Note: obsessedwithstabler and I are back with one of many evil things we've written recently. Enjoy, and stock up on tissues.

Warnings: Cancer and eventual major character death.

I'm giving the story an overall rating of T, but there is a bit of a smut scene in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but minors, do not read.

Elliot never thought life would turn out this way.

So many years of his life were spent focused on being a cop, on being a husband and father from a young age that he never saw his future any other way.

When Olivia Benson came into his life, it didn't take long for him to fall for her. She knew him in ways Kathy would never understand, as guilty as that made him feel sometimes. He knew she would give her life to protect him in a heartbeat, as he would for her.

It took nearly losing her to a sadist with a knife to make him realize how strong those feelings were, how precious time was.

He didn't want to waste another moment. When Kathy served him with the divorce papers, he signed them. Holding on wasn't fair to Kathy, and he didn't want to waste more time trying to fix a marriage wouldn't last.

Several months after his divorce was finalized, he surprised both of them by asking Olivia out. They both remembered that night well, how natural every interaction felt as if time had been waiting for them.

That night was six months ago, and neither of them regretted a moment of the time they spent together.

Nights he would have spent alone were usually spent with Olivia, some evenings at her place, others at his. They never really talked about what the next step was; they just took it one day at a time, letting the pieces fall into place.

On a rare morning off, Elliot awoke to warm fall sunlight gently spilling through the window. An uncomfortable shiver went through him even as light beads of sweat formed on his skin. Olivia still slept peacefully next to him, bringing a small smile to his face.

He stifled a groan when another chill shook him. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shuffled further under the covers. His stirring roused Olivia, who rolled over and drew him into her arms. Relaxing a little, he curled into her for warmth, draping his arm across her waist.

Slowly she stirred, her lips finding his in a lazy kiss. "Morning..."

"Morning," he yawned.

Their eyes met and she gave him a soft smile. "Ready to get up?"

Elliot shook his head and tugged the covers further up. "Not feeling too great. I think I'm coming down with something."

She pressed her lips to his forehead. "You're a little warm..." She wrapped herself around him again and nuzzled his neck. "We can stay here."

Nodding, he relaxed into her and closed his eyes again, barely containing another shiver.

She shushed him and rubbed his back soothingly. "Go back to sleep..."

Comfortable in her arms, he soon slipped back into sleep. When he awoke later in the morning, he was alone in the bed. He still felt a little feverish and yawned as he rolled out of bed and shuffled tiredly into the kitchen.

Olivia was in the kitchen, making herself an early lunch. She spotted Elliot and lit up. "Hey..."

"Hey," he greeted, pouring a cup of coffee and sipping it slowly.

"How are you feeling?" She stepped over to him, leaning up a bit to kiss his temple.

"A little better." He leaned into her.

Smiling, she ran her hand over his hair. "Good. I know we talked about going out, but it started to rain. Why don't we order in and just spend the day on the couch?"

"That sounds perfect," he agreed. They had the day all to themselves, and he couldn't think of a better way to spend it.

"Good. Go sit down and I'll make a sandwich for you, too."

"Okay." Elliot made his way to the couch and sat down.

She joined him a few minutes later with two plates and two bottles of water. Handing him a plate and water, she sat down with him.

He didn't have much of an appetite, but he accepted one of the plates and picked up the sandwich as she leaned into his side. The gesture made him smile and he slipped his arm around her.

Olivia bit into her own sandwich, tucking her legs under herself. They had only been together for six months, but it felt as natural as breathing. Just like everything else they did together.

Elliot ate half of his lunch before he set it aside. He leaned back on the couch, settling comfortably against Olivia.

Once she finished eating, she set her own plate down and let him cuddle into her. "Hey..."

"Hey…"

Smiling, she leaned over and kissed his neck softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Her hand slipped under his shirt, lightly caressing the skin she found there. "Mm..."

At the touch, he felt himself stiffen with longing. He eagerly ran his hands up and down her arms, urging her a little closer.

Sighing softly, she managed to wiggle out of her shorts before she straddled his lap. "Need you, El..."

Elliot's hands settled on her hips and slipped over her ass. His arms looped around her waist, drawing her close as he kissed her again, this time more deeply.

Encouraged, she slid her hand between their bodies, tugging his sweatpants down a bit and giving him a few firm strokes.

