Chapter 15

Olivia sighed and dropped into the nearest chair.

"Why did you have to choose us two for this mission?" she asked her. "There are loads of Detectives out there that could have done this job."

"Maybe," she smiled. "But none of them had the chemistry you two have….. Plus," she said sitting on the chair opposite Olivia. "None of the other Detectives were walking around like a bear with a sore head because they were so dumb and stupid to admit they were a complete idiot. As much as Stabler is good to look at, he still annoys the hell out of me with all that brooding. However I still have a soft spot for him and you," she said smiling at Olivia when she raised her head. "So I just figured kill two birds with one stone. Get the two best Detectives together again to solve this crime and hope for the best they actually start talking again."

"But you must have known putting us together would cause all this trouble."

Dana shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe I did. But I also knew living together everyday meant your feelings would come out eventually. I did however have money on you to be the one to come clean about your feelings first. Stabler's little declaration last night cost me a hundred bucks," she laughed.

"Jesus Christ," sighed Olivia closing her eyes and dropping her head back against the chair. "You need to hook up with Munch."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Olivia sat looking at the house from her car. After her little chat with Dana in the office, she had to go to work on the base. But the full time all she could think about was Elliot's confession the night before. She knew they needed to talk about it but they also had a job to do. But she wasn't stupid, and she knew to be able to carry on with this job together they needed to clear air and tension between them. As Dana had pointed out to her, with a huge smile on her face, she and Elliot would need to be a lot more hands on so to speak, now Mark was watching them as well. They would need to act like a married couple 24 hours a day and that would involve a lot more than just talking and doing dishes together if they were to carry on convincing Mark they were actually married, and to do that she knew they needed to clear the air.

She climbed out the car and grabbed the bags of shopping from the back seat, before heading into the house.

Music was playing quietly in the kitchen, which meant Elliot was in from work.

"El," she called out, but got no answer. She put the bags down on the kitchen bench and began to unpack them, it was then she saw Elliot out in the garden sitting on the bench having a beer in the sun. His eyes were closed and his head tipped back. He was only wearing a pair of long shorts as he relaxed. Olivia shook herself out of her daze as her eyes roamed over his perfectly toned and muscled body.

"That is not natural for a man of his age," she mumbled under her breath, before turning away to get back to the shopping.

Once she finished unpacking she grabbed two beers from the fridge kicked off her shoes and taking a deep breath she went outside to join him.

"Your home early," she said as she walked across the garden towards him.

"I wasn't really needed this afternoon as the guys are on the live firing range. I can't say I minded much, my mind wasn't really on it and I'm a little tired from last night."

She handed him a beer and sat down beside him.

"Yeah, neither of us got much sleep last night," she said taking a drink.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Did you see Mark today?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "I took a walk down to the garages before I came home but he wasn't in. I asked around but the guys there said he hadn't he been in all day. So I guess that was another lie this morning about showering to go to work."

"He is probably at home checking his cameras work ok the little creep," she said shuddering.

"Yeah," he said taking a drink of his beer and they fell into silence as the warm afternoon sun beat down on them.

"So," he said after a few minutes. "How are we going to do this?" he asked her turning his head to look at her.

"Which part?" she asked him. "Do you mean the part where we have to act like a loving married couple all the time, the part where you have an affair or the …. Or the part where you told me you loved me?" she asked turning her head and looking back at him.

"All of it, I guess," he said his voice just above a whisper.

"I don't know, I guess we will just have to go with the flow and do our best."

"I'm sorry for telling you like I did," he said not taking his eyes from her. "I could have timed it a lot better. This job is stressful enough without me putting all that extra pressure on you by blurting out my feelings."

"Yeah, you could have," she said her voice breaking.

"I… I never meant to upset you like I did and if I could take it all back I would," he said reaching across the seat and taking hold of her hand. Olivia looked down as he linked their fingers together. "I don't want to lose you Liv just because I can't learn when to keep my mouth shut."

"I don't want you to take it back," she said quietly. "Not any of it. And your right we do need to talk, which we will do properly once this is over."

"Can I ask you just one thing, and then I will wait until you're ready to talk I promise?" he asked her as he rubbed his thumb lightly over her hand. She nodded keeping her eyes on their joined hands. "It's just I need to know if….. If I'm… If what I said…..I mean if you…" he stumbled as he tried to think of the right words. "Fuck Stabler get a grip," he mumbled as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Olivia couldn't help but smile as he tried to ask her the question. She found it quite cute that he was so unsure of himself, when normally he was so cocky.

She lifted her head and looked at him again, finally smiling at him before she took a deep breath and spoke. Knowing she needed to say this. Dana was right she couldn't keep him hanging on. She didn't want to keep him hanging on. She needed to tell him how she felt as well.

"I love you too," she said her voice just above a whisper.

Elliot felt his heart racing as she said the words and he opened his eyes looking straight into hers.

"Liv….." she silenced him by putting her finger to his lips.

"You said one thing," she smiled. "And I'm guessing that's the answer for what you were trying to get around to asking for," she said and he nodded a small smile forming on his lips. "So now you have it, do you think we can get back to work and catching this creep?" Elliot nodded again still smiling. "Okay, and when this is all over we will sit down and really talk about everything, I promise. Because I don't want to lose you again either… I couldn't take that."

She smiled at him before standing up.

"Now why don't you make your wife some supper when I jump in the shower, I don't smell so good from work."

"Yeah ok," he said as he watched her stand and start to walk away. "I mean no….wait a minute," he said standing up himself. "There is something else."

"Elliot, you said one thing."

"I know, but this is kind of about the case in a roundabout, sort of way," he grinned. Olivia could tell he was up to something.

"Okay what is it?" she asked him.

"Well, we have to act like a married couple, which I have to admit will be a lot easier now I know you feel the same way for me as I do for you," he said stepping towards however. "However there is something I don't think you have thought about yet?" Olivia noticed the glint in eyes as he talked.

"And what would that be?" she asked unable to hide her smile as he reached for her hand.

"Well, I have been thinking and most married couples I know, well they … They kiss each other," he said playing with the fingers on her hand. "Now if we are to look believable to Mark, then don't you think we should practice this away from the camera first?"

He he, got to keep you all waiting for that kiss. I promise things are going to start heating up soon.