"Please tell me you guys are leaving soon," Olivet commented as she passed by their desks.
Lennie sighed. "We're right behind ya, Doc. I swear."
Elizabeth smiled. "Good. I'll see you guys Monday."
As she walked away, Mike Logan frowned. "Monday? Is she movin' her office into the precinct now?"
Lennie rolled his eyes. "She's got an appointment to see Spinatto, remember? She's gonna let us know if the crazy's just an act, or if this guy's the real deal."
"I still can't believe that little punk got out on bail."
"C'mon, Mike, that's the beauty of our legal system. If you have enough money, you don't have to spend a night in jail."
Logan sighed, slamming his folder shut. "Let's get outta here, Lennie."
"Best idea I've heard all day."
The two men got up from their desks, slipping their coats on. The calendar said that it was spring, but the wind outside was still bitter, carrying hints of frost and winter in its wake. Flipping their collars up to protect their necks, they moved through the precinct and out the front door, both flinching as they realized that it was pouring.
"I need you to calm down."
Logan and Briscoe looked up as they walked down the front steps of the station. Olivet was standing with her back to them, one hand outstretched as she talked gently to the man in front of her. Craning his neck, Logan got a good look at his face, immediately recognizing Johnny Spinatto. Spinatto looked up at the same time, eyes widening as he saw the two officers who had arrested him earlier in the day. Looking around wildly, he reached out and grabbed Olivet, turning her around and pulling her against him. His right hand came up, and he held a gun to her temple, using her as a human shield.
Mike and Lennie had their own weapons out a second later, suddenly finding themselves in a standoff with a possibly unstable suspect. Logan inched closer, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Let her go, Spinatto!"
"No way, man! She's my ticket outta here!"
"What, you're gonna use her as a shield to negotiate a way out? That's not very bright, Johnny," Lennie pointed out. "All you had to do was walk away."
"He doesn't want a way out," Elizabeth said, her hair matted to her face and her voice wavering slightly. "This is his way to an insanity plea. How can anyone be sane if they take a hostage outside of a police station for no reason?"
Spinatto's hold on her tightened. "Shut up, bitch!"
"Alright, Spinatto," Logan called out. "Game's up. Everyone here knows you're not crazy, so why don't you just give it up?"
The suspect moved the gun until it was pressing into Olivet's eye. "And how about I just blow her brains out right here, huh!?"
Lightning flashed across the sky, causing Spinatto to flinch. Logan took advantage of the moment, aiming carefully before pulling the trigger. The sound of the shot was muffled by the thunder that crashed, but a second later, Spinatto was on the ground, yelling and holding his shattered elbow.
Other officers had arrived on the scene, and two of them rushed forward to secure the suspect. One called for a bus, knowing that they would have to take him to the hospital before they were able to lock him up. Sirens wailing in the distance, Logan holstered his weapon, moving over to Olivet.
"Liz?"
She stared past him, breathing hard and shivering. Her clothes stuck to her, holding the cold water right against her skin as it continued to rain. Tentatively, Logan reached out and took her shoulders.
"Liz?"
She heard him that time, and her eyes met his. Logan didn't know much about the mind and how it reacted to intense situations, but he could see the way her gaze was fuzzy, and he knew that she was having trouble taking in everything that had just happened. Taking a deep breath, he gentled his voice even further.
"Are you hurt?"
Olivet shook her head, another chill running through her body. He almost offered her his coat, but then realized that he was soaked as well, and it wouldn't do her any good.
Van Buren came up beside him, taking in the scene. "Is everybody alright?" she asked.
Logan nodded. "Spinatto decided to take a shot at an insanity defense right here on the sidewalk. Took Liz hostage." He felt another shiver go through the psychologist and lowered his voice. "We need to get her dry, Lieutenant."
Van Buren looked Olivet over and nodded. "Is she hurt?"
"No, but I think she's in shock."
"Alright, give your statement and your gun until they deem it a good shoot, and get her home."
Logan sighed as she walked away, and then looked back at Elizabeth. "Alright," he said quietly. "Let's get you home, Liz."
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It wasn't until they were in the car that Mike realized he didn't know where Olivet lived.
"Liz?"
She didn't answer. Logan turned to look at her, but her eyes were fixed on a point somewhere outside of the car.
"Liz?"
When she didn't answer again, he reached out and placed a light hand on her shoulder. Olivet jumped at the contact, her eyes wide and fearful as she looked at him. Snatching his hand back, Mike cursed himself - Spinatto had grabbed her by the shoulder as well, and he had probably just made her relive that moment.
"Sorry," he said awkwardly. "But, uh...I need your address."
She nodded dully. "1281 West 59th Street."
He put the car into gear and drove into the night.
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He wasn't entirely sure that she could get up the stairs by herself, so Logan followed her up to her apartment. Fidgeting nervously, he wondered if he should just go, and let her deal with whatever she was feeling. But at the same time, he knew that he couldn't just leave her the way that she was. Shaking his head, he followed her into the apartment, telling himself that he would just stay until he was sure she alright, and then he would be out of there.
Closing the door behind him, Mike made sure that all the locks were done up. He frowned when he realized that the room was still dark, and he turned to see Elizabeth standing in the middle of the room, hugging herself.
"Can't sit here in the dark, Olivet," he quipped, flipping the lights on when he found the switch. She still didn't move. "You just gonna stand there all night, drippin' on the carpet?"
But as he continued to watch her, Logan realized how small and defenseless she looked. It couldn't have been easy, having the muzzle of a gun pressed into her eye, and she still hadn't had any time to process it. Trying his hardest not to be an insensitive asshole, he walked over to her, stopping when they were face to face.
