Chapter 10
Elliot couldn't sleep that night. Not that it was particularly new, especially since his feelings for Olivia surfaced. He wasn't sure how long he'd had feelings for Olivia, but he knew it would be impossible to figure out. He had always cared about her, and their friendship had been a solid rock for them to stand on in the chaos of their lives, bringing them that much closer together. But when had those feelings become something more? And when had his feelings for Kathy started going in the opposite direction? Could Olivia be right, could she be the reason Elliot didn't love Kathy anymore, could his affection have just shifted because of the long hours he spent with Olivia?
No, Elliot told himself. He loved Kathy too much for that. Maybe his new affection had appeared at the same time as his previous affection vanished, but that didn't mean one caused the other. It had taken some time, but Elliot realized something about his relationship with Olivia versus his relationship with Kathy: He trusted Olivia more than he trusted Kathy. It was unavoidable in their line of work. They were partners, and they had to trust that they had each other's back. If they didn't trust each other, they could die, and trusting someone else with your life has a way of bringing people together. It wasn't the only factor in his failed marriage, but it did play a part, and even if he found a new job it would always be a problem. He would always trust his partner more than Kathy, no matter who it was, and when the trust is gone the relationship has to end.
The night stretched on and Elliot still couldn't sleep. He drifted into a light doze in the early morning, but woke up even more tired than before he fell asleep. He was exhausted, but every work day seemed to start with exhaustion, so he got dressed and headed out before Kathy even woke up. He was a little worried about seeing Olivia after last night's confrontation, but it was unavoidable. When he arrived at work, Olivia was already at her desk, and the squadroom was nearly empty.
"No one here yet?" He asked, taking his usual seat across from her. She just shrugged and continued her paperwork without even looking up.
"What's gonna happen when you're leg heals?" This time she looked up, confused. "You can't give me the cold shoulder when we're in the interrogation room, or cornering a perp. Desk duty's a pretty convenient excuse but eventually your leg's gonna heal and Cragen's gonna want you to partner with me again."
"I'm transferring back to computer crimes," she said, looking down at her paperwork again, but Elliot doubted she actually saw anything on the page.
"Is that your hiding place now? Need to run away from me, just go to computer crimes?"
"Fuck you, Elliot. I was beaten and nearly raped, so fuck you for calling me a coward, cause you know what? After that, I think I have the right to run and hide for a while." Her voice was no more than a whisper, but Elliot could hear the fierce anger packed into every word.
"You two are here early," Cragen interrupted suddenly. Without waiting for them to reply, he said, "Good, we've got more murdered kids. This guy's one sick bastard and I want him nailed to the wall, now. Elliot, call Munch, I have some suspects I want you to interview. Liv, come here."
Olivia cast Elliot one last harsh glare before following Cragen into his office, limping a lot because she hadn't bothered taking painkillers yet. She closed the door while Cragen walked around behind his desk, shoving his hands deep in his pockets, his usual stance. "What's up, Captain?" Olivia asked.
"Got a lead on the guy's in the van. You're not gonna like it." Olivia just looked at him, confused. Cragen took a deep breath and continued, "We found the van, CSU did a complete analysis, DNA, fingerprints, the works. We only got a hit on one of the men, a guy named Gregory Briggs, no luck finding him, though. No hit on the other guy's identity."
"But…?" Olivia knew there had to be more, because so far she was pretty satisfied with the information.
"We got a it on the prints. He's out serial killer." For a second Olivia almost forgot to breathe. When she finally took a shaky breath, she thought her legs might buckle. She leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor. "I don't think I have to tell you what I want. Protective detail, and I want you off this case."
Normally Olivia would have argued passionately against this, so when she only said, "Okay," Cragen was worried. He walked around his desk and offered a hand to Olivia. She accepted and he pulled her to her feet.
"I'll order the detail, and then you can go home. Get some rest in the crib until then."
"Captain…" She swallowed, still feeling like a coward for running away, but she had to do it. "I want to transfer out."
Cragen nodded. It didn't really surprise him, after all she'd been through. He, of course, knew about Sealview, and the details of what had happened in the van. He was a little disappointed, losing his best detective, but he was glad she was finally getting out. 'Maybe this time,' he thought, 'she won't come back.' "I'll take care of it. I can get you a spot in computer crimes, if you want." Olivia nodded. "Alright. Get some rest."
Olivia had barely slept since being kidnapped. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, but every time she started to drift off, she awoke again with a start and the chilling feeling of being watched. Her mind wouldn't rest, and so neither would her body. Not wanting to go back to work, she took Cragen's orders and curled up on a cot in the crib. Somehow, after several hours, she managed to fall asleep.
"Liv. Liv, wake up!" Olivia almost didn't want to open her eyes. She had been sleeping, actually sleeping, and she wanted to slap whoever had disturbed that. When she opened to her eyes to see a flustered Elliot, however, she changed her mind and sat up, rubbing her eyes and running her hands through her sleep-tangled hair.
"You better have a damn good reason for waking me up El."
"Someone broke into your apartment." Olivia was suddenly wide awake. "They left…well, CSU's taking care of it, but you won't be able to go home for a while."
"What was left there?" Elliot sighed and handed Olivia the file he was holding. She opened it to find crime scene pictures of rabbits, small pigs and several cats, all slaughtered on the floor, the couch, even her bed. It would all need to be replaced. Olivia felt her stomach churn and once again felt her strength leave her body. Elliot sat down and put his arm around her, pulling her towards him slightly so he could kiss his temple. When the sickening images released their grip and she realized what he was doing, she pushed him away.
"You can stay at my place," Elliot offered.
"No! Leave me alone!" She threw the file at Elliot, scattering the papers inside, and left the room.
Cragen saw her coming towards him and he turned to face her. "Protective detail's in place and I've got a hotel room set up for you. 24 hour protection, guards in and out of the hotel. I'll take care of your apartment, make sure everything gets replaced. We'll get him, Liv."
Olivia only nodded, no strength left in her to feel anything at all. She left the building, feeling as if she was floating, and one of the cops in charge of her protection offered her a ride to her hotel. She accepted without hesitation and thanked him for the ride when they arrived. He led her to the door, and to her room, where two more cops were waiting for her. Cragen had pulled out all the stops for her, apparently. If she hadn't been so numb, she would have felt grateful. As it was, all she wanted was the blissful unconsciousness. In the hotel room she found a bottle of vodka and some orange juice, and mixed herself a few drinks before finally curling up on the bed a drifting off once again.
