A/N: Wow! Chapter 20! If you're still reading, muah! Thanks so much. Let me know with a comment or review. If I turned you off somehow, well you're not going to see this note anyway so I am just going to keep writing. We hit a turning point, time for a bit of fluff. I'm a big believer in seeing the light through the darkness. especially for Elliot and Olivia...
Chapter 20
Thirty minutes later Elliot pulled his truck into the driveway and Olivia nearly tucked and rolled to get out quickly. When they calmed down enough, they stopped at the pharmacy to pick up Serena's prescriptions. Olivia needed to get some water and some ice to cool her face and replenish. She found that her eyes were just perpetually red and swollen since Serena's return and it didn't look like that situation was going to change anytime soon. Crying was never her thing, but she can no longer hold her emotions inside. And given the fact that her strong and often intimidating "former" partner cried along with her, well all hope for control was lost. She ran towards the house, but no one was inside. Of course, Bernie said they were enjoying the sunshine and Serena only stayed inside when she was forced to. Forced. Today Olivia felt that word has so many new meanings. She found Serena and Bernie in their usual place down by the shoreline, in the midst of what was becoming a whole sand neighborhood. Liv took a deep breath and walked over.
"Is everything okay?" she asked in general. She felt so awkward suddenly; like the myriad of times she would approach her mother after a night of drinking where she wasn't sure if she would be hungover and angry or exhausted and sullen. She tentatively walked closer. Serena immediately got up and reached for her headphones, placing them on her head and adjusting the volume before going back to work.
"Oh, we're fine. Serena is quite the architect. She reminds me so much of Elliot when he was little. You know Olivia, he used to build the biggest and most detailed structures with his blocks? I always hoped he'd do something with that" she said.
Olivia loved hearing stories about when Elliot was little. He rarely opened up and when he did, it was usually not a happy memory to share. "Well, they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Actually, I just found out about this little seedling" she joked. Bernie looked confused at first, but then you can see the minute she understood what Olivia was saying.
"Really? I knew Kathy had a good reason to fear you. And here I am having her call me Grandma out of the blue. Oh, this is wonderful!" She seemed so excited at knowing for a fact that Serena was indeed her granddaughter. "Olivia, do you think that...I mean she's already a teenager and...well…everyone else has lives of their own..." Bernie couldn't put her thoughts into proper words but Olivia knew exactly what she was trying to ask. She didn't want her newfound granddaughter to disappear out of her life and be just the birthday and Christmas phone call.
"Elliot and I NEVER crossed any line. I never knew who Serena's father was until two nights ago and I don't even know the whole story. You need to know I would never knowingly come between Elliot and his family." Way too much was happening right now, but Olivia defended the relationship she had with Elliot every day since they met. She didn't want any members of his family thinking otherwise, or worse, blaming her for the divorce or accusing Elliot of infidelity when neither of them had a choice.
"We can discuss this later. I've been meaning to ask you something. Serena absolutely loves it here. She loves being outdoors with the sunshine and the wind. I know she especially loves the freedom to be outside in the middle of the night or watching the sun come up. She's been getting plenty of exercise walking along the shore and she just adores you, so I was hoping, and feel free to say no of course, but would it be okay if we extended our stay? I'm not exactly sure how long, but maybe at least for the rest of the summer? If that's too much, then…"
This time Liv was the one who was interrupted. "Oh dear, that's fantastic! You two can stay as long as you'd like! Olivia if you need to get back to work or anything, Serena could absolutely stay with me here. We'll look out for each other. Oh, did you hear that little one?" she asked directly to Serena knowing the music volume wasn't loud enough to drown out their conversation.
Serena looked Bernie in the eye and smiled. "I'd like that very much Grandma" she answered clear as a bell. "Do you think we can rearrange the room I'm staying in?" After eating lunch, Serena took it upon herself to move her bag of clothes and her machine into the guest room with the full and bunk beds. She wasn't about to share a bed with Olivia after her betrayal. She wanted nothing to do with her mother at the moment.
"Of course, dear!" answered Bernie emphatically.
"I'm sorry?" questioned Liv at the same time.
Serena didn't acknowledge; she just got up, grabbed Bernie's hand and trotted off towards the house, not realizing Elliot had held back inside. He wanted to give Olivia space with Serena so he grabbed a beer and sat down. He looked up with curiosity when he saw her and his mom walk straight towards the guest room, Liv hot on their heels.
