The first thing she felt when she woke up was a wet nose and something very furry. "What the hell?"

She cracked an eye open and came face to face with a dog which startled her more than anything. She sat up, and instantly regretted it, holding onto her head which was pounding harder by the second. "Shit."

As her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, her heart started to pound hard in her chest. This was not a place she recognized. Narrowing her eyes at the dog, she tried to wrack her brain and figure out where she was and then she recognized her. Ember. The dog turned slowly to look at her, a lazy look on her face amongst the spacious bed. "Oh God…"

Then she looked down at herself, her white tank top was resting just below her breasts and all she saw was her bare stomach and her black underwear, "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God!" She grimaced and whispered to herself, "Olivia you colossal idiot."

Turning to the left, she tried to look for the man she expected to see. But he was nowhere to be seen. This had to be his apartment though, didn't it? This was definitely Ember, his dog so where the hell was he? She remembered running into him at the bar, remembered the flirting, the dancing, vaguely remembered being pressed up against the brick wall outside and making out with him. But everything after that was a total blur. She had all but thrown herself at him she thought and that had to mean they had slept together. She was half naked in his bed so there was no other explanation.

He must be in the bathroom, or maybe he ran out to get coffee. She could grab her stuff, sneak out and never look back. He didn't have her number. And she doubted he'd look her up after making such a spectacle of herself. Creeping out of the bed, Ember shifted towards her and Olivia put a finger to her lips, "Stay girl…stay."

Ember laid down, whining softly and she sighed looking at her, "Oh don't look at me like that…I already feel terrible enough for the both of us." Ember whined again and she frowned, "Trust me Ember, I'm doing him a favor by giving him the out now."

She felt sick to her stomach as she looked around for her jeans and any other items. Her phone was on the bedside table, either she had or he had plugged it in earlier which meant it was now charged. Now she started to remember, he'd offered to bring her home but she couldn't remember the name of the hotel and her phone had been dead. So he'd brought her here instead. But still, she didn't know what happened after.

Pulling her jeans on, she tiptoed out of the bedroom and her eyes landed on her shoes strewn out on the floor by the door. She walked towards them, the old wood floors creaking below her as she moved. And that's when she spotted him. Laid out on his back on the couch, one hand over his bare chest, the other tossed up over his head, hanging off the arm rest a bit. God he was good looking.

Her head was spinning as she watched him, for many many reasons. But…why was he on the couch? Did that mean they hadn't…that couldn't be possible could it? There was no way a man would turn down a woman who crawled into his bed. At least not any man she had ever known. Unless he was gay…but the way he had looked at her last night, the way he had kissed her didn't seem like he was gay. He seemed interested. Very interested.

So what did this all mean? Maybe she had been annoying him in the middle of the night. Or maybe there wasn't enough room for her, Ember and him (despite that he had a King sized bed). Maybe he hadn't been able to sleep and had come out here intending on coming back to bed and crashed. Whatever the reason, it didn't really matter in this moment. All she knew was that she had to get the hell out of here. And if she was lucky, she'd never have to see him again.

As she picked up her shoes slowly, she hated that the thought of never seeing him again made her sad. She'd barely known him for 24 hours. He was nothing to her. He had to be nothing to her. Ember walked into the living room again, staring at her from the open french doors to his room. Her eyes were wide and she knew all it would take would be for the dog to bark and he'd be awake and she'd be caught. Shaking her head, she silently prayed that the dog would remain quiet. And by some stroke of luck, she did.

Taking one last look at Elliot, she sighed heavily and carefully tiptoed out of the apartment ready for her walk of shame. Slipping on her shoes in the elevator she checked her phone to see she had three missed calls from Alex and a few messages.

Please tell me you're back at firefighters guy's apartment having the time of your life?

I'm assuming the lack of response means you're too busy to get to the phone.

So text me when you're done and tell me all the details.

Olivia sighed, ran a hand through her hair and walked outside to the sidewalk. She walked a few feet before she spotted a cab and found the address in her phone to the apartment, wanting to take a long hot shower and crawl back into bed and hopefully, forget this night ever happened. But as the driver moved into traffic again, she looked behind her at the building and wondered if she was making a huge mistake.

Ten minutes later, Ember had waited long enough and moved towards Elliot on the couch. Whimpering, she nudged him with her nose on his arm. He shifted slightly and she yelped loudly. His eyes opened and tried to get used to the bright light streaming in through the big windows. "Morning Em."

He yawned, rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly as she jumped up beside him. "You hungry girl?" Ember panted beside him and lifted her paw, he smiled and ran his fingers through her soft fur, "Alright. Let me check on Liv first, okay? Then I'll take you out and I'll make you both something to eat."

Ember barked again and he hushed her, not wanting to startle Olivia. Stretching his arms over his head, he yawned and rolled his neck back and forth before pushing himself up off the couch. As quietly as he could, he walked towards the open doors to his bedroom. Sometime in the middle of the night he'd woken up to check on her, plugged in her phone and left water and tylenol by the bed for her. She hadn't moved a muscle in her sleep, but she breathed evenly and it had once again taken every ounce of strength he had not to crawl in behind her and hold her. She truly was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

But now, as he walked into the room, he knocked carefully on the doorframe, not wanting to invade her space without her consent. In her more sober state, he assumed she would not quite be as friendly as she was last night once the alcohol hit. Clearing his throat, he poked his head in cautiously, "Liv?"

