A/N: What does their conversation lead to? What happens when they find Cragen? And Brian and Kathy make a decision. There's a time jump a' comin'. And for those that have said this is like a good soap-opera, THANK YOU! That's exactly what this is. Lol. It's supposed to be very soap-opera-like. =)

DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters and settings of SVU. TStabler © owns this saga.

"Holy shit," Elliot panted, rolling onto his back and pulling Olivia back on top of him.

Olivia smirked as she looked at him, then let her head drop to his. "Yeah," she whispered.

Elliot rolled his head, letting hers fall to his shoulder. He held her close as they tried to catch their breath. "Liv," he began, taking a deep breath, "I've never cheated on you."

Olivia popped her head up. "I know that," she said, furrowing her brow. "Why are you…"

"Not even when I was gone," he interrupted. "There were so many girls around, and every other guy was hopping into their beds, but I just…I just wanted you. I closed my eyes, I thought about you, and my heart warmed up and I wasn't lonely anymore. I wanted so badly to come home to you, and…"

"El, where is this coming from?" she asked, worried.

He sighed and looked at her. "If I came back and found out you were really with Brian, that he actually made a move and kissed you, I would be devastated. My whole world would have crumbled."
She softly kissed his lips and chin. "I would never do anything like that," she whispered, grazing her lips over his neck.

"I believe that with everything I have," he said to her. "I'm just saying…how could my father have willingly given his wife to someone else, just because he thought she had 'needs' or whatever?" He looked deeply into her eyes and said, "No one has my permission to touch you, and no one ever will. Your needs are met by me, only me, and mine…there's only you." He held up his hand and said, "We may have been young and stupid, but when I put this ring on my finger at eighteen, I knew it was never coming off."

Olivia sniffled, unaware that she was even crying. "El," she whispered to him, "No one can give me what I need, no one but you, because you are what I need."

Elliot moved his hand to her cheek, caressing the side of her face. He felt his heart beat faster as she leaned into his hand, nuzzling it, loving his touch. He bucked his hips once, starting them up again, knowing they were too sensitive now to be too quiet, but he didn't care. "I love you. I love you so fucking much it hurts."

She rolled into him, sliding on and off of him, kissed him, loved him, and said, "You took the words right out of my mouth."


Brian was staring off into space, unaware that Alex was staring at him. He heard her voice, distantly, and snapped toward her. "Huh?" he asked.

"I said, I'm leaving. Tell Olivia…I'll call her." Alex rose off of the couch and grabbed her bag, walked to the door, and looked back around one last time. She realized that she was holding onto an infatuation, trying to prove to Olivia that Elliot was not infallible. She could never get him alone, could never prove he would one day hurt her, and she shook her head. She was going to let Olivia make the mistake, and she would be there when her life crumbled, just like she promised she would be. She opened the door and walked out, heading to meet Chester back at their hotel.

Brian, however, hardly noticed she had gone. He was too lost in thought. He walked over to the land phone, picking up their Yellow Pages. He flipped through it until he found the page he was looking for, and he picked up the phone. He dialed the number and waited, and then said, "Hi, uh, my name is Brian Cassidy, and I would like to know…how do I go about filing for divorce?" He waited for a moment, then said, "Yeah, I'll hold."

Casey walked out of her room then. She had a small smile on her face and she was dressed up, a red dress hugging her curves and her hair falling to her shoulders.

"Damn, Novak," Brian said with a grin. "Hot date?" he joked.

Casey nodded. "Actually, yes. Trevor's taking me to an event at his father's law firm, and then to an early dinner."

"Good for you," Brian said with a nod. The woman to whom he was speaking picked up the phone then, getting his attention. "Hello? Yes, I did. Oh, uh, she was…well. This would be easier to talk about in…okay. Yes. Five O'Clock, then. Thank you."

Casey put her earring in, then walked over to him. "What was that about?" she asked.

