"Bargaining is your mind's way of pushing off reality. If you allow your loss to sink in, you admit that it's real and final."
Erika Krull
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"Mom?" Eli called, seeing a blonde woman standing by a lake.
"Hey, honey." Kathy replied softly, smiling as her son walked over to her.
"What's going on? Why are we here? Why am I here?" He asked, confused as he looked at his surroundings before turning his gaze back to his mother.
"We didn't get to say goodbye. This is our chance." Kathy explained softly, watching the light breeze move through the trees and over the water gently.
"What is this place?" Eli asked, turning his gaze to the water.
Kathy smiled lightly as she walked over to a bench a few feet away and sat down; Eli following behind her. "Your dad and I used to come here with his parents when we were in high school. He loved it here." She whispered, her voice cracking slightly at the end.
"How are you here? I don't understand." Eli spoke softly as tears formed in his eyes.
"I go wherever my heart takes me. It took me here." Kathy explained, smiling softly.
Eli nodded slightly and paused for a moment before speaking again. "I miss you so much." He whispered, a single tear making its way down his cheek.
Kathy turned to look at her son, smiling lightly and wiping the tear from his face gently. "I miss you, too, sweetheart. And your sisters and your brother and your dad. But I'll always be with you guys, right here." She whispered, gently resting her hand on his chest, over his heart.
"But it's not the same." Eli whispered back, slow tears streaming steadily down his cheeks now.
"I know, honey. But you just have to remember that I'll always be with you. No matter what." Kathy reassured him as tears formed in her eyes. "I love you, Eli."
"I love you, too, Mom." Eli responded, wrapping his arms around his mother as she embraced him.
They spent a few moments in silence after they pulled back from the hug, watching the wind flow through the trees and over the water, then Kathy spoke up. "It's time for you to go back now, sweetheart." She whispered, trying not to cry again.
"But I don't wanna go back. I wanna stay here with you." Eli protested, tears forming in his eyes once again.
"I know, but you have to. Everyone will miss you if you don't go back. It'll be okay, honey, I promise." Kathy whispered, running her fingers through her son's hair as he laid his head on her shoulder.
"Will I ever see you again?" Eli asked, moving his head off of her shoulder so he could look into her eyes.
"Of course, honey. I'll see you in your dreams, just like this one." Kathy whispered, smiling softly at her son.
"Okay." Eli whispered, sad that he had to leave her. "Bye, Mom. I love you."
"I love you, too, sweetheart. Goodbye for now." She whispered, hugging him tightly for a few moments. After they pulled back, she watched him stand up and walk a few feet away. Then he stopped, turning to smile and wave at her. She returned the smile and waved back. Then, he turned back to face in front of him as he disappeared off into the distance.
Eli woke up, shooting up into a sitting position as he breathed heavily. He had never had such a vivid dream like that before. It felt real. Almost too real. He laid back down slowly and closed his eyes, hoping to see his mother again. Even if it was only in his dreams now.
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A few hours later, Eli woke up and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He tried as hard as he could but he didn't have another dream like before. It broke his heart. He considered going back to sleep again but he knew everyone would be waking up soon anyway. He sniffled softly as his thoughts went back to the dream. It hurt knowing that that was the only way he would be able to see her now. He just wanted the pain to stop before it became too much to bear. So, he did the only thing he could think of, something he hadn't done since he was little. He prayed.
"God," he whispered, folding his hands together and bowing his head as he closed his eyes. "I don't know if You're listening but I hope You are. I need help." His voice cracked as a tear ran down his cheek. "I don't know what to do. The pain won't stop and sometimes I feel like it never will. Please, help me. I'll do anything. I'll be a better brother, I'll play with Tyler whenever he wants me to even if I don't feel like it, I'll do better in school. Whatever it takes to make the pain stop, I'll do it. Please just...don't let me feel like this anymore. Amen." He finished and wiped the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. He just hoped that God or whoever was out there was listening.
