A/N: I can honestly say that I don't know where this came from but hopefully I can figure out where it's going. If you've never read any of my stories before, I advise you to check the bio, especially if you're a Tuckson fan. That relationship never existed in my head nor will it happen in this story…lol. Happy reading people! It's my 20th E/O fanfic baby!

December 27th, 2016

After dropping Noah off at preschool, Olivia grabs some coffee at her favorite java haunt and heads into work. As she saunters through the bullpen of the 1-6, she notices it's quieter than usual. Though it's only Tuesday morning and most days start slow, it seems unusually subdued.

When she approaches their desks, Carisi and Rollins see her and immediately pretend to be working. Olivia of course notices and stops between them.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing Lou," Carisi tries.

She turns to Amanda expecting a more complete answer.

"Someone's in your office."

Olivia turns her head in that direction, noticing for the first time that her door is closed and the blinds are drawn shut.

"What do you mean someone's in my office?" She asks. "Who the hell is it?"

"Never had the pleasure," Rollins tells her.

"Neither have I but Fin seems to know him," Carisi adds. "He's in there too."

"It's not one of the brass?"

"I don't think so," Rollins says. "He's dressed a little too casually to be from 1PP."

Now she's genuinely curious.

"Thanks," Olivia tells her. "You guys can get back to pretending to work now."

The detectives share a knowing smirk and does as she asks but are not so secretly waiting, expecting fireworks or some sort of entertainment.

She throws her long wool trench and scarf over her arm and continues purposefully towards her office. Approaching, she hears the voice of her reluctant number two. He states something to the uninvited guest she wishes would've been uttered and followed through on, ten minutes prior to her arrival.

"After everything she's been through since you left, your bitch ass picks now to show up," Fin says, forcefully. "Why don't you just save her the drama and leave before she gets here."

Olivia chooses then to push through the door. Initially she sees the tension in her longtime friend's back, but over his shoulder, she catches and holds the eyes of a man she hasn't crossed paths with in five and a half years.

"She's already here," she announces, depositing her coat on a nearby rack. "Now someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on?"

Both men are surprised when she doesn't make a beeline to her former partner to employ that infamous right hook or, at the very least, use more colorful language upon seeing him.

"I was just telling Stabler that ambushing you at work is a piss poor idea," Fin explains. "And that leaving would be a better one."

"And I was telling Fin that you're more than capable of making the decision to toss my ass out all by yourself," Elliot counters.

The choice is a swift one.

"I can take it from here," Olivia tells the sergeant as he moves towards the door. "Can you field my calls for me?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can handle it," she continues. "But I appreciate you looking out for me," she whispers.

"Always."

She rests her palm against the door after Fin's closed it, takes a deep breath before turning to find Elliot watching her. A salt and pepper goatee is just beginning to grow, his hairline is getting him closer to needing to just go for the bald look and he has a few more laugh lines.

But other than that, it's her ex-partner. In the flesh.

His eyes are as blue as she remembers and through the gray cashmere V-neck he wears, she can tell his chest is just as strong and his arms, as defined. The black slacks don't reveal the tone of his legs but she's damn sure she wouldn't be disappointed with those either.

The instant physical attraction isn't unfamiliar, but it's been years so her immunity to him has diminished. Fortunately, she remembers all the unreturned calls, emails and text messages and it's like a glass of frigid water to the face.

Olivia moves towards her desk but the 6'0" tall, 200lb man, stands in her path. He surprises her by pulling her into his arms and doesn't let go until she's hugging him back. It's an awkward moment but she eventually gives in and returns the embrace.

Elliot turns his nose towards her neck and she feels his warm breath on her skin. That's when she knows it's time to let go.

Sidestepping, Olivia moves around him and finally gets away from the comforting vortex that is her former partner's arms, and manages to make it to her chair. She deposits her work satchel near her feet and powers up the laptop.

"Wanna tell me what you're doing here?" She asks, sipping her coffee.

He takes it upon himself to get comfortable in one of the guest chairs in front of her desk, sitting wide-legged in a recognizable position, hands clasped in his lap.

"Kathleen's getting married."

Olivia's eyebrows raise.

"Wow," she responds. "Congratulations to her," she adds. "Let me know where they're registered and I'll make sure to send a nice gift, now…

"I will, but that's not why I'm here…well, it's not the only reason."

"Elliot, I have work to do," she begins. "Can't imagine what you have to say that you couldn't have said before all this time, so just spit it out."

He shifts uncomfortably, looking down at the floor and worrying his hands before meeting her eyes again. Nervousness is something Olivia rarely saw in him. She has a feeling that whatever he's come for, isn't going to be a cakewalk for either of them.

Then again, she owes him nothing.

"The guy she's marrying is some kind of software whiz," Elliot begins. "Just sold an app for a ridiculous amount of money," he adds. "So, they're skipping the tradition of having me pay for everything."

She exhales impatiently, still waiting for him to get to the point.

"Her only request for a wedding gift…is that you and I reconcile."

"Excuse me?"

"Katie…she uh, she gave me an ultimatum," he explains. "Either I make it right between us or she's gonna let Jacob's father walk her down the aisle."

