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"Liv!"

Her ears rang, but she relaxed against the floor. They had charged the building when the gunshots rang out. Louie would be taken into custody and face everything he had done. Murdering his wife. Smuggling enough drugs to kill King Kong. Running a crime ring. Killing Elliot.

"Liv!"

Olivia's eyes snapped open at that voice though. It wasn't Reagan or Jameson, not even Fin or Amanda. She could hear their voices over the walkie strapped to Elliot's vest, but it sounded like it was right next to her ear. Further away than the voice though. Her brown eyes opened to see Elliot's worried face hovering over her. He was just as emotional as she was, a gash in the side of his neck.

"Elliot!" Whatever pain she held felt didn't matter in that moment. She flung herself up into his arms, covering her tearing eyes with her hand when his arms wound around her. She tucked her face into his neck when he lifted her to sit on his thighs, much like she had this morning when they had woken up.

Elliot breathed a sigh of relief, cupping the back of her head and kissing her cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." Olivia whispered before pulling back far enough to cup his face in her hands. "I hope you know that was a really stupid decision."

Elliot dropped his forehead to hers. "I respectfully wish to stick with bullheaded." He grabbed the radio from his vest without moving from her, lifting the device to his lips. "Man down. Captain Benson and I are a little banged up, but we're okay."

Olivia turned her head to see Louie laying lifeless on the floor with a bullet hole angled into his forehead. Louie fired the gun into her kevlar, but the second gunshot was Elliot firing his gun. She turned back to him, examining him. The gash in the left neck was a flesh wound from a bullet, a drying trail of blood disappearing beneath his shirt and vest. The second shot of Louie's hit Elliot's vest in the chest, causing him to land on the ground like he did.

Elliot stood up, helping Olivia onto her feet before Fin and Amanda led a team of SWAT members inside with guns raised and ready. Fin walked over to them, his gun lowering when he saw Louie on the floor. He turned to them, seeing Elliot and Olivia holding each other in the most professional way possible considering they were leading this raid. The most professional way given their usual professional way. Still in each other's personal space, closer than any other set of partners he'd come across. "Either of you guys hit?"

"I'm sure we've both got welts from impact. I've got the neck wound. Liv needs to get her head checked out." Elliot sighed before shaking his head. "But, we're both good here."

"Yeah, I can tell you are getting cozy with your girlfriend." Fin mumbled. He nodded towards the door to them. "There's a bus outside. You two should probably get checked out while we get Louie out of here." He took their places as they headed towards the door, but caught their attention with one last question. "Who shot him?"

Elliot took his gun out of its holster, putting it there when he rushed down to Olivia's side. He lifted it up in the air before placing it down on the table where he had laid it down before. "Thanks, Fin."

"C'mere." Elliot breathed once they reached the ambulance. He met Olivia's eyes with his before loosening the straps of her vest. "How bad is your chest?"

Olivia shook her head. "Take off your vest first." She lifted hers over her head before helping Elliot with his straps. Instead of lifting his shirt to see his wound, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest when he removed his kevlar. "You should've taken the shot. Why didn't you take the shot?"

"If you think I would've done that, then you are as crazy as I was back then." Elliot breathed into her hair, holding her tight against him despite the discomfort they were probably both feeling from bullet impacts. "I have a lot more than I did back then, and I'm not going to do anything to risk losing that."

"You almost did anyway, El. Louie shot you, and you knew he would." Olivia reminded him. "I know that things were rocky between us when you first came back. I definitely was not expecting you-"

"It's understandable, Liv." Elliot breathed, shaking his head.

Olivia shook her own head. "Yes, but I said something to you that I didn't mean. Something you need to know." She gazed up at him. "That night we went to the diner and were having such a good time. When I told you that you ruined every good thing in my life, that wasn't true. I pushed away every good thing I had, because you were more important to me. More important than any opportunity or boyfriend. And, you're more important to me now, because I know just how much I love you." She hugged him closer, tucking herself back against his chest. "So, you can't take risks like that. You can't do that to me. I can't watch you die. I can't lose you, and I thought I was all alone again."

Elliot cupped the back of her head, gently quieting her. "I'm sorry. I gambled with the knowledge that Louie didn't kill very often, and I scared both of us." He kissed her head, lowering his face closer to hers. "I promise. I'm not going anywhere. I know this probably wasn't the greatest second date. You didn't even get to arrest Louie like you wanted. But, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you alone, Liv."

Olivia turned her head, meeting his eyes. "This was the worst second date ever."

"Well then, I can only improve from here." Elliot smiled at her, happy when he managed to get one out of her. "C'mon, pretty sure we've got that school thing of Noah's coming up. No work, no badges, not even Captain Benson and Stabler. Just you and me. . .and Noah."

