A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! You have no idea ( well maybe you do ) how happy reviews make me! And thanks for your words of encouragement. I always want to thank my SVU Obsession Buddy & Editor for helping me out witht his chapter. It's a tough one to keep these two in character when they're at each other's throats! Anyhoo, the first half is pretty descriptive but dont let that discourage you! El/Liv Battle Royale occurs before the chapter's up so stick with me folks! Any of you go and look up this song yet?? You should :) haha Did any of you REVIEW yet?? You should :)

Disclaimer: I've come to the realization that the only thing better than EO sexual tension, is EO steamy make out session on Tuesdays at 10! & I think Dick Wolf wants the BEST show he can get, right?? Hint hint.

Chapter 2: Something Like Slipping


Don't need to think it over


16th Precinct: The Crib

Friday, 5:45 am

Elliot had virtually gotten no sleep after he left Olivia's last night. He'd left a message at home for Kathy, telling her that he'd be spending the night at the precinct and not to worry. He didn't feel like going home when he was in such a state of hurt and angry confusion.

As he stared, eyes fixed on the ceiling above, he could not shake his thoughts from her. The events of last night refused to cease from replaying themselves over and over through his mind like a home movie that just didn't end. It immediately kept going back to the start, each viewing leaving him more disturbed than the one before. It refused to grow obsolete. Each time he revisited her puzzled eyes and each time he saw her grip tighten on the door at the sound of that guy's voice...each time he took in her guilty countenance, he allowed more restless frustration to build within him.

How could she do it? She'd lied to him. Yesterday, when he'd asked her what she was doing after work, did she just happen to leave out that she had someone coming over? Why didn't she feel like she could tell him these things? Earlier before they'd left work, he could have sworn that the strain of the past few years had just melted away but...maybe you just couldn't burry the past. He still just couldn't wrap his head around it, she was lying to him now. It didn't make sense. It didn't fit. She'd never lied to him before, at least not about things like this. She couldn't have just said "I have a date," or "I have someone coming by,"? Why didn't she want him to know about this mystery guy? What was so special about him that he wasn't allowed to know? It's not like he cared that she had a boyfriend! Past tense, of course. Now he cared. He couldn't get it off his mind.

How serious were they? His mind refused to leave that single question alone, poking at it continuously. Was it just another guy or was this the guy? The guy she would eventually come in talking about, dropping his name in and out of conversation as if he were engraved into her everyday life? If so... he should have known. She should have told him. Or at least he should have sensed it. But that didn't change the fact that she wasn't truthful with him...

Maybe what was bothering him most, was that just when he thought he'd gotten her back, his best friend, he felt like he was losing her all over again. It was as if he was watching her slip right through his fingers like running water and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it.

16th Precinct: Squad Room

Friday, 7:03 am

Olivia made her way into the squad room, which was in a lazy state of calm. A few people roamed about indolently, sipping coffee, sorting files, preparing for the day. This was her favorite time of day, which was the main reason she arrived about an hour before the crowd. It was her time to relax, clear her head, collect herself before the day ahead, and on this morning, she was almost certain that she needed this time more than usual.

The events of last night swam through her head all evening, which wasn't exactly fair to her or Mark, but especially not Mark. He'd gone through so much trouble just to make the evening nice for her and it was all she could do to distract herself from thinking about what happened with Elliot... She still wasn't exactly sure what had happened. What was more though was the fact that she felt so at fault. She felt in the wrong, as if she was the one to blame for the whole situation. How could she have known that Mark was waiting for her at home? How could she have known Elliot was going to stop by? Apparently, the universe enjoyed dumping loads of crap on her doorstep and watching her try to clean it up. Thankfully Mark didn't really press her when she brushed off his questions about who was at the door and she was at least able to act as if nothing was bothering her throughout most of the night.

She only hoped that she and Elliot could both do their jobs today without making this into an ordeal. She still had no idea what to expect because of the mere fact that she still had no idea what happened. She'd just have to wait and see. What she didn't know was that she wouldn't have to wait as long as she expected.

As Olivia went to put her coat away, much to her dismay, Elliot emerged from the crib. He must have spent the night there after he left her place... Surprisingly, a pang of fear stabbed at her insides. What should she say? What could she say? Was there even anything to say at all? Should she ignore what had happened last night? Act as if it had never happened? Did he even want to acknowledge it? Should she let him approach her? She hadn't had a chance to think about these things yet. He'd stolen her hour in which she had planned to sort all this out.

As her mind flooded with questions regarding the appropriate conduct, their eyes met. His red rimmed, steel blue eyes gave the indication that he'd gotten little sleep, if any at all, but that's not what scarred her. When he looked at her, she didn't see him - not even angry, distant or sad him. Any of those emotions would have sent her jumping for joy compared to sight she witnessed now. When she looked at him...she saw nothing. His eyes were like a vacuum that echoed with an emptiness that sent its hollow vibrations straight to her core, chilling her bones. His stare indifferently ripped right through her, unmoving, steady, and vacant. It was worse than she even imagined. What could she possibly have done to deserve this?

But before she could even react, he brushed right by her, and didn't look back - thank God. She felt her heart grow cold and her lungs ice over, which bore a stark contrast to the searing tears that suddenly formed in her eyes. She took a deep breath, blinking them back, regaining control of herself, and she kept walking. Casting her gaze downward and shaking her head slightly in disbelief, she asked herself how in the world she could make this right again.

16th Precinct: Squad Room

Friday, 7:46 am

Elliot stared blankly down at a case file. If anyone was really paying attention, they would easily see that he wasn't taking in a word of it. His thoughts were far too distracted by the woman sitting across from him, glancing his way every few minutes. Smartly, he chose not to acknowledge this. He was too ashamed.

