Title: The Ties That Bind

Author: Sara and Lizzie

Rating: T for mild language, violence and sex

Disclaimer: We own nothing related to L&O. We can merely write fictious stories and curse Dick Wolf for teasing us.

Author's Note: This is our second SVU fic. It's set before Elliot and Kathy's separation, but they are having problems. We want to set it straight that we know it's out of character, and Elliot would never cheat on Kathy. That's why we call it fan fiction. We're trying to keep their basic traits the same, but in our situation. So to the person who sent us the scathing email, get over it. The italics are a flashback, and the song is by Motion City Soundtrack. If you like it, REVIEW. Please, we're slaves to your opinions.

I'm liquid cold, she's murder gray,
we're hollowed by circumstance
that pushed us both away.

June 7, 3:16 am
Manhattan

Elliot was sleeping in her bed. He had slept on her couch once, Olivia recalled. But he was naked, sleeping in her bed. Olivia was sitting up, knees pulled to her chest, alternately watching him and the clock.

It wasn't sex she could just fall alseep after. It wasn't sex that you woke up and functioned normally after. It was still scary and still new and still wrong.

She looked away from him, and back at the clock. 3:18. Her thoughts drifted to the laptop that was still running at Elliot's desk in the precinct. She extended her leg, and kicked him.

Elliot woke up immediately. He hadn't really been sleeping. Just sort of drifting. He could feel Olivia sitting next to him, looking arounding and tensing every few minutes.

"There's a reconstructed hard drive with our name on it." She whispered.

"It's early."

She didn't say anything at first. She just smiled at him. He smiled back at her. A genuine, honest smile. "It is early. But it's our own fault." She was afraid to fall asleep next to him. She was afraid to do anything to make it real.

June 7, 5:56 am
The 1-6

Alex Cabot and Casey Novak entered the precinct together. It was early, but they had to get the warrant for Patrick Ford's house. He was the man who held the girls in the warehouse. They walked up to the precinct and Casey glanced at Alex. She idolized Alex Cabot all the time that she had been here. The newly re-instated ADA was a legend, and now she and Casey worked together. Casey had feared that Alex wouldn't think she was good enough, but somehow, they had become friends.

Casey pulled open the door, and allowed Alex to step inside first. The blonde took three steps inside, then stopped. Casey walked up next to her and the two of them just stared. There, at one desk were Elliot and Olivia, sitting close, pouring over a lap top and a printer, making a file of everything they printed out.

Elliot was still in the same shirt he had worn yesterday, but Olivia had changed clothes. They kept smiling at each in a way neither ADA had never really seen them smile before.

Casey shook her head. "They wouldn't…" her voice trailed off. Alex said nothing. She just watched, lips slightly parted as the two detectives stared at the computer.

All of a sudden Olivia shook her head. "There's something familiar about these names. Too familiar." She and Elliot started moving at the same time. They both got up and started for the huge filing cabinet in the corner of the room. Olivia started frantically yanking out files.

She read the names on the top and threw them down. She gave a short hard laugh. "They're all doing time." She muttered.

Elliot picked up every file she discarded and read the names of the detectives in a low tone. "Benson and Stabler, Benson and Stabler, Tutola and Munch, Benson and Stabler, Benson and Tutuloa."

Olivia turned to face him, and for the first time noticed Alex and Casey. "All of our cases." She turned to the ADA's. "How did we never notice this guy before?"

Alex shrugged. "If he has as much power as we think he does, I doubt anyone would be jumping to come clean to the authorities."

Casey nodded. "If you've put away his top guys, he may have been forced to move down his chain of command."

Olivia shook her head. "This guy's higher than high profile. Even the person at the bottom of his chain wouldn't be this sloppy. I mean, they caught onto this guy within the hour…" she looked at Elliot.

Alex and Casey watched curiously as the two detectives held each other's gaze. Elliot cursed to himself. He looked at his partner again, and reached out his hand to snap at a young cop leaving night duty.

"Hook that computer up to a modem." He said. The rookie nodded. Elliot's eyes never left his partner's, until he started digging frantically through a file cabinet. He held a thick folder aloft.

"Rodgers." He said to Olivia. She looked at him blankly. The urgency of his look intensified. "David Rodgers. He threatened you. Lunged at you in the interrogation room. He said you didn't know what you were digging up, bitch." Elliot said dryly with an ironic grin. "I made you report him."

Olivia averted her gaze. "Oh yeah, him." She rifled through the files, and yanked out another one. "Here's one who seemed particularly hostile."

"I knew that message meant something other than the usual." Elliot continued. "I mean we didn't know what he was implying at the time, but now that we do.." he trailed off, then began again. "We should call in, see what they found out after you filed that complaint."

