Partners Forever

Chapter 5 - Back Home

Over the next few days, we all took shifts sitting with El at the hospital while he recovered. He finally awakened the day after the incident and continued to improve from there. He was now out of the ICU and in a regular hospital room. I had come by after work to check on him and see how he was doing. When I arrived at his room, my stomach flipped, and my heart rate increased. He finally looked like Elliot Stabler again and I couldn't help but stare at his toned chest and bulging biceps as he sat shirtless. I began daydreaming about rubbing my hands all over him when his voice brought me back to reality.

"Hey Liv, you going to stand there all day staring at me?" he said with that shit eating grin he has.

"You wish Stabler, I was making sure you were awake before I came in." I managed to stammer out not so convincingly.

"I hear you are getting out tomorrow?" I asked as I sat down in the chair next to his bed.

"Yes, I can't wait. I am going stir crazy in here." he said exasperated.

"So, are your kids going to help you after you get discharged? You are going to need someone to help take care of you until you are all healed."

He smiled with a smirk on his face, "Why, are you offering to help Captain? I really need help in the bathing department."

I blushed and didn't know what to do with the flirting. I have always been able to shut down my emotions with anyone else but not with El. I am obviously attracted to him physically and am in love with him emotionally which scares me. My body was telling me to give in and just be with him, but my mind was saying it's too complicated, too much at risk, and to just stay friends with him. I rolled my eyes at him in response.

It would be several days before I would see El again. Work became crazy with trying to get the mountain of paperwork done from the Finch case along with staying busy with a few other he said/she said rape cases which were always a challenge. I thought back to those types of cases that El and I worked on together and remembered how we would fight the most on those. I loved the banter between us even though we sounded like we were going to kill each other to everyone else. The passion and fire El brought to the job are what made me fall in love with him. We didn't always agree on everything but we both cared and gave 100% to the job. I then thought about my few dates with Trevor and realized that the same sparks weren't there. My relationship with him was less complicated than with Elliot but also a lot more boring. My cell phone rang bringing me out of my thoughts and I answered it.

O: "Captain Benson."

K: "Hey Olivia, it's Kathleen. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help with my dad tonight? It's my turn to help take care of him and I've been called into work. He mainly needs assistance to get around and will also need help changing his bandage? I know it's a lot to ask."

O: "Oh, hey Kathleen. Um, sure I can do that. What time do you need me?"

K: "7 pm. Maureen leaves at that time. Thank you so much!"

I called Lucy to see if she could stay with Noah so I could take care of El. I felt guilty since I hadn't spent much time with Noah being so busy with work, but he was more than ok with me helping Elliot out. He said that Elliot had come and picked him up from the McCanns which helped me out greatly, so he wanted to repay the favor. I had no idea how I was blessed with such a sweet boy.

I was as nervous as a teenager on a first date when I arrived at his apartment. I know I was there just to help, but it was going to be just Elliot and I in his apartment alone. The last time we were alone in my apartment it did not go well. We were very close to kissing which would have led to other things that I wasn't ready to deal with. I'm not sure how I was able to resist him last time but am confident that I would not be able to a second time. Maureen answered the door with a smile, "Hey Olivia, good to see you. Dad is sitting on the couch. I already made him dinner, so he just needs someone to help him walk to the bathroom or get around in general and he also needs his bandage changed around 9:30. Eli should be here around 10 pm so you can leave once he is here."

I replied, "Sounds good, Maureen. I will take good care of him."

She gathered her things, gave Elliot a kiss on the top of his head and said goodbye to him. I sat on the couch on the opposite corner of Elliot. There was an awkward silence between us that I broke with, "So, you want to watch a movie?"

Elliot looked very uncomfortable and replied, "Um, sure. I'll flick through some channels and see what's on."

Ten minutes later, after going through every channel three times, we both decided nothing interested us. I really needed to calm my nerves, so I asked him if he wanted a glass of wine. He said sure and I went into the kitchen to pour two glasses of cabernet. I downed a glass of wine while in the kitchen and then poured myself a second glass. I sat back down on the couch and tried to make conversation to ease the tension. El started by giving me updates on his kids and their families. I then updated him on Noah, what he was doing at school, and how his dance classes were going. It finally started to feel like old times when we just hung out as partners without any pressure of romance.

Time flew by and I realized it was past 9:30. I told Elliot we needed to change his bandage. He scoffed and said that he wasn't a baby, and he could do it himself. I knew he felt vulnerable having people help him, so I helped walk him to the bedroom and let him attempt to change the bandage himself. I went and sat back on the couch after pouring myself another glass of wine. About ten minutes later, he called my name. I quickly went into his bedroom to ask if he was ok. I noticed he was slightly out of breath and his face was reddened.

"I need help Liv. I can't get the new bandage back on from this angle" he said out of breath.

I laughed to myself knowing how stubborn he is and what a horrible patient he is. I walked over to him sitting on the bed and stood right in front of him. My leg rubbed against his knee, and I instantly had goosebumps. I looked down at his wound and suddenly felt a little nauseous. I was instantly brought back to that horrible night and the image of him lying there surrounded by blood. I snapped myself out of it knowing that I needed to be strong and not let El see how shaken I was. I took the piece of gauze he was holding and gently placed it over his wound. I heard his breath hitch, and I was worried I had hurt him. He sensed my concern and looked at me with those icy blues telling me he was ok with just his eyes. It was my turn for me to hold my breath feeling nothing but desire with how he was looking at me. I looked down at his lips and my body started to lean down even though my mind was telling me not to. My lips were right in front of his smelling his familiar scent and yearning to taste him. Just when I couldn't resist kissing him any longer, I heard Eli's voice. "Hey Dad, I'm home! Are you ok?" Elliot groaned and placed his hands over his face fully aware of what was about to happen.

He replied, "Hey Eli, I'm in my bedroom. Liv is in here helping me, give us a minute."

I smacked him on the shoulder. "Elliot, do you know how that just sounded to your son?"

He laughed, "Yes, I do. That's why I said it like that. It's fine, he already thinks there is something going on between us anyway."

I quickly finished putting the bandage back on and went out to the living room where Eli was. I said hello and told him that I was just changing his dad's bandage and he was doing fine. I told Eli I had to get up early so I was going to head home now that he was here. Eli responded with a grunt and an ok that was not comforting. I was blushing like a high schooler that had just got caught by her parents making out with her boyfriend.