The sound of clinking glasses filled the empty house. This was the first time their house had been empty in over ten years and they were taking advantage of that.

"Can you believe it's been ten years?" Elliot asked his wife after taking a sip of his champagne.

"I still can't believe we're actually married. I thought that you would never come to your senses."

"Thanks." he said, sarcastically.

"This is really romantic Elliot." she said, looking around the dining room at the roses and candles.

"You deserve it, Liv." he said, reaching for her hand over the table. "You have meant so much to me these past ten years. You are so great to Maureen and an amazing mother to our children, I have no idea how you juggle all that."

"I could have never done it without you." she said, squeezing his hand in hers. "I don't know what I would have done if you had not come to that conference. I knew who Maureen was the second I saw her on that roster. I was just hoping to run into you, even though I didn't really know what I would do when I did." she said as he laughed. She remembered that day in the conference clearly, but it was what happened not long after that brought her life back together.

"Hello?" she asked, picking up her home phone. She wondered who could be calling, it was well after ten.

"Liv?"

"Elliot?" she asked, sinking down into her bed. "What are you calling me for?"

"Listen, Liv," he said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I was on a late case so I just wanted to call you real quick and let you know how nice it was to see you the other day."

"El." she said, pleadingly. She knew exactly where this conversation was leading and she didn't want to go down that road again.

"Liv, hear me out." She was still surprised that after all they had been through, all the animosity, that their nicknames for each other still stuck. "I know that what I did was stupid but I miss you so much. I just want to be with you."

"Elliot," she said, sternly as she played with a strand of hair. "We can't do this. I can't be the reason that you and Kathy divorce or separate or whatever."

"Olivia, Kathy and I are over. We have been over since the day we got married. We were dumb to get married when we knew we didn't love each other. I am going to talk to her tomorrow and I will be a free man."

"Elliot, I don't want to be your rebound again."

"You. Were. Never. A. Rebound." he said, pointedly. "I am, was, and always be in love with you. Since I met you there was never anyone else."

"Elliot I don't need to hear this shit tonight. I have a few more conferences tomorrow."

"Olivia, please."

"Just one question, if you loved me so much, why did you choose her?" Elliot sighed. Olivia knew that she was being hard-headed, but she couldn't help it. She had spent the past five years torturing herself over him; she needed to know he was serious this time.

"Olivia, I'm sorry." She could tell he was hurt, possibly near tears. A small smile spread across her face, his voice said that his words had substance. "I thought that having a child with someone could change your relationship, somehow make it better, but it can't. I love Maureen with all my heart, and I thank God that Kathy and I had her. But I don't want to spend the rest of my life with Kathy; I want to spend it with you, and Maur if that's okay." Olivia felt a tear slip from the corner of her eye.

"That's perfect, El." she said, her smile growing larger. "I really do need to get to sleep, but I love you."

"I love you too Olivia." he said. "Oh hey Captain," she heard him say nonchalantly before hanging up. She lay down and closed her eyes, able to sleep knowing that her life was about to improve.

"I remember that phone conversation right afterwards." Elliot said, like he was reading her mind. After this many years, their minds seriously had molded to one, but they may have been like that from the first day. "I was in so much trouble with Don after that." he said as his mind began to drift.


"Elliot, is there something that you need to discuss." Don said, perching across from Elliot.

"Nothing Cap." he said, focusing intently on his paperwork.

"Okay, let me rephrase that, what is going on in your personal life that merited that phone call." Elliot could tell that he was not getting out of this one easily. He set his pen down and looked the captain straight in the eye.

"Do you have time for a long story?"

"It's ten o'clock at night and I'm here, of course I have time for a story." he said, leaning back in the chair and propping his legs up on the desk.