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"Hey, Eli. What're you up to?" Elizabeth asked as she stood in his bedroom doorway a few minutes later.
"Homework." Eli replied, trying not to let it show that he was about to cry. He was trying to focus on a math assignment that his online tutor had given him for homework but he couldn't. His thoughts just kept going back to the dream.
"You okay?" She asked, hearing his voice crack slightly.
"Yeah, I'm good." He spoke softly, sniffling quietly as he turned, facing the window so she couldn't see his face.
"What's wrong?" She asked, walking into the room and sitting next to him on his bed.
Eli turned to face her as tears were forming in his eyes again. "I...I had a dream about Mom. We were sitting by this lake she and Dad used to go to when they were back in high school. It felt so real, Lizzie." He whispered, trying not to cry.
"I know you miss her, we all do. I'm so sorry." Elizabeth whispered as she wrapped her arm around her younger brother.
"I would give anything just to have her back with us. It just hurts so much." Eli cried softly, tears starting to stream down his cheeks.
"I know, Eli. I know." Elizabeth whispered, wrapping both arms around him as he cried into her shoulder.
"Hey, guys. Breakfast is..." Kathleen trailed off as she appeared in the doorway and walked into the room, watching the scene before her, her heart breaking. She and Elizabeth exchanged a look before Kathleen sat on the other side of Eli and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently.
After a few minutes, Eli stopped crying and lifted his head from his sister's shoulder as he wiped his eyes. "Thanks." He whispered, looking from Elizabeth to Kathleen and back again.
"Hey, that's what big sisters are for, right?" Elizabeth asked as she smiled at her brother. Eli returned the smile and nodded. "Let's go have some breakfast, huh? Tyler is probably wondering where his favorite uncle is." She smirked.
"I heard that!" Dickie shouted from the living room.
Kathleen, Elizabeth and Eli laughed as they got up from the bed and made their way into the living room downstairs.
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"Unca Ewi!" Tyler exclaimed, seeing his other uncle walk into the room.
Eli smiled and hugged his nephew. "What's up, little dude?" He asked, sitting next to Tyler. The little boy couldn't pronounce his 'L's yet and everyone thought it was adorable.
"Can we pway hide and seek, pwease?" Tyler asked, hope in his big, blue eyes.
"After breakfast, honey, okay?" Maureen said to her son, smiling as she sat next to her husband, Luke.
"Okay." Tyler replied, eating his breakfast a little bit faster. He wanted to eat it quickly so he could play.
"How's my favorite grandson?" Elliot asked with a smile as he walked into the living room.
"I'm good, Grandpa! Me and Unca Ewi are gonna pway hide and seek!" Tyler replied excitedly as he smiled at his grandfather and continued to eat his breakfast.
"That sounds like fun!" Elliot smiled brightly as he sat on the couch and watched his grandson. He still couldn't believe he was a grandfather; time seemed to be flying by.
"Never gets old, does it?" Maureen asked, smiling at her father.
"Never." Elliot replied, smiling back as he kissed his daughter's forehead.
"Grandpa, wanna pway wif me and Unca Ewi?" Tyler asked, smiling excitedly as he finished his breakfast a few minutes later.
"Sure, buddy." Elliot replied, smiling back as he watched Tyler put his hands over his eyes and start counting, then he and Eli went to find places to hide. After a little while, the whole family joined in on the game, having a great time. Eli was thankful for the distraction. He didn't want to seem upset in front of his family.
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"Have a great day, honey." Olivia said, smiling at Noah as she dropped him off at school.
"Thanks, Mom. Love you." Noah replied, leaning up toward the front seat of the car to hug his mother.
"Love you, too, sweet boy. Be good." She smiled again and kissed his head as she returned the hug. Then, she watched him get out of the car and walk into the school. Once he made it inside, she drove to the precinct. Walking into the squad room, she went into her office and took off her jacket, then set her purse down under the desk.
