Author's note: Okay, this one requires a little more imagination because it does not follow the story as closely as the other one did. But I think it really fit's the situation and helps the story flow. I hope you guys like it! I also wanted to mention that the links to the videos in the last chapter wouldn't post, but the first part of the web address for both videos is youtube, all it put was the .com and the rest of the link. I guess it doesn't let you post links on here. Thanks for reading, please remember to review!

~ Detective Olivia Stabler ~

Ten Feet Away

(Part Two Of An E/O Songfic)

Elliot stood at the bar and looked around the room. This was Mark's last night in town and he wanted Elliot to take him out on the town. The truth was it had been so long since he had been out in the dating world that he wasn't even sure how to do this anymore.

The place was crowded and there were beautiful women all around them. Mark looked like a kid at Christmas as his eyes scanned over the endless buffet of long legs and big boobs, but there was only one woman in the room that had managed to catch Elliot's eye.

She wasn't a stranger, but his partner of eleven years and his best friend. Olivia had never looked more beautiful than she did right now. Elliot couldn't help but stare as she laughed and smiled while she spoke with Casey at the bar.

She wore her hair down and it fell just below her shoulders. It was curled a bit and her makeup was flawless as the shimmer of a light gloss perfectly accented her full lips. The sexy short dress she wore fell just above her knee, leaving her ling tanned legs free for his viewing pleasure. The pattern of the black and white material sort of swirled as it twisted around the amazing curves of her body and the thin straps crossed in the back showing off her incredibly sexy back and shoulders.

"Who is that?" Mark asked from behind him.

"Olivia, she is a friend of mine. We work together."

"You have to introduce me."

"You didn't even ask if she is single."

"It doesn't even matter. I am only in town for tonight," he said with a devilish smile.

Elliot glared at him.

"You stay the hell away from her."

"It was a joke, man. Loosen up. I wouldn't mess around with another man's wife. Not even a goddess like that. The wedding ring is a huge turn off. Is she single?" he asked watching Elliot for a response.

"She is. But I don't think she is looking," Elliot replied still staring at his partner.

By now Casey had turned her back to Olivia to talk with a guy sitting at the bar. Liv was sipping her class of wine and looking bored out of her mind as she stared down and dragged the tip of her strappy heel across the carpeted floor.

He had been watching her for quite a while when she finally looked up and noticed him. Elliot smiled shyly and turned away trying to hide the fact that he had just been caught staring at her. Olivia focused her attention on their conversation as Casey handed her another drink.

Alone at a corner table,

She was watching me watching her.

I was singin' about an old flame burning,

She was hanging on to every word.

I was pouring out my feelings,

She was pouring out the wine.

Through the smoke and the beer,

It was perfectly clear,

That we were touching each others minds.

Elliot looked up and smiled at her again. This was ridiculous, there were a hundred other women in the room and somehow all he could see was her. But he was pretty sure that Olivia wasn't interested in him that way. Infact, he thought to himself as he looked up at her again, it wasn't him she was looking at at all. She was checking out his cousin, Mark.

It was love ten feet away.

Imagine her in my arms, with that look on her face.

Lying somewhere in a shadowy place.

It was love just ten feet away.

Olivia was laughing as they approached the spot where the women stood. She looked at him and smiled her pretty smile, then turned her attention to Mark.

"Ladies," Elliot said with a nod as he approached the place where they sat on barstools.

"Elliot," Casey said looking him over. "Lookin' good tonight. Who's your friend?"

"This is Mark. My cousin, he was stuck in town on a layover and I convinced him to spend the weekend. Mark, this is Casey and Olivia. We all work together."

"Elliot is supposed to show me a good time," the man said smiling at Olivia.

"It's nice to meet you Mark," Olivia said with a smile.

He couldn't help but notice the way she looked Mark over. She was checking him out. It was obvious his best friend and his cousin had already had a few sparks flying.

"You never told me you had a cousin," she said smiling at Elliot and he could tell where her interest lied.

They made small talk for a few minutes while Mark got everyone drinks. Casey seemed friendly tonight, especially toward Elliot. She handed him her beer to hold while she downed a shot of tequila. Sitting the shot glass back on the bar, Casey twisted Elliot's tie in her fingers and lead him toward a table in the back of the room.

