AN: Thanks for all the positive feedback! I really appreciate it! The way it looks right now, I'm trying to make each day one chapter, so they'll be pretty long. That means I may not update as often, but we will see how it goes! I reserve the right to change my mind!
Day 1
Olivia adjusted the tote over her shoulder as she rolled her suitcase out of the elevator. She was a little nervous as she walked outside to meet up with the Stabler clan. A week away with Elliot and his kids still seemed a little odd to her, and she'd had too much time to rethink it over the last few days. Talking with Casey hadn't helped. She had called her colleague and her friend in a mild panic about the plans and what to pack, and of course Casey had been focused on the potentially romantic undertones of the week. Olivia had tried to slam that door closed, but Casey firmly believed that she and Elliot were made for each other…in denial…blah blah blah. Olivia had finally threatened to hang up on her before Casey focused on her question and offered to go shopping with her. Olivia didn't agree on Casey's choices…shorts and sundresses and things she would never have picked for herself…but Olivia had to rely on her. In the end, she knew she had packed too much.
"We're only going for a week Benson." Elliot said as she walked out of the apartment building, and Olivia almost turned around and went back inside. She saw the smirk on Elliot's face as he pushed himself off the side of the Jeep and moved towards her. He was wearing some khaki colored cargo shorts and a well-worn t-shirt, and she could see he was in full vacation mode.
"Didn't have time to find anything decent to wear?" Olivia zinged back. "You look like a homeless man."
Elliot faked a shocked look on his face. "This t-shirt is a classic." He said as he broke into a grin. "And I have plenty more just like it." He reached for her suitcase and started rolling it towards the back of the Jeep.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Olivia said, as she watched him hoist her suitcase into the back.
He turned back towards her and looked her over head to toe. Olivia was wearing jeans, a plain white t-shirt and white Converse. Nothing over the top, but she looked great as always. Especially without that gun on her hip. "We can't all look like supermodels Liv." He said with a wink.
Olivia didn't have a comeback for that, but she was saved by Kathleen as the young girl hopped out of the minivan parked in front of Elliot's Jeep.
"Hey Liv." She said with a smile. "It's so good to see you. I'm glad you're coming along."
"Thanks for the invitation." Olivia said, as Elliot relieved her of the tote she was carrying. More girls started pouring out of the van, and Olivia recognized Elliot's youngest daughter.
"This is my friend Jess." Kathleen said. "And this is Liz's friend Emily." Kathleen pointed towards the Jeep. "And Dickwad's friend is named Josh." Kathleen rolled her eyes slightly. "We're really sorry that you have to ride with them."
Olivia laughed. She could already see the family dynamics were going to be interesting. "I'm sure it will be fine." She turned to look at the boys in the Jeep and she waved, but they turned away quickly.
"At least girls outnumber the boys." Elizabeth said. "And you can't always be on Dad's side."
"Alright, alright." Elliot said as he walked back up to where they were standing. "Let's not start planning combat strategy right now." He made a motion that said move along. "Let's get going. You girls follow me."
"Well, don't drive like an old man." Kathleen said. "Or I'm going to pass you."
"You just got your license. You're not going to pass me." Elliot said, pointing a finger at her. "Seatbelts on. All of you."
Olivia couldn't help but smile as he got an eyeroll from all four girls. But they all moved to get in the van, and Elliot opened the door to the Jeep for her. Olivia gave him a look of surprise but she climbed in and they pulled out with the minivan falling in behind them.
As they headed out of the city, Elliot told her more about the lake house that was a few hours drive away on White Lake. It was actually a friend's house; someone he knew from the Marines. He and his wife had bought it as a weekend getaway. But they had four children, and his wife had a busy practice as a pediatrician, and they just couldn't get up there as much as they'd like. So, he rented it out to close friends and family. Elliot told her that they'd been up to Dave's place on three different summer vacations in the past seven years, and it was a beautiful home with everything you could ask for. There was a huge deck on the back that provided a great view of the lake, and the deck wrapped around both sides of the house. The lot was wooded and quite large, so even though there were neighbors on either side, you couldn't see them or hear them. There was a nice sandy beach and a long dock, with a speedboat and a Waverunner. There was also a floating platform that was anchored out in the water, and Elliot explained the constant battle for dominance between the kids. The girls wanted to sunbathe and the boys wanted to dive off the diving board attached, and it seemed they could never figure out how to share.