"Hey, Cap, we got a rape-homicide on Sixty-Eighth and Sullivan Street. It's bad. The victim's thirteen year old son found her." Amanda said, sadness in her voice and in her eyes.
"Shit," Olivia cursed, shaking her head slightly. "I'll go with you."
Amanda nodded and walked out of Olivia's office to grab her jacket and walked out of the precinct beside her captain.
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"Hey, I'm Captain Benson, this is Detective Rollins." Olivia said, showing her badge to the uniformed officer who was guarding the front door of a beautiful brownstone. The officer nodded and led them inside to where the body was. Their hearts broke when they walked into the victim's bedroom and saw the son kneeling beside his mother's dead body and another uniformed officer standing by the door.
"We can take it from here, thanks." Olivia spoke softly to the officer, showing her badge again. The officer nodded and left the room silently.
"Mom, please don't leave me." The young teenager sobbed over and over again as tears ran down his cheeks.
Amanda and Olivia exchanged a sad look before they approached the teenager. "Hey, my name's Amanda and this is my friend, Olivia. What's your name?" Amanda asked the boy softly, kneeling beside him.
"Aaron. Aaron Berk." The teenager replied, sniffling.
"Can you tell us what happened, Aaron?" Olivia asked softly as she sat in the chair across from the bed.
Aaron stood up and sat on the bed as Amanda stood next to him. "I...I came home from school and I called out for my mom to let her know I was home but she didn't answer. I looked for her everywhere and then found her...like that." Aaron explained, his voice trembling as he looked at his mother's lifeless body again.
"I'm so sorry." Olivia whispered softly. "Is there anyone we can call for you, maybe an aunt or your dad?" She asked.
Aaron nodded his head as he sniffled once more. "My dad should be getting off of work soon." He said softly, taking his phone out of his pocket.
"Okay," Olivia replied, nodding. "We're gonna get you to the hospital just for precautionary reasons and I'll talk to your dad when he meets us there."
"I don't wanna leave my mom." Aaron protested as his eyes filled with tears again.
"I'll stay here with her." Amanda said, smiling softly at the teenager. She watched Olivia nod, knowing someone had to wait for CSU to arrive, and Olivia and Aaron left the room. She knew Olivia was most likely going to have a hard time with this case. She knew she had to be there for her.
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"Aaron! Oh, my God, what happened?" Aaron's father asked as he ran over to where Aaron and Olivia were waiting behind a curtained-off area in the hospital and he hugged his son.
"I'm okay, Dad. But..." Aaron trailed off as he looked at Olivia with tears in his eyes.
"Mr. Berk—" Olivia started to say.
"Call me Kevin." The man said, shaking Olivia's hand. "What the hell is going on?" He asked.
Olivia took a breath as they walked a few feet away. "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this but...your wife was murdered." Olivia whispered softly.
"What? Oh, my God." Kevin whispered back, in shock as his eyes filled with tears.
"Your son said he came home from school and found her. I'm so sorry." Olivia replied as she shook her head slightly.
"Is...Is he okay? He wasn't hurt?" Kevin asked as he looked over at his son.
"The doctor checked him out and he's okay, physically at least." Olivia replied. She hesitated before she spoke again. "When my colleague and I walked into the house, we found your son sitting by your wife's body. He's in a bit of shock."
"Oh, my God." Kevin responded, running a hand over his face. "Thank you for staying with him." He said, looking at Olivia.
"Of course." Olivia replied. "Now, I just need to verify your whereabouts for the day. Standard procedure."
Kevin nodded his head in understanding. "I've been at work all day since seven o'clock this morning. I own a restaurant, Berk's Restaurant and Grill. As soon as I got off and listened to Aaron's voicemail, I came here."
"Thank you." Olivia responded, writing in her small notepad. "I'll be in touch. If you have any questions or something comes to mind, call me." She said, handing him her business card.
"Thank you." Kevin replied, smiling flatly at her before walking over to his son.