"As long as we can go home after, I would look forward to that." Olivia breathed before pecking his lips.

Olivia closed the door to Eli's room, leaving a sleeping Noah inside on the bottom bunk. She turned towards the living area, seeing Elliot sitting on the couch and just ending his call with one of his older kids. It was late, only a handful of hours until sunrise, and they were both ready to crash after the night they had. But instead of calling for him to come to bed, she padded around the couch and stood in front of him before climbing into his lap. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her face there. "How were the kids?"

"Fine. Worried I called this late, but I'll smooth things over about that later." Elliot breathed, rubbing her back. "Noah asleep?"

Olivia nodded before pulling back to meet his eyes, wiping at hers that had started overflowing down her cheeks. "El, I thought I lost you tonight."

"But, you didn't. I'm right here." Elliot breathed gently, helping her dry her eyes with his own thumbs. "Jesus, Liv. I thought I lost you. I knew you were wearing the vest, but Louie fired that gun right into you."

"I felt it." Olivia nodded as he lifted up her shirt far enough to see the dark red circle at the bottom of her sternum, a few inches above her belly button. She rested her hand where she knew his welt rested on his chest. "You have to promise me that you won't do that again. You can't risk your life like that."

Elliot frowned, holding her hips. "Liv, he was going to cut your throat. What else was I supposed to do?" When she remained silent, he knew she understood they didn't have any other options. He should've taken the shot according to their guidelines, but they both knew she didn't take the shot all those years ago. She couldn't blame him for not taking the shot, even though she wanted to now. Tonight had scared both of them, and they were experiencing both emotional revelations this one night. "I would never put my life on the line if there were other options, but I was not going to watch you die if I could help it. I've experienced that."

Olivia wiped his own cheeks, now tear stained as well, as he gently touched the faint scar on her neck from where Gitano had cut her. She swallowed hard. "It's a lot harder to watch when you know you're supposed to spend your life with that person." She traced the outline of the bandage on his neck where the bullet had hit hip. It was a deeper flesh wound, but luckily just a flesh wound. "It's in the same spot as my scar."

"I noticed." Elliot whispered. "I know tonight was intense, and I hope we're never in that situation again. Louie still ended up shooting you, but I'm glad I could at least protect you from the knife. You've been saving me for twenty years. I was proud to save you today. Not that you need saving, but I couldn't have lived with myself if something happened to you that I could've prevented." He leaned up, pressing his nose to hers. "Because, there's no one else for me to spend the rest of my life with."

Olivia smiled softly, caressing his scalp with her fingers. "Even if I might steal a few of your shirts to sleep in?"

"Honey, you could wear all of my clothes if you wanted. As long as I am the one that gets to take them off." Elliot smirked, earning a giggle from her. "We may not be partners anymore, but you're still one of the only things I have anymore."

Olivia met his eyes, holding him tighter. "I'm not going anywhere."

Elliot groaned softly as he stuffed another piece of pancake into his mouth. "I'm so full."

"El, you can stop eating." Olivia chuckled, wiping at her own mouth with her napkin and handing one to Noah who was still chowing down on bacon slices.

"It's so good though." Elliot breathed before patting his own chest. He took a couple of breaths after swallowing, glancing over at her amused smile. "You know I can't throw away good food."

Olivia rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Yes, I do, but we have something to do before we go." She shook her head when he nodded and went for another bite. She looked over at Noah, smiling when he waved to a couple of his friends a few tables over. It had been a few weeks since she and Elliot had faced off with Louie, and they were out on their 'official' third date. While it was being spent around loud elementary school kids and their families, she was happy for the small break from the stress they'd been going through wrapping up the case. "Once we drop Noah off, we need to stop by the office to sign some paperwork."

"We?" Elliot asked wide eyed, grabbing his milk carton to help him wash down the last bite.

Noah hopped down from the table, grabbing his empty plate to throw in the trash. "Elliot, c'mon. You still need to see my classroom."

Olivia winked at him. "Why don't you go take your things to your classroom? We'll meet you there in a minute."

Elliot frowned as Noah nodded and grabbed his bag, hurrying off towards his classroom not far from the cafeteria. His gaze turned to Olivia when she focused her attention back on him. "What's going on? I know I didn't do anything to warrant a detention. I got plenty of those when I was in school."

"No," Olivia chuckled, handing him a napkin before he started wiping off his mouth. "It's up to you, but I thought it would be a good idea to have you as a contact for Noah in case anything happens." She shrugged, glancing down at her hands. "In case of emergency. If the school closes due to snow. I talked to Noah about it, and he thought it was a great idea as well. We even think having you on his sign out sheet would be beneficial. If I'm busy or have to work late, you could drop him off or pick him up. But, only if you want to."

