Sorry it's been so long. I hope you all like this chapter and I hope you are all still reading! Thanks! -VJ

Chapter 13

It was the next day, Friday. Olivia slept in, and though they were both suppose to go to work that day Elliot was fast asleep on her couch. After the phone had rang for the fourth time, it finally woke Olivia up.

L: Hello?

C: where the hell are you two?

L: Cragen! Oh shi…

C: Get down here!

He hung up on her and Olivia sat up quickly. She threw off her clothes and while she still was buttoning up her jacket she ran out into the hall.

"Elliot!" she shouted as she came to the couch.

"Elliot!" she said again as she hit his foot at the end of the couch.

"Hmm? What?" he asked squinting.

"Get up!" She told him as she went to the kitchen.

"Just five more minutes" he said as he closed his eyes again.

"Elliot…" she said as she came back to him.

"Get up" she told him as she tried to get him to sit up. He whined until he sat up totally.

"I'll get you your coffee, go get dressed" she said as she pulled him up off of the couch. After a few short minutes he came back out. He was dressed and looked ready to go. Olivia handed him a mug as he came into the kitchen.

"Thanks" he said as he took it.

"Let's go" she told him.

"Wait" he said as he stood in front of her. She watched him as he set his mug down. He reached out in front of him and she stood frozen. He lightly put his hands on her jacket.

"Your buttons are off" he told her as he started to unbutton her jacket. She watched him as he delicately undid them all. She wanted to reach out to him, and just tell him. She didn't realize that he was almost finished. He looked up at her with a smile as he took his hands away.

"There you go" he smiled. What a smile. She couldn't help but smile back softly.

"Thanks" she said quietly. He nodded, took his mug, and headed for the door. She followed after a deep breath. She had fallen for him a long time ago, but put it behind her. The feelings were starting to flow back overwhelmingly.

LATER AT THE PRECINCT

"Why don't we get something to eat" Elliot smiled as he and Olivia left the precinct.

"Something to eat?" She questioned as she stopped and looked at him.

"Yeah. That's what human's do- or so I've heard" he smiled.

"Like what?" she asked as she started to walk again.

"Let's go to a favorite restaurant of mine" he smiled.

"Oh." She said looking down.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Well I just hope I'm not overdressed for MacDonald's" she smiled at him widely. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I got you" she smiled.

"No you didn't" he argued back jokingly. The two walked to the restaurant which wasn't far and sat to wait for a table.

"This is nice" Olivia looked around as they were seated.

"I'm telling you I have great taste" he said putting his napkin in his lap.

"Well, I guess so" she smiled back. They hadn't ever been at this level before. They were relaxed, joking around, and enjoying themselves.

"So what do you recommend?" she asked.

"Hmm." He looked around at the menu. She couldn't help but look up at him repeatedly from her menu. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Here" he said looking up quickly and she looked back down at her menu just as quickly. He smiled for a second then continued.

"The roast beef" he told her.

"Sounds good"

"It's big, so we could share it" he told her.

"Ok" she nodded closing her menu.

"And we can get French fries" he smiled like a kid as he closed his too.

"No, we're getting a side salad." She told him.

"A salad?" He whined.

"Yeah a salad" she told him as the waiter came over. Olivia told the man what they were ordering as another waiter assisted a woman and a man to another table.

"Right this way, sir" he said as he showed them a table on the other side of a half wall of Olivia and Elliot. The woman and man nodded as they sat.

"So, I want to ask you something" Elliot said as he leaned forward toward Olivia.

"What?" she wondered as she leaned in a little too, not realizing how close they were.

"How do you take your coffee?" he asked.

"Pardon?" she frowned as she leaned back in her chair.

"Well, I've been thinking. I mean, as partners you always get the coffee and now that I've been staying at your place, you still get the coffee. It's my turn, and I don't even know how you take it" he told her.
"Well if you don't know, I'm not going to tell you" she padded her napkin that lay in her lap.

"Fine" he said as he reached out for her cup of coffee. She glared at him as he took a sip of it.

"So…" she wondered if he knew as he set it down. He licked his lips a few times, trying to taste it better.

"Well… I would have to conclude…. That…. I have no idea what it is" he smiled.

"How about this, you leave the coffee up to me, and you deal with lunch" she offered.

"…okay" he said after he thought for a second. They both smiled as they shook hands across the table.

"What do you want babe?" the man asked his girlfriend.

"I don't know, you pick for me" Kathy smiled as Jim leaned in and kissed her lips lightly.

"Ok" he said as he picked quickly.

"Jim… I know you don't want kids. I know that" she told him. He looked down a little guilty feeling.

