When he pulled up to the 1-6 precinct and exited his department issued Chevy Suburban, the first thought that entered his mind was Olivia Benson. It had been almost a month since they last saw one another and sadly but amicably decided to end their brief but intense courtship. Olivia sited reasons that Dean didn't first understand or want to accept but knew deep down he couldn't alter the important part of his career to foster a long term commitment to her at this time. With the Federal Bureau of Investigation it's a dog eat dog world on the inside and if agents are not closing cases they are reassigned…rather in laymen's terms…demoted. Dean had worked extremely hard to get to the position of level two agent and his goal was to be a level one and you don't get there with interruptions in one's career. Meeting Olivia and working with her for almost two months changed his mind in how to balance work and a social life. Maybe it was the timing of everything and Dean's job and Olivia having to deal with long separations that caused them to fizzle out? But then there was the squad's trial of the century murder case with a colleague's…what was Darius Parker to Fin really? Teresa Randle mothered him before she was involved with Fin then Olivia discovered she had a half-brother named Simon who she found by running her dna through the system, illegally and her partner was going through a heartbreaking divorce. All of this coupled with trying to establish a relationship too fast was most likely the culprit for the end of Olivia and Dean.

Porter walked fast through the squad room, his eyes scanning the perimeter for her. When his eyes came across her desk all they found was an empty chair. His reason for being there was short after informing lead detective Elliot Stabler and Captain Donald Cragen that they can't question a FBI witness without clearing it through his office first due to the patriot act that trumps a rape case any day. Dean left in the same hurry as he entered but not without looking at her desk again as he passed through on his way out. A big part of him was really missing her and the excitement they had exploring the early stages of their relationship. The elevators were very slow for some reason he thought as he waited longer than normal.

The doors opened revealing Olivia standing before him.

The doors opened revealing Dean standing in front of her.

She looked startled seeing him, wondering why he was here. He swallowed hard crinkling his lips; it was a lousy gesture short of a smile at her. Just looking at her with coffee in hand and her new cropped hair style that screamed sassy and sexy. Engrained in his mind were her scent and beauty that always seem to take his breath away.

"Hi," she said flatly searching for a second for words that seem to be absent from her speech. "What are you doing here?" she stepped off the elevator meeting him eye to eye.

"Your suspect, Ben Nicholoson, I just informed your partner and your captain that you can't interview him without clearing it through me first."

"Oh-kay, I was unaware he was being protected by the FBI."

"He is and the patriot act says so." Olivia didn't like this side to Dean, the serious toned don't get in my way or step on my toes attitude that she ran up against in Oregon with him and their undercover case against EDG. She really thought they got past that by the time their case had concluded. A few seconds had passed between them without any words spoken. The awkwardness they both felt was clairvoyant now.

"It was nice seeing you Olivia I gotta get going."

"Sure." She said walking past him then turning her head slightly, looking back at the empty space where he just stood a second ago. Not long ago when he greeted her it was with good morning or good evening kisses then they would usually retire to his or her bedroom and make love then start their days all over again, but now their relationship seemed to bypass a close friendship to an acquaintance so to speak.

Elliot and Fin were not giving up even with the protective barrier of the patriot act. Casey Novak appeared in the squad room with a warrant for Ben Nicholson's dna and instructed the detectives to get the sample asap.

Mercy General Hospital October 4th

"It's time to give it up Nicholson," Fin said. Dean was already there with Ben who was visiting his wife who had suffered a brutal attack. Dean was also with Ben.

"Force me to make a formal complaint." Dean said coming into Fin's personal space. It was obvious he was agitated with Elliot and Fin who just barged into Mrs. Nicholson's room.

"Where you shove that is up to you," Fin said pushing the warrant into Porter's hands. Ben left his wife's bedside and came over to where Dean was.

"That is a warrant for your dna." Elliot added. Ben looked at Dean as to what he should do. Dean skimmed over the warrant looking flustered that the NYPD just one upped the F.B.I. "Let's take this outside." Elliot told them. Porter, Ben, Elliot and Fin all walked out.