Olivia watched Elliot's face as he was explaining the place to her. He seemed like a little kid, and she realized she rarely got to see a glimpse of Elliot when he wasn't in cop mode. She loved seeing this side of him, and she could feel his attitude infecting her. She felt more relaxed as the miles zipped by and they put more distance between them and the city.
Olivia eyes dropped to his t-shirt. There had been some logo on the front…something with a superhero on it that he couldn't name. The shirt had obviously seen better days, and now she noticed that it even had a small hole in it. It looked old and worn…and was probably comfortable as hell. Her eyes drifted back up to where his hand was gripping the top of the steering wheel and she noticed the way his muscled bicep stretched the sleeve of the t-shirt.
"You want this t-shirt, don't you?" Elliot said with a smirk, and Olivia realized she had been busted looking at him.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "The homeless don't even want that shirt." She quipped, averting her eyes to the scenery unfolding before her. No more looking at Elliot and his ridiculous body for the rest of the trip.
"Dad, we're hungry." Dickie said from the back seat.
"Bud, we just left…" Elliot looked at his watch. "45 minutes ago."
"I know but we left the house a long time ago and then we picked up Josh and had to pick up Olivia…" Dickie said in an exasperated voice.
"So, it's been almost two whole hours since you've eaten." Elliot said, giving Olivia a sideways glance and a grin. "You must be dying."
"Exactly." Dickie said.
"And it begins." Elliot said. "You don't know what you've gotten yourself into, do you?" he said with a small chuckle.
Olivia just smiled. That was definitely the understatement of the year.
EOEOEOEO
Olivia started unpacking her things and listened to the chaos outside the room. Six kids were going in and out and up and down the stairs, and she wondered how they had fit all their things into the Jeep and minivan. Elliot had refused any help with unloading the cars as he had dumped her things in the master bedroom. She had tried to argue with him, but he wasn't having any of it, and threatened to make her walk back to the city.
The house was as gorgeous as he'd explained and she opened the window to let in some fresh air. The room was white but beautifully decorated and she could feel herself relaxing even more as she moved around the room, stuffing drawers full of clothes and having things in the closet. When she was done, she tucked her empty bags away and left her room, ready to help Elliot with whatever needed to be done.
When she had first walked in, the house seemed to be set up oddly, with a small foyer and a hallway that lead to the back of the house. Her bedroom door was off to the right in the hallway, and just past that, the stairs were on her left. They faced towards the front of the house, and as she passed them, Dickie and Josh came racing down and right past her. Olivia saw the main part of the house was in the back and it made complete sense as she entered the giant room. A large living room/family room was off to the left, with a fireplace on the back wall, just around the corner from the stairs. The wall to the left was all windows, and so was the wall that faced the lake. The windows stopped about halfway across the back wall, where a set of French doors that had been flung wide open, leading out to the deck. Olivia's eyes kept moving to the right, taking in all the bright colors and white wood, and she saw the kitchen tucked to the right of the French doors. It had a huge island, with six stools around it, and then the entire right wall was windows as well. There was a large L shaped bench that went under the windows and along the back wall, with a large wooden table and chairs on the other side. It could have easily sat 12 people. The room was bright and airy, and on either side, the only thing she could see was trees. And if she looked out the back of the house, the sun was glinting off the blue water of White Lake.
"It's pretty breathtaking, isn't it?" Elliot asked.
Olivia turned and saw him standing in the kitchen, watching her.
"Tell me again what these people do for a living?" Olivia asked as she walked towards him.
"Wait until you see the boat and the Jetski." Said Dickie as he and Josh climbed onto the stools. Dickie grabbed a bag of chips and tore it open, and Olivia could see that they had already changed into their suits.
