Just going to say it. Drama ahead in the next two chapters. A character from season 10 is about to appear.

I promised eoswiftie an update tonight so here ya go. Just don't come and kill me after. Otherwise we'll never get resolution lol ;)

By June, Olivia was well into the swing of things back at work. It had been a hard transition despite the fact that she missed work. It was also hard to separate herself from her son. But Bernie was watching him most days and he went to daycare two days a week. One morning, she woke up and rolled over in bed, ready to face the day. She smiled when she saw the sun shining in through the window. Today was their anniversary, two years married didn't seem possible and yet it was. Stretching her arms over her head, she turned to look for her husband but he was nowhere to be found. Frowning, she pulled herself off the bed and exited the bedroom wondering where he could be. She smiled to herself when she heard his voice coming from Noah's bedroom.

At six months old, he was staying in his own room most nights but occasionally slept in their room when he was fussy. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched Elliot as he read a book to their growing son. Noah cooed and giggled in his Father's lap. When his little eyes caught sight of his Mother, he squealed with delight. Elliot's gaze followed his son's and he smiled right back, "Mommy's awake."

Walking into the room, Olivia put her hands out and reached for Noah, "Goodmorning." Noah instantly snuggled into his Mother's embrace and he kissed the side of his head, "He's up early. I'm surprised I didn't hear him."

"You were out like a light." Elliot stood up and kissed the side of her face, "I wanted you to sleep in. We'll be out late tonight."

"Oh we will?" She asked gazing up at him, "Why will we be out late?"

Elliot smirked down at her as she rocked Noah back and forth, "Today doesn't seem like an important day to you?"

Olivia quietly thought for a moment, "An important day? Hm…" She shook her head, "Nothing is coming to mind. Do you know what he's talking about Noah?" Noah gurgled and she smiled, "Oh! I know what it is. You must be referring to the fact that a year ago...I found out I was going to be the Mommy of this adorable baby boy. It is an important day."

Elliot huffed, "You're right. That was important. Nothing else though? Nothing at all?"

"No...I don't think so." She looked back up at him and shrugged, "Did I forget something important?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Why do you insist on torturing me?"

She chuckled and leaned up to kiss him, "Happy Anniversary El. After two years...you'd think you'd learn by now how to handle me."

"I don't think I'll ever know how to handle you." He said with a laugh, "You sure keep me on my toes."

Olivia smiled happily up at him, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A good thing." He kissed her gently, "Happy Anniversary." Noah squealed when his parents kissed and Elliot laughed, "And happy day we knew you existed little dude."

"Mommy! Mommy!" Lizzie yelled as she ran into the room, "Richie just spilled an entire bottle of cranberry juice on the rug!"

Olivia sighed and went to hand Noah to her husband, "I think our celebrations will need to wait. Mommy duty calls."

Elliot shook his head, "You feed Noah. I'll tackle the rug and the other rugrats. Teamwork makes the dream work and then we'll be out of here on time." He winked at her, "Partner's for life."

"Partner's for life." She answered back as she settled into the rocking chair in the corner.

That night, Olivia was getting dressed in their bedroom. They had gone out since Noah was born, but this was the first time she was dressing up like this. Staring at herself in the mirror, she turned back and forth trying to consider her outfit carefully. She had lost most of the baby weight but was still struggling with a few remaining pounds. Elliot never made her feel less than but it was her own personal insecurities that were holding her up. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hands down the long black dress that was hugging her curves. Her mind was racing and she was about to change when she felt two strong hands grip her hips, pulling her out of her daze.

"Damn my girl is gorgeous." He nuzzled her neck and pressed her against his chest, "Let's skip dinner and stay in bed."

She smiled and leaned against him, "El…"

He heard the hesitant nature in her voice, the worry, "Olivia…" She shivered at his words and he smiled, resting his chin in the crook of her neck, "You are beautiful Liv. You get more beautiful every single day."

Wrapping her arms around his arms she sighed, "You have to say that."

He sighed and turned her slowly, "No. I don't. I said it because it's true. You're beautiful Liv."

She shook her head, "I think maybe I'll change into-"

"Nope." He turned her around again and reached into his pocket, "I want to show off my gorgeous wife in this dress tonight. Plus...I think it will go perfectly with my gift for you."

She gasped as he placed a silver chain around her neck with a diamond pendant that pressed against her chest, "El...it's beautiful."

"Just like you." He kissed the side of her face and smiled, "There's more where that came from but I'll save that for later."

She frowned as he pulled away, "Elliot...this is more than enough. You shouldn't have-"

"I should have." He silenced her with another kiss, "Are you ready to go?"

She glanced down at her dress again and chewed on her lower lip, "Are you sure-"

"Yep." He threaded his fingers through hers and tugged her towards the door, "Come on."

Together, they walked down the hall and he kept her close as they walked down the steps. The kids were all gathered at the base of the stairs to see them off. "Have fun!"

Maureen was holding Noah, "We've got everything under control here."

"Be good for Grandma please." Elliot kissed each of them one at a time, "Behave."

"We will." Richie said to his father, "I'll make sure to keep them in line."

Elliot chuckled and squeezed his shoulder, "I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about you."

Olivia said her goodbyes and nuzzled Noah last, "Call if you need anything."

"We won't." The kids all said together.

She shot them a look and sighed, "Did your Dad tell you to say that?"

"No. But you guys can go out for one night without worrying about us. Go. Go." Maureen said, cocking her head towards the door.

Elliot smiled and wrapped his arm around Olivia, "Don't have to tell us twice. See you in the morning! Love you."

