Pain
Chapter 2---Love
Disclaimer: still don't own anything but Elias and Ella, oh and Rhys (even though i hate him he's still mine.)
October 7, 2001
Elliot's Apartment
5:56 AM
Elliot could barely sleep that night. The thoughts that he could have prevented this plagued him. 'God, I'm such a coward. If I could have just told Olivia how I really felt about her when i had the chance all those years ago, maybe things would be different now. Maybe instead of falling for my close friend, she could have fallen for me. If that happened she would have been sleeping safely in my arms, not getting beat by a man we both trusted. Maybe...maybe Eli and Ella would have been mine." A solitary tear made its way down Elliot's cheek, he wipe it away angrily as he sighed.
"Get over it, Elliot, she doesn't love you like that," he told himself, as he got out of bed to go check on Olivia and the kids, as he had done countless times that night.
He opened the door quietly and looked in on the little family. He could hear more than see Olivia. She snored like a bulldozer when she was really tired. But, don't try and tell her that. Elliot let out a small chuckle and let his gaze linger on the bed. Eli was snuggled up to him mother so tightly that he found it hard to believe that either of them could breathe. He was also snoring, albeit softer. He wished that he could be in that bed to cuddled against them with Ella lying on his chest.
Then as if she had know he was thinking about her, Ella started grunting, a tell-tale sign that she was waking up. Elliot made his way to the playpen quickly scooping up the small bundle and carrying her out of the bedroom, not wanting to wake Olivia and Eli just yet. He took Ella into the kitchen knowing that she would be hungry.
"Hey, Elmo. You hungry, Sweetie?" Elliot asked the baby girl.
She just grinned at him and playfully smacked his chest as he grabbed one of the bottles of breast milk that Olivia had put in the fridge last night. He put that in the microwave and then shimmied a little around the room to keep Ella occupied while he meal was being warmed. The microwave beeped and Elliot took the milk out, testing it on his wrist. Deciding that it was fine he then carried Ella to the living room. Plopping down on the couch he began to feed the baby. She stared into his eyes as she was fed and Elliot found himself once again wishing that he had children. She was already falling asleep again while he burped her. Elliot kissed her little forehead and scooted down on the couch a little to get more comfortable.
About an hour later Elliot felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. It was Elias.
"Hey, Eli. What are you doing up so early, Buddy?"
"'Toons?" he asked sweetly.
"Alright, come here," Elliot said patting a space on the couch. Eli climbed up as Elliot turned on the TV.
Olivia woke later that morning to find herself alone in the bedroom with a pounding headache. 'Elliot must have the kids. He is so good with them,' she thought, as she headed toward the bathroom. Looking at her face in the mirror she was not surprised by the dark purple mark marring a large portion of her cheek and coming up around her eye. Her bottom lip looked pretty bad too. It was split down the side and really swollen. She touched it lightly and winced. Keeping her tears in check she went to find Elliot and the kids. What she found made her smile, Eli was sprawled across Elliot's legs watching cartoons intently. Upon further inspection she see Ella laying on Elliot's strong chest, his arm draped lightly over her. She leaned over the back of the couch and ran her fingers through Eli's hair.
"Mommy!"
"Shhh, Baby. Let's let Uncle Elliot and your sister sleep for a while, okay?" Olivia whispered to her son.
She picked up her baby boy and brought him into the kitchen.
"Mommy hurt?" Elias asked with big, concerned brown eyes.
"Yeah, Baby. But I'm okay," she assured him.
Eli just looked at her for a while longer and then kissed her.
"Better?"
"Yeah, much better. Let's get some breakfast now, okay?"
Olivia grabbed some cereal from the cupboard and poured it in a bowl. She added milk and the set the bowl in front of Eli. She started to pour herself a bowl when she heard Ella grunting. She ran to the living room to get her before she woke Elliot. But when she got there Elliot's eyes were already opening.
"Hey. How you feelin'?" he rasped.
"I'm okay. Go back to sleep. I'll take her."
"No it's okay i'm ready to get up," he told her, sitting up with little Ella in his arms. "Elmo here, needs a diaper change. Liv, why don't you come with me. I want to talk to you."
"Okay."
As Elliot changed Ella's diaper, he talked to Olivia about last night.
"What are you gonna do, Liv?"
"Well, I'm obviously not going back to him after this. I'm not putting my kids in that situation. Plus he's been drinking lately. You know how I feel about that. I've put up with it for the kids. He hadn't done anything stupid until last night. I still just can't believe it. I...I don't understand," she said as the tears started again. Elliot was finished changing Ella's diaper and picked her up. He walked to Olivia and hugged her.
"It's okay, you'll get through Olivia, You're strong, and I'll be here to help you," he whispered to her.
"Thank you, Elliot."
"No problem, you're my best friend." 'The woman I love' he thought. "I'd do anything for you."
Elliot leaned back a little and brushed away her tears. "Come on, let's go eat, and get cleaned up. Then we can get out of here."
He handed Ella to her and turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand and squeezed gently for a moment before letting go.
"Let's do this," she said letting out a deep breath.
A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed. I appreciate all that you had to say. I'll try to updated fast again. Thanks.
