She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she woke up and the sun was coming through her window and Elliot was still asleep. She sat up and got her phone to check the time and it was almost time for Elliot to wake up for work. She saw that she had a text from Dom, it said that they’d be calling her and Krista in to testify tomorrow and the prosecutor wanted to meet with her today to go over what she might be asked. She groaned and put her hand over her eyes, she’d have to get someone to cover for her today. “What’s wrong?” Elliot said roughly, trying to get his voice. She handed him her phone so he could read the text, and he sat up as he read it. He handed it back to her, “you alright?” “Yea I think so, I’m glad it’s sooner than I thought because I want to get it over with but I’m nervous,” she said, texting Dom back asking what time they should meet. “Hey, you got this, okay? You got this,” Elliot said, putting his arm around her. She took a deep breath and laid down hard groaning, “thank you, babe, I think preparing with the prosecutor will help, I’m just scared of what they are going to ask me.” “They know he’s guilty, even his lawyer knows that he’s just doing a job he probably hates himself for, all you have to do is tell the truth,” he said, he started to stretch, and she watched his skin move with his back muscles. She touched his back and it startled him, he turned and grinned at her. She raised one eyebrow and that’s all it took for him to throw himself over on top of her. After they were done she said, “I actually feel better now, less nervous.” Elliot chuckled, “glad I could help, I’ll help more if you want.” “You gotta get ready for work Mr. Alderson,” she teased, “and I have to call someone in to cover for me today.” Elliot kissed her and got up and walked to the bathroom naked, she watched his body as he moved, and she almost told him to come back but stopped herself. She threw on some lounge clothes and went to get some coffee before the shop opened. She got one for Elliot too and then heated up a couple of muffins in the microwave. She put it all in a drink carrier and went back upstairs. She sat it all on her dresser and waited for Elliot to get out of the shower. “I brought you some muffins honey,” she said holding them up to him as he came out of the bathroom in a towel. “Thanks, I’ll get them in a minute,” he said, taking the towel off and running it over his wet hair. She tilted her head at him and tried to focus on his face as he walked past her to his clothes. “You’re mean,” she said. “Why?” he asked. “Teasing me, walking around naked,” she said leaning on her dresser. “I’m not teasing you, maybe I’m trying to seduce you,” he laughed. “We don’t have time,” she said. “Well maybe this will be on your mind all day instead of your nerves,” he said, and there it was, the real reason he was doing this. Even when it seemed like he was being sexual there was a layer of sweetness to it. She smiled at him and watched him get dressed. She walked over and started buttoning his shirt for him. “Do you have a busy day today?” she asked. “Probably not, why?” he asked. “Just wondering, I’ll probably do some admin stuff in the office before my meeting,” she said. “You could just relax,” he said rubbing her arms. “No, I can’t, I need to keep my mind busy,” she finished his buttons and fixed his collar for him. He gave her a concerned look and pulled her into a hug, “if you need anything call me, I can leave anytime and be right there with you okay?” She sighed, “thank you.” “I love you,” he said kissing her goodbye. “Love you,” she said holding back tears, he hesitated, and she pushed him out the door, “go, I’m fine.” After he left she got back in bed for a while, just trying to relax and get rested. Then she got ready and went downstairs to work in the office for a while. Darlene was going to come to the meeting with her, so she came into the shop for a pep talk. They went out back and smoked a little to calm Raine’s nerves before they left to meet Dom. Dom drove them to the precinct to talk to the prosecutor. He gave her the list of all his planned questions and talked to her about her experience with Luke. Then the hard part, he gave her an idea of what kind of questions Luke’s lawyer would probably ask. The questions were infuriating but she knew she had to stay calm and answer well. The prosecuting attorney’s name was Avery Knight, and she liked him, he practiced her reactions to horrible questions for a long time. “Now you know he will be there right?” Avery asked her. “In the room? Yea I figured, that’s going to be really hard to deal with,” she said. “You haven’t seen him since you broke up?” he asked. “No, and even a phone call triggered me majorly,” she said. “Well that may actually help the case, I know it