"What's going on?" she questioned. As soon as she entered the bedroom, she got her answer. Serena had moved all of her things out of the room they shared and up onto the top bunk. If she chose to turn her back to look out the top of the window, Olivia would have to use a step to reach up and kiss her goodnight. It was Serena's way of distancing herself the best she could. She even rigged her machine, so it was perched on the high shelf but within her reach up there. Serena addressed Bernie.
"Do the Stablers come all the time that we need to keep the other beds in here?" Liv noted that she spoke slowly but with perfect clarity. Her speech had changed dramatically. You never would have known she had such a profound stutter not 24 hours ago.
"Oh no dear! They only visit once in a blue moon. We can dismantle the bunks, they're very easy and oh! We can paint! Oh, such bright colors and designs, anything you want! Olivia?" she turned towards Liv. "Will you be wanting to switch up yours and Elliot's room too?" It was such an innocent question, but this whole thing just threw Liv for a loop. She was just coming home to talk to her daughter. To apologize and explain, even beg for forgiveness.
"Mine and Elliot's room? Wait, wait. Bernie, it's wonderful that you are allowing us to stay, I am so so grateful to you for that, but I wasn't planning on being separated from Serena, let alone have to share a room with Elliot!" Liv's voice was rising exponentially.
"Well, you've been sharing since you got here, and you just told me you shared this wonderful young lady that I just thought you two would continue together. I know you love him dear, so what's the problem? I somehow don't see my son spending every night on the couch." She was truly expecting an answer, but Liv was so thrown off that she didn't think before speaking.
"Of course I love him and the sleeping arrangements aren't really a problem it's just that…" she stopped short when she heard Elliot clear his throat from behind her.
"Uh, I don't mind the sleeping arrangements either" he said with that shit eating grin on his face. "I'll take the beds down Ma. Toss them in the crawl space?" Olivia couldn't believe what was happening. She just admitted, out loud, to his mother and him, that she loved Elliot. She joked with Serena in the car about it, but if she were being honest with herself, was she really joking? Well it was always implied, they were best friends and he was always there for her in ways a normal partner was not. Plus, he loved Serena like a daughter before he knew she was. But to say it, to confess, to...well shit. No, she had to regain control, but Bernie was pointing out decorating ideas, Serena was steadfastly ignoring her, and Elliot was inspecting the bunks with a big-ass smile on his face.
"Excuse me, I need take a walk" she said as she brushed past Elliot and made her way to her room. She decided to take a run rather than a walk so she changed into a bikini under shorts. She needed to expel energy, to sweat, to just run.
-SVU-
Elliot tried to make small talk, but Serena kept her headphones on and completely ignored him. While it pissed him off, he didn't want to say or do anything else today. But shit, this was not going to fly forever. Serena moved everything to the big bed while Elliot dismantled the bunks and brought them to the garage which had a small attic type crawl space. He then moved the bed into the middle of the room and rearranged the furniture, per his mother's directions. The whole thing took about 45 minutes and he was done. Not just done with the activity; done in general. He did not like being ignored and Bernie wasn't doing anything to help the situation. She chatted along talking about paints and coverings.
"I'm gonna find Liv" he said as he walked back into the kitchen. While he was going back and forth, he noticed the wind start to pick up and dark clouds way off the horizon. A storm was coming in and it would be a doozy. It shouldn't hit land until well into the night, but the temp did cool down a bit. He grabbed two beers and a throw blanket and headed to where Olivia sat on the beach, he almost missed her, off to the side as if she was hiding in plain sight.
It felt good to run. All the emotions of the past few days, hell, the past two years were built up causing knots and stress beyond measure. Moving her body, building up a sweat, increasing her heart rate helped clear her head. Elliot was right, they will get passed this, as a family. She was no longer on her own and she wasn't afraid to admit that having Elliot and Bernie around like this made her feel good; like part of something special. Now, she sat on the sand just trying to get herself together. It was uncomfortable to sit in her shorts after her run between the sweat and the sand, so she just sat in her bikini. It was a private beach after all and she seemed to be the only one out right now, but still, she moved over to the side of the jetty that made an almost private area. Olivia knew she was not good company and wanted to avoid any chance of small talk with any passers-by. She noticed the clouds beginning to form and the darkness slowly creeping forward from way out on the horizon and shivered a bit. Yes, it was getting chilly, but she wasn't ready to go inside. She would either fall apart at Serena's silent treatment or get angry and do/say something that she will regret. So, she sat, alone, shivering on the beach.