"Hmm..." Elliot let out a content sound and moved his mouth to her neck, teasing her skin. He lifted his hips and pressed against her, pleased with the eager sound she made.

"I love you," she murmured, inhaling sharply as she sank down on him. She gasped and moaned as he stretched her, filling her like only he could.

"I love you." His hands slipped under her shirt. He lifted it over her head, exposing her to him. "You are so beautiful," he murmured against her lips.

It was slow and familiar as she moved against him, thinking of nothing but the man loving her. She came hard, collapsing into him and closing her eyes.

Elliot's arms wrapped around her. He kissed her head and closed his eyes, holding her close.

She smiled dreamily as their racing hearts slowed. "I love that..."

His fingers combed through her hair and he sighed contently, enjoying the closeness. Eventually she eased away from him, kissing him softly as she did. She took a moment to clean them up a bit before curling into his side again.

Elliot slipped his arm around her, gently tugging her closer. "Comfortable?"

"Mm hmm." She tucked her head under his chin, grinning. "And satisfied."

"Good." He laughed softly and smoothed his hand over her hair, closing his eyes. They spent the rest of the day relaxing on the couch, occasionally exchanging sweet kisses or arguing playfully over what movie to watch.

Soon, Elliot slipped into sleep, comfortable and satisfied in her arms.

By Monday, Elliot was feeling well again and ready to work. They'd just apprehended Scott Malone, a registered sex offender accused of raping and murdering two women.

"Scott, you're toast. Your DNA's all over those women's apartments," Elliot accused as he slipped into the interrogation room.

Scott frowned, glaring back at him. "You're bluffing."

"Wanna bet?" Elliot leaned against the table. "The only way this ends is with you going to jail. You might as well tell us what you did."

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Before Elliot could blink, Scott lunged at him, shoving him back just hard enough to make him lose his balance. His head connected with Elliot's nose, making Elliot's head spin as he shoved him off of him, straight into the glass of the window.

Cragen, who had been watching the interrogation, swore and yelled for Fin and Olivia as he went for the door.

Olivia came barreling around the corner, stun gun in hand and trained on the dangerous subject. "Last chance," she uttered, her eyes dangerous.

He turned on her, raising the chair. "She's mine! I'll-"

His sentence was instantly cut off when Olivia pulled the trigger, sending him crashing to the ground and convulsing.

Lowering the stun gun, Olivia shouted, "Someone call a bus!" She rushed to the shattered window, where her partner lay dazed and bloody. She could hear Cragen behind her but she didn't care. God, there was so much blood…

Elliot tried to sit up, but the motion made his head spin and he squeezed his eyes shut. A pained groan escaped him. When Olivia's hand touched his cheek, he leaned into her.

"Shh, don't move," she whispered, stroking his forehead carefully. "Don't move."

Dizzy and sore, Elliot closed his eyes against the spinning sensation. His hand found hers and gripped it tightly.

"I've got you." She looked over her shoulder and saw Cragen and Fin standing there, stone faced.

"Bus will be here in less than five minutes," Cragen assured her, his mouth a tight line.

Elliot leaned his head into Olivia's hand and winced. A few minutes later, the ambulance arrived. Once he was settled on a stretcher, he instinctively reached for her hand.

"I'm riding with him," she told Cragen, leaving no room for argument as she held Elliot's hand.

"Of course." The older man nodded.

Letting out a breath, Olivia walked alongside the stretcher. "I'm here, El."

"Okay..." Elliot relaxed and closed his eyes, but his face still twisted with discomfort.

"I know..." she continued to stroke his hair as they made their way down to the waiting bus. Olivia climbed in with them and sat by Elliot's head.

"Can you tell us what happened to him?" one of the medics asked as she looked Elliot over.

"A suspect threw him through a glass window," she replied, trying not to snap. "Look at his left arm. I saw the most damage there."

Nodding, the medic began examining Elliot's left arm. Elliot stifled a pained groan and turned his head toward Olivia.

"You're okay, El," she murmured, her heart still racing as she stroked his hair. "I'm right here with you." She slipped her free hand into his and squeezed. "Hold onto me, sweetheart."

Elliot squeezed her hand for a few seconds, but the dizziness overwhelmed him. His eyelids fluttered heavily. "Liv..."