Elliot grabbed the chips back. "Did you unpack?" The boys grumbled and disappeared. Elliot nodded towards the French doors. "C'mon. I want to show you the lake."
Olivia followed him out the doors and could immediately feel the sun on her skin. The trees on either side of the house didn't go much past the house, and the deck was bathed in sun. She lifted her face towards the sky and took a deep breath, and stumbled into Elliot. "Sorry." She said as she took a step backwards.
Elliot moved up to the railing and rested his arms on it. Olivia stood next to him, and she took it all in. There was a short set of stairs that lead down to a beautiful, green lawn that sloped gently down to the beach. Just beyond the stairs, to the right, was a bonfire pit with several small chairs set around it.
Olivia's eyes trailed back down to the beach. It looked to be almost 75 feet of lakeshore, and the beach was only about twenty feet deep. A long dock off to the right end of the beach and she saw the boat and JetSki the kids were talking about. Off to the left were more lounge chairs, and Olivia thought it had to be nearly impossible NOT relax while you were here. "If I lived here, I don't think I'd ever leave." She said. "It's so peaceful."
At that moment, all four girls came racing out of the house and down the stairs, clad in their swimsuits and carrying beach towels in their arms. "We call the platform." Elizabeth cried as their feet hit the sand.
"No farther than the swimming platform and keep an eye on each other." Elliot yelled after them. It wasn't a minute later when the two boys came flying past them. Elliot looked over at Olivia. "The fun has begun. I'm going to put my suit on."
They both walked back into the house and Elliot saw the mess in the kitchen. "Ugh. I guess swimming can wait."
"You know what? I'll unpack and you go hang out with the kids." Olivia said, moving towards the mess. She could see the look of disappointment on his face.
"I can't ask you to do that." Elliot said, somewhat unconvincingly. He really wanted to get into the lake.
"Elliot. You're letting me stay here without letting me pay a dime." Another argument they'd had. It's already paid for. You don't add any expense. "It's the least I can do. Besides, I'm not ready to go swimming." The reality was that she wasn't ready to put on a swimsuit, but she wanted to see Elliot in his. Three hours in and she'd already given up trying to shove those thoughts to the side. "I'll even make lunch."
Elliot hesitated for a second, but then gave her a quick smile. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll owe you." He said as he took off towards the stairs.
Olivia stood rooted in place, letting her fingers trail over the spot where Elliot had kissed her. Three hours in, and it seemed all the rules had changed.
EOEOEOEO
Elliot had brought a hell of a lot of food along, but then she remembered there were six teenagers in the house. And Elliot could put away quite a bit of food himself. She made what a dozen sandwiches and piled them on a plate, and she found a tub of potato salad that she opened. She diced strawberries and threw in some other fruit and made a fruit salad, and grabbed the bag of chips Elliot had taken away from Dickie. She made a pitcher of lemonade and a pitcher of iced tea and lay it all out buffet style on the island. She was just piling up some paper plates and napkins when Elliot walked in with a wet swimsuit and a towel wrapped around his neck.
"Wow! You've been busy." Elliot said as he took in the spread. Olivia seemed slightly heated, and he felt bad making her work while he was out enjoying the water. But she had volunteered. He poured her a large glass of iced tea and handed it to her. "Thanks."
Olivia gave him a smile and tried not to look at how his swim trunks rode low on his hips and how the wet fabric stuck to his thighs. "No problem." She smiled and took the glass. "But with this many people, we're going to go through a lot of food."
Elliot laughed. "I'm used to it." He walked back out on to the deck and yelled LUNCH and then came back inside. "Grab a plate and get some food before it's all gone."
"I think I'm going to change first." The room had two great big ceiling fans and all the windows were open, but it was the hottest part of the day and she was roasting in her jeans.
Elliot shrugged his shoulders. "Don't blame me when all the food is gone!".
EOEOEOEOEO
Olivia changed into a pair of white shorts and a black ribbed tank top. She looked in the beautifully framed long mirror propped in the corner of the room, turning from side to side. She felt like she was only half dressed. Olivia wasn't a prude by any means, and she understood that she was attractive, and she worked hard to stay in shape. But Elliot was her partner at work; where she was (usually) fully clothed. This felt too casual…too informal somehow.
