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

On Thursday morning, Elliot was the first to wake. Glancing at the clock in the room, he saw that there were still several hours to go before they were scheduled to be in the spa. As he stretched languidly under the covers, feeling Olivia's skin brush against his, their lack of attire was not lost on him.

When he'd carried her to bed the previous night, after they had soaked together in the jetted tub – in which Olivia had devoted even more attention to him by giving him a back and neck massage – he had made love to her slowly, starting by kissing every inch of her body. Even though she had said it wasn't necessary, there was a part of him that had wanted to make up for his impulsive nature earlier in the evening on the bathroom counter. Olivia hadn't complained, but his conscience had been giving him doubts. At another time, he promised himself it was something he would need to discuss with her, but he wasn't about to do anything to ruin her special day.

Speaking of her special day, Elliot wanted to start it off right. That meant he was going to get up now, and order breakfast. Then, once room service had delivered it, he was going to serve it to Olivia in bed. This day was going to be all about making her feel pampered and special, from beginning until end.

Carefully sliding out of the bed, so as not to disturb Olivia, Elliot slipped on his robe. He padded out to the main room, and perused the menu. Not entirely certain exactly what she would prefer to eat this morning, he did know that waffles with berries would not be an option. Olivia had already made it clear on more than one occasion that his recipe had ruined her for all others – so he searched for something else.

Finally, he came to a decision of sorts. It would likely be too much food, but with a refrigerator at their disposal in the suite, it wouldn't go to waste, and they could always have the rest tomorrow. Making the call, Elliot ordered them an assortment – scrambled eggs, silver dollar pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit, and even a few pastries. It would be a veritable breakfast buffet of their own design.

While he waited for the food to arrive, Elliot started a pot of fresh coffee. Then he removed the "Do Not Distrub" sign from the door, something he'd almost forgotten about. When the coffee was ready, he transferred it to a thermal carafe that he'd found in one of the cabinets. He also poured two glasses of orange juice. He had just finished with these tasks when there was a knock at the door.

After accepting their room service delivery, Elliot replaced the sign once more. He paused briefly in the kitchen to add the coffee and orange juice to the cart, along with two plates and some silverware. Pushing it toward the bedroom, he saw that Olivia was now awake and had pushed herself to a sitting position against the pillows.

"I wondered where you were. Oh, my! I see you've been busy this morning."

Olivia's smile was contagious as she took in the cart, laden with several covered dishes, as well as the juice and coffee. Mouthwatering aromas were hitting her all at once, and while she had never been a big breakfast person before her injuries, living with Elliot had certainly changed all that.

"Breakfast in bed? To what do I owe the honor?"

Walking around to her side of the bed, Elliot sat by her hip, then bent at the waist to give her a kiss. His hands were resting on either side of her hips on top of the covers.

"Because, Olivia, today is your day. We may be signed up for a couple's massage, but it is all about pampering you. Now, why don't you take care of what you need to, and I'll fix you a plate?"

Several minutes later, Olivia was getting settled in the bed again, this time wearing her robe. She crawled back under the covers, and situated herself against the bank of pillows Elliot had set up for her. When he brought her over a plate, she graciously accepted, making sure to acknowledge the cup of coffee and glass of juice already on the nightstand.

"Thank you, El. Now will you please take care of yourself?"

"I'm getting there! I'm getting there! Stop being so bossy, woman! I told you that today was about you!"

Laughing around the bite of pancake in her mouth, Olivia shook her head. And he called her stubborn. Determined not to let it get to her, she began plotting other ways to get her revenge. If Elliot wanted to make this day all about her, she would let him. But that didn't mean she couldn't see to it that he enjoyed himself, too.

After they had eaten their breakfast, it was Elliot who insisted on cleaning up. Promising to return to the comfort of the bed to lay with Olivia when he was done, he wheeled the cart out of the room. It didn't take him long to put things to right again, and minutes later, he had everything out in the hallway outside their suite to be picked up and taken away by staff.

When he returned to the bedroom, he saw that Olivia had flattened out on the bed again, with the covers pulled up over her. Her eyes were closed. Figuring that she wanted to take a brief nap before they were due at the spa, he crawled between the covers to lie beside her. As his hand skimmed over her hip, he was shocked to find that she had discarded her robe, and was lying naked beside him.

