Chapter 10

"They all get away okay?" she asked him as he came back in.

"Yeah, I didn't think the cab was going to take them at first, they were so drunk," he said taking a bag and going back into the living room and picking up the empty cans. Once full he went back to the kitchen and grabbed the other full bag of trash. Olivia looked at him smirking.

"You sure you can manage that?" she asked him.

"Just trying to be a good Husband," he smiled back before going outside leaving Olivia to continuing washing glasses.

"Where did everyone go?" asked a voice from the door behind her making her jump. "Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you," said the man Mark that she was talking to earlier. "I was outside on the phone to my girlfriend."

"They all left," she said grabbing a towel and drying her hands.

"What everyone?" he asked her.

"Yeah, a few minutes ago."

"Shit!" he said taking his phone out and pressing buttons. "Riley said I could crash at his tonight," he explained as he held the phone to his ear. "I locked my keys in my apartment and my girlfriend went to stay at her moms for a few days, she isn't due back till tomorrow… Come on man answer your phone."

"What's going on?" Elliot asked walking back in.

"Mark was supposed to be staying at Riley's as he locked himself out, but by the looks of it Riley forgot this and left him here and now he isn't answering his phone."

"It's just going to the machine," he sighed hanging up. "Dammit Riley."

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other and Elliot shrugged.

"Listen," said Olivia. "You can stay here tonight if you want?" Elliot glared at her.

"Unless you have somewhere else you can go," said Elliot.

"I don't, especially at this time. You sure you don't mind me staying?" he asked Olivia totally ignoring Elliot.

"Of course not," said Olivia. "We only have the couch though."

"No that's great," he smiled. "I have spent more than a few nights on the couch at home," he chuckled.

"El, why don't you get Mark some blankets, when I finish off here?"

"Yeah sure," he said leaving the room and heading upstairs. He heard Mark tell her he would give Riley another go to see if he answered. The last thing he had wanted was someone else in the house tonight, he had hoped to sit and talk to Olivia once everyone had left. He had felt the change between them already since their talk earlier and he had hoped to build on that. He needed to come clean about everything; he needed her to know so they could hopefully move on.

But now because of their unexpected house guest she would be disappearing into her room and he would go to his, talking would have to wait till tomorrow now. He pushed open the bedroom door and stopped at the sight before him. Carl the youngest member of the platoon was laying star fished on the bed naked, snoring.

"You got to be fucking kidding me," he said under his breath. "Carl!" he said walking up to the bed and shaking him. "Come on man, you need to wake up…..Carl!" He shook him harder but all he done was grunt, he was totally passed out with the drink.

He ran his hand over his face before grabbing the blanket and throwing it over him. He went to the cupboard and grabbed some blankets for Mark, then left the room and closed the door behind him and headed back down stairs.

"It seems we have another house guest," he announced walking into the room.

Marks head snapped around. "What do you mean?" he asked abruptly and Elliot saw Olivia look at him.

"Carl is passed out in the spare room," he said looking at Olivia.

"The spare room?" she asked him with a look that said your room.

Elliot nodded. "Yeah the spare room," he repeated handing Mark the blankets. "He is passed out naked on the bed, I tried to wake him but I couldn't budge him." Olivia just nodded.

"I guess we will have to just leave him there then? And Mark down here on the couch."

"Yeah," said Elliot knowing what Olivia was getting at. If there was someone asleep on his bed and another person on the couch, where would Elliot sleep? If they were to keep their cover they couldn't risk him sleeping anywhere but in the same room as her.

"Yeah," said Olivia nodding. "Sooooo, I guess we will leave you to it. Help yourself to anything you need."

"Thank you Olivia," he smiled still not even looking at Elliot. "I really appreciate this."

"Yeah well we can't have you sleeping in some doorway," she said back. She looked away feeling uncomfortable at the way he was looking at her, as Elliot stood silently watching the exchange between them.

He reached out and took her hand making her jump. "Well, we will leave you to it," Elliot said forcing a smile before turning and away and pulling Olivia with him.

"Night Olivia," said Mark as he stood and watched them leave the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ha ha," chuckled Munch. "Benson and Stabler sharing a bed finally," he said rubbing his hands together. "Well that we know of. This is going to be so good."

"You are so childish, are you ever going to grow up?" asked Fin.

"I don't have to grow up, my good friend," he said as he watched Elliot and Olivia climb the stairs still holding hands. "It's a well known fact if still have a child's mind at fifty, then you don't have to grow up."

Fin shook his head. "You really do talk some shit," he said as he sat down next to Munch. "Did you check any of the other rooms tonight or were you constantly watching Elliot and Olivia."

"I checked the other rooms. If someone left the main party room I followed them to make sure they weren't up to something and then went back to the love birds."

"So you knew that Carl guy was passed out in Elliot's room."

"Hell yes," he grinned.

"And you never thought to alert them to this."

"What and spoil all the fun," he laughed as Elliot and Olivia entered the bedroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well that was creepy," said Elliot as they entered the bedroom and he closed the door behind them. Olivia gently pulled her hand from his and he immediately missed it "The way he would only look at you and talk to you, it was like I wasn't there."

