It was Saturday morning and Olivia was the first one to awaken. She felt a warm body under her touch, and found herself lying in Elliot's hold, her hand and head on his chest. She sat up and noticed Elliot was sound asleep. Olivia chuckled at the sight of him, in all his adorableness and innocence. Running her fingers through her untidy hair, Olivia recalled the events of the night before and how they had ended up on the couch.
They had woken up from their "evening nap" at about 10 o'clock, both to find their stomachs rumbling in hunger. They agreed on pizza so after their pepperoni pizza and liter of Mt. Dew was delivered, they settled onto the couch, the pizza on the coffee table and enjoying their fatty food and nice conversation.
Afterwards, they had covered up with a blanket while finding a movie to watch on TV. They had drifted off in one another's arms, the movie still playing.
Olivia quietly removed herself from the couch as to not wake Elliot up, and decided to make coffee. Glancing at the clock on the stove, she noticed it was 9:30. On week days she got up at 6, and on the weekends "slept in," if you could call it that, until 7, so today was a record.
Olivia noticed Elliot walking into the kitchen in boxer shorts and a white tshirt, with slits for eyes that were encrusted with eye boogers. She laughed at the sight of him and he grunted in response.
"Can I help you?" he asked in a groggy voice.
"Oh, it's just that I've never seen you in all your morning -ness," Olivia said motioning her hand up and down as she eyed Elliot. He laughed mockingly at her, but then smiled genuinely and kissed her hair. "Coffee?" Olivia asked opening the cabinet for the coffee cups.
"Please," he said sitting at the counter where he had the night before. They were silent as Olivia fixed their coffee and Elliot regained his energy. Olivia slid his cup over to him and after he added some creamer he took a sip, appreciative of the caffeine that would help in waking him up.
"Um, do you want to hang out around here today?" Olivia asked shyly. She dreaded the idea of Elliot leaving. For the first time in over a month, she felt safe with him there. She didn't have any nightmares while she slept in his arms and overall she felt happy.
"That'd be nice," Elliot replied with a smile as he brought the cup up to his lips and taking another sip.
"Oh, what would you like for breakfast?" Olivia asked, losing herself in her thoughts and forgetting that it was morning and that in the morning you eat breakfast.
"You don't have to make anything, I can have a bowl of cereal."
"Elliot," Olivia said in a tone that said "come on now, tell me what you want."
"How about I cook something? What about eggs and bacon?" he suggested.
"Alright, that sounds good, but you don't have to." Elliot gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek, noticing how soft and smooth her skin was.
"I want to, babe," he whispered and Olivia waved a hand in front of her face with a look of disgust on her face.
"Gosh, your breath is rank!" Olivia said and Elliot breathed in her face knowing it'd annoy her. Olivia pushed him away laughing. "Elliot, stop!"
"Ok, ok. I'll go brush my teeth, but do you have another toothbrush I can use?" he asked Olivia. She nodded and lead him to her bathroom and after digging around under the sink she came back up with a new toothbrush.
"Brush good," she said and gave Elliot a kiss on the cheek. She left him there grinning like a fool, a fool in love, that is.
While Olivia sat in the living room reading a novel by her favorite author, Jodie Picoult, Elliot whistled and fried up some bacon and eggs. He remembered how he would do the same thing when he and Kathy were married, but it was different with Olivia, or maybe it was the fact there weren't children around. Speaking of children:
"Oh, I have to leave in the morning. It's my week with Elliot Jr.," Elliot called to Olivia and he looked up when she didn't reply. The sight distracted him from the bacon he had been frying in the pan. Olivia was seated on the couch with her legs propped under her, lost in her novel. She looked stunning even in her pajamas, her hair thrown in a messy bun with various strands loose and tangled. Seeing Olivia in her home, calm and relaxed, instilled in him a new feeling of admiration. With Kathy, it was always chaotic and loud because of the kids, or even with them asleep, the couple were bickering and peace and quiet was rare for them. But this was Olivia, he had never seen her in her home, in her pajamas. It was a beautiful sight and warmed Elliot's heart. Olivia looked up and smiled slightly, her eyes narrowed.
