Okay, first off I'm so sorry about the delay (again...) but I'm finding myself beta-less, so... Forgive me my mistakes. ;) I'm very grateful for your continuing support despite the chaotic updates!

This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I hope you'll enjoy it!


Elliot came back late from work the Monday after they got back from San Francisco and found Olivia unpacking her suitcase. He had already cleared out haft his closet for her. Neither had commented on it. He leaned against the wall, watching her with a smile.

"You know," she said without looking at him, "your kids are going to hate this. I mean they don't even have a room here now."

Elliot had told her to redecorate the guest-room with Ella. The girl needed her own bedroom he had said.

"Yes, they do," he answered.

She turned to him and he jerked his chin toward the hallway. She furrowed her brow slightly and followed him downstairs. He opened the door under the stairs and led her to the basement. She opened her mouth in surprise when he switched on the light.

The basement had been furnished and decorated as a small loft. She took in the two single beds in one corner. In another, there was a hammock and a fluffy chair next to a shelf supporting books, dvds and various games. There was a small desk against the wall. In the middle of the room, a couch was facing a TV set. There was only a small window under the ceiling but the basement was well lit, making it cozy and inviting.

"I've been working on it for a few months. Kathy says I'm buying the kids."

"It's amazing, Elliot. Have they seen it already?"

"Not yet, no."

He turned to her and kissed her softly.

"You're home," he breathed in her ear.

oooooooooo

She and Ella had lunch with Casey on Tuesday.

"You're not mad at me for screwing up your real estate search, are you?" she asked Olivia.

"No. Maybe I'm a bit pissed off, but not mad. Don't worry."

"So how's it working out?"

"We're okay," Olivia answered with a playful glare.

"Well at least you haven't killed each other yet…"

Olivia shook her head lightly, a small smile on her lips. Not one to discuss her personal life in too much details, she changed the subject.

"Aren't you getting bored of snooping through people's lives?" the ADA asked her about the possible job at Vinci Security.

"It's a good job, Casey. Besides, I don't want my job being my life anymore," she told her.

"You know, the DA's office could always use another good investigator," Casey teased.

"Yeah…" she laughed. "I didn't retire from the force to come work for you, Casey."

"You don't miss being a cop?" she asked more seriously.

"A little… But not as much as I missed having a family when I didn't," Olivia said.

She smiled softly and brushed a hand over her daughter's hair.

oooooooooo

Elliot put longer hours at work that week, but he still managed to have dinner with them every day.

"What time is your meeting tomorrow?" he asked her Wednesday night.

She was having lunch with Daniel Lloyd and Thomas Byrd from Vinci Security the next day. She was pretty sure she would say yes to the job if they wanted her. Elliot had encouraged her to every time it had come up. She knew he didn't want to see her carry a gun and a badge anymore. She was fine with it as long as he didn't get patronizing with her.

"Hey Ella," he told the girl over dessert. "How would you like to spend tomorrow evening with Kathleen?"

"Yes!" the girl beamed.

"Good. Your sister will babysit while I take your mother out for dinner," he said and looked at Olivia.

She lowered her head and bit back a grin. She'd known the man for sixteen years, had a child with him and was now sharing his bed. But damn if the idea of going out on a date with him didn't make her heart flutter.

oooooooooo

She took a last look at herself in the mirror and smiled. She felt more nervous and excited at the prospect of this date than she had in years. She was wearing a silk purple dress that stopped above the knee. The V-neckline was just deep enough to entice without being tacky.

Satisfied, she picked up her silver clutch and walked down the stairs. She went to the living-room where Elliot was watching Kathleen and Ella on the floor playing with the puppy. Kathleen saw her first.

"Wow," the young woman said.

Elliot turned to her and checked her out from head to toes.

"Wow," he confirmed with a grin.

He walked up to her and pressed her against him with a hand on her back. He kissed her on the lips.

"Hey hey," Kathleen intervened. "I think I'm being understanding enough about the whole thing without having to watch you smooch."

Olivia laughed softly and stepped away to go hug her daughter. She gave Kathleen some last recommendations and said goodbye. She went back to Elliot and he pressed his hand to the small of her back as he led her out of the house.

oooooooooo

They sa down in a nice Italian restaurant in lower Manhattan. He watched her sip her wine before she looked back at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Just thinking…" he said with a slight grin. "Your dress is going to look nice on the floor of the bedroom."