Elliot noticed her shiver as he came up behind her, so he walked into her peripheral vision and handed her a beer as he simultaneously covered her with the blanket. She looked as him quizzically but said nothing as he made himself comfortable behind her. It seemed that almost overnight, gone were the days when they sat next to each other consciously trying not to brush shoulders or have their thighs touch. She can't say she would miss that. She would warm up in no time between the blanket in front and Elliot's body heat up against her back. She silently leaned into him and took a swig of her beer.
As soon as Olivia leaned into his chest, he took that as a thank you and acceptance of his presence. He wasn't too sure if she wanted to remain alone. They sat for a bit, just watching the clouds before he spoke up.
"You know I love you too, right?" he asked nonchalantly. He felt her stiffen, but she didn't pull away.
"Yeah. Why do you think I told Bernie that I didn't mind the sleeping arrangements?" There was no fanfare, no grand gestures of eternal devotion, just simple statements of fact. Of course she knew; it was why it so easily slipped out in the first place. If she was unsure of his feelings towards her, she would have guarded her own more. She turned her upper body to look at him. "Serena said something the other night. She said The Doctor told her he arranged for you and I to get pregnant. He was watching us and felt he could manipulate things so that we would create what he considered to be "an exceptional child"" she said using the same air quotes Serena used. "El, how…"
She didn't get to finish her question before his lips were upon hers. He wasn't even tentative, he just went straight in, coaxing her mouth to open to his. Of course, she complied. It had been so long. So, so long since anyone kissed her, let alone gone beyond that. Once she woke up on that fateful day and realized that she couldn't remember her sexual partner, she made a vow to reign in her tendency to engage in one-night stands. Then of course Serena came along, and all Olivia wanted to do after work was spend time with her. No man was allowed anywhere near the apartment, so she just took care of her needs herself for all these years. But Elliot, he was igniting a fire that would be damn near impossible to put out. She really did know that he loved her back. They were best friends after all, but she could no longer fool herself that it stopped there; not the way his mouth was controlling her. She let it, giving in to the tightness in her stomach and the discomfort that was quickly building between her legs.
Elliot took his chance. They would talk later but damn, she looked beautiful sitting there. Liv was always beautiful: when she was awake for 36 hours running on caffeine and no shower to right now, sitting alone on a private beach wearing nothing more than a tan and a bikini. He knew Olivia was leaning into him, so she could feel his arousal, but she didn't seem to mind so he didn't care. She was kissing him back. His partner was kissing him back! His hands began to wander down under the blanket to caress her stomach. Oh, that beautifully toned stomach that he only caught glimpses of if she reached up high or they worked out together. He ran his fingers across her belly button and she didn't object. He wasn't going to go any further than kissing, but his body seemed to move of its own accord and when his thumb ran across the string of her bikini bottom, his pinky grazed over the front of her mound.
Jesus Christ! What the hell am I doing?! she thought. Elliot...Elliot is kissing me. I am kissing Elliot! Stop him Olivia before it goes too far. I need to….stop. No, don't stop. Shit! Shit! Shit! He better not fucking stop!
Olivia let out a sound that Elliot had never heard before, not even from Kathy. It was a cross between a lust-filled moan and a whimper. Hot damn! He wanted to hear it again. As his lips continued to manipulate her mouth, his hand found its way to untying the string. It was loose so it fell away instantly. His fingers were now grazing over Olivia's most private area. He had to keep reminding himself to calm down and not lose control. His erection was straining against his shorts and thank God he changed out of his jeans in the middle of moving furniture. Elliot ran one finger up her slit and she pulled up a bit and made a surprised sound, which was quickly swallowed by his mouth. He had to come up for air, hoping it didn't break the momentum.
