Disclaimer: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. I own nothing

Kathleen's abrupt question had shocked both Elliot and Olivia. For the several moments of awkward silence that followed, neither knew how to respond. Olivia was quiet because she didn't want to traumatize her partner's children with the reality of what had happened to her. Elliot, on the other hand, was shaken by just how grown his kids really were becoming. He was quickly realizing that the simplest explanations wouldn't work on them anymore, and that they deserved to be treated like the young adults they all were.

Without even realizing he was doing so, he took Olivia's hand in his own. By now they had both set their plates down on the coffee table, their dinner forgotten. Squeezing her fingers gently, he checked in with her once more before continuing with the tale. Just as before Kathleen had interrupted with what she had asked, he instinctively knew that Olivia would want him to relate the story.

"Yes, Kathleen. Olivia was the one shot that day. However, it's not anything like you may think what have happened."

Without going into too many details, he explained that a gun had accidentally gone off while Olivia had been trying to secure it from the suspect. The man in question had not been intentionally trying to harm her. He also made certain to stress the fact that she had been protected, and that because she was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time, it was why she wasn't as severely injured. The bullet may have pierced the armor, but didn't cause her extensive harm. The majority of her injuries had happened when she had fallen – first into the window, then to the floor, unknowingly pulling the bookshelf down with her.

The teens all listened to the story intently, and by the end of the tale, both Lizzie and Kathleen had tears shining in their eyes. It was clear they both viewed the older woman as a role model, even though sometimes Kathleen struggled with her own emotions as to the extent of the female detective's presence in her father's life. Dickie on the other hand, was viewing Olivia with a newfound admiration. Elliot had long since suspected that his son had developed a crush on his partner, even though he'd not said anything to her about it. To his surprise, the boy had questions of his own.

"Were you shot in the arm, Olivia? Is that why you have to wear the sling?"

Elliot opened his mouth to answer again, and at the same time admonish his son for asking a question that he felt was bordering on getting too personal, but before he could, Olivia beat him to it.

"No, honey. I have to wear the sling because when the bookshelf fell on me, it fractured my collarbone. That's also why I've been staying with your father. I'm right handed, and since I can't use that arm, I need as much extra help as possible."

Now, Elliot was trying not to laugh. Once again, Olivia was minimizing her own injuries, and he knew it wasn't just for the benefit of his children. He hurried to correct her, even if it meant getting on her bad side.

"That's not the only reason, Olivia. You are also recovering from surgery, and have bruised ribs to boot. Not to mention the fact that I had to practically twist your good arm to get you to stay. You weren't exactly a willing house guest at first."

The next thing he felt was one of the pillows from the couch hitting him on the side of the head as Olivia smacked him with it. Even though she was doing so left handed, she still managed to pack a pretty decent wallop. The action was followed by the sound of laughter filling the room.

Whether it had been her intention or not, Olivia's having hit Elliot with the pillow did a great job of diffusing the tension, and the atmosphere soon returned to normal. Any questions were forgotten, and they all resumed eating, as the conversation shifted again to what movies they were going to watch later that evening.

Soon, everyone was finished, and the remaining leftovers were put away for either a late night snack or possibly even tomorrow's lunch. When Elliot returned to the living room, he saw that the kids were all gathered around the bookshelf, playfully arguing over what game to choose. Olivia, on the other hand, was trying to maneuver herself off the couch, and if his guess was correct, she was going to make a hasty retreat to the bedroom out of fear of intruding on the family fun.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he opted not to say anything out loud, but merely gave her a look. A soft but resigned sigh escaped her lips, and she nodded. Then, noticing that he was reaching out a closed hand in her direction, she held out an open palm to accept the medication she knew he was bringing her.

"Dad! Can we play Monopoly? We can always finish the game tomorrow if it lasts too long tonight."

Dickie looked at his father with a hopeful expression. Elliot was slightly hesitant in giving his response. He didn't want to deny his son the fun of playing a game he hadn't asked about in ages – in fact, part of him had worried they had grown out of that stage, but he also knew of the inevitable fights that came with playing a game like Monopoly. He wasn't sure he wanted to subject Olivia to the full Stabler 'family fun' experience. However, when he glanced in her direction, he saw was that she was smiling, so he gave in to the request.

"Olivia, you're going to play too, right?"

Now it was Lizzie's turn to ask. Elliot braced himself for the denial he thought certain was coming, but to his surprise, Olivia agreed – only after she made sure that her joining the game wouldn't be an intrusion. A chorus of 'no's' gave her her answer, and after that, she really had nothing to argue against. There was only one request Elliot had – that they keep the coffee table pushed up close to the couch, so Olivia could access the game board without having to reach unnecessarily far. The kids all agreed to this without issue, and began setting up the game.

