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Title: The Only Thing Wrong
Author: Topsy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Another version of the separation between Elliot and Kathy.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine and that's mostly okay. I would rather BE Olivia than own her.

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December 22, 2004

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Elliot drove home from work wearily. He was so tired. Cragen had let him go home early because the case they were working on was beginning to be too much. Elliot had argued a little bit, but one look at the look of agreement on Olivia's face had him giving in. He normally wouldn't have, but today he was just so tired. He was physically tired from lack of sleep because he had been working on the case so much, and he was tired of his job. He wouldn't quit. The job was in his blood, his bones, his soul. But some days it just overwhelmed him, what they did for a living. He had no way to get it out of his head.

The particular case they were working on involved a man who was kidnapping, raping, and murdering young boys that were the same age as his son, Dickie. Normally he would go home to his wife and children to make himself feel better, but he knew that with this case he would go home and look at Dickie and just feel more worry, more heartache. But he had to go home, there was nowhere else to go. Besides, he hadn't been sent home this early for ages and he figured it would make Kathy and the kids happy. The kids weren't home from school just yet, they had about another hour or so, but Kathy had the day off today, so he could surprise her. Maybe talk her into a little comfort sex to take his mind off the job.

He half smiled at the thought and turned the car onto their street. It would probably make her happy since their sex life had been seriously lacking lately. He needed to work on fixing that. Elliot looked at their house and smiled for a moment before he realized there was a strange car in the driveway. He pulled up beside it and tilted his head curiously. He didn't recognize it, but it had New York plates, so he figured it was just a friend of Kathy's. He turned his car off and got out, looking up at the house. He smiled and felt a little bit of the day's pressure slide off of him just by being home. He walked to the front door and slid his key into the lock.

"Kathy?" he called out, noticing the living room was empty. He headed to the kitchen and put his keys on the counter. "Hey Kathy!" He shrugged out of his coat as he heard a noise above him. He looked at the ceiling and realized that she must be upstairs. He headed for the stairs and took about three steps before he froze.

Their bedroom was directly above the kitchen. Why would she be upstairs in their bedroom with a friend? His heart plummeted and he bounded up the stairs and turned the corner. He ran straight to their room and came to a skidding halt just inside the doorframe.

"What the hell?" he asked and looked at the couple standing in his room. Kathy was standing at the foot of the bed with one of the sheets from the bed wrapped around her. A man was standing behind her with his pants nearly on and his shirt in his hand. All three of them froze, staring at each other for a split second before Elliot moved forward. "You son of a bitch," he said steely and glared at the man.

"Elliot--" Kathy held out her hand so he wouldn't go past her. He looked down at her, his eyes hard and his jaw clenching together. "Don't," Kathy said.

"Don't tell me what to do," he replied and looked over her shoulder.

"Look," the guy started to talk but Elliot inched forward and shook his head. The guy visibly gulped and stopped. His gaze dropped to Elliot's fists, which were bunching and un-bunching randomly as he struggled for control. Elliot knew if his control snapped, he'd kill the guy. And he really didn't need that on top of everything else. Elliot looked back at Kathy and stared.

"I know," Elliot said quietly, "That I'm not home very often because of work. And I know that I'd never win the husband or the father of the year award, but I never, ever would have done this to our family; to you, to the kids." He paused. "I can't believe you." He turned and started to walk out of the room. "I'm going to pick up the Kathleen, Lizzie, and Dickie from school. I need to be with my kids right now," he said and stormed out of the room and down the stairs.

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"Dad? Dad, what are you doing here?" Kathleen asked, staring at her father. He smiled and put a hand on the shoulders of Lizzie and Dickie who were standing on either side of him.

"I'm here to pick you guys up from school," he said.

"What happened?" Kathleen asked, immediately suspicious. He smiled.

"Nothing, baby, Cragen let me go home early today."

"Why?" she asked. He tried to smile at her detective antics, but his heart wasn't in it. He ushered them towards his car.

"It was just a hard case, Kathleen, and he thought I should go home. I decided to come pick you guys up and see if you wanted to go get some ice cream."

"Yeah!" Dickie and Lizzie replied in unison. Elliot smiled and ruffled Dickie's hair.

"Let's go," Elliot said and they all piled into the car, Kathleen still wary. "Kathleen, what time does Maureen have classes today?" Elliot asked. Kathleen shrugged.

"I think she just finished her last class for today, but I'm not positive," she replied. Elliot smiled and handed her his phone.

"Call her and ask her if she wants to meet us for ice cream."

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Thirty minutes later Elliot and all four of his children were sitting around a table at a local ice cream parlor, enjoying their separate cones.

"This is nice, Daddy," Maureen said and smiled as she took a lick of her cone. He smiled in return.

"Something's going on," Kathleen said suspiciously. Maureen looked at her.