"I'm here. I'm not leaving you," she promised, kissing his forehead. "Not letting you go."

Elliot tried to focus on her, but her voice faded as he felt himself slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

The last thing he heard was Olivia begging him to keep his eyes open, and her hand tightening on his.

When Elliot awoke again, he realized quickly that he was in a hospital room. Morphine kept the pain at bay and when he opened his eyes, he saw Olivia curled up in a chair beside him. His hand was tucked in hers and her brow was furrowed, even as she slept.

Relieved, he held back a tired sigh and remained quiet, not wanting to wake her.

A few moments later, her hand tightened on his as she stirred.

"Liv?"

Immediately she sat up, leaning over and resting her hand on his chest. "El?" She was groggy from the nap and she blinked to clear her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Mm fine…" he yawned, drowsy from the pain meds. "Let's get out of here."

She laughed softly at that, her eyes warm as she stroked his hair. "You're not going anywhere for a few hours, at least."

He sighed but was too tired to argue. "You okay?"

"I'm not the one who was thrown through a glass window," she murmured, her eyes scanning his face.

"How bad is it?"

"You'll survive, but the cut to your arm is bad," she replied honestly, pouring a glass of water and holding it to his lips.

Nodding, he took a few sips of the water, then leaned his head back against the pillows when he was done.

"Good." She set the cup back down and continued to stroke his hair. "God, you scared me."

He gave her a tired smile. "Sorry."

"I'm just glad you're okay." Shaking her head, she moved from her chair to sit with him on the narrow bed.

Relieved, Elliot scooted closer to her.

She gently held him still and instead came to him. "Hold still," she chided as she scooted until their sides touched and she could nuzzle his shoulder.

Elliot yawned and leaned into her. "When do I get out of here?"

"Probably tomorrow morning. And I'm going to sit here and make sure you don't leave until the doctor says you can."

He huffed but leaned into her, too tired to argue further.

She smiled and kissed his head. "Not going anywhere," she repeated softly.

Reassured, he closed his eyes and soon slipped back into sleep.

The next morning, Elliot was discharged into Olivia's care. She drove him home after stopping to fill his medications and to get a few groceries for the weekend.

He was sore and tired, but more than relieved to be out of the hospital. As soon as they arrived at her apartment, he made his way to the couch to sit down.

Olivia shut the door and kicked her shoes off, setting the groceries in the kitchen. "Do you want a sandwich or soup with your meds, El?"

"I'll take some soup."

"Coming up." Smiling, she prepared two bowls of soup and two slices of toast. She set them on a tray, adding water and his pain meds, before she took everything to the couch. "Here we go..."

"Thank you." Elliot swallowed the meds with a long sip of water. Then he gratefully accepted the tray and started eating.

Olivia sat down with him and picked up her own bowl of soup. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm sore, but I'll be fine."

"Good." She nibbled at her toast. "I need to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, her expression thoughtful. "We haven't been all that careful lately."

"What do you..." Elliot stopped as understanding dawned on him. "Have you taken a test?"

"I picked one up today." She settled a hand on the back of his neck. "I'm only a few weeks late, but that's not normal for me."

Surprisingly calm, he nodded and reached over, resting his hand on top of hers. "Do you want it to be positive?"

She was quiet for a while, her thumb absently rubbing the back of his neck. "I...I wouldn't be unhappy if it turned out to be positive."

"I wouldn't, either."

Olivia relaxed visibly and gave him a soft smile. "Let's finish lunch and I'll take it."

"Okay." He gave her hand a squeeze.

She returned the squeeze and let his hand go so she could eat her soup.

Returning her smile, Elliot picked up his spoon again and resumed eating.

After lunch and making sure Elliot took his medication, Olivia plucked the pregnancy test from a grocery bag and held it up for him. "I'll… I'll be right back."

"Alright."

She gripped the test and went to her bathroom, emerging a few minutes later. "Five minutes," she grumbled, sitting down on the couch and tucking herself carefully against Elliot's side.

Elliot put his arm around her and toyed with her hair. "Have you had any other symptoms?"

"I've been more tired than usual, but honestly..." She peered up at him with a sly smile. "I just attributed that to you."

"I don't think I can say I'm sorry for that." He chuckled and closed the distance between them with a soft kiss.

She melted into the kiss, her eyes closing as they simply enjoyed each other.