Immediately, his heart sank to his stomach because there was no one on the bed. The sheets were just rumpled, the pillow still indented from her head. He could smell her perfume lingering in the room too. Turning to the bedside table, he saw the glass of water, the bottle of Advil, but her phone was gone. His hand slid down the wood frame and he sighed, "Shit…"

Turning, he walked towards the bathroom hoping she was just in there. But somehow he knew she wasn't. She'd bolted and he shouldn't have been all that surprised really. Walking towards the kitchen, he looked for any sign of a note, anything that would suggest she'd even been there at all. But, everything was just as he'd left it the day before. Only, nothing was the same, not one thing. As far as he was concerned, there was before meeting Olivia Benson and life after, the only problem was, he wasn't sure when or if he'd see her again.

Turning towards the couch, he saw Ember watching him carefully and he sighed, "You bark when the wind blows but you don't bark when Olivia leaves to at least warn me?" Ember just tilted her head to the side and he sighed, "Some wing girl you are…"

Ember leapt over the back of the couch and stood up on her hind legs, pressing her front paws into his chest. Sighing heavily, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "Looks like you're still the number girl in my life Em." She barked again and he smiled, "Come on…"

Opening the back door, he took her out again and let her run around, his mind running a mile a minute. Sure he knew her name. Sure he knew where she worked. But somehow he knew that showing up at her job would be a big no for Olivia. And whatever chance he hoped to have would be snatched away before he had the chance. So…his only hope now was to pray that the universe would bring her into his path again, and soon. If not, he was sure he was going to go crazy…

Later that afternoon, Olivia woke up with a splitting headache and in desperate need of food. Sighing, she rolled onto her side and grabbed her phone, looking to make sure Noah hadn't called. She did have a message from Liam's Mom and she smiled at the picture of Noah and Liam at the beach jumping in the waves. Her heart squeezed in her chest, she was confused by so many things. But what she wasn't confused by was how mucus he loved that damn boy.

And right now, she couldn't wait for him to come home. Sitting up slowly, she ran a hand through her slightly damp hair. The shower she took when she got back had woken her up a bit but she crashed again as soon as her head hit the pillow. The bed was comfortable, but not nearly as comfortable as Elliot's bed. Looking to her right, she saw that Alex's bed was empty. Scrolling through her phone for a few minutes, she half expected to see a message from Elliot. How she didn't know but she wouldn't put it past him. Or maybe, he didn't care after all. That would sure make it easier.

A moment later the door opened and Alex walked in, looking a little worse for the ware, "She lives."

Olivia sighed and tossed her phone down, "Barely…"

Alex climbed up beside her on the bed, "Matt had to go in to work. He said goodbye though."

"Hm…" She turned and reached for the water bottle and somehow vaguely remembered Elliot bringing her water in her sleep last night.

Alex watched her as she held the water in front of her, clearly lost in thought, "So…" Olivia turned to look at her, "You gonna tell me about your night with Mr. Blue eyes?"

Olivia laughed and wiped at the corner of her lips, "Mr. Blue eyes?"

Leaning up on her elbows Alex smiled, "Have you ever seen a man with bluer eyes than him? A girl could drown in them like the ocean…"

Olivia shook her head and put her water down, "Says the woman with a boyfriend who she claims to love."

"I do love him." Alex said with a smile, "But, he is a good looking man and I can admit that. And you got to go home with him last night. So…tell me about it."

Olivia sighed and crawled off the bed, "There's nothing to tell Alex. I can't remember anything past the bar so…clearly it wasn't very memorable."

"Or nothing happened at all." Olivia stumbled slightly and Alex smiled, "Which seems more likely because he is definitely a good man…the kind of man who wouldn't want to take advantage of you."

Olivia rifled through her bag quietly, "Look, it was fun to go out. But, I need to get back home and-"

"Olivia." She froze by her bag and Alex sat up, "You left without saying goodbye didn't you?"

Sliding her hand down her shirt she turned to her and shrugged, "And what if I did?"

Alex sighed and pushed herself up off the bed and walked towards her, "Olivia…he was a good one."

She started to laugh as she stared at her best friend, "Alex, I love you. But you don't know a damn thing about him. You couldn't possibly know that he's a good guy."

"As a Lawyer it's my job to read people, and I could tell he was one of the good ones." She said sternly, "And deep down I think you saw that too."

"I saw no such thing." She turned away from her and grabbed clothes out of her bag, "Now, I'm gonna change and then I want to get back so I can get something's done before Noah comes back tomorrow."

Alex sighed and watched her go, "Not every guy in the Universe is going to be like him you know…" Olivia froze by the bathroom door, she knew she wasn't referring to Elliot, she was referring to Noah's Father, "And someday, you're gonna regret pushing them all away. I hate to see you do this to yourself…you deserve to be happy."

"I am happy." She whispered as she looked back at her, "I have Noah. I have a good job. Good friends. I don't need anything else."

Alex shook her head sadly, "Keep telling yourself that Benson…but I know you better than anyone. I know that you're lying to yourself and I think you know it too."

Olivia stood up straighter and walked all the way into the bathroom, "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against the sink and wished she could go back to yesterday. Could have turned her friend down to start with so she never would have gone to that stupid event. Wished she'd never met Elliot Stabler. Because her friend was right. She was lying to herself and there was no way she was going to forget Mr. Blue eyes anytime soon…

Bending forward, she splashed some water on her face and whispered, "You don't need him Olivia. You don't need anyone."

