Disclaimer: Not mine.
"So, how's your partner doing?" He had taken to calling Elliot, not by his name, but by his status. That of Olivia's partner. He didn't even feel the man deserved his last name to be uttered.
Olivia snorted. "You see him every day, you can tell yourself. He's dealing with it about as well as he deals with any other large change in his life. Shitty."
"Well, I guess not everyone can accept divorce as gracefully as me."
"Ha ha, Munch." She continued to watch the security tape they had gotten from a store, but he could see in her posture that she wasn't dealing with the whole thing as well as she'd like either.
"How about you?"
"Last time I checked, Munch, those questions are the type that shrinks ask."
"Hey, they've put us through enough of them for us to be pretty damn good at parroting them. Besides, they don't know anything, not really." He glanced from the television screen to her face and back again. "Hell, the best people for us to talk to are probably one another," he added quietly.
"I haven't seen you offering your services to Elliot," she replied without batting an eye.
Now it was his turn to snort. "Him... he needs professional help. Beyond my expertise, fortunately."
"Of course, you could do a better job talking to him about divorce than any of us, and certainly better than any shrink."
"I'll choose to ignore that and shuffle it into the 'angry statements' pile." He looked at her again, her face lit by the bluish glow of the tape. "To be perfectly honest, I couldn't give a shit how he's doing, because it's his own damn fault. I know how it is, you get tangled up in work, you don't bring enough money home for all those hours, the wife misses you and when you are home, talking about work's the last thing you wanna do. On top of all that, he's got you, which is both his biggest asset, and his biggest downfall. You know the story better than I, concerning that. But the truth is, he could have always tried harder. Hell, with my wives, I wanted to be at work. At home... well, that's a story for another day. It'll suffice it to say they weren't anything close to Kathy, on any level. It's too late for him now, no matter how far is reach is, because all he's grasping at are straws. And you know what? Every straw he grabs at breaks you a little more, and he doesn't even realize it. He's too wrapped up in counting his straws."
She was silent.
"But you know, I'm here, if you want. I know you know that, but I thought that maybe you needed a little reminder. And no matter how hard I try, I don't think I'll break you. Somehow, against me, you're stronger. Maybe it's because you're heart is still closed to me. Well, I'm planning on changing that. So, when you feel like giving me a ring, pulling me aside, or into a closet, I'll be waiting."
He stood, pushing his chair back and walked to the door. "And I might mention, before I leave to torture Fin, I'm quite patient with these things, so don't feel rushed. Take your time. I'll be around." And with that, he left her staring at the television.