"But that's ok. I just, I want what's best for my kids and you have to understand that." She told him. He nodded, he understood.

"My kids are safe with Elliot… but their not safe with Olivia" Kathy told him.

"Why not?" he asked, remembering she was pretty aggressive.

"I've only heard this, but…"

"What is it?" Jim asked waiting in anticipation.

"She's… 'loose'" she tried to find the right words.

"And… this is only hear-say, but I heard she's killed three men" Kathy whispered.

"Jim… I can win my kids over Elliot, but I'm worried about him. I love you Jim, but I can't leave Elliot with her." Kathy whispered just to be careful.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"I don't want to say it" She whispered even quieter.

"What do you want me to do Kath? I will do it" He told her.

"Just get rid of her for awhile. Just so there's enough time for Elliot to realize he doesn't need her. It won't take too long" she whispered. Jim put his hands over Kathy's.

"Don't worry about her. I'll take care of it" he told her.

"Don't hurt her too bad. Don't kill her" she told him worried.

"I won't. I'll just get her away from Elliot okay?" he assured her.

"I love you Jim" Kathy leaned in and they kissed.

Elliot and Olivia had been laughing, trying to keep quiet.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick" he smiled as he got up out of his chair. Olivia nodded. Her salad came and she started to eat it, hungrier then she thought she was.

"Excuse me, do you have any pepper?" Kathy stood up over the half wall between the two groups. Both Olivia and Kathy got wide-eyed.

"Kathy"

"Olivia" Kathy said holding her head high.

"Here's the pepper" Olivia handed it up to her. Kathy reached over and took it sternly.

"Kathy… I'm not trying to steal Elliot from you or anything- you know that right?" Olivia said quickly to catch Kathy before she left. Kathy tilted her head, listening to what Olivia was saying.

"You bitch" Kathy said flipping the pepper shaker over and shaking it in Olivia's eyes. Elliot came over to see Olivia gripping her face roughly, in pain. Jim stood up and pulled Kathy away as best as he could as Elliot helped Olivia up.

"Come on" Elliot said as he helped her to the bathroom.

"Let's go" Kathy grunted pushing Jim off of her.

Elliot helped Olivia into the women's bathroom and got her over to the sink. Her eyes were watering a lot and the pain wouldn't leave. She grunted in pain as he got a wet paper towel. He turned her toward him and she kept her eyes shut tight. He wiped away all the pepper that surrounded around her eyes. Her cheeks were wet with the water coming from her tear ducts. After he wiped it away best he could he dried her cheeks with a paper towel. The pepper slowly started to leave her eyes in her tears.

"You ok?" he asked as he looked in to her swollen eyes as she tried to open them.

"It hurts still" She told him.

"You got to open your eyes, it wont come out as easily if you don't" he told her as she slowly started to open them, still squinting.

"Awe that hurt" she said as she felt it starting to get better.

"I'm sorry about this." He told her.

"It wasn't your fault" she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Here" he said as he dapped around her eyes with another paper towel. She watched him, squinting, as he helped her.

"I'm really sorry about this Liv" he told her as he threw the paper towel in the sink. He put both his hands gently on her cheeks as he gently rubbed his thumbs against her skin.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked.

"Not as much" she told him as he took a slight step forward. She took in a heavy breath as he took another step forward.

"Again, I'm really sorry" he whispered. She looked up at him more as he took another small step.

"It's ok Elliot" she whispered back, as she leaned against the sink behind her.

"I don't want you to get hurt because of my mistakes" he told her as looked deeper into her eyes.

"Its ok" she repeated as she licked her lips involuntarily. She felt her eyes start to shut as he started to lean in. It wouldn't be the first time they kissed, but it would only be the second. She would fall for him all over again, be head over heels. She couldn't ignore a second kiss. Neither could he. He softly planted his lips on hers. It was delicate and smooth. He caressed her, loving her. She wrapped her arms around his neck proving to him, and herself, that she did like what was happening. And that neither of them could deny it, not anymore. Just by bad luck Kathy came in, thinking Elliot took Olivia to the men's bathroom. Her jaw dropped as she stood in the door way watching them. Olivia finally noticed and pulled away from Elliot. He frowned and looked to his side to see Kathy. Kathy kept a straight face as Olivia turned to face her again.

"You'll pay for this Olivia. This is all your fault" Kathy spoke slowly. She left the bathroom to catch up with Jim right outside the restaurant.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Do whatever you want to her. I don't care any more" Kathy told him about Olivia. Jim nodded with a smirk starting to grow on his face.