AN: I know what you're thinking, Who Would Have Thought has not been updated in forever and same goes for my two Charmed stories. Well WWHT has been finished since May, it's just not typed and I'm too lazy to type it, but I promise I will finish posting it. Whereas this one is not finished. More exciting for me to update. Enjoy! Oh and so I realize that the time frame makes them all kind of old, sorry just deal with it. Pretend they were all in their 20's in season one…

Preface: (Liv' POV) The moment my best friend signed his divorce papers, I just wanted to fall into his arms and never let go. That didn't exactly happen… at first. There had always been something there between me and my partner, but neither of us really realized it until he had an ex-wife. The next thing I remember, his lips were pressed against mine and all that pent up tension was finally relieved…if you know what I mean. Elliot and I have been married for almost ten years now. We have a daughter in first grade named Marissa, or Rissa for short. Recently El got shot and we almost lost him. So now I'm forced to go back to work without him until he fully recovers, Cragen's orders. My life has been anything but normal lately. But then again, when has it ever been normal?

I walked into work with a heavy heart. It had been years since I walked into the 16 precinct without Elliot by my side. I gave Cassidy a weak smile as I headed towards my desk. Wait…Cassidy? I froze and slowly turned around. I felt like my mouth was full of cotton as I stared at Brian Cassidy in front me.

"Hey Benson," Cassidy smiled.

Benson. No one's called me that since I married Elliot. However, El lets it slip from time to time.

"Actually it's Stabler now," I corrected. I could tell Cassidy was taken aback by my response.

"Stabler? As in Elliot? Your partner with four kids?"

"Six kids," I corrected. "He had another son with Kathy before the divorce, and he and I have a daughter together."

"What happened? You two get drunk or something and…"

I cut him off. "No, that was with you."

I left it at that and wandered off to find Cragen.

"What is Cassidy doing here?" I demanded, storming into his office.

"He's your partner," Cragen replied calmly.

A sudden wave of nausea enveloped me much like it had when I was pregnant with Rissa.

"It's temporary," Cragen assured. "Just until Elliot's back."

The nausea got worse. I wanted nothing more than to call Elliot and tell him to get his ass down here.

"Cragen please. Cassidy…"

"It's either him or desk duty," Cragen gave me the ultimatum.

I glared at him and walked out.

"So how do you not get confused with two Stablers around?" Cassidy asked.

"We're on a first name basis," I explained. "Except for Munch. We rarely seem to call him John."

"You must be a damn good seductress," he muttered.

I had been avoiding eye contact with him until he made that comment. My head snapped up and I glared at him directly in the eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"Well you lured me to you, and then refused to see me again. And then Elliot…"

"Loves me just as much as I love him. And what happened between us was a mistake. We were drunk. It didn't mean anything and I didn't lure you anywhere."

"Right."

I wanted to scream, where did he get off trying to tell me that my husband, that Elliot, didn't love me?

"You…"

I was cut off by Casey. She ran into the bullpen calling my name.

"Olivia!"

"What?!"

"Turn on channel 10, quick!"

I grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

"Hey, I was watching that," Munch protested. "They were just about to reveal the number one conspiracy."

I rolled my eyes and watched as the news caster yakked about the Yankees.

"Why is this important?" I asked.

"Just wait," Casey told me.

Suddenly the face of a very familiar criminal filled the screen, one whom we all assumed to be dead…

"Known best for his 'sheep' campaign…" the TV rambled.

"Oh my God," I gasped. "Merritt Rook?"

"Who?" Cassidy yawned.

Casey seemed to acknowledge him for the first time.

"Who's he?" Casey mouthed.

"I'll tell you later," I muttered.

"Rook had great conspiracy theories, but he was a serious whack job," Munch explained.

"Yeah. He tried to get Elliot to 'fake torture' me, which, obviously, he wouldn't do," I added.

"Fake torture?" Cassidy asked. "What does that entail?"

"He made it seem like I was getting electrocuted," I responded. "We all thought he was dead because he was cuffed and we chased him into the Hudson…or so we thought."

I couldn't believe my luck.

"This would happen now," I mumbled.

Cragen came out of his office.

"Don't tell me that's who I think it is," Cragen pleaded.

"Okay we won't," Munch mumbled.

"What has he done now?" Cragen asked, full of disdain.

We all turned our attention back to the TV.

"Merritt was last seen eleven years ago…"

Eleven years. So much has happened since then. God, eleven years ago. At most, a hug was the extent of my physical contact with Elliot. I'd been with SVU for only nine years. Which is a lot granted the normal staying rate of an SVU detective is two years. But still, I'd been with SVU for 20 years. That made nine years seem like nothing.

"Rook was last spotted," the TV continued, "by a local restaurant owner who was reportedly one of his followers…"

"How come this is the first time we're hearing about this?" Cragen demanded.

My desk phone started ringing.

"Well maybe that's your tip," Cassidy joked.

I made a point to glare at him before answering my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Liv."

It was Elliot.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice," I told him.

"Yeah I do. It's weird without you around."

"How are you feeling?"

"Miserable."

"Oh baby, I'm sorry,"

"Yeah well. Anyway, have you heard about Merritt Rook?"

"Yeah, Casey just informed us of his newscast. Cragen's pissed this is the first we're hearing about it."

"Be careful, Liv. This guy is capable of just about anything and without me there to protect you…"

I laughed. "I can take care of myself, Elliot."