"Wait till you see what's under it," she answered with a teasing smile.

She grinned when he flushed slightly and shifted in his seat.

She was surprised that they managed to talk without heavy subtexts. It reminded her of the first few years of their partnership when their banter was fun and light. They argued over football, he teased her when she mentioned re-reading Jane Eyre and she made fun of his latest knock-knock jokes.

When their waitress came to deliver their order, she smiled at Elliot and Olivia rolled her eyes. She smirked when she crossed his eyes.

"She's hitting on you, you know," she said.

"No she isn't. She just knows me," he glared lightly. "She was a witness in a case. That's how I found out about this place."

"Hmm…" she hummed in her glass. "So that's where you take all your dates?" she smirked.

"Actually, you're the first, babe," he answered with a grin.

"Babe? Seriously?" she laughed. "So…" she said after a minute, "was there anyone serious?"

The amusement fell from his face and he looked at her with a frown. She thought he was going to blow her off, but he didn't.

"I dated your replacement for a while," he said looking down briefly. "Not Rollins, the one before. She didn't stay long with SVU."

She swallowed hard and nodded slightly.

"Wow, you really have a thing for female SVU detectives, huh?" she tried to joke.

"Hah." He breathed out a nervous laugh. "You mean Dani Beck? I didn't really date her, you know. We just… kissed…"

"Alright, you know what, it's a stupid conversation."

"You were gone, Olivia. I was… I wasn't… okay. For months, I wasn't okay, Liv. I tried to move on. Mel… Melanie, your replacement, she left me after a couple of months because she thought I was still hung up on Kathy. After that, there were a few women… Not a lot... And it never lasted long."

He finished his glass of wine with one gulp and poured himself another one. She slid a feet off her shoe and slipped it under his thigh. He looked up at her quickly and saw her small, sad smile. He wrapped in hand over her ankle and gave her a tight smile.

"Come on. Tonight's about us, Liv," he said. "How did your lunch go?"

"Good. They offered me the job and I said yes. I'm starting next month."

"Congratulations."

"I just wish I could start sooner. I'm going to go crazy doing nothing for over three weeks."

"You mean, except raising my child of course?" he said with a grin.

She made a face at him and moved her foot against his crotch, making him hiss.

"That being said," she continued, "Thomas did say I could drop by whenever I want to get settled in and show Ella around their daycare facilities."

He grabbed her ankle and set her leg down on the floor. He reached for something in his coat.

"Since we're sharing news…" he told her.

He handed her a white envelope and she opened it with a frown.

"Elliot!" she exclaimed when she read the letter. "You passed the sergeant's exam!"

He grinned at her and nodded.

"That's wonderful. I'm so proud of you."

He watched her in silence and smiled softly.

"So what does that mean for you?" she asked.

"Well I'm taking a more supervisory role in the unit. Less leg work, more paperwork."

"You're okay with that?"

"I'll still be involved in the investigations. I just won't do as much canvasses or crime scene processing in the middle of the night. It means less crazy hours," he explained. "Yes, I'm okay with that."

He looked in her eyes again and she smiled.

"Sergeant Stabler…" she said. "Has a nice ring to it."

oooooooooo

It was past ten when he parked the car in the driveway. He was out and opening her door before she had unfastened her seatbelt. She stood up laughing softly. He closed the door and backed her against the car, pressing a leg between hers as he kissed her. When she pulled away, she was out of breath but grinning slightly.

"Well that was one hell of a kiss goodnight," she said.

"Night's not over yet."

They walked into the house and he took her coat off. They looked at each other in puzzlement when they heard laughing coming from the open door to the basement. She followed him down the stairs and saw Kathleen, Liz, Richard and Ella playing on the Wii. They finished their game before turning to them. Ella waved at them with a smile.

"Hey, guys," Kathleen hesitated before greeting them.

"Hey," Richard said. "We heard about our cool new crash pad from Kath'. Thought we'd come check it out."

"You like it?" Elliot asked with a grin.

He walked up to his children but she stayed a few steps behind.

