There had been a major accident that had extended their drive by almost an hour, so by the time they drove over the narrow strip of land that connected Mount Desert Island from the mainland, the sun was already dipping low in the sky. Olivia took a left and steered towards the Bar Harbor downtown, deciding she wanted to see get a glimpse of the town before heading deeper into the woods where their cottage was located. She didn't have to go far before several small restaurants and shops started to appear. There were plenty of people dotting the sidewalks, and she assumed people were going to dinner at this hour.

"Look for Eagle Lake Road." Olivia said, peering over the steering wheel as she tried to watch for pedestrians and look at the road signs. Almost as soon as she'd said it, they came upon. The main road appeared to end and dump into a more residential area. Eagle Lake Road veered to the right and then seemed to curve sharply, and to the left was more of the town. The trees were already casting long shadows, and Olivia was worried about finding the place.

"Let's find the cottage and explore the town later."

"We have a week to explore." Elliot said. "Let's go." He took the printed map from Olivia as she turned right and headed towards the tree line. The road curved and crossed over a brook several times, and then they hit a solid line of evergreens and a sign indicating they were in the Cadillac Mountain Wilderness Region.

"I read about this." Elliot said. "Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the east coast of the U.S. We'll have to hike to the top one day." He looked over at Olivia. "It's supposed to have a fantastic view!"

Olivia glanced over at Elliot, surprised that he had done some research on the area. She assumed he was the kind that was just 'along for the ride', happy to do whatever Olivia has planned or they stumbled across. "Well, aren't you an encyclopedia of information." She commented, leaning over the steering wheel slightly as she looked for turns off the main road. "What's the name we're looking for?" She slowed down as the narrow, two lane road twisted through the trees. The sunlight didn't reach as far in here, and dusk was already making it harder to see. The headlights illuminated a sign that said Eagle Lake and they could see the expanse of the water as the trees broke to their left. Darkness was falling quickly, and it made the lake look inky black. Olivia felt an unvoluntary shudder as the isolation of this place hit her.

"Mason Drive." Elliot said. "It's not too far up here, on the right."

Olivia slowed and a few minutes later, they saw their turn. She turned onto the road and as her headlights swept across the tar, she saw three deer on the side of the road. She pressed the brake quickly, and the Jeep shuddered to a stop. The deer looked up quickly at the motion and froze, and Olivia found she was holding her breath. The only deer she'd seen were those lying dead on the side of the Henry Hudson.

She watched as they slowly made their way across the road and disappeared into the trees.

"Yeah, I should have told you to watch out for deer. We don't want to hit one." Elliot said, watching the spot where they disappeared. "Remember, if you see one, there are more. So always stop." He saw Olivia give him a funny look, as if she wanted to challenge him on his comment. But he knew she wouldn't. She was way out of her element here. A city girl through and through. "I can't believe the two of you picked a spot out here instead of more in town."

"We wanted some peace and quiet." Olivia said as she started inching the Jeep forward again. Olivia would have opted for a place in town actually, but Casey had picked out this spot, and she had agreed. They saw some metal signs with numbers on them, and Elliot explained they were signs for the fire and police, so they could find the houses quickly. They hadn't gone very far with they saw the number for their rental spot and Olivia took a left on to a gravel drive. The trees closed in more closely here for a few hundred yards and then opened up into a clearing. A small, white cottage appeared, nestled in the trees and Olivia smiled. "That's adorable!" She said as she came to a stop, peering through the windshield.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. He didn't think he'd ever heard the word adorable out of Olivia before, but he bit back his comment.

The cottage was small, but someone had anticipated their arrival, and light was pouring from a couple of windows, making it seem very inviting. There were French doors that seemed to be the main entrance, and a light illuminated a porch area. She could see some chairs and a small table, and already identified that as a potential spot for morning coffee.

Olivia and Elliot got out of the car at the same time, and Olivia let out a small sound of surprise at the cold air. "Wow. The temperature dropped." She pulled her cardigan more closely around her.

