A/N: this story just came out of nowhere, I wrote it and looked at it like, 'Why did I write this?' Please be gentle with the comments. Continue to comment please.

The Bullpen was nearly empty, all that was left was the detectives and their captain. Olivia was writing, Elliot was on the computer and Fin and Munch were just whispering across their desks. Soon, Olivia looked at the clock and it said 6:58, She sighed and laid her head on her arms wanting to just rest. Elliot looked at her and frowned. She hasn't slept much in the past few days, due to a case that hit close to home. She spent hours tirelessly trying to find one her victims rapist. The victim was one of her old school friends, and the rapist was one of her ex-boyfriends. Olivia finally caught the rapist early this morning and now it was Casey's turn to finally put him away.

The Captain walked out and stopped by Fin and Munch's desks to talk to them since they were catching calls for the next three days. Elliot got up from his desk and went to Olivia's side, and crouching beside her. "Hey, Liv?"

"Yeah?" she faked a small smile but kept her head down.

"Hey, let me take you home." He stated, waiting for a response.

She nodded then yawned, and moved to get up. Elliot stood with a smile on his face.

They left after their Captain said to take it easy, and went to his car. It was a short ride to her apartment but she fell asleep anyway. When he got to her apartment, he noticed that it was going to be hard to wake her, so he walked over to her side and gently picked her up out of her seat. He took her keys and keeping a good hold on her, opens the apartment building door. Then sighed as he made his way up the stairs, to her third floor apartment, making sure that he didn't hit anything on the wall. He finally made it to her door and opened it. He walked in and kicked the door with his foot before carrying her to her bedroom, and laying her down gently. Elliot gently took off her jacket, her holster, and badge, and then her shoes. He put the holster and gun, along with her badge and cell phone and put them on the bedside table.

He took the covers and covered her gently. She sighed and Elliot could have sworn that he heard his name in her sigh. He put a lock of hair out of her face, and she shivered at his touch.

"Elliot…El…Elliot" she mumbled lightly. He could just sit there stunned. "Stay"

He kicked off his shoes gently and laid his jacket across the chair in the corner. Took off his holster and stuck it on the other bedside table. He went and locked the door to her apartment and laid next to Olivia. He gathered her up into his arms and she turned to face him, burying her face into his chest. He rubbed her back gently. He fell asleep to the sound of her steady breathing.

Olivia woke up suddenly having no idea where she was, just that she was in someone's arms. She closed her eyes hoping it wasn't an awful date. Opening them again she saw Elliot sleeping peacefully with a slight hint of a smile on his face. She smiled at him, then buried herself back into his arms.

"Livia?"

"Yeah, El?"

"Feel better?" she nodded into his chest. Then looked up at him. He smiled back at her. The tension started to build again and they got up not wanting to look at each other. They pulled their shoes on and attached their holsters, grabbed their badges, jackets, and walked out the door.

Although Elliot and Olivia are best friends and partners they always felt that there was a spark there that they couldn't act on, due to the fact that he was married before. After his marriage crumbled and broke apart, Olivia was always by his side, helping him with his children and his apartment. After the marriage, they became closer and better friends. They did want something more, but each knew if they started something they couldn't go back to being just friends.

They reached the station and started a normal day. They caught a case however only 20 minutes after getting there.

The brownstone was like any other on the street except that it was swarmed by marked and unmarked police vehicles. Walking up to the tape, they flashed their badges and the uniform pulled it up to let them underneath. Walking in they saw a woman mangled, and naked on the floor of the sitting room. CSU and Forensics swarmed the place, finding evidence of the rape that occurred. In the corner, a female uniform was trying to coax a small child out of her trance. Olivia walked over to her while Elliot talked to the Medical Examiner.

The female uniform saw Olivia and stood, "Her name is Ashley Nichols, that's her mother, she saw the whole thing." Olivia nodded at the uniform and walked toward Ashley.

"Ashley, I'm Detective Olivia Benson, but you can call me Olivia, can you tell me what happened?" the little girl shivered and buried herself deeper into the corner, never removing her grip from the teddy bear she held.

"Ashley, it's alright, come on." She held out her arms and Ashley crawled into them and hung to Olivia's neck for dear life. "I'm going to take you to my place." Olivia looked toward Elliot and noticed he was done with the ME. She nodded toward him and he lead her and Ashley out to the car. Olivia sat in the back holding on to Ashley while Elliot made his way back to the station.

Olivia and Elliot sat in the interview room, with Ashley. She had curled up into the corner, so Olivia sat in front of her, and Elliot pulled up a chair behind her. "Ashley," Olivia started, "Can you tell me what happened sweetie?"

She nodded and looked up at Olivia's soft features, "Daddy." Was all said.

