Sorry for being late with this story. I got distracted by The Last of Us, it hit me too hard, and my thoughts were too messed up to write.

Going back to yesterday's crossovers... I was very confused at first, especially about the ending, but after I slept a little (read: A LITTLE, stayed up until 7 am :D), and the more I think about it, the more I think it wouldn't make sense if Elliot meant the compass as a farewell. I mean, why NOW? They're closer than ever since his return, they talked last week about how "the timing wasn't right," Olivia has confessed to him that she wants him, but still, "the time wasn't right, and she wasn't ready," YET. So, without anyone saying they'll never happen, why would he give the compass to her now, as a sign that he'd let her go? He would have had a million chances to give her the necklace when they weren't on such good terms, and then it could have been a farewell, but now? Now that wouldn't have made sense.

Think about Kathy's ghost scene, think about the ring, think about "I want to, but I'm not ready", think about "just not the right moment". What was the point of Kathy's ghost and the ring? I'm 100% sure Elliot was referring to that scene with his comment that "he's going to try to find happiness". In other words, it's time for him to finally let her go. And why would he have given Liv a necklace (which is literally a reminder of him!) if he wanted her to move on with other people? It's like a sign that says "remember she's mine". Like... Yeah.

So, I may be a clown, but to me the compass is a sign, a reminder that he wants her to find happiness before their timing is right, the compass is a way for them both to find their way through their traumas and pasts. If you looked closely, it was no ordinary compass, it had their initials on it (and an L in the place of north…His true north). Happiness is not an escape route, but a way to take steps forward. And when they succeed in that, and the time is right, the compass is there to remind her that he is waiting for her, and he will be there when she finally finds her way to him ("partner", partners for life).

It's not a request for her to find happiness without him, it's a promise. A promise that their time will come. Because in the end, "it will always be you and I."

Anyway, thanks for participating in my Ted Talk, you can also tell me what you thought in the comments. But now, back to the story!

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Because a group of people, dirty, pale people, was sitting next to them and staring at them.

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"Wh-… Who are you?"

Olivia's voice was hoarse, her throat burning as dry as the desert, and the fear combined with her immense hunger made her hands begin to shake violently. The people beside them were watching them, their eyes twinkling strangely dimly, but no one made a move to approach them.

"Where are we? And… Why are we here?"

No answer.

Instead, they began to look at each other and whisper, there were quiet giggles here and there, and something in their being made the hair on the back of Olivia's neck stand up. These people were adults, around 20-50 years old, but each one of them seemed to act like a small child.

"Look at her hair!"

"Her shirt is so white!"

"So pretty…"

She felt Elliot move next to her, and she gritted her teeth, but as he leaned closer and asked his quiet question, his voice was no longer hazy and absent. Instead, he sounded normal again, though the pain was evident in his voice, and the relief nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"What's happening?"

She quickly turned her head to glance at her partner, whose blue eyes were no longer pale, but bright and familiar, and she suddenly had to resist the strong urge to cling to him and bury her face in his neck. She straightened her back and cleared her throat.

"I don't…"

But then a blond, very young-looking woman behind the group stood up and walked slowly and tentatively over to them. Olivia felt her partner tense up next to her, she followed the woman with her gaze, and she stopped in front of them, dropping to her knees and smiling shyly.

"Hi, you are cute. What's your name?"

And her words weren't directed at Olivia, instead she had bored her brown eyes into Elliot who stirred in pain as he straightened his back.

"We asked you first," he stated in a stifled voice, and the woman tilted her head. The movement was somehow unnatural, robotic, and Olivia wouldn't have been surprised if she'd heard a clicking sound. It sent chills down her spine.

The woman blinked for a moment, a slight smile on her lips. "We are the chosen ones."

"The chosen ones?"

"Yes, and you are one of the lucky ones," one of the men interrupted. "Father has seen a vision."

Years of police experience ignited a bad feeling in Olivia's belly, and she quickly glanced sideways at her partner, whose jaw had tightened. Then her gaze shifted to the woman in front of them, who was looking at Elliot as if under a spell, and unbidden, involuntarily, a small, poisonous feeling flared up inside her.

What the hell is wrong with you?!

Now is not the right time.

"Okay, uh…" Olivia opened her mouth to force the unwanted feelings aside, and she turned to look at the man who had spoken last. "What kind of vision?"

"The apocalypse is coming!" A faint, dramatic exclamation came from behind the man, and she frowned.

"Okay…"

"But not for everyone," the woman staring at Elliot answered quietly, her voice suddenly very soft. "That's why we're here."

"In the basement?" Elliot grunted, and immediately made the woman lean slightly towards him. However, he shook his head. "I don't know what this "Father" is telling you, but I can be sure that he doesn't..."

