The two of them stared at each other wordlessly.

There was not much to say.

After all, Olivia was the bad guy here.

Kathy Stabler had had every right to come to her house. Dr. Huang was scared as to how this story was going to continue, but he didn't show it.

Instead he calmly asked:

"What did she want?"

Chapter 8: The Big Mistake

"Baby really hurt me,

crying in the taxi

He don't wanna know me

Says he made the big mistake

of dancing in my storm."

"Liability" - Lorde [Melodrama]

Kathy Stabler knocked on my door just after I was done changing the sheets of the bed I had spent the past two days in – with her husband.

I was in jeans and a low cut top.

For his benefit.

"Olivia." Her voice was clam and steady as she took me in. She herself was draped in a long coat, jeans and a blue sweater. Her hair was up in a ponytail. "May I come in?"

"Sure...yeah." I couldn't say no. Agreeing to let her come inside happened quicker than I would have liked, but it was too late.

"Do you want something to drink? Water or–?"

"I want you to not sleep with my husband." She snapped. "Do you think you could do that?!"

I flinched, wishing I hadn't let her in. Wishing I had checked the door first. I was such an idiot.

"Sorry." She said, which was so absurd I almost laughed. "I told myself I wouldn't be a bitch. I promised myself actually..." She sighed as if she was collecting herself, then turned to me. "I would like some water, very much actually, thank you."

I practically fled to the kitchen. My phone was in my bedroom. I couldn't get it now. Besides we were both adults, I wasn't in any danger, it wasn't like I really had to tell Elliot his wife was here.

I wasn't a child.

And maybe she was here for some other reason. Maybe it had nothing to do with Elliot.

"Thank you." She accepted the water with a steady, gracious hand. Her coat was draped over her lap, folded neatly. As she drank she closed her eyes relaxed as if we were old friends, as if this were a completely normal situation to find herself in.

"So." She said as she set the half empty glass down. "Elliot came home today and told me he wants a divorce, he says he's in love with you."

"Kathy." Don't cry, I told myself, you don't get to cry. "I'm so so–"

"Save it." She interrupted. "You're not sorry. Don't lie about that."

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt." I said. "I am sorry for that."

She shrugged as if she didn't care what I was saying and honestly why should she have. Me being sorry didn't change anything.

"Olivia, you and Elliot have always had a very special bond." Kathy leaned back against my sofa, the same sofa her husband had been sleeping on before he'd been sleeping in my bed.

I felt sick.

"And I respect that." She very casually twirled her fine blond hair. "He was your partner and you and he spent all that time together at work, but let me tell you something..." She sighed. "You can't handle him as anything else than a partner. You won't make him happy. You and he are both high on endorphins right now so you can't see it, but you made a huge mistake. You've jeopardized your partnership. You've lost everything you had."

She could just as easily have punched me in the stomach. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I am not saying this out of spite." She said so calmly I believed. "And I'm not saying this to hurt you. I am just stating facts."

"I love him." I whispered. "And he loves me."

Facts, I thought. Non spiteful, truthful facts.

"I believe that." Kathy said this in a way that made it seem like she was comforting me. "But do you really know him? Can you cook his favorite meal? Do you even know what his favorite meal is?"

I didn't respond.

"I understand that you have a special bond, but do you really know him?"

"I..." I didn't know what to say.

"Do you know how to calm him down when he gets night terrors?" She smiled at my shocked expression. "Yes, Elliot gets night terrors some times. Do you know what his siblings are called? Have you met his mother?"

"Ok!" I snapped. "I get it, you know him better than I do, but that doesn't change the facts. Your marriage is over and we love each other."

"He told you our marriage is over?" She sounded amused and rolled her eyes. "Listen, Liv. I like you, ok? And I like that you and he have a great friendship and I think we can undo this little mishap."

Don't cry, I told myself. Do not cry.

"We can't undo anything." I croaked and when she turned to me she had a pitful look in her eyes.

"You love him very much, I can see that. And you're scared of losing him." She put her hand on my shoulder. "You knew this affair was doomed from the start right?"

The word affair unlocked something inside of me and despite all of my promises I began to cry burying my face in my hands.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. "I'm so so sorry."

"It's ok, Olivia." Kathy put her arm around my shoulders. "You won't loose him, I promise. Listen to me. I understand what happened, I understand that you two were overwhelmed with your feelings and that horrible case."

I looked up at her then, I hadn't thought about William Lewis for the past two days.

It hadn't even occured to me that she would have known about him.

Kathy reached out to push a stray hair behind my ear gently. "He told me. I know Elliot better than myself he's convinced himself that this is the truth and it might be for now, but his feelings will vanish and yours will too and then you will be left with nothing."

I couldn't reply. I didn't believe my feelings would vanish. I loved him so much.

"These tales and dreams he was spreading..." She shook her head with a small smile they way only a mother would. "You and he are both going down a path that will end in heart break, I'm trying to spare you from that."

"How?" I whispered. "It's too late."

"Convince him you changed your mind." She said. "Make him think you don't love him any more."

"What?" I muttered pulling away from her strange embrace. "No. That's crazy."

"No, listen." She sat up and looked at me with a calm look in her eyes. "He will be upset, he will even be heart broken, but he will get over it. I will convince him that you two made a mistake and are better off as friends and things will go back to how they're meant to be."

I remembered melting in is arms. Kissing him. Coming undone beneath him.

I remembered every moment we shared.

It wouldn't always be like that.

