Come To My Window -Melissa Ethridge

Olivia Benson had dialed the number to her partner's phone but quickly hung up, not having a reason to call him. He had told her earlier today that he and Kathy were over. They had ended, and he had moved out some time ago. He had admitted he was embarrassed by the failure, but all Olivia could see was the opportunity. She thought about how long she had been holding on to hope; of course, she didn't want Kathy and Elliot to get a divorce, she knew it killed him inside. For so many years now, he was doing the same to her. Each day a part of her dying inside knowing that Kathy was keeping him to herself. She knew it was petty to hate her partner's wife. She had no reason, too, hell she even helped Elliot patch things up with her a few times despite herself. Elliot didn't know how much she gave of herself, how much he took of her. She turned over for the 15th time in the past 10 minutes before redialing his number, only to hang up before it rang again.

Olivia makes it to the precinct the next morning. Elliott was there in a wrinkled shirt, he hadn't left from the night before.

"Go to bed Elliot!" Olivia yelled, knowing they were both the only ones in the office.

"I had a few hours," Elliot replied.

"Well at least take a shower and change your shirt." Olivia commented.

Elliot nodded his head dropped his pen, and went back towards the cribs.

The two of them had been asked to pick up a perp, and Elliot was rougher than usual. Eliott pushed him into the interrogation room. Cragen was about to ask Elliot and Olivia to interrogate him, but Olivia nodded her head no before Cragen asked and saw the plead in Olivia's eyes.

"Alright I'll get Fin to handle this, why don't you guys take a break, take the day you've been working hard especially you Elliot go home." Cragen insisted.

Olivia knew that Elliot had been avoiding his new place like the plague.

"Want to come over to my place?" Olivia offers.

She knows she shouldn't do this. Of course, he had been alone with her numerous times at her place, at his family at home, on stakeouts. He had even stayed a few times on the couch when he and Kathy really got into it a few times, but now, this was something more.

"Thanks, Liv, yeah, for a little while," Elliot claimed.

Olivia and Elliot took a car and headed back to her place.

She opened the fridge, handed him a beer, and grabbed one herself.

"You want to tell me what happened back there?" Olivia asked.

"Liv.." Elliot started.

"Listen I know you're upset, but you can't take it out the perps, I don't need another partner because you don't know how to control yourself." Olivia sighed.

"Damnit Liv, I know that," Elliot admitted

"I know you're upset El, have you thought about counseling?" Olivia asks carefully.

"Yeah, actually the first appointment next week," Elliot admitted.

"Oh." Olivia didn't know what else to say. She was shocked by his admission.

She put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and their eyes locked. She couldn't say a word and quickly looked away.

Elliot cleared his throat and took another sip of beer.

Olivia's cell phone rang.

"No not tonight, maybe sometime next week." Olivia was heard saying.

She wandered off into her bedroom to finish the conversation.

When Olivia came back, Elliot could tell she had a grimace on her face.

"If I'm interrupting something, I can go." Elliot stated.

"No, of course not, it was just the neighbor girl down the hall, she's 15 does errands for people in the building, she offers to clean clothes go to the store, house clean," Olivia claims.

Elliot nodded his head.

Olivia had hung up the phone, turned the TV on, not sure what could be on, Maury was on, and Elliot insisted they watched it. Olivia laughed as Elliot got into the show, not knowing how he could care so much that this woman was on the show for the 12th time and still hasn't found "the baby daddy." She ignored the show, for the most part, watching her partner instead. She had looked at him for so long, wondering what it would be like to have him to hold him. She knew he loved her. He had complimented her body before, but she didn't know if there was romance there. When they had been playing a role, the electricity was there. It felt real even though they tried for it not be. They were always hiding, but Olivia was convinced that Eliott had no idea how hollow she felt some nights.

She didn't act like she hasn't slept around since meeting Elliot just last week she had a date that ended in her bedroom, but it wasn't love. It was fun, and it was her normal, but she didn't want it to be. She longed to have what Elliot and Kathy had. She wasn't sure about it suddenly ending, but Elliot had admitted even knowing they would end in divorce. He would have still married her. They had more good years than bad ones, and he loved her.

Elliot was exhausted and fell asleep on Olivia's couch. She grabbed a pillow and blanket, slowly moving him to lay across the sofa. She ended up cleaning up the apartment grateful Elliot was used to sleeping through 4 kids running through the house because she seemed to be louder than she ever remembered while cleaning up.

Elliot woke up sometime in the late evening.

He looked around confused to where he was and realized he was in Olivia's apartment.

"Liv?" Elliot called out.

She had been in the kitchen cleaning out the fridge.

"Right here El." Olivia called and walked into the living room.

"Hey, sorry, when did I pass out?"

"Not long after we got here, about 4 hours ago," Olivia said as she looked at the clock.

