I said somewhere in this story that they were partners for 11 years, scratch that it's 12 just so I can use all the episodes and I said they were together for three years well scratch that it's four because I have a particular episode they got together and after that the episodes I use become a little AU. Plus I find that EO Really got going good season seven on so I am just trying to get there so you may find this chap a little boring or a little fast but ah well back to grace next chapter I promise! Steff oxox

Session 10

Our fourth year as partners was an interesting one or different, well not really it was a particular boring year for Benson and Stabler, we were working a lot but there wasn't a year we weren't working hard.

One very interesting case in our fourth year was when Elliot and I had to go undercover to catch a bent cop. I had to be his wife, and just for those five minutes while it was going on I was able to live the dream so to speak. He had his first good kill in front of me then and it hit him hard, as hard as mine had been the previous year.

But that was it out of interest that I can remember so I'm going to skip right ahead to the fifth year, if we're going to be done before the baby's born we should get as much out of the way each session because believe me when I say our partnership becomes more interesting and more complex as the years go by.

It was in our fifth year that Alex Cabot 'Died'. That was the one time I think Elliot and I cried in front of each other, when we first thought she was dead we couldn't talk to each other. We stayed together for a couple of hours crying in complete silence and then after a while he got up and he went home to his family and I went home to my empty apartment and cried myself into sleep.

The next day at the squad room was horrible. No one really knew what to say to one another you know? We went to see her, before they rushed her off to witness protection and when we were in the car on the way back I turned to Elliot and I said "We should go kill Zepatta." And he slowed the car down and looked right into my eyes and said "If only it were that easy."

After that came ADA Casey Novak, of course El and I were resistant at first, we didn't want her around because we wanted Alex back but we had to in the end and we did.

A few months after Casey arrived we were working this case where a woman was made to marry this man and was kept in a dungeon. A woman had come to me four years before telling me this but she was a drunk and I didn't believe her. I almost quit SVU during that case, I couldn't handle how much victims I could have prevented from becoming victims if I'd have believed her.

I went all Velma vigilante during that case too. Anyway, before I threatened to quit I worked out where he was and went off on my own. I found him dead, single stab wound to the chest and when the cavalry in other words Munch, Fin and Elliot arrived and saw me over the body I instantly became prime suspect number one.

"Are you protecting her?" Elliot asked trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

"You think I'm covering for Hilary?" Olivia asked I surprise, she really expected him to ask if she'd killed him.

"Where did you drop her off?" Elliot asked, he had a thousand questions and he was damn sure he was going to get some answers.

"At her Mother's." Olivia replied instantly.

"They're estranged. Remember?" He continued.

"Hilary wanted to talk to her." Olivia replied keeping her eyes on Elliot while he couldn't even make eye contact with her and paced slowly instead.

"When d'you leave her there?" Elliot pushed.

"A couple of hours ago and I don't need you interrogating me." Olivia replied angrily.

"Why didn't you come back to the squad?" He asked ignoring her.

"Because I had a hunch!" She snapped. "I checked out five hotels and this one was number six."

"Without backup!" He yelled furiously as he finally came to a stop to look at his partner. "What the hell's the matter with you?" He asked looking into her eyes.

"Elliot, don't start with me." She replied angrily.

"You're out of control…"

"I never had control of this one remember?" She interrupted. "I lost my judgement." She said honestly.

"Everyone makes mistakes." Elliot told her sincerely. "Get over it." He added mainly for kicks.

It was after that conversation that I almost quit. We walked back into the squad room and all those women were there and all of whom had been victims after this one I'd ignored and I just became so consumed with guilt.

I just thought to myself that was it you know? I'd made a mistake but I was convinced that I'd failed at doing my job and that I didn't deserve my gold shield anymore. I grabbed a box and made my way to my locker thinking I really couldn't do it and had to leave.

"What's going on?" Don asked coming to his Detective's side.

"I can't do this anymore." Olivia told her superior as she stood holding her belongings, she really needed to leave and not have this conversation.

"It's not your fault." Don said firmly, he definitely didn't blame her.

"One of those victims must have killed Gorman and the worst part is … none of this would have happened if I'd just believed Hilary."

"There are vulnerable women no one would have believed." Don sighed gently. "You can't control what other people do, there will always be perps and victims."

"Think you need to tell me that?" She replied with tears sparkling in her brown eyes, she really had lost control this time. "The only reason I'm standing here is because my Mother let herself get raped."

"Let herself? Since when do you blame the victim?" Don replied, he couldn't believe what Olivia had just said.

"My Mother was drunk and so was Hilary. That's why I didn't believe her." Olivia explained in a mere whisper. "Now these women are paying for it."

"Ok quit, quit, throw away the good you've done and the good you'll do over one mistake." He replied before walking off and leaving her to consider what he said, he took all of two minutes to drop the box and continue working.

