He tossed his keys on the counter, walked over to the fridge, and tugged it open to search for something to eat. Beer and corn flakes. What were the cornflakes doing in the fridge? He grabbed them and tossed them carelessly on the counter, along side his keys. Swiftly he grabbed a beer and tossed closed the fridge with a satisfied grunt.
He shuffled into his living room and dropped himself down on the couch with a thud. Why couldent he let well enough alone? If he hadnt have had Olivia taken off the case then she wouldent hate him. But he still knew he was right. Getting her taken off the case was an easily made choice, but none the less he regretted it more than anything. He knew it was getting to her. Digging into her core that this guy was doing these horrible things. When she threw him against the wall he knew she was at her edge. He knew that, tables turned, he would have thrown Ligman against a wall himself, maybe done worse. If Munch or Fin had done it he wouldent have reacted by getting them taken off the case, but it was her. He knew that she was stone cold as a detective. She never lost her cool. The moment she had lost her cool in that interrogation room he went into his normal protective mode. He did it for her own good.
He lay his head down on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling.
The kiss.
He knew she felt the same way as he felt toward her. He knew it, he could feel it. He lifted his beer to his lips and took a long steady swig. He acted upon the feeling. There was the cringe again. What a stupid thing to do. Even if she felt the same way he knew her ego and her 'pride' would prevent her from acting on it. Damn her pride.
He released another sigh. These werent thoughts that a man with a beer in hand should be brooding. He lifted his beer once again to his lips and guzzled the remainder of the bottle. His bed awaited him.
Olivia sat on the edge of her bed peering out her window, looking onto the outside world of New York. She couldent believe Elliot had kissed her. Elliot Stabler. After getting her taken off the case. The nerve of him. The thing that bothered her most about it was that no matter how much she wanted to or how much she tried to, she couldent bring herself to hate him. Deep down she felt warmed by the kiss, but she wouldent admit that, not even to herself.
Why was he so concerned about her? Every time she even tried to show an ounce of concern toward him he brushed her off. Told her he was fine, or he didnt need her help. He even aimed to hurt her when she tried to help him. But when it was vice-versa he was right there to show his concern, even when she didnt want his concern.
She leaned back on her bed, resting her head upon her pillows and pulling the blankets over her body. Tomorrow was coming fast and she knew it would be difficult without work. Unless Cragen changed his mind she wouldent be called in. She wanted to be called in.
She rolled on her side and peaked at the clock. 2 30. Damn Elliot. Now he had her up to all hours of the night with his ludicrous confrontation. She nuzzled her face closer into the pillow and pulled the blanket higher. Morning comes too soon.
Elliots alarm on his bedside table was alive. The screeching clock shook with the loud noise it was bellowing into Elliots unwanting ears. He brought his hands up to the sides of his pillow and folded it around his head, covering his ears and drowning out the majority of the disruptive noise. As his cell phone joined the blare he decided it wasnt a battle he could win against the cell phone and the alarm clock.
He brought himself slowly out of bed and threw his hand hastily upon the snooze button of the alarm clock. The yelping clock was silenced.
With sleep still clouding his vision he shuffled through the mess on his bedside table to find his phone, in the process forcing the alarm clock off the bedside table and onto the ground. Finding the offensive device he brought it to his ear, annoyed.
"Stabler." he quipped, shortly into the phone.
"We've got a body get your ass to City Hall, pronto." Cragens voice filled his ears.
"Okay." Elliot mumbled, unhappy. He paused before hanging up his phone as something came to his mind. "Captain?" he asked quickly into the phone, before Cragen could hang up.
"Yes, Elliot?" Cregan retaliated.
Elliot paused, thinking his decision to ask or not, "Whos my partner?"
Elliot waited for Cragens responce patiently, worridly.
"Olivia is. I'm calling her now." his response was not what Elliot was expecting to hear.
"What?" he replied promply. "But Captain, I thought-"
"Stabler, it wasnt your decision to make, nor your place to opose her. Now het your ass to City Hall." The click on the other line of the phone signified Cragen had hung up.
Elliot arrived at City Hall to find police swarming the whole of the area. Crime scene tape was strapped around quite a few places around the area. He looked around searching for a sign of his partner. When he heard she would be rejoining the case he was worried yet happy that he wouldent have to face this case alone. Spotting her squatted along side Munch he aproached quickly.
"What've we got?" he asked, as if nothing was wrong, as if it were every other day, as if it ws normal.
"Pieces." Olivia replied, simply.
"Of Sinthia Barret," Munch confirmed, holding up a bag, "We found her wallet along with a credit card in this. Killer was helpful I supose."
"Why would he give the ID?" Elliot asked, the question directed at noone in particular. "Maybe it's some way to taunt us."
"Olivia would know." Munch announced. Elliot looked at Olivia curiously.
"Um, I went to school with her. We were roomates for a year." Olivia affirmed, seemingly uneffected, but not making eye contact.
"Wow." Elliot paused, "Do you think he wants to get to you?"
"Do you think, Elliot?" she retorted her voice dripping with sarcasm as she turned to meet eyes with him for the first time, her hurt showing through.
"I'm sorry." he said. The apology was not only for this, it was for everything, but he didnt know if she even noticed, even looked into his eyes fully, for long enough to read his thoughts like she always could.
Munch coughed lightly, interupting the slight awkward tension that was beginning to set in, "You two should go tell the parents, they live in Queens. Fin and I will track down Ligman, see if he has an aliby for this."
"Okay, we're on it." Olivia responded raising from her spot squatted on the ground and brushing past Elliot towards the Sedan, "See you in the car."
Today was going to be long and relentless.