Two hours and much bickering later, the game had finally come to a close. Since she had managed to purchase both Park Place and the Boardwalk, and placed hotels on each property, Lizzie had successfully caused everyone around her to go bankrupt. Dickie began to complain that his twin had cheated, even though there was no way that had possibly happened. In retaliation, she stuck her tongue out at him and called him a sore loser. Elliot quickly intervened before the situation could escalate further, and said that it was time to put the game away. There was no room for argument in his tone.

By now, it was just a little after eight thirty at night. There was still plenty of time to watch a movie before the twins would have to be in bed. While his kids were picking out something to watch, Elliot headed to the kitchen with Kathleen's help to make some popcorn and get some drink refills for everyone.

Olivia watched with interest as the twins logged in to the streaming service, which already had a profile set up for them, and began to search through the list. To her surprise, they found something easily enough. She had been anticipating a lengthy search, and perhaps even a heated debate as they tried to narrow down their choices and agree on something. Lizzie must have noticed the look on her face, because she explained their strategy.

"Dad had us pick a bunch of movies when he first signed up. We all were allowed to select a certain amount, and we take turns working our way through them one by one. This way, the movie we watch is random, and no one person gets to choose every time."

Olivia couldn't hide her smile at Elliot's wise choice. She could only imagine how much tastes would differ having four kids with varying interests. It must be a relief not to have to act as a referee every time they chose a movie.

"Did you find tonight's selection?"

The question could be heard as Elliot and Kathleen returned to the room. He was balancing several bowls of popcorn in his hands, while Kathleen carried a small tray filled with drinks. They set them down on the now empty coffee table, and began passing them out. Soon, everyone had their snack and was settled once more. Elliot took his place on the couch next to Olivia, a bowl of popcorn between them. He wanted to wrap his arm around her in the worst way possible, but resisted doing so. The kids had had enough questions for tonight, he didn't want to overwhelm them any further.

"Okay, I think we're all ready. Let's get this movie started."

Dickie needed no further encouragement, and eagerly pressed 'play' on the remote. Soon they were all drawn in to the story playing out on the screen. Everyone that is, except Olivia. Her mind was going in a thousand directions all at once. Out of all the things she was anticipating his kids to ask, she had never thought they'd be so in depth about her injuries – or asked with such concern.

The other thing that was on her mind that was shocking to her was how cold she felt. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the temperature of the room. Instead, she found herself missing the warmth of Elliot's embrace. Could she really have grown that accustomed to it in a matter of days? What was happening to her? For years, she had prided herself as being an independent woman who didn't need to be in a relationship in order to define herself. Now, within such a short span of time, she was becoming so at ease around a man that she was wanting to drop all the protective walls she held around herself.

If she were being honest, though, she'd come to realize that this wasn't just any man. This was Elliot – and maybe that was why it was equal parts thrilling and terrifying. She couldn't deny the fact that she'd had feelings for him for some time, but had always kept her distance out of respect for his marriage. But recently when he'd confessed that those feelings were reciprocated, she hadn't known how to react. Not that long ago, they both would have shied away had they accidentally brushed against one another, they were so afraid of giving the wrong impression. Now, though, the level of intimacy between them had shifted, to the point where she actually found herself craving the closeness of his presence. Even though he was sitting right beside her, it still felt like he was too far away. Still, she would never do anything to make his kids second guess their father. As it was, she was already impressed they had taken so well to her staying here in the first place.

"Olivia? Olivia!"

Olivia shook her head, startled from her jumbled thoughts. Blinking rapidly a few times, she focused her attention on the teen girl sitting on the floor in front of her, looking up at her expectantly.

"Yes, Lizzie, what is it?"

"I just wanted to know what you thought of the movie. Did you like it?"

The movie was already over? Had she been so distracted by her wayward thinking that she had missed the whole thing? Olivia fervently hoped that no one had noticed her absentmindedness. The kids seemed unaware, but a glance at Elliot's solemn expression out of the corner of her eye told her he had definitely picked up on it.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I must have dozed off, I don't remember much of the movie. That happens sometimes with my pain medicine. I'll try and do better tomorrow, I promise."

"It's okay, Olivia."

Sparing Olivia from any further interrogation, Elliot stood from his spot on the couch and clapped his hands, calling for attention.

"All right, it's ten thirty, and you know what that means. Dickie, Lizzie, time for bed for you two. Kathleen, you can stay up until midnight, then it's lights out for you, too."

