Chapter Six:

"Olivia, why did you kiss me?" Elliot asked gently.

"I, um, I was just happy at getting this kids," she paused, "That's all."

"Is that all?" he asked, not believing her answer. Her excitement might have lowered her emotional walls, but she wouldn't have kissed him without any other emotion underlying the action.

"Yes," she responded hesitantly, not wanting to get into detail about this. She had felt something more than friendship for him for so long, but was terrified of this emotion.

"Really?"

"Yes!" she stated loudly, before escaping into her bathroom, hoping that he would get the hint and leave.

However, ten minutes later, when she exited the bathroom, Elliot was still sitting on her couch, waiting for her.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked him, as soon as she exited and saw him.

"We're not done with this conversation." He stated simply.

"Yes, we are. Can you please leave?" she asked, striding over to the door, and opening it, waiting for him to leave. He followed her to the door, but instead of exiting, he closed the door and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Immediately she responded, deepening the kiss.

When her brain caught up with her body, she pulled away quickly and moved, putting the sofa in between the two of them. They looked at each other, both unsure how to respond to the current situation they found themselves in.

"Why?" Olivia asked, her voice breaking slightly.

"Because I wanted to."

"So you abuse my feelings and kiss me because you wanted to?" she asked incredulously, hurt echoing in her voice.

"No! No, you don't understand," he started desperately, "I kissed you because I feel something for you. I kissed you because I felt something before."

"Oh," she stated simply, "I don't understand."

"I feel something for you Olivia, something more than I should as partners."

"What? So you kiss all your friends? Am I even still counted as a friend?" she knew that she was going too far, but she loved this man and this conversation was really getting to her.

Quickly, he crossed the room and gathered her into a tight hug, pressing another gentle kiss to her lips.

"I love you," he whispered before enveloping her into another kiss. The kiss instantly deepened, and when both broke apart for lack of oxygen, Olivia quietly whispered "I love you too."

Both sat on the sofa, cuddling together as they watched a television program, neither paying all that much attention to it, each enjoying the company of each other. Later that evening, after Elliot had left, Olivia sat on the sofa, that still held his scent, wondering about the new development in their relationship.

How were they going to do this with Josh and Bella? How were they going to separate this from work? Were they going to separate this from work? Was it even going to work out? Was it worth losing her heart to a man, that had the potential to destroy her?

All these questions floated around in her head, and prevented her from sleep. Knowing that she would not get any sleep until she sorted through her emotions, she sat up and began to think.

Firstly, the situation with Josh and Bella could be solved simply. If they had a relationship, they would simply have to keep it out of sights for the children, and eventually ease them into the idea. As for work, this problem would prove to be a little more difficult. They could keep their relationship out of the office, but if anyone found out, they would be in horrible trouble, and possibly be fired.

However, if they told anyone about it, they could still possibly be fired, and if not, they would no longer be partners. Lose a partner, gain a lover. Although she knew that Elliot would never intentionally hurt her, she had to consider the fact that in the past he had. If she didn't start a romantic relationship with him, then she could love him from afar, and cope with the pain that comes with seeing the person you love date other people.

She'd gotten used to that, she could cope with him dating others, she'd done the same in the past, but he said he loved her. That meant that he wouldn't hurt her, right? She simply didn't know, and was now more confused than she had been before attempting to sort through her thoughts.

Their relationship, the thought of a romantic one, would it even work? Or would it fall apart? But when they had kissed, she had felt something that was foreign to her. She had felt an emotion so strong, that it could only be described at pure love. The emotion, the feeling, the electricity that was between them, she thought it had the possibility of lasting forever.

And lastly, was it worth losing heart to the man that held the power to destroying her? If she gave her heart, placed her complete and utter trust in this man, and he betrayed her, she was positive that she would not survive. She had been through too much heart-ache to bear another, and this would be the biggest of all.

Her final conclusion before she fell asleep, was that regardless of the fact that she loved this man, and he said he loved her, it was not worth losing everything to pursue a romantic relationship with him. Meanwhile, Elliot, knowing the conclusion Olivia would come to, had vowed that he would do anything and everything to make sure that a romantic relationship between them would happen and would survive.