"Your father did this?" she asked lightly. Ashley nodded and put herself into Olivia's arms again. Elliot got up and went to the computer in the Bullpen to start finding a husband or ex-husband to their vic, Dianna Nichols.

After about an hour, Olivia walked back down the stairs from the crib where Ashley was sleeping. She rubbed her neck and sat down across from Elliot at her desk. He smiled at her, and laid down the file he was reading. "You alright?"

She nodded, "Yeah, it took awhile to get Ashley to sleep, but she is finally out and the uniform who was with her before is watching over her for me."

"John and Fin went to pick up her father, Dianna's ex-husband, on the charge of rape and murder." Elliot said proudly.

"I just want this to be over, I want Ashley to be able to move on," Elliot could see tears developing in her eyes and got up to go to her side. "She is going to be scarred for life, watching her mother raped and beaten." Elliot took her hands into his and wiped a tear that fell down her cheek.

"I know, She'll be okay. Olivia, she'll be alright." Olivia dropped her head, to Elliot's shoulder and cried there while he held her.

They suddenly heard a scream, that rang through the entire squad. "Ashley" she whispered. They ran up the stairs to the crib taking the steps two at a time. She walked in and saw Ashley in curled up at the head of the bed. She rushed to her side and took her into her arms. Olivia consoled her as best as she could. Elliot sat on the bed next to the Olivia and Ashley were on, and the maternal side of his partner shine through.

Olivia laid behind Ashley and put a supportive arm around her waist waiting for her to go back to sleep, Olivia then fell into sleep with Ashley. Elliot watched her carefully, and then walked gently to the door and turned out the light.

Walking down to the Bullpen, he couldn't get the view of the maternal side of his partner out of his mind and smiled brightly. Before he could even sit down, Munch and Fin came running through the door. "Elliot, where's Olivia?"

"She's in the crib with Ashley, why?" He asked extremely confused. Munch held out a newpaper clipping of Olivia carrying Ashley out of her apartment the other day. Next to the picture scribbled in red sharpie were the words, "Paybacks a bitch, Det. Benson."

"Where did you find this?"

"In Daniel Nichols apartment, everything was overturned when we went in, this was on the bed." Fin pointed to the newspaper."

"Anything else?" They shook their heads. And sank back down into their desks feeling absolutely lost, no leads as to where Daniel was, and he was targeting his partner.

Olivia woke up with a start and it took her a minute to discover where she was. She gently kissed the back of Ashley's head and got up. Walking out the crib door, she saw Elliot, Fin, and Munch sleeping with their heads on their desks. She smiled and walked down to wake Elliot. "Elliot?" she said shaking his shoulder.

"Liv…" he shifted and lifted his head, but didn't move his hand from hers. "How's Ashley?"

"She's upstairs, sleeping, she's fine." She stood and sat on his desk in front of him. "What is it?" she asked noting the extreme distress in his face.

He handed her the newspaper clipping, and she read and grew wide-eyed. "He's coming after you Liv."

"Me, why?"

"I don't know, Liv" he leaned forward and took her hand, "I don't want to lose you, I want you to be careful."

She cupped his cheek, leaned her forehead to touch his, "I'll be safe." She saw tears starting to form in his eyes. "Oh, El" she stood up and pulled him into a hug. He buried his face into her neck and held her tighter. She moved her hand to neck and rubbed it gently. "Elliot?"

"Liv?" he pulled from her, and held her arms. "I love you, I don't want to lose you."

"I love you Elliot, I won't leave." He gently kissed her forehead, and hugged her again.

Over the next twelve hours, they turned Ashley over to Children's Services after she cried for an hour, after she found out she couldn't stay with Olivia. They also tried to find Daniel in six other places, but still came up empty handed and no new leads on where he could be.

Cragen let them go home and told them that they would try again tomorrow. Elliot suggested that they both go to his apartment, so that Daniel couldn't find her if he was looking in her apartment. They did however stop by and grab some things for her before getting to his place.

With a duffel in tow they walked through the doorway to his apartment and he took her bag to his room. Olivia sat on the couch and laid her head on the back. Elliot came back downstairs and saw her on the couch, and sat next to her. She fell into his embrace and he held her tight. She sobbed silently into his shoulder.

"Shh…it's okay." He tried his best to console her, while she continued. A few moments later, she lifted her head, to look into his baby blue eyes. He returned the look, and looked into her chocolate brown eyes. Their eyes locked and he wiped her cheek with his thumb. She wanted desperately to kiss him but she didn't want to pull the first move.

Elliot moved in for her, and answered every question that she had floating through her head. The kiss was passionate and gentle, but it was absolutely perfect. When they broke for air, they smiled at each other. But Olivia was the first to break the silence. "Did you mean to do that?"

