Chapter Text
"Are we moving too fast?" Elliot asked. He stood in the middle of a two story home that had been built shortly before World War II. The older couple who had owned it had both gone into a nursing home and their kids were trying to sell it. It had sat on the market for a while, mostly because it was in need of some serious updating. It sat too long however and now it was up for auction as the state had to repossess it to pay off the medical debts of the couple.
"Moving here will allow you kids to stay in their schools and not limit the time they spend with us. They'll be able to have sleep overs here or just hang out if they want. Can't exactly shove them all into either of our apartments. Heck our apartments are barely big enough for us to live in," Olivia pointed out. She stood next to him taking in the living room.
"It's adorable that you keep putting them first but we do need to think about ourselves. They're getting older and soon they won't need to have adults in their everyday lives," he said.
"So you think that we wouldn't like a nice place for them to come back and visit when they get married and have kids?" She wondered.
"They aren't that old, geez," Elliot said.
"Maureen is looking at colleges. She'll be a high school senior in the fall. Kathleen is going to be in eighth grade and Lizzie and Dickie will be in fifth grade. Before you know it, they will be old enough," his partner told him.
"That means we've been together for almost four years," he was surprised at how the time had flown.
"Four years next month so we aren't moving too fast," Olivia leaned over and kissed him.
"This place needs a lot of work," Elliot pointed out.
"New carpets, new paint, and some new kitchen appliances for sure. We can worry about the other stuff later," she said.
"I think the roof won't be able to wait," a friend of Elliot's commented, as he came in through the front door. Steve Winthrop had served with Elliot in Desert Storm. He was a little older than the detectives and had salt and pepper hair. Standing at six foot tall, his muscles made it noticeable that he still took good care of himself.
"That bad huh?" Elliot wondered, taking Olivia's hand in his.
"Well it looks like it's nearing the end of its twenty year warranty and there are a couple of spots that might not take the winter abuse," Steve admitted. After retiring from the Marines, he had returned home to his father's roofing business and he and Elliot had stayed in touch.
"Ok so new roof, new carpets, new paint, and new kitchen appliances," Olivia said.
"The paint could be tricky. Given the age of the house, there is probably lead in it. New York State says that all lead paint needs to be removed and/or properly covered over," Winthrop told them.
"How do you get rid of lead paint?" She gave him a look.
"Well they go through a process of sealing off a room and then they remove all the old paint. However, if that is too expensive, there is always enclosure or encapsulation. Usually that means covering the lead paint with a durable barrier like vinyl siding or using an adhesive coating. I can give you some contractors in the area that will do a good job," Steve explained.
"Well I bet they won't mention that at the auction tomorrow," Elliot said.
"Probably not, but no matter what, this will probably be a steal. A house just down the block sold for five-hundred and fifty thousand not too long ago," Steve admitted.
"I think the things you mentioned along with the fact that the left behind fixtures look like they stepped out of the sixties will probably have a lot to do with it," Olivia said. While the house had been built before the war, the sixties must have been the last time any work was done on the inside.
"Not too long ago a couple bought a house a few streets over and just bulldozed it and started over. That's always an option," Winthrop shrugged.
"Not on our salaries it's not," Elliot shook his head. They brought home about two hundred and twenty thousand a year between the two of them and getting a home in Queens had changed a lot since Elliot and Kathy had done it back in the eighties.
"Well good luck tomorrow," Steve smiled.
"Thanks man. I appreciate it," Elliot shook his hand.
"Thank me by having my crew come over and fix the roof when you win the auction ok?" Steve smirked.
"We'll let you know how it goes," Elliot promised and the three of them exited the home to let other prospective bidders take a look around.
"Good thing they allow financing and we got pre-approved," Olivia said.
"I'll say. Let's head to your place," her partner said.