Olivia watched them for a moment before she walked away, out of the hospital and to her car, driving back to the precinct.
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"Okay, where are we?" Olivia asked as she walked into the squad room.
"Kevin Berk is lying. He said he owns a restaurant but I just looked it up...it closed down two months ago." Amanda informed her boss.
Olivia's jaw clenched. "Son of a bitch." She spat. "I want warrants for his phone, financials, everything." She ordered. She watched Amanda and Kat leave then she walked into her office.
"You okay, Liv?" Fin asked as he walked into Olivia's office and closed the door.
"I'm fine." Olivia responded as she hung up her coat on the coatrack in the office, then she sighed. "Eli is thirteen, Fin. It's just...hitting a little hard right now."
Fin nodded his head in understanding. "Well, I'm here if you need or wanna talk, you know that."
"Thanks, Fin. I appreciate it." Olivia smiled softly at him before he left her office to go back to his desk.
Olivia sighed heavily as she leaned back in her desk chair. She just hoped this case would close quickly.
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A few hours later, Assistant District Attorney Carisi got warrants for Kevin Berk's cell phone records and financial records.
As Amanda looked through the financial records, her brow furrowed. "Cap?" She called.
"What do ya got?" Olivia asked as she walked over to Amanda's desk.
"Kevin Berk's financial records show that he filed for unemployment when his restaurant closed down but it doesn't make sense. How does he still own the brownstone? Where is he getting the money from?" Amanda asked.
"Bring him in and let's ask him." Olivia ordered.
Amanda nodded as she and Fin left the precinct and Olivia went back into her office.
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"Who would want your wife dead, Mr. Berk?" Amanda asked after she and Olivia walked into the interrogation room.
"Don't answer that." Kevin's lawyer instructed.
"No, I need to. They could kill Aaron next." Kevin replied with tears in his eyes.
"Excuse me?" Olivia asked, her brows furrowing.
"I owe someone money and when I couldn't pay them in time, they killed Jenny. This is all my fault." Kevin cried, wiping away his tears.
"Who?" Olivia asked, moving closer to the table.
"His name is Richard Weiss." Kevin confessed.
Olivia's eyes widened for a moment and her heart stopped. "Last I checked, he was in jail." She replied, trying to act professional and not panic.
"He has a lot of connections and a lot of people that work for him. It would've been easy for him to call someone to do his dirty work." Kevin responded.
"Excuse me." Olivia whispered as she left the room. "Fin, I need to take a personal day." She said softly as she saw him entering her office.
"Everything okay?" Fin asked, concerned.
Olivia nodded toward Kevin Berk through the two-way glass mirror. "He said that he owes Richard Weiss money and when he couldn't pay him in time, they killed his wife."
"Oh, shit." Fin cursed, his eyes widening slightly.
"Yep," Olivia replied curtly. "So, I need to pick up Noah and check on Elliot and the kids."
"I got it covered, Liv. Go." Fin said, watching Olivia grab her purse and jacket.
"Thanks." She responded, putting on her coat and jogging out of the squad room and down to her car.
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Arriving at the school, Olivia walked into the main office and smiled politely at the woman at the desk despite the panic rising inside of her.
"Hi, I'm Olivia Benson. I'm here to pick up my son, Noah. He's in first grade." She said to the receptionist at the desk.
"But school isn't over yet." The receptionist replied, a little snidely.
"And I would still like to take him home." Olivia responded through clenched teeth, trying to restrain herself from hitting the woman.
"I'll call his teacher and have him sent down here." The woman said as she scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Thank you." Olivia spat as she sat in one of the chairs in the office.
"Mama?" Noah asked as he walked into the office a few minutes later.
"Hey, sweet boy." Olivia responded with a bright smile. She breathed a sigh of relief that he was okay as she hugged him. She knew she was probably being overly paranoid but she didn't care.
"Why are you here early?" Noah asked as he returned his mother's hug.