"We have seen it!" One of the women suddenly squealed, and it made them both flinch. However, it didn't seem to affect other people. "He's right, the vision is real!"

The woman in front of them had started to approach them, she was on all fours towards them, the open neckline of her dress gave Elliot a direct line of sight under her shirt, and when Olivia saw him swallowing, an unexpected anger suddenly flared up inside her, making her want to slap him and tell him to focus.

But then Elliot's uncertain eyes turned to her, fear glimmering in the waves of his blue eyes, and she realized he was asking for help with his gaze.

"What do we say?"

She reluctantly took her eyes off her partner, quickly eyed the room where every person's gaze had bored into them, and she had to bite her lip. They had no idea of "Father's" intentions, either option could be equally good or equally bad, and choosing the wrong answer option could be fatal at worst.

But when she turned her gaze again to the woman approaching her partner, there was a sudden glint of lust in the woman's eyes, and the words escaped her lips before she could stop herself. It was as if another person inside her answered for her, as her lips formed the word far too rashly and quickly for the situation.

"Yes."

She could feel Elliot's gaze on her skin burning, piercing, but she didn't dare look at him. Instead, she pursed her lips, watched as the woman approaching him stopped, the heat drained from her eyes, and she sat back down on her knees, and turned to look at Olivia for the first time.

"I see," she thoughtfully sucked the inside of her cheek. Her gaze moved between them, but then she narrowed her eyes and said:

"Prove it."

Olivia felt her heart skip a beat, she quickly glanced at the other people who were still watching them just as closely, but no one seemed to object to the woman who had crossed her arms defiantly.

"W-what?"

The softness in her voice was gone when she repeated: "Prove it."

"Listen…"

"We are now in Paradise, and here we live by the rules of Paradise," her eyes had started to blaze, and out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw that other people had started to approach them. "And here the finder can keep it if the owner is not present."

The woman's voice had lowered, Olivia felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest, and then she felt a hand on her thigh, looked down, and met a man staring shamelessly at her breasts, licking his lips, and she turned her alarmed gaze to Elliot, who locked his eyes with hers.

"What are we…"

"Trust me."

And then he raised one hand to her neck, the other to the back of her neck, leaned forward, and captured her lips with his own. A surprised sound escaped her throat, but at the same time her body seemed to melt in his grip, she closed her eyes and kissed him back. Tears began to burn in the corners of her eyes, she could feel other people's eyes on her skin, the situation was anything but desirable, but at the same time a lock seemed to open inside her, released a voice, released a force that begged her to stay there, in her partner's arms, where she was safe from the evil of the world.

But then Elliot leaned back, hands still on her cheeks, he wiped a lone tear from her cheek, and when she opened her eyes and met her partner's gaze, she knew.

Whatever their past, however complicated their relationship, she knew.

He had felt the same.

The cry started to burn inside her, and she had to swallow hard. Her desire to kiss Elliot was years old, something that had reminded her of its existence for as long as she could remember. That desire, so unwanted, so uninvited, so forbidden, yet so intense, so all-encompassing, had followed her throughout their years together, sometimes weaker, sometimes stronger, but always there. And now it had happened, but forced, but at the same time it had felt so right that the thought of how it had happened felt like a stab in her heart.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

But then the voice of the woman next to them caused the bubble around them to burst, and they quickly turned to look at her. The man's hand had left Olivia's thigh, and the woman looked almost disappointed.

"Okay, we believe. But remember, that the will of the Father is the law."

And then she withdrew from them back to the others, Olivia and Elliot heaving a sigh of relief. But almost at the same moment the keys began to jingle at the door of the room, the other people stood up, and imitating them, Olivia scrambled to her feet, helped her partner to stand, and without removing her hand from his arm, she directed her gaze to the door.

The door opened, their kidnapper appeared in the doorway, and after eyeing them for a moment, he pointed to the two people in front of him.

"You two, to the doctor's room. Operation Noah's Ark," he stated briefly, and they nodded and headed out the door. The man at the door turned to look at the others boredly, and announced: "Food in an hour."

And then the door closed again, silence settled over the room, and Olivia turned to look at her partner. But his mouth had tightened into a mere line, his brows were furrowed, and he swallowed.

"What?"

"Operation Noah's Ark," he answered quietly, fear suddenly audible in his voice, and the weight began to tighten in her throat.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know the story of Noah?"

"I…"

And then Elliot turned to look at her, blue eyes glittering with worry. "They said the apocalypse is coming. They are the chosen ones. Noah saved in his ark all the animals of the world, two individuals of each species, whose... The purpose was to fill the earth."

The weight in Olivia's chest began to grow, making it harder to breathe, and she knew, she knew without Elliot's silent words:

"I've got a bad feeling about this."