"What the hell are you trying to pull? I'm telling you you've got the wrong guy!" Dean said walking in step with Elliot on his right side.

"You wouldn't vouch for someone just to save your investigation would ya?" Elliot said as calm as anyone keeping in step with Dean.

"You're spinning your wheels detective!" Dean told him. Fin instructed Mr. Nicholson to open wide as he brought the Q-tip swab close to his mouth. Ben gave one last look over at Dean who reluctantly and quietly nodded approval. The nurse then appeared giving Nicholson the most startling and shocking news. His wife Corrine had been pregnant and the hospital was not able to save the baby. Ben knew it was not his baby by his the alarmed look on his face. The Nicholson's neighbor Mrs. Parvin, who was also there at the hospital interjected to the detectives asking them to leave Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson alone, after all the trauma they had just endured a horrible tragedy. Fin suspected something by watching Mrs. Parvin's body language.

"You got something to tell us Mrs. Parvin?" Fin questioned her.

"No, nothing," she told him nervously.

"Even if you suspect something you need to tell us." Elliot said.

"I'm sorry." She told them quickly exiting.

"Look like's she's got a lot on her mind." Fin said watching her leave in a hurry with Elliot next to him. Dean over hearing the conversation came over to where Elliot and Fin stood.

"So do I, back off Nicholson, next time the request won't be coming from me!" And with that Dean stared down Elliot and Fin then pivoted and walked off. When he got into his car and started it up he pondered whether or not to call Olivia. He really didn't want to involve her but this was her partner and he needed for Special Victims to take a big step back from trying to interrogate Ben Nicholson any further. Olivia and Chester were prepping for trial with the District Attorney's office. In the middle of prep her phone rang. When she looked down at the screen and the name displayed she silenced it. A few seconds later her voice mail notification alerted her she had one waiting. When she was done at the court house she asked Chester to give her a minute. He went on and waited for her outside.

"Hey."

"Look Olivia I'm sorry to have bothered you but you need to tell your partner to back off or deal with the higher ups and I know how he likes to butt heads with authority."

"Dean, you know I can't do that and I won't. I can't tell Elliot not to do what he feels and the rest of us for that matter feel is right. You all are covering for this guy."

"We are not covering for him you have the wrong guy."

"Says who?"

"I'm not at liberty to share that information with you Olivia." She scoffed at his unwillingness.

"Oh I see we are exerting our federal powers again. Well don't worry Dean his dna will come back and we'll have our guy for this and you and the Bureau can move on to the next case." He really wanted to avoid this conversation with her.

"See-this is why sometimes I can't even talk to you about a case. Why is it you always you think we're the bad guys?"

"Because you are." She said sarcastically. She heard him sigh on her end.

"Listen can we just slow down here for a sec. Can we meet for dinner later?"

"I don't know what good that will do." She said a little weak.

"Because I don't like how this case is affecting us."

"Us? It's a case Dean when it's closed we go our separate ways."

"I know, I-I just don't want this to affect our friendship on future cases that I may possibly have to work with you and your squad." Olivia could have chosen to stay with the sarcastic tone but this time she heard the sincerity in his voice.

"I suppose so, alright when and where?"

"La Tressi`ere 7:00?" he asked.

"La Tressi`ere 7:00." She replied with confidence. "See you then." My favorite Italian Bistro what does he have up his sleeve? She thought. Olivia closed her phone tucking it into her coat pocket then met Chester outside.

"You ok you look like you just got some bad news."

"Yeah I'm fine, let's get back to the house." Chester inserted his index and thumb into his mouth whistling loud enough for a taxi for Olivia to give him a look of please...my ears.

Le Tressi`ere Italian Bistro 7:00 p.m.

He was already there by the time she arrived at 7:10. Dean lifted his hand to the air and the maître d showed her to their table. He stood coming to her side and pulled out her chair.

"Thank you." she said to the maître d taking her seat.

"Thanks for agreeing to have dinner with me, you look great." He looked her over respectfully smiling at her with his trademark dimples. She knew she could get lost in his charm and smile so she kept her smile short and sweet. Olivia even second guessed her motive for agreeing to have dinner with him because she made a point to go home and change into something nice not just stay in her work attire and hang around in the squad room until it was time to meet him.

