A/N: This is a reboot of my original story. Now that I am comfortable writing fanfic, I realized this, my first story, needed a reboot. The chapters were way short, and I wasn't happy with the flow. Not much has changed except now there are fewer chapters because I combined a few.

I don't own these characters. If I did, I'd have writers doing this for me.

Italics represent people's thoughts.

Chapter 1

Olivia knew today was going to be tough. Donald Cragen was not only her boss for 16 years, he was also a father figure who kept her in line and always watched her back. When he left, she was happy for him. Cruising around the world with his lady. He earned it. They kept in touch since his retirement; and her son Noah adored him. Today, he was being laid to rest and as his successor and current CO of Manhattan's Special Victim's Unit, she was expected to make a speech. Tough was an understatement.

As she was checking herself in the mirror, she sighed as she realized with the summer New York humidity, straightening her naturally wavy hair would be pointless. She ran her hands through her shoulder length locks a few times and as she turned away, she smiled to herself when she heard her son screech with delight.

"Uncle Fin!" cried Noah as his sitter Lucy opened the door to Olivia's oldest and dearest friend, Detective Odafin Tutola.

"My man!" Fin said as he threw Noah up in the air much to the little boy's delight. Olivia watched from her bedroom doorway. Funeral or not, Fin always knew how to pull himself together and his suit today was no exception. Hopefully, Noah wouldn't spit, spill, or otherwise ruin the dapper look.

"Liv, we don't want to be late!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Then you'd better stop playing and get a move on", Olivia teased as she appeared behind her two favorite men grabbing her purse.

"Momma loves you angel. Be good and have fun with Lucy!" she said as she hugged her baby and kissed his head goodbye.

There was no church service, just a graveside gathering. Gathering was an understatement. It seemed as if every cop that ever walked into the 1-6 for the past 40 years appeared at Cragen's funeral. Her favorite ADA's and very good friends Alex and Casey were sitting side by side. Brian Cassidy had his eyes on Olivia. After all, he still had feelings for her and he really respected Cragen. She will always love Brian. John Munch was seated just behind Liv looking little weather worn but still as tenacious as ever. Olivia's old partner Nick Amaro flew in from California. As Olivia thought of her old partner, it wasn't Nick who she saw in her mind. Since the news of Don's passing, she wondered if he would show up. After all, Cragen was his boss before she even joined the unit. She tried to put it out of her mind. If Elliot didn't come back either time Lewis took her, why would he show up for the funeral of a man he had no contact with for almost six years?

As the commissioner finished his eulogy, Olivia took a deep breath. She was next. Although she had written everything down and practiced, she suddenly felt it wasn't good enough. She would speak from the heart, just as she always did. As she exhaled, she looked all around. She's had a strange feeling for the last 15 minutes that she couldn't quite identify. She chalked it up to the many emotions of the past few days.

Standing in front of the crowd, Olivia recounted some of the best times the squad had at the 1-6. "Don kept a fold away bed in his office. I'd never seen him use it, but it was kinda comforting to know it was there" Olivia decreed. "I can't count how many times the captain caught me snoozing at my desk or passed out in the cribs after a 36-hour shift."

She held her tears at bay as she described the late-night talks and all the times she was called into his office. Needless to say, as part of the famous Benson and Stabler pair, getting called into Cragen's office was not a rarity.

"You can say that again!" exclaimed John making no attempt to keep his voice down. Olivia met his eyes and smiled. Benson and Stabler surely kept Don on his toes.

As she was getting ready to wrap up, she froze. That weird niggling at the back of her mind intensified until there—the feeling she hadn't felt in almost six years. It was indescribable, but she knew exactly what it was. A pull. Like a magnet from her heart to another. She always knew when he came into the room. It wasn't his footsteps nor his cologne, but this pull before he even said a word. That pull was her safety net until it was gone. Until he was gone.

Olivia stopped speaking, unable to form words. She had the crowd's attention with her abrupt silence as they stared and began whispering to one another. Olivia scanned the crowd as the feeling became stronger. Her heart was beating out of her chest and her eyes started to glisten with tears she had yet to shed but she frantically looked all around. No, not in front of her. There, coming up behind her. Olivia whipped around almost knocking over the podium and sending her unread notes flying in the slight summer breeze.

Her brown eyes had found their matching set of blues. Behind her at Don Cragen's funeral stood Elliot Stabler.

As he stood at the edge of the cemetery, Elliot spotted Olivia immediately. She never blended in, she was born to stand out. He marveled at her as she sat between Fin and Munch; with her legs crossed like that, her black dress came up her thigh showing off those legs that went on forever. Nineteen years and she was as beautiful as she was the day he first met her and he took his time perusing her body. Her hair is longer, she is a bit curvier, and despite all the horrors that she has witnessed, she still exudes a strong confidence and trust.

