From Hell To Heaven
Thank you to spacekitten2700, Lou3174, courtneylovejason, maerae93, SteffieDawn, alexis47, svuobsessed2011 and DeLene for your feedback. I love you guys, your comments really make me feel better. Also thank you to ShannonandStella, Japanese Geshia Doll, SteffieDawn, DeLene, StephieB01 and Amber77 for adding story alerts, it's nice to know you want to follow my story. Big thank you to maerae93, SteffieDawn and DeLene for adding author alerts, big smiles for that XD Thank you to SteffieDawn for adding favourite author and favourite story. And a thank you to DeLene for adding to favourite story also x
Ok, I'm aware it has been a long time since I was posted. I always find it difficult not to write but I have big exams in January so I have mountains of work to get done and revise. They're my A Level exams, which will determine if I get the right grades for university. As you can imagine the pressure and stress is overwhelming so I tried to get this chapter finished as soon as I could. Having said all that, I really hope you enjoy it, and sorry for any grammar/spelling errors.
Chapter 18- Morning Rush
Olivia awoke to find, for the first time in a very long while, she was naked in bed with a man. Her beautiful man. Usually, they disappeared before she woke, either through regret or not wanting anything deeper, she'd had her fair share and of ditching and being ditched. But as she rolled over and saw him, the most beautiful man she's ever, and probably ever will, known. She smiled. It had been a long time since she'd smiled after spending the night with someone. Before Sealview, she would roll over to a world of regret, shame and a grouchy trip to the coffee shop.
Elliot was still asleep, one of the few times he was ever truely peaceful. She didn't need to peak to know he was naked too, especially as she lazily trailed her finger up his thigh, finding no fabric hinderance as she continued up to his chest. She dropped her hand, not wanting to disturb him. She eased on to her back, looking up at the cieling. Light was pouring in through a window, but she wasn't sure where it was. With a final yawn she heaved herself up and looked around. The room was vaguely familiar. She hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings last night; she'd been a bit preoccupied with Elliot. And any other night she'd visited his apartment she had deliberately stayed away from his bedroom, just in case temptation presented itself.
It was a decent sized, rectangular room, with a built in closet. The bedroom door was situated halfway along the one wall, opposite a large window, which had a dresser beneath it. To the left of the door was the bed, a window above the headboard. The closet was to the right, hidden away behind a door; but it was a sizeable closet. The floor was medium oak panelling; she suspected Elliot had chosen price over style, and yet had still gotten it right. The curtains and bed covers were a similar shade of blue. She smirked; cop- through and through. His room would have been clean, were it not for their clothes lying abandoned all over the place; Marine behaviour was still ingraved in him.
She pushed off the bedcoverd, causing a chill to run across ehr skin. it was strange, in her apartment, before all this happened, she never felt confortable being naked around the place. And yet here she was, arms extended above her head as she stretched her muscles, and relaxing once again. She glanced back at Elliot as he tossed on to his front, casually dropping his arm across to where she would have been lying. She piled their clothes up as best she could, noticing the blue bra and panties set he had suggested the other day at the store. She smiled as she recalled his expression, shock, surprise and appreciation as she removed her clothes to see the delicate design that complimented her body so nicely. She pulled on his everyday light clue work shirt. She buttoned up the front as she headed towards the door, knowing the other windows were in full view of adjacent apartments. And in her line of work, she was well aware that anyone and everyone could be a Peeping Tom.
xXx
Elliot awoke with a start, one side of his bed empty. He lifted his head. "Liv?" He looked around at the still bedroom. He noticed her gun, dropped carelessly to the floor.
"'Livia?" he called in a slightly rushed voice. He spared only a second to yank on a pair of shorts and then hurried from the bedroom. Then he saw the most beautiful thing- Olivia in his shirt, making coffee. His shirt left little to the imagination, but what he could see, he already knew in magnificent detail.
"Morning sleepyhead." she teased, unaware of the panic ebbing away in his chest. "I assume you want coffee?" she joked, knowing full well he struggled to function without his morning coffee.
"You left your gun on the bedroom floor." he hinted, noticing her separation from her weapon for the first time in however many days.
She innocently looked up at him. "Oh. I guess I didn't need it." she shrugged, and went back to what she was doing. "Breakfast?"
"Uh-yeah." he awkwardly said, a swell of pride in his chest. 'Another step in the right direction.' He wasn't naive enought o think she was over it, she would soon strap her gun back on, but clinging to it was only making her more paranoid. "I'm going to jump in the shower."
