I said I was gonna put this story on the back burner for a while because I was updating on 'Hurting' so much, but, something tells me that I need to get another chapter in. Besides, I have some major shockers in store for you. For one, Elliot's past comes back to haunt him in the form of a former temporarily partner and two, Olivia's abusive ex wants her back! Oh, you're gonna love this!

NEW EPISODE TONIGHT! NEW EPISODE TONIGHT! NEW EPISODE TONIGHT!

Enjoy and happy reading!

Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!

X

New York Supreme Court

Manhattan, New York

May 31, 2007

"Just remember to answer the questions throughly. I don't want anything bad to happen to you today. I know you're under a lot of pressure and the last thing I want to happen is for you is to lose your temper. And, remember to relax. I don't want you stressed out," Jennifer said as they walked inside the courtroom.

"What if things don't work out for us?" Elliot asked, looking skeptical at her.

"Don't think about that. You can't keep dwelling upon the 'what ifs', Elliot. Remember, we have a very good chance. By reasons of adultery, you're gonna get custody; no matter what kinds of tricks Kathy and her lawyer has up their sleeves."

Elliot nodded his head as they took their seats. He looked over his shoulder and saw Kathy and Henry amongst themselves; laughing, giggling and exchanging light kisses. He wanted to throw up because she never was this affectionate with him when they were together. He leaned back against the wooden chair and ran his hand over his stubbled face harshly. He couldn't believe he wasted twenty years on a woman who clearly didn't love him. He realized that if he hadn't gotten her pregnant with Maureen, he never would've gave her the time of day. But, stupid him, he wound up falling in love with Kathy Maynard .

His thoughts then turned to Olivia. He felt bad because he hasn't contacted her in over a week. He felt bad because he couldn't even find the time to think about her. He was so caught up on his situation with his soon-to-be-ex-wife, the possibility of losing his children and the fact that Kathy can drag him through the mud now wretched his heart. God, he was getting more and more stressed just thinking about it.

God, what is wrong with me? I'm trying to be strong, but I'm falling apart. I don't know what's gonna happen, but I have a feeling that something bad is about to go down. I don't know; maybe I'm just overreacting.

He wished that was the case.

X

Special Victims Unit squad room

16th precinct

Manhattan, New York

May 31, 2007

Olivia sat at her desk; working on some paperwork and humming to herself. It was unusually quiet at the 1-6, so she was able to get her work done a lot sooner than she thought. During the time she was encased in her files, she would stop doing what she was doing every once in a while to look over at Elliot's empty desk. It ripped her heart out of her chest because he was not there for her.

Furthermore, last week, she had to endure the wrath of her ex-boyfriend Pierce coming back into her life. She wanted nothing to do with him after what he did to her. The man basically used, abused and lied to her without a care in his heart. And, to make matters worse, he blamed her for all his problems. She was right to arrest him that night.

However, even with Pierce back, she found herself thinking about Elliot more and more. He constantly haunted her in her sleep. Some dreams turned out to be more...erotic than others. At times, she would get all hot and bothered just thinking about him. What the hell is wrong with her?

It was simple. Olivia Benson was head over heels in love with Elliot Stabler.

I don't think he feels the same way about me. The man's going through a tough time right now. I should be there for him, as a friend. I'm gonna go see him. I know he's in court right now, but he needs my support.

She reached behind her chair and grabbed he jacket. Then, she got up, took a deep breath and left the precinct with the intent of being there for him.

It's the least she can do.

X

New York Supreme Court

Manhattan, New York

May 31, 2007

"Detective Stabler, how long have you been married to Kathy Maynard?" Jennifer asked as she paced around the room, her hands behind her back.

He cleared his throat. "Twenty years. We have four beautiful children together."

"Did you ever cheat on her?" she asked sternly.

"No. I honored the vows of our marriage. Even though we had our problems, I loved her. A part of me still do," he said bitterly.

"Speaking of vows of marriage, when did you find out that your wife was cheating on you?"

