Thanks for the reviews! :) this chapter has another day off. i know, unrealistic for them to get another one, but i needed an excuse for the whole mother thing to come about.

This chapter is a lot longer than usual because I figured it flowed together easily enough to make it one chapter.

*&^%$^&*&^%$

By the time Olivia and Elliot got home it was close to midnight, but they got their paperwork finished. They were both restless. Cragen had ordered they take the next day off.

"Oh we have ice cream! Perfect!" Olivia exclaimed as she grabbed moose tracks from the freezer. She knew that she would have to run extra within the next few days to get back on track. Her excuse was she had a stressful day.

She grabbed two spoons and went over to the couch to cuddle next to Elliot. He turned on the TV to see that
the movie Ghostbusters was on.

"Classic," Elliot said.

A few minutes later Olivia jumped up. "Ah! Brainfreeze!" Olivia said with a look of pain on her face. She stuck her thumb on the roof of her mouth to try to ease the cold.

"I think that's a sign that we've had enough tonight," Elliot got up to put it back in the freezer, only to find that they had eaten the rest of what was left. "So much for saving it," he stated sarcastically while throwing it away.

"My thighs were hungry!," Olivia stated apologetically.

"No big deal." He grinned.

"You wanna come with me running tomorrow?," she asked, wondering if after the last time they went if he would want to.

"I don't know, I'm a little rusty. Then again I might be able to catch you with those thighs of yours slowing you down," he grinned menacingly at her.

She quickly swatted his arm. "Oh whatever! We'll see about that!"

"Let's go to bed." He reached for her hand and she gladly took it.

As much as Elliot enjoyed making love to her, he also loved just cuddling with her and making her feel safe.

Olivia couldn't complain. She had the hottest guy for miles around that loved her and truly cared about her. His large strong arms wrapped around her lovingly as they fell asleep.

Olivia slept soundly through the night.

They didn't have their alarm set and ended up sleeping til 8. Sleeping in was a savored time for SVU detectives.

Elliot climbed out of bed. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"You don't have to make breakfast El."
"I don't have to, but I want to." He kissed her cheek, knowing she might have been self conscious about morning breath again. He chuckled thinking about it.

Olivia smelled coffee and nearly jumped out of bed. Any day they didn't have to drink Munch's sludge was a good day.

She saw Elliot getting out food to make breakfast.
"What do you want Liv? There's pancake mix, I can make french toast, biscuits and gravy, eggs, and of course bacon...?" He paused and looked at her to see her smiling. "What?"

"I won't say what I'm thinking because then you won't cook for me." She bit her bottom lip.
"Okay." He grinned at her, catching on to what she meant without saying it. "What do you want?"

"I think french toast and eggs with bacon. Don't forget we're goin for a run in a little while." She smiled at the thought. She was being mischevious when she reminded him just to see his reaction.

He sighed and tried to lift his own spirit. "How could I forget? I love running!," he proclaimed as he threw his arms up. She couldn't wait to take him down. He deserved it. She needed to tie the score.

"Liv, I was thinking...It's been weighing on my mind since we talked, and...feel free to say no, but I was wondering if you wanted to go see my mom today," he asked hesitantlty.

She looked up from the paper she was reading, not knowing what to say. He was still turned around cooking.
"If you want to do that today we can." She really was shocked that he wanted to do that today.

They had only talked about it a few days ago and she had a lot of thinking and reviewing of her life to try to take the steps to forgive her mom. She just wanted to know how he was ready to do this so fast. He told her that first night about his past.

He had heard the hesitance in her voice. "Liv, you don't have to if you don't want to."
"No...I want to. I was just wondering why so soon."

"I feel like it's something I have to do. I'm ready to do it." He really was, and his other motive was to get Olivia willing to consider forgiving her mom. He wanted to help ease her nightmares and she needed every advantage she could get in getting them out of her mind.

"Okay."
Elliot sat down with the 3 plates of food and plates for themselves. One had eggs, another with french toast, and bacon.

They had stuffed themselves with food. "Thanks El, it was great. It's gonna take me forever to run off all the calories, though," she said as she cleaned up the table. It's the least she could do because he was always doing the cooking.

"I was thinking that we could just go to your mom's place now, too. Then we can run later tonight or something, because it's a longer drive than normal."

"3 hours Liv. Sounds fun, I know." Elliot was quite relieved he was being spared the pain of running right that instant. He was so stuffed he could barely move, and he knew that she was a better runner no matter what she did.

"We better get moving. It's 9 30." She finished up the dishes and went to get in the shower. Elliot finally moved to finish getting ready as well. He figured he'd mess with her later.

They were finally both ready at 11 am and left shortly after making sure everything was locked up properly.
"I'll drive Stabler," she proclaimed while grabbing the keys.

"You don't know the way though."

"You can tell me. I know New York. I'm a big girl." She slinked towards him and started speaking seductively.
She came just close enough to where they were almost kissing. "It's gonna be Jersey that gets me confused," she smiled. He really didn't like others driving, but it was Olivia, so he couldn't say no. And she was getting him worked up.

He kissed her. "Okay, but don't blame me if we get lost."

"Oh is that a threat Stabler?" They continued kissing. She knew they wouldn't get lost, unless he wanted them to.

"We better...leave before...we...end up staying...here all day." He didn't want to stop, so she stopped for him.
She backed away. "I didn't literally mean stop Liv."
"You made a valid point though. Let's go." She was smiling at him.

"You're a little tease."

"Just giving you something to think about for the ride."

"I'm always thinking about you though."

