Elliot made it to work by lunch. He swung by his apartment to shower and change before coming in. In a department full of detectives someone would have noticed yesterdays clothes. He knew that would lead to a spiral of questions and he didn't have the energy for that. He barely wanted to be here at this point. He wanted to be home, but not his home, hers.

He claimed the stairs and came around the corner to find a quiet squad room. Jet's desk sat empty. She was probably getting herself ready for this evenings' undercover op. Reyes sat seemingly focused on his computer screen. Whalen furiously tapped his pen, eyes focused on the paperwork spread across his desk. Elliot walked over and swiped the pen from his hands and rested it back on the desk. That tapping already eroded his nerves.

"Sorry." Whalen said under his breath.

Elliot met Ayanna's eyes and she motioned for him to come in her office. Elliot dropped his bag into his desk chair causing Rayes to look up quickly from his work. Seemed like everyone was a little jumpy today. Reyes quickly brought his attention back to his screen.

Elliot entered Ayanna's office and closed the door, happily leaving the sound of crickets behind him. "It's quiet out there," He said.

Ayanna glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah. There's a lot of prep work to make the next few days work."

Elliot nodded in understanding. This bar set up required a lot of attention to detail. Murphy was smart and observant and had a strong sense of self-preservation. Every detail needed tended to otherwise he would know if anything were amiss.

Ayanna stood up and leaned against her desk. "So how's little Benson?" Ayanna was driving them both when Liv had called him about picking Noah.

A smile teased at the corners of Elliot's lips as he remembered the drive home with Noah. He told story after story, some of which Liv probably didn't want Elliot to know. "Fine. Safe with his mom." He tried to hold back the happy from his face.

Ayanna eyed him skeptically. She probably sensed there was more to the story, but didn't press him on it. She always gave him space when it came to Olivia, and he appreciated it. "That's good. And Liv's doing okay after everything?"

"Yeah. You know Liv." His mind filled with memories from the night before. Images of her sleeping form pressed against his bare chest made his heart pound. Her breathy voice asking him to hold her tighter echoed through his mind. "She's a survivor." He added, trying to keep in the present.

"Yeah that's for sure." She hesitated, and he felt like he knew what she was going to say. "Elliot, I know that Liv means a great deal to you, and your relationship is..." Elliot watched her struggle for a second to find the word, "complicated. Anyway, I just want to make sure your head is in the game." He felt guilty about his earlier day dream. The upcoming days needed to go perfectly and distractions, no matter how beautiful they may be, could prove deadly.

He nodded. "You know the team is my first priority." She looked relieved. He knew Ayanna felt more stress with operation because of its ties to the death of a former partner. They all felt added pressure to keep Jet safe since this was her first major under cover op.

"I know. I just don't want any mistakes or surprises tonight."

"Understood." Elliot headed for the office door. "I need to get over to the bar. There are a few things that need to be taken care of before we open for the night."

"Go go." Ayanna shewed him out of her office.

####

On his way to the bar he quickly made a call to Olivia. He got her voicemail. He took that as a good thing. He imagined her, hair spread haphazardly across her pillow, in those leggings that made his heart race. She needed sleep and time to heal. He hoped she took that time for herself.

"Hey Liv. I was calling to check in with you. Hopefully you are sleeping. I just wanted you to know we are working out a big sting operation and I'll be out of range for at least a few days." He suddenly second-guessed himself. She told him she wasn't ready. Was this too relationship-y? He should have texted instead, but he already called and he decided to finish what he started. "I didn't want you to think..." the thought trailed off. Think what? That he spent the night with her only to drop off the grid the next day? That he was going to be a jerk and be out of communication for months. He finished the thought, "I didn't want you to think I was ghosting you again. Um. I guess that's it. Be safe. I'll call you when I can." He hesitated. What if she didn't want him to call again. What if she regretted everything that happened last night? He decided to give her an out. "If this all too much tell me. I want to there for you in any way you need. I don't want to push you." He arrived at the bar so he quickly wrapped up his message. "I'll see ya later."