Author's Note: Hello everybody! I was so...excited (for lack of a better term) at the new reviews that I decided to post this chapter tonight! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dick Wolf's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (although it would be cool to)

Chapter nine

"Ready to go Miss Benson?" The nurse asked as she walked in with the discharge papers.

"You have no idea." She replied, smiling. "I can't wait to get home, and sleep in my own bed, with my own sheets and pillows, and eat food that doesn't make me consider vomiting it right back up."

"I'm glad you enjoyed your stay." The nurse replied to the joke. "I just need you to sign these papers and you'll be good to go." She looked around the room after setting the clipboard on Olivia's lap. "I hope Detective Stabler is coming back for you."

Olivia looked up at the nurse as she finished signing the papers. "Why?"

"If you think you are driving yourself home after everything, especially with your arm in a sling, we may need to get the doctor to look at you again."

"Hey Olivia!" Maureen said as she walked into the hospital room. "Dad sent me to drive you home." The nurse smiled and left the room with a quiet goodbye.

"Hi hun, uh…where's your father?" Olivia asked.

"He said he something to do, something about Cragen calling him in to finish up some paperwork he forgot or something. I don't know, just told me to make sure I picked you up at noon," She looked at the clock on the wall. "and I want it noted, for future reference of course, that I was early." She said, noting that it was only 11:58.

Olivia smiled and laughed. "All right, let's get out of here." She said, grabbing her bag with her good hand and leading the way to the elevators.

"So…" Maureen started as the two stood in the elevator alone.

"So…what?" Olivia replied.

"So, what's up with you and dad?" Olivia froze.

"What do you mean?" She tried to cover it up.

"Don't even try it Olivia." Maureen scolded. "Dad changed right after you left, and that new partner of his didn't help. I mean Dad said she had his back but I don't think he trusted her like he's always trusted you." She began. "And he freaked when you didn't remember anything. It was easy to see he was scared that you would never come back. And don't even get me started about his reaction to you being hit by that car and being unconscious. I'm pretty sure Munch and Fin had to hold him back from hunting down and killing the driver." She said as the two walked out of the elevator and towards the parking lot.

" We've been partners for so long Maureen."

"Oh don't even try that crap with me." She all but yelled while the two got into her car. "You two have been hiding your feelings forever! Would you two just get together already! I swear that if you had died, dad would have killed himself just so he could be with you."

"He would not have killed himself Maureen." Olivia tried again.

"You didn't see him. He was a wreck when he was sitting next to you in that hospital bed. He sat there, worrying, praying that you would wake up."

The remainder of the car ride was silent until Olivia noticed something. "Maureen, where are you taking me? You should have turned back there for my building." She said, looking at the familiar street that had been passed.

"Dad said the doctors don't want you to stay alone for a few more days because of the concussion." She answered. "So he told me to take you home.

"But all my stuff is at my apartment." Olivia fought.

"You really think he can't go get that stuff on his way home from the precinct, or send one of us for it later?"

"Well no but…it's just that…well…" She tried to think of a good reason to go back to her apartment, knowing that once she was there she could talk her way out of not having to go anywhere else.

"I have strict orders to take you to Queens." Maureen told Olivia. "Dad knows you too well, he knows if you get into your apartment you won't leave it, and he isn't taking that chance. So no."

"Stubborn brat." Olivia mumbled.

"Yup!" Maureen smiled.

"You know, you're just like you father."

"I know." Maureen answered happily.

"That isn't always a good thing Maureen." Olivia tried.

"You're just mad because you lost the argument."

Olivia sat in silence the rest of the ride. As the car pulled into the Stabler's driveway she noticed Elliot's car in the driveway. "Maureen-" She tried to ask about it but Maureen was already out of the car and halfway to the door with Olivia's bag before she could get the words out of her mouth.

Maureen turned and saw Olivia still in the car. "Are you coming or not?" She yelled.

Olivia just looked, knowing that there was a good chance she was about to walk into the house and find everybody there.

"Just come on Olivia!" Maureen yelled before turning and going inside.

Olivia slowly got out of the car and walked up to the half open door, hesitating at the step up to the door as she remembered the conversation the two had last night.

"What if?" Elliot asked her.

"What if what El?" She replied.

"What if we were an us?"

"Then life would be a little more difficult now wouldn't it?" She replied to his question.

"How?" He seemed to be full of questions tonight.

"First off, we would have to get new partners because no captain in their right mind, not even Cragen, would let us be together and be partners. Second off, wouldn't that cause some problems with Kathy and the kids?"

Elliot just looked at her for a moment before answering. "Okay, first, if, and that is if Cragen decided to split us up we would be with Munch and Fin, no big deal there. And second, Kathy and I are divorced, and the kids wouldn't mind. They love you anyway." He offered up. "So what do you have against it Liv?"

"I don't know." She replied. "It's just that..."

"What? It's just what?" He asked when she didn't finish her sentence.

"It's just that I've spent so long telling myself that I don't love you, and we shouldn't be anything but partners. And what happens if it doesn't work out? What happens if we break up and lose our friendship over it? I don't think I would be able to function if that happened."

"Olivia," he said as he grabbed her hand, "Don't you think we would have gotten rid of each other long ago? Look at how long we've been partners, we haven't gotten tired of each other yet have we? And we won't lose our friendship, because I don't see us ever breaking up."

Olivia looked at him as she felt his hand hold hers. "You don't ever see us breaking up? That would imply that we are already together Mr. Stabler." She sarcastically remarked.

"Do you plan on coming in sometime today?" She heard him ask as she thought.

"I don't know. I was considering making a break for it, hot wiring your daughter's car and driving home, calling later and saying that something came up."

"I would hear the car, I would come out here, I would get into my car, I would follow you all the way home, and then I would drag you back." He told her, standing in the door way.

"That sounds like kidnapping Detective." She replied, smiling. "I could have you arrested for that."

"But you wouldn't." He stated as he closed the door and sat down on the step, motioning for her to join him.

"And why is that?" She asked, sitting down on the step.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because you love me." He stated simply.

"And who ever told you that?" She smiled as the two looked at each other.

"You will." He said, placing his hands on either side of her face, pulling her face towards his until their lips touched.

So...? I hope you all liked it, there may or may not be an epilogue, I haven't really decided yet. Please feel free to review! Until next time!

~Lala :)