Chapter 11: Night out

Forty five minutes later and Melinda had arrived just as she had said. Had it be Casey or Alex, she would have an extra ten minutes to wait before either one got to her apartment. Thank god for Melinda calling in the first place. It was either going out with the three of them or being stuck at her apartment doing things that she shouldn't be doing. Although either option would have worked for her. This was just the safer one of the two. Not that the second option wasn't safe. It would have just led to more things that she wouldn't have been able to control.

"Why the girls night in the first place, Mel? Casey or Alex do something stupid and it calls for drinks?" laughed Olivia. A girls night was not something that the four of them got to do on a regular basis. Maybe once every month if that. And it was usually when Alex and Casey had done something that they could have avoided. But then again, when they did, it made for one hell of a conversation later.

"I really don't know myself. Alex was the one that called me and said to meet her and Casey and if I would call you." Replied Melinda. Melinda rarely got the chance to go out with the three of them. She was usually either busy with stuff at work, or it was because she was spending time with her daughter.

"That could only mean that one of them has done something stupid. That or one of them has a surprise." Laughed Olivia.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about that you didn't wan t to talk to Casey or Alex about? Or do I want to know?" asked Melinda.

"I needed to talk to someone about what was going on with me and Elliot. And I knew that if I said anything to Casey and or Alex, then I would never hear the end of it." Said Olivia.

"Again, no offense but is this something that you really want to be talking to me about? Not that I don't mind." Replied Melinda.

She felt more comfortable talking to Melinda about what was going on with her and Elliot, rather than try and tlak to Alex or Casey about it. Alex and Casey would just end up laughing and teasing her about it.

"Out of three given choices, then yes. It's not that I don't trust he other two, it's just that I don't trust them when it comes this sort of topic. And I don't need it going back to work or to Fin, Munch and Cragen. Like I know it will." said Olivia. And it was true. If she even began the sentence with her partner's name in it, there would ridicule. And right now, all she wanted and needed was to talk to someone with a neutral perspective. And Melinda fit that description.

"Does this have anything to do with anything he said at the hospital?" asked Melinda. Melinda knew that he was usually glued to the chair in the waiting room, if he wasn't in her room. Fin had told her what he had been doing while he wa up thee. Fin just didn't mention the three words that happened to slip, rather fall out of his mouth.

"Let me guess, Fin told you." Said Olivia.

"He told me that he wouldn't leave unless Cragen ordered him to. But other than that, I know nothing. Why? Did I happen to miss something that no one is telling me?' asked Melinda.

"You missed nothing. Well, that's not true. Depends if you think him saying 'I love you' is missing something." Said Olivia. She still thought he really didn't mean it. So why was it such a hard thing to believe that someone actually did lover her? Let alone the one person she always wanted to hear it from.

"He what? I'd say that counts as missing something. And that's not a little something either. Now I see why you didn't mention it to Alex or Casey." Smiled Melinda. She wanted to say 'It's about fucking time.' But she wasn't sure how Olivia would react to it. Hell, there was a bet going on when the two of them would finally admit their feelings. And right now, Fin was winning that bet. Damn.

"Trust me, you heard me right." Replied Olivia. Melinda just kept smiling. It was finally about time that she was happy. Any of her past relationships wouldn't have compared to what was just beginning.

"And you said exactly what to that?" asked Melinda. She was still smiling from head to toe.

Olivia hesitated for a moment. Telling Melinda that she had said it back, would be the end of the conversation. At least till they were further into the meal if not done.

"You're hesitating, Liv. You said it back, didn't you?" laughed Melinda.

No answer. Well, Melinda had her answer. If she hadn't said it, then she would have gotten a straight answer from Olivia. When she didn't answer her, she knew she had said it back. This was definitely going to get even more interesting.

Olivia looked at Melinda and couldn't help smile herself.

"Okay, so I said it back. It's not that BIG of a deal." Said Olivia.

"Not a BIG deal? I'd say this constitutes as being a big deal. Hell finally thawed out." Said Melinda.

"Nice comparison. You sound like there was a bet going on as to when this was going to happen?" laughed Olivia. As much as she was trying to hide any smiles from appearing on her face, she just couldn't. She felt like high schooler finally being asked out by the popular guy in school. Okay, so that wasn't the best comparison either. But it was how she felt at the moment. And hard as it was to admit for her, she liked how she felt at the moment. And she hoped that it wouldn't end the way her past relationships had. She didn't want to wake up to an empty spot in her bed the next morning.

Second thoughts began playing in her mind. And Melinda sensed it.

'So why are you second guessing yourself then? I mean, this is something that you want, isn't it?' said Melinda.

"I don't know. I don't want to second guess any of it. But I am. I don't want to wake tomorrow and none of its real. I don't want to wake up to another empty spot in my bed. I don't want it to end like my past relationships. Not this one." Admitted Olivia. Melinda understood where she was coming from. After being accused of selling out to Kurt at the Ledger, she wanted nothing to do with any men in that area. And with Michael, she was always working. And it sent him in the wind.

"You think he would actually do that? I can't see him running. I mean, I could always be wrong but it's Elliot that we're talking about it." Said Melinda. Melinda had a point. Elliot wasn't just another relationship. This was completely different. And she knew he wouldn't going running anytime soon.

By now the two women had sat in Melinda's car for ten minutes. Both got out of the car and began walking inside the restaurant. Upon walking in, the first person to nearly knocked her down, was Casey. Alex and Melinda just laughed.

"I'm not a damn football, Case. You can let go now." Laughed Olivia. Casey let go and the four of them walked to their table in the back corner.