Hey everyone. Hope all is well in the fanfiction world, and folks are surviving the Winter! I'm writing the next installment in the lives of Olivia and Elliot as their relationship progresses, but this time I've tried my hand at placing them in a more plot-driven adventure... all the sexy romance intact of course. I'm still trying to keep it as real as possible in context with the show. Hope you like it.

I'll be uploading shorter chapters (approximately 3200 - 3500 words each), but hope to upload twice a week.

As always, thank you to all of you who read it, and a special thanks to those of you who let me know if I'm still ontrack.

Chapter 1

Tuesday, November 27th

Olivia stormed into the squad room, nearly colliding with Munch in her haste to get to Captain Cragen's office. Not waiting for a response to her knock, she pushed his door open and strode over to his desk, resting her palms on the edge as she leaned in to address him—just short of invading his personal space.

"I just got off the phone with FBI Assistant Director Putnam! What the hell, Don…?" She made no attempt to keep her voice down; she was pissed and saw no reason to pretend otherwise.

He'd been waiting for her—fully aware of the reason she was there. He slowly raised his eyes from his paperwork. "Sit down, Olivia." It wasn't an invitation.

"Goddammit, Don…"

"Sit down!" This time he left no room for her to ignore his order, and she grudgingly complied.

He slowly rose from his chair and walked to the front of his desk, standing over her. She glared up at him—frustration and nervous energy all but catapulting her back out of the chair.

"Benson, you requested to be the point person on these cases with the FBI… And I granted it—against my better judgment, I might add."

"I thought I'd be coordinating with Elliot on a few cases—not going undercover," she protested, clearly unhappy.

He took a few steps back and folded his arms, perching on the edge of his desk. "You're theirs now—for the duration of this case… And neither you nor I get to call the shots."

"But, Don…"

"Olivia. I suggest you work out whatever personal problems you have with Special Agent Dean Porter, and get with the program. He'll be involved in this one…"

"I know. But if I've got to do an undercover op, it should be with Elliot, not…"

"Liv. Do you seriously think you'd be allowed to go undercover as a team…? They know you and Elliot are romantically involved. That's a setup for disaster."

"It's a setup for success!" she hissed. "We've done undercover ops as a team… countless times—with outstanding results. And you, of all people, know it, Don! We were partners for twelve years for god's sake!"

"But you weren't a couple then, Olivia; you know that makes it more complicated. And even if I felt differently—which I don't," he added, looking over at her to emphasize his point, "…I have absolutely no voice in this one—they went over my head: They requested you. It had nothing to do with the fact that you're the SVU point person—you were recruited by the FBI for this…" He glanced at her, and she knew he was holding something back.

"What aren't you telling me, Don?"

He hesitated… but only for a moment, before he caught her eye. "A strong endorsement was made by Lieutenant Tucker; the 'powers that be' approved it."

Olivia's face registered her disbelief… She jumped up from her chair and paced the small office, raking a hand through her hair. After a moment she turned to her boss, her arms folded, her voice deadly calm. "Why the hell would IAB be involved in this…? That doesn't even make sense, Don: This isn't a function of IAB—they have no tie to the FBI… This has to be personal. Why would Tucker give a rat's ass whether the FBI recruits me…? And based on his opinion of me, why the hell would he endorse it?"

"I honestly don't know, Olivia. The truth is… it would've been approved anyway—so it wouldn't have mattered." He held her gaze and she knew he was being truthful with her.

"Who recruited me from the FBI?"

He drew a hand down over his face, knowing there'd be hell to pay, but she deserved an answer.

"Porter."

"I knew it! That son-of-a-bitch…"

"Olivia. Let it go! There's nothing either of us can do. He needed someone from this unit and he's worked with you before… He knows your capabilities; you were his obvious choice for this sting."

Olivia collapsed back in her chair, conceding defeat. After a moment she looked up at her boss. "Do you know they're putting me under with that jack-ass...?" she spat. "…as a 'married' couple!"

