Content to Just Be - Chapter 8
Two weekends later, Elliot is in the middle of grunting and groaning with Fin, dragging Olivia’s couch downstairs. “Christ, Liv! Why couldn’t you have a couch with wings? This thing is heavy!”
“What? A detective who passed his fitness tests can’t carry a simple couch?” Alex inquires.
“You try carryin’ a couch down 3 flights of stairs. It ain’t exactly easy,” Fin growls back.
“Where the hell is Munch? He was supposed to be here an hour ago…” Liv asks Fin.
“How the hell should I know? I ain’t his babysitter. He’s probably claiming anthrax again. That dude is such a hypochondriac.” Fin grins as he and Elliot drop the couch in the back of his truck. “Remind me again where this is going, Liv?”
“I’m dropping it off at the homeless shelter. While this couch is old, the one they have is worse. They could use a new couch.”
Fin and Elliot nod and head back up the stairs to grab more furniture. Once all of the stuff Liv isn’t keeping is in the back of the truck, Fin heads off to the homeless shelter and everyone else heads to Alex apartment to procure the right furniture to bring to Olivia’s.
Casey meets them at Alex’s apartment and helps Elliot and Olivia dismantle Alex bed and bring it outside. By this time, Fin has driven up with the truck, so Casey and Alex start loading the things they have brought down to the street onto the truck. Liv and Elliot are maneuvering Alex’s dresser and television to the front door of her apartment when Munch ambles in.
“Where the hell have you been?” Liv and Elliot send him death glares. Munch just shrugs and grabs one of the boxes and heads down the stairs. Elliot and Olivia shake their heads at one another and get back to work.
By the time 6pm rolls around, everything has been moved to either Olivia’s apartment or the local homeless shelter. Alex and Olivia bid everyone good night, thank them profusely and promise to have them all over for dinner as a formal thank you. “Are you cooking, Alex?” Munch asks. “’Cause I’ve heard you set fire to your stove trying to boil water.”
Olivia tries to stifle a snigger, but fails miserably. Alex just looks at her in a way that says, “If you ever want anything from me again, you will shut your mouth. Now.” Olivia sobers immediately. “Now Munch, you will just have to come over and see what gets put in front of you. Where is your sense of adventure?”
“I get plenty of adventure working with Fin, thanks. That’s all the adventure I need.”
Fin rolls his eyes and quips, “aw thanks, partner. It’s sure been a pleasure working with you, too.”
After a little more light bantering, everyone finally splits, leaving the ADA and the Detective to organize their apartment a little more. Alex headed to the bedroom to unpack all of her clothes and put them in the closet and dresser. Olivia revels in the fact that she has a new couch with a great television. She grabs a glass of water and flops down on it. “Liv, honey? Could you come here a minute?” Alex calls from the bedroom.
“Yeah, sure. Lemme put down my water. I’ll be right in.” Liv heads to the sink and puts her glass in it. Then, she makes her way to the bedroom. At first she doesn’t see Alex, but then realizes she is ass-deep in the closet. She has put her hair up in a messy ponytail and changed into one of Olivia’s oversized NYPD t-shirts and flannel boxers. “Babe, what’d you need?”
Alex pokes her head out and points to the box of stuff on the bed. Liv walks up to it and does a double take. She hasn’t seen this box in years and hasn’t thought about it for longer than that. Alex sees the shock and slight terror on Olivia’s face and immediately goes over to her girlfriend. “Baby? What is it?” she asks tenderly. Liv opens and closes her mouth a few times before sitting abruptly on the bed. She looks so lost and scared that Alex climbs up on the bed behind her and begins massaging her shoulders. When Liv finally attempts to speak, an undignified squeak comes out. She clears her throat and tries again.
“I…uh…haven’t actually ever looked through it. I found it my mom’s house after she died. I haven’t quite had the courage to go through it. It just sits there, burning a hole in my floor in the back of my closet….” Liv looks like she’s about to break down.
“Okay, okay, okay. Shhhh, its okay. Would it make you feel better if we went through it together?” Alex says as she rubs Olivia’s back. Olivia nods and says, “But not tonight, okay? I can’t do it tonight. Can we just finish moving you in and talk about it later?”
Alex nods her agreement and pulls Olivia into a hug and then walks back over to the closet to finish putting her stuff away. Olivia sits there numb for a second before getting up and heading back to the front room to put more stuff away. By about 11pm, they finally have everything the way they want it. Liv wanders back to the bedroom and flops on the bed, completely exhausted. Alex soon joins her after she finishes organizing their office. Alex is just about to ask Olivia if she’s okay, when Olivia plants a kiss on her forehead. “How ‘bout we hit they hay? We’ve had a big day,” Olivia sighs. Alex nods her agreement and the two of them head to the bathroom to shower, and complete other nightly activities before drifting to dreamland in their apartment.