"You're overdressed again, Stabler. That's at least the second time since we've been here that this has happened."

Taking the initiative, Olivia leaned in and kissed him, while her hands were busy untying the knot at his waist. Pushing the cotton robe off his shoulders she didn't stop with her efforts until Elliot was as nude as she was. When their mouths finally separated, he looked at her, bewildered.

"Liv, what are you doing?"

"You seriously have to ask?"

Shaking his head, instantly regretting his choice of words, Elliot tried again.

"No, not that. I told you that today was about you."

"Exactly. It's about me. And what I want, more than anything right now, is for you to make love to me."

Olivia focused her smoldering gaze directly on his, at the same time she hitched her thigh over his hip, making him groan involuntarily. He'd always been helpless to deny her, even before now.

"You're right, I did say that. But if we're late for the massage, I'm going to blame you."

"Duly noted."

With a growl, Elliot rolled over, pinning Olivia beneath him as he captured her mouth with his. Giving a lazy thrust of his pelvis, he fused their bodies together, and began to make love to her tenderly. Despite all his teasing, they still had plenty of time for this. There was no way he was going to hurry.

They'd made it to their spa appointment on time, even though there had been moments when Elliot had been worried they'd be late. After they had finished making love, they'd lain close together for awhile, holding one another. Then, he'd led her into the shower in the adjoining bath and washed her lovingly from head to toe.

Now, they were at the spa, half an hour before their scheduled appointment. Olivia didn't know it yet, but he had made a few adjustments to their routine today – so there were some extra surprises coming her way. In addition to the massage he'd already had planned, he'd asked the lodge to include a glass of champagne and some hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries for them to enjoy afterwards. Plus, he'd even included a manicure and pedicure for Olivia – a special treat for her alone.

After several minutes wait, which neither of them minded, as they were busy taking in everything they saw, someone came to the desk to check them in.

"Welcome to Whiteface Lodge Spa. My name is Heidi. Can I help you sir?"

"Yes. I'm Elliot Stabler. We have a reservation for a couples massage at eleven. I also called this morning to make some changes to our schedule."

Olivia turned her head sharply to look at Elliot as he spoke. Changes? What changes? He hadn't mentioned anything to her. Just what was he up to now?

"If you'll just have a seat, and fill these out, we'll call you shortly. It's just a simple form making sure you don't have any medical conditions our massage therapists need to be aware of. Oh, one other thing – I know you requested a couple's massage, but will you be requiring separate rooms to change in?"

Since Olivia was still speechless for the moment, Elliot answered, but only after getting a brief nod of confirmation from her first.

"No, thank you. That won't be necessary."

It didn't take much time for them to fill out the paperwork, and minutes later, they were shown to a private room. It was almost as big as the living room in their suite. In addition to two massage tables, it held an oversized tub, and two recliners. Shelves along the wall held an array of candles, and on the far wall, there was a cabinet set up with towels and what looked like an aromatherapy diffuser. In one corner, there was a privacy screen for changing behind, complete with hooks and cupboards behind it for storing clothing. Laying on each of the massage tables was a robe and a pair of slippers.

The attendant who had shown them to the room, Molly, gave Olivia and Elliot a moment to take it all in, then began her explanation.

"I'm going to add the sea salts and other minerals to the water now, and get it started. Once you two are undressed and in your robes, the tub should be filled and ready. All you'll need to do once you are in the water is turn this dial, and it will set the timer for your twenty five minute soak. No one will disturb you. We pride ourselves on giving our guests the utmost privacy here."

She went on to explain that when they were finished with their bath, and ready for their massages, to press the button by the door, and their massage therapists would be with them as soon as possible. There would be no need for them to drain the water, as that process would begin automatically once the cycle was complete.

Then, Molly asked if they preferred to have the lights dimmed for their bath. When both Elliot and Olivia replied in the affirmative, she went about the room, lighting the candles on the shelves along the walls. Just before leaving, she turned on the diffuser, and the soft scent of lavender began to fill the room. At the same time, a soothing instrumental melody began to filter over hidden speakers. After making sure they didn't need anything else, Molly left them alone.