But that was a lie too. A big fat lie. And lucky for her…the Universe knew it too.

The morning that Noah was scheduled to come home, Olivia was up bright and early. She'd spent the day before half sleeping off her hangover half panicking over all the different emotions that Elliot had ignited in her in such a short time. And before her son got home, she had to pull it together and clean the apartment. When the buzzer sounded, she instantly felt relief wash over her. Her person was home. The one thing she could always count on. Noah. Her saving grace.

She practically ran down the hall, waited impatiently in the elevator and not caring if he was embarrassed or not, grabbed him as soon as she saw him, "You are never allowed to leave me that long again mister!"

Noah wiggled in her embrace, trying to breathe, "Mom! You're squishing me!"

She shook her head and kissed the side of his head repeatedly, "Don't care. I was deprived of you for almost three days. Live with it."

Noah laughed but quickly squeezed her back, grateful to be home. As much fun as he had had, he had missed his Mom more than he could admit, "Missed you too Mom." He whispered.

She smiled and pulled back, running her fingers through his curls, "Did you have fun?"

Noah nodded, "We had a great time."

"Good." She kissed his forehead and stood up to greet Liam's Dad, "He was good I hope?"

"Better than our own kids." David said with a smile as he placed Noah's bag down, "I dropped Alyssa and the other two off at the grocery store before bringing Noah back. But he was every bit a gentleman as always."

Olivia smiled proudly down at her son, "I'm glad to hear that." Looking back up at him she smiled, "Thank you again for taking him. I can't wait to hear all about it and hopefully see some more pictures."

David nodded, "Alyssa said she'd print some out for you and drop them off next time the boys have a playdate. They still on for next Saturday?"

"Absolutely." She said with a quick nod, "Are you sure I can't offer you money for-"

He put his hand up and smiled, "Save it Benson." He gave her a knowing look and stepped back, "Have a great day together and be safe out there on the streets."

Olivia smiled and gave him and Liam in the car a wave, "I will. Thank you."

"Thank you!" Noah called out to them as he leaned against his Mom, "I had so much fun!"

"See ya later Noah!" Liam called waving frantically from the back seat.

As they drove off, Olivia leaned down and picked up Noah's bag, slinging it over her shoulder, "Alright little dude. I don't have to work until tomorrow afternoon. So…until then…we do whatever you want to do."

Noah looked up at her and smiled, "Really?"

Bending down slightly, she kissed the top of his head once more, "Really. So…what do you want to do first?"

They started to walk back towards the apartment building and Noah leaned further into her, "It's…still kind of early and we got up before the sun. I didn't sleep much last night. Is it okay if…we take a nap first?"

Olivia smiled softly and rubbed his back, he was growing fast but under it all he was still her little boy and she was grateful for that, "We can do that. I just put some new sheets on your bed and-"

"Can we sleep in your room instead?" He asked hopefully, his cheeks flushed as they climbed into the elevator, "I just…I missed you."

Olivia's eyes burned with tears as the elevator went up to the fifth floor and she nodded, "I missed you too kid. More than you could possibly understand."

They walked together towards the apartment and Olivia let him in, dropping his bag by the door. He grabbed a bottle of water and then moved towards her bedroom, yawning as he went. She watched as he climbed up into the big bed and burrowed under the blankets despite the warm temperature. Turning on the fan in the corner, she aimed it at him and climbed in beside him, choosing to stay above the covers. Noah snuggled into her side, his eyes closed and asked, "What'd you do while I was gone?"

Visions of the race, of falling in the mud with Ember and Elliot, dancing in the bar, the shots, making out with Elliot all filled her mind. But those were all things her son sure didn't need to know about. Instead, she just ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, "Oh nothing much. Just…hung around."

Noah huffed and started to drift off again, "You know…you're allowed to have a life beyond work and me Mom."

A lump formed in her throat and she sighed, "Yeah…I know that kid."

"I hope so." He said with a sigh as he settled into a deep sleep, "Sometimes I think you think you're not allowed to be happy. Like it will mean I won't be. But…I'm okay."

Sighing heavily, she dropped her head back on the headrest and ran her fingers through his hair, "Close your eyes kid. Close your eyes…"

But as he fell asleep beside her she wondered what it would be like to finally let a man around her son. A man that was more than just her friend from work like Fin or Matt. What would that look like? Noah would more than likely get attached. He was coming to an age when he would need a positive male figure in his life. The kind of person that could answer all the questions and be all the things she would never be able to be no matter how hard she tried. But it wasn't easy. At the end of the day it wasn't just about her or her feelings. It was about protecting this boy beside her and making sure he didn't feel an ounce of the pain she'd felt every time someone changed their mind about her.

Sliding further down onto the bed, she looked him over and brushed back his curls once again, willing time to slow down, "I love you Noah Porter Benson." Leaning forward she pressed her lips to his nose, "I love you enough to sacrifice my own happiness for you…"

And then she closed her eyes, wishing it was her son's face she'd see when she closed her eyes and not the handsome man she'd left yesterday morning…

Elliot was finishing up a 24 hour shift at work that day, his mind still thinking about Olivia and the way she'd slipped right through his fingers. It was taking all his strength not to look her up but he didn't want to scare her away even more. So once again, he just kept willing the universe to put her in his path again. He'd spent the few hours since she'd left trying to piece together what it was that kept her so guarded but he couldn't figure it out. And then he'd gone into work hoping they didn't get any calls because he was pretty sure his mind wouldn't be making the most rational decisions.

