Pathway to Happiness

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Summary: See chap 1

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always feedback is welcome.

Olivia walked into the squad room and dropped into her chair. She immediately didn't even bother to look up as a cup of coffee appeared in front of her.

"Good morning," Elliot said as he waved a hand in front of her face.

She looked up and smiled at him half heartedly "Thanks," she said, lifting the cup of hot liquid to her lips "Just how I like it," she smiled as she put the cup on her desk.

"I've been your partner for how long now?" Elliot smiled back at her "I think I know how my partner takes her coffee."

Elliot sat down across from her and flipped open a file that lay on his desk. He looked up at his partner, into those sympathetic eyes that had known him for almost eight years. Into those deep brown pools that held so many mysteries. He felt like something just wasn't right but he didn't want to ask. Over the past year, he hadn't been very forthcoming with his personal life and he felt like he shouldn't be pressing for her to tell him anything when he wasn't ready to open up himself. So he stared at her in silence.

Olivia kept her eyes on the paperwork in front of her. She felt Elliot's gaze on her but she refused to meet his gaze. She loved him and her dream was still fresh in her mind. She wanted to keep him at a distance, it was the only way to ensure his safety. She remembered his last words from her nightmare, she wished that it was the truth but she knew better than to hope for his affection.

Captain Cragen emerged from his office "Olivia, Elliot, a moment."

The expression on the captain's face was a somber one and Olivia dared make eye contact with Elliot in an effort to determine whether he was as confused as she was about the current mood of their CO. Olivia quickly affirmed that he was and instantaneously broke eye contact.

Silently, the two partners rose from their desks. In perfect synchronization entered the captain's office. In a dance that had been perfected through years of IAB and other such issues, first one then the other took their customary seats in the chairs across the desk from their captain. It was a dance that Captain Cragen was certain that the two detectives could perform in the dark. As if one was aware, without looking at the other, just what move to make to counter balance the other.

Elliot was the one to speak first "Is something wrong Captain?"

Cragen looked down at his hands. He looked up at his two detectives. His gaze went back to his hands again. How could he tell them? He had to tell them. It would mean big changes for both of them. It would mean the shattering of their respective worlds. It would mean…

"Captain?" Olivia asked, her voice full of concern, as she leaned forward "Are you alright?"

Cragen sat in silence. How could he answer that question? He was not fine. The news that it was his burden to break to these two was crushing him from the inside out. Where to begin? How to even face it himself?

He looked first at Elliot. The news would break first on him. Then Cragen looked at Olivia, as Elliot's partner as well as the compassionate person that she was, her heart would break for him and even after the revelation that she was in danger came to light, her heart would still be hurting only for him. Cragen knew that this was just the type of person that she was. These two people who sat in front of him, he loved as if they were his own children and he found it painful to break this news but he knew that he had to. He had to give them a chance to save themselves. He had to give them a chance to salvage their lives. He knew that they loved each other, even though they were both ignorant of the other's feeling, Cragen knew that they were in love and he had to give them this chance to be safe, together.

Cragen finally spoke "Elliot," he began but found himself choking on the words.

"What is it Cap?" Elliot asked. He felt a chill shoot up his spine, something was very wrong.

Olivia sensed it too. Subconsciously she reached across and grabbed Elliot's hand tightly in hers. She gave it a gentle squeeze for moral support.

Cragen continued "Its Kathy," again he choked on the words. He stopped and looked down at his hands again. He wanted to punch something, he wanted to choke the person who had caused all of this, he wished that his hands could make this all better, make it all go away.

"What about Kathy?" Elliot asked. The mention of his ex-wife made him even more apprehensive. What could have happened? Where the kids alright?

Cragen looked back at his detectives once more. He braced himself, took a deep breath and dropped the bomb "She's dead."

Elliot felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He had been knocked into deep space and he was free floating with nothing to grab onto. He felt himself bein pulled apart at the seams. Kathy was dead. What about the kids? He spun out of control, faster and faster until he felt himself being pulled back to earth pulled back to his center, pulled back by Olivia.

Olivia held Elliot's hand tightly in hers, Elliot grasped back just as hard, their knuckles turned white, their fingers begged for circulation but neither dared to let go. Olivia feared spinning away from earth just as much as Elliot did and as long as they held each others hands, they were centered.

"How?" Olivia finally asked, her voice cracking.

"Murdered," was all that Cragen could manage for a response.

"The twins?" Elliot asked in a small and distant voice.

"They were at school when it happened," Cragen informed him. These words seemed much easier to speak. The bitter taste of the words that had come before was slightly alleviated by the announcement of life.

"I have to see them," Elliot told Cragen.

Before Cragen could protest, before he could tell Elliot that this was not a good idea right now, that there was more that he needed to tell them first, Elliot was out the door of the office, followed closely by Olivia. Cragen tried to catch up but it was hopeless. By the time he had reached the door of his office, the two detectives were both out of earshot.

TBC

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