"What?" she asked and Elliot turned his attention back to the bacon which he noticed was extra crispy and soon to be burned.
"I was mesmerized by your beauty for a moment," he replied using a spatula to move the bacon onto a plate.
"Aw, you sound like a poet or something," Olivia said and laughed merrily, and Elliot reveled in the joyous sound.
They ate breakfast and afterwards showered together, gently washing one another and making love under the steaming water pouring down on them. While drying Olivia off, Elliot once again noticed the burn marks scattered across her chest. He gently raised his hand to run is fingertips over Olivia's wet body and looked at her with tears in his eyes.
"What did he do to you?" he whispered in a broken voice, not even trying to hold his tears back. Olivia took Elliot's hand and kissed it then squeezed it gently.
"Nothing you need to know," she finally muttered, letting go of his hand and turning away. In an instant her gentle, soothing demeanor turned into shame and disgrace. Olivia was caught off-guard when Elliot took her by the shoulders and turned her around to where she was facing him again. He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.
"That's not fair, Liv. I've shared with you the most troubling parts about me and my pain, my fears. Let me in, please. I want to be there for you, I want to comfort you, baby. I don't want you to be alone in this," Elliot pleaded with tears trickling down his face.
Suddenly Olivia wrapped herself around Elliot and began crying, then sobbing as he held her there in the bathroom. She knew he was right, that she should share with him her story, as it would only be fair, and necessary. With telling Elliot, her best friend, her lover, it would be another step towards healing because how could she keep it inside? Sure, telling her therapist was helpful, but what is a relationship if you keep stuff from your significant other? That's what love is, sharing your heartaches, fears, and your vulnerabilities with one another so you can lean on and support each other and because it's so very intimate and trusting to do so.
Finally Olivia pulled back and looked up into Elliot's blue eyes that resembled the sea by the tears wading in them. She cupped his damp cheek and smiled sadly at him. "Let's get dressed and then I'll tell you," she said. They dressed then went and sat in the living room.
Knowing that she shouldn't put it off any longer, (and she didn't want to), Olivia started from the beginning, about when she and her fellow detectives first met William Lewis and interrogated him. She cried while telling him of all of the things she witnessed Lewis do, like rape women and torment them, and what Lewis did to her, from burning her with cigarettes and branded wire coat hangers to force-feeding her alcohol and beating her while she was handcuffed to an iron frame bed. Elliot sat there listening to Olivia's story shaking his head, his fist clenched in fury, but also with tears falling to the ground as he heard of what she went through and that he wasn't able to help.
"How did the squad find you? Did you free yourself?" Elliot asked looking up at Olivia who was nervously chewing her fingernail. She nodded and Elliot pulled her hand away from her mouth and held onto it.
"I did. William was about to um, have his way with me,(she did not like the word rape when referring to herself) but there was a knock at the door. While he went to answer it I used all of my strength and broke free from the iron frame bed and then subdued Lewis when he came back and then I was the one to handcuff him to the bed. I found the mother and daughter who had come to the door in another room Lewis had put them in and told them who I was and to leave and then..." Olivia hesitated and shook her head at what happened next. Elliot lifted Olivia's head up gently by the chin.
"Then what?" he asked softly and Olivia burst into tears.
"Elliot I nearly killed him!" she wailed and Elliot pulled Olivia into his arms and held her close. "I reached a breaking point, El. He was sitting there taunting me, testing me. I thought of you, all of the things you would have done to him. He talked about you, saying how I missed you, how I wanted you, and I snapped. God Elliot, I beat him with that metal rod over and over and over again. He screamed and hollered in pain until I beat him unconscious," Olivia whispered in a trembling voice. "I lied though," she said. "I would've lost my badge, so I told IAB that I had beat him in self-defense. But I hadn't. I did it not only for revenge, but out of fury, humiliation, for what he put me through. I had never suffered more or been through anything as horrific as what I went through in those three days with him."
It was silent for a moment, as Olivia cried and trembled as Elliot held her. "I'm so sorry, Olivia," he whispered, his voice cracking. Olivia buried her head into his chest and hugged him tight. Elliot looked down at her.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I'm so sorry I ever left," Elliot said crying and Olivia took his face in her hands.