"What?" she asked and whipped her head around to look at her father. She saw the sadness and the anger in his eyes. "What?" she repeated.

"Nothing, girls," Elliot tried. But now they had both caught the scent that something was wrong and he knew they wouldn't let it go. He wasn't sure how much to tell them, though. He didn't want to upset them. He didn't know where Kathy and he stood anymore.

"Dad…" Maureen trailed off and neglected her ice cream.

"You're dripping, Maur," Elliot said and handed her a napkin. She wiped at it quickly but looked back at him. He sighed. "You're your father's daughters," he muttered and then sat back in his chair.

"We can handle this, Dad, whatever it is" Maureen said. Elliot glanced at Elizabeth and Dickie who were sitting quietly but only half paying attention. They didn't quite understand.

"I know you can," Elliot emphasized, raising his eyebrows at Kathleen and Maureen. They both glanced at Lizzie and Dickie then, too, and nodded.

"Ah," Maureen said quietly.

"Later," Elliot said quietly and quickly switched the topic to Dickie's gym class. Maureen sighed and sat back in her seat. She and Kathleen glanced at each other before turning their attention back to their ice cream.

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Dickie and Lizzie made a mad dash for the swing sets at the park Elliot took them to after they finished their ice cream. Kathleen and Maureen stood on either side of him, waiting for him to talk.

"So?" Maureen asked. Elliot sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes.

"I don't know what I should tell you and what I shouldn't," Elliot said. "Your mother is going to kill me," he muttered. Then he lifted his hands and pulled them around to face him. "I need to ask you girls something and Kathleen, since you're still at home, you might be better suited to answer this question, but I'll ask you both."

"What Daddy?" Kathleen asked.

"Have you noticed anything strange going on with your mother recently?" he asked. Their brows scrunched together and they glanced at each other.

"Like what?" Maureen asked. Elliot shrugged.

"I don't know, anything. A change in routine or attitude or something… especially when I'm not home." Maureen and Kathleen searched for anything and then Maureen shrugged.

"I don't know, Daddy," she said.

"Well…" Kathleen trailed off, unsure.

"What is it?" Elliot asked and both he and Maureen turned to look at her. She sighed.

"She's been taking a lot of phone calls recently," Kathleen paused. "In secret."

"What do you mean?" Maureen asked.

"Like, she'll get a phone call and then go into a different room so we can't hear her," Kathleen replied. "I've noticed it a few times, but I just figured it was you or something."

"Why did you think it was me?" Elliot asked. She paused and shrugged.

"Well, I just figured you'd be calling to say you could make it for dinner or not or something like that, and…"

"And what?" Elliot asked.

"Well, she seemed sort of… different," Kathleen said.

"How?" Elliot asked. Kathleen felt like she was under interrogation, but she figured that was just par for the course since she was a detective's daughter. Plus, she had been putting him under interrogation since he picked her up from school.

"It's like after she gets those calls she's… happy for awhile. Bubbly or something," Kathleen said quietly. Elliot sighed and his chin dropped to his chest. Maureen looked at her sister and then back at her father.

"Daddy, what's going on?" she asked. He raised his head and looked at his daughters.

"How long have you noticed this, Kathleen?" he asked quietly. She shrugged.

"I don't know… a few months, I guess." Elliot's shoulders drooped. Months. God, how had he not noticed?

"Daddy?" Kathleen asked, suddenly feeling as if she had done something wrong. He lifted his head again and forced a smile on his face but they both saw right through it.

"What's going on?" Maureen repeated.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this," he said but he shrugged. Right now he wasn't that concerned about Kathy's feelings. "But I will." He sighed. "Your mother… is seeing someone else."

Maureen's jaw dropped and Kathleen merely stared.

"What?" Maureen whispered, shocked.

"Seriously?" Kathleen asked right afterwards.

"Yes," Elliot said.

"Are you sure?" Elliot snorted.

"One hundred and twenty percent positive," Elliot replied.

"Oh my God," Maureen said and looked away. She watched her youngest siblings swinging side by side on the swings as they shouted things to each other, oblivious. Her heart ached to be that young just now. As much as Elliot was upset at Kathy, he didn't want to turn her daughters against her.

"Girls, listen to me," he said and they turned to look at him. "Your mother loves you, this has nothing to do with you." They simply stared at him. "I've been a bad husband. I work too much, I don't take care of your mother enough, I don't talk to her enough. Apparently she found that with someone else. It has nothing to do with you and I don't want you to be upset at her for this."

"How can we not be?" Maureen asked. Elliot met her stare. "Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with us directly, but it seriously affects us. She cheated on your marriage. Our parent's marriage." Elliot sighed. He reached out and laid one hand on Maureen's shoulder and the other hand on Kathleen's.

