You asked for it so here's another chapter. I'd really like more feedback this time people. Follows are great, but I'd like to know what you guys think.
"How paranoid is your boss," she asks to his back.
"Why," he asks not liking where the conversation was heading.
"Because I need to know the chances of," she really doesn't want to finish the thought let alone the sentence but she has to. "I want to know the likelihood of having to explain a sex tape with you to Cragen."
He turns then, looking her in the eye for the first time since they woke up in the same bed. "You don't have to worry about that," he says reassuring her. "He has the mansion swept for bugs every day but doesn't have the inside of his own place under surveillance."
She's relaxes a bit more as they walk towards the car.
Elliot unlocks the door by remote to let Olivia in. He decides to save the other talk they need to have for a better time.
He remembers that they are in posh North Salem, New York less than an hour out of Manhattan and Olivia remembers her undercover crash pad on the Upper West Side of the city. On the drive back she sits as far as she can from him, nearly burying herself into the passenger side door. She has never been so uncomfortable being in a car with him.
Images of last night's events flood her mind. She feels his lips on the skin of her neck, his hands on her upper thighs and his tongue…
"Olivia," interrupts Elliot. He's been calling her name for about a minute.
"What," she responds mildly jumping, clenching her knees together tightly keen on avoiding eye contact. She has her right elbow on the door and her hand massages her temple as if his mere presence is making her headache worse.
Elliot's hands grip the steering wheel to the level of taking the phrase "white knuckle driving" literally.
"Where am I taking you," he asks with a tight jaw. "I'm assuming Rachel has a nice apartment somewhere?"
"Um, yeah," she says and gives him directions. They drive in silence until she takes her cell phone from her purse intent on calling her supervisor.
"No," he shouts seizing the hand holding the phone. She looks at him for only the second time since last night. Them touching is definitely a no-no as Elliot is assaulted with his own memories of the previous evening. He hears her moaning into his mouth while they are kissing, biting him on his shoulder so she won't scream out when she…
He releases his grasp on her as if burned by a hot stove. "That uh, phone is no good anymore," he informs her. "De La Cruz probably has it bugged now, you should wait until I get you home."
"Right," she answers and continues her intense inspection of the scenery outside her window.
He knows her, knows she's worried about them having sex last night. She hadn't seen or heard from him in just over a year. So much has changed. He wants to tell her everything, maybe try to get her to understand. Elliot knows it's an uphill battle. She is as stubborn, begrudging and hard headed as he is. He'll try to explain things to her but first he needs to know what brought her into De La Costa's mansion in the first place.
"What's the case," he asks, struggling to keep his eyes on the road instead of all the flesh her dress is exposing.
Christian De La Costa has very deep pockets and very powerful friends. Because of that, the man has escaped every charge brought against him and managed to get tipped off about every cop or federal agent that's tried to infiltrate. Therefore, not many people are aware of Olivia's undercover details.
Captain Cragen set up the op so he is aware. Fin used his Narcotics connects so he's in the know and Casey has to advise her about what she can and can't do to get evidence so she knows. Other than that, Olivia's on her own. She checks in three times a day with the nursing home where her father resides but that's it. The "nursing home" is a private SVU phone directly to Cragen who is her "father".
She knows she used to be able to trust her former partner with every embarrassing, heart wrenching, personal thing in her life…well…almost everything. But getting him to tell her anything was like pulling a bad tooth. Also the Elliot she met last night is obviously not the same man and she doesn't know if she should tell him anything. With hair buzzed so low he may as well be bald, and a low and well groomed beard, he doesn't look the same Elliot either. It's like looking at Jason Statham and hearing a Brooklyn accent.
"I um, I can't tell you," she advises him. "You haven't been read in."
He considers the state of their now nonexistent relationship and understands her hesitancy. Still, he's a bit hurt that she doesn't just automatically tell him for the asking. He knows how much pain he must've caused her when he unexpectedly put in his papers.
"I think I've more than proven you can still trust me Olivia," he responds. "You know I would never put you in danger."
She knows. She does. It doesn't stop her from wanting to hurt him just a little for that hellish first year without him. Then there's the fact that she had sex with a married man and feels all kinds of guilt about that. But it was probably the most intense, animalistic, uninhibited sexual encounter of her life and she almost wishes she didn't remember. Maybe it would make things easier.
She is acutely aware of the sheer potency of De La Costa's formula so she shouldn't be angry that Elliot didn't stop them. He's the high school football player who married his first love because he knocked her up. He's the one that went back to that same woman after a two year separation, because he knocked her up again…after 25 or so years of marriage. He is the penultimate responsible, family man who wouldn't cheat. But last night…
"I know," she says shaking her head like that would stop the onslaught of images. "But Cragen has to give the go ahead," she adds copping out to not having to make the decision. "What about you Elliot? What are you doing working for Christian De La Costa" she asks, posing the million dollar question.
But it goes unanswered as Elliot arrives at the address she's given him. He can't afford to live on the sidewalk out in the front of the building let alone inside one of the condos. At least the taxpayer's are getting their money's worth.
The place is gorgeous and spacious with contemporary furnishings. A wall of floor to ceiling windows gives Olivia a beautiful view of Central Park and the Hudson River. Her kitchen is something Gordon Ramsey would be envious of with it's oversized island, Subzero refrigerator, stainless still appliances, marble counters and solid wood cabinetry.
"Nice," comments Elliot as he deposits his sport coat over a chair. "A serious step up from your regular digs," he says admiring her surroundings. "No offense."
