She was still awake when Olivia cracked the door open. Elliot was rambling about some argument had "idiot rent-a-cop" at the mall parking garage the other day. If the day hadn't been the crappiest that it had been, then she might have laughed at the story he chose to tell a 13-year-old kid. The girl wasn't talking, but she was clearly listening to Elliot's retelling of quite possibly the most boring story ever.
Olivia poked her head in. "Hey, I've got one more visitor for the day. Mind if we come in?"
Olivia was met with a wary look from the girl, but no panic or protest, so she stepped into the room with Noah tagging behind her.
The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and Olivia wondered if the girl expected another adult stranger or medical professional to come in after her, but she clearly didn't expect a kid her own age.
Noah shyly ventured closer, and Elliot stood up and offered him the chair he had previously occupied. He sat and nervously held out the bag. "I..I got you something."
Her eyes lit up, but she didn't speak. She didn't move, and Olivia suspected she was probably too sore to move even her good arm.
"Noah, why don't you help her open it? She's pretty sore," Olivia suggested.
"Oh, okay," he pulled at the tissue paper poking out of the bag. He returned his attention to the girl in front of him while pulling his chosen gift from the bottom of the bag.
He held the small plush dalmatian with a heart dangling from its mouth. The words "get well soon" were printed over the front of the little red heart.
The girl reached for the stuffed animal, wincing as her shoulder shifted. Olivia swore she saw tears welling in the other child's eyes.
Noah beamed the brightest smile she had ever seen, and her heart swelled with pride.
Noah had no idea that they hadn't gotten the girl to tell them her name, but he dove in with an introduction. "My name's Noah."
Olivia expected the responding silence in return. What she didn't expect was Elliot's hand gripping hers when a couple beats later a whispered weed voice cut through the silence. "Hannah." She wet her dry lips before she spoke a little louder. My name is Hannah."
-000-
Olivia's natural impulse was to swoop in and slowly build a rapport and maybe work towards some real answers, but she held herself back. None of the adults had gotten Hannah to utter a word, but in less than two minutes, Noah had gotten them a name.
She felt Elliot shift beside her, pulling his phone from his pocket and hurriedly texting Hannah's name to the loop of law enforcement. A last name would be helpful, but it could wait a bit. Noah had inadvertently broken the silent stalemate, and she hoped more information could be gleaned as a natural conversation ran its course.
Noah shoved his hand into the pockets of his dusty jeans and fished out something that Olivia couldn't quite identify. Hannah reached out to take the item that sat in Noah's palm.
"Is it yours?" He finally asked.
Hannah fisted the item while she blinked away tears. "I thought I lost it." Her voice was still raspy and dry, cracking as she added. "My sister made it for me."
"It's pretty," Noah said. I like the bead she braided into it."
"Yeah. Teal was her favorite color."
Olivia easily picked up on the "was" in her statement and tucked it away for a later time.
"I'm glad I found it." Noah rubbed the back of his head shyly. It was a behavior he picked up from Elliot, and it made her heart melt every time she saw him do it.
"Me too," she whispered as her eyes dropped to the braided band now clutched in her fist. She lifted her eyes back to Noah's face. "Can you...could you help me put it back on?"
"Of course," he said excitedly. She handed him the bracelet, and he threaded it through the loop so it was once again secured to her wrist.
Her head dropped heavy against her pillow, and Olivia could read Hannah's utter exhaustion from the opposite side of the room.
"Noah," she said gently. "Let's go and let Hannah get some sleep, okay?"
Noah's eyes drifted to Hannah, who had begun slow blinking as she forced herself to stay awake. She thought for a second that she might fight her on it, but it was painfully obvious—even to him—that she was fighting to keep awake.
"I'll let you sleep," Noah said softly. "I uh, can I come see you tomorrow?"
Hannah smiled softly. "Yeah. I'd like that." Noah stepped away, and Olivia watched Hannah pull her little stuffed dog close beneath her heating blankets.
Her kid had done good.
Elliot pushed the door open to let Olivia and Noah exit, but before Noah stepped into the hallway, a weak voice carried across the room. "Bye Noah."
-000-
Once the door clicked shut, Elliot watched Olivia drape an arm around her son, squeezing him tightly against her side. "You did a really kind thing, Noah."
He shrugged it off as if it were no big deal, but Elliot was pretty proud of him too.
"It was, bud. She really responded to you in there. She hadn't said anything until you brought her that gift." Elliot took a turn squeezing the boy in a side hug as they moved down the hall.
Noah blushed under the ample praise. "I just… I don't know. I kept thinking about what I would have done if I had gotten to see Clem before she died; I would have wanted to bring her something that might make her happy." He shrugged again. "It's no big deal. I'm just really glad she's going to be okay."
Elliot nodded. "Me too."
They made their way to the double doors. "What time can we come back in the morning?"
Elliot glanced at Liv over Noah's head. They hadn't made a plan yet, but Noah had school the next day, and Elliot wasn't going to answer until he and Olivia talked things over.
"Um, I'm not sure. We will check the visiting hours on our way out. Let's find the other boys so we can figure out what we want to do."
"Okay, cool." Noah looked tons lighter, and Elliot was glad that Olivia had allowed Noah to make a quick visit. It made a huge difference.