"I have to admit I was surprised by the invitation." Olivia smiled once more at the maître'd backing away then directly at Dean.

"Your waiter will be right with you—bon appetite."

"Gratzi." Dean told the gentleman. "Really?" Dean picked up his mineral water and took a nervous sip smiling at her.

"Yeah and you just happened to pick this place where we had our second date."

"And it is your favorite." He said with a wink and a grin. The waiter came by with a bottle of the house wines.

"Well I was more SURPRISED that you picked this place, I had you pegged for more of a wings and beer place."

"Excusi, may I interest you both in our two house pinot grigio's or a Tuscan chardonnay which is molte bene."

"I'll have a glass of chardonnay please, gratzi." Olivia told the waiter smiling.

"Same for me." Dean said putting down his menu.

"Well yeah I admit I would take a happy hour and sports bar any day but I figured with you-"

"Dean?" Olivia lowered her menu giving him a straight laced look across the table.

"What's your plan? Seduce me? Well your sexy smile is not going to influence me."

"Olivia-please, no that's not my intention." Now she felt bad, he hadn't made one pass at her the entire time he's been involved with the Ben Nicholson case.

"I'm sorry you're right, that was uncalled for-I'm just edgy today from court."

"All is forgiven." He told her. She discussed her case with him that she was prepping for trial for and then the conversation just seem to flow like before between them when they used to meet up for dinner or drinks after work. The waiter came by twice now and asked if they were ready to order. Both times they said no. Their glasses of vino were half full so Dean looked across the table at her.

"What?" she seemed clueless at his expression.

"I know this great wing joint down the block, best hot sauce in the city." She grinned and the tip of her tongue jutted out between her lips. She took one more sip of her wine.

"Alright you're on." Olivia said smiling pushing back her chair at the same time Dean did. He laid down a twenty dollar bill. The waiter was standing nearby and wasn't pleased with their quick exit as Dean had one hand on the small of her back and raising his other hand to the maître d and wait staff.

Jimmy's Corner Sports Bar

Over a basket of half-eaten buffalo wings and two beers, their evening so far was going well. There was a Monday Night Football game on the big screen that they peaked at every once and a while. To any onlooker it would seem like Olivia and Dean were on a date enjoying each other's company immensely at the way they smiled and laughed and with how close they were sitting on the bar stools at their strictly for two-small elevated round table.

"Good call." Olivia said as she tilted her beer in his direction.

"Tonight's been really nice with no talk of shop" He said gazing at her, touching his bottle to hers. She leaned in and he did the same, their mouths coming dangerously close, softly laughing.

"It has been and it makes me think we should have tried harder to make us work." Dean looked at her before taking the last swallow of his luke warm beer by now.

"It feels like we were cheated." He sat his empty bottle down and crossed his arms resting his elbows on the table-moving that much closer to her.

"I miss this, I miss you Olivia." She rolled her index finger around the lip of her bottle staring seamlessly at it, partly wanting to avoid where this evening could lead and the other part wanting him to touch her in places she was used to him touching and making her feel good. The alcohol was surely beginning to take its toll on her and the way the evening was going she was letting her sexual inhibitions run amok inside. The constraint of not going to bed with him right now was being shoved aside by her left brain way of thinking, urging her in a sense. All night she had to endure his charm, his smile and his cologne that intoxicated her senses as they always had before. She hoped he hadn't caught her copping a look at his mouth and the way his lips were available for hers to come attached to.

"Me too." She told him. For an instant their eyes met and it was that moment right before the first kiss. Dean inched closer following her body language almost as if he asked for permission to come within inches of her face. Olivia's eyes seemed to dance in front of him, the same way they did when he first kissed her. He followed her eyes as they started in line with his then slowly fell to his mouth, stopping there for a quick second before bringing her gaze back to the safe zone of his eyes. The game was nearing its finale with the two minute warning music and announcers cuing up. Her eyes said it all and the next moment Dean was reaching into his wallet laying down twenty five dollars.

