Disclaimer: They ain't be mine.

A/N: I'm not exactly sure where this story came from -- I guess I just get tired of Kathy being made out to be the bad guy. Hopefully I can make her a little more human. ONESHOT.

I sure would appreciate your reviews!

Kathy Stabler hummed softly as she flipped on the lights in the bathroom and set her shopping bag on the vanity. She glanced in the mirror and took a deep breath.

A small smile appeared on her face. Everything had gone according to her plan so far. The twins were at a church retreat, and her sister had taken Eli for the night. The house was empty – the house was quiet.

Out of habit, rather than necessity, Kathy pushed the door shut before she unbuttoned her blouse and then stripped off her jeans. As she stood in her underwear, she examined herself in the mirror. She had spent months trying to lose the baby weight, and she was satisfied with her current progress. There were spots that could use more work, of course, but she was not going to complain too loudly.

Kathy reached for the shopping bag and withdrew from it the slinky black nightgown she had purchased the day before. She held it up to herself and admired it once more. She set it down long enough to remove her undergarments. As the cool satin flowed across her body, she could not help but grin as she pictured the reaction Elliot would have when he saw her.

Kathy glanced at the clock on the wall. He would not be home for another hour.

Perfect, she thought. Elliot always told her he loved it when she curled her hair, and now she actually had the time to do it. She pulled open one of the drawers and removed her curling iron. She plugged it into the outlet and waited a few minutes for it to heat up.

As she watched herself curl her hair in the mirror, she realized how excited she was for tonight. It would be the first time since the baby had been born, and she had been aching to feel his hands on her body.

She had tried a few times before, but they had always been interrupted by Eli's cries. Then everything had happened with Kathleen. She and Elliot had been so angry with each other that they had not even slept in the same room – he had claimed the couch; she would begin in their bed and then wind up in Kathleen's room. After a few nights, she started sneaking into the family room just to watch him sleep. Eventually she could not take the tense silence between them and she managed to get him to sit down and talk.

Kathy closed her eyes as she remembered how he had held her that night while she cried. She loved feeling the strength and power in his arms as he wrapped them around her. She had always felt safe and protected tight against his chest. They had fallen asleep like that.

That had been two weeks ago. They were sleeping in the same bed again, but they had not managed to progress much farther. Eli had gotten sick, and Elliot had been staying at work longer. In the days leading up to their separation, she probably would have assumed he was trying to avoid her. She had much more confidence in their marriage now, however, and she truly believed he was trying his best to get home.

Her eyes popped open and she wrapped the last section of hair around the curling iron. She silently counted the seconds and then let the hot curls fall against her neck. After turning off the iron, she shook her head and used her fingers to fix a few stray strands.

Kathy sighed and looked again at the clock. It had taken her less than a half hour, and she was growing impatient. Part of her selfishly nagged at her to pick up the phone and tell him to come home early, but she didn't want to impose. He would be home soon enough, and the weekend would be theirs to spend together.

She began tapping her fingers on the countertop as she watched the second hand sweep across the face of the clock. Time was going by so slowly, and she tried to think of what else she could do.

She knew Elliot really did not care about make-up and that he hated the taste of lipstick, but she figured she could touch up her eyes a little. Kathy searched through the drawers until she found her tube of mascara and her eyeliner.

After she finished and put everything away, she turned off the light and wandered out of the bathroom. The floor was cold on her bare feet, but she didn't care. She padded over to the bed, and neatly pulled back the covers.

Kathy stopped suddenly as she thought she heard his key turning in the lock. After listening for a second or two she shook her head as she realized she was imagining things. Trying to calm herself down, she sat down on the bed and began smoothing out the sheets. When that no longer captured her attention, she reached for the nail file on her nightstand.

She had one hand finished when she realized it was past the time Elliot had promised he'd be home. As the wife of a cop, her natural tendency was to worry. The nervous twisting began in her gut and she dropped the file to the bed and jumped out of the bed.

She walked quickly down the hallway towards the kitchen. If something had happened Olivia would have called. Kathy had forgotten to charge her cell phone and she instantly regretted not checking the answering machine when she had come home. Her hand began to shake as she saw the message light blinking on the phone.

As the beep echoed through the silent kitchen, Kathy wrapped an arm around her stomach and absently chewed on one of her fingernails.

"Kath, honey –"

A wave of nauseating relief hit her as Elliot's voice sounded.

"—I'm gonna be later than I said. An interview's running longer than it should, so I'll be home as soon as I can."

The message beeped again as it concluded.

Kathy took a deep breath, and slowly turned back towards the bedroom. She folded her arms as she walked back down the hallway, her relief gradually melting into disappointment.

She climbed back into their empty bed, and spent nearly an hour absently staring at the wall. Finally, she laid back against the pillows and closed her eyes, waiting for any sign of his presence to wake her.

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Elliot dropped his cell phone into his pocket and whistled slightly as he slipped his key into the door handle. The whistle died on his lips as he stepped into the quiet room. He raised his eyebrows as he glanced about the place, looking for any signs of life.

Elliot shut the door behind him, and then pulled off his shoes and set his coat on the rack. He made his way towards the bedroom, wondering if she had fallen asleep. He loosened his tie as he reached the bedroom door.

He pushed it open, and stopped mid-whistle.

"Oh, baby," he whispered as she slid off the bed and walked over towards him. His hands felt the cool silk as they slid across her waist.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer. "You like?"

Elliot laughed as he passionately kissed her. "What's not to like?" he playfully asked, breaking their liplock. He held her away from him, and let his eyes travel from head to toe. The silk negligee hugged her curves perfectly, and she had even taken the time to do her hair.

"God, I love you in curls," he said, pulling her back to him in another kiss.

"I know."

Her smile was captivating – no wonder he had fallen for her.

He slowly slid his hands from the small of her back down to her butt. He squeezed, and then lifted her against him.

She met his mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her to the bed.

Hours later, she rolled off of him and they both laid together, panting.

"So –" she began, working her fingers across his chest. "How much longer do I have you?"

"Ugh," he groaned, lifting up enough to read the red numbers on the digital clock. "Fuck. I told Kathy I'd be home when I could. I've probably been gone long enough."

She groaned as he pulled away from her, and swung his feet out of bed. "Don't we have time for one more?"

He grinned at her, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Babe, I gotta take a shower."

She grabbed his neck and pulled his lips down to hers. "That works for me."

Elliot laughed. "Have I told you how much I loved you?"

Olivia Benson smiled as she wrapped her naked self around her partner. "Only everyday."