Cragen averted his face to hide the amusement in his eyes, before responding. He cleared his throat. "What's Elliot's role gonna be?"

"They told me he'll be a fitness instructor at a country club."

"And you and Porter will be wealthy club members." It was a statement. "Does Elliot know you'll be going under with Porter, yet?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, wearily pulling herself to her feet. "I doubt it; this certainly won't improve their relationship; I think I'll let Porter tell him." Her attempt at humor fell short. "Does my partner know about this?" she asked, fairly certain she knew the answer.

"Need to know, only. When are you headed out?"

"By the end of the week—sooner probably… I'll wrap up Turner and put the rest of my cases in order."

As she moved closer to the door, he spoke again. "Liv… Be safe." The measure of emotion those two words held, could be seen in Donald Cragen's eyes as he looked at her. Their already close relationship had become even closer with all they'd weathered over the last several months. Her courage and dogged devotion had played no small part in bringing Delia Wilson down, along with a host of others; uncovering the corruption that had allowed the woman to become untouchable—and in the process, exonerating her Captain. He'd been back at his post for a little over a month now.

"Yeah…" she said softly, conveying her appreciation with a smile, as she left his office. Making her way to her desk, she dropped into her chair with a frustrated sigh, earning a smirk from her partner.

"Dad not playin' nice with his favorite…?" he taunted.

"Screw you, Amaro," she flung at him, half-heartedly. "I need the file on the Turner case, and all your notes."

"What for…?"

"I'm gonna wrap it up. Hand 'em over."

"Okay..." he said with a shrug. "Works for me..." He searched around on his desk until he found the file, handing it to her with the raise of an eyebrow. Their partnership—still tenuous after his involvement with Carissa, and his run-in with Brian Cassidy—was beginning to improve; but just barely. He watched her silently, wondering what exactly made Olivia Benson tick: There was no question about her capabilities; she was a force to be reckoned with, both in the field and in the squad room. And he never questioned her dedication or her motives; her heart was with the victims, and she'd go the extra mile every time to get justice for them. What he did question—on occasion—were her methods; just how far she'd go to get the outcome she wanted—convinced the end would justify the means.

Ninety minutes, several phone calls, and mounds of paperwork later, Olivia stood up, stretching the kinks out of her back. She grabbed the completed Turner file from her desk and walked to the file room, placing it in the 'T' drawer, just after 'Turnbull.' She closed the drawer and went back to her desk in time to hear Elliot's ringtone on her cell. She picked it up, taking a deep breath before answering—already knowing what would be on his mind.

"Hey, what's up," she asked innocently, hoping perhaps he was calling about something as benign as what time she'd be getting out of work. There was silence on the other end. "El…?"

"Have you talked with Porter?" He was cutting right to the chase.

She sighed. "No. But I talked with Assistant Director Putnam…"

"You're not doin' this, Liv!" A command.

Olivia glanced over at Amaro, and stepped away from her desk to seek a quieter corner of the squad room; someplace where there was no audience. "Excuse me, Elliot…?" I'm not any happier about this than you are—maybe less so… But I am doing it! Neither of us has a choice, and we're not jeopardizing our careers over something this stupid."

"I don't trust him, Olivia," he snarled. "Not where you're concerned. That asshole risked your life the last time you worked with him!" He was shouting now. "And he hits on you all the time!"

"Elliot, calm down. He saved my life…"

"By risking it, Olivia!"

"And you and I weren't in a relationship before, El; he's not gonna hit on me now. Besides, he knows how I feel about him; he knows he'll be lucky if I don't shoot him myself."

Elliot chuckled in spite of himself. She could always talk him down… His heart swelled with love for her. "When are you gonna get done today, baby?"

"I'm gonna try to leave here in about fifteen minutes. I've got some errands to run before we go under. Do you need anything?"

"Nah, I don't think so… Wait, will you grab some razors for me? You know the new ones I tried...? Schick, what is it…? Hydro 5…?"

"Yeah, that's it... I'll pick 'em up. And how 'bout we just order pizza tonight instead of cooking?"

