yeah. You lost, you have to buy all of us dinner" Dickie told him. Elliot smiled.

"I buy you dinner every night" He told Dickie smiling.

"Dad" both the twins whined.

"You guys go with Olivia, Dad has to go home" he explained and the kids rolled their eyes as they left the car. Olivia turned to Elliot after a second.

"You sure you can't come?" she asked wanting him to join them.

"I- I really can't." he told her. She nodded a little disappointed. Before she left the car she turned back toward him again though.

"You know you can't get away with not paying for my dinner that easily" she told him as she put her hand on his arm gently.

"I'll buy you lunch Monday" he assured her.

"Okay" she rolled her eyes then smiled. Elliot watched as she showed the two kids into her building. She was great with his kids and he liked seeing them together. He waited a few minutes, not realizing he had been sitting there thinking about Olivia the whole time. He sped off quickly to try and erase his thoughts.