Olivia laughed as she followed him out the front door and over to the car. He held the door open for her, dropped a quick kiss to her lips and then moved to his own side of the car.

Elliot had more than surprised her as usual. He had somehow managed to set up a dinner on the roof of her old apartment building. One of her favorite spots that he knew she missed since moving to Queens. They had enjoyed a quiet meal, just the two of them, which was a far cry from hurried dinners at the precinct or meals at home where they were focussed the most on the kids. Now, Olivia was leaning against the stone wall and stared off into the bright skyline of her favorite city.

Elliot stepped up behind her and cradled her against his chest, "Happy?"

"El...this was perfect. I don't know how you did all this but I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary." She whispered.

"Good." Brushing her hair away from her neck, he kissed the base of her neck, "I'm glad. And don't worry about how I made it happen. I have to have a few tricks still up my sleeves after all this time."

Turning in his embrace, she wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled, "You always surprise me. Everyday."

Lifting his left hand, he cradled her cheek and got lost in her eyes, "Two years of marriage down...it's going fast."

"I know." Her voice broke softly, "Really fast. We'll be old and gray before you know it. Noah's already six months old and I don't know how the hell that happened."

"Just means we need to get a head start on baby number six." He said leaning into her.

She smiled up at him, "Still want another one, huh?"

He nodded admently, "Heck yeah I do. We made one good looking kid. I want another. Do you?"

"I do." She replied with a smile, "I definitely do."

"Two years ago you said those exact words to me in front of our friends and family. I remember it like it was yesterday though. I remember exactly what you looked like, how I felt." he sighed and threaded his fingers through her hair, "It felt like I had been waiting so long for that moment...and it felt so surreal to know it was happening. That we were there."

"Still feels surreal now." She moved one hand up to his shoulder and massaged the back of his neck, "I remember many nights I spent up here alone trying to convince myself I didn't have feelings for you. And every night ended the same way...me feeling miserably alone."

"You're not alone now." He whispered to her as his lips met hers, "I'm right here with you. And I always will be."

"Thank God for that." She sighed and let him pull her towards the middle of the roof, "What are you doing?"

He took out his phone and started to play their wedding song, "Dance with me?"

Her face flushed and she wrapped both arms around his neck, "This reminds me of our dance at the precinct before the wedding."

Elliot began to lead her around the roof, his hands on her hips as they moved, "That was a damn good night."

"Did you drag me up here because you thought you'd get lucky on the roof again?" She teased.

Elliot shrugged, "If it happened I wouldn't be opposed to it. But no...I dragged you up here because I know you've missed being here. And...because I was thinking the other day about…"

He stopped talking and she frowned, turning to see him better she searched his eyes for an answer, "About what?"

Swallowing hard he whispered, "About the day of the fire…"

Olivia stopped dancing for a moment, trying to understand what he was saying. She remembered it of course. They had only been dating at the time but even then, their connection was strong. She had worked late that night after having to cancel a date. She was still working at Computer Crimes and he had been missing her like crazy. The feeling was quite mutual. After crashing in her bed, she had woken to the smell of smoke. Trying to assist her neighbor, she got caught up in her apartment in an attempt to rescue her cat as the roof collapsed and trapped her under the rubble.

Though she had survived non life threatening injuries, it was the first time she had realized just how intense all of this was. How intense their relationship was. For so long she had been on her own. She only had to answer to herself. But after that night, she realized she had Elliot and his four children to consider. Nearly four years later, she wondered why it was coming up again. "El?"

He started to move them again and he smiled, "I...felt like my world was crashing down around me that day. Trying to get to the hospital, trying to make sure you were okay. I didn't know what I was going to walk into. Not knowing where you were...I was terrified Liv. I'd never been that scared in my life."

Olivia frowned and held him closer, "Why are you bringing this up now?"

Elliot was quiet, she could tell whatever it was he wanted to say was important. Her hands rubbed circles against the back of his neck trying to soothe him. Finally, he looked at her again and held her face in one of his hands, "Liv...you're my world. And sometimes, I don't think you realize what I mean by that."

Holding onto him she leaned forward and kissed him, "El…"

"You're my reason for everything. Every decision I make revolves around you. You are the heart of this family and I don't ever want to live a day without you." The rawness in his voice startled her.

Olivia stopped dancing and she sighed, "I don't want to leave a day without you either...but someday it could be a possibility. It's called life."

"There is no life for me without you though." He said, shaking his head, "I just...I don't know why but I was thinking about how terrified I was that day. It felt like I couldn't breathe. Like I was living in some terrible nightmare and I needed it to end. Until I saw you lying in that hospital bed I honestly don't think I was breathing."

"I'm here now." She said with a smile, "We're here now. We're married. We have five beautiful children and the greatest life. Let's not dwell on the bad moments...okay?" He still looked sad, "I hear what you're saying. I felt the same way when Don told me you were hurt this year. I feel it every time something happens. I think we both will. It just means...what we have is real."

Resting his forehead against hers, "I knew that day...that I would do absolutely anything to keep you safe Liv. Anything."

She wrapped her arms all the way around his waist so that his face was just inches from hers, "Hey Stabler...I really, really love you."

Cupping her face in his large hands he breathed her in and kissed her, "I love you too." He pulled back just enough to reach into his pocket, "And so do our kids."

She frowned and then smiled when she saw him holding out a charm that would go perfectly on the charm bracelet he had given to her after the adoption. This new charm had Noah's name and his tiny little finger print on it. "El…"

"Give me your hand." She pulled away just enough for him to take her hand and reach for her bracelet. Snapping the new charm into place he smiled, "Thank you for giving me our son. It took us a while to get there...but he's here and he's everything."

