Author's Note: I'm baaaaaacccccccccck!

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

Don't Look Away

Chapter 1

She's always been a mystery to me but I have never known how much.

Elliot walked into the squad room's crib. The first thing that caught his eye was the irrevocable, Olivia's sleeping body. She was curled up on one of the cots without any covers concealing her bright pink bikini underwear. He was glad that it wasn't a thong. He wasn't sure he could handle that with couth. He went to his locker and tried to open it quietly. When he got the combination to work he pushed the latch up. The door swung open with a loud squeak. He hurriedly looked at Olivia. She was stirring slightly, and then her eyes fluttered opened. He looked back into the locker. He didn't want her to think he was staring at her exposed abdomen and legs.

"Shit…what time is it?"

"1 am," He answered, "Sorry I woke you."

"Don't worry about it," Olivia stated as her phone buzzed. "If you wouldn't have he would."

"Who's he?" Elliot asked almost dreading the answer.

She walked up next to him. He glanced down and still saw the pink.

"He….is none of your business." Olivia told Elliot pulling open her locker.

"Nice underwear." He said it before he could take it back.

"Sorry, I didn't expect you to get here so early." She apologized with little sincerity knowing he enjoyed the view, "Why are you here so early?"

"Who's the guy and I'll tell you."

"You and Kathy get into a fight?" Olivia asked slamming the locker and going to the bed to make it.

Elliot thought about her assumption for a few seconds while she occupied herself with the bed making. He wasn't answering fast enough for her so she quietly walked over.

"El?"

"Nope the apartment was too noisy." Elliot complained.

"The apartment?" Olivia asked pausing and walking up behind him.

Elliot exhaled. "Yeah…Kathy and I just can't seem to make it work."

"Oh….I'm sorry." Olivia squeezed his shoulder.

"It's okay, maybe I'm meant for someone else." He shut his locker with his sweats and his hygiene bag in one hand.

She smiled up at him, trying not to beam too much. She was hoping that someone else was her.

"Well I have to go." Olivia stated heading for the door.

"Liv," He stopped her. "This guy…is he a good one?"

She smiled at his caring touch. "Yeah he's good."

"He won't hurt you?" Elliot asked knowing he was pushing it with her but he had to make sure.

"He wouldn't." Olivia assured him and waited for the prying gaze that came within seconds. She hated that he had to check for her lying, but it was necessary.

- - - - - -

Elliot sat at his desk the next morning dwelling on the fact that he got no sleep the night before. He looked at the clock for the millionth time since she left the crib this morning. It was eight o' one. She was late, a whole minute late, not entirely unusual for her. He couldn't help but worry though with her behavior last night.

She walked into the squad room right as the minute hand hit the two. She looked flustered. Her hair was slightly messy and she was wearing the same thing she wore when she left the crib that morning.

He raised an eyebrow at her. She did a spectacular job of rolling her eyes as she walked by him and got her coffee.

She sat down about five minutes later with her coffee.

"Late night?"

"I got plenty of sleep." Olivia informed him turning on her computer.

"That's not what I asked." Elliot enlightened her with the knowledge that she already knew.

"It was a late night." Olivia paused and then hurriedly got back to work.

"Stressful night?" Elliot asked starting to busy himself with an email.

"You could say that." She told him still not letting him in on the details.

"Do you still think of that guy as a good one?" He asked.

"Yes but I'm going to change my views on you if you don't stop interrogating me." Olivia warned.

The questions stopped.

- - - - - -

Elliot knocked quickly and loudly on Olivia's door. He stood in the dark hall looking at the floor and waiting. When the door swung open she was in sweats and a tank top. Her typical necklaces were hanging from her neck. Her hair was pinned up illuminating her face.

"Hey…what's up?" Olivia asked wondering why her co-worker was randomly standing at her door.

"We need to talk." He said holding up a file.

Olivia's eyes widened distended. She knew all too well the contents of the files in Elliot's hand. Olivia let go of the door and stepped forward.

