Andrew was calmly watching them, waiting. Finally, he nodded to himself and stood up.

Elliot rested his aching head against the cool cardboard of a box. He let out a pain-filled breath and shut his eyes. His thoughts whirled, around and around like a carousel. His brow knitted in concentration; come on, slow down! Then he realized he was too tense, he had to relax. And that was how he heard it.

She loves me.

He allowed himself a small smile. He replayed the night's events in his now calm mind; his fists unclenched, his shoulders relaxed, and his breath became even.

I love you, Elliot Stabler.

Those words! Without them, what would he be? He did not deserve her! A small, salty tear leaked out of his eye. It landed in her hair, disappearing quickly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Was she sleeping? He hoped so; this was too much.

Olivia tried to fall asleep, but couldn't. She was in an uncomfortable position, but her body was in too much pain to move. Was Elliot sleeping? She hoped so.

Her thoughts were orderly, like they'd always been. She knew she could make it if she was in control. Though how much in control at the moment was becoming apparent, for her soldier's meditations always led to one thing.

He loves me.

She resisted the urge to reach up and drift her fingers over his strong jaw. She listened to his quiet breathing, losing herself in the calmness of his sleep. She could stand a few more nights of sudden attacks and fiery pain, as long as he was here, her quiet hero.

I love you, Olivia Benson, my life and my soul.

His words warmed her skin, but it was his actions, the gentleness of his touch, the puppy-dog loyalty, the strength of his resolve, and most importantly, the love in his heart, that warmed her core like hot chocolate on a winter night. Had she not watched him as he confessed his love for her, she would never have believed it. But believe she did, with all her strength. With her courage.

She couldn't stand not looking at him any longer. She decided to risk opening her eyes. She smiled as she did so.

His eyes were closed, the lids moving once in a while. His thick eyebrows (she liked to call them "the caterpillars") hung darkly over his eyes, which sometimes gave him a menacing look. Not having shaved in a while, a kind of beard was beginning to show. When he turned his head away, his power nearly took her breath away. Her eyes traveled from the top of his head, past the forehead, past the chiseled slope of his nose, and down to his thick jawline. He had power, she knew, like a panther waiting to pounce. She guessed it was some kind of prehistoric instinct that made big, strong men attractive to women. Though she did not need to be protected, she liked to have him around. He was cute when he got protective.

Her eyes caught the shoulder that could hold any weight, the long arm ending in a large hand. She liked his hands; sometimes, for fun, she would put their hands palm to palm, and laugh at his sheer size. She longed to do that now, to reassure herself that he was there for her, and she for him.

"Olivia…" his deep voice made her jump.

"Elliot…" she whispered, the word almost a moan.

"I love you," he said. She was still real; her graceful form was not fading.

His eyes met hers, and he saw love in them. His eyes traced the gentle curve of her nose, the full lips, the line of her chin that met her throat. He saw the way the strands of honey-colored hair danced across the back of her neck. He took hold of a lock and played with it, sending a warm shiver through her.

His favorite feature was her eyes. He knew what her eyes could do to rapists. She had a glare that could make a boulder confess to falling on someone. He loved the moments when he looked into her eyes while they were peaceful. Moments of tenderness.

He loved her body; it was graceful, strong, gentle, loving, and beautiful, all at the same time. She was his temptation. He was led to her and he didn't care.

It was then they heard the footsteps. Elliot squeezed Olivia a little tighter as his eyes swept the basement, searching for the intruder.

"Andrew?" Olivia said, wondering why he was standing in front of them in the middle of the night.

"I need to talk to you," he said. He seemed so sure of himself, yet at the same time, uncomfortable.

He looked down at Olivia. "Can you stand up?" he asked, his deep voice soft.

Olivia paused and looked him in the eye. Then she turned and looked at Elliot. After a few seconds, she nodded.

Andrew let out a breath, preparing himself. "Please, stand up," he prompted, gesturing with a hand.

Elliot looked at Olivia and slowly stood up, taking her protesting body with him. Her breathing was heavy as he let her lean against him. She felt his body heat soak into her, and she began to relax.

Elliot intertwined his fingers with hers. They linked themselves together for the moment.

Andrew's eyes quickly darted over their joined bodies. "It's been long," he sighed. "and not without troubles. You two are very stubborn." he continued, a slight smile gracing his lips. "But, you did it anyway." He shook his head and chuckled.