Holding up her arm, she let the bracelet catch the moonlight, "I remember feeling like the luckiest woman in the world when you gave me this bracelet. I had four kids. And a soon to be husband. And now...now I have five and the greatest husband I could have ever asked for. I don't know how you do it Stabler...but you make me fall in love with you more and more everyday."

He smiled and pulled her back into his arms so they could continue dancing, "It's my mission to make sure that I continue to do that for the rest of our lives babe."

She smirked and rested her chin on her hand against his shoulder, "Happy Anniversary El."

He kissed the side of her face and felt his heart pound in his chest, "Happy Anniversary Liv."

A few days before July 4th, Elliot and Olivia were at work. They were going to Bernie's for the Holiday weekend to get out of the city for a few days. Olivia and Fin were at the morgue meeting up with Melinda before they would head back to the precinct. When they were done, they made a quick stop at a local coffee shop to pick up coffee for the team.

"So you guys are going to Bernie's for the weekend?" Fin asked as they waited for their coffee.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. We'll be back Sunday night. Just a quick trip. We were going to try and go to Maine again but it didn't work out for this week. We may try Labor Day though. Depending on how work is."

Fin nodded, "You know I'll cover for you if you need some time away."

Olivai smiled at her partner, "I appreciate that Fin. But you deserve to have a life too."

"I do have a life." He said with a laugh, "In fact I have a date tonight."

"You do?" She squeezed his arm excitedly, "Tell me all about her! I need to make sure she's worthy of my partner and best friend."

Fin shook his head, "I'm not telling you a damn thing. You'll scare her off before I get a second date."

"Hey...I resent that." She nudged him playfully, "You put me through the ringer when I started dating Elliot."

"Exactly why I'm keeping my business to myself." He chuckled.

They both walked towards the counter when they heard the name Stabler being called, "Stabler?"

Olivia and Fin turned towards a man who was walking towards them, "Oh...I'm sorry. I thought...I haven't heard that name in a long time."

Olivia smiled at the man, "You know someone named Stabler?"

He nodded, "Elliot Stabler. I knew him back in my days in the Marines."

Olivia put a hand to her chest, "Elliot Stabler is my husband. I'm Olivia."

The man's eyes went wide, "Oh! You're not…"

Olivia's face flushed, "Kathy. Uh no...they divorced. Elliot and I have been married for two years now…"

The man smiled at her, "Well if you ask me...he sure traded up."

Olivia laughed, "Well thank you. If you're an old friend of Elliot's, I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"I'm Richiard Finley." He held out his hand and smiled, "It's wonderful to meet you."

"Richard Finley?" Olivia's smile widened, "You're who he named Richie after. Oh you have to come see him. I know Richie will want to meet you too. Elliot talks about you all the time."

"Only if you're sure." Dick said, "I don't want to intrude on anything."

"Nonsense. Come back to the Precinct with us. Elliot will be so thrilled to see you."

"Well alright then." Dick said, "How can I say no to that?"

Twenty minutes later, they walked back into the Precinct and Olivia glanced around for her husband. Spotting him leaning over his desk, she walked over to him and put a hand on his back, "Hey."

Elliot looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled, "Hey. Everything go okay with Melinda?"

Olivia nodded, "It did. We picked up some coffee. And...we ran into someone I think you'll be happy to see."

Elliot frowned and stood up, "Who?"

"Getting old there you son of a bitch." The voice said from behind him in a teasing tone, "Slumming it as a Detective I see?"

Elliot's head spun around and he laughed, "Colonel Finley?"

"I heard the name Stabler being yelled in a coffee shop and imagine my surprise when I see this gorgeous creature and not your ugly face." He said with a chuckle.

Elliot stuck his hand out to shake his hand, "God what's it been, 10 years?"

"Sounds about right." He pointed towards Olivia, "Long enough for me not to know about this upgrade" Leaning in to Olivia he whispered, "I never liked Kathy."

Elliot looked over at his wife whose cheeks were red, "She's something special. That's for sure."

"You know I tried to talk him out of the wedding." Dick said to Olivia, "I knew Kathy wasn't the one...but he had to be honorable and all that. Blah, blah, blah."

"I knew I liked you." Olivia said with a smile, "I never liked Kathy either...although without her I wouldn't have four wonderful kids. So...I guess I'm glad he didn't listen to you."

"Olivia adopted the kids." Elliot said proudly, "We have a son together too. Noah. He's about seven months old."

"Noah? You should have named this one Richard too." He said with a huff, "It's a fine name."

Elliot laughed, "We named him after another great man. The man that helped her deliver him here in this precinct."

"Oh fine...I guess I'll allow that." He said with a sigh, he smiled at Elliot, "Seems like things turned out alright for you after all Stabler."

Elliot nodded and reached for Olivia's hand, "Things turned out great for me. I couldn't ask for more."

"Well good." He slapped Elliot on the shoulder, "It was great to see you. But I'm giving a Seminar down at Hudson so I should get going."

Elliot frowned, "Oh. Alright. Well...you should come have dinner with us sometime this week. We're leaving on the 3rd to go stay at my Mom's for the Holiday. But are you free tomorrow?"

Dick looked over at Olivia, "Oh, well only if it's okay with your wife."

Olivia smiled at him, "Of course. We'd love to have you over. I know Richie would love to meet you too. All the kids would."

"Well alright then, it sounds great." He said looking back at Elliot, "Can I bring anything?"

Elliot quickly scribbled down an address and shook his head, "No. Just yourself. Say, 6:30?"

Dick nodded and took the paper, "Alright. I'll be there."