"Dean you sure you're ok to drive, you haven't really eaten anything and you've had a glass of wine and two beers."

"I feel ok but you're probably right we can just catch a cab." He parked his Suburban in a garage across the street. His place was closer was what they decided in the backseat with his arm securely around her and her head resting against his shoulder and hand firmly on his thigh.

Olivia pushed his hand out of the way when he went to reach for his wallet. She insisted she pay the nine dollars for the short ride to his building. They stood hand in hand occasionally glancing each other's way with a nervous smile waiting for the elevator to take him to the top floor of the once abandoned warehouse building where his 5000 square foot studio apartment was. The building used to be a turn of the century furniture warehouse with the show rooms on the 8th through the 12th floors. The stock rooms were on the first and second floors and the administration offices were on the third and fourth floors. The design centers occupied the fifth through the seventh floors. After 9/11 and the near fatal collapse of New York City's tourism and economy the owner decided to sell it to a real estate developer and they in turned renovated it into twelve very large furnished studio apartments. Dean was fortunate being in law enforcement at the time of leasing, the landlord cut him a break on the 4,000 dollar a month rent into half that. Olivia had added her personal touches when they were dating, giving it a little slice of the orient.

Flashback to June 2007

Olivia was two weeks into her suspension from the NYPD and already she was bored and restless. She had dropped subtle hints to Dean that he needed to spice up his bachelor digs a bit. She didn't mind the plain boring black furniture in his living room and with floor to ceiling windows surrounding the south side of his studio with transparent panels that really didn't yield too much privacy or the afternoon sun; she set out with his credit card to add a little infusion from the orient. He was surprised as he stepped from the elevator into his apartment with dinner made. Olivia simmered the food that was cooing on the stove and took him by the hand.

"Did you have the get ones with cherry blossoms?"

"Hey I worked hard today adding a little color and taste to your rather boring bachelor pad and besides now I don't have to feel like we're being watched by someone when we have sex." Olivia's reference was to Merlin the cat who slept on the back of the couch and had a clear line of sight with his bedroom wide open so she bought two room dividers separating his bedroom now from the living room and a beautiful archway made of bamboo that lead into the dining room off the living room. On the island in his gourmet kitchen sat a porcelain tea set, for quiet evenings with a cup of tea she told him. He even started drinking tea wither at night and found it soothing and relaxing after long days in the office. The last place she took him by the hand was to his bathroom.

"Olivia I can't take a shower in here with tea lamps glowing, it'll make me feel like I'm a voodoo experiment."

"They're not for you silly, there aromatic and they're for me for my bath time." Olivia loved a bath at night, her way of winding down after a grueling sixteen hour day on the job.

"Are you sure you like everything and you're not just saying that to appease me?"

"I love everything." Dean shifted his eyes and pursed his lips looking around his bathroom not seeing the playful slap coming his way courtesy of her hand across his upper arm.

"Ow, even the miniature tea lamps." He grabbed at her hips pulling her into him as she teasingly resisted. "And right now I'll show you just how much," he said kissing her long leaving her wanting more, then he turned on the bath water letting it fill as he undressed her with his eyes then his hands. Together with their clothes piled over top of each, Olivia relaxed against his chest as they soaked in his Jacuzzi tub to the soothing sounds of nature cd she bought.

A silence fell over them once on the elevator opened, perhaps nerves hit them both at the same time not knowing what to expect of this night or the morning that follows. One thing was certain with Dean and Olivia; they were into each other tonight. The doors opened to his floor and now they were standing in the entryway of his home. Nothing was out of place since the last time she was there. Merlin, his cat came to greet him walking in between Dean's legs then rubbing himself up against Olivia's legs purring contently, shimmying his erect tail. Dean reached down picking up the cat and rubbing his neck and giving his ears a good healthy scratch then put him down.

