God Bless The Broken Road

(Chapter Two: Pieces Of A Broken Heart)

Olivia laid on her back across a blanket staring up through the branches of the trees at the sky. She could feel the cool grass under her bare feet and Elliot's fingers as they combed gently through her hair. She had never been happier with anyone in her life. It had been two months since they had first decided to take their relationship to the next level and each day just seemed to be more wonderful than the next.

"I'm crazy about you," he said as he leaned in over her and stared into her sparkling brown eyes.

Olivia reached up with her hand and pulled his mouth to meet hers in an upside down kiss. She smiled lovingly at him and traced his lips with her finger. "I'm crazy about you, too."

Elliot laced his fingers in hers and laid down beside her. Their bodies faced opposite directions across the blanket, bringing them face to face to stare into each other.

"This was such a great idea," she laughed as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"I saw this place a while back and I have been wanting to bring you here. This week at work has been so crazy. I thought a long picnic lunch out in the middle of no where would be the perfect way to unwind with my girl."

Liv sat up and leaned over to kiss him. She twisted his tie in her fingers playfully. "Want me to show you what really helps me unwind?" She shot him a seductive gaze as she raised up on her knees and started to unbutton her jeans as she leaned in to kiss him once more.

"Baby," Elliot mumbled between kisses, "what if someone sees us?"

Olivia stopped and looked into his eyes to see if he was seriously worried about getting caught naked with her. "El, you drove fifteen miles from any sign of civilization. Then we parked on the side of some dirt road and jumped a fence. We cut through some woods and climbed across a creek and came out in a field. I am still wondering how you found this place to begin with. And you are worried about someone seeing us have sex? Oh well, I guess we should go then!"

She shrugged her shoulders and stood up and turned to walk away from him. Elliot grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back down to him and kissed her passionately. Olivia laughed. "I thought you would see it my way," she said smiling as she leaned back onto the blanket and pulled off her jeans.

Her long baby doll shirt looked almost like a short dress now and Elliot made good time in running his hands under it to remove anything that stood between him and his goal. Olivia smiled up at him as her eyes sparkled in the warm sunlight.

She smoothed her hands over Elliot's strong neck and shoulders then loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt to kiss and trail her warm tongue over his chest. She loved to do this and it made him crazy. Or she loved to do this because it made him crazy. He wasn't sure which and at this point the really didn't care.

Olivia giggled at his impatience as Elliot hurried to undo his belt buckle and unzip his black slacks. He moved in over the top of her as she stared into him and raised up to kiss him tenderly. She moved her hands under his shirt and around his back continuing them down to the small of his back pushing his pants and boxers down only part of the way so his backside was still covered.

"Make love to me," she cooed between kisses as she clawed her fingernails gently up the skin on his back.

Elliot smoothed his hands up her legs and across her thighs pulling them apart and placing one on each side of his waist as he entered her. He brought his body against hers as he laid over her with his hands caressing her faces and shoulders as he kissed her. Elliot breathed in the smell of her as it surrounded him almost intoxicating him. It was a mixture of the flowers from her shampoo and her perfume with the warm summer breeze and a complete turn on.

Olivia moaned as he moved against her. She closed her eyes and could hear the birds chirping around them and feel the warm summer air against her face as he pulled her in to kiss him again.

It was the end of May and summer was coming on fast as day after day was hotter than the last. Normally this would have been the kind of weather that would make Olivia shoot down such an idea as an outdoor picnic in the middle of nowhere and nearly a mile through the woods.

But today there was a breeze and the smell of summer wild flowers in the air. And of course the fact that this city girl never ventured too far out into the country added to the adventure. She would follow him anywhere all he had to do was ask.

After they finished they just laid together holding on tight. Elliot caressed her back and shoulders and moved his fingers in her hair. He loved her hair. She had the sexiest hair he had ever seen on a woman and it always smelled wonderful. He had fallen victim to many daydream fantasies inspired by the scent of her dark locks.

Olivia laid her head against his chest as she traced her fingertip over it through his opened shirt. She exhaled softly as she batted her eyes at him and smiled.