Elliot walked around the front of the Jeep and looked back at Olivia. "Is the key under the mat?" Elliot asked. "Or…"

"She gave me a key code." Olivia said. "Well, she had me set a key code." They both approached the door and sure enough, a keypad had been installed on the door. Olivia punched in her badge number, something she'd be sure to remember, and she heard Elliot chuckle as he watched.

"So much for nothing work related."

Olivia ignored the comment and pushed open the door, with Elliot right on her heels. It was only slightly warmer inside, and Elliot closed the door behind the door behind them, nearly running into her as she stopped to take in the space. The cottage wasn't large, as she'd known, and she as reminded of the layout from the pictures Casey had shown her. To her right was a cozy living room space, with a small loveseat on the back wall, facing the front of the home. On the end wall, there was recliner with a small shelf next to it, loaded down with books and some games. Directly to her right, and across from the loveseat, was an old drop leaf table, loaded with a cable box, Wi-Fi router and a phonograph, and a television mounted on the wall above it. To her left was a wooden table and four wooden chairs, centered in front of the windows facing the front. Directly ahead of her was a metal, spiral staircase that she knew led to the second, small bedroom. From the layout of the house and the photos she'd seen, she knew that the half room must have been the attic. Directly to the left of the staircase was a short hallway that she knew led to the main bedroom and bathroom, and in the kitchen was tucked in the back corner of the house. All in all, it was small, but cozy. More then enough for what she and Casey had planned for the week.

"This is quaint." Elliot said, looking around. "Is there a fireplace or a stove?" He walked into the living room area, but he knew something like that would be hard to miss. He rubbed his hands together. There had been a chill in the air when he'd stepped outside of the Jeep, but it seemed almost colder inside.

Olivia found the light switch by the door, and an overhead light in the living room flickered on. The next switch lit the dining area, and she saw a sheaf of papers lying on the table. She also spotted the thermostat on the wall near the stairs. "Here." She ratcheted the temperature up a few degrees and was rewarded with the sound of the furnace kicking into gear. She turned back towards Elliot, wrapping her arms around herself. "That should take the chill out." She said, walking back to where he was standing.

Elliot put his arms out and grabbed her lightly by the shoulders, tugging her towards him slightly. "If not, we an always rely on body heat to keep us warm." He teased as he winked at her.

Olivia pressed her hands against his chest, surprised by the way he was pulling her into an embrace. "I brought warm clothes."

Elliot didn't release her though, pulling her back towards him with a small laugh. "Relax Liv." He said, keeping some distance between her body and his as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "I don't bite."

They both jumped when there was a knock on the door, and Olivia took a quick step back quickly, nonsensically feeling a stab of guilt.

"Who's that?" Elliot asked.

"I don't know." Olivia shrugged as she headed towards the door.

Elliot pushed past her, getting to the door first. They were in the middle of nowhere, and he felt a protective surge. He heard Olivia say his name in protest, but he was already opening the door. There was an older man standing on the porch with a smile on his face, looking affable, and Elliot relaxed.

"Didn't know if you folks were gonna make 'er." He said, shifting on his feet as he smiled at "I'm Joe Johnson." He said, putting out his hand.

Elliot shook the man's hand, wondering if this guy was some sort of welcoming committee or what, when he saw him peer over his shoulder at Olivia.

"You Miss Novak?" He asked.

Elliot opened the door more widely as Olivia wedged herself in front of him. "No. But I'm Olivia Benson." Casey had done all the legwork, but Olivia had provided her name on the contract as well. "Casey had something come up, so she couldn't make it." She saw Joe look at Elliot and then back at her. "This is my friend, Elliot." She swore she could have seen a slight look of disapproval on his face, but maybe she imagined because he was smiling now.

"Well, me and the missus are just a half mile down the road here." He pointed past the cottage. "In the main house. I sent a bunch of information about the cottage. Things you need to know about the place and things to do. That sorta thing. I assume you got all that?"

Olivia nodded, trying to think of all the things Casey had told her about the place. "Yeah."