Her gaze saturated his and Elliot felt her acrimony. She grabbed the files from his hand, slapped him hard across the face, and was gone in an instant.

- - - - - -

He was asleep in the hall in front of her door when she stepped out later. He was lightly sleeping so he noticed when she opened her black door and stepped out. He was in his feet in less than a second.

She completely ignored him, hook line and sinker. He walked after her.

"Olivia will you please talk to me?" He asked

"Go to hell," She said and kept walking.

He grabbed her shoulder and managed to get her to turn. She went to slap him again but he grabbed her wrist. They scrambled around for awhile until Elliot had her pinned up against the wall.

She paused for a second and then started struggling again saying "Let go of me."

"Olivia relax." Elliot told her not letting go.

She stopped thrashing.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting yourself into trouble and from the looks of it you are." He explained.

A neighbor opened the door and looked out.

"Are you okay?" It was a woman in her late forties. "Hi Elliot."

"Yeah, just an over protective partner."

She smiled and closed the door.

"I didn't have her call the cops can you let me go now?" She asked calmly.

"Can we talk?"

Olivia closed her eyes, "Fine."

He let go of her and let his hands slide down her forearms. She stared into his dark expanses in his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, "Don't you think you get enough of this crap at work."

"They needed more people at Cyber Allies. I was just trying to help out." Olivia explained.

"Where you going?" Elliot was compromising their position in their relationship already but he had to know.

"Headquarters."

"What are you working on now?" Elliot asked.

"A bunch of illegal adoptions." Olivia stated, "We're getting a search warrant tomorrow and we're executing it. I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow."

"I wish you wouldn't." Elliot stated

"I'm helping people." Olivia reasoned.

"I have a really bad feeling about this."

"I don't feel the same way." She walked around him to push the elevator button.

"Olivia, you have to live for something other than your work."

She scratched the skin over her eyebrow and closed her eyes in anguish. She got this lecture from the people at Cyber Allies too. They didn't want her to quit but they knew it wasn't good for her either.

"What do you want me to live for?" She said quietly as the elevator.

She walked in and turned around. Elliot timed it perfectly enough just to see her face.

"Me," He said as the elevator doors were closing.

Her jaw dropped and she looked paralyzed from the shock.

- - - - - -

He was in her apartment sleeping on her couch when she got home. The television was on some news channel. They were going over the days events quietly in the background. She looked at his sleeping figure and as much as she wanted to know if he was kidding about earlier she didn't want to wake him.

She sat down and switched the TV off. She heard him move on the couch, and she looked over.

His eyes fanned open to reveal the grey blue eyes she loved so genuinely. He smiled his timeless smile.

"I was watching that." He whispered.

Olivia smiled again. "Oh really I remember your eyes being closed."

He just smiled.

"Were you trying to get me to faint earlier?" She asked, "It almost worked."

He sat up. "I knew you wouldn't let me live that one down."

"It was kind of a cruel joke." Olivia informed him.

Elliot thought about that for a second. He could just lie and not get hurt but he knew he'd always think what if. Besides he hated lying to Olivia.

"You think I'd joke about something like that."

Her eyes began to pry into his wanting an explanation. Why didn't he tell her sooner? How long has he wanted to be that important to her? What did this mean?

"Uh…" Olivia bit her lip. She was frustrated and so happy at the same time. "I had no idea."

Elliot stood up and headed for the kitchen. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way."

Olivia got up in a hurry and followed him into the kitchen. "I never said that Elliot. I mean what exactly did you mean by it?"

He opened the fridge pulled out a water and turned in a tiny bit of fury. This was taking longer than he wanted it to. He just wanted to tell her then, wait for her to come back. Then it would be great if she felt the same way and that way they could at least kiss or talk or something.

"What do you think I meant?" Elliot asked with some added extra force into the words trying to.

"Please don't get mad at me." She said the words quietly, straight-forward.

He walked up to her until he was less than a foot away from her face. He didn't look her in the eye because he knew that would hurt too much so he stared at the cupboard behind her. "I just need to know if you feel the same way."

"I do."

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