"There you go, honey."

Honey.

And with the kiss still tingling on Olivia's lips, she couldn't tell why it suddenly sounded so right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia and Elliot hadn't been sitting with Mr. Reed for long when his phone rang. He apologetically got up from the sofa, touched lightly Olivia's cheek as he went and disappeared around the corner. After he had been gone for a few seconds, Elliot turned his gaze to her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Olivia answered, but took such a long sip of her wine that Elliot frowned. The wine warmed her stomach but didn't make the cold feeling in her soul disappear.

"Are you sure?" Elliot asked as he watched her emptying her wine glass, and she grimaced as she set the glass down on the table.

"Well, at least if I don't think about the fact that I can still feel his sweaty hand on my thigh," she shivered in disgust and wiped her leg with her hand. "I'm going to wash my skin with chlorite when I get home."

Her partner raised his eyebrows in surprise. "When did he have time to..."

"As soon as you turned your back," Olivia wiped her mouth with her hand. "I have to say, this man knows what he wants." Then she stood up, took her wine glass from the table and had to stand still for a moment, because the world in her eyes was spinning.

I can't be this drunk yet.

"Are you sure that you want to continue?" She heard Elliot's worried voice behind her. "You look a little…" He scratched his nose. "…Unwell, I'm not sure it's a very good idea…"

"Yes, I'm sure," she announced in a slightly louder voice than intended. She wished she would have eaten more before she left, but it was too late to regret it. Elliot didn't say anything, but the look on his face said a thousand words.

And he wasn't happy.

He stood up as Olivia swayed, but she shook his hand away. Suddenly she felt anger flare up inside her, but she couldn't say why.

"I'll be fine, back off!" She snapped, and frustration flashed in Elliot's eyes, but he obediently backed up.

"Well, if you don't need help, I have to go to the bathroom," he announced and turned on his heels. With a snort, Olivia rearranged her feet and started to walk towards the bar, but then the heel of her high heel caught on the small sill, and she staggered forward. But just as she thought she was going to fall, she felt a hand grab her arm and help her up. She turned her head, expecting to see Elliot, but instead met piercing green eyes.

Mr. Reed.

"Woah, watch out, sweetheart!" He smiled mischievously. "Those wine glasses are expensive."

Disturbingly aware of his hand not leaving her arm, she straightened her dress with her other hand and smiled embarrassed.

"Uh, yeah, thank you."

But then Mr. Reed moved closer to her, she could smell the alcohol and tobacco on his breath, and she had to swallow down the nausea creeping up in her throat.

"Problems in love?" His breath was playing on her neck, and involuntarily she shivered. "If you come with me, I promise to treat you as a woman of your worth should be treated."

"Well… I don't…" Olivia answered, but the alcohol flowing through her veins made her head spin and leaving with Mr. Reed was the last thing she wanted to do. However, she suddenly snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed that he was already pulling her by the arm, and in distress, she turned her head to look for Elliot with her gaze. However, the quick movement threw her balance again, and she staggered against Mr. Reed.

"Woah, easy, girl," he grinned and quickened his steps. "You have to be patient."

"No… I don't… Where's E-… My fiancé?" Panic was starting to make her voice stifled, Mr. Reed's grip was tight, and she couldn't scream for help because it would have ruined the whole plan.

"Don't worry about it, I'll give you such a ride that soon you won't even remember your fiancé," Mr. Reed growled lustily, and his other hand grabbed her ass. Tears clouded her eyes, and she just wanted to run, run, run…

But then she heard a voice that almost made her knees buckle.

"What's going on here?

"It's not your business," Mr. Reed grunted, lust still in his voice, and despite Elliot, he pulled Olivia's arm to get her moving again. However, she had no intention of going with him, and using the sudden jerk to her advantage, she pretended to stagger again, this time against Elliot. Immediately she felt his other arm around her and tears welled up in her eyes again, this time from relief.

