So, drama drama drama is my life lately it seems. Well, what's the best way to deal with drama? Write about it!!! So here I am, bringing you a new story. It's AU for the most part which you'll figure out why as you read. The divorce/separation and all with Kathy & Elliot still happened, but the reconciliation and Eli didn't.

Please review!!! This chapter's pretty short, but if I get a good response to the story I'll be motivated to write longer chapters.

DISCLAIMER: If they were mine, trust me, you'd know.

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Olivia Benson walked into the Manhattan SVU squad room Tuesday morning looking like someone had run over her dog. The catch here of course was, Olivia didn't own a dog. The moment she walked in the door her best friend, as well as one of the squad's ADA's, Alexandra Cabot, looked up from where she sat at Olivia's desk waiting for her. The lack of normal morning greeting from the detective also caused her partner to look up at her. From the split second his eyes left his computer screen Elliot Stabler knew something was wrong. Alex noticed right away that Elliot had seen Olivia and quickly made a move before he had a chance to spout off some dumb 'guy' remark.

"Liv, got a second? I want to go over some paperwork with you." She said, grabbing any papers she could find on Olivia's desk.

"Yeah, sure Alex." She replied, clearly depressed.

Alex got up from Olivia's desk and walked over to where she was hanging up her coat. She then took her friend's hand and led her to the conference room, the only room with no two way mirror. Pulling out one of the chairs at the table for Olivia, Alex then sat in the chair next to her.

"What happened with Jeff last night?" Alex asked cautiously.

"Everything started out okay. We went to the Rangers game after I got off work, which went good. Afterwards he invited me over for some pizza and beer." She paused and let out a small sigh.

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"It wasn't, at first. By the third slice of pizza he had I started to realize the night had turned into two buddies sitting around drinking." Olivia explained further.

"Jerk." Alex grumbled.

"I'm such an idiot too! It's been like this forever. I keep hoping things will change. He's the first guy since Andy who's actually said he loves me." She ranted.

"You mean you two haven't…?"

"Over four years. No." Olivia sighed, a rare tear falling from her eye.

Jeff Winters had seemed like the perfect guy when he and Olivia had met almost nine years ago now. He had been a blind date that she had gone out with on a whim. Their first date hadn't been any grand occasion. They went to the movies and grabbed some ice cream. The next weekend Jeff showed up at the station with a dozen red roses and took her out for dinner. That night was their first night together. Jeff lived upstate, but with Olivia's job she'd found a long distance relationship to work well. So well in fact that they continued dating for the next few years. She'd get upstate when she could, he'd come down to see her when he could.

"Do you think it's because of his wife?" Alex asked.

That was the one glitch in their relationship. Jeff was married. It had been almost two years ago that Olivia found out. Just about seven years into their relationship. Sure, she could've ended things then, and she probably should have, but she chose not to.

"He claims they're really over, that the divorce is almost final. She supposedly isn't the reason stopping him from sleeping with me. He does always have some excuse though." Olivia said, swiping another tear away.

"Aww sweetie, why do you stay with him?"

"He…he loves me Al." She told her friend.

"Yeah, well, so do other people. People who I'm sure, given the chance, would be more than willing to have a real relationship with you."

"Whatever. This is just what I deserve."

As she said that Olivia got up out of her chair and walked out of the conference room and back to her desk. While she sat down Elliot watched her very carefully. He was looking for any sign that talking to Alex had at least cheered his partner up a big. No such luck though. She still looked down and depressed, even if she was trying to mask it.

"Hey Liv, if Jeff's still in town and you guys want, we're heading for drinks after work." Chester Lake called from across the room.

"He's still here, we're supposed to be going to some show tonight. Thanks for the invite though." She replied back.

"Another hot date huh Liv? You're making us single folk look pretty pathetic." Fin teased.

Elliot couldn't help but feel his heart drop as soon as Olivia said Jeff was still in town. Sure he'd been married when his partner had started dating her long term boyfriend. However, being what his daughters termed a 'typical guy', when he had split with Kathy he foolishly thought Olivia would become single too. That's right, his daughters knew how he felt. Hell his son probably did too, he raised bright kids.