"My Liv" he thought to himself as she walked up to the podium. Although he had intended to stay in the background and just pay his respects to Don in the end, as soon as Olivia got up to speak, Elliot felt the need to get closer. He knew he would be able to hear her words despite the crowd and no microphone. Hell, he would be able to hear her whisper above a hurricane over the Jersey Shore as if her voice were the only sound in the world worth hearing.

She was so graceful while she was speaking of the good old times at the 1-6. Those who knew them were smiling and nodding along, others were just happy to hear fun stories from the people who knew Don best. Elliot knew the moment she knew he was there. He was so glad that after his six-year absence, that connection was still as strong as ever. He watched as Olivia straightened her back and held her breath. He was behind her, but he knew that her eyes were quickly scanning the crowd and she had stopped speaking.

"Breathe Liv" he thought to himself when he noticed she hadn't taken a breath in a few.

Suddenly, she whirled around, and their eyes met—chocolate brown to icy blue. Her eyes always spoke volumes and today was no different. Elliot saw sadness, anger, and was that fear? Why would Liv be afraid of him?

"Breathe Liv" he said giving voice to his thoughts when she still just stood wide eyed and slack jawed. "You need air, or you'll pass out."

"Who's that?" asked Amanda Rollins as she leaned over to speak to Cassidy. Not only did Rollins notice Liv's reaction to the man, but she didn't miss Brian's reaction either. He sat with his fists clenched and his jaw set, staring straight ahead.

"Stabler", he mumbled.

"That's Elliot Stabler?" Amanda said in awe. "Wow."

Amaro heard their conversation. "Why is Liv just standing there? I would deck him for how he left and now showing up like this..." Nick remembered how bitter and withdrawn Olivia was when he was first partnered with her. For months he would notice the dark circles under her red, puffy eyes and short temper. She refused to get personal with him no matter how hard he tried. Fortunately for him, she was Olivia Benson and she ended up being his best partner ever and a very good friend to boot.

"Give her time" interjected Fin as Munch smiled. He knew his baby girl was in a bit of shock and very emotional for many reasons right now.

"They don't call her Badass Benson for nothing" replied Munch. They all knew Liv would never cause a scene at her captain's funeral.

Olivia heard him telling her to breathe but air was not forthcoming. Breathe? What the fuck was he talking about? Olivia's mind was racing a mile a minute as she tried to focus. She would not embarrass herself (although she subconsciously knew she was doing that right now). Say something! she screamed in her head, but her chest was so tight. She remembered this exact feeling the moment Cragen told her that Elliot handed in his papers as she walked into the interrogation room. The feeling of trying to keep up the façade of calm and control while falling apart on the inside. At least then, she had an escape; a moment by herself but she was at the captain's funeral for Christ's sake. Suddenly Elliot was right beside her turning her around and she felt his fingers press lightly on her lower back. First his fingertips, then she felt his hand flatten. Tips, flat, tips, flat and she found herself taking short breaths in each time she felt his fingertips, out when she felt his flat palms. In, out. Damn him.

After what felt like a lifetime but was probably just a moment or two, Elliot moved slightly passed her and up to the podium.

"You're probably laughing it up right now aren't you?" he asked as Olivia noticed his eyes not on her or the crowd, but on Don's casket. This remark elicited some polite chuckles from the crowd who knew their history. The rumors were rampant back in the day. It gave her the ability to refocus. She knew what Elliot meant. Don would be enjoying himself at this reunion had he been witness to it. He knew they wouldn't, no couldn't stay apart forever. But six years of silence was forever and damn it, he didn't get to do this to her. Not here in front of everyone. Not after all this time.

"Back up Stabler" Olivia said as she regained control of the podium. Elliot obediently stepped back.

"Detective Benson" Elliot replied waving her forward.

"Lieutenant" she corrected with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk towards her colleagues as she noticed Elliot's eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up his forehead.

"That's my girl" whispered Fin and Brian at the same time.

The entire cemetery stood at attention shortly after Olivia finished her eulogy. Elliot had waited behind her at the podium and now stood between her and Munch but neither said another word. In fact, Olivia was steadfastly avoiding even looking in Elliot's direction. As a veteran and former police captain, Cragen was honored with a three-volley salute. As the first shot rang, Olivia flinched, and Elliot returned his right hand to her lower back. As the second shot rang, she took a deliberate step to her right, into Fin. After the third shot, the bagpipes began playing "Amazing Grace" and Liv was leaning heavily into Fin's side, while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, still looking straight ahead. Elliot let his arm drop down at his side. Then he and Liv hung their heads, a lone silent tear cascading down each of their cheeks.

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