She ran her hand through her hair. She knew she was being absolutely ridiculous. Elliot didn't seem to have any compunction about taking off his clothes in front of her, and she had to remind herself that he wasn't interested in her that way. An image of the deep muscles in his abdomen came unbidden and she swallowed hard.
Elliot is a friend. She had to keep reminding herself of that.
When Olivia walked back into the kitchen, the food on the island was almost gone. There was a half of a turkey sandwich and some fruit salad left. That was fine with Olivia. She heaped a bunch of fruit on a plate and grabbed her glass of iced tea and wandered out on the deck. To the right was a large table and chairs and she saw Elliot and the boys still eating. The girls were already gone, and she looked out at the lake to see they were already out on the floating platform. She saw Dickie and Josh staring at her, and she felt self-conscious for a minute until Elliot prodded Dickie lightly with his elbow.
"Knock it off." He said as she approached.
Both boys got up and headed back down the stairs with a half a sandwich in each of their hands, and Olivia pushed the clutter aside and sat down a few chairs away from Elliot. He was still sitting there without a t-shirt on, and it was a bit unnerving as she tried to keep her eyes focused on her lunch.
"Fruit salad?" Elliot asked. "That's all you're going to eat?"
"How long have you known me?" Olivia asked. She motioned towards his plate. "I don't eat all that crap at lunch."
"Yeah, but you're on vacation. Let loose." He had been a bit surprised when she had walked out onto the deck in some relatively short shorts and that ribbed tank. Pleasantly surprised. Olivia dressed pretty conservatively at work, which was to be expected in their line of work. And when he'd seen her dress for a date, it was usually in a nice dress. The only kind of casual clothes he'd ever seen her wear was jeans and a t-shirt. All that dark skin. The shorts showed off a lot of those long legs and she was barefoot. The tank top wasn't dangerously low, but Olivia was pretty well endowed and the way that tank was hugging her curves…
"This is me, letting loose." Olivia said, but her tone was playful. She couldn't remember the last time she'd taken a vacation and when she did, she always just stayed in the city. Elliot was going to have to cut her some slack. "I'm not used to…" She waved her arm around, indicating her surroundings. "This." Olivia stabbed a strawberry, but as she lifted her arm, Elliot stood up and snagged her wrist, lifting it to his mouth.
"You're like a child." Olivia said with a laugh. "Do you ever eat your own food?"
Elliot leaned over and rested one hand on the table. "I always want what you're having. It looks so much better on your plate."
She looked up at him as he stood up. "You're ridiculous." She said as she stabbed another bite of fruit. Olivia knew that from where he was standing, he was probably getting a pretty good view down her tank top. She knew she should protest, but his playfulness intrigued her. And he was so close…
And then he was moving away from her and headed towards the stairs. He paused before he went back down the stairs, and looked back at her. "Sorry for the boys…you know…" Elliot said, and Olivia could tell he was uncomfortable. "They're teenaged boys and you're…" He extended his hand towards her. "You're a beautiful woman Liv." Olivia thought she saw a small flush in Elliot's cheeks and she was as surprised by that as much as the compliment. "I'll talk to them."
Olivia felt bad for him, and she could certainly handle a few stolen glances from some pre-pubescent boys. She'd been subjected to a lot worse in her lifetime. "El…it's fine. Don't say anything. I don't want it to be awkward all week and I can take care of myself."
"It's not fine, but I hear what you're saying." He said firmly. He pointed at the empty plates and such from lunch. "Now, don't you dare lay a finger on any of that mess. I know two boys in need of some chores, and I want your ass down on the dock. We're going on a boat ride. I want to show you the lake."
Olivia watched as he jogged down the steps, admiring the view from behind. If Elliot could look down her tank top, she could certainly watch him jog along towards the beach. She smiled when she heard the moans and groans from Dickie and Josh. Apparently, they had just heard about their assignment.