"None taken," she says nonchalantly heading towards her bedroom. "I'm gonna go change," she adds feeling like she's wearing her former partner's scent all over her.
Twenty minutes later she emerges feeling considerably more comfortable in jeans and a t shirt. She's barefoot and fresh faced after having showered, checked in with Cragen and popped two pills for her headache. No amount of makeup would help, so she hasn't bothered trying to hide the hickeys.
"I'm sure you have one hell of an explanation Elliot," she says, entering the living room with him in tow.
The sofas and chairs are of a dark chocolate suede with cream accent pillows. Olivia relaxes on a sofa while Elliot sits a comfortable distance away on a nearby chair.
"After I retired, Kathy and I got to spend a lot of time together," he begins. "We even went on that honeymoon we never got to take," he informs her.
The news does absolutely nothing for the guilt she feels regarding the previous night's festivities. With a gesture that's quickly becoming a habit, she closes her eyes and begins to rub her temples hoping another headache doesn't replace the one she just got rid of.
"Then we realized it wasn't the job that was causing the problems in our marriage," he continues. "It was the fact that we grew into two different people."
"I'm not a shrink Elliot," she tells him coldly. "Just skip to the part where you started working for the largest producer of ecstasy on the eastern seaboard," she adds folding her feet beneath her. She doesn't remember him ever being so forthcoming with personal information about his marriage.
"I'm trying," he grunts. "Just, just give me minute."
She just stares at him and then gives him a quick nod as the okay to continue.
"I'd spent more time than ever with the kids until I got on their nerves," he says smiling. "After the…um…divorce I got really bored, really fast."
"Divorce," she says stunned. "You and Kathy are…divorced?"
"Yeah," he responds. "For about three months now."
"Wow Elliot," she says and takes a deep breath but is a bit relieved as the guilt of sleeping with a married man is no longer necessary but still somehow present. "I don't even know what to say to that." She doesn't feel the need to offer her condolences. It's no longer her job to keep him safe and send him home to his wife…ex-wife.
"You don't have to say anything," he tells her. "It was a long time coming and the kids are fine with it."
"Okay so…what about De La Costa," she says deflecting to easier subject matter.
"A few weeks ago I was going a little stir crazy so I called a friend of mine in the DEA," he states surprising her for the second time in two minutes. "We started talking shop, De La Costa came up and I agreed on a simple undercover assignment," he informs her. "As far as De La Costa wants to dig, I'll come up Elliot O'Leary."
"I thought you hated the feds," she tells him knowingly before getting up to make coffee. She no longer feels relaxed just sitting with him. They may have been out of each other's lives for over a year, but the chemistry is still incessantly there.
"Just one particular FBI agent," he confesses, standing up to take admire the magnificent view of the city. "Porter and his lies, deception and hidden agendas.
"I can't really disagree with you there," she says honestly. "There was a time I thought he would've at least been honest with me," she tells him pouring two cups of the steaming hot liquid.
"Yeah well," he replies. "you seem to be a magnet for us assholes," he tells her including himself in the equation. "Anyway, you need to be careful. Christian De La Costa hasn't avoided prosecution all this time because he's stupid. The man is connected and dangerous so you need to watch your ass."
Olivia smirks because he's talking to her like she doesn't chase psychopaths for a living.
"I'm serious Olivia," he says as she joins him at the window. "He's sadistic and I don't want anything to happen to you," he adds accepting the cup she holds out to him. In taking it, he inadvertently touches her fingers.
They stare at each other warmly before he reaches out a hand letting his fingers caress the soft skin of her neck with a feather light touch. He can't help himself, the hickeys are like tracks leading to a place he's been and can't wait to get back to. Olivia closes her eyes momentarily enjoying the sensation before stepping back and turning to enjoy the park view causing Elliot to reluctantly drop his hand.
"Are we ever gonna talk about it," Elliot rasps not taking his eyes off of her.
"There's a lot we need to talk about but," she begins, ready to make excuses before they both hear her phone ring. "I need to get that."
Elliot watches her walk away. He's missed walking next to her, talking to her, floating theories off of her even arguing with her. He's simply missed her presence. In fact that's what he whispered in her ear as he…
"Fin's on his way up," she informs him. "Cragen gave me the okay to read you in after doing some checking."
She hopes she can still count on Fin to keep his mouth shut about the obvious. Olivia doesn't want to continue the crappy start to her day by having to explain the passion marks. But it's too damned hot for a turtle neck.
A few minutes pass before they hear the doorbell ring. Olivia goes through the pretense of asking who it is.
"It's building maintenance ma'am," Fin replies as his cover. "You called about a leaky faucet?"
Olivia opens the door to the sight of Detective Odafin Tutuola in a cap, maintenance uniform, work boots and a tool belt. She doesn't know why, but it tickles her each time she sees him in the get up.
"Every time Benson," he asks once safely behind the closed door and out of earshot of any nosey neighbors. "Really?"
He follows her into the living room where he lays eyes on his former co worker after his sudden and unexpected retirement. Fin knows how much it hurt his good friend when Elliot left. He had to watch her pained expression as she cleaned out his desk. Fin knew he hadn't returned Olivia's calls or responded to any of her messages. He knows he wouldn't have done that to someone he calls a friend, so he doesn't understand Elliot's motives. He wasn't the only one to notice they were closer than just friends whether they acted on it or not.
Fin's angry and he isn't big on long conversations.
Elliot extends a hand to Fin to say hello. Fin extends his fist to Elliot's jaw as his own personal greeting, effectively landing him on his ass.
Let's please not forget to review this time people! Please and thank you…lol.