He never intended to treat her so coldly, if it could even be called that. Sure, he'd given her the cold shoulder before, but he knew he'd crossed the line earlier. He couldn't help it though! When he saw her face all that could be heard, echoing through his mind was Liv, babe - his voice from inside her home - a constant reminder that she'd lied to him, that she'd deliberately tried to hide her relationship with whoever that jackass was!

Still, if he could take it back, he would in a heartbeat.

16th Precinct: Squad Room

Friday, 8:08 am

The constant buzz of the now bustling precinct was beginning to cause Olivia to feel light headed. Her emotions were tearing into her so relentlessly that she wasn't sure how to cope with them at this point... so she blocked them out. As if in a daze, she sat at her desk, staring off into space while trying to exclude all conscious thought. If she didn't have to think about him and if she didn't have to visibly register him, she didn't feel so bad. But why should she feel bad, had she even done anything? But then she heard Cragen's voice intrudingly pull her out of the macrocosm she'd recently constructed around herself.

"Alright everyone, we've got a new case underway," he said causing the group to gather around him. "I've just gotten a call about Angela-Leigh Simmons, 26, raped and murdered in her apartment, found by the landlord who called it in. By the sounds of it, it's pretty bad. Benson, Stabler, I want you two down there checking it out, here's the address," he said handing her a piece of paper. "Warner should be there, check in with her, and report back later. Also, they're holding the landlord there until you get the chance to talk to him, see if he can tell us anything about this or her family."

Olivia gave a small nod to show her understanding and sighed at the thought of spending the day outside of the precinct with her partner. There was no avoiding him now. But when she looked up, Elliot was already on his way out the door and she couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at his departing figure. Rolling her eyes, she heaved herself up knowing that this was going to be a long day. She wasn't quite sure that she was up for being tolerant either.

Outside the 16th Precinct

Friday, 8:17 am

"Hey," she called after him, stepping out of the precinct. Her voice indicated all business - short and resolute. She didn't see any reason to let him jerk her around and make her feel like the bad guy when she did nothing wrong. But when he didn't turn around and continued down the side walk, she called again, a little more pissed off since he was directly ignoring her now.

"Yeah," he said turning around nonchalantly with an air of disinterest, still about 15 paces in front of her. Shifting his weight and squinting his eyes slightly, he mutely told her that he wasn't exactly up for this conversation right now but she could care less. She was starting to become angry at his visible exhibition of disregard.

"You feel like telling me what's going on with you?" She asked, indignance audibly penetrating her words. He could tell she was angry and her eyes shone with determination but he didn't have the strength for a full on fight after the night he'd had.

He shook his head with frustration, brushing her off, and turned around again. "There's nothing going on."

"Like hell there isn't!" She shot back at him, her voice dripping with accusation. She wasn't letting this go.

"You sure you want to go there, Olivia?" He asked facing her once again, putting force behind his words - maybe he did have the strength for this after all. His voice began building in volume before she cut him off, "Because if you're trying to say that I'm the one lying here-"

"If the shoe fits."

He looked her over for a moment, trying to decide whether he was going to let loose his frustrations or simply walk away - probably the more sensible choice when concerning his temper. "Whatever Olivia, think what you want," he spat at her, turning to walk away again.

She couldn't believe he was doing this to her, after all the crap he put her through. "Elliot, if this is about last night-"

"This is not about last night!" He flung back at her and kept walking.

"Then what is it about?!"

He stopped, took a few breaths and walked back, glaring at her. His voice came out low and resentful. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to tell me what makes you think you can stare me down and then flinch every time I so much as look in your direction." Her voice came steady and unyielding as he continued to glare at her.

"I don't know Liv, maybe you should just go ask your boyfriend," he replied in the same low and bitter tone.

"Don't bring Mark into this. It's not about him," she told him, determined not to let the subject stray.

"Of course it is!"

"What?"

"Look," he said bringing his voice back down into a vicious scold. "I don't care that you got some little boyfriend or whatever the hell he is, I just wanna know why you think you have to lie to me about it!"

"I never lied about anything!"

He let out a humorless laugh of disbelief. "How about yesterday? When I asked you what you were doing after work, you just happened to leave him out of it?"

She couldn't believe it. Of course, as she quickly relived last night, she could somewhat understand where he was coming from but still - did he really think she would do something like that?! "Elliot, I had no idea he was going to be there when I got home!"

Elliot barely let these words sink in before he was off on her again. She'd asked for it. "So what, he's got a key now? Jesus! Olivia, how long have you been seeing this guy?!"

"Who the hell do you think you are? My father?"

"I'm the closest damn thing you've ever had and you know it! And I'm sure as hell better than some Goddamn rapist!"

Olivia's mouth was already open, prepared to throw back a quick response, but there was no way she could have prepared herself for the low blow that just hit her below the ribcage. His words sliced through her and he saw her fiery eyes retreat and glaze over with a mixture of hurt and denial. She felt as if she was going to be sick. What could she say to that? She could hardly believe Elliot would bring any of that up in the first place, let alone use it to cut her down… If he was trying to hurt her, he did a damn good job. A+ Stabler. Way to go.

"Go to hell," she finally said, her voice hoarse with sobriety, and walked past him, hugging her jacket closer to her, shoulders schlumped in defeat.

He lingered on the spot for a moment, furious with himself. How could he have allowed himself to say something like that to her – her, his partner, his best friend, one of the most important people in his life. "Olivia...!" He groaned, cursing under his breath before turning around to follow her.

"Save it!"

A/N: Oh dear. Look what these two got themselves into! Sigh... Will they ever learn? REVIEW & I might let you know. Plus, reviews make Happy Authors. & what do Happy Authors make? EO Steamy Make Out Session! Woo Hoo! I think you know what to do ;)