Ten minutes later, she reluctantly pulled away from him and went to retrieve the test. "Moment of truth..."

When she returned to the living room, Elliot watched expectantly. "What does it say?"

She sat down with him and looked at the test, and her face fell. "It's...negative."

His expression softened and he rested his hand on her back. "I'm sorry."

She inhaled softly and stood up, throwing the test in the garbage.

When she sat back down, Elliot put his arm around her. "You okay?"

"I guess..." She took a shuddering breath. "I guess I wanted it to be positive more than I realized."

"Well... maybe it'll happen." He rubbed her arm.

Surprised, she looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Yeah?"

He nodded, moving his hand to her cheek and pulling her closer for a soft kiss.

She happily returned the kiss, only hesitating when it became more heated. "El, your arm..."

"It's fine."

He kissed her again and she still hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you..."

"You won't," he assured her, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

She tried to protest again, but his hands on her body were too much. She gave up and surrendered to him, knowing they both needed this.

And who was she to deny it?

Two weeks later, Elliot had healed well enough from the incident to return to his usual activities. On the morning of his first full day back, he held back a yawn as he got ready, removing his tank top and pants.

Olivia was just sitting up and she frowned when she saw the still deep bruising on his back. "El?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" She rose from the bed, placing a gentle hand on his back.

"I'm sure. Why?"

"Your back is still so bruised."

He shrugged. "It's not sore anymore."

"I know, but..." She walked around him until they were face to face. "Maybe we should get it checked out this week."

He sighed and leaned into her. "I think it's fine."

"Please? For me?" She cupped his cheek in her hand.

"I'll call and schedule an appointment for this week," he relented, stealing a kiss.

Pleased, she happily returned the kiss and wound her arm around his neck. Elliot's arms wrapped around her waist. He backed up, sitting on the bed and pulling her into his lap.

Olivia yelped and laughed as she straddled his lap. "You're really going to make us late for our first day back?"

He smirked. "I think we can make time."

She laughed and let him tug her panties off. Since that moment two weeks ago, they had completely forgone her birth control and condoms, and Elliot was practically insatiable.

Afterwards, when they were both spent, they had just enough time to lie in bed for a few minutes before they had to finish getting ready for work. Olivia was smiling to herself as she quickly cleaned up and changed into her usual slacks and blouse.

Elliot cleaned up and dressed as well before they left the apartment. True to his word, he agreed to make an appointment later that week to have the remaining bruises examined.

"Hmm. The bruising should be more healed than this," the doctor noted as she checked over the bruising on his back. "Have you noticed anything else unusual with your health lately?"

Elliot shook his head. "Not really."

"It could be anything, even minor symptoms. Excessive bleeding, decreased appetite and energy, flu-like symptoms?"

"I did have a fever a couple of weeks ago."

Dr. Rivers nodded. "Okay. It could be nothing, but I'd like to run some tests just to be sure."

Elliot frowned, but he gave in when Olivia reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "Run the tests."

"Thank you." Rivers instructed him to make a fist, then drew a few blood samples. Once they were alone, Elliot leaned back in his seat and absently rubbed at the spot where the needle had pricked.

Olivia leaned over and ran her hand over his hair. "Thank you for doing this."

He slipped his hand into her free hand and laced their fingers together. Half an hour later, Dr. Rivers returned.

"Well?"

"Based on what we've looked at so far, your white blood cell count is unusually high. It could mean a number of things."

Elliot frowned. "What's next?"

"We'll have to run more tests before we can make a diagnosis."

Olivia squeezed Elliot's hand tightly, already unnerved. "How soon can you start?"

"We can start now, but it will be at least tomorrow before we have anything conclusive."

Reluctant but unwilling to stay any later than required, Elliot agreed. The next couple of hours passed in a series of scans and tests, and by the end of it Elliot was drowsy and didn't put up too much of an argument when they asked him to stay overnight.

The following morning, Elliot was still asleep when a different doctor walked into the room, carrying a folder.

Olivia was sitting by Elliot, holding his hand and half heartedly reading, when she realized they weren't alone anymore. "Hi."

"Hello," the doctor greeted. "I'm Dr. Sawyer. I have Elliot's results to go over."

Her eyes widened and she leaned forward, gently stroking Elliot's forehead. "El?"

