Imaginary movie theater with imaginary scheduling next. I did choose movies that are actually from 1983/1984 though. Enjoy!

13.

He was nervous. It was already ten past seven and Olivia still wasn't there. He was beginning to worry that things had gone wrong at the Bensons after all when he suddenly saw a familiar mop of brown hair coming his way in a hurry. She was here! He felt so relieved that he wanted to hug her, but he wasn't sure how that gesture would be received, so he settled for a wide grin. Olivia replied with a similar goofy grin on her face and they walked into the theater together to pick out a movie. They had discussed a few options over the course of the week but they were going to decide at the last minute.

"This one starts in an hour," Elliot said, pointing at the poster of "Christine".

Olivia shivered.

"I hate horror movies, El."

They walked along the wall of posters to see what else they could see. When Elliot had suggested a movie, it had just been an excuse to spend time with her and he wondered if she wouldn't find it odd that he hadn't made a choice yet. But she seemed content just walking with him and checking out their options. She looked nice, in her blue jeans and white a V neck tee shirt underneath her black leather jacket. They stopped in front of the poster for the brand new movie Police Academy.

"They don't look like your average recruits to me," Elliot said, looking at the odd bunch, including a lady with long bare legs that definitely wasn't in a standard police uniform.

"It's a comedy. I think that's the point," Olivia told him, reading the brief description on the poster. "Could be fun."

"It's fine with me. It plays in room 1 and it starts in thirty minutes. Wanna get some snacks while we wait?"

"Sure."

After Elliot had bought their tickets, they each got a box of popcorn and a bottle of cola, and Elliot bought some extra chocolate for them to share. Olivia insisted on paying for her own snacks, telling him her mother had given her a twenty dollar bill to spend.

"Wow. Ms. B. actually gave you cash?"

"Yeah," Olivia chuckled. "I was as surprised as you are. But she thinks it's a girls night out, so I guess she doesn't want to look cheap or something. She's got an image to uphold in school, right? Well, who cares anyway? I got money to spend tonight!"

Elliot laughed along with her. He was glad Olivia's mom seemed to be lightening up a bit. He hoped the woman would come to see over time that he really wasn't a bad guy, and that her daughter was safe with him. But for now, they had a whole group of friends protecting her. The girls were out too and they had all told their parents they were going to see a movie, and that Olivia would be with them. It was iron-clad and he was going to make sure Olivia had the best time tonight.

Once people were starting to go into room one, they found their seats as well and settled in for the commercials.

Olivia was glad to be out of the house, and she was glad to be here with Elliot. Sneaking around on her mother made her feel like she had a little bit of power over her own life and it felt good. She glanced at Elliot, who seemed to be focused on the commercials, but when she looked at the screen again, she saw him glance at her. She smiled. He really seemed to like her and it made her a little nervous, but in a good way. It made her feel a little giddy.

When the movie started, they settled in and soon, they were laughing together at the goofy movie. It was over way too soon, and Olivia was glad that Elliot suggested hanging out a little longer afterwards. They found a place to sit in the lounge area of the theater and had another cola while they chatted. They were comfortable with each other and had fun deciding who the most ridiculous new recruit had been in the movie, while watching other movie goers get ready for the last round of movies showing at the theater.

"You know, I wanna go to the Police Academy for real," Olivia said, and Elliot had to admit he was surprised.

"Why?" he asked her.

"Well, why do you think? Because I wanna be a cop!"

He could see her do it. She had this inner strength that would make people pay attention to her, even at sixteen. He was sure she'd be a force to be reckoned with as an adult.

"Have you ever fired a gun?" he asked her.

Olivia shook her head.

"No. But I'm going to. How 'bout you?"

Elliot hadn't fired a gun either but he told her he had plans of his own.

"What plans? You wanna be a cop too? That would be cool. We could be a team!" Olivia said, her eyes shining at the thought, and Elliot had to admit it had a nice ring to it. Benson and Stabler on the job …

"That sounds cool," he told Olivia. "I don't know yet what I wanna be, but I do know what I'm going to do as soon as I'm out of school."

"And what's that?"

"I'm enlisting with the Marines."

"Wow."

He could tell Olivia was surprised. It looked like they were both planning to serve their country, each in their own way. But he felt he should tell her a little bit more about why he wanted to enlist.

"Yeah. It's the quickest way to get away from home and stand on my own two feet after high school."

Olivia bit her lip and tilted her head, looking at him attentively. He sensed that she was going to ask him another question, and he decided to beat her to it.

"I just gotta get away from my dad."

Olivia tucked her feet underneath herself on the small sofa they were sitting on, and rested her elbow on the backrest, turning her upper body towards her friend. Elliot wanted to get away from his father? She looked at him more attentively and then noticed the bruise on his jaw. She had seen it earlier in the day but it hadn't been as pronounced then, which meant it had to be very recent that it was only now beginning to stand out.