"I just thought we could hang out together for the rest of the day and maybe go see Elliot and everybody else. Does that sound good?" Olivia asked as they pulled back from the hug and walked out of the school with him holding her hand.
"Yeah!" Noah said excitedly as he smiled. "Can we get food on the way there?" He asked.
Olivia laughed softly. "Sure, honey. Chinese?" She asked.
"Okay." Noah replied with a smile as they got into the car and drove to get Chinese takeout on the way to the Stabler's safe house.
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"Guess who!" Olivia called out into the house as she and Noah walked in.
"Hey, Liv! Hey, Noah! What're you guys doing here?" Dickie asked as he watched Olivia put the food on the kitchen table, then he hugged her.
"We just thought we could hang out for a little bit and have dinner, maybe play some games or something." Olivia replied as she hugged him back and smiled.
"Well, we're glad you could come over." Maureen said with a smile as she got up from her spot on the couch next to Luke and Tyler, stepped up and hugged Olivia next. Then, Elizabeth and Kathleen hugged her. They all smiled and laughed when they heard Noah giggling. Dickie had picked Noah up into his arms and tickled him mercilessly.
"Hey, Liv!" Elliot greeted with a bright smile as he walked into the room. "What're you doing here?" He asked as he hugged her.
Olivia's eyes closed and she smiled softly as she hugged him back. They're all okay, she thought to herself as she breathed another sigh of relief. "I brought Chinese takeout and I thought we could hang out for a little while." She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.
"Thanks, Liv. It smells really good." Elliot replied as he pulled back from the hug and smiled.
"Before we eat, can I, uh, talk to you for a second?" She asked.
Elliot nodded as he led her to his bedroom. As soon as he closed the door, Olivia fell into his arms and started crying. "Woah, hey, what's wrong?" He asked, returning her hug and rubbing his hand over her back with a concerned look on his face.
Olivia took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and cleared her throat a few moments later. "The case we had today...a thirteen year old kid found his mother on her bedroom floor, she was dead. It just reminded me of Eli because they're the same age." She whispered as she looked up at him. He gave her a soft look and brushed her hair back gently and was about to speak when she continued. "We found out the husband was lying to us about where he was all day. He finally said that he owed money to someone and when he couldn't pay in time, they raped and killed his wife."
"Oh, my God." Elliot whispered, his eyes widening slightly.
"El...he said it was Richard Weiss." Olivia whispered as tears pooled in her eyes again.
"No." Elliot whispered, in shock. "But...but he's in jail."
Olivia nodded. "I know. He must've gotten someone who works for him to do it." She replied. When she saw the look on his face, she gently cupped his cheeks in her hands. "Hey, listen to me. I won't let anything happen to you or the kids. I'll do everything I can to protect you."
"Thanks, Liv." Elliot replied softly with a smile as he kept his arms around her waist.
"Semper Fi, right?" She teased as she smiled softly.
Elliot chuckled lightly as they hugged once again. They stayed locked in their embrace for a few minutes, just breathing each other in. Relieved that they were all safe for the moment.
"I'm sorry about...all that." Olivia whispered as she pulled back from the hug and looked away, embarrassed.
"Don't apologize, Liv. It's okay. It's nice to know you care." Elliot whispered back as he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Always." Olivia whispered back, giving him a soft smile in return. Then, she cleared her throat and pushed some hair out of her face. "We should, uh, get back out there before they eat all the food." She joked with a smile as she fully pulled back from the hug and took a step back.
Elliot laughed softly. "Yeah, we should." He replied as he watched her step toward the door. "Hey, Liv?" He called softly as she put her hand on the doorknob.
"Yeah?" She responded as she turned to face him again.
"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for us. I know the kids already thanked you but...I really appreciate it. After everything I put you through, I'm just really grateful." Elliot said with a soft smile.
"You're welcome." Olivia replied, returning his soft smile.
