A/N: Has Tucker given up? And Cragen gives them a new case! We've switched things up a bit! x8xKrazee. Benson. Fanx8x.© took the beginning! She ends at the line, TStabler© begins there.
DISCLAIMER: Neither of us owns SVU. Dick Wolf owns it, and the characters. This story belongs to TStabler© and x8xKrazee. Benson. Fanx8x©
Walking out of Elliot's house the next morning, her hand in his, a shiver ran down Olivia's spine.
"What is it, baby?" Elliot asked softly, caressing the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb as they walked to the car parked in the driveway.
Olivia sighed. "I just have this feeling..." she started.
"What feeling?" he asked, furrowing his brows.
"That Tucker is still watching us. He must have been staking out the place all night. That bastard," Olivia informed him, looking around, trying to see where Tucker was parked.
"Liv, honey, I don't think he'd sit in his car all night watching a dark house as we slept," he assured her and opened the passenger door of the sedan for her. "Hop in, baby."
Olivia sighed and got into the car. "Yeah, I guess you're right, El," she replied and put her seat belt on. She just couldn't shake the feeling. The feeling of being watched. And she didn't like it one bit.
Lurking from the confides of his car behind a very convenient shady tree, Tucker sat watching the detectives get into the car and drive away, holding hands and laughing about something.
"If only I could read lips," he mumbled to himself, recording the detectives' movements on his cell phone camera. It would be his proof that Benson and Stabler were in a relationship. He was going to ruin them. He was determined to. He put the car into gear and drove, staying a few car-lengths behind them.
"El?" Olivia suddenly spoke up after about five minutes of uncomfortable silence.
"Yes, Liv?' he asked, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, negotiating the busy morning traffic.
"I swear Tucker is following us again. You're a detective, too, ya know. Can't you see that?" she said, using her thumb to point to the not-so-closely following sedan.
Elliot looked and shook his head. "Son of a bitch. He is really determined to destroy us isn't he? What the hell is wrong with that guy?" he said, his voice rising with the anger he was beginning to feel inside. "Just ignore him, Liv. Well at least try to, baby."
"El, babe, you're the one that's letting it get to you. Maybe you should take your own advice, honey," Olivia tried to calm him down. "I just thought I'd bring it to your attention," she whispered and placed a hand on his thigh, softly caressing it.
Elliot nodded and tried to keep himself calm but he couldn't help but moan from her touch. "I love you, baby, but you really need to stop that."
Laughing, Olivia removed her hand slowly. "Sorry, honey." She grabbed his hand instead, and glanced into the rearview mirror, shaking her head at the car she saw in the reflection.
Still tailing Elliot and Olivia, Tucker looked through the long list of contacts on his cell phone and pressed the call button on the name of the person he wanted to call.
When the person on the other end of the line finally answered, he said, "Captain Cragen, it's Tucker. What? No, you listen to me. I'm a higher rank then you, remember that, Captain. I told you that your detectives were in a relationship...what detectives? You know I'm talking about Benson and Stabler!" he yelled into the phone. "What? You what? And you kept that secret? You could lose your badge for this, Cragen..." he replied and hung up. He couldn't believe what Captain Cragen had just told him. He was furious. He would just need more evidence to ruin all three of them. Benson, Stabler and Cragen. He followed them all the way to the station, feeling frustrated that there might not be a way to do that.
As Elliot parked in the parking garage at the station house, he immediately noticed Tucker pulling into a parking space just a few cars away.
"Stay here, Liv," he said, closing the car door.
"Elliot, don't even think about going over there," Olivia scolded him. "Don't give him what he wants. Don't play his game. Do not give him the satisfaction."
"Liv, let me handle this my way," he said and went to walk over to him. "Hey Tucker!" he called but didn't manage to say anything further as Olivia pulled him back to her and planted her lips on his to shut him up.
Elliot deepened the kiss and when they finally pulled away for oxygen, he looked into Olivia's eyes with a smile. "Thank you, beautiful.
"For what?" Olivia feigned oblivion, smirking.
"For stopping me from making a big mistake," he told her, cupping her face in his hands and claiming her lips once again. "Strawberries," he moaned.
Olivia laughed. "Wow, that was totally random."
Elliot kissed her again, taking time to lick her lips, sucking lightly on her bottom one. He pulled away and said, "Your lips taste like strawberries."
"Lip balm, El," she laughed and quickly kissed him three times. "We'd better get inside."
Elliot nodded and took her hand in his. "Yeah, we better."
"You two!" Cragen barked, "My office! Now!"
