Note: Thank you everyone for the support for this story! I really appreciate it and it means a lot.
This is an actual update, and in the same year too! Getting a bit better at updating, finally.

"The broken will always be able
to love harder than most
because once you've been in the dark,
you learn to appreciate everything that shines."

- Anonymous

Benson's apartment, later that night.

"I messed up the best thing I ever had. I knew I should have transferred the second I started feeling something for him."

"Manhattan SVU is your family. What would you have done? Gone to computer crimes? Brooklyn SVU? You would never have been as happy as you are now."

Olivia sighed as she picked up the glass of wine in front of her and took a small sip. She looked at Casey who sat across from her on the couch, her own wine glass sitting on the coffee table with takeout containers scattered around it.

"Maybe. But at this point, anything would have been better than getting into this position. I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak. He has a wife and kids, Casey. Yeah, he was separated, but he's going home. He's always going to go home to her."

She placed the glass of wine back on the table, taking a bite out of the sweet and sour chicken from the container closest to her.

"He's going home for the kids."

"No, not just for the kids. Kathy is there, he's going back to her too."

"Liv, he said he was looking forward to going home to the kids, he never said anything about Kathy. He is going home for the kids. He doesn't want Kathy."

"Casey, they have known each other since they were 17. They've been married since right after they found out about Maureen. He will always go to her. They have kids together. I'm not a choice and never will be. I have to face it and do something about it. Kathy and the kids represent comfort and stability. Elliot needs that."

"You are comfort and stability for him, Liv. Didn't you say Kathy met with you in the park to ask Elliot to sign the papers? They are done, they are only sticking with each other because that's all they know. Just face Elliot and see what he says."

"I know I need to talk to Elliot. Whether he feels the same way or not, I'm just scared of how this will change everything. I'm still in shock that he overheard me. I just want things to be right between us. I don't want to lose him. I told him once, he's the longest relationship I've had with a man."

"Well with how protective he is of you, that's not a surprise. He wants you for himself."

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You can't tell me you don't notice. I know you know how he is."

"I know how he is, but I've always attributed it to him being a good friend. Him being protective because he wants someone good for his friend."

"Liv, you can't tell me you don't…" Casey said, stopping when a knock on the door interrupted her.

Hearing the knock on the door, Olivia got up and walked over to it. She looked through the peephole, seeing nothing but flowers in her view. Cautiously she slowly opened the door, as the person moved the flowers away from their face.

"Elliot?"