Olivia slipped into her apartment quietly. She was late, but not too late. It was 9pm, but the apartment was silent so she didn't want to wake anyone who might be sleeping.
She looked around but didn't see anyone in the main areas of the apartment. She opened the door to her bedroom and found Noah sleeping on her side of the bed. She stepped into her bedroom, and tucked the comforter more securely around her sweet boy. She softly kissed his head. He was so sound asleep he didn't stir. From the look of the swelling around his eyes and tear stained cheeks, she deduced it must have been a rough day.
Her heart broke, and she felt the need to beat herself up for not being there for him. She should be here to help him through this. Watching him hurt, hurt her. She stepped away, allowing him the much needed sleep. She kept the door cracked as she silently stepped back into the hallway. She hadn't seen Elliot there, but he had to be around the apartment somewhere.
She peeked into Noah's room, but he hadn't fallen asleep there. She migrated to the living room and peeked over the couch to find Elliot sleeping with his reading glasses still perched on his nose and a book laying flat on his chest.
It felt natural, seeing him here like this, so obviously comfortable in her home. She gently lifted his hand off his book so she could move it aside. She left it flat so as to not lose his place. She reached for the glasses, folded them up and laid them on the end table. She turned to look for the throw blanket she usually kept on the couch back. Just as she took a step towards the armchair where the blanket sat, a hand reached out and caught her wrist.
She turned slowly and smiled. "Were you awake that whole time?"
He grinned that adorably cheeky grin. "Maybe."
She groaned and shook her head. He tugged her towards him. She complied laying on top of him, chest to chest. She almost immediately dropped down to kiss him.
She kissed him slow and sweet, savoring this new way of greeting him. His hand cupped her cheek until she slowly pulled back. She laid her head on his chest, and he dropped a kiss on her head. "Should I ask how work went?" His voice was sincere. He was giving her the opportunity to talk it out if she wanted.
"Not yet," she said, her voice low. "I want to just focus on this for a minute." She shifted her weight so she was a little more comfortable. Elliot was attractively solid, but he didn't exactly make the softest bed.
She wasn't able to find a comfortable position so she tilted her head up and kissed the length of his jaw. She made it to his ear before asking, "It looks like you had a bit of a rough day here." She left a kiss behind his ear.
He sighed, and she couldn't tell if it was because of the rough day or the feeling of her lips on his neck.
"Jace came over for a little while," he started.
"Oh?" She pulled back to see his face. "Did that go okay?"
"Yeah. I think they both needed some friend time. They talked some stuff out, but Noah had a hard time after he left."
She closed her eyes as she hovered over him. "I really hate this." She opened them again, and brushed a hand over his cheek. "How about you?"
She watched him hesitate. Elliot had come a long way in admitting and owning his emotions, but she could feel him holding back.
"I'm okay. It's hard for me to watch him too. If there was anything I could do to change it, I would." His eyes dropped away from hers. "I wish I could have done more to stop it from happening in the first place."
He kept his voice casual, but she knew this was the crux of his emotions right now. Guilt. He wouldn't admit to it now, at least not in a real way, that the guilt was gnawing at his insides. "You couldn't have stopped this, Elliot. No one saw any of it coming."
"I was there. I slept through the whole thing." She felt his chest shake a little as he breathed slowly. "A girl was murdered, and I was only yards away."
"You didn't know." She tried to comfort him, but he wasn't having it.
"No, but it doesn't mean I don't feel like I could have done more." His hand rose to her cheek and he brushed his thumb along her cheek bone. "It's been a long day for both of us. Maybe we should get to bed, and talk in the morning."
She watched his face. Something told her she should press a little harder, but she decided to back off. "You're right," she gave him a soft sad smile.
She knew she should move but she felt frozen. She didn't want to go to bed with so much left unsaid. She opened her mouth to say something, but his lips covered hers before she could get a sound out.
His kiss held all the pent up emotion they both seemed to be holding on to. The rhythm of his lips moving against his was becoming sweetly familiar. Comforting. He softly sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and her heart pounded wildly. Suddenly she wasn't thinking about the case anymore.
His hands wandered from her waist to her hips and then over her ass. At first they just rested there, but when her tongue whipped at his, she felt his hands give her an inadvertent squeeze. She breathed out a moan that was swallowed by his mouth. He let his mouth wander all over her face before settling behind her ear. She struggled to keep quiet when he provided light suction there.
"Oh God," she moaned quietly. Her body was already pulsing.
He let out a breathy laugh that triggered a flood of chills all over her body. "We've got a sleeping kid in the next room. You gotta be quieter."
Something about his implication of joint responsibility for her child further kindled the fire growing in her belly. She pulled away, sitting up, letting herself straddle him. His own desire became obvious. She grinned when she pulled up his shirt.
His breathing picked up, deep and heavy as her lips explored the space between his hip and belly button. She looked up to see his jaw clenched in his own attempt to remain silent. She ran her tongue up the center of his abs before dropping her lips passionately against his. "Not so easy is it," she breathed.