To Olivia's surprise, there weren't any arguments or pleas to be allowed to stay up later. Instead, they took their turns in the bathroom and got ready for bed. Kathleen retreated to the bedroom long enough to grab her laptop and bring it out to the living room, where she made herself comfortable once more. Then she plugged in her headphones and listened to some music while she continued doing more research for her upcoming paper.

After saying goodnight to everyone, Olivia headed into Elliot's bedroom, feeling only slightly awkward about her sleeping arrangements. Yes, it was true Elliot would be sharing the other bedroom with his son, but she was feeling a bit uneasy wondering just how the children felt knowing that she was sleeping in their father's bed. Once again, she got so swept up in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps as Elliot came to help her get settled for the night.

"Liv, stop."

He walked up behind her, and rested both palms on her shoulders. Dipping his head, he placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck before pivoting her slowly until she was facing him. Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her lips tenderly before pulling back to whisper softly.

"You've been distracted all night. I don't want you worrying about it. They are fine – we are fine. Stop second guessing."

In the circle of his arms, Olivia allowed herself to relax. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop her thoughts altogether, but she drew comfort from his words. Not just in the way he was trying to calm her, but in just how well he knew her.

"You're right, El. I just need to get some sleep, is all."

Giving her no argument, he quietly helped her change into one of his tee shirts, which she had been using to sleep in since she had first worn it the other day. Tucking her in, he bent down to kiss her one last time before leaving the room. It pained him to leave her on her own without spending any additional time cuddling with her in the bed, but he didn't want to have to field any more questions just yet.

Elliot woke early on Saturday morning, as he always did. He glanced over at the other twin bed in the room and saw that his son was still sound asleep. Quietly dressing and heading out to the kitchen, he made sure not to wake any of the kids in the apartment up, even though he knew they wouldn't likely stir for quite some time.

Starting a pot of coffee, he warred internally with himself over whether or not he should check on Olivia. Part of him wanted to let her sleep as long as possible, knowing that whatever rest she was able to get was a good thing. However, he had forgotten to ask her the night before if she wanted to shower today, and knew instinctively that she wouldn't want any of his kids knowing the lengths he had to go to in order to help her.

Ultimately, the decision to wake her and check in with her wishes won out over the desire to let her sleep. He'd determined she could always lay back down after her shower if she so chose, but the chance to shower would be limited.

He knocked once on the door to his room, then carefully opened it. Peeking inside, he saw that Olivia was still asleep. It still pained him that she couldn't sleep as peacefully as he'd seen her in the past – the many times he'd gone to wake her in the cribs when it would be her turn to get some rest. He knew the sling made it difficult for her to get completely comfortable. In fact, it seemed she was most at ease when he was holding her.

Stepping close to the bed, he used his palm to brush the bangs off her forehead before skimming his lips across her brow. Her eyelashes fluttered at the contact, then she blinked and opened her eyes to look up at him. The confusion on her face immediately gave way to a smile.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Liv. I'm sorry to wake you, but I didn't know if you wanted to shower today or not, and I thought I'd give us some time to take care of things before the kids get up."

Olivia contemplating what he was asking her. Part of her just wanted to say 'forget it' and go without, but then there was another part that desperately wanted a shower. Her staples were really beginning to drive her nuts. She was counting the days until Tuesday, when at the very least, she could have the ones on the back of her head removed. The ones on her chest needed to stay in place for another week. They would be looked at the same day she had a follow up x-ray for her collarbone. Realizing she had yet to give Elliot her answer, she met his gaze once more.

"I think I will take a shower, that is if its not too much trouble for you to wash my hair this morning. I know you have a breakfast to prepare."

"Nonsense. You know I'll do anything for you. Plus, making waffles is easier than you'd think."

Elliot helped Olivia get set up in the bathroom and made sure she had everything that she needed. Then he removed her sling and left it lying on the bed along with some clean clothes he'd set out for her to change into.

Twenty-five minutes later, Olivia was seated at the kitchen sink, her head comfortably nestled in the tray as Elliot lathered her hair with shampoo. She was as relaxed as she always was when he washed her hair for her until the sound of footsteps caused her to hold her breath.

"Dad, Olivia? What's going on?"

Kathleen's voice suddenly filled the kitchen, and her curiosity was apparent. It was obvious the young woman was shocked at finding her father not only washing his partner's hair, but at seeing the woman wearing only a robe.

Even though his hands were only on her scalp, Elliot felt the moment Olivia tensed. He turned his head toward his daughter, and caught the expression on her face. She looked puzzled, but underneath it all, he could see the resentment beginning to resurface. Ever since the divorce, it was as though he were always waiting for the other shoe to drop in regards to Kathleen's moods, and it seemed that now the inevitable might have finally happened. He said a quick prayer that he would be given time to explain.