Elliot looked back over his shoulder protectively checking up on his partner. Olivia smiled and nodded at him as if signaling for him to go on that she was alright. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he watched Mark place his hand against Olivia's lower back. Everything inside Elliot told him to break it up right then, but Olivia was a grown woman and he had to respect the decisions she made. Even if they weren't exactly the easiest for him to face.

Casey laughed as she playfully pushed him into the booth and crawled in after him. She kept scooting closer to Elliot and Elliot kept scooting further around until he was all the way at the other edge of the booth. As he was talking to her his mind was on one thing and one thing alone, Olivia. He watched her as he spoke with Casey, turning away when their eyes would meet. It was killing him to see her this friendly and apparently happy with another man. And he was kicking himself for letting this happen.

Elliot exhaled and took a drink of his beer. If he was going to have any sort of a good time tonight, he was going to have to get Olivia off his mind. Casey was a very attractive and successful woman and she was sitting here practically throwing herself at him. There was no reason why he shouldn't just go along with her little plan for the night and try to have a good time.

I just knew my closing song would do it,

I knew that I was heaven bound.

I could tell she was moved,

But before I was through,

This stranger walked up and set down.

Casey laughed and leaned in closer and Elliot could tell this was a done deal. He was about to have the first one night stand of his life and ironically enough was super nervous about the way things would go.

He cleared his throat and leaned forward to watch as Olivia smiled and finished off her drink. She was really enjoying herself and as nice as it was to see her happy, Elliot couldn't help but be a little jealous.

Not of her, not at all. But for the first time in his life he really knew how it felt to want to be someone else so bad he could taste it.

How was he going to spend the night making love to Casey all the while wishing it were Olivia who was there in his arms?

Elliot scratched his head. He needed another drink. He flagged the waitress and ordered another round. But as he picked up his beer his eyes couldn't help but shift almost magnetically to the beauty at the other end of the table.

Olivia was looking at him, too. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her, wishing so badly that she could read his mind right now.

He was trying his best to impress her.

But she never took her eyes off me.

When he got up and left, I said to my self…..

Woh-o-woh what a night this will be.

Let's get out of here, he screamed to her inside his head as she laughed at something Mark had said. Before he knew it, mark stood up from the table and Olivia excused herself.

Elliot tried to get up and go after her, but Casey had a hold on him. She laid her head against his chest and whispered softly to him, but all he could do was watch as Olivia walked away.

It was love ten feet away.

Imagine her in my arms, with that look on her face.

Lying somewhere in a shadowy place.

It was love just ten feet away.

Elliot slipped his hand into his pocket and began randomly pressing buttons on his cell phone. Within minutes his phone rang and he fumbled to pull it from his pocket.

"It's work. I have to take this," he said excusing himself from the table as he made his way past the bar and out the front door. "Fin…"

"What's up man? I think you pocket dialed me."

"Sorry. It was kind of an emergency and I needed a moment to breathe."

"What kind of emergency?"

"The kind where you realize that you are about to go home with the wrong girl."

"Ahh. You need a wingman? I'm just across town. I can be there in ten minutes."

"No, it will be alright. I just needed to get away from the crowd for a few minutes. I think I'll just take a little walk around the block lot to clear my head."

"Alright man. But if you change your mind don't hesitate to call. It's hard getting back into the dating world. I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, Fin."

Elliot hung up the phone and dropped it back into his pocket. He took a deep breath of the cool night's air and spent the next fifteen minutes walking up and down the sidewalk in front of the club, just breathing and trying to clear his head.

He walked slowly back inside and headed toward the table. But as he did, something strange happened. Casey and Mark had slid dangerously close to one another and were now leaning in to kiss.

"They don't waste any time," he mumbled under his breath as he made his way to the bar.

He as he ordered another beer, he looked around the room for Olivia, but she was nowhere in sight. Elliot was certain she had left and was just about to text her to make sure she had made it home okay when he looked up to see her sitting on a barstool watching as Casey and Mark made out.

She must be crushed, he thought as he watched the saddened look on her face as she shook her head and combed her fingers through her dark hair.

Olivia stood up and walked toward the table, but as she did Mark and Casey stood up to leave. Elliot watched as she sat down at the table alone and looked as if she were about to cry. He gave her a few minutes alone, watching her cautiously from the bar. Then he ordered them a couple of drinks and made his way across the room to comfort his friend. This was not how he had wanted this night to end.

