Thank for the reviews guys…..ignore my A/N from last time….no Policeman's Ball…going in a different direction. Just hang in there with me! Thanks to Corimariee(twitter name) for helping me with this chapter….3

Chapter 3

Her words stung and cut him deep. She said she was going to see other people. How is this happening? We have been living together for 2 years. We love each other. I don't understand how we got here. I know she is obviously angry at me for staying away for 2 months but I didn't expect this, Elliot thought to himself.

"Liv, I don't want you to see other people. We live together. We are in a committed relationship. I don't understand any of this" Elliot said in a desperate attempt to believe she could not have possibly meant what she just said.

"El, I never said I don't love you. You know I love you. I don't think I could stop if I tried, but I also told you that I don't trust you anymore. You made promises to me that you didn't keep. Trust is everything in a relationship. If we don't have that, we don't have anything" she responded.

"Olivia, I have never given you a reason to mistrust me. I have been faithful to you since we've been together, you know that" .

"Elliot, you don't get it! I don't think you cheated on me, but you did lie to me. You were not supposed to leave me. Only the job never me. That's what you said and you lied. The trust is gone Elliot. I think we need to accept that we were great at one time, but what happened that day in the squad room changed something in both of us, therefore, changing our relationship whether we wanted it to or not.

"Liv, no. Please don't do this. I need you. You are my life. I love and need you more than anything. I'm so sorry. This was just really hard for me to accept, but I have my head on straight now and realize what's important, and what are most important is you".

"Elliot, I am not trying to say that what happened to you was not traumatic. I know shooting Jenna ripped you apart inside. I was there. I saw what it did to you. I gave you the space you asked for, but you told me you were not leaving me and you did. You left me here. Alone. I was dealing with what happened that day also".

"Liv, I know you were, and I'm so sorry I was so selfish and not here for you to talk to. I am here now, and I want to hear anything you need to say. I want to be here for you"

"Elliot, I am truly not trying to hurt you. You have to know that, but I don't want to talk to you about my feelings from that day. I've dealt it. I dealt with it by talking to the people who stuck around and were here for me when you weren't"

That hurt and she knew it. Maybe part of her did want to hurt him. Make him understand how hurt she was. She was finding it hard to believe that she would ever want to do anything to hurt Elliot Stabler. However, she found herself saying things to him that she knew would tear him up inside and she felt slightly vindicated with her words. The look on his face, however, was almost too much for her to bear. She had to get out of there before she just wrapped her arms around him and found herself forgiving him anything and everything.

"Elliot, I've been gone long enough. I need to get back downstairs. Fin is waiting for me" she said.

"Liv, please no stay and talk this out with me" he begged.

"Elliot, there's nothing left to say. I'm done." She retorted.

"So are you going to see other people or not? I want you to tell me you are mad as hell at me but you won't see other people until we work this out"

"Elliot, have you been listening to anything I've said? It's done. We are done."

"Just promise me you won't see other people" he begged.

"I can't promise you that Elliot" she responded as she made her way to the door on the roof.

Elliot was left standing on the roof feeling as though his heart had been ripped from his chest. His head was spinning. She wants to see other people? It's over? She's done? He continued to repeat everything in his head that she had just said to him, which made him feel ever sicker to his stomach than he already did. He decided that he and Olivia were worth fighting for. He wasn't going to give up on her. He just prayed she wouldn't either.

THREE WEEKS LATER

Olivia was a nervous wreck on this particular morning. This was the day that Elliot was finally returning to work after what had happened with Jenna. They hadn't spoken since their conversation on the roof about him leaving and seeing other people. She was excited to see him and scared to death at the same time. She missed him. She didn't want to admit it but she did. She told herself it didn't matter if she missed him. She needed to get over him, because as much as she loved and missed him she was still pissed as hell and didn't trust him with her heart.

She heard the elevator door open, and her heart sank. She knew it was him. She just had a feeling. She was right. There he was Elliot Stabler. Her partner, her best-friend, her lover, the man she loved more than life itself and the man who broke her heart. He was dressed in his standard suit and tie and looked as amazing as he always did. She felt an ache everywhere in her body, especially her heart. She quickly got her head straight and started to walk away before he saw her. She was too late.

"Morning Liv" Elliot said in a cheerful voice.

"Morning, El. Welcome back" she responded.

"Thanks. Good to be back. I bought you coffee" and he placed it on her desk.

She was a little confused. He was acting as if it was any other day, like nothing happened. Maybe she really got through to him and that's why he hasn't even tried to call her in three weeks. She didn't even know where he has been for three weeks. He never came by the apartment to get any clothes or anything.

"Thanks" She responded.

"We got anything this morning" he asked.

"Um, no nothing right now. Since it's your first day back Cragen figured you could just help me catch up on some paperwork unless something major goes down" she replied.

"Sounds good".

"Elliot, do you want to talk about us continuing to be partners?"

"Liv, you will always be my partner. I will always have your back no matter what. That being said, if you want to change partners, I understand and I won't stop you"

"Elliot, I told you that out in the field I trust you with my life. You've always had my back. I don't want a new partner, but I just don't know if everything that has happened between us is going to affect our partnership"

"Well, we have lived together for two years and it wasn't affected, but if you can't be my partner, I will accept it, Liv. I won't push the issue"

She was blown away. If you don't want to be partners I will understand? I won't push the issue? These are not words that Elliot Stabler knows she thought to herself. She was confused. When they were living together, they were still partners and there were no problems. Now that they are not together, she is wondering how this can possibly work.

Olivia responded, "Why don't we give it a try for a few weeks and see what happens. If it doesn't seem to be working, we will talk to Cragen"

"Fine, with me" Elliot replied.

At this point, Fin, Munch and Cragen all welcomed Elliot back. He was grateful for their support and understanding and the fact that they all seemed to miss him but his only thoughts were Olivia. She was standing there, and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked today. God he missed her. Was he doing the right thing by just playing it cool with her. Playing it cool is not his strong suit. He wants to drag her into the cribs and show her just how much he missed her and how much he truly loves her, but he wants her to come back to him on her own. He's realized after being with her for two years that pushing her to do something only pushes her away, and he cannot afford for her to pull further away.

After all the pleasantries were out of the way, everyone got back to work. It was almost 5 o'clock and Olivia was getting ready to leave. Elliot had noticed earlier what she had been wearing but he did now. She wasn't dressed casually like she usually was. Did she have a date? Oh shit he thought to himself, that's gotta be it. He couldn't take it anymore.

"So Liv, you look great today. Do you have a date tonight with that someone new you wanted to start seeing?" he reluctantly asked.

"Elliot, not that I owe you any explanations about my personal life but no I do have a date tonight"

"But you are seeing someone"? He asked.

"If you must know, I'm meeting Casey for drinks. Just the girls nothing else. I'm going to be late. I gotta go. I'll see you in the morning. We also need to discuss when you are going to come by the apartment and pick up your stuff" she replied as walked to the elevators and out the door.

A/N: I struggled so much with this chapter….it's going to get better I promise just hang in there with me….we always need angst before we get the payoff right? So what happens when Olivia and Casey go out? Nothing good I'm thinking. Review here or on twitter…..Qgirl25 Thanks guys!