"Wow," Fin chuckled. "Gettin' in trouble before you even start workin' now? That's talent."
"Shut up, Fin," Olivia spat, rolling her eyes, heading toward Cragen's office.
Fin's eyes widened. "Someone's testy today," he mumbled, watching the duo walk through their captain's door.
"Sit," Cragen said, harshly.
Elliot looked at Olivia and then sat down, waiting for what he knew was coming. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Tucker's been following us," he said, hoping to earn some pity before Cragen really started yelling.
Cragen folded his arms. "And you thought you'd, what, ruin your careers by screwing each other just to screw with him?"
Olivia jumped in. "Woah, that's not...not what's happening here!"
"I know that," Cragen said. "I'm not blind, I'm not an idiot," he snapped. "What I am is pissed off! You could have really dug yourselves into a serious hole here! The implication alone was enough to warrant an investigation, if I hadn't been two steps ahead..."
"What?" Elliot interrupted. "Care to take two steps back so we're on the same page here? What are you talking about?"
Cragen sighed. "When Porter forced you two to...uh...to, um,..."
"Fuck," Olivia said, bluntly.
Cragen looked at her and almost blushed. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "The chief threatened to split you up, told me he didn't see how you could possibly work together after that. I told him you two were already involved and it hasn't affected your work."
Elliot furrowed his brow. "But Tucker..."
"Tucker didn't have to know. There's a reason he wasn't told," Cragen said, cutting him off. "Now, he knows, and he's pissed that there's nothing he can do about it. So, could you two please stop acting like horny teenagers to jerk his chain? You've got another case and you need to have your heads clear. I don't want you caring that Tucker's following you. Ignore him."
"What do you think we've been doing?" Olivia said, smirking.
Elliot chuckled. "Okay," he said, "Cap, what, uh, what case?"
Cragen sighed, handed them two files, and waited for their reactions.
"You're sending us undercover again?" Olivia asked, reading her file.
"Since the chief knows you about you two now, you're his go-to couple. He knows you'll be convincing," Cragen informed. "Especially since, uh, this is a very, um, disturbing case."
Elliot ran his hand down his face. "You can't be serious," he said, raising the folder a bit. "Can we, uh, I mean, do we have a choice? Because I'm not really looking forward to this. Playing house with Liv to catch a rapist is one thing..."
"You do it or it's your badge," Cragen said. "When the chief hands you moldy cheese you eat it."
"When do we leave?" Olivia asked.
"Leave? No," Cragen said. "This job's done right here in the city. You'll come to work, six-thirty to four, three hours to change and prepare, and from seven till the wee hours of the morning, you do...that," he said, gesturing to their files.
Olivia flipped a page and shook her head. "You are so lucky I trust Elliot."
"That's why the chief picked you two," Cragen said. "No one else has the level of trust, loyalty, and, I'm gonna say it, love required for this operation to be successful."
Elliot smirked at Olivia. "Ya know, Liv, it, uh, could be fun."
"How's this gonna work?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow, ignoring Elliot's statement.
"We'll set you up in a penthouse, close to the heart of the action. You'll hit a different club every night until you find who you're looking for. Your wardrobe will be provided for you, and the ground rules are simple. You have to make these people believe you're doing what they expect you to do, understand? But under no circumstances are you to consume any illegal..."
"Hi," Olivia interjected. "I'm Olivia Benson, it's nice to meet you."
Cragen looked confused. "What?"
"Just thought that you forgot who you were talking to," Olivia said. "No drugs, very little drinking, but apparently, considering where we're going and what we have to do, a whole lot of sex. Sex that might cause some pretty serious injuries."
Cragen shook his head quickly, as if trying to shake the thought from his mind. "Yeah," he said. "Pretty much."
"And when does this assignment start?" Elliot asked, slapping his file against his knee. "What am I supposed to do about my kids on the weekends? If I tell Kathy I'm going undercover again, it'll only give her grounds for..."
"I'll talk to Kathy," Cragen said. "The kids can come here during the day, spend some time with you that way. Your target can not know you have kids, Elliot. They are not, under any circumstances, to be in or around the penthouse we provide for you, not even in pictures."
Elliot nodded. "I don't want my family involved, trust me. That's not a problem."
Olivia sighed and got off the chair, holding her file in her hands. "When does this ball start to roll?"
Cragen looked up at her, cleared his throat, sighed, and said, "Tonight."
A/N: Another disturbing domestic case? Who are they looking for? Will Tucker follow them and get the surprise of his life? Why was he being left out of the investigation to begin with? The first night of this new gig, too! Want more? Review please!