Elliot moved closer to her and took her into his arms again. But this hug was different, it felt different. It wasn't a hug of grief or sadness. It was a hug of relief and comfort. She could truly feel his love for her in his embrace and it filled her heart with warmth and love. After a few moments, they slowly pulled back and looked into each other's eyes. Before he could stop himself, Elliot inched his head closer to hers and gently pressed his lips against hers. After denying how he felt about her for so long, he finally did what he wanted to do for as long as he could remember.
Olivia's brain had turned into mush. She couldn't believe that Elliot was kissing her. She had waited for this day for over twenty years. She had given up hope that it would happen, given the fact that he was married, and she never wanted to ruin that. She didn't want to be the cause of his heartbreak, no matter how much it hurt her to watch him go home to his wife every night and not her.
As she slowly pulled back from the kiss, she kept her eyes closed. Afraid that this was all a dream. Until she heard him speak. "You can open your eyes, Liv. You're not dreaming." He whispered against her lips. She smiled softly. It was like he was reading her mind.
Olivia smiled as she opened her eyes and saw Elliot's crystal blue orbs staring back at her. "That was—" She couldn't finish, he cut her off.
"I'm sorry, Liv. I shouldn't have done that. I—" She cut him off in return as she placed a finger against his lips gently.
"It's okay, El. I was gonna say that it was amazing." Olivia replied as she smiled shyly.
"Well, that's good, then." Elliot said against her finger as he kissed the pad of it gently and smiled.
Olivia smiled and playfully rolled her eyes at him. "All right, Detective, let's get back out there." She teased as she opened the door.
"Aye aye, Cap'n." Elliot teased back and mock-saluted to her. They laughed as they left the bedroom and walked into the living room where everyone was eating.
"Hey, we saved you guys some food." Dickie said as he gestured to the kitchen table. He smirked as he watched them grab some food and drinks. He had a feeling that something happened in the bedroom but he didn't want to draw any conclusions.
"What're we watching?" Elliot asked with a smile as he and Olivia sat next to each other on the large couch in the living room.
"Finding Dory!" Tyler announced excitedly, causing everyone to laugh.
Everyone watched the rest of the movie in silence as they finished eating dinner. Every once in a while, Olivia's eyes wandered to Eli who looked like his mind was somewhere else. After the movie was over, Elliot and Dickie washed the dishes while Maureen, Luke, Kathleen, Lizzie, Tyler and Noah set up a board game.
"Hey, Eli. Can I talk to you for a second?" Olivia asked as she started to walk a few feet down the hallway away from everyone else.
"What's up?" Eli asked as he joined her.
"Are you okay? You seemed distracted earlier; it almost looked like you wanted to cry." She whispered.
Eli's bottom lip trembled as he looked away. "I had a dream about my mom last night. We were sitting on a bench by this lake she and my dad used to go to when they were in high school. It felt so real, it kinda freaked me out a little." He explained as he tried not to cry.
A sad look washed over Olivia's face as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Eli. I know you miss her. But even though she's not physically here anymore, she'll always be with you, in your heart." She whispered softly.
"That's exactly what she said in the dream." Eli laughed softly as he wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffled.
Olivia smiled. "And it's true. She'll always be with you, no matter what." She replied as she hugged him.
Eli returned the hug and sniffled once more, then stopped crying as he pulled back from the hug. "Thanks, Liv. I needed that." He said softly.
"Anytime, honey. I'm always here for you guys, whenever you need me." Olivia responded with a soft smile as she watched Eli smile back and walk away. She took a deep breath and was about to join everyone in the living room again when Elliot stepped in front of her. "Hey." She said, slightly caught off guard.
"Hey," Elliot replied as he gave her a soft smile. She could tell he had tears in his eyes.
"You okay?" She asked, growing concerned.
"I heard what you said to Eli." Elliot confessed. When Olivia's cheeks started to blush from embarrassment, he continued. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop but I couldn't help it. What you said to him...it was amazing, Liv. You're amazing."