"Sounds good to me… I'll be home around 6:30." He hesitated. "Hey." His voice was soft. "I love you, ya know."

"Yeah. I know. Love you too, El."

Olivia hung up and placed her phone in the pocket of her blazer, a smile lighting her face as she made her way back to her desk to wrap things up. Her mind wandered to all the changes in her life in the last eight months, not the least of which was her amazing relationship with her ex-partner, Elliot Stabler—the love of her life. She'd finally taken the next step in that relationship by moving into his apartment. She still retained hers—but she'd moved most of her belongings to his place, and she was that much closer to letting the last tie to her old life go.

Since they'd been together, Elliot had completed his training as a Special Agent for the FBI, at Quantico. He'd been on a fast track, thanks to his background with the Marines, his service during the Gulf War, and his twenty years as a detective with the NYPD—the bulk of which had been spent with the SVU.

As part of the Violent Crimes-Criminal Investigative Division, he'd already been placed in a position in the NYC field office, through NCAVC. He would work closely with CASMIRC, continuing to focus on special victims and sex-related crimes. But eventually his position would be less hands-on—consulting, instructing, directing and organizing—more behind the scenes, less on the front lines.

Part of his job would be to analyze what services would be needed by local law enforcement when they required the assistance of the FBI, and then organize and mobilize the effort. They knew he'd cross paths with Manhattan SVU from time to time, and they both hoped they'd have the opportunity to work together when it did. In the meantime, he still had some dues to pay.

Olivia raced up the last flight of stairs to Elliot's apartment. She'd had every intention of getting home before him, but with last minute details to tend to at the 1-6 and long lines everywhere else, Elliot was already home.

She transferred all her shopping bags to one arm as she stuck the key in the lock with her free hand, letting herself in. "Hey, El…" she called. "Sorry I'm late." He was sitting on the couch—the look on his face sullen—nursing what Olivia surmised was a glass of Bourbon, since the bottle was sitting on the coffee table in front of him. The TV was turned down low; some local weatherman expounding on the five-day forecast.

He looked up at her, attempting a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hey, baby… I've been waitin' for you. You get tied up at work?"

"Yeah… And everyplace I went after had lines out the door. Let me just go put this stuff away, and we can order pizza."

"Wait. Come here, baby." He rose from the couch and took the bags from her. Placing them on the floor, he pulled her into his arms. "I need this before you do anything else," he growled, bending his lips to hers and kissing her deeply—leaving the taste of bourbon on her tongue when he pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "I missed you. And I hate that we're gonna be apart. And I hate even more that Porter's gonna be with you." There was something dangerous in his eyes. "He's gonna be able to introduce you as his wife—and I hate that most of all."

Olivia pulled out of his arms. "Elliot… It's just an undercover op for god's sake…"

He pulled her back to him, his eyes smoldering as he looked down at her. "Doesn't matter. That prick shouldn't get to call you his wife—not before I do."

Olivia's eyes widened. "Elliot, where is this coming from? We haven't even talked about this… And we're not gonna talk about it now—not when you've had a few drinks and you're pissed off at Dean Porter."

"But we will talk about it—eventually?" It was a question, not a statement… and his look was hopeful.

She reached one hand up to cradle his face, as she gazed beseechingly into his eyes. "Elliot, please don't rush me. Let me take one thing at a time… I'm here, I'm living with you. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere. That's gotta be enough for now."

The truth was he wanted more—much more: He wanted full claim to this beautiful woman who he loved with his whole being—heart, mind, body, and soul; and to him, that meant a ceremony and a ring on her finger. But he knew he'd wandered into dangerous territory… She wasn't ready—not yet—and he needed to back off. "Yeah, baby… It is—for now." He tenderly kissed her lips once more before releasing her. "I'll order pizza while you put stuff away."