"Liv!" Elliot waved her to come down and Olivia made her way to the stairs. She reached the sand, and it was warm between her toes. There was a slight breeze and it blew her hair. She dropped her aviator sunglasses down on the bridge of her nose and just took in the activity on the lake. Boats zipped back and forth, carrying tubers and water-skiers and Olivia felt like this was such a completely different life than what she was used to.
The four girls were spread out on towels on the floating platform and she could hear tinny music playing. She stepped up onto the dock and walked down to where Elliot was standing near the boat.
"Aren't the girls coming along?"
"Nah, they said they didn't want to. It's just you and me." Elliot snatched a life jacket off the front of the boat. "I have to see which life jacket fits you." He said.
"I'm a good swimmer El." Olivia protested.
"It's the law." Elliot said as he dropped the jacket over her head. He reached down to her waist and grabbed the buckles, standing a little closer than he probably needed to. Once they clicked, he pulled on the straps to tighten it around her waist. "Is that too snug?" He asked, looking down.
Olivia shivered slightly. Elliot was so close he was practically whispering in her ear, and this was the second or third time today that he'd had his hands on her or touched her in some way. They didn't do that. At least not anymore.
Olivia realized she hadn't been paying attention because the next thing she knew, Elliot was down on one knee and was reaching between her legs. She was so startled that she took a step backwards. "What are you…" She took another step back but lost her footing on the wet dock and the next thing she knew, she was falling backwards, wheeling her arms.
Elliot saw her falling and he stood up quickly. He reached out and snagged the straps on her life jacket. He used a little too much force as he pulled Olivia back towards him, and in the next second, he was the one falling backwards. He hit the dock hard, slamming his head into the wood, and then Olivia's weight fell on top of him. He let out a loud grunt as she knocked the wind out of him.
Olivia lay there for a second, too stunned to move. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and adrenaline coursed through her body. Then she realized she had all her weight on Elliot and that he wasn't saying anything. She slid off to the side and got on her knees. She leaned over him. "Elliot." She said breathlessly. "Are you okay?"
Elliot's eyes popped open and he rolled towards her slightly, trying to catch his breath. The girls were on the dock now, asking what happened, and Elliot lifted a hand to tell them he was going to be okay.
"I'm so sorry." Olivia said. "I didn't mean for that to happen." She reached for his head but he pushed her hand away.
"I's fine." He slurred with the small breath he had as he rolled over onto his back again, taking in huge gasps of air. The way Olivia was leaning over him, with the sun coming down from behind her, her long hair falling forward and the look of genuine concern on her face, made it almost worth it. She was his own personal angel.
He put a hand to his head. Maybe he did have a concussion because those kinds of thoughts shouldn't be in his head. Sure, he was teasing her a little and trying to get her to let loose, but only to get back some of the easiness between them. Nothing more.
He had to keep reminding himself of that.
He waved his hand and looked over at the girls. "I'm fine. Go back to ignoring me."
Olivia smiled when she saw them dive back into the water. Crisis over. She put her hand on Elliot's shoulder as he sat up. "Are you sure you're OK?" She pulled his head forward and turned his head and he complained as she touched the sore spot on the back of his head. "It's a good thing you have a thick skull." She said. "There's just a small cut. But a big knot." She turned his head back around. "Do you have a headache?"
Elliot smiled as she held his face in her hands. At this angle, they were so close. He would only have to lean forward a little and he could capture her lips.
Olivia saw a glint in Elliot's eyes, and she realized he was just fine. He was enjoying having her play nursemaid. She pulled back a little and removed her hands from his face. "What were you doing?" She asked.
"What did you think I was doing?" Elliot asked, with a smirk on his face.
Olivia saw the little smirk and she stood up. She wasn't going to play this little game with him.
Elliot pushed himself up, running a palm over the sore spot on his head. "I was reaching for the third buckle of your lifejacket." He said, pointing to the strap dangling down the back of her lifejacket. "It has to come through your legs and buckle in the front."
"Well you could have said something." Olivia said.