"Feel better?" She asked with a sweet smile.

Elliot exhaled and stared into her eyes. "You always make me feel better."

"I told you I could help you unwind," she whispered softly against his collar as she placed small kisses on his neck. "We should head back. We have been gone over two hours."

"We have our phones."

"Ummm, I know. But I have to go to court this afternoon Elliot." She kissed him softly on the lips. "I probably need to get back so I have time to run by the apartment and get changed."

"Okay," he groaned as they both sat up.

They headed back to the station.

"You never did tell me how you found that place," Olivia said in the car on the way back.

"Boy Scout camp with Dickie, years ago. We used to hike in there and a few years back we found that clearing and made camp. I remembered it about a week ago. I thought it was peaceful and serene, beautiful. It reminded me of you. That was when I decided I wanted to take you there someday and show it to you."

She smiled. "Well, thank you for sharing it with me. It really was beautiful."

Elliot reached over and took her hand in his and pulled it to his lips. "You're beautiful," she said smiling at her. "And I'm lucky."

Olivia laughed, then kissed him and laid her head against his shoulder for the rest of the drive back.

That night Elliot held her tight in his arms. He kissed her forehead as she slept and realized how quickly he was falling for her. He wasn't surprised really. He had always had feelings for her, but his obligations laid somewhere else. Now for the first time he really knew how it felt to love her without holding back. She was amazing and he could never imagine his life without her in it. Elliot took a deep breath and closed his eyes to try to fall asleep.

The next morning Elliot's phone rang around nine o'clock. It was Saturday and they had planned to spend the better part of the day just laying around and being with each other. So they were both a little displeased when they were wakened by the ringing phone.

Olivia groaned as she raised up and reached across him to pick it up. Elliot wasn't completely sure she wasn't going to open it, but she only looked down at the screen as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

She looked up at him with a troubled look in her eyes. "It's Kathy," she said softly handing him the cell phone.

Elliot picked it up and looked at her. "Hey," he said looking at her and kissing her, "it's okay. It's probably just something about court next week."

"Hello," he answered.

Olivia took a deep breath and climbed out of the bed pulling a tee shirt on as she sat on the edge and stared at him. She had a knot in her stomach the size of a Cadillac and was pretty sure this wasn't going to be good.

Elliot listened for a few minutes. Olivia could not tell what the conversation was about, but she didn't like the look that crossed his face. "Yeah, okay. Tonight? Umm, I guess so. Kathy is everything okay? And the kids are all okay? Alright. Yeah, I will meet you and we can talk. Seven o'clock. Okay, I will see you then." Elliot closed his phone and stared at the bed for a second before he looked back at her.

"She wants to talk to me about something important we need to work out before we go to court. Something about custody of the kids. She wants me to come to dinner at the house tonight with her and the kids. After dinner she and I are going to sit down and talk this out."

"She didn't say what it was?"

"No, she didn't want to tell me over the phone."

Olivia pressed her lips together and stared at the blanket crumpled up at the foot of the bed trying not to cry.

"Don't worry, she just wants to talk."

"I just have a really bad feeling about this."

"It will all work out. And in another week this will all be over." Elliot placed his hand against her cheek. "Hey, come over here and show me that pretty smile." He slid her across the bed to sit next to him. She just stared at him about to cry.

Elliot laid her back against the bed and wrapped his arm around her as he kissed her lips. Olivia kissed him back and he held her in his arms once more as they drifted back to sleep together.

That evening Olivia sat at home alone while Elliot went to the house to have dinner with his family and talk with Kathy. She figured it would be late before they would get a chance to talk because the children would be around so when she hadn't heard from him by midnight she went to bed alone.

She waited all day Sunday for him to call, but he never did. Part of her wanted to call him and see what was going on, but she knew he would tell her when he was ready. There came a point when she just wanted to hear his voice and didn't care what they talked about. She picked up her phone and dialed his number, but the phone must have been turned off because it went straight to voice mail.

Olivia didn't see or hear from Elliot again until Monday at work. She was worried about him and asked how things went when she came in but all he would say is they should talk about it later that night over dinner. She took a deep breath and nodded in agreement and watched him as he tried to avoid making eye contact with her as if he felt guilty about something. The suspense was killing her.