Since it was just the two of them in the room, Elliot and Olivia opted not to grab their robes just yet. Instead they headed behind the screen to shed their clothes. Elliot undressed first, seemingly in a hurry – but it was only so he could help Olivia. As soon as she realized his intentions, a smirk appeared on her face as she arched an eyebrow.

"You really do like taking my clothes off, don't you."

Instead of answering directly, he kissed her softly on the mouth. When he pulled back again a few moments later, he finally gave his reply.

"Guilty as charged. But, if we're pointing fingers here, you're not exactly innocent in that department, either, Benson."

"Hmmm. You do have a point."

Elliot watched as Olivia removed something from the pocket of her jeans before folding them up and placing them on the shelf behind her. It finally dawned on him what she had needed as he saw her piling her hair into a loose bun on top of her head, and securing it with a elastic band. It made sense that she wouldn't want her hair to get wet, especially with no easy way to dry it here.

Soon enough, they were both ready, and from the sounds of things, the water had finished running and the automatic shutoff had gone into effect. The closer they got to the hydrotherapy tub, the more inviting it became. Making sure to have their towels within easy reach, Elliot lifted Olivia into his arms and lowered her gently into the water. She would likely protest that the action was unnecessary, but the walls of the tub were high, and he didn't want her to have to worry about stepping over them. Joining her, he relaxed his head against the pillow provided, and reached out his hand to turn on the timer. The jets on the tub whirled to life, and they were fully transported into the first journey of their spa experience.

Elliot and Olivia lay in the swirling water, surrounded by music and candlelight. They could almost forget that they were in the middle of the lodge's luxurious spa, and believe that they were in their own suite. As they held hands underwater, their fingers performed an intricate dance. Sometimes, they were linked together, others they were flitting over one another's palms with the most delicate of touches.

Though they would have loved to have stayed in the water for an endless amount of time, the tub was only one part of their experience. The timer eventually did run out, and the water began to quietly drain. Even though the temperature in the room was perfectly comfortable, Elliot didn't want to risk Olivia catching a chill. After standing, he helped her to her feet, and took one of the towels to help dry her off. When he was done, he took a few precious moments to rub the towel haphazardly over his own body. Then, using the reverse process of getting her in, he lifted her back into his arms. However, instead of setting her on the floor, he carried her over to one of the massage tables, and sat her down on the edge.

With some water still forming in beads on his skin, Elliot lovingly dressed Olivia in her robe and put her slippers on her feet. When he was done, he kissed her tenderly on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but he dissuaded her efforts with a few words.

"Later, Liv. I promise."

Now that Olivia was seen to, Elliot took care of his own needs. He finished drying himself off, and put on his robe and slippers. After making certain that he hadn't dripped excessively on the floor, he pressed the button by the door, letting the massage therapists know they were ready.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and only after Elliot called out his permission did it open. Two people walked in, a man and a woman. Both looked to be in their mid thirties, and were dressed in the spa's 'uniform' of khaki colored slacks and a polo shirt. Greeting them warmly, the man introduced himself first.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Stabler. I trust that you enjoyed your hydrotherapy soak. I'm Liam, and this is Natalia. We'll be your massage therapists today. I know that Heidi and Molly explained things for you, but do either of you have any questions?"

Elliot could sense the way Olivia had practically frozen when Liam had referred to her as 'Mrs. Stabler.' However, she did a good job of hiding things, and the panic on her face was obvious to him alone. She did attempt to correct the situation, but he cut her off as soon as she started to speak, not wanting to cause a fuss.

"Oh, we're not -"

"We're not that formal. Please, call me Elliot. This is Olivia."

Meanwhile, Elliot was trying his hardest to remain polite. While he tried to remind himself that Liam was in fact a professional, the very thought of another man's hands touching Olivia in any way gave him pause.

As quickly as the thought entered his mind, Elliot dismissed it. It had after all, been his idea to schedule them for the massages. He had known then that there was always a chance that the person attending to Olivia could be a man. Not only was she perfectly capable of speaking up if something made her uncomfortable, but he would be in the room, too. Determined to relax and enjoy this as much as he intended for Olivia to, Elliot told himself to calm down.

"Can we get anything for you before we begin? Is the temperature of the room satisfactory?"

Natalia posed the questions, as she moved to the one cupboard in the room and removed two sheets, passing one to Liam as she spoke.