He felt a hand on his back, startling him from his thoughts and he turned to see Ashton walking up beside him, "You've been quiet."

Elliot reached into his locker and shrugged, "I have?"

"Normally we can't get you to shut up." He said as he sat down on the bench beside him, "Something on your mind?" Elliot didn't answer and he smirked, "Or more specifically…someone?"

Elliot couldn't help but laugh as he turned to look at his friend and mentor, "Ashton…"

"Ah…so I was right. The mystery girl from the fundraiser did get you all riled up." He wiggled his eyebrows at him, "You get her number?"

Elliot frowned and shook his head, "Nope."

Crossing his arms over his chest he frowned, "No? So you're basing this on the one interaction you had at the race?" Elliot just stared at him and he leaned in, "Oh…so there was more than that and you're holding out on me." Reaching out, he slugged him quickly, "Spill it Stabler."

Elliot opened his mouth but a group of their coworkers walked in at that moment, "I really don't want to talk about this here…"

"Well then I guess it's a good thing we're both off." Standing up, he tugged him along, "Come on. Let's grab some coffee before you head home. Or a drink…whatever you prefer."

Elliot smirked, "The coffee would be the safe bet…but the beer sounds tempting."

"Then let's grab a quick one." He said, nudging him towards the exit, "And then you can tell me all about the mystery girl."

Ten minutes later they were at the bar and Eliot rolled the bottle between his hands having finished his story. Ashton, not normally a man of few words, seemed stunned. In the decade that he'd known him, he'd never heard Elliot talk about a woman he barely knew this much or this intensely. And he could tell it was eating at him that she'd just skipped out without so much as saying goodbye.

"Well you do know her first and last name." He pointed out, "So that's a plus. And you know where she works…"

Elliot sighed and hunched over, taking a long swig from the bottle in front of him, "Yeah but I can pretty much guarantee if I showed up at her work she'd shoot me on the spot. And what good would that do?"

Ashton laughed, "She seems like quite a spitfire this one…"

"You have no idea." He said with a laugh, but his face erupted in a huge smile, "I've never met a woman like her. She's…the most infuriating girl I've ever met, hot and cold and yet…" He sighed and shook his head, "There is something about her that seems…different. Special. And I…I want to know more. I want to know everything there is to know about her. The only problem is…I can guarantee she isn't gonna let that happen easily."

"You think she's that hung up on the fireman thing?" Elliot looked over at him, "Like she wouldn't date a firefighter because she's a cop?"

Elliot shook his head, "No…that's not it. I think…" He chewed nervously on his lower lip, "I think she's been screwed over…a lot. And clearly by men. And so her guard is up. I get that. But…"

"But…it could also mean having to be quite patient." Ashton said softly, Elliot nodded slowly, "Then I guess…you're gonna have to decide if a girl you knew for less than a day is worth waiting around for."

Elliot dropped his hand to the bar and sat up all the way, turning to look at him, "I know I sound crazy Ash…but my gut tells me she's worth it. That whatever this is…me and her…that it's different from any other relationship I've had before or will have. And I don't want to just…walk away from it so easily."

Ashton smiled and said, "You remember how long I had to wait for Gina to agree to marry me? I must have asked a dozen times before she finally said yes. Not because she didn't love me. But because she wasn't ready. And everyone told me I was an idiot for waiting around…but I did. Because I knew she was the one. And when that day came when she finally said yes, it was the best feeling in the world. Now, five years later and two rugrats of our own…I wouldn't change a thing. Not even the waiting part."

Elliot stared at his friend and said, "But it hurt right? Waiting that long…"

Ashton's phone pinged in front of him and he smiled at the text from his wife, "Sometimes. But the good days far outnumbered the hard days." Standing up, he threw some money down on the bar, "I gotta go. The wife wants me home for dinner tonight and lately we've been talking about baby number three…she seems to be ovulating so-"

Elliot laughed and shook his head, "Twins weren't enough for you?"

Ashton shrugged, "What can I say man, happy wife, happy life. That's my motto. Besides…another little girl that looks just like her Momma wouldn't be so bad."

Elliot smiled at him, "But what if you get a second boy and he's even more of a terror than the first one…"

Ashton smiled, "Then that's a price I'm willing to pay." He stepped back and said, "You said 9th precinct right?" Elliot nodded, "Man I could really go for something from Katz right about now…" Elliot smiled at him and he smirked back, "Might be the Universe talking…"

And then he was gone.

Elliot sighed, turned back to the beer in front of him and took another long swig. And then he thought, why the hell not give it a try? What's the worst that could happen? Swinging his leg over the side of the stool, he hopped down and figured he had to eat anyway. He'd pick something up for Ember too. Walking towards the subway, he wondered what it would be like to see her again, what would she say? Would she pretend to not know him? Would she run the other way? Or would she be happy to see him, apologetic for the way she'd left? Either way, this time he wasn't gonna let her go without at least getting her phone number. That way, he could at least say he'd tried, and if he was lucky, she'd want a second chance too…

Olivia and Noah had slept in, had a bite to eat at the local Diner and roamed around the city for most of the morning into the late afternoon. A little after 2, Noah's stomach started rumbling again and all but begged his Mother to take him to his favorite place, Kat'z. She of course couldn't deny him though she wasn't very hungry herself, but she could never turn the place down. It never occurred to her that she had talked about this place with Elliot, she was just doing what her son wanted to do.

