A/N: An EO of course...Please review!

Disclaimer: I am not Dick Wolf and do not own this show or any of its characters (sadly...)

Elliot looked at the illuminated clock numbers on the dash in front of them and let out a yawn.

He turned his head to his partner in the passenger side of their unmarked sedan who gave him a sympathetic smile.

She knew exactly how he felt.

They had been sitting in the same car, parked on the same street with the same cups of cold coffee for four hours straight, watching a dark apartment building that had showed no signs of activity since the twenty-something uniforms had left earlier that night.

Elliot could think of about five thousand other things he would rather be doing at 3:45am on a Saturday morning, but he knew this was part of his job. Not a part he particularly enjoyed, but a stakeout was a stakeout and if it meant catching the bad guy, it had to be done.

'I really don't know why we are even her, Liv. It's pointless, I mean, our guys not dumb. Like he's gonna come back here when he saw fifty black and whites parked out the front twelve hours earlier'

'Fifty?' Olivia questioned teasingly, a smile playing at her lips.

'You know what I mean!' He shot back, winding down the window to empty out the cold contents of his coffee cup onto the ground.

'It's not like he's a genius. He did leave DNA evidence on the body, Elliot. The body that he didn't even think to move from his own home' Olivia pointed out, referring to the hairs CSU had found on their latest victim and the location it was in.

'Everybody is not a cop, Olivia. Everybody does not think like a cop' He snapped, crossing his arms and coldly fixing his gaze on the empty street ahead.

Silence reigned for a few minutes before Elliot turned to face his partner again, letting out another sigh.

'I'm sorry, Liv' He spoke softly. 'I've just really let this case get to me, you know'

She did know. Two children found dead in a space of one week. The first floating face-down in the Hudson and the second where their investigation had lead them, the house of suspect number one Rodger Phelps and the very house they where now sitting in front of.

'There was nothing we could have done, Elliot. That kid was history the minute he Phelps walked into his life and there was nothing we could have done to know' Olivia spoke soothingly.

'I…..we pulled him in to early. Let him know we were on to him. If we had left it till we had something concrete…' He trailed off.

'No, Elliot. We did our job. We had no idea the bastard was stashing Simon at his apartment. We though he was in Philly with his mother, there was no way we could have known'

Elliot and Olivia had picked up Rodger as soon as they suspected him in the murder of his Step-Son. What they didn't know was that the victim's younger brother, a witness to the slaying of his sibling, was also in the custody of his Step-Dad and soon after they were made to cut Phelps loose, he was found murdered too.

'I guess you're right' Elliot replied before a familiar voice crackled over the two-way on the dash.

'Stabler, Benson, anything?' The Captain asked, eager for something to lead them to their missing suspect, Phelps.

Olivia picked up the radio.

'Sorry Cap, nothing here. Lab got anything yet?'

'Munch and Fin are down there now, thank God it's open all night. I think it's time for you guys to come in. I'll post a couple of uniforms in case he shows tomorrow, but I doubt he will'

'Okay. See you in about 20' Olivia replied before replacing the radio and letting out an exhausted yawn.

'Starbucks?' Elliot asked, turning the key in the ignition of the car.

'You bet' Olivia replied, stretching her arms up in the air. 'Three am sounds like the perfect time for one of those muffins with the little sprinkles on it'

Elliot couldn't help but notice how great she looked even though neither of them had slept in about two days.

Stop it! Just stop!

He gave himself a mental slap across the face.

'Sure' he said, smiling warmly. 'Lets go'