He saw her nod as she began rummaging through his kitchen cabinets; he smirked and turned on his heel. He didn't mind. He was used to it.
xXx
A few minutes later he returned from the bathroom with nothing but a low slung towel and a smile.
"You know I was thinking-" he began, adjusting the towel that kept threatening to fall.
"We'd have to cancel breakfast? I know, I saw the clock too." she added. They hadn't woken up nearly as early as they had thought. But neither of them cared as they allowed their eyes to wander appreciateively over the other.
Waterdroplets still hung in Elliot's delicate eyelashes that framed his sapphire eyes. His broad shoulders and muscular chest looked as appealing as they felt. She couldn't imagine herself never being able to cling to them as he brought she closer to bliss. There was a light sprinkling of hair across his chest, flashing back memories of him over her, checking she was ok while she held her hand against his heart. His toned muscles continued to sculpt their way down his stomach as though he were Adonis. Her eyes drifted further down, her pulse racing, her breathing accelerated; she felt like she was going to explode until she saw...the white fluffy towel. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and shoot the towel, at least until she reminded herself she'd seen it all last night anyway. In great detail. Several times.
But for Elliot it was entirely different. He knew she was beautiful. He knew she was a Goddess. He also knew every delicate and delicious curve of her body, each toned muscle and every 'flaw' that made her uniquely perfect. but now as he looked at her, he saw his Olivia shining through. The Olivia he's know for years. The Olivia who was always at the end of a phonecall if he needed help. The Olivia who used to smile without a demon haunting her. She wore dark jeans, boots, one of her flattering blouses-Navy blue, his favourite- and a leather jacket. His Liv. Always has been, always will be.
"El?"
He looked at her awkwardly.
"You're the one with only a towel on; shouldn't I be the one gawping?" she teased, permitting herself another look at his gorgeous body.
xXx
By the time they made it to the precinct, they were running late. Admittedly they had stopped for more coffee along the way. They hurried in to the squadroom, Elliot holding a cup of coffee, while Olivia had a tray of four.
Elliot immediately dropped in to his chair, while Olivia set the tray on her desk and busied herself removing her jacket, tugging her hair behind one ear. Munch was reclined in his own seat, his long legs crossed on his desk. Fin was stood further way from them, his back to them while he focused on the board of photos and notes.
"Ding-dong, Detective Benson!" Munch called in a sing-song sort of tone. Olivia passed him appreciative smile. "Nice to see you no longer wearing Stabler's baggy crap."
Elliot spared him a withering look, pulling a file towards him and pretending to read it. Like Munch, he was admiring Olivia's more fitting clothes, though perhaps not in the same way as John.
Olivia crossed the space between the desks to hand John a cup of coffee from the holder. "Nice to be back in something familiar." she said offhand, deciding not to mention just how familiar she was with Elliot, especially after the previous night of activities. John nodded in blind agreement as he gulped down the coffee.
"This is good coffee." he muttered.
"That must be quite a change for you, huh john?" Elliot mused.
Olivia ignored the quipping that followed, but thought she should interrupt before they really pissed each other off.
"Where's Cragen?" she said, gently nudging John's shoulder.
"On his way in; he called me just before you two got in. he wanted to personally transport our guest back to his cell, just in case his guards decided to be unobservant again." Olivia merely nodded, now safe in the knowledge that the Interrogation Room was no longer housing her monster. "Speak of the devil," John said, thankfully nudging Olivia before her mind slipped back to the memories she'd locked away.
Cragen strode in to the squadroom, ironically wearing his cap, and his long brown coat that was almost a cliche for cops. Olivia promtly presented him with a hot cup of coffee.
"I knew there was a reason In hired you." he teased as he headed in to his office.
Olivia glanced in Fin's direction as she leaned against the edge of her desk. Munch soon caught her attention.
"He hasn't slept."
"What?" she asked, jumping a little as she suddenly heard his voice, closer than she would have expected.
"He hasn't slept." he simply repeated. "I tried to tell him to sleep, but you know how he is." Olivia knew that Fin was far too strong-minded for him to simply follow a suggestion from Munch.
Elliot glanced in Fin's direction, considering; they'd never exactly been best buddies but he appreciated how much Fin cared about Liv, a shared appreciation. Olivia grabbed another cup of coffee and headed towards him, silently stepping beside him and glancing over the board.
He was stood with his arms crossed, folded tightly against his chest. She held the cup up to him but he didn't notice. She nudged his elbow, he blinked from his thoughts.
"Thanks." he said, taking the coffee. He now stuffed one hand in to his pocket while holding the coffee cup with the very tips of his fingers.
"You're lookin' nice, Baby girl." he mumbled, sipping his coffee.