As they said their goodbyes, Olivia couldn't help but smile looking at how happy her husband looked. "Look at you…"

Elliot turned towards her and laughed, "What?"

"You look...happy." She squeezed his arm, "I know he meant a lot to you."

Elliot shrugged, "He helped me a lot. I was a lost kid...I had no idea what the hell I was doing and he put me on a good path. I didn't have a great relationship with my own Dad...and Dick was someone I trusted. Someone who I felt had my best interest at heart."

"Well then I'm glad I ran into him today." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, "I need to check in with Cragen but I'll see you later."

As she started to walk away, he tugged at her hand, "Hey…"

She looked at him expectantly, "Yeah?"

"He was right, you know. I got a hell of an upgrade with you. No comparison." He said with a wink.

She shook her head and squeezed his hand before walking away. Elliot sighed as he saw her walk into their bosses office and he couldn't keep the smile off his face. Two of the most important people in his life meeting meant everything to him.

That night, they were all sitting around the table as Dick told the kids and Olivia stories about Elliot in the Marines. Richie was sitting in his Father's lap and was hanging on every word that his namesake said.

"And that's how your Dad learned to finally listen to his superiors." Dick said with a laugh, "Took him days to get all the mud out of his hair. That was back when he had hair of course." Dick teased.

Richie looked back at his Dad, "I can't believe you did that."

Elliot sighed and shook his head, "Don't get any ideas kid."

"You know, I was there the day you were born, Maureen." He said looking over at their oldest daughter, "I drove your Dad to the hospital because he was freaking out so much he couldn't drive himself."

Maureen looked at her Dad, "I heard he puked."

"Yes. He did. In the back seat of my car. I made him lie down because I thought it would help. But it didn't." He said with a laugh.

"You were that nervous?" Kathleen asked, "How come?"

Elliot laughed, "I was practically a kid myself. I didn't know what to expect."

"You were such a cute baby." Dick said as he took a sip of his beer, "Big blue eyes, blonde hair. You were perfect. And I knew the moment your Dad held you that he would be just fine. Looks like I was right."

Elliot looked at all of his kids and his wife and smiled, "I'd say I did alright."

"I'd say you did way more than alright." Dick said with a smile, "Five healthy kids and a beautiful wife. From what I hear you have a booming career...which I'll take a little credit for." He teased, "I'd say you did just fine, Stabler."

"Daddy, can we play outside for a while?" Lizzie asked from her spot at the table.

Elliot nodded, "Sure. Let's help Mom clean up and then-"

"No. No. You go." Dick said standing up, "I'll help Olivia, you go outside with the kids."

Olivia smiled and stood up, "Thanks Dick. Go on...have fun."

The kids scrambled away from their seats and ran towards the back door. Elliot kissed Olivia's cheek as he went and pointed at Dick, "Try not to embarass me too much, okay?"

Dick chuckled as he piled up plates, "I'll do my best. But I make no promises."

Olivia checked in on Noah who was in his swing in the kitchen by the table. She started moving things towards the sink and filled it with water and soap. Behind her, Dick cleared the table and started putting things away. "So...you and Elliot met at work?"

Olivia looked at him and smiled as she continued to do the dishes, "We did. We worked together. We were partners…"

"Until you couldn't be?" He asked with a smile, "I'm surprised they kept you both on."

Olivia shrugged, "I got transferred out for a while. But they let me come back. We both know it's always a possibility if we aren't able to keep things professional. But for now...we're making it work."

"I bet you give him a run for his money at work. You strike me as a woman who doesn't take any bullshit." He said.

Olivia laughed, "I guess you could say that. I definitely don't let anyone walk all over me."

Dick stepped closer to her, "You know I meant it...he seriously upgraded."

Glancing over at him, she was startled by the look was giving her, her hands were submerged in the water and she felt vulnerable. His eyes were dark and he was letting his eyes roam her body, "Oh. Well thanks."

"The day of that wedding Elliot was a wreck. He kept asking me how you know if you found the one. I wasn't much help because clearly I don't know. But I knew Kathy wasn't the one he was supposed to be with." He said with a sigh, "But Elliot is nothing if not a man of honor. He did what he thought was right for the baby."

Olivia turned away from him, "Kathy...gave him four beautiful children. Children that I love. She may not be my favorite person but I'll never be sorry they were married."

Dick shrugged and got closer to her still, "Maybe not. But I'm sure Elliot is much happier with you."

Suddenly he was standing behind her, crowding her space at the sink, his body pressed against hers and she froze. Her hear was pounding and she felt all of him. She wanted to react like the cop in her would. But the protective wife thinking about how much this man meant to her husband made her pause, "Dick…"

He reached past her and grabbed a towel his breath tickling the back of her neck, "How could he not with a wife that looks as good as you."

His hands slid down her back, his fingers dipped below the waistband of her jeans and he tried to move lower, she quickly elbowed him back, "What are you doing?"

He grumbled and held his stomach, "Olivia, I was just getting a towel."

Her hands were dripping on the floor but she didn't care, her heart was pounding in her chest, "You could have done that without getting that close or copping a feel."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Olivia, don't overthink this."

She glanced out the window to see Elliot and the kids playing in the yard. If he knew what had just happened..."What the hell was that?"

"It was nothing." He said with a laugh, "You've clearly been working too long at SVU. It has jaded your opinion on men."

Olivia grabbed another towel and dried her hands, "Don't throw my career choice at me. You had no reason to touch me like that. And if Elliot knew-"

"If Elliot knew he would believe me when I said it was nothing." He said with a smile, "He trusts me Olivia. He named his son after me." Looking out the window he smiled, "I think I'll go join them. Seems like you have things covered here." He gave her a wink and she shuddered.

