Olivia stumbled through the door, careful not to make noises, conscious of her sleeping son. She could barely make it up the hallway, and collapsed on the couch in the loungeroom. She leaned her head against the fabric of the leather couch, and closed her eyes. The sound of footsteps stirred her from sleep.

"Where the hell have you been?" came the voice.

Olivia opened her eyes and saw her husband pop his head around the doorframe. He looked less than impressed. Olivia shrugged. "I went to the pub to have a drink with El," she told him impassively, closing her eyes again.

"LIV!" he barked.

Olivia's eyes snapped open and she jumped from the couch, startled by John's loud voice. "What the hell?" she screamed, her heart still pounding from shock.

John was now standing in front of her. "Are you drunk?" he demanded.

"I had a few… I didn't drive," she mocked.

"Go to bed!" he ordered. "You're pathetic!"

Olivia took a moment to stand, careful to stay upright, as she glared at him with disapproval. "Don't talk to me like that!"

"We'll discuss this in the morning," he stated. "We both have work early… get some sleep."

Olivia didn't remember how she managed to climb into bed, but when she woke the next morning, she was dressed in yesterday's clothes. She had a slight headache when she pulled herself out of bed, and by the time she dressed and came into the kitchen for breakfast, it was barely worth a thought.

John was drinking coffee at the table when she came in.

"Hang-over?" he guessed.

"Not really," she shrugged guiltily. Olivia knew that she had faltered in her responsibilities if nothing else. Despite how often John took off, her son did not deserve the absence of his mother. "I'm sorry I didn't call…"

"Fine," he replied coolly.

"Where did you go yesterday?" she asked pouring herself a coffee.

"I had business," he said flatly.

She sighed as she sat down at the table across from him. Olivia was tired of fighting with him. She was tired of her mornings with the same routine; his coldness always creeping into the conversation. Olivia was eager to finish her coffee and head to work. The nanny was taking care of George this morning. She'd grab something to eat at the precinct.

She hurriedly drank her coffee and stood from the table. "I'll see you when I get home," she said with the same cool tone as he had used.

"What about George?"

"The nanny has him today," she answered as she headed for the hallway.

"Fine," he shrugged.

Neither of them uttered a goodbye. A moment later Olivia left the house, and hailed a taxi to the precinct, arriving at work forty minutes later.

Elliot handed her a coffee and smiled as she approached the coffee spot. "Morning…"

Olivia gave him that look, the same one she gave him every time she and John had spent the morning throwing insults across the breakfast table, every time one or both of them had faltered on their responsibilities.

"That bad?"

"You have no idea," she groaned. She sipped at her hot coffee. "Thanks," Olivia was thinking about food.

"I didn't know if you'd be hungry but I got you-"

Olivia didn't allow him to finish his sentence; she put her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He was startled at first, but it didn't take long for him to respond to her. When she pulled away, she felt slightly better, and within minutes they were laughing over their stupidity of the previous night's conversation.

"We should go away?" Elliot suggested.

"What?" Olivia stepped back slightly, stunned by his words.

Elliot smiled cheekily. "Yeah, you know, holiday… at the beach property I brought,"

For a moment Olivia actually considered this seriously. Her head spinning with the thought of being alone with Elliot for a few days, in a beach house far away from home. Olivia loved being around him. The bond they had formed since joining SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT was so strong that she knew they'd never be without each other. No matter what happened later on, how far they moved away from each other, no amount of miles could stop their growing friendship.

"Go away?" she repeated the word as if it were foreign.

"Are you okay?"

Olivia was pale. She nodded softly.

"We don't have to," he shrugged. "I was just thinking it would be good to get away from work. It's so intense and- listen, Kathy has been so moody lately, I'm not even sure she'd say yes. Forget it."

OH! Olivia felt herself blush, as she realized he had meant combining their families. She was mortified, and turned her head away, her head spinning from embarrassment. She had considered him serious, and had contemplated the idea, and now she felt like an idiot.

She would never tell him what she was thinking.

"Sorry, bad morning…" she said. "I- yeah, I think it would be good to get away. I think John and I need that too, and Kathy must-"

"I'll have a chat with her tonight," Elliot agreed.

Olivia nodded.

"BENSON! STABLER!" Cragen called from his office.

It was time for work. Olivia shot Elliot a smile and titled her head slightly as she looked at him. She would have done anything for this man. He was as important in her life as John was, a close second to her son, George. And until then, she had never considered him anything other than her best friend.

Please R&R… greatly appreciated. And thanks for reading the next chapter. :) I hope it was okay… have a great day!