Speechless.

Eyebrows raised, mouth open, shaking her head, forgetting to breathe…speechless. With her throat suddenly dry, Olivia swallows a few times but still, she's got nothing.

Kathleen had written her many times after Elliot retired. In her first letter to check on Olivia's well-being, the young woman had written that putting pen to paper was a lost art form. The cop in her was skeptical initially, thinking maybe it was on behalf of her father. But the girl wrote about her own life and rarely mentioned him.

The two women share the same sense of humor and their correspondence left her smiling, often on the darkest of days. It was a constant battle not to ask about Elliot but she managed and the letters went on for a few years until…life got in the way.

Now she knows it wasn't solely on her end.

"Say something, please."

"This isn't my problem Elliot," she contends. "Why not just tell her we've made up? How the hell would she know any different?"

He mumbles something she can't quite decipher.

"What was that?"

"She'll know," he repeats. "Because she wants you to be my plus one."

Olivia slides her glasses up to the top of her head as if it'll improve her hearing.

"What?" She asks, nearly gasping. "Why is this so important to her, better yet, why wouldn't you be going with your wife?"

"Ex-wife," he corrects, holding up his bare ring finger.

With the lack of a tan line, Olivia guesses it's not a recent development.

"Divorced four years now," he informs her, confirming her suspicions. "She remarried last year."

"Well aren't you just full of surprises."

"From what I could dig up, he's a good man," Elliot tells her. "Eli seems to like him…can't complain."

Olivia doesn't know whether to offer her condolences for the final demise of his marriage or say she's glad that everyone's so well adjusted.

So, she skips both.

"I still don't get why Kathleen's so adamant that we…reconnect," she says. "It's been nearly six years, we've all moved on –

"To use her words, 'Liv's known me for half my life, to get married without her there seems wrong'."

Tears threaten but she manages to keep them at bay.

"As sweet as that is, I'm not sure that I could even get away for the wedding," she begins, already making excuses. "And if I do manage, I'm quite certain I can offer my well-wishes without agreeing to be BFFs with you again."

Elliot stands, rounds her desk and rests himself near her coffee. He immediately notices the angel faced little boy on her laptop and in a picture frame but manages to suppress his naturally inquisitive nature.

"You'd have to ask Kathleen why this is so important to her," he begins. "But I do know that she inherited my bullheadedness so she's serious about not letting me walk her down the aisle."

"I'm guessing if that wasn't the case you wouldn't be here," she surmises, looking up at him.

He simply nods his agreement.

"And with the way I left, I also know that you don't owe me shit."

"So far, we're in agreement," Olivia says. "What are you gonna do?"

He moves off her desk and towards the coat rack where he gathers his long black wool coat, throwing it over his arm preparing to leave.

"I'll explain to Katie how I fucked up," he answers. "You were right when you said it's not your problem. I'll deal with it."

"Elliot, wait."

He watches as she pulls a business card from the holder on her desk, flips it over and scribbles on the other side.

"My new cell number," Olivia says, writing. "Here."

Elliot quickly steps forward and retrieves the card from her outstretched hand. He looks at the number for a few seconds, seemingly trying to memorize it. Then, gives her a small smile.

"Thanks."

"Just…call me later this week and we'll set something up."

"I will."

He puts on his coat, turns to leave and she stops him with his hand on the knob.

"Elliot?"

At the sound of her voice, he faces her once more. She doesn't want to ask and hates how vulnerable it makes her sound.

"Kathleen's wedding…that the only reason you're here now?"

"No," he answers without hesitation. "But we should probably table this conversation until we're in a place where you can feel free to scream and/or hit me if you deem it necessary."

He gets a smirk out of her and calls it a victory.

"You're probably right."

"I'll call you."

He closes the door quietly behind him and takes a moment to look at all the changes that were made after his sudden departure. There's no cage in the squad room anymore, the command center that used to have all the latest tech has been scaled down, simplified and two strangers now inhabit the desks that he and Olivia shared for over a decade.

Elliot continues through the bullpen but stops at his former colleague's desk.

"Thanks for letting us talk."

"Not my decision," Fin says, looking up. "I would've told ya ass to go to hell."

"Me too," he agrees. "Good thing she's better than both of us."

Fin takes the comment for what it is, an acknowledgement that he's the one at fault. He stands and extends his open palm to Elliot which, he immediately grasps.

"If she gives you a shot and you fuck it up," he begins in a lower voice. "You and me…we got problems."

"Understood," Elliot agrees, squeezing then releasing his hand.

He continues through the squad to the elevators. The minute he's gone, Rollins and Carisi bee- line to Fin's desk.

"What just happened?" Carisi starts.

"And who the hell was that?" Rollins asks.

"Liv's ex-partner," he responds to the Georgia peach. "And if you wanna be around as long as I have, you'll mind your business."

"Damn, how many partners did the lieutenant have?" asks Carisi.

"I don't know," Fin tells him. "But if you're smart, he's the one you'll never bring up."

E/N: Well, I know it was a short beginning but what did you guys think?