"OK. Good." Joe nodded. "The wife put together some info on restaurants and such and left it on the table there." He motioned in the direction of the table. "Our phone number is there too, so if you have any questions or any problems…" He let the words trail off and just looked at them.

"OK. Sounds great." Olivia said. "I appreciate you checking in on us."

"Just want to make sure people don't have an issue with the keypad or have any questions." He said. "Don't worry, you won't see us again." He chuckled. "Not unless you need us."

Olivia smiled. When Joe had shown up, she was a little worried that he was going to be one of those people that would be pestering them…checking in on them…off and on, ruining the tranquility she was looking for. She realized now that he was just sizing up his tenants, and she supposed she could understand that. They probably didn't want to have a bunch of young kids show up, or people that were going to trash the place. It also made her want to tell him they were cops, but sometimes that brought a different level of interest. She would just have to assume they looked respectable enough.

"That sounds great. Thanks for renting us this place. We really haven't had a chance to look around, but it looks perfect to me."

"I just restocked some wood for the firepit in the back. Just make sure the fire's out before you leave or go to bed." He waved a hand in the air. "I'm blabbering. You know all that." He nodded his head. "Well, have a good night." He waved his hand again and turned, walking off the porch and down the drive.

Olivia and Elliot walked out on to the small porch and watched him disappear around the trees in the direction he had indicated earlier.

Olivia wrapped her arms around herself again. "I'm glad he didn't show up much later." She said. "It would have startled me if I had happened to just see him walking out of the woods or had him knock on the door at ten tonight."

Elliot laughed. He had a vision of Olivia tackling Joe before he could even explain who he was. "He looked pretty harmless." Elliot said. He flexed his arms. "Plus, I'm here to protect you."

Olivia rolled her eyes, but the moment she did it, she bit down on her lip. Luckily, Elliot hadn't caught it. "Yeah, yeah." Olivia said, dismissing him. "Are we going to unload the car or what?"

They both started walking towards the car. "Let's unload the car but unpack later. I'm ready for diner." As they walked, Elliot wondered just how closely Olivia had been paying attention to the details Casey had provided. "Did you know this was some kind of guest house or second home on the property?" Elliot asked.

"I remember her saying something about that. I guess I didn't realize they were so close." She didn't remember that someone else was on property at all, but she'd pretty much left the details to Casey. As long as she had a bed and there was a coffeemaker, she was good.

"Hmmm." Elliot chuckled. They had been slammed all summer, and he wasn't sure when Olivia and Casey had booked this spot, but he was going to assume Casey had been the one making the plans and Olivia had been only half-listening to the details. Elliot looked at his watch and saw it was almost 7:30. They were almost completely immersed in darkness; in ten more minutes it would be completely black. "Let's hustle. I wonder if this town rolls it's sidewalks up at night."

Olivia nodded. They unpacked quickly and dumped their bags in the living room. Five minutes later, they were heading back the way they'd come with Elliot behind the wheel. Olivia had grabbed the flyers and pamphlets off the table so she could sort through them and find a place for dinner on the way back to town.

"All of these places close at 9 or 10." Olivia said rifling through the papers.

Elliot looked at the clock on the dash. "It's s'kay. Just pick one and we'll have something quick." It had been a long day of driving and he knew that once he got some food in his stomach, he'd want to crash.

Ten minutes later, he was sitting across from Olivia in some placed called the Thirsty Whale. It was just about what he'd expected. A little bit authentic Maine and a little bit of catering to the tourists. It didn't matter, because a few minutes later, he had a beer in his hand and a Reuben on the way. He lifted his beer and Olivia did the same.

"To sleeping in, fresh air, night skies and sunsets."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear the sentiment from Elliot. "That's kind of poetic." She clinked glasses with him and took a sip of her beer. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Layers Liv." Elliot said taking drink from his own glass. "Like an onion."

"You're saying there are things I don't know about you?" Olivia shook her head. They'd been partners and friends for too long. She was pretty certain she knew him pretty well. What you saw is what you got when it came to Elliot.

"Absolutely." Elliot leaned back against the bench, shifting so he could rest his arm along the wooden back. "Just like I'm sure there are things I don't know about you."