"Katie -"

"No, Dad. Don't 'Katie' me. Why are you washing Olivia's hair? For that matter, why isn't she dressed? What would you have done if the twins had walked out here and seen this?"

The barrage of questions came so quickly that Elliot scarcely had time to formulate an answer. Beneath his fingers, he felt as Olivia struggled to sit up. Worried the abrupt movement would be too much, he quieted her as best he could by brushing his palm over her head.

"Just a minute, Liv. I still need to rinse."

Not wanting Olivia to change her mind, he turned on the water and began to spray the stream over her lathered locks, then addressed his daughter. He hoped she would forgive him for the delay in answering.

"I'm washing Olivia's hair for the same reason that she's staying with me. You'll remember that she told you last night that she can't use her right arm. Because of her injuries, she's not allowed to lift either of her arms above her head."

Kathleen absorbed the information she had been given quietly. It seemed to make sense. But it still didn't explain why Olivia wasn't dressed. She inquired again to make her point. Elliot tried his best not to get exasperated.

"Olivia stays in her robe after her shower because it would be pointless if I accidentally sprayed her with water again and got her clothes wet. It's a hard enough struggle as it is for her to get dressed."

Too late, Elliot realized he may have said too much. He noticed it in the way Olivia bit her lip and his daughter's jaw dropped in shock.

"You mean, you've been helping her change clothes? Does that mean you've seen her naked? Just what is going on between you two? I deserve to know what's going on!"

By now, the suds had all been rinsed from Olivia's hair. Elliot took the time to wrap her head in a towel and give it a good scrub. He knew she would want to make a hasty retreat to the bedroom, and as much as he wanted her to stay, he couldn't deny her her freedom to seek the solace she so desperately craved in that moment. He only wished she would stick around to hear his explanation.

Sure enough, no sooner than he had helped Olivia come to a standing position, than she was making her way down the hall and closing the door behind her. He worried greatly about her shoulder, but hoped she wouldn't do anything to put her other injuries in jeopardy. At least not until he was able to go to her and help her get the sling back in place.

"Kathleen, you need to watch what you say."

Perhaps his words had come out more harshly than he had intended, but he was feeling frustrated. Not just with the situation, but on Olivia's behalf as well. He'd only just recently gotten her to calm down and feel comfortable with the way things were evolving between them. To think that it could all go backwards again with just a few simple sentences made him sick to his stomach.

"I'm going to tell you the truth. Not because, as you say, you 'deserve' to know what is going on, but because you are very nearly an adult, and capable of understanding."

Gesturing toward the table, he suggested they both sit down. Kathleen looked at him skeptically, but obliged. Once they were seated across from one another, Elliot continued.

"Yes, I have been helping Olivia change since she got here, but I've already explained why that is necessary. No, I have not seen her naked. I've done whatever necessary to respect and honor her privacy while assisting in every way possible."

Finally, he scraped his palms over his face as he exhaled a shaky breath. This was a difficult part of the conversation, and it was getting to be delicate territory. He needed to talk with Olivia – and fast. Perhaps if she were willing, they would need to have a talk with his children sooner rather than later about the changing nature of their relationship.

"One thing I will say to you is this, Kathleen – I told you the truth not because you were 'owed' it, but because I wanted to. Even though you are getting older, you still have to remember that I am your parent. There will be things about my life that you will not always know about, and that doesn't mean that I am obligated to tell you. I love you, and I always will, but you have to respect my privacy. Just like I know you want me to respect yours."

"I get it, Dad. I'm sorry I got so nosy. I was just shocked, is all. I supposed if I'd thought logically for a second instead of jumping to conclusions, I could have figured it out for myself."

Standing up and moving around to the other side of the table, he enveloped his daughter in an embrace.

"It's all right, honey. Now, why are you up so early?"

She explained that she had set her alarm so she could do some more work on her term paper, and that was when Elliot noticed the laptop computer that was sitting on the table.

"Okay. While you do that, I'm going to go and check on Olivia. Then when your brother and sister get up, I'll make breakfast. How does that sound?"

"You're making chocolate chip waffles again, aren't you Dad?"

As he made his way down the hall, he called over his shoulder.

"Of course. It's Saturday, isn't it?"

Kathleen smiled, and opened up her laptop. She still had her suspicions that something else was going on, but she knew that whatever it was, her father would always tell her the truth. Feeling more relaxed, she watched as he knocked on the door to his bedroom, then went inside.