"Well, I think it is my business, if a strange man is dragging my fiancée along with him," Elliot's voice was ominous, Olivia felt Mr. Reed's grip on her arm loosen, and a few times she just had to inhale deeply the scent of her partner. It seemed to have a calming effect, and then she reluctantly retreated further and returned to her role once more.

"Calm down, Harry, he was only going to show me places," she managed to force herself to chuckle. "It's not a big deal."

Elliot snorted. "Well, if it's not a big deal, I suppose I can come with you," he looked challenging at Mr. Reed, who was staring back at him almost as menacingly. The tension between the men was so thick it could have been cut with scissors, but eventually the older man's grip on Olivia's arm loosened completely, and he shrugged.

"Nah, maybe another time. I'm sorry, sweetie," he glanced at her apologetically. "I have to run anyway, but I hope we meet again," he kissed Olivia's hand and then disappeared through the door towards which he had been pulling her.

They stood silently in their places, looking at the closed door. Olivia felt Elliot's still tensed body next to her, felt the anger still radiating from him, and then panic broke out of her like a falling house of cards. Her legs turned to jelly, and Elliot managed to catch her just in time before her legs collapsed completely. He pulled her against him, his warm body and strong arms around her causing the cry to build up inside her like a force she had to fight with all her might.

She couldn't cry.

Not now.

She knew her partner well enough to know he had something to say. She knew he wasn't done.

But she was immensely grateful that at the moment all he said was:

"Let's go home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The wind outside had risen when they stepped out of the cafe door. The weakening adrenaline had already made Olivia's body tremble, and the cold outside air felt as if ice-cold water had flowed into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, pulled her jacket tighter around her, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Elliot stop the taxi. The alcohol still seemed to blur her thoughts as she climbed into the seat of the taxi, but even though the taxi was warm, it didn't help very much.

Because Mr. Reed, his cigarette-scented breath and his hot hand only seemed to deepen the coldness within her.

They remained silent the entire taxi ride, and when they arrived in front of Olivia's house, without being asked, Elliot got out of the taxi and escorted her to her front door. It wasn't until she started to dig her keys out of her bag that she spoke for the first time:

"It's okay, El. I'm be fine, you can go home."

However, Elliot's voice was determined when he answered: "I will leave after I see with my own eyes that you get inside safely."

And Olivia didn't say anything, because she had known it before he had said it out loud. Because that's what his partner was, protective. She had experienced it over the years, both good and bad, sometimes it annoyed her, sometimes it drove her crazy, but it was something she could always count on. She never had to doubt that Elliot wouldn't protect her, and these were the moments when she was more grateful of it than she could tell.

The keys had disappeared somewhere in the bottom of her bag, and the cold wind stiffened her hands as she desperately tried to find them.

"Where the hell have they gone," she muttered, and another gust of wind made her body tremble violently again. "Damn it..."

But then she felt something warm land around her, and she looked up from her bag. Elliot was standing next to her without his suit jacket and reached for her bag.

"May I?"

Amazed, Olivia blinked and handed him the bag without asking. He shivered from the force of the gust of wind, but somehow miraculously found the keys in a few seconds, and opened the door. The warm indoor air greeted them like an old friend, and in silence they walked to the door of Olivia's apartment. The apartment was dark, quiet, and suddenly she felt that she wanted to retreat back into the hallway. In the silent apartment, anxiety tightened its grip inside her as if it was fanning the flames, suddenly she heard Mr. Reed's voice in her ears, but instead of doing something, she just stood there.

"So, you're home now," Elliot's voice was uncertain. "So… I… Uh… I'm going home now too."

Don't leave, El. Please.

The sound in the back of Olivia's head suddenly became so loud that it seemed to take over her every cell. She didn't want to be alone, she didn't want to face the emotions that would hit her immediately after Elliot left.

She needed him.

And she didn't have any energy left to deny it.

And as if from somewhere far away she heard herself asking: "Would you like some tea?"

Maybe she was just imagining it, but when Elliot answered, his uncertain voice had taken on a new, relieved tone.

"If you have honey."