"I did." Elliot said. "I said, I'm going to grab…"
Olivia cut him off. She'd been too bothered by Elliot's proximity to hear what he'd said, so it was her fault. "OK whatever. Are you taking me on a boat ride or what?" She reached down and grabbed the strap and buckled it herself. Then she scrambled on to the boat before Elliot could put his hands anywhere on her body again under the guise of helping her.
EOEOEOEOEO
Olivia was sitting down in one of the lounge chairs by the water. She'd been banished when she had told Elliot she'd help with dinner, but he wasn't having it. Apparently, chores were doled out, and Elizabeth and Emily were on tap tonight. She was trying to start a new book, but was distracted by the activity on the lake and the warmth of the sun. She closed her eyes, feeling the late afternoon sun on her skin.
"Hey Liv."
Olivia jumped and her eyes popped open. She saw Kathleen had plopped into the lounge chair next to her.
Kathleen laughed at her reaction. "I guess you're not used to all this noise and commotion."
"That's very true." She knew she lived a quiet life outside of work, but she hadn't realized the degree until faced with the clan at the lake house. It was a constant din. Elliot seemed to thrive on it, but she was still getting adjusted.
"So how do you like it here?" Kathleen asked.
"It's beautiful."
"Dad's pretty happy that you decided to come along. Honestly, I didn't know if you would."
"Yeah?" Olivia was interested in Kathleen's reasons. "Why is that?"
"Well, you know, Dad can be kind of annoying sometimes. Bossy and moody. I didn't know if you'd want to spend any more time with him when you don't have to."
"That's what he said." Olivia said with a laugh.
Kathleen continued. "And you're really nice, and you're beautiful, and we all really like you and Dad…" Kathleen cut herself off. "I mean, you probably have lots of boyfriends, but Dad can be kind of cute sometimes and he's funny…"
"Kathleen." Olivia said, putting her hand over hers. Kathleen stopped talking. "Your dad and I are good friends and partners. I know him pretty well." She didn't like where this conversation was headed, and was sorry she had asked. "I appreciate the offer to come up here. It's fun to spend time with all of you."
Olivia could tell that Kathleen didn't know what to make of her comments, and that maybe she wanted to say something else, but she obviously decided to let it go. She got up with a slightly disappointed look on her face and Olivia almost felt bad.
"OK, I'd better go take a shower before dinner." Kathleen said, and then she was gone.
EOEOEOEOEO
Dinner had been a rambunctious affair, with grilled burgers and brats and general chaos at the dinner table. Everyone was talking over each other and with each other, and Olivia wasn't sure if she loved it or hated it.
Elliot leaned over to where she was seated on his left. "Sorry about the noise." He said. "But asking them to quiet down is pointless. The kids know that quiet hours start at 10, and that they all have to be doing something that's relatively quiet. Reading or playing a game, or something like that. No one in or near the water, and lights out at midnight."
"You run a tight ship." Olivia said with a laugh.
"You'll be surprised. Spending all day in the sun takes a lot out of you. And just because the lights are out doesn't mean you have to go to sleep." Elliot chuckled, and he loved the slightly shocked look on Olivia's face as she looked up at him, reacting to the innuendo in his voice. He adopted an innocent look on his face. "I don't know what you're thinking about, but I meant that the kids will be talking until the wee hours of the morning." He winked at her. "Do I need to lock my door?"
Olivia felt her cheeks flush slightly and she focused on the food in front of her. She looked up and caught Kathleen staring at her with a small smile on her face, and she felt as if she'd been doing something wrong.
Elliot was flirting with her. Most definitely…100%...flirting with her. The kiss on the cheek…the touching…that had not been accidental. And the innuendo and the compliments.
Where had this Elliot Stabler been for the past year? When she'd be ready and waiting for him to make a move or tell her how he felt? Nowhere.
Now he showed up, after she had told herself to move on. After she had convinced herself it wasn't going to happen.
She glanced over at Elliot quickly and saw him eating, a small smirk still on his face. He thought he was so cute.
Well he was wrong. He wasn't cute. Not at all. Elliot Stabler had absolutely no effect on her. He could flirt all he wanted. She was immune to his supposed charm.
She would spend the week here and relax and enjoy his hospitality.
End of story.
More to come….