He laid his keys down on the shelf and loosening his tie pulling it through the neckline of his dress shirt and tossing it over the couch as they passed through his wide open living room and into his bedroom. The thin wispy panels he hung when he moved in did nothing to conceal the light from the full moon that evening. They stood at the foot of his bed both stepping out of their shoes. Dean softly caressing her cheek with the back of his hand; the moonlight cascading down the left side of her face, largely enhanced her caramel colored eyes. He leaned in and softly kissed her supple lips that had been aching for his kiss again. Olivia left her eyes open as she stared at his closed eyelids as they pecked sweetly.

"His eyes dance too even behind the lids." she thought smiling through their kiss.

He felt her hunger as she opened her mouth fully to accept his tongue. Olivia tugged the back of his neck as her fingers snaked upwards through his hair as she hummed against his lips. The heat and passion were quickly building between their compacted bodies. In an instant Olivia pulled away slightly from his mouth pushing him backwards onto his bed. He had to put one hand behind him to brace his fall while his other held her back in place against his body. She was kneeling over him on all fours continuing her assault on his mouth. Dean felt his cock start to thicken as the blood sped through his veins directly to his penis. Olivia could feel the heat and moisture begin to dampen between her legs as well. She stopped and lifted up now sitting directly over his growing crotch. She began to unbutton his dress shirt slowly. He undid the buttons on the cuffs and when she was finished he tossed it aside having it land on his dresser. He unzipped her dress from the back continuing to kiss her. He watched in appreciation as she raised her red dress over her head then folded it, then angled herself across his body, leaving it on top of his crumpled up shirt. She returned to his lap running her hands up and down his hard torso stopping to play with his dark silky chest hair.

He took all of her beauty and sexiness in before him as she straddled him clad only in her black bra and matching panties. He reached up and touched her gold pendent, feeling it between his fingers, his hands then massaged the base of her neck under her short cropped hair bringing her face to his, meeting her lips with his.

Olivia shuddered and bucked against his tongue as Dean brought her to two orgasms. Entering her he sighed feeling her folds engulf his length and take him in slowly. He dipped in and out of her with slow methodical strokes enjoying the squishy friction of his member. After a while he pulled out and stood on the side of the bed pulling her to the edge, lifting her legs over his shoulders. His pace quickened and soon he climaxed inside her. He crawled in bed beside her holding her close.

By nature her internal body clock awakened her at 5:30 a.m. She quietly slipped out of his arms watching him stir a bit then dressed and left quickly almost stepping over Merlin who followed her thinking she was going to feed him.

"Bye kitty cat, he'll feed you later, sorry I gotta run," Olivia said stroking his soft gray fur.

Special Victims closed their case against Ben Nicholson releasing him into custody of the FBI. Their target now was the Parvin's son Alex who Katie Nicholson identified in the squad room on her way out one day with her father Ben. Little Katie heard the young man's voice as he and his father talked and she recounted that night naming Alex Parvin as her mother's attacker.

"Liv you about ready to go?" Chester asked coming into view. She held up a finger as Elliot glanced Chester's way then across his desk at Olivia.

"Ok I'll call you when I'm finished in court." She hung up foraging through her files for her notes. Elliot had noticed something different this week with her. Even with whoever was on the other end of the line with her, there was too much happiness in her voice he decided.

"I'll pull the car around front Liv." Chester told her backing away. She looked up at Chester nodding.

"Who was that?" her partner asked being his usual nosy self.

"Nobody." She replied giving up on that folder and pulling her bottom drawer open retrieving her purse. Elliot got up going to her as she pushed her chair in.

"You and Porter huh?" She stopped and turned around to face him now. She spoke low and firm.

"Elliot-there's nothing going on with me and Dean and if there was it really is none of your business." He stood there watching her go.

Olivia and Dean went to dinner at the end of the week sort of celebrating a closed case and successful partnership between the Feds and the NYPD which has not had a copasetic relationship over the years. Olivia was saddened to learn that Dean was leaving for a case in two weeks not knowing the duration.

"What?" he said looking at her with a look of Déjà vu.

"You had talked about putting in for a transfer to fraud so you wouldn't be gone as much, what happened to that?"

"It hasn't come through yet." By night's end they said good night vowing to keep their friendship intact and seeing one another for a friendly "catch up" drink or dinner when they could.

Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That's all folks! Thanks for reading.