"Yeah, I think I did."

"Good, because that was amazing."

"Really?" he asked smiling brighter.

"Oh yeah, that was perfect."

"You think I could try again?" He stared into her eyes. She simply nodded and pulled his head to hers.

Elliot woke the next morning, looking around. His right arm tingled from sleepiness, looking over he saw the top of Olivia's head, set slightly below his shoulder, and her arm was draped over his abdomen. He smiled to himself and put his hand on her arm. She shifted in his embrace.

She lifted her head, "Hi, Elliot"

"Hey, Livia."

"Ready to go to work?"

"No, I want stay here." She smiled at him and looked at her watch, "Oh my God, it's 8:30, we're late." As if on cue, her phone rang, but it wasn't who she thought it would be.

"Benson"

"Hello, Detective." A sly voice came through the headpiece.

"Who is this?" Elliot came to her side and put an arm around her waist, and listened to her conversation.

"Daniel Nichols. And I want to know where my daughter is? Where is Ashley?"

"Ashley is safe from you, you'll never see her again, you sick Bastard."

"Now Now, Language detective."

"What do you want?"

"To meet."

"Where?"

"You'll get details soon enough" the line went dead, and Olivia looked at Elliot.

"I received the call, on my cell and I don't know how he got it, but he first wanted to know where Ashley was and I told him that he would never see her again," she sighed and looked around at her fellow detectives, surrounding her in the conference room. "I then called him a Bastard, and he told me, he wanted to meet me, I asked where and he said he would let me know." Elliot grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently.

The Captain was the first to speak up, "Did he tell you when?" she simply shook her head and took a sip of the coffee in her hand. "I want you to be careful." She nodded and looked toward Elliot. His look gave her all the support she needed.

The entire squad was keeping an eye on her. She hated being stared at, but she felt a complete feeling of care from the whole squad, especially Elliot. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight until this bastard was behind bars, and away from his Olivia.

A shrill ring from a cell phone woke everyone from their trances, Olivia grabbed her cell phone and answered it, all while Elliot, Fin, and John, gathered around her. Elliot took her hand and held it as she talked. "Benson"

"So, here are your directions." Olivia used her hands to stimulate a pen and paper. And Elliot produced what she asked for.

"Go ahead"

"Leave your weapon at the station, Go to Times Square, walk into the Hilton Hotel and the bar, order a cosmo, and drink the entire glass, then you'll receive further instructions." The dial tone rang through her ear, and she stared at the cell in her hand.

"Liv, what did he say?" She turned to Elliot, and sighed.

"He wants me to go into the Hilton Hotel bar, at Times Square, order a cosmo, and drink the whole glass before I get further instructions. He also wants me to leave my gun here." Elliot looked sideways, and sighed heavily. They were being drug through a maze and they would have to follow through to catch him, but using Olivia as bait. He squeezed her hand tightly as she got up. "You guys grab equipment, and get there first, I'll be right behind you." She nodded at Elliot and he followed the guys out the door.

An hour later, Olivia walked into the Hilton Hotel lobby, looking around, she took in the scenery, glanced for exits, and where her partners were. Fin was seated at the end of the bar, and he played he was losing to the end of a bottle, Munch was in a chair between the lobby and the bar, reading a paper, Elliot was in bar area, watching a game with some other guys, cheering for their favorite team. Cragen was stationed outside as if waiting on a cab.

She smiled and sat at the bar in the middle, the bartender came up to her, "Cosmo." He got it for her and set it in front of her. She pulled out her cell phone and laid it next to the glass. She hated cosmos so she tried to drink it as if she had had it all her life.

She laid the empty glass down on the bar and picked up her cell phone as it began to ring. "Hello?"

"Detective, that was brave, drinking a drink you absolutely hate."

"Cut the shit, what do you want?"

"I want you, Detective."

"Fine, where are you?"

"Under your seat is an envelope with a key, open it, and go upstairs to room 225, and don't tell the cops that are there with you, I see three." The dial tone blasted into her ear.

She reached under her bar stool and pulled the envelope out, inside was a keycard, she pulled it out and laid a five dollar bill next to the cosmo glass and got up, walking to the elevator. Elliot walked by her and slipped an ear piece and a mini mike into her hand. She attached them quickly, before getting into the elevator, to the second floor.

She reached the room and inserted the key card. She opened the door, "Daniel?"

"In the bedroom, Olivia." He called back, she inched to the other side of the room, in case he had a gun. She rounded a corner and saw Daniel sitting on the bad, gun trained on her body, as she moved into the doorway.

"Daniel?"

"Shut up! I want to know where my daughter is, you whore."