He could tell she was crying as he approached the table and took his best shot at cheering her up.

"Can I buy you a drink?" a man's voice asked from behind her.

"No thank you, I am waiting for my friends," she lied as she turned to see him standing there holding a glass of white wine in one hand and a beer in the other. "Elliot?" she asked in disbelief smiling as a tear slid down her cheek.

"The one and only."

"I thought you…." she paused as she turned and looked back toward the door. "You didn't leave with Casey?"

"No," he replied sitting the glass of wine down in front of her as he slid into the booth.

"But I saw you with her."

"I was talking to her, but things were moving a little too fast for me. I stepped outside to take a phone call just after you left the table. When I came back in, Mark and Casey were kissing. So I just took a seat at the bar and ordered another beer."

Olivia smiled.

"I…Uhh, I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you."

"I'm not," he said as he smiled at her.

"No?"

"No. I like Casey, as a friend. But I am just not attracted to her. She was up for just a one night thing, but I can't do that with her."

"No?" Olivia asked and she couldn't help but smile.

"No. Because I like someone else," he said staring deep into her eyes.

"You do?"

Elliot smiled as she took a drink of her wine.

"Yes, I do. And I realized tonight, that I have liked her for quite some while now."

"Really?"

"Really. I guess seeing her with another man was just enough to make me see what was right in front of me all of this time. I'm crazy about you, Liv. And the whole time Casey was talking to me, all I could think about was you."

"Really?" she asked with a giddy girlish smile.

"And thinking of all of the bad things I would do to Mark if he disrespected you or hurt you. Kicking myself for not saying something sooner. I am sorry he left you. I'll beat him up if you want."

Olivia smiled and laughed.

"El," she said as she shook her head, "I didn't like Mark either."

"No?"

"No. The whole time I was talking to him I was only thinking one thing."

"What was that?"

"How badly I wanted to be where Casey was."

Elliot smiled as he stared into her eyes.

"Liv?"

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?" he asked softly.

Olivia smiled as she nodded.

"Yes," she whispered as he raised one hand to cup her cheek.

With the other hand he tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear and traced her lips and chin with his thumb. Olivia scooted in closer to him as Elliot leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers. It was slow and beautiful and magical. It was the most amazing first kiss ever. And when it had ended, Olivia sat there for just a moment with her eyes still closed.

When she opened her eyes he smiled at her. She reached forward to straighten his tie and Elliot placed his hand over the top of hers. He lowered it to hold it against his corn flower blue button down shirt and she could feel his heart pounding inside his chest.

Olivia smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him again. Before she knew it they were slid in against each other, Elliot's hand was on her knee and they were kissing passionately.

Elliot broke their embrace as her phone began to vibrate against the table once more.

"Is that Casey?" he asked.

"No," she replied, "it's my cab."

She looked at him for a moment, then answered and told the driver she was on her way out.

"I had a great time tonight," he said as he smiled at her.

"So did I."

"Can I see you again?"

Olivia thought about it for a moment as they stood up from the booth.

"You can," she said softly as she studied the look in his eyes, "or you could take me home."

"Home?"

"We can share a cab," she said as he stared into her eyes and traced his thumb over the fullness of her ruby lips once more.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all," she said with a smile.

"Alright," Elliot said placing his hand in the small of her back and leading her from the room.

At Olivia's apartment he stepped out and held the door for her.

"I'll walk you up," Elliot said.

"You should come up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, if you want to?"

Elliot smiled.

"I want to," he said reaching through the front window to pay the driver.

He locked his fingers in Olivia's and held her hand as they walked up the front stairs and into the elevator.

It was love ten feet away.

Imagine her in my arms, with that look on her face.

Lying somewhere in a shadowy place.

It was love just ten feet away.

Inside the apartment the trail of clothing started as soon as the door had closed behind them. Elliot's tie and blue shirt were scattered down the hallway with one of Olivia's Jimmy Choo heels.

He had never wanted a woman more than he wanted her right now. Everything in him wanted to just ravish her right here and right now, but the gentleman inside if him would never allow it. Olivia deserved more than that. He loved her and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her.

She was a lady. And for tonight, she was his lady.