Her heart was racing as he walked out of the kitchen, she watched him go and felt a roll of nausea in her belly. Turning, she saw that Noah was watching her with wide eyes. When she looked back out the window, she saw Dick and Elliot laughing about something and her heart ached. How the hell could she tell Elliot something like this? It would crush him. Sighing, she turned back to the sink and frowned, maybe it was better to keep it to herself.

As the night progressed, Olivia made sure to keep as much space between her and Dick as possible. Something that hadn't gone unnoticed by Elliot. As they walked him to the door, Olivia hung back and Elliot felt very confused. He turned to his friend and mentor and smiled, "It was great to have you here for dinner. To catch up. Let's not wait another ten years before we see each other again."

"I'll be in town for a few weeks. Maybe we could do something when you get back from the Holiday weekend?" He asked, "We could catch a game with Richie maybe?"

"Sounds great." He stuck his hand out to his friend, "I'll call you when we get back."

Dick turned to Olivia, "And Olivia, thank you very much for a wonderful meal. It's been so nice getting to meet you." He stepped up to her and Olivia's body went rigid as he wrapped his arms around her. He placed a kiss on her cheek that lingered just a bit too long. He felt her shudder in his arms, he smirked as he pulled back but Elliot couldn't see it, "I look forward to getting to know you more too."

He stepped back and walked towards the door, "Drive safe Dick." Elliot said, seeing him out.

Olivia immediately walked back into the house to pick up Noah, needing to feel something else that wasn't Dick. That nauseous feeling returned but she hoped that Elliot hadn't caught onto her uncomfortableness. When she heard the door shut, she waited for him to join her again. The kids were down in the basement watching a movie.

Elliot watched her, noticed the way she refused to look over at him. Clearing his throat he spoke up, "You going to tell me what's bothering you?"

She cringed and tried to keep her face impassive before turning to him, "What?"

He sighed and sat down on the arm of the couch, "What's wrong?" She didn't respond, "You were fine at dinner. But something changed...you were kinda cold to Dick before he left. You didn't even hug him back."

Olivia looked down at Noah who was beginning to fall asleep, "I'm just tired El. I have a headache. I'm sorry."

"But you were fine at dinner." She could hear the frustration in his voice, "Came on quick?"

She sighed and started to walk towards the stairs, "Yeah. It did. I'm going to put Noah down."

Elliot watched her go and tried to understand what had happened between the end of dinner and now. But nothing came to mind. Sighing he moved around the living room and started to clean up the beers he had shared with his old friend. Maybe it was just a headache after all. What else could it be?

The following day, Olivia claimed her headache was still present. She had shied away from Elliot that night in bed and again in the morning. He was frustrated but let it go hoping that her headache would subside and they would be fine after work. It was another busy day and he was about to leave with Munch to head out on a stakeout.

Walking over to her desk, Elliot put his hand on her arm and she jumped, "It's just me."

"Sorry." She looked at him quickly, "I didn't hear you walking over."

"I'm heading out with John. Are you and Fin heading out to court soon?" He asked.

"Yeah. I think it will probably run late. Alex said she might need me to go over testimony for tomorrow with her. Can you get Noah at daycare?" She asked.

Elliot nodded, "Sure. I'll pick him up and then pick up dinner for the kids. Call me later?"

"Yeah. Sure." She stood up and walked past him, "See you later."

Elliot grabbed her hand as she passed him, "Liv."

"We're at work El." She tugged his hand away, her face flushed and she looked away from him, "I'll talk to you later."

Ellito sighed as she pulled away from him again, still unsure what the hell was going on. But he knew trying to get her to talk at work wasn't going to help. He walked down the hall and saw Fin walking towards him, "Hey Fin."

"Liv and I have court soon." He said, "I'll drop her off later? I know her car is in the shop."

"Yeah. Thanks." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck, "Can you do me a favor actually?"

Fin shrugged, "Depends on what it is. What's up?"

"Liv seems...off." He looked back into the squad room, "She said she had a headache but...just do me a favor and keep an eye on her? Let me know if she's…"

"I've got her back. I always do." Fin said, clapping his arm, "I'll let you know if I see anything strange. But I'm sure she's just tired. She's a Mom of five and a full time Detective. Can't be easy."

Elliot smiled and nodded, "Yeah. You're probably right. I'll uh...I'll see you later."

An hour later, Fin was sitting with Olivia in the lobby of the court house. She was fidgeting in her seat and Fin was watching her intently. "What's up with you today?"

Olivia glanced at him and shook her head, "Nothing. Why?"

"You haven't fidgeted this much since I've known you." Fin said with a laugh, "You're making me nervous."

She huffed and stood up, "Stop watching me then."

"You're my partner Liv. It's my job to look out for you. And I can tell something is bugging you. So just spit it out." Olivia continued to pace, "Stabler do something stupid agian?"

She sighed and shook her head, "Elliot didn't do anything stupid. And at some point you have to cut him a little slack."

"I still maintain that you could do better." He teased, "But for whatever reason you picked him so I'll try my best to be nice." She started pacing again, "You seemed fine yesterday. Didn't you guys have dinner with Dick last night?"

Olivia cringed at the name, "Uh...yeah."

Fin stood up, "Elliot seemed to have a good time. But I take it you didn't?"

"Fin, it was fine. And stop interrogating me. I'm just tired. We've been working nonstop, I have five kids. I just want to get away for a few days." She glanced down at her watch, "Why is this taking so long?"