won’t be enjoyable but if the Judge sees how frightened you are of this man it can only help us put him away for life, that’s our goal, life in prison,” Avery held her hand and patted it tenderly, he was an older attractive man with salt and pepper hair. Then he slapped his knees and stood up, then he said, “okay, it’s getting late, and I think we’ve prepared as much as we can, now remember I asked you things he might ask you, but I can’t know what he will come up with so be prepared for anything, I know this is the angle he’s going to try because it’s the only one he’s got but as for specific lines of questioning, who can say.” “Thank you, I really hope we can get this over with and put him away for a long time, he really is dangerous, I just want to feel safe again,” she said her voice catching. Dom put her hand on Raine’s shoulder for support like she had done a thousand times during their meeting and Raine smiled at her, “I’m okay.” Dom and Darlene wanted to go out to lunch but Raine decided to pick up some fast food to surprise Elliot at work. She texted Lloyd, who’d given her his number, and asked if Elliot had taken his lunch yet. Neither of them had so she decided to pick up something for Lloyd too just because she had a feeling he didn’t have that many friends. She walked in with two bags and a drink carrier with three milkshakes. Cindy waved at her and she said hello, not bothering to ask about the sign-in sheet. Raine had texted her the number Krista had given her for a therapist and she wondered if Cindy had gone yet. She went up to Elliot’s floor, praying the whole time she didn’t run into Jake again. She stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for Lloyd’s cubicle, she sat his bag down and carefully pulled his chocolate milkshake out of the carrier, and handed it to him. “What’s this for?” he gapped at her in shock. “A thank you, and an attempt to buy good karma, got a big day tomorrow,” she said. “Thank you for what?” he asked. “Rescuing me yesterday,” she smiled and walked away before he could protest or attempt to pay her. She walked up to Elliot’s door, she could see he was so into his work that he didn’t see her walk up. She knocked and he said, “come in.” She opened the door and went in, he looked up and saw her and jumped up surprised, “Is everything okay?” She giggled, “everything is fine, I just wanted to bring you lunch.” She sat the bag on his desk and set the milkshakes out. Elliot walked around his desk to give her a kiss. She looked up at him and said, “I hope it’s okay that I came.” “Yea it’s great, thank you,” he said peering into the bag. “I got you fries and a chocolate milkshake, and some chicken nuggets, chicken strips, and a cheeseburger, fish… I didn’t know what you’d want so I just got everything,” she said. “I’ll eat what you don’t want,” he said. “I’m not hungry, I got myself a strawberry milkshake, that’s all I want,” she said. “I can’t eat all of it, you take something,” he said. She sighed, “I really don’t feel like eating, I might take what you don’t eat home.” “How was the meeting?” he asked apprehensively. “It was… fine, I feel more prepared at least, but it was hard… hearing all those accusations they are going to throw at me,” she admitted. He gave her a sympathetic look and said, “come here,” as he pulled her into a hug. She let out a deep sigh in his ear and felt her tension ease a little. “Okay?” he asked. “Yea, I just want you to hold me all day,” she said, “but you’re at work and we have to act normal.” She backed away and straightened his collar then put her hand on the side of his face, feeling his perfect jawline. He looked at her concerned but all she could think about was how beautiful his face looked. “Want me to leave early?” he asked. “No, no I’m fine, all of this is for the best, the goal is to put him away for life because he deserves at least that,” she said. Elliot nodded and she started pulling food out of the bag and sat it all in a row on his desk. Elliot grabbed the fries and started eating them three at a time. She had gotten two large orders because she knew he loved them, and now she knew that had been a good idea. He grabbed the milkshake and cheeseburger then went back to his side of his desk and sat down. She sat across from him and ate a few of his fries and pieced at a couple of chicken nuggets. She sipped her milkshake as Elliot inhaled his food and only paused to try and make her laugh to get her mind off things. When he was done and refused to take anything else she packed it back in the bag and kissed him goodbye. “I’ll call you when I leave,” he said. “Okay, love you.” She walked out and waved to Lloyd when she passed him. In the elevator, she stuck a twenty in the bag. When she left the building, she walked down the street and handed the bag