Olivia looked distinctly uncomfortable. Elliot eyed. "You filed it, didn't you?" he demanded.

Olivia studied the file cabinet. "I didn't exactly get around to it."

Elliot's eyes narrowed. "Did you at least tell Cragen?" Olivia shook her head. Elliot slammed the file cabinet shut. "Jesus, Liv." He shouted. "This is serious."

"Which neither of us knew then." She reminded him.

"You told me you reported it." He said in a low voice.

She take a bold step closer to him, getting in his face. "Would you have reported it?" She challenged.

"That's not the point, Liv."

"It's not the point because you wouldn't have. You get threatened every day and you never tell Cragen, let alone file an official report. But what? Because it's me, there have to be reports. I can take care of myself, Elliot."

"What else have you lied about?"

Her eyes got a little wide. "Nothing." She said, her anger tinged with hurt.

"Should I believe that?" Elliot asked. He turned to Alex and Casey. "You two are the lawyers. Is she lying?"

"It was one thing Elliot."

He slammed his fist into his hand. "Damn it Olivia!" No more Liv. They were all out of niceties now.

She raised her eyebrows and smirked at him. "I guess it depends on the type of lie you tell then, doesn't it?" she mused. "Would it be ok to lie to you if, say, I didn't want dinner?" Elliot's face clouded and she stormed away.

He punched the file cabinet, as if for good measure, and stormed in the opposite direction. Casey and stood, taking in their wreckage and staring at each other.

June 11, 5:58 pm.
The 1-6

Four days. Elliot hadn't spoken to her in four days. Four days, twelve hours and two minutes, but she wasn't counting. She plopped down at her desk in the dimly lit squad room. It was a Friday night. The place was basically empty. She opened a file she hadn't remember putting there. She pulled out the papers and read them. They were emails.

She ripped the post it note off the top one.

Olivia-

Got these off the computer.

Elliot.

She almost laughed. It was brief and formal. Olivia. Not Liv, Olivia. She started to read the emails. She almost laughed again. Of course. They were all threatening. They called her and Elliot and Munch and Fin out by name, but of course, mostly her.

She sighed. "You were right Elliot." She murmured to the dark, still room. "As usual."

She felt something in her spine before he spoke. She knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"One more time, Liv?"

She smiled. "You were right."

He stepped out into the light where she could see him. "Hi." She said.

"I'm sorry." He told her earnestly.

"Me too." She said.

"We can't do this, Liv." He heard himself saying.

She nodded. "I know." She ran a hand through her hair. "I know."

He eyed her. "And it's ok?"

"It's just… embarassing Elliot." She told him. "I should never have thought we could do this." She stood up. "I'm going to go home."

"Be careful."

She rolled her eyes. "Top priority." Elliot watched her stride away from him, open the door and slam it shut. He imagined her stalking out onto the street, and he felt like he should be running after her.

He had expected to feel relieved after this conversation. He had expected the guilt to fade, and for things to lapse back into their usual normality.

Instead, he couldn't tear his away from the place Olivia had been standing. Instead, he just felt empty.

June 11, 11:43 pm
Waldorf- Astoria
Midtown

Ryan Harrison threw a packet of pictures on the table. Cammie Cooper leafed through them. "She's prettier than most of the socialite set." She commented.

"She's a cop."

Cammie looked up at Ryan and raised her perfectly groomed eyebrows. "Really?"

"I need you to call her, and set up a meeting. You'll talk to her about what I tell you to talk to her about."

Cammie tossed her mahagony curls over her right shoulder. "Ryan." She said slowly, "I don't want to be involved in your business ventures."

His eyes narrowed. She sighed. Ryan Harrison was the son of one of the Chicago Harrisons. He was gorgeous, so was she. He was rich, so was she. He was also 25. She wasn't. She was still 18. She was going to Boston University in the fall. He wasn't.

There was something about Ryan. She had no idea what he did to make all the money that poured in. Money that didn't come from Daddy Harrison. She had a feeling it was illegal. Ryan dealt with shady people and a lot of young girls. But she shrugged it off. Her mom hated Ryan, or at least she did when she was sober, so Cammie stuck it out. But this was weird.

"Cammie." Ryan said forcefully. "I'm asking you to do me a favor. Just do it."

Cammie nodded.

"Great." Ryan said, his Mr. Niceguy image returning. "You ready, babe? The car will be here any second."

Cammie got up and sauntered out the office, her Gucci heels clicking against the floor of Ryan's apartment as she made her way towards the foyer. Ryan looked down at the photo. He leafed through his stack one more time.

Cammie was going to be his ticket to Olivia Benson.