AN: Thank you so much for all of the support so far! I'm glad that you guys like this version so far (as do I). I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner, I already had this done but I forgot to put it up. I hope ya'll like and please review! I love to hear what you think. Love ya'll!

Disclaimer: I don't own SVU

To say that she had been on her knees on the floor of a dirty bathroom a few times was an understatement. That didn't mean that her knees were anymore used to the cold, hard tile of the bathroom floor than anyone else's. Isabella ran as fast as she could from Captain Johns' office, feeling like she was going to puke. She had just barely made it into the bathroom when she started to throw up. She felt soft hands grabbing her hair, carefully pulling it back as she emptied the contents of her stomach. She wanted to cry. She felt so embarrassed but comforted. Somehow this woman that she had only met moments before was nice enough to hold her hair back while she heaved and vomit into the toilet.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked as she ran her fingers through Isabella's long hair.

"I'm okay…just having a rough day".

Olivia bit her lip, trying not to chuckle. "I know what you mean". She helped Isabella up and walked her to the sink so that she could clean herself up.

"I'll be right outside if you need me".

Olivia was relieved when she stepped out of the bathroom to be greeted by Elliot. It was nice to have the one steady person in her life present.

Olivia was tired and getting a bit cranky because of her hunger. Elliot could tell just by the way she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to keep herself together. The last thing she wanted to do was have a break down in the middle of a precinct, especially when it wasn't her own. He decided to try to start a conversation.

"How do we handle this from here?"

She just shook her head. She had no clue how to handle this. She felt her control slowly slipping.

"I'm not sure, El. I mean I have to talk to her, but it's so late and I'm hungry. I mean do I bring her back to my place? Do I ask her to meet up with me tomorrow? I just don't know".

Elliot watched as Olivia, his partner and best friend, struggled to keep her emotions in check. She always tried to stay strong even though she knew that it wasn't healthy to hold things in. He may not have had all the answers, but he could help her. Wordlessly, he stepped in to her space. She eyed him as he opened his arms, inviting her in. When she didn't react, he decided to go for it. She tensed in his arms at first, but it didn't take long for her to relax and wrap her arms around his neck. It wasn't often that they were physical, but just for a moment, that didn't matter. His lips moved until they were dangerously close to her ear. "I can't imagine how I'd feel if I were you. You are strong, but I want you to know that I am here. You can be open with me". He felt her body shudder. He wasn't sure if she was crying or not, but he knew better than to check. He knew that they didn't have long, so he continued. "I will be here with you, for you, as much as you want me to be. Okay?"

He felt her nod, making him smile. He let go much sooner than she wanted him to, but they had to be professional.

"Just try to calm down a bit and make a plan; I'll go along with what you say".

"I'm sorry it took me so long, I felt another wave of nausea". Isabella explained, pulling them out of their trance. Olivia felt a flutter in her chest. It still amazed her that they were identical. "That's alright, we were just talking anyway" she managed to say. Finding words was becoming increasingly difficult as the minutes ticked by.

"So, now what?" Isabella asked. She was uncomfortable hanging around the police station when she didn't have to be there. She wasn't sure if they were allowed to change their mind and charge her again, but she wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out either.

"Are you hungry? There's a little dinner that's open all night down the block".

Olivia was extremely thankful for Elliot at that moment. She was having a hard time thinking straight. Isabella nodded eagerly at the idea of food. By the looks of it, it had been a while since she ate a full meal.

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"I'm sorry, but I can't go in there".

They stood on the sidewalk in front of Elliot and Olivia's usual dinner, but Isabella was refusing to enter the building.

"Why not?" An exhausted Olivia inquired.

"Do you see what I'm wearing? They'll kick me out if I even try".

Olivia took a moment to check out her ensemble. She did have a good point. The skirt she wore was skin-tight and only reached the very tops of her thighs. Her shirt could barely even be categorized as a shirt because of the way it was cut. There was very little left to the imagination. They were going to a family oriented restaurant, so her fears were justified.

Elliot shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Isabella. She put it on and was relieved to see that it was big enough on her to be longer than her skirt and completely cover her chest.

"Thank you, I feel much better now".

He held the door open for her and then Olivia. As the ladder walked through the door, she mouthed a quick thank you to him.

If only he'd known exactly how much she was thanking him for.

Olivia was shaking her leg under the table, slowly driving Elliot insane. That was one of his biggest pet peeves because it shook the whole table. Olivia only did it when she was anxious; something he learned from years of stakeouts with her. They were sitting in a somewhat awkward silence until Olivia finally broke it after they ordered their drinks.

"Alright look, I'm still having an extremely difficult time believing that this is real and I'm sure you are too, so I just have to get some more information. When's your birthday?"

Isabella looked surprised at the sudden outburst, but it wasn't unwelcomed. She was just as curious and as shocked as Olivia. "Um January 26th".

Elliot shot Olivia a look. She knew exactly what he was thinking; hers was the same day.

"Okay, now there is absolutely no way that the twin thing can be denied. I just had to make sure because identical finger prints almost never happen, even if the twins are identical. I just can't believe that this is actually happening".

"Excuse me, but are ya'll ready to order?"

Olivia sighed. She had so much to say and ask, but they really did need to eat first. She and Elliot ordered their usual cheeseburgers and fries. They never broke tradition. Isabella's order surprised them.

"I'll just have a cup of the chicken soup please".

Once the waitress was gone, Olivia spoke up, not caring how nosey she was being.

"Excuse me for being so direct, but when's the last time you ate a meal, like a real meal?"

Isabella blushed. She hadn't expected that question to come so soon.