Brian sighed. "Lawyer," he said bluntly. "I'm gonna face this, I don't care how catholic I am, I'm going to talk to a lawyer."

"You've got one right here!" Casey shouted. "Well, almost. And after what she did to you, you can claim entrapment and infidelity, and you can get it annulled. You don't have to get a divorce. It'll save your eternal soul and a fuckload of money."

"Thanks," Brian said with a smile. He looked at her then, something strange in his eyes, and he said, "You really do look beautiful, Novak."

Casey blushed. Brian Cassidy had made her blush. "Thanks, Cassidy," she said, returning his smile. She watched him walk over to the couch, grab a bag, then head into the bathroom. She sighed, thinking that he looked really lonely, really sad, and really good without his shirt. "What?" she asked herself, realizing what she'd just thought. "I really need to get control over my hormones. No way did I just think Brian Cassidy was hot."

She walked over to Olivia and Elliot's door, preparing to knock, when she realized that's exactly what she'd thought. She shuddered as she pounded her fist against the wood, and shouted, "I'm going out with Trevor. I'll be back around nine."


Fin and Melinda had just sat down to dinner, their son in his high-chair, and they were waiting for the waiter to come take their order. Fin looked up from the menu and something across the restaurant caught his eye. "Oh, my God," he gasped.

"What?" Melinda asked, turning around. She saw what he was looking at, and her temper flared. "Seriously, Fin?"

"Look, she's been in California for the last two years. I'm allowed to be a little shocked if she walks into a New York City restaurant, Mel!"

Melinda shook her head. "You don't look shocked," she said. "You look disappointed."

Fin furrowed his brow. Maybe his face was too readable. He was disappointed all right, because Casey looked amazing, and it wasn't him on her arm, it was someone who looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn't him. He blinked and shook his head, looking back at Melinda. His eyes moved to his son, and he smiled.

His smile faded, though, as he remembered how wonderful Casey was with him when he was a baby, and how perfect they were together. He gave her up because Melinda had shown up one night in a skimpy black dress, as if she was tormenting him by showing him what he was missing. He sighed, looking back at Casey. She was better off without him, he thought. Life would just be easier for her without him and a three year old holding her back. He only hoped letting her go wasn't going to hold him back in return.


"You sure you don't mind?" Olivia asked, handing Lizzie to Brian.

Brian, now that he sobered up, showered, and shaved, laughed. "I haven't seen them in so long, Benson," he said. "I can watch them while you and Elliot go do what you have to do. I just have to leave at…"

"Six," Elliot said. "We know. We'll be back before then. This won't take long." He kissed his daughter and his son, then took Olivia's hand. "Thanks, man."

"Anytime, bro," Brian said. "Whenever you need me to take care of the kids, or Olivia, just ask."

Elliot cringed. He would never ask Brian to take care of Olivia again. "Right," he spat quickly. He pulled Olivia out of the house, out to the car, and he drove them into Manhattan. "Don Cragen," he mumbled to himself. "Probably an asshole, like my father."

Olivia shook her head. "You don't know that," she said. "He could be really nice. I swear we know him, Elliot. That name…the cop! When we totaled your truck and I…"

"The mountain," Elliot said, narrowing his eyes as he interrupted her. "That cop…his name was Cragen."

"He said he was a city cop," Olivia pointed out.

Elliot shook his head. "No way," he said. "Too much of a coincidence."

"What if it wasn't a coincidence?" she asked, holding her breath as they drove over the bridge.

Elliot looked at her, squinted, and then said, "You think my dad told him where we were?"

"Fin said he called your father and then this Cragen guy shows up?" Olivia asked. "That's too…"

"Shit," Elliot said, cutting her off. He drove a little faster, silent, and pulled into an empty spot in front of the station his father had mentioned. He looked out the window at it, feeling like his whole life would change the minute he and his wife walked into the building.

He had no idea just how right he really was.

A/N: TIME JUMP IS NEXT! Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212