"Shit, that long?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't think to wake is there somewhere you need to be?" Olivia asked.

"No, I just got call the kids later," Elliot explained.

"How are they?" Olivia asked.

"Well all things considering the twins are taking it quite well. Maureen and Kathleen are out of the house, they knew it was coming." Elliot said, slightly saddened.

"Sorry, El, I didn't mean too..." Olivia started.

"No, it's fine," Elliot assured her.

"Maybe I should get going," Elliot stated, folding up the blanket.

"Where have you been staying, El?" Olivia asks.

"Don't worry about me, Liv," Elliot claimed.

"El, I worry about you have you been staying in the cribs?" Olivia asked.

"What would you say if I said yes?" Elliot asked.

"That you could do better on a bench in Central Park," Olivia stated.

Elliot laughed.

"I have a place it's just not home," Elliott admitted.

"I'm sorry El, if you need anything, call me." Olivia claimed.

"Thanks, Liv, I owe you," Elliot claimed.

"Stay for dinner?" Olivia asked.

Elliot thought for a long while, knowing it wasn't a good idea.

"I better go I'll see you tomorrow." Elliot claimed and walked out of the door. Olivia huffed and looked in her freezer, pulling out a microwavable meal, and ate it alone on her couch that night.

Olivia and Elliot had a few days off, and Elliot was going back to his home queens to visit the twins and catch up with them. He had been trying to see them as much as possible. Kathy had been understanding and let him come to the home whenever he wanted. Dickie and Lizzie had even stayed at his place once. The two of them admitted that things seemed to be better after their two parents separated. Elliot hated that the kids recognized how bad the marriage was at the end but was happy he and Kathy were no longer putting them through all of that. The kids missed their dad, but Kathy and Elliot both agreed that staying in the Queen's home was the most stable environment for the two of them.

Olivia had been happy Elliot was seeing the twins and talking to Maureen and Kathleen regularly. She had pushed herself into another date, and it wasn't going well. The man she was with had been someone Munch of all people set her up with. The man was her type she hated to admit, but he was doing the one thing she couldn't stand, he was talking with his mouth full all throughout dinner. He was so good looking and polite, but this one thing had thrown her off. She was wishing, begging for a call even if it was work to have an excuse to get out of there.

Luckily although not happily, Elliot saved the day.

"Liv?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah, El, what's up?" Olivia asked.

"Are you out I can call you back." Elliot started.

"No please, meet me at my place, I'll be home soon." Olivia stated.

"I'm actually pretty close, like outside your door," Elliot admitted.

Olivia laughed.

"I'll be about 30 minutes, if you won't go up the fire escape, jiggle the window it will unlock if you do it right, wait for me, I'll be right there." Olivia claimed.

Olivia hung up, told her date she had to meet her partner. She threw down a $20 bill before the man could protest, and walked out of the restaurant, hoping never to see the man again.

Olivia walked back to her place the chill in the air made her wish she hailed a taxi instead, but the walk cleared her mind. If she had to be honest with herself between the man talking with his mouth full, she imagined Elliot at the other end of the table. She knew that he was hurting, but she was too. She had hurt for so long that her heart ached, sometimes she felt dark because she couldn't have his light and now that she had the chance, she knew what she wanted, and she was going to take it.

Olivia walked into her apartment, her partner inside.

"You should get that fixed," Elliot said in a concerned voice.

"I should give you a key," Olivia replied.

Elliot smiled.

Olivia went next to him and sat on the couch.

"Is everything alright?" Olivia asked.

"Olivia I just crawled inside your bedroom window, so no, I don't think so." Elliot admitted. He took a deep breath and relaxed his head against the sofa.

"I'm sorry El." Olivia stated.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her weight against his side.

He held her tight, he didn't cry, but his voice started to waver as he explained how hard it was to go back to an empty apartment with just him there.

Olivia knew how lonely a place could be, and she was never used to kids and significant other being around.

She nodded her head to show she understood his pain.

"Stay." Olivia said simply.

"Liv, I can't do that to you." Elliot sighed.

"I want you too," Olivia admitted.

Elliot looked up and smiled at her.

"Liv, I don't know if it's a good idea," Elliot admitted.

"It most definitely is not," Olivia claimed.

Before Elliot knew what was happening, Olivia pushed her lips to his, and without hesitation, he allowed her tongue to push into his mouth. He groaned in pleasure, his whole body felt electricity, and he wasn't sure what to do surprised by his partner's advance.

"Liv?" Elliot asked.

"I'm sorry El, I just really want this." Olivia admitted.

"If I just screwed up, you can go, we can forget about this." Olivia started hopping up away, pushing herself as far away from him as possible. She was about to go lock herself in her bedroom, but he caught up with her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into him, kissing her lips again.

"I want this too."