"It's really great, dad," Liz told him.

"Yeah," Richard added. "It's almost good enough to make us swallow the pill about your new family moving in."

"Dick," Kathleen sighed.

"I'm going to put Ella to bed," Olivia stated.

"I'm not tired!" Ella replied.

"Well it's already way past your bedtime, baby."

"I'm sorry, Liv," Kathleen said. "I just thought it was kind of a special occasion, you know."

"It's fine, don't worry. Come on Ella, say goodnight."

She waited for the girl to say her goodnights before picking her up. She turned to Elliot when she heard his cellphone ring. He answered and from what he was saying, she guessed that he had caught a case.

"I gotta go," he told her with an apologetic grimace.

She nodded with a small smile. He glanced at his older children and stepped closer to Olivia.

"You're going to be okay?" he asked softly.

"Oh, come on," Richard laughed harshly, "she must have arrested hundreds of dirt bags, including me by the way, and you're worried about leaving her with us?"

"Wow," Liz laughed. "Did you just admit to being a dirt bag?"

"Just be nice kids," he said before turning away.

Olivia walked up the stairs followed by Elliot. She put her daughter down on the first step of the stairs to the second floor and gently swatted her butt.

"Go to bed, I'll be there in a minute to tuck you in," she told the girl before turning to Elliot. "I'm not defenseless, Elliot. I can handle your kids," she said with a glare.

"I know. I just wish you didn't have to."

She sighed.

"Just go do your job, Elliot. And call me. So I'll know whether or not to wait for you to take off my dress."

"God, Liv," he chuckled.

He kissed her and she moaned when he slipped his tongue in her mouth and grabbed her ass. He pulled away and threw a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Night everyone," he said.

She closed her eyes in a sigh before she turned slowly to face his three other children. Kathleen was smiling slightly with her arms crossed on her chest. Liz had her head down and her hands in her pockets. Richard was glaring at her with a petulant smirk on his face.

"How far do you think you can walk in my mother's shoes, Olivia?" he asked her.

"I'm not trying to fill anyone's shoes, Richard," she told him with a glare.

She picked up a fifty from her purse and handed it to Kathleen with a smile. She thanked her for babysitting, said goodnight and went upstairs.

oooooooooo

She had taken off her dress and had fallen asleep under the covers in her underwear. She awoke when she felt the mattress dip beside her. She turned and opened her eyes slightly. She scooted closer to Elliot and rested her head on his bare chest.

"'Time is it?" she slurred.

"Almost three. Gotta be back at the precinct by eight."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I took the dress off."

"Not the underwear." He smiled against her hair.

She laughed softly and climbed on top of him, leaning down to kiss him.

"You sure you wouldn't rather sleep?" she asked against his lips.

"Not in a million years."

He sat up to kiss and lick her neck and his hands moved to her back to unclasp the black bra.

oooooooooo

She hadn't seen much of him the next few days. He would arrive late and leave early but at least he was sleeping in their own bed she thought.

It was now Sunday and she came down for breakfast with Ella. She found a plate of pancakes waiting in the warm oven along with a note. Family tradition. Love, El.

He was there for dinner that night, declaring that they had caught the guy. She watched him hug Ella and smile at her. He was okay, she thought. It wasn't one of these cases that would haunt him. They had closed it and he was done. She smiled back.

Afterwards, once Ella was asleep in her bed, he led her to the bedroom, kissing her all the way. They undressed each other, kissing, biting and licking every inch of the uncovered skin. When they were both naked, she backed him until he hit the mattress and sat down on the edge of the bed. She kneeled before him and placed her hands on his thighs. She looked up at him with a slight grin and she felt his whole body tense.

"Olivia…" he breathed.

His voice was a deep rumble and the sound of it made the heat pool between her legs. She watched him when she lowered her mouth on him. His knuckles were white where he was gripping the bed. His other hand flew to the back of her head and he grabbed a fistful of her hair.

Her hands moved up his legs until her thumbs brushed his inner thighs. Her tongue slid around his cock and she heard him hiss between clenched teeth. She felt him pulse in her mouth.

"Fuck Liv," he gasped.

She let him go briefly and chuckled.

"Elliot," she said softly. "Let go."