Elliot lowered her gently to the bed watching her for any signs of hesitation. Stopping now would take more self control than he had ever had to use, but he would do it if she asked him to.

He kissed her tenderly as she moaned softly and sighed. This was going to be a night neither of them would ever forget.

He smoothed his hands over the soft curves of her body as she stared lovingly into his eyes. She wanted this as badly as he did. Elliot smiled as he followed the long slender line of her leg up both sides to meet her thighs. There, his fingertips caught the edge of her thigh high stockings and slid them slowly off.

Olivia raised gently upward as he slipped his fingers under the thin band of her satin and lace bikini underwear and pulled them off as well. Everything about her was absolutely perfect, he thought as he kissed her again.

He moved back off the bed and stood looking down at her. Olivia looked up at him with want and lust in her angel eyes as she smoothed her fingers over his bare chest. She kissed a trail of soft kisses across his neck and down his chest that he was sure would make him explode.

Elliot rolled his eyes back in his head trying hard to contain himself as she unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants to the floor. My God, he thought to himself, this woman would be the death of him.

"Sit," she whispered as she turned him and pushed him gently down onto the bed.

Now she was taking control. This was without a doubt the best night of his life. The one night that all of his fantasies were coming true.

He smiled, looking up at her as Olivia reached behind her and unzipped her dress. He watched in amazement as the sexy black and white dress fell into the floor around her feet and the most beautiful woman in the world now stood naked in front of him.

Olivia smiled a shy smile as she stepped forward and climbed into the bed beside him. Elliot couldn't take his eyes off hers as he traced her bottom lip with his thumb and kissed her again.

From that point nature kind of took over and things just happened. Elliot's boxer shorts found themselves in the floor beside her dress and he held tight to her body as they made love.

He kissed every inch of her silky smooth skin as she moaned and moved her fingernails gently up his back. And when they had finished making love, Olivia fell against his chest.

Elliot closed his arms around her and as he really held her for the first time, he realized that he never wanted to let her go.

Unsure of what she wanted to happen next, he felt the urge to say something to her. He knew with everything inside of him, that he was in love with her. But he wasn't sure if she felt the same way.

"I've never done this," Elliot said softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"Neither have I," she said looking up at him.

"Should I go?"

"Do you want to go?"

"No," Elliot replied as he shook his head.

"Then stay," she whispered as she kissed him again.

She smoothed her hand over the hair on his chest and traced the line of his abs with her finger. He had worried this would be awkward, but she seemed so comfortable here with him.

"Yeah?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she whispered with a smile.

Elliot raised his arm as she settled in against him once more. He closed his arms around her and just focused on the rise and fall of her breathing.

"What happens next?" he asked unable to take the silence.

"We sleep," she said with a soft yawn. "Other than that I don't really know. What do you want?"

Elliot raised her chin and kissed her tenderly.

"I want to see you again. I want to take you on a real date."

Olivia smiled and laughed against his chest.

"It was just sex, El."

"Incredible sex."

"It was incredible sex. And I am pretty sure seeing each other again is against the rules of a one night stand. But like I said, I have never really done this before."

"Then why start now?" Elliot asked.

"What?"

"You asked me what I want. I want to see you again. I want to date you and be a real couple. I want to give this a real shot. I want a relationship with you. And I want to spend a very long time making love to you. I know this has all happened kind of fast, but I think we really have something here. Something real. This is more than just sex. For me anyway."

Olivia was quiet for a moment, then she smiled.

"It is for me, too. And I am willing to give it a real shot if you are."

"You always have kind of been my girl. Now it's official. You know, it's funny, I have never really been jealous of another man in my life. Not until tonight."

"You were jealous?"

"Yeah when I thought Mark was gonna try to get you back to his hotel room. At first I wasn't really sure how to feel about it. I just knew that he'd better treat you right. But when I saw him talking with you and scooting in closer and putting the moves on you, that was the first time I really wished I could trade places with another man."

"In a way you did," she said with a smile. "But I never would have gone home with Mark."

"No?"

"No. We just didn't really have any chemistry and he was a sorry substitute for the Stabler I really wanted."

Elliot closed his arms tighter around her and kissed her tenderly.

"The Stabler you got," he whispered as he kissed the tip of her nose.

Olivia closed her eyes and he held her through the night as they slept peacefully together.