Elliot lay over her pinning her body beneath him, his strong hands holding her wrists to the bed on either side of her shoulders, his eyes trained on hers. He greedily watched her beautiful face while he slowly moved inside her. He wanted to capture every expression, every emotion, every whimper, every moan; every response her body gave to his, and emblazon it on his memory as sustenance for the days—or god forbid—weeks ahead while they would be apart.

"Elliot… ooh god—so good. Faster, please, El. I need it…" she whimpered. Please don't make me wait." She struggled, trying to release her wrists from his grip and move her body. "I need to move—I need to touch you, El."

He lowered his lips to hers and captured the words, ignoring her pleas for the moment—his need to prolong this greater than his desire to give her the release she sought. When he freed her lips, he moved his own to her ear, whispering his love. "I love you so much, Olivia. Ooooh, baby, I need to go slow tonight—I need to make this last—okay…?"

"Mmmmm, s'okay…" she managed to respond, suddenly understanding. She shifted beneath him just a bit—just enough to take some of the pressure off the hot spots, and tone things down a notch. She smiled into his blue eyes, reveling in the love that shone from them—for her. "I love you, too, Elliot," she said softly, as she gave herself over to him, allowing him to set the pace for their lovemaking. "So, so much, El..."

She lay in his arms—bemusedly wondering why she didn't let him do all the work more often; and holding off her climax had only enhanced the orgasm that had roared through her, leaving her so sated—so completely satisfied—she barely had strength left to lift her pinky finger. She felt his fingers move through her hair, brushing it out of her eyes. He kissed her forehead then ran his hand down over the curve of her hip, drawing her close.

"Eli said to tell you 'Hi' and he misses you; he's gonna draw a picture of Skippy Jon Jones to give you when you get back."

"Oh, El…" Her voice caught in her throat. "I'm really gonna miss him," she sniffled.

"Yeah. Me too..."

Olivia was touched by the sweetness of Elliot's youngest child, and smiled as she thought again how blessed she was to have this beautiful little boy in her life. She'd been sharing time with all the Stabler children, a role that had amazingly, in some small way, eased the anguish of her own childlessness. She was humbled they'd so readily and graciously allowed her into their lives—and into their hearts. It wasn't lost on her that it was the direct result of how Elliot had handled himself during the final break-up of his marriage: He'd insisted she not be any part of his life until he'd gotten his own head together, his divorce finalized, and his relationships with his children repaired and strengthened. He'd risked the possibility that she'd move on or never forgive him for abandoning her—knowing in the end—after all his hard work, he might still lose her. But he wouldn't come to her on any other terms; it bespoke the true integrity of the man she loved.

They'd celebrated their first major holiday together the previous week, both opting to work on Thanksgiving, thus allowing others in their units to have the day off—since they wouldn't be with the kids until the weekend. Rather than recreate the Thanksgiving Day feast, they'd decided to have everyone contribute to one of the Stabler clan's favorite meals: homemade baked lasagna, complete with luscious salads, freshly baked yeast roles, and home-made cream puffs… a surprise provided by Richard. The day was replete with wonderfully relaxed chaos, and after everyone had gone, Olivia was left with the feeling that perhaps she just might learn to enjoy the holidays—a far cry from the dread that usually filled her about this time of the year.

"Did you get everything worked out with Kathy?" she asked as she snuggled closer.

"Yeah… Turns out she's got some comp time coming, so she'll use it as she needs to until we're back; and the kids will help out when they can. I think she was a little put out, but she was okay with it."

"This must have been what it was like for you every time we got involved in a long case, or had to go under, huh?" She ran her hand over his chest, making lazy circles with her fingers. "You must have missed them, terribly, El… No wonder you used to get so pissy."

"Pissy, huh…?" He rolled her over, capturing her wrists and holding them above her head with one of his hands, wrapping the other in her long auburn locks and pulling her lips to his. "I think you better recant, pretty baby, 'cause I know all the places that drive you crazy, and I happen to know you haven't got enough energy left to fight me off tonight. You gonna take it back…?"

"Never."

TBC

Thank you for reading. Chapter 2 will be up Wednesday morning.