"We need to get you into some dry clothes," he said quietly.
She nodded, but didn't make any move. Logan watched her for a minute, praying that she would snap out of it. But as she continued to just stand there, he was faced with a difficult decision. Her clothes were wet and cold; if she didn't get into something warm and dry soon, she was going to catch a cold at the very least.
Reaching out, he slowly began to undo the buttons of her blouse. He kept his eyes focused on the shirt itself, trying to ignore the white flesh that peered out at him. With any other woman, Logan might take some pleasure in the act of undressing, but not here. As he reached the bottom buttons, all he could think of was the fact that the woman standing before him, a woman he thought he might have the pleasure of calling a friend, had been raped not too long ago. His entire body tensed as he remembered the ordeal, and he swallowed hard as he forced himself to continue with the task before him.
Just as the last button came undone, a hand shot out, stopping him from opening the blouse. Logan looked up in surprise to see Elizabeth's eyes clear. Nodding, he let go of her shirt, pulling his hands away slowly.
"You need some dry clothes."
She nodded. "I know. Just...wait here. I'll go get changed."
Logan stood awkwardly in her living room, letting his eyes wander over her apartment without seeming too inquisitive. Listening to the sounds of Olivet getting changed in the bathroom, he ran through lines in his head, excuses to leave when she got out. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her - he just didn't think he could. Mike Logan had never been good at the emotional stuff, and he had never been held hostage before. He didn't know what he could say or do to make Elizabeth feel any better.
A new sound came from down the hall, causing him to jump. Shaking his head, he cursed himself. Of course she was drying her hair - she had no chance of getting warm if her head was still wet. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he finally decided that he would just tell her to call him if she needed anything and leave as quickly as he could.
The bathroom door opened a few minutes later, and Elizabeth came out in a pair of sweats and a long sleeved t-shirt. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she looking down at the ground.
"Thank you, Logan...for bringing me home, and...helping me."
He started to nod, even opened his mouth to give her the excuse he had worked out in his head. But then he saw another shiver run through her body, and Mike realized that she was still cold. Without even thinking about it, he walked over to her, taking a hold of her arms and letting one hand drift to her forehead.
"Dammit, Liz...you're freezing." He looked around the room. "Do you have any spare blankets?"
She nodded, her eyes drooping as exhaustion finally began to take over. "In the closet."
He walked down the hall, opening her closet and scanning its contents. When he saw the big comforter folded at the top, he reached up for it, easily grabbing it and pulling it down. He opened it as he walked back towards her, and then set it down on the couch. Avoiding her eyes, he shrugged off his jacket, slinging it over the recliner, and slipped his shoes off.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep and confusion.
Logan spread the blanket out on the couch, trying not to think about what he was doing. Then he settled himself against one of the arms and motioned for Liz to join him. When she just continued to stare at him, he sighed.
"We have to get you warm, Liz, and your body needs help with that. We're just gonna have to share our body heat for a little bit."
Olivet looked uncertain, but she moved towards him anyway. Taking her arm, Mike guided her until she was sitting between his legs and leaning against his chest. Then he wrapped the blanket around both of them, stretching his legs the length of the couch.
For the first five minutes, the whole situation was incredibly awkward. Logan was unsure of where to put his hands, and Liz could feel his heart hammering away in his chest. Neither spoke, and they both studiously avoided the other's eyes.
He told himself that they would only stay like that until her temperature came back up. But as they continued to lie there, his body began to relax, and he suddenly realized just how tired he was. Cautiously setting his hands on Olivet's waist, he closed his eyes, telling himself that he was just going to rest.
The last thing he remembered before drifting off to sleep was Elizabeth's arms wrapping around his torso as she snuggled deeper into his chest.
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The next morning dawned painfully bright. Logan frowned, turning in an effort to shield his eyes. He snapped wide awake, however, when he realized that he wasn't in his bed, or any bed at all. Looking around in confusion, he realized that he was stretched out on a couch that he didn't recognize. But as he took in the comforter draped over his body, the night before came back to him quickly.
Sounds came from the kitchen, and he looked up in surprise. Olivet was pulling out some eggs and firing up the stove. When she turned and saw that he was awake, she gave him a small, embarrassed smile.
"Good morning."
"Morning," he said groggily. "What time is it?"
"Almost nine. Looks like we both needed some sleep." Looking around, she seemed to weigh her next words. "Do you want to stay for breakfast?"
Logan was sorely tempted to accept her offer. So much so, in fact, that it surprised him. But a small voice told him that it wouldn't be a good idea, and he shook his head, giving her an apologetic smile of his own.
"I think I should go."
She nodded, something in her eyes telling him that she understood his reasons, maybe even better than he himself did. Crossing her arms, she watched as he put on his shoes and retrieved his jacket from the chair.
"I guess I'll see you Monday," he finally offered, not knowing what else to say.
Elizabeth nodded and he moved for the door, his hand reaching out for the knob. Before it could get there, though, her hand shot out and grabbed his arm, turning him so that they were facing each other.
"Logan...thank you," she said quietly. "For everything." Pushing herself up, she brushed a soft kiss across his cheek.
His heart pounding and his mouth suddenly dry, Mike found himself smiling shyly at her. He reached out and took her hand off of his arm, giving it a long squeeze before letting go.
"You're welcome," he murmured.
Giving her one last glance, he nodded, seemingly to himself. Then he opened the door and was gone, living Elizabeth alone in her apartment.