The next morning Olivia moaned softly as she moved against the Egyptian cotton sheets of her bed. Last night had been the best night of her life. She moaned again as she rolled onto her stomach and raised her head to look at the clock on the night stand. It was just after six thirty and the sun was beginning to spill in around the blinds on the bedroom window.

Just then a wonderful idea crossed her mind.

"Morning sex," she whispered with a smile as she bit her lower lip and buried her face in her pillow.

She stretched and slid her arm across the bed to rouse Elliot as she moved her long leg to rub it against his. But he wasn't there.

She looked confused as she raised up in the bed realizing for the first time that she was alone. She wrapped the sheet around her body as tears began to fill her big brown eyes. There had to be some kind of explanation.

If work had called him in, they would have called her, too. She reached for her phone, but there were no missed calls. Olivia exhaled heavily fighting back tears as she climbed from the bed and made her way down the hall. But the apartment was empty.

Maybe this had all been a dream, she thought to herself as she walked slowly back into her bedroom. But the dress still laid there in the floor beside the bed where she had dropped it the night before. Beside it, the stockings and panties Elliot had removed from her body, just before they made love. And in the hallway by the bedroom door still lied her high heeled shoe.

It was real. Everything happened exactly the way she remembered it. But when the magic wore off and morning rolled around, reality set it. It was what it was….a one night stand. And now that is was over, she was alone once more.

Olivia climbed back into her bed and pulled the blankets up around her. She had experienced the most wonderful night of her life, only to wake up cold and alone. She closed her eyes tight and buried her face in a pillow trying to fight off tears, but they began to flow freely when she realized that she could still smell his cologne on the pillow from the night before. Olivia held tight to the pillow and cried herself to sleep.

What seemed like hours later she opened her heavy eyes to the sound of the front door closing. She laid there for a moment listening for any other sign that there was someone else in the apartment. When she heard nothing, she was sure the sound had come from the apartment of her upstairs neighbor. She sighed and closed her eyes once more.

A few minutes later she felt something tickle her nose. Olivia groaned and opened her eyes to see Elliot sitting beside her on the bed holding a single white rose.

"El?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"How many other guys did you have in here last night?" he joked with a smile.

Olivia sighed and combed her fingers through her hair as she raised up in the bed.

"You were gone."

"What?"

"I woke up and I was alone. You weren't here. You were gone. I thought that you…." she still looked a bit confused.

Was her mind playing tricks on her?

"You really thought I'd left you?"

Olivia just stared at him unsure of what to say.

"Hey," he said cupping his hand against her cheek and kissing her tenderly, "I am here. As long as you want me to be."

"I just woke up a couple of hours ago and you were gone. Your clothes were gone, you were gone."

"When?"

"A few hours ago."

"Baby, I went to the café on the corner to get us some breakfast. I picked you up some white roses on the way back because I know they are your favorite. But I was only gone about fifteen minutes and I just got back. I am sorry I didn't tell you where I was going, you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't want to wake you. I thought I could get there and get back before you woke and surprise you with breakfast in bed," he said as she turned her attention to the tray of food he had sitting on her dresser beside the roses.

Elliot tucked her hair behind her ear and scooted in against her in the bed. He laid back and raised his arm as she laid down against his chest.

"I didn't mean to go all psycho on you," she said softly.

"You're not a psycho."

Olivia raised up on her elbow and turned to look at him.

"I just thought we were being serious last night when we talked about us."

"I was completely serious."

"So was I. But when I woke up alone, I guess I thought you changed your mind and decided that a one night stand was what you really wanted."

"Olivia, what I really want is you. I didn't think it completely through. I should have left you a note or something," he said combing his fingers through her hair. "But I am here, right here beside you and I am not leaving you."

Olivia smiled.

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

She laughed. Elliot leaned in to kiss her tenderly.

"I just don't want you to think that I am some crazy controlling bit…."

Elliot placed his fingertip against her lips to stop her.

"I know you. I know exactly who and what you are. And if I didn't like all of the things about you, I wouldn't be here," he said leaning in to kiss her.

"I was thinking," she said softly, "maybe we could….you know…."

"Oh! Right now?"

"Unless you don't want to?"

"No. I mean yes! I want to," he replied fumbling to undress so fast he almost fell out of the bed and into the floor. "Of course I want to," he said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her.