Her pacing was making him dizzy and he reached out and grabbed her arm, "Liv stop."

Turning, she looked at him, "Fin...don't."

"Elliot is worried about you. He asked me to keep an eye on you. So whatever you're trying to hide, you're not doing a good job at it. He can see it...I can see it." He said.

Olivia sighed and shook her head, "I'm fine. I just...I'm…overreacting. I know I am."

"Overreacting about what?" He saw her cheeks flush, "Why don't you tell me and I'll let you know if you are or not…"

Olivia looked at him, "If I tell you...you have to promise me that you won't say a word to Elliot." Fin gave her a look, "I mean it Fin. You can't say a word."

Fin rocked back and forth for a moment, "Olivia…"

"You're my partner Fin. I need to know that I can trust you. You can't tell him because it doesn't mean anything. And he'll go crazy. But I think maybe I was just...I think I took it the wrong way. So there is no reason for it to be a big thing." He was quiet and she sighed, "Can I trust you?"

Fin sighed knowing that he didn't want to betray her trust, but he also knew that if it was something really bad he would have too. At least for now, he could say that he wouldn't say a word and he'd go from there, "You can trust me."

Olivia took a deep breath and pulled Fin to a quiet corner, "Last night...there was this weird moment with Dick. And it just made me uncomfortable. Maybe I've been doing this job for too long."

"Well what was it that made you uncomfortable? Let me be the judge of if it was wrong or not." He said, he could already tell he wasn't going to like what he heard.

"Dick offered to help me do the dishes so Elliot could go play with the kids." She started, "And...he was talking about how Elliot upgraded with me. But he got a little close. Too close. He had me trapped against the sink, I could feel him and he...touched my lower back. Underneath my jeans...Skin to skin.."

"He did what?" He growled, "Oh if Elliot doesn't kill him, I will."

Olivia sighed, "Fin stop. Like I said...I'm sure I'm overthinking it."

"Well did you kick his ass?" He asked, "I know you had to have kicked his ass."

She rolled her eyes, "Fin, he was a huge part of Elliot's life. I just...I pushed him away and asked him what he was doing. He said it didn't mean anything...and when I questioned him further…"

"When you questioned him further he said what?" He said, "Liv?"

She sighed and shook her head, "He said that Elliot would trust him."

"Over you?" Fin said with a laugh, "Hell no. You're his wife Liv. He's always going to pick you. You have to tell him."

"No. I don't." She said softly, "He's one of Elliot's hero's. He named his son after him. He'll be gone in a few weeks and it will be fine. Elliot doesn't need to know."

"So you just keep this from him? His so-called hero made a pass at you. Made you uncomfortable. Elliot would break his nose if not worse if he knew." He said with a huff.

"Fin, I need you to not say anything. I'm sure he's just one of those guys who…" Her voice trailed off and she sighed.

"See you don't even believe the crap that you're saying. Where's the Olivia Benson I know who would crush any asshole who dared put his hands on her?" He asked.

"She's trying to protect her husband from getting hurt." She said loudly, "That means more to me than my pride. And as my partner, I'm asking you to let this go. I'm sure it won't happen again."

"And if it does?" He asked, "Elliot was talking this morning about going out again with Dick and Richie. If Dick does something else inappropriate, you're just going to let it slide? Letting it slide will just give him license to do it to another woman."

"Just stop. Okay? Just stop." She turned away from him and sighed, "Please drop this."

Fin sighed, "You need to tell him."

Olivia watched him go and instantly regretted even opening her mouth. Nothing good was going to come of this.

Olivia got home late as she expected and found Elliot paying bills at the counter. It was quiet in the house and she knew the kids were asleep. Walking up to him, she put a hand on his back, "Hey."

Elliot turned towards her, "Hey."

"All go okay with the kids?" She asked, sitting down beside him, "Noah was okay?"

"He's fine. I fed him and he went down right away. The twins fought like crazy about what they want to do at my Mom's. Kathleen's decided that she wants to be a vet and is still hounding me about the dog again. And Maureen wants to know if she can bring a friend with us which means she's officially too old for family time." He moved away from the counter and got a bottle of water, "There's leftovers."

"I had dinner with Alex." She said as she sat down where he had just gotten up from.

"Headache gone?" He asked as he took a sip of water.

He watched her carefully and she knew he was still upset, "It's...gone. Yeah."

"Good." He flipped the lights off in the kitchen, "I'm going to bed."

As he started to walk out of the kitchen she could feel him pulling away literally and figuratively, "El, wait."

She heard him sigh before he turned back to her, "What?"

"I…" Her hands slid along the cool counter, "I'm sorry about last night…"

"If you didn't feel well, I get that." He shrugged and walked over to her, "But you were weird with Dick. He means a lot to me, Liv. You know that."

She had been two seconds away from telling him the truth but his words made her feel guilty again, "I know. I'm sorry."

He shook his head and leaned in to pull her against his chest, she clung to him, "It's fine. I just wish that you would have told me yesterday instead of trying to hide from me." He kissed the side of her temple, "Maybe we'll have a redo with Dick when we get back from my Mom's? I'd like you to get to know him better. I'm hoping that even if he leaves town again that I'll stay in touch with him this time."

Olivia's heart raced in her chest, "Yeah. Yeah that sounds good."

He smiled and kissed her gently, "Good. Thank you. Want to head up to bed with me?"

She nodded slowly, "Yeah...I want to check in on the kids first. But I'll be there in a second."

