Author's Notes: What the hell peeps? I decided I'd go ahead and post this one since it was ready to go. I wanted to do this cause I thought it would a lot of fun and I was right. I had a good time writing it. Things are still going on that are a bit shadowed but hopefully there starting to clear up. Thanks for the reviews and all that. I appreciate 'em. Keeps me wanting to post the rest of it. Anyways, let me know what you think and who the hell knows? I may post another chapter tonight.
Chapter 17:
Olivia sighed as she sank down onto the couch waiting quietly for her lover to appear. "How's your back doing Liv?" Elliot asked as he sat on the chair next to her spot on the couch.
"It's all right. Tender but it's fine." Olivia assured him with a small smile.
"Probably doesn't help that you and Cabot have been making out." Elliot cracked smiling at her.
"No that has nothing to do with anything." Olivia grabbed a pillow and threw it at him watching him duck laughing as it came to rest on the floor without doing any harm.
"I'm happy for you partner. I know you love her dearly. And frankly she's one hell of a catch."
"I know. I love her with all my heart. I always have." Olivia was dreamy eyed and Elliot grinned from ear to ear.
"Do you think they're okay in there?" He motioned towards the closed bedroom door.
"I'm sure they're fine. Just talking some stuff out." Olivia shrugged. She trusted Alex, had no reason to doubt that she would do anything to hurt her.
"Yeah you're right. I'm just concerned about Julia. She was really pale when we got back."
"What exactly was said?"
"A lot that I didn't quite understand; from what I could gather from the conversation the only reason Gabriel has stayed in control is because it looked as though he had her support but when she up and disappeared things got bad. Now that she's back and she's hardly spoken to Gabriel it looks very bad for him. She also said he wasn't the same person, that he was some sort of monster. I don't know what to make of that but it's possible he confessed to her about the murder and she didn't want to say anything in front of William. When we got back here she just went straight to the bedroom before I could even question her to find out what happened." Elliot sighed sitting forward. "Maybe we need to go talk to her?"
Olivia nodded, "Sounds like a good idea." She slid to her feet going to the door and pushing it slightly open. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she looked inside. Alex was clutching tightly to Julia and Julia had her arms around her. Alex was twirling a piece of Julia's hair around her finger neither woman noticing that the door had been opened slightly as the rain had blocked out the noise of it opening. They were talking quietly on the bed judging by the way Julia's lips were moving but Olivia didn't hear that. The only thing she was focused on was what was happening between the two and the hurt it caused her to witness.
Olivia turned pulling the door shut silently and moved towards the main door out of the rooms. "Liv? Where are you going? What's wrong?" Elliot asked rising to his feet and going to make sure his partner was all right.
"I need some air."
"Liv you can't go out there not without Julia or Alex." Elliot called knowing she would get in trouble.
"El just leave me be. I just need some air. I'll be careful. I promise." Olivia stared at him begging him to understand with her now sparkling brown eyes. He stared as tears began to fall which she pushed away quickly as she pulled open the door looking out and then walked out quickly.
Elliot sighed waiting a few minutes before going after her.
"What's wrong Meila?" Julia asked as she pushed open the door looking at the beautiful dark haired girl.
"You need to come with me."
"Julia, Elliot and Olivia are gone." Alex said peering around her looking in the living room.
"Yes, they're in trouble. They were both out without you both. Lord Gabriel demanded you come downstairs and punish them." Meila shivered folding her arms around her.
Julia took a breath looking at Alex and then at Meila. "Tell Gabriel we'll be right there."
Julia stepped into the room not at all shocked when she saw Olivia and Elliot cuffed and chained to the large desk in the study. She looked up at Gabriel as he stepped into the room looking furious. She took a breath noting the look on both Detectives faces before walking to stand in front of Elliot. Over her shoulder she noticed Alex had moved towards Olivia.
Julia knelt down and lifted Elliot's chin so he was forced to look at her. "What were you thinking? You know better than to do something so stupid. Do you want to be punished? Is that what you need? Were you so bored that you had to disobey me?"