"I don't know what's going to happen with your mother and I," Elliot said quietly. "But she's not all to blame for this. I haven't been around enough, so much so that I didn't even notice this was happening. She did this because of me, so you can't place the blame on her." Maureen sighed, clearly disagreeing. Kathleen just stared at Elliot.

"What am I supposed to say to Mom now?" Kathleen asked. Elliot looked at her.

"It's up to you. She might ask you what I said and you shouldn't lie to her. But try not to place too harsh a judgment on her, okay Kathleen?" Kathleen nodded and then sighed, taking off to sit on a swing beside her brother to think about this. Maureen looked at Elliot.

"How can you be so calm about this?" she asked. He sighed and cupped her shoulders in hands. He forced a smile.

"I'm not calm, Maur, not inside," he murmured. He shrugged and knew he couldn't talk to his daughter about this. "Why don't I drop you back off at school and let you cool down. I don't think you need to talk to your mother about this right now," he said. "Just call her tonight or tomorrow and talk to her, but wait until you've settled this in your head, alright?" Maureen nodded finally.

"What are you going to do?" she asked him. He shrugged.

"I'm not sure I can go home tonight. I'll drop the kids at home and go stay with a friend."

"Who?" Maureen asked, concerned.

"I don't know. Maybe your uncle or maybe Munch or someone. I'll figure that out, don't worry. And I have my phone if anything happens, okay?" Maureen nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, baby girl," he said and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

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"Benson," Olivia said into her phone around 9pm that night. She had just gotten out of the bath and was getting ready to put her pajamas on.

"Livya," she heard her name slurred on the other end. Her brows furrowed together.

"Elliot?" she asked and her heart stumbled a bit. "Elliot, what's wrong?"

"I need you to come… pick me up!" he exclaimed.

"Where are you?" she demanded. He chuckled.

"Where am I?" he asked someone in the background. She could hear some shuffling before someone else's voice came over the phone.

"Hello?"

"Who's this?" Olivia demanded.

"The bartender down at Omega's. This guy is drunk as a skunk. I told him I was going to call him a cab and he insisted that he call you instead," the guy said. Olivia sighed. What the hell was going on?

"I'll be there in twenty," she said and shut her phone. She dressed as quickly as she could and fluffed a hand through her damp hair before she left her apartment.

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Olivia walked into Omega's and scanned the room, looking for Elliot. She saw him at the end of the bar, near the back. She saw that he had his head down on the bar and she sighed and walked briskly to where he was.

"El," she said and placed a gentle hand on his back. He looked up at her and grinned goofily.

"Hey Livvy!" he exclaimed.

"You the one he called?" The bartender came over and slung a towel over his neck. She nodded.

"You the one I talked to?" The guy nodded. She nodded back at him.

"Thanks for doing that," she said and turned back to Elliot, effectively dismissing the bartender. He shrugged and walked away. "Elliot, what are you doing?"

"Having a few drinks!" he exclaimed and smacked the bar. Her brows scrunched together as she looked at him.

"Have you been here since Cragen sent you home?" she asked incredulously, thinking that he was here because of the rough case. She knew that Cragen had sent him home around one. He shook his head.

"Nope."

"Does Kathy know you're here?" she asked quietly.

"God dammit!" Elliot exclaimed fairly loudly. Olivia nearly jumped. "Another one!" Elliot said and threw his hand up in the air as he searched blindly for the bartender. "Thanks for the reminder, Liv," he slurred out and dropped his head into his arms on the bar. Olivia rubbed a hand over his back and chose not to ask.

"C'mon, Elliot, let's get you home," she said. He lifted his head and shook it adamantly.

"No, no, Livya, I'm not going home," he said firmly and dropped his head again because the sudden movement had thrown him for a loop.

"Alright, that's fine, Elliot. You're coming back to my place, okay? I've got a nice pullout couch for you to sleep on. Everything will be okay," she murmured and pulled him up off the stool. He wrapped his arm around her waist for support. She looked at the bartender.

"Is he all paid for?" she asked. The bartender nodded and waved them on. She smiled her thanks quickly and then adjusted Elliot's weight so she had better control over him.

"Livvy?" he asked, mumbling into her hair.

"Hmm?" she said as she led him outside.

"Thank you," he said. "I knew you'd come. You're the best partner… ever," he slurred. She smiled.

"Under the circumstances, I'll take that for what it is," she said and he didn't bother to reply. She doubted that he even heard her. She managed to pile him into her car and just after his butt touched the seat he started to snore. She shook her head and started the engine.

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She managed to get him upstairs and into her living room without either of them falling. She dropped him into a chair and then crouched down in front of him and patted his cheek to make him focus on her. He reached out and gripped her shoulder.

"Liv?"

"Yes?"

"You're the best." She chuckled slightly.