to the first homeless person she saw then hailed a cab. She went home and decided to work some more in the office to keep her mind busy. She got everything done and then some in an hour so she went upstairs to take a nap, she undressed to her underthings and put her headphones in, and listened to music until she fell asleep. When she woke up she felt arms around her, normally she would panic but she knew the feel of these arms. She took her headphones out and shut off her music, “Elliot?” she whispered. “Yea,” he said, his breath on her neck making her shiver. “When did you get here?” she asked. “A little while ago, I didn’t want to wake you up, and you said earlier you wanted me to hold you,” he said. “How did you get in?” she asked giggling. He didn’t say anything, so she said, “did you pick my lock?” “I’m sorry I texted and called and you didn’t answer, so I came over and you didn’t answer the door, so I got worried,” he said. “I must not have heard it over my music, the texts and calls must have blended in with it,” she said, “I’m sorry I worried you.” “Nah, you’re good, I found a way to you,” he said pulling her tighter to him. “I’m glad you did,” she said putting her arms on his, “but I do need to figure out what I’m going to wear tomorrow.” She got up and started looking through her closet for something that would garner sympathy. “I called off tomorrow,” Elliot said as he turned over on his back. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said. “I said I’d be there for you,” he said. She smiled at him, part of her was glad he would be there, but the other part kind of wished he would stay away. He’d never even been in the same room as Luke and she had no idea what would happen. “You want to stay at my place tonight?” he asked. “Do you want me to stay at your place?” “Yes, actually I think I should get you a key,” he said. “And you don’t need one for my apartment,” she teased. “What about when the shop is closed?” he asked. “You can’t pick that lock?” she asked. “I could but someone might see me and call the police.” “Okay I’ll get you some keys made,” she said. She picked out an outfit and then gathered up stuff to take to Elliot’s. They walked slowly to his place enjoying the weather and talking about nothing. They spent the evening playing with flipper and Elliot fixed them mac and cheese. She still couldn’t eat much because of her nerves. They smoked some weed and Elliot asked if he could watch any of her favorite old movies. She knew he was trying to distract her as much as he could. She had a conversation with Mr. Robot who promised to be available in case Elliot couldn’t handle being around Luke. She felt a lot better after talking to him and she asked Elliot to get her some ice cream because she got some of her appetite back. She didn’t know if she was more nervous for herself or for Elliot, but she couldn’t ask him to stay away because him not being there was somehow worse. The night went by way too fast and before she knew it she was waking up to a full-on massage. “What are you doing?” she asked him. “I want you to have a good day,” he said, she knew what he meant so she relaxed and let him rub her all over her body relaxing all her muscles until she was almost asleep again. She was on her stomach and Elliot straddled her and rubbed her shoulders. She asked if they could have sex and Elliot put a pillow under her hips. She shoved the other pillow into her mouth to muffle her screams as Elliot had just the right angle. When they were done he kissed her shoulders and let her rest as he got up and lit a cigarette. “One of these days we are going to break this bed, I don’t think it can take much more,” she giggled turning over and setting up. Elliot grinned at her from the couch and took a hit off his cigarette instead of responding, it was one of his habits that she found incredibly attractive. Most people would feel annoyed at his nonverbal interactions, but she loved when his only response was a grin or a look, it was just so him. She pulled her knees up and put her arms around them and tilted her head at him. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “What?” she asked. “You know what, that sexy look, you’re wearing me out,” he said. “I just looked at you,” she giggled. “Exactly, you don’t even realize you’re doing it,” he said. She sighed and grabbed his work shirt from the day before that had somehow ended up hanging off the dresser by the bed. She put it on and buttoned some of the buttons and grabbed a pair of boxers she didn’t know why Elliot had because he always wore boxer briefs, black. She got up and made herself some coffee while Elliot sat on the couch smoking, naked. She sat at the table drinking her coffee as he got a shower. When he was done she took one and they both got ready in silence.