"You're right," his own voice was filled with desire. His hands wandered beneath her slacks and teased her panty line.
She closed her eyes. They couldn't do this on her living room couch. She had to remind herself of that three times before she brought her lips to his ear. "We can't do this here…"
"Do what?" He grinned and she shook her head.
"You're the worst," she teased.
He reached up for her and brought her head down to his. His large hand gripped the back of her skull, holding her into place. He kissed her deeply and thoroughly and when he released her she wasn't sure she could remember her own name.
She wanted this to go on and on, but they were on her couch and her son had taken over her bed. She pried herself away from him, rolling off of him to drop the short distance to the floor. Her body was in complete control when she laid on top of him so she created some space to find her brain again.
He laughed at her obvious attempt to put the brakes on. He rolled to his side, and his deep blue eyes held hers captive. "I love you, you know." His voice was low and sincere.
She bit her lip. She loved him too. So damn much. Her heart pounded and she thought maybe, maybe she could get out the words, but when she opened her mouth the safe response left her lips, "I know."
-000-
The next morning went much like the one before, Elliot went for a run in the early morning. By the time he got home, Olivia was awake, but Noah was still sleeping. He smiled to himself. He even managed to convince her to shower with him…again. Not that it took too much convincing, they were both still wound up from the night before.
Olivia dried her hair while Elliot made coffee and it all felt very domestic. Noah wandered into the kitchen just as Elliot started the coffee, and was reaching for some cereal.
"Hey bud. What do you want for breakfast this morning?"
Noah still looked pretty sleepy, but also depressed from the day before. "Cereal is fine."
"I can make you something if you want." It wasn't like he was going anywhere. "I think we have eggs, and maybe a pancake mix." He gauged Noah's reaction. He perked up at the idea of pancakes.
"Pancakes sound good actually." His voice sounded a little more upbeat. A little more like himself.
"Great. I'll get the stuff out that we need." Noah's hair was a little unruly and probably should be tamed before they started the day. "Why don't you shower and get ready for the day while I get these made. Maybe we can find a way to get out of the apartment later," Elliot suggested.
"Yeah, okay." Noah's eyes brightened a little at the idea of an outing. The apartment was beginning to feel stifling.
Noah bounced down the hall to the bathroom just as Olivia opened her bedroom door. Elliot had already pulled out the ingredients he needed and began dumping things into a bowl.
Olivia came around the corner and shouldered in next to him at the counter. "Noah convinced you to make pancakes?"
He chuckled. "No, he seemed a little down. I figured a fun breakfast might help." He began whisking the pancake mix. "I think we might try to get out of the apartment today. I think he and I both need a change of scenery."
She slid her arms around him, making him drop the whisk in the bowl. "Hey!" He said with false indignation. "Now my whisk is all gross."
She shook her head and laughed. He pulled her into a hug. She leaned her head against his chest. "Thank you for taking care of him this week. I keep feeling guilty that I'm not home for him right now."
"Hey, don't do that. You're a great mom, and solving this case will be a step towards closure for all of us." He kissed her forehead quickly. "I got him, okay? When this is solved, you and Noah can take a vacation, just the two of you, and get the time you need together."
Her warm eyes lifted to his. "What if I want you to come with us?"
He grinned at the prospect, and gave her a quick kiss. "I would love that, but only if Noah would want it too."
"Of course," she insisted. "I doubt he'd have a problem with you coming. He probably likes you more than me right now anyway."
"Not a chance. That kids gonna be a Mama's boy for his whole life, I'm sure of it." He half teased.
She laid her head against his chest, but his phone began to buzz from across the counter. She reached for it, but before handing it to him, she recognized the contact. Jack Kelly.
She handed the phone to him, with a puzzled expression on her face. He had no clue why he was calling. Maybe Jace forgot something yesterday? He slid open his phone and hit the speaker button.
"Stabler," he answered out of habit.
"Is Colton with you?" Jack's voice was bordering on frantic.
Elliot's stomach sank. His eyes darted to Olivia's, and appeared just as nervous at the question.
"Uh, no. He isn't here. I have Olivia here with me too. We haven't seen him." He heard Jack take a shaky breath. He was in full panic.
"We can't find him," he croaked. "We woke up this morning and he was just gone." His anguish was apparent. "I hoped he just needed out, and the only person he knows is Noah…God this can't be happening again."
"Jack," Olivia was using her soothing empathetic voice he only heard her use with victims. She was trying to bring in some calm. "Elliot and I will be over in a few minutes. Have you called anyone?"
"Just you guys," his voice nearly broke.
"Okay," Elliot responded. "We should be there in ten minutes. Don't move anything around."
"Okay. Hurry. I can't…" his voice shook. "I can't lose him. I just can't…"
Elliot swallowed back his own emotions. "Hang in there Jack. We are on our way."