"Well, let's grab the boys, find a room for the night, and track down some food for dinner. Hopefully they have at least one good takeout place around here." Elliot wasn't sure. He might have seen a pizza place on their way in, but he hadn't been paying close attention.
"I'm more worried about finding a place to stay," Olivia murmured. "The only thing I saw was a roadside murder motel on the edge of town." She inadvertently shuddered.
Elliot chuckled at the description. "I'm sure I've stayed in worse."
"That really doesn't make me feel better."
He laughed out loud at the disgusted look on her face. "Oh, come on. The alternative is pitching the tent."
"Yeah, I'll take the murder motel."
He laughed again as he pushed the door to the cafeteria open. He let Olivia and Noah pass through first, and he shook his head at her as she walked by. The woman was tough as nails and had beat his scores at the firing range nearly every time they went, but apparently the idea of a bear attack was just too much. God, he loved her.
-000-
Olivia shoved the keycard into the scanner three times before it finally read the card. On the bright side, they would definitely hear if a murderer tried to get in with a keycard.
She finally got the door open and entered the room. She sent the boys for pizza. The place didn't do delivery—which was unfathomable to her—so she sent the boys with some cash to pick up pizzas. They mentioned they might eat at the pizza place, but they would bring back a pizza for both her and Elliot.
She glanced around the room. It was exactly what she expected, down to the 90's color scheme on the comforters. She noticed the bathroom door was cracked open slightly, and the shower was running. Elliot got them checked in and found the room while she settled things with the boys.
She dropped onto the bed and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. Now that things had begun to settle, she began to think about the ring. Its presence in the bathroom drawer scared the shit out of her, but not as much as she expected. Part of her wanted to bring it up, but she wasn't sure she was ready to really talk about it. She doubted Elliot wouldn't surprise her out of nowhere with a marriage proposal. He knew better. In some ways, he was too careful about pushing her in their relationship. He always seemed to be waiting for her to run, but she had no intention of taking off...ever. The topic probably needed discussion at some point. He had to feel comfortable fighting for what he wanted in their relationship or he wouldn't be happy, and all she wanted was happiness— both of them.
She rolled her head to the side and watched the steam billow from the bathroom. Honestly, she could use a shower. She didn't take time to shower when she left. Hell, she was still in the same clothes, and she had been pretty sweaty. A little grin teased the corners of her mouth as she pushed herself off the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She toed off her shoes and socks before she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The glass shower doors had fogged up, but she could still make out his silhouette. She stripped her shirt and leggings, tossing them into a pile on the linoleum floor. She reached behind herself to push the door the rest of the way shut and click the lock.
Elliot must have heard the sound because he partially slid the shower door open. His eyes widened slightly when he took in the image of her standing only in her underwear. She slid her panties down slowly, purposefully teasing him with her slow, exaggerated motion.
"Comin' in?" He slid the door open a little wider.
"Figured we could save water," she laughed lightly. "Or something like that." She undid her bra clasp and tossed it into the growing pile of clothing.
His eyes drifted up and down her body as affection and desire radiated from his expression. That look alone sent warm shivers through her body. Without a word, he held his hand out, and she slipped her fingers between his. She stepped over the tub edge until she stood with her back to the spray, her chest lightly brushing against his.
He reached out, his hand cradling her cheek. "You're so damn gorgeous." His eyes flicked down, relishing the sight of her nude body.
She leaned her head against his warm, wet shoulder. "You always say that." And he did. Every chance he got. He once told her he was making up for twenty-five years of never being able to praise her appearance. She wasn't sure she always believed him, but it was difficult to doubt him when he looked at her like she was everything.
One of his hands followed the trail of water down her spine and onto her ass. "And it will always be true," he said with unwavering devotion.
That look. Their look always sent her crashing into him. Without a thought, her lips were on his.
He wasted no time whipping his tongue against her lips. She readily complied, opening her mouth, feeling the need to taste him.
He groaned, and both his hands roughly pulled her hips into his.
Her lips broke away with a gasping breath. She breathed in the warm, steamy air before diving in, pressing her lips to his throat. There was something irresistible about the delicious bite of his stubble against the soft surface of her tongue. One taste, and she needed more. She sealed her lips over his throat, flicking her tongue over the rough stubble. The salty taste of water and sweat mixed with him stoked the fire in her belly.
He pulled away slightly, and her lips released the skin with a pop. His lips were suddenly next to her ear. "Careful, baby. The boys would have a field day if I suddenly had an obvious love bite."
She chuckled lightly. Oh God, Dickie would never drop it.
"Plus," he lightly nipped at her ear, "it's my turn."
She gasped when his hand slid up her body, stopping just shy of the place she felt desperate for him to be. His mouth moved down the front of her chest, pausing to nip at the top of one of her breasts. She wanted to complain about fair play, but the sensation of his mouth moving over her skin made her lose all reasonable thought.
He turned her slightly so now her back was pressed against the shower wall. His hands held her hips stead as he kissed her way down her body. He worked his way to his knees, pausing his movements just below her belly button.
She looked down, wondering why he stopped, but found his blue eyes looking up at her with complete adoration. It left her breathless.
"I love you," he said while dropping a kiss on her hip bone. "More than you can ever know." He nipped at the skin of her upper thigh.
Her hand caressed the back of his head, encouraging him to look up at her once more. He had to know after all this time that he was it for her, but she reassured him anyway. "I love you too. I always will."