A/N: When things blow up in your face, you have to wonder why you're the flashpoint.

DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters; TStabler© owns the story you're about to read.

"You really can't tell me where they're moving?" Alex asked, her fingers locked with her girlfriend's, her eyes grey and worried.

Rollins shook her head. "Cragen thought twice about telling me as it is," she sighed. "I blew it, Al. I already had Benson in my way, now I go and fuck up the most important case we..."

"In your way?" Alex questioned. Her head tilted. "What does that mean?"

Scoffing, Rollins rolled her eyes. "You know what it means." She dragged her teeth along her bottom lip. "Being in this unit...it's like being the middle child around here. Always in the shadow of the older, smarter, hotter sister, yet never quite outshining the younger, wittier brothers."

"So...I...I don't follow," Alex shrugged.

"Stabler left, and when I transferred here I knew that meant I had a lot to live up to," Rollins said, her eyes gazing at a spot on the wall. "Big shoes to fill, a lot to prove. Then he comes back out of nowhere, I'm thrown into the ring, and now I've gotta compete with him, which...ya know, it's understandable. I just didn't think I'd have to compete with Benson, too." She shook her head again. "She pushed us all aside to get her partner back, they get all the high-profile cases...I probably sound like I'm whining."

"A little bit," Alex teased, nudging Rollins. "You're not competing with anyone. You guys are a team."

"No," Rollins sighed, "We're not. Cragen looks for any excuse to write me up, Amaro is so eager to please the two of them he practically begs to help them with paperwork, and this...what we did...he hates me for it. To be honest...I...I don't think it would have happened if we weren't watching Benson and Stabler." She looked into Alex's eyes. "I took advantage of the fact it was them, thought it wouldn't be a big deal because I didn't consider them..."

"Victims," Alex finished, blinking.

Rollins nodded and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

"Don't be," Alex said. "The only thing I'm sorry about is breaking that table," she laughed.

Rollins leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. "You're amazing."

Alex smiled. "I know." She rose from her seat and said, "Call me later." She pointed a finger at Rollins. "When you're off duty."

Rollins chuckled and nodded, then watched Alex walk down the hall. She sighed and checked her watch, wondering what was taking Amaro so long.

"What did the kids say?" Olivia asked, running her index finger over the rim of her coffee mug.

Elliot turned to look at her, and he lost his thought. Her knees were bent up to her chin, her sweater sleeves dropping low on her shoulders and nearly covering her knuckles. She looked cozy, safe and warm, and absolutely adorable. He smiled and walked toward the couch, then sat beside her. "They said they can't wait for me to get home, they miss me, and they're worried about their mother."

Olivia snuggled closer to him as he wrapped one arm around her, and she dropped her head to his chest. "Are you?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "You know the kind of monster Morrow is, and I have no idea what kind of game Kathy's playing with him. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself."

Olivia nodded, then dropped one of her legs. "Neither will I," she said. "I wouldn't be able to..."

"I know," he said, his hand moving from her shoulder to her neck, squeezing gently. "You saved her life once, baby. You...you saved my son." He pressed his lips to the thin skin behind her ear. "I never thanked you, and I...shit, I don't even know where to start."

"You thanked me," she said, turning to him. "But you didn't have to. She was your wife, that was your child, El. I would do anything for you and your family, you know that I..."

"I love you," he said, interrupting her. He watched it register, watched the light in her eyes brighten, and he smiled. "I love you."

She smiled back at him, but then her grin faded. She turned her head away from him. "They're going after him tonight," she said, pulling away from him and standing.

"Who?" he asked, rising off the couch to follow her.

She held the warm mug in her hands as she walked over to the window, knowing she couldn't open it, but wanting like hell to do it. "Morrow." She took a sip of her coffee, took a deep breath, and sighed. "This could all end tonight."

"Thank God," he wheezed, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind her.

She jerked away again. "You can go back to your life," she said, "Your kids. You won't have to be stuck with me twenty-four hours a..."

"Olivia Benson, that has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say," he said, his voice low and serious.

She turned, surprised. "Excuse me?"

"I told you...I didn't kiss you because we almost died," he said, stepping closer to her once more. "I can't wait to be able to take you out, walk through the park, go to a ball game. I want to go back to my life, Liv, but I want to go back with you." He cupped her face. "I want to do it all with you."

Her lip trembled, she sniffled slightly, and the tears filled her eyes. "I'm scared, El," she whispered.

He kissed her gently. "Me, too, baby," he said softly. "But I got you, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut as she fell forward into him. Her lips found his and her fingers clutched at his sweatshirt.

He kissed her hard as he moved, pushing her backward toward the couch. He chuckled against her lips when she squealed, falling flat onto the cushions. He covered her body with his, curving to pull at her clothes without breaking their kiss.

It wasn't long before she was scratching at his skin, the need to pull him closer driving her every move, every thought. "El," she moaned, kicking the jeans he'd just pulled down her hips off of her feet.