"I know, Elliot. Would you drink some coffee?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No. Don't wanna be sober," he muttered and leaned back. She nodded.

"Alright, but I'm going to get you some water and some aspirin, okay? It'll make you feel better in the morning," she said and stood up.

"Nothing will make me feel better," he muttered and she glanced back at him before disappearing into the kitchen area. She came back and handed him the glass of water.

"Ready?" she asked and then popped the pills into his mouth. He took a swallow and then lowered the glass. "I'm going to get some blankets," she murmured. "Stay here." Elliot watched her move around the room through half-closed eyes as she made the couch bed for him. She came back to him and pulled his coat off of him. She was standing in front of him, so he gripped her hips. She looked down at him and was shocked to see tears in his eyes.

"Liv," he murmured. She placed a gentle hand against his cheek.

"What is it, El?" she asked quietly.

"She cheated on me," he said and then buried his face into her stomach. Olivia's jaw dropped and she just stood, frozen for a moment. Oh my God, she thought.

"Oh, El," she murmured and wrapped her arms around his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she rocked him slowly for comfort. After a few minutes he pulled away and she could see a bit of the tears on his cheek, though he hadn't cried very much. She wiped one away gently with the backs of her fingers. "Let's get you in bed and we'll talk about it in the morning, okay?" She knew he didn't have enough of his wits left to argue with her about it. She helped him stand up and he reached for his shirt. She swallowed hard and forced herself to ignore whatever skin she saw underneath before she reached down and helped him lift his shirt over his head since he was struggling with coordination. He reached for his belt and she nearly gulped.

"El," she tried to protest, but he managed to get his belt unbuckled by himself. He fumbled with the buttons and she refused to help him there. He finally managed to unbutton and unzip himself and she saw boxers peeking out and she sighed in relief. At least he wasn't naked. He struggled to push them down and by the time they got to his knees, he was about to keel over. She sighed and bent down, moving to the side so she wasn't face to face with his package. He leaned against her shoulders when she tried to pull his feet out of his pants. She folded them quickly and placed them on the chair before she led him to the couch.

"Alright, climb in," she murmured and he did so. She smiled and felt somehow maternal to him and thought it was a strange feeling to have so soon after she had a bit of a heart trip a few seconds before because she thought she might see him naked. She tucked him in and he smiled up at her.

"Thanks Livvy," he murmured and she brushed a hand over his cheek.

"You're welcome," she replied and straightened. Within seconds he was out. She smiled and leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple before she straightened again and walked to her own bedroom.

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The next morning Elliot awoke to the aroma of coffee. He sat up, suddenly confused by his surroundings. When he did, his stomach turned and he moaned, dropping his head into his hands as he remembered all the alcohol he had consumed the night before and how Olivia had come to his rescue.

"Oh God," he muttered.

"Need some more aspirin?" Olivia asked and he groaned.

"God, yes," he said. She chuckled and walked to the kitchen. After a few moments she came back and handed him three aspirin and a mug of hot coffee. He looked up at her.

"I think I love you, Liv," he said and smiled at her. She felt her heart warm at his boyish grin and she smiled back.

"You better!" she exclaimed as he gulped down the coffee. Then she sat down beside him on the couch bed. He looked at her with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"Liv, I'm sorry you had to see me like that," he said quietly. She smiled.

"I think it was okay under the circumstances," she said and patted his hand. She forced her eyes to stay focused on his face and not creep down to look at the chest that the sheets had neglected to cover as they pooled around his waist. He sighed.

"I have no idea what happened," he murmured and glanced off into space. "I told Maureen I was fine."

"Elliot, I think that's perfectly understandable." She paused. "Maybe you should call Cragen and ask for the day off," she said. He looked at her. "Just to get over your hangover and to, ya know, sort things out." Elliot shook his head adamantly.

"No, Olivia, it's bad enough. I might have a raging headache, but I can't stand to just sit around and dwell on it. I need to go in to work."

"Cragen sent you home early yesterday, I think he'd understand if you wanted today off, too," she said. Elliot shook his head.

"No, Liv, I can't take the day off."

"It's too much all at once, El," she said, trying to argue her point. He sighed and dropped his head into his hands wearily.

"Maybe," he said. "But I can't run away from both. Plus, Kathy has to work today, so I'd just be sitting around by myself thinking too much. At least when I'm at work I can focus on the problems there because they'll be there to focus on." Olivia sighed and nodded.

"Alright," she said.

"I need to get home to shower and change," Elliot said.

"You can shower here," she said. He shook his head.

"I would, but I have to get clean clothes, so I may as well just go," he replied and pushed back the covers. She stood up and nodded.

"Okay," she said. "El?" He looked at her.

"Promise me that we can talk about this later." He stared at her for a moment and then nodded.

"If we're not busy, we can go somewhere for lunch," he replied. She smiled quickly and nodded.

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