Sweet Relief

How Long?

Olivia's eyes flutter open at the smell of coffee and the feeling of his fingers gently stroking her cheek. She turns her face in to the warm touch and kisses the palm of his hand.

"Good morning, Love..." He whispers, lazily kissing her temple as he watches her over his chest, starting to stretch and wake up.

There's a soft smile on her face as she looks to the nightstand, knowing a cup of coffee in her favorite mug waits for her, as it does nearly every Saturday morning. She's surprised by the early hour as she glances at the clock. "Why so early?" She asks through a yawn, taking a sip of her coffee as she leans back into Elliot's embrace.

Elliot's quiet as he studies her face. The sun has barely started to come up and it's still dark outside, a heavy fog rolling through the city, giving the air a slight chill, which makes Olivia curl her body closer into his his. He watches her as she sips the coffee, a content smile on her face.

"Thought it might be nice to spend a little time together, talk before the kids get up..." He says, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Olivia's ear for her, using any and every excuse to touch her.

Olivia looks up at him, a hint of skepticism on her face as she tries to read him. The events of last night have come back to her and she remembers his anxiety and the conversation he had managed to put off. "This about that thing you mentioned last night?" She asks, a slight arch in her brow as she continues to watch him, looking for a hint of what's to come in his expression.

He sighs and looks down at the mug in his hands. He knows he has to tell her, he should've done it last night. But he knows the second he does he loses the regular Saturday morning he was so desperately hoping to have tucked away in his memories before he has to leave. He also knows that dancing around it with Olivia won't soften the blow.

"I have to go back undercover." Elliot says, "Ayanna thinks for awhile this time, longer than the last one."

Olivia's stomach sinks as she takes in his words. This is what she was afraid of. She knew that look on his face last night all too well, she was just hoping that she hadn't read it correctly.

"Long, like how long?" She asks, sitting up a little straighter in bed, the sleep gone from her eyes and the contented warmth she had felt moments ago disappearing from her body. If it was only a week or two he would've said that. She braces herself for what she knows is coming.

"They're thinking a month, maybe two." Elliot says, slipping his hand into hers.

"Wheatley knows who you are, how does going back undercover help anyone?" She asks, frustrated, pulling her hand from his.

"This isn't about Wheatley." He says, trying to keep his tone steady. The last thing he wants is for his concerns about this operation to become hers, although he knows all too well that she's probably ten steps ahead of him like she always is. "It's the Albanians, they think we have an in, and we need a man on the inside."

"What happened to no more undercovers ops?" She asks, a hint of anger beginning to come through her voice. "Do you know how long two months is going to feel to the kids?"

She's never been on this side of the conversation before. She listened to the other end of it thousands of times in the station house while Kathy had the exact same reaction she's having now. She's never felt more empathy for her. And she's never resented Elliot's job more than she does in this moment.

"Liv, you have to believe I tried to to get out of this. Moennig wouldn't take no for an answer, I don't have a choice here." Elliot says, "I don't want to do this anymore than you want me to. But I have to, it's the job.. You know that."