"What are you here for?" Elliot asked. His blue eyes darkened with suppressed anger.

Now Andrew smiled a genuine smile. "That," he said, nodding at their interlaced hands.

Silence.

"Wh–what?" asked Elliot quietly. What the hell was going on?

"You two," Andrew raised his eyebrows. "Together."

Another weighty pause followed.

"You mean, you came here…" Elliot said slowly.

"…to make you realize you were in love with each other. Yes." He said simply.

"Oh, my God," Olivia whispered. "But why?"

"I told you already," he said to Elliot, becoming more serious. "My first love."

Elliot nodded and tightened his grip on Olivia. She still looked confused, though.

Andrew sighed. "Let me explain," he said. "I loved someone, then she was murdered. I went into a severe depression which nobody could pull me out of." His face lightened up. "Then one day I saw you two. I think it was your day off. I watched you, and noticed how perfect you were together. I could see the sparks sizzle every time you looked at each other. I realized you were in love, but couldn't admit it to the other." His smile was friendly. "So I decided to do something about it. I had to find a way to get you to confess your love and find peace. I felt that this would help me, also. Someone else shouldn't suffer like I did."

Olivia and Elliot were soaking in the information, feeling like it was a dream. They were sure this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I followed you around for a few days, familiarizing myself with your routines. I thought up the plan to top all plans. But something went wrong. You were going to shop for toys before heading back to the precinct. I had to think fast. I could only come up with the bones of a plan, not the muscle or the skin. Hey, I did pretty well, didn't I?" He laughed a little.

"Anyway, I followed you to the diner, and here. And…well, you know the rest." He cocked his head to one side and grinned at them.

"So, you're not a thief?" asked Olivia.

"No," he said. "And," he smiled at Elliot as if he were sharing an inside joke. "I do have a job. I told them I'm on vacation in Florida right now. Doubtless they think I need it."

Thick quiet drifted over them as they processed the new information. He had taken them hostage just to bring them together! But, they thought, noticing a feeling in the air, there's something else.

"Well, it's time," Andrew said, a note of sadness in his voice.

"For what?" Olivia asked.

Andrew looked at her and smiled gently. "Goodbye," he half whispered.

Elliot felt Olivia grip his hand tighter. He felt a pang in his heart and realized, Andrew was a friend. This man was entirely human.

"Goodbye. Adios," Andrew said, his voice cracking. "Te deseo un dia feliz." He lowered his head and touched the top of it, as if he were removing an invisible hat.

Olivia and Elliot both did the same, their hands shaking. When they looked up, he was gone. They stared at the space where he had been.

"I'm going to miss him," Olivia whispered, a tear falling down her cheek.

Elliot pulled her into his chest, trying not to shed a tear, trying to be strong.

Olivia ran a finger under his eye. "I love you," she said. "and it's okay to cry."

Elliot smiled. "I love you, too," He let one tear fall, then sniffled. "We had better go, too." he said, and looked up at the ceiling. "They're waiting for us."

He sat next to her in the ambulance. She was lying on the bed and he was holding her hand, giving the evil eye to anyone who was unwise enough to try to get close to them. She was his to protect, and his only.

The wailing of the sirens rang through his ears, reminding him of reality.

"I love you, Liv," he said desperately. "Don't leave me."

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I love you, El, and I won't ever leave you."

The captain gave them a few days off to recover. They spent the days at Olivia's apartment, talking about what had happened.

Andrew was never far from their thoughts. They often wondered about him: where he was, what he was doing. If he had found peace.

They never told anyone about him, or what had happened in the dark basement of the toy store. That was for them, their moments. It became a thing of the past.

They were married a few months later. The ceremony was beautiful, held outside with golden leaves falling around them and the breeze carrying a faint scent of honeysuckle to their noses.

There was one peculiar thing, which everyone noticed but no one dared ask about: a small chair off to the side, with a placecard on the seat. It read in flowing calligraphy:

ANDREW

What no one saw, nor would they ever see, was that on the inside, it said:

Nosotros tenemos un dia feliz. Gracias.

Translations:

Te deseo un dia feliz: I wish you a happy day.

Nosotros tenemos un dia feliz. Gracias: We are having a happy day. Thank you.

Note from SuperCellist: Lord, I was up late with this one! I've found that I can only write late at night, which is bad for me because I need a lot of sleep. So, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm planning on writing one more (the epilogue), and then mostly doing the short stories. Please review! I want to know what you think! You know you want to...