As he walked away Olivia felt that dread fill up inside her again. How could she shatter such an important relationship for her husband? She just hoped that whatever happened, Dick would have gotten the hint the first time and wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

The following day was their last day of work before heading out for the weekend. Olivia had taken a half day to make sure that she could get the kids all ready to leave early in the morning. She was standing in the living room folding laundry when the four older kids ran up to her, "Mom can we go over to the McGuire's? They just put in their new pool. Louis called and invited us. Their mom is home."

Olivia smiled, "Sure. But...you need to be back by three to help me finish packing. Please listen to Mrs. McGuire and look after each other."

"We will." They yelled as they ran out the front door.

Noah was in his playpen and Oliiva looked down at him, "Before I know it you'll be running after them."

She went back to sorting laundry into piles of what she knew they would take with them and what would stay here. Last night after talking to Elliot, they had made up in the comfort of their bed. For that time, she was able to forget all about Dick Finley. A knock on the door pulled her out of her daze. Looking down at Noah again, she walked to the door and opened it, immediately she frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Dick took a deep breath, "I wanted to apologize for the other night."

Olivia glared at him, "I thought you said that I was overreacting."

"I think you may have been. But I can understand why you would have thought I was...well anyway." He stepped closer to her, "Can I come in?"

Olivia shook her head, "I don't think so. Elliot's not here and I'd prefer it if you just left. I appreciate the apology but I have a lot to do before we leave for the weekend."

She went to shut the door but Dick's foot caught in the doorway, "I'm not done talking."

Olivia looked down at his foot, "What are you doing?"

"I said...I wasn't done talking. Now unless you want me to disturb your son...I'd let me in." He said with a smirk.

Back at the Precinct, Elliot was typing away at his desk hoping to get done as soon as possible. He was more than ready for a weekend away. Olivia had left at lunch time and he wanted to get home to help her pack. He was so lost in his thought, he didn't hear Fin walking over to him.

"Stabler." He said quickly, "You got a minute?"

Elliot looked up and shrugged, "If you can talk while I type, sure. I want to get out of here sooner rather than later."

Fin tapped the desk under his fingers, "Liv...seem better? Her headache gone?"

Elliot nodded, "Yeah. Seems like it. I hope it stays that way so we can enjoy the weekend."

Fin took a deep breath, "She...didn't say anything other than she had a headache?"

Something in Fin's tone set warning bells off in his head, he looked up slowly and shrugged, "No, why? She say something to you yesterday?"

Fin cleared his throat, "Olivia is my partner...and one of my best friends. Having her trust me...means a hell of a lot to me. And I don't want to betray that trust."

Elliot pushed himself away from his desk, "Fin...what the hell is going on?"

"Olivia told me something in confidence yesterday... something she didn't want you to know. But I've been thinking about it all day and night and I think I need to tell you." He said, "Even if it means she gets pissed at me. She's my partner...and it's my job to look out for her."

"Fin, spit it out. What the hell is going on?" He asked, "If Liv is in some kind of trouble…"

"You haven't seen your buddy Finley in a while...right? Ten years or so?" He asked.

Elliot frowned, "Yeah...ten years. What does he have to do with this?"

"Ten years is a long time to not see a person. People can change a lot in ten years...or maybe they were that way all the time we just missed the signs."

Elliot stepped all the way up to him, "Fin, what are you saying?"

"Olivia didn't have a headache, Elliot. Your buddy Finley made a pass at her. Made her uncomfortable. He touched her. But she didn't want you to know because she knows how much the Colonel meant to you. She was trying to protect you." He said.

"What do you mean he touched her?" He growled, "Fin what the hell did he do?"

"He had her crowded against the sink, pressed himself against her and slid his hand down her lower back. Below her jeans...she pushed him away. And he told her that you wouldn't trust her. That you would trust him. And while I know that's not true...she didn't want to take someone important away from you. But it's tearing her up inside. So I'm telling you. And I'm trusting you to do the right thing."

Elliot's heart was pounding in his chest as he thought back to that night, "When he hugged her...she went stiff. She looked...totally freaked out."

"Yeah well...that's cuz a creep was touching her." He said with a sigh.

Elliot turned from his desk, "Son of a bitch...I can't believe he would...or that she wouldn't tell me."

"Don't be mad at her." Fin said, "Elliot, she loves you enough to try and spare you the heartache of losing Finley. But...what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to talk to her about it and then find him and kick his ass." He growled, he went to grab his coat when John walked up to them.

"I was just listening to the scanner. There was a 911 call from your neighborhood...something about a man forcing himself into a house. The description sounded a lot like your house." John said anxiously.

Elliot and Fin exchanged a quick glance, "Shit."

"Let's go…" Fin said quickly, "That son of a bitch is going to have to answer to all three of us."

Back at the house, Olivia was sitting on the couch staring at Dick. He had forced himself in the front door making her stumble backwards. Her shoulder would definitely be bruised but that was the least of her worries right now. Dick was standing there with a knife in one hand as he paced and Noah was mere feet from him.

Swallowing the lump in her throat she asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since he entered the house, "What do you want Dick?"

"It occured to me that Elliot might not trust me over you after all. You are his wife." He said with a sigh, "And I don't know you well enough to know if you would keep your mouth shut or not."

"I didn't tell him anything." She said quickly, "I swear I didn't say a thing. He cares about you and I didn't think it was necessary."

"Well then maybe you're smarter than I thought you were." He said turning back to her, "Sexy and smart...lucky man that Stabler is."

Olivia shivered at his words, that familiar nauseous feeling returned, "Look, if you just leave now I won't say anything to Elliot either. Okay? Just go."

He opened his mouth to respond when there was a knock on the door, "Mrs. Stabler? It's Mrs. McGuire. Richie thought he saw something going on over here from our yard. Is everything alright? I called the cops."

