It had been his partner, Olivia Benson, who had finally convinced him to stay. The day that the divorce papers had gone through, he had told her of his intention to quit, to get a job in security or something. Olivia had said simply, "Do you like your job? Do you feel like you're making a difference?" When he hadn't answered, she had continued, "Elliot, what do you have left? Don't take this away from you too." They had hugged. Elliot didn't know it, but she had needed it as much as he had.
The driver behind him honked, yanking him back into the present. The precinct was bustling with its usual morning activity.
"Where's Olivia?" He asked, noting the absence of his partner.
"Right here," Olivia called from an Incident Room.
"What's she doing?"
"Cross-referencing attacks matching the Pollock case," Munch stated, implying something.
"Shit!" Elliot cursed.
"Weren't you supposed to be here two hours ago to help her?" Fin said. He understood that Elliot was still upset about the divorce, but he, Munch, and Cragen were sick of him taking out on Olivia. She had been doing the extra work without complaint. Elliot stepped into the Incident Room slowly, apologetic in his manner.
"I'm really sorry, 'Liv," he stated sincerely.
"It's okay," she said shortly, in a voice telling him it clearly wasn't.
"It's just....I was thinking this morning, about...."
"I said it's okay. I understand, Elliot," she forgave with force. Olivia didn't want to hear it again. She didn't want to know how he felt so lost and alone since Kathy. She didn't want to hear how much he missed them.
"Okay," Elliot exhaled, sitting down across from. He picked up a file and began to read. He closed the file and opened his mouth to speak. Olivia anticipated.
"The pile on the right is non-matches. The pile on the left is possible or probable matches," she explained, gesturing. Elliot smiled, placing his file in the non-match pile.
At twelve o'clock, Munch popped in.
"Hey, we're going for lunch. You guys coming?"
"Sure," Elliot agreed.
"No thanks. I'll grab something later," Olivia declined. Elliot still felt guilty for that morning,
"I'll stay too," Elliot offered. Olivia glanced up sharply.
"Go on. I'll survive."
"Come on, Olivia," Munch said, "You've been doing this all morning."
"I'm not coming." The discussion was closed. Elliot sighed and followed Munch out, pausing briefly to glance back at her form, staring out the window as if lost to the world.
**********
The restaurant was over-crowded. They had to yell to hear themselves over the noise.
"So did you apologize to Olivia?" Fin asked loudly.
"Yeah. I think she's still mad at me, though. What else can I do but apologize?" Elliot said with underlying anger.
"Maybe keep your word for once," Fin countered.
"I don't know what you mean."
"How about last Tuesday when you said you'd pick her up for work?"
"Or the week before when you asked her to lunch, then didn't show?"
"Or the time when...."
"Okay! I get your point!" Elliot interrupted.
"I don't think you do," Fin said, "Olivia's like our family."
"And you've been hurting her. I know you're upset, but she's been doing every report you forgot, every interview you didn't want, and you haven't even said thank you." Elliot found himself growing defensive, but even as he did, he knew they were right. Instead of rebutting them, Elliot hung his head in ashamed assent.
"Look, Elliot, we're not trying to rag on you, we're just trying to make sure you don't keep ragging on Olivia," Fin added, seeing Elliot's face.
"She's been picking up your pieces. Just make it up to her."
**********
When they got back to the precinct, Olivia was on the phone, yelling.
"What do you mean?.....I don't believe this!....What do you expect me to do?.....Figure it out? Figure this out!" She slammed down the receiver. "Damn!" She slammed a fist down on her desk.
"Whoa! What's up?" Fin asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You know how I'm moving on Thursday, right?" She began.
"You're moving?" Elliot asked, confused.
"If you'd pay attention when I talk, you'd have known," she said flatly.
"I'm sorry."
"Anyhow, I'm supposed to move into my new place on Thursday, but my landlord jsut called to say I have to be out of my place by Sunday. I can put my stuff in a mini-storage, but I can't afford to stay in a hotel," she explained, sitting defeatedly. There was a moment of awkard silence.