Elliot stirred and yawned, waking drowsily. "Hmm?"

"Hey." She ran her thumb over his cheek. "Your results are back."

That made him more alert and he sat upright. "What is it?"

Dr. Sawyer opened Elliot's chart. "Mr. Stabler, I'm sure you'd rather hear it straightforward instead of me trying to sugarcoat it. "You have a type of cancer called acute myeloid leukemia. It's the most common type of leukemia in adults, but unfortunately it's also the most aggressive."

At that, Elliot's ears rang numbly. Cancer?

Olivia couldn't suppress a soft gasp. After a moment, she schooled her expression. "What are our next steps?" she asked.

"The next step is to get him on a chemo treatment. This cancer has a five year survival rate of twenty to thirty percent presuming no complications arise, but we'll do whatever we can to get him to remission."

A nod was all she could manage as the doctor said a few more things she didn't quite hear before leaving the room. The door closed and immediately Olivia moved onto the bed with Elliot.

Elliot's head spun as he tried to process everything the doctor had told them. He'd barely heard a word of it, and part of him wasn't sure he believed it, let alone what he was supposed to be feeling. Slowly he sank against her and let out a shaky breath. "That... that was not what I expected."

"El." She gently cupped his cheek and urged him to meet her eyes. "Listen to me. You're going to be fine," she said firmly.

"I'm not really sure what to think right now," he admitted honestly, leaning closer until his forehead rested against hers.

She ran her fingers through his hair and softly kissed his lips. "You're the most stubborn son of a bitch I have ever known," she whispered. "If anyone can beat this, it's you."

At that, he let out a low laugh. "You sound confident."

"Because I know you." She kissed him again. "I know you better than I know myself."

He leaned into the kiss, taking comfort in her closeness. "I love you."

"I love you too, Elliot. More than you know," she murmured.

For several moments, he fell silent. "I think I'm ready to go home. I don't see any point in staying now that I have my results."

"Okay." For once she didn't argue with him. "I'll take you home."

Relieved, he nodded and leaned into her. He dozed on and off for the next half hour while Olivia signed all of the necessary paperwork. The staff assumed she was his wife, and she simply did not correct them.

When all of the paperwork was taken care of, Olivia gently roused Elliot and took him downstairs to her car.

Elliot was relieved to go home and followed her to the car. The drive passed quietly and when they were home, he sat down on the couch and absently thumbed through the pamphlets the oncologist had given him.

Olivia decided to make them some tea, and when she came to the couch with the two mugs, she handed one to Elliot.

He set the pamphlets aside and accepted the mug, drinking from it slowly and looking over at her thoughtfully.

She looked back to him and slipped her free arm around him. "Not going anywhere."

"I know…"

"Good." She pulled him close and sipped at her tea.

Elliot rested his head against hers and barely held back a sigh.

After polishing off her tea, Olivia turned to Elliot and kissed him softly. She was determined to make him forget, at least for that night.

Elliot moved his hand to her jaw and stroked gently. "Liv?"

"Hmm?" She carefully straddled his lap, her eyes searching his.

"Do you still want a baby?"

She sighed and cupped his cheek. "That's… not important right now. What's important is you, and getting you through this."

"I was reading the information the doctor gave me about chemo. It can cause infertility."

Olivia inhaled softly. "Then we'll worry about that when we come to it."

He swallowed hard, pulling her a little closer. "I don't want to waste time..."

"Baby…"

"It's important to me." His eyes never left hers. "I know how much this means to you, and I want to make it happen."

She exhaled deeply, gripping his shoulders. "We can try until your chemotherapy begins."

Elliot sighed in relief and nodded, relaxing against her. "Good."

Smiling, she slid her hands under his shirt and gently tugged it up and over his head.

Elliot readily slipped out of his clothes and removed her shirt, needing her closer.

This time was fast and hard, with her desperate to bring him closer, deeper... She dragged her nails over his skin and kissed him messily.

When they finished, Elliot let out a ragged breath and tugged her closer, nuzzling his head against hers. "I love you..."

"I love you too, El." She kissed his head and closed her eyes. "I love you."

Reassured, Elliot closed his eyes and rubbed her back.

Tonight they wouldn't worry about anything.

Tonight they would just be.

Stay tuned, and as always, reviews are appreciated!