Hey guys sorry about the long wait but here's the second chapter of the new and improved Backfire.
As soon as a paramedic had finished cleaning and bandaging the wounds on my neck, Elliot led me out of the interrogation room; arm draped around my shoulders. We barely make it three feet into the Squad room before I notice the overpowering stillness. My feet halt in their pursuit towards my desk, Elliot stops at my refusal to continue; the look in his eyes seems to ask what's wrong but I don't bother to answer. I just keep looking past him, at everyone else; cops and civilians alike with all their gazes trained on us….on me. You know that feeling you get when you think someone's watching your every move. Yeah try that feeling times 20 and knowing not feeling but knowing their all watching you; waiting, for what, I don't know. As if reading my thought's Elliot squeezes my arm and whispers calming and encouraging words in my ear. I keep my gaze straight and breathing even, while my nerves feel as though there on fire, El's breath on my skin being the oxygen that feeds it. Just out of the corner of my eye I can see Munch failing to hide the smug look on his face, Fin shaking hands with Novak as if sealing a deal. It's then that I suddenly realize how this look's with my recently divorced partner's arm around me and his lips very, very close to my head. So like a good detective I made my decision without a moment's hesitation and turned my head so Elliot could no longer speak into it and shrugged his arm off my shoulders.
"Olivia?" he questioned, expression one of confusion.
As cold as I felt for going through with it, I ignored him and began to walk the remaining feet to my desk, alone. The crowd in between my destination and I divided giving me just enough room to pass through; not any less, not any more. Even though it really only took me a few seconds to be at my desk it felt like an hour had ticked by, but if it had I doubt the silence would of changed. So far the only thing that really had changed was the direction of every single head in the room as their gazes came to rest on me, in my seated position at my desk. As calmly as I can (considering I currently want to run for the hills) I begin to file away all my notes on the Phoebe Mason case, taking my sweet time to place them neatly in a folder and place them in the top drawer of my desk. I take my keys from my pocket and search for the one that will lock my desk. The loud slam of a door sliced through the ever thickening silence, causing me to drop my keys. My head darts to the source of the disturbance; my unlocked desk soon forgotten. I wasn't the least bit shocked in seeing Cragen standing in the open doorway of his office. Within the time span of a second, the attention went from me to a very pissed off Captain. His gaze swept over everyone in the squad room; a bitter cold seemed to replace the silence.
"Why the hell are you all just standing around?" he growled dangerously, nobody moved. "Get back to work, before none of you have any jobs to get back to!"
The room seemed to erupt with movement, everyone seeming to forget about the Grant incident. I place my attention back on Cragen when I see him staring at me wait not at me but past me. Suddenly I can feel Elliot's presence begin to wash over me; can hear his footsteps slowly getting closer. Even though my eyes stay locked on Cragen my mind continues to drift back to Elliot; to the sound of the distance between us decreasing, the smell of his aftershave becoming more pertinent.
"Elliot" Cragen nods toward his office door looking more calm than earlier, but still simmering beneath the surface; like a volcano about to blow. I watch Elliot as he passes by, our eye's meet for a split second before he tears his away and follows behind the Captain. When Elliot shuts the door behind him, I get up from my desk and start to walk toward the door. The whole time saying to myself, "I will not look back, I will not look back". I'm five feet from the door…four…three…two. My hand is on the door handle, yet I can't seem to pull it open; I clench the door handle, so hard my knuckles turn white. Ignoring that little part that's screaming, don't do it. I slowly turn around and face Cragen's office, the door handle leading out of the squad room slips through my fingers as I cross back to the other side of the room. I look around the room to make sure no one's paying attention, then I kneel on the floor and open Cragen's office door slightly, leaning my head close to listen in. I can hear Cragen sigh then after a few moments of silence he speaks.
"How could you let this happen? You were supposed to make sure nothing went wrong Elliot." His chair makes a soft creak as he drops into it.
"I know" Elliot says, voice gruff. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt her again."
My chest tightens a bit at Elliot's promise. Still keeping my ear pressed to the small split between the doorframe and the door, I begin to feel uneasy almost like someone's watching me. I scan my surroundings, making sure to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. The hairs at the nape of my neck begin to stick up, as the feeling keeps getting stronger and stronger until I can't take it anymore. I stumble to my feet, and practically crash into Cragen's office. I stare at my feet; still standing half bent over, the door wide open behind me. For a few moments all is silent. I stand straight up and close the door behind me, still avoiding the stares of my partner and my boss. When I do look up, I look straight at Cragen my eyes not leaving his as I take the seat next Elliot. Even though all my attention is on Cragen I can still feel Elliot looking at me, more so my neck and the bandages covering the area where I was attacked. I subtly move my hair over, obstructing his view.
"It wasn't his fault" I say with more confidence then I originally entered with.
Cragen places his head in his hands, and sighs. "Olivia, he was in the room with you to prevent an event like this from happening."
"That doesn't mean it was his fault, I'm the one who provoked Grant. I'm the reason he went off, but I'm not surprised he did because if you hadn't noticed that man was a fucking time bomb during that interrogation!" I say, pointing in the general direction of the holding cell Grant is currently locked up in.