"If you're ready to begin, untie the belts on your robes, but leave them on. We'll help you remove them once we have you properly draped. Lie on the table on your stomach, and make yourselves comfortable."

Olivia and Elliot did as they were instructed. The only downside to these new positions was that it forced them to break eye contact for the first time since they had set foot inside the room. While they hadn't spoken, they each reconciled with themselves that their eyes would likely be closed to help them relax for the massage anyway.

As Elliot felt Natalia spread a sheet over his body, he lifted one arm first, then the other. The robe was slid upwards toward his head and away from him until it had been removed completely. In his peripheral vision, he could see that Liam was using the same process to get Olivia ready. It helped ease what remained of Elliot's anxieties to realize that the sheets here were the same luxurious Egyptian cotton that they had on the bed in their suite. They would provide excellent coverage and maintain both his and Olivia's modesty at all times.

At the same time he felt Natalia's capable hands splay out over his spine and smooth in an upward motion toward his shoulder blades, Elliot heard a sigh of contentment to his right, and knew that Liam had also begun Olivia's massage as well. Knowing she was happy did his heart wonders. It always had.

Olivia lay on the massage table, feeling as months – even years – worth of tension evaporated from her body. She had never given much thought before now how much of her stress she actually held on to. Combined with the fact that her muscles were still sore from having had to use the sling for those few weeks, as well as the other injuries that had preceded that. This massage was long overdue, and Elliot had known she never would have splurged on such an extravagance for herself.

Eventually, Liam and Natalia reached the point where they needed to instruct Olivia and Elliot to turn over onto their backs to complete the rest of the massage. This was somewhat difficult, as both were in a deeply contented state, and even a little drowsy. The combination of the relaxing soak they had shared prior to this experience, and the concentration on easing away the tension from all of their muscles had them feeling at complete ease.

Olivia inhaled deeply, concentrating on the scent of lavender in the room, and tried to get back into the state of mind she was in previously. As Liam began to massage her temples, she immediately knew that wasn't going to be a problem. Even though a part of her felt as though she could drift off to sleep right here, there was another part that felt different somehow. For the first time, she understood what the literature had meant when it said that the experience would be rejuvenating. Not just this massage, but this entire trip with Elliot, had reminded her what it was like to feel awake and alive.

All too soon, their fifty minutes was up. Olivia couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. But Elliot still had a few more tricks up his sleeve. After handing them back their robes, Liam and Natalia got ready to leave. Liam addressed the couple.

"It was nice to meet you Elliot, Olivia. I hope you will enjoy the rest of your stay here. Please take your time to get dressed again in your robes. Molly will be in shortly with some water for you, make sure to drink it all to replenish your bodies."

With that said, the two left the room, leaving Elliot and Olivia alone once again. Elliot rose into a seated position, swinging his legs over the edge of the table. He shrugged his robe on, belting it at his waist. Standing, he slid his feet into his slippers, then crossed the few steps to where Olivia lay. Sliding one arm under her shoulders, he helped her sit up. Framing her face with his hands, he kissed her softly before pulling back and helping her dress in her robe. After he put a slipper on each of her feet, he assisted her off the table, and walked with her over to the two recliners.

Elliot and Olivia had been sitting and relaxing for a few minutes when a knock at the door sounded, announcing the reappearance of Molly. She came bearing bottles of water for them both. They drank the water, in order to replenish their bodies as Liam had suggested. While she was tidying up the room, Molly asked a question.

"Did you want your champagne and strawberries now, or would you rather wait until you are finished with manicure and pedicure, Olivia?"

Though she inwardly cursed herself for her slack jawed reaction, Olivia couldn't help herself. She wasn't sure which of the questions had shocked her more. Champagne and strawberries? Manicure and pedicure? She'd known by the way Elliot had been behaving when they'd checked in for their appointment earlier that he'd had something up his sleeve, but she certainly hadn't been expecting something of this magnitude. Still, she came to a decision.

"I think we'll have the champagne and berries now. I don't want Elliot to have to wait for me here all that time."

With a nod, Molly said she would be back shortly. When they were alone again, Olivia turned to Elliot, still trying to form words.

"El -"

"Don't 'El' me, Liv. I did this because I wanted to spoil you a little. What's the harm in that? The only reason I didn't tell you about it is because I knew you'd argue with me on the issue. Am I wrong?"