Olivia shifted her body and raised the sheet to allow him to slide in beside her. Elliot kissed her tenderly as they made love again. Afterward, Elliot brought the tray of French toast, scrambled eggs with bacon, biscuits and gravy and coffee to the bed.

"You think you got enough food?"

"I didn't know what you would want. I hope you're hungry."

"I'm starving. And this smells wonderful."

"I thought we could just both kind of eat from all of the containers," he said handing her a plastic spork.

"Sounds good to me. Do you have any plans on this beautiful Sunday?" she asked feeding him a bite of biscuits and gravy.

"Normally I take go to church with the kids. But they went to Connecticut with Kathy and her mother this weekend and I won't get them again until Tuesday night. So, I am pretty much free all day."

"Good," Olivia said with a smile as she gave him a sticky syrup kiss. "I was thinking, if you wanted to, we could just stay around here today."

"Here, the apartment? Or here, the bedroom?"

Olivia smiled.

"The bedroom. We hardly ever get downtime from work. I thought maybe today we could just spend the day laying around together doing nothing."

"Nothing?"

She smiled again.

"Well, I am sure we can find something to do," she laughed. "I just mean relax and lounge around here. Not plan anything at all. Sleep when we want to or watch movies. Or make love," she said with a smile. "Just exist together with no agenda."

"You got it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think it sounds great. We can order in take out and find some old movies on television."

"You know, no man in the world would ever agree to cuddling in front of the TV all day and you don't even hesitate."

"Because I get to cuddle with you."

"Aww," she said.

"Naked," he added.

Olivia laughed.

After spending all day and night Sunday in bed together, Elliot talked her into playing hooky Monday morning.

"So we both took a personal day, what do you want to do with it?" Elliot asked.

"Oh, I thought you just wanted to lay around like yesterday."

"Yesterday was amazing," he said kissing her lips. "But I want to go out and do something together." He thought for a minute. "I have an idea. I think I can score us a couple of Yankees tickets to today's game. Do you like to watch the Yankees play?"

"I've never been to a baseball game."

"What?"

"I like baseball. I have just never been to a real game. I never had anyone to go with."

"We have got to change that," he said kissing her again. "Give me a minute."

Elliot walked across the room and picked up his phone. He called a friend of a friend and managed to get them a couple of tickets to the two o'clock game that afternoon.

A few hours later he held Olivia's hand as they waited in line all decked out in their Yankees gear. They found their way to their seats and got settled just before the game started.

"Do you want a beer?" Elliot asked.

"I'm good."

"Aww, come on. I'll get it for you. You don't even have to get out of your seat."

"It's a little early to start drinking, isn't it?"

"Liv, you cant go to the game and not have a beer! I think it is the law or something. Beer and a hot dog! It is part of the baseball code of ethics."

Olivia laughed.

"Alright, bring me back a beer."

Elliot kissed her and made his way up the concrete steps to find them some refreshments.

Six beers and four hot dogs later, Olivia sat with her head on his shoulder while the watched the final inning of the game. She was really into the game and cheered with the crowd, jumping from her seat in excitement when the Yankees scored the winning run.

"That was so much fun," she said as they walked back toward the car hand in hand.

"I am glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I can't believe I drank three beers."

"I can't believe you ate two ball park hot dogs," Elliot said with a smile as she laughed.

"I know. But they are so good," she laughed.

"They are very good. So you had fun?"

"I had a blast."

"Would you like to go again sometime?"

"I'd love to."

"I'll take you any time you want to go."

Olivia smiled.

"Ever seen a hockey game live?" Elliot asked with a smile.

"No," she laughed.

"Ahh, that is where the real action is!"

Back at her apartment that evening Elliot sat on the end of the sofa and Olivia laid with her head against his lap as they watched television and ate popcorn from a large bowl.

"This is nice," she said softly as she slid her fingers down between his.

"It's very nice," he agreed as she tipped her head back to stare up at him.

"It feels…" she paused searching for the perfect word.

"Like after all of these years we've finally got it right."

She smiled as she sat up and pulled one knee up to her chest.

"Yes," she agreed nodding her head. "Like this is where we were supposed to have been all of this time."

"Maybe it is," Elliot said kissing her tenderly as she smiled and settled back in against him on the sofa.