Everyone headed home a good two hours ago. The precinct was completely empty and it was just after 7 O'clock. Olivia never minded working late. In fact, she used to enjoy it. It was the prime time to finish all of her work, and she could walk in the next morning feeling completely relaxed knowing that she was all caught up on paper work and what-not. Any more though, it became her priority to get out of there as soon as possible and get home to Noah. The workplace was lonely after hours. At least, it had been now for almost 3 years. And now, she had a baby to look forward to going home to. A few more forms she thought, and she would be back home rocking Noah in her arms and reading him a bed time story.

The elevator chimed and she looked up, curious to see who had ventured back to the precinct this evening. Once she realized that it was the custodian making his way up to their floor to clean, she returned her focus back to her paperwork. About a minute later, she heard a light tap on her door. As she finished her last sentence, she rose to let the custodian into her office. She walked over to the door, flipping through her form to double check for any mistakes. It was the last one and she couldn't wait to get out of there. She opened the door, still looking at the papers and said, "I'll be out of your way here soon. I just have to look over this last form." The custodian didn't enter. She turned and started back toward her desk.

"Olivia."

She stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes grew wide, her arms and legs were painted with goose bumps, and the papers in her hands were now trembling.

Was she hearing things? She asked herself. Could it really be him after all this time? She turned slowly to face her visitor with the all too familiar voice.

When she finally saw him, she breathed out, "Elliot."

Tears immediately filled her eyes, but she refused to let any fall. She noticed that his eyes were watery as well and she could see the apology that reflected in them.

He closed the door behind him, never breaking eye contact with her. Then he slowly walked over to her. He waited a second for her to step back from his advance or to tell him to stop, but she just continued to stand there looking into his tear filled eyes with hers.

He placed his fingers on the back of her neck as he used his thumb to gently rub her cheek. His chin started to quiver as he continued to look into her eyes. He pulled her head to his until their foreheads were touching.

"I'm sorry, Olivia." He hiccupped as the tears started to fall. "I'm sorry . . . I'm so sorry."

Olivia couldn't speak. Her hands were holding his biceps and her eyes were squeezed shut in an attempt to not cry, but it was too much. With foreheads pressed together, they both cried until they were calm again.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. I am now." He responded. "Are you okay?"

Olivia nodded, but her concern continued to grow. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happened? Why are you here?"

"Everything's fine. I'm fine. I . . . I came here to get my job back."

"Your job? You're coming back to SVU?" She had a hard time believing this wasn't all a dream.

"I want to." He took a short pause trying to read her reaction. "I hear you're captain around here now."

She nodded. "Cragen retired. It was on good terms. He told me to do something with the place."

He nodded then. "Does hiring me back qualify as "something"?" He asked with a half-smile.

She tried to hide her smile. "I think we can work something out."

He gave her a genuine smile then. "Thank you."

"Anything for you." She reciprocated his smile.

"Anything?" He asked with a mischievous smile and a raised eyebrow.

Olivia's brow creased as she wondered what he was getting at. "Yeah... Anything." She replied with certainty.

"Be my partner again." He challenged.

His words made her stomach flip and flutter. By the look on her face, he was afraid she was about to say no.

"You don't have to give me an answer now. Just . . . think about it. Please."

"I don't want to partner you with anyone else . . ." she started.

"But?" He knew she was hesitating.

"But what will I tell Nick?"

"Nick. I'm guessing that's your new partner." Disappointment was evident in his voice.

"Yeah."

Elliot gave a defeated sigh. "It's alright. I get it."

"No, it's not like that." She quickly corrected. "I need Fin to show Carisi the ropes since he's the most experienced out of the 3, and I can't partner Nick with Amanda." She explained.

He was mentally going over all the new names she was throwing at him. "Wait, why can't you partner Nick with this Amanda?"

"Because . . . I think they're a little close."

"Liv . . . So were we." Elliot motioned between himself and her. "Out of everyone, I would think that you would be the most understanding on that subject matter."

She holds up a hand. "Elliot, trust me, they're a little bit closer than we ever were."

He squints his eyes then and shakes his head. "That's not possible." He declares with certainty.

"They're seeing each other." She announces.

His brow lifts in surprise and all is silent for a moment before he speaks again. "I see the problem; but there's still no way they're closer than we were."

His words were killing her, but she couldn't let him see that.

"Yeah, so that's the situation. You're welcome to come back to the squad, but the only option I have is to partner you with Amanda." She was doing her best to avoid his last statement.

"I don't want to be partnered with Amanda."

Olivia secretly sighed with relief on the inside. "You haven't even met her!"

"I don't have to meet her to know she's not the partner I want . . . Come on, Liv. Give them the same chance Cragen gave us. Don't partner me with Amanda."

"Elliot, I don't have a choice!"

"You do have a choice, Olivia." He held her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "And I'm asking you . . . begging you . . . to choose me."

Olivia didn't say a word. She just stared back at him.

"Tomorrow morning. Be here at 7." She stared into his intoxicating blue eyes for just a few more moments. She walked to her desk then and opened the bottom drawer.

He watched her with immense curiosity. She closed the desk drawer and walked back to him.

"Here's your shield, and you'll get your gun tomorrow."

He held his shield that she had just handed him and looked down at it. Shield #6313. It was his old shield. He couldn't believe it. She had held on to his old shield after all this time. "I get my old shield back?" He asked looking up at her. "Do I get my old gun back too?!"

Her hands were placed in her pockets. She gave him a nod. "And your old partner."

Her last two words shook every last ounce of control out of him. His blue eyes began to fill into blue oceans.

Olivia stopped breathing. She watched with amazement at how and the rate at which his demeanor had changed.

He took a step toward her and pulled her into him. He held her like it was the last time he would ever hold her.

She's shocked at first. She never expected to evoke so much emotion out of her partner. Well, 'old partner' she mentally corrected herself. No . . . partner. 'He's my partner', she corrected herself once more. And then it hit her. All the emotion came flooding into her. Suddenly she didn't want him to ever let go. She wrapped her arms around him tight and held him back.

"Liv, you have no idea how much this means to me."

She nodded against his chest. "Elliot, I have one thing to ask of you."

"Never."

"Huh?"

"Never. I'll never leave again."

She slightly pulled away, just enough to look at him in disbelief. "How did you know what I was going to ask you?"

"Because I'm your partner." He smiled at her expression.

"Yes you are." She smiled and resumed hugging him.