They stood in line, ordered their sandwiches to go and waited to the side. The place was packed which wasn't unusual. It was a gorgeous day and their plan was to grab their sandwiches and head to Tompkins Square Park to eat them there. Hand in hand they walked out of the deli, turning left at the exact moment that Elliot Stabler was coming in from the right. He hadn't noticed her though, mostly because he wasn't expecting to see her walking hand and hand with a kid.

But the whole time he was in line, he scanned the place knowing it was probably a one in a million chance that she'd show up here. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed his foot and walked back outside wondering if he should just take it home now and give up this wild goose chase. But, the sun was out, and he'd been cooped up at work the last two days so he decided a little fresh air would do him some good.

He knew there was a park nearby so he took his food and walked in the general direction he assumed it was. Once he finally got there, he smiled at the groups of people, families, couples, groups of friends laid out on the grass, eating, talking, and some people playing music. Finding a spot near a tall tree, he sat down and leaned against the trunk before reaching for the bag he'd brought suddenly realizing how hungry he was. Little did he know that a certain brunette and her son had just wandered over to the same tree and were leaning against it on the other side, not having noticed that someone else was there too.

"I'm starving." Noah said quickly as he sat down and reached for the bag in his Mother's hand.

Olivia smiled, "We didn't have breakfast until past 11 and you had 6 pancakes, an omelet and bacon! How can you still be hungry?"

"Uncle Fin says I'm a growing boy and that means I'll eat you out of house and home soon." He said with a mouthful of food.

Olivia laughed and reached out to wipe at the corner of his lips, "Don't remind me…"

Noah quickly launched into stories about his trip, his hands moving a mile a minute as he talked, the enthusiasm and excitement radiating off of him. And as she listened, Olivia relaxed, feeling more like herself than she had in days. During one particular story, she started to laugh, really laugh and the sound echoed around her, making its way to the other side of the tree. From his spot, Elliot was mid-bite when he heard it, his ears perking up and feeling like all the stars had aligned in his favor.

It had to be her. But could it be that easy to have found her? Or was he so smitten with this girl that he was hearing things he wanted to hear. Slowly, he put down his sandwich and turned, listening more intently. But then he heard the laugh again, and then her voice, and he was even more sure it was her. "Noah, baby, you're gonna choke."

And then his heart sank. Was she with a guy? Did she have a boyfriend? For a moment, he thought it would be better if he didn't even look. But he had too. He had to see if he'd made this all up in his head. Slowly, he rounded the corner of the tree and immediately his eyes landed on her. Oh it was definitely her and she was as beautiful as he remembered, if not more so. His eyes turned to the left, expecting to see a grown man beside her, some lucky bastard who she'd deemed worth her time. Instead, he saw a young boy, acting out some sort of story making her laugh even harder.

He stood there, still as a stone as he watched the scene unfold. Part of him was relieved, the other part a little confused and very curious. The little boy launched himself off the ground, his hands flailing as he talked and Olivia doubled over with laughter as he moved, "That sounds crazy! I can't believe you did that!"

Noah laughed and shrugged his shoulders, "Liam said I'm brave because he was too scared to jump off the pier. But I wasn't. Mr. Martin said I'm brave like you. And I told him that my Mom was the bravest person on the planet."

Mom. This kid was calling her Mom. Which meant he was her son. He had to admit that shocked him. Not that there was anything wrong with it of course. He loved kids, and wanted his own. But she'd never mentioned a son. Then again, they hadn't been around each other long enough to get to the more personal parts of their lives. He was taking it all in until he noticed the moment she saw him. Her smile quickly faltered and her face turned a shade of pale he'd never quite seen before.

He was vaguely aware of her whispering, "I'm not as brave as you think kid…"

Noah must have sensed that they weren't alone, and quickly turned around. Obviously he didn't recognize ELliot and why would he. The little boy's eyes narrowed at this stranger, clearly sizing up as friend or foe. A trait Elliot was sure he inherited from his Mother. "Who are you?"

Elliot couldn't help but smile, yup he definitely got that from his Mother too, "Uh…hi."

Noah looked at him again, then back at his Mother who looked completely and utterly frozen. Noah frowned and looked back at the strange man, "Listen buddy, my Mom's a cop. So before you-"

"Sorry." Elliot said quickly, realizing this probably looked incredibly suspicious, "I uh…I'm a…" He paused and looked at Olivia, eyebrow raised, "Friend of your Moms."

Noah crossed his arms over his chest, "I know all my Mom's friends. But I don't know you."

Quickly, Olivia pushed herself up off the ground realizing she had to intervene here, "Noah, honey…um, this is…this is-"

"Elliot Stabler." Elliot whispered, hoping it was more the shock than a matter of her forgetting his name so quickly, he put his hand out and Noah eyed it for a moment. Elliot dropped his hand quickly, "And you must be Noah…"

Noah continued to stare at him, trying to place this mystery man but he couldn't seem to do it. Behind him, he was completely unaware of the slight panic attack his Mother was trying to tamper down. After a moment, she cleared her throat and put her hand on her son's shoulder, "Hey, kiddo…isn't that Max Alverez from school?"

Noah turned away from the man towards the open field and narrowed his eyes, "Yeah. It is."