He growled out a harsh, "Liv," as he attacked her neck and chin with kisses, each press of lip to skin carrying a promise, an oath.

Her fingers gnarled in his hair, she held his head down to her neck as her hips rose to meet his, and the fear faded.

He pulled himself up, but only for a moment, and he panted as he spoke. "I love you," he told her for a third time.

She felt her heart thumping in her chest, she looked into his eyes, and she said the one thing that made sense to her. "I love you, too."

"Did you hear that?" Randolph Morrow strained to listen, the silence of the hotel room hitting his ears.

"I didn't hear anything," Kathy said, shaking her head. She leaned closer and tried to refocus the conversation. "So, the plan...tonight?"

"As good a night as any," Morrow said, sipping his brandy. "But you need to stay here, sugar. A man's job should be done by a man. You can cook, right? I expect a good dinner when this is over."

Kathy scoffed, but she knew what she had to do. "Pot roast sound good?"

"Don't burn the meat, and I like my carrots soft with a bit of bite in the middle," he told her. "If they're mushy, there will be hell to pay. Understood?"

"Yeah," Kathy told him, trying not to show how annoyed she was at his chauvinism, "Sure."

Morrow downed the last of his brandy, cleared his throat, and straightened his tie. "How do I look?"

"Professional," Kathy spat.

"Good," he said. "Get the rack ready for her, would you? With a little training, she'll be the perfect, obedient woman. She just needs to be taught a few good lessons."

"She's stubborn," Kathy warned, "And remember what I told you about him."

Morrow nodded. "I'll go in through the back," he said. He grabbed a small remote control off of the coffee table. "The explosion outside will distract him, and by the time he turns around to look for her, she'll be gone." He held out the small, black device to Kathy. "Ten minutes."

Kathy nodded, taking the remote from him. "Got it," she said. She bit her lip, looked down at the red button, and just as Morrow turned the doorknob, she pushed the button.

"What the fuck was that?" Elliot asked, still breathing heavily, still naked. He climbed off of Olivia, off of the couch, and grabbed the throw off of the back of a chair. He wrapped himself up as he ran toward the window.

Olivia pulled on Elliot's sweatshirt as she ran to his side, and they stared at the flaming taxicab. "What the hell was...oh, God, El, look!"

"He was staying across the street?" Elliot asked, squinting. He pointed and his eyes narrowed. "Shit, that's Cragen out there," he said. "Let's go." He dropped the blanket and pulled on his jeans, then tossed Olivia's to hers.

She pulled them on and up and took his hand, then walked with him out the door and into the street.

"Cap!" Elliot yelled, pulling Olivia down the front steps, "What the fuck is going on out here?"

Cragen held up both hands. "We got him. Relax."

"He was staying at the hotel across the street!" Elliot fumed. "How the fuck did he even know..."

"I told him," Kathy said, walking out of the hotel with Fin.

Elliot's eyes narrowed. "Who told you?"

Kathy looked at Cragen.

Cragen sighed. "I did," he said. "I knew Morrow would think she was wired or something, so we thought it would be better to have her convince him she was on his side." He jutted a thumb toward Kathy. "Morales rigged her necklace."

Fin smiled. "She'd make a pretty good cop," he joked, getting into a waiting squad car.

Morrow, in cuffs, snarled at her. "So, the whole time, you were...oh, you bitch," he hissed.

Amaro yanked on the cuffs. "Watch the language," he spat. He shoved Morrow into the squad car, slammed the door, and tapped the hood, then stepped back as he watched it drive away.

Olivia looked at Kathy, bit her lip, and said, "You didn't have to do this."

"I was just returning the favor," she said. "Besides, I didn't do it just to save you." She looked at Elliot and gave him a soft smile. "You're welcome." She stepped over to a dark blue sedan, opened the passenger side door, and said, "I guess we're even, now, Olivia."

"Guess so," Olivia shrugged, waving to the blonde. She leaned into Elliot. "We are reading her statement in the morning, right?"

"Hell, yes," he replied, kissing her forehead. He turned to Cragen. "So what happened in there?"

Cragen dropped his arms to his sides. "Morrow was gonna blow up the cab to get your attention away from Olivia, making it easier for him to get her away from you. He wanted to...uh...train her."

Elliot scoffed. "Yeah, over my dead body," he said.

"Kathy hit the button too soon, creating enough of a distraction for our guys to get into the room and get him," Cragen finished. "She never betrayed you. Either of you."

Elliot pulled Olivia closer to him. "At least not tonight," he said, bitterness lacing his words. "Can we go home now?"

"Uh, El?" Olivia laughed. "Neither of us really have a home to go to," she reminded him. "My apartment's still an active crime scene and your house is..."

"Gone," he laughed. "Yeah. So we'll stay in a hotel, or the cribs," He took a breath and without even looking over his shoulder, he knew who was standing there. "What do you want, Tucker?"

Ed Tucker flicked a cigarette and blew a puff of smoke into the night air. "You two. My office," he said. "Now."

A/N: Just when we thought it was over...