He opened his mouth to reply and she struck him across the cheek with the back of her hand. "Silence! You will be punished for this Elliot. Mark my words." She stood back up and glanced over at Alex who had grabbed Olivia's hair and was holding it tightly whispering something to her. She turned towards Gabriel who had his arms folded watching them.
"You were lucky I was the one that found him Julia. You realize this right?"
"And I thank you for sending Meila up to get me."
"I didn't send Meila up to get you." Gabriel said softly. "She was the one that told me they were wandering the halls without you."
"You didn't send her?" Alex asked standing to her full height. Her eyes locked on Julia's for a moment before they looked back at Gabriel.
"We'll punish them properly." Julia said keeping her voice lowered.
"No. I think it would be best if they are made an example of. It would be best for all if it was done in public rather than in private."
"Of course, something must be done." Julia agreed easily.
"For now we'll lock them in the library and deal with them later. You won't mind will you Ladies?"
"No of course not. They've been bad. They must be punished." Julia murmured for the both of them.
Julia pushed open the window in the library and motioned Elliot towards her. He moved going towards her and stopped near her. "What the hell were you two thinking?" She asked. The rain had finally stopped but it was still wet outside causing everyone to stay inside.
"Liv just needed some air. I wanted to make sure she was all right so I went after her." Elliot explained.
"What the hell were you doing with my girl?" Olivia demanded as she came towards the window.
"What are you talking about?" Julia asked staring at her with wide blue eyes.
"You and Alex were in bed and you were holding her."
Julia sighed, "Is that why you walked out? Because you thought something was going on between Alex and I?"
"Is there?" Elliot asked for his partner.
"Of course not. We went our separate ways a while ago and while we can still claim to love each other quite deeply we're not in love with the other." Julia sighed. "If you had only bothered to ask before you got upset we would've cleared that up for you."
"You said it in the sitting room last night with us so I assumed you two were just friends now and then I walked in on…"
"What you walked in on was nothing more than what it was. I was hurting, Alex comforted me. Nothing more than that. She loves you Olivia, not me. She's worried sick about you and Elliot both especially because I know what's going to happen to you both."
"What is it?" Elliot asked wearily.
"It's something of an old fashioned hunt. They'll turn you and Olivia loose in the woods with only a small flashlight between you. There will be torches and such set up along the way but the idea is for you to try and escape while you're hunted down. If you're caught you'll be hogtied and brought back to the house for punishment. If you escape you'll still be punished but not as severely. The idea is that you both learn your lesson for wandering around on your own."
"What does this punishment include?" Olivia asked feeling her heart sink.
"I cannot say." Julia shrugged. "It could be anything. Whatever Lord Gabriel deems appropriate punishment."
"I thought he couldn't punish us because of you two?" Elliot asked his brow furrowing.
"He can't but because of what you've done and the rules that have been broken he has every right to as long as it doesn't go too far and you get hurt permanently or you're raped or something equally terrible." Julia sighed. "Just be ready for anything. You both have your boots right? And what you have on is comfortable to run in?"
"I think we'll be all right." Olivia said dryly. "What happens if you and Alex catch us?"
"Same rules apply. We punish you as harshly as they would in front of them." Julia sighed. "Gabriel will let you know what the rules are. Just stretch and be ready. Conserve your strength and do not get too ahead of yourself tonight. Trust your instincts and be careful. Alex and I will do what we can to soften the blow of what's coming. It won't be until after dinner when it's darker out, especially now with the rain gone. I'll see you both later tonight all right?"
Author's Ending Notes: Snuggling with my puppy has my allergies all acting up. Plus the heat does not help my mood any. It's way too damn hot to be September all ready. Also I finally heard from my bosses'. They want me to take some shit over at the Academy so we'll see how that goes but with my pulled tendon they're telling me to rest it up. The class isn't due to start until December anyways but they want me to come in and do paperwork and shit. Not sure how I feel about that one. But my Sergeant tells me I gotta do it so I'll suck it up. But I will still have a lot of free time on my hand so more stories to be written for my amusement and hopefully yours. WOHOO!