He glared at Kathy. "On May 23, I came home from work early, hoping to surprise her when I heard something going on upstairs. I thought, for a moment Kathy was attacked, so I pulled out my gun and went upstairs to our bedroom. When I opened the door, I saw my wife having sex with an old friend of mine."

"What is his name, Detective Stabler?" Jennifer asked.

"Henry Fillmore. We grew up together. We went to the academy together to train. He was even my best man at my wedding. I thought I could trust him."

"Would you tell the court what happened next?"

"My anger got the best of me. I tend to get upset all the time now since my personal life interfered with my professional life. So I grabbed a vase and smashed it on the floor. Kathy and Henry stopped what they were doing and saw me. I was so upset, I wanted to beat the crap out of both of them. Instead, I grabbed their clothes and hurled it at them."

"What did you say to them?" Jennifer whispered.

"I said get dressed and get out. Then I left the room and slammed the door behind me," he replied.

"Detective Stabler, did you kick Kathy out of the house?" she asked, looking at him intently.

He didn't have the heart to look at her. "Yes. I kicked her out. I wasn't about to stay in the same house with a woman who's only gonna betray me. I never wanted to see her again. And then, to find out that the baby's she's carrying is not mine, it ripped my heart out. I was ready to bring him/her into the world. She begged me to move back home so we can be a family again. I did, because I loved her and I thought we could work things out. I guess that's not gonna happen."

"One more question, Mr. Stabler. If things would've been different between you and Kathy, would you still be with her?" Jennifer asked softly.

"I know my job kept me away from home most of the time, but I valued our marriage. I love my family. My children are the best thing that ever happened to me. As I mentioned before, a part of me will always love Kathy. If that baby she's carrying could've been mine, I would've forgiven her."

"Thank you, Mr. Stabler," Jennifer said before she went and took her seat, just as Kathy's lawyer got up and straightened out her clothes.

Meanwhile, Olivia managed to slip inside without making a sound. She quickly made her way down the aisle and sat down right behind Jennifer, who noticed the brown eyed detective sneaking in. The attorney smiled at her when she turned around in her seat.

"I thought you had some paperwork to do," Jenny whispered.

Olivia leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Slow day. I was able to get my work done a lot sooner than I thought. Elliot needs my support."

"He's gonna need it, especially since it's Kathy's lawyer's turn to drag him through the mud," Jennifer whispered back.

"Detective Stabler, have you ever cheated on your wife?" Calista Barrington asked, smiling smugly.

He got angry. "As I mentioned before, I honored the vows of our marriage. Kathy didn't. But, to answer your question, no, I never cheated on her."

"Oh, well, if you really honored the vows of your marriage, then what happened with your former temporary partner, Dani Beck?" she asked, throwing him off guard. He was not prepared to hear her name again.

"Nothing happened between us. We were just working together because my longtime partner and best friend, Olivia Benson, was temporarily reassigned. Kathy and even my daughter Kathleen met Dani," he explained, getting more and more angry.

"How long was your longtime partner was gone?" Calista asked, still smiling.

"Six weeks," Elliot said in a matter of fact tone.

"You mean you didn't know she came back earlier than you thought, Mr. Stabler? You mean you didn't know that she saw you and Detective Beck being all cozy with one another?" Calista asked, laughing sarcastically.

"N-no. I didn't know," he stammered. Olivia came home early and she didn't say anything? He couldn't believe it.

"It's just as well. You're as stupid as I thought. You don't know anything!"

"Objection! She badgering my client!" Jennifer shouted as she bolted from her seat.

Calista smiled. "I'll rephrase. Mr. Stabler, if you didn't know that Olivia was back, did you also know that Ms. Beck is seven-and-a-half months pregnant?"

"I never slept with her," he said, gritting her teeth.

"Really? Then how come the DNA test proved you're the father of her child?!" Calista exclaimed as she went over and grabbed some papers off her table. She went back over and handed them over to Elliot, who took out his glasses and put them on.

"I never slept with her. And, these papers are fake. You're just doing this to throw me off so you can raise your win/loss ratio higher. Believe me, lady, I know what's real and what's fake! So, the next time you wanna go and throw a paternity claim at me, you better have some concrete proof!" he snapped at her as he hurled the papers back at her.

