Semper Fi

A Gentleman's Agreement

"Did you have anything to do with happened to Harris?"

"Liv I—"

"Hello my wonderful family," Lizzie greeted them walking through the door all smiles completely unaware to what she just interrupted.

"Li-Li," Noah yelled running up to her leg.

"Hey there munchkin," she said picking him up on her hip. "Hey—" she stopped suddenly watching the serious faces of Elliot and Olivia. "I'm so sorry I'll talk quieter," she whispered tiptoeing over to the table where they were sitting. "I see the baby is asleep. I left my math book here last night and wanted to see the munchkins. So what's up?"

Elliot and Olivia watched each other and tried to snap themselves out of it for the sake of the children.

"Nothing much honey me and your dad were just talking," Olivia spoke up trying to sound somewhat cheerful.

"Yeah..just talking," Elliot added staring at the table.

Lizzie paused inspecting the body language between the two of them and realized that she interrupted something.

"Ok Noah, why don't we go back to the living room while mommy and daddy go upstairs and talk?" She walked back towards his toys giving them a knowing glance over her shoulder.

They shuffled up the stairs to their bedroom and closed the door behind them.

"No," he said simply as soon as the door was closed.

"What?"

"The answer to your question," he began motioning for her to sit on the bed next to him "is no. I thought about it. God knows I was even about to make a few calls but if I did it then there was always a chance that I could be caught and I couldn't—I couldn't risk...."

"going to jail?" Olivia finished the sentence for him.

He sighed deeply, resting his hands on his thighs in frustration. Going to jail should have been his main concern but it was a close second. "I couldn't risk getting caught and then you would have to testify," he explained meeting her curious gaze. Her expression softened at his admission. "I know how hard it was for you to tell me everything and I would never want to put you in a position to have to testify and tell a courtroom full of people what that piece of shit did to you."

She laid her head on his shoulder, the signs of anger slowly leaving her body.

"I know I wasn't around when you testified against Lewis but I remember watching you during that time," he said resting his head on hers. "I would sit in my car and watch you and you looked so broken. Just as broken as I was around that time. I wanted so bad to hold you and tell you everything was going to be ok and take that pain away."

Olivia put her hand in his and gently stroked his arm. She wasn't happy that they were in this mess but the fact that he thought sensibly before doing something that could land him in jail for life was proof enough to her that he made the changes he promised her he did.

"I know you did," she responded simply. "You could've done something and you didn't. I believe you and I appreciate that you were able to show some restraint. Couldn't have been easy," she said in a low voice comforting him.

"No it wasn't," he replied turning his body to face her. "Liv I know you think I'm trying to make this whole situation with Harris about me—"

She got ready to interrupt and he put his hand up to stop her.

"I'm not trying to do that. When I made the comment about what happens to you happens to me I just mean that whatever affects you affects me, even if it is in different ways. I won't ever take away from what you went through with Lewis or Harris and I know I don't show it in the best ways- but I just want to take care of you Liv. That's all I ever want to do is take care of you and our family," he clarified.