Olivia slid her makeup bag into her purse before walking through the bedroom and out into the living room. Mark walked out of the kitchen to find Olivia standing in the middle of the living room.
"You get everything out of the bathroom?" he asked.
"Yep," she said nodding. "You ready?" Mark nodded as he walked toward her. He kissed her cheek lightly before taking her hand in his.
"Let's head out," he said softly. Olivia smiled as she followed Mark out of the apartment. They walked through the airport an hour and a half later, Olivia's pointed toe heels clicking on the tiled floor. "Nervous?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said looking over to him. "But it'll get better once we finally get there." She smiled as Mark squeezed her hand tighter.
They sat next to each other on the plane, silence between them. Mark looked over to Olivia who was looking out of the window of the plane, her chin resting on her hand. He reached over and rubbed her thigh lightly causing her to look over. She covered his hand with hers as he leaned in and kissed her temple lightly.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she said with a smile.
Two hours after their plane landed, Mark and Olivia stepped out of the cab in front of their apartment building. The building was tall, and stood out among the stops and other small buildings surrounding it and across the street. Mark took Olivia's hand in his as he led her into the building. "I'm starting to get nervous about what the apartment is going to look like."
"I'm sure that it's going to look fine," she said with a smile as they stepped into the elevator. The doors opened on the fifth floor to a carpeted hallway with ivory walls. "Okay we are looking for 534," he said taking the key out of his pocket.
"This way," Olivia said quickly stepping off of the elevator and turning to the right. Mark laughed as he followed her down the hall.
"Right behind you detective," he said with a light laugh. Olivia stopped at the door, and waited for Mark who quickly arrived. "You ready?"
"Go for it," she said as he put the key in the slot and turned the knob. He pushed open the door, revealing the living room. He stepped in and turned on the light by the door as Olivia followed him into the apartment. The hardwood floors shined under the ceiling lights, which shone on the crisp white walls. Mark's chocolate brown couch and ivory colored arm chair sat in the middle of the room around his glass coffee table. Maroon red sheer draped hung over the large windows which framed the French doors leading to the balcony. Large plants were set in the room, and framed the two tall bookcases on either side of the fireplace, filled with picture frames, candles and books.
"Wow, this looks amazing," Olivia said walking further into the apartment. "I thought that there were going to be boxes everywhere. I didn't know they were going to set everything up for us." Mark walked into the kitchen as Olivia made her way to the bedroom. After
unpacking the clothes in the boxes in the bedroom, and hanging them in the closets and in the dresser drawers.
"I think that I am going to jump in the shower really quick," Mark said as he folded up an empty box and set it in the corner of the bedroom.
"Okay," Olivia said with a smile before kissing him lightly. After a few minutes Olivia heard the water running. She placed the last of her t-shirts in the drawer before walking across the bedroom and opening her oversized brown purse and pulling out a single white envelope. She walked out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the French doors of the balcony. She pushed open the doors as she tore open the seal. She walked over to the railing and leaned her lower back against it as she pulled the paper out of the envelope. She flipped open the paper revealing Elliot's very distinctive writing.
Olivia- If you followed my directions you are sitting on the airplane on your way to California. But I have a feeling that you didn't follow the directions and you are actually already in your apartment and unpacked.
Olivia laughed lightly as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
I want to wish you and Mark the absolute best in your new lives, and I know that you will reach new highs in your new unit. It is hard to put into words how much our partnership meant to the city, unit and me. For over ten years I watched as you took women who felt helpless and weak and made them strong again physically, mentally and emotionally. I admire your courage and strength that you exhibit with every case we investigate and every victim that we meet. If you notice, although that you are in California, I am continuing to use 'we'. Regardless of who sits in your desk and stands in an interrogation, they will never be my 'partner.' Through the hardest years of my life, I sat across from someone who supported and followed my actions, and jeopardized her own future and success for me. I CAN put into words what you have done for me as a partner, but I CANNOT put into words what you have done for me as a friend. You did perhaps that most incredible thing anyone could do for me by saving not only my wife's life, but the life of my son. You have given me the greatest gift in the world, and for that thank you isn't enough.
Finally I want to thank you for our relationship and all that it has given me. In the past ten years you have given me the desire and determination to be a better detective, husband, father and person. I don't know where I would be today without you. In my wildest dreams I never thought that our partnership would have ended like this, however I am nothing but happy for you. Although the partnership between us is over, the friendship is not, and I am thrilled that you have found your partner for life in Mark. Good luck. Take care. And give your partner in LA everything that you have given me. If he is lucky, he will walk away everyday as the luckiest detective in the world-next to me.
Sincerely. Elliot.
Olivia wiped the small tear that rolled down her cheek as she turned around the faced the street below her. The shops across the road were lit under the eleven o'clock sky as cars lined the lanes of the street. Olivia stared at the letter again as her eyes continued to water, and tears fell onto the railing under her. "What am I doing?" she whispered to herself as she wiped away the tears on her cheeks before walking back into the apartment.
Hours later Mark walked into the bedroom to find Olivia asleep under the covers. He removed her purse and book from beside her on the bed and set them on the floor next to the window. As he carried her belongings across the room, a plain white envelope fell out of the pages of her book and onto the floor at his feet. After setting the things on the floor he picked up the envelope and lifted the flap. He slowly removed the piece of paper, careful not to wake Olivia, and unfolded it revealing Elliot's letter. He read it as he continued to glance over to Olivia to be sure she hadn't woken. After reading the letter he slowly placed it back in the envelope and slid it between the pages of Olivia's book. He walked across the room to the opposite side of the bed and pulled back the covers before climbing in. He laid his head back on the pillow and pulled the blankets over his bare chest.
"What in the hell am I doing?" he whispered to himself as he stared at the ceiling.
Olivia woke up the next morning to find herself alone in bed. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table-9:53. She rubbed her eyes before pulling back the covers and climbing out of bed. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she walked down the hall and into the kitchen where a notepad lay on the counter.
Headed out for my first day but didn't want to wake you. Call me when you wake up. See you tonight. Love you. Mark xoxo.
Olivia smiled as she walked through the kitchen and took the phone off of its station.