"Stay with me," Elliot blurted out suddenly.
"That's okay, Elliot. I'll figure something out."
"Why? There's lots of room in my house. I'd love to have you, and you can make sure I'm not late again. Olivia, I'm admitting that I've been a complete jerk. Let me make it up to you." His tone was sincere and Olivia smiled inwardly at his long-awaited repentance.
"All right. But you're going to have to prove yourself worthy. After we finish these files, you're coming to my apartment to help me pack," she looked at him coyly.
"Anything you say," Elliot agreed. Olivia turned on her heel back to the Incident Room. She passed Munch with a wide grin on her face. It was the first time she'd looked happy since Elliot's divorce.
"Aren't you glad we talked to him?" Munch commented. Fin nodded.
"Now, let's just hope he doesn't screw this up."
**********
Olivia's apartment was filled with boxes. Elliot took the scene in wordlessly, it wouldn't patch things up between them if he started complaining. It was time to fix the way things had become.
"It's something, huh?" She commented, stepping over a pile of books. Elliot nodded. "I've finished most of the bathroom. I won't get you to deal with that. Could you start putting these books in boxes? When you're done, there's some more in the bedroom bookshelf." Olivia stepped into the kitchen, to a CD player on the counter. She pressed the PLAY button, and the sound of a jazz ballad filled the space.
"It's relaxing," she said defensively, at the look on Elliot's face.
"I don't mind it," Elliot said.
Elliot began packing the books. When he moved to the bedroom, he could hear Olivia clattering around in the living room. On top of the bookshelf, there were two pictures. The first was of her mother, Elliot assumed. The second was a picture taken at the squad's New Year's party. It was when Fin was still a recent addition to the squad, but he still fit in like part of the family. He and Munch framed Elliot and Olivia, their arms around each other's waists. Cragen stood beside them. Elliot remembered that they had been quite tipsy, but not dead drunk. One officer had got a bit too close to Olivia, pushing her against the wall. Elliot had punched him as if he was her jealous boyfriend. She had joked with him.
"The blood from his nose will wreck your tux. Next time let me handle them." She had been wearing a red dress. It was tight enough to prompt comments from Munch and Fin, but Elliot glared at them and they shut up. He told himself he didn't care what was under the dress. Elliot set the picture down and began on the books. Her reading material was interesting and unexpected. There were poetry anthologies, spy paperbacks, some Shakespeare plays, and the New York Guide to Medical Symptoms. Elliot picked up a small purple book and raised his eyebrows. The Ivy Anthology of Erotic Short Stories. The spine of the book was broken and several pages were dog-eared.
Well, well, well, Elliot thought. He placed it in the open box and covered it with a copy of the Criminal Code. Out in the living room, the noise had stopped. Elliot closed the box, then headed out to see if something was wrong. The strains of Misty floated in the air. Olivia wasn't in the living room, she was in the kitchen, slow dancing with the broom. Elliot smiled, leaning against the door frame and watching her. When she saw him, she stopped suddenly and bent her head down, embarassed. Elliot crossed the floor, the only clean one in the house, and took the broom from her hands.
"May I cut in?" He asked suavely. Olivia beamed and took his hand. He slipped his arm around her waist and felt her arm around his neck. They danced around the small kitchen, looking into each other's eyes.
I'm just too misty
And too much in love
The last notes of the song finished, and they stayed. Olivia swallowed the lump that threatened to form in her throat.
"I'm glad you're back. I missed you," she said, voice thick.
"I missed you too," he replied simply. A new song began. Olivia laid her head on Elliot's shoulder as they began their dance again, enjoying the safety and warmth of his arms. Elliot wasn't sure why, exactly, but he felt genuinely complete for the first time since the divorce.
It's autumn in New York that brings the promise of new love.
Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain. . .
The tune seemed to envelope their bodies. Time lost its meaning.
**********
To be continued soon........
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