"Goodnight, sweet boy," Olivia breathed as she kissed Noah's forehead. Her son merely hummed in response as sleep began to take him. Brushing his curls one last time, Olivia set down the book they'd been reading and turned off his bedside lamp. She got up and looked at her son one last time before shutting his door.

Olivia let out a long exhale as she walked away from his bedroom and into her living room. She felt drained after everything that happened over the past few days. The truth of Simon's death, bringing his killers to justice, reconciling her own emotions about it, Stabler…

Well, at least he seemed like he was doing better. Hopefully, he'd been able to make some peace with his kids. They needed their father now more than ever. She doubted that he'd actually reached out to a professional – unless Bell had noticed his behavior and made it an order – but, either way, that was one less thing to worry about right now.

But she had thought too soon. Just as she'd settled on the couch to watch some TV, her phone in her pocket buzzed once. Taking it out, hoping to God that it wasn't an urgent case that would take her out of the house, she saw that it was a text from Elliot.

Please let me in. I don't want to wake Noah.

A chill ran over her whole body. The hour was late (she'd let Noah stay up late so that they could finish The BFG), and his message practically oozed urgency. Immediately, she set her phone aside and went to her door. Looking through the peephole, she saw him standing there, and her blood went even colder. His posture: both hands bracing the doorway, head down, the veins in his temples sticking out.

Not good. Oh, God, what's happened? Please let his kids be alright.

Trying to keep her hand from shaking, she unlocked and then opened her door.

Elliot's head went up and his eyes met hers. His gaze was so intense and haggard, like a starving man reaching for water after crawling through the desert. Somehow she remembered his message: Please let me in. So she stepped aside, and he immediately walked past her inside.

After closing her door turning back to face him, Olivia subconsciously realized that only one light was on by her sofa. It was behind him so she could barely see his face anymore, but he was still staring at her in that way.

Now more frightened than concerned, she said, "Elliot, wha –"

But that's as far as she got, because a split second later, Elliot was holding her. Tightly, desperately, almost crushing her. Olivia felt him bury his face against her hair and neck. Though he wasn't crying, as he bad been that horrible day in the hospital, his body was trembling with intense emotion.

All Olivia could do was hold him just as tightly back, even as her mind raced with worry and fright. After twenty-two years, even with ten of those years apart, she knew him so well. He would talk when he could, and right now he couldn't – he could only act. So she responded in kind.

For what felt like hours, they just held each other in the dim light of her living room. Eventually, his breathing evened out, seeming to drink her in, and his muscles loosened ever so slightly. Finally, very slowly, he pulled back so he could look at her face. She was still so in shock that she didn't resist when he turned them a quarter circle around, so that her face was better lighted by the lamp. Finally, he spoke.

"Liv…" There was so much in that one word that cut her to the core: relief, desperation, guilt, sorrow…love.

"Elliot, what's happened?" she asked, her voice breathless.

"Are you okay?" he asked with the same intensity. "You and your son, you're both okay?"

"Yes, we're fine," she said. Was he asking because of Simon's case? But he asked about Noah, too. Her eyes widened as she voiced the unthinkable. "Your kids, oh God, has something happened? Are they okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, they're fine, they're fine," Elliot immediately said, wincing at how he must be scaring her.

"Then what happened?" She couldn't help but put a hand to his cheek. "Is it Kathy's case? Have you found anything new?"

He nodded, shutting his eyes as he leaned into her touch. Then he shook his head and worked his jaw; his arms were still securely around her. When he finally met her eyes again, he spoke in a soft, broken voice.

"I can't tell you now, I just can't…not until it's…I just…" He leaned his head forward, pressing their foreheads together. "I needed to see you…to make sure you're okay…just stay okay, Liv, please?"

Tears filled her eyes as she noticed the tears in his own. Of course she wanted to press him for answers, but in the state he was in, and with her son asleep just down the hall, Olivia knew better than that. So, she nodded her head as she wrapped both arms around his neck and said, "Okay, El."

Somehow, a smile flickered across his face as a tear fell from his eye and landed between them. "That's the first time you've called me that since…"

Olivia nodded. "I know."

He took a deep breath, one last gulp of her, and straightened up as his arms loosened around her. "We'll talk soon, I promise."

Olivia nodded. As he took a step back from her, she automatically glanced down her hallway to her son's bedroom door. Of course Elliot noticed, and he nodded. "I'll let you get some rest. Sorry for barging in, I just –"

"Don't," said Olivia as she led him to the door. "Don't ever apologize for coming to me instead of punching in walls or crashing cars or beating someone up or walking out on those who love you."

Elliot met her eyes as he heard the significance of her words. Their gazes locked, he nodded as she opened her door.

"Text me when you're safely home, okay?" she asked.

Stepping over the threshold, he looked at her and took her hand, just as she'd done in his precinct not too long ago. "Understood, Cap'n."

She had to give a small smile back as she squeezed his hand. Another moment passed, and then he was walking away down the hall, only letting go of her hand when he had to. She watched him until he turned the corner that led to the elevators.

Closing and locking her door, Olivia had to make an effort to walk back to her sofa. She practically fell onto it after grabbing her phone, curling up on her side as she clutched it. Burying her nose in her sweater, his scent was strong and it warmed her.

She had no idea what had just happened, but she wouldn't think more about it until tomorrow. Right now, she had to concentrate on staying awake until Elliot had texted her, and then she would drag herself to bed and catch up on some much-needed sleep.

A/N: I hope this story has helped all of you who have watched the latest episodes tonight. I don't know about you, but I went from wanting to punch Stabler in the teeth to cheering with joy at the end when we found out what he did.