"I had been talking to him earlier tonight when you were talking to Amanda, but it was only for a short while. He seemed okay if not a little over friendly."

"Might be a good idea to keep a watch on him," Elliot said looking up into the corner where the camera was hidden. "And leave us alone for a while," he said glaring up at wall. A lot of the time he forgot they were being watched 24/7. When they first got to the house he was careful of everything he said and done, but as the days went on he started to forget about them and carried on normally. But coming into the bedroom he knew they would be watched especially by one person in particular. "That was aimed at you John," he said before looking away and back to Olivia.

"So how we gonna do this?" she asked him as he leant back against the door and watched her as she began to take off her jewellery.

"I don't know," he said looking around the room. "I can just sleep on the floor I guess."

"You're not a dog, Elliot," she smiled. "And just in case for any reason one of them comes in here we should at least be acting like a married couple. I'm sure we are grown up enough and adult enough to sleep in the same bed."

Elliot looked at her and smirked.

"Are you sure you will be able to control yourself?" he asked her and Olivia couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, I'm sure I will manage," she smiled back.

"Only if you're sure," he returned watching her as she picked up her nightwear.

"I will just go and get changed in the bathroom," she said to him, just as his phone rang.

"Cragen," he said looking at the screen before answering as Olivia disappeared through the door.

"Hey Cap," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Just to let you know, we will be keeping a close watch on both of your unexpected house guests. I also have Nick running background checks and them both."

"Good, I would pay a little more attention to Mark; he was acting a little strange and creepy earlier."

"So Fin said. I have him going back over the footage right now from the party paying attention to the both of them; see if there was any unusual behaviour."

"Okay," said Elliot his head turning towards the bathroom when he heard the shower being turned on.

"How are things between you and Olivia?"

"A lot better than they have been. At least we are talking now and not screaming at each other. I take it I have you to thank for that?"

"I just told her a few things I thought she needed to hear. She wasn't going to let you explain," he chuckled.

"Yeah well thank you, for whatever you told her."

The line went quiet for a while.

"I just lay the foundations for you Elliot. You still need to come clean with her and tell her the rest."

He sighed. "I know that Cap, and I will. I just don't want to screw it up."

"I know. I will be in touch if we get anything back from the checks."

"Okay Cap, thanks," he said hanging up the phone.

He got up and went to the wardrobe taking out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and quickly got changed. He stood in the middle of the room and looked around not sure whether to get into bed or let Olivia get in first. Needing something to do he turned on the bedside lights and TV before turning off the main light, making the room a little more cosy. He sat down on the bottom of the bed and started to flick through the channels looking for something to watch. He glanced over towards the bathroom when he heard the shower turn off. Images of Olivia naked and water dripping down her body playing in his head.

"Shit," he mumbled when he felt himself starting to twitch in his shorts. "Get a grip, Stabler," he said under his breath. The last thing Olivia needed to see when she walked out was him with the start of an erection. He stood up and looked at the bed noticing a book and her glasses on the left hand side. He looked down and saw the bulge in his shorts and shook his head, walking to the right side of the bed. He needed to hide what was happening in his shorts, he though as he climbed under the blankets and sat up against the headboard, and continued to flick through the channels.

Olivia climbed out the shower and wrapped the towel around her before wiping the mirror and looking at herself, as she towel dried her hair. She glanced towards the door when she heard the TV being switched on.

She let out a shaky breath as she sat down on the closed toilet. What the hell was she thinking telling Elliot he could sleep in the same bed as her?

"Get a grip Benson, it's one night, you can handle one night," she said standing up and beginning to dry herself. It might have been easier if they were still fighting and at each other's throats, she thought to herself. But now after her talk with Cragen, and then with Elliot, the things that were said especially by Elliot, things had definitely changed between them in the last few hours. And it was certainly for the better. She shook her head not wanting to read too much into what was said.

"You're on a case, that is it, nothing more," she said as she began to get dressed.

Half an hour after entering the bathroom, she took a deep breath and opened the door leading back to the bedroom. The TV was still on low and Elliot was half sat half lay down in the bed breathing slowly and softly.

She walked over to him and stopped a few feet away watching him as he slept. She had always been amazed at how peaceful and relaxed he looked when he was asleep.

She stepped forward and reached for the TV control which he still had hold of in his hand. She eased it out pointing it at the TV and turning it off. She put it down next to the bedside light before turning it off.

She quietly walked around to the other side of the bed, relieved he had fallen asleep before she came back in. She had been dreading the awkwardness there would have been. She climbed into bed and turned off her own light before lying down and turning on her side facing away from her former partner and closed her eyes, praying sleep would come to her.

Elliot felt her take the control from him and turn the TV off. He forced himself to keep his eyes closed as she climbed into bed beside him and turned off her light. The bed rocked as she lay down, only then did he open his eyes and turn his head slightly to the side and looked across at her. He had known her long enough to know how awkward she will be feeling about all this, so when he heard the bathroom door open he had pretended to be asleep. Yes he wanted, no needed to talk to her, but it could wait. They had made a good start tonight and he didn't want to rush things, he couldn't risk screwing things up more than he already had.