A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay. Here's the next chapter.
Sorry it's so short.
Olivia and Brian were currently engaged in an intense stare-down. They had made their points of view perfectly clear on the matter concerning Stabler. Olivia admitted that she loved Elliot like a brother. He was family and she couldn't just turn her back on him. He had been through too much already.
Brian could understand her line of thinking. He wasn't heartless. The only thing that he had a problem accepting was this huge secret that she was keeping from him. He wanted to know why Stabler needed her help in the first place, but she refused to tell him the real reason.
She claimed that if he wanted to know about her old partner, then Brian would have to ask him not her. Elliot knew that she knew everything, but he had specifically asked her not to tell anyone. He was a private person, no one needed to know what had happened to him or his family.
Brian just couldn't comprehend it. He and Olivia were in a relationship, they weren't supposed to keep secrets from one another. Secrets were what tore couples apart. He had pleaded with her to just tell him so that he could understand what Elliot was going through.
Olivia had responded by telling him that Elliot's demons had absolutely nothing to do with their relationship. It wasn't like she was keeping a secret about something that she had done. Her friends business wasn't automatically Brian's business just because they were in a relationship. End of story.
Brian sighed and leaned back in his chair. He tapped his fingertips together a few times before he lowered his hands. He didn't know what to say. Brian looked away from his girlfriend, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Just then the waitress came over and placed the check in between them. She asked if she could get them anything else. Olivia politely shook her head 'no' and thanked her.
As soon as the waitress was gone Brian sat up straight and leaned his elbows on the table in front of him.
"Alright."
Olivia raised an eyebrow at him.
"Alright, what?"
"Stabler can stay."
Olivia's face broke out into a wide grin. She was about to thank him for being so understanding, but Brian quickly raised a finger to silence her.
"But I do have a few conditions."
Olivia's face fell. She looked at him suspiciously and instinctively leaned away from him.
"What?" she slowly asked.
"He has to pay rent, buy groceries from time to time, and clean. The last thing I want to do is pick up after a grown man."
Olivia chuckled at that last part. Brian was such a clean freak.
"Okay, fair enough."
"I also don't want him bringing people over past nine o'clock. You and I both have work. I don't want to be kept up because his dumb ass is too loud."
Olivia nodded in understanding. That was also reasonable.
"Okay. Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of no."
Olivia smiled and quickly jumped out of her seat. She embraced Brian in a tight hug and kissed his face all over in gratitude. She hugged him one last time and whispered in his ear:
"I knew you'd understand."
.
.
People stopped and stared bluntly at the man that ran past them. A few ass holes pointed at him and laughed as they saw his fat bob up and down. Others nodded their heads in respect. This guy may be big but at least he was doing something about it.
He was huge, sweaty, and appeared to be on the verge of a heart attack. His breathing came in strong, heavy pants. His grey sweatshirt and matching sweats were completely soaked. He was determined, that much was obvious.
No one was really quite sure how long the man had been running, but it was obvious that he couldn't possibly last much longer.
Could he?
Two blonde teenagers moved out of his way. Their faces transformed into open expressions of disgust. They sipped from their Starbucks straws and judged him with their eyes.
"Eww, look at that fat ass" he heard one of them say as he ran past them.
The other responded with "Dude, he's so gross. Ugh. People that big shouldn't be allowed to go out in public."
The running fat man felt a sharp pang in his chest. Their words were hurtful, but he wouldn't let that faze him. He was going to run one mile and he wasn't going to stop no matter what.
He passed more people as he jogged through the park. He checked his watch and saw that he had only run the equivalent of two laps so far. Jesus!
Elliot could feel himself slowing down. His chest was burning. His thighs, ass, arms, and stomach felt itchy. A cramp was forming on his left side. Sweat was getting in his eyes and he felt like stopping. The weight on his body was too much. He couldn't do this. He couldn't.
Yes I can.
No I can't.
Yes I can.
No I can't.
I'm dying!
Pain is temporary.
But, I'm dying!
Ahhhhhh!
Suddenly an image of one of his old drill instructors popped into his mind. Come on soldier! He said. Come on you goddamn pussy! Move! Move! Move! Let's go!
Elliot clenched his teeth together and picked up the pace a little bit. God his knee was killing him. He hadn't ran since…shit he couldn't even remember that's how long ago it was.
Either way he wasn't going to stop running until he accomplished his goal. It was mind over matter and that's all there was to it. He could do this. He could.
He was running for himself.
He was running for Olivia. He wanted to make her proud. He wanted to turn her on. He wanted to be able to pick her up and bounce her on his...
Anyways.
He was running for his children. The healthier he was, the longer he'd be around.
Elliot was going to get his life back together if it was the last thing he did.
Elliot just needed to take his mind off of the pain and think of something else. He settled for picturing what he would look like by next summer. His goal was to lose 100 pounds by next July. He would be around the same weight that he had been in during his early 20's. Now that would be amazing. He'd be the hottest dad in town.
Then he wondered what Kathy would think if she ever saw him once he was fit. Ha! He could just imagine the look on her face. Oooh. He couldn't wait for that moment.
He focused on his breathing, the trees, the sidewalk, and the homeless guy over there. He focused on the dog and owner that were now approaching him. He focused on anything but what he was doing. God, he felt like he was going to pass out. He wasn't breathing properly. It felt more like he was gasping desperately for air.
Elliot checked his watch once more and ran a little bit faster. He was almost done. This was his last lap.
Suddenly his phone started to ring. It was Olivia's ringtone.
Elliot had no choice but to ignore it for now. Unfortunately people were staring at him as her damn ringtone went off. It was that theme song from Game of Thrones.
You know the one with the violins and the bad ass drums and shit. If you don't know then look it up, come on people get with it. It's on YouTube and everything.
Elliot could only imagine how hilarious he must look right now. What with him running to such intense music and everything.
His watch started beeping which meant that his goal had been completed for the day.
He purposefully pretended to run in slow motion when the theme started up again. She was calling him once more.
A woman cheered him on as the song went off and he couldn't help but bust up laughing. She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Fuck yeah! That's my shit!"
Elliot quickly slowed down to a stop and took his phone out of his pocket. He put it on speaker and wiped the sweat of his face with a small towel he had stuffed in his other pocket. He continued to gasp for air as he wheezed a greeting into the phone
"Helloooooooo. Sexy... Stabler... at your... service," he panted.
Man he felt great! He felt alive again. Sore as hell, but alive! Running always had that effect on him.
"Oh, why hello there. What can I get for twenty bucks then big boy?"
Elliot answered her in his best seductive voice, "A hug"
Olivia laughed at him.
"Cheap ass."
Elliot changed his voice "Honey please. This ass is worth at least 100 dollars."
"Ha! That's what you think."
"Oh! Pssh. Okay, rude!"
He laughed at her laugh and walked over to the water fountain.
"So how did it go? Am I homeless or is Brian?"
"Neither actually. It looks like you're going to be staying with us for a little while."
He smiled at that. He had missed his old friend/possible love of his life/sexy partner/ future sex slave (kidding).
Ah. Just you wait Benson. I'll win your heart one way or another.
Elliot and Olivia conversed some more before they eventually hung up. He walked around the park for a little while longer then eventually wandered into the city.
He walked along the familiar streets with ease.
Never once did he notice that something wasn't right.
Never once did he stop and question the small shadow that seemed to follow him around.
Never once did he stop to think:
I'm being watched.
.
.
A/N: Thanks for reading.