Olivia froze in her spot, "Dick…"

"Don't say a word." He said pointing the knife at her, "Keep your mouth shut and maybe she'll go away."

Olivia's eyes moved from the door to her son who was oblivious to what was happening, "Dick please...Noah-"

"Noah is fine." He said with a huff, "We have bigger problems here."

"Olivia?" Mrs. McGuire called again, "Are you home?"

Dick put a finger to his lips, "Don't say a word. I'll take care of it. Don't move from that spot, do you hear me? Otherwise, you'll regret it."

Olivia knew she could easily tackle him but the thought of something happening to Noah was one she couldn't live with. She nodded slowly and waited while Dick walked around the couch and opened the front door, "Hello."

Mrs. McGuire frowned at him, but she couldn't see further into the house, "Uh...hi. I'm Mrs. McGuire, I live across the street. Is Olivia or Elliot home?"

"Olivia's just putting little Noah down. Elliot isn't home." He said softly, "I'll have Olivia call you."

He went to shut the door and she called out to him, "I have their kids...Richie thought he saw someone…" She paused for a moment, "Who are you?"

"A family friend." Dick said with a sneer, "Shouldn't you be watching the kids? Goodbye now."

He slammed the door in her face and she stumbled backwards. Olivia held her breath, waiting to see if her neighbor would try and knock again. But after a few minutes, it was clear she was once again alone with Dick. She heard the lock turn on the door before he turned back towards the living room and walked to her. "Dick…"

"I forgot how nosy people can be in the suburbs." He sighed and stood in front of Olivia, "Now, where were we?"

Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up at him, "What do you want?"

"I was almost going to walk away until that woman showed up...but now I know this is going to go down a bad path. So if it does...I'd like to not just be accused of doing something." He smirked, "I'd like to have gotten what I wanted."

Even though she knew the answer, she had to ask, "And what do you want, Colonel?"

His hand reached out and touched her face, "You."

Olivia looked past him again and saw that Noah was falling asleep, "Noah…"

"Is too young to know what's happening." He turned her face back to his, "Don't do something you'll regret Olivia. He's just fine...now take me upstairs."

Her hands were shaking as she stood up, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can." He said with a sigh, "Now go."

They started to walk towards the stairs, her legs felt like jelly but she was too afraid that Dick would go after Noah if she refused. She wished more than anything she had just said something to Elliot, then maybe all of this could have been avoided. Now, despite trying to protect him, he was going to be hurt and upset that she kept something from him. As they walked up the stairs, Olivia noticed one of Richie's toys on the top step. Making a quick decision, she peered over her shoulder and knew that Dick hadn't seen it. Holding her breath, she waited, and when she heard Dick stumble she moved quickly. She turned on her heel and shoved him as hard as she possibly could, sending him flying backwards down the stairs. He crashed into the wall and she ran down the stairs, jumped over him and immediately ran towards Noah. But just as she was about to run with her son to the front door, she felt someone grab her arm, "Don't even think about it."

Olivia froze again, "Colonel, please…"

Pressing the cold knife into her back he whipsered into her ear, "That was really stupid Olivia. Really stupid."

"I'm begging you to not do this." She said quickly, "Noah's just a baby...this is my fault. Okay? I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"You should be." He growled into her ear, "Put him down."

Olivia's arms were shaking as she leaned down again and placed Noah in the play pen. He was crying after having been woken up so abruptly and she could feel tears burning in her own eyes. As she turned to look Dick again, his hand shot out and smacked her across the face. The sting made the tears come again, she looked down at his other hand and saw the knife again. If she could just get it away from him…

"Sit. Down." He said pointing the knife towards the couch. "Now."

Outside, Elliot, Fin and John flew into the driveway, flanked by the other Queen's PD squad cars. As he got out of the car, Elliot heard Maureen's voice. He turned and saw the kids running towards him from the neighbors yard. "Dad! What's going on?"

Elliot quickly walked over to them, "Where were you?"

"Mom let us go to the McGuire's for a swim." Maureen said, "But Richie thought he saw the Colonel out front...but he said it looked like he was arguing with Mom. Mrs. McGuire went over but she said she didn't see Mom."

Elliot sighed, his heart was racing in his chest, "I want you to go back over there. I'll come get you soon, okay?"

"Dad?" Richie's voice broke through the tension, "Are Mommy and Noah in danger?"

Kneeling down in front of his oldest son he smiled, "No bud. I'm going to fix everything, okay? Do you trust me?"

Riche looked uncertain but he nodded slowly, "Yeah...yeah I trust you."

"Okay good." He kissed his son's head, and looked at his neighbor, "Can you please keep them over at your house? I'll be back as soon as I can."

She nodded and started to usher the kids back to her house, "Come on you guys. Your Dad's got everything under control."

Elliot turned to see Fin running over to him, "I have a visual on Liv and Noah. They're in the living room. Noah's in his play pen but he's clearly upset. Liv's just sitting on the couch...but I can't tell what Finley is doing."

"He has to be threatening her somehow. She wouldn't just sit there like that." John said.

"She would if she thought Noah was in danger." Elliot said with a sigh, "I have to get into the house. But if I just barge in the front door he could freak out."

"Can we get you in another way without him noticing?" Fin asked. "I know he'd see you from the back door. But is there another way in?"

Elliot was quiet for a moment, "We may be able to break in through the bulkhead. I can go up through the basement and catch him off guard."

"Let's go." The three men turned and ran towards the back yard, all thinking the same thing.

If the Colonel hurt one hair on Olivia or Noah's head, he was a dead man…