Author's Note: I'm really glad to see that you guys are enjoying the story. This is another fence mending chapter with a hefty side of drama. I don't like Kathy. Not only because she's interfering with my OTP but because she has an air about her like she's lying about something big. Maybe it's just my inner conspiracy theorist but I think she may be on drugs or Eli's not El's or something else messed up like that. Maybe season 11 will give me some confirmation. Since I don't like her, she's going to be the bad guy in this little epic…all right, she's just going to be batshit insane.
Fatal Attraction, anyone?
Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"
He had never lived in a college dormitory before.
He had gotten his degrees while he was overseas so he never really had the college experience. All he knew of dorm life was what he saw in the field and the occasional movie. From what he was seeing, he was glad that he managed to avoid it
Students were all over the place drinking, smoking, and off in corners doing god knows what. Loud techno music was blaring and he didn't even want to think about how old these kids were. Making his way through the crowd of partiers, he headed up the stairs. Maureen was in 232 near the bathroom. When he got to the door, he knocked firmly, trying to be heard over the music.
The door opened to a sliver and he could see one of her eyes.
"Daddy?" she asked hesitantly, like he was a mirage or something.
"Hi, Mo."
The door flew open and yet again, he was nearly knocked to the floor in a hug. God, his daughters were heavy, not that he'd ever tell them that. He knew better. When she let go, Elliot got a look at her. Her hair was longer and tangled, she was in NYU sweats and a tee shirt, and her eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion. The smile on her face softened the tired student look, though.
"Daddy, what are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you. Can I come in?"
She nodded and led him in. The room was obviously an oasis for Maureen. The walls were painted a deep midnight blue. He could see a lot of cushions on the floor and photos from home. There was a TV and a stack of DVDs to up to his waist. On a table were a bunch of hair products and tools that he had only seen in a salon, plus a sewing machine.
"I do hair and I'm the seamstress for band, drama, and choir." she explained. "I...I don't like asking mom for money."
Elliot nodded in acknowledgment and checked her mini fridge. Fortunately, there wasn't any alcohol within and there were even a few vegetables. Mainly, it was full of lunchables, bottled water and juice.
"The college diet. With the top ramen and skittles, I've lost 10 pounds." she said wryly.
Elliot chuckled and sat down on her bed, surprised at how low it was to the floor.
"This is an anti-old people bed, huh?"
"You're not old, daddy. Just middle aged. What do you want to talk about?"
Elliot sighed and said, "I've been a screw up for the last few years and it took a case for me to see it."
"Malcolm Royce?"
Surprised, he looked at her and she shrugged.
"I'm friends with a lot of law students and it was on the news. He scared you because he reminded you of you."
"You're a mind reader, now?"
"Nah. Just a shrink in training. You're not him, daddy. The fact that you actually are acknowledging the problems and being proactive in fixing them proves that. Lizzie called me yesterday. You know that she can sleep now without crying? And Dickhead's rejoined the land of the living all because you sought them out."
"How long are you and Lizzie going to call him Dickhead?", he inquired.
"Until we die." she deadpanned making him chuckle and shake his head.
"Okay, Dr. Stabler. So, what do I do to fix all of this?"
She sat next to him and replied, "What you're doing now is good. Of course, you have to take on Hurricane Kathleen and deal with mom, but you should be healed of 'jackass syndrome' very soon, especially now that you have a good prescription."
"And what would that be?"
Like I don't already know…
"Oh, yes, it's a wonderful drug called Olivia. Custom made for made for balding, screwed up police detectives. Very strong, very sweet, and will knock you flat on your ass as soon as you do something dumb. Might I recommend the full frontal dosage?" she replied with a waggle of her eyebrows.
He walloped her with a cushion and let her giggle at his expense.
"Okay, I get the hint. I'm working on it." he grumbled good naturedly.
"Good. All joking aside, I think she'll be great for you. Lord knows you two have waited long enough. 8 years and counting? You two are worse than Mac and Stella."
///////////////
He was cleaning out his own refrigerator when he heard the knock at the door.
Standing up, he headed to the door and checked the peephole.
To his surprise, Kathy was outside looking nervous and he opened the door.