Olivia quickly ushered him forward, "Why don't you go say hi! You haven't seen him since school let out. See if…if he wants to have a playdate or something soon. I'll come see you in a minute." He looked up at her, clearly wondering if he should leave her alone with this man and her heart burst with love for this little boy. Even at six years old he loved and protected her better than anyone ever had, "Go on babe. I'll be right there."

Noah looked back at the man, took two steps and then said, "Just so you know…I take karate lessons."

Elliot bit down hard on his lip and placed his hands behind his back, hoping to look less threatening, "Noted."

And then the boy was off, running towards his friend leaving the two adults alone for the first time since she'd left his apartment. Elliot watched him go, then turned back to the woman before him. She stood there in a simple green sundress, her feet in flip flops, her hair loose around her shoulders and she was still just as beautiful to him. "Hey…"

She fidgeted nervously, her hands clasped together in front of her, "H-hi."

Elliot cleared his throat slowly and took a step towards her but stopped when he saw how anxious it made her, "Sorry to uh…interrupt. I just…" He pointed to the other side of the tree, "I was sitting over there and I recognized your voice…so curiosity got the better of me."

She licked her lips nervously, "I thought you said you lived in Brooklyn…"

"I do." He said with a smile, "You were at my apartment, remember?" Her cheeks flushed and he shrugged, "But I work in Manhattan…you remember that?"

She grimaced slightly and looked down, "Oh. Right."

They stood there in awkward silence for a moment before they both tried to speak at the same time, "Listen Elliot I-" "Why'd you take-"

They both froze and she put her hand out first, "Sorry…you go."

Elliot debated on telling her she could talk first but he had a funny feeling that if he did, this conversation would be over sooner than he'd like, "Why'd you run off the other morning without saying goodbye at least? You scared the hell out of me."

Standing up a little taller she tilted her chin up and shrugged, "Figured it was better for both of us if I got out of there before making more of a fool of myself."

Elliot frowned and took another step towards her but she backed away, "Olivia, you didn't make a fool of yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"You sure about that?" Her heart was rattling in her chest, "Some of it is a bit of a blur…but what I do remember I'm…" She paused for a moment and looked back to make sure her son was still close by before she said, "I want you to know that…the girl you met at that bar…" She looked back at him and whispered, "That's not me. I'm not…I don't go home with guys. I don't…" She grimaced slightly, "My son…is my world. My entire world. And he was on a trip for the first time without me and-"

"Olivia…" He shook his head, "I don't think-"

"Alex and I have been friends since college. And she wanted me to go out…I haven't done that since well before he was born. So I'm sure right about now you think I'm the most disgraceful woman you've ever met." He moved closer to her but she put up her hand, "But I swear on my son's life that…that's not who I am. I don't know what came over me. I just…I was…"

Her voice seemed to trail away and he raised an eyebrow, knowing he was losing her and quickly, "Can I talk now?" She blinked a few times before nodding slowly, "I'll admit I was a bit surprised to see that you…have a son." He paused and then smiled, "To be honest, before I saw him I assumed it was a boyfriend." Her eyes went wide and he smiled, "But I'll say I was pleasantly surprised to know maybe I still had a shot."

Her mouth hung open slightly for a moment, "What?"

"As far as what you said…about me thinking you're a disgrace?" He frowned, "I must have missed the rule that said Mothers aren't allowed to go out and have a little fun from time to time. I didn't realize that when you became a parent you had to never let loose again. So no…I don't think you're a disgrace in any way shape or form. I'm more upset that you seem to think that about yourself."

Swallowing hard, she let her hands drop to her sides, "I didn't plan on seeing you again…"

"I got that feeling." He said with a nod, "But I sure as hell hoped I'd see you again." Her eyes went wide again and he smiled, "And I'll admit that I selfishly went to Katz today on the off chance that I'd run into you even if it was a long shot. And lucky for me…the universe steered me in the direction of this park and here we are." She was still quiet as could be and he shrugged, "So I'll ask again…why'd you take off the other morning Olivia? I would have made you breakfast. Taken you home myself."

Her heart was pounding in her chest and instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own, "Did we…."

Her cheeks flushed and he didn't need her to finish her sentence to know what she was worried about. And quite frankly, as hard as it had been to make that choice, he was glad he had. He would have hated it more if they had slept together and she didn't remember it. "No. We didn't sleep together. You can relax now." Her shoulders fell slightly and her body seemed to become less rigid, "You found me on the couch didn't you?" She nodded, "Well then why would you think we had-"

Her cheeks turned bright red and she stepped closer to him, "Well I didn't have much on in terms of clothes so…so I wasn't sure if-"

"Oh." He said with a nod, "That. Yeah you…I meant that was you. I didn't take them off." He couldn't quite tell if that made it worse or better in her eyes, "Olivia, as much as I may have wanted to…I never would have let that happen."

Staring intently at him she asked the one question she wanted an answer to more than anything, "Why not?"

Lifting one shoulder he said, "Because, that's not the kind of guy I am. I don't go to bars and pick up random girls either. And I knew that you didn't really want it…not in the way I did. I wasn't looking for a quick hook up. So…I slept on the couch. And I don't regret it." He paused, "Though…had I slept in the bed with you, maybe I would have woken up before you took off. At least then I wouldn't have to look like a total creep skulking around hoping in the off chance that I'd run into you again…"

She opened her mouth to respond but Noah came running over to her again, "Hey Mom? Can I have some money for ice cream?"

Olivia looked down at him, startled by the shift in conversation, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her son and Elliot were in the same place, "How can you possibly fit more food in that stomach of yours?"