"I said it once and I'll say it again...horndog." She looked at him with a smirk.

They got through New York without a problem. Elliot was still worked up from the apartment. Elliot screeched to whatever song was on, whether he knew it or not. Olivia couldn't stop laughing.

"Liv, you're gonna need to take a left then a quick right."

They arrived at his mom's house on the beach. Now he was nervous and she saw his hesitance. They hadn't even gotten out of the car yet.

"El, are you okay? We don't have to do this right now if you don't want to." She grabbed for his hand, but he pulled it away. She took the hint. He needed space. He was feeling all the hate bubble back up. Not towards Olivia, but towards his mom.

"No, I have to do it." He tightened his hands into fists. He hadn't seen his mom since him and Kathy first got together a few years back. He didn't invite her to the wedding and didn't see her otherwise. Olivia was willing to wait in the car all day with him if that's what it took.

Elliot's breathing was increased. His eyes were fixed on the dashboard for a while and he stayed like that for a few minutes.

"Let's go," he said as he got out of the car. She was just following him. She was nervous, too. For him, and because she was about to meet his mom.

He knocked 3 times.
An older woman answered the door. "Hi mom," he said calmly.
"Elliot! I haven't seen you in a while! And who is this lovely young woman? Bernadette." She held out her hand for Olivia.
"Hi." Olivia smiled.
"Mom this is Olivia, she's my work partner." He wasn't going to come out with 'Hi mom, me and Kathy got divorced. Olivia started SVU 2 weeks ago and since then we've gotten into a relationshipl,' although he seriously considered it.

"She's a lovely young woman Elliot. Oh where are my manners? Come in guys."

Once they were inside she started rambling. "Where's Kathy? Oh I can get you guys some lemonade. I'll be back." She was walking off and continued talking. "Elliot I can't believe...Kathy..." There were only bits and pieces of what she said because she was further away from Elliot and Olivia then she thought.

"Here you go." She grabbed a glass of lemonade and started drinking it. "You still haven't answered my question. Where's Kathy?"

"Kathy and I...got divorced. We-" His mom interrupted him.
"Oh! Kathy was such a lovely person though. I mean she-"
"Mom."
"-And she-"

"Mom!" He raised his voice. She stopped talking.
"Elliot, what's wrong?"
"Mom, I didn't come here to talk about that. I came here to talk about all the things that happened when I was working."

"Elliot, why would you want to bring all those things up?" Olivia was just sitting there with him. All she could do was wait and watch.

"Because mom. Remember when you chased the snowflakes into a telephone pole?"
"But the snowflakes were so pretty-"
"And when you shot at me and dad."

"Your father threatened to take you away from me. I couldn't let him do that!"
"And what about you staying in your room for a month at a time and not coming out?" He looked at her, showing the emotions of that little boy again.
"Your dad made me mad! Why are you yelling at me?"

"I'm not yelling at you." His voice was raised with annoyance but he wasn't yelling at her.
"Elliot, why are you saying all of these things! Your embarrasing me in front of your partner."

Olivia just sat there. "Mom, listen. I didn't come here to yell at you. I came here to tell you that no matter what you did when I was a child, and no matter what you've done to me, I..." He couldn't say it. There was no way Olivia could comfort him or coax him into doing it. He had to do this on his own.

"Mom, you need help. Doctors said that you're bipolar. Are you on medication?" Elliot wanted to make sure that his mom was being taken care of before he said what he needed to.

"No. What do doctors know? I'm just different."
"No mom. I need to make sure that you're not gonna do something that can hurt you or others."
"What's that have to do with anything?"

"Mom, I don't care what you do as long as your safe. Medicine can help you be safe."
"No! Elliot. They forced me to take it at the hospital and it made me feel tired and sad all the time!"

"Mom, I can't say what I need to say until I know you're doing what you need to do."
"Elliot, I like being free. If I take medicine it makes my life boring." She started crying.

"Okay, mom. I'm done trying. I came here to tell you I forgive you. For everything. If you don't want to take medicine you don't have to. Let's go Liv." He was becoming enraged again. He really meant that he forgave her but wasn't willing to be there if she did something she would regret.

"Elliot! Don't leave! You just got here."
"I'm done trying to tell you what to do with your life."

"Elliot!," she yelled as Elliot and Olivia went to the car.

He and Liv just continued on to the car, despite hearing her pleas for him to come back.

"El..."
"Don't, Liv. I said what I needed to say. She doesn't wanna take medicine, fine. I just won't be there to watch her go in a downward spiral."

"But she wants you in her life. You can still love her and she still loves you regardless of what she does with her life. You will regret it if you're not there for her now."

He hadn't started the car yet. He absorbed what Olivia was saying to him, and realized she was right.
"Liv, I didn't mean to snap at you. I-"
"It's fine El. Go tell her."

She stayed in the car as he got out and went to his mom. After a moment of talking he hugged her. Olivia didn't hear what they were saying but was relieved the air was clear between Elliot and his mom.

He came back to the car.
"Thanks Liv." She smiled. He couldn't kiss her because his mom was watching. He was going to tell his mom one bombshell at a time. They stared at each other saying what they needed to say before leaving.

After watching what Elliot had done, Olivia had a choice to make. If he could forgive his mom after all the shit they went through, then maybe she could find it within herself to forgive her mom.

%^&(*&^%$#

The things that Elliots mom did were straight from the ep. I did what she said out of memory so some of it is not exactly from the ep. i figured you guys had one chapter of Elliot and Olivia running and i wanted this to be focused on the forgiving. thanks for reading/reviewing :)