"I-I uh don't really remember. I try to save some of my money so I just buy some boxes of granola bars. They normally last me a week if I space them out just right".

Olivia felt her heart break. The poor woman couldn't afford to eat a hot meal if she wanted to. Even getting a free meal from a shelter was difficult because New York City contains so many poor and homeless people. Not everyone could be helped.

"You know what, order whatever you want, my treat. I don't care how much you spend, if you want it, get it".

Elliot gave Liv another look.

"What?" she asked him.

"I'll get this" he whispered back, making her smile. She didn't know what made him offer to pay, but she wasn't going to fight him. Besides, he owed her for the lunch she bought him the other day. They never actually kept track of that kind of stuff, but they did try to take turns.

"Where the hell is that waitress? I have to order a salad and a burger along with that soup".

Olivia chuckled, pushing away all her questions for a bit and enjoying their meal.

They did partake in some light conversation while they ate. Olivia learned that Isabella actually preferred to be called Bella. Also, Bella lived on the streets, sleeping in a different place every night. She knew it was crazy to do it, but she had to invite her to stay.

"If you need a place to stay, I insist that you stay with me".

Bella didn't know what to say. They had just met and they knew nothing about each other, but at the same time, how would they learn unless they spent time together?

"That'd be wonderful".

Elliot tapped Olivia's shoulder, getting her attention.

"Liv, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, already getting out of his seat. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she followed him down the short hall that lead to the bathroom.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked in a harsh whisper. "How could you invite her to stay with you? You don't even know if you can trust her".

Olivia bit the inside of her cheek, trying to control her temper. He had no right to question her choices. What happened to the supportive Elliot that she spoke to not an hour earlier?

"What happened to going along with whatever I said? Why don't you trust me?"

"Stop it, Liv. You know that I trust you with my life; it's her that I don't trust. We don't know what she's like and I-"

"Elliot, will you shut up if I say you can stay with us tonight? I'm too tired to fight about this, even though we both know I can handle myself".

Elliot knew that she was right. She could handle herself, but he wanted to be there for her. She was the only steady thing in his life at the moment and he was not going to lose her. He also knew better than to fight with Olivia, especially when she was lacking in sleep. He agreed to her terms and escorted her back to the table where they found Bella finishing up her food.

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"Please excuse the mess; I'm not home much so I haven't had the chance to clean" Olivia explained as she unlocked her apartment door. Being a detective at the Special Victims Unit left very little time for anything unnecessary like cleaning, she barely had enough time for eating and sleeping. Her place wasn't a total disaster area, but it had been a while since she ran a vacuum through it.

"Wow, Liv, you have a very nice home".

"Thank you, but it really isn't much. I have a guest room, but it's being used as a home office right now, so I hope you don't mind taking the couch tonight".

Bella smiled and nodded, more than happy to take the couch. "It's fine, more than fine actually".

Olivia disappeared down the hall for a few minutes and returned with a pillow, blanket, and a pair of pajamas. "If you need anything at all, we'll be down the hall. The bathroom is the first door on the left and if you get hungry, help yourself to anything that I might possibly have in the kitchen. I'm just warning you, there isn't much in there".

Bella nodded again, knowing that they were all tired and ready for bed. "Thank you so much, Olivia. I hope you sleep well".

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Olivia changed into a comfy pair of silk pj shorts and a tank top, her favorite thing to wear to bed. She was pulling back the covers of her bed when she noticed Elliot awkwardly standing by the door. It was like he was waiting for something.

"Can I help you?"

He shrugged. "I need a blanket or something so I can crash on the floor".

She rolled her eyes at him. "Elliot, we're adults, we can share the damn bed. I have a pair of your sweatpants in the top drawer of my dresser if you want them".

He made his way over to the dresser and opened the top right drawer, but he didn't find what he had been looking for. Instead, he was greeted by the vast array of Olivia's panties.

"Elliot! The other drawer!"

He blushed and slammed the drawer shut, knowing that he didn't react as soon as he should have. To be fair, he was a man that enjoyed what he saw.

Once he was changed and ready for bed, he laid down next to Olivia. He could feel warmth practically radiating off of her.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep" she confessed.

"Too much on your mind?" he asked as he turned on his side to face her. He only received a nod as an answer. "I know that you wanted to ask her more tonight, but I do think it's better to get some rest first. This is going to be an emotional time and we don't need to make it worse. Why don't you write down all of your questions until you're ready to sleep?"

Olivia wordlessly climbed out of bed and retrieved a notebook and a pen. A few minutes later, Elliot was fast asleep.

A few hours later, Elliot awoke, needing a glass of water. He looked over and saw the cutest thing. Olivia had fallen asleep sitting up with her pen and notebook still in hand. He gently eased the pen and paper out of her hand before helping her to lie down. She stirred a bit, but quickly curled up in a ball. He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, not being able to resist. This was the only chance he had to do it without her punching him in the jaw. He swiftly switched off the lamp and left to grab a drink.

Isabella softly snored on the couch. She was completely dead to the world, just like Olivia. Elliot had noticed that she had kicked off her blanket, so he fixed it and tucked her in. She gratefully sighed and snuggled deeper into the couch.

When he returned to the bedroom, he found that Olivia had shifted over to the center of the bed, leaving very little room for him. He tried to coax her to move, but she wasn't having it. He sighed and slipped in next to her. Surprisingly, Olivia cuddled right up to him. He put his arm around her slim frame and held her close as he drifted back to sleep; enjoying the last peaceful moment they would have for a while.

AN: More to come soon! I would love to know what you think!