Crumbling Armor

Crumbling Armor

Chapter 9: I’m Ready

A/N: Okay, this is a bit shorter than the other chapters but it has more drama in it than the recent installments. I have to say that I am beginning to like Kathy quite a lot in this story and as such I must ask all of you readers to please keep an open mind in this chapter and realize that she had known for a long time that her husband is in love with another woman and had been trying to cope with that before she’d ever gotten to know Olivia as a person. She’s not perfect but then again, who is? And to anyone who would answer “Olivia” to that question should remember her behavior in the episode “Blinded”. Enough rambling, on to the chapter!

“He’s so beautiful,” Olivia said in awe as she held a sleeping Eli to her chest. She looked down into a completely innocent, angelic face. This child knew nothing of the evils of the world. Olivia wondered how long that innocence would last. Seven years, ten before…? She held the baby tighter and closed her eyes. She knew that she would die to protect Eli or any of Elliot’s children.

“He kind of looks like you,” Elliot told her softly as he sat beside her, one arm draped over her shoulders.

Olivia began giggling softly “I can assure you, he came out of Kathy. I was there, remember?”

Elliot nodded and unconsciously tightened his grip on her “I remember,” he whispered. He stroked the peach fuzz on the top of Eli’s head gingerly. If it wasn’t for Olivia, Eli might not have even survived that day.

Olivia attempted to stifle a yawn and utterly failed. She laid her head on Elliot’s shoulder. “I love being with you like this,” she admitted to him.

“Me too,” Elliot smiled, turning his head and kissing her.

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“Lucke quit it,” Kathy elbowed the man away from her.

Luke Jordan removed his hands from under her shirt and instead began to tickle her through her clothes “Come on,” he pleaded “When was the last time we got to be together?”

Kathy sighed “It’s been a long time but… Luke… I…”

“I know, I know,” Luke groaned “You don’t want to do anything sexual until your divorce is final. But…” he smirked as he continued to tickle her.

“I said stop,” Kathy smacked his hands away “It’s just… it’s too tempting…”

“I thought you said that your husband’s been fucking his partner for the past seven weeks,” Luke said defensively as he grabbed her wrists.

Kathy stood to her feet, wrenching away from him “I never said that. How dare you?”

“Come on baby,” Luke pushed as he tried to wrap her in his arms and kiss her “I thought you said he was sleeping over.”

“While she was in the hospital,” Kathy pulled away, angry that Luke had made such an assumption “I think you should go.”

“Come on,” Luke gestured to the TV where “Man of the Year” was still playing. “I thought we were gonna watch a movie while your kids are out of the house.”

Kathy shrugged and returned to the couch “Alright but we’re just watching, nothing more.”

“Okay,” Luke agreed. But he didn’t stay true to his word, it wasn’t long before he was kissing her and trying to lie down next to her on the sofa “God damn it I want you so bad,” he panted.

“Get away from me,” Kathy pushed him onto the floor and stood up.

“Honey…” Luke said sweetly though he couldn’t stop scowling at her “I thought you wanted to kick back and relax tonight?” he winked suggestively.

“I did,” she told him “But now I’m not so sure. You should go.” She turned to leave the living room altogether when he grabbed her and through her against the wall.

“Don’t be such an uptight bitch,” he hissed. He made a fist and punched her in the face. She fell to the floor.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kathy asked as blood trickled from a cut on her lip. She was seeing a different side of the man she had come to know over the past three months. Their relationship had only consisted of phone conversations at first but one day while Elliot was at work, Kathy had taken Eli to meet him. As she lay on the floor bleeding, she was very glad that Eli was somewhere safe that night.

Luke reached down and pulled her to her feet, shaking her like a rag doll “You, stupid, bitch,” he growled at her, throwing her on the couch and tearing at her clothes.

She kicked at him and screamed as loud as she could “Get away from me!” She managed to land a good kick that sent him flying backwards and she ran from the room. She sprinted up the stares and could hear Luke close behind her. She barricaded herself in the master bedroom and called 911.

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“You’re sure about this?” Elliot asked as he settled down in bed beside Olivia.

“El,” she grinned up at him “I’m okay. I sleep better with you next to me,” she told him, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to the mattress.

He smiled and kissed her “You’ll let me know if you feel… uncomfortable, right?”

“Elliot,” she chastised him “We’ve slept side by side for the past seven weeks. You think that if I had a problem with it I would have told you by now?”

“I know,” he wrapped his arms around her and held her close “But what with everything that happened this morning,” he still felt guilty about frightening her.

She looked up at him and reached out, tenderly running her hand down the side of his face “That wasn’t your fault,” she assured him.

Elliot wanted to say something but he was all of a sudden overcome with exhaustion. He kissed her again “Goodnight,” he whispered “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she gave him a kiss of her own and nuzzled into his embrace.

Eli slept soundly in his crib. While in the bed, Olivia felt herself drifting off to the tune of Elliot’s heartbeat. All was quiet and calm until Elliot’s cell phone rang, shocking all three of them into wakefulness.

Olivia sat bolt upright in bed, snapping the light on and looking wildly in every direction before she even realized what the source of the sound was. The baby began to cry in his crib. Elliot for his part, fell out of bed from the sudden excitement and began to search for the phone.

“You okay?” Olivia asked, after she had composed herself and retrieved Eli from the crib.

“Yeah,” Elliot called from beside the bed as he picked himself up off the floor. He reached for his cell phone and flipped it open.

“It’s alright,” Olivia cooed to Eli who was still on edge “It’s okay,” she looked over at Elliot who looked pale and she knew that it wasn’t okay.

