A/N: I can't believe it's chapter nine already! You guys have been so awesome at reviewing – especially last chapter – five reviews when I woke up this morning! So here's chapter nine way earlier than normal. They're finally going to talk! Yay! Enjoy! XO, Kinsey

Disclaimer: Only my overactive imagination belongs to me.

She could feel him. Sense him. He was in her bones. In her blood. She couldn't even see him and she knew he was there. Never mind the fact that she could smell his aftershave. God she could crawl inside that scent and live forever.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hey," he replied.

"You got my note," she said inanely.

"Yep," he was still standing behind her where she couldn't see him.

"So…" she said, fidgeting with the now-naked spot on her ring finger where her wedding band had sat only twelve hours before.

"So…" he replied. He walked around the bench and sat down next to her. "Still love me as much as you used to?" he teased.

She shook her head, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "No."

"No?" he asked.

"No. I think I just might love you more," she replied, the tears spilling over.

"Really?" he asked, grinning widely.

She nodded and wiped her cheek with her left hand. Elliot keyed on the lack of a wedding band right away. "What's this?" he asked, rubbing her naked ring finger.

"I gave Trevor his ring back," she said, tears streaming down her face. "It wasn't fair to him. I don't love him the way I love you," she said.

He nodded. "I see. And how do you love me exactly?" he asked, wiping her tears with his thumbs.

"With every fiber of my being," Olivia answered honestly.

"So why the tears?" Elliot asked.

"It is my greatest fear," Olivia swallowed thickly. "That you don't feel the same way anymore. And now, now I love you more than I ever did before, and if you don't feel the same way, I think I may be the first person to ever literally die of a broken heart." She could never spill her feelings to someone as easily as she could with Elliot.

"Do you have any idea how it makes me feel to hear you say that you love me? And know that you're not going into a church in five minutes to marry another man?" Elliot asked.

"How?" she whispered.

"Like I'm untouchable. Nothing can get me. You loving me and being with me… nothing could make me happier than that."

She smiled. This was going to be okay. "El?"

"Yeah, baby?" It made her heart sing to hear the term of endearment come from his mouth.

"Can I have my ring back?" she asked with a grin.

He laughed. "Of course," he reached into his pocket and pulled the sparkler out. "I want to do it right this time," he said. He slid off the bench and onto the ground in front of her on one knee.

"Olivia Anne. I love you. More than I thought it was ever possible to love another human being. You're my partner, my best friend, and the woman of my dreams. Will you marry me?" he asked.

She nodded, the tears streaming down her face. Elliot slid the ring on her finger and kissed her knuckles.

"Did you ask Dad?" Olivia teased, referring to their captain.

Elliot nodded solemnly. "Right after my divorce was final."

"Are you serious?" she asked, gazing at her ring.

"Are you asking me or the ring?" he asked.

She looked up, blushing. "Sorry. The ring and I have been having some good heart-to-hearts this week." She gazed into his deep blue eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. Told him I knew it would affect our jobs. He said we'd figure something out," Elliot explained easily.

"So you've been packing this ring around since then?" she asked.

"Mhm. I kept waiting for the right time… and it just never came," he said.

"Wow."

"Yep."

"I love you," she said suddenly, earning a chuckle from him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"I just felt like saying it to you instead of the ring. I've been telling the ring that I love you all week," she smiled.

He laughed again. She loved the sound of his laugh. It healed her heart a little more every time she heard it.

"Well I love you too. Speaking of the ring… how'd you find it?" he asked.

She smiled. "Well…" she began and regaled him with the tale of her terrible day and her third trip to the pond that day, sitting there, counting the hours she'd been married to Trevor. "When I was about to come back to the office, I saw it sitting by the edge of the water," she said.

"It must have washed up somehow," he said, a puzzled look on his face.

"I took it to Mel in the lab – she said her guess was it had been in the water at some point."

Elliot nodded. "I threw it in after I saw you that day," he said. "Why'd you take it to the lab?" he asked.

"To see whose prints were on it," she explained matter-of-factly.

"Livia, your initials were on it. And mine. Whose ring did you think it was, Detective?" he teased.

She blushed. "That's what Mel said."

"Mel's a smart lady," Elliot replied.

"Yeah. She said I was crazy if I thought you didn't love me anymore."

"Wow. She's two for two," Elliot smiled.

"Are you going to hate me if I tell you I want to take this slow?" Olivia asked suddenly.

"What would Mel say?" Elliot asked softly.

Olivia looked at him and smiled. "That I'm crazy."

Elliot wrapped an arm around her. "Mhm. We can take this however you want. I'm not going anywhere."

"So if I don't want to get married right away…"

"We'll wait," he said simply.

"I love you," she said.

He kissed the top of her head, cradling it to his shoulder. "I love you too, Liv."

"Well, as much as I'd like to sit here all day with your arm around me… we better go face the music," she said, standing.

He took the hand she offered and stood up.

"Probably. You know what just occurred to me?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, allowing him to pull her into his arms.

"I haven't ever kissed you," he said.

"You haven't ever done a lot of things to me," she winked at him, grinning lecherously.

"That is true. Let's try a kiss for now and I'll make all that other stuff up to you later," he suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, Mr. Stabler," she grinned.

He slid his fingers into her tangle of auburn curls and tipped her head back. He pressed his lips softly against hers and she brought her arms up to circle his neck. She allowed him to deepen the kiss and for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was home. His tongue slipped past her lips and played in her mouth. She allowed herself to succumb to the power he held over her and she moaned into his mouth. He pulled away after that and grinned at her. "I love you," he said.

"I love you," she replied. She laced her gloved fingers through his and headed back to the precinct.

A/N: Aww! Finally, right? Even though they agreed to take it slow, smut is on the horizon – and not dream smut, I promise! Hit the button! XO, Kinsey