Olivia shifted uncomfortably, wondering what Elliot was getting at. "Are we going to sit around, braid each other's hair, try on each other's clothes and tell each other our deepest, darkest secrets?" Olivia asked with a smirk.

Elliot leaned forward. "Do you have deep, dark secrets Olivia?" He raised one brow, keeping his eyes trained on hers. He watched Olivia squirm slightly, and he thought about his own unspoken secrets. She held his eyes for a moment and then they dropped to her beer. He decided to give her a break. "My hair is kind of hard to braid, so I guess you're off the hook." He said, and he saw her gaze shoot back up to his, relief evident in her features.

"True." Olivia said, thankful that he didn't press her any farther. "I swear though, if I catch you trying on my clothes…"

EOEOEOEOEO

They were both wiped when they finished up their food and beers, and they were the last ones out of the bar as they closed at ten.

"I hope the bed is comfortable, because I'm going to sleep until noon tomorrow." Olivia said as they turned into the driveway and then up to the house.

"Amen." Elliot said.

Olivia watched as Elliot punched in her badge number, feeling an odd bit of intimacy about it, which was completely unwarranted, but there, nonetheless. Elliot pushed the door open and flipped on the lights and was happy to feel it had warmed up in the cottage.

He grabbed Olivia's suitcase and headed back towards her bedroom before she could accuse him of being overly chivalrous. By the time he hard her objection, he had traversed the short hallway and made his way into her bedroom. The space in the room was largely consumed by the queen-sized bed and a small nightstand, but the room was neatly appointed, and the bed looked comfortable. He dropped her suitcase on the bed and turned as she entered the room. "This looks great." He said, realizing the door was between he and Olivia. "So, good night." It felt weird, as if he should hug her or kiss her on the cheek or something, but she moved out of the way before he could do either, standing at the end of the bed.

"Night." Olivia said, watching as Elliot continued to stand in her room.

"I'll be sure to be quiet in the morning if I'm up before you."

Olivia nodded, wrapping her cardigan around her body again. "Sounds good."

"OK. Well, good night." Elliot left her room and went back out to the living room. He made sure the front door was locked and then looked at the spiral staircase. He wondered if he was going to be able to fit his bulk and his suitcase up the narrow stairs. He looked up and realized it was completely dark up there. He looked for a light switch by the stairs but didn't see one. He let out a sigh, lifted his bag in front of him and worked his way up. "Good thing I only have to do this twice a day." He muttered, finally reaching the attic space.

When he reached the top, he felt around for a switch and thankfully found one, flooding the room with light. He set down his bag and looked around, furrowing his brow as he took in the space. It had absolutely been an attic that they had finished off at one point, with a dormer window at each end of the room. There was a loveseat tucked into one corner, but it had boxes stacked on top of it, filling the entire seat. The small table next to it was piled with knick-knacks, and there were more boxes on the floor surrounding it. He saw a single mattress and box spring, but they were both leaning up against the wall, with the headboard braced against it. There was a small table and chair beneath the window on the other end, and he saw some pillows and an old quilt piled on the chair. To top it off, there was a ladder and a toolbox, and a couple of tarps piled in front of that, as if some project were about to get underway. "What the hell?" He muttered, turning back to the stairs and then back to the room. He wondered, for a moment, if he had missed a bedroom somewhere, but he knew that wasn't the case. He couldn't believe that Olivia or Casey would have slept up here, and he wondered if they'd been planning on sharing the room downstairs. That didn't make any sense, as certainly Olivia would have raised that issue when they'd discussed his substitution for Casey.

Elliot scrubbed his hand over his face and then looked around the room again, wondering briefly how they'd even gotten this stuff up here, while he considered his options. It was pretty clear that they weren't supposed to be using this space, although he wasn't sure of the reasons.

So, his options were to sleep on the floor or find someplace else to sleep. He was so tired, that he thought for tonight, he probably could just camp out on the floor. But he knew that waking up in the morning, he would be stiff and sore. So, that was off the table.

