Diamond

Sumamry: See ch1

Disclaimer: See ch 1

A/N: sorry it took so long to update, the site was down and I couldn't! This chapter is long to make up for it!

Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed telling me that I stayed in character, that means SOOO much to me! I's the biggest compliment I could get, so thank you!

Much Needed Talk

"Liv. Olivia. Are you okay?" Elliot asked quietly as he pushed his way into the small ladies room.

"Elliot, you can't be in here." She said, desperately trying to hold back her tears. "How did you even know I was in here?"

"I, um, I saw what happened Liv. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, squatting in front of his partner.

"How much did you see?" She asked, terrified of the answer.

"Enough." He answered. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked again.

"How much?" Olivia asked, equally as stubborn as her partner to get the answer she was looking for.

"Well, I saw him call you a Bitch, and lunge at you. Then I saw you break his nose" He clarified.

"Look, it was nothing." Olivia insisted.

"Liv, I saw the bruise on your back." Elliot whispered.

"Elliot, just forget it, okay." She said, almost pleading

"No Olivia, I won't forget it." He pushed. "Just talk to me." Olivia had pushed him to open up after his divorce, now she needed him. "That's what I'm here for Olivia. I have your back, you can talk to me."

"No Elliot! No! You, you are my partner. Partner!" She began, yelling. She straightened up to look at him, and pointed her finger at him sporadically to make her point. "You may have my back from nine to five, but that's it. We work together Elliot, that's all! This whole big brother, best friend crap really has to stop." She took a quick breath. "It's called a personal life for a reason! I never invited you in, so just stay out of mine!" She finished, and got up, pushing him away and turning her back to him.

'How can she say I mean nothing more to her than a partner?' he wondered, visibly hurt.

He was silent for a moment before he decided it was time for him to leave. He got up off the floor, and made his way to the door, avoiding the urge to even look at his clearly distraught partner. He refused to let her see the hurt on his face.

"Jenny woke up." He said suddenly over his shoulder as he pushed the door open. "Munch and Fin took her to lunch. She'll be back soon. Huang wants to be there when you talk to her."

After a slight pause, he decided he should leave, but stopped when he heard Olivia take in a deep breath to subside a sob.

"It only happened one time." She said purposefully. "I just need you to know that. Even I'm not that weak." She added with a sniff.

Elliot let the door swing back to its closed position and turned to face her. "Liv, I would never think you were weak." He said.

Olivia turned. She wanted to be mad that he was treating her like she needed him. She could take care of herself, but right now, she didn't want to. She wanted someone else to take care of her for a change, and Elliot was offering.

"I was so stupid." She said, bowing her head into her partner's awaiting chest. She let him wrap his strong arms around him. "God, he said that he loved me, and I actually believed him!" She continued into his chest. She then lifted her head, and backed herself out of his arms. "Maybe he was right." She sighed. "Maybe I don't deserve any better. She said almost pleading.

"Olivia, don't say that." He soothed as she sat back down on the chair. He knelt back on the floor so that he could talk to her. "You not only deserve better than that piece of shit, but you'll find better. Sometimes it just takes time." He comforted as he placed his hands on her forearms.

"He was cheating one me." She continued. "That's how the whole damn thing started." She sniffed, and wiped the tears now falling steadily. "We'd just comeback from the bar. He'd drunken way too much, and I just… insisted… that he stay at my place to sleep it off." She took a deep breath, and continued. "We were… kissing… on the couch when his phone rang… I picked it up, and Vickie asked me why I was picking up her boyfriends phone." She paused there, but continued after a moment. "I, um, hung up, and asked him about it. When he couldn't give me a straight answer, I started yelling." She stopped there.

"Go on Liv." Elliot pushed. She was almost there.

Olivia sniffed, rubbed her eyes, but continued, "I told him to leave, and that I couldn't believe that he had lied to me. He asked what kind of man I thought he was to have done that. Like an idiot, I told him that that wasn't a fair question because he wasn't much of a man." She sniffed again, collecting her thoughts. "He, uh, got pissed, and uh, that's when he punched me." She finally admitted, but refused to make eye contact with Elliot. Instead she focused on a point on the wall just above his shoulder. "I, uh, fell over the coffee table, and ended up on the ground. Next thing I know, he's on top of me, pulling at my blouse." She stopped and squeezed her eyes to try to forget, needing to remember.

"It's okay Olivia, you don't…" Elliot began.

"No El, I do." She interrupted. "He didn't rape me." She said matter-of-factly. "I managed to get my hands free, and pushed my self up. My gun was on the end table, and I pulled it on him." She paused. "He left; I guess he got the message, huh?" She tried making a joke, and even forced a small laugh. "God, how was I so blind?" She asked, finally breaking down.

She let her self fall back into Elliot's arms. She let him hold her.

Elliot had no words. He just stroked her hair, and whispered that everything would be okay. He let her cry, knowing that she needed it. If all he could be to her was a safe place to let her emotions go, he would take it.

After what seemed like hours of them sitting like this, Olivia finally lifted her head.

"I'm sorry about what I said before. I didn't mean it." She said quietly.

"I know Liv." Elliot answered, truly believing her.

"You and the guys are the only men who I've ever really been able to count on. You've never let me down. I can't thank you enough for that, and I never want you to butt out of my life." She said, wiping residual tears away form her face.

"You never have to thank me, and I won't." Elliot smiled. "Come on, Munch and Fin will be back any minute."

TBC...

Don't forget to REVIEW! I love them!

Oh and I already started on a sequal for this, I just need to know you will want to read one, so let me know your thoughts, plus, I'm always looking for ideas!