Noah shrugged innocently, "I dunno."

Olivia smiled and reached for her wallet in her bag, "Here…" She paused, "Shoot…honey I don't have any cash left. And they don't take cards…"

"Oh." Noah said softly, "That's okay."

A moment later, Elliot's hand shot out, a twenty dollar bill in his hand, "Here. It's on me. I interrupted your lunch as it is…it's the least I can do."

"Oh no." Olivia said quickly, "That's…that's really not necessary. Thank you though. He's…he's fine."

"I don't mind." He paused, "In fact, what would you like Olivia? I could go for one of those chipwiches if they have one."

Noah turned back to his Mom, with hopeful eyes, "Please Mom?"

Chewing on her lip, she wanted to say no. Wanted to take her son's hand and drag him away and never look back. More for her own sanity and dignity and yet…she felt that unrecognizable pull towards this man again. He stood before her offering to buy her and her son ice cream. He didn't seem angry that she hadn't mentioned a son, and didn't seem turned off by it either. He also wasn't showing anger for leaving, but maybe a little hurt and something about him felt safe. A feeling that she'd longed for her whole damn life. So before she could stop herself she was mumbling a quick reply, "I…I guess that could be okay."

"Yes!" Noah said quickly, grabbing Elliot's hand, suddenly forgetting that he was a stranger now that ice cream was on the table, "Come on!"

Olivia stood back, once again too stunned to move. Elliot turned to look at her, flashing that million dollar smile of his and called out, "We'll be back!"

Frozen from her spot, all she could do was nod her head slowly wondering once more what the hell she'd gotten herself into…

Ten minutes later, she found herself walking through the park with Elliot and Noah, still trying to understand how this had all happened. Noah was ahead of them happily eating his ice cream and chasing after the birds on the path. Elliot was eating his chipwich and Olivia was eating her Italian ice which Noah had insisted on getting for her though Elliot had tried to get something else for her.

Glancing over at her, he saw that she looked dazed as they walked, twirling the little spoon in her cup, "Noah said that was your favorite…but if you want something else I can go back and get-"

"No." She shook her head, looked over at him and tried to smile, "No it's great. Sorry…I do love this. I…I usually get it if we get ice cream."

What she didn't say was that it was her go to because it was usually the cheapest option and when it came to money, her motto was cheap for her, the best for her kid. He nodded slowly, not totally buying it but deciding it was better not to push her right now. They continued along for a few moments before Noah turned and pointed at the playground off to the right, "Mom, can I play for a bit?"

Olivia reached for the wrapper of his ice cream, "Yeah. Stay in that area though, okay? No running off."

Noah nodded, "I know the rules Mom." He looked at Elliot, "Are you leaving?"

"Noah." Olivia warned, "That…was a bit rude."

Elliot laughed and shook his head, "No. It's fine. He's just looking out for you."

Noah shook his head, "Sorry. I was just wondering if I should say goodbye now or after? And if I would see you again."

Olivia's heart started pounding in her chest and her eyes were wide. A few minutes in and her kid was already charmed by this man. God help her. Elliot glanced at Olivia and shrugged, "I guess that's up to your Mom here kid."

Noah nodded slowly, "Uncle Fin says Mom is very indecisive." He shrugged, "Whatever that means. So…I guess I'll say bye now. But I hope that I'll see you again soon." He paused and ran off before turning around, "Oh! Thank you so much for the ice cream!"

Elliot lifted his hand and waved after him, "It was my pleasure kid. And for the record…I hope I get to see you again sometime too."

Noah smiled and waved at his Mom as he ran off towards the monkey bars. Elliot smiled after him and waited, before turning back to Olivia. She still looked shell shocked and he tried to figure out how he could possibly calm her down. He wanted her to feel at ease with him. It was clear that her inner circle with Noah was small and she preferred to keep it that way. He didn't want to overstep any boundaries here but he was also so afraid to walk away, thinking he'd miss the opportunity of something great here.

Taking the last bite of his ice cream sandwich, he cleared his throat and whispered, "He seems like a really great kid…"

Olivia kept her eyes trained on her son, her inner protective Mommy mode on high alert. Taking the wrapper from her son's ice cream and instinctively reaching for Elliot's, she turned and walked towards a bin to her left, "He's the best."

He noticed that she threw her own treat in with them though she had barely touched it. Immediately she grimaced and looked back at him, feeling guilty but he shook his head and said nothing. Licking her lips, she ran her hands along the side of her dress and moved towards him, "He's….a great kid. And…he's my…"

"Whole world." Elliot finished for her, she glanced up at him with wide eyes and she nodded slowly, "That's how it should be. Just proves you're a hell of a Mom."

A light unexpected breeze blew through the park and she quickly wrapped her arms around herself. Swaying slightly from side to side, she lifted her chin and looked right at him, "Look, I'm sorry for how I acted the other night and how…how I took off. You were…" She looked down and kicked at the ground, "Very sweet…and clearly very respectable which I wasn't expecting and I just…" She sighed and looked back up at him, he was staring at her, hanging on her every word, like he actually cared what she had to say and it made her heart ache, "I just don't…I didn't think it was the best idea to be…" Her words were all muddled and she wished she could speak more eloquently but she was overwhelmed and unsure how to explain this all. Taking a breath she looked at Noah again, and smiled, finding it easier to look at him instead of this handsome man beside her, "Like I said…that's just not what I do. It's not normal for me. Noah comes first and dating…isn't really on my radar. For…a lot of reasons."

