Authors Notes: I know that this may be a little OOC for Elliot and Olivia but I just don't care :-) Obviously in my world Elliot never went back to Kathy… Just a little bit of ficlet fluff to bring a smile to your face (hopefully). Read and review please. Happy reading.

Disclaimer: All things SVU are owned by Dick Wolf and all those other lucky people. No infringement intended.

Ficlet inspired by Midnight Hour's Running Away

"I'm leaving," Olivia said watching his face flinch as she said the words. "I've been offered a position at the FBI."

Elliot felt the room spin, his stomach dropping to the floor. This couldn't be happening, not again. "Why?" He asked, the words coming out clipped. "I thought you loved your work."

"I do El. I just …," she faltered. Her eyes met his briefly before she looked away. She never imagined it would be this hard.

"What?" He demanded. "I want to hear your reasons. I want you to tell me why. You owe me at least that much," he said angrily.

"Try to understand Elliot," she pleaded.

"Understand what Olivia? What the hell am I supposed to understand?"

"That it's time for a change. We can't keep going on like this. I need something to change," she half whispered, her heart feeling like it was about to shatter. "It hurts too much. I feel raw inside all the time Elliot. I can't…" She brought her eyes up to meet his. "Whatever this is between us… I can't do it anymore. I need to get some distance." She turned to leave but his next words stopped her in her tracks.

"So you're just going to run away again?" He asked, his voice pained. "It's too hard so you're just leaving?"

Olivia flinched as if she'd been hit, but she didn't turn around, she couldn't. She hated that she was hurting him, it tore at her. "El," she whispered, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. "Please don't."

"Don't what Liv?" Elliot growled, fear and anger taking over his better judgment. Just the thought of Olivia leaving forever filled him with a horrible sick feeling. He took a step towards her. "You think that I chose this? You think I wanted to feel…," he broke off, standing less than a foot away from her. "I didn't want to fall in love with you," he spoke quietly. "I never had a choice."

Olivia felt all the air rush out of her. "What?" She choked out, her hands trembling as she reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She turned around to face him, their eyes immediately connecting.

"I can't lose you again," he said brokenly. Olivia could see the subtle tightening of his jaw, the sheen of unspent tears in his eyes. "It nearly killed me last time. I won't survive it again."

"Elliot..," she began.

"Please," he interrupted. "Don't run from this. Don't run away from me again."

She crossed the distance between them before she could think, moving on instinct alone. She pressed her lips to his, grabbing him in a desperate embrace.

"I'm not running away," she whispered breaking the kiss, her hands moving to trace the contours of his face. "Not ever."

THE END