"Okay, well basically this is what is going on. That was the woman I was engaged to before I married Kathy." the captain nodded, he knew exactly what Elliot was talking about. She was the one who got away; it was well known that Elliot was not happy in his marriage and was on a constant search for this woman he lost five years ago when he chose Kathy and his unborn child over the love of his life. "Well, it turns out that she is Maureen's kindergarten teacher. Yea." Elliot said as Don groaned. "I kind of kissed her yesterday and now I'm trying to get her back. She's really reluctant."

"As she should be." Don added as Elliot gave him a look.

"I know, I know, I was stupid. Anyways, I need to talk to Kathy about our options and divorce and stuff. That conversation needs to happen soon. I don't want to lose Olivia again."

"Well, if it means that much to you, I say that you finish this paperwork tomorrow and go talk to Kathy. I wouldn't want this to be a wasted opportunity."

"Don, you're the best." Elliot said, locking files in his desk and grabbing his coat. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Have a good one; and good luck, or something like that." the captain dwindled off before returning to his office for the night.

"Kath," Elliot said, walking into the house and throwing keys on the table. Kathy was sitting on the couch--- crying. "Kathy, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting next to her and rubbing her shoulders.

"Elliot." she said, collapsing into him. Elliot knew that something was seriously wrong; Kathy was not the crying type.

"Kath, talk to me what's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry."

"What, what are you sorry about? Is Maureen okay?"

"Yes, yes Maureen is fine." she said, sighing loudly. "Elliot," she said again. "Elliot, I'm so sorry."

"Kathy, what in the hell is going on?" he said, now that he realized that Maureen was okay he was beginning to get a little pissed with her reluctance.

"Elliot, I kissed a guy today." she said, a look of extreme guilt crossing her face. "I don't know what happened. I went into work and this co-worker--- we just--- I didn't mean it to." Elliot could feel the rage building up inside. He wasn't quite sure what he was so angry about; this made his job simpler, now she was the one ending the relationship. But he wanted to be the one to cut it off; he wanted to admit that he had moved on first. Or maybe he was upset because at least she seemed remorseful. He was almost overjoyed that he had run into Olivia.

"Kathy, it's okay." he said, she stopped crying almost immediately.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"It's okay." he repeated before taking a deep breath and moving on. "Kathy, I just don't think we need to be together anymore. I think we need to get divorced. I'd like to make this as civil as possible; I don't want to get into it huge, I just want my freedom back."

"Elliot what about Maureen?" she asked, her eyes beginning to tear up again. "Nothing can be civil with Maureen involved."

"Kathy, how the hell are you going to support and raise a five year old and have any time left for her? I think it's best if I get custody."

"NO!" she said, jumping up and beginning to pace. "I can't lose her. She's my baby."

"So I should be the one to give up my child?" he said, taking a deep breath. "Neither of us loses her Kathy, but I think for her sake living with me is most beneficial." he said, honestly thinking of no one but his daughter.

"You are such an arrogant son of a bitch." Kathy said, calmly as her voice gained tension. "There is no way I am giving my daughter up; you just want to win. Fucking ass."

"You are so fucking selfish." he said, becoming angry at the accusation. "If things are not exactly how you want them, then you bail out. It isn't good enough for you." he said, standing and walking over to her. He pushed her around to face him. "This is important. Look at me when I talk to you. Since the day she was conceived this has been about you. You break up because you want to move on and try different things, but who gives a damn about our unborn child! Who cares about what is best for her?" he waved his hand as she tried to speak. "Let me finish. I love her more than I have loved anyone in my entire life, so you can say I'm never around and you can say I never loved you and you can even say that I am not a good father, but don't ever doubt how much I love my daughter." he said, his voice almost inaudible by the time he had finished. "Now, I'm, going to go find somewhere else to be for now. And I guess you'll be talking to my lawyer." he said, running up to get some of his stuff before running out of the door. He went to the first place he could think of: the stationhouse. He went up to the crib and fell asleep as he wondered where in the hell he was going to get a decent divorce lawyer.

"I was scared shitless that night. I thought that my life was going to fall apart." he said, taking another sip of wine.

"Little did you know that I was already thinking about you."