He wanted to ask about Noah's Father, and he glanced down at her hand just in case. But there was no ring. Was he in the picture? Did he acknowledge his son or still care for this beautiful woman? He'd be an idiot to walk away from them. Matt had said that the world had not been kind to her, and he wondered just what that man had done. He knew better than to ask about it right now though. They were already on a slippery slope as it was.

"So…you don't date at all?" He asked curiously, she looked at him and shook her head, "Never."

Shaking her head again she shrugged, "Haven't been on a real date since before he was born. No."

Elliot stood up a little straighter, puffing out his chest, "Okay."

She instantly went into defensive mode, "Between work and him…there isn't a lot of time for it. Okay? And I'd rather not bring some guy into my kids life who is just looking for sex and will more than likely disappoint us both just as he gets attached. I'm protecting him."

Putting his hand up in front of him, "Hang on a sec. I wasn't judging you…I was just wrapping my head around that."

She bit down hard on her lip and stepped back slowly, "Well, thank you again for the ice cream. And I apologize for my behavior but I think that I am going to go find Noah and-"

She turned from him and his heart rate sped up, he was playing with fire here but seeing as he was a firefighter, he figured why the hell not? "Okay so no to dating. I respect that." He saw her shoulders slump and she turned to look at him, "But…are you not allowed to have friends?"

"Friends?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him, "You want to be friends?"

Not being able to help himself he shrugged and whispered, "For now."

She started to laugh though she wished she could have kept it together, "Where have I heard that before?"

He smiled thinking about their kiss at the bar when he'd said the same thing, "Everyone needs friends Olivia."

"I have friends." She said softly, "In fact you met some of them the other night."

"True." He said pointing at her, "But…in my experience you can never have enough friends."

"I would disagree with that." He just stared at her and she sighed again, brushing her hair behind her ear, "I still can't figure you out…"

Crossing his arms behind his back he shrugged, "Where have I heard that before?"

She smiled and shook her head, "You don't know me. Not really. So why are you here?"

Elliot nodded slowly, "You're right. I don't know you. But…" Walking towards her, "I'd like to get the chance to know you…in whatever way you feel comfortable with."

"And if I'm not comfortable with it at all?" She asked, eyebrows raised as she leaned back to look at him.

Elliot frowned slightly, "Then…I guess I'll have to respect that."

"Mom!" Noah called from behind her at the playground, "Mom come play with me!"

Olivia looked at her son and sighed, "I really need to-"

"Wait." He sighed and stepped towards her, knowing this was his last shot, "What if…what if I give you my number?" She still just stared at him, "That way…you get to decide what happens here. It's your choice if you call me or not." She went to say something, "As a friend…you know if you want to call me as a friend. Can we do that?"

She wanted to turn and walk away and yet, something about this damn man intrigued her. No one had put in this much effort to get to know her. "How do you know that I won't take your number and then delete it as soon as I walk away?"

He shrugged and said, "Guess that's a chance I'll have to take and if it does happen…I'll have to hope that the universe keeps putting you in my path."

Without thinking twice, she took her phone out, not intending on calling him but figuring it was the only way to get out of this, she held it out to him. "Fine."

He was sure that his face looked shocked, because he sure as hell felt it. He figured he would never get her to agree and yet here she was, giving him her phone. Reaching out, he took it, and quickly put in his number before she could change her mind. When he handed it back to her, she slipped it into her bag again and he smiled, "Okay."

"Okay." She nodded and stepped back, "Noah's waiting…"

Elliot couldn't stop the giddy nervous energy that radiated within him. This had gone in a million different directions, ones he hadn't expected, and yet he still felt good about it. Taking a breath, he stepped back and nodded, "Right. Sure."

"Goodbye Elliot." She started to walk away and couldn't help herself as she turned to look at him again as he stood there, a hopeful little smile on his lips.

He lifted his hand and waved before turning on his toes and walking in the opposite direction. Olivia's heart flip flopped in her chest and she walked towards her son, her mind reeling as she approached him. Who the hell was this guy? He sure as hell wasn't like any man she'd ever met before and she didn't know what to think about it. Noah hopped down from the monkey bars and ran over to her, "Did your friend leave?"

Taking a breath, Olivia put her hand on his head and nodded, "He did."

"Oh." Noah looked past him and shrugged, "Will we see him again?"

Olivia frowned and lifted him again to help him up on the monkey bars once more, "I don't know."

As he swung forward, his little legs kicked and he asked, "Do you want to see him again?"

A little laugh escaped her lips and she said honestly, "I don't know…"

Noah pulled himself up and stared down at her from the top of the monkey bars, "Well I do. He seemed cool."

And there it was. An immediate connection between her son and this man, the thing that scared her the most. Reaching up, she tapped his shoe and said, "You think so?"

Noah nodded slowly, "Yeah. When we were getting ice cream he actually listened to what I had to say. Not many grownups do that. Only you."

She smiled softly at him, "Noah…"

Flipping back down, he dropped at her feet and said, "Plus, if there's a chance at getting ice cream again you know I can't turn that down…"

Olivia laughed harder and started to move towards him, "Always food with you!"

And then he was off, running and she was right behind him. All the while wondering if the Universe knew something she didn't know about that mystery man and that's why he kept being put in her path. And if so, would it happen again? More importantly, did she want it to happen again?