"You're always saying that. You'd think after 20 years you'd realize how much you need me."

"Of course I need you, El. What I don't need is for you to protect me."

"Yeah whatever. You're stuck on desk duty though, aren't you?"

There it was. I really didn't want to talk about this over the phone. Elliot had always been the jealous type.

"I'll tell you tonight," I sighed.

"Whoa, wait. You got a partner?"

"Later, El."

"Liv, who's your partner?"

I didn't respond. He already felt miserable, why make it worse?

"Olivia…"

"Cassidy," I mumbled, before quickly hanging up.

The phone started ringing again, instantly.

"Don't answer that," I instructed.

Cragen's phone started ringing next. He went off to answer it.

"If it's Elliot, tell him I left for lunch," I called after him.

"Trouble in paradise?" Cassidy smirked, knowing all too well he was the cause of this.

"Casey, can I talk to you for a minute, in the hallway?" I asked, pulling her toward the door.

"Fine, just ignore me," Cassidy pouted.

I continued ignoring him and led Casey out of the bullpen.

"Okay so who is this Cassidy guy?" Casey inquired.

"Well he was here my first year at SVU," I started.

"And…" Casey pressed.

"He was Munch's partner. That is when Jefferies wasn't Munch's partner…Anyway, we slept together…once. It was stupid and didn't mean anything, but Cassidy wanted to see me again after and I didn't. He left after that year because the job got to him."

"And you're worried because Elliot doesn't know about it," Casey finished.

"No, he knew. I didn't tell him, but he figured it out. Never did tell me how. Then he told me these things do happen, which at the time, confused me immensely…"

"So then what are you so worried about?"

"I haven't been with a lot of guys so when one of them shows up, he panics. Remember when Porter showed up again? Elliot flipped! We weren't even together then."

"Yeah, I remember. He's always thought of you of as his."

"I've always been his," I laughed.

Even when he was with Kathy, a part of me has always belonged to Elliot. I have no idea what my life would be like if I hadn't chosen Special Victims Unit, or even to become a cop. My life wouldn't be the same without Elliot, or Rissa, or Casey, or any of them.

"Benson, Cragen wants you," Cassidy said, poking his head out into the hall.

"Stabler," I corrected. "Stop calling me Benson."

I felt like only Elliot had the right to call me that anymore.

"Well I better get back," Casey stated. "Later Liv."

I told her goodbye before brushing past Cassidy back into the bullpen.

"Anyone ever tell you about how cute you look when you're angry?" Cassidy asked.

Elliot does. He always has. Except for year 8 of my SVU career, we were both just plain pissy that year.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded.

As soon as the question left my mouth, I knew I had made a huge mistake in asking it.

"What every man wants," Cassidy grinned.

"You bastard! I'm married!"

"So? Come on Liv, just once."

"NO!"

I rushed into Cragen's office, before Cassidy had a chance to "rape" me.

"What's up Cragen?" I asked.

"I got a tip on the location of Rook. I need you and Cassidy to go…"

I cut him off, "Can't you just send Munch and Fin out?"

"Olivia, what did I tell you earlier? It's either Cassidy or the desk."

"But –."

"I don't want to hear it," Cragen stopped me. "Now go."

I reluctantly left his office.

"Come on," I muttered to Cassidy, grabbing my jacket.

He followed me out of the precinct. As the chilly autumn air stung my face, I couldn't help but think of Elliot. He was the one who always got new partners forced on him; it was never me. Now I knew how he felt after Gitano and during Oregon.

"So you driving or am I?"

"I am. You don't know where we're going."

"Listen Liv, about earlier…"

"I'm not sleeping with you."

"No, I know. I was kidding before. I would never ask you to give up what you have with Elliot…whatever that is."

"First of all, why don't I believe you? And secondly, you will never understand the type of bond that Elliot and I share."

I got into my car and Cassidy slid into the passenger seat.

"First of all you should trust me, me being your new partner and all. And I'm sorry. It was a stupid joke. You should know that I've never really grown up. And seriously what makes you think I'll never understand your 'bond'? Explain it to me."

I started the car and began driving to Rook's location.

"You never did grow up," I sighed.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a while. I liked him better when he didn't talk.

"So you gonna tell me about your partner turned husband or not?" Cassidy wanted to know.

"What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you're willing to share."

I took a long breath, not knowing where to start.

"Well, we've been married for ten years," I started.

"How does that help me understand your bond?"

I groaned. "Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

I could talk about Elliot for hours, especially now when I missed having him around so much. But there was something about this scenario that wouldn't let me ramble. I turned on the radio and was surprised that it actually worked, seeing as how El and I never use it. We reached our destination without another word.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Any luck?" Cragen asked us upon our return.

"None," Cassidy mumbled.

"It was a coffee shop with just about everyone, but Rook," I told him.

Cragen let out a frustrated sigh.

"Any more tips come in?" I asked.

"No, but Elliot called a bajillion times," Munch smirked. "You might want to call him back."

"Maybe you should just go home, Liv," Cragen suggested. "You can't do much here when we have no clue what's going on and Elliot seems to need you."

I shot him a thankful glance, grabbed my stuff, bid my goodbyes, and headed out.

AN: Hope you liked. Please drop me a review. If for nothing else, just to say hi. Promise the story will go places. It's only the first chapter afterall. ;)