Adding Fuel to the Fire: An Elliot Stabler Story

Chapter Six

Johanna's pounding headache woke her up ruthlessly the next morning. She opened her eyes, immediately confused by her unfamiliar surroundings. She sat up too quickly, causing her head to spin. She clutched her forehead eagerly as the room slowly stopped spinning.

"Morning," Elliot called as he walked into the living room behind her, scratching his chest through his white t-shirt.

Startled, Johanna jumped a little then looked over at him; the events of the night before came rushing back to her mind but vaguely. She remembered the bar, dancing, kissing, going back to Elliot's house. Then she noticed she was on the couch and still fully clothed. She remembered Elliot stepping outside to take a phone call.

"Oh my God," she shut her eyes and hung her head. "Did I fall asleep before we...?"

Elliot laughed and nodded his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I am so embarrassed," she whined.

Elliot chuckled again as he stood next to the couch. "Don't be."

"I can't believe I did that, why didn't you kick my ass out?" She spat, angry with herself.

"I would never," he protested. "I'm gonna put a pot of coffee on, you want some?"

"And now you're offering me coffee?" She asked.

"Well, yeah. If your hangover is anything like mine, you won't survive the day without it," he answered as he walked into the kitchen.

"What time is it?" She questioned.

"Almost six AM," Elliot answered from the kitchen.

"Oh, God," she groaned. "Yeah, I'll take that cup of coffee."

"I put a t-shirt and some sweatpants of mine in the bathroom if you want to shower and change," he called to her. "Bathroom is down the hall to the right."

"Wow, I give you blue balls, and you give me coffee and a change of clothes?" She laughed as she walked over to the doorway of the kitchen.

"I'll even give you a ride home later if you'd quit yapping about my balls and go shower," he retorted with a smile, glancing over his shoulder at her.

Johanna smiled and walked down the hall to the bathroom. Though Elliot was always a gentleman and always so polite, she felt guilty about how well he was treating her that morning after the stunt she accidentally pulled a few hours earlier.

No one had ever treated her so well.

When Johanna walked back into the living room after her shower, she felt like a whole new person. She was clad in Elliot's navy blue NYPD sweatpants that hung off her hips loosely and one of his grey NYPD sweatshirts.

"Feel better?" Elliot asked when she plopped down on the couch next to him.

"Much," she responded.

"Here." He grabbed one of the two coffee mugs off the coffee table in front of him and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she sighed as she inhaled the delicious scent of the dark liquid in the mug. "Seriously."

"Don't mention it," he shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm sorry - did I mention that? I really am so embarrassed, Elliot," she admitted, using his first name, which she almost never did.

"I really don't want you to be. Shit happens," he told her.

Johanna noticed a picture frame on the coffee table in front of them. It held a picture of Elliot and four children smiling wildly. "Are those your kids?"