Olivia looked to him, and wished Elliot was with her right now. What she didn't know was that Fin, Munch and Elliot were all outside his door, listening through the mini mike.

"Where is my daughter, bitch?" He stood and made a move for her, but she didn't blink.

"She is in the custody of the state." He hit her head, with the butt of the gun and Elliot cringed on the other side of the door, as he heard her body crumple to the floor.

"That's enough." He reared back and kicked the door open, "POLICE, FREEZE. Drop it Daniel."

Daniel hesitated and then dropped the gun. Fin and Munch cuffed him and took him downstairs, Elliot kneeled beside Olivia, who still laid on the floor. "Liv, sweetie, c'mon" He picked her up so she stood at her feet, but shestumbled and nearly fell backwards, but Elliot caught her. He picked her up again behind her arms and legs and carried her out the door. She put her arm around his neck. She felt seriously dizzy, and she knew it was a concussion.

He walked through the front door of the hotel, and stepped up into the ambulance waiting outside. He gently laid her on the gurney, as the doors closed. He took her hand and held it all the way to the hospital, and through the doors to the ER. He unfortunately had to wait in the waiting area, but it wasn't that much longer before she came out holding her head.

"Liv?" he asked, looking to her.

She stopped in front of him. "Concussion, I am so tired but I'm not allowed to sleep, at least for another eight hours." She fell into his arms, and he gladly hugged her. "I'm so tired."

"I know, Liv. In eight hours , though, sorry sweetie."

"Let's go back to the station, working will help me not sleep." He nodded and they started outside to hail a cab.

"Coffee first?" he asked lightly. She held up her prescription bag.

"Can't"

"Oh, sorry." She shook her head

"Don't be, it's not your fault." She sighed as he hailed a cab, back to the precinct. They got into the cab and Olivia laid her head on his shoulder.

Olivia and Elliot made it back to the station, and set to work. She continually tried to make her eyes stay open. Water in the face, smacking her face lightly, pacing, anything to make her not fall asleep

Elliot had to go in and interrogate Daniel Nichols, at some point so Olivia watched from the gallery. Watched the exchange of the man she loved, with the man who attacked her. Elliot became defensive when Daniel called to Olivia from the room. She jumped when Elliot smacked him hard on the back of his head. 

Olivia sighed and left the room, going to the crib to succumb to sleep.

Daniel confessed to everything and the DA gave him life. Elliot looked around the Bullpen for Olivia, and Munch and Fin pointed to the crib and he followed their hands walking up to the crib and seeing Olivia lying on the bed he usually accompanied. Her face was so peaceful, as she slept, he really didn't want to wake her. He laid behind her and wrapped his arms around her, before succumbing to sleep himself.

Elliot woke up nearly six hours later to whispers in front of him. Munch and Fin were sitting on the bed across from him and Olivia, sharing a bag of popcorn. "Well look who finally decides to join us back in the real world." Munch stated jokingly. He turned to his Fin, his partner. "Did you know?"

Fin shook his head, "Not a clue."

"Will you two stop jacking around, and get out of here, You'll wake Olivia." Munch and Fin looked at each other than left, closing the crib door behind him.

Elliot looked down at Olivia still peacefully sleeping. He then took his hand and wiped her hair off her cheek. Caressing her cheek, he leaned toward her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She mumbled in her sleep, and turned her body in his arms to face him, and she buried her face in his chest.

Elliot smiled brightly as he fell into sleep once again, He pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

Olivia awoke three hours later, and looked up at Elliot who held her tightly, he had the smallest hint of a smile spread on his face. She smiled at him and shook his shoulder gently. "Elliot?" he mumbled slightly. "Elliot, wake up."

"Liv?" his eyes fluttered open, and he looked into her eyes. Her chocolate eyes, sending passion coursing through his veins. His blue eyes, returned the favor.

"Elliot? What time is it?" He looked at his watch, which read 6:57 am. "We slept up here all night?"

"Yeah, Munch and Fin came in awhile ago."

"They did?" she buried her head into his chest, "Oh my God."

He chuckled at her, and she glared up at him. "What?"

"It's Munch and Fin, don't what me."

"It is Munch and Fin, but they won't say anything. They know we will both kick their ass." She sat up, and smiled brightly. Elliot smiled back. He sat up next to her, and touched her hand. "Does your head feel better?"

She looked back into his eyes, "Much, Thank you." He nodded to her.

"Your welcome." They stared into each others eyes, and he kissed her swiftly. She returned the kiss. They hugged and stayed that way for a long time.

"Liv?"

"Yeah, El?"

"What is this? What is us?" he asked lightly.

"I don't know, but I know I like it."

"Yeah."

"Oh yeah." She laughed as he pulled her for another kiss.

Fin