After Elliot hung up, he made several other phone calls. When he had finally finished, he hung up and turned to Olivia, sliding back onto the bed and wrapping her and Eli in a tight hug.

“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked concern flooding her voice.

“There was a fire,” Elliot told her, looking down at Eli. If Kathy hadn’t left him there that night… he didn’t want to think about it.

“Oh my God,” Olivia whispered “Is everyone okay?”

“Kathy was the only one inside when it happened,” he told her “She only suffered miner burns, the firefighters managed to get her out in time.”

“Thank God,” Olivia murmured. She too looked down at Eli and tightened her grip on the baby.

“They’ll be keeping her in the hospital overnight for observation,” Elliot continued “The firefighters are calling the house a total loss.”

“What?” Olivia asked in shock.

“They’re just trying to keep it from spreading at this point,” Elliot explained “Aparently, Kathy’s very lucky that the she got out at all.”

Olivia looked deep into Elliot’s eyes “What aren’t you telling me?” she questioned, sensing that he was trying to protect her from something.

Elliot cleared his throat and looked down at Eli again. He found it hard to speak “It looks like arsine,” he said finally “Kathy had barricaded herself in the bedroom,” he pulled Olivia closer to him “When they found her, her clothes were nearly ripped off.”

“Oh my God,” Olivia exclaimed “Rape kit?”

“Too soon,” Elliot shook his head and changed the subject “I sort of told Kathleen and the twins to come here for tonight.”

Olivia nodded “Of course,” she said reassuringly. The kids needed to sleep somewhere and where better than where she and Elliot could keep an eye on them. “Is Kathy conscious? Did she tell the police what happened?”

“She suffered pretty severe smoke inhalation,” Elliot explained “She’s on oxygen and isn’t up for talking.”

They sat in silence for a long time, holding each other and looking down at Eli. They both knew how lucky they were that he hadn’t been in that house tonight. Even a slight case of smoke inhalation would reek massive havoc on such a tiny body. And what would have happened if Kathy’s attacker had gotten to him before Kathy could?

Olivia finally cleared her throat “Are you okay?” she asked Elliot.

He nodded but said nothing, dropping his head to her shoulder “I don’t know,” he finally managed.

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Kathleen, Lizzie and Dickie arrived a little while later. Olivia’s living room quickly transformed with blankets spread across the floor and teenagers sitting cross legged on cushions sipping mugs of hot chocolate and munching on the many cookies and other baked goods that Kathy had made earlier that day.

No one, not even Dickie seemed to have much of an appetite, even after Elliot assured all of them that their mother was going to be fine. They set their mugs aside before they were even half finished and Dickie was the only one who managed to eat an entire cookie.

Olivia turned on the TV and found some movie to try and distract their attention. It didn’t really work but all three of the children, though they didn’t admit it, were thankful for the distraction.

The settled into their makeshift beds on the floor and said goodnight but long after Eli lay snoring in his crib once again, Elliot and Olivia lay in bed, clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it and listening to the whispered words of worry that passed between the living room’s occupants.

“They’re gonna find the guy who did this,” Olivia whispered a while after the whispering had ceased “I know they will.”

Elliot gave her a little squeeze and a kiss “She could have died,” he whispered “What if the kids had been in the house?”

Olivia propped herself up on her elbow “They weren’t,” she said quietly “They’re all fine. Maureen’s safe with her boyfriend and the rest of them are here, with us.”

Elliot lifted his gaze to hers “Thanks for letting them stay here,” he said in a tiny voice. He’d almost been afraid that she would have been unhappy about it.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Olivia asked, leaning in and kissing him, wrapping her arms around his neck “I love you and I love your kids and they can stay here as long as they need to.”

“That could get a little awkward after a few days,” Elliot managed a small chuckle.

“And why’s that?” Olivia asked curiously.

“Three women and one bathroom,” he joked.

She poked him in the ribs “Shut up,” she teased before becoming serious again “Do they have any leads?” Elliot had been on the phone at least twice more since the original phone calls.

“No,” Elliot sighed “But they think Kathy will be up to talking tomorrow.”

“I’d like to be the one to talk to her,” Olivia said suddenly.

“We’ve got no jurisdiction on this case,” Elliot told her with a small sigh “It’s Queens’ arsine’s case.”

“I’m gonna talk to her anyway,” Olivia said resolutely “There might be things that she can’t talk to the arsine investigators about.”

Elliot knew what she was talking about “Are you sure you’re ready for that?” he asked “I mean, you’re not even supposed to be back at work for another week.”

“She’s my friend,” Olivia said straightforwardly “She could have died,” she turned her gaze to the crib in the corner of the room “Any one of the kids could have been in the house with her and might not have been as lucky as she was.”

Elliot saw the fire in her eyes. He knew she was determined to find the guy that did this. He tried to think of something to say that would stop her “You still haven’t been cleared for work,” he offered weakly.

“I’m just going to a hospital, not chasing perps on the street,” she said, still staring him down.

“Yeah,” Elliot agreed “But…”

“I know you’re worried,” Olivia cut him off, snuggling closer to him “But I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Elliot conceded “I’ll come with you.”

“Shouldn’t you stay with the kids?” Olivia asked “You should bring them by to see Kathy after I talk with her.”

“Liv…” Elliot sighed. She was steadfast in her determination. There seemed to be nothing he could do to get her to budge even a micrometer on the issue.

“I’ll be fine, I promise I’m ready for this,” she repeated, kissing him passionately and hoping that the kiss would shut him up.

Elliot caught a glimpse of the clock on the nightstand and realized how late it was. He would pick up the argument in the morning. She kept saying she would be fine, she would be careful, she would be safe. If he remembered correctly, those were the exact same things she’d said before she went undercover in Sealview.