That night they had agreed to meet at her apartment for dinner. Elliot showed up right on time with a bottle of wine.

"It's almost ready," she said with a smile as he poured them both a glass of wine.

A few moments later they sat across from each other at the dining room table. Elliot ate his pasta as Olivia dragged her fork through hers waiting for him to start the conversation. She picked up her wine glass and took a drink then sat the glass beside her place and laid her fork down.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

Elliot looked up at her and laid his for down as well wiping his mouth with a napkin and pouring them both more wine. He took a drink for courage then looked up at her.

"El?" She said with tears in her eyes. "You're scaring me."

Olivia pressed her lips together nervously.

"Kathy's pregnant," he all but blurted out.

Olivia just stared at him unable to breathe.

"It's yours?"

"Yes." He picked up his glass again for another drink as she began to cry. "While we were separated, before you and I. We were together one time. I guess…"

"What does this mean?" She asked through tears.

"Liv, it doesn't change the way I feel about you."

"What does it mean, Elliot?"

"Kathy wants me to come home for a while and give things another try."

"Oh God," she breathed feeling almost nauseous.

"I told her I needed time to think about it."

Olivia looked up at him with tears now streaming down her face.

"Did you?"

Elliot stared into her eyes.

"I haven't decided anything yet," he said softly.

"Let me know when you do," she said dropping her napkin to the table as she stood up and headed to the bedroom to cry.

Twenty minutes later Elliot knocked on the bedroom door as he opened it. She was laying across the bed holding on to her pillow still crying.

"Olivia," he said softly sitting beside her on the bed.

"I'm a fool," she said looking at him.

"You told me if we did this something bad would happen, but I didn't listen."

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered wiping away a tear from her cheek.

"Then don't Elliot," she sobbed.

"Please try to understand. In about five months, she is going to have my child."

"What do you want to do?" She tried to stay calm and be rational with him.

"It isn't about what I want to do anymore, Olivia. It is about doing what is right. Following obligations and taking responsibility."

She just stared at him. "And I am just left sitting here alone, with a broken heart. What am I supposed to just forget about everything that has happened in the last two and a half months? Elliot, we crossed a line here and we can never go back. We risked our friendship for a romantic relationship, we took a big chance and now you are just going to walk away like it never happened?"

"I can't forget about how things were with you Olivia. But I at least owe this kid a shot at a real family. A chance to have a father. If we go through with the divorce now and then she has the baby I will never get to see it. I will miss everything, first steps, first words. I care very deeply about you Olivia, I can't just turn that off. But I need to at least give this one more chance. Then I will at least know that I gave it all I had and that I tried to make things work for this kid."

"What makes you think you can make things work for this kid, Elliot? When you and Kathy have tried a dozen times to work it out for the other kids?"

"A baby changes everything Olivia."

"I know that. And I am trying to be understanding and not be selfish about this, Elliot. But I need you, too."

Elliot moved in and held her for a minute as she cried against his chest.

"Liv, don't cry. I have not even decided what I'm going to do yet."

She sat up and looked into his eyes as she took a deep breath.

"Yes you have," she said with a shy smile. "That is why you didn't come back here yesterday. You were trying to find a way to tell me, to break it to me that it is over." She laughed through tears. "You were always a horrible liar."

She sighed heavily and wiped her eyes dry. She turned her pretty brown eyes to stare into his. "You are doing the right thing, Elliot."

He cupped his hand against the side of her face. "Then why does it hurt so bad?"

He raised his arm and she laid her head against his chest one last time as he held her in his arms.

"Are we gonna be okay?" He asked placing a kiss on the top of her forehead.

"Somehow," she said looking up at him. "We always are."

"I'm so sorry, Liv."

She just looked at him and nodded her head. "You should probably go."

"Okay." He stood up from the bed and watched as her hand dropped and her fingers slid out of his. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

She nodded forcing a smile.

"Goodnight, Liv."

"Goodnight, Elliot."

And just like that he was gone.