Hope your all still enjoying this little story.

Chapter 7

Olivia looked across the room as Elliot laughed and joked with the guys from his section and some of the civilian staff that worked with them. Most of them had turned up some with their wives and girlfriends, others flying solo.

Despite their argument earlier she found herself having a good time getting to know the guys and their partners. She had done her best to avoid Elliot all night not wanting to be anywhere near him worried she might actually slap him.

She watched as Elliot walked over towards Rollins and start to talk to her, he looked over to Olivia and smirked before he turned back to Rollins and moved in closer, their bodies almost touching.

"Fuckin prick," she muttered under her breath.

"You okay Mrs S…"

"Olivia!" she snapped her eyes still on Elliot as he leant forward caging Rollins against the far wall with his body. The young man in front of her turned his head and followed her gaze towards Elliot.

"You okay…..Olivia?"

Olivia blinked and shook her head turning to him and giving him a small smile.

"Sorry… Yes I'm fine."

He nodded and glanced quickly back at Elliot and Rollins, before turning his attention back to Olivia.

"So how you settling in?" he asked her.

"It's been okay, the area seems nice enough, if not a little quiet."

"Yeah I love it here."

"Have you been here long?"

"Six years."

"That's a long posting."

He smiled at her and shook his head. "No I'm a civilian here. I work on the transport. I got moved to the Platoon Elliot joined a month or two ago after they became short staffed."

"Oh I see," she smiled back at him.

"Got to say it was nice to be invited tonight, most of the time the guys don't invited the civilians to these get togethers."

"Yeah well we wanted to get to know everyone, after all they say you are all like one big family," she said her eyes going back to Elliot as she heard him Rollins laughing across the room. She looked back at the young man in front of her. "I'm really sorry," she said forcing a smile. "I didn't catch your name."

He smiled back at her. "That's because I didn't give it."

"Oh right."

"But its Mark," he grinned holding out your hand."And it's nice to meet you Olivia."

"You to," she replied nodding as he kept hold of her hand a little longer than a hand shake normally lasts. "So if you have been working here for six years you're the person to come to for ideas of things to do," she said to him. "Like I said it seems a little around here nothing ever seems to happen."

"Oh it has its moments," he smiled.

Olivia nodded. "I heard about the attacks in people's homes before we got here," she said deciding to just come out with it. "I was a little worried and tried to get Elliot to get his posting changed."

Mark shrugged. "I heard about them in passing and from the wives gossiping in the coffee shop. I can understand how it may freak women out a little."

"Yeah," she said her eyes going back to Elliot and Rollins as Elliot leant in real close and said something making Rollins laugh. Mark followed her gaze.

"As much as I like Elliot, I have to say he is an idiot," he said looking back at Olivia as Elliot and Rollins carried on talking and laughing. "To leave a beautiful woman like you alone in the corner like this."

Olivia smiled despite feeling uncomfortable at the way he was looking at her. "Well I'm not alone now am I, how about I get us a top up?" she asked him taking his glass from him before walking into the kitchen area.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know you should be talking to her," said Rollins as Elliot's eyes followed Olivia into the kitchen.

"What's the point, we seem to have lost the ability to talk to each other all we do is argue or throw insults at each other."

"Well you should make the effort, it's going to look weird if you keep ignoring each other all night, and you're supposed to be married."

Elliot shrugged. "Maybe this is me having an affair," he grinned at her. "All the guys had affairs before the women were attacked, maybe we should go down that road."

Rollins shook her head. "No Elliot you're talking to me to piss Olivia off, I heard you guys fighting earlier."

"You did huh?"

"Sure did. Now I don't know your history fully, but I heard you two were amazing partners and used to be good friends. Now I can understand why Olivia is hurting but I also understand why you left like you did, but you need to talk to her without fighting, so why not give it a go tonight. The house is full, so it will stop you both from causing a scene."

Elliot looked back at Olivia who was stood by the sink.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said licking his lower lip before biting down on it. "Can you keep a look out in here for a while?"

"Yeah sure," she smiled and Elliot turned away from her and headed over to Olivia.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Can we talk?" he asked her as he stood behind her.

"I think we said everything that needed to be said earlier."

"Well I don't," he said stepping closer to her. "I think we said a lot of hurtful things dragging them up from the past, but we never talked. We haven't talked since we started this job and we can't keep going like this Liv. I don't want to carry on like this." He leant forward as he talked and lowered his voice. "I want my best friend back… I miss you," he said his voice just above a whisper so nobody around him could hear.

Olivia felt the tears building in her eyes as she heard his voice breaking slightly as he talked.

"Five minutes Liv, that's all I'm asking…..please."

She nodded her head and quickly lifted her hand wiping her eyes. "Five minutes," she said thinking back to what Cragen had told her earlier, she needed to listen to his side.

"Let's go out the back," he said knowing there were no cameras and prying eyes out there. Olivia turned and headed to the door without looking at him. He grabbed the bottle of wine from the counter and followed her out, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

Across the room Mark watched them both leave out the back door a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe she was falling for his false charm after all the flirting he had done with the blond tonight. He walked over to the drinks and poured himself a large vodka and joined the rest of the guys.

I will try and get another chapter out later tonight if I can.