Adding Fuel to the Fire: An Elliot Stabler Story

Chapter Nine

Elliot drove home from the precinct quickly on Friday evening, eager to call Johanna to plan their date. The busy New York roads kept his mind alert as he drove through Queens to his home.

When he pulled up to his house, he noticed his ex-wife's car in the driveway. He groaned, wondering why she was there unannounced. He rolled his eyes when he realized she was nowhere in sight, meaning she had used her 'emergencies only' key to enter his house.

As he sauntered up the walkway, Dickie, his only son, came hurdling through the door toward him.

"Daddy!" The blond-haired, blue-eyed boy yelled excitedly as he hurried down the steps to his father.

"Hey, buddy!" Elliot exclaimed, picking his son up and holding him up in the air. "Look at you, you're getting so tall!"

He perched the child on his hip and walked up the steps to his front door where he met Kathy.

"What are you doing here?" He wondered, shutting the door.

"Dickie was missing his daddy," she informed him plainly.

"Aw," Elliot smiled at the boy in his arms. "Daddy was missing you too!" He tickled his son gently, sending the little boy into a fit of giggles.

Dickie wriggled in his father's arms, letting him know he wanted to get down. When his little feet hit the ground, he took off toward his bedroom that contained his toys.

"The girls didn't want to come over?" Elliot wondered.

"Maureen and Kathleen are going to friends' houses for the night and Elizabeth's at my mom's. Dickie kept asking for you, so I thought we'd come over and surprise you," his ex-wife explained. "Can he stay with you tonight?"

"Sure," he answered without hesitation, knowing Johanna would understand if he had to cancel his date with her again because of his son.

Kathy folded her arms across her chest and stared at Elliot as he walked into the kitchen. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" He asked her as he walked toward the refrigerator.

"That you're seeing someone," she answered bluntly.

Elliot turned around and narrowed his eyes at her. "Who told you that?" Literally no one that knew about Johanna would blab about her to Kathy.

"A friend of mine saw you last night," she told him. "Outside the precinct. She said you were kissing a young redheaded girl when she passed by around midnight."

"Jesus, Kathy," he groaned, turning around and opening the refrigerator. "What the hell does it matter?"

"I just want to know. Is it true?" She asked again.

"No," Elliot snapped then realized he was technically lying. "I mean, yes, I'm seeing someone. But it's nothing serious."

"So you're basically just sleeping with her?" She accused.

"What the – is that why you're here?" He wondered, grabbing a coke from the fridge then turning back to her, realizing how suspicious it was that she brought Dickie to his house unexpectedly, wanting him to spend the night with Elliot. He scoffed, "Wow. You were trying to see if I was going to be busy with her tonight."

"Oh, as if." She rolled her eyes and dropped her hands. "Dickie was asking for you all day."

"But instead of calling, you just came over," Elliot hinted. "What, were you trying to catch us in the act or something?"

"You're ridiculous," she spat. But she knew she had been caught red-handed.

Initially, Kathy suspected it was Olivia he was kissing outside the precinct. It would've confirmed her relentless suspicion of their affair. But alas, her friend was positive that it was a woman younger and prettier than his partner. That thought didn't sit well with Kathy. She thought for sure once the divorce was final that he and Olivia would come clean and admit their misconducts – but she had been wrong about them all along. She thought it would make her happy to know the truth, but she cringed at Elliot upgrading to a younger and more attractive woman, and she had to find out for sure.