Relationships weren't all bliss and joy all the time.

People who loved each other hurt each other.

We were good as partners, as friends.

Kathy was his wife. She was the mother of his five children. She was his family, she knew him better than anyone else. She was good for him.

"I have nothing to offer him." I whispered. "As his girlfriend, I...I can give him nothing."

"As his partner you always had his back, he could rely on you, you gave him stability." She agreed. "And this will be painful, definitely. You will have to rip the ground away form his feet and he will be so hurt." I closed my eyes because I couldn't bear crying again but the idea of him being hurt forced tears into my eyes immediately.

"But I will make sure that he and you can become friends again, ok? I will make sure that he becomes your partner again." I opened my eyes again and looked at her. Everything about her radiated calm and serenity. "Elliot is emotional and lost right now, but we can get him back on track. Convince him that you don't love him and I will convince him he needs you as a friend in his life." Kathy Stabler smiled at me. "Deal?"

It made sense,. Everything she said was right.

"Deal." I said.

There was a silence between the pair of them.

Olivia was crying silently, grasping the blanket around her as if it were her life line. The only thing keeping her sane.

"The things she said about you and Elliot are horrible."

"She wasn't wrong." Olivia said.

"Just because she wasn't wrong doesn't mean she was right." The FBI agent whispered.

"He was her husband." She covered her face with her hands. "Her husband and I slept with him. I am a home wrecker."

"He came to your home, confessed his love to you. He is just as responsible for what happened as you were."

She didn't respond. Couldn't. It was still impossible for her to blame Elliot or anything.

"Would you like to continue?" He pressed gently. "Or would you like a break?"

"No break." She muttered and began to shake as she fought hard against her tears.

It was so easy.

Men, I thought as I poured the wine I had bought for Elliot and myself into a glass. Men are so predictable.

Liam Black had responded to my text message within seconds.

Wanna come over?

Three little words was all it took.

Be there in twenty minutes. Winking-emoji-face.

Elliot Stabler was the most important person in my life. We had been partners for 11 years. I couldn't live without him and our affair was doomed. I couldn't loose him. I was doing this to protect him.

Then I texted Kathy to let her know the plan was in motion.

It's just sex, I told myself. It's no big deal.

I briefly wondered if what I was doing could be considered a sex crime and drank my wine. This was for my partnership. Kathy had been right with what she'd said. To fix this mess I had to convince him. It was like an undercover job really.

Chuckling I drank more wine. For an undercover job I should have called Dean Porter.

For a moment my head spun. I hadn't thought I'd be physical with anyone other than Elliot. I had thought we were endgame.

But Kathy knew him in and out. She was the mother of his children. She could make him happy in a way that I would never be able to. I could give him stability.

Liam Black already arrived after 15 minutes.

Before he was even properly through the door I was already on top of him.

"That eager are we?" He grinned.

I didn't respond. If I said something now I'd probably just break down crying. I didn't want to do this. I wanted Elliot.

Liam's mouth was eager on mine, his movements were urgent, wild. His hands in my hair reminded me of how Elliot had ran his hands over my head gently.

Elliot, I thought as Liam's tongue darted over my lips begging for an entrance. Elliot, Elliot, Elliot.

I stepped back, making the man in front of me frown. But his frown turned into a smile as I reached underneath his shirt tugging it out of his pants, running my fingertips over the sensitvie skin of his lower stomach. He shrugged the shirt of and we both watched it fall onto my living room floor.

I pulled my own top over my head, watching his eyes grow wide as he took in the langerie I was wearing. The one I had picked out for someone else.

For the man I loved.

"I can't do this." I realized as I stepped back.

His dark eyes widened in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Liam. This was a mistake."

"Are you ok?"

"This was a mistake."

What was I doing? Kathy wasn't all knowing, Elliot had come to my apartment, he had initiated this. He had told me he loved me.

"Olivia?" The man in front of me was bare chested, his belt undone, his hair in disarray from where my hands had run through them.

"Are you ok?"

I was standing in my black lacey bra and tight jeans. My lips were red and swollen from kissing. My hand was on Liam's chest and I was out of breath.

And that's when Elliot walked in.

He took one look at the scene in front of him, scoffed, threw the key I had given him just this morning onto the floor, turned around left without another word.

The hurt in his eyes made me want to throw up.

"Elliot!" I grabbed my top, hurrying after him. "El, it's not what you think!"

Come back, I love you, I love you I'm sorry. This was a mistake.

I tripped on my way out, I watched the elevator doors slide shut and by the time I had hurried downstairs he was gone.

Liam Black left without a word as I fired of text after text to Elliot's phone. I was too drunk to drive to his house and I wasn't sure what to do anymore.

Hours after I had stopped sobbing I realized things would be ok.

After all Kathy had a plan. She may not have been all knowing, but she did know Elliot well and she knew he and I needed each other. She knew how to fix our partnership at least. That had been enough for me for years and it would be enough.

Everything would be fine.

We had a deal.

"Let me guess." Dr. Huang spoke in a soft tone. He wasn't judgmental. He was calm and empathic. "Kathy didn't keep her end of the deal, did she?"

The former detective looked up at him, tears were shining in her eyes. She hadn't told anyone about her conversation with Elliot's wife.

She'd been too ashamed.

"No." She whispered. "No she did not."

Happy Crappy Monday! How is everyone doing? Yes, I made Kathy the bad guy for the sake of the story. Any opinions on that?