A/N: Hi everyone. I hope you're all eager for the next chapter. =)). Here goes…

It was too much for Olivia to take. Seeing him again. Seeing him sitting there and making excuses about why he broke her heart, as if it was okay because he had a good reason. It made Olivia more angry than she had ever been at him. And it hurt too, to stay. In her apartment, she took a wine glass from the shelf. One of those oversized ones that fill 600ml and she poured the wine until the half-bottle was empty, and then she took a swig.

She went to her couch and sat down, tucking her feet underneath her. For a long time she simply stared out the window, sipping on her glass every couple of minutes, lost in memories of the past.

A knock at the door interrupted her, and she stood unsteadily from the couch, and crossed the room to answer it.

Olivia didn't even notice the time when she opened the door, and Elliot Stabler was standing on the other side. Her hand instantly flew to her stomach, as if it could conceal the washing machine feeling in her gut. "What are you doing here?" she managed to ask. "I thought my words at the bar were pretty clear."

"Yeah, well…"

"You screwed up!"

"I know I did."

"So what do you want, forgiveness?"

"A second chance."

"Why? What makes you think you deserves one."

"I don't. But you're going to give me one anyway."

"Yeah," she asked with amusement, as she sipped on her wine. "And why's that?"

"Because you've always been the better person," he said, reaching out and snatching the glass from her. "You don't need that. You are the better person, Liv, and because there is something magical about you that makes you reach out to those who have done wrong. You believe in second chances and you've always believed in me."

Olivia turned on her heel and wandered back to the lounge room. He followed, dumping the wine glass on the counter as he passed by. "Two years ago you shattered my heart," she stated, trying to hide the emotion from her voice. "You just put in your papers and you were gone, and that was it. I don't believe in anything in anymore."

"Let me change your mind," he pleaded.

"How do you propose to do that?"

He stepped closer to her and reached out his hand to touch her face. She flinched. It had been a long time since she had felt his hand brush against her, whether it was a gentle hug or a slight finger on her shoulder. It had been so long that she had forced herself to believe it would never happen again. It was hard having him so close to her. She could smell the familiar scent of his aftershave, so subtly that it made her ache.

"I want to tell you everything."

Olivia was too weak with desire to turn him away, though in her head she was screaming at him to leave her alone.

Her silence, gave him the impression she wanted to hear it. He took her hand in his own and pulled her down on the couch, beside him. "In all the years I've been alive I can't recall a time that was worse for me than turning in my papers. The job was all I knew. I didn't know how to be anything else but a detective. But it wasn't that. The very idea that I was walking away from our partnership made me sick. I knew if I said goodbye I would be waking up every morning knowing I wouldn't see you every day. It was too much for me to handle on top of everything else."

"And you think that saying nothing to me was better?" she challenged. It seemed like a cop-out. An excuse to get back into her good books.

"I don't know. I didn't let myself think about it. I don't need to tell you why I left, Olivia…"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't. I know why you left. I even understand it. I wasn't angry that you decided to leave SVU. I was angry because I had to find out through Cragen. Do you know how that made me feel?"

"I can imagine."

"No," she denied. "You can't imagine. Do you know how many times I had to hold back the tears when people asked me where you were, assuming as your partner I would know. I should have been told first. Finding out from Cragen-."

"Please," he begged. "Let me finish."

Olivia shrugged. "Finish then!"

"I owed you more than you got," he said. "You did. But the reality was, leaving you was the most insanely excruciating moment in my whole life. I didn't know how to say goodbye to you. I didn't know how to come back. I didn't know how to call you. You always knew me so well, so when I left I just assumed that I'd call you the next day or you'd call me."

"I called. You didn't answer."

"I wasn't ready to say it then…"

"You chickened out of it?"

"I did," he lowered his head in defeat. "I know it doesn't make up for anything. I was a mess for two years and I didn't want you to be the one who had to pick up the pieces. It wasn't your job. I went to counselling, and you know how I feel about shrinks."

Olivia nodded. She knew everything about him, it was why it had hurt so much.

"I left Kathy. We're divorced. I mean, she tried and God knows I tried… but it wasn't working. I didn't want to be with her anymore, and I could see that she didn't want to be with me either. I came to too many realisations. It was another reason I couldn't call you…"

Olivia felt her heart pounding loudly against the wall of her chest. "And why was that?"

"Because I love you…"

Olivia knew that he wasn't talking about the kind of love that stemmed from friendship. It was clear by the look in his eyes that it was a deep love, the kind that she had been holding onto since they had first met. The kind of love she had buried within her for years because he was married. Even Kathy had known.

Olivia gasped, allowing the words to reach her heart.

"Let me show you… let me make things better… tell me I'm not two years too late."

"Not two years," she managed to say. "More like twelve."

Elliot's face grew pale right in front of her. "I'm too late?"

I think I will have ONE more chapter in this story. =)). So, I'll be sure to make it a good one if you can do me the same favour and leave me a review… oh, I'm sorry how rude of me. PLEASE can you leave me a review… you know, to stroke my little ego!