“What? A detective who passed his fitness tests can’t carry a simple couch?” Alex inquires.
“You try carryin’ a couch down 3 flights of stairs. It ain’t exactly easy,” Fin growls back.
“Where the hell is Munch? He was supposed to be here an hour ago…” Liv asks Fin.
“How the hell should I know? I ain’t his babysitter. He’s probably claiming anthrax again. That dude is such a hypochondriac.” Fin grins as he and Elliot drop the couch in the back of his truck. “Remind me again where this is going, Liv?”
“I’m dropping it off at the homeless shelter. While this couch is old, the one they have is worse. They could use a new couch.”
Fin and Elliot nod and head back up the stairs to grab more furniture. Once all of the stuff Liv isn’t keeping is in the back of the truck, Fin heads off to the homeless shelter and everyone else heads to Alex apartment to procure the right furniture to bring to Olivia’s.
Casey meets them at Alex’s apartment and helps Elliot and Olivia dismantle Alex bed and bring it outside. By this time, Fin has driven up with the truck, so Casey and Alex start loading the things they have brought down to the street onto the truck. Liv and Elliot are maneuvering Alex’s dresser and television to the front door of her apartment when Munch ambles in.
“Where the hell have you been?” Liv and Elliot send him death glares. Munch just shrugs and grabs one of the boxes and heads down the stairs. Elliot and Olivia shake their heads at one another and get back to work.
By the time 6pm rolls around, everything has been moved to either Olivia’s apartment or the local homeless shelter. Alex and Olivia bid everyone good night, thank them profusely and promise to have them all over for dinner as a formal thank you. “Are you cooking, Alex?” Munch asks. “’Cause I’ve heard you set fire to your stove trying to boil water.”
Olivia tries to stifle a snigger, but fails miserably. Alex just looks at her in a way that says, “If you ever want anything from me again, you will shut your mouth. Now.” Olivia sobers immediately. “Now Munch, you will just have to come over and see what gets put in front of you. Where is your sense of adventure?”
“I get plenty of adventure working with Fin, thanks. That’s all the adventure I need.”
Fin rolls his eyes and quips, “aw thanks, partner. It’s sure been a pleasure working with you, too.”
After a little more light bantering, everyone finally splits, leaving the ADA and the Detective to organize their apartment a little more. Alex headed to the bedroom to unpack all of her clothes and put them in the closet and dresser. Olivia revels in the fact that she has a new couch with a great television. She grabs a glass of water and flops down on it. “Liv, honey? Could you come here a minute?” Alex calls from the bedroom.
“Yeah, sure. Lemme put down my water. I’ll be right in.” Liv heads to the sink and puts her glass in it. Then, she makes her way to the bedroom. At first she doesn’t see Alex, but then realizes she is ass-deep in the closet. She has put her hair up in a messy ponytail and changed into one of Olivia’s oversized NYPD t-shirts and flannel boxers. “Babe, what’d you need?”
Alex pokes her head out and points to the box of stuff on the bed. Liv walks up to it and does a double take. She hasn’t seen this box in years and hasn’t thought about it for longer than that. Alex sees the shock and slight terror on Olivia’s face and immediately goes over to her girlfriend. “Baby? What is it?” she asks tenderly. Liv opens and closes her mouth a few times before sitting abruptly on the bed. She looks so lost and scared that Alex climbs up on the bed behind her and begins massaging her shoulders. When Liv finally attempts to speak, an undignified squeak comes out. She clears her throat and tries again.
“I…uh…haven’t actually ever looked through it. I found it my mom’s house after she died. I haven’t quite had the courage to go through it. It just sits there, burning a hole in my floor in the back of my closet….” Liv looks like she’s about to break down.
“Okay, okay, okay. Shhhh, its okay. Would it make you feel better if we went through it together?” Alex says as she rubs Olivia’s back. Olivia nods and says, “But not tonight, okay? I can’t do it tonight. Can we just finish moving you in and talk about it later?”
Alex nods her agreement and pulls Olivia into a hug and then walks back over to the closet to finish putting her stuff away. Olivia sits there numb for a second before getting up and heading back to the front room to put more stuff away. By about 11pm, they finally have everything the way they want it. Liv wanders back to the bedroom and flops on the bed, completely exhausted. Alex soon joins her after she finishes organizing their office. Alex is just about to ask Olivia if she’s okay, when Olivia plants a kiss on her forehead. “How ‘bout we hit they hay? We’ve had a big day,” Olivia sighs. Alex nods her agreement and the two of them head to the bathroom to shower, and complete other nightly activities before drifting to dreamland in their apartment.