The Ante

Chapter Seven

By: Lizzie Bundick

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Author's Note: Yay for Goren being weird! And double yay for Elliot and Olivia's telepathy! Please, read and review.

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CSU swarmed around the little motel room, dusting and photographing. Detective Robert Goren stood slightly off to the side, looking at the picture then looking around the room. Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler watched him. Olivia glanced at Elliot and started a silent conversation.

"What is he doing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You mean besides acting like Munch only…weirder." He answered with a tilt of his head.

"That's possible?" She laughed with a small smile.

"Did, did you find any fibers on the lamp?" Goren asked one of the technicians, interrupting Elliot and Olivia's conversation.

"The lamp?" Elliot looked towards the object in question and scowled at it.

"He tied her up," Goren said, walking over to the lamp, "Hung her hands over the lamp to subdue her, while, while he got the room ready."

"So, she had to watch him set up all the candles," Olivia headed for the night stand, where a set of three partially melted candles stood, "Bet he taunted her through out all of it."

"No, no," Goren said, looking around the room, "Look at the way he set it up. Candles, roses, and wine, he probably tried to reassure her, maybe even comfort her."

"So, he spends all this time trying to romance her then he viciously murders her and sends the picture to the police?" Elliot questioned, "Doesn't make a lot of sense."

"He cares about the women," Goren stressed, "The murder was vicious, but the ME found tears on the body. He was crying while he killed her. He's creating a fantasy of a loving relationship, and then when the fantasy is, is broken he kills the woman, but he mourns over them."

"Okay, so a murder with a romantic streak. Charming," Olivia said dryly.

"Hmm," Was Goren's response as he went back to examining the lamp.

"Now what?" Olivia asked with a jerk of her chin towards Goren.

"We talk to the manager and leave Sherlock here to…whatever," Elliot answered with a slight shrug.

"Alright, we're gonna go see if anyone here saw anything," Elliot announced.

"There's surveillance at the front desk, make sure you get the tapes," Goren said, now studying the candles.

"Right." Olivia said, walking past Elliot out into the hall. Goren watched the surreptitiously out of one eye. How odd that they didn't even notice they're in love, he thought, then returned his attention to the candles.

Elliot followed her out and once they were in the stairwell, he glanced down at her. She was thinking about something, judging by the little winkle between her brow, but whatever it wasn't about the case, since she wasn't frowning, but smiling slightly. She was probably thinking about Goren, judging the signs.

"And I thought Munch was a little…odd," He said, watching her smile and shake her head.

"But he's brilliant," Olivia pointed out.

Because he was slightly jealous at her easy praise of Goren and wasn't about to admit it to himself he elbowed her lightly, "Well that's high praise, thinking of asking him for coffee?"

Olivia snorted, "And here I thought I hid my crush better. Don't tell." He smiled at the sarcasm and all jealousy vanished. He was still number one, good.

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Author's Note: And now onto the divorce! (insert evil laughter) Now I get to have some real fun.