Chapter 33

Elliot opened the door to the apartment and let Olivia and Calvin duck in before he did. Olivia was glad to be back in the city after a couple of weeks in Vermont. She wasn't sure if Calvin was but he'd grabbed more of his things from his grandparents' house, so for now, she took it as a good sign.

"So the house finally sold," Elliot said as he set down the two small boxes he'd carried on the kitchen table. Whatever Calvin had put in them, it wasn't very heavy.

"Another chapter of your life is about to start then. I bet Dick and Liz would love to be living in a larger apartment," Olivia smiled at him, just pushing her suitcase up against the same table, thankful for the swiveling wheels.

"This is true. The search has already begun but to be honest the apartment will be empty soon. Once they go off to college, I'll be by myself," he admitted. That's when there was a knock on the door.

"Who the heck could that be?" Calvin asked. The young man had collapsed on the couch. It had been a long two weeks and things were strained between him and his grandfather.

"I have no idea," Olivia went to the door and checked the peep hole. She pulled her neck back, raising an eyebrow, but she still opened the door.

"Hi! Glad you guys were home. I have someone that needs to meet people," it was Sally but that wasn't who she had held up to the peephole. The adorable golden retriever puppy she had with her was what Olivia had seen.

"He's a cutie. Since when did you decide to get a dog?" Olivia wanted to know as she let the woman fully into the apartment, shutting the door behind her friend.

"Well, I didn't. Fin knew that I missed having a pet since I moved to the city and he didn't want me to be alone. I don't go back to the office for a couple more weeks. While I can do little lifting jobs, I still need to be careful. Also, I need to get up every hour and move around to avoid getting stiff," Sally explained. That's when the sound of giggling met their ears. Calvin had gotten down on the floor to play with the puppy and the puppy was happy to show he loved this new kid he met by licking Calvin's face.

"It's good to hear that sound," Olivia said quietly. Sally nodded and smiled.

"What's his name?" Elliot asked. He'd taken a seat on the arm of the couch and watched Calvin's face light up while he played with the new pet.

"Oliver. I was going to change it but it really seems to fit him. Truth be told right now he'll answer to any name as long as there is a treat upon his arrival," Sally chuckled.

"He knows what he likes," Elliot chuckled.

"Well anyone can come and visit us, if they want to. You know where we live. Now, we must go for our walk and cross our fingers that I don't find wet carpet in the morning," the woman heaved a sigh.

"Bye Oliver. You be good," Calvin told the puppy petting him on the head. The puppy licked him one more time before running to his new mom. The group watched them go.

"Why don't you go wash up Calvin and then we'll figure out what to do for dinner?" Olivia asked.

"Ok," the teenager headed down the hall to the bathroom. While she and Elliot had a lot to talk about she didn't want Calvin to hear this part,

"Fin says Sally has PTSD. The puppy…"

"Is going to be her therapy dog. I kind of figured something was up. He told you?" Elliot was surprised to hear that the other detective had called her while she was away. Fin had reluctantly spilled it to the other detectives after he came in one day and practically fell asleep at his desk. He had not gotten much sleep and neither had Sally.

"She freaked him out one night and he asked for my help. I wasn't going to tell him 'no'. I left a message with Doctor Valentino and she recommended a therapist, since Sally is a civilian. While her case isn't severe, it's still bad enough that she was having trouble leaving the apartment," Olivia said.

"Hence the puppy. He needs to go out and now so will she," Elliot nodded. He could tell that she felt guilty for the position her neighbor was in.

"You know little Oliver may help Calvin too," he said. Olivia nodded, knowing that perhaps there was a silver lining in it all, as her young ward come out of the hall and into the kitchen. Shifting the focus of the conversation, to what was for dinner; Olivia tried to hide her concern. She wanted Calvin to be happy and safe. She also wanted what was best for him, even if that meant, not staying with her but that was another problem for another day. Right now, she was going to enjoy her time with him and Elliot.

The End

A/N: Hope you liked it. Look for a new story next week. :) Thanks so much!