"I was just trying to help." Olivia replied, trying to brush it off as she shrugged nonchalantly.
"You don't realize how much you're helping us, Liv. All of us. I don't know if we would make it through this if you weren't here." Elliot whispered as he gently grabbed her hand and held it in his own.
Olivia smiled as tears pooled in her eyes. "I love them, El. I hate seeing them upset and hurting." She whispered as her voice cracked slightly.
"What about me?" He teased as he inched closer to her, his lips almost grazing hers.
"El, when you're hurting, I can physically feel your pain. I don't know why or how but it's true." She whispered as a tear ran down her cheek.
Elliot rested his forehead against hers as he wiped away her tear. "The same goes for me whenever you got hurt. I could feel your pain, too. Somehow it made sense even though I wouldn't have been able to explain it." He chuckled softly and Olivia joined him. "I love you, Liv. I always have."
"I love you, too, El." Olivia whispered back as her lips grazed gently against his, her heart filling up with warmth and love.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me." Elliot replied as he kissed her softly, running his fingers through her hair.
Olivia smiled and kissed him back softly. After they pulled back, she kissed the tip of his nose. "We should go back in there so they don't think we disappeared or something." She joked, chuckling softly.
Elliot chuckled with her. "Lead the way, Cap'n." He joked, letting her step in front of him.
"You're never gonna get tired of calling me that, are you?" Olivia asked, smiling as they made their way into the living room.
"Nope." Elliot smiled and sat next to her on the couch.
"Mama, can we have ice cream please?" Noah asked as he looked up at his mother.
"Why don't you ask Elliot?" Olivia smiled at her son.
"Elliot, can we have ice cream pleaseeee?" Noah asked, dragging it out for a more dramatic effect.
Elliot laughed and nodded. "Of course, buddy." He replied as he went into the kitchen to grab bowls and spoons for everyone and took out the ice cream, scooping some into each bowl.
After everyone finished their ice cream and the dishes were cleaned and put away, they all said goodnight to Olivia and Noah and Elliot walked them out to her car. "Bye, Noah. I'll see you again soon." Elliot said, smiling.
"Bye, Elliot." Noah replied softly, half asleep in the backseat.
Elliot and Olivia smiled as they watched Noah's eyes close and he fell asleep. Then, Elliot turned to face her. "Thanks for coming over, it was really nice." He said softly, smiling.
Olivia smiled back as she stood in front of the driver's side door. "Yeah, it was. I had fun." She whispered as Elliot moved closer to her.
Elliot wrapped his arms around her waist loosely and looked into her chocolate brown eyes. "I love you." He whispered, smiling brightly.
Olivia smiled back and dropped her forehead against his gently. "I love you, too." She whispered back as her eyes closed. "It feels so good to say that." She admitted, blushing lightly.
"It does." Elliot agreed as he kissed her softly.
Olivia smiled against his lips and ran her fingers through his closely cropped hair as they kissed languidly. Now that she could kiss him, she never wanted to stop. After a few moments when it became hard to breathe, they pulled back from the kiss slowly. "I have to go home." She whined.
Elliot laughed softly. "You're so fucking cute." He said as he ran his lips over her cheek gently.
"I try." She teased; her eyes staying closed as he ran his lips gently over her cheek and forehead.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Elliot said, even though it sounded more like a question. He couldn't go a day without her, especially now since he knew how she truly felt about him.
"You will." Olivia replied with a smile as they kissed slowly one last time. After they pulled back, Elliot opened her door for her and she got in, starting the car after he closed the door. He waved and smiled as she drove away.
Going back into the house, Elliot walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow. He just hoped the hours would go by quickly.
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Hi friends! I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry I haven't updated this story in so long, I've been really busy with work and had major writers block. HUGE shoutout to ComeSwim for helping me with this chapter! Love you girl! Side note: whenever Tyler calls Eli "Unca Ewi", Ewi is supposed to sound like "E-Y" and not like he's saying "ew" lol