A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic… please let me know what you all think. Thanks! - Sam

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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Olivia lay awake in bed staring intently at her ceiling, memorizing the patterns along it when she heard her phone vibrate against the wooden surface of her bedside table. Sighing she reached for it and a smile unknowingly made its way across her face when she saw the display screen. It was a text message… a text message from none other than her partner and best friend Elliot Stabler.

I can't sleep. -El

She chuckled inwardly as she texted him back.

Me either -Liv

Coffee? -El

To help us sleep? - Liv

You can have tea then… - El

I'll be over in 15 - Liv

Elliot smiled contentedly. Ever since his split from Kathy he'd had trouble sleeping. It wasn't the absence of Kathy he was having trouble with though, it was the absence of anyone. Sleeping in bed with someone for almost 20 years does that to a person. But Olivia was on her way. It was not a strange occurrence for the two to be spending time together, I mean this was the woman who he spent almost every waking minute of his adult life with, so why was he so anxious for her arrival?

He pushed the thought out of his head and exited his bedroom to make sure that the place was presentable when she arrived. After tidying up briefly he heard a knock at the door. His heart rate quickened and he smiled at the door. He always knew when it was her. Her knock was delicate yet demanding, classic Olivia.

He opened the door to see her standing there, beverages in hand. She was still dressed in what he assumed to be her sleepwear; loose fitting black sweat pants and a white tank top that showed the curves of her toned body. His eyes traveled further up and he noticed her hair lay delicately on her shoulders. He wanted so badly to reach out and stroke it, it looked so soft… so Olivia.

"You gonna stare at me all night or you gonna let me in Stabler?" she said as a grin played at the corners of her mouth.

He cleared his throat and shook his head embarrassed that he'd been caught he mumbled a quick "Sorry…" and stepped aside to grant her entrance.

She walked past him and placed his coffee on the counter top then went to sit on the sofa. He grabbed his coffee and went to join her.

"So, why can't you sleep?" he asked.

"Oh, some jerk keeps texting me in the middle of the night telling me he can't sleep. I guess the guy figures that if he can't sleep neither should anyone else. What a piece of work huh?" she said grinning deviously.

"Liv, you didn't have to come. If you were asleep you just shouldn't have replied. I'm sorry if I woke you…"

"El," she cut him off "I was just joking. If I had been asleep I would have stayed asleep, I wasn't so here I am."

"Thanks for the coffee."

"No problem."

"Want to watch some TV or something?"

"Sure."

He turned on the television and handed her the remote control. "Ladies choice…" he smiled.

She returned the smile and took the remote from him and let her hand linger for a little while longer than it probably should have before beginning to surf through the channels. She finally decided on episode of "Friends" and rested her head on his shoulder.

Surprised at her action he looked down at her quizzically. "Oh, sorry… do you mind? I'm just really tired." she said in response to his look of confusion.

"No not at all… I just… here, let me move my arm." he moved his arm so it was resting on the sofa behind her. She adjusted her position and leaned once again on his shoulder. He smiled and was about to say something to her when he looked down and saw that she was already asleep. He chuckled lightly and gently took the remote control from her lap and turned off the TV. He pulled the blanket that was resting on the arm of the sofa next to him and draped it over their bodies.

Before long he was asleep as well and his arm that was innocently on the back of the sofa was soon protectively around Olivia's shoulders. They both slept better that night than either could remember ever sleeping before, even if it was only on a sofa.

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He sat in the dark staring at the only light in the room. One wall was illuminated by dozens of candles giving his mosaic an eerie glow. He stared intently, obsessively at the photographs and newspaper clippings on the wall. Soaking them in just as he did every night for the past 6 months. This night was different though. This was the night before all of his dreams came true, and his long awaited plot was put into action.

His laugh was low and husky as he stood and walked towards one of the photos stroking it as he groaned hungrily.

"Soon… Olivia. Very soon we'll be together, and no one… not even your precious Detective Stabler will get in the way."

He placed a soft kiss on the photo and began to blow out the candles. He exited the room and closed the heavy door behind him before climbing the stairs that lead him out of his paradise and into the real world. It was almost time for his dreams to become a reality. His paradise and the real world were going to collide head on, and in the end he was going to get what he wanted, no matter what the price to pay. Olivia was as good as his...

A/N: So what did you think? I know it's kind of cliché right now, but I'm going to attempt to break away from that. This is my first fanfic so pleaseeee let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!