"No."

Their conversation was unable to go any further at that moment because of a knock at the door. Elliot called out, and in came a server bearing a tray with two glasses of champagne and a small silver platter with half a dozen chocolate covered strawberries. The man placed it on the small ottoman between the two recliners, and left just as quickly as he had entered.

Before Elliot had a chance to speak, Olivia picked up her glass and raised it toward him. She honestly didn't know if she could make it through another one of his emotional toasts right now. Plus, there was something she wanted to say, too. If she didn't say it now, she didn't know when the courage would come again.

"El, you've always been there for me – even at times when I was trying to push you away. You've put up with my stubbornness, sometimes matching it with your own. I could never have managed these past few weeks without you, and I can never thank you enough for everything you've done. Now, you've brought me to this wonderful place, and you've been treating me like a queen. For the first time in my life, I feel worthy of love, and that's all because of you. I may have been scared initially, but I can't wait to move in with you when we get back home. I love you."

Elliot reached out with his thumb to wipe away the lone tear that had gathered on Olivia's lower eyelid. Then he leaned forward and captured her mouth with his, kissing her gently. He too, was overcome with emotion in that moment. How they managed to still keep hold of their champagne glasses without spilling their contents was a complete mystery.

"I love you, too, Liv. There is so much more I could say right now, but I have a feeling you'd only smack me if I made you cry before your manicure, so I'll wait and tell you later."

Though her eyes were still wet and bright, Olivia couldn't help but laugh. He did have a point. She was trying to compose herself as it was, and if he were to get emotional on her, too, there would be no way she could hold it together now.

Instead, Elliot picked up a chocolate covered strawberry, and extended it in Olivia's direction. When the sweet touched her lips, she opened her mouth to accept the confection. The silkiness of the chocolate that melted on her tongue was enhanced only by the natural sugars of the berry itself. As she took a sip of the champagne, it complimented the flavors to perfection. Determined not to eat the entire tray of treats on her own, she grasped one in her own fingers, and in turn, held it out for Elliot to try. His hand closed softly around her wrist as he pulled it closer, and she was was reminded of other times when they had fed each other. Her pulse began to beat just a fraction faster, and Olivia willed her body to calm down. She still had a manicure to sit through, plus they had dinner reservations for tonight. It wouldn't be until much later when they would finally be free to make love again.

Though they didn't rush in any way, it still wasn't long before the champagne and berries were gone. Elliot knew he could have ordered more, but he understood that Olivia wouldn't have wanted to drink an entire bottle of champagne in the middle of the day. Plus, she still had her manicure and pedicure to go yet – and he had other plans to see to. There was even more he had up his sleeve for later after their dinner that he planned to surprise her with.

"I guess we should get dressed. I don't think anyone would necessarily object, but I really don't want to get my nails done while I'm wearing nothing but a robe."

Elliot couldn't help but chuckle at Olivia's comment, and led her back over behind the privacy screen. A little over two hours ago, this was where their experience here in the spa had begun. Even though she was perfectly capable now of doing things for herself, Elliot helped Olivia to dress. When they were both clothed again, he pressed the button Molly had indicated earlier, letting the woman know that Olivia was ready for her manicure and pedicure.

Within minutes, a knock signaled Molly's arrival. Elliot called out his permission for her to enter, and when the door opened, another woman was standing there with her.

"Olivia, this is Whitney. She'll be taking you to the nail salon and taking care of you this afternoon."

Olivia turned to Elliot, who placed his palms on her shoulders, and kissed her lightly. He knew she wasn't a fan of excessive displays of affection in public.

"I'll see you back in the room when you are finished, Liv."

Then, he turned to the two women who stood waiting.

"Whatever she wants, just charge it to our suite. I'll settle the bill when we check out on Saturday."

"El -"

He looked at her raising an eyebrow.

"No arguments, remember? You were going to let me spoil you today."

Olivia shook her head dismissively. He hadn't understood.

"No, it's not that. I was going to say, I don't have my key with me for our suite. How will I get in if you're not there?"

"Where else would I be? Don't worry, Liv. I'll let you in, I promise. Now, go – finish getting pampered. I'll see you in a couple of hours."