"Fuck no," he replied.

He leaned down to grab her by the waist. He lifted her on the bed, rolled over her and slid inside her. She cried out in surprise and pleasure. He didn't move for a second and he hovered above her, looking her in the eyes. He was already panting from his restraint and he breathed heavily against her lips.

When he started moving insanely slow inside her, she bit down on her lip. He opened her mouth to his and slipped his tongue inside. He moaned and she wondered whether he could taste himself. She felt the pleasure building with each thrust.

"Come on Liv," he growled.

She slid her hand down between them to touch herself as the other gripped the sheet. He cursed as she brushed against him in the process. She threw her head back and uttered a strangled moan. She followed him over the edge, her eyes shutting close and her back arching. He stayed above her and her breasts brushed against his chest with each heavy breath she took.

He grabbed her wrist and brought her hand from under him and to his mouth. She moaned softly as she watched him lick her fingers clean. He looked at her and kissed her lips when he pulled out from her. He rolled them over, his arms around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

After several minutes of silence she raised herself up on an elbow and looked at him.

"Elliot… El?"

He didn't open his eyes and she assumed he was already asleep. She brushed her fingers lightly on his chest before settling back against him.

"I love you," she whispered before closing her eyes again.

oooooooooo

After having pulled several all-nighters in the last few days, he was planning on coming in later to work that Monday. So he took his time at breakfast with Olivia and Ella, catching up on what the girls did during the weekend.

Her cell phone rang when they were clearing out the kitchen. She went to the living-room to pick it up. She came back after a short conversation and hesitated in front of Elliot. She opened her mouth to say something but frowned instead. She held out her phone and pointed at it.

"That was the Deputy Commissioner's office, from the Training Bureau," she told him.

"Really? What did he want?"

"Apparently, he wants to meet with me about maybe starting a class on Special Victims."

He put his hands on his hips and grinned at her.

"They've been talking about giving that kind of training for years," she added. "It might be nothing."

He smiled and took her face in his hands to kiss her.

"And maybe someone realized how perfect you'd be for that kind of job," he told her.

"You didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"

"Please, the brass has a coronary every time my name comes up."

"Right," she said in chuckle. "I'm meeting him tomorrow afternoon. I guess we'll see then…"

She gave him a hesitant smile and he brushed her hair behind her ear.

oooooooooo

He called her the next day after lunch. He was having drinks with some people from work and wanted to show her off. His words. She laughed, agreed and hung up.

It was almost 7:30 when she stepped into the bar, dressed in jeans, a white blouse and leather jacket. She looked around and spotted the already occupied booth. From where she was standing, she could see Elliot, Rollins and Fin sitting next to each other. She hesitated. She had been looking forward to meeting his partner, now she was afraid of feeling like an outsider. She shook her head lightly and walked up to them with a smile.

"Evening everyone," she greeted.

They all stood up from their seat and Elliot came to her side. He put his hand on her back but didn't kiss her. She was thankful. She was definitely not one for public displays. He pointed at the party guests, introducing her to the ones she didn't know.

"Liv, this is Detective Kelly Mason, my partner, and her boyfriend Dwayne Smith, who works with Casey. You've met Rollins and Amaro. And well, the rest you know," he told her.

She shook everyone's hand and lightly hugged Casey and Fin. She turned to Kelly. The woman was rather petite and had short, curly dark hair and green eyes. She was probably not much older than Maureen, Olivia realized.

She had felt a pinch at her heart at the word partner. That wasn't her anymore. But she felt the warmth of Elliot's hand on her back and the twinge of regret faded away as she thought about what she was to him now.

"It's nice to meet you Detective Mason," Olivia told her.

"Call me Kelly." The woman smiled.

The female detective seemed nice enough but Olivia had the slightest urge to grill her, make sure she was competent enough at her job. Instead she smiled back.

"Call me Olivia."

"That's it?" Kelly asked. "With your reputation, I thought you'd put me through the ringer a little bit."

"My reputation?" Olivia laughed. "And what exactly would that be?"

Next to her, Elliot lowered his head and chuckled lightly.

"Well, you know, word is you're kind of a b… badass… In a good way I mean," Kelly explained.

