He was still looking at the pictures of the girls. Rita's smiling face still looked right back at him. He could hear Chief Bonner walking around the apartment, trying to make sense of his suspicions about her family. She closed the door to the bathroom just as someone knocked on his front door.
He took a second to start moving, having been so focused on the pictures for so long. making his way slowly towards the door he wondered who could possibly be. His family was still all over the place about the dinner and his team had been here earlier today. Perhaps one of them forgot something. He looked around trying to find any missing objects as he opened the door.
"Hey, partner," his eyes shot up in surprise at her voice.
"Liv," her name sounded like a prayer coming from his lips. "What…what brings you by?"
"You didn't answer my call, I was worried," they made their way inside the apartment, only to stop in the middle of the living room. "Heard about the serial killer. I had to check if you were ok." She touched the side of his neck just like she had done that night, 4 years ago.
She looked so good, her hair so shiny and the compass laying proudly on the outside of her blouse. He couldn't stop his hand from making their way to her waist, pulling her closer and embracing her as he breathed her in. He felt her melt against his body, and knew she took as much comfort as him from the hug.
The way her head was turned, she could see the mural of victims and pushed against his chest a little, just so she could look into her eyes.
"Please, tell me you aren't going after a serial killer while you are being investigated by IAB and don't even have jurisdiction," she says, reproaching him.
"Liv," he tightened his grip on her waist.
He heard the door of the bathroom opening and remembered his guest, who up to this point he had not thought about. He grimaced, the optics of the situation could look really bad to Liv.
"Stabler, I think I'm gonna go out for a while. Being stuck inside here all day is making me claustrophobic- Oh-, " she stopped when she saw the captain stand really close to the detective.
Olivia instinctively took a step back, her brow furrowed and she tucked her necklace- his compass - inside her blouse. Y
"I see why you couldn't pick up the phone." Her voice took a hurt tone as she turned around making her away out of the apartament before he could really say something.
So, Liv was jealous. It was a toxic trait both of them carried and just wouldn't go away, it had been there since day one, since they were just partners. It got a lot worse since they began being something . They had never been subtle about it.
He looked back at Meredith, who stood awkwardly in his living room, then back at the open door before taking action and running after Liv. He had enough misunderstandings and setbacks. She had come here for a reason, and had given him comfort for a reason.