He thought about Olivia sinking into that nice, soft bed and he wanted to groan because it sounded so wonderful. But sharing a bed with Olivia, while tempting, was off the table. She would kill him. He looked at the loveseat piled with boxes, and thought it was about the same length as the loveseat downstairs. There was no way his six-foot frame was going to fit on either of those. The recliner might be an option, or…he could move some of this crap out of the way and try to carve out some space to lay the box spring and mattress. That was probably his best option, and if he wasn't supposed to sleep up here, he could find out the reasons why tomorrow.

Elliot walked over to where the toolbox and ladder were sitting on the floor, listening to the creak of the floorboards as he walked. He certainly hoped it wasn't a problem with the floor, and he was about to go crashing through the ceiling below. He lifted the ladder, but there was really no place to maneuver, and again he wondered how they'd even gotten it up here. He realized he was going to have to try to get the mattress and box spring out from behind it while leaving the ladder in place, meaning the only open spot was going to be near the top of the stairs. He set the ladder back down and it clattered against the metal headboard, making a ruckus in the quiet space. He stopped, listening for sounds downstairs, but he heard none.

Elliot lifted the headboard and shifted it to the side to try to create some space, but ended up connecting with one of the walls, wincing at the noise. He was getting annoyed, so he reached for the box spring and tried to pull it around but there was just no space to maneuver and he let it go and it fell back against the wall.

Fuck! He cursed softly to himself. He didn't have the patience for this right now, and pretty soon, Olivia was going to come nosing around and ask him what the hell he was doing. He stepped over the toolbox and tarps and reached for the quilt and pillow but lost his balance when he reached too far and he went crashing down, toppling the chair as he landed on his hands and knees. He was just trying to extricate himself when he heard noise on the metal stairs. Ten seconds later, Olivia's head popped up between the railing.

"What's going on?" She asked, slightly out of breath. "Are you okay?" She saw Elliot sitting amidst a mess of tools, tarps, blankets, and furniture. She climbed a few more stairs. "What's going on up here?" She asked as she surveyed the small space. "Isn't this supposed to be a bedroom?" She climbed the last few stairs and stood looking at Elliot with her hands on her hips. "Where's the bed?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Elliot said, pushing himself to his feet. "It looks like it's pushed up against the wall there." He said, pointing to the mattress. "But this space clearly isn't being used so…" He let it hang there, waiting for her to fill in the details. "I didn't miss a bedroom downstairs, did I?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. I…" She honestly didn't know what was happening right now. This had clearly been advertised as a two-bedroom cottage. "Maybe I missed some details." She admitted. She had really only browsed the emails Casey had sent because she had planned on Casey being there. There didn't seem to be a need to memorize all the details.

Elliot sighed. He grabbed the quilt and a pillow off the floor. "Well, I need to get some sleep. I'm going to try out the loveseat or the recliner." He was grumpy now. Not with her, just with the situation.

"You can't sleep on either of those." Olivia said. "Can we…" She looked at the single mattress, wondering if they could drag that downstairs somehow, but she saw the look on Elliot's face…the look that said he'd reached his limit…and she didn't want to suggest another frustrating task for the night. "Just…come sleep in the bedroom." She couldn't even believe she was suggesting that, and she was very careful to make sure she didn't ask him to sleep with her. "Just for tonight and then we'll figure something out." She said hastily.

Elliot seemed to consider her offer, but he didn't say no right away, which was kind of intriguing. She expected him to flat our refuse, and now that he was considering it, she wasn't sure how she felt about it. It would be innocent enough. She knew that, but it still seemed odd. "It'll be like we're sleeping in the cribs. In bunks right across from each other. Just a little closer." She wasn't sure if she was saying that for herself or for Elliot, but either way, he was obviously waiting for her to work through it or rescind her suggestion. He stood in place, clutching the quilt and pillow, and she straightened up. "It's fine. Just tonight."

Olivia turned and headed back down the stairs, wondering how she was possibly going to be able to sleep with Elliot Stabler in bed next to her.