"Don't mind her," Dwayne said. "She's crazy smart but slightly socially inept."

The brunette nudged him in the stomach. Olivia smiled.

"It's okay," she said and looked at Kelly again. "Can I trust you to have my… Elliot's back?"

She grimaced at her own slip up. My what? Fuck. Elliot was Elliot. He wasn't her anything. She felt everyone's eyes on her and saw Elliot smirk from the corner of her eyes. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, don't worry Olivia," Kelly answered. "I'm good at my job. I'll have your Elliot's back," she added with a smirk.

Olivia rolled her eyes. Casey laughed and sat down in the far end of the booth. Olivia slid in next to her and Elliot followed. Kelly, Dwayne and Nick sat opposite to them while Fin and Amanda grabbed two chairs. Elliot started to chat with Nick and Fin while pouring beer into the empty glasses. Kelly leaned forward against the table.

"So you guys ever did it at work?" she asked looking at Elliot and Olivia.

He choked on his beer and she just stared with her mouth slightly agape.

"Told you," Dwayne said, "social misfit."

"Oh shut up. But I mean, you still hear rumors after all this time, you gotta ask."

"No you really don't, honey," Casey laughed.

"How about we change the subject?" Elliot asked.

She felt him tense and put a hand on his thigh.

Aside from a few awkward moments, the evening was pleasant. She was actually surprised at how at ease she still felt, despite having left the Force. After a couple of beers, Elliot rested his arm behind her, on the back of the seat and started lightly playing with her hair.

"You guys are cute," Casey whispered in her ear before she laughed.

Olivia rolled her eyes but didn't move from Elliot. He scraped his fingers on her scalp and she tuned out the voices around her. She turned her head to him and set her chin on his shoulder.

"I wanna go home," she breathed out.

He chuckled, turned to her and nodded. He excused them both and they all agreed it was time to go anyway, having to work in the morning. They said their goodbyes in front of the bar and went their separate ways.

"You okay?" Elliot asked her when they were alone.

"Yes. Kelly is... something," she joked.

"Tell me about it," he answered in a breathy laugh. "But she's a really good cop, and a good partner."

"Well I'm glad," she said.

He turned to her and put his hands on her hips. He looked at her with a small smile.

"Although no one will ever be as good as you, obviously."

"I don't need my ego stroked, Elliot," she said and raised an eyebrow.

"That sounded dirty," he said against her lips.

She laughed and he pulled her in a kiss. On the drive back to Brooklyn, Elliot finally asked her about her meeting at the Training Bureau. He glanced at her hesitantly. She bit back a smile.

"It's… on," she told him.

"Wait, what?"

She smiled and tucked back her hair, thinking back on her meeting.

"The deputy chief got… he showed me two letters he received a couple of days ago, after word got out that they wanted to start a new class… Cragen and Judge Donnelly… they wrote to him saying that it was about time that they offered training in dealing with special victims. And… they suggested my name for it. Although I'm not sure I made such an impression, I was so stunned."

She looked at him and he was grinning.

"I'm sure you were great, Liv. Cragen and Donnelly, huh? They're right, you know."

"I can't believe they did this."

He smiled and squeezed her hand.

"So it's official? They offered you the job?"

"Yeah," she breathed out. "There are still a few wrinkles to iron out but… yeah."

"And you said yes."

"I couldn't not say yes, Elliot. I mean… for so long, my job had been the only thing giving my life meaning. Then Ella was born, and that was enough. It still is. I'm done with the trenches, but if I can help people do the job we used to do…"

"You will, Olivia. You'll do good."

She shrugged and looked at the road ahead of them.

"It will just be two/three hours a week, starting in September. So I can do that in addition to my job at Vinci. It's… almost too good to be true, isn't it?"

"Stop worrying about things going wrong, Liv. You deserve to be happy."

She watched him and narrowed her eyes. She thought about the road she had travelled, about how far they had both gotten. She saw the pieces of her life finally falling into place and everything coming together. But mostly she realised how good it felt to be happy and not feel guilty, or terrified at the idea.

She sunk back into the seat and looked out the windshield.

"I love you, you know," she suddenly said.

"I know."

She looked back at him to see him smirking.

"You cocky bastard," she muttered with a small smile.