"Shh, baby. Don't," Olivia said shaking her head and kissed Elliot. He kissed her back, leaning into her and gently lying her down on the couch. Elliot wanted to fully express with his actions just how much he loved Olivia, how he always had, and how sorry he was to have left her just two years prior. Olivia moaned as Elliot ran his cool hand up Olivia's shirt and grabbed her breast, massaging it as his free hand ran along her inner thigh and then gently cupping her covered sex in his hand. "Oh, Elliot," Olivia whimpered, thrusting her hips to feel his palm against her clit. She reached for the hem of Elliot's shirt and he pulled it up over his hand and tossed it on the ground. They worked to remove all other clothing until they were both naked and took in the sight of one another. Olivia ran her hands over Elliot's chest, feeling his abs underneath his chest hair and noticing the toned muscles in his arms. She glanced down and he was already long and hard. Olivia groaned as she imagined him inside of her and forcefully kissed Elliot. "I want you," she whispered, lightly tracing his lips with her tongue. Elliot ran his fingertips along the wet folds of her center and Olivia drew in a breath at the tickling sensation.
Elliot leaned down and kissed Olivia's lips, then neck and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too, El," she whispered back, stroking his cheek and then giving him another kiss. Elliot slowly slipped inside of Olivia, and the world was forgotten as they made love, reveling in the touch of one another and clinging onto each other tightly. Elliot pulled Olivia into his arms and thrust harder inside of her, causing her to cry out as she felt him hit her sensitive spot. Elliot kissed Olivia, cramming his tongue into her mouth and dominating hers with his own. She moaned into his mouth as she grind her hips to match the rhythm of his thrusts and soon they were coming, crying out each other's name and collapsing on the couch, both panting from the aftermath of their powerful orgasms.
They laid there for a little while and after regaining their breath they both re-dressed and got ready for the day. For lunch they ate at a small and comfortable cafe and both grabbed a cup of coffee. It was a cold but beautiful day and they were strolling along the path in Central Park, Elliot's arm draped over Olivia's shoulder. Olivia smiled as she looked around at the beautiful trees and the kids who ran around playing and laughing. She felt like how they looked: happy, content and without a care in the world, well for the time being... Olivia looked up at Elliot.
"I feel really good being with you, El. I feel safe, happy, and I thought I may never feel that way again," she said and Elliot came to a stop and looked down at her.
"I feel the same way, Liv. And you deserve every good and amazing thing. I love you, and I'm here for you, always." Elliot kissed Olivia and they continued on their walk.
That evening Olivia laid in bed with Elliot, her head on his chest and his arm around her pulling her close. He stroked her hair while she ran her fingertips over his chest.
"I have to pick Eli up tomorrow at 8. It's my week with him," Elliot said, repeating what he had told Olivia that morning but which she hadn't paid attention to.
"Oh, alright," she said and Elliot thought he heard a trace of sadness in her voice. He tilted his head so he could see her.
"What's wrong?" he asked and she shook her head, blinking back her tears.
"Nothing," she whispered but Elliot knew better. He sat up and pulled Olivia up with him then cupped her cheek in his hand. Olivia cast her eyes downward but Elliot tilted her chin up.
"Olivia," he said and tears pooled in her cocoa-colored orbs.
"I'm scared of being alone again," she whispered in a broken voice. It crushed Elliot's heart, the fear that was evident in Olivia's voice, her face that was scrunched tightly with tears cascading down her cheeks. Elliot pulled Olivia into his embrace and closed his eyes as he rubbed her back. She cried softly into his shoulder as she pulled him tighter against her. Olivia felt silly, like a child with separation anxiety and she told Elliot this.
"No, baby. Don't feel silly, it's understandable. And I'm a phone call and a face-time away," Elliot said softly and tucked a strand of Olivia's hair behind her ear.
"I know," she sighed and Elliot smiled and kissed her on the lips. They sat there in the bed kissing over and over, both not wanting to go to sleep for they knew that tomorrow would mean saying goodbye. After making love once more, Olivia and Elliot finally drifted off to sleep, whispering to each other in the dark, "I love you" and words of comfort for Olivia.