Elliot tossed his napkin on the table and took her hands into his, bowing his head down to meet her eyes. She was nervous, worried he'd turn her down. He thought this moment wouldn't come for a long time. The moment where she would trust him with the most precious person in her life. Her son. She wasn't just trusting him to be around him and be an example in his life. She was trusting him to be a guardian, and that was a trust that had only been one way before. A trust that could only go one way before. He'd trust Olivia with his children's lives, and she was telling him in her own way that she trusted him like that too. "Liv, I would love nothing more than that."

"Really?" Olivia asked, her shoulders dropping it what seemed like relief.

She must've been planning this for a while. He smiled at her. "Liv, of course. I love Noah. I love him like he's one of my own. Hell, I'd adopt him if he wanted me to. I would be extremely happy to be anything for him."

Olivia smiled, squeezing his hands in hers. "You're not just saying that because of some obligation for everything I did with your kids, right?"

"You've done a ton for my kids." Elliot stated with a smirk. "But, that has nothing to do with this. I love that little guy, and I love you. I want to do this."

"Elliot!" Noah ran up with another little boy by his side. "My friend Byron wanted to meet you and ask you something."

Elliot sat up straighter but kept his hands in Olivia's. "Hey Byron, what did you want to ask me?"

"What's that mark on your neck?" Byron asked, clearly staring at the almost healed wound from Louie's gunshot. "Our friend said it looked like a bite."

"A bite? Buddy, the bites I get feel a whole lot better than this did." Elliot stated, smirking when Olivia's jaw dropped out of the corner of his eye. "I'm a police officer. Both Noah's mom and I are. We were shot at, and I ended up getting grazed with one of them."

Byron's eyes widened. "Cool!" He grabbed Noah's arm. "Let's go tell him!"

Olivia giggled as Noah and Byron ran off back towards their classroom. "I do not bite you."

"My hand and my shoulder would beg to differ." Elliot grinned before pecking her lips. "But, it's hot that you don't even realize you're doing it. Makes me know I'm doing my job right." He stood up, tugging her to stand with him. "You still have to explain to me though how on Earth I got two ball shaped bruises on my ass."

"I will when you tell me when your fingers left marks on mine." Olivia cocked her eyebrow at him, chuckling when his arm wrapped around her and tugged her towards Noah's classroom.

"Aren't you two sick of each other yet?" Fin asked walking into Olivia's office, dropping a file on her desk as he glanced between the lovebirds.

"We're just getting started." Elliot smirked, sitting in the chair across the desk from Olivia.

Fin rolled his eyes. "Okay, El. So in twenty years when you decide to propose to her, send my steak dinner to my grave."

Elliot shrugged. "Who says you're invited to the wedding?"

Olivia chuckled. "Thanks for the file, Fin." She shook her head as he left the office, staring daggers at Elliot until he closed the office door behind him. "When we were partners, you two couldn't get along. Now, I don't think you guys will stop messing with each other."

"Well, I'm off to mess with his other half. Munch believed that conspiracy theory support group page you made and sent him. He called me when you were in the shower this morning and wants to drop off his money for the ticket." Elliot grinned, rubbings his hands together menacingly. "Ten thousand dollars to find out who was on the grassy knoll or whatever else he thinks about."

Olivia shook her head. "I can't believe that's only half of what he made off all those bets." She smirked after a moment. "I did find a place to send him though."

Elliot grinned, jutting his chin towards her. "What is it?"

"A technology free, yoga filled retreat where he can camp out in a yurt with three other attendees and enjoy all organic foods and clothes, and all of this is provided by ex-wife number two." Olivia chuckled, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Elliot's eyebrows raised. "Ex-wife number two? That's the ex-wife we don't speak about." He grinned before standing, straightening his tie. "I am off then. Call me if you need anything." He walked around the desk, leaning down so he was face level with her. "Would you like me to pick up Noah tonight?"

Olivia grinned. "Seeing how excited you are about it, that would be wonderful." She giggled when he planted a kiss on her lips, a slight swagger in his step as he walked towards the door. "Love you, El."

"Love you too, baby." Elliot winked.

Olivia beamed as he walked out, letting her turn her attention back to the work piling up on her desk. For the first time in her life, she didn't wonder about the things that could've been if she and Elliot had gotten together while they were partners. She didn't wonder about what would've happened if he hadn't left. She didn't dread on that. She didn't wonder who she would share her life with or who that person even was. She wasn't stressing over her personal life. Not anymore. And, she didn't miss the moment this time.

Biting her lip, Olivia looked up into the squad room and grinned when she saw Elliot standing in the doorway of the hall. Taking a second to look back at her fondly.

Please review! I hope you guys loved this story as much as I loved writing it. If you liked it, leave a review! If you have an idea from this or from another story of mine that you'd like me to write about or expand more on, let me know! Love you guys.