"Liv just tell me…" he didn't want to finish the sentence but he would instantly stop if she asked him to. Her response was immediate as she raised her arm to wrap around his neck. He needed no other encouragement. He ran his finger up her slit one more time before inserting it inside. Olivia was soaking already. He knew she hadn't dated anyone since Serena was taken, but he wasn't sure how long it was before that. The way her body was responding indicated it had been far too long. Well, he had to make this memorable for her then. He moved his mouth over hers once more before nibbling on her ear and moving down to her neck. He could hear her heavy breathing and see that her eyes were closed. He began to manipulate not only one, but two fingers in and out of her opening, eliciting these sounds that he would do anything to hear every fricken day. He accidently moved his thumb over her clit, causing her to flinch and curse in the sexiest way. She turned her head back to the ocean and grabbed onto his forearms, which were wrapped around her waist under the blanket.
"El. we're out...mmmmm...outside" she said breathlessly moving her lower body with every manipulation of his fingers.
"Shhh. No one can see us. You picked the perfect spot! Just let me show you…" He didn't get to finish his thought as he must have hit a particularly sensitive spot causing her to gasp and cry out. Her grip on his arms was unrelenting so he made it a point not to stop until she was sated. He didn't dare touch her breasts, that would have been too much for him. He moved his fingers faster and Olivia's breathing was coming in short bursts, he knew she would come hard and fast and she didn't disappoint. Before he had a chance to switch things up, Olivia let out a scream that was washed away with the tide. He somehow knew she would be a screamer. Elliot quickly covered her mouth again, effectively stifling her as he continued to caress her sensitive areas. He felt the flood just pouring out of her and his fingers became trapped between her muscles as she rode wave after wave of ecstasy. She moaned into his mouth and he released her, causing her to whimper as she came down from her magnificent high. He slowly removed his fingers from inside and deftly re-tied her bikini string as she continued to try and catch her breath, still holding onto his forearms.
Elliot made sure to wrap the blanket around them both as they continued to stare at the horizon. He was still sporting a very strong hard-on, but he was okay with that. He heard sounds coming from his partner that he only heard in his dreams. No, scratch that, he never imagined those sounds before and he sure as hell would never forget them. Now that he knew what she sounded like, what she felt like, the look on her face as she came and came, he would need to take more cold showers.
It wasn't long before Olivia broke the bliss filled silence. "What do we do now?"
"About what?" he asked. He wasn't being facetious, he just wasn't sure what she meant. "Liv, I'm sorry, but I've wanted to do that for such a long time. Please don't say that you…"
"No!" she said a little too loud. "God no. El, you didn't. I mean...me too. That was…" she was stammering and needed to get back control, so she cleared her throat. "I meant, what do we do about Serena? She hates us El. I betrayed her and, in her mind, I am no better than those fuckers who hurt her! What if she really never speaks to me again? What if she can never forgive me?"
"Liv, calm down luv, okay?" he said using one of the terms she playfully okayed. "She is angry. Actually, she's pissed and we both know she has every right to be. No, we didn't set out to trick or 'betray' her, but we are her parents and we have to make the tough decisions to protect and do what's right for her. In this case, to make sure she is healthy, We just...have to act normal."
Parents. Plural. Well, I guess that Elliot always was her father, even when we didn't know it. "Normal huh? After what you just did, I'm not sure we can go back to normal" she said with a smirk.
Elliot laughed in return. "What I'm saying is, let's not walk on eggshells. We never did before, and I really don't want to start now. Call her out on her shit but give her lots of extra love. Plus, if she really wants her own room, I have no objections. You'll find that I'm quite the sharer."
There it was, that cocky grin of his. Sonofabitch. But yes, he was right. Olivia's always been honest and straightforward in everything she's ever said and done where Serena is concerned. They have to get back to that normal so they can all recover. "Thank you, Elliot. I haven't had the chance to say it, but...thanks. For just... everything. I couldn't, I wouldn't have made it without you." His only response was to kiss her again. Deep.
"Come on. I never got to grill for you and we need to batten down the hatches early, those clouds look angry and since our lovely little lady hates the dark, I need to make sure we have enough firewood and flashlights." Elliot made a move to shift Olivia, so they could stand, but she wouldn't budge.
"Wait. El, you...ummm...do you need to…?" she was suddenly embarrassed knowing exactly what she felt against her back. Elliot was sporting a rockhard erection just a few minutes ago and although they were talking, she wasn't sure if he still needed relief.
He chuckled as he managed to stand and held his hand out to help her up. "I'm good, Liv. I'm real good. I promise, another time. Now, let's go inside." After wrapping the blanket around her and grabbing her shorts, they were both smiling as they walked back in Bernie's house, hand in hand.
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