"Thanks. It's amazing what a shower can do, huh?" she joked. "I would have actually enjoyed it if the water hadn't ran cold." she muttered offhand.
As soon as he looked at her she knew she had said too much. Fin was more than familiar with the conditions in the prison and so knew the connetations a cold shower had, particularly for Olivia. He sighed, turning back to the board.
"You tell Elliot about it?"
"The shower? I don't see why I need to." she quipped. She knew they were discussing more than a simple shower. Fin knew she would have freaked, she had, and equally, she was asking him as a friend not to say anything.
"Hm." he merely said, though she heard the doubt in his tone. "I guess so." She smiled at his agreement.
"So," she began, eager to move the conversation away from subjects that could be potentially volatile should Elliot get involved. "Penny for your thoughts?"
When he didn't respond immediately she didn't press the issue. "I need to run somethin' by you." he said in a hushed tone.
She stepped closer to him, glancing back at Elliot. "What have I done now?" she joked, but from his expression she could see a late night with little sleep made him less receptive to humour.
"I was thinkin', you know if this guy got in through your front door, we knew he must of had a key and, I know I shouldn't be prying but, that cop that was here a few days ago?"
'Max.' She hesitated. "Yeah."
"I'm assuming he was in your apartment." Fin wasn't one to ask her personal questions about her sex life, she had always appreciated that, especially after a failed date, a regretted evening or stoodup; though it had been a while for any of those.
He turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers. "Do you trust that guy enough to say he's not involved in this?"
She didn't immediately answer. He hadn't hurt her, not physically at least. But he'd made her feel threatened, and he'd been less than happy about her hesitation. And he'd even said he saw her badge in the living room and she always kept it on the table beside the front door along with...along with her spare keys- the one that was missing.
Her eyes jumped to Fin's. He gave a knowing look. Olivia hurried back to her desk and grabbed up her jacket. She hurriedly stuffed her arms in.
"Woah, woah, Liv? Liv, what's going on?" Elliot asked, leaning forward in his seat, his eyes following her every move. 'Please God, not another victim,' he pleaded.
"I think we got a suspect." she simply said, knowing Max would be an issue of contempt for Elliot.
"Who?" he questionned. 'What's she hiding?' he thought. He knew her so well he could read herexpression like a book.
"That cop guy," Fin said.
"That's helpful." John muttered.
"Can it, old man." Fin retorted, pulling on his jacket.
"Hold it." came a voice. Olivia resisted the urge to sigh as Cragen called them to a halt. "Liv, I don't want you on this one."
"I can do my job, Captain." she argued, her voice leaning towards frustration.
"I'm more than aware of what you're capable of, Detective, but I don't want you collaring this one."
"Captain, we have a lead, we can't just-"
"Detective Benson, if this is him, the guy who's been doing all this, the last thing I want to do is give him the satisfaction of you turning up to arrest him."
She didn't agree, Fin was her backup; she was more than capable of making an arrest.
"Captain, please," she began. But he insistently ignored her.
"Elliot, John, got pick him up, bring him in." John nodded as he and Elliot stood. "Stabler, do I have to remind you not to cause a scene?" he asked, his tone firm.
Elliot had an urge to give Liv a quick kiss, make her feel better about being benched, this one time at least. But then again, it would be out of place in the squadroom, especially in front of their coworkers.
He didn't bother to answer Cragen, his eyes were on Olivia. Fin huffed as he dropped in to his seat. John was already striding towards the doors and Cragen had returned to his office.
"Liv," he began, stepping towards her as she leaned back against her desk with a sigh.
"It's fine El, really. Go get the bad guy." she kidded, knowing he could see her feelings clearly.
"You sure?" he asked quietly, aware of propriety in the workplace. He inconspicuously placed his hand on hers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Yeah, really, I'm ok. I'll find some work to do." she said, passing him a reassuring smile.
But as he hurried after John, she dropped in to her seat, less than satisfied with the arrangement.
A/N I'm aware the start was a bit fluffy, but I wanted a bit of EO. I kept it tame because I don't think they would have been all over each other like lovesick teens; they're adults and sometimes you don't need to smother each other in affection to show how you feel. anyway, besides that, many of you had commented saying you suspected Max. Again, (I'm sure maerae93 is sick of hearing this XD) I am neither denying or confirming these guesses, but as you read, Max is returning. I guess you'll have to read on to see if it's in the capacity you all think. Despite Max being a bit of an ass, I personally like him and enjoy writing for him, especially as I picture him as a certain blue-eyed cop from another show, though perhaps only in looks. Review if you can, they're such a massive encouragement.