She reached out to him and Elliot held his breath when she touched his jaw gingerly.

"Why do you have to get away from your dad?" she asked him softly and he knew in that instant that she knew. Still, it was difficult for him to put it into words, and so he just looked into Olivia's concerned brown eyes until he saw in them that she understood, and accepted his silence as his answer.

"I understand," she said, retracting her hand.

Elliot watched Olivia's body language as she averted her eyes and he couldn't help wondering how much she really did understand. He wanted to ask her about it but he didn't want to come across as nosey. Before he could think of something to say, Olivia asked him,

"What sets him off?"

When she looked at him again, he shrugged. What set off his father? It was hard to pinpoint.

"Recently, I think it has to do with his job," he told her.

"What does he do?"

"He's a cop."

Olivia's eyebrows shot up. Elliot's father was a cop?

"What unit?"

"Queens robbery."

Olivia thought it might come in handy to know a cop, but from the looks of it, Elliot didn't get along with his father at all.

"I'm sorry you don't get along," she offered, and Elliot smiled wryly.

"Well, I'm not gonna need him anymore soon."

"You don't wanna go to college?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe one day. I just wanna get away first."

Olivia knew that feeling. It sucked that she was only sixteen. At least Elliot would turn eighteen soon and he would be allowed to make his own choices.

"I wish I could come with you," she mused and it was Elliot's turn to be surprised.

"Is she that bad?" he asked his friend.

He knew Ms. B. was very stern but she seemed okay now, even giving Olivia money to spend on a night out. His father would never do that, and just yell at him in stead for spending any money in the first place. Olivia shrugged and didn't look at him, and when he realized she wasn't going to say anything else, he decided to drop the subject, instead steering it back to her wish to be a cop.

"Did you have a unit in mind yet, to work for as a cop?" he asked her.

Olivia nodded, still not looking at him.

"I know I'll have to start at the bottom of the ladder, but I want to investigate sex crimes eventually."

"How come?"

He had asked before he could think about it, and when she didn't respond right away, again, he was beginning to worry about Olivia. Had someone hurt her? The mere thought made him angry already. Nobody touched a woman without her permission. Or a child, for that matter. He could see himself stand up for victims of that kind of abuse, too. It went against everything he believed in, regardless of the way his father was trying to beat his idea of masculinity into him. But his main concern right now was Olivia, and he touched her shoulder to make her look at him.

"How come?" he asked her again, his voice now soft and gentle.

She looked at him and smiled, although her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Don't worry, nobody touched me without me wanting it," she said, adding a smirk to underline that obviously, she had been touched intimately with her permission. But she'd already told him that. She'd slept with an older guy. Still, he was relieved that she wasn't assaulted herself. He knew he'd go off on a guy if he ever found someone forcing himself on a girl, and the guy would be worse off than Nick had been a few weeks ago.

Olivia checked her watch and they decided it was time to head home. Elliot insisted on traveling with her to Manhattan, to make sure she'd get home safe. She rolled her eyes but she did appreciate his chivalry. Public transport could be an unsafe place for a girl alone, even a girl who knew self-defense. As she hoisted herself up from the sofa, Elliot's eyes were drawn to the V neck of her shirt. He knew he was a prick for eyeing her that way but he just couldn't help himself. And then he spotted a dark blotch on her collarbone, that was exposed just before she straightened out her shirt and tugged her jacket over it.

"What's that?" he asked, wrapping his fingers around her jacket before she could zip it up.

"What's what?"

Olivia was confused. It wasn't very much like Elliot to grab her clothes like that. He quickly let go of her jacket but pointed at her shoulder.

"Under your shirt. Did you get hurt recently?"

Olivia had to think on her feet. She hadn't planned on telling Elliot anything about her mother, even if he had opened up a little about his dad. But she knew he'd just spotted her bruise from where her mother's hardcover book had hit her. She wanted to lie and tell him it was a PE accident but she just couldn't lie to him. Not to Elliot. But a half-truth would have to do in this case.

"Oh, that. It's just a little bruise. Nothing to worry about."

Elliot didn't know what to think and tried to maintain eye contact with Olivia to try and see what she was thinking, but she looked away, again.

"If you say so," he said slowly.

Olivia turned away from him and started walking towards the exit of the theater.

"I don't wanna talk about it, El. Come on, let's go."

He followed her quickly and Olivia knew he wasn't going to let it go so easily when she saw him watching her as they walked towards the nearest subway station together. They checked the timetable and saw that they'd have to wait ten minutes for the next train. And sure enough, as she leaned up against one of the columns on the platform, he asked her softly,

"Did she hurt you?"

…

To be continued. Your reviews are appreciated.