"Elliot!!" Olivia yelled.

"Hmm…what? Geez Liv, you don't have to yell."

"Apparently I do. You've been zoned out for the past ten minutes now." She told him.

Dammit! He'd drifted into thoughts about Olivia again. Only this time it was worse, he'd been caught.

"What's up?" He asked, trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Don wants to see you in his office." She informed him.

Elliot got up and headed to his bosses office.

Just as he got up Olivia's cell phone rang.

"Benson."

"Hey baby. How's my favorite girl doing?" Jeff asked.

"I'm alright, just trudging through some paperwork."

"Well, I'll leave you be. I just wanted to make sure we're still on for tonight."

"As of right now we still are. So I'll see you at my place at 6:30, right?" She asked.

"Can't wait. Love you."

"I love you too."

Olivia hit the end button on her cell phone, not noticing Elliot had come back out.

"How is Lover boy?" Elliot asked jokingly.

"Good, just checking on tonight. What did Don want?"

"Honestly? He wanted to know if you were okay."

"And?" She wondered what he'd said.

"Told him I was just your partner, how would I know." He said bitterly before turning back to his paperwork.

'Oh great!' thought Olivia, they were doing this again. It seemed that for the past few months they would go back and forth between being friends and seemingly fighting. If she'd really thought about it this had been going on since just after Elliot and Kathy split. Olivia had just chalked it up to him being 'UnStabler' over the split.

After two minutes of silence she got up and headed for their captain's office. Walking towards the door she knew her request would be taken the wrong way. She had to do it though. Her relationship drama was enough to handle, she couldn't take work drama too. Knocking on the open door before walking in Olivia slowly let out a breath she never realized she was holding.

"Olivia. Come in." He told her, motioning to one of the chairs at his desk.

She walked in and closed the door behind her before sitting down.

"Don…" She began.

"Let me speak first, please." He interrupted. "First let me apologize for going behind your back and asking Elliot about you. I'm sorry. Second, if you're even thinking of leaving again the answer is no." He said sternly.

"You're forgiven, I know you are just concerned. As for leaving, I'm not here to ask you for that. I would however like to request a change of partners."

"Temporary or permanent?" Don asked, crossing his fingers under his desk.

"Temporary. Elliot and I just need some time working apart."

Donald Cragen's face visibly dropped as she announced that the reassignment was temporary. Secretly he'd been hoping ever since Elliot let them know he'd split with Kathy that his two best detectives would find their way to each other. He had known since the moment he'd met the woman he thought of as a daughter that she was Elliot's soul mate and vice versa. He was the one who fought to have them paired since day one.

"Alright. You have my approval, temporarily mind you." He conceded. "You also have discretion with the matter. As far as anyone will know it was my call to switch things up."

"Thank you sir."

With that taken care of Olivia headed out to her desk to get some work done. As soon as she got sat down though the phone rang with a case.

"Stabler, SVU." Elliot grabbed the phone first.

Elliot could be seen jotting down notes and three minutes later he hung up the phone.

"Liv, let's go, rape victim at Mercy General." He said, looking up at his partner.

Olivia hadn't planned on this happening. Normally their calls came through the captain. She needed to come up with something and fast. Paperwork, that was it, too much paper work to leave.

"Elliot why don't you take Fin, I have a lot of paperwork that Alex and Casey need like 'two days ago if possible.'" She blatantly lied.

"Oh, okay." He said, feeling rejected. "Fin, ready to head out?"

Fin got up out of his chair, very confused, and headed out with Elliot to go to Mercy General. However, he wasn't the only one confused. Sitting at their desks working on their own paperwork both Munch and Lake were baffled. No one had ever seen Olivia turn down a case because of paperwork. Not even overdue paperwork. Something was definitely up.

"Liv, can you and Chester head to PS 123 to interview a third grader we got an abuse call on?" Don came out of his office and asked no more than 45 seconds later.

"Sure." She said, totally forgetting she just said she couldn't leave.

Munch and Lake glanced at each other before Lake stood up. Yep, something was definitely up.

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