Calista frowned slightly. The tables have turned and she didn't like it one bit. Elliot Stabler was a lot smarter than she thought. She looked over her shoulder and saw Kathy looking pissed off.

"Let me make this more clear for you: I never slept with Dani, but we did kiss. She admitted that she slept with another detective because she misses her dead husband. I never cheated on my wife. She cheated on me. And, now, she wanna drag me through the mud just so she can get what she wants? Listen, I may not have been a great husband, but I lived for my children. They're all I have. I love them all so much! I sacrificed everything in my life just to give them a good life!" he said harshly.

Calista didn't say another word. She just turned on her heel and went back to her seat.

Elliot stepped down from the witness stand. He glared at Kathy, who glared at him right back. He knew things wouldn't get better between them. He could feel it in his bones.

When he sat down, he was surprised to see Olivia sitting behind him, giving him a warm smile.

"I'm sorry for not talking to you lately," he whispered.

She just smiled. "Everything's gonna be okay. I'm just glad to be here for you."

X

Stabler residence

Queens, New York

May 31, 2007

Elliot's mood changed when he got home. He was feeling a little bit better after the outcome of the hearing. The judge declared that he'd make his final decision by the end of the week. He felt better knowing that Jennifer knew what she was doing. He owed Olivia his life for referring her to him.

Dragging his feet towards the bar, he picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels and twisted the cap open. He usually don't drink during the work day, but he has a reason to drink now. As he took a big sip, he kept thinking about Kathy and how she tried to humiliate him in court. She had no remorse in her bones when she testified.

God, didn't the woman have a heart? As he took a big swig of the liquor, her cruel words invaded his mind. All he thought about was how she completely disregarded their marriage in court.

The only reason why I married Elliot was because I was pregnant. I never wanted him. But, stupid me, I ended up falling in love with him. I loved him but it wasn't enough. I love Elliot but I'm not in love with him anymore.

I don't know why we stopped having sex. He's not at home half the time to begin with. I can't even complain to him about the lack of sex in our marriage. I wasn't getting any from him.

I know he's cheating on me. He kept saying he never slept with Olivia, but I know better. She's a tramp who can't keep a man longer than a month. No wonder nobody wants to be with her.

I love Henry. I fell in love with him. I didn't want Elliot find out this way, but we knew he was gonna find out, one way or another. I was gonna tell him; to let him down easy. But, he was pissed off. I knew he was pissed.

I just wanna walk away with no problems. But, Elliot made sure that didn't happen. I just wanted a divorce so I can move on with Henry. For the first time in my life, I'm happy. I'm truly happy. And with our baby coming, my feelings for Henry are so true. I'm sorry, Elliot, but I don't love you like I used to.

Everything she said on that stand ripped his heart into shreds. He ended up doing something that he rarely did.

He cried.

Elliot Stabler, the tough-as-nails detective, cried.

But, everything could change by Friday when the judge hands out his decision. All he has to do now is pray. And, to keep him occupied, he thought keeping Olivia company would do him some much needed good.

She was there for you today. Don't leave her. She loves you. Don't let her go, because the next person who comes and steals her heart, it's gonna be too late for you, buddy.

Olivia. His sweet Olivia. The woman he truly loved. Only thing is, he didn't know if she felt the way about him. But, he's not gonna dwell upon that for right now. He has plenty of time.

What the hell? I love her with everything I have. When my heart is ready, I'm gonna tell her how I really feel. Until then, I got some much needed healing to do.

Still holding the bottle in his hands, he grabbed a cocktail glass and poured the amber colored liquid in. Upon taking another sip, he picked up the phone and dialed Olivia's cell phone number.

He needed to talk to her. Badly.

Although we've come

To the end of the road

Still I can't let go

It's unnatural

You belong to me I belong to you

Next up, the phone conversation, which will lead them to meet face to face. Plus, will Elliot get custody or did Kathy did some serious damage control? Stay tuned to find out!

Please review!