Elliot reaches out and grabs my wrist, holding it firmly in his grasp. "Liv, he's right I should of-"
I wrench my arm away and leap out of my seat; turning on him I yell "What more could you of done Elliot? You pulled him off, at that point in time that was all you could do so stop saying there's something else you could've done because there wasn't."
I look from Cragen who looked a little shocked at my sudden outburst, to Elliot who knows me better than anyone didn't look all to surprised.
"Is that all?" I ask turning back to Cragen.
"Yeah that's all, and Olivia I want you to take a few days off, to let your neck heal"
I'm already half out the door when I shout back "I'll be back tomorrow."
I walk right past my desk and through the small groups of cops mulling around and straight out the door leading out of the squad room. I continue on my way out of the precinct stopping halfway to my car in the parking lot, feeling the same sensation I had felt before I had burst into Cragen's office. I take deep breaths, the air coming out of my mouth becoming visible in the chilly November air. Hand on my gun I slowly turn around to see a silhouette standing shrouded in the shadows. The figure moves to take a step forward when a noise makes us both snap our heads to the left. I look over to see Elliot jogging towards me, at the sight of him the living shadow darts between the surrounding cars and into the night. I'm so set on trying to figure out where the shadow had run off to, I jump when Elliot places his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey" he chuckles "A little jumpy are we."
When I don't answer he dips his face closer to mine, to get a better look at my face.
"Are you okay" he's says a little more serious.
"Yeah I'm fine" I turn until I'm fully facing him. He gives me a doubtful look.
"Really Elliot I'm good" I move to walk around him but he grabs the hem of my coat and gently pulls me back toward him. I look up to peer into his eyes and see him watching me intently. My cheeks begin to turn red and not just from the cold. I turn my head away to hide my flushed cheeks from his view. My hair falling into my face, Elliot tucks my hair behind my ear with one hand while guiding my head to face him again with the other. Once our gazes lock, I no longer seemed to care about the 27 degree weather or the human shadow. All I care about is this man in front of me and what he means to me, and the fact that I don't know what I'd ever do without him. His left hand drops from my face to my waist pulling me even closer to his warm body. We're so close our lips are practically touching. Taking his right hand he parts my hair and begins to trail his fingers over the wounds on my neck. I let out a shuddering breath and lean my head against his chest enjoying the close proximity. I can feel him lay his head atop mine.
"I'm sorry, Liv" I just barely hear him whisper in the silence of the parking lot.
I don't have to know Elliot as well as I do, to know that he genuinely thinks that there was something he could have done to avoid what had happened. I raise my head causing him to do the same; I place my hand on his cheek.
"El, I want you to know that there is no possible way you could have known what he was going to do, and you helped get him off of me. So if anyone should be saying anything it should be me."
I take my other arm and wrap it over his neck.
"Thank you, for being there when I needed you, and helping in the only way you could."
His gaze drops from my eyes to my lips and back. I stand up on tip toes as he lowers his face to mine. His lips are so close to mine, when the moment is ruined by his phone vibrating between us. I laugh and step back and away from Elliot as be begins to grumble as he searches for his phone. I watch him yank it out of his coat pocket and bring it up to his face, the face I was so close to only moments before.
"What" he snaps at the person on the other line. For a moment everything's fine, then all too fast Elliot's posture shifts from open to hostile, the color draining from his face. I watch as he slowly replaces the emptiness in his pocket with his phone, and turn towards me.
"Elliot what's wrong?" I say slowly walking towards him.
He shakes his head "Nothing, but I have to go"
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow" I'm already walking backwards toward my car as I say it.
He doesn't say anything back, just watches me as I get in my car and drive away. The whole drive I couldn't get the look on Elliot's face out of my head. I don't want to say it but he'd looked scared, almost like he had seen a ghost. I parked my car in my usual spot and climbed out, heading toward my apartment complex. The whole trip to my door was a blur it was like one minute I'm beginning the ascent up three flights of stairs and the next I'm walking into my apartment and locking the door behind me. Walking straight into my bedroom I change into yoga pants and a tank top, setting my gun and badge on the table next to my bed while doing so. Then I crawl beneath my covers and shut my eyes. I'm half asleep when my phone begins to ring, not even bothering to see who it is I hold it up to my ear and press the answer button.
"Hello?" I ask groggily.
A voice I can't seem to match with a name speaks up, "He's more evil than you think"
I sit up farther, becoming more alert. "Who is this?"
"He's killing them you know, in Central Park" he continues in an eerily calm voice, sending shivers down my spine.
"What are you talking about? Who's He?"
"Why your partner of course" The mysterious caller then hung up, the dial tone sending terrifying tremors throughout my body.
I quickly hang up and dial Elliot's number, but I end up going straight to voicemail. I end the call and place my phone back on my bedside table. Lying back down, I stare into the surrounding darkness and wait for morning to arrive.
Do you think Elliot's a killer?
Til' next update
-Alice May