"Kathy, why are you here?"
"I need to talk to you." she blurted.
She had a trench coat and heels, making him frown. She was a nurse. Why on earth would she be walking around in heels?
"Okay. Talk." he replied as he blocked the way in.
"Can we talk inside? This is personal."
"Kathy..."
"Please? It will only take a minute."
Warning bells were going off in his head but he stepped aside anyway, letting her in. She was looking around the apartment and he recognized the look of disdain from many arguments.
"Hey, you threw me out and I don't get paid nearly enough for my job. It's better than under the GW." he said with a bitter smile as he got back to work.
The silence made him frown after a while.
"I thought you came here to talk."
"I didn't come here for that."
Every cop had an instinct for when they were about to be attacked. Elliot's was twice as sharp due to his time in the service. It literally made the few hairs on the back of his neck stand up. So, when Kathy tried to pounce on him, he easily dodged, rolled, and stood up on the other side of the kitchen counter, looking at her with wide eyes. Kathy stood up too, taking her coat off and revealing a red lace underwear set.
How cliché is this? I feel like I'm in fucking Fatal Attraction…
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she demanded.
"What the hell is wrong with me?! What are you tryin' to pull, Kathy?!" he retorted. "Put some damn clothes on!"
She smiled sultrily at him and he backed away as she approached him.
"Oh, come on, Elliot. I'm your wife. We can do this." she purred.
"Last time I checked, you kicked me out and threw divorce papers in my face which I've signed. Get away from me."
He put the couch between them and slowly backed towards the door, getting ready to run if need be. He cursed himself for leaving his phone on the counter.
Kathy pouted and replied, "Look, that was a mistake, okay? I shouldn't have done that. I thought you were sleeping with your partner…"
It was amazing how she could make partner sound like the foulest curse word in the English language.
"…so I reacted. I was wrong. We can make it work, Elliot. I know we can. We'll go to counseling, you can cut down your hours…"
"And you can stop banging your naughty nurse… Yeah, I know about him. Lizzie told me."
Her face darkened but it went back to her pleading look in a second.
"Travis is nothing but a fling. You had yours so I had mine."
"Bullshit! I have never cheated on you, Kathy! Not even once!"
"Oh, please! Kathy, I have a case! Kathy, I'm on a stakeout! Kathy, I'm doing paperwork! Yeah, right! You and…and her have been fucking for years! Is that why you won't touch me?! Your precious Olivia! She's nothing but a home wrecking…"
The lamp barely missed her head and she squeaked once in fright as he glared at her hatefully.
"Put your damn coat back on and get out! I'm not going to get back with you, Kathy! Olivia had nothing to do with our marriage going to hell and you know it! I'm not going to listen to you drag her name through the mud! Get the hell out!" he hissed while throwing the trench coat at her.
She did so and threatened, "I'm calling the police when I get home." as she got back in the hallway.
He gave her an icy smile.
"Bitch, I am the police."
The door slamming in her face was the satisfying sound that he had heard in a long time.
He leaned heavily against the door and put his head in his hands.
Fucking nutjob. Why is it that when I make some sort of progress in my shitty life, something like that happens?
His phone rang and he headed for it, picking it up warily.
A small smile curved his lips as he saw Liv's number and he answered.
"You sound breathless. Are you okay?"
"No. Kathy just showed up here trying to seduce me."
There was a beat of silence.
"Wow. How did that go?"
"We got into an argument and I threw a lamp at her", he replied bluntly.
"Elliot! She's going to call the police!" she scolded between laughs.
"I told her that I was the police. Which isn't exactly wrong…"
"…but not exactly right. You stupid prick.", she finished fondly.
It also amazed him how Olivia could make "prick" or "idiot" or "dumbass" sound like a term of endearment.
Elliot figured that women had their own dialect of English that men would never get.
"Yeah, that's me. What were you calling me for?"
"The pizza place completely screwed up my order and now I have way too much food to get through by myself. You in?"
"I'll bring the beer if you pick the movie."
"The Day After Tomorrow or Independence Day?"
"Is there a third option?"
"Titanic- The Director's Cut."
"The Day After Tomorrow. See you in a few."