In court, the defence attorney made me prime suspect number one, of course he would because I was in that hotel room with his body alone.

"She didn't even ask me if I did it." Olivia told Elliot after Casey walked out of the office leaving the two Detectives alone.

"She can't." Elliot replied. "Look if she did and you admitted killing Gorman she couldn't put you on the stand without suborning perjury." Elliot explained further.

"You didn't ask me either." Olivia pointed out.

"I know you didn't." He said with a shit eating grin on his face. "You'd have shot the bastard." He said making her smile a little.

He knew me even back then, I would have shot the bastard given half the chance.

Playing Velma vigilante seemed to be a habit of mine back then, there was a rapist, escaped from prison and took his son hostage wanting him to say that he wasn't a rapist.

I went into the hotel room alone, surrendered my weapon to an armed convicted rapist. The funny thing is one of the officers on the case was Andy Eckerson, an ex-boyfriend of mine that Elliot didn't like… at all. I worked the case with Andy and it didn't please Elliot one bit. Honestly you should have been there to see Elliot's face when Don said I'd be working with the Marshal because Elliot had to be in court.

So then it's the sixth year as partners. The year he called me Liv for the first time. I didn't notice when exactly it started, I just know it was in the sixth year, shocking huh? Most people think it's been there since the start of our partnership but it hasn't.

It was also in our sixth year when Elliot and Kathy separated, Kathy filed for legal separation and took his kids, he was so broken about it was far more violent and angry than I had ever seen him and it turned me right on if I'm honest.

Then there was the brief reappearance of Alex. That's when everyone found out she was still alive but then she was shipped straight back off to Witsec. I missed her a lot, I think if it hadn't been for Casey I'd have brooded more for Alex because even though they were different they were very alike too and Casey and I became close, I'd even go as far as to say I was probably closer to Casey than I was Alex.

Then there was Kathleen Stabler's DUI which put Elliot in a foul mood but he and Kathy were still fighting and… believe me by the time that happened I was used to Elliot's temper tantrums.

There was only one particularly memorable case that year but Elliot and Fin was out and I was working with Munch on it so I'm going to say that this one doesn't matter.

So year seven, started off as plain as the sixth.

There was this case. Of course there always is a case but anyway this case was one where Elliot finally cracked. It was one of his ex-partners kids and he beat a girl up, he was on steroids. Elliot even went as far as to recommend the parents didn't press charges against the perp. I was furious with him and gave him a good piece of my mind… and he got suspended for it, the girl's parents told Cragen and he was even angrier than I was.

I went over to see Elliot after we found out the kid was on steds, I had to apologise to him. He accepted it, luckily, I wouldn't have had a partner if he hadn't.

Elliot then got into a fight with the kids dad in the bathroom. The Father, the cop beat up his son and Elliot played hero. The guy was lucky he was still breathing when Elliot was done. I walked up to him and asked him what happened and he didn't even know how to answer me but of course you know all about that don't you Rebecca, he came to see you after that case.

Yes, Elliot told me about that. We told each other everything Rebecca, he told me his darkest secrets and I told him mine. He told me when we were cuddled up in bed one night, he told me about the whole thing with the diorama and his father beating him and… and he cried and I cried and we held each other and comforted each other… I was ok because I had him to hold me through those nights.

You know, a few months later he was shot. We were working a case where three kids were shot, one dead, neo-nazis. It's where we met the infamous Dana Lewis who almost had Elliot killed a total of three time, I was scared every time she showed up after the first.

It was when he was lying in a hospital bed that he told me that Kathy had started divorce proceedings. It's probably horrible to say but I was happy, I really had a hope that he and I would get together then, maybe. I mean, I couldn't be sure but I knew I wanted it.

I really started playing up to the fact I was a hot single woman after that. I had to go undercover to speed dating and I made sure that I looked amazing, and flaunted it in front of Elliot. I wanted to make sure he noticed me.

Anyway after the speed dating thing I was sat waiting for an email to come through from Romeo. Elliot came in and teased me that I might not have been the guy's type and I was screaming in my head going 'please say he's jealous!' pathetic right?

When the reply came saying that Romeo wanted to buy me a drink, Elliot's face read Jealousy and I was so happy. I had to go on a date with Romeo and Elliot was listening in and keeping an eye on me, I dressed up again obviously, but I didn't dress up for Romeo.

Not long after that I fell in love. I fell head over heels in a motherly fashion with this little boy called Nathan Phelps. He was such a sweetheart and after witnessing his Mother's murder he became a little attached to me but I'll be honest that I got attached to him too. He took revenge on his mother's killer, shot the bloke and it almost killed me. Poor kid had already been through enough. Anyway before he shot the guy I took him out for food, I slept with him in the cribs, I'd have taken that kid in in a heartbeat, actually, I wanted to take him in so much. I got attached.

The next case changed my relationship with Elliot forever. So I'll leave that till next time.