Sorry for the delay I have been away with my little Cadets on our Easter Camp. However it meant I got a few chapters done so expect quick updates.
Chapter 9
"I'm going to head off," Rollins said smiling at Elliot as he came over to her. "Cragen just text and told me to stand down."
He nodded and smiled back at her "You get anything from any of the guys?"
"Nope, except a few phone numbers," she laughed.
"Most of the guys seem okay," he said looking around. A few of the guys had left and it was just some of the younger single ones that were still left and now quite drunk.
"Well good luck getting rid of those; I think they have quite enjoyed all the free drink."
"I will just threaten them with a few longer boot runs," he smiled.
"Say bye to Olivia for me," she said looking around the room and not seeing her. She hadn't real spoke to her since her and Elliot had come back in from the garden.
"I will do, she went to the bathroom to freshen up," he said following her to the door and reaching around it to open it for her. He leant in to talk to her so nobody else could hear him. "Tell Cragen I will call him in the morning to see if they caught anything on the cameras."
"Sure," she said. "Is everything okay with you and Olivia now?" she asked him as they walked down the small drive towards the van she had arrived in.
"We are getting there," he smiled reaching around her and opening the door to the small van."At least we talked and cleared the air a little, and were able to stay in the same room for more than five minutes without screaming at each other."
"That's a good start," she said as she climbed into the van and opened the window. Elliot bent over and rested on the car.
"It was good to meet you," he told her.
"You to," she smiled. "Try to not piss Benson off anymore, Munch enjoys it far too much," she told him as he stood up.
"I can't promise anything, I seem to have this knack for it," he told her as the van pulled away and she waved as she pulled out the drive. Elliot turned and headed back into the house. He never saw the man in the shadows watching him and Rollins and never heard him muttering under his breath calling Elliot a Prick as he watched him walking back into the house.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You okay?" he asked her as he leant against the sink and watched her as she rinsed the glasses.
"Yeah, just tired," she told him.
"Well I have told them to finish their drinks and get out, I ordered them a couple of taxis."
She nodded and went back to the glasses. "I enjoyed tonight," she said without looking at him. "I didn't think I would but it was fun. And you were right, the women and especially the wives aren't as bad as I thought, they just want to support their husband in his career."
Elliot nodded and got a bottle of water from the fridge and took a long drink. "I'm glad we finally got to talk," he said as she dried her hands on the towel and he offered her the bottle. She took it from him and took a drink before leaning back against the sink with him.
"Me to, I didn't know how much longer I could carry on like we were… and I know I was to blame for a lot of it."
"No you weren't Liv," he said quietly so nobody could hear them. "I thought me leaving like I did was the right thing to do. That it was for the best, but all I thought about was myself and how I was feeling. I just thought you would get on with things because you're a strong and independent woman," Olivia glanced at him as he talked, before looking at the guys still left as they drank the last of their beers. "I truly never meant to hurt you. I just figured when Cragen told you I had left you would get a new Partner and just get on with it….Move on, till I sorted myself out and was ready to come back and see you."
"You mean move on like you did with Dani Beck?"
Elliot sighed and took the bottle of water from her taking a drink.
"I never moved on with Dani."
"That's not the impression I got, you seemed real cosy with her."
Elliot pushed himself forward and turned to face her, he looked at her narrowing his eyes.
"How would you know how I was with Dani?" he asked her. "She left before you came back."
Olivia looked down to the floor between her.
"I came back earlier," she said her voice almost a whisper. "I came to the station to see you but you weren't at your desk. Dani was sat at my desk. She erm….. She introduced herself as your Partner and asked if she could help."
"That was weeks before I saw you," he said anger seeping into his voice.
"I know. I saw Cragen and he said he didn't have a place for me. I watched you come back to your desk, you seemed happy with her, like you had moved on, got yourself a new Partner. I told Cragen I needed time before I would even consider coming back….. I just needed time to think."
"Liv I ….."
"I wasn't going to come back at all when Cragen called me, but he talked me into it. He asked me to come back for a few weeks to see how things were, and if I still want to get out he would find another unit for me."
"But you stayed."
She shrugged her shoulders. "I loved my job."
"Is that the only reason you stayed?" he asked her. She slowly lifted her head to look at him.
"Well there was also Munch's coffee, god I really missed that sludge," she smiled at him, just as a car beeped outside.
"Hey Sarge, our cab is here," one of the guys slurred as he staggered towards the door.
"You best make sure they get in the taxi's okay," she said looking past him as the guys staggered towards the door.
"Yeah," he said laughing as one of them walked into the chair and fell over making his friends laugh.
He stepped forward then turned back to face her. "Just so you know, I was always coming back to you Liv…. Because I need you in my life, I always have," he said turning away and walking into the living room.
Olivia let out the shaky breath she was holding and watched as Elliot helped to pick up the young man who had fallen over again and pulled his friend down on top of him. She turned towards the sink and gripped the edge tightly as Elliot's words ran through her head. He was always coming back for her, he needed her in his life. A smile finally appeared on her lips for the first time in three weeks, as she heard Elliot laughing as he helped the guys out to the waiting cabs.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Damn this is better than any soap opera," said Munch grabbing a handful of popcorn and throwing it in his mouth. "I can't believe Stabler and Beck getting close….. Olivia coming back early and seeing them," he grinned.
Fin shook his head.
"You need to stop listening in to their conversations."
Munch looked at him and laughed. "You are kidding right."
"No, man…. Look Benson and Stabler have a lot of shit to work through. It's bad enough we have cameras on them all the time, it doesn't mean you have to listen to everything."
"You cannot tell me your not interested in what they are saying. I saw your face when Olivia told Elliot she came back early and saw Beck at her desk, you were as shocked as me. And you couldn't wait to see what came next. If this was on TV that would have been the cliff hanger for sure," he laughed turning back to the screen and watched as Elliot helped to carry one of the guys outside as Olivia stood by the sink.
"So we get anything?" asked Cragen as he entered the room carrying takeout bags.
"Only Stabler getting all soft and telling Olivia he was always coming back for her. Underneath all that hard exterior I think there is a big soft teddy bear just bursting to get out."
"Jesus John, I meant anything about the case. Did any of the guys seem a little off to you? Anything strange happen."
"Not that I could tell."
"And how the hell would you know?" asked Fin. "You spent most of the night listening in to Stabler and Olivia," he said as Munch started to flick through the different cameras in the room around the house, as Fin and Cragen emptied the bags.
"Well it is so much fun. I can't believe they actually went outside to talk, spoiling my fun like that."
"Can we not get Amaro in here instead of him, he is seriously driving me crazy?" Fin asked Cragen making him smile.
"Oh boy," laughed Munch as he stopped the camera on the room and bed Elliot usually slept in.
"What is it?" asked Cragen walking over.
"It looks like they have an unexpected guest staying over," he said as they all looked at the young man passed out in Elliot's bed completely naked.